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"WRIO!" The shrill and excited voice cut through the dull roar of the baggage claim. Two fluffy black-and-gray ears – the left one notched, the right pierced a handful of times – swiveled in the direction of the sound. Wriothesley's body followed, eyes scanning the bustling crowd until the brightly pastel Melusine broke through the muddied sea of the mundane, shining like a star. She wore ridiculously large and heart-shaped sunglasses; perched atop her head, they hung on for dear life as she sprinted at top speeds towards them.
"Winnie!" Wriothesley shouted back in a much more indoor-appropriate volume, perpetually aware of the gazes that had been trailing them from the moment they set foot in the airport lobby. If it wasn't his scars, it was the tattoos, or the immaculate suit, and if the various travelers’ eyes weren’t on him, then they were absolutely riveted on tall, silver-haired, and handsome behind him. It probably also didn't help that the pair of them reeked of money, power, and understated authority.
In short, they looked like they were in the mafia.
And, well, they were. So who could even blame the onlookers for ogling?
The vibrant Melusine abandoned her pink carry-on and leapt whole-body into his arms. Wriothesley barely managed to fumble the book he'd been reading, tossing it to Neuvillette a split second before he had an armful of Sigewinne, his fluffy tail flicking excitedly behind him.
"It's so good to see you! Ah, Monsieur Neuvillette!" One tiny arm wrapped tightly around Wriothesley's shoulders as she half-stood to wave at the Oratrice family head behind him.
"Welcome home, Sigewinne. How was your flight? Hopefully uneventful?" The man in question stuck out like a sore thumb in his crisp powder-blue suit and white button down. It was allegedly a "relaxed fit," but Wriothesley couldn't see how the tailored designer garments were relaxed in any capacity. He was only wearing slacks and a waistcoat, and had forgone a jacket entirely, his sleeves rolled casually up to the elbow. That was par for the course, though; he hated having his wrists covered.
"It was loads of fun! I sat next to a gentleman with a white hat who works in veterinary medicine! We were comparing notes the entire way, and I was able to give him some advice on a skincare routine that would be good for him!" She continued to talk animatedly over Wriothesley's shoulder, her bubbly voice just loud enough that his ears folded down in an effort to dampen the sound so nearby.
"Alright, if you two are gonna chatter, then you can stand next to him." Wriothesley sandwiched her waist between his hands, tropical neon fingernails on vivid display as he turned and set her back down on the ground.
"You're a part of the conversation too, silly," Sigewinne teased, hands on her hips as she looked up at him. Atop her fluffy bangs, her sunglasses dangled crookedly, making an honest effort to escape.
Wriothesley elected to help with a smirk, snatching them off her head and sliding them onto his own face.
Neuvillette failed to contain his immediate, wheezing snort of amusement at the sight of his mate in the ridiculously large sunglasses. Their heart shape and bright pink color only leaned further into the side of ridiculous, clashing horribly in combination with his monochrome vest and pants.
"Hey! Those are mine. I brought you different ones!" Winnie complained, running back over to her abandoned carry-on, pulling it over as she dug through its contents. "Ta-da!" Proudly, she produced two additional pairs of frames from the depths of the bag like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. One set was yellow tinted and shaped like pineapples, and the other, blue with plastic sharks eating the outside of the rims.
Wriothesley was not at all surprised when the shark glasses found their way into his hand. "Gee, thanks," he muttered, barely containing his laughter as he swapped shades with Winnie.
Settling them atop his head, Wriothesley turned to look at Neuvillette, which proved to be a fatal mistake; his mate had already donned the absurd pineapple glasses. The wolf-shifter sputtered, doubling over in unconstrained laughter at the very sight of the pristine man who looked more than ready for a board meeting at the company – save for the goofy glasses on his face.
"How do I look?" Neuvillette asked solemnly, without an ounce of inflection in his voice.
"Amazing!" Winnie exclaimed.
"Don't ask me that," Wriothesley wheezed, still clutching at his sides as he tried to rein in his laughter.
Neuvillette’s severe expression cracked, a smile threatening at the corners of his mouth in response to his mate’s delighted amusement. "I believe this means that our summer vacation has officially begun," he declared smugly, reaching down to grab Sigewinne's carry-on for her.
"I brought some for Navia and Clorinde as well!" The Melusine between them announced, with a mischievous giggle that spelled nothing but trouble for the entirety of the trip. Wriothesley wouldn't have changed a thing, though; his tail wagged contentedly behind him, betraying his delight at having his best friend back, if only for a short time.
"Clorinde's going to love that," Wriothesley chuckled, leading the charge over to the baggage carousel, which had started rotating while they chatted. He didn't take the sunglasses off, choosing to look ridiculous rather than intimidating as he joined the crowd around the rotating bag deposit. The civilians nearest him still took several steps away, but he didn't take it personally.
Sigewinne's bag was easy to spot, the only cotton-candy-pink-and-blue suitcase with stickers plastered over every conceivable inch. Wriothesley grabbed it one-handed, lifting it easily over the head of a small child who wouldn't stop staring at him until a parent put an arm around the kid and hurriedly moved them away with a nervous glance over their shoulder.
Wriothesley snorted. He didn’t want himself there any longer than he had to be, either; the crowded area smelled like too many people and things all at once, and the sensory overwhelm made both his ears and nose twitch.
"Beloved?" A wide hand settled against his hip, honing the wolf-shifter's focus back to the present company.
"Yes?" Wriothesley cleared his throat, playing off his discomfort with feigned nonchalance – a silly thing to do, when he could feel Neuvillette's concern from him through their bond.
"Anything I can do to help?" Neuvillette inquired, and Wriothesley could have kissed him right then and there for not asking if Wriothesley was okay outright.
Neuvillette didn't need to; he knew already.
"Yeah, actually. The sooner we're out of here and in a car headed to the beach, the better." Wriothesley admitted quietly, jerking his head towards the unsubtle crowd of people that had continued to rudely stare at their strange little grouping of individuals.
"Ah, agreed. Sigewinne, is this everything?" Neuvillette turned to the small Melusine, who was cleaning the heart-shaped sunglasses with her shirt. She glanced up, looked from one bag to the other, and nodded with a beaming smile.
"Yup! All set! Let's go!" She grabbed each of their free hands, and with enthusiasm and a surprising amount of strength, lead them out of the airport.
The drive was a scenic one, taken on the two lane highway that wound along the curvature of the coastline cliffs. Wriothesley was more than surprised when Neuvillette agreed to put the top down on the convertible he'd brought for their vacation. To mitigate some of the inevitable damage, he'd reached over to help hurriedly braid the mafia leader's long hair, tucking it behind him on the driver's seat before they set off. It had proven a futile effort, as the braid somehow escaped from behind Neuvillette’s wide shoulders; much to Sigewinne's delight, it began to wave like an unhinged snake in the air behind the dragon-shifter.
"I tried to warn you," Wriothesley murmured with a barely contained laugh, silly sunglasses firmly on his face as he reclined in the passenger's seat, ears and hair equally disheveled by the whipping air currents.
It was a gorgeous day, the sunshine bright, the air warm, and the sea breeze cool against their faces.
"Did either of you put sunscreen on?" Sigewinne shouted from the back, already digging into her bag.
"No," they responded simultaneously.
"Why I oughta," the Melusine muttered darkly under her breath, brandishing a full bottle from the depths of her carry-on. "Do you want skin cancer? Or wrinkles? You have to take care of your skin, especially your face! Plus, I don't want to have to listen to both of you bitching when you have sunburns before we even get to the island!"
Her lecture was partially drowned out by the aggressive wind, but Wriothesley humored her anyway and held out his hand for the bottle. Rather than smooth plastic, however, he felt a glop of cold and wet sunscreen land in the palm of his hand, causing his ears and the fur at the base of his tail to stand completely on end.
"There ya go!"
"Gross," he mumbled, glaring at the obscene and frankly unnecessary amount of sunblock in his hand.
He didn't even have that much skin exposed.
Wriothesley glanced surreptitiously over at Neuvillette, assessing the amount of skin his mate had available for lathering.
"Wriothesley," came the low-toned warning, Neuvillette's gaze straying from the winding road only for a split second.
"What? You need some too. Let me help you, love." Wriothesley’s shit-eating grin stretched wider as he swiped some of the cream out of his palm with his fingers, easily reaching across the space to smear it down the sloped length of Neuvillette's nose. He didn't stop there, putting a dot on each cheek despite the put-upon growl that came from deep within the dragon-shifter’s chest.
Sigewinne giggled from the backseat, startling Wriothesley when she slapped a sunscreen-slick hand on the back of his neck.
"Ack! Winnie! What the fuck?" The wolf-shifter lurched forward, nearly losing the remaining sunblock onto the dashboard with the sudden jerking motion.
"You gotta get the back of your neck too!" she yelled back, cackling like a maniac as she put more on her own cheeks, rubbing them in circles like a bunny cleaning its face.
Neuvillette chuckled, so faintly that Wriothesley almost missed it; he managed to glance over just in time to catch the dragon-shifter hide a smile behind his hand as he rubbed the sunscreen into his skin.
The only one left behind, Wriothesley sighed and at last capitulating, adding some to his own face as well. Even covering his face, neck, and arms, however, he still had a ridiculous amount of sunscreen remaining in his palm.
"What am I supposed to do with all of this?" he asked incredulously, staring at the tablespoon-sized lump of white.
"I don't know, put it on your massive tits or something! It'd be a shame if any of your tattoos got sun damaged."
Wriothesley choked on his spit, sputtering and coughing at the absurd and vulgar suggestion. "Aye aye, captain-doctor," he managed to wheeze out, not one to shy away from an opportunity when it was presented to him. Any protests from his mate – and he wasn’t hearing many – were dutifully ignored as he unbuttoned his shirt and waistcoat one handed, proceeding to slather sunscreen all over his chest.
"Are you going to be like this for the entire vacation?" Neuvillette asked through clenched teeth, his shoulders stiff and his fingers clenching around the wheel of the convertible. It was difficult to tell with those ridiculous sunglasses on, but Wriothesley was confident that Neuvillette’s pretty eyes weren't exactly sneaking glances at his face – not while he was purposefully dragging his thumb slowly over his nipple ring with a cheeky grin.
"Maybe," he replied smugly.
"I can't believe you made putting on sunscreen sexual." Sigewinne complained from the back, pulling out a full-sized sketch book from her bag.
"Who was the one that suggested I rub it all over my massive tits?" Wriothesley stopped provocatively rubbing his chest, glancing over his shoulder at the Melusine.
"I was joking!" she protested, reaching out to smack him in the face with her tiny hand. Wriothesley laughed, settling back in his seat. As they continued down the coast, he stretched his arms up, tail thumping against the car seat with each delighted wag.”
"You're not going to button your shirt up, are you?" Neuvillette murmured softly, the sound low enough not to travel beyond the front seat of the car.
"Nope!" Wriothesley popped the p on the word, his salacious grin entirely for Neuvillette's benefit as he settled more comfortably against the door of the car. The new position provided him with a perfect view of his mate, and, he was sure, offered aforementioned mate a more than spectacular vista in return. "What, don't like the eye candy?"
"I'd like it more if I wasn't trying to keep us from driving off a cliff directly into the sea," the dragon-shifter replied with an exasperated shake of his head. Despite his complaints, however, Wriothesley could feel the joy radiating between their bond. Neuvillette was, for once, relaxed, and Wriothesley could tell that this vacation was going to be good for all of them.
"Well, I've got great news, love. You can ogle me ‘til your eyes fall out once we get to the beach house. I'm all yours." Wriothesley spread his arms out, one resting on the windowsill, the other against the back of the chair. Like this, he could tip his head back and really feel the breeze through his hair and ears.
It was magical.
"Private house, and private beach to match. Actually, the entire island is private." Neuvillette corrected him in a blasé tone, as if the words he was uttering weren't entirely preposterous.
"Wait, it's not just a house?" The shark-shaped sunglasses slipped down Wriothesley’s nose in his surprise. "You rented the entire island?!" His voice climbed in volume at his alarm.
"I didn't rent it. I own it." Neuvillette amended softly. "Although it is primarily a wildlife sanctuary. Actually, I originally purchased it out from under a large company. The island was being considered for development of a multi-level resort, but the beaches on the far side of the island are a spot where sea turtles lay their eggs and several endangered species of crab go to mate. So, to prevent the destruction of the habitat, I bought the island in its entirety, and occasionally allow researchers to stay at the house while observing the wildlife."
Wriothesley stared, mouth agape as he quite dramatically fell in love with the man sitting across from him all over again.
"I fucking love you," he whispered, still dumbstruck by the matter-of-fact way Neuvillette had dropped that information. "Wait, aren't we going to be disturbing the habitat by staying there?"
"No. Those beaches are on the opposite side of the island, and it is not the season for either the crabs nor the turtles. That being said, we might still see a few in the water or on the beaches, but we shouldn't cause them any undue distress so long as we keep our distance."
"I'll admit, I'm impressed." Wriothesley smiled, looking out at the horizon, where he could see a small bridge that led to the very island they were discussing. “Who knew ‘wildlife preservationist’ was among your many accomplishments?”
"It's a small thing, but it does bring me joy. I am glad to finally be able to share this island with others. In the past, I've only visited by myself." The admission came slowly, but Wriothesley didn't pressure him, only reaching across the center console to offer his hand to his mate as their bond resonated with a hint of lingering loneliness. Neuvillette laced their fingers together, giving a firm squeeze that Wriothesley felt in his heart.
"I'm happy to be here, with you." Wriothesley informed him, like the giant sap he apparently was. "I think we all needed a vacation. I've actually never been on one before, and I can't think of better people to spend my first one with."
"Yeah! We're going to have so much fun!" Sigewinne chimed in from the back, abruptly re-making her presence known. "We're going to build sand castles, and stay up late painting each other's nails, and I'm going to make Wriothesley run around the beach in his wolf form with me on his back –"
Her list of potential activities went on with endless enthusiasm, until they crossed the bridge and the beach house came into view with a small black car parked out front. Navia and Clorinde waved from their perch upon the car’s hood, both of them sporting large, floppy hats and sat under a bright yellow and extremely familiar sun umbrella.
"Alright, we're all here. Let the vacation officially begin!" Wriothesley declared as they pulled up to a graceful stop at their destination.
Wriothesley had never known how to relax, not truly, but maybe with the right people and the right location, he could start to learn to.
At least, he was going to damn well try.