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[theirlawyer]

The Nexus has a lot of benefits, ranging from plush comfortable mattresses to long buffets filled with all kinds of food that Ainsley could normally only dream of, but what she finds is the very best door so far is the one she opens when she goes to find Sam and instead opens a door to a tropical beach paradise. The calming rush of ocean waves to the shore of a private beach and a cabana makes Ainsley all too aware that what she's missing is a beach vacation.

She props the door open with her shoe before heading off to find the appropriate clothes and the right partner for that kind of thing. Dressed in an oversized t-shirt that belongs to some guy she'd accidentally stolen it from, Ainsley hitches her well-stocked bag of preparations (and food) higher over her shoulder while she tries the door right next to the beach one, as if Sam might have moved without telling her.

"Sam?" she calls, knocking steadily. "I'm giving you another thirty seconds. Trust me, you'll like it," she promises sweetly, because she really can't imagine anyone who wouldn't like the hot sun and sand of a beautiful beach where no expectations or responsibilities lay on their heads.

Comments

[imnotrobin]

"Exactly. And I think it's a disservice to us and especially you if I'm not in it head first," Sam says, squeezing her shoulder lightly.

"I'm crazy about you, Ainsley. I've been crazy about you for a long time. It's more than just something I want to consider as casual, at any rate, and I didn't exactly know how to broach the subject without frightening you off so I decided to just put my feelings out there and hope for the best. It's always the bravest moments that are off the cuff and...I'm rambling, aren't I?"

[theirlawyer]

These are all the right things to say and even though Ainsley wants to believe them with all her heart, there's a part of her that knows she should be wary. Guys like Sam don't come along all the time and sure, he might have politics that she completely disagrees with, but he's smart and handsome, and fun to argue with and willing to listen to her. Plus, he doesn't think she's weird.

"I'm a little crazy about you too, Sam," she admits, turning onto her side so she can look at him properly while they talk. "I guess it was never really the right time at work. I mean, everyone would definitely talk. Your reputation would probably be tainted, not to mention mine."

[imnotrobin]

"Mine would probably be improved, someone as gorgeous as you, but I know what you mean. Back home probably isn't the best place for this right now," Sam says. He doesn't like it. The idea of hiding his relationship with Ainsley like it's something to be embarrassed of isn't terribly appealing to him. Any man would be so lucky to be with a woman like her even for one date, much less the burgeoning relationship they have.

"But here? Here, we can do anything we want. I plan to spend an awful lot of time here with you, if you're up to it."

[theirlawyer]

She's troubled by that, too. For all that Ainsley is so proud of who she is, she'd never thought she'd ever have to hide who she loved. That makes her pause, slightly, and she tries to tell herself that it's because they're trying to keep the early days of their relationship from being affected by politics. And he's right. They can spend time here, as well as have their professional relationship back home.

"I think you're onto something," she agrees, reaching back for the sunscreen so she can cap it and sit up. "And when we're a little stronger, and surer, then we can tell people at home. Does that sound like a good compromise?"

[imnotrobin]

"An excellent one," Sam agrees. He grins at her, playful and relaxed in a way that he never manages to be back in the White House. Something about DC sucks all the fun out of him and Sam is glad he can shed it for their jaunts into the hotel.

"And who says I can't be bipartisan? I think we just agreed on the first thing ever."

[theirlawyer]

She reaches up, tracing that smile on his face with fondness, feeling like she's starting to learn new sides of Sam that she hadn't previously seen. She sits up a little and tentatively leans in for a little kiss that she feels okay sharing.

"I think given what can come of this bipartisan agreement, we're both heavily inclined to find mutual ground," she says with wry knowledge. "Not that I'm upset about that."

[imnotrobin]

"Oh, no, I think it'll break new ground," Sam says, just as wry in his own response. "I've always liked to seek out the new."

He cups her cheek and leans in for another kiss, this one a little longer than the one Ainsley had given him previously.

[theirlawyer]

Ainsley laughs against his lips, only because she's so happy and she wants to share it. The laugh fades away, though, when she lets herself become more occupied with kissing Sam rather than laughing about their situation or thinking about the future. It's her and him on a beach, and that's all that matters.

"Think we should go swimming?" she asks, once they've broken apart.

[imnotrobin]

"Kind of required at the beach," Sam says by way of agreement. "But I need to do this first."

Another kiss, this one slightly more brief than the ones that preceded it. That business handled, he offers his hand to her. "Let's check out the water?"

[theirlawyer]

Ainsley's eyes widen in surprise when Sam leans in for another kiss, a bright smile passing over her lips as she gently touches them, beaming away as she grabs his hand with both of hers to haul herself forward. "Sam Seaborn, dripping wet? How can a girl resist that?" she teases, a touch coyly.

[imnotrobin]

"Many have tried, few have succeeded," he teases back. Honestly, his dating life has been a little dried up since he's been working so hard but when you're working for the president, some things just have to go on the back burner.

"Are you planning to resist it?"

[theirlawyer]

She shakes her head, a sly grin on her lips as she pushes her palms into the towel and the sand below, helping to get to her knees and her feet. "Not for a single second," she promises, knotting up her hair so she can try and keep it dry from getting soaked by the waves. "That said, maybe less of the macho-I'm-so-desired talk is hotter, for a girl?"

[imnotrobin]

"Uh huh, I see what you're playing at," Sam says, getting to his feet and offering his hand to her. It's kind of innocent and cute, holding hands, and maybe they're too old for it but he wants to offer it. In some ways, Sam is old-fashioned and he feels like there's little things about dating that are lost nowadays, things he thinks should be preserved. This is one of them.

[theirlawyer]

Ainsley laughs warmly as she takes hold of his hand and curls into Sam's body without asking, taking solace in the warmth and the press of their bodies together. "Don't worry, Sam, I'm happy to hold your hand in the face of whatever terrifying political nightmares scare you. Small government," she teases. "Fiscal responsibility. The budget."

[imnotrobin]

"God, next you're going to tell me we don't need gun control," he teases, grinning at her. "And states' rights trump the federal government? We would both be out of a job if that were true."

[theirlawyer]

"I think that's a can of worms best opened on another day," she teases, wading into the water so that it laps around her calves. It's warm and delightful, a temperature she wouldn't have expected, blissful and perfect the way only beach vacations look.

"I might have to ask if I can commute," she says, exhaling happily.

[imnotrobin]

"Commuting could work," Sam agrees. He thinks coming here a few days a week with Ainsley isn't such a bad deal.

"It's not like time passes at home. We could sneak away as often as we wanted."

[theirlawyer]

"So, really, we could spend the night here and go home, and we'd have a whole night off still," Ainsley muses, thinking that she could get used to that. "Although, do you think we age while we're here? I think it might get awkward to explain to people why we suddenly look so much older."

[imnotrobin]

"Maybe as long as we're not staying for months at a time," Sam says. "Because standard logic would say we do age and we need to take the appropriate steps to ensure we're not drastically altering our appearances."

He laughs softly. "Or we could blame it on the DC grind. That'll age you quick."

[theirlawyer]

"Or we find some kind of fountain of youth through one of the doors. I mean, this place does look pretty tropical. I wouldn't put it past it to open up to a secret that could have us eternally youthful," she jokes, sinking into the water with a blissful sigh. "Not that I want to be young forever. There's something dignified and respectful about ageing and becoming a mentor to younger generations."

[imnotrobin]

"Mm, yeah, there's that too," Sam says. "Though I think you're going to age more gracefully than I will. You have that kind of timeless, Grace Kelly thing going. I don't even hope to achieve that."

Sam draws closer to her in the water, reaching to take her into his arms.

[theirlawyer]

"Are you serious?" she asks with a bubbling laugh, both for the flattery and his modesty about how he'll age. She lifts her fingers from the water to stroke them along Sam's hairline with a fond smile, pressed up against him comfortably. "You're going to be that silver fox that the girls on the Hill will sigh over. Honestly, Sam, if ever you ran for office, you'd probably earn the popular vote based on how much everyone wants to either be you or be with you."

[imnotrobin]

"I thought about running for Congress a few times," Sam says quietly. It's not something he has really said to anyone before, considering his position in the Bartlet Administration but eventually he won't be in office anymore and Sam is going to have to get a new job. He doesn't think he could go back to private practice.

[theirlawyer]

"Why didn't you?" Ainsley asks, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as she refuses to go too far, enjoying being in Sam's arms far too much to do anything else. "I'd have voted for you, I think," she informs him, with all the face-pulling a comment like that requires.

[imnotrobin]

"Oh? Me? Into gun control and federal government? Who would ever have thought? I guess it's because of my gorgeous smile and trustworthy demeanor, right?" Sam can't help but tease about it because their political views are rapidly different even if they both share common ground in working for the White House and loving their country. Bipartisanism at its best, right? He hopes so.