Leaving me Flustered // DNF

Faking Flustered

I was standing at the edge of my swimming pool with a leaf skimmer net in my hands. I was running it across the water trying to gather all the stuff floating around. The sun was beating down on my head making me sweat. A light breeze brushes through my hair which made the heat not so unbearable. 

I walk around to the deep end and start running the net across the bottom. My bare feet burn on the hot cement. It was midday, the worst time to be outside. I wipe the back of my hand across my forehead. I give up. I pull my shirt over my head and wipe it across my sweating face. 

I groan to myself as I toss the shirt into the grass behind me. Where was Sapnap and George? They said they would help me clean the pool. They were the ones who wanted to use it in the first place and I had told them I still had to clean it and make sure the chlorine levels were right before we could use it, but they still hadn't appeared to help out. Rude.

I turn to look at the house and notice George watching me through the window. Is he ogling in the comfort of air conditioning instead of helping? 

I sigh. George. There was him to deal with. I still didn't quite understand him. We literally made out on the couch, half drunk, and I had pretty much confessed my love to him in an obscure and complicated way that could be taken as not a confession of love.

I had woken up with him in my arms. Remembering last night was somewhat foggy, but I knew what happened. I had kissed him and he had kissed me back. Was it because he was drunk that he did that or was it something more? I could ask him. But if I did and he didn't remember anything, I would die from embarrassment, curse or not. 

I had pulled myself out of bed, tucking him under the covers, and watched him sleep peacefully, cheeks a light pink from the warmth. I hadn't realized how much I notice about him until then, watching him sleep in my bed, recalling the moments we had shared the whole time since he's been here.

After leaving George in my room to sleep a little longer, I found Sapnap downstairs. That was when he suggested we use the pool and why I was standing in the sun, midday, cleaning the pool by myself.

I watch the net swish across the bottom of the pool, wishing I was brave enough to just ask him about it. If he even remembered it, if he felt the same way I did. It felt all too cliché. It was bugging me.

Before I could make up my mind I felt two hands on my back forcefully push me towards the pool. I yelp and splash into the cold. My head surfaces and I glare at a bent-over-laughing Sapnap. 

I flip the water from my hair and swim to the edge to climb out. I get my knee on the pool side before I feel Sapnap push me in again. I lose my balance and am submerged again. 

I resurface. "Sapnap! What are you doing?"

He is laughing even harder now. I wipe the water from my eyes and swim back over to where he is standing by the edge of the pool. I grab at his ankles and he shrieks, dodging my hands. I use this opportunity to climb out of the pool before he can push me back in. 

I chase him around the yard yelling. "You idiot! You were the one who wanted to go swimming. I was just trying to clean the pool for you, you useless jerk! Now you made me get my favorite running shorts wet. I'm going to kill you!"

Sapnap was hiding behind the hot tub and we were skirting around it, me chasing, him running. 

He breathes heavily as he answers. "It was just a joke. George told me to do it." He points at the window where I had seen George peeking earlier. 

That's why he was watching me earlier? He wanted to see me get thrown into the pool he was supposed to be helping me clean? My attention is caught and Sapnap escapes. 

I give up chasing and retrieve the pool skimmer from where I had dropped it earlier. I watch as Sapnap cowers by the back door that George finally emerges from wearing nothing but his bright green swim trunks. I take a little too long admiring his naked top half because Sapnap snorts and says, "Take a picture. It'll last longer."

I shoot him a glare. "I'm still not done with you."

He cowers behind George who is setting a towel on the chair. George pulls his arm from Sapnap's grip, calls him an idiot and then smiles at me as he walks to the pool side, adjacent to where I was standing. 

"Need help?" he asks politely. 

I roll my eyes at him. "You couldn't have asked that ten minutes ago?"

"You looked like you were having fun," he remarks with sarcasm. Sapnap chuckles at that from the chair he had placed himself in. His phone was in his hands. 

"Yeah. Standing in the hot sun, cleaning out a pool I don't even want to use, is definitely my idea of fun."

"See? I knew he would like it," Sapnap calls from his chair. 

"You know, George," I say, walking to his side. "There is something you could help me with." 

I tower over him with a smirk on my face. I set the pool skimmer to the side. 

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," I respond taking his shoulders in my hands. "I need you to get wet."

George's eyes go wide, a blush creeping up to his cheeks that I almost don't catch, as I toss him in the direction of the water. 

He yelps and somehow catches my wrist as he falls. I topple in with him, a shout escaping my mouth as we collide. The water surrounds us all too quickly, chest against chest, face to face, hands and wrists and legs all tangled in the mess of our watery fall. 

Time slows down, my brain erupts at the sensory details around me, lack of air, physical touch, buzzing and bubbling noises, causing stimulation in my mind. Everything collapses in on me as I resurface. 

I realize why George let me kiss him, why I was so flustered around him, why I couldn't stop thinking about him, why I wanted to touch him and let him touch me. An explosion of memories of the whole trip, and being able to finally be myself without my stupid curse. 

I can't stop myself from staring into George's brown eyes as we are still wrapped in each other's embrace. I kiss his lips. He seems shocked, but melts into the pleasant touch. I pull away just as quickly as I collided. I swear I can hear Sapnap whoop from his chair. 

"George," I breathe across his face. "I think I love you."

His eyes go wide, they dart away from mine, his shoulders tense up under my grip. He breathes out shakily before letting his gaze lock with mine again. 

"Wha- what?" he mutters. 

My heart hammers in my chest. That was the not the reaction I was hoping for. "I-I well..." I stutter trying to regain my spontaneity from earlier. "I meant what I said."

"You... love me?"

Thanks for reading! Currently working on the motivation to finish this story. We are getting close to the end. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out by next week. Thanks for all the support!

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