Genevieve Vipond (vievenvol) wrote in vrrpg, @ 2017-06-05 20:04:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, char: genevieve vipond, char: oliver wood, location: other, time: 2009 06 |
RP: Australia | Day One
Who: Oliver and Genevieve
When: Monday, June 5, 2009
Where: Noosa, Australia
What: Gen arrives in Australia and they try to find their footing
Warnings: A bit pg-13 in spots :)
Long-distance travel crossing nine (or was it ten?) time zones was exhausting even the magical way. Genevieve had arranged for a portkey in the very early morning so that she would be arriving at the Noosa around check-in time. She wanted to be able to get her stuff settled in before meeting up with Oliver. Last night, she'd taken a sleeping potion ridiculously early so that she would feel rested and ready to enjoy what was left of the rest of their day. It would still be an adjustment, but she had hope that they'd find a way to tire her out.
When she made her way down to the bar in the main part of the building, she was feeling a little more fresh, having showered and changed into a summery type dress that was probably out of season for Australia. But it wasn't too chilly yet, and she wanted to dress to impress, after all. And though she'd been tempted to go sans knickers, she'd decided the day of her arrival probably wasn't best for that.
Gen ordered a virgin cocktail and then took a selfie with the drink and sent it to Oliver with a message that read: Now this feels like a holiday! Come find me ;)
Finally the day Oliver had waited for arrived: June 5th. The day Genevieve would arrive to Noosa. His excitement and anxiousness had tainted his sleep, only getting roughly four or five hours, not including two fruitless attempts at a nap. In between he'd cleaned the hotel room - which looked more like an actual apartment at this point - and attempted to read a book, though couldn't make it past the first page due to the excessive amount of times he'd checked the phone.
Finally, Oliver's phone lit up with the text he'd waited for all day. She was here! A small part of him felt a pang of jealousy Gen hadn't messaged him immediately, but it was pushed aside by the pounding of his heart from excitement.
Oliver noticed her immediately, and how could he not? Strolling up to Gen he'd planned on playing it cool, but then his feet picked up the pace and he plopped down in the seat next to her, seizing Gen's beautiful face with both hands and kissing her deeply.
Well, that was quite the welcome! It was lucky she'd been keeping an eye out for him, so when he approached, she knew it was him, and when he held her face in his hands and kissed her, she didn't have to wonder who was doing it or why they thought they'd be allowed to do so. Perhaps this was his way of making it clear to her that he wasn't waffling about things or about to push her away.
She returned the kiss at first, though her awareness of the public space they were in had her breaking the kiss a few moments later with a light laugh. "Mmm, well hello to you, too," she practically purred in greeting.
Public display of affection be damned, Oliver was on vacation half a world away from the UK and everything he was supposed to do or be. Here in Australia his only concerns were surfing, sleeping in and just how to keep Genevieve happy.
"Hello hen." Oliver's Scottish accent slipped out as his lips brushed over hers. He honestly could stay like this all day, but figured it better to follow her and settle down. There would be plenty more time for her lips later on.
"How was the trip? You alright?"
Oh, that accent shot straight through her, and she hummed softly in pleasure at it. She wondered if she could get him to whisper naughty things in her ear with that accent. Though perhaps not tonight. They had the whole week to explore things without anyone or anything getting between them.
"The trip was as expected. It's still very much morning to me, so it's a bit strange that we're creeping toward evening here already." She reached out and trailed her fingertips over his arm, thrilled to be able to touch without worrying about it not being allowed or whether or not he'd push her away. "What have you done today?"
"Yeah, it's only a bit past five." Of course a nine timezone difference jumping forward wasn't anything simple; it had taken Oliver almost two days to correct his internal clock, not to mention deal with the jumble of emotions in the wake of his visit to France.
Leaning back in the chair, he stretched not unlike a cat having women from a long day of napping in the sun. The dark bronze of his skin reflected just how much time outside he'd utilized since his vacation began.
"Today? Ehhhh, nothing much. Napped in a hammock, went swimming, tidied up a bit in case I had company." The last part was accompanied by a ridiculous eyebrow waggle. "So a standard day down under."
Gen smiled at the way he wiggled his brows, enjoying the joking even if she didn't take it too serious just yet. As much as she looked forward to seeing the view he boasted his room as having, she didn't think that would happen tonight.
"That sounds like a very relaxed day. I was thinking swimming would be fun tonight, maybe even a dip in the hot tub..." Because why wouldn't she spend as much of her time here in a bikini as she could? And that he could properly enjoy the view now only made it better, in her opinion.
"Might not want to go out after the tide," Oliver frowned slightly and checked his watch. A little after five in the afternoon. "The currant can get a bit much at night. I'd really hate to lose you so soon. The hot tub would be nice, though." They could definitely get some time in together. "You're not hungry, are you?" As usual, Oliver was always hungry.
When Oliver mentioned the tide, she realized he'd misunderstood her. "Oh no, I won't let the tide sweep me away," she promised first. "I was thinking of sticking to the pool here at the resort for tonight, anyway." If it was earlier in the day, then she would have wanted to go down to play in the sea, but maybe a walk on the beach later might be nice.
"I have not eaten yet today, so food is probably a good idea." She wasn't a big morning eater, and it was definitely still morning according to her body. But, she was going to try to adjust her internal clock pretty quick, and maybe dinner would help there.
A flush of embarrassment crept upon Oliver's cheeks, though he shrugged it off. Of course, the pool. Truth be told he rarely used one when an ocean was near, but this hotel boasted an impressive pool, one he was all too eager to explore with Gen.
"Yeah?" Oliver perked up not unlike a dog at the notion of food. "The hotel restaurant is really good! Though there are equally great places along the beach." As he should know, having been to them all multiple times.
It was amusing, the way he seemed to perk up when she was amenable to getting food. "Well, since you know the places around here better than I do," because she didn't know them at all yet, "I'll let you choose where we eat." Dinner and conversation would be a good way to start things off, she thought. They could see if there was chemistry between them now that exploring things wasn't 'forbidden' because of other relationships.
Gen slipped off the barstool she sat on, putting her very much in his personal space, and lifted one and to touch his bicep first -god, she loved big, strong arms- and then slide her fingers down to hold his hand. "And then after dinner, maybe we'll take a walk and you can tell me a bit about the area and what's around here," she suggested, giving his hand a light tug.
"Perfect!" He beamed, running a mental list of all the places she might like. Something romantic? Nah, too much pressure, plus he'd never liked those stuffy places. Too casual might not fill her up properly and Oliver knew all too well just how annoying an empty stomach could be. "There is a really great Cantonese style Chinese place a few blocks away."
Gen's invasion into his personal space was more than welcome, raising a hand to lightly touch the small of her back just in case she stumbled. Fat chance. Her grace in air matched than on land, but it was a good excuse nonetheless. Oliver marvelled for a moment at Genevieve, forgetting just h how tall and willowy she was; his thing - if one could accuse him of such - had always been tiny, petite blondes. Something about short girls drove him wild, but he could easily find the beauty in tall women as well.
Giving her hand a soft squeeze and another beaming smile, Oliver led her out into the still bright afternoon sun.
"Oooh, Cantonese sounds great," she agreed easily. Casual and a touch exotic, and Chinese food was always a good choice, in her opinion.
As his hand went around her back, her other hand came up to wrap around his shoulder and hold the back of his neck, her fingers pushing into his hair there. It was a bit longer than she typically found attractive, but it looked good on him, and she could admit that she liked the idea of having something to hold onto.
Gen kept her hand in his as he led her out, her drink left behind only half finished, though it was a small, inconsequential loss. "So, did you get everything squared away back home over the weekend?" she asked curiously, still flabbergasted that Puddlemere had made him interrupt his holiday to come back for anything.
It wasn't a complete secret the number one way to make Oliver melt was to play with his hair. His features flickered into that of bliss at Genevieve's fingers touching the blonde tendrils and pouted slightly when removed. Later, perhaps. Definitely.
Noosa main street bustled with various tourists, most families and students on gap year moving together in clumps and taking selfies at every opportune moment. Oliver smiled, glancing to Genevieve (and feeling slightly odd not having to look down like usual). He'd imagined walking up this very street with her dozens of times, now it finally happened and was better than he thought.
"Mm? Ah yeah. Just some quick stuff for the upcoming season in the fall. New reserves, and other silly paperwork. Nothing major.. Really they could have sent it here."
Gen didn't actually know before that moment that the hair thing was a thing for him - it was just something she did, an unconscious expression of her very tactile nature. She was a toucher, and she knew she couldn't be with someone who wasn't similarly tactile. And so, when she saw his expression, she couldn't help smiling in pleasure at it.
They could have sent it here. Oh, she had far too many thoughts on that, but she knew none of them were complimentary to the team that he loved and had devoted his entire adult life to. It was just another way, in her opinion, for them to keep him under their thumb, to remind him that they were in control of his life. She was smart enough to know it would be best to keep those thoughts to herself.
"Well, hopefully they'll let us enjoy the week without any interruptions," was all she said on the matter, infusing a bit of suggestion to her tone to make the words lighter than they could have been taken. And it was true; she did hope that they could spend this time together, getting to know each other better, without their lives back home intruding on it.
"Yeah," A crease appeared between Oliver's brows. Puddlemere really hadn't needed him to go back like that - an annoyance that he expressed to management - "Yeah. I told them explicitly that I will be back on the 10th and unless it's an extreme emergency that I am informed of before I arrive I'm not to be bothered." Honestly, that had been some ridiculous shite. Oliver didn't mind making himself available to his employers up to an extent.
They arrived at the restaurant and the sunny disposition returned to Oliver's face once more. He let out an excited whoop, followed by a muffled apology and a tug on her arm. Genevieve just didn't understand how much Oliver loved food.
"Och, Gen, you're gonna love this! Don't let the tourists fool you, it's very authentic." He settled them at a shaded table on the patio. A heavy set Asian man in a ridiculously over the top floral print shirt hurried over and shook Oliver's hand.
"Oliver! You're back!"
"Promised, didn't I? Hong, this is Genevieve. Hong is the best damn chef in Noosa."
Well, at least he'd put his foot down to them about that, Gen thought with more than a little surprise, and she could admit to herself that she was impressed he'd done so. "Did you tell them I'd be joining you?" she asked, not quite able to hide the bit of smirk her lips stretched into at the thought. She could just imagine how frustrated Jenn would be, and she could be just petty enough at times to enjoy the thought.
He was so enthusiastic about the restaurant, and she found it rather cute. She chuckled and shook her head at his unnecessary apology. "I'm sure I'll love it," she assured him, letting him lead her to the table on the patio.
"Hello, Hong," she greeted the Asian man with a friendly smile. "That's very high praise!" And she did hope it proved to be true.
At the mention of Jenn and her knowledge of his vacation partner Oliver smirked but didn't reply. They'd know soon enough, and truth be told he didn't care. Puddlemere's PR team were being absolutely ridiculous regarding his relationship; part of him understood they wanted to minimize any potential rumors of fraternization, but at the same time they were not his parents or even his moral compass. Terence ran the gauntlet of women not even a year ago, why couldn't he do as he please?
Hong beamed as they sat, whisking the menus from the table and insisting that he pick out 'the best from the kitchen'. Oliver, catching Gen's eye, shrugged with a grin.
"You alright with that?"
That wasn't an answer, and she didn't know him well enough to be able to tell what that smirk meant, but she would let it go for now.
Gen laughed in delight at Hong's antics, nodding at Oliver. "I am, yes, of course. I enjoy a mystery dinner from time to time." And she wasn't terribly picky, so she wasn't worried. And if there was anything truly exotic brought out to them, she would at the very least try it.
Once they were alone again, she wanted to ask if Terence had been released from the hospital yet, but that didn't feel right for the moment. It was their first night together where they could actually talk and flirt and not worry about anyone stopping them. "Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?" she asked curiously. They'd come up with a rough list of things they wanted to do, but hadn't firmed up any of those into actual plans, so she was curious if he'd given it more thought.
At the very least dinner was sure to be delicious; Oliver truly had yet to find anything on the menu not to his liking. As soon as Hong stepped away Oliver slid his hands over one of Gen's, admiring her delicate and graceful fingers.
"Mm, surfing for sure. You absolutely have to try it. I know you're going to be brilliant." The mechanics of surfing were surprisingly similar to using a broom. "If we get up early enough there is a really nice farmer's market," Oliver recalled she enjoyed those. "There is also the zoo or Underwater World, but it's a bit of trek. We'd have to take a bus, I think it's a bit too far for apparating."
Gen smiled widely at his confidence in her abilities. She'd done a wide enough variety of sports and activities to be confident she'd be able to figure it out, or at the very least have fun trying. "Hmm, how early is early enough? It is a holiday, after all," she reminded him lightly. She wouldn't be a sloth about sleeping in, but neither did she want to have to set an alarm for something godawful early.
"The Underwater World sounds promising. Is morning or afternoon better for surfing?" He would know better than she would, after all. She figured they could do one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
"Honestly it's best to surf at dawn or dusk, so take your pick." Sure Australian waves were great all through the day, but to get the real experience one needed to pick morning or evening. "I'm not keen on getting up terribly early either, though Underwater World is a proper aquarium. We'll be there for hours and you don't want to be out in the ocean too late." Beyond the dangerous currants the sharks were more active at night.
At that, she couldn't help wrinkling her nose, though she was grinning a bit. "I'm going to have to get up at dawn at least one day this week, aren't I?" she asked with a light laugh, shaking her head a bit. She would survive if she had to do it, but she couldn't promise she wouldn't be a bit grumbly about it. "But if I'm going to be getting up at dawn, I'll need to go for a run and drink at least a pot of coffee," she informed him.
"So let's do surfing tomorrow and make me get out of bed at that awful time and just spend the day in the water, and Wednesday we can do a day trip to Underwater World," she suggested. They didn't have to jam all the things into this week, after all. She wanted to do things with him, but she also wanted to be able to spend time with him like this, with food and conversation, as a large part of this trip was about getting to know him better.
"I tell you what, hen, why don't we not set alarms and just do whatever we feel like tomorrow." He'd not missed that subtle crinkle of her nose. Having only set his alarm once since vacation started Oliver could relate to how miserable the prospect of waking up early could be. "There really is no rush."
The first wave of appetizers came to the table: sesame prawn toast, pan fried dumplings, and mushroom lettuce wraps. Oliver's blue eyes went wide with excitement, and he managed to contain himself while Hong poured chilled jasmine tea for the two of them.
"Enjoy you two."
Oliver smiled at her eagerness. "Alright, we'll hit the surf early. I'll even bring you coffee." It was the least he could do, plus he doubted her grumpy morning self would be anything less than adorable.
Handing over the small plates meant for sharing, Oliver quickly dished large helpings onto Gen's plate first and then his own, explaining in great length the combination of flavors and levels of deliciousness to each offering.
"Bless you," she replied gratefully. Coffee was definitely going to be a must, and she would make sure to get up early for her run and then shower before meeting up with him so she would at least, hopefully, have worked off most of her morning grumps.
It was fascinating listening to him talk about the different foods they'd been served, as it was clearly something that interested him. "You're a bit of a foodie, oui?" she asked before trying a bite of something else. Oh, but it was good, she thought as she closed her eyes and hummed at the flavors on her tongue.
A blush crept along his and Oliver shrugged in a would-be-casual way. "I suppose. I've always liked food, and eating, and cooking." Before moving out Oliver often helped his mother do most of the cooking, in return she had taught him secret recipes and various ways to create an incredible meal.
That, coupled with his joy of drinking a bottle of wine, turned into his beloved drunken cooking events.
"What about you? Do you cook?"
It wasn't hard to make the connection to having a strong, close family, and she smiled warmly at it. "I can cook, but I'm not particularly fond of it," she admitted. Her mind start to drift, memories threatening to come to the surface, but she pushed them rather forcefully away. That was her past, and it was going to stay there.
"My parents both love to cook, though, so of course they taught all of us, I just never quite had the patience for it. I was too busy as a child, and I've just never slowed down," she added with a light laugh and small shake of her head.
Merlin the food - if possible - was better than Oliver remembered. Perhaps Hong was pulling out all the stops, especially now that his new favorite client had brought a lady friend. Taking the opportunity to indulge while Genevieve explained her experience with cooking, Oliver smiled broadly.
"Mm, no worries, I love to cook so I'll have you covered on that." The prospect of spending an evening with a bottle of wine and a fancy-but-not-too-fancy dinner excited him. "I was always busy too, but helping mum cook really helped set the pace for the end of the day. It was a nice transition to 'home' after practice and what not."
Hong returned, bringing out various soups and wontons.
"I hope you didn't have plans for later, there is much more." He winked to the two of them.
That phrase, I'll have you covered on that, probably shouldn't have sent her mind whirling, and yet it did. Gen lifted her cup and took a long sip of the jasmine tea, trying to buy herself a moment to get her thoughts under control. He didn't mean anything serious by it, and even if he did, what was the harm in that? They'd both come into this with the understanding that they were looking for something serious.
And why shouldn't they?
The picture he was painting, helping his mum cook at the end of the day, was a lovely one, and she smiled warmly at it. "Your mum must be a fantastic cook, then," she prompted, wanting to hear more about his family. She could talk about her own all day, but she definitely wanted to learn more about him.
She groaned with a soft laugh at Hong's words, shaking her head as he left again. "There's no way I'll be able to eat much more!" she admitted. It was still morning according to her body, and she was already reaching the limits of what her stomach could handle so early in her day.
The best way to win favor with Oliver had always been to compliment his family, and he nodded eagerly at Gen's statement. "Och yea, she's a right proper cook. It's how I learned and I've not had any complaints." Indeed, most the gatherings at his home involved Oliver spending a majority of time in the kitchen, not to mention he rarely let others help half from his desire to be a good host and the other stress of being cramped or them messing up the recipe.
Laughing softly, though offering a sympathetic look, Oliver dished more food onto her plate.
Oliver seemed to be enjoying himself, and that only made Gen feel worse for the strange turn her thoughts were taking. And as he served up more of the food onto her plate, which was a move she'd never found appealing, she gave him a small smile and said, "Would you excuse me for just a moment?" as she stood up from the table. And as she moved around the table, she let her hand trail over his shoulder before she dipped inside to look for the loo.
She didn't actually need to use the restroom, she just needed a moment to herself. She wasn't this awkward, stressed person, but she'd been off-kilter for over a week now, and there really was no use pretending why. Her hands rested on the counter as she leaned toward the mirror, sighing heavily. "You are not going to let Cooper Vipond mess up your head again. It's taken you too long to move on from him, and you are not going back. So stop thinking about him and enjoy the man sitting out there that's clearly thrilled to have you about," she told herself in French, forcing herself to say the words out loud. She pulled her phone out of a hidden pocket in her dress and started typing out a message to her sister, only to delete it a moment later. Addi wouldn't be any help in this, she knew.
It was only a few minutes later when she came back out to the patio seating, slipping back in the chair she'd vacated before. "Sorry about that," she said with a smile that wasn't as easy or natural as it usually was. "What's your favorite dish to make?" Perhaps if she kept him talking about himself, she would be able to get her mind back to the here and now.
Having been so wrapped up in making sure Gen had enough of the newest wave of food, he'd missed the small smile but not the tone in her voice. The blue eyes regarded her, and a frown appeared on his lips.
What had happened? They were having such a good time. Or so Oliver thought. Now the food didn't look as appetizing and a strange feeling settled at the bottom of his stomach. What had he done to make Gen uncomfortable?
Maybe she's feeling a bit out of sorts due to the time change.. Travelling such a long distance, even magically, still took a toll on the body. He willed himself to believe it instead of something he'd done. When Genevieve returned there was no mistaking that tightness in her smile.
Again, Oliver's stomach dropped.
"Yeah," the unease tinted his voice. "Em, you alright hen?"
He wasn't answering her question, and she couldn't help wincing faintly when he asked if she was all right. It wasn't fair to lie but she certainly wasn't about to pour out all her mixed up emotions to him at this stage, either.
"Not particularly," she admitted. "I'm feeling a bit more out of sorts than I anticipated." And not just because of the time change, though that had to be part of it.
The crease between his brow deepened, though the frown slipped into a would-be-casual expression followed by a shrug of the shoulders.
"Yeah, s'bit much. Why don't we get this to go and you can eat it at your leisure?" At the very least Genevieve could have ready access to her own room and private time if she needed it.
Oh, she was making a mess of this, and that only served to frustrate herself further. "I'm not worried about the food, Oliver," she said gently, a bit confused that he seemed so focused on the food. "It's delicious, of course, it's just still early to me. If I eat much more, I'll likely get sick."
She took another sip of the tea and then bit her lower lip, thinking for a moment. "I'm... Can I ask you a personal question?" She didn't know what the hell she was doing, because she didn't really want to bring this sort of thing up at this point, but here she was, doing it anyway.
"Ah, I guess I'm used to eating a big breakfast." He winked, feeling a sense of relief at the explanation of her behavior. So, it wasn't him after all. "Honestly, I guess I eat a bit big of everything.. Thank Merlin for Quidditch and my metabolism." Because without it Oliver certainly wouldn't have such an incredible form.
Again, the blue eyes seemed to darken at the change in her tone. "Yeah Gen," he said, voice politely neutral. "Go at it."
That did earn him a soft laugh. It was ridiculous how some men could do that, just eat and eat and still work it off. She had a fantastic metabolism, always had, but she still had to be somewhat careful with the volume of food intake. "Of course, and I imagine you've got a pretty stringent workout routine." She tended to workout every day but it was more due to the fact that she enjoyed it than it being required of her.
His tone of voice had anxiety swirling in her stomach, and she glanced down, trying to think of something, anything else she could ask, something she could do to get them back to the lightness they'd had in their first interaction at the photo shoot, or even at the bar. She wondered if that were even possible, though, with everything that had happened since then.
"Have you ever been in love?" she finally blurted out, feeling ridiculous for not having been able to think of anything else. Her mind just kept circling back to it. "And I don't mean loving someone - we're built to love, it's ingrained in human nature. I mean that life changing, soul stirring, you'll never be the same again sort of love." Her fingers hand unconsciously pulled a napkin closer to her, worrying it in a fidgety way.
Oliver studied Genevieve for a long, silent moment, torn between wanting to scoop her into a hug and pressing past this conversation. In love. With someone else. Can't say he could blame someone for loving this woman; I his excitement Oliver had read some things on Gen, mostly a stray interview or two in the hopes of plucking a topic of conversation, but he'd also come across the messy break up of her and Cooper.
"No," Oliver replied firmly, picking up his fork and toying with the tines idly. "If I had I wouldn't be here with you." Because Oliver would have never let someone like that go. He'd work to make sure she was always happy and feel appreciated. "... Have you?" He dreaded even asking that question before finishing.
That had something twisting in her chest again, and she looked down. He wouldn't be here with her, and the reason why seemed obvious to her. Why would anyone let go of that sort of love? She'd had her reasons, though. It was just now that she was realizing that she had been changed by it. Irrevocably. "Oui, once," she answered on a whisper that cracked a bit, peeking over at him without looking up fully.
"He showed up in France. I hadn't seen or heard from him in six months, and he comes waltzing back in, and..." She blew out a breath. God, she was being an idiot. She knew better than this. It was a cardinal dating rule - talking about an ex on a first date was one of the quickest ways to sabotage things. "I turned him away, but... it's stirred things up. Brought things to the surface I thought I'd dealt with..." Like the baby that almost was.
Cooper. Of course. "Just showed up, kinda like me." He smiled sadly at the irony. "Well," a pause. What could be said? Oliver certainly couldn't blame him - which he uttered softly without realizing it - and looked up. "Well, I guess I would feel the same way if the same happened to me."
Hong returned, more plates of food and looked theatrically shocked they'd barely touched the food. Oliver assured him they loved it but they would take the rest to go ("She just arrived, long flight you ken?") and turned his attention back to Genevieve.
"Well, I'm not sure what to say to that, honestly. I can't really relate." He leaned forward, closing the distance he'd created. "Why don't we go back to the hotel and you get some rest? At the very least rest your mind."
The irony wasn't lost on her, but she couldn't bring herself to smile at it. "I..." Hong's returned interrupted what she was about to say, and she couldn't help but think that was for the best. She didn't need to go into more details of why she and Coop weren't together anymore or what her thoughts on him now were. She didn't want to make things even more awkward between them.
When he leaned forward, she stretched her arm out on the table, her hand open toward him, inviting him to take it if he wanted. "The last thing I'll be able to do back in my room at the hotel is rest my mind," she replied honestly. "I need to do something. I've been stuck in my head for too long, and I don't like it." She'd told Coop something similar, she remembered, when he'd come to the festival. "I wanted to come here, and I don't regret it. I just... wanted you to understand why I've been a bit off tonight." The last week and a half, really, but that had been easy to hide in text messages. Less so face-to-face.
Oliver's fingers brushed lightly across her palm, trailing upwards along her arm. He could understand feeling trapped in your own head without anything distraction and it was absolutely miserable.
"Well, thank you for being honest, Gen." It wasn't the most desirable of an explanation, but at the very least the situation laid before them. "Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?" Oliver turned to look at the sky, judging a couple of hours left before the sun set. "It's nice."
That thing he did with his fingers sent shivers through her, goosebumps lifting on her skin, and she smiled at him. Maybe this wouldn't be a complete disaster after all?
"I always try to be honest, even if it's uncomfortable," she admitted, knowing that some people found that off-putting, but she truly didn't know how else to live. Like she'd told Oliver before, she tended to live her life as an open book, and she'd done so for the most part, so she wasn't going to stop now. "I'd love a walk on the beach," she answered, feeling some of the tension in her loosen.
She probably wasn't going to fall into bed with him tonight, but she had come all this way for a reason, and so she was going to do her best to put everything else out of her mind now and just focus on getting to know Oliver better.
Hong returned with entirely too many boxes, causing Oliver to laugh at comical amount of food. The bill arrived behind that, far less than what he'd expected and a sneaking suspicion Hong has undercharged them - and wouldn't accept more than he'd billed.
"We'll drop this off at the hotel and go to the beach." Oliver stood, slinging bag handles up his forearm and stood, reaching out with his free hand to Genevieve, smiling warmly. "C'mon hen, let's take a walk."
Gen nodded as she stood up, taking his offered hand and giving it a little squeeze. It didn't take long to drop the food off at the hotel, and then they were making their way down to the beach. It was only a few steps in the sand that she let out a soft groaning laugh, gripping his arm as she bent to take off her shoes, looping the straps around two fingers so she could walk barefoot.
"I love the feel of the sand under my feet," she told him. And besides, as much as she loved wearing heels, they weren't really ideal for walking on the beach. "You've obviously been here before, but is there anywhere in the world you want to go that you've not yet?" she asked him, hoping they might be able to find a good rhythm again.
Having opted to forego his shoes, Oliver glanced down to his bare feet, wiggling his toes in the sand.
"Antarctica." He replied without thought. "It's the ultimate adventure, yeah? Can't get a portkey and muggle flights are bloody ridiculous to get there... If you get to go at all. I can could take a cruise that leaves from Isla de Fuego and will let you see the coast, but," his nose wrinkled, finishing the thought. "There is however an expedition across it. Takes three months." And he absolutely would do it one day. "What about you?"
"Oh, that's brilliant. I'd never have thought of that," she replied, sounding a bit impressed with it. Because really, who would think of going on an expedition across Antarctica? But it did sound like the ultimate adventure. It also sounded cold, but under the right circumstances, that could be a thrill in and of itself.
Her head tilted as she considered it when he tossed the question back at her. She had a whole list of places she wanted to go. "I think the arctic, actually. I'd love to go to Iceland or Alaska and see the northern lights. I've seen it in Scotland, of course, but it's a good excuse to see somewhere new and different." And that was only one of the many places. "I don't often think to travel like that over the holidays, though, and that's the only time I'd really have to see it with our training and games schedule. I tend to go home and spend the holidays with my family."
Oliver laughed deeply. "So the opposite side of the pole, yeah? Dinnae think there is much left thanks to the muggles destroying it." He added, a touch more serious. "Won't see as long a winter anymore where I'm from, but more ice bergs. Definitely more."
The tide, quickly receding away from the beach, exposed several yards of glistening sugar-white sand streaked with various seashells. Oliver, half tempted to pull Genevieve along, contented himself to quietly observe. He didn't really need the shells.
"Yeah, know what you mean, holidays are definitely family time. I can't imagine my lot would be pleased if any of us didn't come 'round." For a moment he thought of Logan and the seemingly impossible fracture between his little brother and the rest of the family. Oliver sighed, mentally wishing for a fast forward button so he could get to the end where this turmoil had resolved itself.
It wasn't the first time he'd referenced muggles destroying the environment, and just then it had her wondering. She knew he was a pureblood, but she's never got the impression that he was the muggle-hating sort. "Global warming and climate change are a whole lot more complicated than what muggles do that affects the environment," she pointed out, though there was much more she wanted to say on the topic. And she couldn't help wondering if anyone had done a study on the affects of magic on the environment.
Seeing the seashells reminded Gen of her sister, Eloise, and she smiled warmly. Eloise was as soft and warm and sweet as Gen was loud and wild and passionate, and she had gone through an Ariel phase as a girl, collecting seashells and making jewelry out of them. It was a good memory.
Her attention was drawn back to him at the mention of his family, though. There was a certain tension in her expression that seemed at odds with his words, and she frowned faintly. "Is everything all right?" she asked, hoping she wasn't overstepping.
"I know," Oliver shrugged with obvious unease. "The earth goes through cycles and will be fine long after we're gone, but," he heaved a sigh. "I just really wish they wouldn't be so lackadaisical about their treatment to the environment. So much destruction and pollution and for what? Insane amounts of consumption well beyond what any one person really needs." Oliver wasn't ignorant to the fact he benefitted from the recent spike of muggle products, though he still tried to use magic as much as possible.
The beach glowed with golden light from the setting sun, illuminating Genevieve's form. Oliver couldn't help but stare and push down a lump in his throat. Merlin how could someone be so beautiful? Without knowing Gen's family history he would have sworn she was mixed with Veela. How else could he explain the intense feeling of wanting to touch, hold, kiss and simply be with her?
Quirking an eyebrow, Oliver shrugged again. "S'nothing. Family is rowing a bit lately. It can't always be perfect." He took several steps forward, needing just a quick moment, then turned. "Wanna collect some shells?"
She didn't actually disagree with that, but she still thought it was a human issue, not necessarily a muggle issue. "Well, there is a growing global movement to try to work on that," she told him. Of course, there were also the denialists, but as more people became educated on the science, it seemed to really be a growing movement.
That didn't sound like nothing, but with how new this was and considering the awkward they'd had to overcome thanks to her overthinking things, she didn't feel comfortable pushing him on it. "I'm sorry," she said gently instead. It was normal for a family to row at times, she thought. There had been several absurd fights in her own family over the years, even.
A light laugh sounded at his question, and she looked at him with a delighted smile. "I was just thinking about how my sister used to love collecting seashells," she admitted. "I'd love to collect some, maybe even find a really good one to give Eloise. Have you seen many movies?" she asked him as they headed closer to the water. It could seem random, but it was a logical jump in her mind.
Family for indeed row. His moreso than usual lately. Above everything he wanted to pluck the pain from his little brother so he would stop being the hurtful, angry person he'd turned into. Where had the old Logan gone? Maybe he was still in there, buried.
Grabbing Genevieve's hand, Oliver tugged her softly toward the shells, kicking at little puddles of water.
"Another sister?" He smiled. "Is she as wild as Addi or vivacious as you?" Bending down, he plucked a beige and orange scalloped shell from the sand, observing the cracked edge, and discarded it. "Movies? Yeah, I love the cheesy, action ones!" he answered enthusiastically.
She'd told him she had a large family, but she couldn't remember if she'd told him the makeup of it. Four girls and one boy, sometimes she wondered how her parents had survived them! "Yes, another. There's four of us girls and a baby brother. But no, Eloise is definitely different from Addi and I. She's all soft and sweet and gentle," she told him with a little laugh. "She's a PA - a physician's assistant - and is actually working on her doctorate. If she'd been a witch too, I have no doubt she'd have become a healer in our world, as well."
His enthusiasm about action films amused her, and she chuckled shaking her head. "Have you heard of Disney movies? Children in the muggle world are typically raised on them. Eloise was rather obsessed with The Little Mermaid for a little while, and she went through a seashell collecting phase. She made a ton of jewelry out of them, and one time she even found shells large enough to make a bikini-style top out of, and I swear, she spent an entire summer wearing them." It was a phase that always embarrassed her first younger sister whenever it was brought up.
In truth Oliver had forgotten the exact number of siblings, having been told to him during the trip to France. Genevieve didn't need to know, as he didn't want to look inconsiderate forgetting details of something so important to her. "Five?" Oliver replied, hoping the tone was convincing. "Merlin."
They reached the edge of the beach, littered with discarded shells, sea foam and the occasional remnants of waves. Oliver stooped down and collected a chunk of a conch shell. "Dizzy? Nah, not heard of it." He reached down and found a long, thin, spiralled shell and placed them over his chest where the cups of a bra would rest. "Oo like this?" He preened with an overly breathy, girlish voice before dissolving into a peek of laughter and chuckling the shells one after another into the ocean. "Did you ever show her what real mermaids look like?"
Gen chuckled a bit at his tone. "Yes, really, and my mum swears she enjoyed every infuriating minute of it." And she did hope to have something similar for herself, a large, loud, loving family of her own. It was another reminder that she could have been a mum by now, which caused her smile to dim a bit before she pushed the thought away.
His mispronounciation of Disney had her laughing shortly. "Not dizzy, Diz-knee," she said, pronouncing it a bit more slowly and clearly this time. Only then she was completely distracted by his antics with the seashells, and her head tipped back in laughter. "Oh, yes, you should save those and make one for yourself," she teased him.
At his question, she wrinkled her nose and nodded her head. "Oui, I did, and it broke her heart. I think it's part of why she was never as jealous of my magic as Addi always has been. She prefers the idea of magic and myths better than the reality," she explained, though she realized she was probably over-sharing and hogging the conversation.
"Nah, don't know this 'Diz-knee' sort either," Oliver poked the tip of his tongue out at her correction. "Dinnae think I'd want to if they're making bras out of seashells." A playful smile twitched at the corners of his lips, reaching to the blue eyes. He loved it when Gen laughed. She did so without restraint, fully embracing the moment.
The way it should be.
With his toe Oliver traced lines in the wet sand. They lasted only a few seconds before the sand collapsed under it's own soaking weight and dissolved the image into a smooth surface once more. "Mm probably for the best. Muggles seem to think we're so much more impressive than we really are. We're not so much different. Hell, until we started to embrace their technological advances they were far more advanced than us. Still are, really." Oliver replied sagely. "Their lack of magic really made them quite clever in many other ways."
Gen laughed, shaking her head as she reached out to shove him without any real force. "Just as well. The media would have a field day with speculation if you loved Disney. All the women would be swooning over you more than they already are," she teased. As if it hadn't already been clear he was a sweet, wholesome sort, that would probably do it.
That little ramble about muggles surprised her, but in a good way. "I love that you recognize that. A lot of purebloods still don't get it." She'd touched on that a bit in her Witch Weekly interview. "I love seeing Muggle things being integrated more in our world; there really is a lot of brilliance in it." She was definitely feeling far more relaxed than she had at dinner, and she was relieved by it.
"Is that right?" Oliver considered for a moment, stumbling slightly with the force of the push, and keeping the exaggerated look of contemplation. "I might have to get into this, I don't yet have every bird in my pocket." Of course the media would paint that statement otherwise. Before Oliver was the wholesome guy you took home to your mum, these days the opinion had shifted into that of a desperate philander selfishly breaking hearts.
Genevieve, being muggle-born, would obviously have more bias towards muggles than Oliver, though he wasn't the type to buy into the pureblood hype either. Only a select few members believed in the blood purity nonsense, and he hadn't really seen them since before He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named rose to power again. They were probably in jail, and as far as Oliver was concerned that served them right.
The neared the horizon and with it golden hour bled into a brilliantly dappled pink and purple sky.
"Beautiful, yeah?" Oliver murmured, moving closer to Genevieve while sliding a tentative arm around her waist, unsure if she still felt jumbled from earlier.
When he stumbled a bit, she snorted out a short laugh, sure he was just pretending because she really hadn't put much force behind it. She loved that sort of playfulness, though, and she was smiling at him. At his response, she wrinkled her nose and shook her head, though a smile still curved her lips up at the corners. "You wouldn't want every bird in your pocket. How would you keep up?" she asked, continuing with the teasing.
As they walked along, she dipped down to pick shells that caught her eye here and there, and she had a good handful by the time he drew her attention to the horizon. As his arm went around her waist, she turned her head to smile at him, her own arm sneaking around him as well, the shells still in her hand. "Oui, it is," she agreed easily, still looking at him. He really was a gorgeous man.
The shells felt cold against his palm, and Oliver quickly pocketed his looted treasure from the sea. The sun crept lower on the sky by the minute, splashing an orange hue over the water. He watched the scene for a couple moments before shifting his attention; Being with Genevieve it was so easy, seeing himself in another life, a normal, healthy life. Perhaps she was right and with the right partner he could find a way to balance work and family.
Tangling himself further into her embrace, his dark blue eyes greedily absorbing every detail of her sun kissed face, and for a moment, a perfectly frozen, moment, she was just standing there representing every potential future. It had shocked Oliver how fast he was moving on from Romilda, and at the front of his mind bubbling up every opportunity the horrible fact someone half a world away felt pain because of him, but in this moment, as the sun slunk below the horizon and pulled the smudges of violet and pink with it and his lips met Genevieve's, he couldn't think of anything else.
The kiss wasn't a surprise in the least - it was the perfect moment for it, and her stomach had felt fluttery with anticipation. And as his lips met hers, her eyes slipped closed, the shells fell from her hand, and she dropped her shoes so she could slide her now free hand up against his clothed chest, turning more fully in his embrace.
Warmth started where his lips met hers and slid slowly down her body, making her shiver faintly in his arms, humming softly against his lips. A moment later, she pushed up onto her toes and trailed her hand higher, slipping it behind his head and threading her fingers through his hair, seeking to deepen the kiss.
The kiss started out slow and exploratory,very feeling the rush of arousal and the sparks of his tongue. Genevieve’s fevered lips impacted with his and her hands, seemingly instinctively, her hands were in Oliver's hair. Their bodies pressed flush against each other as he moaned softly into her mouth, knees threatening to buckle from the arousal clouding all ability to think.
The kiss was fierce and frantic. A blur of limbs and tongues, expectation and longing.
Eager hands gripped Genevieve’s back, holding her tightly. Oliver felt her rise upwards, breasts pressing into him, felt her body respond… felt his own fingers digging into her skin and one of his hands trailed down Genevieve’s neck and slid down her side, tracing the curve of her waist and the outline of her hip. The other hand cupped her face, deepening the kiss. Oliver burned with desire. He wanted this. He'd wanted it since that photoshoot.
The warmth spread all the way to the tips of her toes, and feeling his hands on her had her body responding to him in earnest. It was like all of her tumultuous emotions from the last three weeks had been channeled into this single moment. The feeling was powerful enough to make the rest of the world fade away until it was just him and her, man and woman, snogging on a beach in Australia.
She was breathless by the time they broke the kiss, her fingers curled tightly in his hair, her body flush and tight against his own. "Oliver," she breathed, her eyes still half-closed. And then she let out a breathy chuckle and relaxed a bit in his embrace. "I'm not sure we did that right. We might want to try again," she suggested cheekily, her lips curved in a satisfied little grin.
Suddenly, Genevieve slowed, softening the kiss - drawing it out. His mind scrambled to catch up with what was happening... What they were letting happen: snogging full on on public on a beach. Anyone could see them, though the likelihood of anyone in Australia really caring was slim to none. The scene and reality slowly came back into focus as Oliver reluctantly broke away from the kiss.
Resting his chin on the top of Genevieve's head, his breathing erratic and tremulous.
"We can practice as many times as you want, hen." Oliver whispered. He drew back to smooth Genevieve's touseled blonde hair and orange dress while running the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip; he could still taste her there. Something that would drive him wild until their next kiss.
Being such a popular tourist/vacation spot meant there had probably been millions of couples doing exactly this in this same spot over the years, and Genevieve didn't feel self-conscious about it in the least. Perhaps if his hands had strayed to less appropriate parts of her, but she didn't think they'd gotten carried enough away to be embarrassed about.
As his chin settled on the top of her head, she turned her head to rest her cheek against his chest, feeling his heart beating under it. She settled back on the flats of her feet and let her hand slip out of his hair and down his body until she could wrap both arms around him in a hugging sort of embrace. His whispered response had her chuckling softly, and she drew her head back so she could look up at him again. "As many times, hmm?" She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, feeling mischievous suddenly.
"Yeah," Did she have to nibble on her bottom lip like that? It made for a very difficult time trying to keep all his thoughts together. Oliver pushed the overwhelming desire to take her kiss-bruised bottom lip between his own teeth and matched her mischievous look. "What do you say we get out of here and brush up on our snogging skills?" His blonde head subtly tilting in the direction of their hotel.
That look he was giving her was precisely what she'd hoped for with her words and the biting lip thing. In her experience, that drove most men crazy, and she liked the thought that it was doing so to him now, too. His question had her stomach flipping, some combination of anticipation and nerves. "I think that's a fantastic idea." And she wasn't going to let herself get swept up in worrying if that was code for sex, she was just going to do what she'd always done best: live in the moment.