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The sun beat down on your hat as you took a long swig of water from the complimentary tour water bottle.
The market you were currently in was nestled in between stone buildings, stall owners sold their wares under small tents as the occasional large covering provided market-goers with some shade.
Unfortunately, the center of the market lacked any protection.
Having a few days off from the Hunters Association and winning the ticket for a free vacation was the perfect opportunity to unwind and chill, though a literal "chill" was impossible in the middle of the tropics.
Although you were sweating out lakes, you seemed to be dealing with the heat better than Sylus was. He had decided to wear a black shirt, though it was made of a light fabric, and sunglasses so thin you questioned if they were functional at all.
"Sy, are you sure you don't want a hat or anything?"
"Sweetie, my hair is white, nothing is going to reflect sun better."
"At least put on another layer of sunscreen. For my sake."
"You can put it on me once we go to the beach, how's that?"
"Fine. But we're buying an umbrella to sit under if there's no space in the shade or I'm shoving your head under the water so you'll cool down."
He chuckled, "As you wish, Kitten."
Your eyes returned to roaming around the market, vendors trying to get your attention to attract you to their products.
A shimmer caught your eye, a tent housing brooches of various shapes and colors. A dark red one stood out, the only deep shade among a sea of tropical colors.
You nudged Sylus and took his hand to drag him toward the stall.
The old woman sitting next to the goods smiled as she saw you approaching. You smiled back, then turned to Sylus as you pointed out the one with a garnet stone with onyx accents. "That one's just like you."
Sylus turned to the woman. "How much for it? And the onyx and pearl brooch?"
"100 each, but I will give you an offer of 170 for 2. I see your spirits mirroring the stone." She pointed a weathered hand at you. "Purity and courage." The hand turned to Sylus. "Self confidence and loyalty. Both of you exude protection."
You blushed, the compliments unexpected. You quickly and stealthily fished into your bag to pull out your wallet, aiming to beat Sylus to the payment.
A black mist clamped your bag shut before you could reach in, your head snapping to Sylus as he gave you a wry smile that turned as warm as possible for him when he turned toward the vendor.
The old woman beamed as she accepted the money, unaware of the glare you were giving Sylus.
"I hate you, you know that," You muttered.
"Mhm, you're the light of my life too, sweetheart."
"I'll let you two lovebirds get on with your honeymoon," The shopkeeper said, still smiling widely. "Make sure to check out the Clearwater Beach and Sunrise Rock. Most people just watch from below the rock but I'm sure you two can find a way to get up there."
Sylus wrapped an arm around your shoulders. "Trust me, we can get up there."
You thanked the woman once more for the souvenirs and made your way through the market again. You stopped to admire a stall selling multicolored fabrics and Sylus let go of you to observe a collection of ceremonial daggers.
Just as you were about to move to a stall with fresh, cold fruit juice, the tour guide called everyone back to the bus. As the you and Sylus started walking there, you spotted a stall housing umbrellas.
It was also home to a line of 20 other tourists trying to beat the heat.
You groaned. "We're gonna miss our bus if we stand in line..."
Sylus lightly tugged at your hand, guiding you toward the people from your group. "We can find another store. Our next stop is the beach anyway, I'm sure we can find something."
He looked over at you, noticing you still weren't convinced and sighed. "If it'll help you feel better, we can go back to the hotel and rest for a bit after seeing the beach. It's only a short walk away from our hotel."
You pressed your lips together. "Fine."
***
You rested your head against the window, the engine making vibrate in a way that only got worse when you encountered dirt paths or speed bumps. You had chosen the window seat to give Sylus a break from the sun, and it seemed to help a little as he rested his head on your shoulder. Your sunhat was resting on his face to block out the remaining rays.
He occasionally mumbled incoherent thoughts about crystals and birds, but you were too tired to make heads or tails of it.
You drifted off, sleep claiming you for a short nap as the shuttle rolled toward the beach, the steady drone of the tour guide's voice only helping you doze off better.
***
You awoke when you smelt the fresh sea breeze.
The sound of the waves made you want to go back to sleep but excitement kept you awake. Linkon wasn't near any beaches so this rare experience. Well, maybe not as rare anymore with your generous boyfriend.
Sylus was still resting against your shoulder, your heart protesting as you lightly shook him awake.
His eyes shot open, his body tensing. He relaxed after you squeezed his hand and met his gaze.
"You're excited," he yawned and rolled his neck.
"I know you are too," your eyes widened in awe as the beach came into view.
The crystal blue waves rolled against the perfect white sand as the sun made the whole place glitter.
You turned to Sylus and grinned. "Have you seen anything more beautiful than this?"
"I might be able to think of something."
The bus slowed to a stop at the road that lead to the beach. The tour guide cheerily explained that the next few hours would be spent here till the sunset, after which there would be a campfire and then the return to the hotel.
You were giddy with excitement as you raced to be the first one out of the van and into the water. You dragged Sylus to the edge of the water as the waves began to reach your toes.
Sylus lightly tugged you back as the sank under your feet receded with the water, "We don't want everything getting wet, Kitten."
"But…water…."
"It'll still be there when our stuff is secured."
"…Okay."
The two of you trekked up the sand to an area relatively safe from the water and seagulls and you laid out a beach towel specially made with zippers on the corner to hold and hide items. You dropped your bag down and were immediately scooped up into a bridal carry by a shirtless Sylus.
"Sylus-!"
"You're the one eager to get into the water sweetie."
He ungracefully dropped you into a thankfully shallow end and you retaliated by splashing him.
After almost slipping on the wet sand and tripping on a crab, you clung onto Sylus to stand with the waves brushing your legs and your eyes on the rest of the ocean.
You nudged him. "Kinda symbolic huh? Just you and I against the waves."
"And I hope it stays like that forever, Sweetie."
***
The two of you completely lost track of time while in the water. The sun hadn't begun to set but wasn't beating down directly on your head either.
Your water fight had resumed and left the two of you panting as you trekked back up the sand for refreshments.
After a long swig of water and a bag of chips, you turned back toward the water, ready to zip back to your new happy place when Sylus sat down heavily on the sand.
You looked back worriedly. "Sy, you good?"
He was still sweating heavily and his skin was clammy. You crouched down next to him and quickly rummaged through your bag for water. "Here, drink up."
You scanned the beach and spotted the tour guide, waving him over hurriedly.
"Oh dear," the tour guide held Sylus' wrist and checked his pulse. "Heat exhaustion. Make sure he gets enough fluids and rest. I can get you a cab back to the hotel."
Sylus weakly grasped your arm. "The sunset-"
"Will still be there tomorrow," you assured him. "So will everything else. But only if you rest now."
He huffed. "I can go back myself, but a certain hunter won't let me."
"You're goddamn right."
The tour guide was already on his phone making a call and in a few minutes had all the cab details, including the taxi charge covered.
You helped Sylus stand and walk toward the road where the cab was waiting. "I told you getting insurance for this trip was worth it."
You frowned. "Your exact words were 'Kitten, I'm too rich for this' and jinxed us." You imitated his voice.
He sighed dramatically. "Does my ailment not make you want kindness for me?"
"I think you'll live."
You opened the door for him to get into the cab and got in yourself, asking the driver to turn on the air conditioning. You kept an eye on Sylus through the ride, who was regaining some alertness in his eyes.
You silently reprimanded yourself for forgetting how your boyfriend was with heat and leaving your supplies forgotten in your bag.
"Don't do that." Sylus' voice jolted you from your thoughts. "Your thoughts are loud. It's not your fault this happened."
"You know me so well."
"And I know you're trying to divert. I mean it sweetie, you didn't cause this to happen."
"Well I didn't stop it either. All that preparation and worry just for me to forget when it actually mattered."
"There's nothing we can change about that now, Kitten. It's best not to linger on past mistakes."
You turned back to your window, the island's scenes passing by as your taxi drew closer to the hotel.
You reached the front entrance and got out of the car, sticking close to Sylus in case he needed an aid to walk back to your room.
You slid the keycard into door lock and stepped inside, the room cool enough to soothe your own heated skin. You made Sylus sit down and handed him a bottle of mineral water with strict instructions that it better be finished before the hour is up.
In the bathroom, you wettened a few small towels with cold water and wrung them out to cool Sylus down.
When you came back, he was lying on his back with his eyes closed. Without disturbing him, you placed the towel on his forehead and laid down next to him.
Your eyelids were heavy with the events of the day and there was no resistance as you slowly drifted to sleep.
***
One attraction all tourist websites swore you couldn't miss was the sunrise over the beach. But the best viewing point was incredibly rocky and needed a crazy amount of skill to climb over and find a perch in time for the breathtaking view.
You awoke to a dark, star studded sky with Sylus still asleep next to you. You lightly touched his forehead. His skin had returned to its normal cool state and regained what little color it had lost.
You stepped onto the balcony of your hotel room, the town lights shining even at the early hour.
You checked your watch. 5:30am.
Sunrise was around 5:55. It was a 5 minute drive to the beach.
Lost in your thoughts, you didn’t notice Sylus behind you till his arms wrapped around your waist and his chin rested on your head.
“Come here often, sweetie?”
You turned in his arms. “Are you feeling better?”
“Much better because of my amazing caretaker.”
“Not that amazing if I fell asleep with you.”
“Still. Allow me to thank you.” He leaned in close to your ear, making you blush. “You. Me. Sunrise Rock. Now.”
Your eyes widened. “Now?! Are you sure? There’s a lot of climbing over rocks-“
“And I’m perfectly healthy. I can use my evol to get us over the rocks and onto the best vantage point there is. Come on kitten I know you’ve been dying to see it.”
“And it’s ok if we don’t. I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”
“I swear on Luke and Kieran-“
“And Mephisto.”
“I swear on Luke and Kieran and Mephisto that I will take care of myself double the amount you take care of me.”
“Good, you better not let down our kids.”
As a response, he used his evol to pull a bottle of unopened sunscreen to himself and squirted out half the bottle.
Sylus loyally held eye contact as he applied the cream on his face and on his arms.
“There, can we go now?”
“Sylus, you are so crazy.”
“It’s part of my charm Kitten. Now come on, we wouldn’t want to miss the best part of the island.”
***
The two of you quickly left the hotel and took another cab to the corner of the island perfect for the sunrise.
The websites were right about the beach being incredibly rocky and very few people were close to the rocks in an attempt to look at the sunset.
You and Sylus shared a look, both smirking at each other. He wrapped an arm around your waist and uses his evol to boost the both of you up onto the highest point there is. You clutched his shirt tightly, seeing the sun’s light streak the sky.
You landed on your perch just in time, the sky turning a mix of rosy pink and soft orange.
You both took a seat on the rock as the sun took its sweet time rising over the horizon.
“I love you,” you whispered, the moment too precious for anything more than a murmur.
“I love you too,” he whispered back.
You shifted closer to Sylus, your arms touching as the new day awoke to you two together.