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Nick had known it was a bad idea even before climbing up here. But now, standing on the top, he realised it was probably the worst idea he had ever had in his life. OK, maybe not his whole 21-year-old life, but at least it was this summer’s lowlight.
10 metres just didn’t sound that much, and it also didn’t look too crazy high from down below, from the safety of his and his friends’ spot next to the pool. But oh, standing on top of the tower, he felt like he had left determined Nick down with the lads, and only frightened-to-death Nick was present up here, staring into the blueish abyss.
Blue.
This reminded him of the reason why he had climbed up the tower in the first place. He dared a glance over to the lifeguard tower, on the opposite side of the pool, just to find its seat vacated. Great. So he had come all the way for nothing.
“You gonna jump at some point or are you just enjoying the view?”, Nick heard Sai shout from down below. He made the mistake to follow his friend’s voice and look over to his lads, who were giggling like a handful of giddy teenagers about Sai’s teasing. But their behaviour wasn’t the worst. They were so fucking far away, their faces quite hard to distinguish from the distance. Nick’s stomach dropped even further than it already had.
“Seriously mate, make a move, I don’t care in what direction!” another voice grumbled very close from right behind him. He almost did him a favour by tumbling over when he turned away from the edge to face that guy behind him, realisation suddenly hitting him that he wasn’t alone on the tower any more, and people were actually queuing on the stairs leading up to its platform.
Oh God.
There was no way back now. He tried to fill his lungs with air and gather some courage, but it was close to impossible, like standing on top of the Mountain Everest, where the oxygen level ran low and heart rate high.
What had he been thinking? Obviously, there wasn’t much thinking involved as soon as he had first laid his eyes on the most attractive lifeguard, no, most attractive man he had ever seen in his life. He couldn’t even describe the magical pull he felt towards him. He just knew he had to win this man’s attention, no matter how. But by all means, did it have to be the highest tower available?
Nick’s spiralling thoughts were interrupted by a screeching sound that tore through the air, making him almost fall off the tower involuntarily again. The voice which followed, however amplified and slightly distorted by the speakers, turned the redhead’s knees into melting butter.
“Attention please, to the big bloke up on the 10-metre diving platform, please make room for the others waiting if you don’t want to jump. I’ll assist you if you need help climbing back down.”
Oh, I very much would like your assistance.
Nick didn’t need to turn around to check whose voice it was, he just knew. The lifeguard’s voice was friendly, but determined. It was the most wonderful sound, making him shiver slightly despite the late summer’s heat.
But wait, did this God of a man just plainly call him “big bloke”?
Oh, he would show him what a big bloke he was… Spurred by knowing he now had the man’s attention, he swiftly turned on his bare heels, intent on looking that lifeguard right into his beautiful eyes before performing his gracious, brave dive from 10 metres up high. Maybe he would even do a somersault.
Nick’s brain couldn’t quite catch up with all the events that happened next. A somersault he did, or rather his stomach. Just as he turned, obviously with a bit too much enthusiasm, he felt himself slipping. He tried to grab the guy’s arm who still stood behind him, but the idiot moved backwards, and Nick saw the world turn upside down. The last word he heard that bloke sneer was “Finally”, and then everything went dark.
Pitch-black.
Grey.
Blue.
Blue?
Blue!
Merely seconds, or maybe a couple of hours had passed, Nick wasn’t sure. He wasn’t even aware of his body or his surroundings. All his senses could grasp was a deep blue ocean that seemed to drown him as he opened his own eyes. The deep waters, so very much unlike the actual element, electrified every fibre of his being, and took the breath he had just been able to catch again.
“Welcome back to earth,” that gorgeous voice said, but Nick couldn’t comprehend the words. The only thing that made sense right now was the beauty of those tiny dimples starting to show on the face smiling down on him. His very much alive heart started to race, and it seemed to please the man opposite him, who had his soft hands placed on Nick’s heaving chest.
They were so close, Nick could feel the man’s soft breath on his face, and he let his gaze wander to… These lips, hadn’t they been touching his, merely seconds ago? It was like he could still feel the ghost of a kiss lingering on his lips, leaving a pleasant tingle behind. Or did he just imagine that?
“How are you feeling?” There it was again, the music in his ears, somewhat strange, but also so familiar.
He was home. Where he was always supposed to be. He would never leave this place again. How had he gotten here? Where was he actually? Nah, that didn’t matter. What counted was that he was here, with him.
“Hey, can you hear me? Can you tell me your name?” The man’s voice suddenly didn’t sound so smiley any more, and Nick felt slender hands leave his chest and wander to his wrist. He needed to fix it, make those dimples appear again. How to use that voice?
“My… guardian angel,” was the only thing he managed, spluttering the words because for some reason, there was water in his lungs and mouth. How odd.
“Hmm ok, I guess that doesn’t answer my questions, but it’s a start.”
Success! The smile, the dimples, they were back, even if so tiny, just for Nick to notice. He saw the nameless man look up, away from him, but his wrist was still softly enclosed by the delicate fingers’ grip.
“Everyone, it’s all good. Please move away, there’s nothing to see here!”
Everyone… Wait. There were other people around? Why? How did he end up…
Ah.
Some fragments of his memory slowly started falling back into place. The pool. The tower. The man. His intent on impressing that very man who was hovering over him at this very moment, from whom he didn’t dare to look away.
He really must have hit the water hard, head first. Though he started to remember some details, any connection between his brain and mouth was gone, no self-control left. The ocean, Nick wanted to dive back into it. How could he make him come back?
“You brought me to life again,” Nick heard himself say hoarsely.
Black wet curls whipped softly and sprinkled tiny glittering water drops on Nick’s face as the man turned his gaze back to him, lips not smiling, but his perfect eyes and dimples betraying him.
“Oh, so you can talk properly now, can you?”
Did Nick just imagine that or was he actually winking at him? Something short-circuited in his brain.
“Um…”
The lifeguard lifted his hands in a soothing gesture, leaving Nick with a sudden pang of loss in his insides.
“OK, I’ll take that back. But seriously, you need to tell me if anything hurts or feels numb before I can move you safely.”
Oh if only he knew… The curly-haired man was already moving Nick in ways he probably couldn’t even fathom. The tiniest glimpse, the softest touch, it ignited something in Nick that he didn’t know he had been missing until now.
Once again, the mess that was Nick didn’t think about what he was doing when he sat up way too quickly, but oh well, did he think before climbing up that stupid tower? Just as he tried to straighten his back, he felt a sharp pain taking over his whole body, as if he had been tackled by another rugby player twice his size, and his head was throbbing worse than after having too many shots. But it was all nothing compared to how his heart had been aching since his lifesaver’s hands had left his body.
“Please…”
Nick’s spinning head didn’t let him finish the sentence, and he had trouble focussing his view, so he just grasped blindly into the hot summer air. The hands that had so softly touched his wrists before grabbed his shoulders now, with more strength than he would have expected from the lean frame kneeling in front of him. Nick could swear he saw sparks flying off his skin where their bodies had made contact.
“Whoah, take it slow. OK, let’s get you into the shadow. Can you stand up?”
Nick couldn’t remember how he got up. His body felt both oh so heavy but also so light at the same time as the lifeguard with no name put his arm around his shoulders to stabilise him. Their bodies fit so perfectly next to each other, he wondered if that was even the better outcome of what he had initially in mind when he had climbed that tower. Not that his goal was to be rescued by the hottest lifeguard in the universe, but well… Who knew if he had gotten so far if everything had gone to plan.
Somehow they had managed to shuffle towards the little building next to the lifeguard tower, where Nick felt himself being gently pressed down onto some kind of stretcher, like the ones he knew from rugby pitch exam rooms. The cooler air helped clear his mind a bit, the noises outside were muffled, as though he was under water again, time seemed to slow down.
But his heart didn’t care, it was still racing, and it went on full speed when he started realising that the man’s hands were still resting on his biceps, even though he had sat down safely. These beautiful hands—they weren’t precisely warm, but just felt so right on his hot skin, as if they belonged there. He would never have to fear anything ever again as long as these hands were holding him…
Well, he’s a lifeguard, it’s his job to make people feel safe. Stupid people like me…
“Are you okay? People usually don’t fall off the 10-metre platform like…that,” the man chuckled softly, dimples on full display once again.
A wave of embarrassment hit Nick, and he deflated like a little kid who had disobeyed his parents and was now being scolded. He knew he couldn’t look back into those mesmerizing blue eyes without bursting into fire on the spot, so he kept his head hanging down, facing his own useless hands.
“S-sorry. I’m such an idiot.”
“Hey,” Nick felt one hand leave his arm and gently tip his chin up. As brown met blue, the flames immediately took over his cheeks and burnt any remaining thoughts he might have had in his mind to ashes.
“Yeah, maybe you are an idiot.” The smile hadn’t left the man’s face. That was a good sign, wasn’t it? Even though he was being called an idiot, but it felt…nice?
“Just to make sure you have no concussion or anything else, can you please try again to tell me your name?”
Nick gulped, feeling his throat suddenly go dry as if he hadn’t just swallowed way too much chlorine water.
“I’m Charlie, by the way.”
“I’m Nick.”
“Hi.”
“Hi.”