ᵖʳᵒᵛⁱᵈᵉʳ, ᵗʰᵉᵒ ʲᵃᵐᵉˢ

06

THE BEACH
capri, italy
september 6, 2024
friday
6am

the first rays of the morning sun crept over the horizon, casting a soft, golden hue over the beach. i slowly stirred awake, my head heavy from the combination of the wine and the lack of sleep. as my eyes fluttered open, i was met with the sight of the early morning sea, the gentle waves lapping at the shoreline.

i groaned as i tried to sit up, my back and neck screaming in protest. the hard surface of the ground had left me stiff and aching, a testament to how terrible the idea of sleeping on the beach had been. i winced, trying to stretch the soreness out of my body.

the alcohol was mostly out of my system now, leaving only a faint headache and a very unglamorous memory of the previous night's activities. i glanced around, seeing that theo was still asleep beside me, looking far more peaceful and comfortable than i felt.

looking at him, a wave of mixed feelings washed over me. on one hand, there was a warm, pleasant feeling blooming in my chest, due to the memories of our drunken makeout session and the intimacy of the night. but on the other hand, the discomfort from the unglamorous reality of sleeping on the beach was reminding me of why it had been a terrible idea.

"whoever said that sleeping on the beach was sexy lied." i muttered to myself.

i shifted delicately, trying to find a more comfortable position. the sand was everywhere, stuck in my clothes, my hair, and my mouth. i spit out a small pebble that had found its way onto my tongue, and grimaced.

as i sat there, contemplating the discomfort of my current situation, i heard a soft grunt from beside me. i looked over, seeing that theo was stirring awake. his eyes slowly fluttered open, a look of confusion passing over his face as he took in our surroundings.

he looked over at me, his sleepy gaze meeting mine. "morning," he mumbled, his voice gravelly from sleep.

"you were right. i do regret sleeping on the beach." i admitted.

he smiled, a lazy, almost smug smile as he slowly sat up. "what can i say, i'm always right." he said, his voice still thick with drowsiness.

as he stretched his limbs, i could see the same stiffness in his movements that i was experiencing.

"yeah, yeah, rub it in that you were right and i was wrong," i muttered, trying to move around without too much pain. "i'll never doubt you again, mr. smart guy."

he chuckled, running a hand through his tousled hair. "as much as i'd love to stay and gloat, i'm kind of in urgent need of a real bed and hot shower." he said, standing up and offering me his hand.

i took his hand, wincing as i got to my feet. "yeah, me too. i think i have sand in every crevice of my body." i said, dusting off my clothes, futilely trying to get rid of the persistent sand.

he laughed, surveying my sand-covered frame. "looks like your beach night experiment wasn't as romantic as you imagined, huh?"

i gave him a playful glare, even though i knew he was right. "don't remind me," i muttered, shaking out my hair.

he chuckled again, amused by my reluctant admission. "come on, let's get back to the hotel. i think a hot shower is calling our names."

°˖✧✿✧˖°

HOTEL CAESAR AUGUSTUS
capri, italy
6:20am

as we approached the villas, the sun was fully up now, casting a bright golden glow over the surroundings. i had been quiet throughout the walk back, too tired and sore from the night's adventures to make much conversation.