Under the Willow [closed]

He set about in an awkward swim as she failed, making gasps for air and using each spare moment to grit his teeth, her legs kicking up against him; not so much to hurt in the lake water, but enough to cause his concentration to waver some. "Shit! Pikachu!" Preston puffed his cheeks up, his head dipping under the water a split-second. It took him a few breaths to chill the fuck out himself and recover. "You..." He took one big stroke. "You didn't... Like it?" Best as he tried to seem confident, his voice had a hopeful ring to it, perhaps just a see but uncertain.

"Don't drown, idiot!" she hissed through clenched teeth, but even as she said it she wanted to dunk his head beneath the water. Through the blur of water and the glare of sunspots dancing in her vision, she caught a glimpse up at the clifftop where they'd dropped off, the towels, the blankets, the backpack full of food... And he'd thrown her off a fucking cliff. Her head was swimming, heart pounding as she clung on for dear life. That was just a typical stupid Preston thing to do... Did she like it?

. . .

"J-just warn me next time..." Her voice ringed sardonic.

He made up his mind to focus indeed on keeping the both of them afloat, lest his pout become too obvious. Preston chuckled under his breath best he could, reaching his for down every so often and continuing their slow stride until he could place both feet comfortably in the slick sand. "Half-drowned and pissy isn't a bad look on you," he teased. Step by step, he could lead her closer to the shore, hands on her shoulders and easing her back to the earth.

She couldn't breathe easy, or barely breathe at all, until she was kicking at sand and gravel beneath her feet. Kayla waded out from the water and toward the shore, feeling fifty pounds heavier in her soaked clothes, shirt plastered and clinging close to her skin. Sparks crackled across her skin, her whole body shaking from the icy chill of her drop in the lake, but it was like all the strength had been sapped out of her. She didn't even try to disentangle herself from her lesser half, guiding her back to dry land with his hands firm around her shoulders.

Kayla looked like a drowned cat glancing back at him, eyes narrowed into copper slits, sparks crackling in her wet and mousy hair. "Well, I hope you like it."

There wasn't a soul alive in that moment that could compete with his smug smile, even as the slight guilt clung away at him (near as tightly as Kayla was hanging onto him herself). "You'd kill me if I said I did," he muttered back, catching a glimpse of her sharp glare. Preston himself shivered as they stepped back out into the cold air, one step at a time, but he wouldn't dare to let his discomfort show. "But I think I do." His arms fell from her shoulders and fell below her waist.

He glanced back up towards the peak of the cliff. It'd be a fun walk back up.

Electricity snapped in a band around their heads, color flushing across her face as she finally made her way to shore, feeling like her lesser half had her in a headlock. His arm loosened around her shoulder and slipped down toward her hips, and then he was practically lifting her out of the water, her arms still locked around him as tight as she could manage. "Bitch," she breathed. "You better."

She would kill him. Later. For now, she clung onto him like a wet piece of cloth, teeth chattering as a shiver tore through her.

He could feel her shiver like a leaf soon as they made it out of the water. Lucky for her, Preston didn't think himself a total idiot and had somewhat prepared, taking her to the side of the shore near where the cliff had started again and pulled out a fresh towel, stuffed away and hidden inside an old grocery back he'd so expertly set aside ahead of time. The young man let go of her for a moment, whipping out the cotton in length and wrapping it around her, much like a cape. Maybe it'd help warm her, at least a little.

"Alright, no more thrill rides," he gave a weak chuckle, brushing his hand over her shoulder and starting back up the climb.