The Ties That Bind Us

CHAPTER 9: Control

Warning: EXPLICIT CONTENT [+18] and mentions of sensitive topics, such as violence, suicide, and abuse. Read at your own risk.

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Selina woke up with the sound of waves crashing roughly against the hull.

She was used to sleeping on Bruce's chest now; listening to his heartbeat was the equivalent of doing relaxation exercises, and so now every time she felt nervous or had nightmares in the middle of the night all she had to do was breathe his scent in and dive into the sounds. That morning though she was splayed flat on the mattress, nothing supporting her head, and the bed felt empty because that's what it was. So she got up and walked up to the stairs leading to the first deck. Bruce was arranging a few ropes around the boom when he saw her coming and he smiled.

"Good morning, baby," he teased her.

"Ugh," she complained, but went straight to him and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his bare sun-warmed back and closing her eyes still feeling a bit drowsy. He finished tying the knots and turned around in her embrace, holding her from the front and wrapping his arms around her warm body. She'd slept in one of his white t-shirts, and though it was large for her it still barely covered her bottom, specially when she stood on her toes to kiss him the way she did. His hands traveled there instinctively and she chuckled lightly against his mouth.

It had been a month since they'd gotten the boat and a few weeks since they'd left the coast of Salobreña to explore other parts of the country and ended up in the south of France and then Italy. They were still a few miles away from the coast of Cinque Terre, where they'd drop off the yacht and rent a car to Florence. Bruce was initially worried they'd get seasick on the first few days staying for so long on a boat, but that never happened; he should've guessed they'd both been already accustomed to a little turbulence and physical discomfort. Besides, the boat he'd gotten was expensive enough for a reason, it was too fast and resistant to waver and wiggle excessively.

Selina had been worried before that she'd get suffocated being locked together 24/7 with nowhere else to go, but it had been quite nice and comfortable. The boat was big enough for the both of them to have their own space; it was a double deck with four bedrooms, a dining and a living room, an inside kitchen and an outside BBQ kitchen, a garage, a hot tub and plenty of other outdoor spaces.

She'd use to lie around in the hanging deck hammock above the water and read for hours when she wanted to be alone. But that never lasted long. She'd gotten used to Bruce's presence being a constant, and now there were times when she craved it, even when there was no apparent reason. They still had sex practically every day, but they'd grown out of the whole bunny phase and no longer needed to be tongue deep in each other's throat every time they were around each other. They would talk for hours now that they felt more comfortable with more than just small talk.

Bruce had learned to never smother her and to sometimes keep some distance and wait for her to approach. To give her her own time and let her come to him once in a while. To always announce himself when she's distracted and to never try to tickle her. On her part, she'd learned to be patient and less defensive towards him. To never try to teach him to cook when he's naked. And to never, never, ever prank him on his sleep. Her bloody nose taught her just that. Though the day that happened he spent it entirely granting her wishes and spoiling her, so that was a plus.

In the morning she'd usually lie in the sun—which was giving her skin a light tanned tone Bruce loved—while he checked the boat and hovered around her. They'd spend the afternoon reading, cooking, watching movies or snorkeling when they would find a nice spot. At night, Bruce would open a bottle of wine and they would lay on the upper deck and enjoy it while taking in the ocean breeze. They'd talk for hours under the light intoxication and sometimes would end up making out right there in the open until they fell asleep. Bruce would usually wake up a bit before the sun rose and carry Selina to bed. The weather was normally so hot they wouldn't even bother crashing outside, but the sun in the morning would burn their eyes if they stayed there.