Someone Like You | Toni Kroos

Chapter 32 - Sunlight, Moonlight, I Will Always Love You

Toni's POV

I was lounging on our sunny front deck when Gabi emerged from underwater and climbed up the front steps forlornly, violently scratching at the back of her neck.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking off my cap and squinting at her.

"I think I'm sunburnt," she grumbled as she sat down in the sun lounger next to me and draped a dry towel over herself. "It's itchy and painful everywhere."

"Really? Let me see," I reached over and moved her hair to the side so I could examine the area she was picking at. Indeed, there was a patch of red, sensitive skin on the back of her neck as well as other small patches over her shoulders. "Aww, I think you are."

"It hurts," she pouted, gathering her hair up in a bun.

"Come on, let's see what we can do," I grabbed her hand and dragged her inside our wooden hut. It was only our third day in the Maldives, and Gabi was already a few tones darker. Her cheeks also appeared to be rosier, and she'd worn what seemed like seven different bikinis – although, of course, I didn't mind that.

"It's so dark in here," she noted as we entered the hut, her brow furrowed.

I burst out laughing. "That's because you've been spending all your time in the brightness outside."

"And I got sunburnt for that," she sighed as she sat down on a towel at the edge of our bed.

I dug in our suitcases and found a tube of aloe vera gel that Gabi's dad had given me with the accompanying reminder that Gabi got sunburnt easily. Plopping down on the bed behind Gabi, I squirted some gel on my palm and dabbed it gently on the red patches on her skin.

"Oooh, it's cold," she giggled, squirming about as I slipped my fingers under her bikini straps. She took the opportunity to examine her tan lines. "I'm so dark now."

"You look pretty," I said.

"Does that mean I didn't look pretty before?"

"You did, Gabi, I...oh, you know what I mean!"

"Okay, I do," she laughed, reaching over and casually pulling my pants and underwear downwards. "Oh, you have a tan line too," she noted, letting go of my waistband and smirking as it made a loud smacking sound against my skin. She leaned back and examined me from head to toe. "Hmm, you look more Spanish now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." she shrugged. "You're...darker."

"Gabi!" I gaped at her. "Don't be racist!"

"Sorry!" she grabbed my hand and held on tightly. "I just think you'll look better in white now. You were like the guy version of Snow White, you know? You're so light-coloured. Like white chocolate."

"But white chocolate is delicious."

She licked her lips suggestively before leaning in and kissing mine, biting gently on my lower lip and pulling on it. "It is," she whispered. "Just like you."

I slid a hand into her beautiful ash brown hair. "Dark chocolate is delicious, too," I whispered against her lips. "Like you."

"You're deliciouser," she mumbled.

I burst out laughing. "That's not a word."

"I invented it," she retorted, pulling away and standing up. "Let's go get some food. All your sweet-talking is making me hungry."

After covering ourselves up with some more decent clothing, we strolled hand in hand down the wooden platforms all the way past the other villas, until we reached the main reception area, where there was a tea-time buffet – although it was only after 2 in the afternoon and not time for tea yet. We settled on a pair of couches in a shady area outside with plates laden with pastries.