Genre: Romance, fantasy, action

Prompt: "I'm too pale for this."

Synopsis: What was supposed to be a relaxing trip to the beach with your boyfriend and his friends turned into a fight for survival when a giant octopus attacks. You're the only one left standing and you have to find the strength to protect them, but things are never as they seem.

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It was the beginning of June, a time for building bonds and having fun. On one particularly hot day, you found yourself at the beach alongside a large group of friends and your lovely boyfriend. The day started out pretty normal.

Around noon, your boyfriend called you up and announced that he and his friends would be going to the beach in an hour. He didn't sound pleased about this at all, thinking of a thousand and one ways he'd rather spend the day. 

James was a workaholic by nature and he'd prefer sitting in the studio working on a new song rather than sitting on the sand under the hot sun. Although you did prefer summer over winter, you weren't fond of being burnt to a crisp under the sun, but if all your friends were going, you knew you'd regret not meeting up with them. It had been a few days since you last saw your boyfriend.

Thirty minutes after his phone call, a van pulled up in front of your house. You knew it was only one of several vehicles considering the size of the group. Hao was sitting up front with Mason and Kwan taking the second row of seats. Vinnie and James were in the back, leaving a spot for you between them.

After getting assaulted with hugs by Kwan and Hao, you settled into your seat and the van started toward the beach. Even with the A/C on, the van was pretty warm, though you briefly wondered if the two bodies on either side of you had anything to do with that.

James shifted, resting his head on your shoulder as his hand found yours, fingers lacing together. With a smile, you placed a kiss on top of his head. 

A bright flash filled your vision as Kwan snapped a picture of you both, cooing like he was watching a novella. James glared at him but you didn't miss how he muttered under his breath for the taller male to forward the picture.

"We're here!" The van pulled into the packed parking lot and you felt yourself frowning. There were so many people there that you were starting to feel anxious.

James squeezed your hand, his voice soft and reassuring. "It's okay, I'm here."

Having such an amazing man by your side was certainly helpful, but it didn't erase the anxiety completely. Something just felt off and your momma had always taught you to listen to your gut.

You helped the boys carry their items as they searched for the rest of the group, weaving in between families and groups of teenagers. They were at the far end of the beach which, thankfully, was a bit less crowded though still decently filled with people.

The sky was as blue as the water, not a single cloud around to stop the sun from beating down upon the earth. You could feel the rays penetrating your skin. 'I'm far too pale for this,' you thought, resisting the urge to sigh as you rubbed your arms, feeling how warm your skin had already become.

James plopped down onto the towel as soon as you placed it over the sand, arms folded behind his head as he closed his eyes. You chuckled as you settled down beside him, pecking his cheek. He may not be happy about being away from work, but at least he could use this time to get some much needed rest.

Harry came over with Charley, the two having been best friends since they were kids. It was Harry who asked, "Who's up for some volleyball?"

"Sorry, I'm waiting to enter the sandcastle contest. It's starting soon," Sam declined the offer.

"I'm just not athletic enough to even try," you shrugged, grinning at your boyfriend  when he laughed. Having different things planned, you parted ways with them, promising to meet up later in the evening. "I'm thirsty, wanna come with me to get something?"

In response, he held his arms out, wanting you to pull him to his feet. James wasn't the thinnest person in the world, but his short stature and slim body meant he wasn't very heavy. Or perhaps you were just stronger than the average person.

You pulled him up with ease and he thanked you with a smile, lacing your hands together as you walked towards the drink bar. The seating area was covered by a roof to block the sun but there were no walls, leaving it open to the hot air. The actual bar where the drinks were made was a small shack made of dark oak wood.

"Can you get me some lemonade? I'll grab us a table," James offered and you nodded, watching as he picked a table at the front, right next to a support beam.

Most of the customers ordered their drinks and returned to their groups, but several decided to hang out under the roof, allowing the area to buzz lightly with conversation and laughter. The customer in front of you got her order and you stepped forward, pulling out some cash from your wallet.

"Can I take your order?"

Why did that voice sound so familiar? You looked up, meeting the soft brown eyes of Mark, your baby brother. He smiled brightly when he realized it was you.

"Ah, hello sis!"

"Mark? What are you doing here?"

"The owner's son didn't show up for his shift and he desperately needed someone to fill in. I was happy to help, plus I get free watermelon!"

You chuckled at his excitement. "I meant why you're here at the beach."

"Oh, well, Dennis wanted to visit the ocean so he begged our manager until he finally agreed. The rest of our group is here too, somewhere."

The older woman behind you cleared her throat rudely, glaring at the both of you.

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. "I'll keep an eye out for them. I'd like to order a lemonade and a coke, please. Both medium."

He took the money with a smile, not affected by the woman's rudeness. "Coming right up!"

You stepped to the side as you waited for your drinks, catching James's gaze as he scanned the room. He smiled at you softly and you felt your heart skip a beat.

Throughout your years of life, you had dated many different people, always on the search for your own one true love. You were a hopeless romantic and just wanted to find your soulmate, but none of the relationships ever lasted more than a few weeks. They just weren't the right fit for you, despite how lovely they had been.

You were twenty years old when you first found James's group on YouTube and you instantly fell in love with them. Their songs never failed to make you smile and you loved how talented and hard-working the members were. They had great chemistry that warmed your heart and drowned you in feels. 

It was easy to choose your favorite member in the group – from day one, James had caught your eye, demanding your attention. You'd always have to watch their music videos multiple times because you'd find yourself focused solely on him and not the content itself. He was gorgeous, his personality was great, he was hardworking, talented and clearly cared deeply for the other members.

In your eyes, he was absolutely perfect.

A year and a half later, you met Charley, bonding over your love for the group. As it turned out, he was dating Harry. Knowing about your crush on the shorter boy, Charley offered to introduce you to the group, to which you nervously but excitedly said yes.

It had been like a fairytale, honestly. As soon as you entered the room, your eyes snapped to him without even having to search. His gaze met yours and it felt like everyone else vanished. The room had gone silent and he was the only one you could focus on, the only one that mattered.

James had always been the type of person that didn't believe in love at first sight. When it came to soul mates, he neither believed nor disbelieved in it – he simply never gave it any thought. But on that day, he learned that he had been very much wrong. 

The rest is history.

Even after nearly two years of being together, you still felt like you were falling in love with him all over again every time your eyes met or when he smiled softly at you like that. If you were dreaming, you never wanted to wake up.

A cold drink was pressed against your cheek and you startled, whipping around to face a grinning Henry as he leaned over the counter.

You returned the smile as you took the two plastic cups. "Couldn't resist helping, huh?"

"What can I say, I'm an angel~"

"I need two pink lemonades and a sweet tea!"

"On it!" Henry called out, sending you a wink before getting back to work.

You went to sit across from James but he gently grabbed your arm, guiding you onto the metal chair beside him.

"The only good thing about this trip is I get to be with you," he murmured into your ear, pressing his soft lips below your jawline.

Butterflies erupted in your belly and you couldn't stop the giggle that escaped your throat. "Things have been so busy lately, we haven't had much time together."

He hummed when your fingers slid through his blonde hair, gently caressing his scalp. "We could always go somewhere a little more private."

"Like where?" you breathed out. "Everywhere is crowded."

His hand rested on your thigh, hot breath fanning across your neck as he spoke in a low baritone. "I'm sure I can find a place."

Before you could respond, a terrified scream pierced through the air, making both of you tense up. "What the hell was that?"

James stood, eyes narrowing as he scanned the expanse of beach. "I don't know."

More screams filled the air as people started to run away from the opposite end of the beach. Dread filled you as you realized something important – that's the direction Harry and Charley had gone! Without a second of hesitation, you bolted in the direction of the screams, ignoring James's frantic calls.

What you found made your eyes widen in shock.

Close to shore yet not quite on land was a giant octopus, towering high in the sky. Its tentacles were swinging wildly through the air, smashing against the sand as they attempted to grab the last of the fleeing beachgoers.

A terrified yell of your name made your eyes snap up, landing on Charley. One of the tentacles was wrapped tightly around his body, swinging him through the air like a ragdoll. Another had latched tightly onto Harry's ankle, holding him upside down as he beat at it with his fist. "Run away! It's dangerous!"

Your eyes darted around the beach, looking for something you could use as a weapon. James finally caught up to you, taking a second to catch his breath.

"Here," he held out his hand, revealing a sheathed sword.

"Where did you – "

"That's not important. We have to help them." He met your eyes and his determination and courage transferred to you. 

You nodded, pulling the blade from its sheath and steeling your resolve. A tentacle launched towards you but you managed to sidestep it, using the momentum to leap onto it. With a war cry fit for an anime protagonist, you stabbed the sword into its flesh before taking off, forcing the blade to split the tentacle in two.

The beast roared in pain, the swings getting more aggressive and harder to dodge. It swung around, slamming into the sword and forcing you backward, your bare feet digging into the hot sand. You struggled, using all of your might to push back, but the tentacle didn't move an inch – you were stuck in a deadlock.

James cried out as he ran towards you, slicing through the tentacle before it could break your defenses. The sword he held was identical to your own.

"I... I don't think I'm strong enough to defeat it, James."

He set the blade down so he could gently cup your face. "You're stronger than you could ever imagine, love." He leaned in to kiss you only to be violently jerked away by the monster.

"James!" Your eyes jumped between your three friends as they struggled against their binds. You didn't know what to do. Were you strong enough?

'You must believe in yourself!'

"Sam?"

A corporeal Sam appeared beside you, smiling. His hand rested over your own which was gripping the blade tightly. "I will lend you my power, but it's useless if you don't believe in yourself."

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes tightly. 'I can do this. I WILL do this. I'll defeat this beast and rescue my friends!'

Sam's body broke into particles that the sword absorbed. Your body started to glow the same ethereal blue that his had been and you felt your power level rising. You could feel it, the energy coursing through your veins. With one final yell, you took off at full speed, leaping into the air with the sword raised above your head.

"Let my friends go!" you screamed, bringing the sword down with all of your might. The blade sliced the creature down the middle and it jiggled for a few seconds before expanding. Its skin burst, sending green goo flying everywhere. The tentacles exploded one by one, sending your friends falling to the Earth below.

James did a flip in mid air, easily landing on his feet. Harry tried to mimic it but ended up belly-flopping on the sand, Charley falling on top of him. Sam materialized out of the sword, rushing to check on his friends.

With a relieved sigh, you fell to the ground, looking up at the blue sky. James plopped down beside you before throwing his body over yours, resting his face against your neck. You would have chuckled if not for the foul-smelling goo that covered you both.

"I'm so proud of you, love," he whispered, lips ghosting over your skin. "I knew you could do it."

Your cheeks tinted, fingers curling around the hem of his swim trunks. "I couldn't have done it without you guys. All of you gave me the strength I needed."

He smirked as he lifted his head, rubbing his thumb across your cheek. "In that case, I think I deserve a reward, don't you?"

You leaned up to press your lips against his but he pulled back, suddenly chuckling in an evil manner. "James? What's wro – "

His eyes started to glow a neon green as his laughter grew in volume.

"Get away from him!" Sam cried. "He's been infected!"

Before you could react, his hand covered your eyes and everything went black.

With a yelp, you sprung up in bed, breathing heavily as you frantically patted yourself down – there was no trace of the green goo.

James groaned from beside you, still half asleep. "What's wrong?"

"I... I had a weird dream..." you muttered, resting a hand on your sweaty forehead.

He reached up, throwing his arm across your chest and pulling you back down against the satin sheets. His face nuzzled in your neck, his leg swinging over your own. "I told you not to watch anime before bed."

"Right..." 

Although your body relaxed in his hold, you couldn't help but wonder why the dream had felt so vivid, so real. Little did you know, Sam and Charley had experienced the exact same dream that night.