Warrick enjoyed the hike down to Mooney Falls. The path followed the river
and he greeted other hikers as he went. He was looking forward to taking a
nice swim in the pool below the falls. Getting to the bottom of Mooney
Falls was a bit tricky. At some point in history, someone had tunneled
through a portion of the rock and installed iron rungs so the pool at the
base of the falls could be reached without the use of a rope. He chuckled
to himself occasionally while he hiked as he thought about how
uncomfortable Nick and Sara looked as he left. He hoped that the two of
them would get things figured out before he returned later that afternoon.
The tension in the air between was thick. If they didn't resolve it, he
determined that he would have to just call them both on the carpet about
their feelings. For some reason, he knew he could get away with it. That
was just part of his personality.
Nick finished the food on his plate and glanced over at Sara who seemed to be studying a noodle as if it was a piece of evidence. He cleaned his plate off and stowed it away. When he finished he let out a deep sigh and looked over at Sara. She glanced up at him momentarily and then turned her attention back to her plate. Nick stood there with his hands on his hips and looked at her with an apologetic expression, "Sara."
She glanced up with a defensive expression, "What?"
He didn't avert his gaze, "I'm sorry I pissed you off."
She looked at him quizzically, "You didn't piss me off."
Nick shook his head and a look of disbelief crossed his face, "I must have done something because you're not talking to me."
She let out a deep breath, "Nick, it's complicated, ok. It's my problem not yours." She stood up, cleaned her plate off and stowed it away. She looked at him again, "I'm going swimming. I'll see you later." She grabbed her towel and headed back toward the pool below Havasu Falls.
Nick watched her walk away. He stood there frustrated. Ruling out taking a nap in his tent because of the heat, he grabbed his towel and headed after her. As he approached the pool he noticed her sitting in one of the smaller pools. When she saw him approaching, she stood up and dove into the large pool, swimming away from him. Nick put his towel on the shoreline and lay down hoping to get some sleep. Even in the shade, the hot desert air was too stifling to sleep in. He finally stood up and dove into the water. He emerged a few minutes later feeling much cooler. This time when he lay down, he did go to sleep.
Sara felt bad that she had swam off after seeing Nick approach, but she did not want to have a conversation that would reveal how she was feeling. She swam lazily across the water and finally returned to smaller pool she had been in earlier. Most of the other campers had gone on day hikes, except for a few who had specifically come to enjoy the falls. She watched Nick as he slept on the shore and wondered what it would be like if he did indeed have feelings for her. She tried to banish those thoughts as she saw him stir a while later.
As Nick sat up feeling hot and sticky, he noticed Sara sitting in one of the smaller pools again. He thought he saw her looking at him, but decided to just go swim in the larger pool to cool off. Once he had cooled off, he made his way over to where she was sitting. As he reached over and placed an hand on her arm, Sara screamed.
She turned around to see Nick. A myriad of expression crossed her face before she growled at him, "Nick Stokes, you scared the hell out of me!"
He removed his hand and wore a sheepish expression, "I'm sorry, Sara. I just wanted to talk to you."
She looked at him and her expression softened slightly, "Look, I told you before. It's my problem not yours."
Nick's face clouded, "No, it's not, Sara. You're pissed off at me and you won't talk to me. That makes it my problem too. We have two more days down here, and I for one don't want to spend it walking on eggshells around you."
Sara crossed her arms in front of her, not saying a word.
Nick let out a frustrated grunt as he pulled himself up out of the deeper water to sit next to her on the edge of the smaller pool, "I don't know what I did, but I can't make it right if you don't tell me what it is."
Sara stood up and dived into the deeper water, swimming away from Nick.
He swore under his breath as he dove in after her, quickly catching up. He caught her from behind and put his arms around her waist, drawing her back against his chest. He whispered in her ear, "Dammit, Sara, you're going to talk to me. I'm not letting you go until you do."
She tried to elbow him in the chest, but he had her pressed too firmly against him for her to connect with it. She finally managed to turn in his embrace, and realized what a mistake that was when she locked eyes with him.
His grip tightened around her waist.
Her hands rested on his shoulders.
In retrospect, Nick wasn't sure who moved first, but in the end it didn't matter. Their lips connected with a jolt as a current of electricity passed between them. Their tongues were engaged in a frenzied dance with each other before they'd realized they'd parted their lips. Sara's arms snaked around Nick's neck and her hand cupped the back of his head her fingers playing at the nape of his neck. Nick's hands grazed her sides with caresses and pressed her body into his. Groans emitted from the pair. They broke for air for a mere moment before Sara thrust her tongue into Nick's mouth again. He eagerly responded engaging her tongue in a sensuous dance. They seemed completely unaware of anyone or anything else around them.
As they broke the kiss, Sara pushed away, a look of fear registering on her face. She turned away from Nick and stammered, "I, uh, I'm going back to camp." With that she swam toward shore, pick up her shorts, tank top, and towel and headed back to camp.
Nick stood there, his mouth agape at what had just happened. He had not just kissed Sara, they had practically devoured each other. He punched at the water, "Damn!" A smile played at his lips. He knew what was bothering Sara now, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, Warrick was right. She felt for him what he felt for her.
Nick lazily swam in the pool below the falls, a smile firmly etched on his face. After a while he finally headed back to the campsite to fix dinner. As he approached, he didn't see Sara, but he figured she was probably in her tent. A few minutes after Nick arrived back at camp, Warrick returned from his hike.
Warrick looked curiously at Nick and the dopey grin on his face, "Hey, did you and Sara talk?"
Nick shook his head, "She didn't want to talk to me." He grinned.
Warrick raised an eyebrow, "So you're still not talking?"
Nick continued grinning, "That's right. But at least now I'm pretty sure I know what's wrong."
Warrick wore a bemused grin, "Really."
Nick nodded, a grin chiseled into his features, as he crossed his arms in front of him.
Warrick chuckled, "Are you going to share with the rest of the class?"
Nick shook his head, "You're a smart guy, War. I think you can figure it out."
Sara poked her head of her tent and shot Nick a glare, "You know, I can hear every word you're saying in here."
Nick winked at her and grinned as she blushed in response, "I know."
Warrick chuckled, "Are you going to come out and have some dinner, Sara?"
She emerged the rest of the way from the tent; her shorts and tank top over her swimsuit. Her hunger had overcome her wariness of Nick, "What are we having?"
Nick chuckled, "Unfreeze dried Fettuccine Alfredo." Nick gestured for Sara to go first. She grudgingly obliged, filling her plate with the pasta dish. Nick filled his plate next and went over to sit next to Sara on the log, grinning at her. As Warrick filled his plate, Nick leaned over and whispered in Sara's ear, "I enjoyed our little swim earlier." Sara blushed furiously and stared intently at her food. Warrick overheard Nick's comment and managed to stifle a chuckle as he took a seat across from Nick and Sara noting the color in Sara's cheeks.
A still grinning Nick looked over at Warrick, "Hey, man, where'd you hike to?"
"Mooney Falls," He answered. Warrick filled them in on the hike and details of the falls. He suggested they all hike down in the morning.
Sara was the first to finish her meal. She cleaned her plate and stowed it away. She turned to the guys, "I'm going for a swim. I'll see you guys in a while."
Nick grinned at her and winked, "Have a good time Sara."
Sara grabbed her towel and walked off toward the falls.
Warrick raised an eyebrow at Nick, "Ok, man, she's gone. Spill it. What happened while I was gone? You look like the proverbial cat that ate the canary."
Nick chuckled, "She wouldn't talk to me, so I tried to make her."
"Oh, boy." Warrick laughed, "I don't think I'd ever want to make Sara do anything."
Nick raised and eyebrow and grinned, "I don't think she expected the outcome."
Warrick narrowed his gaze, "What did you do?"
Nick continued grinning, "Me? I just told her I wasn't going to let her go until she talked to me."
"Uh huh. So basically you were holding her hostage." Warrick commented.
Nick waggled his eyebrows, "Maybe at first."
"What do you mean at first, Nick?" Warrick queried.
A satisfied smile spread across Nick's face, "I haven't had a kiss like that in I don't know how long."
Warrick chuckled, "But she looks pissed."
Nick raised an eyebrow and kept grinning, "She couldn't kiss me like that and not mean it, no matter what she says. She just needs to admit it. And I have the rest of the weekend to convince her."
Nick finished the food on his plate and glanced over at Sara who seemed to be studying a noodle as if it was a piece of evidence. He cleaned his plate off and stowed it away. When he finished he let out a deep sigh and looked over at Sara. She glanced up at him momentarily and then turned her attention back to her plate. Nick stood there with his hands on his hips and looked at her with an apologetic expression, "Sara."
She glanced up with a defensive expression, "What?"
He didn't avert his gaze, "I'm sorry I pissed you off."
She looked at him quizzically, "You didn't piss me off."
Nick shook his head and a look of disbelief crossed his face, "I must have done something because you're not talking to me."
She let out a deep breath, "Nick, it's complicated, ok. It's my problem not yours." She stood up, cleaned her plate off and stowed it away. She looked at him again, "I'm going swimming. I'll see you later." She grabbed her towel and headed back toward the pool below Havasu Falls.
Nick watched her walk away. He stood there frustrated. Ruling out taking a nap in his tent because of the heat, he grabbed his towel and headed after her. As he approached the pool he noticed her sitting in one of the smaller pools. When she saw him approaching, she stood up and dove into the large pool, swimming away from him. Nick put his towel on the shoreline and lay down hoping to get some sleep. Even in the shade, the hot desert air was too stifling to sleep in. He finally stood up and dove into the water. He emerged a few minutes later feeling much cooler. This time when he lay down, he did go to sleep.
Sara felt bad that she had swam off after seeing Nick approach, but she did not want to have a conversation that would reveal how she was feeling. She swam lazily across the water and finally returned to smaller pool she had been in earlier. Most of the other campers had gone on day hikes, except for a few who had specifically come to enjoy the falls. She watched Nick as he slept on the shore and wondered what it would be like if he did indeed have feelings for her. She tried to banish those thoughts as she saw him stir a while later.
As Nick sat up feeling hot and sticky, he noticed Sara sitting in one of the smaller pools again. He thought he saw her looking at him, but decided to just go swim in the larger pool to cool off. Once he had cooled off, he made his way over to where she was sitting. As he reached over and placed an hand on her arm, Sara screamed.
She turned around to see Nick. A myriad of expression crossed her face before she growled at him, "Nick Stokes, you scared the hell out of me!"
He removed his hand and wore a sheepish expression, "I'm sorry, Sara. I just wanted to talk to you."
She looked at him and her expression softened slightly, "Look, I told you before. It's my problem not yours."
Nick's face clouded, "No, it's not, Sara. You're pissed off at me and you won't talk to me. That makes it my problem too. We have two more days down here, and I for one don't want to spend it walking on eggshells around you."
Sara crossed her arms in front of her, not saying a word.
Nick let out a frustrated grunt as he pulled himself up out of the deeper water to sit next to her on the edge of the smaller pool, "I don't know what I did, but I can't make it right if you don't tell me what it is."
Sara stood up and dived into the deeper water, swimming away from Nick.
He swore under his breath as he dove in after her, quickly catching up. He caught her from behind and put his arms around her waist, drawing her back against his chest. He whispered in her ear, "Dammit, Sara, you're going to talk to me. I'm not letting you go until you do."
She tried to elbow him in the chest, but he had her pressed too firmly against him for her to connect with it. She finally managed to turn in his embrace, and realized what a mistake that was when she locked eyes with him.
His grip tightened around her waist.
Her hands rested on his shoulders.
In retrospect, Nick wasn't sure who moved first, but in the end it didn't matter. Their lips connected with a jolt as a current of electricity passed between them. Their tongues were engaged in a frenzied dance with each other before they'd realized they'd parted their lips. Sara's arms snaked around Nick's neck and her hand cupped the back of his head her fingers playing at the nape of his neck. Nick's hands grazed her sides with caresses and pressed her body into his. Groans emitted from the pair. They broke for air for a mere moment before Sara thrust her tongue into Nick's mouth again. He eagerly responded engaging her tongue in a sensuous dance. They seemed completely unaware of anyone or anything else around them.
As they broke the kiss, Sara pushed away, a look of fear registering on her face. She turned away from Nick and stammered, "I, uh, I'm going back to camp." With that she swam toward shore, pick up her shorts, tank top, and towel and headed back to camp.
Nick stood there, his mouth agape at what had just happened. He had not just kissed Sara, they had practically devoured each other. He punched at the water, "Damn!" A smile played at his lips. He knew what was bothering Sara now, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, Warrick was right. She felt for him what he felt for her.
Nick lazily swam in the pool below the falls, a smile firmly etched on his face. After a while he finally headed back to the campsite to fix dinner. As he approached, he didn't see Sara, but he figured she was probably in her tent. A few minutes after Nick arrived back at camp, Warrick returned from his hike.
Warrick looked curiously at Nick and the dopey grin on his face, "Hey, did you and Sara talk?"
Nick shook his head, "She didn't want to talk to me." He grinned.
Warrick raised an eyebrow, "So you're still not talking?"
Nick continued grinning, "That's right. But at least now I'm pretty sure I know what's wrong."
Warrick wore a bemused grin, "Really."
Nick nodded, a grin chiseled into his features, as he crossed his arms in front of him.
Warrick chuckled, "Are you going to share with the rest of the class?"
Nick shook his head, "You're a smart guy, War. I think you can figure it out."
Sara poked her head of her tent and shot Nick a glare, "You know, I can hear every word you're saying in here."
Nick winked at her and grinned as she blushed in response, "I know."
Warrick chuckled, "Are you going to come out and have some dinner, Sara?"
She emerged the rest of the way from the tent; her shorts and tank top over her swimsuit. Her hunger had overcome her wariness of Nick, "What are we having?"
Nick chuckled, "Unfreeze dried Fettuccine Alfredo." Nick gestured for Sara to go first. She grudgingly obliged, filling her plate with the pasta dish. Nick filled his plate next and went over to sit next to Sara on the log, grinning at her. As Warrick filled his plate, Nick leaned over and whispered in Sara's ear, "I enjoyed our little swim earlier." Sara blushed furiously and stared intently at her food. Warrick overheard Nick's comment and managed to stifle a chuckle as he took a seat across from Nick and Sara noting the color in Sara's cheeks.
A still grinning Nick looked over at Warrick, "Hey, man, where'd you hike to?"
"Mooney Falls," He answered. Warrick filled them in on the hike and details of the falls. He suggested they all hike down in the morning.
Sara was the first to finish her meal. She cleaned her plate and stowed it away. She turned to the guys, "I'm going for a swim. I'll see you guys in a while."
Nick grinned at her and winked, "Have a good time Sara."
Sara grabbed her towel and walked off toward the falls.
Warrick raised an eyebrow at Nick, "Ok, man, she's gone. Spill it. What happened while I was gone? You look like the proverbial cat that ate the canary."
Nick chuckled, "She wouldn't talk to me, so I tried to make her."
"Oh, boy." Warrick laughed, "I don't think I'd ever want to make Sara do anything."
Nick raised and eyebrow and grinned, "I don't think she expected the outcome."
Warrick narrowed his gaze, "What did you do?"
Nick continued grinning, "Me? I just told her I wasn't going to let her go until she talked to me."
"Uh huh. So basically you were holding her hostage." Warrick commented.
Nick waggled his eyebrows, "Maybe at first."
"What do you mean at first, Nick?" Warrick queried.
A satisfied smile spread across Nick's face, "I haven't had a kiss like that in I don't know how long."
Warrick chuckled, "But she looks pissed."
Nick raised an eyebrow and kept grinning, "She couldn't kiss me like that and not mean it, no matter what she says. She just needs to admit it. And I have the rest of the weekend to convince her."