Chapter 10: Homura learns how to swim

Homura had always known that Kyouko was terribly spontaneous, but this was getting a little out of hand.

"Kyouko, just let it go. Let's go home," the time traveler sighed, pushing a hand through her hair.

"No. I've always wanted to try this!" the redhead insisted from above her, where she was busy trying to scale a chain linked fence.

Homura showed her teeth and grunted, looking up to glare at her lover. "You have taken down all powerful demons, lived for years on the streets, and have been blessed with unparalleled longevity, but the number one thing on your bucket list is to go skinny dipping?"

"Oh, come on, Homura. I know you want to try it too."

"We both know that isn't true."

Homura really didn't know how Kyouko's neural circuits processed information. They had been walking home from a movie when they had passed by the local high school, the one from which they had graduated a while back. It was then that Kyouko had been seized by the sudden desire to sneak into the school pool, a need that Homura absolutely could not comprehend, but of course she had allowed herself to get dragged along anyway.

"And why are you climbing over the fence, anyway?" Homura criticized, crossing her arms. "You could just transform and jump over."

Kyouko snorted from above her as if this were a ridiculous suggestion. "Climbing is part of the experience, obviously. It wouldn't feel like breaking in if I made it that easy."

"Uh huh," Homura said, more than a little dubiously. Her tone made the redhead stop climbing and look down at her, a pleading look on her face.

"You really aren't going to come with me?"

"I'm more than happy to watch you through the fence."

"Well, that just won't do," Kyouko sighed, before reaching down and grabbing Homura's bag with one hand.

"Wh-hey!" Homura snapped, trying to snatch the bag back, but Kyouko just cackled and monkeyed her way up the rest of the fence, jumping over the top a second later. She landed on the other side in a single jump, her enhanced body making the fall harmless. "Give that back!"

The redhead grinned and dangled her bag in front of her face. "You'll have to come in here if you want it."

"Why, you-" she tried to lunged through the fence and grab her bag, but of course that didn't work. Kyouko laughed and danced away from the fence and towards the edge of the pool, dropping the bag at the edge.

"Oh come on, Homura. Don't be so uptight. Let's have a little fun!"

Homura had no intentions of the sort, but she did want her bag back, and she could already tell Kyouko fully intended to keep it until the time travel obliged her. Grumbling a few choice curses she had learned from the redhead herself, she pushed her sleeves back and put her hands on the chain linked fence, beginning the long climb to the top. She was not in the right shoes for this, Goddess help her. Or the right mood, now that she thought about it.

The lights surrounding the pool were still on at this hour, which Homura found strange; maybe the janitor had forgotten to turn them off, or something. There were lights set into the walls of the pool beneath water level as well, giving the water an ethereal appearance, like it was glowing amiably. It looked like an adventurous heart, which was exactly the thing that rested inside her lover's chest.

When she dropped down to the other side, Kyouko was already stripping down to her underwear, pulling her hoodie over her head before tossing it by the pool behind her. Homura watched bemusedly as she approached the water, bending down to pick up her bag.

Kyouko stretched luxuriously before entering the water, raising both arms above her head and flexing all the necessary muscles. Homura would admit that she spent a few moments examining the girl's form; she looked almost sculpted when bathed by the pool's light like that, and the fact that she had tasted nearly every inch of the redhead's skin made the sight even easier on the eyes.

A moment later Kyouko leapt forward into the water with a loud whoop, entering with a big splash. Homura stepped back just in time to avoid getting soaked, checking to make sure no one had heard her girlfriend's exclamation.

The girl in question emerged from beneath the water, tossing her drenched hair out of her eyes. She was still in her underwear, despite her initial insistence that they would be skinny dipping. "Come on, Homura. The water's fine!" she called out to her, gesturing suggestively in her direction.

Homura couldn't help rolling her eyes in exasperation. Breaking into a school at night, using the pool without permission; it was all so teenagerish. Not that they weren't still teenagers, of course, but they certainly didn't live like they were. "I'm fine, Kyouko. You can have your fun. Besides, we both know I can't swim."

"Yeah, I know," Kyouko said, waving her arms languidly to stay afloat. "I was figuring I could teach you."

Homura went still, then frowned a moment later. "These are hardly ideal learning conditions."

Now it was Kyouko's turn to roll her eyes. "Please, Homura. You've got a pool and an excellent teacher. What else could you possibly need?"

Homura just stared at her, reluctance evident.

Kyouko had known her lover long enough by now to be able to interpret her various silences, and she knew what this one meant. Clucking her tongue, she turned away from Homura and breaststroked to the far end of the pool. "Fine, you killjoy. You can sit there and watch. Or just go home if you want. I don't care."

Homura snorted and turned around to do just that, but before she could start walking she started thinking.

Was she really a killjoy? She didn't want to think so, and for obvious reasons, but Kyouko called her that so often. It wasn't like there was no reason for her to be reluctant in this situation. Kyouko was the one doing stupid things without thinking them through.

Still, Homura knew she had to learn to live a little. She had never been the spontaneous type, whether you referred to her current or old, shy self. That was part of why she loved Kyouko; the girl always kept her moving, never stagnating. Maybe her lover was just trying to create a happy memory between them.

She thought about what Kyouko had asked her about a week ago, all those questions about death. They weren't going to be around forever. Life was transient, and thus beautiful.

Maybe she could indulge in some debauchery now and then.

Kyouko's ear's twitched when they picked up the sound of a bag being dropped, and she turned around to see Homura gingerly unbuttoning her coat.

The redhead's eyes went wide in disbelief. "No way. You're actually coming in here?"

"Shut up. You're the one who had to get all pouty on me," Homura snapped. Her coat was off by now, and she grabbed the hem of her shirt before pulling it over her head, exposing her torso to the cool night air. She covered her chest instinctively, even though she knew they were probably the only ones around here. They were outside, for crying out loud. This wasn't the same as being in their apartment.

Kyouko watched her undress with relish, which only doubled Homura's embarrassment. "I didn't know I was so irresistible."

"Well, you are," the shield user sighed, now fully undressed. She kicked her jeans off and left them stacked neatly by the pool, before walking over to where the shallow end was. Kyouko waded over to meet her, anticipation written all over her face.

Homura tested the water gingerly with a toe, still apprehensive. It was surprisingly warm, or maybe that was from the nervous heat flushing through her entire body at the moment. She wasn't so sure about going into the water in just her underwear. It was bound to feel at least a little uncomfortable. Not to mention that there was bound to be someone monitoring the premises if the lights were still on-

"Oh, just hurry up already," Kyouko sighed, grabbing Homura by the wrist and yanking her into the pool.

"Wahh!" the time traveler went face first into the water, entering with an impressive splash. Her long mane of hair was soaked instantly, and when she spluttered above the surface it was already heavy enough to drag her head backwards.

Kyouko was laughing loudly at her, but Homura was more concerned with the fact that the redhead had dragged them into the deep end of the pool. She began flailing helplessly in the water, splashing at it with her hands. Driven purely by instinct, she moved to latch onto the nearest solid object in the water, which just happened to be her girlfriend.

"Woah. Relax, would you?" the redhead grinned, arms looping around her waist to hold her up. "It's only six feet deep, you know?"

"You bastard. You know I'm short," Homura hissed, slapping her lover on the shoulder.

Kyouko just laughed again, as Homura wrapped her legs around the girl's waist for better purchase. "I said it's okay. I'm a very good swimmer."

Homura looked down to see that Kyouko was holding them both afloat with the strength of her legs alone, and had to admit that this was very true.

"Okay, so lessons begin now," Kyouko announced, before she slipped free of Homura's grasp.

"W-Woah, wait!" the time traveler exclaimed, grasping desperately at the girl's arm.

"Relax," the redhead chided. She took both of her lover's hands and started pulling her slowly through the water. "I've got you. Just practice paddling for now."

Homura bit her lip and tried to follow orders, kicking her bare feet through the water. To her it felt like she was just making big splashes, but Kyouko kept encouraging her, telling her she was doing just fine. She wasn't such a bad teacher after all. They made circles around the pool until she got used to the movement, after which Kyouko pulled them towards the edge of the water.

"Here, we can use these," she said, pointing to where a rack of paddle boards was sitting. She had Homura latch onto the edge before climbing out of the water, throwing one knee over for purchase. For a brief moment Homura had an absolutely shameless view of the girl's rear, and the fact that she failed to look away proved that Kyouko had turned her into a pervert.

Kyouko tossed a board into the water, and Homura managed to hop onto it without drowning herself, throwing both arms over the foamy rectangle. The redhead slipped back into the pool, and they both floated around in the water for a while, letting the currents have their way with them.

"So how did you learn to swim, Kyouko?" Homura asked, breaking the silence.

Kyouko snorted at the question. She was floating motionlessly on her back, staring up at the moon, which was full tonight. The weather was clear, and the satellite shown down on them like a lantern. "It wasn't anything romantic or special. My dad practically picked me up and threw me into the water. It was learn or die for me."

Homura blinked, then smiled. "Sounds like something a Sakura would do."

The redhead laughed at the memory, her eyes closing with mirth. "Yeah, I guess. You could say I learned from the best. My dad was a good guy, you see, but not exactly the best teacher in the world."

Homura was somewhat glad the man's daughter hadn't inherited that specific trait from him. It was a good thing Kyouko hadn't chosen to throw her into the water herself. She honestly would have died.

"Was your dad as spontaneous as you?" she asked softly, reaching over and taking her lover's hand.

Kyouko turned her head and smirked at her, and for a moment they were linked, floating together on the glowing water. "Nah. But I definitely got it from him."

"Mmm."

"How about you?" Homura looked up to find Kyouko looked expectantly at her. "What do you figure made you so uptight all the time?"

The time traveler frowned, flicking a drop of water at the girl. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's a little something called my personality?"

Kyouko snorted shortly before going back to looking at the moon. "Yeah, I'm not saying that isn't part of it. But I feel like there's something else too. This turned out to be fun, didn't it?"

She gestured at the pool to accentuate her meaning, and Homura knew her girlfriend was right. If she had chosen to actually go home earlier she probably would have ended up regretting it.

"I don't know," she sighed at last. She scooped up some pool water in her hand and stared at it, letting it trickle out through the cracks in her fingers, the fingers that sometimes couldn't hold onto everything. "It's probably because of all those timelines I went through. All those repetitions…"

"What do you mean?" Kyouko asked, swimming over to her. She put her arms on the paddle board and rested her chin on top, so that they were now gazing at each other from opposite sides, using the board to drift languidly across the water.

Homura just smiled meaninglessly back, tracing a finger across the redhead's slick arm. "I told you the story last week. Going back to save you all, but failing every time because of some mistake I failed to foresee…it left no more room for error. I had to be perfect if I was going to have any chance of succeeding. I couldn't take too many risks. Maybe my habits from then are still ingrained, somehow, even after all this time. I was stuck there for a good while, you know. Repeating that same month."

Kyouko just gazed at her wordlessly, eyes round and expressive. She reached out and grasped Homura's hand, tickling the girl's palm with her fingers. "I'm so glad you made it out, in the end."

Homura smiled lovingly back, bringing their hands up and kissing her partner's knuckles. "Me too. But I still find it a little difficult to learn new things. I hope you understand."

The redhead caught her by the chin, forcing them to look each other in the eye. "Don't be afraid to try and change a little, Homura. Even with something as small as swimming. Because if you're ever in danger of drowning, I'll be there to save you. Always."

The shield user chuckled softly, nipping affectionately at Kyouko's finger on her chin. "You actually have once, already."

Kyouko grinned. "Exactly. You can count on me, okay? For anything. Well, unless it's the laundry. You'll have to handle that."

Homura scoffed. "Am I supposed to feel reassured by that?"

"You've got not choice but to," the redhead said, splashing her with water.

The time traveler coughed when it hit her face, flipping her hair out of her eyes. "Hey! You're gonna pay for that!"

"Gotta get me first!" Kyouko teased, sticking her tongue out at her.

They chased each other around the pool for a while, though Homura was decidedly at a disadvantage, since she was limited to using the paddle board to move around. Still, at the end of it all both girls were absolutely drenched, and the sound of their blissful laughter mixed together within the night air, like eternal matrimony, and the moon seemed to glow even brighter for it.

As Homura raised the paddle board to defend herself from another splash, she was glad to realize that she was having fun. It was just like that one night on the frozen lake at the heart of Mitakihara, years ago now, when she and Kyouko had skated across the ice together and fallen in love for the first time. The redhead had forced her out of her comfort zone then, too. It seemed like every time Kyouko forced Homura to run, she fell deeper in love with her.

Finally Homura ended the scuffle by catching Kyouko, or perhaps Kyouko simply allowed herself to be caught; it was hard to tell anymore. The raven haired girl grabbed the redhead by the shoulders, pressing her against the edge of the pool. They pressed flush against each other, until there was only a little water lapping in the space between their chests, and the heavy sound of labored breathing.

"When we go home, you're doing the laundry," Homura breathed, tilting her head and skimming her nose against her lover's.

Kyouko just smirked back at her, one hand coming up to tangle in Homura's wet locks, the other looping down to support her from below. "You'll have to make me."

"With pleasure," Homura purred, before pressing their lips together.

Their bodies melded together to form a union more perfect than the full moon shining above them. Homura closed her eyes and allowed herself to indulge in the sensation of her partner's body, the pleased sighs, the sound of the water lapping against their skin. She didn't care that they were outside anymore, or that they were in their underwear. All that mattered was that she and Kyouko were here, in this moment, together.

They broke apart for a brief moment, and this time their breathing was labored for different reasons.

"Y-You've gotten me all wet," Kyouko growled, dragging her teeth against Homura's neck.

The smaller girl laughed huskily at the double entendre, planting a kiss to her blood red hair. "Is that a problem?"

In response, Kyouko turned and pushed Homura up until she was sitting on the edge of the pool. Then she climbed out herself and pushed the time traveler down onto her back, crawling up the length of her lithe body.

"No," she whispered, before beginning to kiss her way down Homura's chest and stomach.

Oh, god, Homura thought excitedly, feeling her body already beginning to write beneath her lover's ministrations, and she knew in her heart that nothing was going to stop them from going through with this. It was so wrong, and so risky, but that somehow made it ten times more thrilling, and her core ached with the need to do this, like she had been waiting for it her whole life. A hand had snaked up to grasp her beneath her bra, and she reached down to fist her hands in Kyouko's hair as she descended ever lower, knowing full well that Homura wanted this as much as she did.

A hiss when questing fingers cupped her beneath her panties, and Homura found herself arching her hips against the attention, the redhead's name rising to her lips unbidden. Kyouko moaned as she began to work her, and their fingers twined together against the concrete as Homura thought about just how perfect this moment was-

Then a door at the other side of the pool was kicked open with a resounding crash, and suddenly a flashlight was being blared in their direction, following closely by a harsh barking voice.

"Hey! What the hell are you two kids doing here? The school's closed!"

"Whoops," Kyouko muttered, before abandoning Homura completely and sprinting back to their clothes.

"Wh…shit. Kyouko, wait!" Homura yelled, scrambling to her feet and running after the girl, who was busy yanking her hoodie back over her head.

"Come on, Homura. We gotta run!" the redhead said urgently. Behind her the security guard was clattering down the steps in their direction, yelling at them to stand still, but like hell they were actually going to do that.

Homura grabbed her coat and pulled it around her body, and then they were running for the fence with their things clutched in one hand, sprinting full force towards the chain linked barrier.

A moment later Kyouko partially transformed, leaping over the fence in a single bound, Homura quickly following suit. They landed on the grass at the other side with soft thump, and then they were hightailing it across the street, totally ignoring the furious shouts of the security guard as he reached the fence a moment later, his voice chasing after them in the night.

This was fucking ridiculous. Homura didn't even have her shoes on, and they were both still soaked from their dip in the pool, hair wet and stringy and flying behind them as they ran. But a few moments later Kyouko began to laugh, and Homura started laughing with her, somehow unable to stop herself, the adrenaline of the experience pumping through her veins.

It was probably the dumbest thing she had done all week, and she had loved it.

A/N

Wasn't really going to update today, but this idea came up and I felt like I had to write it before I forgot it entirely (which happens entirely too often). Plus I remembered that I had made it so that Homura couldn't swim.

Updates for this story might come more sparsely now, since I've decided to undertake a rather large scale project for Seraph of the End. But I haven't really decided if I'm going through with the entire thing just yet. Who knows, maybe it'll fall through. (It probably will tbh).

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please ignore any typos, as I typed this in one go at one in the morning.

Thanks for reading!

~Banshee