Even after six months, big, luxurious beds still made Dominic uncomfortable. It was four in the morning and he still hadn't been able to get more than four hours of sleep. His hands cleared the sleep from his eyes and he gave a resigned sigh to the fact that he might as well get his day started. He rolled out of the bed well before the sun would come up and went to the shower. When he finished, he opened up his suitcase and pulled out fresh clothes. Boxer briefs, running shorts, and a grey ARMY t-shirt. He wrapped his phone case around his bicep and hooked up his headphones before taking a stroll out and to the beach.
He saw Quinn come in - she looked exhausted - and stayed out of her way as she proceeded straight to her room. Once out on the grounds, he went quickly to the beach. The long stretch of sand covered many properties and was easily four miles long. The warm night air and humidity was enough to get him sweating just in his warm up. By the time the sun had come up, he had a familiar path that took him from one end of the beach to the other. His body burned with the run, his knee specifically, but he kept pushing himself until the light filled the sky. He returned to the estate, finding a good spot to sit and watch the sun illuminate the waters as it came up from behind him. The bit of relaxation was welcome.
What a weird few months. he thought. From soldier to prince with the signing of a paper.
He spent some time thinking about the friends he'd made since he came back. He remembered running into Jack again, after all these years. The thought made him laugh. He had caught up with the old family friend over drinks one day, and they kept in touch over social media. Dominic had flown out to L.A. a few times, met Sophia twice before he heard about the Wedding that had been long since planned. He was happy for his friend. All the sappy bullshit about marrying your best friend and true love always made him roll his eyes, but seeing them together made him reconsider. Hell, it's why he was here.
He stood and made his way back into the early morning house. A few folks moved here and there and he gave them a nod as he passed. He was soaked and sweaty, and very much needed a shower. Once he was clean, he found some nice khaki shorts and a loose button down t-shirt to clothe himself with.
He spent some time unpacking, hanging clothes in the closet, filling the dresser he had been provided, then found the book he was reading and went back into it on the small balcony overlooking the ocean. When he smelled food, hours later, he packed the book away and headed downstairs. The kitchen was already full of ladies, to which he waved a hand and moved to an empty spot where the chow was being made.
"Morning ladies..." he said, completely at a loss on normal conversation topics or procedures. Until six months ago, his life involved four people. Superiors, Friendlies, Civilians, and Hostiles. He was pretty positive that telling all of them to get to safety (his normal route with Civilians) wouldn't go over well.
Then again, it was a wedding.