Spy Guy: An odd little piece I wrote for Chaos Dragon's contest on Da. It had to be romance. My prompt was about going snorkeling, and finding the ring in the coral. I know that the ring was meant to be an engagement ring, but I cheated a bit. I can do that. It's in my contract.

You're going to have to figure out what really happens. :D It's a mystery folks.

Florida wasn't really all that bad.

It was warm all year round, which was nice compared to the brutal northern winters. She could go outside in the winter without wearing five layers of clothes.

It was a welcome change.

The only downside was the ever-present sun, which really put a damper on her "creature of the night" image. Almost against her will, she had gotten a healthy golden tan...

But oh well...such was life.

Sam Manson lounged on the beach, hidden in the shroud of a large black umbrella, face buried in the latest teen thriller novel. Her parents were out for he day, leaving her in the care of their large seaside mansion, and the private beach that went with it.

The house itself was old...oppressive. Where once she would have been intrigued by its strange vibe, there was something about it that just made her want to get away. As the days passed, Sam found herself sitting on the beach more and more, reading her books, or simply staring at the waves. Florida was so different from Amity Park...

But, he wasn't there...

The sun was blazing as usual, trying to cut through the dark fabric of her umbrella. Sam ignored the heat, wearing short black shorts, and a purple tank top over her bikini. There was little breeze, and the waves lapped gently against the shore, making soft, rhythmic sounds in the quiet afternoon.

Florida was nice...but very lonely.

She missed all of her friends in Amity Park. She missed Tucker's warped sense of humor. She missed Jazz's logic Heck, she even missed Valerie...and that was saying quite a lot...

But...most of all, she missed Danny.

The day she had left, he had tried to smile, but she could see right through it. Inside, he had been torn apart. And why? They hadn't dated or anything...

They had never even kissed...they were just friends.

Sam had tried to keep up with what was happening, but things weren't going well in Amity Park. Every time she heard Danny's voice over the phone, he sounded older and older...more tired than he should have.

It had been a year since they had last seen each other. Seven months since they had spoken.

Sam shifted on the towel she had set on the sand, pulling her large sunglasses from her face. The sky was blue, the sand white and hot. It was a perfect paradise...

If only Danny could share it with her...if only...she could be with him...

"Hey, Sam!"

The girl felt her muscles tense as the familiar voice cried over the surf. She turned, eyes widening as she saw a familiar figure moving towards her, dark hair shining iridescently in the sun, thick sandals struggling to maneuver through the loose sand. He was smiling foolishly, wearing a pair of blue and black swim trunks, and a thin white shirt, plastered to his chest with sweat.

"Danny? What are you doing here?"

"Maybe I just wanted to see you." He said,falling beside her onto the hot sand.

Sam smiled back at him, wondering briefly how he had found the time to fly to Florida. Did he do it just to be with her?

Would Amity Park be okay?

"I've never been to a beach." The boy continued, pushing his shaggy black hair from his eyes. "This is beautiful, Sam, but not the place I would have expected to ever see you."

"Did you not see the big umbrella I'm hiding beneath?" The girl replied, pushing her worries aside. Danny had come to see her...and they both needed the companionship.

So what did it matter?

Tucker's family had moved soon after hers, to Nevada, where his father could find work. Valerie had hopped to the next town where there was a better apartment complex her father could afford. Sadly, Danny was alone most of the time, fighting ghosts single-handedly, while trying to keep Amity Park a safe place.

It was a big burden to bear.

Sam, on the other hand, was simply lonely, unwilling to hang with the partiers on the public beach down the road. Their crowd just wasn't to her taste.

She would much rather be lying on the beach with Danny.

And it seemed as if her wish had finally come true.

"Only you, Sam." Danny replied with a laugh.

She had missed that laugh so much.

"So...you're here." The girl said, setting her book aside. "What do you want to do?"

Danny paused for a moment, before his smile grew, and he turned to her, grains of sand sticking to his damp hair.

"Let's go snorkeling."

His request took her by surprise.

"Snorkeling?" Sam asked, stifling a laugh. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just...I've never been snorkeling. What if we find some treasure, or Nemo, or something?"

Sam grinned getting to her feet.

"Well, you know me. I just can't pass down an opportunity to find Nemo. Come on." She pointed towards the house. "We keep all that stuff in a shed outside."

The water was warm, heated by the unrelenting rays of the sun. Sam waded in, pulling her tank top over her head and throwing it on the sand. Danny followed suit, stripping off his soaked shirt, and kicking away his sandals. Soon they were ready, Sam in her bikini, Danny in his trunks, both holding new face masks and snorkels.

"Is there a good spot?"

"I dunno." Sam replied, scanning the water. "I really haven't looked."

"Then let's dive in."

Danny snapped the mask over his face, plunging into the water. Sam followed, wondering when Danny had become so confident. Ever since she had known him, he had been quiet and reserved; more the person to watch than to do something Ghost hunting had changed some of that, but...

He had never been like this.

She liked it.

The two hovered just below the surface, eyes trained on the ocean's sandy bottom. Eventually, the sand and plants gave way to vibrant coral, and small fish. They swam, side-by-side, marveling together at the sea life spread below them. Sam couldn't believe the magical world she had been missing ever since she had moved away. Never had she ventured out so far into the ocean. Never did she take the time to look at the wonders hiding on their property. It was magical enough taking in the sights...but to be there with Danny, sharing everything she saw...it felt surreal.

They continued for what seemed like hours, coming to the surface every so often to breathe, and talk about the things below. As they moved further along the shoreline, the sun sank lower on the horizon, as the lazy afternoon gave in to the allure of the evening.

Sam's eye scanned through the flora and fauna hiding beneath the surface, searching for anything interesting...Sure, she and Danny had found shells in all shapes and sizes, schools of fish, and strange plants...but they had come looking for treasure, and so far...there was none to be found.

It was then that she spotted it...

A small box hidden amongst a twisted web of coral.

She reached out, taking Danny's hand, pointing towards the area. When he saw what she did, his face lit up. Carefully, he reached forward with his free hand, and wrested the box away from its prison. Then, he headed towards the surface, Sam following behind him, her hand still resting comfortably in his.

As they both caught their breath, Danny pulled his mask away, examining their find.

"That's not Nemo." Sam smiled, pushing her own mask onto her head.

"No, Sam. It's treasure."

The boy turned the box over in his hands, before holding it out to his companion. She took it, staring at him incredulously.

"Open it." He said, and for a moment, Sam saw a glimpse of the shy, timid Danny she had known for so long. She did as he asked, working the old metal clasp, eroded by salt and time. The box popped open, revealing a few insignificant trinkets...and a large silver ring, with a dark opal set into the base.

"Danny...It's beautiful."

She took the ring in her palm, brushing away some of the black tarnish. Its gem shone in the fading light, revealing an array of different colors.

It was indeed a treasure.

"Put it on." Danny said, smiling softly, waves lapping against his bare chest. He then reached forward, gently taking the ring from her palm, slipping it over one of her slender fingers. It fit, as if it were meant for her.

"It's lovely..."

Sam watched as Danny turned towards the sunset, his blue eyes suddenly downcast. When he looked at her again, he was still smiling...but it was the broken, shattered smile from the day she had left him.

Maybe nothing had changed after all.

"You're lovely." He said, moving through the water towards her. Before Sam could react, his cold hand was on her cheek, cradling her face in his palm. Sam slowly reached up to pull it away, unsure of how to react to Danny's sudden advance. He had simply shown up out of nowhere to spend the day with her...and...now...what was she supposed to do?

She needed some answers.

"Danny...why are you here?"

The boy was silent for a moment, the broken smile still lingering on his lips. Once more, he took her face in his hands, drawing it close to his own. Sam's heart fluttered in her chest as they drew closer...closer...

"Maybe I just wasn't strong enough without you..."

The words were almost whispers as his lips ghosted over her own, sending shivers of ecstasy racing through her body.

Then, he pulled her close, kissing her softly in the fading light.

"I love you, Sam..."

Sam woke up, feeling the hot sun beating against her face. She sat up, her book falling from her chest to the warm sand below.

She was wearing her tank top and shorts again, along with her large sunglasses...

Had she merely fallen asleep?

That's what it had to be..nothing about her encounter with Danny had made sense. The entire thing had felt unreal...maybe...

There was a reason for that...

Because it hadn't happened.

Sam stared coldly at the ocean, feeling cheated. For one moment, she had believed that Danny had come to see her...for one moment, she hadn't been alone.

It was all too much.

With a frustrated sigh, Sam got to her feet, packing up her things, not wanting to stay on the beach any longer. She had to get away, even if it was to that creepy old house. She would rather be anywhere than the place where she had spent time with him. It hadn't been real...and she wanted to forget it.

It was only once she had everything bundled up beneath her arm, that she saw something dark glinting in the sand. Reaching down, she picked up a small, heavy, metal object, coated in damp sand. Brushing it way, she revealed a tarnished silver ring...adorned with a beautiful black opal...

Spy: so what happend? I know, but I'm not telling. lolz. I'm tired and feeling evil right now. Good night to all! and to all a good night!