Special thanks to the people who reviewed. You guys made my day this one shot is for you :)
multicoloredclay
Irenerb
pyro-pisces12
"I laugh, I love, I hope, I try, I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry. And I know you do the same things too, So we're really not that different, me and you."
Colin Raye
She was never fond of a pool party. She didn't even like the sun irritating her sight and skin making it burn and itch. But he loved pool parties, sunny days and crowded places. And she supposed she tolerated him.
The first time she saw him he was in swim trunks, only in swim trunks, his nose smeared with coconut sun block that fogged her smell and she could clearly see his defined skin and ripped muscles. He looked even better than in spandex, until he opened his big mouth. She was the quiet type, only commenting when morons like him needed to learn some manners.
He never shut up. He would talk even when silence was needed, it was as if he was nervous or he simply luxuriated in annoying normal people. They were arriving to a communal pool. Kids ran around the shallow kid's pool playing with balls and floats. He looked like one of them carrying the same pool stuff he was carrying the day she met him.
He searched for a spot and in a blur of colors he had everything set. She didn't know how he had convinced her, or how Zatanna and Megan had made her wear a bikini but she knew it was going to be a long day. She carried a book in her hands ready to enjoy a silent lecture below the shadow of the huge umbrella Wally had. Wally however was desperate to throw his body at the chlorine infected water.
She still blamed him for making them go to a pool when they had the vast ocean for themselves. The ocean reminded him after all, infinite, clean, free and full of life. But he preferred common pools, with recycled water, stagnant and impure.
The rest of the team were calmly laying their own pool utensils and taking their time to put on sun block and inspect the place. Wally looked like he wanted to pee although what he wanted was to be inside the water and now.
The blonde girl had her sun block already on her skin, her natural tan giving her a summer girl look. She sat on a long white bench and extended her bare legs to read comfortably. Wally couldn't find anyone ready to jump right away to the pool.
After looking around his stare landed on the archer. He stared a little too long until he took away her book wiggling it in front of her annoyingly. Her eyebrow twitched and she was about to pounce on him and re design his visage with some hits when he grabbed her wrist yanking her towards him.
She fell on his chest and he chuckled until he ran and jumped into the pool. She was drowning unprepared to swim and he took the chance to wrap his arms around her hips and help her. She circled her arms around his shoulder gasping loudly and resting her head on his chest tiredly.
The jerk had done it on purpose. The liquid surrounding them made skin touch more real and she splashed water into his face swimming away from him. "I thought you knew how much I hate drowning." She was cleaning her eyes with her fingers to get water out of her eyes. He stared at her with puppy dog eyes pouting slightly.
This annoyed her even more. Was he trying to make a move on her? Whatever it was she didn't like it. She was about to leave the pool when he called her. "Don't leave…" she turned boring her eyes into his purposely making him nervous. "I- I mean… Rob will take a while and he will obviously wait for Zatanna, Megan is with Conner doing their boyfriend girlfriend thingies and well… Kaldur is Kaldur he'll probably leave me swimming alone." He almost whined the last part.
Deciding whether or not she should take pity on him she looked into his eyes. Defeated the blonde archer smiled at him and splashed water to his face again. "You buy lunch after this" she said swimming ahead of him. He smirked quickly catching up to her. She resurfaced first and panicked when she didn't see him resurface with her. Suddenly she felt her feet being pulled by two strong hands. She barely had time to gasp when he had her submerged with him.
She punched him in the gut below water and resurfaced. He came after her laughing. "Thought I'd help you with your hate to drowning" he said smugly. "How the heck do you think drowning me with no previews news would help?" She yelled angrily. "I don't know" he chuckled. "You're unbelievable" she added exasperatedly.
He splashed her this time and they continued to play in the pool until the others joined in. They spent the entire afternoon playing, skin tingling from chlorine and sun rays. Tiredly the couples arranged themselves to watch the sunset; Zatanna and Robin, with Conner and Megan. Kaldur was silently snoozing underwater.
Wally stared at Artemis. She knew he liked stuff like this. Lay cuddling below a mantle of colors, oranges, yellows and reds, his favorite colors. She wasn't giving that to him. They were talking friendly at the cafeteria, no banter, no snarky comments, and no witty remarks. They were being themselves enjoying the icy taste of a smoothie while it melts on their mouths refreshing them.
Cold droplets surrounding the cup cooled her hand as she held to it. She saw the freckles vanish through the setting that got to them through the window. His hair looked on fire, like surrounded by a halo. Her eyes were searching for something on his and suddenly all words had being said and they were just staring at each other. They liked that. Just silence, just a miracle and just like that he ruined it.
"Are you going to eat that?" he said signaling to her cup. She narrowed her gaze and shoved the strawberry smoothie to him. It was all her fault for thinking he was sweet for one second, but those emerald orbs had confused her, they looked warm and inviting. For once she felt someone cared. But he was probably looking for the smoothie. She laughed in her mind slumping into the seat.
He wasn't ready, so he was distracting her and succeeded unaware he wasn't that distant from her as he thought.
