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[noburden]

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[noburden]

It's not childish to Jill. Of course he misses Joshua.

"I do, too." She doesn't particularly enjoy being away from him but she knows he needs to be able to spread his wings without her or Clive.

She steps beside Clive to take his arm, giving it a squeeze.

"I'm sure he's having a wonderful time. If he beats us home, he can enjoy having the house to himself for a little while."

[rosarianoath]

He hangs his head a little, relenting, leaning into her touch — he knows, he knows.

“Is that such a good thing, to have the house to oneself?” he muses. “I never enjoy it so much as when you’re there.”

[noburden]

She leans in--a rather loud act when some paper bag is crushed between them--and presses a kiss to his cheek. She understands how he feels.

"I worry he might feel suffocated at times, with either one or both of us with eyes on him at all hours." He can press buttons on the microwave in peace. "Whenever you're not home, I find myself only waiting for your return."

[rosarianoath]

Suffocating Joshua is a novel concept; imagine, seeing someone enough that your mere presence could be too much. He gives a soft chuff as Jill kisses him and he puts his free(r) arm around her for a brief squeeze.

“We could just never leave,” he jokes. “And speaking of… are we finished here?”

[noburden]

Don't tempt her with a good time. Jill is glad that Clive can tease, and she decides to put him out of his misery.

"Yes. I think Joshua will be pleased. I was hoping we could find something to wear to the beach now that the weather is warm, but we can do that another day."

He's eager to get home. She gets it.

[rosarianoath]

The beach? Clive doesn’t hide the little scrunch of his nose. Far be from him to discourage outings with his family, but…

“Why would we need clothes for the beach?”

[noburden]

"I do not think Joshua or the general population of Requiem wishes to see us bare all."

She manages to joke with a straight face, though she has to hide it against Clive's arm at the end. They're not going to the clubs.

[rosarianoath]

“I imagine not,” he says, but it’s hardly unusual either. He’s no stranger to bathing in rivers or streams. Playing, even. What boy hasn’t? He ducks his head just enough to bump his cheek against the top of her head. “I meant… what’s wrong with the clothes we already have?”

[noburden]

"They're fine, but there are a number of options for clothing meant to go into the water. Why not try them out while we're here?"

Some are cute. Some are more revealing than she'd like. Some, she would like to see Clive in.

[rosarianoath]

Oh. Right. He’d seen his fair share of nearly-naked women on the beach shortly before breaking Dion’s nose.

“I don’t intend to swim, but if you’d like to…”

[noburden]

"You don't want to go into the water?" She frowns. That's the point, Clive.

[rosarianoath]

“Have I ever been much of a swimmer?” he replies, bemused.

[noburden]

"No, but neither have I," she points out with a chuckle. "Shall I ask you nicely? Will that change your answer?"

[rosarianoath]

“I would sooner leave my dignity intact, especially in your eyes,” he says.

[noburden]

"You are being very dramatic." She finds it charming, given the way she hugs his arm. "Though perhaps I shouldn't be surprised."

[rosarianoath]

“Dramatic would be refusing to go to the beach at all,” he says, oddly charmed that she wants to hang onto him in public, and quite steadfast in his desire to neither swim nor wear a swimsuit. “Come now. Get some garment for yourself, and I’ll watch you swim.”

[noburden]

Stubborn.

"Will Joshua agree to go into the water with me, do you think?" Jill is certain her odds are good. Really, she's gauging whether Clive will make an issue of it. "I wouldn't want to go in alone."

There's always Dion, of course.

[rosarianoath]

“If he doesn’t get too engrossed in a book,” he says, dumb as rocks. “I’ll keep watch from the shore.”

[noburden]

Thank the heavens he's strong and handsome.

"I really have no choice but to go with Dion, do I?" She says with a laugh and a shake of her head. Far from a complaint.

[rosarianoath]

His eyebrows raise.

“And leave you without a strong swimmer? No.”

[noburden]

Her eyebrows raise in turn.

"Then come in the water with me," Jill says, and she hangs off his arm some. The next words already sound childish in her head before she says them aloud. Whatever. She cares not.

"I want to play with you."

[rosarianoath]

He looks down at her, naturally shifting to accommodate her weight. He does not think of her as childish. He thinks she’s beautiful, and he very much wants to play. He sighs. He relents:

“I’ll wade in with you, then.”

[noburden]

It would be impossible to hide the smile that blooms across her face.

"We'll have fun." Splashing water at Clive sounds like the most fun anyone could have at the beach, truly.

[rosarianoath]

“I’m sure we will,” he says, envisioning napping in the sand and maybe — just maybe — beating someone at some sport. “Go pick out a swimming costume, then.”

[noburden]

"For you, first?" It's not really a question, and she doesn't wait for an answer before leaning up on her toes to give Clive a quick kiss of joy.