"Finally."

As the sun began to slowly set behind the cottage, James and Ali grilled the burgers they bought at a local market not far from their cottage. Ali tended to the baked potatoes wrapped in shiny foil while James monitored the burgers. They clinked their bottles of beer and drank to the carefree beginning to their vacation.

The sun set further as they ate and relaxed on the deck, and before long, darkness took over. Only the sound of the waves spilling onto the sand and rushing back again was heard, lulling James and Ali into a comfortable silence. They sat together on chaise loungers, nursing their beers in comfort.

Because it was still quite warm out, the couple remained in their swimwear from much earlier: Ali in her white triangle bikini, James in his bright red swim trunks. Both of them had a hint of pink on their skin from spending the majority of their afternoon in the sun. The excitement of the day, the sun and the water, the food and the beer...it all amounted to their current relaxed state.

Draining the last of her beer, Ali sighed happily. "Now THAT was a dinner." She set the bottle on the wood floor of the deck and glanced over at James. He'd made no reply, so she shook his arm playfully. "Still awake over there?"

He lolled his head sideways and smiled. "Of course I am." He looked back out over the water beyond and pressed the bottle to his lips, taking a healthy swig. "Just enjoying everything about the moment right now."

"Good." She stood up from her lounge chair and swung one leg over his lap.

James' lazy smile extended further across his face, his eyes showing just a hint of how much alcohol he'd drank so far. "Well hi there!"

"Hiiii." Ali could feel the alcohol affecting her too, but that was the beauty of a vacation. "Whatchya doooin?"

"Nootthhinng" James cooed happily. He didn't even care if his eyes were honing in on her beautiful tits and flat stomach. "I like that suit, by the way."

Ali was eyeing up his chest and shoulders. "I like yours too. Especially since it doesn't cover up this..." She ran her fingernails along the peaks and valleys of his various muscles. "Hockey does a body good."

James sat watching her admire his body and reveling in it. He took another drink of his beer as he felt her kiss his neck, then his chest, then further down his abs. Smiling, he wondered if there was a better feeling than this.

"We should go inside" Ali purred. She grabbed his bottle and finished the rest of the liquid for him. "Now."

In one solid motion, James wrapped an arm around her waist and stood up, taking her with him. Ali gripped his waist with her legs, laughing and holding on as James walked with her. He took the bottle from her and set it on the deck railing before going inside.

Once there, they fell into a cuddly heap on the living room floor. The windows that made up the main wall of the room cast a pale glow from the moonlight over them as they entangled themselves up in one another's embrace. With no other houses nearby, they fell into a romantic rhythm with one another, knowing no one would see them and not caring if they did anyways. When they finished, they fell asleep together on the area rug, Ali held snug in James' arms.

*

Towards morning, they both groggily moved to the bedroom. Ali sunk deep under the blankets and resumed her cuddled position in James' embrace. They both were so comfortable that they slept right through the sunrise and half the morning.

As Ali rolled over and opened her eyes, the small clock on the nightstand read 10:10AM. She nodded, somewhat surprised.

Not bad, really...for the first morning of a vacation.

She felt all the twists and turns James had pinned her body into from the night before as she went to the bathroom. Fixing the shower and then finding the towels, Ali was anxious for a shower. She closed her eyes and let the warm water spill over her, feeling the slight sunburn she received coming to life slowly but surely. The comfort and ease she felt in that moment was unlike most she'd experienced before. There was something very casual and very right about waking up like she had, after a day like her and James had.

Smiling into the water that cascaded onto her face, Ali actually giggled. I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

Afterward toweling off, she dressed in a comfortable loose-fitting tank and knit shorts and padded out to the kitchen. She knotted her still-damp hair into a bun, she went about constructing breakfast, hoping the aroma would wake James. It was going to be another gorgeous day outside that would be full of lounging and sunning, and she didn't want him to waste it sleeping.

Such a rough life, this week she thought with a smile. Too bad it can't be like this every day.

It was a passing thought in her mind, but in the bedroom, as James inhaled the scent of bacon, a similar thought crossed his mind as well.

Damn, she's up and cooking breakfast? Damn I love her. If only every morning could be this good.

He stretched his arms up over his head and yawned. It felt good to wake up like this. It felt great going to bed like this, too: his girl in his arms, her warm body pressed tight against his, needing him and wanting him like she did. It made him feel whole, even after the injured ego and bruised hopes for the playoffs. He barely remembered any of it being there with Ali.

Allowing his gaze to wander, James looked out the window near his side of the bed. Seagulls flew by, cawing at one another as they swooped down to some unseen point beneath the grassy dunes beyond. James wondered if they were about to enjoy the beach water he would soon be enjoying. As much as he could have stayed in bed all day, he knew there were better things waiting for him outside the bedroom.

As he finally rose and wandered out to the kitchen, he saw Ali assembling two plates of food. Her hair was tied up messily, and James caught a peek of the sides of her breasts beneath her loose top. This view alone made him smile.

Beautiful girlfriend. Amazing view. Breakfast.

"Like a five star resort around here" he said, bringing his thoughts to life and grabbing Ali's attention. "Are we lucky, or are we lucky?"

She took his joke well, giving his hips a bump with her own as he neared. "Let me put it this way" she said, holding a pan of eggs. "If I was hungry, I knew you would be ravenous."

James whole-heartedly agreed. The sights, the sounds, the smells - all of it woke up his empty stomach, making him realize just how hungry he was. Still, even with tempting food all around him, he still wanted what sustained him most, and that was Ali. He went up behind her, arms hugging her waist so he could feel the warmth and softness of her body against his.

"Mmmm..." Ali felt James' hands slide around her from behind, his taller frame tightly pressed up against all of her curves. She leaned her head against his as he kissed her collarbone. "You're distracting the cook."

"Hardly." James gave her ass a little tap before leaving her to finish. "But I'll be good....For now."

She flashed him a knowing smirk. "Yeah right."

"And by the way - that bed was pretty comfy after all" James said, taking a seat at the small bar area. He watched Ali plate up scrambled eggs, feeling his stomach grumble. "Surprise, surprise, eh?"

Ali giggled and shrugged one shoulder. "After working as hard as you did last night, I'm not that surprised." Her eyes glimmered as she said this, alluding to their romantic night together. She picked up two strips of bacon and held them out in front of her. "Mr. Two Time Orgasm Giver."

He laughed, enjoying her little display with the bacon. It pleased him to see how happy was with him, and that good feeling he always got from Ali filled him up once more.

As she continued cooking and plating up the food as it finished, James watched her silently. There was something comfortable in the way Ali moved about the kitchen; he felt like something as normal as waking up with her like this, hanging out in the kitchen and cooking and sharing their time together, might have been normal for anyone else...but for James, it felt like a huge deal. It was huge because he could see himself waking up like this every day with Ali, doing exactly what they were doing every morning.

"Food's about ready, babe" she said cheerfully, sliding him his full plate. She also grabbed the pot of coffee and her plate before joining him at the bar. "Hope it's good."

James knew it would be...and it was. Both he and Ali devoured their plates of food, making up for the lost time between when they ate last and their current meal. Even Ali was able to chip away at all the food, leaving very little for James to steal from her.

"So beach day today?" he asked, washing down his food with coffee.

Ali smiled. "Compared to what? A non-beach day?"

"True." James laughed a little. "Our plan this whole week is to be beach bums."

"Which I like very much" she added, watching as James twisted on his stool to look out the living room windows. She let her gaze linger along the tendons and muscles of his torso as he turned in his chair, admiring just how handsome he was. With his messy bed hair and sleepy eyes that now appeared awake and alert following their meal, Ali wondered what it would be like spending every morning like this with him.

"Looks as nice as it did yesterday" he said, turning back to face her. "I say we hit it early and hit it hard. And no - that's not code" he teased.

"Damn." Ali snapped her fingers playfully. "Later, though."

James stood and kissed the top of her head. "You know it."

He went back to the bedroom to find his swimming trunks as Ali dumped the plates in the dishwasher. In no time, the couple got back into their swimming gear, packed a cooler and two beach towels, then headed down their little path to the beach.

As they neared the water, James felt like a kid who couldn't wait any longer. While Ali spread out their towels, he went jogging towards the water, anxious to feel it on his body.

From the beach, Ali watched with great affection as James took a leaping dive into an oncoming wave. He disappeared beneath the turquoise depths, only to reappear again with a hearty laugh.

"It's perfect!" he yelled, wiping his face and hair of excess water. "Five star fucking resort!"

"Are we lucky or are we lucky?" she yelled back. This got a beaming grin from James before he dove back under the water.

After making sure everything was ready for them when they were done, Ali went trotting down the length of the beach to catch up. She ran until the water became too deep and was forced to wade, taking large steps on soft sand.

James was hovering up to his neck, watching as Ali approached. The black and ultra-strappy bikini she chose for that day complimented her body in all the right ways, and it was hard for James to see any other scenery besides the one she provided. The way the water glinted on her skin, her sunglasses dripping slightly from her splashing her way towards him, it was a sight to behold. The only thing to make it any better was the beautiful smile she wore once she got close.

"This water is piss warm" she said, sinking a little into the deeper part where James was. He made sure to grab her smaller frame as she pushed out the rest of the way to reach him.

"Told you it was." He felt Ali press up against him in the water, making it even warmer. "Feels like we're alone out here too, doesn't it?"

She hooked her arms around his neck, floating with him. "We basically are, except for those boats."

James glanced over his shoulder. "Pfft. Boats. Who needs 'em."

Ali made a fake expression of surprise. "But where's your inner kid? The boat loving one?"

"Oh I love them, don't get me wrong..." James twirled her around in the water and gave her a quick kiss. "Just ignoring them for the time being." Beneath the surface, he gave her ass a squeeze and Ali shrieked happily. "Turns out - I have better things that are much closer to me."

His grin was cocky and Ali loved seeing it. She messed his hair up, watching as the dark length fell here and there as she ran her hands over his head. The water made it appear even darker, but the short shadow of stubble around his jaw was still just as chestnut colored as ever. "You know what you look like?"

"Hmm?"

"A drowned hedgehog."

"Who, me?" James splashed her a little.

"Yes you. Need a mirror?"

He gave her a sassy look. "One more, Diserelli - and you're gonna get it."

"Oh hoh, listen to the big talker!"

That was all James needed, and he finally got to do what he'd been wanting to since they got there. With a sharp inhale, he held his breath and in one quick move, he dunked Ali - falling on top of her as they both went under water.

They emerged, laughing together, loving each other, and having the time of their life together.

*

As James lay on his stomach, sunning his back on his towel, Ali walked down the beach alone. Of the few times her and her parents had visited the Shore during summers when she was a kid, she always loved to walk up and down the beach to look for treasures. She hoped to find something her and James could share; something they could each keep to remember the week by. Occasionally, she would look back to see if he'd gotten up or made any movement, but he lay as still as she'd left him. It made her wonder if he'd gone and fallen asleep, which caused her to smile to herself.

As she walked further down the beach, Ali found mostly seaweed and tiny shells, mixed at times with the occasional piece of sea glass or driftwood. Very few "treasures" existed, much to her dismay, so she headed back.

During the time she was gone, James had actually drifted to sleep, though not for long. He awoke and rolled onto his back, eyes scanning the length of the shore for Ali. He spotted her a ways down, walking in his direction. He took the moment to watch her, and it became a scene in his memory he'd always remember: Ali in her bikini, her long hair tousled by the wind, Looking the way she always did, like she never seemed to notice how beautiful she was or how perfect he found her. Even then, without her noticing that he'd rolled over and was sitting up watching her, James tried to soak it all in. It wasn't often he got to do what he was doing with someone like her.

Deciding to capture the moment for good, he got out his phone and snapped a few pictures of her walking down the beach. Eventually, as Ali neared, he knew he was discovered when her bright smile lit up her face. When she saw he'd been watching, she trotted the rest of the distance back.

"Hey you! I thought you fell asleep..." She plopped down next to him on her towel.

James rolled onto his side, facing her. "I might have dozed." He grimaced a little. "Hope that's okay? I'm not boring you, am I?"

Ali tilted her head and stared. "Really, James? Boring??"

"Just making sure." He grinned, then nodded at her hands. "Whatchya find?"

"Nothing too interesting, sadly...Just some neat looking shells and rocks."

James watched as she spread some of the items out, lining them up so he could see. A few were pretty cool; their colors and shapes fashioned from their time in the ocean.

"I was hoping to find something that we might be able to take back with us" Ali said, shrugging indifferently. "But I came up short."

"I have an idea."

Ali saw James roll over and grab his cell phone before rolling back and sitting up. "A picture?" she asked hopefully.

"We're not taking nearly enough." He wriggled a finger and Ali slid closer. "I noticed you have all these pictures of you and your friends in your place and I'm missing in all of them."

Ali giggled. "This is true."

"Plus?" James lifted his sunglasses off. "I need proof I was at the beach with the sexiest girl I've ever met."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh jeeze."

James held his phone out. "Selfie time, babe."

Feeling special that he'd thought of it, and feeling like her life couldn't get any better, Ali leaned in to James for their first picture of the trip. He leaned in as well, their cheeks touching as they smiled at the phone. Because his arm was much longer, James took the picture….and then took another one as he turned his head to kiss Ali's cheek while he snapped the picture.

"That's my new wallpaper" Ali said, giggling as he snapped another of them as their lips touched. "Or maybe that one."

"Oh no, that one's mine" James replied, obviously pleased. "Care if I tweet it?"

Ali raised her eyebrows. "Are we going public with this now?"

James shrugged. "The guys know you. They know how I feel about you. About time everyone else does."

He glanced at her as he called up Twitter on his phone, smiling proudly. Ali let her eyes linger on him, studying the mix of excitement and adoration he had at that moment. The special feeling she had grew even more.

After a few moments, James handed Ali his phone. "How's this sound?"

Ali read the tweet he'd drafted with the pic of them together: Love and the beach. Hello Summer. She giggled and nodded, then handed the phone back. "Perfect."

James sent the tweet, then tossed his phone off to the side. "Love you, babe."

Ali felt herself melt, and it wasn't from the heat of the summer sun. She reached over and touched his face. "Love you too."

"And today's only Day One." He mentioned this because he couldn't decide how the rest of the week would go if today was already his favorite day ever.

"Just think how amazing days Two through Six will be" Ali said happily. She lay back on the cotton towel and stretched her legs out. "Can it get any better?" She wondered, even as she exhaled and closed her eyes. She half expected James to come up with some quick-witted quip about this, but he remained silent. It caused her to open her eyes again, making sure he was alright. Instead, all she saw was him laying there as he had been before, on his side, one hand propping his head up and smiling.

"I'm about to ask you something, so think about it first before you answer."

Ali felt her nerves spark to life. "Okay?"

James' smile grew. "I think we should live together."

The air in Ali's lungs stop moving. Her whole life stopped moving.

"I mean it" he continued. "I've been thinking about it, and I want you to move in."

"Wait..." Ali sat up slowly, then removed her sunglasses so she could see him better. "Are you serious?"

"I've never been more serious."

His voice was calm and assured. The intensity of his gaze never wavered, and Ali knew then and there he wasn't joking.

"I want more days like this with you" James added. "In fact - I want to wake up every morning with you, just like we did today. Killer breakfast or not."

"It was a good breakfast, wasn't it?" she joked nervously. Her insides felt like jelly. Oh my god, is this really happening?

James chuckled as well, though his eyes still never left hers. "It was."

"And waking up to you is just...." She didn't quite know how to finish. Amazing? The last thing I expected? The only thing I want to do every morning from here on out?

"I get it, because I feel the same." James sensed a small amount of insecurity crop up inside him for springing this on her. "I mean....My schedule is a challenge, I know--"

"--I don't care."

His mouth remained open a little as he searched Ali's gaze. "Really? But…babe, the playoffs were such a bitch?"

"I don't care" she said, shaking her head. "Honestly, James - you're worth it. And I'll get better at it. I promise."

James felt a wave of compassion spread through him. It's not just you, he thought to himself. I'm just as unused to this whole thing as you are.

"You know this is a huge question to ask me." Ali looked at him apprehensively. "So is it bad if I wanted to say 'yes' the second I heard the question?"

James sat up. "Really?"

"Yes."

"So you want to move in?"

"Yes!" She laughed again. "Yes, James - I want to move in with you."

In that instant, James was tackled backwards. He fell onto the towel as Ali pushed herself on top of him. Her hands gripped his face just as her mouth locked onto his. He felt his insides would burst with happiness.

"Holy shit, you're moving in with me" he said as their lips parted.

Ali stared down at him, smiling crazily. "I'm moving in with you."

"Is this even happening?"

They laughed, and Ali pulled his face in for another kiss. Their laughter continued even as they kissed, both in awe of what was transpiring.

"We're really doing this." Ali sat atop James, her face pressed close to his. Her hair, wet and sticky with salt water, hung in pieces about her and James' face as they looked into one another's eyes. "You're actually real, and this whole relationship isn't a dream."

James looked up at her with question. "Was there any doubt?"

Ali thought back to when they first met; the scent of his cologne on the pillow she hugged in her hotel room, wondering if she'd done all the right things or said anything stupid. She thought about their first date, worrying about how she looked or if she was too boring for a professional athlete.

And now, here on the beach in south Jersey, she lay on that same man's stomach and gazed into those same incredible eyes, wondering how she got to be so lucky. He asked her to move in, and she said yes.

"Hey...come back" James said, his voice soft. He slid his hands up the length of Ali's torso to the back of her head where he held her gently. "Don't go disappearing into your head now."

He knows me so well she thought. The man I never thought I'd see again after that first night in Denver.

She touched his lips and smiled. "Sorry...Just kind of lost in my own disbelief."

"I'm right there with you" James replied, his voice soft. If only she knew how disbelieving this is for me. It seemed like he'd never reach this point of commitment...not until Ali.

"I think we could be good together." His smile turned bashful as he looked at her.

Ali felt tears sting in her eyes. "I do too."

As their lips met, their kiss was slower this time. James cupped the back of Ali's head and closed his eyes, trying to solidify the moment in his memory forever. Each of them felt it deep within them: the love they shared for one another, no matter how fast or how hard they fell for one another. They were taking the next step together, and it came as easily as the previous ones did.

* * *

The couple celebrated the rest of the evening, and while they had plans to grill once again and do dinner on the deck, a crop of thunderstorms had blossomed in the late day heat and put that plan to bed.

Instead, they ate inside: splurging on a meal of various seafood and pasta, which they had planned to save for their last night in the cottage. They also broke out the wine they'd bought as well, celebrating in their own private, cozy way.

As the evening turned to night, the gentle patter of the thunderstorm spilling its rainfall on the cottage roof was the only sound besides James and Ali's drunken laughter. They kept all the lights off save for one lamp, letting the occasional lightning provide light as the storm continued outside.

"Your turn" Ali said, pointing her wine glass at James. She sat cross-legged on the couch, poised between James' outstretched legs.

"Truth or Dare."

"Truth." She held her laughter in somehow as James made a strained face, trying to think of something good to ask her.

"Okay, okay, okay...." He held his hands out, preparing her with dramatic effect. "Where was the craziest place you ever had sex?"

"Pfffft. Easy."

James raised one eyebrow as he took a drink of his wine.

"PNC Park" Ali answered.

He almost choked. "What!? Ali!"

"What!!?" Her giggles kept coming, not just from the buzz she had but from the look of horror on James' face.

"Was it before or after the game?" he asked seriously.

Ali's mouth dropped even further, more laughter spilling out. "What does THAT matter?"

James started to laugh now. "How did no one see you?"

"They sucked forEVER, James. No one went to the games back when this happened." She took a sip of wine proudly.

"Damn....I can't believe it, but you've got me beat on that front." James shook his head and closed his eyes, feeling somewhat jealous of the dude who got to have that chance with Ali. He'd have to change all that, putting himself in that top spot.

Outside, a flash of light lit up the living room, followed by a low rumble of thunder not long after. In the quick glow of the lightning, Ali saw how alive James' eyes were in that moment. She got only a glimpse of their color before the room went dark again.

"Your turn, sexy." His mouth remained turned up happily as he drank.

Ali bit her bottom lip as she considered her options. "Alright, Truth or Dare."

"Truth."

"Sissy!"

"HA haaaa." James settled back into the cushions comfortably, waiting for Ali to choose her question. More rain fell and more thunder rumbled, filling the silence between them.

"How 'bout this" she said, still considering the question forming in her mind. "What was the most embarrassing thing you've ever done or had done to you?"

James stared at her, head tilted. "That's all you got for me?"

"Answer the question" Ali teased.

He had to think for a second. "Probably when my dad caught me sucking face with my girlfriend in my car."

Ali gasped. "No way! When was this!?"

"When I was 16" he answered somewhat proudly. "We were just in the driveway, it wasn't that big of a deal. AND it was at midnight when I thought everyone was asleep."

She sat shaking her head, watching as his face lit up with humor at the memory.

"Yeah, Dad thought it would be funny to knock on the window and wave" he continued.

"Oh God..." Ali covered her mouth, feeling the embarrassment for him. She tried picturing a teenage James Neal getting caught making out with a girl. The entire thing was too funny, and yet, she felt kind of bad for him. "So what'd you do?"

James shrugged indifferently, though the smile on his face gave away that it was still a vivid memory to him. "She lived down the street anyways, so she went running home and I got told to go wait inside the garage."

"You didn't even drive her home??"

They both sat staring at one another, their jaws slightly open.

"Whatever!" James said in defense...all the while Ali sat there laughing.

"You must have been a piece of work at 16." She gave James a knowing glance, which garnered one in return.

"Maybe I was."

"Maybe you still are."

Their smiles were illuminated by another flash of lightning. The rain came down harder, which forced them both to look out the window near the couch where they sat.

"Think it'll be done by tomorrow?" Ali asked.

James shrugged as he set his glass on the coffee table. "If not, we'll just keep playing. Which reminds me! My turn to ask."

His mischievous grin was back, and Ali was ready for it. "Fire away."

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"Oh hoh!" James rubbed his hands together. "This game just got interesting."

Ali put her game face on. "So whatchya got for me?"

The playful glint in James' eyes never wavered as he leaned forward, closing the distance between them. He smiled calmly. "I dare you to be my servant for the rest of the night."

Somehow, Ali thought this might be the angle James would go. Leaning forward so that her nose was just inches from his, she smiled devilishly. "You're on, baby."

* * *

The next morning, James lifted his head from the pillow and opened his eyes. It was light out, yes...but from where he lay on the bed, he had no clue what time it was. It felt like he had the beginnings of a headache, but he couldn't quite tell.

I don't think I went too hard last night he thought with question. It was worth it, either way.

He squinted in the daylight, his gaze turning towards the window whose curtains lay fluttering in the breeze. The rain had stopped, and it seemed that the clouds were quickly dissipating; the promise of another perfect day now shining bright. It was why they'd broke open the bottles of wine: to toast to their newest step in their relationship.

He rubbed his face, feeling his headache slowly take shape inside his skull.

Had to be the wine. That's why I have a headache. With his fingers, James could feel how sloppy he must've looked; his hair felt sticky from day-old gel and ocean water, and was standing up in pieces here and there from sleeping.

He looked beside him and smiled. Ali slept soundly with her bare back facing him, the curve of her spine like a path down to his most favorite spots. It was an inviting position, so he cuddled up close and slipped one hand down her thigh. He kissed the curve of her shoulder, feeling her skin react to his touch. "Good morning."

"Is it morning?"

"I was going to ask you..."

Ali turned so she was staring up at him, a smile playing across her lips. "You don't know?"

James rubbed at his hair again, feeling especially disheveled next to Ali's early-morning perfection. Nary a hair out of place, her eyes as bright as her smile.

"I know we drank" he replied sheepishly.

Ali smirked at him. "You're off to a good start."

James didn't mind her teasing him, and he loved teasing her right back. If anything, he craved having a relationship like theirs. It was why, even the morning after, he felt zero regrets in asking her to move in.

In fact, he wanted to share his news with everyone he knew.

If they thought I couldn't sustain a serious relationship…this will show them.

On his back, James reached over and found Ali's fingers, lazily lacing them together as she cuddled into the crook of his shoulder. "I love this vacation" she said blissfully. "Best vacation ever."

James smiled. "I love it too." He gazed up at the ceiling fan as it wound round and round, slowly spreading cool air about the room. "I love this cottage."

"I could live here, for sure" Ali replied. "But I suppose living somewhere and vacationing somewhere can become two very different things."

"They don't have to." James pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I want a place just like this someday. A little cabin on the lake or something."

"Ooo, really? Where?"

"Probably back home…but I don't know." He had thought about having a cabin of his own from time to time, but he never figured out where the best location would be. He knew it would be back home, but there were so many lakes, it made his list of choices a lengthy one. "I could see one near Ontario." Glancing at her, he smiled. "The Lake."

"Yes, I know, dumbass."

James chuckled. "Sassy for so early in the morning." Leaning in, he gave Ali a nice long kiss, lingering just long enough to make sure she knew who loved her...sassiness and all. He rolled over and stood up, needing to piss and wanting to see what the actual time was.

From the bed, Ali slipped onto her opposite side, watching as James absentmindedly scratched at his lower back as he gazed out the window. She smiled, enjoying the sight of him naked and not caring who saw him in front of the window.

James squinted into the sunlight, looking around their property. "Actually…we may have broken our current record. My guess is it's way past noon."

Ali shrugged. "It's vacation. I say we shoot for a new personal record every day until we have to leave." She kept her eyes on James as he scooped up his clothes from off the floor, rummaging through them to find his phone. When he located it, he slid back into bed.

"Care if I announce to the world you're moving in?" He was grinning wildly as his eyes flicked sideways. "Say yes."

"My answer already was yes" she teased. "Who are you telling first?"

James could name a million people, starting with his family and most of his teammates and friends, but one name stuck out among the rest.

"Probably Crosby" he answered. "Why?"

"No reason." Ali settled her head down on the plush pillow, enjoying the slight smirk that lingered on James' face as he went about texting his friends. "Guess I should tell my parents, huh?"

James' eyes moved from his phone to her. "You haven't told them yet?"

A familiar sense of guilt swept over her, knowing she probably should have told her parents about James long before now. But there were so many 'what-ifs' back when their relationship had just begun, not to mention how challenging the end of a season had been for her.

"Have you told anyone?"

Ali sighed. "Yes, silly."

"Just not your parents?"

She shook her head. And…to her surprise….James chuckled.

"Me either." He set his phone down and turned onto his side, facing Ali. "So…maybe we should do it together."

"I like that" Ali said. "But I have a better idea" She leaned in so that her lips were barely touching his. "Let's worry about the real world when our vacation is over."

As Ali kissed him, James closed his eyes and let her gladly distract him from the real world. He inhaled, getting a whiff of her shampoo and whatever perfume she'd had on from the day before.

In all honesty, James couldn't see himself waking up without her by his side ever again.

* * *

Over the next few days, a collective raise of eyebrows and widened eyes occurred as each one of the guys that James texted read the news that Ali was moving in with him.

In Halifax, Sid's eyes went wide in surprise as he read the text:

J: Shit just got real: I asked Ali to move in, and she said yes.

Sid stared at his phone, dumbfounded.

Across the globe, in Russia, Evgeni Malkin had a much more animated reaction when he got the text, nearly cheering in excitement for his best friend.

Other reactions, such as Pascal Dupuis', were apprehensive but still congratulatory. From his house in Pittsburgh, Dupuis gave a loud laugh when he'd read his teammate's text, wondering just where the winger had grown a set of balls in the past few months.

Needless to say, of the guys that James had texted, they all sent congratulations his way. Geno even made a point to tweet something that ended up being both comical and cryptic, which sent the Twitterverse into speculation that lasted for months.

On the other end of things, Ali's announcement to her friends via text message was well received by all:

A: OMG HE ASKED ME TO MOVE IN.

Her friends were just as forthcoming in their happiness, either calling or texting back in order to congratulate her. Brittany was happiest of all to hear the news, especially despite the drama of the past month or so. She was glad that Ali and her hockey boyfriend were moving in the right direction with their relationship again.

All that was left was for James and Ali to do was tell their parents.

They discussed how they would do it, and decided they would make the call to their parents once they got back to the city. They agreed that while there were still a few days left in their vacation, they would spend it as they had the first few: with one another, exclusively, without interruption from the real world.

And so both James and Ali turned their phones off for those final few days, spending the remainder of their time together in their little vacation setting, living it up as best they could.

* * *

Notes