Gert Town Pool

[GGJ5]

The Gert Town Pool, a public swimming pool in a domed structure run by the New Orleans Recreation Department, occupies many of the local residents on the warmer days of the year... which is about 75% of the year.

The life guards are always watching to make sure no one does anything too stupid.

Life guards are NPCs... handle with care.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

She'd grabbed her bag that had her swimsuit inside of it and dropped it over the short chain-link fence and tugged on the MasterLock on the gate. It was late now, and the pool had closed already. It was locked, too. She groaned. "I don't have a paperclip..." With an exasperated sigh, Erin quickly clambered over the fence that never did such a good job of keeping people out anyway and scrambled down to the other side. The faster the better, definitely, in this case.

Once they were both in, Erin snatched up her bag and disappeared into one of the bathrooms nearby for changing, expecting Yukito to follow her. She stuffed her clothes in the bag and came outside, dropping it by the doorway. "You aren't getting out of it," she reminded him in a singsong tone, grinning happily.

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

They pulled up to the pool and Yukito found his eye drawn to the eerie reflection of light onto the nearby surfaces around the water. Every flicker of light twisted and leapt about in a strange sort of way, and he liked the smell of chlorine that wafted around them as soon as they left the coolness of the car. Erin made a beeline for the gate, taking the lock in her hand as if she could magically yank it off. If she managed that I would have to start calling her Wonder Woman. "I don't have a paperclip..." she whined, hesitating a second, then climbing over the fence without waiting for him.

Yukito chuckled openly at her, shaking his head. "I love you," he stated, as if she had forgotten. In moments she had disappeared, and he leapt over the short fence and started for the bathrooms as well. Once in there, he opened up his bag and stared in dubiously at its contents. He had never worn the dark blue trunks inside...he had actually bought them yesterday. For Erin. Simple, but they worked. And he wished they could cover up his entire body.

As he slipped into them, he tried to distract himself from thoughts of potential embarrassment, imagining Erin standing just outside, smiling and waiting for him. Even that didn't help. He stood up straight, and let out a sigh, putting a T-shirt back on. Maybe she could pass for that. Trunks and a T-shirt. That was normal-looking, right? The truth was, he was freaked out by the idea of just wearing shorts outside of the protection of the small bathroom stall he was standing in. He was scared. The air was chillier than he had thought, and he tried to look calmer than he felt when he collected his stuff and slipped outside to Erin. As soon as he saw her his lips twitched up into a roguish grin. He wished he had had this mental image before, it would have made him hurry a little more.

"You aren't getting out of it," she said with a smile, and he shrugged.

"Okay," he muttered, "As long as you don't kill me. I have a confession to make..." he discreetly sucked in a nervous breath, then chickened out into his second confession lined up, "I can't swim. At all. But I think that's gonna be okay, because there is this really, really hot girl I know who I think I can con into teaching me...."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

Even though Erin didn't actually have long to wait for Yukito, it seemed a bit ridiculous that she had to wait any time at all... I mean, I have to tie freaking strings behind my back... all he has to do is put on a pair of shorts. Not rocket science. She knew he said he was a little self-conscious about that, which she didn't quite understand why, but it wasn't like there was anyone to see him besides Erin, anyway.

Finally, Yukito walked back out, and Erin started smiling at his shyness-- he still kept on that t-shirt. "You aren't getting out of it," she reminded him, only to receive a shrug.

"Okay, as long as you don't kill me." Erin started laughing at the comment as Yukito continued, "I have a confession to make..."

"Oh, really?" Erin responded coyly, lightly tugging on the sleeve of his shirt as a silent insistence.

Yukito took a sharp inhale and let out, "I can't swim. At all."

"Oh," voiced Erin (she'd expected something a bit more dramatic-introduction worthy) as Yukito continued, "But I think that's gonna be okay, because there is this really, really hot girl I know who I think I can con into teaching me...."

That was something along the lines of what Erin had been anticipating. "Who's that?" she asked him teasingly, then tugged harder on his shirt. "Not with this, though. It's not fair, Yukitokuuun," she drawled out, then added with pouting lips so practiced that she didn't even notice she was doing it, "You promised me."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"I have a confession to make..." he began, and Erin sent him a smile.

"Oh, really?" her hand went up to tug a bit on his shirt sleeve. He felt small pebbles beginning to fall to the pit of his stomach as he knew for certain it was useless to really argue with her on this one.

Yukito took a sharp inhale and let out, "I can't swim. At all."

"Oh," she said, not sounding impressed. Because she probably knew, that was it.

"But I think that's gonna be okay, because there is this really, really hot girl I know who I think I can con into teaching me...." he teased, a smile on his lips.

"Who's that?" she asked him teasingly. He kissed her in reply. She then tugged harder on his shirt. "Not with this, though. It's not fair, Yukitokuuun," she drawled out, her lips puffing out into an adorable pout. "You promised me."

There was no trace of his smile left, and he met her eyes evenly. He didn't say anything for a long time - maybe too long - then he nodded. "I...okay...." he turned to look at the pool, the lights reflecting eerily off the surface of the water. Yukito looked back at her, then let out a slow breath, "But I need you to take it off." He touched her hand suddenly as she moved, as if afraid, and the breath was quickly sucked in, "Slowly, please." There was no teasing in his tone. None at all. How could you tease and laugh as you let someone pull down another precarious wall in your own mind? Aidousan would have tried to laugh it off. Natalie would want me to own up to it.

So he tried to smile, the motion not meeting his eyes as he locked them on Erin's big brown ones. "Be prepared. I'm scrawnier than a spoon and paler than the moon."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Not with this, though," Erin said, tugging on his shirt. "It's not fair, Yukitokuuun. You promised me."

Yukito just looked at her, and for a moment Erin wondered if she'd done something wrong, if he didn't want her to push him and now maybe he'd not get in at all. "Please?" she asked, then biting her lip almost anxiously. She really, really wanted to swim with him, and she really, really wanted him to be comfortable around her.

Erin's eyes lit up when she saw him nod, finally voicing, "I... okay..."

"Yay!" Erin exclaimed, tackling Yukito in an elated hug.

"But I need you to take it off."

"Huh?" Erin laughed a little, caught off-guard. It sounded like something that should have been a lame joke, but he sounded serious. And he looked serious, but that didn't mean anything to Erin, because she couldn't be sure. "Okay," she agreed breezily, moving her hands to the hem of his shirt.

The feeling of his hand on hers suddenly communicated more than his expression and tone did, and Erin saw how serious about it he was. It made no sense to her why it should be such a big thing for him-- she'd never met a guy so timid about going without a shirt. Pretty much every guy she knew relished the fact that they could shed a shirt when the whim came to them. Apparently, Yukito wasn't one of those guys. "Slowly, please."

Erin frowned. She didn't like the slowly thing. If it was hard for him, it should be like a band-aid, quick and over with soon. So he wouldn't suddenly chicken out halfway.

Maybe she would make it like a band-aid without telling him, and he would see it was okay.

"Yukito, it's just me," she reminded him with a smile that he halfway returned.

"Be prepared. I'm scrawnier than a spoon and paler than the moon."

That made Erin giggle quite a bit, and maybe it wasn't as big a deal to him as she'd thought. "I'm not the one that needs to prepare themself." She took the hem in her hands again and looked at him. "Like a band-aid." And even though she didn't pull as fast as a band-aid, she didn't go as slow as he probably wanted her too. But she still tried to make it easy for him, a gently stubborn tug until it was off and the shirt in her hands.

She smiled at him. "Aw, there you are!" Still holding his shirt, Erin wrapped him in another hug, perfectly thrilled that they'd finally get to go swimming like normal people. Erin lifted her eyes to his, her nose not an inch away from his. "C'mon!"

Without warning, Erin ran to the other end of the pool, jumping in feet-first and then after a moment shooting back up to the surface. She swam back to the edge, raising her face so just so her chin reached the edge of the pool's cement. "Yuyukun!" she called with a little laugh. "Kisu shite!" Then again, without another word, Erin dove back under, swimming back to the shallow end. She came to a rest on the slope between the shallow and deep, sitting back and leaning on the palms of her hands as she kicked her feet below the water.

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki


"I... okay..." he nodded, now no longer uncertain but definitely far from confident.

"Yay!" Erin exclaimed, tackling Yukito in an elated hug.

"But I need you to take it off."

"Huh?" If he hadn't been preoccupied with mentally readying himself for an exposure he had stopped at the age of eleven onward, he would have laughed along with her at her obliviousness to the situation. "Okay," She reached out for his shirt, still thinking nothing of it. Except maybe that he was acting odd. His hand flew down to hers in a bit of a panic, and he met her eyes evenly.

"Slowly, please." he pleaded with her, making her frown. He wanted it to be something serious, and he wanted her to take it slow so he wouldn't freak out and get more of those weird hallucination things. I want to see you instead of my dad. Always.

"Yukito, it's just me," she said with a smile. She didn't get it. So he tried to cheer up a bit for her sake.

"Be prepared. I'm scrawnier than a spoon and paler than the moon."

She giggled but her words made him worried. "I'm not the one that needs to prepare themself." She took the hem in her hands again and looked at him. "Like a band-aid." His eyes widened, and he jumped a bit when the shirt was gone before he knew it. "Aw, there you are!" Freezing fear rushed through him and he fought against it. It's just me. He was aware of the cold, he was aware how exposed he felt, and he was aware of how she felt against him when she leapt forward to embrace him, leaning against his barren torso after sending him a smile. He tried to even out his breathing, his arms wrapping around her. Her hands on his back, his face in her hair.

Still not having any idea that the last person to have touched him had not left him with any good memories, she lifted her face to hold her nose close to his, her eyes sparkling with eagerness for the swimming episode. "C'mon!" Then she was gone, leaping into the pool and letting out a splash that scattered droplets all over the cement and Yukito. Slowly, a smile came to his lips, and he leaned over towards the surface of the pool, waiting for her to appear again. When she came over to the edge, he knelt down at the side, grinning down at her. You're beautiful. Thank you for not making it a big deal, like I always do.

"Yuyukun!"she called with a little laugh. "Kisu shite!" He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, tasting the water there and going deeper for it until she pulled away. She kicked away from him, an elusive little water sprite, and went to relax in the shallow end, where he wandered over to, slipping into the cold water with a little hiss. It would have been nice to just jump in after her, but he had been serious about the cannot-swim-to-save-my-life thing.

He sat down next to her, grinning at the cold and as a natural instinct to feeling all that water around him. After a moment of staring at the water around his hands, he looked up at her and forced a pout to mirror hers, "I want to swim, too! Teach me, won't you?" He leapt over to throw his arms around her, almost tackling her until she was under the water, "Pleeeeeease?" he whined, chuckling and still trying to make a pouty face.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

As she expected, Yukito soon followed her into the water, albeit much less enthusiastically. Part of her wanted to see it otherwise. Anyway, no lifeguards were around at night, so they could goof off around there as much as they wanted without the annoying whistle in their ear. And she'd like to know that she could get Yukito half as excited about things as she was sometimes, too.

At least now he was in.

Boys were weird.

She tilted her head up to him with a bright smile as he walked through the chilly water to be next to her. He sat down beside her and didn't say anything at first, Erin watching him expectantly as she continued to subconsciously kick her feet below the water. The silence was about to kill her. Ack, do something!! "Why's it so quiet? Yukitokuun..."

Yukito looked over at her then, making a Yukito-styled version of a puppy pout that Erin never remembered seeing before. "I want to swim, too! Teach me, won't you?"

"What?" Erin asked as she started to laugh increasingly. "Yukito, I--" Her words were cut off as Yukito tossed his arms around her and made her off-balance in the water, causing her to splash as she burst into more laughter trying to realign herself. "Yukito!" She kept herself propped up with one hand in the water, the other on his shoulder.

"Pleeeeeease?" he whined, and Erin's mouth fell open in mock disbelief, also an effort to hide her grin at his sudden antics.

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked incredulously, still laughing the whole while. "You are! Yukito! You're making fun of me! Maybe I won't teach you at all," she added smugly, knowing fully well that she couldn't refuse. But still, she liked messing with him. Erin lay flat on her back under the water's surface and moved so she could push herself out from his hold and into the deeper-- but not very deep-- parts of the water. "I don't know how to teach," she said to him, her voice carrying easily in the night over the pool's surface. "I wouldn't know what to do!"

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"Why's it so quiet? Yukitokuun..."

In response he turned to her, doing his best to mimick the Erin-pout that was used as such a veritable weapon against his willpower. "I want to swim, too! Teach me, won't you?"

"What?" she said with a laugh, "Yukito, I--"

He threw his arms around her in a tackle-hug, almost pushing her under. She squealed his name, trying to keep her head above the water with one hand clinging to his bare shoulder.

"Pleeeeeease?" he whined, and Erin's mouth fell open in mock disbelief.

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked through her laughter. He smirked at her. "You are! Yukito! You're making fun of me! Maybe I won't teach you at all,"

"Yes you will....because I'm a good kisser!" he shouted, reaching out for her just as she slipped out of his fingers, easily kicking herself away. He wanted to race after her, but the depth of the pool was a frightening barrier between them.

"I don't know how to teach," she said once she resurfaced, "I wouldn't know what to do!"

He held both palms up and arched an eyebrow at her, "Why don't you just tell me how to not drown myself, and we can go from there?" He sat down on the smooth cement bottom of the pool, his hands propping him up and the movement of the water making him float a little back and forth. He sent her another pout, "You're too far awaaaaay...I can't reach you unless I swim!"

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"I don't know how to teach," Erin told him from where she tread in the deeper end. "I wouldn't know what to do!"

"Why don't you just tell me how to not drown myself, and we can go from there?"

Erin laughed, and called back, "It's okay, kareshi, if you drown, I'll give you mouth-to-mouth!"

Yukito didn't move towards her, but sat down where he was and kept up the pretend melodrama, keeping Erin's smile constant on her face. "You're too far awaaaaay... I can't reach you unless I swim!"

"Oh, fine," she said, as if it was a huge ordeal and she was caving into him. She swam back over to where he was and took him by the hands. "Kicking your feet would be a good start I guess," she said, still giggling a little bit. It was weird, trying to play teacher. Especially to someone who knew so much more than her anyway. This'll be interesting...

She walked him to the wall of the pool and put her hands on the side, letting her feet float behind her. "Do what I do." She just lay there in the water for a little bit, kicking behind her enough to make little splashes in the water, expecting Yukito to copy her, even though she kind of felt stupid... I don't know how to teach things... I just do them.

After a minute, she let go and stood up, looking at him and feeling a little lost. "And, uh... I guess you just kinda do the same thing with your hands..." She shrugged, unsure of what she was supposed to do, then decided, "What about treading water? If you can kick, then you can tread, I think."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki


"Why don't you just tell me how to not drown myself, and we can go from there?" he suggested.

Erin laughed, and called back, "It's okay, kareshi, if you drown, I'll give you mouth-to-mouth!"

Yukito froze, considered this, then glared at her, "I said tell me how to not drown myself, not how to motivate me to!" He sunk down into the shallow water, glad to at least have a haven in the pool, and continued to dramatically complain. "You're too far awaaaaay... I can't reach you unless I swim!"

"Oh, fine," she said, acting reluctant as she swam easily - so easily - back to him. She reached for his hands and he let her take them, pulling him away from his safe spot. "Kicking your feet would be a good start I guess," They went to a slightly deeper part of the pool, but he could still reach just fine standing far above the surface, so he supposed that could be okay. "Do what I do." She put her hands on the side, and kicked a little. He watched, but he knew he wouldn't get it. He woud feel ridiculous and he wouldn't try all the way, and she would get frustrated at him.

He moved next to her and hesitantly put his hands on the side like she had, not liking how he floated when he pulled tightly on the edge and released his feet off the ground. He already started to bob, and he gave a few weak kicks, trying to mimick the smooth movements Erin always made. "And, uh... I guess you just kinda do the same thing with your hands..." He gave a little nod. That doesn't sound too bad. If I get one I get the other, right? "What about treading water? If you can kick, then you can tread, I think."

He decided to give it a try, moving even deeper until it was to his neck, then staring at the water with uncertainty. I wish I could suddenly kick off and swim fantastically. And be over with this part. He tried to lift himself off the cement floor, kicking his legs and just bobbing in and out of the water. Then he went to move forward, stupidly waving his arms up and down and kicking hard.

He went under. Duh.

Yukito had barely let his head duck under when he came up spluttering, having taken in what felt like a good gallon of water in his mouth and nose. Coughing, he stood up, feeling stupid. He wiped his eyes and looked over at Erin like he was guilty. "I suck."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

Yeah, so she knew she was never meant to be a teacher. Not that she had a death wish, but Yukito had asked her, and she hated to just leave him hanging... And she did kind of like the idea of teaching him, even though she had no idea how to do it.. But she liked him teaching her.. so...

But the fact that she was never meant to teach was totally solidified when Yukito tried to follow her instructions and ended up splashing and sinking like Erin had just given him the order to flail until he gulped down a gallon of chlorine. "Yukito!" She found one of his hands and with both of hers grabbed it and tugged. Not that that did anything; he was standing on his own now, coughing back out the burning chlorine. "I suck," he commented, wiping the water away from his eyes.

"No," Erin scoffed immediately. "I just suck at teaching." She stood close to him now, one hand still holding onto his. She was kind of disappointed in herself for not being able to help Yukito the way he'd asked her to... and she wondered how much he was bummed about her inability to follow through.

"Hmm..." She started swinging their interlocked hands from side to side as she spoke. "Maybe we can try real swimming again later... let's just hang out here for a while."A string of giggles interrupted her speech before she added, "We could've just gone and hijacked Cassie's hot tub..."

Erin pulled her arm around him and gave him a smile, then sat down as she hoped he would follow her. "Yuyukun, I have a question for youuu...." she drawled out before adding in quickly, "When did you start loving me?"

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"I suck," he stated simply, his pride burning as it simmered away into nothingness.

"No," Erin scoffed immediately, her hand still gripping his from when she had started to 'save' him. "I just suck at teaching."

"No," He just shook his head. "I've never been able to get it...." It was embarrassing, but it was one of those things he couldn't bury and hide from her. She started to swing their hands back and forth, the water making the grip more slippery than usual.

"Hmm...Maybe we can try real swimming again later... let's just hang out here for a while."

"'Real swimming'?" he said with a snort, feeling more chlorine sting his nostrils, "As opposed to my smooth talents?"

A few giggles escaped Erin, "We could've just gone and hijacked Cassie's hot tub..."

"Aw...but I like seeing you swim," he said, leaning against her gently, "I just wish I had the coordination to join you."

At the exact same moment they encircled each other with one arm, and went to sit in the shallow end. With his free hand he tapped violently on his ear, trying to get the water out of it. It was amazing how much water a body could soak in within four seconds.

"Yuyukun, I have a question for youuu...." he looked up to prompt her to continue, knowing it wasn't necessary. "When did you start loving me?"

Yukito leaned back a little and let out a slow breath. He thought about that one for a long time. He thought of when they had met, him taking a chance by knocking on her door to meet the owner of the rock music blaring out through her apartment walls. He thought of their first date, accidentally arranged so perfectly after a group-outing turned kissing confession. There were the meetings of the parents, the distracting math tutoring, the laughter-filled dates in fancy restaurants. The begging and pleading, him making her cry. A horrible breakup in front of the whole school, the months of feeling abandoned by everyone and everything. They had brought Aidousan to America. They had taken a long time to get back together. Now things seemed so much easier the second time around.

He let out a chuckle. "D***, I feel really lame admitting this, because it's such a typical answer, but I don't know...I guess I always really liked you, since you were always so fun and easy to be around...plus you seemed to believe me when everyone else just knew that I was a jacka**." A shrug, their most commonly shared gesture, "I don't know if I loved you in the very beginning, but... I just don't know. Somewhere alone the way you made me start to think I could break the cycle and let someone in, that it wasn't so hard to be happy. And I realized you were the perfect person to be with. I just wish I didn't hurt you so much." He smiled, "I know I loved you when we went to the Halloween party. And I knew it then, when you were dancing with me, and so happy, taking our picture and holding me close like that, like I belonged next to you." A pause, then he blinked, sitting up straighter and chuckling awkwardly, "Haha...Crap, I sound like I'm reading off the frigging script to a chick flick. I guess there's no one-word answer to that one, is there?"

He sent her a curious look, the edges of his lips wanting to curve upward. He pulled her closer with the arm that was wrapped carefully around her. "What about you?"

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"We could've just gone and hijacked Cassie's hot tub..." Erin responded amid some laughter.

"Aw...but I like seeing you swim," he said, leaning against her gently. "I just wish I had the coordination to join you."

Erin made a kind of pffft sound, glancing upward. "Whatever... I bet you could if you had someone who could actually teach you how." She rested on arm on Yukito, who simultaneously held her with one arm, too, as they returned to sitting down in the shallow waters. She couldn't help but smile at the dramatic movements Yukito made to rid himself of the unwanted water, and when she was sure he was finally finished, she leaned on him a little before prodding him impulsively, "Yuyukun, I have a question for youuu....When did you start loving me?"

Yukito didn't immediately respond, seeming to lean back a bit in thought. He always seriously thought about the answers to all her questions, and it was different. She liked to watch him doing that. But still, the thought of Oh, my god, why did I ask such a lame question? nudged around in her brain. She was about to start making up for it, make it into a joke or something because she felt like a walking cliche asking that, but then Yukito finally spoke.

He gave a little laugh before he finally voiced, "D***, I feel really lame admitting this, because it's such a typical answer, but I don't know...I guess I always really liked you, since you were always so fun and easy to be around...plus you seemed to believe me when everyone else just knew that I was a jacka**." He shrugged, though his words were making a smile emerge on her lips. Like he even had to try to do that.. it was so easy for him to make her smile and he probably didn't even know it was because it was him.

"I don't know if I loved you in the very beginning, but... I just don't know. Somewhere alone the way you made me start to think I could break the cycle and let someone in, that it wasn't so hard to be happy. And I realized you were the perfect person to be with. I just wish I didn't hurt you so much." He smiled. She was doing that already. You called me the perfect person to be with...! And I make you happy!! "I know I loved you when we went to the Halloween party. And I knew it then, when you were dancing with me, and so happy, taking our picture and holding me close like that, like I belonged next to you." He halted, then let out a chuckle, and Erin looked at him with a curious smile. "What?"

"Haha...Crap, I sound like I'm reading off the frigging script to a chick flick. I guess there's no one-word answer to that one, is there?"

That made Erin erupt into laughs, imagining him reading what he'd said off a script with the name 'Nicolas Sparks' on it somewhere. "Wow, you know what? I hate chick flicks!" She put her chin on his shoulder, giving him a coy smile. "But I loved hearing that from you."

Yukito pulled her closer. "What about you?"

"Oh, that's easy," she said flippantly. "When we all had supper at your house that first time." She giggled a little. "And you weren't scared away by the 'watch out for boys' comments my dad kept making..." More laughter as her eyes peered at Yukito, and her face approached his. She punctuated her short answer with a kiss on his cheek, then slowly moved as though to continue with a kiss on his lips, but at the last moment she moved away with a quick splash in his direction and scrambled through the water until she was as far away she could be while still standing on her own feet. (If she could still stand in the water, then he could too.) Erin glanced over at him, and then broke out into rich laughter.

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"Whatever... I bet you could if you had someone who could actually teach you how." She said, sounding frustrated with herself. They immediately, and wordlessly entwined their arms around each other, and Yukito relieved a bit of a problem he was having with his ears, making Erin smile up at him.

"Naw, it wasn't you.." he said, distracted by his task, eyes shutting as he tapped furiously on his ear, a freakish thumping/popping sound in them holding his attention.

"Yuyukun, I have a question for youuu....When did you start loving me?"

He took a long time answering her, straining his mind for anything less typical than 'I don't know...' He gave a little laugh before he finally voiced, "D***, I feel really lame admitting this, because it's such a typical answer, but I don't know...I guess I always really liked you, since you were always so fun and easy to be around...plus you seemed to believe me when everyone else just knew that I was a jacka**." He shrugged. "I don't know if I loved you in the very beginning, but... I just don't know. Somewhere alone the way you made me start to think I could break the cycle and let someone in, that it wasn't so hard to be happy. And I realized you were the perfect person to be with. I just wish I didn't hurt you so much." He smiled. "I know I loved you when we went to the Halloween party. And I knew it then, when you were dancing with me, and so happy, taking our picture and holding me close like that, like I belonged next to you." He halted, then let out a chuckle, and Erin looked at him with a curious smile.

"What?" she asked.

"Haha...Crap, I sound like I'm reading off the frigging script to a chick flick. I guess there's no one-word answer to that one, is there?"

"Wow, you know what? I hate chick flicks!" She put her chin on his shoulder, giving him a coy smile.

"I know..." he smirked down at her.

"But I loved hearing that from you." His face went hot, and he knew that freaking blush was coming back to haunt him. Instead of responding to that, he pulled her closer and turned the question back on her. When had she started loving him?

"Oh, that's easy," she said flippantly, and he felt bad because he had hesitated so long. "When we all had supper at your house that first time." She giggled a little. He arched an eyebrow at her, amusement itching at the corners of his lips. "And you weren't scared away by the 'watch out for boys' comments my dad kept making..."

Yukito chuckled at the memory. Her dad warning them to keep his bedroom door open when they had gone back there to escape the parents. She slipped closer and closer, until she pecked him on the cheek. He met her gaze evenly, leaning a little closer towards her. "I-"

Just before their lips met again, he got a faceful of water as Erin made a splash-and-run attack, darting off into the deeper portions of the water. Yukito coughed and spluttered out the water, blinking hard until he could see the laughing Erin. In a sort of half-glare half-mirth expression, he dove after her, going through the water a little faster than he himself expected until he caught her up in his long arms, peals of laughter escaping and ringing out into the air. "Got you!" he growled, pulling her close and forcing his lips on hers, stealing the kiss she had snatched away instead of giving to him. It lasted a little longer than usual, and when he deepened the kiss he could taste the chlorine on her lips, bitter mixing with the sweet. He started to pull away, then came on longer again, feeling everything in his chest thumping and thudding until it was painful, and his mind started to reject the evening as reality. It was too easy. Too perfect.

"I love you.." he managed to say, breathless as he pulled his face far enough away to see her brown eyes, water droplets dotted across her cheek and eyelashes. He chuckled a little, pushing the dripping hair away from her face, his own falling into his eyes neglected. "I've never had anything like this, Erin. Lame as that sounds...and I don't want to mess this up ever again." He pulled her closer into his arms, laying her against his bare chest and not wavering his eyes from hers. "Do me a favor, and don't ever leave, okay?" He smiled.