The water was still a little cold, spring only arriving a few weeks ago. Mamoru decided to just jump in to get it over with. His friends would be coming over soon and he wanted to make sure they spent the whole time having fun and hanging out before spring break ended in a week.
When he emerged from under the water, he saw Kunzite greet him from the gate at the fence that separated his property from Kunzite's.
"Hey, 'Moru!" Kunzite walked up to the closest table to deposit his belongings. He grabbed the basketball and brought it with him to the pool.
"Hey, Kunz!" Mamoru greeted before raising his hands up for Kunzite to throw him the ball. "Jump in or take a shot!"
Kunzite shot the ball to Mamoru as he jumped in.
"Whoo, it's cold!" Kunzite acknowledged when he came up.
Mamoru tossed the ball back to Kunzite as he walked up the steps and out of the pool to turn the heat on in the hot tub that would pour into the pool.
"The girls won't come in if it's too cold." Kunzite nodded.
"'Moru?" Mamoru was trying to block Kunzite's shot from going into the basket that was affixed to the backboard hovering over the pool.
"Yeah?" He answered, snatching the ball and making his own shot.
"I'm thinking about going to Crescent Academy instead of Thornwood Prep." Mamoru stopped his movements before he slowly made his way to the ball. Grabbing it, he turned to Kunzite's direction before tossing it to him for his shot.
"Did you decide to take the football scholarship after all?"
Kunzite nodded before taking his shot. "Yeah, and they also have an aeronautical program, so I can continue with my path to aerospace engineering."
"That's awesome! I'm happy for you, Kunz!" Mamoru cheerfully responded, trying to block his shot again.
"We will be rivals." Kunzite added devilishly.
Mamoru laughed. "Yeah, and then we can see who the better player is!"
"Prepare for disappointment, 'Moru!" He excitedly pounded the water when his ball went in the net. "They are state champions!"
Taking a shot, Mamoru watched as his shot made the basket as well. "So is Thornwood and they made nationals last year!"
They both turned to the other gate at the fence leading to Usagi's property line when they heard chatter amongst the girls.
"Hey, boys!" Mina waved as she dropped her items at the other table across from the French doors leading to Mamoru's game room.
"Hi!" Usagi said as well and the boys replied with "Hey-s."
The boys continued with their game and stats as the girls readied themselves with getting pool-ready. Kunzite watched as Mina shimmied out of her coverup, bouncing her breasts in the process. A variety of orange shades colored the balconette top covering her well-developed breasts for fifteen, with the same color for the Brazilian bikini bottoms she sported.
'Gods, she is so hott,' He thought.
Mamoru turned to see what Kunzite was witnessing. He saw Mina and thought she was indeed beautiful, but he was already in love with Usagi, always had been, and couldn't or wouldn't look at any other girl but her.
Usagi was responding to texts she was receiving while Mina was applying sun tan lotion. Kunzite was transfixed on Mina and her actions. No matter what she did, his hormones had him raging with desire for her.
When Usagi finished responding to texts, she began to undress and it was Mamoru's turn to have some eye candy. The knitted coverup she wore was pulled up and over her head, giving him time to view her body without her knowing he was.
Usagi's swimsuit was a white bandeau top with white Brazilian bikini bottoms. Her body was almost identical to Mina's. So much so that everyone thought the two blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls were twins. Usagi had more of a figure-eight body shape while Mina had more of an hourglass figure. Both stunningly beautiful and completely captivated by the boys in the pool and everywhere else, for that matter.
After waiting for Usagi to finish applying sun tan lotion to herself, the girls made their way to the pool. Feeling how cold it was, the girls debated getting in or simply using the pool chaise lounges. They settled for the latter while the boys looked on, between taking shots and trying to better understand, yet fight, their bodies' reactions to the girls.
Several hours later after Kunzite left for football practice and Mina left to join her family for a dinner party, Mamoru and Usagi found themselves in the hot tub together. The sun had already set, but the pool lights and the string lights in the backyard shined around them.
"Are you still planning on going to Crescent Academy?" Mamoru asked after a while of comfortable silence.
Usagi turned her gaze to Mamoru and nodded. "And are you still going to attend Thornwood Prep?"
"Yes," he replied. "Kunzite told me he was going to Crescent too." Mamoru sighed as he leaned his head against the ledge, closing his eyes. "I'm going to feel so alone not having you two with me all the time."
Usagi watched his features. He looked and sounded so sad. Her first instinct was to comfort him. She scooted closer to him and reached for his hand resting on his lap. The bubbles clouded her vision, but she was able to find his hand and bring it to her chest and squeeze it between both of her hands. She was sitting on her legs, facing him.
He opened his eyes and lifted his head to turn and look at her. Her face had worry on it and her eyes were shining with unshed tears. His heart was beating rapidly for an entirely different reason. Her close proximity was stealing his breath away.
"Mamo, it's going to be okay." She squeezed his hand tighter, reassuring herself of the same thing. Truth is, she was terrified of not attending the same school as him as well. The conversation they had over winter break had her heart breaking when she found out. At least it gave her time to prepare. She and Mamoru seemed to be spending even more time together since they found out each other's high school plans. She was a little relieved that Kunzite would be attending with her because Mina had plans for Thornwood Prep too. At least they would each have a friend where they were going.
"We will still see each other and still hang out. Like after school and on the weekends." His eyes dropped, watching the bubbles instead of looking at her. He returned her squeeze, but that was his only response to what she was saying.
"...Mamo?" Her heart was shattering all over again. She felt like he wanted to end their friendship to avoid more heartache down the road.
"I know that. I'm… I'm just…" He didn't know how to continue. He removed his hand from hers and stood up in the middle of the hot tub, still covering his waist down, raking his fingers through his hair, leaving them there, before he finished his thought.
Tears were falling now, petrified beyond belief that she was losing him even more now.
Without turning to look at her, he confessed, "I don't…I don't want to lose you…"
"You won't!" She cried out, jumping up to hug him from behind. He could hear her sobs, feel her shakes from crying. His hands reached up to hold her small hands that were clutching at his chest in a death grip. Under any other circumstances, he would relish in her hands on his naked chest, her voluptuous form pressed against his, but he was trying to calm himself down from this unbearable pain he was tormenting himself with.
"I'm afraid I will lose you to someone else… someone you haven't met yet. Someone who will be there and take you away from me." She couldn't see, but tears slipped down his face now.
Usagi was stunned by his words. Her heart was racing and breathing was becoming erratic. She hugged him tighter, before confessing her true feelings.
With a strong conviction carried in her words that would hopefully give him no more doubts and ease his fears, she said, "That will never happen. I promise." She placed a lingering kiss on his back. "I know this because... because I love you. Only you." Usagi felt his body go rigid. She worried how he would handle this information.
Turning in her embrace, he saw her tear-streaked face, her determined eyes, and her plump, parted lips.
"You love me?" He whispered as he brought the back of his fingers to caress her rosy cheeks.
She nodded and shuttered, "So much, Mamo." Her hands were resting on his chest again, inching up to wipe his tears and cradle his face.
He swallowed the lump in his throat and tightened his jaw. Closing his eyes he rested his forehead against hers. "Usako."
Her whimper to that endearment had him opening his eyes and moving his finger to brush over her bottom lip.
"I love you, Usako. I have since I first saw you in that sandbox."
Her eyes went wide, his confession stunning her to silence.
"Can I kiss you?"
All she could do was nod. With her permission he brought his lips to hers, touching them softly at first before pressing again, causing her to part her lips. He pulled her bottom lip between his, sucking gently. He used his tongue to part her lips farther, slipping in slowly to taste her. Her tongue grazed his. Now he brought her tongue into his mouth, suckling sweetly.
Their hands were roaming each other's bodies, exploring and mapping every soft curve and hard angle.
They soon heard a car pulling up before the garage door sounded. His parents were home.
He kissed her one more time before he told her again that he loved her. She smiled and hugged him and she too professed her love for him again.
They each felt a little better about attending separate schools in the fall, now that they knew of each other's love for one another.
