[amalfi coast] i'll sport a smile, take in some color [tara]

Harlan, now feeling the full effect of an afternoon plied with local specialty drinks, smiled pleasantly down at the clear water that lapped against the rock formation that he and his team had called their beach for the day. Had Italian water always been so damn beautiful? He hummed happily as an unsure response, sticking a toe in to gauge the temperature and nearly losing his balance. He struggled to stand upright and slapped a hand over his mouth to suppress the laughter that had involuntarily erupted. Not even Harlan recognised Harlan right now.

A splash from one of his teammates near the shore caught his attention though, and he reluctantly tore his gaze away from the cerulean water with the stupid grin still plastered across his face. His feet led the way toward the noise. Not even the kid could annoy him now, as he cannonballed into the water sending a wave of salty water onto the group of guests that all the teammates had invited to the annual Griffins end of season getaway.

The management had organised an all expense included stay at a resort on the Amalfi Coast where their players could let loose after a long season of both great wins and horrendous losses. Of course, in the captain's mind, there was always room for growth but at the moment all he could think about was another full glass of whatever mystery drink the bartenders had concocted.

The reactionary shrieks seemed far away in Harlan's mind now as he approached the woman behind the bar with an uncharacteristically friendly demeanour. She smiled in return and filled his plastic cup with the elixir that had knocked him so far away from his usual self. "Beautiful afternoon," He proclaimed, leaning an arm casually against the man made rock structure that made the bar and mused over the sun soaked coast. Their private cove tucked away on the coast and surrounded by cliffs was speckled with only a handful of boats amassed with sundried sails and there was no one in the water apart from those in the group.

"Cheers," Harlan thanked the worker earnestly and turned back to the shore just as the very person he usually worked so hard to avoid emerged from it. Tara Kingsley. Daughter of the owner and perpetual pain in his ass. The captain's thoughts were far from that, though, as she breached the water like some sort of elusive aquatic creature, reflecting in the shimmery rays of sunlight and nearly blinding him in the process.

"Holy shit," He coughed up the sip of the drink he had taken, his mouth now wide open as she made her way to the bar. In an instant, he had forgotten all of the annoyances that she had provided him over his time with the Griffins. Much like the Italian water, he was sure he had never seen her look so good.

@Tara Kingsley

It was celebration time. After a season of hard work and hard wins, it was time to relax and take a breath and enjoy the sunshine. And it was particularly amazing to enjoy when you didn't put in that hard work yourself. Tara Kingsley had been given an invite simply because her family owned the team and more so because both her brother and sister had some hand in planning it. Hell be it if Tara wasn't going to enjoy the perks of her family owning one of the best quidditch teams out there (in her humble opinion). So she had packed her best bikinis, brushed up on her best sunblock charm, grabbed her sunglasses, and headed off into paradise, her younger sister Blair on her arm.

And she couldn't have made a better decision. Sure she had to share paradise with all the players and front office staff, but this beach was paradise. The white sand was warm beneath her feet, the sun kissed her shoulders in a way she had missed during the winter months, and the water was the perfect temperature, so clear and clean, stretching on endlessly into the distance. She had sunbathed earlier with Blair and a few martinis at her side and then had taken to the water, unable to ignore the lure of the gorgeous sea any longer. Tara had more martinis than she had in a while and she was feeling good. The water made her feel even better. The weightlessness in the water made the tension she had been holding in her shoulders for months float away and she felt like she had never been freer. Or happier. Alcohol tended to do that she guessed.

Speaking of.. she needed another drink. Tara touched her toes to the sand, moving her arms through the water and propelling herself towards the shore. She adjusted her bottoms just before she emerged from the sea, the water sluicing down her body in streams. She flicked her dark hair to the side and wrung some of the water from her long strands, flicking some of the drops onto some of the chasers on the reserve team as she passed them, sending them a playful smile.

She made her way to the bar, noticing the Griffins captain there as well.. and the expression on his face. Wasn't his usual cocky expression. She smirked at him as she leaned her arms against the bar and asked the bartender for another. Sliding her gaze over to Harlan, she looked him up and down. They had had their arguments, fights, and more, but she couldn't deny he had a great body. His expression nearly made her laugh though. "See something you like, captain?" she asked sweetly sarcastic.

Harlan gave his finest attempt at composure as the brunette sidled up next to him at the bar but the amount of alcohol he had been plied with over the course of the morning had another idea in mind. The blond found himself somewhere between the extremes of his efforts and reality. He was able to only just pull his jaw off the sand in time nod to the woman in greeting. "Miss Kingsley," He nearly laughed out loud, but held the outburst through his closed grin. He had no idea who or what had taken over his body, but at the moment he couldn't have cared less. Between all of the indulgences of the scenery surrounding him, he had no interest in reality.

It seemed his minimal effort to hide his gaze was not lost on Tara, though. Harlan justified in his stupor as he rested an elbow on the bar to face her that she obviously had not been having the same drinks that he had. "Hmm," He made a point to study the woman closely, his eyes lazily moving from her toes to her face, maintaining a straight face for only a few seconds before breaking. "Maybe I do," The captain shrugged his shoulders at an attempt at nonchalance although his eyes spoke a different story.

"That drink does look nice," He leaned forward, breaking the societal barriers of personal space so that he was right next to Tara, close enough to smell the salty ocean water on her. Without bothering with politeness, he took her freshly replenished drink to his mouth for a sip. He handed it back with a sweet smile that was entirely uncharacteristic for the man. In fact, at the rate he was going, his team wouldn't recognise him by the time that the sun set over the Italian coast.

"Enjoying your day?" Harlan leaned against the bar, his eyes flashing across the scene of the Griffins and their plus ones sprawled across the beach and in the water. He turned back to the mystery cocktail that the bartender had made for him yet again. "At this rate I won't make it to dinner..." Harlan mused happily, almost to himself. "I think we need shots," Overtaken by a surge of excitement, he slapped a hand to the bar. "What would the lady prefer?" He hummed, bumping a shoulder into her. "Tequila!" He recalled Tara's drink of choice from the first time that they met.

She looked at his as the sun danced in her eyes, smiling as he tried to hold back his grin. It was amusing, he was amusing, and at the very least, she was glad it wasn't super awkward considering the last way their conversation had ended. Tara still wasn't sure if she had liked or hated the kiss they had shared at that gala. She found her eyes on his lips, but she forced her gaze away.. after a moment of hesitation that is. He was moving closer and a grin pulled her lips up as she lazed against the bar, comfortable even in his scrutiny.

Her emerald green eyes flashed at his comment and her grin grew. She wasn't used to him being this... drunk. It made her laugh and she flicked some hair over her shoulder, a sarcastic quip on her lips, but as he leaned even closer, the air seemed even thinner and she realized a second later he was drinking her cocktail. "Ass," she threw the insult at him even as she accepted her drink back. She gazed at him as she flicked her tongue out and around the rim of the glass, tasting right where he had drank from before tipping the glass back and swallowing a gulp of it. Tara lifted her wrist and swiped it delicately across her mouth as she shrugged at him.

"So good, so far," she told him as her eyes followed his to the various teammates and front office staff. "Did you hear Campbell tried to hook up with my sister already," she said, mentioning one of the reserve beaters and her younger sister. Her eyes twinkled with humor as she slid her gaze to his. He knew Blair pretty well for all her meddling as the team's publicist and she wondered if he could guess what happened next. "The red hand print on his cheek might be there for the next few weeks," she said with a laugh and then happily nodded to his call of drinks.

"Shots! Let's go," she said as she made grabby hands at the bartender as he acquiesced quickly with a smile of his own for Tara. She sent him a wink as she grabbed the shot glass and held it up to clink with the Captain's. "Tequila always make the day better," she said in a way of cheers just before she knocked back her glass. 

Harlan watched with excitement as Tara matched the pace of his banter, albeit drunken in it's nature. It wasn't as though that came as much of a surprise, though, there hadn't been a single incidence around the brunette that she hadn't done just that, and then some. His gaze narrowed as another involuntary grin pulled at the corners of his lips. For someone who was so frequently stoic, all of this smiling had taken a real toll on his muscles. Thank Merlin the tequila had numbed that specific pain hours ago. "But you like it," He couldn't help himself given the opportunity.

"You do know everyone on this team has made a pass at your sister, right?" He leaned lazily against the bar all-knowingly, as though he was privy to some sort of deep seeded team secret that the daughter of the owner was not. "What, she didn't tell you about the night we shared in Monaco?" He slapped a hand sloppily against his bare chest, tight with the remnants of evaporated salt water. "A shame she got all the good looks and charm, hm?" Harlan teased.

He let out another chuckle before happily obliging in his own request for shots. At this point, the tequila was starting to taste just like water and he knew he was in trouble. No doubt the questionable decision making was soon to follow. Thankfully, though, the press hadn't picked up on their location just yet so he was free of the tabloids for the moment. "The most accurate statement to come out of that mouth," He spoke through gritted teeth as he sucked in a deep breath of hot ocean air, gaze now shifting to the appendage he had focused on.

"Oi, you slapped me!" Harlan suddenly stood up straight, the accusation clear in his voice as if he had only just realised the event of weeks ago. "I kissed you," He added, now a bit more calmly, fighting the drunken smirk that was fighting it's way onto his own lips. "You did kiss me back," Harlan justified, the smugness clear in his voice as he shrugged his shoulders cooly.

"Only sometimes," she threw right back at him with a grin, her honesty fueled by the tequila.

She turned toward him, touching her chin to her shoulder as she laughed, her green eyes dancing. "And you know that she has put everyone back in their place for it, right?" she told him. Tara knew her sister better than the team captain thought he did and the idea amused her that he thought he could surprise her with idle gossip. She just shook her head as she took another sip of her drink. "Actually," she started with a grimace. "She did tell me all about it. You know, there are potions if you need a little help downstairs," she said whispering the last as she glanced down his body with a smirk.

His last joke actually made her laugh out loud, throwing her head back as she expressed her amusement. "All the good looks and charm?" she repeated, still snorting with laughter as she looked at him. "You must not be thinking of my sister. She must be around here somewhere. I'll introduce you," she said with another smile.

As he stood up straight and had this look of surprise in his eyes for something that had happened weeks ago, Tara could only raise her brows and look at him with amusement. It was as if he was just remembering what had happened right now. And she rolled her eyes as he came to his conclusions. "Wow, you're really sharp," she said sarcastically. And then she gave him a coy shrug. "It's kind of like taking a new broom for a test drive. Just gotta try it out." She glanced over at him, her eyes purposefully stopping at his lips, her tongue peeking out to lick her own lips for a moment before she added, "I wasn't too impressed with the test drive, if you know what I mean."

"Oh yeah?" The captain retorted with feigned interest in the topic of potions to aid in the bedroom department. "Can your boyfriend recommend any specific potioneers?" He did his best to suppress a smirk but was failing miserably in the face of the intoxication of their banter and the tequila combined. Ever since he had been thrust into the world of the Kingsley family by being essentially purchased by their team, the daughter in front of him had proven to be far more than just a painful prick in his side.  As much as Harlan hated to admit it though, a sick part of him enjoyed the little game that they had devised. This was far more evolved than just cat and mouse, of course. It was almost as though their roles shifted between the cat and the mouse just as quickly as they hurled their insults at one another. Their flirtation was masked under safe cover of contempt.

As the wizard leaned his forearm casually against the natural rock formation that had been used as a bar, he found that his physical proximity was getting closer to Tara as each moment passed. He watched her carefully, the interest clear in his features, as she reacted to his trip down memory lane. He relished in the amusement that flicked across her eyes and shot bolts of electricity to his own, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, even in the heat of the Italian sun. The charge that had pulled them together, just as much as it pushed them apart, was in full force now and there was no slowing it down.

Harlan shrugged off the witch’s nonchalance. Her words meant very little compared to the body language displayed before him. Even in his deeply alcohol diluted brain he could recognise that Tara was having a hard time keeping her attention too far from his lips. Not that he minded, of course. In fact, he felt a pang of what felt like pride swell in his chest. Without knowing, the Beater mirrored her actions and licked the remaining drink from his own lips.

"Hmm," He took another deliberately slow sip from his drink, not daring to shift his gaze and lose the game as he vocalised his thought. “Perhaps a case of user error?" Harlan suggested, his free hand reached out to touch her side just above where the strings of her bathing suit bottoms rested against her skin. It seemed that she wasn't the only one who's actions negated words. “I’ve never had any complaints before," He added with an attempt at an innocent smile although his eyes quickly gave way to a far more devious meaning.

Just as the tips of his fingers felt the wet fabric of bathing suit strings, Harlan jumped at his opportunity to catch Tara off guard. He threw the woman over his shoulder with ease but stumbled for a moment to keep his balance as he made his way toward the water. With his forearm wrapped tightly around the back of her knees and the other hand securing her ankles, Harlan leapt through the water, throwing them both into it as soon as they had gotten deep enough that they wouldn't hit rock. He knew retaliation would come swiftly, so he attempted to detangle their limbs under the water and make his escape as quickly as possible. There was a floating platform not from shore that he had set his eyes on for asylum.

She laughed, the sound high and bright, as she brought her drink to her lips, her green eyes dancing in the sunlight. "You know, there are some men who don't have those types of issues. I know you're probably not familiar with that kind of experience, but believe me, it's true," she said, her sarcasm and smirk going hand in hand as she bantered right back with the Captain.

Tara tried not to notice as every nerve-ending in her body became more and more aware of Harlan. How close he was standing, the way he was sidling closer and then closer still, yet not touching her. How his eyes were a mix between misty blue and pale gray and even in the sunlight, it was hard to tell the exact color. How his eyes on hers made her want to stretch her arms above her head or bite her lip just to see if his gaze would be drawn elsewhere, somewhere maybe a little more dangerous. Tara was accustomed to this game of push and pull, tease and play, but with Harlan or maybe because of the alcohol, it seemed more heady. As he licked his own lips, mimicking her actions, she felt that realization even more.

"Never? Wow, I'm impressed," she replied, her voice even as her heart sped up at the touch of his hand on her side, his fingers tantalizingly close to her bikini bottoms. His touch was electric, her response automatic. Tara felt herself leaning forward as she watched a tiny bead of sweat from the summer sun run down his front over his well-sculpted abs. "You're both a liar and in denial," she finished coyly, batting her lashed for effect.

Her self-proclaimed victory was short lived though. She let out a shriek in surprise and outrage as he hoisted her onto his shoulder without warning. "What the hell, Bellamy!" she screeched as she waved like a flag on his back, her arms scrabbling to find hold. She managed to push herself up somewhat when she propped herself up on his lower back, but gravity and the alcohol already running through her system did not play in her favor. When he stumbled, she was pretty sure he was going to drop her and she pinched his butt hard with her fingernails, hoping in some small way she hurt him for being such a neanderthal. "Put me down, you oaf!" she yelled at him.

With a sinking feeling, she realized he was running toward the water. "No, Harlan, don't," she warned him, her voice hard. But even as she saw from her upside down view, the water crept closer and she knew he wasn't going to listen. Still, the cool water as he threw her in was shocking and she gasped for breath as she surfaced, spluttering and shoving her hair off her face. "You asshole! You're going to pay!" she shouted as she saw the Captain swimming away from her. Tara's mind was solely focused on revenge. Nothing would stop her from it. She swam through the waves even as the water clutched at her swimsuit and threatened to take it from her. This was not a bathing suit intended for swimming.

Still, she focused on Harlan and managed to reach him before he could get to the platform he had been running to seek refuge from. Tara managed to latch herself onto his back, wrapping her legs around him, placing her hands on his shoulders and then straightening her arms. She was trying to dunk him under the water, but she wasn't sure if her weight was going to be enough to drown the man as she intended.

Harlan resurfaced from the cerulean water with a deep breath. The taste of salt replaced what had all day been occupied by the flavor of a strong mixed drink. The outside air on the Amalfi Coast felt cooler now. He assumed the sobering effect of the ocean was to thank until he noticed the sun that was threatening to sink under the cliffs of the coast, casting long shadows and rays of sunset across the shimmering water. It was almost evening. The Gravesend Captain had little time to dwell on the passing of time, though, because just then a pair of slippery arms wrapped around his neck, legs following suit around his waist so that Tara was secured on his back.

"Ha!" Harlan spat out a laugh amidst the struggle to keep his head above the surface with the additional weight that had latched onto him. Tara was small but she was fierce. It didn't help of course that he was, literally and figuratively, in over his head.  "Oi!" He allowed her the satisfaction of dunking his head under the water but wasn't going to let her win the war so quickly. Harlan spun around in the water so that they were now facing each other, his strong legs kicking a current underneath them to keep them both above water.

"You're going to regret that," The wizard warned although the uncontrolled grin on his face betrayed his attempt at seriousness. In this situation, there was only so serious a person could be and Harlan, surprisingly, was no exception. He cupped a hand to the water and sent a wave of Italian sea right toward her face. Harlan used the distraction as his escape, detangling their limbs and heading for the floating platform that he had set his eyes on. Deliberately, he kicked harder at his exit, hoping the splash would reach his opponent. The man glided through the water, digging into the ocean, rippling the surface that had been calm just moments before his arrival.

Harlan reached the platform and hoisted himself up, not bothering to waste time swimming to the opposite side to use the ladder. "You alright out there, love?" He teased as he watched Tara's arrival under the shade of his hand, eyes squinting in the sun. The salt water from his body dripping and staining the warm wood of the platform.