Etched Into My Skin.
Light Switch.
Sometimes things click as fast as the flick of a light switch. It hits you like a ton of bricks. You realize it and then you want to slap yourself for not noticing it sooner.
It happened when Livia and I went swimming. We decided to go for a dip, which resulted in skinny dipping. It’s sort of like the time I first saw her with the sun pouring over her skin a few years ago. I’d never seen her look so beautiful.
That is until I saw her by moonlight that night.
~
"C’mon, John! The weather’s perfect for a late night swim!"
I groan. “I don’t wannaaaaa.”
She pouts, whining and trying to pull me off the couch. She came over for one of our traditional movie marathons. I brought up the other night with my dad and his lake story, and she reacted by telling me we should go swimming. It was still March. Then again, it was Arizona. The water shouldn’t be too cold. But I go on tour again soon and I just wanted to stay home and relax.
"Please?" she asks, jutting out her bottom lip.
I sigh. “Livy, it’s been a long day-“
"What if I make it interesting for you?"
That piques my curiosity. I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
A smirk forms on her face. “Skinny. Dipping.”
I feel my jaw drop. Was she seriously suggesting it?
She laughs at my reaction. “Come on, Johno. I just wanna go into the water.”
"So much that you’d get naked for me?"
"You’d be naked, too, dork," she reminds me, laughing. This just further boggles my mind, but I wasn’t arguing with her.
We walk all the way to the lake, sitting at the edge and removing our shoes and socks. Livia sighs as her toes skim above the surface. I watch her reflection in the rippling water. The moon seemed to illuminate the entire lake.
She looks up at it and I watch her, studying her features. Although it’s been years since that fortunate day at the studio, she still looked liked the same Livy. Her vivid blue eyes never lost that sparkle, despite all the time that’s passed. That sparkle has remained, always a simple green speck bouncing around, making them look an aquamarine color. Her hair had gotten longer and shorter, from all the haircuts she’d gotten. It was currently shoulder length, and her natural brown color. The moonlight made it look glossy, soft wisps that shone when they moved in the soft breeze.
I always knew she was beautiful, I just never paid much attention to it. But it was hard not to notice when she looked so naturally pretty.
After a few minutes of watching the moon, she stands and lifts her shirt over her head. My eyes widen. I knew she had a figure, but Jesus Christ. Her curves had me gawking at her body as she shrugs off her jeans, allowing me to fully take in her long legs. Just the sight of her made me nervous.
She giggles and flings her shirt at me. “You too, pervert.”
I smirk, rising to my feet and pulling mine over my head. I watch her bite her lip as I start to unbuckle my belt. “See something you like, sweetheart?”
She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Don’t get too cocky.”
Just as I’m about to answer with some smartass reply, she slips out of her bra right in front of me before wiggling out of her panties.
Livia smiles innocently and runs toward the lake, emerging with a soft splash.
I could feel my mouth gaping. Did I really just see my best friend naked? And did I just enjoy it?
"Clothes off, O’ Callaghan," she calls, grinning as she treads water. "You’ve still got your pants on."
I clumsily finish stripping, almost tripping over my jeans when they’re around my ankles.
Once I’m in, only my head above the surface, Livy swims over to me, chuckling. I smirk. “You were pretty eager to get naked with me.”
She moves a hand through the water, splashing me. I snake my arms around her waist, noticing when she shivers.
We swim somewhere closer near the shore so that our waists are exposed when we stand.
Her fingers dance along my chest, tracing the words branded on me. She smiles softly. “I remember when you got this tattoo. You called me, sounding all excited, because you said you’d wanted to get it to commemorate all those times at 8123.”
I nod and let her hands roam my body, her touch sending ripples of electricity jolting through me.
She touches my equal tattoo. “I don’t think you told me about the rest of them, though.”
I rest my hand over hers, sighing. “This one was for Shane. For the night he almost got into a fight with Ross, and I told him he was equivalent.”
I guide her hand towards my side, where my Some People tattoo sits. “Remember that man named Bill I told you about?”
She nods slowly, exhaling shakily as I move her hand further down to my most recent one, which I literally got the day before. “The V is a roman numeral five. Because I’m the fifth John, but also because when I think about being the fifth John, I think about all of the past John’s, and that makes me think about the lake story my dad told us.”
Livy smiles and looks up at me from beneath her lashes. My heart races as she takes control of her hands again, moving them along my waist and over to my forearm. “And this one?” she whispers, tracing the sun.
"It’s a reminder of the Arizona sun," I explain, "For whenever I’m away and I feel homesick. It also reminds me of you."
"Why?"
I brush my knuckles against her cheek. “It reminds me how beautiful you looked that morning you painted me. The sun was bright, and you seemed to glow.” I smile as I remember the light pigments creating a rainbow on her nose.
She doesn’t tear her eyes away from mine as she brings her hands toward my chest once more. “What’s Unus Amor?”
"One Love," I breathe. "It’s Latin. When I was still in college, I would miss you and everyone so badly, and I either had to call you or listen to music to feel better. Same goes for when I’m on tour."
Livia tries pulling away, but I catch her wrist and guide it towards my lips. “You missed one.”
She raises an eyebrow and I smirk, taking her thumb and tugging my bottom lip down with it.
"Live," she whispers. "What’s this one?"
"This one’s yours, Livia," I say, chuckling. "Livy. Liv. It’s something you told me long ago, when we were just kids. My grandpa passed away, and at the funeral, you told me to not be so sad about it because even though he died, I still lived, that as long as I lived, he lived in me."
She plays softly with that lip and bites hers.
"They all have one thing in common, Livy," I murmur. "You. You were there for me though it all. You were always there."
It’s not until I said it that I realized how true it was. She was behind every story, one way or another.
She plants a soft kiss to the side of my neck, sending a shiver up my spine. My hands move beneath the water, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her to me.
We somehow move back further into the water, our bodies pressed closely against each others.
I guide her legs around my waist and hold her to me, my mouth resting on hers. She moans softly and laces her fingers through my hair, our tongues tangling. “I love you,” she gasps as I slide inside of her.
That’s when it clicked.
It happened when Livia and I went swimming. We decided to go for a dip, which resulted in skinny dipping. It’s sort of like the time I first saw her with the sun pouring over her skin a few years ago. I’d never seen her look so beautiful.
That is until I saw her by moonlight that night.
~
"C’mon, John! The weather’s perfect for a late night swim!"
I groan. “I don’t wannaaaaa.”
She pouts, whining and trying to pull me off the couch. She came over for one of our traditional movie marathons. I brought up the other night with my dad and his lake story, and she reacted by telling me we should go swimming. It was still March. Then again, it was Arizona. The water shouldn’t be too cold. But I go on tour again soon and I just wanted to stay home and relax.
"Please?" she asks, jutting out her bottom lip.
I sigh. “Livy, it’s been a long day-“
"What if I make it interesting for you?"
That piques my curiosity. I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
A smirk forms on her face. “Skinny. Dipping.”
I feel my jaw drop. Was she seriously suggesting it?
She laughs at my reaction. “Come on, Johno. I just wanna go into the water.”
"So much that you’d get naked for me?"
"You’d be naked, too, dork," she reminds me, laughing. This just further boggles my mind, but I wasn’t arguing with her.
We walk all the way to the lake, sitting at the edge and removing our shoes and socks. Livia sighs as her toes skim above the surface. I watch her reflection in the rippling water. The moon seemed to illuminate the entire lake.
She looks up at it and I watch her, studying her features. Although it’s been years since that fortunate day at the studio, she still looked liked the same Livy. Her vivid blue eyes never lost that sparkle, despite all the time that’s passed. That sparkle has remained, always a simple green speck bouncing around, making them look an aquamarine color. Her hair had gotten longer and shorter, from all the haircuts she’d gotten. It was currently shoulder length, and her natural brown color. The moonlight made it look glossy, soft wisps that shone when they moved in the soft breeze.
I always knew she was beautiful, I just never paid much attention to it. But it was hard not to notice when she looked so naturally pretty.
After a few minutes of watching the moon, she stands and lifts her shirt over her head. My eyes widen. I knew she had a figure, but Jesus Christ. Her curves had me gawking at her body as she shrugs off her jeans, allowing me to fully take in her long legs. Just the sight of her made me nervous.
She giggles and flings her shirt at me. “You too, pervert.”
I smirk, rising to my feet and pulling mine over my head. I watch her bite her lip as I start to unbuckle my belt. “See something you like, sweetheart?”
She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Don’t get too cocky.”
Just as I’m about to answer with some smartass reply, she slips out of her bra right in front of me before wiggling out of her panties.
Livia smiles innocently and runs toward the lake, emerging with a soft splash.
I could feel my mouth gaping. Did I really just see my best friend naked? And did I just enjoy it?
"Clothes off, O’ Callaghan," she calls, grinning as she treads water. "You’ve still got your pants on."
I clumsily finish stripping, almost tripping over my jeans when they’re around my ankles.
Once I’m in, only my head above the surface, Livy swims over to me, chuckling. I smirk. “You were pretty eager to get naked with me.”
She moves a hand through the water, splashing me. I snake my arms around her waist, noticing when she shivers.
We swim somewhere closer near the shore so that our waists are exposed when we stand.
Her fingers dance along my chest, tracing the words branded on me. She smiles softly. “I remember when you got this tattoo. You called me, sounding all excited, because you said you’d wanted to get it to commemorate all those times at 8123.”
I nod and let her hands roam my body, her touch sending ripples of electricity jolting through me.
She touches my equal tattoo. “I don’t think you told me about the rest of them, though.”
I rest my hand over hers, sighing. “This one was for Shane. For the night he almost got into a fight with Ross, and I told him he was equivalent.”
I guide her hand towards my side, where my Some People tattoo sits. “Remember that man named Bill I told you about?”
She nods slowly, exhaling shakily as I move her hand further down to my most recent one, which I literally got the day before. “The V is a roman numeral five. Because I’m the fifth John, but also because when I think about being the fifth John, I think about all of the past John’s, and that makes me think about the lake story my dad told us.”
Livy smiles and looks up at me from beneath her lashes. My heart races as she takes control of her hands again, moving them along my waist and over to my forearm. “And this one?” she whispers, tracing the sun.
"It’s a reminder of the Arizona sun," I explain, "For whenever I’m away and I feel homesick. It also reminds me of you."
"Why?"
I brush my knuckles against her cheek. “It reminds me how beautiful you looked that morning you painted me. The sun was bright, and you seemed to glow.” I smile as I remember the light pigments creating a rainbow on her nose.
She doesn’t tear her eyes away from mine as she brings her hands toward my chest once more. “What’s Unus Amor?”
"One Love," I breathe. "It’s Latin. When I was still in college, I would miss you and everyone so badly, and I either had to call you or listen to music to feel better. Same goes for when I’m on tour."
Livia tries pulling away, but I catch her wrist and guide it towards my lips. “You missed one.”
She raises an eyebrow and I smirk, taking her thumb and tugging my bottom lip down with it.
"Live," she whispers. "What’s this one?"
"This one’s yours, Livia," I say, chuckling. "Livy. Liv. It’s something you told me long ago, when we were just kids. My grandpa passed away, and at the funeral, you told me to not be so sad about it because even though he died, I still lived, that as long as I lived, he lived in me."
She plays softly with that lip and bites hers.
"They all have one thing in common, Livy," I murmur. "You. You were there for me though it all. You were always there."
It’s not until I said it that I realized how true it was. She was behind every story, one way or another.
She plants a soft kiss to the side of my neck, sending a shiver up my spine. My hands move beneath the water, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her to me.
We somehow move back further into the water, our bodies pressed closely against each others.
I guide her legs around my waist and hold her to me, my mouth resting on hers. She moans softly and laces her fingers through my hair, our tongues tangling. “I love you,” she gasps as I slide inside of her.
That’s when it clicked.