47- Trying New Things

Ryan couldn't help but think this was a funny looking elevator, seemingly made of glass, but you couldn't see anything outside it. Then, it started going up, and all of a sudden, when it rose past a wall, there was the beach! It was amazing! And beautiful! And terrifying! They kept going higher and higher, and on instinct alone he clung to Scott's arm for dear life. He didn't know elevators actually moved that fast!

He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed once they finally stopped moving, but he happily follow Scott out of the elevator. The room wasn't too far, and Scott let him be the first to open the door.

Where the lobby was classy, the room gave off a more cozy feel. It was done in greens and corals, with a king-sized bed and prints of seashells on the wall. The bathroom was bigger than Ryan's, but not quite as big as Scott's. It came complete with a microwave and mini fridge, but what drew Ryan's attention most was the large sliding glass door. As Scott had promised, the room had a full view of the ocean, including a balcony and chairs.

They were both leaning on the railing, taking in the view and watching the antics of the seagulls, when their bags were dropped off. It was then that Ryan noticed Scott had packed a little cooler. Inside was a can of whipped cream and a bottle of chocolate sauce. When asked about it, Scott's only defense was that it was the perfect thing to put on dessert.

Once they were settled in and had a chance to rest a bit, Scott suggested they change into their bathing suits and get some swimming in before dinner. Ryan came to the conclusion that this place had to have an indoor pool. Not that he'd ever seen one, but he'd heard about them. Certainly, Scott wasn't suggesting they swim outside! It was much too cold! Not that Ryan knew how to swim... Well, this trip was for Scott's birthday, so it was his job to go along with whatever Scott wanted to do, right?

Scott's suit was a simple navy with falling Tetris blocks, a little worn from years of use, but comfortable. He loved how Ryan looked in the trunks he'd bought. They paired nicely with his swim collar, and with the waist cinched tight, it accentuated his ass beautifully. He couldn't resist giving it a playfully gentle smack, earning himself some provocative teasing.

"Keep that up and you won't get to see why I picked this hotel in particular!" Scott warned, though there wasn't a hint of malice in his words.

They double checked that each of them had their copy of the keys and their special bracelets, before Ryan, once again, dutily followed Scott to wherever it was they were going. It involved going back down that super scary, but super cool elevator. Back through the lobby, and down a hallway. Ryan could hear children screaming and splashing before it even came in to view.

They rounded a corner to find a set of glass doors, fogged with condensation. Scott opened them with a flourish. Ryan was awestruck yet again. Inside were several pools, some jacuzzies, a lazy river, and a handful of really impressive waterslides! Places like this actually exist?! And it was super warm? Were those real palm trees? He did double takes between the scene before him and his fiance.

"Surprise!" Scott beamed, leading him in. "My family stayed here a couple of times when I was younger, I knew you'd like it!"

"This is amazing!" Ryan exclaimed, his voice echoed through the large room, mixing with the sound of the playing children.

Scott ran and jumped into the nearest pool with a big splash, beckoning for Ryan to join him. Ryan, not comfortable at all with his absolute lack of swimming ability, circled around to the stairs to get in the water. What followed was a mini swim lesson of sorts. Scott taught him how to float, and some basic strokes to more easily move through the water. Ryan was relieved to learn that all but one pool was too deep for him to stand upright in and still touch the bottom. Once he'd gotten some basics more or less down, he felt a little more confident in trying some of the slides.

He. Had. A. Blast! Sure, he got water up his nose like, twice, but he managed. He felt like a kid again, splashing and playing without a care in the world, and Scott was right there splashing and playing with him! When he started to get tired from swimming, they drifted a few laps in the lazy river, holding hands so their floats wouldn't get separated.

The absolute best thing was the hot tubs. Ryan had never been in one, and he was convinced they were magical. One had lounges built into the sides with jets all the way down. It was a hands-down favorite, taking a close second to one of Scott's massages.

Scott was chilling five feet away from him in the same hot tub. They were still hella gay, but that's where the other lounge was. What could you do?

They had to get out eventually. All that swimming made them hungry, and Scott was hoping to have dinner out of the way in time to catch the sunset on the beach. The hot tub would still be here later.

Bundled up in towels, they made their way back to the room to get cleaned up and changed for dinner. That was when Ryan pulled out a little surprise of his own. Not Scott's birthday present, that was still tucked away for tomorrow. What he pulled out was an old "Birthday Boy" pin. The color may have been a little faded, and the ribbon it was attached to was just a bit frayed on the edges.

Ryan told the story of how his grandfather had gotten it for him for the first birthday he'd had when he first started living with them, and how it was tradition to wear it for every birthday. Scott was honored to get to wear it, and very eagerly asked Ryan to pin it on him. He was all for joining in on some family traditions.

Dinner was a short drive away to an upscale seafood restaurant overlooking the ocean. They had outdoor seating, but it was much too cold for that. Still, the large windows offered a breathtaking enough view. Ryan watched the waves crash upon the sand in wonder, and Scott watched Ryan. They weren't even halfway in to all the fun stuff he had planned, but he loved that sparkling look in his fiance's eyes.

Ryan ordered shrimp, something that was familiar that he knew he would like. It wasn't his birthday, after all, and the food here was every bit as expensive as the ambiance hinted it would be. Scott got a top-teir meal, lobster and crab legs. Ryan was already super impressed with his own food, shrimp was nowhere near this good in the city, not that he got to eat shrimp very often, but the tidbits Scott shared with him were like the nectar of the gods! He'd only ever had imitation crab before, but never lobster! And, watching Scott breaking the shells to get to the meat was really cool! Especially when he could get the whole crab leg out in one piece!

The wait staff even brought them out a small cup of ice cream to share at the end of it all, pointing out the pin Scott had on and wishing him a happy birthday. Those that worked that night would forever tell the story of that one cute couple that came during the off season and fed each other little bites of ice cream.

After dinner was the long awaited and much anticipated walk on the beach. The sun wasn't quite setting yet, but its rays made the waves sparkle and glisten against a sky just barely starting to change color. It was cold with the sea wind, and both of them had their jackets zipped tight. Ryan was wearing the one Scott let him "borrow" when he'd proposed. Well, maybe what started as "borrow" became kinda "conveniently and consistently neglected to return."

There weren't many people at all on the beach. They'd seen maybe one or two people total, one of which was very obviously out for a run. Ryan was certainly the only person barefoot. He made a big deal about wanting to put his toes in the sand for his first time ever at the beach. Scott initially advised against it, but his fiance's pouting face was hard to resist. So, while one hand laced tightly with Ryan's, the other held his fiance's shoes while they walked along the shore. Ryan wasn't about to admit how cold his feet were.

The destination Scott had in mind wasn't too far away. It was a pile of boulders, supposedly dumped there after a failed construction project years and years ago. In the summer, it was the perfect spot to watch the sunset, and usually had people on every decent surface. Now, in the off season, he and Ryan would have it all to themselves, and there was a particular place between two particular rocks that gave a particularly private feel.