Inspired by Klingande's Jubel (which you should so go listen to and watch to set the mood) and my recent trip to the beach.

I know I said I'm unlikely to write another story but...I lied. This deviates from my usual dark themes so don't blame me if it's not good. And I'm a little out of practice.

"Have you looked outside Lara?" Sam asked, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. "This has to be the sunniest day we've ever had in England."

Lara flipped the page of the textbook and took a sip of her tea. "That's nice," she said without looking up.

Sam dumped herself down on the opposite end of the couch. "You know what? We should do something about it."

Lara glanced up at her. She looked excited. "Like what?"

"Well…I was thinking that maybe we could go to the beach?"

Lara frowned and took another sip, but she had run out. She stood up and went to the sink. "I can't. I have class in an hour." She thought for a moment. "Come to think of it you have class today as well."

Sam followed her, leaning on the other side of the counter. "So? You can always download the lecture somewhere online later."

"The University has just received a shipment of artefacts from a dig in Japan," she told her, washing her mug. "Professor Welsh is going to take us there today so we can examine them. We'll be able to study actual pottery from the Jomon period, instead of just learning about it from a textbook."

Sam blinked at her, looking speechless for a moment. "Did… umm, you just say you were ditching your girlfriend for a date with some shards of clay?"

Lara put her mug away and folded her arms. "They aren't just 'shards of clay'; they're an insight into what is to be believed the invention of pottery itself. It's going to be interesting."

Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah…sounds like it." Lara moved to sit back at the table but Sam blocked her. "But the beach will be more fun Lara!" she said. "You can go look at pots later, but this day is like, never going to happen again. What was it the Latin's said? Carp dime?"

"Carpe diem," Lara corrected.

"Yeah! Carpe diem! 'Seize the day'!" She put her hands on her shoulders and squeezed them. "So why don't you take some of your ancient's advice and come to the beach with me?"

Lara pried her hands off and sighed, looking out the window.

Sam was right; it was verysunny and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. A breeze was rustling the trees and it didn't seem like it was going to get too hot. She hadn't been to the beach since she was little and it would be nice to sit in the sun and do her work.

…But then again the Professor was going to give them an exclusive look at real pottery from the Jomon period. This opportunity was unlikely to come around again- Professor Welsh wasn't the most generous of men. Plus, she had never skipped class before and she was reluctant to start now.

She looked back at Sam who had started giving her the puppy dog eyes.

Lara sighed and closed her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Not seeing her was the only way she could resist. "Sam, stop that," she said.

"Stop what?" Lara opened her eyes and she was still doing it. God why was she so cute with those big, pleading eyes…that adorable pout…

Lara sighed. "Fine," she said. "You win."

Sam grinned. "Yes!" She fist pumped the air. "Hurry up and pack. I'll go get the car ready."

It was nearly one by the time they got there. Sam ran ahead and took some snaps of the beach while Lara trailed behind her, carrying both her and Sam's bags. There were quite a few people on the sand, mostly laid-back students who had got the same idea as them, but they still managed to find a good space close to the water.

Sam slathered herself in sunscreen and promptly began to work on her tan. Lara bought a salad from the nearby food stand and sat down next to her to do her work. She still had to summarise the whole life of Emperor Toba and it was difficult finding sources on him. All she had was a textbook Welsh had loaned her as there was no wifi this far out.

She ate while she worked, and it was difficult to focus with so much noise around. She was so deep in concentration that when Sam touched her knee, she jumped. Sam snickered before asking, "Are you seriously working?"

Lara looked back at the text book and shrugged. "Well there's nothing else to do."

"Umm, have you looked around?" She sat up and took her sunglasses off. "Isn't that extra credit anyways?"

Lara paused. "Well yeah, but I need it." She scrunched her face at a source that was particularly tricky to understand.

Sam snorted. "Umm, no you don't. You're like acing your class." She looked behind her, her face brightening. "I know…" she said, putting an arm around her shoulder and running a finger down her clavicle. "Why don't we go swimming?"

Lara shrugged her off. "Maybe later. I need to get this finished."

"Come on," she moaned. "I did not drag you down here just to do what you do every other day."

"I didn't bring my swimmers Sam."

She shrugged. "We'll just buy some new clothes for you later. Or better yet, you can go buy some now."

Lara shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Lara, come on."

"Maybe later Sam," she said in a tone indicating that this conversation was finished.

Sam looked like she was going to push the point further but then sighed and moved to stand up. "Okay then…"

She snatched the textbook from her. Lara looked up at her incredulously. "Sam!" she yelled.

Her girlfriend danced away, dangling the book in front of her. "You want it?" she grinned, "Then come get it!"

Lara stood up and ran after her. "That's not mine I borrowed that from Professor Welsh!"

Sam smirked and moved back into the water. "Better make sure nothing happens to it then."

She laughed and hugged the book as Lara reached her and wrapped her arms around her. The two of them stumbled back into the water as Lara tried to pry the book from her grasp. Water splashed up and over them, and they only got increasingly wet and they moved further in.

"Sam give it back!" Lara yelled. She tried to pull her book back but Sam had a tight grip.

"No way!"

Lara stopped for a moment, frustrated, when she remembered their Sunday nights on the couch.

She changed tactics and started tickling her bare waist. It was Sam's one weakness and she wasn't afraid to use it when she was being particularly non-compliant, such as now or when she wanted to watch a romantic comedy. It was amusing to see her girlfriend reduced to a bundle of giggles with some simple motions.

Sam laughed and wriggled in her hands, trying to get away. "Okay Lara-no! Cut it out!"

Lara grinned and tickled her harder. "Make me."

She tried pushing her away but Lara had a strong hold. Sam had tears in her eyes from how much she was laughing but Lara was having too much fun to relent. "O-Okay! You can have it!" She threw the book at her and it landed in the water between them.

Lara stopped immediately.

There was a moment of silence where both of them just stood there, gaping down at the book between them.

Sam looked up at her, her hands over her mouth. "Oh my god Lara I'm-"

Lara picked her up and threw her over her shoulder. Sam squealed and pummelled her back. Yeah, the book was ruined, but she could worry about that later; right now, she was going to make her pay.

"Lara let me go!" she yelled, laughing.

Lara smirked. "Okay!" She threw her into the water but yelped when she felt Sam pull her down as well.

She gasped as she stood up and wiped the water from her eyes. Sam surfaced to her right and she pushed her hair back from her face. "You are so going to pay for that," she laughed, splashing water at her.

"Me?" Lara exclaimed, grinning. She splashed some water back. Sam laughed and kept splashing her, turning her face away.

Lara laughed and tackled her back into the water. Sam gurgled and tried her best to punch her, but they were under water. Somehow, she got turned around and Sam escaped from her grasp. She swam up, surfacing right in front of Sam.

"I hate you," Lara said, laughing. They were so close.

Sam grinned and splashed some water into her eyes. "You so love me," she said, threading her arms around her neck. The next thing she knew Sam's lips were pressed against hers.

Lara smiled and pressed against her, opening her mouth to let her fully in. They were both breathless when they kissed, surfacing often but that only made them more desperate to taste each other.

A wave crashed into their backs, knocking them down into the water. They lost track of each other but when Lara crawled onto the shore Sam was right behind her. They were both laughing as they collapsed on the sand next to each other, breathless.

"Y-yeah," Sam began. She poked her shoulder. "You're definitely going to need new clothes."

Lara narrowed her eyes at her playfully and started tickling her.

Sam put the white tank top against a blue plaid shirt and pursed her lips. They had been in the store for almost half an hour now, looking for what Sam called 'the right' set of clothes.

Lara didn't understand what was wrong with the last shirt. She caught the cashier glancing nervously at them again and sighed internally. Sooner or later he was going to call the police because they were loitering.

"So long as I can get out of these wet clothes I don't care what I wear," she told Sam.

Sam looked up, amused. "Who goes to the beach and doesn't bring a change of clothes?" she asked.

Lara smiled and blushed. Yeah that was her fault. "Well I didn't think I was going to be getting wet today."

Sam raised an eyebrow and put the shirt down. She stepped closer to her, and there was a trace of humour in her voice as she ran her fingertips down her hip. "Oh?" she said, an eyebrow raised suggestively. "I made you wet did I?"

Lara flushed red and pushed her away. "That's not what I meant," she said.

Sam laughed and threw the clothes at her. "Here. Go put this on. I'll go pay for it." She winked at her as she left the store. Lara sighed and shook her head.

She went to the public change rooms and took a shower. When she finished and had changed she went outside to where Sam had just arrived.

She had her sunglasses on but Lara could still tell she was pretty chuffed with her own work. "You look good," she said. She took out her phone and took a picture of her. "Like a true local."

She showed her the picture. Sam had dressed her up in a white tank top, a faded old blue plaid shirt over the top and some light blue denim shorts. It looked good, but it was still simple and comfortable. For once, she wasn't opposed to what her girlfriend had dressed her up in.

"Well I'm just the model here," she said, holding out her hand. Sam put her phone back and took it. "Where do you want to go next?"

Sam shrugged. "Well I kind of want to work on my tan, but I don't really feel like lying down anymore."

Lara thought for a moment. "Could we head away from the people? Explore the coast a bit?"

Sam grinned mischievously. "To do what?"

Lara nudged her with her shoulder. "Not what you're thinking."

They ended up walking further down the coastline, towards where the cliffs met the sea. There was no one here because it was too rocky to set up, but the main beach had been too noisy anyways.

Sam touched a rivulet of water running down the side of the cliff. "This is so cool," she said.

Lara saw something bright on the rocks and hopped over to it. She picked up the shell and ran her thumb over its cracked surface. It was pretty; it was rugged and weathered but that only added to its beauty. She hadn't seen a shell like this before, only smooth lined white shells.

On a whim, Lara tossed it into the sea. The shell sailed a couple metres out, then was swallowed by the waves. It was a strangely content thing to see.

She turned around and saw that Sam was etching something into the cliff wall with a broken shell. Curious, she jumped down and went over to her.

The cliff face was practically defaced in white chalk with messages ranging from 'miss u already' to 'Jaz was here 07'. And now Sam was adding to the mess, writing their initials in a love heart with an arrow through it.

Lara wrapped her arms around her waist and rested her chin on her shoulder. Sam finished her work, tossed the shell aside then leaned back against her. "There," she said, "Done."

Lara looked at the wall for a moment. "As if there wasn't enough mess up there already," she eventually said.

"Hey!" Sam protested. She turned around and threaded her arms around her shoulders. "It's not mess it's romantic!"

"Really? Even 'Tom got laid here 16/7/03'."

Sam looked behind her at where she was pointing. "…Well when you say it in your 'posh' accent it's not."

Lara pretended to be hurt. "I thought you liked my accent."

"Oh I do…" Sam said quickly. She smirked and ran a finger down chest, continuing in a whisper. "Especially when you talk to me in that low voice of yours."

Lara chuckled. "I'll remember that for next time then…Samantha."

"Ohh, I feel like I'm in trouble." Lara closed her eyes as Sam touched her lips to hers, her taste tantalizingly brief. When she opened her eyes again Sam's were sparkling with mischief. "Am I in trouble?"

Lara knew how this game worked. And usually, Sam's bedroom eyes would leave her blushing and weak at the knees. But…this wasn't going to happen on a public beach.

Lara put a hand on her chest as Sam leaned in for another kiss. "This is not happening Sam," she said.

"Really? There's nothing I can do to convince you?" She began nipping at her neck, slowly making her way to the spot below her ear that she knew she loved.

Lara made a strained noise in her throat. It took a great amount of effort to push her away. "Seriously Sam not here." She looked over to where the main beach was. "Anyone could come here at any minute."

"No one comes down here."

"They might. And I don't want to give them a show. We can just save it for later."

Sam rolled her head. "Ugh! I hate it when you do this. You're such a tease."

Lara had to laugh at that. "Me? You cannot say you don't like it considering how many men you've done that to."

"Yeah but I love what comes after that even more," she said, poking her in the ribs. She poked her again, and again, and again.

Lara twisted away from her as the pokes became more ticklish. "Haha...okay," she laughed, backing away from her. "Sam stop that." She slapped her arm away.

Sam grinned and continued poking her. "What are you going to do to stop me?"

There was only so much space she could escape to with all the rocks around. Sam had switched to actually tickling her now and it was starting to get frustrating. "O-okay! What do you want?!"

Sam continued to tickle her until she suddenly stopped. Lara had a pretty good idea what she was going to ask when she completely surprised her. "I want a piggy back ride."

Lara raised her eyebrows. It was such a random idea. "I'm sorry?"

Sam waggled her eyebrows. "You heard me. Get down."

Lara furrowed her brow at her but crouched down anyways. Sam climbed onto her back and locked her arms around her neck. "Okay ready!"

Lara stood up, grunting from the effort. Either she needed to go to the gym more or Sam was heavier than she looked. "You're kind of heavy," she said. Sam kicked her hip. "Hey!"

"Never say that to a woman," she said, laughing. "Or you're going to have a big slap mark next time."

Lara began walking back to the main beach. "Remember I'm the one carrying you," she warned her lightly.

"I'll take the risk." She kicked her again. "Giddy up horsey!"

The sky glowed orange, like embers that were dying down. Clouds streaked the background, making the zenith appear a smear of dark blue and purple. There was barely anyone around, and Lara sat on the sand with Sam resting her head against her chest, watching the sunset.

The scene was beautiful, and peaceful.

"I'm surprised you're not taking a photo of this," Lara murmured.

Sam smiled. "Maybe I'm just enjoying the moment." Even still, she brought out her camera and took a few pictures of the sunset.

"Smile," Sam told her. Lara smiled and Sam took a picture of her, followed by a selfie of them together.

When she put the camera down Lara put an arm around her shoulders. Sam leaned back against her, sighing. Their previous energy was gone, replaced with a lazy summer sleepiness.

"I'm sorry about the textbook," Sam murmured. "I didn't mean to ruin it."

Lara rested her cheek against her head. "It's fine. I'm sure Professor Welsh will understand what it's like to have a crazy partner."

Sam mock punched her. "I'll pay for a new copy, if Welsh will let me."

Welsh probably would, but not before he gave her a long lecture on respecting people's property. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that."

The sound of the ocean became the only sound after that, as they sat in silence watching the last traces of the day fade.

Today was the first time Lara had skipped class. Although Sam had convinced her to travel out here, she had expected today to be a peaceful afternoon where she studied in the open air. What she hadn't expected was to be dropping all those plans to spend all her time exploring and having the time of her life with her girlfriend.

Sam yawned and snuggled against her. "I could go to sleep right now," she murmured.

Lara snorted. "Do you know your way back home this time or do I have to pick you up again?"

Sam elbowed her. "That happened once. And it was a birthday party so that's an exception."

"Of course," she said sarcastically. That earned her another elbow in her ribs.

"Are you glad you came today?" she asked.

Lara smiled and kissed her temple. "Yes. Out of all the places you've dragged me this has to be my favourite."

Sam chuckled. "Really?" she asked in her lowest octave. "I thought it would have been the bedroom."

Lara sighed and rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "You just don't stop do you?"

"Well what…" She stopped mid- sentence, yawning.

Lara chuckled and helped her stand up. It was getting cold and it would soon be dark. "I guess that's one way to stop you."

Sam stood and leaned into her, touching her nose to hers. "Oh yeah? And what's the other way?"

Lara smirked and kept just out of lip range. "Would food work?" she asked.

She had deliberately avoided giving Sam the answer she wanted Sam went with it anyways. "Hmm, could I start with dessert first?"

She leaned in to kiss her and she let her this time. It was soft and gentle; a caress of the lips. Lara smiled with just a hint of mischievousness, "We'll see," she said. She slipped her hand down to hers.

Sam smirked, seemingly content with that answer. She laced their fingers together and leaned against her as they walked back to the car.

Lara glanced behind her one last time as the sun disappeared. Today had been fun, and although this day had faded, she was never going to forget it.