Ashton had looked so disappointed when swimming in the pool had fallen through that Niles wracked his brain, trying to come up with something to cheer him up.

Even as he did so, he wondered at his actions. It's not my responsibility to find ways to make him happy, Niles told himself. But every time he looked at this sprite-turned-human of his, all he wanted to do was see him happy and safe.

Ashton and Lucy had both been excited when Niles suggested they all go to the lake. It was the only thing Ashton could talk about that whole week, and Niles couldn't help but look at him affectionately every time he mentioned it.

Saturday finally arrived, and after a three-hour drive, the four of them made it to the lakefront. Ashton couldn't get out of the car fast enough, and Niles had to call him back before he could make a mad dash for the water.

Ashton looked absolutely delighted to be able to finally take his shirt off, and he did so without hesitation. He was adjusting pretty well to most human things, but he still complained about having to wear shirts all the time. Niles ducked his head to hide his smile at Ashton's excitement, but when he looked back up, his smile quickly faded.

Ashton was looking out at the water, his back to Niles, the scarring from his amputated wings on full display. Niles had already seen them a few times since Ashton's size change, but their jagged reappearance still left him speechless.

Ashton didn't seem to be bothered by them, chatting with Lucy and Mara amicably as they fluttered in front of him. He turned around to say something to Niles and caught him staring.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you ok?"

Niles shook his head and forced a smile to his face. "Yeah. Of course."

***

Niles was a terrible liar, but it seemed that no one had bothered to tell him that. When Ashton turned around to ask Niles if he was getting in the water, he was taken aback by how pale Niles looked. He had been staring at the scars on Ashton's back, and Ashton was surprised that they seemed to have bothered him so much.

Ashton gave Niles a knowing smile. "They don't look so bad anymore, huh?"

Niles jumped. "Oh, uh, yeah they look a lot better."

"Probably because someone was so adamant about changing out the bandages every day," Ashton continued, rolling his eyes.

It had the desired effect. Niles looked startled at first, but then he laughed, and Ashton grinned back. His smile faded a bit as he watched Niles wipe at his eyes, still chuckling. Ashton was pretty sure they weren't tears from laughing.

"Here," Niles finally called, beckoning to him. "Let me help you put on some sunscreen."

Ashton wandered over to him, confused. "Sunscreen?" he asked curiously.

Niles was already busy putting a white ointment on his fingers, which he held out to show Ashton. "Sunscreen," he repeated.

He took Ashton's arm and ran his hand over it, rubbing the white ointment onto his skin. "It helps protect you from the sun," he explained as he worked. "So that you don't get sunburnt."

Ashton watched the white color fade away, fascinated, as Niles moved on to his other arm. Suddenly, Niles was behind him.

"Can I touch your back?" he asked quietly.

Ashton twisted his head around to look at him. "Huh? Why?" he wondered.

Niles held up the tube of sunscreen. "You'll need this on your back and neck, too."

Ashton shrugged. "Ok." It's not like Niles had never touched his back before. If anything, it seemed like that was the only thing he ever did when they first lived together. He tied his hair up, so it was off his neck. "Go ahead."

Ashton tried to be nonchalant, but he still flinched as soon as he felt Niles' fingers on his back. He couldn't even say why he did it, since he used to be quite comfortable with Niles' hands on him. Was he flustered from Niles' nearness and the intimateness of the touch? Or was he recalling all those years ago, and the difficult memories associated with them?

He stood still, muddling through his mixed emotions, until Niles tapped him on the shoulder and handed him the tube of sunscreen.

"Here," Niles was saying. "You can get your chest and your legs."

Ashton blinked back into the present and smiled down at him. "You mean you're not going to do those for me?" he asked.

He had meant it as a joke, but to Ashton's surprise, Niles blushed and turned away.

Hmm, Ashton thought. That's new. He smiled to himself and hurriedly put the sunscreen on like he'd seen Niles do before catching up to his human and flinging his arm around his shoulder.

Niles staggered under his weight a bit before laughing and pushing him away. "Knock it off," he said good-naturedly. "I have to set up the towel and umbrella for Lucy and Mara since they're not going in the water."

And then Niles was gone, calling out for Lucy and telling her to put on some sunscreen. Ashton watched as she flew away from him, and he followed her, complaining that she always got mad at him for not making her wear sunscreen every time she burned

He finally caught her, and she struggled for a bit, completely tangled in his fingers. Ashton wasn't even sure how she managed to twist herself up like that, but he was impressed by the expert way Niles handled her squirmy form without hurting her. He seemed to really know what he was doing.

And judging by the mischievous glint in Lucy's eyes, Ashton guessed that this was a charade that she was used to putting on, too. It looked like she enjoyed playing chase and getting caught. Niles, however, did not seem to be having nearly as much fun.

"Hold still, you little gremlin," Niles demanded, and she bit him.

Ashton winced. Pixies didn't have sharp teeth like sprites, but that still looked like it hurt. At least Niles wasn't bleeding.

"Lucy!" Niles complained. "I thought you said you'd stop biting me if I played this game with you."

She scowled at him. "I don't want to wear sunscreen! I hate sunscreen!" she insisted

"Yeah, yeah, and every time you get burnt, you get mad at me for not making you wear it, remember?" Niles explained, taking her twiglike arm between his fingers and rubbing sunscreen on it. "And then you go on and on about what a waste it is to use magic to heal a sunburn, and you suffer for a few days before giving in and healing yourself."

Done with her arms, Niles moved on quickly before she could wiggle out of his hands, turning her over so he could get her back.

She hammered her little fists against his fingers and kicked at him, but he was soon done and flipping her over to get her face. She tilted her little chin away from his fingers, but he had already managed to dab a bit of the sunscreen on her nose.

"Mars, can you rub that in for her please?" Niles asked, and Mara swooped in to busy herself with spreading the sunscreen evenly across her tiny hokla's cheeks and forehead. Lucy stared at her in dismay.

"The betrayal," she moaned. "This is grounds for an uncoupling."

"Every time, Luce," Mara said, sounding exasperated. "We do this every time we come to the lake. Niles is going to start leaving you at home, you know. Stop being such a brat."

Lucy gave a fake sniffle. "I thought you liked it when I was a brat," she said, and Mara's eye twitched.

"Abyss take you, you're right," Mara muttered. "This is grounds for an uncoupling."

Done with rubbing the sunscreen on Lucys face, Mara planted a quick kiss on her nose and flew away. "Be good for Niles," she called over her shoulder, and Lucy stared after her, looking like an abandoned puppy.

She tried to follow, but Niles snagged her back.

"Now hold on," he said sternly. "We're almost done."

She finally sat still for him, hunching down in the middle of his palm with her arms crossed over her chest while he quickly applied sunscreen to the rest of her.

"There. Now get out of here," he told her, giving her a little bounce to launch her into the air.

She flapped her wings and soared off to find Mara

"She loves playing keep away and making me catch her," Niles sighed, watching as she reunited with Mara. Her little pink wings flashed in the sun. "She thinks it's a game. She's been doing it since we were kids."

Ashton shrugged. "Pixies," was all he said, and Niles nodded in agreement.

***

After the sunscreen fiasco with Lucy, Ashton ran out into the water, diving under the surface as soon as it was deep enough. Niles figured he wouldn't see Ashton for a while, so he waded out into the water himself, stretching out and floating.

This was a good idea, he congratulated himself, thinking back to Ashton's elated face as he dove underwater. I think this has been his favorite activity yet.

Suddenly, he felt something cold brush up against him, and he flinched, losing his concentration and dipping below the water.

Strong hands grabbed his shoulders, and Ashton exploded out of the water, holding him and grinning like a maniac.

"Ashton!" Niles gasped, grabbing at Ashton's shoulders and trying to push away from him. "What are you doing?"

Ashton didn't release him, choosing instead to roll lazily onto his back. He kept one arm securely around Niles' chest and angled Niles so that he could lean back against him.

"This is fun, right?" Ashton suddenly asked, his lips close to Niles' ear.

Niles shook his head, just barely able to suppress a shudder at the ticklish feeling.

Ashton laughed, and Niles felt Ashton's pointed teeth graze his ear before moving to lightly scrape against his neck. Niles couldn't hold back his shiver this time.

"How about now?" Ashton asked. He bowed his head over Niles' shoulder and covered it in quick kisses. "Are you having fun now?"

"Still no," Niles said faintly.

"Hmm," Ashton replied, moving to brush his lips against Niles' neck one more time before letting go of him entirely. "Guess I'll have to try harder."

Ashton disappeared below the water again, and Niles looked across the water's surface warily.

I'm going to be drowned by an overenthusiastic water sprite, he realized. Great. What a way to go out.

Despite Niles' concerns, Ashton didn't really bother him after that. He popped up from time to time to wave at Niles or show him things that he found underwater, but otherwise, he seemed to be having the time of his life.

Niles knew that Ashton preferred flying to swimming, but he was glad that Ashton had embraced this new element so whole-heartedly. It was impressive to see how Ashton had managed to adapt and find a way to be happy after everything that had happened.

***

Ashton hadn't planned on spending most of his time at the lake away from Niles, but he quickly realized just how dangerous a shirtless Niles could be.

He took one look at his human's trim waist and defined collarbone and immediately turned away to chat with Lucy and Mara. Lucy had stuck her tongue out at him and mouthed the word "pervert," but all Ashton could see was the residual image of Niles' bare chest and the long, lean muscles in his arms and torso.

And then Niles was up close and touching him to help him with the sunscreen, and Ashton forgot how to breathe. He stared down at the top of Niles' head instead, noticing how silky strands of hair were already pulling loose from his hair tie to fall around his pretty face.

He'd almost gone too far in the water, too, grabbing ahold of Niles and nibbling on his neck like that. He had no idea what came over him

Stupid, Ashton chided himself, disappearing back under the water to cool off. Are you trying to undo all your efforts to make him comfortable with you?

He kept his distance after that, and Niles luckily didn't seem too bothered by the line he had crossed. That blush on the beach had made him too confident. Now wasn't the time to get ahead of himself. They still had two and a half months left.

***

After some time on the lake, Ashton and Niles got out of the water to rejoin Mara and Lucy. However, they were stopped by a group their age who waved them down to join their game of volleyball, which Ashton did enthusiastically.

Niles sat on a nearby bench in a towel and watched, Lucy perched on his shoulder, and Mara asleep on his knee.

How does Ashton have this much energy? he marveled, not for the first time. I never would have expected him to be such a happy little wild child.

It did make sense, though. Ashton was a summer faerie, and they were known for their bright energy and excitement about life. Ashton certainly exhibited both of those traits, though he hadn't when Niles first knew him four years ago.

Ashton proved to be a great asset to his team, and Niles saw how they quickly realized that. Every time Ashton scored a point or made a save, he would look over at Niles and gesture at himself, as if to say, "did you see that?" Niles couldn't help but smile back at him each time and give him a thumbs up.

"Why aren't you dating him yet?" Lucy buzzed abruptly in his ear.

Niles stared straight ahead. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Would you know what I was talking about if I asked why you didn't stop him from snacking on your neck and ear earlier?"

Niles flinched. "How did you..." he breathed, and Lucy interrupted him.

"I smelled him on you," she answered, voice smug. "He's not exactly subtle."

Niles flushed and didn't respond, but Lucy persisted. "I know you like him," she pressed.

Niles shook his head, not wanting to have this conversation right now. "Lucy, drop it. He'll hear you."

She did not drop it. "He's attractive, he's friendly, he's easy to talk to, he's super helpful, loyal to a fault, great with kids, utterly devoted to you, and absolutely adorable. And you love spending time with him! You smile every time you look at him, you know. I've known you for too long for you to be able to hide that from me."

"Lucy," Niles warned, and she kicked his neck impatiently.

"Stop being such a loser and stop running from your feelings," she snapped. She jumped off his shoulder before he could reach up to grab her and flew just out of reach.

She scowled and crossed her arms across her chest. "You might be able to convince yourself that you're fine leaving things the way they are, but not me. I can't stand it when you get all mopey and stuck in your head like this."

And with that, she turned and flew up into the tree they were sitting by, angrily shredding leaves and dropping them into Niles' hair.

Niles sighed. First James, now Lucy. The only two people who weren't pressing him for an answer were Mara and Ashton himself.

Well... Ashton teased and tested him, but he never seemed rushed or frustrated about it. If anything, he seemed to be having a great time with what they were doing.

And... what are we doing, exactly? Talking? Flirting? Am I flirting? Niles wondered. It's clear that Ashton is. Why don't I feel pressured by him, even when he pulls stunts like he did in the lake? Everyone else is giving me a hard time, but he seems so... relaxed.

Ashton spiked the last point for his team, and his side erupted into cheers. He caught Niles' eye, wide grin still in place, and waved at him.

Niles smiled and waved back, feeling a bit better to see the faerie enjoying himself. He tried to ignore it, but he was starting to realize that Ashton's pointy grin was becoming his favorite thing in the world.

"Dude, you're so good!" one guy told Ashton, clapping him on the shoulder. The rest of the volleyball players murmured in agreement, and Ashton ran his hand through his wavy hair sheepishly, his woven bracelet slipping down his wrist.

Catching sight of Niles, Ashton pulled away from the volleyball players to meet him at the bench. 

"Why didn't you play?" he asked, drinking from the water bottle that Niles handed him.

Niles shrugged. "I like soccer more," he answered. 

And I wanted to watch you play. I love seeing you so happy, he thought, but there was no way he could say that out loud.

***

Niles had planned on spending only one day at the lake, but Ashton looked so happy that he found himself checking them all into a local motel for the whole weekend.

Unfortunately, he learned the hard way that last minute bookings didn't... always go according to plan.

"We're sorry, but the only room we have available just has one bed," the woman at the front desk told him, looking at her computer. "Will that be ok?"

Niles looked at Ashton, hesitant and unsure. The faerie's pointed ears perked up, and he turned to look at Niles. Please say yes, his eyes seemed to beg, and Niles gave him a defeated smile.

"Sure, that's fine," he said with a tired sigh, trying to ignore the way the gold flecks in Ashton's eyes lit up.

After stopping at a nearby store for a change of clothes and toiletries, they headed back to the motel. Ashton immediately flopped onto the bed with a sigh. Mara and Lucy flew over to the armchair, and Niles grabbed an extra pillow and sheet from the bed to make a little nest for them there.

Finally done, he turned to look at Ashton.

"You can take the bed," Niles told him. "I'll sleep on the floor. There should be another blanket and pillow in the closet."

Ashton sat up with a jolt. "Wait, what?" he protested. "No, there's more than enough room, see?" He patted the mattress as if to demonstrate how roomy it was. "You won't even know I'm here!" he insisted.

Niles narrowed his eyes at him, and Ashton smiled winningly, those sharp teeth of his on full display. Niles flushed a little, remembering how they had felt brushing against his neck earlier.

"Fine," he relented. He pointed sternly at Ashton before the sprite could say anything. "But I'm holding you to that."

***

When Niles woke up the next morning, Ashton's head was resting on his chest, one arm slung across his waist. He was fast asleep, his breathing slow and even. Niles took the quiet moment to study him.

"I won't even know you're here, hmm?" he mused softly, moving his hand to stroke Ashton's curls. He dropped his head back down on his pillow with a sigh, hand still smoothing Ashton's hair back as if on autopilot.

What am I going to do? he wondered to himself. I... don't think I mind waking up like this at all.

He subconsciously tightened his grip around the sleeping faerie in his arms, pressing Ashton closer to him. Ashton let out a sleepy little sigh and snuggled closer. Niles froze at the movement, heart beating fast. But Ashton just contentedly rubbed his face against Niles' shirt before lying still again, sound asleep.

***

Niles was quiet the rest of the weekend. Another day and night passed at the lake. Ashton insisted he would keep his distance from Niles in the bed for sure the second night, but Niles found him in the exact same position the next morning. He didn't fight it, choosing instead to lay there and try to figure out how he felt about the situation. 

And the conclusion that he reached was that... he didn't just not mind it.

No, he liked it.

He liked it a lot.

______________________________________________________

A/N: One bed trope AND beach episode? Pulling out all the stops with this one.

Guys, we are like... 2 chapters away from things going from slow to burn. Thank goodness. I forgot how long it took for these two to get together, geez louise. What was I thinking as I wrote this?

Thanks for reading! Feel free to vote or comment. How do you think Niles finally comes to terms with his feelings and confesses them to Ashton?