Hannibal stood at the end of the large pool. He would never admit it, but he felt nervous at entering the clear water again. Going back to the place where he almost lost his life, felt strange, irrational and had avoided it at all costs until Alana called him out on it.
"Are you going to stare at it all night or get in?"
Alana asked him touching the small of his back gently with her fingertips, her pale pink nails scratching tiny circles on his flesh. Hannibal turned to look at her. In her red and white striped bikini she looked completely out of place in the gym pool. Hannibal tried to glare at her and her insistence that he 'goes up on saddle again' but she gave him a slight smirk that told him he'd better not.
Instead he sighed causing her to roll her eyes and dive in the pool, making a perfect arch and an entrance that didn't even disturb the waters. Hannibal thought of mermaids as she swam with smooth, natural strokes until she reached the middle and broke surface.
"The water is great"
When Hannibal remained quiet and unmoving from his perch on the edge of the pool, Alana swam slowly to him, a wicked, contemplating smile upon her face, keeping her eyes on his giving her a long look of her wet body.
Hannibal felt awkward but couldn't look away from the come hither look in her eyes nor the water breaking across her chest. Reaching the corner of the pool, both her hands reaching for his knees. He was mesmerized by Alana. Water slid over her body, between her breasts, over her stomach and down her thighs. She bent forward and looked him in the eye.
And then undid the top of her bikini and tossed it in his lap. Hannibal jerked at her action and for a minute stared at the triangles that sat innocently there and then at Alana who's grin was even wider.
Without realizing it he had slipped in the water, still in his dress pants, socks, shoes, shirt, tie and vest. Alana swam backwards giving him an interesting angle of her bare chest right under the water's surface.
His body on autopilot, he dog paddled after her until they reached the far end of the pool.
"Alana this is not funny"
He admonished her. Alana raised her eyebrows at him and untied the strings at the sides of her bikini bottoms and theatrically tossed them out of the pool to join her bra.
"Who's joking?"
Hannibal's breath caught as she slid under water and swam in circles around him. Hunter's instinct taking over, the man slipped his shoes and most his clothes off and set after her. He couldn't catch her. She made sure to swim a few inches ahead of him.
The more upset he got the further away she got. Every time they broke surface for air, Alana prodded him to swim faster and would get her.
When Hannibal finally reached the edge of the pool he used both hands to lean on the edge, breathing hard, his head resting on Alana's shoulder who was grinning pleased. After his heart slowed down enough for him to move he wrapped both arms around her waist.
"See?"
Alana grinned up at him
"I told you, you could go back into the water"
Hannibal laughed at his girlfriend and pulled her close to kiss her lips.
"Remind me to never place a bet against you"
Alana's grin died as she hid her face in his chest and looked up at him through her wet lashes
"I bet you will fall in love with me"
A rumble through Hannibal's chest was all she heard for a moment
"That's not fair"
"Why not?"
"Because I've already lost that bet"
Mirroring smiles lit the couple's faces as they swam together and floated in the middle of the pool, in each other's arms.
The end