Pointdexter: A Swooning Over Stan-fiction

Chapter Twenty-Six

"What?" Ford asked, shock twisting his face.

"It'll be fun!" Alice grinned at him, standing and brushing off her legs.

"But I have no swimsuit- I haven't been swimming in years-" Ford tried to explain away the idea. "You can't swim-"

"Ford-" Alice insisted, propping her hands on her hips. He only stared, wide-eyed at her. "Trust me-"

He considered her for a moment, opening his mouth and raising a pointed finger to protest, but he lowered his hand.

"I'll give you five seconds until I cannonball-" Alice challenged, facing the pool and preparing herself to learn how to swim in the next thirty seconds. The five seconds turned into ten, but by the time she turned around to tell Ford to get ready, she stopped.

Not only was he standing next to her, but he was down to just his pants. That's a surprise- 

"I thought you said five seconds-" Ford pointed out.

"I thought you said you had no swimsuit-" She countered.

"I always come prepared-" Ford chuckled.

"Liar-" Alice grinned as he squinted at her.

"Well- here goes nothing." And with that, he jumped into the pool, leaving Alice at the sideline, and very wet since his impressive dive's splash zone extended to her. He breached, coming up for air, his floppy hair plastered against his forehead and covering his eyes.

"Are you-"

Alice dove before he had the chance to finish, taking a running start and jumping into the pool, hearing his booming laughter as soon as she hit the water. When she came up, her feet desperately kicking for the ground, she found Ford clicking back his hair and grinning.

"Solid entrance, a bit messy on the execution-" He chuckled, shaking the water from his hair. "I would normally give you an eight out of ten-"

"I can't swim-" Alice gasped past a mouthful of water. Ford swam over to her, wrapping her in a hug and pulling her flush to his chest.

"Well- beginner's luck, you get a perfect score."

Alice felt her face heat despite the cool water, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"And since you fell for my cunning plan-" He grinned, suddenly submerging under the water.

"CHEATER!" Alice shrieked when they rose again, her arms tight around his neck.

Ford laughed, his arms wrapped firmly around her waist, keeping Alice anchored against him. Water streamed down his face, his usually perfectly-combed hair flopping across his face, giving him a nearly boyish look. Alice pushed the wet strands from his face, finding his gaze fixed on her.

"Now you're at my mercy," he teased, his voice low and his nose brushing against hers. "What shall I do with you?"

"Suffer-" Alice grinned, splashing him with water.

They spent the rest of the evening acting like children in the water. Ford tried to teach Alice how to swim, but she preferred clinging to his back and letting her head rest on his shoulders. And by the time the sun started to set, they were soaking wet and blissfully happy. Ford helped Alice out of the water, his hand braced against her back as she lifted herself from the water and sat on one of the pool chairs.

Ford followed, climbing out of the pool next to her. He stood there, dripping water onto the pavement like some sort of neon god. His hand brushed through his hair, running his fingers through the mess and attempting to push it out of his face. His gaze flickered to her, still seated on her chair, and a small amused smile crossed his face.

Alice tore her towel from the seat, wrapping one end around her shoulder and holding the other open like a bird's wing.

"Come here before you catch a cold-" She ordered, unable to wipe the grin from her face. He obliged her, sitting next to her and leaning under the towel.

"Do you always take such good care of strangers?" He tested, tilting his head to her. "Or is this just special treatment for me?"

Alice pulled the towel around his shoulder, leaning into him and resting her head on his chest.

"Oh I meet all my boyfriends like this-" She teased back, wrapping her now free arm around his back.

Ford chuckled, his arm finding its way around her waist and leaning into her. His head rested on the top of her head, and Alice sighed, embracing the feeling of his warmth. She could feel his breath against the top of her head, his nose nuzzling into her hair.

"Lucky me then."