Peacekeepers

Chapter 13: Rising Tides

It took nearly a week longer for Ominis to fully heal from his injury, and when they were finally feeling well enough to go home Sebastian led them back up the hill to their house, letting them go in first before putting up wards and shields again. He was paranoid- but he wasn't going to risk anything happening again until he had gotten the opportunity to ask them.

Diane had noticed him putting the wards up, and when he came inside she was waiting at the entryway for him, Ominis going to change into a more comfortable outfit.

"Hey." Diane reached out, setting her hand against Sebastian's chest gently as she looked up to him in concern. "Are you doing alright?"

"I'm not the one that got hurt." He said softly, glancing away from the worry in her eyes.

"Yes you did." She said softly, moving her hand up so it rested over his heart. "Don't think I haven't noticed how paranoid you've been, Sebastian."

He let out a soft sigh of frustration. "Can you blame me?"

"No." Diane said softly, moving forward to hug him, resting her head against his chest. She smiled when he let out a shuddering breath and hugged her back, resting his cheek against the top of her head.

"I really thought I'd lost the two of you." He said in a strained voice against her.

"But you didn't." Ominis said softly, having heard him from down the hallway. He walked around them to hug Sebastian from behind, so both him and Diane were wrapped around him.

Sebastian sagged between them a bit, letting out a long sigh as they all embraced together.

"I was so scared though." Sebastian whispered.

"I know." Ominis said softly, leaning forward to kiss his neck gently. "But let's focus on now, and not what happened. How about we spend the day at the beach like Diane suggested?"

Sebastian chuckled and nodded "you just want to go see the ocean again."

"I like the sound of the waves." Ominis smiled against his neck. "It reminds me of good times."

Diane smiled against Sebastian's chest, remembering their moments at the cliffside, first with Ominis and then all three of them in those moments that had been so important to their lives.

"Alright. Let's get ready then, bring some towels with us and maybe an umbrella so we don't bring back a tomato instead of an Ominis." Sebastian reached back to fluff up Ominis' hair playfully.

"I can hardly help how pale I am." Ominis grumbled with a blush. He burned like flash paper in the sun.

"It's okay Ominis, you don't have to be in the water the whole time. We'll bring a pillow so you can relax on the sand, too." Diane smiled, liking this idea more and more.

"Let get going, then. I've never been in the ocean." Ominis smiled "I've always thought it was too scary to do on my own."

"We won't let anything happen to you." Diane promised with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I'll fight off any krakens that try to gobble you up." Sebastian grinned wryly, leaning his head over to kiss Ominis' cheek gently.

——————————

As Diane laid out the towel and propped up an umbrella in the sand, Sebastian and Ominis stripped to their shorts and made their way down to the water.

"How deep is it?" Ominis asked anxiously as his toes first touched the water.

"It slopes down slowly, just take small steps." Sebastian grinned, excited to have Ominis step into the ocean for the first time. "Just be aware of the waves, they get stronger the deeper out we go."