Fluff On the Beach (B&B - Younger)
Henry sat back and watched as mother and son made their way down to the sand, step by step, foot in front of the other in front of the other, Nathaniel’s nappy half way down but still he persevered, still going. Henry smiled and shook his head a little, laughing softly to himself and pushing his sunglasses further up his nose from where they had fallen, looking around him at the other people on the beach before closing his eyes and trying to relax a little.
He was worn out. Hours spend splashing and running and then actually letting himself be buried in the sand (and how Edward hated that!) by Echo, Dawna and the children laughing, their eyes filled with amusement and the slightest bit of mischievous intent (some more than others). Now it was his time to relax.
As if reading his mind a voice came to him; “You’d have thought you’d have had enough time to relax head-deep in sand, no?” Echo’s lips curving into a grin shortly before a water bottle was thrown his way, his hands barely catching it.
“You’d think so but no,” his voice deadpanned.
He took a big drink from the bottle before putting it back into the cool box and closing his eyes, feeling himself drift.
The next time he awoke rather abruptly, water being thrown onto him and then a giggle, light and full of a glee that only a child could muster when doing something he knows is not really nice.
“What the-?” he started, looking around him, his eyes slightly wide eyed before they fell on the 4 year old.
“Made Daddy jump!” Nathaniel giggled again, opening his arms to be picked up.
“Yes, so you did son.” Henry couldn’t help but laugh as he reached down, pulling the boy to him, placing kisses all over his face until Nathaniel was squirming and laughing, red-faced and tears coming from his eyes.
“Nooooo, Daddy! Stop!” he squirmed more, almost helpless through laughing.
“If you want him to pee himself, by all means continue what you’re doing but you WILL be cleaning him afterwards,” Dawna’s voice carrying an edge of amusement laced with vague threat that she knew she didn’t have to because he would stop and he did just that and she bent down to kiss her boyfriend and then her son.
“So who’s up for ice cream?”
A chorus of hands went up, from the two children and Henry.
“Sauce ‘nd sprinkles?” Adrienne asked hopefully.
“LOTS of sauce and sprinkles! Strawberry for me!” Dawna laughed, scooping her up and kissing her nose.
“Raberry f’me,” Adrienne said, matching her aunts grin.
“Cho’late!” Nathaniel said.
“Hmmm…mint chocolate chip!” came Henry.
Echo just shrugged with a slight grin.