She paid individual attention to each finger, not saying a word about how he might have gotten blood under his fingernails, just scrubbing it away. Pulling him into a hug that incidentally got him under the spray, she held him close, his chin propped on her head, and let him cry. These were better tears than the shocked ones of his arrival.
He couldn’t understand why everyone that he loved got taken away from him, and he vowed then and there to protect Summer with all of his heart and soul, not wanting her to meet the same unknown fate that the other Betas had. Trembling as he lay slumped against her, he choked on a sob and screwed his eyes tightly shut.
She stroked his back, occasionally making shushing sounds. Eventually the water began to get cold. “Isaac, we need to get out now. You’ll get a chill.”
She coughed some more, feeling the burn of the salts all the way down her throat. Half-perching on his leg, she rubbed at her eyes and said, “Need to get to where I can stand.” She batted his hand away, not wanting to sneeze or spit on him as she tried to get the taste out of her mouth.
“Want me to heal you?” he murmured with concern then, the amusement quickly melting out of the moment as he regarded her with narrowed eyes. Tensing at the light tap to his hands, he stepped back, wondering what was happening. “…Summer?”
She couldn’t tread water and cough, so she kept trying to balance herself on him. “Shore, please, Isaac.”
“Aaaah!” She laughed, and then coughed, accidentally inhaling some saltwater. She had to let him hold her up as she sneezed the stuff out of her sinuses, and her eyes burned from the shock. “Why’re you always faster than me?” she muttered, wheezing.
“Might be the werewolf thing, just saying,” he teased her and playfully nipped at the curve of her neck, nuzzling the wet flesh there as he inhaled. “Are you okay?” he murmured and rubbed down her sides, twisting around to kiss her on the nose.
She coughed some more, feeling the burn of the salts all the way down her throat. Half-perching on his leg, she rubbed at her eyes and said, “Need to get to where I can stand.” She batted his hand away, not wanting to sneeze or spit on him as she tried to get the taste out of her mouth.
She spluttered with laughter. “Says you! You’re such a dork.” She ducked under the water and swam around behind him, then tried to grab his legs and pull him under with her.
Flailing and thrashing playfully as they fought with one another, Isaac grinned at her underneath the water, pushing himself to resurface as he reached out to grab her. “Nice try, but not fast enough, Summer!”
“Aaaah!” She laughed, and then coughed, accidentally inhaling some saltwater. She had to let him hold her up as she sneezed the stuff out of her sinuses, and her eyes burned from the shock. “Why’re you always faster than me?” she muttered, wheezing.
“I didn’t know that.” She frowned a little, treading water. “I’m fine. I was on the swim team in the summers at home.” A wave bobbed her up a little.
“…I never told you that? Sorry…I thought I had.” He pursed his lips and then moved to kiss her nose by way of apology. “You were? No wonder you’re absolutely brilliant then.”
She spluttered with laughter. “Says you! You’re such a dork.” She ducked under the water and swam around behind him, then tried to grab his legs and pull him under with her.
Summer goggled after him, a bit astonished at his speed. It took her several minutes to catch up to him, and she had to gasp for breath, bobbing in the water. “My god, why do you play lacrosse when you swim like that?”
“My dad was the swim coach, remember?” He stated with a shrug and he stilled, twisting to face her as he held out his hands. “We’re quite far out now – don’t get too tired, okay? I can always take us back if I have to.”
“I didn’t know that.” She frowned a little, treading water. “I’m fine. I was on the swim team in the summers at home.” A wave bobbed her up a little.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” she teased. “I didn’t realise I was stopping you!” Reaching around, she tickled him before darting away into the water again, plunging under the waves.
He squeaked and playfully batted at her hands as her fingers skimmed his ribs, before launching in after her, effortlessly moving through the water. Smiling and speeding past her, his laughter could be heard even when he was quite a distance from her.
Summer goggled after him, a bit astonished at his speed. It took her several minutes to catch up to him, and she had to gasp for breath, bobbing in the water. “My god, why do you play lacrosse when you swim like that?”
They fell under the wave together, and she clamped her arms around him as the water swirled and let go. “Oh, I’ve been caught again! What are you going to do with me?”
Kissing her soundly on the lips, he grinned and nuzzled their noses together. “That’s a good start, right? Now can we go swimming now? I’ve been waiting to do this for ages.”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” she teased. “I didn’t realise I was stopping you!” Reaching around, she tickled him before darting away into the water again, plunging under the waves.
She hardly even heard him over the sound of the waves rolling in to shore, wading deeper and deeper. Turning sideways to meet the larger waves, she shrieked and laughed every time one hit her, and grinned back at Isaac. “Come on,” she shouted. “Come and get me!”
“Oh, really?” He rose to the challenge and promptly dove into the next wave that headed his way, resurfacing enough to throw his arms around her knees and drag her down with him. “Got you!”
They fell under the wave together, and she clamped her arms around him as the water swirled and let go. “Oh, I’ve been caught again! What are you going to do with me?”
She swatted at him, giggling and dripping. “I’m fine! Put me down.” She swept her hands through the water, dashing it up at him, and slid out of his hands, plunging back into the waves like some kind of mermaid.
Watching her with wide-eyed wonder, he obediently lowered her back into the water and took a step back, humming in contentment as the waves lapped around his ankles. “This is amazing, Summer. Thank you for bringing me here.”
She hardly even heard him over the sound of the waves rolling in to shore, wading deeper and deeper. Turning sideways to meet the larger waves, she shrieked and laughed every time one hit her, and grinned back at Isaac. “Come on,” she shouted. “Come and get me!”