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Disclaimer: I don't own the Host, Stephanie Meyer does
Ian's POV
"Wanda?" I called from the back of the van, "I think you and Mel should pick up swimming suits at the next clothing store."
she sounded surprised as she replied, "Um, why may I ask?"
"Ian just wants to see your new body in a swimsuit, that's all." Jared cut in from the driver's seat, raising his eyebrow suggestively at me.
"No!" I defended, as blood rushed to my cheeks, "I just thought that at the next hotel, we could maybe go swimming. All together I mean."
"Suuure you did." Jared said rolling his eyes.
I scowled and smacked him on the shoulder, "Shut up Jared!"
I giggled, "Sure Ian, I can do that. What size swimsuits are you guys?"
"YES!" Mel yelled from beside me, "I'm getting out of this stupid van!"
~oo0oo~
The girls left and gave Jared a good hard whack on the head
"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Jared yelled
"Why'd you have to say that Jared?"
He snickered "Oh, the swimsuit line? You walked right into that one man. And you know you were thinkin' it!"
I scowled again and slumped back in my seat, "You didn't have to say it though." I mumbled, pouting
~oo0oo~
(at the hotel)
Wanda came out of the bathroom after having changed into her bathing suit and her eyes immediately met mine, then brushed down my shirtless body before blushing. I couldn't help but think, {Dang! That swimsuit looks so good her!} I seriously felt like I wanted to run my hands down her body and feel every inch of her under my fingers. But I quickly pushed those thoughts away.
"Wow Wanda! You, you look amazing!" I finally complemented. She looked up into my eyes widened in awe. THen dropped them to the floor again as her face reddened.
"You don't look bad yourself, Ian." she replied looking up back at me. I decided to mess with her, just cuz I wanted to see her blush again
"Oh come on Wanderer. Don't tell me you're not admiring this awesome, robust body of mine."
Her face got even redder (if that's possible). Wanda looked as if she was on the edge of a comeback, but she didn't say anything.
I laughed, "Oh come on Wanda! I'm just messing with ya. Lets go to the pool. Mel and Jared said they would meet us there."
She nodded.
"If you want, I can give you a piggy back ride." I teased
She looked uncomfortable and suggested "How bout we just hold hands?"
I chuckled, "It's a deal." If she's not ready, I won't push her.
~oo0oo~
(at the pool)
"WooHoo!" Mel yelled as she front-flipped off the diving board and into the water
"Awesome Mel!" Wanda called when her head popped above the surface again.
"Hey! You splashed me!" Jared pouted, then smiled slightly evilly, "Now I get to splash you!" Jared swiftly dragged his arm across the surface of the pool, sending the water up into Mel's face.
"Hey! No fair! I didn't do it on purpose you jerk!" Mel complained as she copied Jared sending water at him. He ducked into the pool before the spray hit him, and the splash hit me, catching me off guard.
"Wha? Hey! I didn't do anything!" I hollered, splashing back at Mel.
She squealed and splashed blindly in a random direction, and the spray happened to hit Jared, who had come back out of the water and was laughing at me. An all-out splash fight broke out between us. I, between splashes, saw Wanda, sitting in the wading far away from us laughing at our antics and not participating.
"Come on Wanda! Splash with us! You're hair hasn't even got wet yet!" I called to her. She shook her head, declining my invitation. But she wasn't getting out of playing that easily. I stopped splashing and waded over to her. A teasing grin on my face,
"Fine, I'll bring the game to you!"
She squealed, laughed and swam away in attempt escape me, but I was too fast. Catching up to her, I trapped her in the corner of the pool then slowly, menacingly got closer, preparing to splash her. She squealed and quickly scrambled out of the pool giggling. I laughed and chased after her. I'm even faster on land, and quickly caught up to her. I grabbed her upper arms, lifted her easily up, turned her around and hugged her to my wet chest. All while she screamed, laughed and struggled. Then I walked back towards the pool and held her over the water by her armpits. She looked down at the water and went from half hearted struggling to stiff as a board in my hands. Her eyes widened as she stared at something I couldn't see. She looked back at me and suddenly her eyes were horror-struck. She immediately began to struggle violently towards my body. Confused I didn't try to keep her away, and she soon succeeded in wrapping all her appendages around my upper torso. I Became concerned and wrapped my arms all the way around her, my hands gripping right below her rib-cage. Holding her small body close, trying to comfort her. "It's ok Wa-"
She cut me off and began screeching, "NO! NO KYLE! PLEASE! PLEASE KYLE! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP ME! ANYONE! IAN!"
and tugged herself tighter to my body. I hugged her even closer to my chest and walked swiftly backwards, away from the edge of the river. {Kyle?} I thought {What's going on?!} I looked at Jared and Mel for help. They had stopped splashing when Wanda started screaming and were causesly climbing from the pool. Wanda started struggling again, away from me this time. I let her slide to the floor, gingerly, in attempt to calm her. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she bolted towards the doors and ran down the hallway.
"WANDA!" I yelled sprinting after her. I caught up to her just as she slipped into our hotel room. I skidded to a stop at the door and heard the "Click" of the lock and the creek of the bed springs as she jumped on it. I sighed in defeat and stood with my back to the door for a second before sliding down to the floor. I put my head in my hands. {What did I do?} I thought {I've scared her somehow… and I don't even know what I did. Let alone how to fix it…} I wallowed in despair for the few minutes it took for Mel and Jared to catch up. I felt Mel's hand on my shoulder and I looked up at her.
"Let me talk to her for a minute. It'll be okay." She said in attempt to comforted me. It didn't help but I nodded.
"Come on man." Jared said offering his hand. I took it and he took me across the hall time to his and Mel's room. I heard Mel knock on the door to my room then closed the door and plopped myself on the end of their bed to wait. About ten minutes later Mel opened the door.
I immediately stood up. I was about to ask how it went, but stopped when I saw Wanda come in after her. I took one look at her tear streaked face, and a sharp, guilty sadness stabbed straight through me. Mel grabbed Jared and slipped out of the room to give us the private moment we needed. I Made a mental note to thank her later. We walked towards each other, and met in the middle. As soon as my arms were around her, Wanda broke down.
"I'm so sorry Ian" she said in between sobs
"Shhh," I soothed, "It's ok, it's ok…" then I picked her up, cradling her to my chest, and walked slowly back over to the bed, setting her on my lap with her arms wrapped around my neck and waited while she sobbed into my shoulder. Comforting her through the tears. When her eyes dried, we sat in silence for a minute, just being close together, before I asked,
"Do you want to talk about it?"
she nodded, moved her arms down to around my torso, loosely this time, and explained what happened. Me lifting her in the air over the pool. Her having a flashback, running away from me, and feeling guilty afterwards. All while the threat of tears was present in her eyes. I silently, slowly rocked us side to side all through the story. When she finished, I told her the same story, but in the way I saw it. The confusion I felt at her struggling, my surprise and worry when she screamed, and the guilt I felt at her running away. When my story was done, we sat together for a while, then Wanda said,
"I'm so sorry Ian. I know you would never hurt me… Don't feel guilty."
"But it is my fault! I'm the one who triggered your flashback." I argued with a frown.
"No, it's my fault. I should have realized more quickly that being back in the caves was impossible, and remembered that Kyle already apologized for what he did. He wouldn't do it again."
"Well, If it's not my fault, and it's not your fault… It's Kyle's fault." I said that last part rather coldly. He was the one who gave her the memory after all.
"Oh Ian! Don't be mad at him! He already knows what he did was wrong."
"But his mistake has caused you pain again! Look! You're in tears again at the memory of what he
tried to do!" I growled
Wanda sat up straighter and took my face in her hands,
"The past doesn't matter, only the present and the future, Ian. I've chosen to forget the past and focus on the present. You are my present, Ian."
My anger fled and I smiled at the memory of our first night together in her new body, "And your future, if you want." touching my forehead and the tip of my nose to hers.
"Yes please." she whispered, just before our lips met. I laid back so that we were laying next to each other, our legs tangled up, and we kissed slowly but passionately for a while. Then I trailed my lips down her neck, leaving kisses along the way. Then jumped them back up to her forehead where I left them. We fell asleep like that, and it was like we were back in the caves, but this time, it was a good thing.
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