You are going to melt.

You doubted it at first, but now you're sure that your body just physically can't handle this heat. You run a hand through your hair, grimacing at the sweat that's collected on your brow and hairline. It's already started. There's no denying it now- soon you'll be reduced to a puddle on Dave's carpet. There's no hope for you now. Someone tell your dad you love hi-

"John, are you paying any attention? You totally could've blocked that."

You glance up at the blond. He's lounging on the couch above you, looking perfectly content in the summer heat. While he's got a firm, not sweaty grip on his game controller, yours is held loosely. Every so often you take a hand off to wipe the perspiration from your palms. "Dave, I'm gonna die. I'm not even kidding."

He raises an eyebrow and pauses the Street Fighter game. "Dude, it's only, like, 90 degrees today. Last week was a hell of a lot hotter. How're you gonna survive being down here for two more weeks if you can't even handle today? You're not even outside for fuck's sake."

"That's the thing," you whine, sprawling out on the floor, "I'm not going to surivive!"

Even though you can't through his lenses, you know for a fact he's rolling his eyes at you. But hey, it's not your fault you're used to 70/80 degree summers. Even those are hot! But at least you have air conditioning at your house- Dave and his Bro only have fans. How they manage to make it through in the Texan heat will continue to baffle you for the rest of your life.

"You'll be okay," he assures you casually, not bothering to hide the amusement in his tone.

Bastard.

"I really won't," you protest.

"Yes you will."

"Dave."

"John."

You glare up at him in annoyance. "Can't I go and take a cold shower or something?"

"No way, man. You'll waste perfectly good water."

"It's not a waste!"

He looks at you, unamused. "You didn't let me finish, Egbert. You'll waste water in the shower because I could just take you up on the roof to our pool instead."

You sit straight up. Pool? The Striders don't have a pool! Do they? Dave had better not be teasing you, because if he is then you are going to hurt him. Badly. You do not mess around with an overheated Egbert. "...you have a pool?" you ask cautiously.

Dave shrugs in response, setting his controller on the seat next to him. "Yeah. Bro put it up there a few summers ago when we got this really bad heat wave come in. We kept it up there and still use it every once in a while."

You bounce up and down in your spot a few times in excitement. "Can we go? Please. Please. Please. Please." He's planted the idea in your head and now there's no going back. As far as you had ever known, the rooftop of the Strider apartment was used for strifes and strifes only. Dave had never mentioned any kind of pool. You begin to wonder why; if you had a pool, you'd be gloating about it all summer long!

"If you really want. You brought a pair of swim trunks, right?"

You stop. "...no." You hadn't even thought of bringing them. Maybe if Dave had mentioned they had a place to swim, you would've grabbed a pair.

He's silent for a few moments, but you can tell it's not just a purposeless silence; he's chewing on his tongue, which means he's thinking. "You could probably fit into a pair of mine," he says finally.

Your excitement is back.

Dave moves a little slower than you would like; he's probably just teasing you as always. But then after what seems like forever, he's dug out a pair of bright red trunks that actually do fit. You're surprised. After all, Dave is a twig and you're... not. He explained that Bro went through this... "phase". Apparently, he'd gone and bought everything about two sizes too big for about a month. Dave suspects it's because his brother enjoyed watching him trip around in jeans that were too large. Dave kept them around instead of giving Bro the satisfaction of seeing them in the garbage.

"Bro's actually an asshole," he explains as you slip into the slightly-too-tight shorts. "If I'd thrown them away, I'd be doing exactly what he expected me to do. There's no way I was playing into his stupid little trap." You don't much care why he has them, or why he kept them- all you care about is the water that's awaiting you on the top of the building.

Dave helps you up the step ladder and guides you up the rest of the way to the roof. You're so excited. Finally you get to escape the heat for a few moments of cool, refreshing...

"What the hell is that."

He opened up the door leading out to the rooftop. He gestured for you to step out.

You saw the actual "pool".

"Dave, that is not a pool!" Well, it is if you're two feet high- which you're not, thankfully. Sitting proudly in the corner is a blue, plastic pool. It's filled with enough water to cover your ankles and looks as inviting as the kitchen sink. You walk over to it and kick the stupid thing, watching as the puddle inside rippled. "It's not even the good kind that you blow up! It's made of cheap plastic!" You glance over your shoulder and glare at your friend. He betrayed you. He betrayed you and your trust. How dare he.

He just shrugs and looks at the pool like it's no big deal. "It's totally an awesome pool. What does it matter anyway- it holds water. Isn't that what you wanted? Don't make it feel bad, John; it's serving its purpose in life. Haven't you ever had one of these bad boys?"

"Yeah, when I was, like, three," you respond, hoping that Dave knows just how much you're judging him by the tone of your voice.

"Just get in the damn water, John."

"No."

He presses his lips into a line, and you can't really tell if he's holding back some sort of smirk, or is actually annoyed with you. You feel it's the former option. "Just get in the water."

You cross your arms, deciding to be as difficult as possible. "No."

He walks over to you and stands so that the two of you are face to face. Well, almost face to face; his face is just a few inches higher than yours is. In an attempt to be more intimidating, you stand as tall as you can, puffing your chest out a bit. You even lift up onto your toes slightly. You doubt that Dave's impressed, but it makes you feel a little better, regardless.

"Get in the pool, John," he asserts again. You can hear a dangerous, amused tone in his voice and it makes you wary.

You start to say 'no' again, but before you can even get the first sound of the word out, he's moved into action. And he's moving a hell of a lot faster than your eyes can comprehend. To say the least, the next minute or so are a blur.

He picks you up- one hand on your back and the other behind your knees- and all but drops you into the puddle of water.

Then he's gone, and you're alone on the roof.

Then he's back, and he's dumping a tray of ice cubes in along with you.

Then he's in the pool with you, and you're both bent uncomfortably, and your limbs are tangled up with each other's, but at least the water is cool.

"You're an ass," you say, splashing him with some water.

"Hey," he protests, "I got you cooled off, didn't I? Don't say I never did anything for you."

"Well you don't!" That's not true and you know it. There are lots of things that Dave does refuse to do for you, but you're pretty sure that's only because they're obvious things. He likes to surprise you in simple ways and do things more subtly. Well that's alright, you suppose.

He shifts so that he's sitting next to you and leans so that he's resting on your arm. "Do so. And you know it, don't try to pretend like you don't." You really should be pushing him away; it's too hot for this kind of contact. But you let him have his moment and instead run your wet hand through his hair, trying to cool him down a bit. It doesn't matter how used to the heat he is, there's no way that he can't be hot now that he's in the direct sunlight.

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say." You dip your hand back in the water and wet his cheeks, his forehead, the back of his neck.

He lets loose a very quiet, relaxed sigh. Then he dips his hand in the liquid and starts doing the same for you. "You know I'm right," he insists, cooling your hot skin. "I'm the one who does everything. It's always me. Oh don't you worry about doing anything- you know the Strider man's got it."

"You're so full of it," you scoff.

The two of you continue on with your playful banter back and forth, your sarcastic words in total contrast to the gentle touches. It's strange, you'll admit, but it suits the two of you, you guess. Neither of you are cut out for being super romantic all the time, but it somehow manges to worm its way in every so often. But it works out for you just fine until Dave decides it would be fun to try and dunk you under the two inches of water.

You stay in the pool long after the water stopped feeling cool and refreshing, neither of you feeling the urge to get up and go back to your video games. Besides, watching the Houston sunset from up there is pretty cool, you have to admit.

Notes: ...and then they had sloppy make outs the end.

We have this awful heat wave in Michigan right now (and record breaking temps; it's the hottest it's been since 1937 today) so of course, I had to make that terrible experience into JohnDave. Like any other sane person would.

Leave me a review! Let me know what you think c: