001 → No Business for the Day
Title: No Business for the Day
Author: Rui
Rating: Harmless.
Disclaimer: Do not own the pic (see picture archive)
Remember this: Although he suspected that he was already melting, however that was strictly due to the sun.
→ It was a hot day. Unusually hot. Stifling hot. Everything was heavy, it smelled of sweat and grass and summer. The water in the lake was the clearest shade of blue she had ever seen. The memories of past summers seemed to be swirling in the air, making the atmosphere even heavier. She wiped her brow where small beads of sweat had pestered her all day. This morning, when she had gotten up the air had been cool and moist but as the day had progressed the weather had become unbearable making everything glisten with perspiration. The dress she had chosen to wear seemed appropriate. It was light and airy, but even so the climate remained unbearable.
"You know...?" A small sigh passed through her lips.
"You knoooow. Dot. Dot. Dot. Just because your sweaty and all hot and bothered by the weather does not give you an excuse to just start a sentence and not finish it. You've been doing it all day. And the sighing. Your such a complainer, you knoooow." He sticks his tongue out at her and grins.
Why? Why did he have to be him? Why did he have to be funny, cute, adorable, and have grin that melted her heart. Although, at this point she was beginning to suspect that any melting that was going on was directly related to the sun.
"Fine, I won't not finish my sentences. I will just babble and babble and babble until your so sick of my babbling, that you'll throw me in the lake. Better for you, sweetie?." She mimicked him sticking his tongue out.
A mischievous smile sprayed across his lips. The lake. Now, that was a good idea. And it could be the only way they would get any form of contact today. Truth was, he longed to be closer to her. Like the other day when they had been in the park and they embarked on their "spirited game of tag". He loved every part of her. Her smile, her cuteness, that absolute adorable grin that always played upon her face. If a guy's heart could melt, well that grin would have done him in. Although he suspected he was already melting, however that was strictly due to the sun.
"What? What's with that stupid grin?" She chuckled.
"The lake. You said the lake." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "And in case you could not pick up that eyebrow wiggling because of heat exhaustion, I'm suggestively wiggling my eyebrows at youuu!"
"We don't have bathing suits. Or any other clothes."
"Really? You would let simple things like clothes get in the way of some water to skin contact. REFRESHING water to skin contact I might add."
"No. I suppose I wouldn't let clothes get in the way." She winked at him in her flirty manner and then proceeded to remove her sandals. Without looking back, she walked towards the lake and dipped her toes in. She looked so calm and peaceful standing there, her feet dipped in the water, her eyes closed, and the sun's rays hitting her in all the right places. Without opening her eyes, she inched closer and closer into the lake. The water was at her knees now, the bottom of her dress getting wet and billowing in the water. She turned and asked, "Well, aren't you going to join me crusader of skin to water action."
He smiled. Felt his heart speed up just a bit and walked towards the lake to join her. "Now, this is good. Good plan. Very good plan," he said. She laughed. This was the first time today where she didn't feel miserable because of the weather. So, she turned so that she was facing him and not standing beside him. She signaled for him to follow her and then in the blink of an eye she fell backwards into the water. Instantly, she felt rejuvenated. The water covered every inch of her body, releasing every sweat bead and every inch of stress. There she was, floating in the water in the middle of August and for the first time this summer she felt content. Moments like this didn't come around that often. She treasured every last droplet of water that touched her skin. Beside her, she could feel that he had followed suit and plunged into the water. Very easily he found her hand, and there they stood frozen in time. The only link between the them their clasped hands. This was summer.
Through everything that she had gone through and everything that he had gone through, there they were still alive, still fighting. This summer had not lived up at all to all those other ones when they were kids. The summers they spent laughing and playing, and just enjoying what their lives had to offer. No, this summer had been different: filled with turmoil and change. It had made her lose a tiny bit of faith. But now submerged in the lake, together now (as it had always been) she realized that as long as they had each other everything would be ok. That's all she ever really needed to know.
"Why hadn't we thought of that sooner?" She grinned, wiping the water from her face seconds after coming up for air. "Because, we're stupid, children whose brains are mush," he responded with a smile. A smile that melted her heart, no sun interference at all this time. Everything was going to be ok. "Your such a buffoon." And before he could mockingly defend himself, she leaned over and kissed him. And his heart melted too, the sun was officially out of business for the day. ☼