Jacob scanned the crowded public pool from his perch on the lifeguard stand on the state's hottest day so far that summer. Temperatures had reached the mid-90s, which was absolutely unheard of for Forks. They hadn't seen temps that high in decades, and it had really thrown the town for a loop. So many people didn't have air conditioning because it just wasn't necessary, so they were all looking for a place to cool off, and today, the pool was it.
Due to the mass amounts of people swimming that day, Jacob almost didn't see the person at the bottom of the deep end of the pool. Both arms were flailing and one leg was kicking desperately, but while the person should have surfaced in mere seconds, they were still at the bottom.
Jacob jumped up and blew his whistle loudly. "OUT OF THE POOL! CLEAR THE POOL! Jessica! 911! NOW!"
From the opposite side of the pool, Jessica, the shift's other lifeguard, yelled, "ON IT!" Jacob scrambled down the ladder and dove into the pool, scattering the few people in the deep end that hadn't managed to make their way out of the pool yet. At the surface, Jessica made the emergency call and took over directing traffic and making sure that the last few stragglers vacated the pool as quickly as possible.
As Jacob swam down to the bottom of the pool, he noticed that the person, who he could now tell was a man, had stopped moving. FUCK! He thought. He knew that once a person had stopped moving, they had officially run out of air and time was very short. He reached the man and grabbed him under the armpits, but he didn't budge. Jacob assessed the situation and discovered that the man's big toe was lodged in a pool drain on the bottom of the pool. Shit shit shit what do I do now? Letting go of his arms, he went to the bottom, grabbed the man's foot, and yanked hard. Nothing. He pulled again, putting more force into it. Still nothing. Getting desperate, Jacob jerked his foot the hardest he possibly could. He felt a pop in the man's leg, and a streak of blood appeared in the water, but he was free. Oh thank GOD, Jacob thought.
Taking hold of the man's arms again, Jacob surfaced with him in the shallower end of the pool to make it easier to hoist him out onto the pool deck. Jessica was there to assist, and together they got him out of the pool. Jacob scrambled onto the side and immediately checked him over. He wasn't breathing, so Jacob sprang into action. His newest training had taught him that he should try to get water out of the lungs first, because mouth-to-mouth would only push air into already water-logged lungs. He learned that the Heimlich maneuver would help the victim expel the water. Jacob shuffled the man into position and gave a firm thrust against his diaphragm. A mighty gush of water immediately poured from the man's mouth. Jacob knew that in most cases, just clearing the water would help the victim resume breathing, but unfortunately, in this case, the man was still in trouble.
Come on, dude, you've gotta breathe for me! He begged internally. He decided to begin mouth-to-mouth in hopes of bringing the man back around. The moment his lips touched the man's, he felt a strong tingle, which momentarily startled him, and he pulled back. Get ahold of yourself, man. You've got a job to do. He again placed his mouth on the man's lips and began breathing for him. Just as the paramedics arrived, the man took his own breath. His eyes shot open and he turned his head in Jacob's direction. Jacob's own dark chocolate eyes were met by a stunning emerald green, and Jacob was mesmerized. The paramedics carefully transferred the man to the stretcher and loaded him into the ambulance.
"I didn't even get his name," Jacob whispered.
Jessica, who had come up next to him, asked, "What did you say?"
"Oh, I was just saying that I hope he'll be okay."
"I think he will, Jake, you did a really good job. Come on. We have to close the pool – the guy bled all over the deep end so we need to clean it."
xXxXxXx
About three weeks later, a tall thin man wearing dark Rayban sunglasses and using crutches nearly crashed into Jacob as he was completing his final duties for the day at the pool. Jacob sensed something familiar about him, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Pool's closed. Though, you don't exactly look as if you're ready to go for a swim anyway."
"I'm so sorry," the man replied softly. "Are you Jacob?"
"Yes, I am. What can I –" his words were cut off as the man reached out and dragged him into a huge bear hug. He noticed an odd tingling in his arms where he was being embraced. He had only felt that feeling once before…
"– do for you…?" he finished.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself." He whipped off his sunglasses and looked Jacob in the eyes. Jacob gasped as he recognized the bright green eyes staring back at him. "My name is Edward Cullen, and you – "
"saved your life," Jacob cut in.
Edward smiled. "Yes, yes you did. And I am so grateful to you."
"How are you? I've been wondering about you since the accident. What happened?"
Edward frowned slightly. "I don't really like thinking about it too much, but you definitely deserve to know what happened. The surface was crowded. There were too many people up there for me. I'm generally a loner. I dove down to the bottom of the pool, stayed as long as I could before my breath started to run out, and then I went to the surface for another big gulp of air and I went back down again. That last time, I got too close to the pool drain. The suction was strong. I tried to swim away but it was kind of like a riptide – it kept sucking me in. My big toe got stuck in the grate over the drain. I couldn't get it free. I was down there too long and ran out of breath, which was when you came to get me, I assume. I don't remember anything between the bottom of the pool and waking up in a hospital bed."
"You woke up once. When they were getting you ready to put you onto the ambulance; I saw your eyes. They're such a beautiful shade of green." Jacob abruptly stopped speaking and blushed. He had NOT meant to blurt that out.
Edward smiled. "Thank you. I think yours are amazing, too." He stopped speaking, and they both stared at each other for a moment. Then he shook his head, as if to break the spell they had over each other, and went on. "They kept me in the hospital for about a week to make sure the lack of oxygen to my brain hadn't permanently affected me. They don't think it did, but I'm supposed to be aware of myself and any changes I might notice, just in case something develops."
Jacob nodded at the crutches. "What's with those?"
"My ankle was dislocated when you were trying to free me from the grate. And my big toenail was ripped off along with some flesh underneath it in the process. It hurts like a sonofabitch."
"Oh God, that explains the pop I felt in your leg and the blood we had to clean from the pool. I am SO SORRY, I didn't mean to hurt you getting you out of there. I was frantic – I've never actually HAD to save anyone before in this job and I sure didn't want to lose anyone my first try and – "
"Jacob no! Don't beat yourself up over it. I'm ALIVE, Jacob, and it's all because of you. My ankle and my toe are NOTHING compared to my life. I am so thankful you were there to help me."
Edward placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder in an attempt to calm him. The now familiar buzzing sensation made itself known once again. Edward gasped. "Do you feel that?"
Jacob was thrilled to know he wasn't going crazy. He said, "Yes, I've felt it every time we've touched. Just now, when you hugged me, when I was giving you mouth-to-mouth…"
Edward noticed the deep blush that had spread across Jacob's face and neck when he mentioned mouth-to-mouth. "Can I ask you something?" Edward said quietly.
"Yeah, sure," Jacob replied curiously.
"You're gay, right?"
"Um, yeah, I am."
"Thank God. I mean, I figured you were but I didn't want to have any doubt in my mind when I did this."
Edward cupped Jacob's cheeks with both hands and drew his face to his own lips. At the initial contact, they both felt the connection. They broke apart just long enough for Jacob to say, "Holy shit!" and they immediately smashed their lips back together again. Edward yanked Jacob's hips flush with his own, while Jacob lightly grasped Edward's bronze locks. They kissed furiously before reluctantly pulling apart, gasping desperately for air.
"Oh my God," said Edward.
"Wow," Jacob agreed.
"I think I know now what I've been missing in my life. I originally came here tonight to ask to take you out for drinks as a thank you for saving me, but I think it'd be more appropriate to ask to take you out to dinner on a date. Will you go out with me, Jacob?"
"HELL YEAH!" He covered his mouth, embarrassed at his outburst. Bashfully, he said more calmly, "Um, I mean, yes, I would love to go out with you."
Edward threw his head back and laughed. "You know Jacob, I think I preferred your first reaction. C'mon, I know this great Italian place." He turned to make his way out of the pool area, and his crutches slipped in a puddle of water on the deck. He struggled to stay upright but found himself unable to stop his forward momentum; he was about to tumble right into the pool.
Jacob, with blessedly quick reflexes, caught Edward just in time and yanked him backwards. They both collapsed onto the pool deck, Edward landing on top of Jacob.
"OOF," Jacob puffed. "You may not be very heavy, but your boney butt can sure knock the wind out of a guy." Edward made no immediate effort to remove himself from Jacob, which he enjoyed immensely. Then, remembering themselves and their situation, Edward slid off Jacob's body and Jacob scrambled upright, leaning down to offer Edward help getting to his own feet.
As he handed Edward his crutches, Jacob asked, "Am I always going to have to be saving your ass?"
"I don't know, I kinda like you being my knight in shining swim trunks," Edward said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Shiny swim trunks? Damn, Edward, that is REALLY gay. That sounds like something Richard Simmons would wear."
"Yeah, but you're way cuter than he is."
"And thank God for that!"
"And for you," Edward said softly.
Jacob smiled and wrapped his arm around Edward's waist as they turned and walked out of the pool enclosure. Who knew that he'd find love at the bottom of a swimming pool?