'Heatwave Wholesomeness' (James and Ruby Version)

[Alternate Text: A header image that features the fountain of Diana and Actaeon. The area is natural with a rocky waterfall behind the statues of Diana and her handmaidens, adding a secret garden vibe to the area from the overflowing greenery and rocky outcroppings. The title is 'Heatwave Wholesomeness' in a white font with a mossy green glow effect.]

"…This could be the start of bad porn…"

You don't entertain Ruby's drawled out remark until after you finish the last lines of the article you're reading. Only then do you roll up the art magazine, hitting her thigh with a satisfying smack of glossy paper against her bare skin. She laughs at your action, still too playful.

"Oh, did I offend you, darling?"

Ruby poses that question while seductively sliding her sunglasses down to better peer at where you're lying beside her. They're still mostly on, only lowered by a fraction to give you a mirrored view of yourself—of what and whom she's smirking at. Unlike you, she is in partial sun to soak up some of its rays after you applied sunscreen rather generously (and repeatedly at her cute insistence). While you have on your typical swimwear, Ruby is in what only barely qualifies as swimwear because she's alone with you and James. Ms. Verner is away.

"I should have said 'trite' since you both would be starring in the film," she clarifies. "Never bad."

Beneath her teasing joke, Ruby might actually be trying to ascertain if you were at all taken aback. That's made even clearer by her sun-warmed fingers delicately skimming along your side when she reaches across the pool lounge chair. "Let's keep it PG for Nox," you retort with a glance at the ball of black fluff tucked under your freestanding, poolside umbrella. He has his own soundless fan gently buffeting him and is currently asleep. "Also, no to 'darling'."

Ruby slips her sunglasses back into place, yet you caught how her eyebrows knit together in confusion at another pet name veto from you.

"It's a classic, [Surname]. Elegant, timeless."

"I'm just not feeling it," you breezily reply. "Ask James for help instead of ogling him."

"I know more terms of endearment, and I am appreciating his sincere efforts for the pool."

"Then maybe he'll give you a hint."

Ruby drops her head back against the lounge chair, unable to spot the mischievous smile you're keeping at bay by locating James. He is currently across from your side of the Verner leisure pool that has more of a secret garden vibe compared to the lap one for exercise. It also has a few landscaped trees in bloom that have beautiful petals that sometimes end up in the crystalline water. (They add lovely pops of purple.) By 'sometimes', you believe it was four whole flowers, but James is walking around the edge and maneuvering a long net to gather them up. He is playing pool boy without anyone having asked this of him, though you're considering Ruby's flirtatious line of thinking.

Originally, you all went for a relaxing dip.

The three of you even played a very belated game of 'Marco Polo' after Ruby admitted she had absolutely no idea what you were talking about. The design of this pool wouldn't inspire much goofing around while the Verners must have reinforced that. It has statues that could be found in antiquity at one end that lead into a massive fountain set into a stone wall. You and James had shared a look that's becoming more familiar with time before starting the game of 'Marco Polo'.

Ruby's childhood wasn't a normal one…

It's something you've known—she is a bloodline—but there are vestiges and mannerisms both of you are learning from being in a relationship.

You lace your fingers with hers to stop their ticklish wandering, smiling further when Ruby instantly completes the contact without pause.

"While 'pot' isn't an affectionate term, I would be your 'kettle' since you are ogling him too."

"I was thinking," you disagree. "Just thinking."

"In James's general direction," Ruby teases you. "Very well."

She doesn't sound remotely convinced. Neither are you when you halt the brief stare-off with your reflection in her sunglasses to glance over at James again. He is studying the tranquil pool as if it's an uncharted ocean, scanning it because the beautiful mosaic along its bottom can obscure the stray petals. Water from his earlier swimming has yet to fully evaporate from his time out in the sun, so there's some of the glistening found in that spicy film genre. James stayed in the pool longer than you both. His strength is evident in how he manipulates the long yet heavy net, biceps working to fish out a flower in the distant corner. It's his small smile of triumph that you admire alongside his slick hair that's down for once and his shirtlessness.

There's a lot to see.

James brings the net back, safely depositing the whole flower into a small bucket. They're for Nox who likes to smell them. It was an offhand comment Ruby made that influenced how carefully James is handling the blooms.

You continue to watch him.

"Love muffin, now you are—"

"No, hard no," you interject. "Negative points."

"—staring," Ruby finishes. "Who dislikes muffins? I went avant garde and wholesome. I—James's term of endearment for you is very good—sweet. I can ask him?"

Rather than entertain her question, you raise your magazine back into your field of view in spite of her gaze resting on you. It's closer to piercing as the seconds tick by. She releases your hand to go walk over to James—well, no she's striding in a manner that earns your focus and even Nox's head peeking up for a second from the sound of her sandals against the pavers.

"I think she'll figure it out," you decide. "It's her tone, like, there is a wrong answer, you know?"

The reason why you've been saying 'no' is key.

Nox's sleepy blink is agreement enough before he curls back into a ball after you pet him.

By now, Ruby has rounded the pool. James shoots you a curious look that you simply wave at before he turns back to your other love. The conversation doesn't carry all the way across the area thanks to the scale and opulence all throughout the mansion and grounds, but Ruby's arms are crossed. She gestures in your direction, though that soon falters once James removes her sunglasses by sliding them atop his head.

If it caught you off guard, then your thoughts are with Ruby who appears more receptive to listening now. (At least she stopped pointing in your direction.) You set aside your magazine, far too engrossed in what they're talking about.

"My delivery?" Ruby calls to you. "Truly?"

"Not everyone's as particular as you, babe!"

That earns a begrudging smile from Ruby even if she just rolled her eyes at your retort. It wasn't that you doubted her—her sincerity. You didn't ever want her to doubt you, especially your acceptance of her calling you something endearing. (Aside from 'love muffin'.) She turns back to James who places the pole-net down to pull her into a hug that you minimally tilt your head at, its timing. Ruby accepting it still warms your heart since she's becoming used to this physical affection from you both, no longer stilling or mirroring your actions. It's progress.

Why is James doing it now…?

It's only when his eyes alight on you and then he nods to the pool that you soon understand.

Ruby is none the wiser, locked in his arms with her back to where you're still lying down.

You grant your blessing by rising from the lounge chair to slip into the pool just before their embrace turns into a sudden fling. The sloshing plunge overtakes Ruby's short-lived exclamation since that's the deep end. Your laughter is what helps to broaden James's smile before Ruby pops up in seconds. She tries and fails to splash where James is standing and then sets her sights on you.

It's an uncompromising promise for a takedown.

"Oh sweetie," she playfully starts while swimming over. "You have a storm coming."

"James did it!" Laughter hampers your affected terror when you start to swim away so this epic splash battle becomes tag. "It was all him."

"He has my sunglasses, which grants him very temporary immunity."

Water occasionally grazes you from Ruby's open-palmed, cutting motions, whereas you try to splash her vigorously in a flurry. Your game has become close-quartered, forcing you to blink the water from your eyes to keep her in sight. She'll pull a 'Jaws' by swimming so close to the bottom of the pool that she seemingly disappears before rapidly approaching you from the side to attack. Your so-called backup is letting Nox sniff the flowers he collected for him! Like you did earlier, James waves at you, content.

He is being too sweet for you to get irritated.

When you finally glance away from him to locate Ruby, a sudden force around your middle alerts you to where she is. Her arms wrap around you, pulling you to the left in a tackling hold that suggests she must have pushed off the wall to build up momentum. It's extremely well-played. She doesn't pull you under, holding on instead before surfacing with you near the pool's edge. Ruby keeps one arm around you, while the other braces to minimize the need to stay afloat. She quickly locks eyes with you.

"To be clear, 'sweetie' is not my final selection either," she says, taking a breath after all of the underwater shenanigans, although it could also be a steadying one. "I… I now realize there is no selection to be had. James helped me."

You listen to her, ever patient as the prior playfulness shifts into something emotional.

"I did not wish to ruin it for you—for us—but I then became worried about it being perfect."

Ruby hesitantly admits, wicking away some water from your cheek while you're still both partially submerged in a pool; however, you'll let her have this contact and more. From the moment her pet name banter began, you were concerned. Its sincerity held an undercurrent of testing, possibly even insecurity. "It doesn't need to be perfect," you reassure her. "There isn't a right one, just whatever you feel, okay?"

She seems to have needed to hear that from you, softening, before she leans in to kiss you.

It's more tender than usual before that lurking reticence starts to dissolve when she presses you back against the pool's side. Your body is near weightless in the water. It's made all the more malleable by Ruby's passion, except she pauses when you both hear someone else enter the pool. She smiles into your next heated kiss, separating to lock eyes with you for a beat where you detect her reignited mischief just before she pushes you under. When did her hands even get on your shoulders?! It isn't too rough—the change is almost heady—but you know it's James who hoists you up when his arms are resting on either side of your head.

Ruby has disappeared from your view again.

"My sunglasses?"

She is over in the deep end now.

"Nox has them," James replies. "He's fine."

"Then you both had better prepare yourselves."

There's good humor in James's sigh following Ruby's declaration. He leans in to kiss your cheek, lips grazing it as he whispers a plan.

"Let's end this quickly, shower, and then have a movie night."

"Sounds good," you murmur. "Just hold her still for me."

With that, James kisses you softly after you've decided to takedown your mutual love to have a cozy night together.