Interlude: The Pool

Interlude: The Pool

MIKO

Have you ever regretted saying something and couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards? I went bikini shopping with Kayla yesterday, and without realizing it, I suggested to her that we should share the changing room... She probably thinks I'm a greedy, horny animal now.

But I swear, I'm not particularly eager to watch Kayla undress. I'm not saying that I don't find her attractive, but she's a woman like me. Accordingly, I'm familiar with the female body.

These thoughts are killing me. I've never had to worry about anything like this before.

Last night was also terrible because I was afraid that Kayla would expect me to make some kind of move as soon as we went to bed. I got so nervous at some point that I turned away from her and forced myself to fall asleep.

Fortunately, Kayla still seemed happy. We were sitting on the bus that was taking us closer to the swimming pool we wanted to visit.

I tried to look forward to the cold water of the pool. The last time I'd been in one was last summer when Eliza suggested we should visit one at the end of a guild meeting. Thinking back to how Lilith bought a family ticket for the three of us, I couldn't blame anyone for thinking those two were my mom’s.

But back to the present.

We left the bus and had to walk for around two minutes until we arrived at our destination.

The swimming pool had only opened up around half an hour ago; we purposefully had gone so early to escape the midday heat and to avoid large crowds. But what we feared as we walked over the parking lot was confirmed in the entrance area. There were already around fifteen people queuing in front of us to buy tickets.

"I guess we weren't the only ones with this plan," I whispered to Kayla.

“Seems so.” She answered briefly and smiled at me as she grabbed my hand.

Once we got home from our shopping trip yesterday, we talked about holding hands and physical contact in general. She was worried that I wouldn't be interested or even upset if she tried to touch me in any way.

I explained to her that I was still very insecure and that the heat made it unbearable to touch each other. But I assured her that if she ever felt like she wanted to do something, she should just do it.

I liked holding her hand. It was a little smaller and softer than mine. The sensation was hard to describe. It just felt good.

After a short wait, we bought our tickets for the swimming pool and went into the changing room. We looked for lockers next to each other and took out our towels first. We planned to spend time in the outdoor pools and to relax in the grassy areas around the water.

I wasn't sure if it was me, but somehow, neither of us wanted to start undressing. I was already wearing the bikini Kayla had picked out for me under my clothes, so it wasn't that exciting. Still, somehow, I was nervous thinking about how she would react. I have spent about twenty minutes this morning looking at myself in our bathroom mirror from every available angle to check if there is anything odd about my body. Luckily, I found nothing apart from those stupid-looking mana seals on my arms.

To stall for time, I started to put my hair in a ponytail. But she simply did the same and smiled at me nervously.

"Aah! I want to get in the water now." It was Kayla who unbuttoned her pants first and threw them into the locker. I didn't dare to look at her but started to undress as well. This whole situation felt like an out-of-body experience.

In the end, we actually managed to get ready for the pool. Kayla was also wearing the bikini I had picked out for her under her clothes, so all we had to do now was get in the shower.

Of course, I wanted to see what Kayla looked like right now, and somehow, I wanted to show her my body in that bikini, but it felt wrong to look at her. My eyes were fixed on the ground below me, only occasionally looking up to avoid bumping into something or someone.

In one of those moments, my gaze got stuck halfway up. To be precise, it got stuck on Kayla's behind. She was walking in front of me, and I just looked directly at her butt. It was only a few seconds, but it felt so illegal to stare at her...

As soon as we entered the indoor swimming hall, the smell of chlorine, the only reason why I actually prefer to go to a lake, hit my nose. Kayla, on the other hand, breathed in deeply and enjoyed the chemical aroma.

We headed straight for the doors to the outside area and left the stuffy hall. We were welcomed by fresh air and temperatures perfect for wearing practically nothing.

“Let’s go to the big one with the whirlpool areas,” Kayla said and started walking in its direction, but I stopped her with a brief touch on her back.

"Wait... How do I look?" She chose my outfit, so naturally, I was curious to know if she was happy with it.

She stopped and turned around. I felt her eyes on me and instinctively hid some of my body behind my arms, not that this would have made any difference.

While I gave her time to look at me, I also analyzed my clothing choice for Kayla. Her bikini looked more like a skin-tight crop top combined with regular bikini pants. But it emphasized every curve she had and made it clear how slender her body was.

"You look great... let's go in the water." She mumbled, turned around, and began running towards the pools. She chose the path round the outside across the grass because it would be annoying to slip right at the start and smash yourself on something.

Just wait for me

I ran right behind her and stopped thinking about everything for the moment. I can’t remember acting that childlike before.

Shortly before I reached her, she turned and looked at me. Her eyes seemed fixed on something. What was she staring at? I kept chasing her, but she became slower and slower, still focusing her eyes on me.

Finally, she dropped to her knees, and when I stood in front of her, she raised her hands in my direction.

"Lock me up, officer. I deserve to be arrested after staring at the heavens for so long."

“What are you talking about?”

She moved the index finger of her right hand to point at something.

I followed the direction with my eyes and landed right on my chest.

She was staring at my bouncing boobs!?

Was this a moment where I was supposed to feel violated? Or should I rather be proud of my assets?

I opted for the second option and helped Kayla up. She didn't want to let go of the hand I was pulling her with, so we walked side by side to the whirlpools.

It's not like I was afraid of being condemned for holding hands with another woman. I would probably have felt similarly uncomfortable in the same situation with a man. But yesterday, in the city, where there was more going on, I felt much more comfortable; here, with so few people around us, I felt like every glance we received was judgmental.

"Finally!" Kayla's voice as she put her first foot in the whirlpool chased away any thoughts I had. I just saw her smile and followed her into the water.

“Eww, the water is warm.”

“What did you expect? It’s a whirlpool.”

“I don’t know, cold water with bubbles?”

“But it still feels refreshing, doesn’t it?

We settled down next to the vents from which the air was pumped to make the water bubble. It tickled my hand when I accidentally touched one.

Sitting on them could be funny

"I want to go into the cold water."

"You're free to go." I closed my eyes and tried to relax.

Without looking, I knew exactly what expression she was making at that moment.

"Two more minutes, okay?" I was optimistic that she would last that long.

"Fine, but I want to sit here."

Before I could respond, I felt her move through the water and grab my legs, pulling herself onto my lap.

"Your ponytail is right in my face."

"Then put me in a position you like."

I maneuvered my hands under the water and grabbed Kayla by her waist. What a pleasant feeling, just the perfect mix of firm and soft. I carefully pushed her a little further away from me so that she could rest the back of her head on my body without drowning.

“Is that comfy?” I asked her, still holding onto her waist.

“Uh-huh.”

Her ponytail tickled my skin as she bobbed her head back and forth.

What if I move my hands up a bit higher?

My intrusive thoughts took over, and I slowly stroked up her sides, feeling her ribs under my fingers.

“Tha.. that tickles.”

"I'm sorry!" I immediately took my hands away from her body.

"I didn't tell you to stop, but maybe we should go for a swim now. It's pretty hot in here."

She slowly slid away and stood up right in front of me.

I swear I was just looking straight ahead, but this gave me the perfect view of sights that no one but me should ever see.

That's what I decided at that very moment.