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The day had started out fine. It was nice out, a soft breeze tousled your hair, and you’d just told your cousin Lee about your new relationship with Cove. It was a little after noon when the boat set sail. Everything was fun at first, with your family and friends playing a party game. Then the boat rocked violently, causing a wave of anxiety to wash over you.
Cove noticed what was wrong immediately, grabbing your arm and gently leading you to the bedroom below deck. He offered to get you some water, but you just wanted him to stay by your side. Curling in on yourself, you took deep breaths to steady your racing heart. You could feel Cove’s fingers running through your hair, a silent vow that he’d stay with you no matter what.
It took a little while, but eventually your anxiety subsided. Your body unfurled, limbs spreading on the surprisingly soft mattress beneath you. The sound of waves crashing against the side of the boat was less anxiety-inducing now and more calming. Funny how a change of perspective can shift everything. Cove noticed your movement, glancing up to make sure everything was okay.
He smiled softly at you and shifted to lean a little closer. “How are you feeling now?” He asked sweetly, his fingers continuing their gentle motions in your hair. You leaned closer to him, a soft sigh escaping your lips as you allowed yourself to fully embrace this moment. Even if you’d gotten here because of your anxiety, things were still okay. Better than okay, even, with Cove by your side.
“I’m feeling better,” you whispered back, reaching a hand out to beckon Cove closer. You pressed a soft kiss to Cove’s cheek, a small sigh escaping him as you did. Then you tugged him a little closer still, scooting so you could both lie comfortably on the bed. He wrapped his arms around your waist, fingers mindlessly toying with the hem of your shirt.
A quiet, contented hum escaped your throat as you nuzzled your face into the crook of Cove’s neck. You and Cove had been dating for maybe two months at this point, so everything was still so new and clumsy for the both of you. Especially when dating Cove, things tended to move slowly. You’d just gotten past the first kiss stage. This was the most romantic physical contact you’ve had. Not that you minded. You were more than happy to take things at Cove’s pace, even when it was a little frustrating.
Cove tensed slightly at the contact before quickly relaxing. He curled into you, nose pressed against the top of your head as both hands cradled the back of your skull. You stayed like that for a little while, until Lee came in to tell you that she’d asked the captain to turn back to the dock. You felt guilty, but it had already been done. Cove shooed Lee off quickly. He knew your family well enough to know that if he didn’t, Lee would start relentlessly teasing you. It had bothered him a lot when you were younger, but he’d grown used to it and even started to tease them back sometimes.
Cove shifted, untangling your limbs and shifting so he was more comfortable. You moved, too, leaning against his chest with your faces inches apart. Cove blushed, but he didn’t shy away from the new position. He was obviously still nervous about all this romance stuff, but he had told you to not let that stop you from initiating things like kisses. He could do kisses. Anything more was still a little too overwhelming for him.
You pressed your lips gently against Cove’s, who reciprocated happily. After a moment of soft kisses, Cove’s fingers found the back of your head again, pulling you closer. Then he bit at your bottom lip, eliciting a small yelp from you. He froze for a moment until you giggled, then he relaxed and continued kissing you. He was so goofy sometimes.
After a few seconds of kissing like that, you shifted so that you were sitting on Cove fully. You leaned down, lips never separating for more than a second. His hands slid down from your head to your shoulders, down your back, to gently cup your ass. That surprised you, but you weren’t complaining. You pressed your palms firmly against Cove’s chest to hold yourself up, a quiet, breathless giggle escaping you as you broke for air.
Cove moved to press kisses all over your face and neck. He mumbled something you couldn’t hear, but he was clearly happy. A few minutes of that went by, before Cove gently nudged you back by the shoulders. It was clear that he’d reached his new-romantic-territory limit for the day. You nodded silently and adjusted your position again so you were cuddling, not straddling. A content sigh passed through Cove’s lips as he continued playing with your hair.
You barely even noticed when the ship docked, only realizing it was time to leave when Cove nudged you again. It was a pretty good day, all things considered.