I stretched out on the tatami floor, rolling around a few times. Volkner stood over me, an eyebrow raised. "Happy?"
"Naw, just getting my money's worth. Do you know how much this is costing me?"
I'd rented out three rooms, and wasn't quite sure who'd be staying in each. Now that we'd arrived, though, Riley and my Dad were obviously fine, talking like nothing at all strange had happened about possibly hosting some sort of Steel-type Double Battle Event at Canalave Gym. I told Flint he was welcome to stay in our room, but he looked grossed out and opted to take the last room, which had been freed up.
Each room was a very fancy, old Japanese style room, with tatami floors and fluffy futons to roll out when it was time to sleep. There was a low table with fresh tea laid out, and thin a kimono - yukata - for each of us. The rice paper windows, when opened, overlooked the hot springs themselves, which were nestled in the middle of a secluded grove of trees. Beyond that - the ocean, and Sunyshore City's lighthouse could be seen, albeit far away.
I sighed happily, stretching out and breathing in the musty tatami smell. I'd planned this for my friend and my father - but now that I was here, I realized this was actually a very romantic place. Volkner must have come to the same conclusion, as he was suddenly next to me on the floor. I giggled, tugging on his shoulders and pulling him on top of me. He leaned down wordlessly, slipping his tongue into my mouth, his fingers tangling into my hair. I kissed back, lifting up my legs and wrapping them tightly around his waist, my arms sliding around his back. He broke away from my wet mouth, suckling and biting as a sweet spot behind my ear. I gasped and shuddered.
"V-Volk... we can't... everyone's heading d-down soon..."
Volkner growled, nibbling on my throat. "Can't we get a private spring to ourselves?"
"N-nnn... t...there's only two, and... if we took one to ourselves, F...Flint would be stuck with m-my Dad and Riley..."
"Don't you mean they'd be stuck with Flint?" Volkner sighed, sitting up, his legs still straddling my lap. "All right... I'll just hold it in until it's time to go to sleep, I guess I have no choice." He looked down, then scooted himself onto the floor, patting my crotch, where my pants were tenting out something fierce. "You'd better hold it in too, Roark."
I took a deep, shuddering breath, then sat up. "Get changed, I'm gonna ... I'll be right back."
I grabbed my yukata and ran into the bathroom, stripping down and running cold water in the sink. I imagined Volkner sniggering at me as I yelped and whined when I splashed the cold water onto my crotch.
Both in yukata, we headed next door, knocking. The door slid open suddenly, and Flint's big grinning face was in our faces. His hair was tied back again. Ugh!! Why did he have to do that?? He marched out. "Ready to go, boys?" He'd already marched around the corner and down the stairs. Volkner snorted and called after him. "See you down there!"
I knocked on my Dad's door, half scared as I remembered bursting in on him and Riley in my dream. "Enter," responded his gruff voice. I gingerly slid the door open. Dad was sitting crosslegged on the tatami, already changed as well. I blinked.
"Where's Riley?"
"Showering," Dad responded. "He doesn't want to make the springs dirty."
I rolled my eyes, positive that his shower was also very very cold. "Well, are you gonna wait for him, or come on down?"
"Guess I'll wait, so he doesn't get lost and scared." Dad roared laughter at his own wit, and I chuckled nervously.
"Right - we'll see you in a few minutes then."
I grabbed Volkner's hand tightly as we headed downstairs. The hotel lobby was as pretty as the rooms, and I could see them setting up for our party in the restaurant that was in another room. Shit, this was really, really expensive.
Flint was already in the hot water, splashing around and whooping like a maniac. I frowned, glad I'd rented the entire place out. "Flint, hot springs are for relaxing, not turning into a monkey."
"Have you heard about the monkeys that sit in hot springs up near Snowpoint City?!" Flint babbled, completely ignoring my scolding. "Mostly Ambipoms - wild ones - Volktard, you should have brought along your monkey!"
"I did bring along my monkey," Volkner snorted, patting me on the head. I growled and stormed over to the towels, slipping one around my waist before shedding my yukata and hanging it up. Damned if I was giving Flint any more peeks than he deserved. I strolled over to the edge of the water, dipping one foot in and shrieking.
"It's really HOT!" I cried. "Why is it so HOT?!"
"It's a HOT spring, Roarkie," Flint crowed. "Hey, why the little towel?" He swam over and made a swipe for it, and I screamed bloody murder and ran to the other side of the pool.
"Leave me alone!" I cried, then stepped into the pool again, grimacing at the temperature. I inched my way down, finally submerging up to my chest. Only then did I plop the little towel down on the edge of the pool. Once I got over the sensation of my skin burning off, it actually felt rather good.
"Roark, you were right, it is really hot," came Volkner's voice from the other side. I turned to look and screamed again. He was standing there completely naked, his girly hands on his little hips. Flint turned to grin at me.
"Roarkie, you don't need to scream, don't worry. You don't know how many times I've seen Volknard's-ACK!!"
I'd shot like a torpedo towards Flint and leapt on top of him from behind, pushing him completely underwater and pounding him on his shoulders with my fists. His head emerged, sputtering and coughing.
"Hey, get off me, you freaking crazy homo!"
"MINE!" I shrieked, perching myself on Flint's back and bopping him on the head without mercy. "Mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine!!"
"AAAArrrrgh!" Flint yelped in pain as I grabbed a fistful of curly hair and yanked, hard. He turned and began to fight back, snatching my glasses and throwing them over the rock wall into the other pool, then grabbing my ear and yanking on it. I screamed in pain and clawed at his chest madly. Then, suddenly a girly little hand had closed on my wrist. Volkner stood in front of us, each hand closed on one of our wrists.
"Guys - knock it off, what the hell, seriously? Fighting over me?" He smirked a little. "Isn't there enough of me to go around, eh?"
Stunned into silence, Flint and I turned to look at each other, then simultaneously and easily yanked ourselves free from Volkner's little-girl grip and pounced on him together, shoving him underwater. When he emerged, coughing and sputtering, Flint grabbed his arms from behind and I tickled him all up and down his chest, making him squeal in a way I'd never heard him squeal before. I admired Flint's strength, as he refused to relinquish control despite how much Volkner was thrashing and squirming to get free.
"Hey!" A little voice yelled at us from the doors to the lobby, and I saw Riley's form running to the edge of the springs. "Hey - what are you guys doing?!"
"Foul play?!" my Dad's gruff voice sounded, and he approached us with arms crossed. I grinned sheepishly, letting my arms fall limp, and Flint finally let Volkner go free. Volkner swam as fast as he could to the far corner of the pool, submerging himself up to his nose, his eyes glaring at us with the fires of a thousand hells.
"Volk!" I called cheerily, waving to him. "I love you, baby!"
He inched up so his mouth was above water. "You will die," he said simply but firmly, before re-submerging. I pouted.
"Only me? But Flint helped!!"
The mouth appeared again. "I meant both of you." Re-submersion.
Flint was off splashing somewhere, so I jumped a little when a hand gripping my shoulder. I turned to see my Dad's broad chest in my face. I'd been too distracted and didn't even see him come in.
Thank god.
"Roark, boy, you pay for all this yourself?" he growled, eyeing me. I nodded.
"Yes sir."
"Not doing too badly for yourself, eh?"
"No sir." I sat up a little, peering over my Dad's shoulders to see Riley standing frozen on the patio, still in his yukata. I waved to him.
"Riley, come on in!!"
He snapped out of it and peered all around, then began to trot past the pool we were in and towards the side that was separated from us by a short rock wall. "I'm just gonna swim around in here, okay?" his little voice called. I sighed and slumped down into the water.
My Dad slumped down next to me, looking puzzled. "What's wrong with the man, eh?"
"Maybe he thinks you're still mad at him, or something," I said, shrugging. All in all, I thought I was doing a very good acting job tonight. Maybe a nine out of ten, really.
"But he can't be, we just talked the entire way here, we're not fighting anymore." Dad sighed. "See, this is how he started before, just upset for no reason!"
"I don't think he's upset, Dad, maybe he just wants to talk to you alone some more?" I paused. "So we can't hear your super secret strategies?"
Dad grunted. "Yeah - maybe." He paused to scratch his chin. "Would you mind if I went over there for a second?"
"Nope, no worries." I patted his big shoulder, turn turned and swam towards Volkner, who was still sulking in a corner. Now he was focused on something over my shoulder. I blinked at him. "What?"
I heard my Dad getting out and walking to the other side. Volkner continued to stare over my shoulder for a moment, then turned to look at me, smirking.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just... I always thought Byron'd have a hairy ass."
I smacked him.