I don't know, I just needed a little bit of fluff. That's all.
Filmy, pale yellow danced on the water. The light was soft and warm and the breeze inviting; if there could be a perfect spring day, this was pretty close. The sky was dulcet blue, like it'd been painted with watercolors. The grass tickled Myka's feet as they walked to the water's edge, her hand tucked into Helena's.
"Okay, Artie said Picasso's blue period pallet is in that cabin over there," Pete pointed over the lake.
"Great, but how do we get there?" Myka asked.
H.G.'s eyes fell on a shiny green canoe marooned on the beach, "I think I have an idea."
"Alright, Pete you're gonna go talk to the park ranger about getting a key to the cabin, and we'll meet you on the island?"
"That's the plan," he said, turning for the car, "Be careful you two!"
"We will!" they yelled, stumbling less than gracefully into the belly of the boat. Myka chuckled, situating herself on the seat well Helena shoved them into the water. The boat lurched and rocked as it hit the surface, causing Myka to tumble backwards over her seat.
"Are you alright darling?" Helena grinned, jumping in the canoe to help her up.
"I think so," Myka grunted, pulling herself up.
They floated out into the lake, Myka grabbed the paddles and tried rowing. The paddles fell into the water, slamming against the gunnels with a crash. The boat turned abruptly to the side, swinging them both to the left.
"Oh good, so you know what you're doing then?" Helena prodded.
"Well, I…"
"Didn't your father take you boating as a child?"
"Not exactly…We were more of a reading type of family."
H.G. laughed, "My kind of family." She lifted an oar for herself, violently pushing and pulling it back and forth until they were facing the shore they'd shoved off from. "Bollocks!"
"Oh and you're one to talk about knowing what you're doing," Myka grinned snidly.
Helena frowned.
"Don't tell me the father of inventions like Time Travel and the Grappling hook doesn't know how to row a canoe!"
H.G. looked at her feet. They laughed awkwardly.
"So, let me get this straight," Helena said, a gleam in her eye from the midday sun, "essentially we both agrees to row to the island, but neither of us knows exactly how to do so, so we're stuck in the middle of the lake in a random canoe?"
"Essentially," Myka confirmed, her face breaking into a slightly embarrassed and amused smile.
"Well that's just wonderful!" Helena yelled, dipping her hand over the edge of the boat into the cool water, and flicking it suddenly at Myka. Myka gasped at the sudden flash of cold liquid as it struck her. She shook it off, glancing down at the wet spots on her white tee shirt.
"Oh you want to go there?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "Fine!" she used the paddle to thrust a large splash in Helena's direction, drenching the entire top half of the other woman. H.G. rubbed her eyes, shaking the excess water off in Myka's direction.
"Okay, now you're in for it," she growled.
Myka grinned, opening her mouth to ask what she could possibly do, but before she could do so she found herself being tackled overboard. The canoe flipped over itself as they toppled into the clear lake water with a loud splash. Helena giggled as she surfaced, smirking confidently at the shock on Myka's face. "You've been warned not to start things with me darling."
"True, but you said nothing about finishing things!" she began splashing the other woman wildly, laughing the whole time, even having to close her own eyes to shield them from the icy sting. When she opened them Helena was out of sight, she turned frantically searching the horizon, but nothing. Suddenly she felt arms wrapped around her waist and she was jerked under the surface. She forced her eyes open, watching the bubbles rise around her. Helena emerged beside her, smug grin framed by wispy strands of hair that were silky and messy in the slight current. Myka rolled her eyes, her vision blurring.
They kicked to the surface, gulping down the smooth air. Myka's tee shirt and jeans clung to her wet skin, and goosebumps had crawled up her arms. H.G. returned her hands to their position around Myka's waist as they tried to tread water without kicking each other.
"Well, this was interesting," Myka said, resting her hands around Helena's shoulders, enjoying the warm feeling of the other woman's arms around her in the cold nip of the water.
"Certainly was, wasn't it?" Helena's elegant voice rang with pleasure and humor.
Myka smiled, examining the wonder in Helena's bright amber eyes. The sun hung high in the sky, glimmering of the wet strands of hair plastered to the sides of her face. And carefully, playfully she felt the exiliration of H.G.'s soft lips that tasted crisp and the tiniest bit salty from the lake water in a short kiss that sent shivers down her spine in the cool atmosphere. Her shivering hands tightened around H.G.'s neck, wanting to feel closer.
"Hey! There you are!"
They turned at the sound of Pete's voice from the shoreline. Apparently they'd drifted closer into the island without noticing.
"What happened to the boat?"
"Long story!" Helena called.
"It was all her fault!" Myka hollered.
"Hey!" Helena said, throwing another splash at Myka.
"Oh don't start this again!"
"My god I can't leave you two alone for ten minutes?" Pete yelled again.
They giggled childishly. H.G. managed to pull herself onto the top of the overturned boat, pulling Myka up after her. The surface was hot from the sunlight, but their wet clothes balanced the temperature. H.G. put her soaking sweatshirt over Myka, whose tee shirt has turned see-through in the wetness.
"Coming?" Pete called again.
"Yeah!" Myka answered, swinging her leg over the canoe. She was still laughing, as H.G. sat behind her. Her head rested perfectly backwards on the shoulder of the woman behind her.
"Now here's the question," Helena grinned, stroking Myka's liquid-flattened curls, "how do we paddle it?"