A/N Alright, I know that I haven't really payed attention to all my other stories, but i've been really busy with school...and this idea just popped into my head, so I just had to write it down before I forgot!

anyways, I hope you enjoy it!

"Archie, c'mon, already!" Atlanta called.

Archie shook his head. How did I let her get me to do this? He wondered. Oh, ya, now I remember. It's because I am totally head over heels for her, and she can make me melt with a single look. He thought wryly as he gave the water a murderous look, as if it was its entire fault.

Yes, in fact, Atlanta had somehow convinced Archie to go the community pool with her. Archie, of course, had been too preoccupied thinking if Atlanta would be either in a single piece swimsuit or a bikini, had not heard the part where Atlanta had asked him if he wanted her to give him swimming lessons. Archie had basically just nodded the whole time, earning snickers from the others and a large smile from Atlanta, who had told him to get his swim trunks on and get going. It was at this point that Archie realised just how much trouble he was in for.

And so, it brings us to the present, with Atlanta in her brown bikini, her fire-red hair dripping wet and hanging down, standing in the shallow end of a twenty five meter pool, trying to convince Archie to 'just take a dip'.

This whole time, Archie had basically been standing at the very edge of the pool, starring at the beautiful red-head who was trying to convince him to get in the water. Gathering his courage, he went to sit on the edge of the pool, letting his legs dangle from the edge, and into the clear, innocent looking water.

Sensing his fear and nervousness, Atlanta approached. Taking his hands in her own (Archie blushed at the contact of her slightly calloused hands), she said reassuringly: "Don't worry, Arch. I've got your back. I'll be here the whole time...you can even hold my hands if you want, and we don't even have to go into the deep end if you don't want to..."

Of course, needless to say, she had him hooked when she said that they would be holding hands the whole time.

Slipping slowly and quietly in the lukewarm water, Archie cringed at the wetness that went up to his hips.

"Happy now?" he grumbled.

Smiling, Atlanta started to go a little deeper. Since she was a bit shorter than Archie, the water came up to her waist, and Archie tried hard to not notice her shape as the bikini clung to her wet skin.

A little boy then swam past them, followed by his mother. Sticking his tongue out and making a disgusted face, he turned to his mother and said in a voice loud enough for Archie and Atlanta to hear: "Eww mommy, look at the two love birds!" before turning around to the safety of his mother's arms. Chuckling, his mother said: "Peter, don't make such a face...one day, you will also fall in love, and you will see that it's a beautiful thing... now go and apologize."

Swimming over to the two teenagers, little Peter mumbled: "I'm sorry that I got disgusted by the fact that you two are going out together..."

Archie, who had been blushing a deep red the whole time, was about to tell the kid that they were just friends, but a semi-calloused hand slapped over his mouth, shutting him up.

"What was that for?" a blushing Archie asked the beautiful red-head, who was still holding his hands. Atlanta was looking at something behind Archie, and by the expression on her face, it wasn't good. Turning around, Archie saw what she had been looking at.

A gang of three guys had come in the pool, splashing around and pushing each other. Archie knew who these guys where. They were part of one of the worst gang in New Olympia, taking advantage of girls that traveled alone or that did not have a boyfriend there to protect them.

Archie now understood why Atlanta had shut him up: if those brutes knew that Atlanta was single, they would have come over, overpowered Archie and would have done who knows what to Atlanta.

Noticing that the brutes had seen that Atlanta was in the pool, and that she was hot and in a bikini, the guys started heading over. Noticing this, Archie leaned over and hissed in Atlanta's ear: "Follow my lead," confused, Atlanta just stared at him while Archie put his arms around her waist. Catching on, she put her arms around his neck. Both of them blushed at their closeness, but they knew it was the only way to not get in trouble and not stand out among all the other couples.

Bending over once more, Archie whispered in her ear yet again. "Are they going away?"

Looking over Archie's shoulder subtly, Atlanta noticed that they brutes had not slowed down and where about fifteen meters away from them, and closing in fast.

They must know it's a trick she thought. A sudden idea came to her, an idea that was sure to be foolproof. "Kiss me." She whispered in Archie's ear. Shocked, Archie looked into her eyes.

"Wh-what?" He stammered, sure that he hadn't heard properly. Surely (his) Atlanta, would not kiss someone who was not her boyfriend, even in these circumstances?

Rolling her eyes, she hissed under her breath: "Look, Archie. They know that we aren't really dating, but if we start kissing, they'll just turn around and leave us alone. And besides, it's not as if you haven't kissed any girls before, right?" Not meeting her eyes, Archie just blushed.

"Well, actually..." he stammered.

Atlanta starred at her friend in shock. Archie had never kissed a girl before?

"Actually, me neither." She whispered. Archie turned his head sharply.

"But what about Pan?" Atlanta shook her head. "Kissing a guy when you are under a spell doesn't count." She objected.

Noticing that the brutes where within earshot now, Archie tilted Atlanta's head up and stared into her beautiful light green eyes. Leaning forward, their lips met. Pulling Atlanta closer to him, Archie deepened the kiss, hoping that this moment would never end. On her part, Atlanta felt shivers run up and down her spine. Why is it that this kiss felt so good, and held so many unspoken promises on Archie's part? Wasn't it just so that they could escape a fight with the neighbourhood bad guys? A sudden realization crept over her.

I love him... she thought.

Needing to breathe, they pulled apart, still starring into each other's eyes. Noticing how the brutes where still looking at him and Atlanta, and since they were still in earshot, Archie started stroking her hair, holding her close. Atlanta, who took the hint, and also wanted to be closer to Archie, pressed herself closer to him, burying her face in his chest, and breathing in the comforting scent of home, trees and rain, even if it was a bit overshadowed by the smell of chlorine.

"I love you, Atlanta..." Archie said, pretending to have not noticed the brutes, who had stopped and where starring at them.

Shocked, Atlanta could just stammer and try to say the four words that she had been dying to say for the past year and a half, even if under these circumstances they were supposed to be empty words.

"I-I love you too, Arch..."

Suddenly, Atlanta felt big strong arms yank her away from the man she loved, and next thing she knew, she was slung over one of the brutes shoulders.

"Let me down!" she screamed. The brute chuckled.

"This one's a fighter, guys...we'll have fun with 'er, that's for sure..." he chuckled.

Archie, who had his arms held behind his back by the two others, could only stare as brute #1 started walking towards the side of the pool, a very pissed off Atlanta on his shoulders. A sudden rage overcame Archie.

"Let her go or else I'll kill you with my bare hands..." he snarled. The two brutes that had previously been restraining him let go. This was not someone they wanted to mess with.

Now that he was free, Archie took out his Hepheastus whip, which he had kept just in case, and launched it so that it twirled around one of the iron beams on the ceiling. Using it as a sort of swing, Archie landed on the deck, right in front of the brute.

The Brute stopped in his tracks. Throwing Atlanta to the ground, he started baking away towards the exit, hands up in a defensive position.

"Alrighty there, buddy..." He said. "If you really want her that badly...I mean, she is hot... well, uhh, bye!"

With that, the brutes ran out the front door, tails between their legs. After watching them for a moment to make sure that they had really left, Archie headed over to Atlanta to make sure that she was okay. She must have hit her head, though, because she was unconscious, her eyes closed and her body lying on its side.

Picking her up, Archie started the walk home. It wasn't that far, and they were lucky that it was warm out, since it was the middle of July. After exiting the building, Archie was thankful that this little beauty in his arms didn't weight much.

Holding her bridal style, Archie tried not to think about how her wet, glistening body was pressing against his own.

After walking for about ten minutes, Atlanta started to come to. Lifting her head, she looked up at Archie, who had stopped walking and was looking down at her worriedly. Smiling, Atlanta buried her head in Archie's unclothed chest.

"Archie..." she sighed before drifting off to sleep, wrapping her arms around his neck. Archie smiled. This was definitely turning out to be a good day...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Finally arriving at the brownstone, Archie placed Atlanta on the couch in the living room. Since everyone had gone either shopping, eating or grooming (coughcough Neil coughcough), it was just the two of them.

Sitting beside her and stroking her hair, Archie kept a silent vigil until she finally woke up.

Trying to sit up, Atlanta rubbed her head.

"Wh-what happened?" she mumbled her eyes half opened. "Last thing I remember was being thrown to the ground, and..." stopping, Atlanta opened her eyes and turned to stare at Archie.

"D-did you carry me home?" she asked, afraid of the answer. Blushing and looking at the floor, Archie mumbled something that sounded like a 'yes'.

Now it was Atlanta's turn to blush. So it wasn't a dream... she thought.

Archie yawned. Standing up, he said "I'm gonna go to bed...g'night..." before heading upstairs.

Seeing this chance as an opportunity to say her feelings, Atlanta raced upstairs, and just as Archie was opening his bedroom door, dived beneath his arms and under the covers of his unmade bed, her feet sticking out at the end.

"Uh, Atlanta?" he said confusedly. "You're room is the next one, remember?"

Poking her head out from under the covers, she answered: "I know... I'm just too lazy to go there."

Raising an eyebrow questioningly, Archie just shrugged and pulled the covers back, revealing a bikini-clad Atlanta.

Just then, they both seemed to notice just how underdressed they were, what with Atlanta in her little bikini and Archie still in his swimsuit. Both blushing, Archie picked her up bridal style yet again, with many "hey!'s" from Atlanta, and carried her over to her room, dropping her unceremoniously on her bed.

"oof!" she said as she hit the soft mattress. Just as Archie was about to turn around and leave, Atlanta grabbed his wrist. What am I doing? She thought. Standing up from her bed, Atlanta ended up in Archie's arms, since he had turned around at the same time as she had stood up.

Noticing how her face was just millimetres away from his, Archie closed the gap, placing his lips on hers. Not knowing what was going on, it took a few moments for Atlanta to relax and kiss back.

Pulling apart, but foreheads still touching, it was a while before either of them said anything.

Lifting her head, Atlanta looked around the room, almost to see if anyone was there.

"Atlanta, what are you looking for?" Archie asked hesitantly.

"I'm looking to see if the brutes came back." She answered.

Blushing, Archie held her close, not wanting for this moment to end.

"No, it's just you and me..." he said. Atlanta turned around to look at him in the eyes. "So, what does this mean then?" she asked, hoping that he would say the same words that she was dying to tell him.

Sighing, Archie decided to tell her the truth. "Promise you won't laugh?" He asked. Atlanta nodded her head to show him that she promised.

"Well, you see...I-I love you...I've loved you since the first day that I saw you..."

Bracing himself for a rejection, he was very surprised when he felt a hand on his cheek, turning his head so that he was looking at Atlanta in her beautiful green orbs of those.

"I love you too..." she answered.

Shocked but happy, Archie took the hand that was holding his face in his own hand, and leaned in to give Atlanta a soft kiss.

"WOOHOO! Gee, about time guys!" turning around, the new couple saw their five other friends starring at them.

Theresa was looking at them with that all-knowing smirk of hers, while the others just starred at them, dumbfounded.

In a flash, Atlanta shut the door in their faces. When Archie looked at her, he was surprised to see that she was grinning.

Advancing smoothly, she traced Archie's jaw line with her finger. Putting her arms around his neck, she whispered in his ear: "Now, where were we?"

Smiling, Archie wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a warm embrace.

He might of had to wait a long time for this moment, but he now realised that the wait was worth it...

Alright, i know it was really really LONG, but i just couldn't stop writing lol.

Reviews would be very appreciated...very, VERY appreciated...

Love,

Dragon