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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 18, 2008 13:02:59 GMT -5
Markise licked his lips, unable to comment for a moment at the almost obscene motion of Ariel's body cutting through the water. Then Ariel had disappeared, and reappeared, his dark blond hair darker as it clung to him. Markise sunk down in the water again as he tried to cool himself. "I'm getting used to the water," he said, total bull when he knew movement was the way to warm up. Movement. Markise couldn't sink any deeper than he was right now.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 18, 2008 13:14:23 GMT -5
"I'm from the outback and I'm already used to it," Ariel challenged, raising an eyebrow. It wasn't entirely true, every so often he still felt a chill, but just sitting there in the water wouldn't get Markise used to the water. He raised his hand, brushing back the wisps of hair that hadn't made their way into the band back onto the top of his head, and then lounged back in the water, doing a lazy backstroke and letting his feet float in the water just below the surface.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 18, 2008 13:23:00 GMT -5
Markise's lips parted just a fraction as he watched Ariel, the soft, casual motion of his hand, the motion of his body and everything he could see below the water. He dragged his gaze away, then pushed to swim, gracefully, but without Ariel's power or assurance. He just needed to move, anything to distract him from his thoughts. "Happy now?" he asked Ariel as he passed by.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 18, 2008 13:33:07 GMT -5
Ariel watched Markise's easy motions, his mind linking it to a set of girls he had once watched that had turned out to be a synchronized swimming group. He blinked then, pushing those thoughts away, thoughts that definitely hadn't been focusing on the girls swimming. "Not particularly," he said, quickening his strokes long enough to come up even with Markise. "You look like you'd rather be anywhere but swimming," he accused, raising an eyebrow.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 18, 2008 13:37:25 GMT -5
Dammit. Markise didn't want to be transparent right now, but apparently he was. He knew where he'd like to be right now, and it was with Ariel, just...closer, warmer... Markise put a bit more energy into his stroke and pushed forward a bit. "I'm just distracted," he said, hoping that would be enough. Please don't let him ask! Markise started thinking up some bullsh~ anyway, just in case.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 18, 2008 13:50:23 GMT -5
"That's why you swim," Ariel said, putting on a burst of speed to end up just a little ahead of Markise. "You swim to get away from those distractions." As though he didn't, at least subconsciously, realize that he was at the very least partially part of that distraction. Swimming had always been his escape, so long as he was the only one in the pool.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 18, 2008 13:59:33 GMT -5
Markise looked over at Ariel, his distraction, and didn't think swimming was going to do any good on that front, at least while they were swimming together. He parted his lips to say something, but all that came out was a sudden pained Oh! as his right leg seized in a cramp. Markise's body reflexively curled, and he sank beneath the water, struggling uselessly against blinding pain and panic.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 18, 2008 14:07:33 GMT -5
Ariel paused in momentary shock as Markise disappeared into the water, but it was only half a second before instinct took over and he turned, diving into the water after him. Before he was really aware of what he was doing, Ariel had tucked his arm underneath Markise's and wrapped it around his chest to begin swimming back to shore with the other. "What the hell happened?" he asked, trying not to focus on the fact that he had a very wet, very good looking, Markise under his arm and pressed against his side.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 18, 2008 14:16:46 GMT -5
Markise coughed and sputtered, a shock of blond hair falling down over one eye, where his eyeliner was smudging. He clung to Ariel, his mind finally dragged away from sex with what felt like a near-death experience. "My leg cramped," he managed, gasping and clinging harder as another streak of pain tore through it. Markise winced and swiped briefly at his hair, for all the good it did when the fine strands clung to his jaw and neck. Another series of coughs broke out as his lungs attempted to dispel the water they'd taken in.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 18, 2008 14:23:42 GMT -5
Ariel sighed and turned his attention on getting them both back to shore without any more mishaps. It was easier thought than done, though, when with every stroke, kick, or even very slight motion, he felt Markise's slick skin sliding against his own. When the water was well below his chest he stood, putting his arm around Markise's waist to walk him the rest of the way back to shore, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground he was aiming for.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 18, 2008 14:33:44 GMT -5
Markise hobbled along as best he could, but dammit, his leg was still all cramped up! He didn't have any thought about having sat in the cold water for so long before suddenly forcing his muscles to move, only that he was in pain now, and Ariel was helping him. It was difficult to have gutter thoughts through the pain, and Markise mentally cursed himself for not being able to enjoy all the contact that he was getting right now. "It's not going away," he told Ariel.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 18, 2008 14:40:37 GMT -5
"Well there's not much I can do about it until you're on the ground," Ariel said, his voice a little harsher than strictly necessary in aggravation with himself. When they were fully on dry ground he helped Markise to sit down, then knelt beside him, "Where is it at?" he asked, glancing up at Markise and firmly refusing to think too hard on what he was about to do. It was only right and it was much more helpful than any of the spells he had been taught to use.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 18, 2008 14:50:33 GMT -5
Markise hadn't said another word while they were getting to shore, chastised by that hard tone of Ariel's voice. He winced again as he sat, then bent slightly to reach for the back of his right calf. "Here," he said, "all the way up to here." His hand swept lightly up the back of his leg just past his knee, where the muscle twitched in protest. It hurt, but he kept from saying anything, to avoid annoying Ariel too badly. He looked at Ariel gratefully, since he'd helped, and it looked like he was going to help some more.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 18, 2008 14:58:01 GMT -5
Ariel looked away from Markise's face, the expression somehow grating on his nerves, and focused on the leg in front of him. He took a bracing breath and brought his hands around, working the muscle with fingertips and thumbs to try to get it loosened up. "They have a spell that will make it stop hurting," he said, hoping to distract himself from the smooth feel of Markise's leg beneath his hands. "But it doesn't loosen up the muscles very well."
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 18, 2008 15:05:23 GMT -5
Markise's gaze was caught entirely on the strong hands working against his leg, and the pain started to retreat in his mind again. His body tensed as a knot in the muscle pinched, and he made a light sound of discomfort that melted into a low ooooh, as the pain faded, leaving a wash of endorphins in its place. Markise blinked, his eyes still focused on those hands against him. "That feels good," he said softly. He could feel the muscles starting to unwind.
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