"Ah," Tara gasped as her foot broke the surface of the water. The ripples bounced around the circular tub. Her clammy hands slid around the edge as she hurled herself over.
Tara's feet slipped on the tub's smooth floor, sending her sideways into the water. Her arms thrashed violently, she never was the swimming type. She sputtered when she broke the surface of the water, her hair hanging wet in her face. "We're cool," she said, spreading her arms to regain her balance. The lukewarm water came to her shoulders depending on what angle her knees were bent.
"Ahem."
Tara spun around, her feet sliding once more. She stood up, "Hey, how long have you been standing there?"
Tara practically fainted at the sight of Beth standing confident wearing nothing but a itty bitty bikini. Tara could not possibly notice specifics like color or pattern. She did however, notice the way Beth's hip bones peeked over the strings of the thin fabric. Her tongue moved subconsciously around her mouth while her eyes lingered.
Beth felt the surge of power while Tara's eyes roamed her body. The apocalypse made her skinnier, but strong. She could be sexy- at least she thought she could. Now, lust heavy on her face, Tara confirmed. And all I was doing was just standing here…
A sly smile answered as she climbed into the tub, "Not long." She brushed against Tara, who recoiled. Gotcha. Beth licked her bottom lip too slow to be accidental. In the silence that followed, Beth was pretty certain Tara had stopped breathing.
Well, this is off to a great start, Tara thought. Warmth flooded her as a purposeful tongue ran across Beth's bottom lip. Her lungs stayed empty when she exhaled, and her mouth hung open. Say something idiot.
Beth stared, patient and silent. Tara dunked herself under the water, splashing cold water droplets across Beth's skin.
Tara couldn't resist another peek so even though the water stung, she opened her eyes. Beth's lean body was blurry across the pool, but she could still make out the curve of her thighs under the water. She couldn't succumb to her expertly played game. Tara exhaled, thick bubbles jetted towards the surface. The silence gave her tired ears a break. They had heard enough. Her breath had expired, the water made her uncomforable with its surrounding pressure.
Tara emerged from the water, her lungs expanding full of much needed air. "Feel better?" Beth asked of her.
"Much," Tara answered, pulling her love close. She kissed Beth, losing all of her nervousness with the taste of her lips. The embrace defined gentleness among lovers. Their bodies stayed pressed together, warmth generating between them.
As Beth observed their intertwined fingers, wrinkled from the water, she pictured the future. A better future, she could see herself sitting beside Tara after a lifetime of memories. In darkness, one must only remember to turn on the light. She thought of DC, perhaps they could be safe there. The thought of her sister disappeared as Tara suddenly pulled away.
"I'm going to turn into a clam," Tara laughed. Soap floated close, she grabbed it, opened the cap and took an eager sniff. Floral scents filled her nostrils, reminding her of never-ending days spent among wild meadows after never-ending winters. She squeezed a large glob into her hand and rubbed her forearms, brown smearing across her skin. Blood, motoroil, sweat- the beautiful girls' skin a palette of vile.
Neither of the girls had anticipated the condition of the water once their skin shed its final layer of filth. Tara peered down, the water was already too murky to see through to her feet. She and Beth's eyes met simutaniously. "New plan, let's hurry," she tossed the soap towards Beth. She caught it and got to work. Tara touched her clean forearm, interrupting her, "This was nice, yeah?"
"Yeah," her blue eyes sparkled, "Can you get my back for me?"
"Definitely." The new world lacked clean rags. All Tara had to glide soap across bare shoulders were her hands. Her brow furrowed as she focused on not lingering in any one particular place. She used a random cup to rinse the dirty bubbles from Beth's skin. A dark streak of motor oil stayed behind across her shoulder. Tara raised her hand, using the friction of her fingertips to rub it away. Once it was gone, she ran her hand across, letting her nails sink in slightly.
Beth cursed herself when a noise generated in the back of her throat. She couldn't fall apart here, once she opened this door it wasn't going to shut willingly. Before Tara could react, she spun around, "Your turn." Her hands worked fast to clear the unreachable places of grime. Beth's hands came to a halt as her eyes darted past Tara's ear. She searched for movement. Nothing- she continued, always keeping one eye on the shadows looming in the darkness.
Bootsteps brought both of the girls to attention. A man, that admittedly both girls assumed immediately to be Daryl, stood a tall, black shadow on the homemade shower curtain. They rushed to get out of the tub, not down with the vulnerablity that goes along with staying in the murky water. Only after both girls covered their bare skin did the shadow reveal himself. Bare chested Carl, already in swim trunks, stood eager to jump in. "It's dirty," Beth warned uselessly, as he jumped in without hesitation. "I don't care," he sputtered when he emerged. Perhaps if Tara hadn't seen the crystal clear waters of the ocean on spring break, she might have agreed.