Gunsmoke » B. Hargrove

nine

             Chapter Nine: Late Night Swim

The water was fucking freezing, it's blue waves tinted an inky blank as it reflected that of the night sky. Billy and Zara had been together for hours; barely noticing that the sun had set and the moon had taken its place perched high in the sky in the shape of a toenail."So, are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" She softly spoke, her hair tied up in a ponytail as she let her feet dip into the water with a little jump.

Billy stood above her, his shirt long since discarded at the lakes edge, seemingly too caught in the moment to care about getting the fabric dirty. "Why were you out there crying?"

"Oh," Zara looked away, her hands sliding down to the earth below her to guide a little ladybug away from the waterline. She takes a beat too long to answer, seemingly too distracted with the little insect and if it wasn't for the expectant throat clear of the teenage boy beside her, she'd have just pretended she didn't hear him ask in the first place. "It was nothing, really."

She can tell he doesn't believe her in the way his quizzical blue eyes lower into a suspicious slits. One large hand props itself up on Bill's thigh, his upper body twisting just a fraction to face her fully. "I don't believe you." Always so blunt, never caring that he might be putting her on the spot or that he was ripping her out of her comfort zone.

"Come on, Hargrove," The words drag on, her ponytail held captive between fingers stained with dirt. "It's embarrassing."

"I won't tease you, scouts honor."

A smirk spread in the left hand corner of Zara's lips. "You were a boyscout?"

Billy stuck his tongue out teasingly, one middle finger raising in response. "You're trying to change the subject."

Zara allowed herself to take a deep breath, her arms holding up the brunt of her weight as she stared out at the lake. The water wasn't so bad anymore, the temperature acclimating and she scooted further in, tucking her legs down to her knees as she secretly hoped that the water would open up and swallow her whole. "Harrington and I got in this fight earlier, which is weird because we never fight. Literally ever." Her voice changed just talking about it, the fond regard she held for the former king of Hawkins obvious in her diction and Billy has to hide his clenched fists at his sides in unspoken jealously. "But then when were all driving home my kid brother and his friends are all in the backseat asking all of these questions; why aren't we talking and what's our fight about and Steve just sings like a canary." Zara looked at him for the first time since she started, her brows furrowed and mouth moving so fast that Billy actually has to focus in order to see up with what she's saying. "He was mad because of what happened between us at the gym and even more mad that you took me home and I didn't tell him." Her open palm smacks against the skin of her thigh and some water splashes back her. "I don't know, it was just too much and so I guess I was crying because I was overwhelmed."

Billy has a smile on his face—its a reaction that Zara isn't ready for and if she wasn't so far out, she'd have ran all the way home to get away from his eyes. "You and Harrington were fighting over me?

Her groan of embarrassment is immediate and one arm wraps fully around her face to hide a growing blush that burned her cheeks so hot she knew he'd be able to see it even in the dark. "This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you."

His hand extended to grab for her, the warmth of his fingers seeping into her skin and melting her into a malleable piece of putty in his hands. "I think it's cute," Hargrove whispered, his eyes raking up her form before the start of a devilish smirk overtakes his handsome face and then, Zara's fully in the water. She's stiff as a board when she breaks the waters surface, eyes wide and nipples hard as a rock as she glanced up at his form in shock. Billy couldn't force a faux expression of remorse if he tried, his bare shoulders shaking in pure glee. "God, you should've seen your face!"

"Help me out of here, fuckface. It's freezing."

It takes a moment for him to recover, his shoulders slowing down from their jubilant laughter to extend a five finger grip out for her. "Sorry pretty girl, I couldn't help myself."

The moment their hands touch, Zara's fingers hold onto him as tightly as she can, using all of her body weight to pull him inside with her. He doesn't fall in as smoothly, his stomach taking the brunt of his impact until Billy and his tight jeans were soaked to the bone. He raised from the water with a sharp hoot, his chest red from the impact and his hair is slicked straight against the back of his neck and shoulders and Zara is quick with her quip of, "Sorry, sweets. I guess I just couldn't help myself."

"I guess I walked right into that one,"Billy's strong arms move casually under the water, his advanced swimming skills on display as he follows Zara's lead. She's on her back, legs barely moving as she just floated peacefully on the waters surface. "I should probably get you home. It's getting late and I'm sure your little boyfriend is worried about you."

Zara is still staring up at the sliver of moon when she answered him. "We just fuck sometimes, he's not my boyfriend," Her head turned in the water, one ear fully submerged in the inky abyss when they lock gazes. "I don't like him as anything more than a friend."

Even from where she is, Zara caught the way Billy's jaw clenched tight, the motion causing the skin of his face to flex with tension. "If that's really true, you should stop fucking him."

"I know I should, I just have a lot going on personally and the sex is such a good stress relief."

"Then, use me."

She nearly drowned right then and there, her arms seeming to forget what to do to keep her afloat but before she can sink any lower, he's right there. His hands on the small of her back and he's peering down at her as if a star had dropped from the sky and landed right in his clutches. "Are you serious?"

"Use me."