I lay on the towel, soaking in the sunlight trying to tan. I read a little in my new book and snack. When a guy comes up to me.

"Hey cutie. You here alone?" He asks sitting down.

"No I'm here with my boyfriend." I white lie because Zack is a friend. That's a guy. But I made it sound like we were dating.

"Well I don't see him around so how about you pretend to be my boyfriend and come with me to have some real fun." He says getting uncomfortably close.

"Or you could leave me alone." I tell him but he just gets closer and is now basically on top of me. "Get Off!" I yell. But it’s no use.

"Hey he said get off!" Zack yells storming up the beach.

"Zackey!" I yell hoping Zack remembers the code

"Ya. And who are you?!" The guy yells back.

"His boyfriend! Now scram." Zack tells him with a fire in in his eyes and a hint of jealousy maybe.

"Shit. You're bigger than I thought." The guy says when Zack gets closer; and with that he runs off and probably goes to find his next poor victim.

"You OK?" Zack asked when he gets to me.

"Ya thanks."

"I'm surprised you remembered our code." (To add -ey to signal that it was said we were dating)

"Why? I always remember." He says with a upset face.

"Ya but that's only at parties when you don't want any guy hitting on you." Zack would always let me say he was my boyfriend at parties and played along with it. I normally did it so people would keep their hands off him though rather than me.

"Trace that was a real emergency.”

"I know. You did well, you kinda seemed jealous ." I told him. I've always wanted to see Zack jealous like that. Jealous of another guy hitting on me. Of someone else touching me. It made me love him even more and led me to believe just for a minute that he loved me back.

"You sure you're OK"? Zack asked sitting down next me.

"Ya. I'm good now. You can go back to the water."

"I was going to sit here with you for a little, if that's OK." Zack says with a smile on his face his brown hair darker from the water and his abs glistening in the light as water drips off his chest.

"Ya. That'd be nice." I reply smiling and looking away other wise my little friend would want to pop up and say hello and there's no way I could hide that in swim trunks.

"Here." I throw him a towel to dry off and try to focus on my book but it's not working. All I can think about is Zack. My best friend, my knight in shining armor, my one love sitting next to me. Everything almost perfect if only he were my boyfriend instead of boy friend.

"The water sure is pretty today." I look over to see Zack staring at the water.

"You know Haru, you can go back. I'll be fine I promise." I teas him.

"I'm not going back without you."

"Why? I thought the water was pretty." I can't believe I'm getting jealous of the ocean.

"Ya. But not as pretty as you." Zack says poking my nose and laying down on the beach towel that I had laid out when we first got here. I could feel a soft blush coming with Zack's words. ‘He thinks I'm pretty.’

We lay there tanning for a bibt and my mind wanders to Zack and his body, and the way I want him to love me and then I can feel a stirring in my trunks.

"I’m going for a swim." I tell Zack and run off before he can notice.

"Hang on I'm coming." He yells after me chasing me into the cool water.

I run in and don't stop until the water is level with my belly button. I'm not very confident so I swim with the tank top on but put the button up in the beach bag earlier.

"Hey. Why'd you run off?" Zack asked when he caught up to me.

"I just felt like going for a swim." I tell him as I walk around in the water not wanting to go any deeper because it was kinda cold this far out.

"OK so swim." Zack says, a cocky look on his face.

"I am."

"No you're pacing in the water."

"It’s cold. Give me a minute."

"Or I could help you get used to it." He says with a devilish grin

"How?" I ask not really wanting the answer.

"This." And Zack splashes me with a big wave of water.

"Nice but how’s this" and I send an even bigger wave one back.

We splashed each other for awhile and then when I wasn't looking Zack came up behind me. Wrapping his big, strong arms around my lower waist picking me up and spinning me around.

"We should probably go eat something." Zack says setting me down.

"Hey. Some of us like being carried." I pout.

"Fine. Get on my back." Zack bends over a little and I jump on. He carries me out of the water and to our beach towels.

He sets me down before going over to the beach bag and grabs me a clean dry towel and an ice tea.

"Thank you." I tell him as I wrap myself in the towel.

Zack sits down next to me wrapped in his own towel the only thing in between us is the beach bag.

"So. Will the snack be fine or should we see if we can find some real food?" Zack says breaking our comfortable silence.

"I think the snacks will be fine." I say eating a chip.

"OK. So what do you want to do for dinner?" Zack asked me as he eats his fruit cup.

"I don't know we haven't gotten through lunch yet." I reply taking a drink.

We sit there for a while eating and talking.

"You look tired want to head back to the hotel. You should probably get out of the sun." Zack says getting so close to my face that if I were to stick my tongue out, I could lick his soft lips.

"Ya. I am kinda tired... And a little light headed." I tell him.

Zack packs our stuff before helping me up he takes my arm and puts it over his shoulder and then wraps his other arm around my waist keeping me stable.

"Just keep sipping liquids." Zack tells me when we get to the elevator.

Zack sits me in a chair when we get to our room then goes to the bathroom to draw me a bath. Zack comes back out to help me up and into the bathroom

”Can you take it from there?" Zack asks after getting me to the bathroom.

"Ya I think I can take it from here." I say as I start to take my shirt off.

"OK. I'll be back to check on you." Zack leaves the room and closes the door halfway. But I don't mind. I like how he's taking care of me. I finish stripping and step into the tub. The water is cool but not to cold. Just the right temperature to help cool me down. I relax as the headache goes away and I slip in to sleep.