Cause life is contagious(Chapter one)
Luna sat at the edge of the swimming pool at Becca Promheda's mansion, her feet dangling loosely in the water. The water was cool to the touch. It would slap up against the sides of the pool in the area that she was sitting in every time she would sway her legs back and forth. Sure it wasn't the salty ocean waves, but this was still extremely refreshing. Water was water. And the Floukru leader wasn't protesting. Back at the oil rig, she would spend countless hours in the sea, regardless the temperature.
She closed her eyes, and took in a breath of the crisp evening air. For the first time in awhile, she felt composed and relaxed. The burden of the death of her people and Adria seemed to subside briefly .
Soft-spoken words of Trigedasleng flowed seamlessly, mixing in with the breeze. Luna heard footsteps paddling softly behind her, making there way towards her, and breaking her mediation. "You know, the key thing with the element of surprise is not for the other person to know that you're coming." She replied, smirking faintly, already knowing who the person was.
"Eh." The person shrugged, "Maybe I'm getting rusty." A rare smile spread across the women's face. It was Raven. "I'd thought I'd find you here. Mind if you have some company?"
Luna returned her smile, and glanced up, patting the smooth concrete floor next to her.
The brunette took the offering and crouched down, taking the spot next to the other woman. "I'm surprised how long you could stay out here." She commented, shifting her leg so she could sit more comfortably. "I swear if you're out here any longer, you'd be considered a fish." She smirked, teasingly.
Luna shook her head, a light hearted laugh escaping her lips. Her curls fell in her face slightly as she did so. "Hmm? I doubt that."
"Hey, I'm just telling you how it is!" Raven exclaimed, raising her hands up in defense. "I swear you could see gills starting to form." She replied.
Luna rolled her eyes at the other girls teasing, a faint smirk crept on her face. "You should put your feet in." She said, referring to the water and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "It'll help." She added, glancing at Raven's leg then back towards her with soft hazel eyes.
Luna always had been observant, and noticing the way she was sitting, Raven probably wasn't in the most satisfying position. She was slightly tense, her hand rested on her leg brace, every so often she would fidget with it. Even if Raven was in a playful mood, the Natblida saw through her mask. She was hiding her discomfort well, but the look in her eyes gave it away.
If that had been anyone else, the Raven Reyes Pride would kick in and she'd snap at the person, telling them that she was fine and to lay off. Numerous occasions she would brush their concern away, not liking the fact that she seemed 'weak' or 'incapable'. Hell, she was anything but that. She had a fierce and stoic nature, a fire burned inside her. And she would be damned if that fire got extinguished because of some leg injury.
Raven sighed softly, nodding reluctantly. Her fingers glided over the hinges of the brace, snapping them off. With some effort, she pulled it off and placed it on the ground next to her. Once that was done, her shoes soon followed in it's place. She rolled up her pant legs just below her knees and placed them in the awaiting water.
"Jesus!" The mechanic crused, scrunching up her nose once she made contact with the pool. "How are you not frozen?!"
Luna watched drolly as Raven squirmed slightly, amused by her actions. "It's not that bad." She teased, nudging her shoulder with her own. "You'll get used to it."
"Says the one who's the miracle of the sea..." She grumbled under her breath, frowning slightly as she moved her legs through the chilly liquid in attempt to warm up. "I'd bet you'd be the same way if you were to go all the way in the pool."
"Careful." Luna warned at Raven's words. "It's dangerous to challenge me." A sly smile appeared, a hint of mischievousness shown in her eyes.
An eyebrow was raised. "Yeah?" Raven moved closer, opposing her exhortation. "Maybe I want a challenge."
The Floukru leader didn't hesitate as she effortlessly dove into the water. She swam briskly underneath the surface for a brief period of time. She emerged, coming up for air. She pushed her wet mane of curls out of her face, as she locked eyes with Raven. Goosebumps were visible on her skin as the result of the sudden temperature change, but other than that there was no clear sign of being cold.
Raven opened her mouth to say something, wanting to boast how she was right but she quickly closed it, realizing that wasn't the case.
"I can get quite competitive." Luna spoke, bobbing easily in the water, beaming at Raven. "When I would train in Polis, Lexa and I would always be driven to try and surpass one another for fun." She explained. "We would always try and challenge even the simplest of things." It was a bittersweet moment, reminiscing the old memories of her friend.
Raven smiled warmly at the other girl's words, happy to hear that Luna was comfortable sharing a bit of her past with her. She could just imagine the two Natblidas training vigorously, competition flowing in their veins. "Bet you have some killer stories. You have to share some with me sometime."
"Sha, of course." She nodded. "I'm sure Clarke would want to hear some as well."
The two girls didn't talk to much after that, but they really didn't need to, they both knew that. Just being in each other's presence was enough. They both grown to have a unsuspecting closeness towards one another, relishing moments that they shared together. They both seemed to level each other out. Luna's calm and nonchalant nature seemed to always counterbalance Raven's fiery and sassy one. She always knew how to pacify Raven to a state of tranquility.
By the time the sun was setting, the sky was painted an array of pink, orange and yellow, the clouds held the promise of a calm, peaceful night, and the pale glow of the moon was beginning to show. The leftover rays of the sun reflected off of the water, making it glisten around Luna. She was floating on her back, the sun highlighting her goddess-like features.
"You're staring."
"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I was just...uh," The brunette struggled getting her words out. A pink tinge flushed her cheeks. "I was thinking. My mind was wondering..."
A strange look was exchanged, with a hint of worry.
"No! Nothing bad, my brain's in check." A humourless laugh crackled softy. "I was just lost in admiration. The view is breathtaking." Her voice hitched, realizing the slip up. "Erm, the sunsut is I mean." She swallowed. "Don't you think?"
"It is." Came the short reply. Silence. Raven waited, seeing if their would be more to the response. More silence. Worry started to set in. Did she notice her slip? Raven eyed Luna, attempting to get a read on her, but it was no use. There was only an inexpressive expression. She wasn't even glancing in her direction.
It seemed like ages until Luna then moved over towards Raven, lifting herself out of the pool, taking a spot next to her. Water dripped freely off of her skin and hair, landing softly on the pavement. "You should join me." She murmured, resting her head on the other girls shoulder, not caring if she was drenched. An arm snaked loosely around Raven's waist.
"I'm, uh perfectly fine here." Raven managed to get out, eyeing the pool. She shivered from the coolness of Luna's touch.
"Mhmm." Luna hummed in disapproval. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Reiven." Luna uttered quietly in her ear, her Trigedasleng accent slipping slightly .
Before Raven could even process what was going on, strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist, taking her with them and plunging into the water.
Raven gasped, taking a huge breath of air once they both emerged. "Luna!" She yelled, her body still in shock of what just happened.
The Floukru leader still held on to her protectively, her brown-mahogany orbs scintillated with a mischievous glint, glowing with humor and playfulness that never seem to escape.
A soft smile crept apon the mechanic's face as she watched the emotion that was radiating off of Luna. It was too alluring to be angry, she was beautiful.
But the moment was short lived, because realization then hit Raven like a ton of bricks. She couldn't swim. Panic slowly flooded over her as she kicked her legs. She couldn't touch the bottom. She writhed, struggling. She clasped on Luna, trying her best not to fully go into an anxiety attack.
"Raven, It's alright. Shhh... breathe." Luna said, trying to gain ahold of her attention, while making sure they both stayed afloat. "I've got you." The words were like silk as she began to comfort the other woman.
She began to slowly calm down after some time, her body becoming less strained. "Sorry I," Raven averted her glaze. "I can't swim."
A hand cupped Raven's face and made her look up. "I know you couldn't skaigada." A smile was visible. "That's why I'm going to teach you."