Toujours Pur (dot) Net

Louis instinctively narrowed his eyes at Riley at her response, although the expression turned into a smirk as she finished. "That's more like it," he nodded in approval, but was then caught off guard as he felt Riley slip a little and her hand gripping his shoulder. Instinctively, he tightened his arm around her to keep her afloat before he grinned, laughing. "See? What did I tell you?" Louis said confidently. "I've got you." He smirked over at her, both because of the convincing point he'd just made and because his words were genuinely true. Louis wasn't sure how to explain it, but ever since he'd come to know Riley over the summer, he'd developed this protective sense for her. Although, he wasn't sure if that was simply due to what she'd went through or because of how easily this steady friendship seemed to have developed between them.

Riley smiled when Louis tightened his grip on her to tell her stay afloat as it made a warm feeling run through her body. "I'm glad you do," she said, still smiling. Although she did feel warmer with Louis' arm wrapped around her she figured her body had begun to go numb from the cold water and it probably wasn't best for them to stay it in it much longer. "As much fun as this is, we probably should get onto dry land before we freeze to death."

Louis smirked at Riley's words, although the cold was beginning to set into him too and he nodded at Riley's next comment. "Actually, I was looking forward to that part," he remarked with another mischievous grin, rubbing Riley's arm a little as if to generate some warmth and prove his point. Knowing Riley was right, though, he slowly dropped his arm from around her and began to move back toward the dock. Louis pulled himself back onto it with a little bit of effort, his wet clothes weighing him down. He was still just as freezing as his damp uniform met the air, but he was sure it was probably better than he'd feel staying in the lake. "Need a hand?" Louis asked as he looked back to Riley, holding out an arm to help pull her out of the lake if she needed it.

Riley smirked at his grin which slipped into another smile as Louis rubbed her arms for more warmth. When he finally moved his arm from around her she felt the last bit of cold that he was protecting her from and it made her shiver. She swam behind him, following him towards the dock and put her hands on it about to pull herself up with Louis offered a hand. Riley nodded, grabbing onto his forearm and started to hoist herself up.