Moira

25.

000d, 00h, 00m, 00s

Maybe it was a little true.

Though only by mere seconds, Esmond touched the stones to the left of the waterfall before me, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as he did so before a victorious smile spread across them.

Exhausted, breath so heavy I had to be careful not to accidentally swallow water with every single one I took, I threw my upper body onto the same row of stone, eyes closed as I calmed my beating heart.

"I told you so," He shrugged, trying his best to keep his breath at bay; I could tell he was just as exhausted as I was, though he was too proud to show it.

I simply nodded, my ego bruised but not nearly as fragile as his if he would've lost.

"I'm just a bit rusty," I defended, a faint smile spreading across my lips as I let my head fall back, dipping into the water. The sun was lower now, no longer forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut as I looked at the blue sky above us.

I sighed—a sigh of contentment rather than annoyance which usually laced my tone when I was with Esmond. Retreating my hair back out of the water, I took in the scenery before me for the first time, my arms supporting my weight as I leaned onto the stones separating me from the depths the waterfall beside us plunged into.

Granted, it wasn't actually that deep. Ten to fifteen feet, maybe? The falling water accumulated in a much smaller lake, surrounded by thicker forest, no path seeming to lead anywhere from it.

Seemingly completely untouched by mankind. It was beautiful.

"Rusty?" He asked after a while, a mocking tone in his voice. "Is that another word for slow?"

I rolled my eyes, snorting humorously before I hit his chest playfully. "It's another word for I haven't been in the water in... five years?" I laughed lowly. "I used to go swimming at least three times a week."

His eyebrows perked up at the statement, sending me a glance out of the corner of his eyes. "Professionally?" He wondered, honest interest in his voice, probably for the first time in any of our conversations.

I shrugged. "I don't know if I'd call it professionally..." My voice trailed off. "It would've never gone anywhere, of course. So let's call it a hobby."

"Why'd you stop?"

That was an easy one.

"School," I muttered lowly, embarrassed by the prospect of having to reveal it took me longer than it should've to finish my education.

"School?"

I sighed once more. "I was put back a year, graduated a year later and literally dropped everything else to focus on it, then," I explained, so quickly I wasn't sure he understood me. I knew I wasn't going to repeat it.

He huffed, amusement lingering in his voice. "The great Amidelle Gray, graduating a year late? Shocking." He teased, his eyes flickering over to find me glaring at the side of his face.

"Well, it all worked out for the better, in the end—" I shot back, eyes knitting together tightly as I turned my head to look straight ahead. The sun slowly but surely setting, giving the rest of the previously blue sky an orange tint.

"Ah, yes," He scoffed. "It really did, didn't it? Ordinary job, ordinary apartment, ordinary life."

Though he worded it like an insult, I nodded vigorously at his words. "Precisely."

"The only thing not fitting the narrative is—"

"—you." I quickly cut off, feeling his eyes burning into the side of my face. "The only thing not fitting my narrative is you."

A singular, humourless laugh escaped his lips, rolling his head back to look out in front of him, admiring the sunset just like I was. "Well, I apologise for that," He— chuckled?

The sound strange even with the obvious sarcasm laced in it.

"I know you don't," I shrugged. "It's— okay? I guess," I hesitated after the words slipped past my lips, furring my brows at them myself. "Well— it's not." I laughed lowly. "But—"

"—It's getting exhausting?" He chimed in quickly, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek in irritation after the words seemingly tumbled out of his mouth.

It did become exhausting. I wasn't sure if he meant the constant bickering, the spiteful comments and the yelling— but it sure was what I thought of first. So, I nodded.

"Yeah."

A silence hung over us, then. The only sound the birds and the crickets, the light wind shaking the trees and the water falling beside us.

And suddenly — with nothing else to distract me — I was painfully aware of the wet clothing sticking to my wet body, my body urging me to take them off as a single shiver came over me.

Esmond noticed, waiting another minute or two before breaking the silence with a sigh.

"Let's get out of here, then. Your lips are turning blue and purple already," He huffed in light amusement as his eyes flickered down to them.

I nodded, though couldn't help the smirk forming on my face.

"What are you doing looking at my lips?" I snickered, humour lacing my voice before he rolled his eyes playfully.

"Don't flatter yourself, yeah?" were the last words before he pushed himself off the stones, diving for a few feet before emerging from underneath the water to continue swimming back to shore.

I followed suit, though didn't bother going as fast as on the way here. I enjoyed it, this time, almost ravishing in the feeling.

When I heaved myself out of the water, Esmond had already dried himself, the black towel hanging out of the duffle bag as he took a sip of water; eyes closed.

I cringed slightly at the way my wet clothes felt, now that I was out of the water; grabbing the towel without even asking for it. It was slightly damp but would still be helpful enough.

Before I had the chance to start drying myself, the sound of Esmond clearing his throat made me turn towards him; his arm stretched out only inches from my chest; his own shirt clenched in between his fingers.

"You might want to consider changing," He suggested, a teasing smirk on his lips as his eyes fell down my body, my gaze following his as my eyes widened.

Quickly grabbing the shirt out of his hands, holding it in front of my chest to cover the lacy, black bra — that was very much visible through the completely see-through fabric of my blouse — my cheeks tinted a deep shade of red.

The reaction made him muffle a laugh; an eyebrow quirked as his eyes connected with mine.

Clutching the dark shirt closer to my wet body, I knitted my brows together slightly. "Well, do you mind—?!" I huffed, then, exasperated and confused as I urged him to turn around so I could actually cover myself.

He did without another word, only a singular laugh escaping his mouth as his back turned towards me.

Once I got rid of the drenched blouse and threw the grey shirt over my body, instead, I noticed the length of it; gratefully shrugging off my trousers as well, seeing as it reached a little above my knees, and even with the sun almost completely set, it was surprisingly warm.

And then, my wet clothes clutched under my arm, duffle bag thrown over his bare shoulder and water bottle in his hand; we walked the same way back we came from in complete silence.

A comfortable one, this time. 

- 

Besties you have no idea how much I love these two PLEASE 

I'm so ready 

See you tomorrow!!