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"No." Fanny narrowed her eyes. "Claude, I'm not gonna do it with you. " She crossed her arms and turned her head away, her body language spoke of her distrust for her boyfriend.
Despite how cute she looked when she's pissed, especially in that yellow two piece bikini, Claude knew she was serious. Damn it, why must she be so.... and she's starting to walk away from the pool, not good...
Claude dashed towards her, it's a skill that he didn't slip along the wet floor, barefoot even. He gripped her forearm, she stiffened, so he brushed his thumb on her tense muscles, yet still she didn't face him. She's growing immune to his charms.... really not good...
"Fan! I'm serious this time." Claude assured her, he heard a disbelieving snort from her in reply. Claude sighed, she's not gonna let him pass like before won't she?
"I promise." Claude added, just as he said, he's serious about this.
A reluctant sigh, she turned around and took off his hand that was holding her, cherry lips frowned, slender arms akimbo, ocean eyes glared at him.
"What you did that time was completely unnecessary." She answered him, her irritated voice heavy inside the swimming area.
She's still not over it? Really? That was days ago, girls and their grudges...
Even so, her eyes wandered to the pool, there wasn't any fear unlike last time, and Claude saw his chance. This was the first time in days when they had decent conversation after all.
"Oh come on, It was an accident Fan, you know that." Claude hugged her, she was too irresistible like this, yet she was still unmoving in his embrace. Claude's damp tank top and beach shorts dampened Fanny's dry swimwear, but it didn't look like she minded. "Besides, I opened the pool area just for you, swimming lessons aren't free, you know."
Being a lifeguard in a private resort has its perks, more so if your friend owns the place, and owes you.
Fanny was hushed, so Claude lowered his arms and gripped her lovely waist, and unable to control himself, he bowed his head and tucked hers under his chin. It's really corny for him to be like this, and Fanny had dubbed him as the corniest boyfriend in the world because of it, but the fact that she softened in his hold was proof that she liked this part of him.
Claude was smug at her cute actions, his girlfriend can't play hard to get forever.
"Besides, who would've thought that my graceful girlfriend would sink like a brick in water?"
"I'll take swimming lessons from Clint if you keep this up." Fanny squirmed in his hold.
Claude gripped her tighter at that, he ignored her bluff. Clint was the one who introduced Fanny to him after all, and Claude's not gonna let her have her way all the time.
"I kinda like it, I saved you many, many times when you drown, or when you sprain your legs, or when you get tired from the water. Carrying you in my arms feels really nice." Claude rambled on, then he hesitated to talk more, but there's no harm admitting on why a part of him liked it that she can't swim.
"I like being your hero." There, he said it.
The tranquil undulations of the pool water occupied the silence, a complete opposite of what happened last time, the incident that caused this puny quarrel, at a public pool, Claude pushed her to the water, drowned her out of fun, except it occurred in the deepest part of the pool, thankfully he saved her in time.
An accident, they both knew it was. He sincerely thought they were at the shallow part of the water.
Angry tears were shed. A rueful sorry left unsaid. A slap on the cheek. She didn't talk to him for a week. As did he, contemplating apologies in his head.
Claude tried to talk to her, text her, call her, even asked their friends to forward her his apologies, yet his Fan was indeed stubborn – kicked him out of their group chat and blocked him on facebook even. In a span of a week Claude suffered so much sadness, feared the inevitable break up, or maybe she finally found someone else, or maybe she's plotting her revenge.
She's crazy, he reasoned to his buddies, however they laughed at him and called him stupid instead of joining his rants about this maniacal girl named Fanny.
Today ended their impasse. Fanny called him this morning, landline, and just like that his annoyance with her was gone, but she hung up, so Claude called her again, and somehow between their awkward and heated conversations they ended up here.
"Hero? You?"
Fanny's cheeky snort snapped Claude out of his thoughts, and his heart throbbed under the air of her voice once she spoke against his chest.
"Don't be ridiculous." Fanny rolled her eyes.
"That's not a nice thing to say to your savior." Well, he did push her… but the point still stands.
Claude shivered ever so slightly as she returned his hug. She's not as physically doting as he was, so you can't blame him for blushing when she takes initiative every once in a while.
"If you prefer it that." She started, laughter hid under hushed lips. "I'll just avoid all bodies of water to put a stop to your silly ego."
Claude chuckled, glad the mood was light again, he always knew there was a playful side to her despite her tough and formal exterior. Maybe he can delay their little swimming lesson just to hold her like this a little longer.
"But I don't want you to waste all those bikinis you have." Claude's theatrical sigh rippled in the area. "You look really sexy when wet."
"Pervert." Fanny growled and bestowed Claude a brash punch in the gut. The lifeguard expected it, but he really couldn't help himself around her, she made it too easy to tease.
"Yeah, I'm your pervert." Claude shrugged, and even brushed his fingers millimeters from her gropable ass just to show her how much of a pervert for her he can be. He's bolder now that they're alone, and Fanny docile to his advances without stray eyes watching....
However, Claude can't just make out with her in here, as much as he wanted to, with CCTV cameras nailed to the walls. This isn't why he called her here to begin with, it's even a miracle she agreed despite the accident.
He'd be lying if he said if he didn't fantasize making out with her in here, however.
"Look, are you really gonna teach me how to swim?" Fanny asked, her airy voice lulled Claude into her spell, her curious fingers skimmed his back. He relaxed at her touch, he sank into her being, into an ocean formulated of her smiles, and yet she remained incognizant of her appeal. This astounded Claude sometimes, how did this slip of a girl accomplished this so much power over him?
"Fan." Claude murmured against her hair, he drummed his fingers along the curve of her waist. He remembered the times he had to carry her in the water, how her delicate limbs would clutch his body, how she would panic when they waded to the deeper parts of the water, how she would punch him when he pretended to let go of her. Fun times. He will miss holding her in his arms once she learns how to swim, it was such a good excuse to feel her up too.
Maybe it wasn't so bad, she'll stop wearing those silly life jackets when her dainty feet couldn't touch the pool floor, she'll stop being anxious when he wasn't by her side holding her afloat in the water. She'll finally join everyone in the sea, and not stay dry in her delectable swimsuit watching by the shore.
Yeah, it's for the best, he knew that much.
"Hey, even if I like being you hero." Claude gripped her hips and gave it a tender squeeze, and the faint blush that emerged on her cheeks was sweet. "I'd like it more if you can swim."
"No more playing superhero then, Claude?" Fanny's voice was wistful, her slender fingers skimmed against breadth of his lower back, and Claude responded in kind with subtle brushstrokes on her waist. This exchange of shy touches brought Claude comfort, words they couldn't say travel through the tiny hairs of their skin, a language they're slowly learning bit by bit. He knew she liked it when he saved her sometimes, even if she won't say it.
"I'm always your hero." Claude answered her. "Even if you don't want me to." He snickered, but he meant his words, and Fanny sighed. Claude smiled and brushed her cobalt locks, a color when the sky conquered the sea.
Fanny said nothing, she bowed her head and tucked herself in his embrace, and that's where Claude wanted her to be. With him. Always.
"I want you to swim with me, Fan." Claude confessed, the spirit of his heart swam along with his words, left him breathless, too close to what he wanted to say.
It's too early to even imply those three words.
Fanny finally looked up. Claude could drown into her eyes and he would have no intention of getting out of its depths.
"Really?" Fanny gave him a shy smile, and that small tilt of her head made Claude weak.
"Yeah, I'll even let you drown me too." Claude shrugged, and contemplated if he should take back that offer.
"I don't need your permission to do that." Fanny giggled and Claude did too, there really was no difference, she'd do it anyway.
"Man, is this payback? Why does it feel like I'm teaching you how to kill me?"
Fanny laughed an amiable melody, Claude's heart danced with the beats of her smile, and he died right where he stood.
"Damn you!" Fanny's laugh faded to soft giggles, "Why must you be so corny?"
"I know you love it." Claude wagged his brows and leant his head towards her, tiny sparks danced in the air between their skins, and Fanny's rosy lips were oh so tempting to fall into.
"Yeah." Fanny angled her head, a familiar pose, one would do before a kiss. "I do..."
Their eyes closed, and their lips crossed the distance, the sun sank into the sea.
A battle between cherry and chlorine bleach took place in their dancing lips, their unseasoned mouths still learning the steps of this intimate waltz. Claude paid no mind and further sank himself into her depths, and slender hands caressed his neck and upper back, waves of the sea lapped on his skin. Beguiled to her allure he pulled her closer, drowned into her, and soon wanderlust took control of them, their arms roamed each other's bodies, traveled to places they never went to before.
Claude could count on the ticks of his watch the times they've kissed, curious tongues, clumsy noses, and tender lips. They were each other's first, inexperienced in all of this, Fanny even more so, and they kept each other sane in this crazy ride of first love.
"So..." Claude leant away, and he pecked her lips again, just because. "You wanna learn how to swim now?"
"Yeah." Fanny smiled and brushed his cheek. "But your eyes tell a different story."
"Your big brother's gonna kill me Fan." Claude shrugged, it's not like that Tigreal didn't try to before, regardless Claude took on her offer. "So you want to make out by the locker room or...?"
Fanny snickered as she slapped his cheeks, just enough force to not make them red. "Claude!"
"Alright." Claude let go of her when he felt Fanny turn around. "Offer still stands."
"Silly." Fanny snorted and walked towards the shallow part of the fool. Claude's eyes ogled that pert butt as his girlfriend walked, and how her cute bun moved with her hips, a dangerous combination of cute and sexy.
Fanny reached the pool stairs and dipped a dainty foot in the water, her tiptoes gauged the temperature, she scrunched her lips, her body shivered as she slowly dipped her body into the pool, she stopped walking once the water reached her shoulders.
"I thought the pool would be room temperature by now." Fanny whisked a splash of water towards Claude, but it didn't reach him.
"That's what happens when it's a private pool Fan." Claude jumped into the water, the splash much bigger than she made, the water ended just below his chest, and he didn't mind the cold. "The water doesn't have pee or sweat from other people so..."
"Don't ruin it." Fanny whisked a splash of water again, and Claude's blonde hair nearly flattened on his head.
"It's true." Claude wiped his eyes and grinned, he waded through the pool and hugged her, her pout piqued his urge to tease her. "Think about it, the times you've drowned before, you've swallowed like liters of pee or — OW!"
"Claauuude." Fanny pinched his forearm. Hard. "Stop it."
"Fan!" Claude guffawed and nearly let go of her when she pinched his hip, he smirked and pulled her closer. Claude began to drift a bit to the right where he knew it'd be deeper, but just enough for Fanny to stand on her toes to keep her head above the water.
Fanny gulped, but kept her cool, she tightened her hold, and she guarded her dangling feet.
"Didn't know you had it in you to do that." Claude went to the edge of the pool and he saw Fanny relax. See? He's not that evil.
"Try me." Fanny dared, and Claude's heartbeat created ripples in his chest.
This girl... really didn't know how powerful her words can be. So many indecent thoughts flooded in his head, but this isn't the place for it. He tucked the possible scenarios in his head for safekeeping.
"Maybe sometime..." Claude loosened his embrace, for a millisecond there was panic in her eyes, then relief when she realized she can stand on the water.
Fanny took the swimming lessons they had before by heart, she tried to float, her limbs followed his past advice, and soon, she'll do it at the sea too. He hoped.
But she didn't dare do it any further, she didn't wade towards the deeper part of the pool.
Claude frowned at that.
"I'm really sorry for last week Fan." Claude swam towards her, this fear didn't exist before, and he's undoubtedly guilty for this now timid girl in front of him.
Yet she shook her head.
"I-it's fine, I just had to get used to it." Fanny answered, she took a deep breath then she surprised Claude when she dived underwater, a graceless lunge.
Claude was sorely tempted to pull her back, but he did note how she improved her breast strokes, her body was almost balanced, and her movements fluid. Admittedly it was disappointing when she swam towards the shallow part of the pool, she didn't do that before.
It's on the fifth stroke that Fanny surfaced from the water, just a few steps near the pool stairs. She coughed, took deep breaths, and wiped her eyes.
"I swam." Fanny smiled, then faced her boyfriend. "I finally got it!"
Claude hid his laughter, cut down his urge to tease her, he didn't want to ruin her fun, seeing her happy like this, with her blue hair slightly loosened from its bun, her rosy cheeks, and that preppy smile, she's too cute.
"That's great Fan!" Claude cheered, but certainly she'll do better than that, she really needed to face her fears and go deeper into the pool, but this will do. It's his fault why she turned to this anyway, he hoped this was temporary.
Claude plodded towards her and took her hand in his, "Wanna go swim to the other side this time?" He asked in the gentlest voice he was capable of, gauging how far she wanted this to go.
Fanny considered it. She set her eyes set on the other side of the pool, seven feet deep, she simpered, nervous. "I…" She looked at him for a moment, then back to the pool again. "I wanna do more."
A second of hesitation, then Claude took her in his arm, her back against his chest, and with his other arm he waded to the other side of the pool, yet he couldn't ignore her silence.
"Fan, do you still want to?" Claude stopped halfway. "We can stop if you want."
"Keep going," Fanny gulped.She peeked behind him, and her grip on his arm tightened, and in a meek voice spoke again.
"I trust you."
A second's pause, and Claude beamed at her. He swam a few more meters till the water reached his underarms.
Claude floated in place, being a lifeguard does indeed have its perks. Fanny can hold on to him all morning, he was trained for this, she's nearly weightless in his arms.
Claude pulled her closer, his arms her life jacket. Fanny laid against him and let her legs dangle under the water.
They didn't say anything for a while, the lonely air was accompanied by the sounds of water, they idled in the pool, drifted to the lazy currents, swimming lessons forgotten.
"Thanks, Fan." Claude whispered against her hair, which was slightly unlaced from her scrunchy.
"What do you mean?" Fanny closed her eyes, relaxed against his torso.
"Well." Claude sighed. "You still trust me after that." His bubbling anxiety rippled out of his mouth, he gulped.
"You'd really think we'd fight over something like that?" Fanny replied. "It was an accident."
"You ignored me all week!" Claude whined.
'I was worrying over nothing.'
"I was angry with you!" Fanny groaned and lightly smacked the back of her head against his chest, she opened her eyes to look at him. "I just needed time to cool off from you."
"You didn't even let me say sorry." Claude pouted, well, he couldn't let go of that, those days were awful, being ghosted. She's so merciless!
Fanny elbowed him, hard, Claude laughed at her tenacity and in revenge he tickled her.
Not the best idea doing that right in the center of the pool, splashes of water blinded them, but Claude knew they were sinking, he stopped when Fanny squirmed too much in his arms. It'd be a tragedy if this would be their cause of death.
"Stooop it!" Fanny giggled, she gripped his arms to stop him, not knowing that he already steadied themselves in the water.
"That smarts Fan," Claude coughed, the brute force from her sharp elbow radiated on his chest. "I think my nipple got a fracture there."
"Poor baby!" Fanny guffawed, but she played along. "What can I do to make it feel better?"
"Apologize to the nipple." Claude bellowed, the absurd order echoed in the room. He bit his lips to stop himself from laughing at his impromptu words.
"This is ridiculous!" Fanny smiled. "You're the one who drowned me and you want me to say sorry?"
"Hey! That already passed so it doesn't count!" Claude smirked.
"Clauuuude!" Fanny giggled. "We can't swim at this rate!"
She had a point, Claude realized, they barely did anything, well, he barely did anything. So instead of getting back to work like a lifeguard he was, he blew a raspberry behind her ear. Fanny lightly pinched his arm in retaliation.
"Nah, this is a date now." Claude argued, with how things are going, he doubted they can do anything productive today.
"A date?" Fanny asked, she turned around in his hold and faced him, and gave him a slow innocuous blink. "Wasn't this a date from the start?"
"It is?" Claude answered her question with a question. Were they having two conversations during that phone call this morning?
"So, it wasn't before?"
"Do you want it to be?"
"I reckoned this was your version of a date." Fanny blushed, she meekly looked away. "Seems I misunderstood."
Fanny tucked her hair behind her ear, and she still didn't look at him.
"I thought we should reconcile after that incident so I called you..." Fanny added, shame kept her voice low. "I wasn't mad anymore, and I heard from the others you were trying to contact me so I..."
"Oh..." Claude smiled at her sincerity. "I'm sorry too..."
Claude relived the events that day, he frowned, the panic in her eyes, the screams from everyone, if he hadn't been so careless...
But she's here now, and Claude was determined to teach her how to swim, that should never happen again.
"So... Are we okay now Fan?" Claude asked, his head bowed against her hair. He never did this before, usually when they argued they move on and never speak of it again.
"Of course we are." Fanny smiled, and Claude's anxiety swept away at her words.
"You'd really think we'd break up because of that incident? I heard from Granger that you did nothing but whine about it."
This time Claude snorted, a habit he got from her. "Hey, I know I'm a sap, but not that much of a sap like your emo friend."
"Lowblow Claude." Fanny replied, some of his laidback words found their way in her vocabulary. "That's mean of you to say."
"But you agree." Claude implied.
"I didn't say anything." Fanny insisted.
"Yeah," Claude hummed, then remembered something important. "You unblocked me from Facebook at least?"
"Yes."
"Instagram?"
"Yes."
"Snapchat?"
"Yes."
"Tinder?"
"Ye– Hey wait a minute!"
Fanny pinched his cheeks and Claude only laughed harder at their antics.
It was ridiculous how fast they made up, so that one week of drama was for nothing? No wonder their friends made fun of them, and they probably still are, assholes.
"Claude." Fanny released his cheeks. "Can we get out first? My hands are starting to prune."
"We'll get out of the pool if you promise you'd learn how to swim, for real this time." Claude replied, his cheeks red, and he turned his head towards the deepest part of the pool. "We'll do it everyday before summer ends. No more superhero for me I guess...."
Claude tightened his embrace, just a tad so she won't notice, relished the moments when she still needed him. Take her out of the water and she can do well on her own, she's a very fierce woman after all.
"You can just hold me like this." Fanny said. "It doesn't matter once I know how to swim, and besides..."
"Besides...?"
"I... I want to be with you in the water not just because I'm afraid of drowning." Fanny admitted.
"You're not gonna drown." Claude reasoned. "I'm with you. I'm not gonna let anything bad happen."
Fanny bit her lips, and Claude gaped at her, this conversation was getting too...
"That's not it..." Fanny sighed, and really looked at him, and Claude knew they were talking about something else entirely.
"I want to be with you, because it's you."
Both were silent after that. Claude didn't expect their dip in the pool to turn into this, and he felt so blessed to have this girl in his arms, this girl he didn't expect to have him as he is. What did she see in him?
'I love you, Fanny.'
"Me too..." Claude answered her, the whisper of his heart danced with his words.
Fanny smiled, a smile he never saw before, and he was smitten, he wanted to see that smile everyday, aimed at him.
They weren't the same after that day, a moment in time that was theirs to keep, when they got closer more than they expected to, but they weren't complaining either.