Tease
"Are you done yet in there?"
"U-um, almost! Just…checking my sunblock lotion!"
A sigh of exasperation responded from the figure standing several inches before the edge of the lake, dark eyes revealing eagerness to jump into the shimmering blue water.
"Listen, why don't you just go in there first? I'll join you when I'm done."
With a quick glance at the tip of the sun that was stealthily slipping down into the hills of the far-off horizon, the ninja shrugged and ran foreword, leaping up into the air and neatly diving to be enveloped by the cool light liquid. The initial shock of the coldness surrounding his body numbed his senses and he immediately felt his hands and legs quiver in the water, his nose turning into a frozen rock. Surfacing, he swore under his breath while his teeth began to chatter, then remained motionless in his position, waiting to get accustomed to the chilly temperature. After several minutes, Kenji somewhat regained feeling in his stiff limbs and ducked his head into the lake again, ripples brushing by his face as he did so.
Oh well. I'm going to have to get used to this. He coolly remarked to himself inwardly, closing his eyes and stretching his arms out to rhythmically breeze through the water and coast his form onward.
The cobalt-haired teenager eased around the lake agilely, the feeling of the icy liquid kissing his skin strangely soothing his mindful worries and inquiries. Strands of his dark blue bangs moved along with his motion in silky tranquillity, as his lean legs powered in systematic kicking, the thin plastic material of his black trunks clinging to his muscular thighs. The slightly looseness of the elastic band encircling his waist informed him that he must have lost a few pounds since the last time he went swimming, and he briefly recalled the increased intensity of his daily training in the last couple weeks. His friend had always voiced her opinion that he was too hard on himself in regards to keeping his battle techniques fresh in memory, and he never took her advice to simmer down just the slightest bit.
A sudden faint splash sounding a few feet away caught his attention at that moment; the mole zoanthrope paused and surfaced, looking around to sight his companion. He was only able to make out a blurred form in the nearby area that was moving toward him, but of course, who else could it have been? Smirking albeit, Kenji effortlessly sank his hands to grab a forearm of the swimmer that almost passed him by, and pulled her up to see her face. She squealed in surprise, making air bubbles gurgle underneath in the water, and heaving a gasp out of her lungs when her upper body ascended to his level. He began to laugh softly at her reaction, but his expression was quickly cut short when he noticed Uriko cross her arms and try to hide herself.
He soon understood why, as only two skimpy articles of maroon clothing, if they could be called that, served as her attire - one covered over her chest area, and the other encircled her hips. Her long brown hair was tied into its usual waist-length braid, which was unfortunate for that particular time because it helped call attention to her body all the more. Though dusk was approaching, his mole counterpart within gladly assisted his vision with nocturnal enhancement, so that the outline of her slender figure blared out to him like a flash of sunrise ruby. Small drops of water slithered down her chin, and her shoulders shivered from the coldness of the air whisking by the wetness soaking her pores.
"You're… you're wearing…"
She made an embarrassed noise deep in her throat. "Yeah… I am…"
"B-but…" his brows knit together into a disapproving frown. "That doesn't really seem to be appropriate wear for swimming, don't girls who have on bikinis usually just sit around on lounge chairs and revel in the knowledge of other guys staring at them?"
"Hey! Excuse me, but I'm not one of those girls!" The Kenpo student answered indignantly, and he caught a brief flicker of an all-too-familiar red gleam in her eyes, while pointy tips began to protrude from her hair. "I just thought that it was about time for me to forget what those lousy, scumbag boys said a couple years ago, and show them and myself that I can wear whatever I want, regardless of theirs, or even your approval!"
The ninja held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry, Uriko. I didn't mean to offend you. Just… stop morphing now, okay? It's too cold to fight at this moment."
She grunted quietly, then quickly reversed the effects. "Been way too long since I've morphed, I better be careful if little things that make me angry will provoke it…" A wicked glint appeared in the depths of her chocolate brown irises. "But it doesn't mean that I can't find other ways to get back at you!"
"Wha-" He was about to ask, but his question trailed off when his friend raised her arm, and brought it down to slice at the lake's surface, sending a furious wave spraying into his face. "H-hey!" he gasped, almost choking down the water. She repeated her action and his hair was instantly soaked, while wet drops dribbled down along the sides of his head, curving around his earlobes and continuing to drip off his chin.
A fine sheen of drippy moisture covered the hard muscles of his chest and he shook his lean arms, sending small droplets flying onto her nose and lips. She was about to burst into laughter, but catching sight of his bared flesh and disheveled look make her sober up instantly, and she clasped a hand over her own mouth to stifle the sniggers. But it didn't stop the brown-haired girl from furtively peering at her companion, lightly biting her lip in disappointment when she saw the surface ending at a little above his waist, allowing her limited viewing access. Yet still, when a faint glow adapted to her eyes, she was able to see the water drops sliding down his pectoral muscles, slipping underneath the surface, taunting her with what they could touch and she could not.
The young feline swallowed hard and forced a giggle. "That's what I meant."
"Grrrr…" he growled in surprise, and even a sliver of partial anger. "You're playing with fire, kitten."
She froze for a second, then remarked weakly, "Is that your new nickname for me or something?"
"It is better than more…cruder alternatives, don't you agree?" he hissed, gritting his teeth to prevent them from chattering.
Albeit taken back by his cold tone, she stammered uncertainly, "U-um, I…I guess…?"
Unknown to her, a devious smile played over his expression. Furtively clasping his hands together, he allowed water to drift into his palms, and then squirted his companion full on her face, as she did earlier to him. Before she could respond vocally, Kenji forcefully slapped the surface of the lake, sending more of the frigid liquid flying into her cheeks and forehead. She shrieked shrilly, shocked by the icy onslaught, coughing as she furiously tried to wipe the wetness away from her eyes, and then began to protest. But he merely raised two fingers - never one, for his trademark pose had become too familiar that it was now a part of him - and pressed them against her lips to silence her.
"Turnabout is fair play, my dear friend." He calmly explained to her as she backed away a little. "You know me well enough that I would not stand around and allow myself to be attacked, then not even set up a defensive response."
"For goodness sake, I wasn't attacking you," she countered, blinking rapidly to clear the blur of her vision. "And besides, you're the one who relayed that judgmental, lecherous remark first! …Aw great, I'm picking up on your vocabulary slingo…"
His eyes narrowed evenly. "Adequate. Perhaps you are finally beginning to display signs of maturing."
"What??" Uriko shot a cold glare in his direction. "You calling me immature?"
"If the comment fits."
She snorted, "It's 'if the shoe fits', not 'comment'! Geez, maybe you really are anti-social…"
Her statement stung a sensitive chord in him, making his jaw twitch slightly. "......maybe you're right." He turned away from her, masking the flames of ire lurking in his pupils.
Her shoulders sank; she knew that she'd hurt his feelings. "I-I'm sorry, Kenji." She moved toward him, timidly placing her hand on his stiff forearm. "I didn't mean to say that, I swear-"
"You didn't mean to say the truth?" The male teenager sneered. "That's a first I've heard from you."
"…You're such a jerk," she blurted, annoyed with his attitude, giving him a small shove.
Slowly, he pivoted to face her, a dark look burning in his eyes. "So, if I'm a jerk, then what does that make you? Controller of all social life at our school, or nothing but a manipulative tease? I'm so sorry that I'm not as popular as you are, Miss Princess."
Her expression was crestfallen. "You're more popular than you think… and… and besides, the majority of those guys only want one thing from me, and when they find out I won't give it to them, they lose interest and move on." She sniffed soundlessly. "I-I hate… this…" she waved her hands down over her body, "I never asked for this… this figure, this bust, this waist, any of it!
"I mean, when I was fifteen, I ate a lot because I was trying to gain more weight so that I could lose this…body…but it just made me have more energy to train my Kenpo techniques, and I ended up only adding a few more pounds on." Her head hung low at the last remark. "Then puberty filled my body out and I'm back where I started."
Kenji grimaced, feeling a pang of guilt for previously condescending her; now he felt like the apologetic one, "I…I'm sorry, Uriko. I mean it this time, no sarcasm or snidely." It was she this time that turned around at his words, crossing her arms over her chest and hugging her sides in an attempt to keep herself from freezing to death. "You're upset with me, aren't you?"
"If the shoe fits."
"Back to that again?" Then, he noticed her shoulders quiver slightly. "Hey… are you cold…?" Or are you crying…?
"Y-y-yes!" She shuddered violently, her teeth chattering; her eyes were squeezed shut to hide the tears threatening to spill out. "Wh-wh-what else did you think??"
The ninja sighed remorsefully, then agilely glided over to her, closing the small distance between the two, extending and delving his arms underwater to circle them around her shivering waist. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on emitting body heat from his inner fire to bring her more tepidity and comfort, ignoring the cold that was numbing his own nerves. At his touch, Uriko began to squirm and tried to push his hands off of her, but she found that doing so would only reposition him lower, and stopped resisting. When faint warmth started gracing her back, and slowly spreading out to the rest of her figure, she was soothed by the serene glow and couldn't help but release a blissful mew. Albeit weakened by the drain of his energy in addition to the bitter iciness making him lose feeling in various parts of his limbs, he ended the invisible hotness treatment after a while.
"I'm sorry, my friend." He whispered, leaning towards her ear. "Forgive me."
She turned her head partway so that their eyes could meet and gave him a half-smile. "…Hrmp, I guess I'll have to."
"'Have to', hmm?" The mole zoanthrope tucked his face into the hollow space between her neck and shoulder, resting his chin on her wet skin. "What else must I do in order to have you willingly grant me forgiveness?"
"Do that…that heat thing," she stammered, unsure of what to label it. "I'm pretty sure it was from you: there was this sudden warmth that I felt on my back, then it went to other places too… It felt so cool…"
"Cool?" he repeated while quirking an eyebrow but smirking playfully. "That wasn't my intention. I was trying to make you feel warm, Uriko. It's cold enough out here."
"So that was from you," she grinned. "Mmm, I wish I could do something like that!"
"It takes up quite a bit of my energy, depending on how long I do it," he informed her, "And since it's so chilly right now, it wavers my concentration, thus interfering with and shortening the length and amount of time that I can use that power."
"I guess fire really is your specialty then…" she murmured, ever-so-casually snuggling closer back to him, adoring the intimate feel of their bodies aligning with each other.
He gulped at her action; granted he knew and was used to his friend's random displays of coyness and playful teasing, but with their current situation it made his senses achingly aware of every aspect. Unable to speak due to the fact that she had rendered him tongue-tied; he let out a shaky sigh and lightly brushed his lips across her throat, then nuzzled her with his nose. She shivered in response, and Kenji froze, uncertain of what she meant with that movement, and then inwardly cursed himself for being insensitive to her condition. The girl lolled her head to the opposite side of where he was currently located, and mewed softly, wordlessly inviting him to her enticing sweetness.
"Uriko…" he said hoarsely, finally finding his voice, "What are you…?"
"That tickled," she chuckled giddily, fighting back the urge to turn around and grab him. "Do it again…"
"Erm… alright, I suppose…" the sixteen-year-old shrugged, unsure of what she intended of him.
His eyes nervously focused on her bare shoulder, and he gently pushed her long brown braid over to her front side with his cheek so that he could have easier access. Lean arms still embracing her tightly, he kissed her throat, lightly grazing his teeth against her skin, then blowing a small puff of his warm breath on her. Feeling a slight shiver wrack her body, he immediately pulled back, and Uriko pivoted her head so that they met face-to-face, an unidentifiable spark gleaming in her widened, dark-colored irises. An overwhelming desire to kiss her lips hit him, and he inwardly denied doing so, wanting to ask her permission before making such a move on his friend. But he was surprised when her eyes fluttered to a close, and she started leaning foreword, her mouth poised in that damned irresistibly alluring pout; he found himself moving towards her as well…
"Hoo! Hoo!" An owl noised just then, indirectly informing the two teenagers that dusk had arrived and the nocturnal animals were free to roam about the place as they pleased.
The moment ruined, the startled duo immediately backed away from each other, adverting their eyes in embarrassment, Kenji clearing his throat and his friend coughing for distraction. Calming the fiery sensations that had been licking at his nerves, he spoke nonchalantly, "Shall we leave now? We do have school tomorrow, after all."
"Huh? O-oh, sure…" she mumbled, shaking her head, trying to clear away the fog that was clouding her conscious thought. "Y-yeah, school tomorrow… hurray… can't wait…"
"Come on, out you go." He voiced, then ducked his head underneath the surface.
"…?" The Kenpo student looked around for her companion, bewildered as to why he slipped into the water again. All of a sudden, she felt something brush against the instep of her knees, and before she could blink in confusion, she was lifted up into the air with liquid ease. Gasping in surprise and at the coldness that seeped into her bared skin, the auburn-haired girl instantly felt her teeth began to chatter, and she clutched onto her schoolmate tightly. Holding her lightweight in his arms, he carried her out of the lake, her hands clasped around the back of his neck in support while her legs dangled freely. Strolling over to the changing bathhouse, the ninja set her down, conscientiously allowing her to get dressed into her normal clothes first before him.
Moments later, they were both in their original attires, and walking back towards the feline's house; Kenji wanted to see her home safely before driving off to return to his own residence. Hiding her awkwardness inside, the female student quickly unlocked the door and embraced him on her front porch, then shyly pecked his cheek before dashing inside. Left standing alone on the concrete steps, he blinked, baffled by her hot and cold actions; shrugging, he clutched his black shorts in one hand, and walked over to the sidewalk curb, where his car was parked. Getting out his keys and opening the driver's door, he slipped into his convertible and threw the swimming trunks on the passenger seat, then brushed his wet bangs away from his eyes.
Staring at his partial reflection in the rearview mirror, the quiet protagonist pictured Uriko gazing back at him, a teasing sparkle in her large brown pupils, a secret smile gracing her lips that was meant for him, and him only. The vivid memory of her in the red bikini from earlier stuck in his mind, and he especially remembered how smooth her doe-like skin felt pressed against his body. He recalled how her slender curves had seemed to align with his form comfortably, and the glowing expression in her eyes when she silently invited him to kiss her. If it weren't for that owl's interruption, what events would have followed? They'd kiss, but then how would they continue on from there, or even if anything at all, would happen after their simple, platonic action?
Suddenly, his insecurities regarding how limited his social and communication skills rushed back to flood his consciousness, making him worry about his next encounter with his friend. Releasing an unnerving sigh, he thought inwardly, I think something's happening between Uriko and I… But then, what…what will happen to our friendship? Then, Kenji remembered his earlier flashback when he was at the lake, the one that he was sure had something to do with the events of the ever fateful night he couldn't recall anything about. Did something that happened then have some relevance to the inner primal urges that he had felt for his companion while he was embracing her What would he do if presented with a scenario one day that tested his sexual knowledge in which he had little, almost no experience with? Or so he thought, anyway.
Refusing to think about the more negative possibilities of what could shake their once-solid relationship; he turned on the ignition and pulled away from the curb. The self-revealing questions continued plaguing him all through the drive back to his home, and he finally came to a conclusion for one of the problems; I have got to thoroughly study my old biology book when I get home…