let me in your ocean - sandray

6.

Sand pulls his shirt off, and Ray just stares at him for a while. The rising sun outside casts a light golden hue over the curves and valleys of Sand's body, and Ray watches, mesmerised. He lets his fingers run over Sand's nipples, relishing in the sigh he gets in response as he kisses his navel. He nips and sucks and licks- Sand is so willing, pliant as he watches Ray worship his body like it's the first time he's seeing it.

He flips them over, nips at the skin over Sand's collarbone and whimpers at the gentle-rough hold of Sand's fingers in his hair. He marks him, watches as Sand throws his head back as he lets out a moan. He toys with his nipples as he kisses him, hot, loving and lets Sand's fingers trace patterns on his bicep.

"I want you so much," Sand says, kissing the skin of his neck, open mouthed and messy and filled with so much desire that it has goose flesh erupting on his skin, "Can I have you?"

"Yes," he murmurs as he lets Sand flip them over again, counts his lashes as he hovers over him, "make love to me."

So they do. They don't have lube, but they make do with Nick's unscented hand lotion that he has left behind. Sand stares at him with a love that cracks every wall he has built around his heart into tiny pieces.

Sand is inside him, Sand is hovering over him, and it feels so, so good, so right. It feels blatantly obvious that he's his soulmate, they fit so perfectly together. He giggles into Sand's mouth when he kisses him, so incredibly tender.

It's different from every time he's had sex- with Sand, with others- heart swelling with joy, cheeks red in pleasure, feeling complete in ways he can't describe.

Every thrust is sweet, sweet when Sand buries his head in Ray's neck, sweet when he kisses the skin there, sweet when he rocks his body, every movement hitting Ray's sweet spot over and over again.

It's everything Ray has wanted, it's everything Ray didn't even know he wanted.

An orgasm washes over him, overwhelming and sugary sweet, toes curling and stars in his vision as he arches off the bed to meet Sand's thrust in the middle. It feels like he's on the edge of a cliff, and he wants to tip over it, hold Sand in his arms as they fall into an endless void.

He's scared of heights, but he wouldn't mind it if Sand held him, as long as Sand held him.

He comes, watches the way Sand's face scrunches up as he comes too, a broken moan leaves his lips as he collapses next to him.

Their limbs tangle in a mess as they move closer to each other, till there's not even enough space for air to get in between them. He places his head on Sand's arm, and Sand looks at him as he bites back a smile and kisses his forehead. Ray turns towards him, presses his lips against Sand's cheek and onto the mole on his chin. The sun shines onto them, a new beginning, a newfound happiness bubbling in his chest.

"Are you sure?" Sand asks him, voice soft, gaze even softer, "You don't have to choose me over Mew just because I'm your soulmate."

"No!" Ray hurries to say, "No, Sand, I'd choose you either way, actually, I chose you long ago, I just didn't realize it.

"You know, when I started dating Mew, it felt so empty, Sand. Something kept pricking me, and all I could think about was you. Always you. He'd kiss me, and I'd think of how much better our lips felt together. He'd hold my waist, and I'd think of how your palms slotted right into my curves. When that stupid goose came, I was praying, hoping that it'd be you it would lead me to, Sand.

"Soulmates, not soulmates, it doesn't matter, Sand, I- I had chosen you either way."

Sand kisses him again, a small peck to the lips, salty with both of their tears. Sand runs his fingers through his hair, comforting.

"I thought we were soulmates, you know?" Sand starts, smiling to himself, "that day when I took you to my flat when you were drunk, you laid against my shoulder and it felt like everything halted. But then I saw you and how devoted you were to Mew, and I thought, maybe- maybe I misunderstood the pull."

"You were right, as always." Ray says, smiling at him despite the tears rolling down his cheeks. He wipes them off against Sand's cheek, who protests.

"You're making me all wet," Sand whines, but there's something tender blurring the edges of his tone. Ray laughs at him.

"I love you." He says, because it's the truth and Sand looks back at him with the same truth shining in his eyes.

"I love you too."

• 🌊˖°🐋🐚 •

Ray goes to rehab, because Sand tells him to, because he loves Sand, because he loves himself and he wants to improve- for himself, and for Sand.

It's terrible, and boring, and the therapist keeps asking him stupid questions, but he gets through it, because when he walks out of that room, he knows Sand will be waiting for him with a smile.

Withdrawal symptoms are a pain in the ass too, he's moody and angry and his hands shake with the need to just grab a bottle and drink it. Sand holds him through it, soft hand running through his hair, kisses on his forehead, softer than anything Ray has ever felt.

He jokes sometimes, "Once I get over my alcohol addiction, I'll get to be addicted to you full-time." and Sand would give him an unimpressed stare and roll his eyes at him.

"Yeah, sure." he'd say, sarcastic, but he'd be biting back a smile, eyes wrinkling at the corners out of sheer happiness.

Ray only falls more in love with him each day, the curve of the dimple of his left cheek when he smiles at him, the sparkle in his eyes when he sings, the hum of his voice- a remedy to a pain he didn't cause.

He tells him so, everyday, "I love you so much." and Sand responds with the same fervour, "I love you too, so, so much."

He thinks the goose would be proud if it saw them now; proud of him, of them.