Notes: So I wrote this one a while back when I was intending to use it in a joint art/writing project that seems to have fallen through the cracks this summer. I didn't want to lose this little piece, so I thought I'd post it up tonight. It's AU now, since Liz didn't go with him on the boat, but I'm still rather fond of it. Have some Keen2 fluff for your evening :)

Into the water

He was losing. Part of him felt like he should be embarrassed, but the other part was so damn proud that he couldn't quite manage to be. Still, he had a not-so-well-known reputation to uphold and Liz had been practicing. Jacob barely dodged a blow and suddenly he was in her face. He couldn't hold back the grin entirely as he placed a quick kiss on the tip of her nose and froze there, gaining a front row seat to the gradual change in her expression from focus to surprise to feigned irritation.

"Cheat," she grumbled, pulling away from him and putting her hands against his shoulders so he couldn't repeat the same move.

Jacob let the grin spread and his face almost hurt with as wide as it grew. "Sorry?" he offered, but he was anything but.

Lizzy knew that too with the way she rolled her eyes. She turned, almost as if she were going to walk away - where she thought she was going to go on a boat he wasn't entirely sure - and he relaxed his guard. She must have been waiting for it because she moved almost quicker than he could process. His arm came up to deflect the blow aimed for his jaw and he turned his shoulder so that she missed catching him in the middle with her foot. He didn't miss the follow up that took his feet out from under him, though, but he caught hold of her wrist on his way down. He rolled on his back, taking her down with him, and Liz used the momentum to keep going, pulling him along and she knocked the breath out of him when she planted her foot square in his middle, propelling him over.

Jacob went flying over the side of the boat and into the water. He hit, the sudden lack of air startling, and he sputtered against it, flailing and struggling to break free to the surface. When his head came up above the waves he heard Liz shouting his name and he reached out, grabbing for the side of the boat. His fingers caught hold and he held on hard.

Liz peeked over the side. "You okay?" she asked, and there was a mixture of worry and amusement on her face.

"You threw-" He coughed, sputtering against the mouthful of water he'd inhaled. "You threw me in!"

"Not on purpose!" Liz protested, biting her lip and he could tell she was trying not to laugh at him outright. Sure, he probably looked funny enough clinging to the side of the boat like he was, but she didn't have to remind him of that. "If you're waiting for me to haul you up, you'll be waiting a long time. I'm strong, but maybe not that strong." Her smile didn't fade as she teased him, and in any other moment he would have been happy to see it. Just not when he was trying not to drown.

She straightened up and Jacob thought maybe she was just going to leave him there for a second before she vaulted over the side and jumped feet first into the water. Liz resurfaced, hair plastered back and her blue eyes full of mischief that he'd missed so much since the time when they had been married. "Come on."

"Come on what?" he demanded, clinging a little harder.

"I'm going to teach you to swim."

"I think I'll just get back in the boat."

"Don't be a baby. What kind of spy doesn't know how to swim?"

"I can't be the only one," he grumbled and looked up, trying to gauge if he could get enough leverage to haul himself up and over the side of the boat with nothing but water to push off from. What had he been thinking when he'd decided he wanted a boat?

"Well, there'll be one less after today." She grabbed his arm and started pulling. "Please?"

"You're going to drown me," Jacob huffed.

Liz leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his scruffy cheek. "I promise not to drown you. Do you trust me?"

The question was heavier than her tone might have otherwise indicated and Jacob turned to look her in the eye. "You know that I do."

She grinned, triumphant, and slowly he released his grip with one hand, the other still holding tight. She took his newly freed hand and swam out as far as she could while holding it. "You just have to make sure you keep moving your feet," she explained and he risked a glance down to see her legs steadily moving under the water. He mirrored the movement, trying to keep himself under control. "So why didn't you learn?"

"Huh?"

"When you were a kid? Most people learn when they're kids."

"I'm not most people."

"Obviously. Tom, I need you to either let go of my hand or let go of the boat with the other hand. You're new to this, so you'll need at least one hand to tread water."

He hoped he didn't look as terrified at the notion as he felt. "I… uh… nearly drowned as a kid," he said, as he took a breath and let go of the boat. He felt her grip tighten on his hand and he tried to speak and focus on moving at the same time. He had to trust her. "A couple times," he continued. "First time I fell through some ice."

He risked a glance up and Liz's brows were knit together. "And the second time?"

"A guy I grew up with threw me off a moving boat."

She shook her head. "You and boats…"

"I wanted to make better memories on them," he answered quietly and Liz's smile returned, a little softer than the mischievous grin she had worn.

"Hey Tom?"

"Yeah?"

"You're swimming."

Jacob blinked hard. When they had moved away from the boat, he had no idea, but they were several feet out and he wasn't under water. Her grin returned and she dipped forward, kissing his nose like he had hers earlier. "I win."