Warm Sands

[Ruby Morales]

Of all the things that had come out of the blue in Ruby's life, she couldn't help but think that Ignacio asking her out had to be one of, if not the nicest. Years of not dating after all the betrayals she had suffered had left parts of Ruby jaded to the idea of romance, always seeing something sinister beneath the surface, but sincerity seemed to shine through Ignacio and it brought out a side of Ruby that she didn't think existed anymore. On their first date going out dancing, Ruby found herself feeling younger and more lively than she remembered. On their second date at dinner Ruby had found herself opening up about things she hadn't talked about in years. Since the moment they said goodbye after the second date, Ruby had been looking forward to their third.

The idea of a picnic on the beach was refreshing and exciting, and with the weather beginning to cool down they had decided to take a small visit to Australia for the more pleasant temperatures. With a light robe over her swimsuit, Ruby couldn't believe how much she felt like an excited teenager. She carried the basket filled with baked goods she had made for their picnic as she accompanied Ignacio out onto the sand, looking around for a good spot to set up. "Where do you want to sit?"

 

[Ignacio Morales]

Ignacio didn't know what he expected when he asked Ruby out after their first meeting, but he did know the last thing he expected was to feel so comfortable and secure in his first dating situation since being in school. The past ten years left him with the belief a relationship wasn't on the cards for him, given how he made money and his dedication to his family, but slowly and surely he was realizing that with his new job as the hogwarts groundskeeper and in the process of making many other changes in his life, he wasn't as much of a lost cause as he thought he was. Ignacio was realizing during his few, but incredibly sincere interactions with Ruby, that what he was experiencing, although unexpected at first, was special and worth the effort he was making to repeatedly spend time with her. The relationship growing between them was so normal and secure, welcomed after a dark time in his life and he couldn't help but feel increasingly optimistic that his future was bright and worth the struggles he had faced.​

The warm Australian weather and a beach picnic couldn't be a more perfect date in Ignacio's mind, and he felt nothing other than relaxed and happy as he and Ruby walked along the shoreline, searching for a place to set up. As they reached a spot on the beach that was a level surface, Ignacio responded to Ruby's question. "Here looks good." He said, gesturing to the sand around them. A moment later he unfolded the blanket he was carrying, placing it on the sand and then sitting down, patting the space next to him and looking up at Ruby with a smile. "Let's eat this food you've made."​

 

[Ruby Morales]

((IM SO SORRY))

Ruby nodded, looking around them as Ignacio set up the blanket. It was quiet all around, and the gentle lapping of waves not too far away just set the scene perfectly. She couldn't wait to go swimming and splash around, maybe even make a sandcastle like kids, but eating definitely came first. Once the blanket was set up she sat down next to Ignacio, setting the basket in front of them and opening it. "I made some finger sandwiches, and baked some muffins with chocolate from the shop. There's also a bottle of wine in there." She said with a small grin, unlatching a couple of glasses from the holders keeping them secure in place. "Would you like a drink?"

 

[Ignacio Morales]

Seeing an Australian beach for himself for the first time, and hearing the waves gently crash against the shore, Ignacio breathed a sigh of contentment as he looked over to Ruby. Unlike their first and second dates, they weren't dancing or at a nice dinner, merely enjoying a simple picnic, the scenery, and each other's company which was all he could have asked for. Peeking at the inside of the picnic basket, Ignacio nodded in agreement to the wine, watching as Ruby brought out glasses for the two of them. "Yes, wine is the perfect addition to this scenery." He commented, gaze moving out to the horizon and then back to his date. "Those chocolate muffins sound delicious, should we start with them? just to be a little daring." Eating dessert first truly wasn't as wild as he was making it out to be, but he was happy to be a little silly. Ignacio felt nothing other than comfortable enough around Ruby to be genuine, which meant making silly comments out of nowhere and chuckling at his own bad jokes. It was a side of himself usually solely reserved for his family and though feeling so at home with someone new was surprising to him, he was cherishing every moment. Clicking with someone almost instantly and finding that they fit perfectly into his life was a rare thing and it would be stupid of him not to appreciate it. ​