| OCEAN EYES | — joaquin torres
(moodboard + drabble)
masterlist
the current was a magent. something that always managed to get you swept up in joaquin’s arms, hands gripped tightly on your waist.
whether it was your first date together, where you had clumsily tripped and collapsed into his arms, or it was just the two of you, watching the sun fade into the horizon, as his fingers caressed your skin softly, his arms always managing to find a way around your body, engulfing you with warmth.
today way no different as the waves lapped around your ankles, a grin plastered to your face as you watched joaquin now waist deep in water a few feet away from you. his chest was bare, the few beads of water on his body catching the rays of sunlight, making him look like some greek deity , carved from the sea itself.
you swore the ocean loved him almost as much as you did, with each wave curling higher, pulling him in, just to shimmer against his skin again. it was hypnotizing, watching his eyes sparkle from the soft glow of the sun, and it was even more beautiful when his lips tugged into an amused smile as he watched you stare.
you barely had time to step back before he was wading towards you, a sly smirk on his face, the one that always drove you insane.
“like what you’re seeing?” he murmured softly.
you shook your head, as you pointed a finger at him. “don’t even think about it, torres.”
he paused, his hands raised in surrender but his eyes glinted with mischief. “think about what?”
you laughed before leaning down and scooping a handful of water, then tossing it at him with terrible accuracy.
it hit him in the shoulder, as he let out a half sputter and half sound of surprise, his mouth dropping slightly. “oh, you’re asking for it now,” he warned as he stalked towards you, eyes narrowed.
you squealed, turning to run, but the waves slowed you down. his arms wrapped around your waist, lifting you clean off your feet with a laugh that echoed across the shore as he slung you over his shoulder. your stomach flipped—half from the sudden movement, half from the way his hand curled into your thigh, firm and possessive like he’d done it a hundred times before.
“joaquin!” you screeched, smacking at his back. “put me down you bastard!”
he laughed, the sound vibrating through his body, against your skin. “why? you not enjoying the view from down there?”
you reached out and pinched the thick muscle of his back in retaliation, earning yourself a hiss through his teeth.
“jesus—okay, okay,” he said, still holding you in place. “that was undeserved.”
“you kidnapped me,” you countered, but it was hard to sound convincing when your face was pressed against his bare skin the smell of sun and salt ticking your nose. “and this is a public beach, joaquin, put me down you goofball.”
“but there’s no one here,” he whined, finally setting you down to gesture at the small patch of sand the two of you had claimed. “it’s our little island.”
you giggled at his sad pout, before his hands strayed back to your body. you tried to protest but they stayed at your waist. one had found the small of your back, the other found your hip, pulling you close until your bodies brushed, skin to skin beneath the sun.
“my sadness isn’t something you should laugh about,” he complained tracing lazy patterns on your side with his thumb.
your breath hitched slightly as you tried to keep a straight face. “oh i’m sorry, should i comfort you?”
“you should,” he agreed, leaning in. “like you could let me kiss you here.” he brushed his nose along your jaw. “and here…” his lips skimmed your neck, just barely, but enough to make your knees weak with betrayal.
“god, joaquin” you huffed, as his lips hovered dangerously close to your collarbone. “there’s people here. you’re gonna traumatize some poor child.”
he groaned, unrepentantly, but his hand didn’t move. if anything, it slipped just a little higher beneath the thin fabric around your chest fingertips brushing your bare skin.
“i’m being so respectful right now,” he muttered against your neck, the heat of his breath doing absolutely nothing to help your resolve. “you have no idea the restraint I’m showing.”
“you’re not showing any restraint,” you whispered back, his hands tracing the curve of your spine now.
“well i could’ve had you flat on this sand five minutes ago,” he said, and the smugness in his voice made your skin flush. “but I didn’t, because i care about public decency, and small children, and sand in places where it shouldn’t be.”
you swatted at his arms, but they curled around his biceps instead. as much as you wanted to feel the sweet taste of his lips and the warmth of his finger tips on places other than your waist, you could see the glint in his eye, that teasing challenge that never ended well for your self-control.
“you smell so good,” he murmured, voice dipping lower, fingertips still tracing slow, torturous circles at the base of your spine. “do you know what that does to me?”
“apparently it also makes you forget how to behave in public,” you breathed, tipping your head back when he kissed the corner of your jaw again.
he chuckled, mouth curved against your skin. “say the word, and i’ll behave.”
“behave,” you managed to say, but it came out more like a plea than a command.
he rolled his eyes, pressing a kiss to your forehead but still didn't pull away. “this is me behaving now.”
your lips tugged against your will, into the exasperated smile that always seemed to be reserved for him. one part fondness, two parts helpless surrender. you didn’t say anything, just watched him stand in the water, memorizing the way the sun shone on his broad figure and how his brown eyes crinkled under those dark lashes. his curls were still sopping wet at the ends, beads of saltwater clinging to him like the ocean couldn’t quite let the softness of him go, just like how you couldn't either.