An Angel's Touch

by animesn

After losing her parents in a terrible accident, Kyler is taken in and raised by the Elder Kettle. Her life couldn't be better...until the day Cuphead and Mugman visit the Devil's Casino. In order to save them, Kyler must make a decision that changes not only her life, but also the life of King Dice

12. Ch 11 The Accident

Chapter 11

The Accident

"You have got to be shitting me!" Rocco's jaw dropped when King Dice told him what had happened during Kyler's last lesson with Zane. So did Tomoe's. "I would've straight up murdered the bastard if he did somethin' like that to my gal."

"Same here." Tomoe agreed. "He's lucky he was able to walk out of there alive."

"Yeah, it was pretty fucked up." King Dice took a swig of the drink that Rocco had made for him when he and Tomoe joined him at the casino bar. "I would've taken him down if Tarrence hadn't beaten me to it."

Tomoe let out a short laugh. "I still can't believe your butler punched the guy. He was always calm and regal whenever I talked to him. Guess he's just as protective of Kyler as you are."

"Pfft! I don't think anyone'll be as protective of her as ol' Dice here. Pretty sure he would've given the guy a lot more than just a punch." Rocco added. "Still, it's pretty impressive of him to stand up for her like that. In fact, didn't ya tell me he said she's like a daughter to him?"

King Dice nodded. "Uh-huh. Terrance practically raised me and Aiden, so I guess it's only natural for him to consider my girlfriend as one of his own."

A mischevious grin spread across Rocco's face. "So in other words, you're datin' your sister."

Tomoe chortled in response. "Admit it Dice, you walked right into that one." He said when King Dice flipped Rocco off. "But it's pretty cool that he looks out for the both of you. By the way...how's she doing? After what happened, is she going to give up on learning how to swim?"

"No, she wants to continue." King Dice told him. "After she took a few days to recover, she started searchn' for another instructor. Problem is that it's almost summer, and pretty much all the private swimmin' instructors she's found are all booked solid."

"Hmmm...that is a problem." Rocco thought for a moment, then turned to Tomoe. "Say Tom, didn't you use to be a lifeguard and teach little kids how to swim when we were all in college?"

King Dice's eyes lit up. "Hey, I practically forgot! Yeah Tomoe, ya still doin' that?"

Tomoe shrugged. "Occasionally, but I hadn't planned on offering lessons this year. Being the president of a multi-million dollar company can take up a lot of your time."

Tapping the side of his glass, King Dice cleared his throat. "I know you're a busy guy, and I hate to ask, but...you think maybe you could give Kyler another lesson or two? She's almost capable of swimming completely on her own, so she wouldn't need many more. Just needs a little more of a confidance boost."

Rocco nodded in agreement. "Go for it Tom. Kyler really trusts ya, so I'm sure she'd be happy to have you continue her swimming lessons. Who would make a better teacher than someone she's real close to?" He winked at King Dice. "Just don't try to kiss her underwater."

"Hey!" King Dice shot Rocco a look of warning, but he couldn't stop his lips from curling into a smile.

Laughing, Tomoe nodded. "You know what? I can probably find time to do that. Okay, just tell me when will be a good time for Kyler, and I will happily complete her training. Consider it a favor to two of my closest friends."

King Dice gave Rocco a pat on the back. "Thanks so much pal! I really appreciate it. And I know Kyler will too."

"Think nothing of it." Tomoe clinked his glass with King Dice's and Rocco's.

King Dice and Tomoe cheered Kyler on as she swam back to them toward the shallow end of the pool. With the help of the floatation board (Zane did not return for it after he had angrily stomped out of the pool house), she was able to swim to the deep end on her own.

"Fantastic job Kyler! You've come really far." Tomoe beamed when she joined him and King Dice in the shallow end.

Kyler beamed as well. "I really have Tomoe. And it's all thanks to you and K-Chan. I think swimming has become one of my most favorite hobbies."

"Aw, sweetie. I'm real happy that you're havin' a good time learnin'." King Dice bent down so he could give Kyler a kiss on the cheek.

Tomoe smiled at the couple. "Well Kyler, we got another hour before I need to leave. Is there anything else you wanted to practice?"

Kyler thought for a moment. "I think...I want to try something new today."

"Okay. What did you want to do?" Tomoe asked her.

"Well..." Kyler looked toward the other end of the pool, then back at Tomoe. "I would like to try to swim in the deep end completely on my own...without the board, that is. I feel confident enough." She added quickly when she saw the concerned look on King Dice's face.

Tomoe nodded. "All right then. I trust your judgement. Here's what we'll do. I'll go into the deep end, and you can swim to me." He turned to King Dice. "You stay here in the shallow end. That way, there will be two sets of eyes on her at all times. How does that sound Dice?"

King Dice was still a little nervous about Kyler swimming in deep water on her own, but he knew that she was determined to progress, so he nodded in agreement. "Sounds good."

Nodding, Tomoe swam into the deep end and turned around so he could face Kyler, easily treading water without moving his arms and legs so much. "Okay Kyler. Ready whenever you are."

Kyler smiled. "I'm ready to do this." She called to him.

King Dice gave Kyler a hug and another kiss on the cheek. "Remember baby girl. Ya have any problems at all or you change your mind, just holler, and Tomoe and I will come get ya. Promise?"

Kyler stood on her tip toes so she could give him a small peck on the nose. "I promise K-Chan. I know you and Tomoe will look out for me." She then bent down. "Okay...I'm off!" She pushed herself forward and started swimming toward the deep end. She decided to do the breast stroke, as she was the most familiar with that style.

King Dice watched as she made her way toward Tomoe. As she got closer to his friend, his apprehension started to disappear. She really was doing very well on her own. He couldn't believe that just a few months ago, she was so scared to step into a tub full of water. Now here she was, swimming toward the deep end as if she had been doing this all her life. He was sure he couldn't be more proud of her than he was right now. Kyler wasn't just the most amazing person he had ever met...she was also the bravest. He probably didn't have to protect her to the extreme, but he just couldn't help it. God...I love her so, so much. Maybe even more than she loves me. He gave a jubilant cheer that matched Tomoe's when she finally reached his friend. King Dice knew that Tomoe had his hands on her waist the moment she reached him, but it didn't bother him because he knew his friend was only doing that so she didn't have to tread so much. Tomoe was definitely a hell of a lot better at teaching Kyler than that fucktard Zane. He listened to Tomoe praise Kyler, then raised an eyebrow when he whispered something in her ear, causing her to giggle and blush. What were those two talking about?

"Okay Dice! She's going to swim back to you now!" Tomoe called.

King Dice grinned. "You know I'm ready to hold her in my arms."

Giggling again, Kyler started swimming back toward King Dice as Tomoe encouraged her.

"That's it baby girl! Keep goin'! You're doin' really well!" King Dice leaned forward with his arms outstretched, excited to embrace her. But once she got to him, Kyler managed to surprise him when she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss. He blinked. then closed his eyes as he kissed her back. He felt as if he was melting as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "Hot damn." He whispered when they broke apart. "Didn't think swimmin' could turn ya on honey."

Kyler playfully tapped his nose. "Tomoe suggested I do that when I got back to you, silly. He said it would be good motivation."

Grinning from ear to ear, King Dice ran a hand along her back. "Ohhh, I like that kind of motivation." He swooped in for another kiss, sticking his toungue out slightly so he could french Kyler, but stopped when she put a hand over his mouth.

"K-chan, not in front of our guest." She scolded.

Tomoe laughed as he waded back over to the shallow end. "Don't worry about me Kyler. I've seen couples make out on tables in restaurants."

Kyler giggled in response. "Well, I don't think that's very appropriate. Then again, I'm a modest woman."

The men laughed along with her, then continued the rest of her swimming lesson. By the end of it, Kyler was able to swim in the deep end and even dive underwater without any assistance. It was clear that she had become a very strong swimmer, and Tomoe concluded that she didn't need any more swimming lessons. "Well Kyler. How does it feel to get over your phobia and become a swimmer?" Tomoe asked.

"It feels wonderful! This is probably one of the best moments of my life!" Kyler gave excited little hops and squeeled with delight. "And also...I know my parents are smiling down at me right now."

Tomoe smiled and laid his hand on her shoulder. "I know for a fact that they are so damn proud of you right now. There is no doubt that they have a wonderful daughter." He turned to King Dice. "And she has a wonderful boyrfriend that she can share this moment with."

King Dice, who was standing behind Kyler, wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm just as proud of her as well. Getting over her phobia was probably one of the biggest accomplishements of her life."

Tomoe couldn't help but smirk at that statement. "Remember that when you walk down a row full dolls. I don't want a repeat of what happend when we went shopping for my niece's fifth birthday party."

The smile on King Dice's face was replaced with a scowl. He gave Tomoe a dirty look. "You promised ya would never bring that up."

Kyler looked intrigued. "What happened?" She asked Tomoe.

Tomoe laughed. "Dice and I were out shopping for a birthday gift for my niece, and when we walked down the girl's aile, he got so scared by the dolls that he wet his-"

"Ahem! I think we should continue Kyler's swimmin' lesson." King Dice interuppted Tomoe, his cheeks burning with embaressment.

"Well, actually..." Tomoe glanced at his water proof watch. "I need to think about heading out. I've got an early board meeting tomorrow."

Kyler nodded. "I understand. Thank you for everything Tomoe." She waded toward him and give him a big hug. "I really appreciate what you did for me."

Smiling, Tomoe hugged her back. "You're welcome Kyler. Congratulations on your accomplishment." He looked at King Dice. "And congratulations to you on helping her come so far."

King Dice grinned. "Thanks buddy. I really am happy that you did this for her." He and Tomoe shook hands, and they chuckled as they pulled each other into a manly hug.

Kyler couldn't help but smile at the exchange between the two. They were such good friends.

Tomoe climbed out of the pool, dried himself off, and slipped his clothes on. Then he waved goodbye to Kyler and King Dice and left for the night.

"Well baby girl, ya ready to get out?" King Dice asked.

Kyler shook her head. "Actually, I'd like for us to swim a little more, if that's all right with you."

A wide grin spread across King Dice's face as he pulled Kyler close to him. "Well then." His voice had gotten a little husky. "How's about I give ya some more motivation?" He leaned over and started sensually nuzzling her neck.

Kyler giggled as he tickled her. "You can, but there's something you have to do first."

"What's that? Hey!" Startled, he jumped back a little as Kyler playful splashed water in his face.

"You have to catch me first!" She called as she swam toward the deep end, laughing her head off.

King Dice wiped his face, his grin never faltering. "Why you...now you've done it! I'm gonna get ya!" He laughed along with Kyler as he swam after her.

---

"Sweetie, I think that poor suitcase is at its limit." King Dice started laughing as he watched Kyler struggle to close her overstuffed suitcase, which was resting on their bed. He laughed even harder when she whirled around and lept up so she could sit on the suitcase, bouncing up and down and using her bottom to get it to stay closed.

"We going to be gone...urgh...a whole month." Kyler grunted. "I want to make sure we have...ngh... everything we need. Clothing, toiletries, sunscreen, shoes..."

"Well, if we do forget anything, we can always buy it durin' the trip. Those cruise ships have a bunch of gift shops, ya know. "King Dice replied with a grin.

Kyler, who had managed to finally get her suitcase zipped shut, hopped back off of the bed and turned to him with her arms crossed. "Oh, no. Those gift shops overcharge necessities because they know tourists might forget those items. I don't want to give them that satisfaction. And we promised each other that we'll only buy gifts for our friends and one memorabilia for the both of us. We also need to factor in meals and tips for the staff." Her stern gaze never faltered. "We may be going on vacation, but we still need to maintain a tight budget."

King Dice groaned. "Aw, come on baby girl. Between you and me, we make a lot of money. We don't need to worry about breaking our budget."

Kyler shook her head. "It doesn't matter how high or low our income is. We still need to maintain a budget. If we don't control our spending, we can end up into a lot of trouble."

Smiling at her, King Dice nodded. "Yeah, you're right honey. We do have more money than ever, thanks to you." When Kyler first moved it to King Dice's home, she almost immediately came up with a budget plan for the both of them and was shocked at how much King Dice was spending each month ("5,000 dollars every two weeks for spa treatments?! Oh, K-Chan!") She sat him down and discussed with him the benefits of cutting out unnecessary spending and having a budget. By the time they figured everything out, he was amazed at how much more money he could bring in without spending too much. He was even able to put extra money into his 401K.

Kyler smiled back. "I'm so happy I could be of assistance. As long as we maintain our budget, we can live and retire in comfort."

King Dice put his hands on Kyler's waist and pulled her close to him. There was so much love in his eyes. "How can I ever survive without you?"

Kyler giggled. "You can't." They nuzzled noses and shared a kiss. Then each grabbed a hold of their four suitcases and made their way downstairs where Terrance was ready to drive them down to the pier.

With the exception of Tomoe, who was on a business trip, their friends and Elder Kettle were all there to wish the couple a happy voyage. Cuphead and Mugman were also absent. They were still in the middle of collecting soul contracts.

"They wanted me to tell you both to have a wonderful trip." Elder Kettle said as Kyler picked him up so she could give him a hug goodbye. "And for you to look after Kyler." He gave King Dice a jovial smile.

Leann giggled in response to that statement. "They're afraid that despite her having a boyrfriend, there are going to be a lot of guys that will try and flirt with her."

After she put Elder Kettle down, King Dice looped his arm around Kyler's waist and pulled her close to him. "Well, considering she's probably gonna be the hottest gal on the ship, that'll probably happen. Which is why I'm gonna make sure that they understand that she already has her man."

"K-Chan..." Kyler giggled and gave him a light, playful shove as a blush crept across her face. Then she gave each of her girlfriends a hug. "I promise to text you guys once we get settled in."

"Please do. Rawni and I are thinking of booking a cruise ourselves, and we want to know what it's like." Arisa told her. Rawni nodded in agreement.

"Same here." Rocco put his arms around Leann and kissed her cheek. "Nothin' says romance like a fancy cruise with your beautiful gal by your side. Ain't that right sugar?"

Leann giggled as she and Rocco nuzzled each other. "I don't know. I really enjoyed spending the night together on the yacht that King Dice loaned us."

King Dice gave Rocco a sly smirk. "Speaking of which, ya never told us what you two did that evenin'. Ow!" He grimaced as Kyler elbowed him in the ribs.

"That's no one's business but their own K-Chan." She scolded.

Rocco and Leann exchanged awkward looks, their faces both beet red. "Umm...I don't think it really matters Kyler. It's probably pretty obvious, so..." Leann's sentance trailed off as she nervously shuffled her feet while Rocco rubbed the back of his neck.

The other three girls were silent for a moment. Then one by one, their faces lit up. "Well, I for one think its wonderful. After all, Rocco and Leann clearly love each other very much." Rawni said as she gave the blushing couple a wink. "Congratulations you two."

"Yes, congratulations." Arisa added with a grin.

"Eh heh...thank you." Leann giggled, and Rocco gave her another kiss on the cheek.

King Dice reached out and gave Rocco a hardy slap on the back. "Sounds like you found the one buddy. I don't blame ya. Leann's one hell of a catch."

Roccol beamed. "I sure did. And I ain't plannin' on lettin' her go." He smiled lovingly at Leann, who smile back.

"Don't worry my love. I'm not planning to go anywhere." She said.

Kyler hadn't said anything during the whole exchange. Her mind was buzzing with various thoughts at the moment. All her life, she had been told that it should only happen between married couples. But now that she really thought about it, maybe all that mattered was that the couple truly loved and respected each other. If that was the case...

"K-Chan, how much longer before we have to board the ship?" She asked him.

King Dice glanced at his phone. "About twenty minutes baby. Why? Did ya forget somethin'? I can have Terrance run back home and grab it. It won't take long."

Kyler shook her head. "It's not that. It's just..." She looked at her girlfriends, who, after some consideration, seem to all understand what was going through her mind.

"I almost forgot Arisa. You, Leann and I were going to talk to Kyler about the thing." Rawni said.

Arisa nodded. "Oh yes. That."

"That's right. The one that involves cramps and mood swings-"

"And this is the part we let them have their girl talk in private." Rocco cut off Leann as he grabbed King Dice by the elbow. "Come on boss. Let's give em some space." He watched as the girls scuttled off to a more secluded area to talk.

Elder Kettle appeared to have caught on to the conversations as well. "Well, I will use this time to run to the bathroom before you two head off." He said to King Dice as he turned and headed for the restrooms.

At first, King Dice was confused. He was used to Kyler's monthly cycles by now. Why would she want to talk to her girlfriends about it? And then it him him. "Rock...ya don't think they're gonna talk about...?"

Rocco nodded in response. "I don't think. I know."

If ever there was a moment for King Dice to sit down, this was it. It wasn't possible. Was Kyler actually considering going all the way with him? Was she really? If that was the case, it would definetly fix his problem with the Devil. But frankly, he didn't give a damn about that. The only thing that mattered was that it was possible that Kyler wanted to consumate their love for each other while they were on this cruise. And he knew for a fact that after he started dating her, he never wanted to be with another woman again. Just Kyler.

Seeing his friend was in deep thought, Rocco gave him a light nudge. "Hey...how're ya feelin' about all this right now?"

King Dice shook his head. "I...I'm feelin' a lot of things right now. I'm happy as hell, like I'm floatin' right now, but at the same time a little scared."

Roccos raised an eyebrow at that last statement. "You, the great King Dice scared? The most eligable and sexiest bachelor on Inkwell Isle? Boss, ya got a lotta experience tucked under your belt. I know you ain't gonna hurt her."

"I know I won't hurt her Rocco. I'm gonna be very gentle. It's just..." King Dice nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "If Kyler really does wanna do this durin' the cruise, I'm gonna be her first. Hell, knowing her, I'll probably be her only. And in a way, it's gonna be my first too. Because it isn't just gonna be some random gal I hooked up with. It's gonna be with the one I truely love."

Rocco's wide eyes grew even wider. "Boss, are ya sayin' what I think you're sayin'?

"I am." King Dice looked at Rocco with a proud smile on his face. "Rocco, I think Kyler is the one. No, I know she is. I don't ever wanna be with another gal but her." He glanced over at Kyler, who was deep in conversation with her friends. "Urgh, but what do I say or do now, knowin' what's goin' through her mind?"

Rocco placed a hand on Kind Dice's shoulder, looking him squarly in the eyes. "Don't do or say anythin'. In fact, don't even acknowledge it. You promised Kyler that she would tell ya when she was ready. If you go back on that promise, you're gonna lose her trust. You and I both know that she won't keep ya in the dark."

King Dice was quiet for a moment as he mulled over what Rocco had just said. Then he smiled at his friend and gave a nod. "You're right. Unlike most women, Kyler does not expect me to read her mind. Okay, until she says somethin' about it, I'm just gonna focus on us havin' fun on the cruise. Goin' to the shows, snorklin', dining...everythin' you'd expect on a trip like this."

"That's the spirit!" Rocco patted King Dice comfortingly on the shoulder. "All that matters is that you two have good time."

"Yeah, it does." King Dice said.

Eventually, the girls came back to join them just as one of the funnels on the ship gave a load billowing noise.

"Sounds like our cue baby girl." King Dice said as he and Kyler took a hold of their luggage.

Kyler nodded in response and turned back to her friends and Elder Kettle. "Well, it's time for us to go. Goodbye everyone. We'll see you in a month."

They all haved as Kyler and King Dice started to head toward the gangplank. "Bye bye you two! Have a wonderful time!"

"We will!" King Dice called back with a wave. He and Kyler walked up the gang plank where an employee was waiting to check their tickets. She gave them a map of the ship and circled their room number so they would be able to find their way more easily. After walking along the deck, they were guided into the main entrance of the ship.

"Oh, my!" Exclaimed Kyler when they walked in.

"Holy crap." King Dice whistled as he and Kyler took in their surroundings. They thought the outside of the ship was grand, but the inside clearly conquered it. For standing before them were three stories of shops, restaurants, bars, and even some performing vendors. Glass elevators were located in various areas, as well as stairs and escalators. "I've been on some cruises before, but this has got to be the most impressive one I've been on yet."

"It's so massive." Kyler crained her head a bit so she could get a better look at the upper floors. "I didn't think it was possible to fit all of this into a ship."

King Dice chuckled at her reaction as he scanned the map. "And accordin' to this here map, this ain't even a quarter of it. We still have yet to see the spas, the locations of the shows, the casinos, the many pools and water slides..." His eyes widened a bit. "No way. They even have an aquarium on this ship. And get a load of this! They just got a baby bottlenose dolphin in their exhibit. It says here the passengers can actually interact with it."

"Really?! Oh my, I absolutely love dolphins! K-Chan, we have to do that!" Kyler squealed as she clapped her hands and gave happy little hops.

King Dice chuckled even more and pulled her into a hug. "Yeah, we're definitely gonna check that out sweetie. But first, we better find our suite."

"Yes, that should be our main priority right now. Wouldn't be a very relaxing cruise if we had to drag our suitcases everywhere." Kyler took ahold of the handle of one of the suitcases and backed up a little so she could start pushing it. As she did so, she accidently bumped into the person behind her. "Oh, my apologies! I did not see you there - Tomoe!"

King Dice turned in the direction of Kyler's voice, and a wide grin spread across his face. "Holy shit! Tom, what're you doin' here? It's real good to see ya!" He laughed as he and Tomoe shook hands.

Tomoe laughed as he and Kyler embraced each other. "Well, remember when I said my business trip was going to be set up on a cruise ship? Guess this was the one."

"What an amazing coincidence! We will have to spend some time together. Oh, that is..." She looked up at King Dice. "If you don't mind K-Chan. I know this cruise is supposed to be a romantic getaway for us."

He smiled reasurringly at her. "Hey, don't worry about it baby girl. I'm just as excited hanging out with him as you are." He glanced at Tomoe. "That is, if you're not too busy."

Sighing, Tomoe nodded. "Yeah, It'll be like regular work hours for me. Basically, I'll be attending meetings from nine to five on the weekdays. But I'm availabe in the evening, and I'm off on the weekends.

"Then how's about we make plans for all of us to hang on the weekends and evenings? Don't worry, you're not interferin' with our time together." King Dice added when Tomoe looked like he was about to object. "Kyler and I would love to spend some of this cruise with ya."

Kyler nodded enthusiastically with a happy smile on her face.

Tomoe grinned at the couple. "Well, if you don't mind a single guy like me third-wheeling with you two, I'd be happy to hang out."

King Dice gave Tomoe a wink. "Oh, I don't think you'll be single for long pal." He glanced over Tomoe's shoulder, who followed his gaze. Both men laughed when they saw a group of girls eyeing Tomoe. They immediately burst into a fit of giggles and blushing faces when Tomoe made eye contact with them.

"It appears you've unknowingly made some friends Mr. Aito." Kyler said teasingly.

Both men laughed. "So, which room are ya in?" King Dice inquired.

Tomoe looked at his copy of the map. "Umm...I'm in suite B32."

"No kidding! We're right next door!" Kyler exclaimed.

"Damn. Not only are we on the same cruise, we're also neighbors." King Dice gave Tomoe a mischevious look. "You sure you didn't intentionally book this cruise so we'd bump into each other? Or rather, Kyler bump into you?"

Giggling, Kyler gave King Dice another playful shove.

Tomoe smirked. "I promise, this was all my company's idea. Didn't think for a second it would be the same exact one that you guys were going on."

"Well, I for one think it's a wonderful coincidence." Kyler told him.

"Same here." King Dice and Kyler picked up their bags. "Well, since we're next door to each other, why don't we all head down to our rooms together?"

Tomoe and Kyler nodded, and they followed the signs to the ship's cabins. After many twists and turns, they finally arrived at their respective destinations. The hallway the cabins were located in were equally impressive, with royal blue carpeting and lovely paintings adorning the wall.

"Well, I got to get into my room and get changed. I have an introductory meeting in one of the conference rooms in an hour." Tomoe told the couple. "The meeting ends at seven. Would you guys like to meet me in one of the bars for drinks after?"

Both King Dice and Kyler nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, we'd love to."

"Great. I'll text you guys and let you know which one I'm at. See you guys later tonight." He said as he used his card key to open his door.

Kyler waved at him. "Bye Tomoe! We'll see you later!"

"Yeah, we're lookin' forward to it." King Dice added. Once Tomoe disappeared in his room, King Dice produced the card key that was given to him at the entrance from his pocket and used it to open the door.

"Oh...it's even more exquisit than I imagined." Kyler said in wonder once she in King Dice stepped into their suite.

King Dice nodded in agreement. "It really is."

And that couldn't be further from the truth. They had entered into a living area that had a couch, some recliners, and a flatscreen television situated above a fireplace. Near the door was a small kitchenette complete with a refrigerator, stove, and oven. The living area had some sliding glass doors that lead to a balcony. Upon further inspection, King Dice and Kyler walked into a large bedroom with a queen-sized bed and windows that looked out to the ocean. The bathroom was equipped with a sperate shower and jet tub, as well as a double sink.

After opening their suitcases and putting everything away, the couple went out to explore the balcony. To the left were some deck chairs and a small lounging table centered between them. And to the right...

"K-Chan, look! There's a hot tub!" Kyler exclaimed with delight.

King Dice followed her gaze and felt his jaw drop. There was indeed a good-sized hot tub nestled in the courner of the balcony. Plants adorned the edge of it. And right next to it was a small bar as well as some speakers. "Well, I'll be damned. Didn't expect this to be part of the suite."

"Neither did I. Oh, I can't wait for us to get into it." Kyler said excitedly. She turned to look out toward the vast ocean, where it seemed to expand endlessly. "And we have an amazing view to gaze upon as well."

King Dice grinned and came up behind Kyler, wrapping his arms around her. "And it's our own, private area. Maybe, if we're not two tired after getting back from the bar tonight, we can spend some time in it. Ya know..." he continued as he started kissing her neck. "Sitting in the hot tube, gazing at the starlit skies as the moon dances over the ocean. Romantic music. Maybe a glass or two of champaigne."

Kyler closed her eyes as she felt her body melt while he gently pecked her neck. "Mmm, that does sound very nice." She said softly, placing her hands on his.

"And the best part..." King Dice whispered in her ear. "...will be seeing you in that sexy little bikini you bought for the trip."

Kyler snapped out of her daze immediately. "Wha- I don't know what you're talking about!" She exclaimed.

King Dice chuckled. "I'm talkin' about when you and your girlfriends went clothes shoppin' a few days ago." His eyes twinkled with mischeviousness. "I know for a fact you got one baby girl."

Embarassed. Kyler turned to look him in the eyes. "Who says I bought a bikini?"

"Says one of the bags that I saw you pull outta the suitcase when were puttin' our clothes away just a few moments ago." King Dice responded with a grin. "I know that boutique specializes in swimmin' apparell."

Kyler knew she had pretty much been caught with her pants down. There was no fooling King Dice, especially when it came to the types of clothes she wore. "Okay. You got me. I...I did buy a bikini for the trip. But only because this is a fancy cruise. And I wanted something special to mark the occasion...hey, where are you going?" She raised her eyebrows when King Dice started to head back into the suite.

Chuckling, he turned his head toward her. "I'm gonna go take a peek at this cute, little article of clothing that you bought."

"No!" Like a roadrunner, Kyler sprinted ahead of him and blocked access to the bedroom. "Not while it's in the bag!"

"Oh? How come?" King Dice's mischievous grin did not falter, one eyebrow raised slightly.

Kyler could feel her cheeks burning like they always do when she was flustered. "B-because...because... I don't want you to see it until it's on me!" She said that last part very fast. Did she just really admit that she wanted to model a bikini for King Dice? Why did the mere thought excite her?

King Dice was just as surprised as she was. "Really baby girl? You don't want me to see it until you're wearing it?"

Kyler took a deep breath to calm herself. "Yes K-Chan. I want it to be a surprise. You've never seen me wear something so...provacative. And I know you love me no matter what, but I've decided that I want to look...s-sexy for you. But only you and no one else!" Her cheeks started to burn again and she looked down in shame.

King Dice's grin softened into a gentle smile and he placed his hand on her chin so he could tilt her face up. "Sweetie, I can tell you feel ashamed about how you're actin' right now. But don't be. I'm really thrilled that you wanna do somethin' like that for me. And you're right. I'll love ya no matter what. And I'll always find you sexy...even if you chose a body suit over a bikini."

Kyler smiled back at him and stood on her toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck. "You're so wonderful. But I'd rather wear a bikini for you." She said with a laugh.

"I can't wait to see it on ya. And this is gonna be the best trip ever." He responded as he picked her up by the waist and spun her around.

Giggling with delight, Kyler kissed him once he set her down. "I know it's going to be. I am looking forward to all the fun we're going to have." Somewhere in the distance, they both heard one of the ship's funnels billowing again. "I think we're getting ready to depart. Come on." She grabbed his hand. "Let's go up to the main deck so we can wave goodbye to everyone on the pier."

King Dice laughed at her excitement and allowed her to lead him out the door.

---

Four days after setting sail, the ship docked at Saint Lucia, a Caribbean Island well known for its volcanic beaches and hiking trails. Since it would take three days to refuel the ship, passengers had the option to either stay in their rooms on board or one of the luxurious resorts. Kyler and King Dice decided they could budget a couple of nights in one of the resorts. As always, King Dice wanted a suite, but Kyler managed to talk him into downgrading to a simple room.

"We only need a place to sleep, since we're going to be spending most of our time exploring the island." Kyler told him, and he agreed with her.

Since it was the middle of the week, they would hardly get much time to spend with Tomoe because he had various meetings to attend in one of the resorts. However, he was able to join them for an early breakfast on their first day on the island. He had been to the island a few times, so he knew the best places to dine and shop.

"Did I ever tell you guys that my parents spent their honeymoon here?" He asked them as they were finishing their breakfast.

"No, you didn't. I'll bet they had a hell of time." King Dice said. Kyler nodded in agreement.

Tomoe chuckled. "They sure did. As you can probably tell, this island has a lot to offer. One of their favorite things was going on the various hiking trails and seeing everything that nature has to offer. During one of their hikes, my dad convinced my mom to veer off the path a little so they could take pictures of more natural settings."

"Oh, they didn't get lost, did they?" Kyler asked, her voice slightly concerned, and Tomoe laughed.

"Nah, the trail itself was pretty easy to find. Guess the locals anticipated that the tourists would get a little adventurous, so they wanted to make sure it was easy to find your way back. Anyway, they wandered a little deeper into the rainforest and were getting some amazing shots along the way. Just when they were ready to head back to the trail, they heard something in the distance. They decided they had time to go check it out. And do you know what they found?"

"What?" King Dice and Kyler leaned a little forward in their seats, anxious to know where Tomoe's story was going.

"A gorgeous lagoon with an amazing waterfall. The plants around there were so luschious and green, and the water was so crystal clear that they could go swimming in it. Well, at least the surface was. The further you dove down, the murkier it got. At least that's what my parents told me." Tomoe told them. "And the best part is that when they got back to their resort, they discovered that the lagoon was nowhere on the hiking map that they were given. They actually found an amazing part of the rainforest that no one, not even the locals, knew about."

Kyler's eyes sparkled with wonder. "Oh, that is incredible! How romantic is must have been, knowing they had found a secluded area where they could be alone together."

A wide grin spread across King Dice's face. "Say Tom, did they ever tell you how they found this place? And did they get pics of it?"

"They did. In fact..." Tomoe opened his laptop case and pulled out what appeared to to be an aged piece of parchment. "This is the very map that they had used during their hike. They also marked where they found the lagoon." He unfolded the map so that all three of them could take a look at it. "I mentioned to them during one of our conversations that you two were coming to the Saint Lucia Island and... well, they thought that you might want to go to that very lagoon too. Initially, they wanted me to take my girlfriend there and not tell anyone about it, but since you guys are really dear friends of mine and I'm still single, they felt you guys should check it out. Under the condition that you don't tell anyone else about it, of course."

"How thoughtful of them! K-chan and I will have to give them something as a thank-you. And don't worry. We will keep that secret locked in our hearts. Right love?" Kyler turned to King Dice, who nodded in agreement.

"You know it baby girl." He and Kyler studied the map. "Doesn't look like it's too far off the trail."

Tomoe nodded. "Nope. My parents estimated that it was just over a mile off the trail."

"Which means it should only take us about a half an hour to find the lagoon." Kyler pointed at one of the marked sections. "It seems like all we have to do is turn left at this marker and just continue going straight, and then we'll find it. Is that correct Tomoe?"

"Correct." Tomoe told her. He folded the map and handed it to King Dice. "I know you guys are going to love it. Make sure to take lots of pictures for me." He added with a smile.

King Dice returned the smile and carefully tucked the map in his shirt pocket. "You know we will. And we're gonna make sure you find yourself a gal so you can take her there as well."

Kyler giggled in response. "I agree with K-Chan. You've done such a wonderful thing for us. It will be our way of saying thank you.

Tomoe laughed and rolled his eyes at the same time. "That's probably easier said than done."

"Argh, typical Tomoe. Always so modest." King Dice rolled his eyes as well. "Do we need to remind ya about that group of gals who were makin' goo-goo eyes at ya the day we boarded?"

"He's right, you know." Kyler chimed in as she put her elbow on the table and placed her chin in her hand, giving a Tomoe a teasing smile. "And you've seemed to have picked up more along the way."

"Okay, now you guys are just making fun of me." Tomoe told them.

"Yeah, uh, before ya make that assumption, ya might wanna look to your right." King Dice glanced to his left, and sure enough, there were three different girls sitting a few tables away from them eyeing Tomoe. They all immediately ducked behind their menus and giggled when Tomoe glanced in their direction.

Kyler giggled again. "I think it's safe to say you have your own fan club by now Tomoe."

"Heh, heh. So true. In fact, there have been a few times where Kyler and I caught some girls sneakily followin' ya to your meetings. Then they hide somewhere until ya came out. Guess they were waitin' for the chance to ask ya out. Only they never got a chance becuase they were to busy fightin' about who got to ask ya first."

As all three of them laughed at King Dice's story, Tomoe's phone suddenly gave a buzz. "And speaking of meetings..." He said with a sigh as he looked at it.

"Is it that time already? Aw, we were having such a good time." Kyler's face fell.

King Dice looked equally disappointed. "Yeah, it went by too fast."

Tomoe smiled at his friends as he zipped up his laptop bag and laid some money on the table so that he could pay for his breakfast, but King Dice and Kyler stopped him.

"No, no. We've got this." They told him.

"Ah, I can't ask you guys to pay for my lunch." Tomoe protested.

Kyler waved her hand. "Shh, we won't hear of it. After all, you told us about that secluded spot and gave us your parents' map so we could find it, so it's one of our ways of saying thank you."

"My little snow dove's right. If we can't set ya up with a gal right this minute, at least let us do this." King Dice said.

Tomoe's smile grew even wider. "You guys are really great friends, you know that? I don't think I could have asked for better people to spend my business trip with."

"Think nothin' of it. We still on for gettin' together for dinner at that restaurant ya told us about?" King Dice asked him, and Tomoe nodded. "Swell! We're lookin' forward to it."

"I cannot wait to try the green figs and salt fish!" Kyler clapped her hands in delight.

"And I'm lookin' forward to chowin' down on that bouyon ya mentioned." King Dice said to Tomoe.

Tomoe laughed as he stood up. "The evening cuisine here is to die for, I can tell you that much." He picked up his laptop case. "You guys have a wonderful time at the lagoon. Remember, I want to hear all about it tonight."

"Don't worry. We'll tell you everything." King Dice and Kyler waved goodbye to Tomoe, and he left.

---

"There's the marker. Now all's we gotta do is turn left here." King Dice took a hold of Kyler's hand and she allowed him to steer her off the marked path. He grunted as he readjusted the overstuffed tote that hung over his shoulder, causing Kyler to give him a concerned look.

"K-Chan, I understand a blanket is a necessity for a picnic, but did we really need to bring pillows?"

He turned to her with a grin. "I just figured they'd come in handy in case we wanted to take a little nap beside the waterfall. And... I thought I could get pics of you doing poses in that sexy little bikini of yours." He added mischievously.

Kyler shot him a look of warning. "You wouldn't dare!"

King Dice chuckled as he gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. "Don't worry honey. I'm only jokin'. I just can't wait to see how you look in it."

Kyler's intense gaze softened as she nervously played with her butterfly necklace. "I really do hope you like it. I've never worn something so...intimate before. I know you've said you found my cuteness most attractive, so for me to show a little more skin than I'm used to..." Her sentence trailed off.

King Dice let go of Kyler's hand and placed his arm around her shoulders so he could pull her into a hug as they walked. "Kyler, no matter what ya wear, I'll always find you attractive. And no article of clothing will ever take away your cuteness. Ya know that, right?"

A smile spread across Kyler's lips. "You're right. I do know that. I could never stop being cute. It just comes natural to me. Just as being suave and handsome comes natural to you."

"Aww, you're just the sweetest." King Dice leaned over to kiss the top her head. They continued walking in silence, the only sounds around them being that of birds and the branches and leaves crunching under their feet. A few moments later, they heard another sound in the distance. The sound of roaring water. King Dice perked up. "Listen. Ya think that's it?"

"I think so. We're getting close!" Kyler exclaimed excitedly as King Dice grabbed her hand and they quickened their pace. The closer they got, the louder the sound. Finally, they came upon a thick canopy of leaves, and King Dice pushed it aside like a curtain.

"Wow!" They exclaimed in unison. There before them was a pool of crystal-clear water and the largest, most impressive waterfall they had ever seen. Flower and leaf covered boulders surrounded it. The large trees were thick, but still allowed rays of sunlight to shine through.

"K-Chan, look! Look over there" Kyler pointed, and she and King Dice both smiled widely at the rainbow that appeared before the waterfall. "Oh, it's more beautiful than I could have ever imagined!"

"Yeah. The description Tomoe gave us doesn't do it justice. "King Dice said they walked onto the bank and set their stuff down. He then put his arms around Kyler and lifter her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Now this is what I call romantic."

Kyler giggled as they kissed and nuzzled noses. "It really is. I don't think we could have found a more perfect spot for a picnic."

"So..." King Dice said as he set her down. "What should we do first. Eat or go for a swim?"

Giggling again, Kyler looked at the pool of water. "I'm not quite hungry yet. Swimming should help work up an appetite."

"You read my mind baby girl." Grinning from ear to ear, King Dice did not hesitate to take off his shoes and remove his shirt, leaving him in only his swimming trunks. He chuckled at the reaction Kyler always had when he got half naked in front of her. "Still amazed by my physique, huh baby girl?"

Kyler hummed in approval as she ran her hands along his chiseled abs. "I never stopped being amazed. I don't think I will." She was getting more used to seeing him like this, but lately, she's been feeling something new. A feeling that's been leaving her slightly warm. She didn't think much of it at first...until the very sight of him without an article of clothing caused her lower regions to quiver. She didn't know when she started feeling this way, but she had an idea of what it was. She just wasn't ready to address it yet.

Smiling softly, King Dice placed one hand on her lower back and another on the back of her head so he could pull her in for a kiss. After they broke apart, he placed his forehead against hers. "You're turn." He whispered rather seductively.

Kyler felt her cheeks burn a little, but she was able to smile nonetheless. "Okay, but you have to close your eyes first."

King Dice groaned. "Aw, no fair baby girl. I stripped in front of you. Why won't ya do it for me?"

She puffed her cheeks out as she pouted. "Because it'll ruin the surprise."

He couldn't help but chuckle. The face she made was just too adorable. "Okay, okay. Fair enough." He closed his eyes as Kyler took a few steps back from him.

She giggled while she started to take off her summer dress. "No peeking." "

Scout's honor." King Dice responded as he waited for her to undress. But when he heard what sounded like her rummaging through one of the totes, he started to grow impatient. "Are ya done yet baby girl? Can I look now?"

"Just a moment. I need to put on the finishing touches. I want it to look perfect." Kyler told him.

He groaned again. "You're killin' me sweetie. I can't take the suspense."

"Now, now. You can't rush perfection." Kyler chastised him, but she laughed nonetheless. "Just need to clip this here...put that there...okay. You can open your eyes now."

King Dice eagerly obliged. He took one look at Kyler and felt as if his jaw would drop to the ground and his eyes pop out of their sockets. For standing before him with her arms timidly behind her back was what he was sure was the most beautiful woman on earth. The string bikini she was wearing was a solid royal purple color. Nestled between her breasts was a small heart shaped crystal. The matching bottom piece had the same types of crystals that rested on either side of her hips. Tied around her waist was a sheer purple sarong that hung down to her right knee, and she was wearing a pair of purple crystal sandles. To complete the look, she added a purple and white orchid hair clip to her low bun.

After a few moments of silence, Kyler spoke up in a somewhat shy tone. "Um...K-Chan? You're starting to drool."

"Ah...ah..." King Dice was having trouble speaking. He felt a sudden urge to pinch himself. Was this a dream? Was that really his sweet, innocent little snow dove standing before him? He was now starting to understand why she only wanted him to see her wear something like this. If anyone else was around, he'd have to beat them off of her with a stick. "Oh...my...god..."

Kyler shuffled her feet nervously. "Is it too much? I brought something more appropriate, so if you wanted to close your eyes again so I can change-" She let out a high-pitched yip of surprise when King Dice suddenly picked her up and spun her around, grabbing his shoulders to steady herself.

"Baby girl! You...look...amazing!" He set her down and backed up to get a better look at her. "Do a little spin for me darlin'! I wanna see the whole assemble!"

Kyler giggled in delight as she held out her arms and twirled around. "Really? Do you like it? You really like it?"

"Sweetie, I absolutely, one hundred percent love it! You look insanely beautiful! That outfit was made for you! Sheer perfection! If we were on the ship right now, you would be the most beautiful woman on it! Every single guy would probably be after you right now!" King Dice could not stop rambling on in excitement. He just couldn't get over how perfect Kyler looked.

"I'm so glad you love it." Kyler told him. "I decided to get the purple one because I know it's your favorite color."

Grinning, King Dice put an arm around her waist while using his other hand to cup her chin. "I like that color even more now that it's on you. And ya know somethin' else? It matches your eyes."

Kyler gave a small gasp. "Oh, my word. You're right! I didn't thik about that." They kissed. Then after Kyler had removed her saron, hairclip and necklace and put them in the tote bag, they proceeded to wade into the clear pool of water.

"Well, would ya look at that? This part's only ankle deep. Looks like it'll dip gradually as we go-" King Dice was cut off when Kyler suddenly stopped walking and gripped his arm. "Huh? What's wrong sweetie?"

"Nothing's wrong. It's just...there might be a sudden drop. This pool is probably a lot deeper than we anticipated." She told him.

King Dice guffawed in response. "I don't think so. The water's pretty clear, so we should be able to see if there's a drop without a problem." He continued to wade into the water while Kyler chose to hang back. He turned toward her with a grin and started walking backwards. "See honey? It's almost up to my knees and I'm still on sand. We'll be just f-" He didn't have a chance to finish as he took a step back and suddenly dropped underwater.

"K-Chan!" Kyler frantically started wading toward the spot where he was and got near the edge of the drop just as he resurfaced, coughing and spitting out water.

Wiping his eyes with one hand while using the other to help him tread water, he gave Kyler a sheepish grin. "Heh. Looks like you were right baby girl."

Scowling, Kyler jumped into the deep water, not caring how cold it was. "I told you! Are you all right?"

"I am now." He said as he reached for her and pulled her into an embrace. He hummed in content when Kyler put her arms around his neck, but also gave a small grunt when she suddenly smacked his back.

"Don't joke about it! That really scared me!" She snapped at him.

Sighing, he held her tightly and nuzzled her neck as they treaded water. "Aw, I'm sorry Snow Dove. I didn't mean to scare ya like that. I'm okay, really. Is there any way I can make it up to ya?"

Kyler rested her chin on his shoulder. "Maybe you could...warm me up a little? This water's cold."

A wide grin spread across King Dice's face. "Mmmm, ya know I'm willin' to do that." In once swift movement, he had one arm under Kyler's knees and the other around her back so that he was holding her bridal style. Kyle gave happy giggles as he managed to spin her around while still staying afloat.

Then they broke apart and started splashing each other and swam underwater a couple of times. King Dice liked the underwater swims the best, as he could admire just how angelic Kyler looked. The way she moved and how her hair floated around her in an ethereal manner. The sunlight that shown through the water danced over her delicate frame. And the bikini made her even more alluring, a real tropical beauty. However, he couldn't help but wonder how she would look without the bikini. It was only two articles of clothing. Remove them, and she would be in her purest form. As they resurfaced and embraced each other again, he imagined how it would feel to have her naked body pressed against him. He figured it would be nothing like he ever imagined. After all, a bikini hardly covered much. He gave his head a feeble shake so that Kyler wouldn't notice. He didn't want her to know that he was having some impure thoughts.

But he had nothing to worry about, because he wasn't the only one who's mind had wandered into the gutter. As she watched him swim underwater, Kyler couldn't help but admire how well toned his body was, the way his muscles flexed as he seemed to effortlessly propel himself. It could've been her imagination, but his swimming trunks seemed a bit tighter than usual, outlining every single part of his manliness. She knew he worked out, but he seemed a bit more ripped than usual. When they resurfaced, he pulled her into another embrace. Without hesitation, Kyler did something she had never done before. She wrapped her legs around his waist and felt it against her. His noticeable bulge. Months ago, the very sensation would've scared her. But not this time. She liked it. No, she loved it. Of course, she did not let him know that. She didn't want him to know she was having impure thoughts...not right now, anyway. And she was even more relieved that King Dice didn't say anything about it.

After swimming around a bit more, Kyler looked toward the waterfall. "Do you think there's something behind the waterfall? A cave, perhaps?"

"Heh. Only one way to find out." They bath swam toward the edge of the waterfall and peeked around it. There were some rocks that led up to what appeared to be an opening of some sort. "Looks like we can climb up these rocks here." King Dice hoisted himself up onto the rocks and reached down to take Kyler's hand, easily lifting her out of the water and setting her down. "Careful now. It's a little slippery."

Kyler nodded as she and King Dice carefully maneuvered their way along the slick rocks, hanging onto each other for support. Kyler's intuition was confirmed once they arrived at the opening. There was indeed a cave right behind the waterfall. Gorgeous formations of stalagmites and stalactites decorated the inside of it, and there were a couple pools of the same clear water.

"Oh, my goodness! This is incredible!" Kyler exclaimed as she scanned the inside of the cave.

"I'll say." King Dice said. "And to think nature created all this."

Kyler reached out to run her hand along one of the walls. "And despite being behind a large body of water, it's nice and dry in here."

Her last statement seemed to cause a light to go off in King Dice's head. "Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin' baby girl?"

"That we could have our picnic here in this cave?" She inquired.

The grin on his face grew even wider. "Ya know me too well. Come on, let's go get our stuff."

They exited the cave and gathered all of their belongings. Because they had extra supplies, it was a little more difficult to walk along the slick rocks. But they found they could get across safely as long as they didn't try to rush to get in. Once they got back inside, they got to work setting up their picnic. The ground right behind the waterfall was flat enough for them to spread out the blanket.

"These rocks are just the support we need." King Dice said as he set up the pillows against the rocks while Kyler pulled out the food and dining ware.

"Support for what?" She asked.

He crawled toward her on his hands and knees so he could nuzzle her nose. "For cuddling, of course."

Kyler laughed as she shook her head. "Taking a nap indeed! I should've known."

"Hey, we sometimes fall asleep when we cuddle." King Dice gave a shrug. "I just figured we should be prepared."

"Well, before we even think of napping, let's eat first. All of that swimming has left me absolutely famished." Kyler told him.

King Dice laughed as he and Kyler started spooning the food onto their plates. He knew that when Kyler was hungry, it was best to let her eat as soon as possible. For someone so tiny, she could eat quite a lot. And this picnic was no exception, as the portions she had were double his. "Good lord baby girl, slow down there." He said as Kyler wolfed down the food. "Ya don't wanna give yourself a tummy ache."

Kyler chewed and swallowed her food before answering. "I'm sorry, but I just can't help it. I always get really hungry when I exercise. Don't you?" She added as she took a sip of her soda.

"Yeah, I do. I guess I don't have as high a metabolism as you do." King Dice eyed her lovely body. "Gotta be honest though sweetie. If I was a gal, I'd be pretty jealous that you could eat like that and still maintain that sexy figure."

Kyler smirked at him. "You could probably say it's genetic. My mother was the same way. In fact, my father said something similar to her when they were still dating."

"And from there, they fell more in love with each other and eventually got married...right?" King Dice suddenly wished he hadn't said that because the second he did, Kyler stopped midway as she was about to take another bite of her sandwich.

"Y-yes...they did, as a matter of fact." She said quietly. They both sat in silence for a moment, each chewing their food as if thinking about what to say next. It was King Dice who spoke up first. "I'm sorry sweetie. I wasn't insinuatin' that we...I mean, not that I'm against it...it's just that, I'm real comfortable with where our relationship is right now." He stopped talking, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. He was pissed at himself for suddenly making things awkward between them. They were having such a wonderful time, and he just had to go and bring up the subject of marriage. True to his word, he wasn't against it, but until he met Kyler, he never really thought about it. That was because he always thought he wouldn't have to. Being a playboy, he never considered life as a married man. He liked being a free bachelor. It was something he flaunted proudly like a badge of honor. But now that he really thought about it, would he be happy being married to Kyler? Should he even consider...? No. He told her he was happy with how their relationship was right now, and he meant it. And to his immense relief, Kyler seemed to agree.

"I'm happy where our relationship is too K-Chan. Marriage is something that should not be rushed into. It's a really big step and responsibility." She took a hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze. "What's important is that we're together right now, enjoying our vacation. Right now, we don't have to think about the future. Just the present. Here in this cave, enjoying our picnic and swimming some more in the pool of water."

King Dice smiled warmly at her and gave her hand a squeeze. He felt much better now. "And I just remembered that I brought somethin' else for us to enjoy." He reached into one of the totes and pulled out a bottle of expensive looking champagne and two wine glasses. "I know I promised that this would be a simple picnic, but...well, ya know me. I like to go the extra mile when it comes to spoiling my gal." He added with a chuckle.

Kyler giggled as well. "I suppose it doesn't hurt to make a simple picnic a little fancy. And I can't say no to a good champagne."

Chuckling, King Dice used the bottle opener to start working the cork out. "A 2010 Dom Perignon vintage to be exact. Produced by the Champagne house of Moet and Chandon."

"Hm..." Kyler furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "Dom Peri... Oh! I remember learning about him in high school. He was a Benedictine monk who was an important pioneer for Champagne wine." She jumped a little as the cork flew off the bottle with a pop.

King Dice laughed at her reaction and poured the alcoholic beverage in each of their glasses. "Yeah, I heard that too. Didn't he discover the Champagne method for making sparkling wines?"

"No, that was just a myth." Kyler said. "He was a monk and cellar master who pioneered a number of wine-making techniques around 1670." She picked up her glass. "But enough about history. Shall we make a toast?"

King Dice nodded and picked up his glass as well. "You bet sweetie. To us, and this romantic getaway. Spending a tropical vacation with my very beautiful girlfriend is probably one of the best things that could've ever happened to me. No, scratch that. This is the best thing that could ever happen to me."

"And it's the best thing that could've ever happened to me as well. I don't think it's possible for me to be any happier than I already am." Kyler said.

They clinked glasses, shared a kiss, and took a sip of their drinks. Despite wanting to have a low-key picnic, both agreed that the champagne was a nice addition. At some point, King Dice was considering telling Kyler how much the champagne was, but he knew she'd probably flip out if he shared that information with her. And from the conversation they were having, he figured she had an idea what the cost was. He guessed that she either decided to let it slide or just didn't really care. After all, they were having a wonderful time.

"So..." He said as they drank the last of their champagne and set their glasses down. "There's somethin' I've been wondering. Is it true that you should wait twenty to thirty minutes after eating before going swimmin'?"

Kyler giggled as a small blush crept across her cheekbones. She knew where this question was leading to. "Eh heh, no. That's an old wives' tale. You may feel some discomfort, but it's not dangerous to swim immediately after eating."

Grinning, King Dice placed one hand on Kyler's cheek and the other at the base of her neck. "Well, maybe it's better to be safe than sorry." He leaned over so that he could blow softly in her ear. He chuckled when he felt her shudder. He blew in her ear again, then gently started to nibble on it.

"Ah...perhaps...you're right." Kyler sighed. She placed her hands on his shoulders and nuzzled his neck. He tilted her chin up so that he could kiss her, one hand coming to rest on the small of her back while the other went to her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head so that she could deepen the kiss. They both laid down on the blanket, not breaking their kiss the entire time. King Dice's hand traveled to her left cheek, gently caressing her jaw line while pecking the right side of her neck. His other hand ran along her right shoulder. Kyler moaned in pleasure as she ran her hands along his back, which he seemed to like. After a moment, he pushed himself up so that he could get a better look at her, gazing at her with so much love in eyes. He chuckled softly when she put a finger to her lips and gave a bashful smile.

"What are you looking at?" She asked him.

"I was just thinkin' how lucky I am to be with the most beautiful and sexiest woman alive right now."

"Oh, stop it." Kyler giggled as she gave his chest a light tap.

"No, really." He started stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. "Out of all the gals I've been with, you're the most beautiful, the most wonderful one I've ever been with. Being with you is always the best moments of my life. When we're not apart, I... I always feel down. Sometimes, it feels like I'm gonna go crazy when I'm away from you for too long." He cleared his throat. "Sorry. I hope that didn't come across as creepy."

She reached up and placed her hand at the base of his neck, mimicking the soothing caresses he was giving her with her fingers. "It doesn't, because I know exactly how you feel. You're the first man I've ever had a romantic relationship with, so I know I'm probably naïve when it comes to more than one. But...the thought of being with any other man makes my heart twist. You're the only man I ever want to be with." She placed her hands on both sides of his face. "I'm lucky too. To be with the most handsome man I've ever met."

"Snow Dove..." King Dice said softly as he brought his face closer to hers.

"K-Chan..." Kyler closed her eyes as they shared a gentle kiss. As they nuzzled noses, she started to gently message the various digits on each side of his head, but stopped when he suddenly winced a little. "I'm sorry! Does it hurt when I do that?"

"N-no." He grunted. "They're...sensitive, if ya know what I mean."

No, Kyler did not know what he meant. At least at first. But she quickly figured it out when she felt something harden and poke against her lower pelvic area. "O-oh!" She could feel her face turning various shades of red. "Um...I really am sorry. I'll stop, if you want me to."

King Dice shook his head. "Ya don't have to baby girl. Unless it makes ya uncomfortable."

"It doesn't. Just...I want you to...how should I word this? Um, feel good?" Her voice had gone so soft that he had to turn his head a little so he could hear her.

He gently placed a hand on her cheek and turned her head so that she could look at him. "It does feel good darlin'. Real good. Especially when you do it."

"Okay then." She resumed messaging his digits. A soft smile spread across her lips as he sighed and laid his head against her chest, using her breasts as pillows. "Just keep doing it like this?"

"Oh, yeah..." He purred. "That feels real nice baby girl."

Kyler kissed the top of his head. "I'm glad. You're always the one making me feel good. I think it's high time I returned the favor."

They stayed that way in silence, comforted by the warmth of their bodies and the soothing sound of the waterfall. It was both peaceful and romantic. After a little while, King Dice lifted his head a bit so that he could nuzzle the valley between Kyler's breasts. "Ummm...I'm sorry baby girl, but I can't help but be turned a little on right now. You're so incredibly sexy in this bikini. Everything about you is perfect right now. Your hips. Your legs. And your breasts." He gave one of her tiny mounds a gentle squeeze, causing her to moan in pleasure. "Oh my god, your breasts. They look so beautiful right now."

Normally, this kind of talk would have made Kyler uncomfortable. It didn't this time though. She didn't mind King Dice saying things like that. In fact, she loved that he did. Then she felt some sort of desire. Something she'd never thought she'd be brave enough to experience. Now she felt like she was ready. "Well..." She said as she reached up and stroked his cheek. "Would you...erm...like to see what they really look like? My breasts, I mean." She was trying not to sound too nervous. After all, this was the first time she had done something like this.

At first, King Dice was a little shocked. His reaction was to be expected, as he had never seen Kyler act so amorous before. Eventually, he was able to speak. "Sweetie...are ya sayin' you want me to see your breasts? You really wanna take your top off for me?"

Kyler shook her head. "No...I want you to take it off. I... want to show them to you. And...and..." She was starting to get a little flustered. Why was this so hard to admit to? "I want to...feel your hands and mouth on them." She suddenly felt her courage go out the window, and she covered her face with her hands in shame. "Oh, K-chan! I'm so, so sorry! I don't know what's gotten into me! For some reason, my mind has gone cloudy! It's as if my body suddenly started acting on Impulse, and I'm unable to think straight!" She lowered her hands a little so that she could look into his emerald orbs. "What's wrong me?"

Smiling warmly, King Dice took both her hands in his, soothingly caressing them with his thumbs. "Nothin's wrong with ya Snow Dove. Nothin' at all. What you're feelin' right now is normal. Everyone who is in love always does this. You're comfortable with me to the point where you want to show off more intimate parts of your body." He gave her hands a kiss as well as a comforting squeeze. "And it ain't nothin' to be ashamed of. Because I'll be the only one who gets to see you in all of your glory. No one else ever will or has to know what you really look like."

Kyler smiled in relief and squeezed his hands in return. "Thank you so much K-Chan. It means a lot to hear you say that. And you're right. No one else but you will get to see how my...breasts look. Well, except that time the Devil..." Her sentence trailed off as the memory of that horrible incident played through her mind, but it was only for a brief moment. "Never mind. That doesn't count. I won't allow him to scar me like that. That kind of power he at least doesn't have."

For a second, King Dice's face had darkened at the mere mention of what had happened between Kyler and the Devil. He still planned to make his boss pay for what he did to her. But after hearing Kyler's declaration, he was able to get over it for the moment. "Good for you baby. Don't ever let him get to you like that." Then he leaned forward and whispered softly in her ear, "Ya still want me to do this?"

Nodding, Kyler wrapped her arms around him. "Yes, please. K-chan..." She had started speaking in a breathless voice. Her heart rate had increased, making her feel like she had run a marathon, and she could feel a slight warmth spreading across her cheek bones. She figured she was probably flushed right now. And for some strange reason, she liked it. "Please...please take off my top. I want to show off my breasts to you."

"I'd be happy to oblige." King Dice responded in a husky voice. He initially was going to undo Kyler's top with his hands. Instead, he decided to heat things up by leaning forward and gently blowing in her ear. She gasped, her entire body trembling at the sensation. Chuckling softly, he kissed her cheek. Then he took a hold of the bikini string in his teeth and gave it a tug, letting it come undone. He kissed her neck, her throat, her collarbone. Then, slowly, he started to lower the top, ready to latch his mouth onto one of her pink buds the minute it would be set free...

"Do her! Do her! Do her!"

The couple jolted and almost bumped noses as they turned their heads toward the chanting. To their surprise (and immense embarrassment), there was a group of seven toon crabs watching them. Kyler yelped and immediately crossed her arms over her bare breasts, her face extremely red. King Dice had gone red too. But it wasn't just due to embarrassment. It was also anger. "The hell- get outta here! This ain't no peep show!" He snarled as he tried to hide Kyler's naked top half with one of the pillows.

One of the crabs snickered. "Did ya hear that boys? He told us to get outta here. Never mind the fact he and his horny little girlfriend just decided to waltz in our home and do the nasty."

Still clutching the pillow against her breasts, Kyler could only turn her head away in shame, one hand covering her still very red face.

That angered King Dice even more. He gave the toony group a death glare. "First off, don't ever, ever talk that way to my gal. Insult her again, and I will make you all into crab bisque. Second, we didn't know anyone was livin' here. We just wanted to have a nice picnic and get a little romantic. Which got ruined, thanks to you mugs." He snapped while he grabbed one of the towels and wrapped it around Kyler's slightly trembling form.

"Fine, fine. We'll leave you two love birds alone. But we're taking this with us."

Before either King Dice or Kyler could react, one of the crabs snatched the bottle of champagne and started scuttling off with it, his friends laughing and cheering him on. "What the- hey! Come back with that!" In an instant, King Dice had leapt to his feet and started running after the crab, who was a lot faster than he had anticipated. He chased after the crabs a little further into the cave. The one with the bottle climbed up a tall rock where King Dice couldn't reach him, and the casino manager felt his heart drop as he watched the bottle sail over his head. It was caught by another crab, and when King Dice went after that one, it tossed the bottle to a third crab. Each time he attempted to grab the bottle the same thing happened. The next thing he knew, he was caught in the middle of the toon crabs' irritating game. "You god damn ugly ass crustaceans! That bottle cost me three hundred bucks!" He yelled in anger.

After quickly fixing her top back into place, Kyler stood up and walked toward the group, watching the whole event in bewilderment. At first, the whole thing left her a little stunned. But as she watched King Dice cursing up a storm and trying desperately to get the bottle back from the crabs, she found herself struggling not to laugh. It did look very comical. Eventually, she decided enough was enough and stepped in to assist her boyfriend. Upon seeing her, the crabs immediately stopped what they were doing, King Dice included. She calmly walked over to the crab located on the cave floor and knelt in front of him. He was the one who had the bottle. "I really do apologize for our intrusion. We did not know that anyone lived here. It's just...well, this cave is very beautiful, and we thought it would be a nice place to have a picnic. Believe me, if we had known that this place was occupied, we would have stayed outside. But we didn't even consider that. We made a mistake, and again, I apologize for the both of us. "She held out her hand with a soft smile on her face. "So, if you don't mind giving that back, we'll go ahead and leave.

After a moment of silence, the crab nodded and shyly handed the bottle to Kyler. "Oh...th-that's okay. Ya didn't mean to." He looked up at her with large innocent eyes. "Sorry for takin' your champagne and insultin' you."

Kyler giggled. "That's quite all right." Then she leaned over and gave the crab a peck on his cheek.

His red shell grew even redder to the point where it was glowing, and his eyes had turned into hearts. "Arrooooga!" He exclaimed as he shot up in the air.

One of his brothers scuttled over to Kyler and tapped her on the knee, a wide smile on his face. "Hey, can I have a little kiss too?"

"Of course." Still giggling, Kyler gave the other crab a kiss, and he had the same reaction.

"Me too." Another crab had scuttled over to Kyler, then another. Pretty soon, she was surrounded by all seven of the crabs, all of them chattering among themselves.

"I wanna kiss from the pretty girl too!"

"Well, get in line. I was here first!"

"Hey, you already got your kiss!"

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

King Dice groaned and walked over to Kyler, taking her hand and helping her to her feet. He appreciated her help in calming things down but did not like watching the crabs flirting with her. "All right, all right. You all got your kisses. Now if ya don't mind, me and my girlfriend are gonna leave now." He and Kyler packed all their things and slung the totes over their shoulders.

The crabs all laughed. "Bye funny guy. Come visit us again pretty girl."

Kyler giggled as she waved, while King Dice, who was fuming a little, gripped her hand and lead her out of the cave entrance. He was feeling like he had reached a new low, having been cock blocked by toon crabs.

Once they made their way safely across the slick rocks and set their stuff back down on the ground, Kyler suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. King Dice raised an eyebrow at her. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry! I...I can't help it!" She was laughing so hard; she was having trouble speaking. "You just looked...so funny, chasing after those crabs!"

King Dice was silent for a moment as he mulled over what Kyler had just said. After some consideration, his unamused frown turned into a smile. "Heh...now that I really think about it, it was pretty funny." He started chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck. "This'll make one hell of a story when we meet Tomoe tonight."

Kyler was still smiling, but there was a somewhat nervous look in her eyes. "We don't have to tell him about the events that led up to it, r-right?" She started playing with a strand of her hair like she always did when she was uncomfortable.

King Dice looped one arm around her waist and tilted her chin upwards. "No one has to know about that baby girl. That's strictly between us. And the crabs, I guess." He glared in the direction of the waterfall. "And if they tell anyone about it, we'll be havin' fresh crabs for dinner tonight!" He said in a raised voice.

Him hollering in the crabs' direction made Kyler feel better and even giggle some more. "I'm confident they won't say anything K-Chan. We're just a normal couple that wanted to make out." She stood on her toes for a kiss, and King Dice met her halfway.

"Speaking of which," He said after they broke apart. "How's about we pick up where we left off?" He rubbed her back with one hand and the back of her neck with the other.

Kyler melted at his touch. "I would love that. But if you don't mind, I'd prefer to keep my bikini on this time. Only because we're not really alone." She felt her face heat up again.

Chuckling, King Dice nuzzled her nose. "I'm perfectly fine with that sweetie." They unfolded the blanket and set up the pillows again, then laid down, reveling in each other's touch and the warmth of the sunlight that shown threw the trees. For a while, they just laid there in silence on the blanket, listening to the waterfall and the sound of the animals that surrounded them. King Dice was on his back and Kyler was on her side, snuggling comfortably in his arms. He peppered the top of her head with light kisses while caressing her shoulder with his thumb, his other hand holding hers.

"It's so peaceful out here." Kyler said with a contended sigh.

"Sure is." He murmured in agreement as he continued to the study the waterfall. Upon further inspection, he noticed there were some rocks along each side of it. They looked very easy to climb. And if he or Kyler maneuvered their way around the rocks correctly, they could easily reach the top of the waterfall. It was then that a sudden idea popped into his head. "Say...how deep would ya say that water is?"

Kyler arched her eyebrows in curiosity. Why would King Dice ask her a question like that? "I'm not quite sure. It appeared quite deep to me when we were swimming. Why?"

A grin started to appear on King Dice's face. "I was just thinkin'. See that rock juttin' out over the top of the waterfall?" Kyler nodded. "Well, looks like it would make a great diving board."

Just a few seconds ago, Kyler was on the verge of falling asleep. Now she was wide awake. She immediately sat up with a start, King Dice following suit. He couldn't be serious. "K-Chan! You're not thinking of...? Her sentence trailed off as she could tell that an idea was forming in his head. A foolish one at that.

The grin on his face widened. "Oh, I'm thinkin baby girl. In fact, I'm sure of it. I'm gonna climb up there and jump off the edge of that waterfall."

"No, don't! That's dangerous!" Kyler looked at him pleadingly, hoping she would be able to convince him to reconsider. She wasn't successful.

Smiling, King Dice reached out a comfortingly placed his hand on her cheek. "Don't worry baby girl. I've had a lot of practice with the diving board back home. Trust me, I'll know what I'm doin'."

Kyler placed her hand on his as she shook her head. "This is different K-Chan. This isn't a man-made swimming pool. This waterfall and lagoon were created by the elements of nature. There are no safety features or life guards nearby. And our phones don't have any reception out here. If you got hurt..."She stopped talking when she saw the look on his face. She never knew he was capable of sad puppy dog eyes. It did look rather pathetic, and she felt a little bad for him.

He decided to compromise with her. "Tell ya what sweetie. I'll climb up there like I planned. If it doesn't look safe, I won't attempt to jump. I'll just climb right back down. How does that sound? You trust my judgement?"

Kyler sighed. She knew that once King Dice made up his mind about something, there was no stopping him. And she did trust him to follow through on his promise. "Just be really, really careful. Okay?"

King Dice's grin grew even wider as he leaned forward and gave Kyler a kiss. "You have my word baby girl." He said as they stood up. Giving her hand a squeeze, he walked over to the rocks and proceeded to carefully climb them so he wouldn't slip and fall. Higher and higher he went while Kyler watched in apprehension, not daring to take her eyes of him for even a split second. She had her hands clasped against her chest, and it felt as if her heart was going a thousand miles a minute. Eventually, King Dice had reached the top, and for a moment he seemed hesitant when he looked over the edge. Kyler was hoping that he had decided it was too risky and was planning to just climb back down. She was proven wrong when he backed up and started running. A scream escaped from her throat and her hands flew over her mouth as he took a flying leap and straightened his body so that he landed feet first with a loud splash. It seemed like eons to her before he resurfaced, gasping for air and coughing a little.

She ran into the shallow end of the water and got down onto her knees. "K-Chan! Are you all right?"

He coughed a few more times before giving her a wide grin. "Are you kiddin'? That was the best rush of adrenaline I've ever felt! Sure, I got a little water up my nose, but that's okay.

Kyler let out a relieved sigh as he swam toward her. "Thank goodness. I was worried when you started coughing."

He reached up and placed a hand on her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. "That's one of the reasons I've fallen in love with ya baby girl. You care so much about me."

"Of course, I do. I'd be an awful girlfriend if I didn't." She leaned over and kissed the top of his cubed head. "I love you, so much." She added softly. "I love you more sweetie." He nuzzled her hands with his nose. "Would it bother ya if I went up there and jumped again?"

Smiling, Kyler shook her head. "Not at all. Now that I know you could survive it." K

ing Dice kissed both her hands and swam toward the side of the waterfall. He felt a little better knowing that Kyler no longer seemed apprehensive. Even from top of the waterfall, he could tell by her rigid form that she was really scared for him, and he felt bad making her worry. But he concentrated on everything he learned in the diving course that he had taken during college, and it paid off when he was able to put her mind at ease. And even though he knew it wasn't necessary, he wanted to impress her with his diving skills.

After a few more jumps, Kyler announced that they should be thinking about heading back to their hotel so they could wash up for dinner. He agreed, and convinced her to let him do one more dive before they left. This time, he decided to get a little more daring and attempt a forward somersault. Like before, he took a flying leap and proceeded to flip himself forward. Unfortunately, he didn't consider how fast he was approaching the water. At that exact moment, a sudden noise caught Kyler's attention, so she didn't see King Dice hit the water back first, knocking the wind out of him. Christ almighty! What had he done to himself? The pain he felt was primarily in his back, but it felt as if it was spreading throughout his whole body. He had to quicky get back to the surface before it got any worse. But he couldn't swim back up. His body felt too weak. And to his horror, he was not floating back up. He was sinking. He could feel himself struggling to breath, and he placed a hand over his mouth, trying to prevent from doing so. However, it felt as if he lost all control and his brain started doing things that he didn't want it to do. He felt his body involuntarily convulse, trying to obtain oxygen that just wasn't there. He was terrified. Absolutely terrified. He knew he was in trouble and needed help. He stared up at the fading surface, hoping to see Kyler coming after him. She wasn't there. Was she waiting for him to come back up? All kinds of thoughts were going through his head right now. He had promised her that he would be careful, that he wouldn't do anything stupid. He broke that promise, and now he wasn't even sure if he would have the chance to apologize to her. That meant he would never see her again. It was getting harder to keep his eyes open. The pain was going away. No, he didn't want to die. Not now. Kyler...please...help me. Those were his last thoughts before he blacked out.

Kyler started to get a little nervous when King Dice didn't resurface as quickly as he had done the past few times he had jumped. She wasn't sure what was taking so long this time. For a moment, she thought maybe he was playing a trick on her and decided to stay under a little longer. If that was the case, she was definitely going to kick his ass for frightening her like that. After a moment or two, she let out a nervous laugh. "Very funny K-Chan. You can come back up now." But he still hadn't resurfaced. She started to tremble, both from fear and rage. "K-Chan, this really isn't funny. Come back up now." She muttered again, her voice starting to crack. Still nothing. The spot where he had landed had gone completely still, and as far as she could tell, there were no bubbles breaking the surface, indicating that he was about to come back up. That's when she knew something was wrong. Panicking, Kyler jumped into the water, took a deep breath, and dove under, staying near the surface so she could get back up quickly. She frantically looked around, trying to find him. She felt even more panicked when he was nowhere to be seen. She resurfaced for air, pushing her hair out of her face and breathing heavily. Oh god, where was he?! "K-Chan! Where are you?!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. And that's when it occurred to her. No... please don't tell me he's down there. Kyler never felt more helpless than she was at that very moment. King Dice was probably at the bottom of the lagoon right now, and she had no idea how deep it was. What was she going to do? There was no one but her. That meant... Kyler took a few breaths, trying to calm herself. She knew what she had to do. She was scared, but it was now or never. She had to save him. Gathering all her courage, Kyler took a very deep breath and plunged under. Deeper and deeper she swam, frantically searching. How she was able to hold her breath for so long, she didn't know. It probably had to do with the fact that King Dice was in danger and she was the only one that could rescue him. Whatever the reason, she was not going to complain. She continued looking around as she swam deeper, knowing he had to be somewhere in the general area since that is where he landed. He's got to be around here. He just has to be! I have to find him! Finally, she spotted him, and felt her heart stop when her worst fear was confirmed. King Dice was lying on the sandy bottom unconscious, bubbles drifting lazily from his slightly opened mouth and nose. No! He's drowning! Kyler wasted no time grabbing ahold of his wrist and pulling him toward her. Wrapping one arm around his chest, she used the bottom of the lagoon to push herself up and started swimming to the surface with King Dice in tow. His unconscious form was a dead weight, making it even more difficult for her to swim, let alone with just the use of one arm. But Kyler knew she had to get King Dice to the surface, and fast. With every passing second, more and more water was filling his lungs. If she didn't rescue him within the next few minutes, he would either die or suffer irreversible brain damage. I must get him to the surface. I must! He's depending on me! The pain she felt in her lungs was becoming unbearable, and it felt as if they were going to burst at any moment. She prayed to God they would not betray her. Almost there...I'm almost there.

It felt like eons, but at last, Kyler was able to break through the surface, taking grateful swigs of air and coughing. She struggled to keep King Dice's head above the water as she swam toward the embankment. She found the strength to push him out of the water first, then pulled herself out. Then she grabbed him by the armpits and dragged him to the shore. She wasted no time checking his neck for a pulse, feeling her heart sink when she couldn't find one. Grateful for the CPR courses she took during her pharmacy training, she got on her knees and started chest compressions on King Dice. 1...2...3...all the way to thirty. She tilted his chin back, pinched his nose shut, and placed her mouth over his, giving him mouth-to-mouth. No response. Again, she did chest compressions, and again mouth-to-mouth. Two more times she administered CPR, and still King Dice remained unresponsive. Tears started to well up in Kyler's eyes as the CPR she administered became more frantic. She was determined not to give up on him. She heard stories of people quitting too soon. That was not going to happen. She couldn't let it. She started having flashbacks of when she and King Dice first met, how he flirted with her and taught her to dance. The first date they had where everything went wrong for him and he got drunk. When he asked her to be his girlfriend and eventually declared his love for her. She kept seeing the way his face would light up every time he saw her and how lively he acted when they were together. Please dear God. You already took my parents. Don't take K-Chan too. Please don't let him die. I love him so, so much. Please...

She heard a gurgling sound, and let out a series of emotional gasps as King Dice's body suddenly started to spasm and he turned his head to cough up a bunch of water. He was alive! He weakly turned his head back toward her, breathing raggedly as Kyler's blurred form came into focus. "Ky...ler..." It took all his strength just to speak her name.

Kyler couldn't hold it back anymore. She burst into tears as she threw her arms around him and sobbed. "K-Chan! Oh, K-Chan! You didn't come back up! I found you at the bottom of the lagoon! What happened? Are you all right?"

As weak as he was, King Dice managed to find the strength to stroke her wet hair. "I...tried to do...a somersault...in midair..." He was having a little trouble speaking and breathing at the same time. It hurt his back every time he did. "Heh...didn't...work out."

Kyler pushed herself up, glaring at him through her tears. "You what?! K-Chan, you promised you wouldn't do anything dangerous!"

King Dice had never seen Kyler look so scared. He felt really bad for doing that to her. "I'm...sorry baby...I wasn't thinkin'...spur of the moment, I guess." He was about to reach up so he could wipe the tears from her eyes, but stopped when she gripped each side of his face.

"I was so sure that you had died! K-Chan, I thought I was going to lose you! Please understand that!" She laid her forehead against his. "Don't you ever, ever do anything foolish like that again! I mean it! If I hadn't been able to find you, if I hadn't gotten you back up in time, I would... I would..." She started to bawl again and threw her arms around him once again, burrowing her face in his neck.

King Dice continued to soothingly stroke the back of her head as he continued to talk to her in the same, weak voice. "But you did...baby girl. You were...able to find me...and get me...breathin' again."

Kyler kissed his cheek and pushed herself up again. The anger in her eyes seemed to have died down. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was just so scared. But you probably were too."

This time, King Dice was able to reach up and place his hand on her cheek, wiping her tears away with his thumb. "I was...terrified sweetie. Real...terrified. But somehow...I knew you would...come for me." He managed to give her a smile. "Honey...you saved my life. That proves...you're not just...my girlfriend. You're...my guardian angel."

For the first time since she rescued him, Kyler was able to smile through her tears. "I don't know where I found the stamina. My parents might have channeled their strength through me. I really believe that." She leaned forward, and they shared a kiss. "I love you very much K-Chan."

"I love you...too Kyler...more than...anything." He managed to say.

Kyler frowned a bit. "Your breathing is still a bit ragged, and you seem to have trouble speaking. Do you feel pain anywhere?"

King Dice nodded meekly. "My...back really...hurts. I landed...on it...when I hit...the water." He tried to sit up, but Kyler placed her hand on his chest, forcing him to stop.

"No, keep still! You may be severely injured." She scanned him with her eyes. "We have to get you to a hospital pronto. Not just for your back, but also your lungs."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why...my lungs?" "There may still be water in them. If that's the case, it'll cause irritation and swelling in your lungs, which could hinder their ability to provide oxygen to the bloodstream. It's known as secondary drowning." Kyler explained.

King Dice managed a chuckle. "I'm so lucky...that you...were once...a pharmacist."

"Holy crap! What's goin' on?" Hearing the commotion going on outside their cave, the seven toon crabs came scuttling out to see what all the fuss was about. "Pretty girl, what happened to your boyfriend? Is he hurt?"

Kyler was very relieved to see them. "Please, you have to find help. He almost drowned and needs medical attention right away."

The crabs nodded. "Yeah, of course. Right away. We know all the locals here." Three of the crabs immediately took off, while the other four remained behind. "While our brothers are gone, can we do anything to help your boyfriend pretty girl?"

"Yes. I want to wrap him in the picnic blanket so he doesn't end up with hypothermia. And we should get a pillow under his head as well. We shouldn't move him around too much. It's imperative that we keep him as still as possible." Kyler instructed.

King Dice gave her a weak smile. He was so proud that she was able to take charge and keep the situation under control. Up until now, it was always him looking out for and protecting her. Now it was her turn.

The crabs all nodded and got to work helping Kyler take care of King Dice until help would arrive.