Exhausted&Lost

Chapter Twelve

"Christ, I feel like I've done a workout in the gym," Ava muttered as she stumbled around the bedroom, her legs feeling like jelly.

Dave's chest puffed out proudly, taking her statement as a compliment. It had been an evening of excess, too much food, too much wine, just the right amount of sex. They stayed in bed until early afternoon, alternating between talking about their lives and exploring each other's bodies, until their stomachs began to growl.

A little while later, Ava was settled on a high stool in the kitchen while Dave fixed them some bagels. It had taken her a little longer than she anticipated to get ready, as she had to spend a few minutes covering up the bite marks Dave had littered along her chest and collarbone lest her father thinks she was going into business with a piranha.

She was dressed in a simple white vest tucked into a pair of high waisted black jeans, and Dave still showered her in compliments when she emerged from the bathroom to slip on her DMs.

He was leaned over the counter trying to coax his coffee maker to life dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a flannel shirt. She watched as he repeatedly jammed his finger on the button to no avail, laughing at the crinkle in his brow when he turned to ask for her help.

"Hey, it's mean to laugh at my struggles," he said, crossing his arms in a huff.

"Sorry, you're just very cute when you're mad."

Ava rose and headed for the offending machine, picking up the power cord and plugging it into the wall.

"God fucking damn it," He muttered as she pressed the button once more, allowing the machine to grind to life.

"Leave it to the expert, David." She giggled as the coffee brewed.

"Are you excited to see the girls and your mom?" She asked, pouring two cups for them.

"Very, it's been a few months since I've seen my mom, even longer since she has seen the girls. She splits her time between here and Virginia, she misses the seasons when she's here so always heads back home for winter coming in to spring. It's fuckin' beautiful back home."

"I get it... I miss the snowy winters that we have in Ireland. I would get so excited as a kid when I woke up and looked out the window and saw that blanket of snow covering the ground. We never got crazy amounts, but an inch of snow and the Irish lose their fucking minds. Guaranteed snow day," Ava grinned, lost in the memory.

"You gotta meet my mom, she would LOVE to talk to you about her favorite places in Ireland. She almost moved us there when we were kids, somewhere near Belfast."

Ava choked on her coffee at the mention of her meeting his mother. It probably wouldn't have phased her before today, but now that they had admitted their feelings ran deeper than the physical level they were so adept at connecting on, the reality that one day she would have to meet his family slapped her in the face, making her palms sweat.

He recognized her panic and swooped in close before she could overthink herself into a frenzy.

"One day, when we are both ready. No pressure." He added, rubbing soothing circles on her tense back. She took a deep breath, allowing him to calm her down, not wanting to ruin their few hours together with a panic attack.

"Did you mean it all... last night?" She breathed, reaching out to hold on to him in an effort to ground herself.

"I did, as long as you're comfortable all the complicated outside world bull shit, I want to be with you. If that's what you still want?" His brown eyes were wide, sincere, and were staring so deeply into hers that she felt shaky.

"It is, it's what I want."

"Good," he grinned, squeezing her hand with his, "Now... Did you bring a bathing suit?"

Ava laughed as all the tension in the room instantly broke around them when Dave changed the subject. Though she hadn't packed a bathing suit, as she hadn't expected to go swimming on their first official "date".

She shook her head no, and a slow, wide grin spread across Dave's face. He threw back the rest of his coffee and pulled the shirt he was wearing over his head.

"Naked it is then," he called over his shoulder as he headed out towards the patio doors that opened up to his pool, "Ya coming?"

A deep blush settled on Ava's cheeks as she scurried behind him, pulling her vest off over her head.

By the time she got outside, Dave was already in the pool, his clothes abandoned on a seat nearby. His eyes were locked on Ava as he was treading water, watching her shed her clothes. Clad only in her bra and panties, she sat on the edge of the pool, pleasantly surprised by the temperature of the water when she dipped her toes in.

Dave swam towards her and tugged lighted on her legs so she slipped into the water and his arms.

"Nice, isn't it?" he asked, pulling her to the deep end of the pool.

"Mmm, warm," she said happily, as she sank deeper in the water.

She settled up against the jetted side of the pool, allowing the water to flow around the tired muscles in her legs that had been getting a welcome work out since she had met Dave. She watched him swim a few lengths of the pool, impressed at the speed he was able to complete a length.

Ava could swim, but she wouldn't have classed herself as overly competent or confident in the water, she much preferred her spot by the jets. She must have drifted off in thought because she didn't notice Dave's change in direction and let out a squeak of terror when a hand grabbed her leg from under the water.

He broke the surface of the water with a grin, his eyes dancing with a laugh.

"Did I scare you?"he asked, chuckling when Ava splashed him with water in retaliation.

Linking her arms around his neck, he backed away from the poolside, pulling her out into the middle of the water. They floated there for a while, holding each other and enjoying the heat of the sun beating down on them.

"This has been nice," she told him, her head leaning back to soak up the sun.

"Yeah, I love the pool, it's my happy place," he agreed.

"Nah, not just the pool. All of this, spending the day together instead of one of us having to hurry away in the morning." She clarified, her breath stuttering slightly as Dave pulled her tightly to him. He knew exactly what she meant, their time together was so much more precious when the heaviness of their hurried goodbyes wasn't sitting on top of them.

"You better get used to it," he murmured, "We will be doing it as much as physically possible if I get my way."

And they both hoped they could find a way for that to be true.