Reunion 5: Day 2 – B: Blue Savannah

I am so sorry for being late. I wish I had been faster, but I'd like to thank all who reviewed and put this story on alert! I've struggled with a few things (writer's block, busy weeks, got into Mass Effect etc.) but I'll try to keep this story updated.

EDITED 31st of March

Day 2, 12:00PM

Naoto Shirogane and Kanji Tatsumi were both stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, they were at a beach, and Kanji wanted Naoto to swim. And on the other hand, Naoto both didn't want to and couldn't swim. Oh, and she lacked a swimsuit she would actually wear. It didn't help either one of them that the sun poured down on the two, helping to heat the bubble of atmosphere around them, making what already a hot day into a day that was absolutely scorching.

'Sink-or-swim!' was what he had told Naoto. And yet despite his showboating towards the young female detective, and for all his toughness, as long as Naoto was in his proximity, he would always turn to mush. And so far, with the awkward quiet looming over them once again, he was going to be a blushing mess in front of her again.

Both were at a standstill. It was as if they couldn't make the first move on each other… Kanji's former masculine, dominant position had given way, as his tough guy aura slowly began to fade in favor of his enormous crush, while Naoto was probably too freaked out by the pierced blonde boy's testosterone charged rant to really do anything else.

His knees almost bent into an awkward slope, but the boy kept them straight. All he managed was a meek, "… yer gonna swim or what?"

And again, she broke the mood with a non-too-subtle shake of her head. "I've told you, Kanji-kun, I c-cannot swim," she shook her head briefly after that stutter, "Nor do I wish to swim." Her tone was getting serious now, and her eyes formed back into their stern gaze. "And even so, how would I be able to swim when I do not have adequate swimwear?" the less she thought about that polka-dot monster of a bikini, the better off she was, so she felt.

Kanji corkscrewed his fist into a ball, "We'll find something so you can beat the water!" spoke Kanji with gusto in an attempt to save face. Naoto seemed unfazed this time around, so with that a failure, he tilted his head quizzically, "… Yeah, s'pose that's a problem, huh," he crossed his arms together and tried to think. What could she wear… what could she wear to hide her figure? Well, he couldn't think of anything except certain swimsuits that, no matter what, would reveal her figure. And he didn't want to nosebleed right here.

The girl sat down by the tree again, and picked up her book, "I suppose that swimming is out of the question then," she said coldly, but Kanji swore there was a tint of satisfaction in there. Oh, good for her.

But Kanji was not going to give up that easy. Gathering his courage, he stood up straight on his legs, and thrust his arm forward, flexing his well-toned bicep, "We ain't sayin' that yet!" he pointed his thumb to the Junes bag Teddie had, "gotta be s'more swimsuits there! You ain't scared of them, are ya?"

Unfortunately, that seemed to be the magic word as to attract Teddie over to the spot. He seemed to zip all the way from paddling in the sea to standing right across from them, Junes bag in hand and soaking wet. His innocent expression didn't sit well with either two. Kanji knew from the first second that he was up to no good again.

"Well it's funny you should say that, Kanji-kun, bear-cause I have plenty more bear-kinis and swimsuits in here! Let me show you my collection!" grinned Teddie, his hands were already dug into the bag, fishing out the first swimsuit. He held out a Yasogami High female swimsuit, black like the school dresscode, but otherwise looking like your average Japanese high school swimming costume.

It didn't take either of them two seconds to notice that the swimsuit could easily fit around Teddie's thin frame. Kanji was about to say something, but Naoto shook her head at him to keep him quiet.

Teddie, confused by the silence, flashed another small smile to lighten the mood, "Ah, not into that stuff, huh? I think I know just what you guys need…" he whipped out the green-and-yellow swimsuit with haste, and grinned as he held it out for both to see, "… the beartastic combo of a bikini top and a tiny miniskirt!"

The bikini top was at least more modest than the 'Polka Dot Monster' as that swimsuit should now be known as, with its cups wide enough to cover quite a lot of breast and not expose cleavage. However, the miniskirt would have been barely able to cover the wearer's crotch, it didn't even float down to the upper thigh, and probably would have exposed a bit of lower buttock as well. Teddie seemed to have an even wider grin on his face and winked, Kanji seemed to choke and go wide-eyed for a split-second.

The girl was the one to speak up this time, "I will not be wearing that." Naoto said profusely.

Kanji sighed in relief. Naoto would probably wear only the most conservative swimsuit ever made, and as much as he enjoyed the image of Naoto in a swimsuit, it was likely the possibility she'd wear one, was if she was willing to wear male swimming clothes, and only that. It was for the best, he was trying to save the bloodbank this time around.

Teddie pouted, but he resigned himself and put away the swimsuit. He then took out several more swimsuits, grinning as he flicked through them. First was a purple one-piece, exposing the midriff. It seemed to be made for taller people, but neither Kanji nor Naoto wanted to know who it was made for. Then out came a red bikini with only thin straps. Like any girl with dignity would wear that. When that had come out from the bag, Kanji had glanced over at Naoto, and his eyes shot wide open to see her steaming. Her cheeks were red, and her lips were pressed into an unimpressed frown. Someone wasn't winning any favors with the teenage detective.

Now that Teddie was stuck flipping around swimsuits, Kanji paused and wondered what was going on in Naoto's head….

To say Naoto was unimpressed was underestimating how she was feeling. She stood in her rigid stance, her legs narrowed up, a gulp caught on her throat that she couldn't swallow down no matter what. Who on Earth would collect all these swimsuits? She deducted that he thought giving women free swimsuits would help him 'score', it was just him being his hormonal self, or… he liked dressing up in them. The thought of Teddie strutting around with a swimsuit on was definitely not the usual image, but given his thin body, he could possibly pull it off… she did doll him up that one time he cosplayed as Alice, after all.

But what kind of swimsuits were they? Naoto stayed silent, unable to think up something to say, but she still felt her cheeks glow red. Both out of embarrassment at seeing those embarrassing pieces of female swimwear, distorted for sex appeal, and out of anger. Teddie was her friend, he was everyone's friend, but really, he needed to stop being so forward and reliant on his hormones. Now that she thought about it, did he even know what 'scoring' is about? Then again, she didn't have any clue on that subject either, and he was also a Shadow, so she couldn't blame him for not seeing things that way.

Naoto looked over to the tree, and was ready to turn and walk over, to sit down and read… when she saw a shirt and shorts. Kanji turned his head over to her, and nudged his head, "Oi, Naoto, there's sumthin' you can wear!" he then tossed his head back, preventing her from seeing his full expression. He had been doing that a lot lately… must still be getting over the surprise of her sudden visit.

The detective took a step back, and looked away at the grass beneath her shoed feet, trying not to look at either of the two. Oh, what kind of costume did the two, or at least Teddie, want her to wear? "I… I told you I was not going to wear…"

She looked at the wetsuit and shorts again. The shorts themselves would reach down to her knees, and had a purple color. The wetsuit shirt would mean her chest wouldn't be revealed, nor would it reveal anything else about her body. She could compromise, and it wasn't like anything else could cover her body… even the tape and vests she wore around her breasts couldn't hide her curves. Besides, she was better off wearing masculine clothes in any fashion either way.

She opened her lips slightly, and adjusted the cap tensely, peeling it slightly from her hair. Kanji wanted her to swim, and while she was still somewhat against the idea, wearing something like that wouldn't be too bad. At least she'd still look like a boy and it wasn't revealing, a bonus in her book.

She then put her finger and thumb on her cap, and began to slowly peel it off, "Kanji-kun. You know how you told me it was sink-or-swim, and, in your own words, 'You're going to swim?'"

Kanji winced… but then, his mind figured out what she was up to, and he pumped his fist with a manly grin, "Hey! You're getting into the spirit of it, aren't ya? Become a real swimmer, Naoto!"

Naoto's expert hand already grabbed the androgynous clothing off Teddie's hand, and she then pulled the cap from her head, revealing her short, cropped, silky hair. She flashed a small smile, before her expression flipped back to its usual calmness.

When she turned away, Kanji immediately felt the wet stem of blood dripping from his nose.

10 minutes later….

Giving Naoto some time to get changed (there was a nearby facility, and while Naoto still seemed a little reluctant, it was probably nerves if anything), Kanji and Teddie were sat down on the floor. Teddie had flipped through a Sherlock Holmes novel, but his short attention span found it boring, he put it back on the floor for Naoto to keep reading. It seemed they were not going to swim, until a certain voice came through the silent air….

"Well, I'm… ready."

Both boys turned their head over, and while Teddie again had a sparkling grin on his face, appearing rather satisfied at what he was seeing, Kanji's cheeks began to blaze up again, and he gulped. This time he forced down the blush, and stood straight, looking rather rigid and still… very unlike him.

Naoto stood in front of them, straight and professional, looking rather serious… well, her face was slightly crimson, but her stance was not faltering. That was, if you discounted the wetsuit clad on her flat, smooth upper body, and the shorts that went just below her knees, exposing her lower legs and feet. She did look like a boy still… a really cute boy.

The taller boy's stance began to falter, he fell a little forward, looking at Naoto with awestruck eyes. He was really delighted to see Naoto in a swimsuit… even if it wasn't the kind of swimsuit he wanted. It was nice to see her trying new things, but he was definitely going to enjoy paddling around with her, that was for sure.

Kanji then looked over at Teddie, who seemed to be rather satisfied. Hopefully he didn't try anything fishy with the swimming clothes….

The three then moved over to the shoreline. Teddie crawled into a running position and glanced at the two as his feet dug into the sand, "Enjoy the water, it's bear-y warm, Nao-chan!" he then dashed off into the water, and swam around, minding his own business.

Kanji scowled at Teddie, and stiffened when he looked over to the right and saw Naoto looking at him rather deadpan. He then looked at the slow, pacing waves, then at Naoto, before he frowned. "We gotta get into the water, right?" half-mumbled Kanji, and he put his hand over for Naoto to hold onto, even if the thought of holding hands was enough to make him go red, "You ready?"

Kanji put his foot into the water, then lifted his other foot in, and slowly dipped it in. "See? It ain't so bad once ya get used to it."

A small nod was all she gave. Her toes curled against the sand, gripping onto the sandy floor and feeling something odd in between the digits, she never went barefoot outside, and all these new sensations to her feet were rather unpleasant. She looked at the dark saltwater, and tilted her head up slightly, "I… I suppose it won't be," she tried to say. Feeling a little brave now, she walked further towards the sea, and began to put her toes into the water.

It was cold… strange. She then put her entire foot into the water, up to her ankle. She looked up to Kanji, whose face lightened up into a small smile, "Ya see? Just gotta get used to it."

Naoto slowly nodded. She began to let her feet slide further, but a sudden chill ran through her feet and up her legs, shocking her. This caused her to hop off closer to Kanji, who seemed surprised at her sudden jump, although she certainly didn't intend to get closer to the fellow teenager. She didn't make any noises, even if her throat was begging to speak up.

Kanji's expression lowered slightly, "Ya alright over there?"

A shake of her head followed. Kanji shuffled slightly in the water, and lifted his arm. She lowered her head, curious to what Kanji was trying to do. His hand moved up to her arm level, up to her forearm. Her eyes focused on her hand, unable to pick up the cue… at least, at first. She then moved her attention to Kanji's face, and paused.

"Do you want me to hold your hand, Kanji-kun?" she said in a tone tougher than usual.

Kanji bit his lip, and twisted his head further away so she didn't notice the constant crimson painting his face. "Damnit, it's only if you want it."

"I am not scared of the water, if that's what you're thinking. I don't need to have my hand held."

And as if to prove her point, the stubborn girl took a further step into the water, this time feeling her ankle submerge into the cold sea. She almost jumped feeling the cold crawling up her legs, but she huffed, and continued.

He nodded slowly. Naoto wasn't going to ask for help, and even though she had agreed to it, she never said anything about learning to swim. Kanji slowly walked alongside Naoto, still holding his hand up, in case she needed support. Maybe it would have been a lot easier if it were just them, or if he wasn't crushing so hard on her. But given how delicate she could be, Kanji just couldn't resist trying to help her out like this.

Naoto looked to be making progress, even if her steps were getting smaller and smaller. That was until she felt something wet, slimy and alive on the soles of her feet. Since she never went anywhere barefoot, she tended to have rather sensitive feet, especially to the great outdoors. She yelped, making sure not to sound feminine but masculine, and found herself reaching out… causing her to grab the wrist of the man next to her.

She looked over from the wrist, and up the muscular, toned arm… then to the simple face of one Kanji Tatsumi. Naoto's eyes widened big time, and her hand let go of his wrist by reflex. She then palmed her face with her wrist-grabbing hand, kneading the forehead with her fingertips.

For a moment, she thought she felt heat that didn't come from above, instead from her left.

"Ya stood on some seaweed," Kanji's rough voice broke the silence, and indeed, Naoto looked down and could see the seaweed poking around her feet. Naoto felt some heat on her cheeks, mostly out of embarrassment: how could she have acted like this in front of him?

"It seems I have."

She still tried to take this on like a professional: just have Kanji supervise her, she knew the guy would make sure she was safe, but she knew how to look after herself. She lacked the ability to swim, but how hard could it really be? Even if she couldn't tread water… she then looked over at Kanji, trying to ease the heat from her cheeks.

"Yo, Naoto, how far ya wanna go on?" Kanji again broke her silence, "Up to yer knees? Wanna tread water?"

Now she was giving him the silent treatment again. Her own lack of social skills was biting her in the back again. This was not her best moment. Naoto, now getting flustered, grunted and, to her own disbelief, shot her hand forward and grasped Kanji's own, not holding it particularly tightly, but also stepping two steps away from him.

Even Kanji wasn't prepared for it, as he immediately gawked and went completely stiff.

The grip the young man had on the young woman's hand seemed to tighten, his callused, strong fingers pressed against her own callused, yet delicate and smooth fingers. His muscular arms seemed to tighten, if he wanted to, it felt like he could rip her apart. Yet, his gentle hold never strengthened nor wavered. He looked absolutely gobsmacked as what was going on around him clicked into place.

He was holding hands with Naoto. She was looking away from him now, shuffling her feet on the ground in an adorable fashion. Her usual calm and collected expression seemed to fade in favor of a mix between surprise and shyness. The intellectual detective was completely out of her element, and Kanji just couldn't take that. It wasn't just cute… it was off-the-wall atmospheric totally cute.

The clincher was when she looked at him with those dark, hazy orbs. "Kanji-kun, I told you…."

His face was approaching supernova temperatures in only two seconds. 'SO CUTE!' he gasped, trying not to say it out aloud.

"This is embarrassing." The blunt Naoto cut in, trying to release her hand from Kanji, "I don't need assistance. Besides, we're only knee-deep in water."

Feeling a little shamed, he looked down to check: indeed, while Naoto's knees were at level with the water, his calves were the highest the water got to. Kanji began to doubt whenever he should have been so encouraging, to say the least, but he didn't hesitate to keep holding her hand.

Kanji was about to step a little further into the water, when Teddie came along paddling by. Sat down so only his head was visible, he grinned at the two cheerfully.

"You two look like the bear-est couple of them all! Kanji-kun and Nao-chan, the King and Queen of Yasogami High School!" he then put a finger on his cheek, thinking to himself, and shot an innocent grin at the two, "But in this case, wouldn't Kanji-kun be the Queen, and Nao-chan be the King?"

Both faces flushed a deep red at that. The irritated Kanji kicked his leg out at Teddie, throwing water at the bear, "Shut up ya stupid bear!" he yelled, obviously stunned by the lecherous bear's words. The water hit Teddie, and he laughed at the sensations and his own silly joke, irritating the rash young man even further, so this time he kicked even harder, baring his teeth.

In what was meant as a protective gesture, he kept his grasp on Naoto's hand rather tight, holding her fingers with an almost vice-like grip. Naoto winced out in pain and squeezed her eye shut, her fingers began to part, trying to pry her hand away from Kanji's grip, or at least suggest to him that she wanted out. It wasn't working at all, and Kanji was too busy trying to splash the bear.

That was until she spoke up.

"Kanji-kun, your grip is rather tight."

"H… huh?" mumbled Kanji, barely paying any attention to Naoto… that was until she cried out again.

"Kanji-kun, you are hurting me. Let go this instant!"

Hearing her plea, Kanji immediately dropped his grip on her and pulled back, giving her some space, "Shit! Sorry 'bout that!"

She was rubbing her hand, and shook her head away from Kanji. "I… d-don't need to be… h-held…" she lowered her head, her dark eyes fell away from him and towards the water, then rose back up at his face. He didn't seem to look upset, but he had surprised written all over his face. Why was Kanji so simple?

Again, Naoto stood straight, and began to walk into the water again, this time, trying to avoid anything that wiggled on the thrones of wet sand below. Her analytic eyes scanned around, finding anything off that she couldn't step on… soon, she was up to her torso in water, and then, that was when she stopped. It wasn't the cold, which she was now getting used to… it was moreso that her problem, her inability to swim, was staring her right in the face.

Kanji was already further down than her, thanks to his own long legs and tall torso, he was in deeper waters. He watched her with his usual glaring eyes, yet there was definitely softness in them. He gestured for Naoto to go forward. She shook her head.

He raised his eyebrows at the girl. "Yo, wassup?"

She pressed her feet against the wet sandy grounds, "I'm… not sure I want to do this."

The detective told herself that maybe she should just trust him. After all, she did spot him even when he was in his 'gang leader' days giving toys to kids, and telling them he would make more. Not to mention he was always good with women and children… well, when he wasn't cussing up a storm or fighting. He was a soft simpleton at heart, really.

The boy only lowered his eyebrows slightly, "Dun worry. You ain't gonna be swept out or anythin'."

Naoto's eyes drifted over to the horizon, then back to Kanji, slightly wide open now, "I guess so. But I am not sure if I can still do this."

Well, it was time to try convincing her at least. Kanji gulped, gathered his courage, and said with a boisterous bellow, "S'ppose you can use me to float! You ain't gonna drown with me around! Like I said, I'll teach ya! It's easy! Real men's stuff!"

Taken back an inch, however, this wasn't enough to change the stubborn Naoto's mind. "I… what does swimming have to do with manliness?"

"I said we'll make men outta each other, and damnit, we will!" Kanji was really getting into the moment now. He clenched his fist and flexed his hand, his eyes blazing, like he was burning up!

She felt a small pang of hurt at that excuse. Even after she had accepted herself, nothing could change that she still wished she was a man. And here Kanji was, caught in the moment, but still, going on about manliness. She'd have to talk to him about that, she thought. Aware of the intense look in Kanji's eyes, Naoto's better instincts told her to get out of the water, but, there was something really amusing about his simple attitude that made her amused, and even… like she could do it, with him around. She decided here and there, she might as well do it, even if it was because Kanji was her friend, and he wanted to help her try it.

"What do you do?" asked Naoto, staring right at Kanji with what seemed to be no relent in her eyes.

Taken aback, Kanji looked to the side sheepishly, then back at Naoto, trying his best to keep his manly streak going, "Umm... you can kick underwater in a pattern or sumthin'. Grab hold… I'll show ya."

Naoto nodded, and while she felt a little insecure touching his bare arms, and even thought of not doing it… but, she fought that off, and clasped onto his shoulders. Kanji began to lift off, so Naoto lifted her feet from the sandbanks and watched as Kanji swam around. First, there was lifting the leg from the water, then sending it down, then lifting the other leg, then sending it down… what a simple, yet effective pattern!

She kept herself calm and cool, as Kanji began to lift himself towards the deeper end. As Kanji moved around, kicking his strong legs in the water, both teenagers moved through the water, swiftly, yet gently. An impressed Naoto drifted with the strong young man, holding onto him. Her hands gripped tightly onto his round shoulders, and her legs dangled away from his.

Eventually, Kanji stopped at a part where she could still stand, and softy nodded at Naoto, arms crossed.

"That's how ya do it. Notice my legs?" said Kanji.

Naoto nodded. "Yes. I will try."

She then stepped forward, and then felt her feet leave the sand. Kanji moved to her side, and even offered his arms to her again, which she took by grabbing hold of the right arm. Remembering Kanji's instructions, she began to gently kick her legs in the water. The slight pressure from the water itself made it slightly resistant, as Naoto felt, but it wasn't hard to overcome that. Kanji saw this, and even lifted himself off the floors to kick alongside her, as she used his shoulders as floats.

Clutching his shoulders for support, she gasped, feeling the firm curve of his shoulder under her smooth palm. But to help her grip, she twisted over to his front, so that both could look each other in the eye. He grumbled, his lips pressed into a frown, his vision almost going dizzy from the blaring heat storming in his cheeks. It was bad enough with her by his side, but she was really right there, in front of him! The Detective Prince in all her swimwear glory!

But he actually really liked the feeling. If only she would massage him with those hands, it would truly be heaven. His arms wanted to cradle her though, to keep her safe and make sure she never had to worry. But he respected her personal space, and there was still that accident from yesterday he had to keep mind of….

Naoto's own soft hands against his solid arms made his face glow with what seemed to be a now perpetual crimson shade. Given their height difference, Kanji could still stand on the water, while Naoto had to now do her best to float. Of course, if he dropped her, she could end up going down… he had her safety in his hands. And looking at Naoto, she tried to pull her face back, while letting her legs gently kick underwater.

Little did he know, that Naoto herself was also red in the face, but for different reasons. Kanji being close to her like this was rather pushing her comfort level, given this was to help her though, she was fine with it… in a way. But it was also that he was being really soft on her, like she was a piece of fragile china. To be treated like a kid or some nuisance, or as a delicate little girl felt rather insulting, yet, there was something about the way Kanji treated her that made her think about his good heart underneath that sour exterior.

"Yo, Naoto," said Kanji. She managed to regain her composure, and she looked over at Kanji. The tough young man then moved his arm across the water, shifting it past the surface, demonstrating a move to Naoto, "Okay, s' ya move your arm like this, in a set pattern, ya see?"

She followed his movements, shifting and pushing her arm like Kanji's in a specific rhythm. "Like this?" she could feel herself grow a little less heavier in the water, as her arms helped to hold her over the surface of the water. He nodded, and then, Naoto felt something loosen on her arms. And yet, she wasn't falling underwater, or even struggling to keep afloat.

She then realized that Kanji had her let go of him with that hand technique, and she was floating on the water by her own accord. Naoto's eyes widened feeling nothing supporting her, but, she didn't submerge. She was actually drifting her head over the line, her shoulders also visible. Naoto turned her vision over to Kanji, who grinned.

"Ya see? That's swimmin' right there! No sinkin', just swimmin'!"

Naoto began to let her legs kick in the water, and her arms began to gently weave back-and-forth in the water. She let herself relax, and to reassure herself, her toes gently pressed against the wet sand below time to time. Now she was getting into this, but she still didn't trust herself with doing strokes and going deeper into the water. She then began to let herself float, letting her lithe body relax. She even felt her face get a little redder, and was unable to help a slight smile crawl on herself. This was rather relaxing… and she had Kanji to thank for it!

Kanji then took a few steps back and crouched down, ready to catch Naoto if she lost her rhythm. He watched her on equal eye level, "Naoto, can ya kick towards me? You gotta use your legs."

He kept his distance from her, but held out his arms in case she spluttered. Naoto nodded, and lifted her feet from out the water, her body angled. Her legs began to start kicking, rather weakly, as her hands circled in the water to keep her head afloat. She was actually doing rather well, while her posture wasn't straight and she seemed to flutter and splash a bit in the water, she was getting the hang of it. Kanji was smiling; he was actually pleased she was willing to give it a try.

However, as she got closer to Kanji, her leg was lifted a little too long, making her slip on that one kick. Her balance ruined, her head fell briefly underwater with a short horrified yelp.

"Naoto!" Kanji yelled in surprise, and immediately put his hands forward to bring her out, fearing the worst for her. But Naoto pressed her hands down onto the water, using enough power to bring her head up, her hair now soaking wet. She then stopped however, and quickly pulled back in pain.

"Naoto?" Kanji looked a little worried for her, and watched. Feeling the sting of salt in her eyes though, Naoto rubbed at her irritated eyes with the back of her hands, moaning slightly as she tried to swipe the salt off them.

"Hey, ya alright?" the young man asked Naoto in a caring tone, very unlike him. He even stepped towards her; she looked like she was definitely in pain.

She whined softly, like a girl would, much to her humiliation. She was supposed to be tough and masculine: and a little irritation was making her like this? Another dent to her pride, damn it all. She eventually rubbed the salt off and felt her eyes clear up, much to her relief. After clearing the water, her hands moved from her eyes, her entire face seemed to shine, her eyes contracted and her jaw slightly dropped. Even if she didn't intend it, she looked totally vulnerable, it wasn't funny.

Kanji paused. Her cuteness was just overloading his systems. His chest began to constrict, his throat tightened, how could Naoto be this cute and this charming? He gulped, sweat began to mix with the water, his nostrils flared and he began to breathe much faster and deeper. He gulped once again. What felt like a few minutes began to pass, but awareness began to come to Kanji's world once again as Naoto then dropped her vulnerable expression, and her eyebrows seemed to arc up in surprise at something behind the man.

Then a sudden splash hit Kanji right on the head. The cold sensation caused him to jump slightly, he turned around scowling at who hit him.

Teddie was right in front of him, leaning towards Kanji. "Got you~!"

Taken aback, Kanji at first narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy while trying to stem the redness from his cheeks. Teddie cocked his head to the left with that puckered smile smeared over his face, which encouraged Kanji to push the effeminate boy back right into the water.

"Argh! What was that for!" he yelled.

A high yelp followed by the splash caused drops to fall over Kanji, who stared into the waters below with fierceness in his eyes. Teddie pierced through the water almost like a dolphin, and fell onto his back, grinning at the taller guy all the way. He nudged his head to Kanji's left, "Maybe you should check what's bear-hind you?"

His entire body rotated to the left, "What the-" but it was too late. He got hit on the face with a blast of water. Kanji's jaw dropped, his arms fell back and he almost lost his footing, causing him to fall back into the water… then he pulled his head back up, and there, he saw a rather surprising sight.

Naoto had her arm rested on the water, a visible smile on her face. "You should have seen the look on your face, Kanji-kun. You did not expect that, I see."

His eyes widened until they were almost spheres. Out of all people, Naoto was getting into the water fun? He didn't expect her to take to that kind of thing, and thought she would just paddle about with his help for a little bit, then leave it at that. But this was even better! A grin spread across his face, and softly, Kanji dunked his arm into the water and scooped it forward, splashing some water onto Naoto.

Naoto put her hand forward, blocking the playful splash, but the cool, tingling sensation made her smile some more. It wasn't a small smile either; it was a genuine, lips tucked in, cheeks out, lower eyelids contracted, smile. She then returned the gesture by swiping her hand past the water again, sending another flash of water onto Kanji.

Kanji then felt it hit his chest, and he jumped a little at the ticklish drops falling onto him. He arched an eyebrow, looking rather confident.

For the first time since they arrived, Naoto was smiling and even giggling. And that was the most wonderful sound to Kanji. He couldn't keep the grin off his face. His strong arms threw themselves in front of his face to dodge splashes from both Teddie and Naoto, and he backed his right arm back on the ready.

"So ya got me! Take this!" Kanji, with all his testosterone, gathered up an enormous amount of power in his arm. Kanji screamed with all his manly might, as he threw his arm across the water, swiping a major updraft of water onto both Naoto and Teddie. The sparkling stream slammed onto the two, drenching them further.

Naoto covered herself from the water by pushing her arms forward, chuckling, before she ran off to the shoreline, only her feet covered by the water. She turned, pulled back her leg and kicked the sea, splashing a stream of crystal clear, salty liquid onto Kanji and Teddie. "I will not relent!" shouted Naoto with another loud chuckle.

Kanji was laughing too, but when the water hit him right on the face, he paused, his eyes wide open and his lips pursed out in confusion. The stunned Kanji appeared shocked and confused for only a few seconds, before his eyebrows narrowed, and his mouth twitched at the side to form a dangerous smirk. He looked ready to pounce on Naoto, but Teddie had other ideas….

"Wah! So bear-y salty!" Teddie screamed in faux-fright, quickly shaking his head to get rid of the water, before he then leapt out at Kanji to try and pull him under. Kanji grinned, his strength easily able to overcome the slender, soft pretty boy.

"Ain't gonna take me down that easy!" yelled Kanji, he put an arm around Teddie's waist and he threw Teddie off him, causing him to fly slightly into the air before crashing into the water below, sending water everywhere. Bubbles surfaced, as Teddie seemed to stay underwater. Kanji kept his guard up, but a shadow came over him. He looked right up and found his attention drifting to Naoto, who stood over Kanji in a dominant position.

"I suppose this is… checkmate," a small grin was prominent on her face, she then dumped water right onto Kanji's face, then pushed him into the water. Water enveloped his surroundings, but his arms shot out to try and grab Naoto's own slender arms, only for her to pull back from his grasp. He grunted and pulled his head out from the watery chains, with silky salt water slowly dripping down his face, bringing out his fierce, dominating, yet protective eyes.

For all his skills at intimidation garnered from experience and fighting bikers, he didn't expect Naoto to splash more water on him, which caused him to comically reel back onto his back and stare like a sheep who had been climbing a tower all night, and not to mention, was being chased by his own worst nightmare. The ambush of salt caused Kanji to lose his footing, and he slipped back under the water. Water cascaded above the area of impact, as Naoto stood there, giggling.

Kanji quickly raised his head out of the water, scowling at defeat, "'Ey, I was offguard there…" and saying that, playfully splashed some water up towards Naoto. Naoto pulled back, slightly wide-eyed, but shook her head slowly. She then splashed more water on him, this time with her foot. Kanji's hands whipped out and caught Naoto's foot, and grabbing the other, Kanji shifted Naoto's weight over, so she would tumble softly into the sea.

Stunned, Naoto went wide eyed and fell onto her bottom, briefly sat there in the low shore, blinking as water dripped over her. It was indeed a surprise, and her whole body now was shivering from water everywhere. She stared over at Kanji, with not even an expression on her face. Kanji seemed to raise his eyebrows, taken in… when her foot emerged from, and kicked some water on his face.

Kanji himself fell back into the sea, and when he came back from underwater, he grinned, sharing Naoto's delighted, if still small, smile. He began to rise up to his feet, and same with Naoto.

"Are you ready for more, Kanji-kun?" asked Naoto, ready to splash him once again.

Kanji only put his hand on his bicep and flexed his arm, grinning, "Oh hell yeah!"

As the three played, the sun was starting to go down….

Reviews/feedback are well-appreciated as always. Granted, I felt this chapter kind of stagnated, but ah well. Also, while some of these are obvious, I have a tendency to write in shoutouts to pop culture and music. If any of you can guess them… well, I don't have any prizes. :P