Hiroki glanced up from the book that he was reading as he lounged on the plastic chaise that sat at the pool's edge next to a small white table. He could see a streak of black and white in the water, his form slightly misshapen from the waves that had come to be from his dive. A moment later, Nowaki's head bobbed to the surface, and Hiroki's eyes shot back down to his book. He was grateful to have found it in his luggage bag- his mother knew him well.

But Hiroki couldn't concentrate on doing any reading at the moment.

It wasn't because of the group of six and seven year olds splashing around with their mother in the shallow end.

It wasn't the middle-aged couple talking quietly in the hot tub next to the pool.

It wasn't the small group of teenage girls talking loudly a few tables over from Hiroki's.

And it certainly wasn't the old woman wearing the bikini on the opposite side of the edge of the pool.

No, it was that streak of white and black in the water. The rivulets of water running down his bare chest only made the rippling muscles of his torso all the more prominent. This, in turn, caused Hiroki to be on the verge of drooling all over his book like a dog in heat.

Nowaki wasn't wearing anything special- just his normal, black swim trunks. The only different color on them was a white stripe on either side. They were long, almost reaching to his knees but still leaving a few inches of his thighs visible. Strong thighs.

Deliciously strong thighs that flexed whenever Nowaki plowed straight into-

Hiroki flushed scarlet and shook the image out of his head. He buried his nose into his book, hunching his shoulders. He was only wearing a light blue pair of swim trunks with white outlines of hibiscus flowers on them. They were about half the length of Nowaki's, the bottom ending at his mid thigh. He couldn't just let his mind wander like that- there were kids in the pool area who would definitely ask their mothers: 'Why is that man's weenie pointy?' if he wasn't careful.

Thanks, Mom, Hiroki thought wryly. He did have a pair of grey swim trunks about the length of Nowaki's, but no. His mother just loved the idea of Hiroki being a homosexual, and loved the idea of him looking like a stereotypical homosexual even more. Meanwhile, Hiroki wished he could enjoy his life as a gay man and avoid the giggles from the nearby group of teenage girls at the same time. Little did he know, the teenage girls were actually giggling and cooing over the hot, sexy man swimming back and forth underwater.

Hiroki felt tempted to giggle, too.

Tentatively glancing up from his book when he heard another splash, he gasped as Nowaki suddenly appeared right at the pool's edge and held himself up with his elbows.

"Aren't you going to swim, Hiro-san? You said that you wanted to swim," Nowaki said. He glanced over at the group of girls as they burst into hysterical giggles and screeched something about Nowaki speaking in a different language. Nowaki furrowed his eyebrows and looked back at Hiroki. "Are they laughing at me, Hiro-san?"

Hiroki paused, then set his book down.

"No, they said something about a movie they watched on T.V. They've been shrieking about it this whole time," Hiroki lied, not wanting to see Nowaki in his self conscious state. Nowaki accepted that answer and smiled. He climbed out of the pool and walked to Hiroki. The girls screamed as one, and Hiroki saw Nowaki's eyes flick towards them ever so slightly.

"So? Are you getting in the pool?"

"Uh… yeah, one second. Those girls just said something about not wanting to miss a movie, and they've got the wrong time for it. I know the right time, so I'll be right back."

Nowaki blinked as Hiroki shut his book and set it down on the table. He calmly got to his feet, but when he faced away from Nowaki and walked towards the girls, he put on his best devil face.

"Hello there," Hiroki said in polite Swedish. The girls looked up at him with ghosts of smiles on their faces, but immediately paled and frowned as they saw his face. "I'll have you know that that man over there is my husband, so I'd like it if you didn't giggle at him like that, please."

Hiroki's voice was kind, but his eyes flickered with unspoken threats, and his eyebrows sank into the infamous 'Kamijou Brow'. The girls instantly shot to their feet and speed-walked out of the pool area, their faces practically gushing sweat. Hiroki wiped the evil look from his face before turning back to Nowaki and walking towards him. Nowaki simply smiled that oblivious smile of his.

"That was nice of you, Hiro-san. I bet they really appreciated it! They left really fast!" Nowaki said as Hiroki got back to the table and sat back down on the chaise. "Okay, so, are you coming to swim now? Are you?"

"Jeez, shut up, you brat. You're like a little kid asking his mom for a cookie. When I said that I wanted to swim, I meant that I wanted to go in the hot tub!" Hiroki said, picking up his book.

"That's not swimming, Hiro-san," Nowaki complained.

"The answer is no."

Hiroki opened his book again, but before he could read anything, Nowaki snatched it out of his hands and set it aside. Hiroki had no time to protest before he was lifted into Nowaki's arms and brought to the pool's edge.

"NO! NONONO!" Hiroki screamed, clambering up Nowaki's body like a cat hanging over a tub of water. Nowaki only giggled before turning around and falling back into the water with Hiroki held up to his chest in a bundle. He skillfully curled his body slightly to avoid slapping his back on the surface of the water, and both he and Hiroki dropped into the water like rocks. Hiroki thrashed against Nowaki's iron grip underwater, bubbles escaping from his mouth. Nowaki pushed off of the wall of the pool, then easily glided to the surface. Hiroki coughed violently as Nowaki floated on his back with Hiroki on top of him.

"Jeez, Hiro-san. You wouldn't have gotten water in your mouth if you hadn't screamed," Nowaki teased. Hiroki glowered at him and reached up to dunk his idiot husband's head. Nowaki immediately released him, and Hiroki doggy-paddled towards the nearest ladder. He heard a splash behind him and felt a wave lap at his back. Hiroki squealed and flailed desperately. It was in vain, however, as he felt something slip between his legs. A moment later, Hiroki was practically having a panic attack as he was lifted out of the water by Nowaki, who held his little husband's thighs securely to his shoulders. Nowaki laughed as Hiroki clung to his head and scratched at his forehead.

"Put me down!" Hiroki bellowed. Nowaki only laughed more before grabbing Hiroki's feet and pushing them out, effectively tossing Hiroki off of his shoulders and back into the water. Hiroki bellowed before plummeting into the water. Once he was in it, he entered a warm, quiet world. He relaxed slightly, allowing himself to sink into the peaceful liquid.

However, he felt a hand take his and pull him back up. Hiroki broke the surface a moment later, his body limp.

"Hiro-san?"

"I'm fine," Hiroki sighed, opening his eyes. Nowaki set him upright and trailed his hands down Hiroki's arms to interlace their fingers underwater.

"Wow, I should dunk you in water every time you freak out," Nowaki said cheerfully. Hiroki rolled his eyes.

"Shut your mouth. Anyway, it's nice under there."

"Of course it is. It's water," Nowaki purred. Hiroki tilted his head, curious.

"You like swimming, huh?"

"Yeah. It makes me feel weightless. It's quiet and comfortable. Gives me a chance to think," Nowaki said, stepping closer to Hiroki. Hiroki's eyelids lowered, and he tipped his head back a little as his lips parted.

"Yeah…" Hiroki agreed, his eyes sliding shut.

"Mama!"

Hiroki and Nowaki jerked away from each other, blinking. They both turned to a young boy who was pointing at them. Hiroki recognized him as one of the children from the group of kids at the shallow end. The mother looked up and gasped.

"Gustaf! Do not point at other people!" she hissed in Swedish. She waded in the water to her son, putting her hands on his shoulders as he obediently dropped his arm. She furrowed her eyebrows in concern at Nowaki and Hiroki. "I am so sorry; I hope he didn't offend you."

"No, it's alright," Hiroki said in Swedish with a smile. Nowaki remained silent; not knowing what was being said.

"Mama, do those boys love each other?" the little boy asked, looking up at his mother. She blinked, then glanced at Hiroki and Nowaki's clasped hands. There was a small pause before the mother smiled down at her son.

"Yes, they love each other."

She looked up at Hiroki and Nowaki again, her eyes questioning. Hiroki gave her a subtle nod, and she smiled once more.

"Oh," the boy said. He then turned to his mother. "Mama, can we get some ice cream?"

"Okay, Gustaf. Kids, let's get some ice cream!" the mother said, looking over her shoulder. The other two children splashing in the shallow end squealed and rushed out of the water towards the towel rack. The mother gave Nowaki and Hiroki one more fleeting smile before taking her boy's hand and wading with him out of the pool. Hiroki watched them leave, his eyes wide.

"Hiro-san? What just happened?"

"I just watched the next generation of gay acceptance," Hiroki said softly. Nowaki furrowed his brow.

"Huh?"

"That kid asked if we loved each other," Hiroki said. "His mother said yes and the boy… didn't have anything to say about it. He didn't ask if something was wrong with us, he didn't give us a weird look. Just… moved on, like it was nothing."

Hiroki stared at the water, pondering. He could see Nowaki watching him out of the corner of his eye.

"That's pretty cool."

"Hell yeah."