Echoes - A Chris Mears & Tom Daley story (ON HOLD)

Chapter 4 - Fireworks

        “Hey, Rhian!” Tom came running over to me, almost knocking me over in a hug.

        “Hey to you too, but um...you’re squishing me.” I said in a muffled voice, Tom’s arms crushing me.

        “Your boyfriend is just getting a few more dives in, he’ll be out soon.” Tom winked, sauntering off out the door.

        “He’s not my boyfriend!” I called back, before two very wet arms wrapped around my middle.

        “I’m not?” A husky voice tickled my ear.

        “Not yet.” I said flirtily, turning around to see Chris in front of me, dripping wet, still in his speedo. “Ugh, you’re soakedddd!” I shrieked, shoving him off of me.

        “What, I just want a hug!” Chris pouted, trying to pull me back into the hug.

        “No no no, I am not getting wet!”

        “That’s what you think!” Chris smirked, shaking his hair out like a dog.

        “Wait...what do you mean?” I said seriously, while Chris just continued to smirk at me.

        “What do you think I mean?” He picked me up, carrying me towards the pool.

        “CHRIS MEARS DON’T YOU DARE DROP ME IN THIS POOL!” I yelled.

        “Yeah Chris, you shouldn’t just throw people in a pool, especially if they don’t actually have a right to be in it.” Chris put me down lightly, and stood awkwardly beside the girl who told him off.

        “Uh, and who exactly is this?” The girl asked a sound of disgust in her voice.

        “Uh Rhian, this is Emma, Emma this is Rhian. Emma’s also on the diving team.”

        “Oh hi,” I held my hand out to her, “I owe you big time for saving me back there.”

        “I didn’t do it for you, Chris should have been following the pool’s policy, and since he wasn’t, I had to set things straight.” She stormed off, not even shaking my hand.

        “Oh, she seems...lovely.” I cringed, while Chris just burst out laughing.

        “Yeah, well that’s Emma. She’s quite the character.” I hoped that that was the last time we’d hear from her.

---

        “And what do you want?” Chris asked me. I gazed up at the beautifully drawn chalkboard, trying to figure out which flavour I wanted.

        “I’ll have the erm...the...ah...I think I’d like...um...” I bit my lip, not being able to choose.

        “We’ll have two strawberry cones.” Chris grinned over at me, grabbing the cones and walking over to a bench. We were just in time for the sunset.

        “I hope you don’t mind...” Chris said, handing me my cone.

        “No no no, it’s ok. If I had to choose, we’d be there ‘till two in the morning.” I assured, moving closer to Chris as he put his arm around my shoulders. We watched the sun go down together, silently eating our ice cream.

        “Hey Rhian,” Chris asked.

        “Hmm?” I turned my head toward his, looking up into his eyes. He started to giggle, chuckling to himself.

        “What is it?” I wondered, looking around behind me.

        “It’s just...you’ve got ice cream on your nose.” He smiled, wiping it off with his thumb.

        “Oh.” I felt my cheeks go red, and I quickly turned away.

        “Hey, what are you doing?” He placed his hand under my chin and brought my face back to see his. “What I meant to ask you was if, back at the pool, when we were joking around, did you mean it?”

        “Mean what?”

        “That you wanted to, you know,” Chris fumbled around with his words, nervously tugging at his hair. “That you would be my girlfriend?” A smile crept onto my face, and his eyes relaxed.

        “Of course I meant it.”

        “Good.” He whispered, leaning in and pressing his lips against mine. I had never felt anything like it, sure I had kissed other guys, but when I kissed Chris, it felt like a million fireworks were going off.

        “What...what was that for?” I asked when he pulled away.

        “Because I meant it too.”