Everything Ariella (COMPLETE)

Kai Embrose

I parked and she looked at me, shocked.

"A rec-center? I can't swim." She whispered.

"I can. We're gonna have fun. Let's go angel." I opened my door and she got out too.

I went into the back, grabbing the towels and she followed very close behind me.

"It's alright Ari. Do you not want to do this? I won't force you." I looked at her and she looked up at me.

"Don't let me drown." She said.

"I won't. I swear." I moved the towels to one arm and offered my other hand to her.

She took it, standing super close to me as we walked inside.

I paid and we went through the locker rooms till the smell of chlorine smacked me in the face.

People were laughing and having fun as I found a chair, setting our things down.

"Shoes off." I said and she nodded, taking them off.

I removed my shirt soon after and caught her staring.

I had made sure her hair was braided tight so it wasn't tangled too much when she went to shower.

"Come on." I offered my hand again and she took it, following me into the shallow end of the normal swim area, not the kiddy pool.

Her breath caught and I turned, facing her.

I took her other hand and eased her into the pool.

It wasn't cold, it was pretty nice.

"Do I look funny swimming in a giant shirt?" She asked.

I laughed.

"You look very pretty swimming in a giant shirt." I smiled and she rolled her eyes but nodded.

We got knee deep.

"Please don't let me go." She looked at me.

"I won't, I didn't bring you here to torture you I swear." I smiled.

We got hip deep now, still easing into it.

Luckily it wasn't busy today, just with kids and they weren't really swimming here.

"Can you teach me to swim?" She asked.

"Of course." I nodded.

She was standing, chest deep while it was still at my abdomen.

"Kai." She panicked when I kept backing up and I ducked down so we were level.

I pulled her closer to me, her hands holding on very tightly to my arms and I laughed.

"Breathe. I've got you, lift your legs." I said and she did.

"Let me pull you." I moved quickly and she gasped but a smile broke her face.

"There you go. It's alright." I went even deeper so it was at my shoulders.

It was the 6' area.

"I can't touch the ground." She looked at me, her eyes wide and her legs began flailing.

I pulled her to me, having her wrap her legs around me.

"I can touch, you're not gonna drown I promise." I said and she began kind of playing with the water.

I spun us a bit and she laughed, her arms going around my neck and holding tightly onto me.

"You're choking me." I grunted and she laughed.

"Sorry." She released me a bit and I took a solid breath.

"I think you need panic lessons 101. When you swim, don't flail, don't be obnoxious, and don't breathe funny. The water isn't gonna pull you under, it'll just sit still. When you're swimming, you'll move your legs to keep you up, your arms doing the same but do it slowly and calmly." I went deeper, taking my feet off the ground and my arms away from her, showing her.

"Can you feel my legs moving?" I asked.

"Yea." She looked under the water.

"I'm not touching the ground." I said and she held on tighter.

"Hold onto my arms." I said and she did.

"Let go of me with your legs." I nodded.

She began moving her legs, soft flutters and I smiled.

"There you go. Now that's a lot of it." I moved us so we were in 5'.

"Can you touch the ground if you try?" I asked and she could, her face barely sticking out.

I laughed and nodded.

"Begin moving your legs." I said and released her hands, moving mine to her waist.

She did, her head popping out more.

"Move your arms like you're moving your legs but more outward." I showed her and she did.

I released her.

"There you go. You're swimming." I nodded.

"How do you move?" She asked and I laughed.

"Same exact movements, bring your arms in front of her and paddle that way. Bring your body foreword and try to come to me." I backed away slightly and she pushed herself off the floor and began doggy paddling to me.

I caught her and immediately her legs wrapped around me.

"That's a workout." She wiped her face and I smiled.

"But you did it. We can come back and practice more. Swimming is a good thing to know, you're a fast learner." I said and she nodded, putting her head on my shoulder.

I grinned like a dork, taking her back to my height of water again so my shoulders were sticking out and her face was still resting there.

This was fun. It really was.