"Kris, that was the best dinner I've ever had." I sighed happily, walking along the beach with my hand clasped in his. The night sky was lit up with stars and the full moon shone a silver path over the crashing waves. 
    "I'm glad you liked it." Kris smiled, tipping his head back so the wind could toy with his hair. Kris stopped suddenly, turning to look out at the ocean. 
    "Do you want to do something crazy with me?" Kris asked, turning to me with a shy smile. I nodded, wondering what on earth was going on in his head behind the mischievous glint in his eye.  
   "Yes." I whispered. Kris leaned forward, kissing me breathlessly and reaching out to tug my jacket off my shoulders. 
    "Okay." Kris gave a soft chuckle, his breath puffing against my nose as he ed the top two buttons of my shirt. He tugged my shirt off and undid my belt quickly, pulling my pants around my ankles and making me squeak in surprise. 
    "Kris, what are you doing?" I asked, smiling softly at him even as he stepped back and pulled off his own clothes. He stood there in his boxers, goosebumps flitting across his chest from the cool ocean breeze, and grabbed my hand. 
    "Where are we going?" I asked loudly, a smile crossing my face when Kris laughed and pulled me down to the water's edge. The waves lapped over our bare feet chillingly and I squealed a little, shivering. 
    "I've never been swimming in the ocean at night." Kris laughed, running forward and pulling me with him. I laughed breathlessly even as the freezing water washed up to my knees and we stood in the white foam. 
    "It's c-cold." I said, my teeth chattering. Kris laughed and pulled me in farther until we were up to our waists, tugged side to side by the current. 
    "Sometimes you just have to jump all the way in." Kris said, grabbing my shoulders and pushing me under. 
    The cold water rushed in across my face and I smiled underwater, my entire body prickling with sparks. My skin tightened and lit on fire, buzzing when I pulled Kris back towards me. I opened my eyes, ignoring the stinging of the salt water, and looked into Kris' eyes. He smiled underwater and pressed our lips together, his hands cupping my chin and pulling me back up to the surface. 
    Our heads broke the water and Kris kept our mouths pressed together tightly, his hands skimming over the sensitive skin of my back. I looped my legs around his hips and kept my hands over his shoulders, sliding my tongue against his. Kris was so very warm in the middle of the cold ocean and I pressed even closer to him, running my hands over his back.
    Kris winced slightly and I withdrew my fingers from the ridges of his shoulder blades, distracting him with a deeper flick of my tongue. Kris was all around me, from his scent filling my nose to the familiar taste of cinnamon and burnt sugar overwhelming my mouth. His hands cupped my jaw and his eyes flittered open briefly to look at me. 
    "You're so beautiful." Kris whispered, smiling at me. I smiled and leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and burying my face in his neck. Kris' arms came around to hold me closer and he rested his chin on the top of my head. 
    We stayed like that for several minutes, breathing in and out together, alone together in the middle of the giant ocean. The waves pulled at us and lapped against our skin, my legs so numb that I couldn't feel them anymore. Kris gave a long, contented sigh and then started to walk forward, entering into the frigid night air with me coiled around him and water streaming down from our bodies. 
    I shivered and clung closer to Kris, laughing when he grabbed our clothes and ran to the car. Kris set me down in the passenger seat and all but leaped into the driver's seat, gunning the car and shivering violently. 
    "I did not think that through!" Kris admitted, speeding through the streets while I cranked up the heat. 
    "It was worth it." I smiled, kissing his cheek and wrapping my arms tightly around my body and shivering. 
    "Really?" Kris asked, his eyes turning to me hopefully. I smiled and nodded violently, knowing a part of myself would always be with Kris in that ocean. 
    "Of course. Now let's go try out that bathtub." I said. We pulled into the parking garage and Kris wrapped my jacket around my shoulders. 
    "Come on, I'm freezing!" Kris smiled, pulling me through the doors and into the elevator. I curled into his side, feeling his frozen skin brushing with mine and wrapping my arm around his waist. 
    We ran down the hallway together, laughing as Kris tried to put the key in the door, delayed by his shaking hands. He finally got it open and ran to the bathroom, cranking the hot water on and leaving me to run and get towels. 
    "Come on," Kris hurried me, setting the towels and the floor and easing one foot into the giant bathtub. He sighed and the jets, relaxing down in the water. I left my soaked boxers in a pile next to Kris' and sat down in the v of Kris' legs. 
    Kris' arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me against his chest, kissing the back of my head gently. I sighed and reached back, running my hands through Kris' hair and playing with it blindly. We were finally warm again and the water surged and bubbled around us soothingly. 
    I sat forward, motioning for Kris to turn. He obeyed with a confused look, shifting so he could rest his forearms on the ledge between the edge of the tub and the wall. I sat down behind him, reaching out and running my palms down the smooth skin of his back. I reached up and smoothed my fingertips over the ridges of his wings beneath his skin, pressing as gently as possible. 
    I rubbed the tender muscles around the wing ridges, feeling them start to loosen up as I massaged in circles. Kris let out a loud moan which startled me for a second and I tensed up before continuing. 
    "Feel good?" I asked with a small smile, watching Kris roll his neck out and lean back into my fingers. 
    "Thank you." Kris mumbled into the wall, making me chuckle slightly. I played with the muscles of his back until Kris fell asleep, working out all the tension that made moving so painful for him. 
    When the jets stopped automatically, I woke Kris, stepping out of the tub and holding out a large towel for him. Kris smiled sleepily and stepped into the towel, letting me wrap it around him and dry him off. I dried myself off and changed into my pajama pants, turning on the fireplace to keep us warm and getting under the covers. 
    "Ready for a big day tomorrow?" I asked Kris. He stumbled sleepily over to the bed and got into his side, curling around me. 
    "Sleep now." Kris mumbled, pouting at me and burying his face in my neck. I chuckled and carded my hands through his damp hair, smiling. 
    "Sleep now." I agreed quietly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. I turned to my side, turning out my light and smiling happily when Kris wrapped his arms and leg around me. I closed my eyes, twining our hands together and falling asleep. 

    I looked over at Kris sitting opposite me, smiling as he ran his hand through his hair. We were sitting at my favorite breakfast place on the wharf, eating together before enjoying out last day in Santa Cruz. 
    "You have to try the hot chocolate here." I smiled. Kris nodded, scanning his menu and looking out at the fantastic view of the beach. 
    "Are you okay? You've been really quiet this morning." I said worriedly, taking Kris' hand and frowning. 
    "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." Kris said, forcing a smile onto his face. I looked closer at him, frowning when I saw the grey tinge to his skin. 
    "Are you sure?" I said worriedly. Kris smiled wider, nodding and tapping my nose. 
    "I'll be fine, stop worrying." Kris laughed. I nodded, ordering us two hot chocolates and omelets. 
    After breakfast, I pulled Kris out to the end of the wharf. There were holes cut into the floor with fences around them so people could see the sea lions that slept on the pier's cross beams below us. 
    "Kris, look!" I whispered excitedly, pointing to a tiny sea lion sleeping below us. Kris smiled and peered closer, laughing when one sea lion sat up and started barkin