Back To You ✦ Rudy Pankow

lxxviii. barbados

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔
SEVENTY EIGHT — ( BARBADOS ! )

        THE HEAT HIT THEM the moment they stepped off the plane.

Not the dry kind from LA, but the heavy, golden warmth that wrapped around your shoulders like a sun-soaked towel. Sydney blinked against the sudden brightness, adjusting her sunglasses as she followed Rudy down the metal steps onto the tarmac. The ocean glistened in the distance.

"God, I forgot how good this kind of heat feels." Rudy said, squinting at the horizon.

"You mean the kind where your shirt sticks to you in five seconds?" Sydney grinned, pulling her hair up into a loose bun. "Yeah, it's delightful."

He reached for her hand as they crossed the runway to the small terminal. "You're just mad you can't wear your little knit sweaters anymore."

"Don't come for my sweaters," she shot back, but her fingers laced with his naturally.

They'd been wrapped in their own little bubble since New Year's—just the two of them, the beaches, the soft slow mornings, the weekend trips away. It had been perfect. But this? This felt like jumping back into reality.

A much sunnier, saltier reality.

Inside the terminal, a tall figure in a ridiculous straw hat came bounding toward them with a loud, "Hey, lovebirds!"

"Jesus, JD," Rudy muttered, ducking as JD went in for a dramatic hug.

"Welcome to paradise," JD beamed, pulling them both in. "I've been here for three hours and I've already had a rum punch and sunburned my knees."

Sydney laughed as she hugged him back. "Sounds about right."

"Everyone else just got in like twenty minutes ago," JD said, waving them toward baggage claim. "They're waiting outside. We're all staying in those massive villas down the road—absolute chaos already. Chase and Madison are arguing about who gets the room with the outdoor shower."

"Please tell me you didn't let them give us the worst one." Rudy said.

"No promises," JD smirked. "But it's got air-con and a working coffee machine, so you're golden."

As they walked out, the rest of the cast came into view in a blur of tank tops, oversized sunglasses, and sun hats.

Chase was tossing a football with Drew, Madison had music playing from her portable speaker, and Carlacia was perched on a suitcase with a cocktail already in hand. The second they spotted Sydney and Rudy, a cheer went up.

"There they are!" Madelyn yelled, running over.

Sydney grinned and dropped her bag as Madelyn wrapped her in a sun-lotion-slicked hug. "You look tan already." Sydney said.

"It's the lighting," Madelyn replied, winking. "And the rum."

Drew sauntered over with a mock-scowl. "Well, well, look who finally decided to show up."

"Our flight kept getting delayed," Sydney told him.

Chase threw an arm around both of them. "You two ready for another round of sunburn and chaotic night shoots?"

"As I'll ever be." Sydney said.

As they all piled into the vans waiting to take them to the villas, the cast's laughter echoed into the warm afternoon air. Windows rolled down, music blasting, everyone already falling into that familiar rhythm—the weird, close-knit family vibe that came with filming Outer Banks together.