The pool, Friday morning

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I really wish I could go to Sandover with you for a short visit," Dinah said over her shoulder to Jak, holding the door for him. She threw her towel on one of the pool chairs and kicked off her flip-flops. "But this'll have to do!"

[for the Sandover sweetheart, but open, as pools are]

Comments

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

Hand on his ankle! Jak's feet started paddling hard to get rid of it as he got yanked further under the surface. Come on! Kick out of the grasp!

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah let go of his ankle at that kicking, to meet him as he broke through the water, and bumped against him, legs tangling with his as she took a breath. "Not a shark. Just me." She grinned and poked his chest. "Racing or diving?"

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

Jak sincerely contemplated that. They were important choices to make.

Then he reached over and jabbed back. Two laps. We'll see who gets there first.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

They were!

Dinah grinned splashed him. "From that wall, to that one." She dove under to swim for the wall, bobbed back up, clinging to the edge, one arm out to reach already for the far side. "Whenever you're ready, Jak."

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

At least this time no one was engaging in any false starts. Jak was behind her by barely a meter, then shifted sideways, grabbing the edge next to her. He tilted his head towards her, face all confidence, and nodded. Whenever she was ready.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah beamed at him, and said, "Ready. Set-- GO!" And dove forward, arms striking out at the water, legs kicking violently, one arm stroking after another, remembering the beach at Sandover for a second, before concentrating on beating Jak.

Ooo, they should've set a bet! ... well, maybe she'd collect on something if she won anyway. Faster!

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

Hey, this was one where Jak totally had the home team advantage! ... If by 'home team' you meant 'people who learned to swim when they were like, three or something', anyway. With quick, easy strokes, he was passing her easily, not even pausing to gloat.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah caught sight of Jak out of the corner of her eye, passing her, and gulped for air, trying to put on more speed. Why wasn't she taller? Longer arms and legs might've helped. Well, maybe.

Or not.

Jak was at least two body lengths ahead of her by the time she was within striking distance of the wall and ready to flip and turn. She pushed off with all her strength, taking a huge lungful of air as she tried to accelearate.

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

Not fast enough. The grin on Jak's face was growing big enough to swallow plankton by the tons as he propelled himself through the water. Warm water? Totally his style. Even if it smelled funny. He was already three quarters to the wall again. One more lap after that..."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Aaagh! No matter how hard Dinah pushed herself, she only caught up a few body lengths. Even switching strokes to butterfly didn't get her much closer. C'mon c'mon c'mon....

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

Noooot happening, Dinah. So not. He touched the wall, put his feet to it, and pushed off-- hard-- back towards the other end, grinning maniacally all the way. He was graceful about it, too.

Well, the swimming. The grinning probably wasn't much for graceful winning.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Really not! Dinah managed not to yell her frustration by pushing her muscles just that much further. And maybe he was gonna win this, but she was going to give it everything she had.

He was a quarter of the pool ahead of her by the time she flipped for the last turn, and she concentrated on stroke-stroke-stroke-stroke faster, and ... yeah, not gonna make it, but darnit! Had to try!

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

Hey, it was cute, her trying! He meant that.

Totally.

Of course, then his hand touched the final edge, and the grin had gone up a few more watts. He turned around, spreading his arms along the edge, and smirked.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah slapped both hands on the side of the pool, then reared back, growling and splashing, and then pouting at him. "Dangit!"

The grin was a little impossible to resist, though. She pounced at him. Chaaaampion?

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

I rock, Jak informed her, modestly, shifting so he was only clinging to the edge with one hand. Did he get a prize?

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Maaaaaybe? Dinah teased him, arms around his neck, legs kicking lazily in the water. What's a rock star like you think he deserves?

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

Burgers?

... He might actually be making a joke. Considering how close he was leaning.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah chortled and leaned toward him even closer, fingers locking behind his neck and playing with his hair. You want fries with that?

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

I could go for fries. Or, as it would appear, attaching his lips to hers. Who knew!

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmm, salty fries... Might have gone through Dinah's brain before she was distracted by lips without salt. Even yummier. Heh.

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

There were very real advantages to the touch-telepathy thing, like the fact that nobody could actually hear the stuff they said in cases like this, because someone would've probably giggled.

Jak? Jak would blame being a lifelong student in the School of Daxter.

He kicked his feet a little to stay in balance while he kissed her, but he had to pull back eventually to avoid toppling. So... Diving next?

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

A lot.

Dinah had to clutch the edge of the pool a second while she got her breath back, so as not to go under, then considered, and nodded before pulling back too. Not sure how to make that a competition, though, she sent, dimpling. Whoever dives out the furthest? Biggest splash?

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

We could do that, Jak mused, or we could just... dive. What? Water was ag ood thing. A really really good thing. Especially if it meant more, uh. Fries. At the end.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Then Dinah was going to just have to come up with another excuse, or trigger, or really flimsy justification for getting fries.

"Works," she said aloud, and then hauled herself up out of the water and onto the edge of the pool. "Me first, I lost, consolation prize!" And she padded over to the diving board, climbing up it as quick as she could.

She took a moment at the edge of the board to wave to the non-existent judges, bow to Jak, then took a breath. One bounce. Two bounce. Three-- and diiiiiiiiiiive!

Splash!

[unborn-renegade.livejournal.com]

Hey! He couldn't recall agreeing to that!

Still, Jak was scrambling to get up out of the pool with another grin on his face, racing along the side towards the diving board as soon as she was finished. He got on it, bouncing once or twice (his trunks bounced along slightly at the edges) and... followed.

It wasn't exactly a swan dive, but it was really, really graceful, with a little arch, and then a straight on dive towards the floor of the pool.