Darkness Retribution

A Green Surprise

As the night wore on, the laughter and banter began to soften, and the stars twinkled brightly above, casting a magical glow over the beach. The team sprawled out on the warm sand, sharing snacks and stories until exhaustion started to take its toll. One by one, your friends began to drift off, lulled by the soothing sounds of the waves and the gentle breeze that swept through the night.

You and Felix, however, remained awake a little longer, savoring the peaceful atmosphere. Eventually, the warmth of his body against yours became too comforting to resist. You nestled into him, your head resting against his shoulder, feeling the rise and fall of his breath.

"This is nice," you murmured, closing your eyes.

Felix smiled down at you, wrapping his arms around you tightly. "Yeah, it is. I'm glad we have moments like this."

As the sound of the ocean serenaded you, you felt yourself drifting into a peaceful slumber, wrapped in the warmth of Felix's embrace. The beach was quiet, the air thick with the scent of salt and adventure. The world around you faded into the background, the joy of the night weaving into your dreams.

Unbeknownst to you, Neuvillette, who had been pretending to read a book a little farther away, couldn't help but notice the way you and Felix were snuggled together. He felt a twinge of jealousy as he watched you two, wishing he could have that kind of connection with someone. But the feeling was quickly overshadowed by his natural instinct to protect and support his friends.

"Honestly, I can't believe they're falling asleep like this," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "We have battles to prepare for, and they're snuggling on the beach?"

Just then, the soothing ambiance of the beach was interrupted by a loud voice. "What are you doing here so early?"

Startled, you jolted awake, blinking against the soft light of dawn. Your eyes focused on a familiar figure standing nearby—it was Shrek, the iconic green ogre, complete with his usual vest and a friendly grin. He stood tall, hands on his hips, surveying the beach like a guardian of his swamp.

"Whoa there! This is a beach, not a napping zone!" Shrek said, his booming voice both intimidating and jovial.

You rubbed your eyes, still disoriented. "Uh, sorry! We didn't mean to sleep here," you said, your cheeks flushing as you sat up, realizing the cozy position you had been in with Felix.

Felix stirred next to you, yawning before sitting up as well. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice still heavy with sleep. Upon seeing Shrek, he blinked in surprise. "Uh, are we in trouble?"

"Nah, just making sure you all aren't stranded or anything," Shrek replied, crossing his arms. "You'd be surprised how many people try to camp out here. Last week, I had a couple of tourists trying to set up a tent in the middle of my swamp!"

"Thanks for the concern, Shrek," you said, trying to shake off the lingering sleepiness. "We'll head out soon. Just enjoying the night with friends."

"Friends, huh? Looks like you two are closer than just friends," Shrek chuckled, glancing between you and Felix with a knowing smirk. "Nothing like a little romance on the beach!"

Felix rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, well, it just kind of happened," he said, glancing over at you with a smile.

Meanwhile, Neuvillette had moved closer, still feeling the sting of jealousy but also recognizing the absurdity of the situation. "We were merely taking a break after a long night of... activities," he said, trying to sound composed but failing to hide the slight awkwardness.

"Right, activities," Shrek echoed, raising an eyebrow with a playful grin. "Well, I won't keep you. Just don't let me catch you again, or I might have to start handing out beach rules."

"Thanks, Shrek!" you said, chuckling at the oddity of the situation.

With that, Shrek waved you off and ambled down the beach, looking for others who might need his attention. As he disappeared into the distance, Felix turned to you, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

"Looks like we're officially beach bums now," he said, laughing. "I can't believe we just got caught napping by Shrek!"

You giggled, nudging him playfully. "What a way to wake up, huh?"

Neuvillette, still feeling slightly flustered, tried to regain his composure. "I suppose we should regroup with the others and discuss our next steps," he said, glancing away, a hint of annoyance still lingering in his voice.

"Sure! But first," you said, wrapping your arms around Felix's neck and planting a quick kiss on his cheek, "let's not forget the romance part of our 'activities.'"

"Right," Felix said, grinning widely. "Can't let Shrek steal our thunder!"

With laughter and excitement, you all stood up, brushing the sand off and preparing to head back to where the rest of the team awaited. The night had been full of unexpected twists, but you knew one thing for sure: this was just the beginning of your wild adventures together.