Going Under...(Carter)

[Salem Hirch]

"Man...I knew I should have bought new trunks when I was at the mall..."

Salem looked at his reflection in the water and sighed heavily as he spoke. The skinny blonde was already self conscience about his appearance and the short trunks were not helping matters in the slightest. He took a quick look around and slipped into the water as silently as possibly. Today had just been one of those days where he just wanted to be alone for five minutes and clear his head.

Too many things were buzzing around in there lately at it was starting to get to the boy. Okay, so it was just the typical teenage thoughts and feelings, but for Salem they were amplified to a level he couldn't handle all the time. Mainly it was feelings he had noticed lately, particularly towards two different people. One of which was pushed to the back of his mind, but the other...

He had seen Carter a lot around school, but hardly ever spoke to him. Still, the boy made Salem's stomach do flip flops and his face turn the darkest shade or red imaginable. That's who was on his mind at the moment.

Carter...

Salem propped himself up in one of the corners of the pool and rested his elbows on the outside of it, his head tilted back and his eyes shut.

[Carter Chevalier]

One would assume that a terrakinetic would have little to no business around the school's pool. Furthermore, one such as Carter would likely want nothing to do with something he'd have to share with a majority of his peers. But there was a person - an important one in particular - who happened to be a hydrokinetic. And she happened to, obviously, adore the water.

As he left the locker room, Carter swung a towel over his shoulder. Though swimming wasn't his usual choice in a work out, his fencing partner was incapacitated. And that clearly irked the older twin.

It was only when he walked along the edge of the pool that he noticed someone settled in the corner of the water. After a moment, Carter ran his hand through his hair as he took necessary steps. Not to stop, but to pass. He glanced down as he did so, his bright blue eyes taking in the sight of him as he lingered for a moment.

Before he stopped. "Have we met?"

[Salem Hirch]

Normally Salem would never let his mind drift while he was just bobbing in the water, but his arms were grasping the corner pretty snugly. So, he just let it happen. It didn't really go anywhere in particular, just going from one thought to another, most of which seemed good. Happy, at least. Then a noise caught his attention. Not just any noise, but a voice.

The voice brought him back to the pool and his eyes popped open. 

There was quick flash of movement and a little splash over water as Salem spun in his spot to press his body against the wall of the pool. His fave red, he finally glanced up at Carter. His moment of pure and completely humiliating awkwardness had passed, but he could barely make words. "Um...no...no Not officially."

At that exact moment, the boy wish that he someone had a rock tied to his feet, just so he could drown. "I um, know who you are though. Well, you're name..." Cause that didn't sound creepy at all Salem. "But yeah, now that I've made a total idiot out of myself...I'm Salem."

He still hid himself in the pool and didn't move. His eyes sort of focused on the edge of the pool, like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

[Carter Chevalier]

Suddenly he was noticed, and Carter raised his eyebrows to the fact. He was sure he recognised this face somehow; then again, he was better at recalling faces than names in any moment of time. He watched the colour that shifted onto this boy's cheeks, and finally he managed to catch his eyes. Not officially.

As he spoke, Carter discarded his towel at a nearby bench and moved to sit at the edge of the pool. He allowed his feet to find comfort in the water.

"I wouldn't call you an idiot, Salem." Carter replied, pressing his hands to the edge of the pool as he kept his bright blue eyes on the boy. Even if he wasn't willing to look back at him. "Even if you know my name, I still want to give it to you." He started, extending a hand out as the corner of his mouth pulled into something of an amused grin; "Carter."

[Salem Hirch]

"It's nice to finally meet you Carter...well, talk to you." Salem was tripping over his words and to him, sounding dumber and dumber by the moment. Why Carter was still there was a mystery to him. Before Salem could stop himself, his eyes had drifted to the other and was taking him in. It was silly, stupid...girly. Yet, the boy couldn't stop himself.

"What is WRONG with you!" He screamed at himself internally. Did his brain reply? No. Did he manage to speak? No. Well, sort of. The words that eventually managed to sneak their way passed his lips almost made him slam his face into the side of the pool.

"So, um...come here often?" In that moment, Salem wanted to drown. To just hold his breath until his lungs collapsed. Only now did he turn his face away to the water, his cheeks flushed a very dark red.

[Carter Chevalier]

"Likewise." Carter replied lightly, having no difficulty with the way this boy seemed to fumble over the things he wanted to say. It was the type of behaviour he was used to, and it was hardly something he was going to hold against Salem. Still, he caught the way the boy was looking, and thankfully that made things a little more clear.

As if they weren't already.

"I don't, no." He played off the slightly generic question with similar ease, especially in comparison to how they'd been offered to him. "But it's moments like these that make it worth it."

Pressing his hands to the ground behind him, he leaned back slightly. He refused to turn his eyes away from Salem, despite the fact that he'd turned his face away. "Are you blushing?"

[Salem Hirch]

As Carter spoke, Salem slowly turned his eyes up to him. The other boy was speaking, softly, at least that's the way Salem heard it. Okay, so he wasn't looking up at him yet, but he knew Carter was looking at him. Something in him just told him to look fully up at him. The moment his eyes locked onto the other blue orbs, Carter asked if he was blushing. 

There was no way around this, either lie and say he had a touch of fever, or just tell the truth. For some bizarre reason, Salem chose the second response. "Yeah, I uh...guess I am." This time, he didn't look away though. A little spark fluttered in his stomach and he actually smiled a little.

"I'm just always kinda nervous around guys." He openly admitted. It was beyond true, the only male he seemed to be able to hold a conversation with was Anthony. "I never know what to say, so i get tongue tied...sorry."  His face once again flushed red. "You probably get people blushing around you a lot, huh?"

[Carter Chevalier]

Being direct was an instinctual choice. Where most would have likely avoided the fact that he was clearly blushing, Carter would not. Because there was always a purpose behind why someone's cheeks were coloured so intently, and he found himself curious about that.

"I guess you are." He repeated, his gaze briefly flicking to the curve of Salem's lips before back to his eyes again.

He furrowed his eyebrows lightly in concern at the idea that he was nervous around guys. He supposed that was something of an understatement, but he was hardly about to say that to him. So he listened anyway, opting not to interject at any point. Nor did he choose to openly respond to the question about whether or not people blushed around him.

"It hardly matters what other people do," Carter offered with a small laugh, rolling his shoulders back once to relieve the pressure in his muscles. "What makes you so nervous around me?"

[Salem Hirch]

"Oh you're doing so well Salem." He thought as he once again smacked his own face internally. So, the boy so close to him was really the first person who caught his attention, ever. That didn't mean he should act so...predictable. At this, Salem ran a hand through his own blonde hair and turned more towards Carter so they could have at least a face to face conversation.

He was bound and determined to get past small talk with at least one guy, before feeling like he needed to hide. In his head, he thought of Anthony, how easy it was to talk to him; to be himself around him. "Maybe if I imagine Carter as Anthony." Nodding his head a little to Carter.

"Glad to know it doesn't bother you. My, um, shyness?" He offered and smiled. The Anthony trick was working, well was. His eyes caught the sight of Carter's chest as it flexed and Anthony was gone. "Um, well..I just...I dunno...I mean..I'm not scared of you or anything..." Now Salem did slap himself in the face. A hard facepalm. "Real smooth Salem." He scolded himself.

[Carter Chevalier]

Carter found himself curious when he mentioned the fact that he was shy. He supposed he understood that; not personally, but the fact that Salem was shy had been well established already. It wasn't something he'd hold against him. Rather, it was encouragement. He wouldn't be shy if this were nothing.

"I'm glad you're not afraid of me." The older twin replied, watching the way he literally his his face with his own hand.

Still, he offered something of a small chuckle as he leaned in a touch. Almost insignificantly. But no move by Carter was ever insignificant. "How do you feel, then?" He asked, "If not afraid, it must be something."

[Salem Hirch]

His stomach felt like it just jumped into his throat as Carter moved closer. Oh, he was feeling something, but Salem could not even begin to put into words what it was. Either he couldn't or didn't want to, though he was pretty sure he just couldn't. Every inch of him felt as though it was on fire and he knew he was doing a full head to toe blush. Even though something in his gut told him to get out the pool, there was calming voice in his head that said to stay and to see what would happen. 

"I uh, don...don't know how to say what I'm feeling." He finally managed to admit. Granted he was sure it would be painfully obvious to even someone who was blind that Salem had some sort of feelings towards the other blonde. Slowly, a feeling grew behind the blue in his eyes and they sparked a little. There was no way Salem could fight the image that was coming, or even really control what it was doing.

Salem's eyes focused on a spot in the pool nearby and an image started to appear. It was two boys, no...it was Salem and Carter. Carter had Salem pinned to the wall of the pool and was kissing him, fiercely, then it vanished. Salem's eyes were huge, the pain that normally followed an illusion was totally ignored out of sheer embarrassment. He didn't dare look at Carter, so he let his head droop to look at the water and wishing there was something in there that would just drag him down. 

[Carter Chevalier]

Carter was relatively aware of just how this boy was feeling. However, clarity was always imperative. Even the best individuals could misread signals, though Carter still thought himself better than that. As he opened his mouth to question Salem further, he found himself utterly distracted.

He looked over towards the filtered image, noting a face much like his own. Pinned against the wall. A destructive kiss. And then nothing.

Wide eyed Salem made a point to look away, and Carter's attention was drawn back to him. Clearly it was an accident, but Carter would hardly label it a problem.

"My bed is far more comfortable than this pool." He offered, drawing his feet out of the water. As he stood, he tilted his head towards the door. A silent move that he should follow.

[Salem Hirch]

The momentary silence in the pool was almost as loud as if it were filled with people. All Salem could really think about was just the water. He tried so hard to focus on the water, but was failing miserably. Then he felt a shift, almost like Carter was moving, or talking. Looking up he noticed the other blonde had indeed and was talking.

Wait, what was he saying? Was..was he suggesting that he and Salem go back to his room? He was. Salem's face turned a dark red, that much he could tell was going on, but for some reason he couldn't find the reasoning for why he was moving. Not only moving, but he was getting out of the pool to follow Carter. Like a lost little puppy.

What was he doing! Why couldn't he stop himself from staring at the other, and wanting to follow him? His stomach was in a million knots or butterflies, by this point he couldn't tell which. Salem just stopped in front of Carter and looked up at him nervously, wondering if maybe he could tell him what he was doing.

[Carter Chevalier]

Carter had a reputation. As did his brother, Dominique. He'd invited the boy back to his room in his usual way for the universal reason he was sure this boy knew. The reason everyone knew when they were extended such an invitation.

He didn't need to look back right away to notice footsteps behind him. He felt the vibration in the natural stone beneath his feet. Without ever touching the water he'd gone for, Carter left the side of the pool with the knowledge that he was silently following.

Before he made a move at all, Salem was standing in front of him. A questioning look in his eyes in tandem with clear nerves. Carter reached forward, resting his hand at the base of the other boy's neck. With light pressure, he drew him in a touch.

"If you want something, I suggest you take it while you have the chance, oui?" He said, his eyebrows raising.

[Salem Hirch]

In his mind, Salem had pushed all those rumors aside. That maybe Carter didn't really do things like that and then just move on to the next person. In fact, the shorter blonde youth had flat out refused to believe that part of the rumor, but now he was thinking maybe the first part was true.

Carter moved closer and Salem's body turned a bright pink color, turning a little darker as he felt the hand on his neck. Only one other person had touched him like that and it didn't last long. His whole body shivered and his eyes locked onto the others. Salem felt like he was in some sort of trance, like how he saw girls fawn over boys. He always made fun of that too, and never understood it. Was that was happening to him now? The boy's stomach started turning.

"I..uh...It's just...I..." He sighed as he stumbled over his words. "I'm not the type to...'seize the day'." Salem finally managed with a nervous little chuckle that made his cheeks turn even a slightly darker shade of red. "I'm not even sure what I'm doing .."