cold feet (tag Rhys)

[Remle Boyd]

Why had she let him talk her into this? It was her competitive nature, it had to be. She really wanted Rhys to owe her something. She'd think of that something later, her mind was more or less consumed with the idea of what they were about to do. They'd gone for their normal jog, though shorter today because they wanted to make it to the lake before it got too dark and cold (despite the fact that it was already freezing). She was off today and so was Rhys so why not today? YEAH WHY NOT TODAY? This was going to be a disaster. She suddenly wished she was still wearing shirts and shorts over her swim suit in front of him. After four months of working out, hanging out and generally being around each other she'd slowly lost that shyness about exposing herself and when they'd made the rules for the game it was explicitly stated that only swim wear was allowed.

So here they were sitting in his car and she was getting ready to go into the cold lake. She cursed several times in her mind and then in a frustrated flurry of activity began undressing. After several moments of tugging, panting and yanking she was finally sitting in the passenger seat in her swim suit and tennis shoes. "Right...okay...hurry up." she said as she practically flew out of the car and to the water's edge. It was so COLD. She was going to die. Remle huddled near the peacefully lapping edge of the water staring at it as she gingerly toed off her shoes and socks and tried a toe. Mind over matter, she could definitely do this. She thought of all the times she and Rhys had been swimming after being in the gym, those lazy conversations as she did laps or floated on her back, just content to be in the water.

She'd been sleeping better. She was happier too, when she reached a goal, or noticed her pants fitting better in certain areas (she had a BUTT now), she was happy and Rhys was nice. Nice...he looked nice. She worried her lower lip between her teeth has she heard him come up behind her. He was nice, he was her friend and friends teased each other....she liked the teasing. She needed friends. Friends were good, he looked good, shit. Trying to flee from the thoughts she'd noticed a week back beginning to crop up Remle started into the water. "Hurry up or I'm going to win," she stuttered as her teeth began to chatter and she made small noises of distress as she waded deeper into the water. Yeah, cold water, that would keep her mind where it should be, not dying in the lake.

[Rhys Rockwood]

YEAH. This was likely one of his worst and best ideas for them to do. Rhys had been struck by the brilliant idea of going on a polar bear swim with Remle! He had done this a few times in the past; the trickiest part was making sure the lake wasn't frozen completely solid when he felt like doing it. After casually challenging her to stay in the water as long as or longer than him, she agreed. Discovering her competitive streak had been the best advantage Rhys had ever picked up for encouraging someone to keep pushing while working with him; she probably wouldn't be too thrilled about it if she realized how he had convinced her to do so many things. Rhys liked to think that even if she did figure it out, she hopefully wouldn't regret all the extra things she had done.

As Remle walked down to the water, Rhys double checked the box of towels he'd brought with them after heating them in the dryer for a while. Fortunately, the box had retained a good amount of heat. These towels would be a god send when they came out of the water. He stripped off his shirt and tossed it into the car before following after Remle to the lake's edge wearing just a pair of swim trunks and his sandals. "It's a bit cold out here, right?" he asked, shivering a little as he stepped out of his sandals and into the water. Yeah. Cold didn't cover it.

Rhys hesitated for a moment as she headed into the water until she taunted him about winning if he didn't hurry up and get in. "Sorry, Remle, just admiring our teamwork a little bit," he said with a giant smirk, because DANG, those countless squats had paid off almost as much for Rhys as they had for Remle. Rhys rolled his shoulders and tightened his core muscles for a moments as he braced himself before charging into the frigid water with a shout, diving past Remle and creating a big splash.

He came back up to the surface, treading water where it just deep enough he couldn't reach the bottom. "HOLY CRAP. I forgot how freakin' cold it gets in January. Why did you let me talk you into this?!?" Rhys swam backward a little, knowing he needed to keep moving to be good. He'd already made a significant mistake by fully submerging himself.

[Remle Boyd]

Remle gasped with a shriek when the freezing water splashed on her when he dove past into the water. It certainly kept her from trying to find a comment about him looking at her butt (even though it was a nice butt, nicer after all those squats...). She looked at him swimming and mouthed something ineffectually at him before she found her breath and voice again. "Right, next time it's a hot tub," she gasped. A slight breeze caressed her arm and she whimpered again. SHE COULD DO THIS! Maybe the key was thinking about anything BUT the water. Like Rhys without a shirt. That thought warmed her intently until she squished that. No, screw it, she deserved that thought. She was cold and this was his idea and if he was allowed to appreciate her butt (which again, was nice), then she TOTALLY had the right to appreciate...everything about him.

It had started a week ago.

They had been working out in the warm gym; Remle had finished her set of weights and watched Rhys finish his. He'd lost his shirt somewhere between the time he'd started and now but she wasn't complaining. There was something different about today. Remle was restless as she watched his muscle's flex as he finished. The way his legs tensed, the way his arms practically rippled and goodness those abs. She wasn't sure where it came from because for her...it usually just clicked one day...Rhys was hot. She knew he was good looking, she thought so the first time they met...and the second time. She was aware that other women paid close attention to him at the gym but she'd always just thought "Of course because he's so handsome." Clearly there were other reasons people stared at good-looking men.

After that it was just a little bit more embarrassing when Rhys teased her. Normally she just let him do it, with a smile of course, they were friends and he was more or less respectful. He'd made a comment about shaking her butt when she came out of the pool that day and she FELT it, that really weird fluttery pull in the pit of her stomach and that rush of excitement in her chest. So she tried...she nearly slipped on the floor and killed herself and completely ruined the moment if his comment about trying again next time was any indication. His arm had brushed hers on the way out of the gym and she coughed to cover up the fact that she had practically gasped at the contact.

When he’d challenged her she’d accepted because why wouldn’t she? If she won and she would he’d owe her something. She wracked her brain. It would have to be a drink. If she could drink she wouldn’t be so nervous because then she could flirt back…he was flirting with her wasn’t he? Even if he wasn’t she could blame it on the alcohol later. Maybe she could pretend to be drunk and steal a kiss. Her legs gave way a bit at the thought and she plunged into the icy water with a cut off shriek.

NOPE TERRIBLE IDEA.

FRIENDS THEY WERE FRIENDS. Rhys could be hot and she could DEFINITELY want to see him naked. That was fine, totally fine. Friends could do that. Friends could totally do that. She surfaced treading water, shivering and floundered a bit, hand reaching out and grabbing onto Rhy’s bicep. She let it go as if it had burned her, floundering backwards in an attempt to put distance between them. “DAMNIT we are NEVER doing this again!” she shouted at him as she furiously tried to swim in a circle to keep from sinking.

[Rhys Rockwood]

'Next time it's the hot tub?  I'm winning already,' Rhys thought when Remle shouted back to him.  She was making the most adorable little sounds as she slowly inched her way into the water.  "Hot tub, eh?  How about you just forfeit now, and we'll go find a hot tub immediately!" he suggested with a grin.  Part of him wanted her to just give up so they could go back; he was already accomplishing as much as he usually did.  All this extra suffering was just for their silly competition for which they had forgone setting rewards by mistake.

"You know, Remi, we never decided what I get after I win this little game," he pointed out as he swam toward her.  Remle suddenly dropped into the water with a brief scream, and he reflexively moved closer to her to pull her to the surface.  He felt her hand grip his arm and casually slipped an arm around her back, pulling her against him.  "Careful there.  It's awfully cold under the surface...though I can kinda tell you're already cold.  You're making a rather...pointed statement."  Rhys smirked at his comment, figuring she would catch on quickly.

"Now, about my winnings.  How about I take you home, give you a shot of rum or five, and you do that little routine you did in the car to a bit of music?" he asked, swimming backward slowly and still holding Remle.  Rhys figured he had no chance of her agreeing to that, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to tease her with the suggestion.  "I'm sure we can get my tub hot enough too, so you know, just agree to my terms and admit defeat."

[Remle Boyd]

Oh damn, he was cold...but hot? His chest felt nice. It was big too, she liked big. She tried to swim away, especially after his comment about being...pointed. She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and kept kicking her legs even when Rhys kept hold of her, drawing her more away from the shore. She made a somewhat desperate whimper in the back of her throat until he took pity on her and moved closer again. She couldn't deny that his suggestion was rather fantastic but she had to think fast if she wanted to win. Teeth chattering and shivering even as she attempted to speak she finally managed to get the words out. "You know, if you get out first, for being such a good sport I'll do that little dance as a favor," she quipped, though the affect was ruined by her chattering teeth.

Her memories brought her back to a time when she was teasing Dakota, removing a piece of clothing for every corset she had bought and wanted to show him. That had been a lot of fun. Very frustrating and not-repeatable, but fun at the time. She was certainly not opposed to playing that kind of game with Rhys...besides with what he was referring to she'd most likely be in her underwear and her underwear was cute. “Yes okay, I think we should do that anyway, because when I win, and I will, we are going dancing at a club and you’re buying me drinks,” she said, though free rum sounded just fine too at this point. Remle wished she were a little drunk now, then if she got sick she wouldn’t have to admit that she did such a stupid thing as this sober.

She would win! She would! And Rhys had given her a great idea, she might just dance for him anyway. Friends did that when they thought their friends were hot right? She was SURE she’d read that in a romance book somewhere. She’d have to read some more when she got the chance otherwise she’d totally make a mess out of this. But seriously…nice chest, she was so cold. “H-hurry and g-g-g-give up!” she insisted with a wry smile through alarmingly blue lips.

[Rhys Rockwood]

It took a few moments for her words to sink in. Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was the surprise, maybe it was pure disbelief. Surely she hadn't said what he thought she had said. His suggestion was purely a bluff to see if he could get something fun out of her. It would have been less extreme, of course, but after suggesting such a teasing sex-charged dance, it would have seemed perfectly sane and logical and a better alternative.

But this was better.

So much better.

He'd get the dance as a favor then get to take her to bar and feed her drinks? Which in turn meant he'd get to torture her with burning off all those calories at the gym or on their next run. This was like a grand slam in his book. "You'll do it as a favor?  Done.  I quit.  We're going to my place!  RUM AND WHISKEY WILL WARM US."  Rhys grabbed Remle and shifted her onto his back as he swam at full speed back to shore, and for a guy with near limitless energy, full speed was a mad dash.

As soon his feet hit bottom, he reached back and caught her legs before standing and quickly wading out of the water.  "Sorry for the cold, but that's the point of a polar bear swim, yeah?" he said, laughing madly as he ran for the car with the soaking wet woman on his back.  The bar tab, the loss, the freezing cold, all of it would be worth it shortly.  Rhys wrenched the door to the car open and immediately dug into the box of warm towels, making sure to wrap up Remle first and putting her into the car.

He suddenly winced and tossed the keys to Remle.  "Get it started, I have to go back for our shoes."  His feet were already numb from the lake water, but he knew running around in the snow was not a good idea.  Couldn't be avoided though.  It wasn't long before he was climbing back into the car and dropping their shoes into the back. 

He grabbed a towel for himself and dried off a bit before looking at Remle with a smirk.  "Uh, Remi...avert your eyes or at least remember how stupidly frigid that water was."  He stripped off his swimtrunks quickly before pulling on a dry pair of shorts, groaning with the rapid increase in comfort.  "Now...back to my place, right?"  Oh, this could be fun.

[Remle Boyd]

Remle squealed as she was propelled against Rhy's back and rushed back to shore. Oh dear lord what had she done? No, actually this was fantastic. She was excited, in a lot of ways and she liked it. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped when Rhys flipped her around into his arms and carried her to the car, wow he was really excited too and that just served to amp her up more. She liked it when she was responsible for making people excited or happy, she was sure there was some strange control thing involved in that but she was too happy to care. Rhys was excited and that was all that mattered. Also she won, she totally won, he might think he was getting the better end of the deal but he was totally wrong. Remle was definitely the winner.

She snuggled into the towel and caught the keys, numb fingers working to start the engine before Rhys returned with their shoes. She almost missed what he said before she saw him reach for his trunks and built in modesty had her eyes squeezing shut before they came off. Considering that she would have simply stared at it awkwardly when he was naked in the attempt to figure out what size it REALLY was, she was sure he'd appreciate the gesture. She opened her eyes again when she felt him sit beside her. "YES get me out of here!" she insisted. There was a gym bag in the backseat with other clothes in it. Not clubbing clothes but they could do that later. What she DID have in there would assist in at least the favor part of her bargain.