until we dock
miles morales x blackfem reader | summer cruise AU
wc: 2k
lost? click previous chapter here!
a/n: guysss omg i didn't expect to be growing so fasttttttt like omg? and thank you everyone for ur kind messages it means a lottt being new on this platform likeee seriouslyyyyyyy ty for 100 likes and sm reblogs like no way jose
resource tags// @cafekitsune // @honeyluvsw
by seven the pool deck looked sun-drunk.
wet footprints faded into the ground almost as quickly as they appeared. towels hung over chair backs and railings. empty cups sat abandoned beside lounge chairs people had claimed hours ago and forgotten about entirely.
somewhere overhead, a speaker cracked into another summer song. the kind that would probably ruin your life in six months because hearing it would remind you of this exact moment.
the boys were still in the pool, of course they were.
their games of chicken evolved into some kind of elaborate war involving splashing, dunking and accusations of cheating.
beside you, Naomi lowered her sunglasses.
"okay."
you looked over. "okay what?"
"the oil workkedddddd, see?" Naomi smiled
the day had genuinely drained your social battery and the sun might've fried your brain a little bit. "oil?"
"the tanning oil.."
"oh."
you looked down at your arm. then looked again.
oh.
"oooo." your skin practically glowed under the evening light. the tan lines on your shoulders looked sharper. "omg this looks so good im so tan!" you whispered excitedly.
Naomi checked you out proudly " i told you it worksss, you look so tan only on day one!"
you owe her your life now.
her phone buzzed, she checked it and immediately frowned.
"oh my gosh."
your eyebrows furrowed in concern "what?"
she sighs and prepares to collect her belongings her phone sliding in her pocket of her shorts "my mom wants me to go to dinner with her."
"aw" you whined softly.
she let her head fall back dramatically. "i don't wanna leave."
"its fineee, you'll survive."
"will I?"
a minute of her procrastinating she started gathering her things and sliding her sunglasses onto her head. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
the question came out casually , like obviously there'd be a tomorrow and you'd hang out.
"yeah."
she smiled. "cool."
then she disappeared toward the elevators leaving you alone with your thoughts and approximately eight hundred personal belongings.
seriously.
how did one person accumulate this much stuff?
your tote bag sat beside your chair overflowing with:
your book
your charger
your room key
phone
lipgloss
sunglasses
a keychain you got from a gift shop on the way to the pool
a half empty water bottle
and a wet towel that weighed like 40 pounds.
you stared at it.
the bag stared back.
"you moving cabins?"
you looked up.
Mateo pointed his chin toward the pile.
"that's concerning amount of stuff."
you laughed and nodded because honestly, yeah.
"I don't know what i was thinking."
He glanced how at the towel hanging from your arm.
"you want help?"
"im okay , don't worry."
you bent down to grab your tote. immediately dropped your phone.
mateo raised his eyebrow, a silent victory.
you sighed. "maybe a little."
"thought so."
he picked up the towel in swift effort , then the charger , then the water bottle balancing dangerously under your arm.
"you know i could carry that."
"i know." he quipped
"sooo why are you carrying it?"
he shook his head softly his head tilting to the side "do you always act like this when you need help?"
"wha—no. i didn't mean it like that." you chuckled.
"mhm?' his eyebrow raising impossibly higher before he cracked a smile and a boyish giggle.
the walk back felt quieter than the rest of the day had been, not an awkward quiet, a comfortable one. where the soft music in the background from adult bars and the waves of the nearby ocean around you filled the noise. plus the sound of flip flops quacking.
"you surviving?
you looked over "hm?"
"the group and stuff."
"oh"
he giggled lightly.
"thats a yes?"
"i think so, yeah."
"good."
a pause. "you disappeared after lunch yesterday and everyone thought you got kidnapped."
you looked over immediately.
"what???"
"im serious."
"by who???"
"i dunno, pirates."
you laughed
"cruise pirates?"
"big issue in the industry."
He nodded seriously. "very devastating for the morale."
you shook your head.
"good to know i was missed though."
Mateo looked over at you " yeah"
the hallway to your room appeared quicker than expected. "that's me."
He looked at the room number "damn."
"what?'
"you live farr"
your keycard beeped green.
"baby?" your moms voice drifted from somewhere inside.
"im back" you announced stepping inside .
Mateo awkwardly hovered near the doorway.
Your mom rounded the corner. "OH!"
immediately followed by "oh helloo."
your dad looked up from the balcony and mateo straightened up immediately.
"Hi."
Your mother looked between you two.
"he helped me carry my stuff back."
As if on cue, mateo lifted the towel still hanging from his arm. "oh."
her expression softened immediately "that was sweet."
Mateo introduced himself with a firm handshake to your dad and within approximately twelve seconds your parents loved him. it was honestly impressive.
"so, how was the pool?" your mom asked
mateo laughed, a pure charmer "chaotic."
a wave a chuckled filled the space before he look at his phone , kinda late.
He pointed at you "see you tomorrow."
again , not if , not maybe. tomorrow.
the door closed behind him
silence.
then your mother slowly turned toward you.
"sooooooo..."
you closed your eyes trying not to laugh
"No."
"no what?"
"whatever youre thinking."
"I havent said anything"
"you were going to."
"I was going to ask if you had fun."
"mhm. liar" you said plopping your body limp onto the bed next to her.
the shower washed away sunscreen and chlorine and saltwater and left behind exhaustion , the good kind the kind that settled in your muscles after a day that somehow felt longer than it was
you exfoliated until your heart's content and once you got out of the shower you lathered yourself in all kinds of scented oils and lotions.
you slipped into your favorite pajamas that looked like luxury and was only purposed to serve and impress yourself.
your hair was braided and put into a bonnet and you finally slipped into bed letting the golden sunset cast onto the blanket and your skin
you grabbed your phone that smelled like outside and chlorine
you stopped
@ m.morales followed you • 2hrs ago
your eyebrows lifted.
lunch.
naomi's phone.
the photos.
oh god.
he memorized your username
you laughed to yourself then follwed him back
@ m.morales sent you a message
you opened it immediately.
finally followed me back huh?
you started at the screen.
i was busy , just saw itt
typing..
stopped.
typing again..
doing what tanning cant be that serious.
you smiled at your screen.
okay weirdo stalking me i had fun today though
the conversation sloweed here.
The joking disappeared just as quickly as it came.
then typed:
yeah me too
a few seconds passed
then
good :)
small, simple. but somehow your chest felt strangely warm anyway.
mornings on cruises felt weirdly fake like the normal rules of time had stopped applying somewhere in the middle of the ocean.
you woke up to sunlight pushing through the curtains and the soun do your mom already moving around your room.
"gooooooodddd morning sunshineeee!" shes sang
our groaned into your pillow.
"it's absolutely not"
"it's ten thirty."
"exactly , the day has started."
by eleven you were walking through the white sand with your sandals hanging from your fingers while your parents debated where to put their chairs.
the water was so blue and clear it looked photoshopped.
story posted.
the ocean, your freshly painted french tip pedicure in the sand
your slid your phone back into your tote and pulled out your book.
@ m.morales replied to your story
wyaaa??
you laughed to yourself
beach excursion thing with my parents
typing...
rude. abandoning us already.
you giggled once more
it wasn't my decision.
guilty by association
youre so dramatic
a pause
how long are you there for?
you looked up toward your parents currently arguing over umbrella placement.
probably not leaveing antime soon.
no clue
hm
then
what are you doing later?
subtle, almost subtle enough that if someone asked you could probably pretend that wasn't what he was asking.
surviving probably
sounds fun
might try it sometime
highly recommended
your phone buzzed again almost instantly
if you're bored come find us
around an hour later your parents decided they wanted more margaritas
you wanted to walk
"go find your friends in they're here."
you looked over
"what?"
your mom shrugged.
"you have friends now."
the way she said it made your eyes narrow.
"you're being weird"
"im being supportive."
she laughed
"go."
you rolled your eyes. but went.
the beach stretched farhen than you expected
families. couples. kids building sandcastles
people reading book under the umbrellas
then volleyball.
you recognized mateos laugh , before you recognized anybody else.
your head turned no way.
absolutely no way.
naomi spotted you first
her mouth dropped open dramatically
"OHMY GADDDDDDDDD"
you laughed immediately as she tackled you gently into the sand.
"what are you doing here?"
"what are YOU doing here?"
Mateo pointed accusingly.
"following us."
"yall are ACTUALLYYY following me."
"impossible."
"prove it."
"cant."
"exactly."
miles looked up from where he was digging a volleyball out of the sand.
for a second he just stared
then
"no way."
"that's what i said."
"this island has like eight thousand people on it."
"and somehow you're here."
"crazy coincidence."
"almost unbelievable."
Naomi snorted.
"Right because none of us texted each other this morning."
silence
you looked at miles.
miles looked at the ocean.
mateo looked like a fascinated by a seagull suddenly
interesting.
your mom appeared beside you seemingly out of nowhere.
"oh good, you found them."
"well be over here if you need up , dont forget sunscreen."
"mom."
"sorry."
Naomi scooted closer her hand reaching between you two "okay wait. did you bring it?"
you binked
"the camera."
"oh-right yes."
her gasp qualified as a medical emergency.
"no way."
"yesss way."
you pulled your camera out carefully beacse, that was your baby.
mateo looked over your hsoulder "mm looks expessive. is it?"
"very."
ten minutes later the two of you had become insufferable.
"Turn your shoulder a little."
"No the other shoulder."
"Perfect."
"Wait hold on."
Naomi grabbed your sunglasses.
"Put these on."
"Oh we're getting serious."
"We've BEEN serious."
You laughed.
The camera clicked.
Again.Again.Again.
"Wait these are actually so cute."
"I know."
"No seriously look."
The screen turned toward you.
Oh.
Those were cute.
the ocean blurred softly behind her. the sun caught the edges of her hair. the pictures looked like summer felt.
"You get it."
You looked over.
Naomi was staring at the camera screen.
"You literally get it."
Something warm settled in your chest.
"Thanks."
a volleyball landed near your feet
you looked up.
mateo raised both hands ready to receive it back
"recruitment."
"huh?"
"we need another player."
the first game somehow ended with you standing beside miles , again.
not intentionally, just happened.
"okay."
she pointed across the net.
"im warning you now."
"about what??"
"im competitive."
the game started and volleyball was significantly harder than movie suggested.
the first ball headed towards you
you panic
"yours!"
"thats easy for you to say—"
you hit it anyway
"NICEEE"
you looked over.
miles gave you a thumbs up
things started to get easier and you got the hang of it.
by the end of the game you were laughing too hard to care who was winning.
"trade."
mateo pointed at you.
"huh?"
"im stealing her."
" you cant do that."
apparently he could
the teams switched
the game continued and Mateo was genuinely one of the funniest people you'd ever met.
you laughed so hard your stomach hurt.
eventually you and naomi snuck off again to take pictures and the boys watch from nearby with varying level of concern.
"I don't understand whats happening."
"pictures, girl stuff" mateo sighed laying in the sand one hand covering his sweaty forehead as his tan skin glistened in the sun his curls sticking to the sides of his face.
every once in a while you caught miles looking over.