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***Neko's POV***

"Baby?" I shake my Koala awake. His hair is a mop of messy strands. He looks like he had a rough night. Possibly because we did.

"Too much light." Milo whines and covers his face with my pillow.

"Hangover?" I ask gently. I know he was lit last night. That was the whole point of taking him out.

"If you are referring to the fact that my head feels like it's being slammed between two train car doors. Yeah." Milo rolls over and holds his head.

I lift him slowly and press the concoction of medicine into his palm. I hand him a bottle of water.

"Just take it. I will get you breakfast too. Should help." I stand up and slip on my bottoms. I walk out into the living room.

The house is familiar because I spent four years inside of it. It should be. Over the last year, not much has changed.

"Batman." Eric smiles and turns around from the counter with two cups of coffee. He presses them into my hands.

"Tell the little partier to get up and have breakfast. It's almost done." Eric chuckles.

Milo was on a whole other level last night. He was not shy, at all. Once the alcohol saturated his system, he was a social butterfly and a dancing machine.

It was one of my favorite nights with my man.

"He's got a tiny hangover." I sip from my coffee and walk back to our room.

"Here, love. Try this." I set the cup down and pull Milo into the cradle of my arms.

"Drinking, fun. Aftermath, not so much." Milo sits up and takes a pull from the cup.

"Yeah, there's no way to know if you will get a hangover. Sorry, baby." I place a soft kiss on his head.

"At least I remember the majority of the night. I don't think Kyle could say the same." Milo chuckles with a groan.

Let's hope Kyle doesn't remember. He may not be amused. He was far more wasted than Milo.

"Eric said breakfast is almost done. Sin soakers and rehydration is just what the doctor ordered." I stand up and gesture for Milo to follow.

He's slow, uncoordinated and adorable.

I wrap my arm around his waist and he leans against me. We make our way to the table. He gratefully tanks Eric.

"Might have given you a little too much last night." Eric gives Milo a sympathetic smile.

"It was fun though." Milo shrugs.

"That's an understatement. I think that's one of the best nights of my life." Eric smiles and hands out plates as Lux and the rest of our crew file into the room.

"How you holding up Ky?" I ask with a smirk.

"My ass is sore." Ky glares at Lux.

"I warned you." Lux has no fucks to give.

"For God sakes. I said sorry." Ky whines.

"And I accepted. Doesn't mean you don't get punished." Lux shrugs and starts eating.

"Neko. Tell your friend he's being a jerk." Ky begs me for help.

"I don't get in the middle of a lover's quarrel." I laugh. It's hilarious.

"It was one tiny lap dance. He should get over it." Ky stabs at his eggs violently.

"Sure. I will just grind down on a waiter next time we're out. Then we can be even." Lux gives Ky a daring smirk.

"That's premeditated. I didn't mean to." Ky whines and crawls into Lux's lap.

"I'm sorry. I love you. Please forgive me." Ky kisses Lux's lips. Lux wraps his arms around his waist and hugs him tightly.

"I'm not even mad. It was just a really good reason to fuck your brains out." Lux smiles and bites Ky's neck.

"I am sorry. I won't drink to that point again." Ky turns and Lux feeds him. Their adorable.

"I wish I was drunk last night. Then I could forget my best friend jumping my leg." Max laughs out.

"I did not." Milo pokes his tongue out.

"Well, it was close." Max is really just aggravating Milo. Milo is amazing on the dance floor.

"He's jealous." Nat smacks Max across the back of the head.

"Ow. Why?" Max grabs his head dramatically.

"Stop being a brat. You got rewarded." Natalie brings Max some orange juice and sits down.

"Fuck. You guys are entertaining." Liam claps me on the back. Liam looks ready for the day. I wish I could say the same.

"What's the plan today?" Ky looks to Nat for an answer.

"Not much. Milo wanted this low key so we really aren't busy with the wedding until the actual wedding. What did you guys want to do?" Natalie shifts her eyes over the room.

"I want to go back to bed." Milo finishes his food and pushes his plate to the side.

"Nah. Drink Gatorade. You will be back to normal in an hour." Eric hands my baby a large blue frost Gatorade.

"You coulda told me an hour ago." Milo complains but starts drinking anyway.

"So. Plans?" Lux asks me.

"I still have peeps that want to meet up. Liam? What's the game plan?" I put it on him because I didn't make any plans.

"Beach volley ball. Barbecue. Luau. That sorta thing." Liam waves his hand dismissively.

"Do we need to go shopping?" Natalie looks as if her own suggestion just made her day.

"Actually, we do. We got things here but, I wanted to have ribs and we are desperately low on sodas, liquor." Eric stands up and clears plates. I get up and help him.

We all get dressed and head to the store. It takes no time to get what we need. The crowd is bigger than the grocery order we need.

Once home, we get dressed into bathing suits and swim trunks. Natalie bought a floral one to match Hawaii. The look on Max's face is one of sheer approval.

Milo walls outside in his shades and a pair of blue swim trunks. I could eat him up. Fuck he is devastatingly sexy.

"Wanna come swim?" Milo reaches his hand out for me. I take it and use my other arm to lift myself from the chair.

We walk hand in hand to the beach. I lead us to the ocean water. Milo is quick to sink into the sea. He comes up with wet hair and droplets trailing down his tan skin. He looks like the cover of a damn Maxim magazine.

I pull him close and we wade the small waves as they sway around us.

"I just wanted to be close to you." Milo wraps his arms around me. I slide my hands around his waist. We stand close enough that the water moves around us instead of between us.

"I love you Milo. So fucking much. You make me the happiest man alive." I tilt his chin up and capture his pink lips with my own. I kiss him tenderly.

"I love you Neko. Thank you for making me your husband. I couldn't imagine life without you." Milo places a kiss beside my heart and lays his cheek on top of it.

"You won't need to. I'm always going to be here baby. Forever." The sun shines down on us. I just soak in the rays of love that radiate off of my own personal sun.

After a while of standing there, we end up with the whole group. They gave us our few moments of peace before bombarding us. It was appreciated.

Nat and Max splash around. A little bit later we go to the beach to look for sea shells.

The Bennett's and Wallace's join us in our little journey. We knew they would meet up with us eventually. Obviously this is a family affair.

"Why do people do that?" Milo looks at Amy while she holds a conch shell to her ear.

"Some say to hear the ocean." I smile.

"What does Batman say? " Milo holds a conch in his hand.

I pick up the shell and look at it for a moment.

"Many years ago, in a time of great loss, couples were separated by bodies of water. War had broken out between tribes that once were friends. Marriages that had been promised were no longer being honored." I take a seat and pull Milo into my lap.

"A particular anticipated marriage was a devastating casualty in the violence between two tribes. The Tahitian tribe belonged to Chief Keilani. The Somoan tribe was headed by Chief Koa." I look to see if Milo is listening. His attention is solely on me. The shell sitting on his lap.

"Keilani had a daughter, a princess. Her name was Makana. She was a gift from the gods in her father's eyes. His wife had passed during childbirth. Makana was his heart, his fearless gift." Milo kisses me sweetly on the lips. I let him have a moment.

"Koa had a son. A strong warrior, he was the second eldest but, the oldest living son. Ikaika's brother had been lost at sea before he was born. Anyways, Makana and Ikaika had been raised in neighboring villages. They had attended the same school and eventually fell in love. The merger would bring two great tribes together, offering great wealth and intense power. Naturally, when Ikaika made his intentions to marry Makana clear, both Koa and Keilani were ecstatic." I notice the beach around me being filled with the bodies of our friends. They sit quietly and listen in on the legend.

"Everything was set. A huge feast, a spiritual ceremony and a tradition of sacrifice was put in place. The celebration would span a week and end with two people who would devote their lives to one another. On the fifth day of the event, horrific tragedy struck. Tribes from surrounding islands ambushed the party. Lives were lost. Women and children were separated from their husbands. Chief Keilani was slaughtered in his daughter's sight."

A gasp gives me pause.

"Makana cried out, bringing attention from her lover. Ikaika ran to see what had been the reason for his betrothed's scream, leaving the men he had been fighting to rush after him. As Ikaika reached his lovely mate, he swaddled her in his arms. He covered her with his body, whispering sweet words of comfort to his distraught love. Ikaika ran and made it to the waters of the North Pacific Ocean. Diving in, while holding Makana, he swam for hours until the sun no longer brightened the sky. The moon was the only light to give way to their path. He found a cave, he knew to be along the route. Tucking his beloved into the mouth of the dark space, he kissed her gently and laid her down to rest. Cuddling together, wet and cold, they stayed huddled in Nature's shelter for a night of rest." I take a deep breath. Milo looks as if he is literally at the edge of his seat. I nod and continue.

"When morning broke, Ikaika decided he would need to bring his wife to be food. She denied the necessity, scared he may not return. Surrounded by miles of ocean, Ikaika had to think of something to comfort Makana. They would need food and water if they wished to finish their journey, wherever that may lead. Reaching for a conch shell that happened to be in his sight, he whispered I love you, for now and always into the hollow twists of the shell. When Makana would hold it to her ear it would remind her that he was with her. That his love was infinite. That he would come back to her, always. Accepting the gift as a promise, Makana watched Ikaika swim out into the ocean. She waited for two days for his return, constantly pushing the shell to her ear as a reminder that he would somehow return." Milo stares at me with wide eyes. I trail the eyes of the group. Most know the story. Some, my group, are hearing it for maybe the first time.

"Finish, please." Milo's plead is a whisper. His voice is full of emotion.

"Once four days had passed, Makana began to lose hope. She had found her own source of food by building a small fire and using resources that surrounded her. Her heart was empty and heavy with the loss of her father, now the man she loved. Her cries would echo off the walls of the cave. She was breaking and no one would know how to help her, if they ever found her. As she was about to lose hope, a splash took her attention to the vast ocean surrounding her. Although battered and looking less than his strong self. Ikaika returned to her. He had found help along the journey. The people took them to a village far away from the one they had once called home." I smile at Milo. He releases a large breath of air.

"Did they live happily ever after?" Nat stares at me intently.

"They did. They went on to get married, have many children and lived far beyond as the Legend of The Conch Shell." I kiss Milo sweetly. His smile is one I would never get tired of.

"So, is you listen, after knowing the story, you will hear the promises of two lovers that were separated at sea." I whisper the last part and snuggle my baby.

"I think I want to keep this." Milo tucks the shell into his lap and nod in approval.

One day, we will be just a story. One of lovers who faced demons unimaginable to fight for what was ours.