[PP/F8] Hanging by a Moment

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa felt the warm feeling of happiness flood through her when Hikoru accepted the cat. Tanine Willowflame seemed to have instantly taken a liking to him. Something that was rare indeed. Kityuisa walked further into her home, "Do you want some coffee? It's about the only thing I know how to make other than sandwiches... I'm not as good of a cook as you are.." Her eyes twinkled as she remembered how delicious Hikoru's food had been.

Kityuisa herself did want a bit of coffee, "Either way, I want some..." Kityuisa stayed put in her spot, her fingers nervously drawing close to her body. She began to twiddle her thumbs. "D-do you want to go swimming?" The fact that Kityuisa had not yet swam in the ocean was something she didn't want to reveal.. She never had any guests over, and swimming by yourself isn't the most fun thing to do. The closest i've been to swimming has been training in my little farm thing.. Kityuisa shyly smiled, "If you do... I have a bathroom upstairs... I don't have a swimsuit that would be your style.. Unless you want to wear a bikini... But um... If you have something... Or even shorts..." Kityuisa found herself stumbling with her nerves. 

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru scratched the cat quietly, feeling the purring against his chest as he did so. Kit asked if he wanted some coffee, and he just let out a low laugh. "What kind of question is that? I always want coffee." He teased. He let the cat down gently, brushing off the few bits of hair particles. Kayaba had really taken care of the fine details, where cats shed onto his clothing when picked up. He turned around as he heard Kit start to stutter. She asked if he wanted to go swimming, and he felt a small blush form on his face. He nodded slowly.

"Sure, I haven't gone swimming in a long time..." He said, then gave another light chuckle. "The Hot springs don't really count, as those are just something that you sit in and relax, not actually move and have fun." He said quietly. She mentioned that she had a bathroom upstairs, and he nodded, looking for the stairs. He started towards them, and looked over his shoulder. "I'll be right back." He spoke, then went up to the bathroom. Once within the private sanctum, he opened his inventory and opened his UI, taking off the clothes he had been wearing and putting on the pair of swim trunks he owned. Although, he equipped his cloak, as to hide his semi-revealing body from the girl until they got out on the beach, not feeling entirely comfortable with wearing this in her house. After he was finished, he opened the door and quietly went down the stairs.

[Kityuisa 0]

Kityuisa grinned, "I've got a lot of different types, so it's really up to you." Kityuisa watched as he set her familiar down, Tanine Willowflame padding away to go play with the toys that Kityuisa had gotten made for her. Kityuisa thought for a moment, "I remember what you had in your coffee before, when you brought me back to your place, so i'll try to match it the best I can." Then came the subject of swimming. The hot springs... "We should go sometime.. together..." She fiddled with her fingers again, nerves taking place in the pit of her stomach. As Hikoru went upstairs to use the bathroom, Kityuisa headed straight for the kitchen.

She set up the coffee to brew, before opening her own UI. She would change right here, into her bathing suit. Once she was done, she went back to the coffee. By the time it finished brewing, Hikoru was downstairs. She pulled the necessary items for his coffee, making it as close to the time he had made it as possible. Then she added some unsweetened almond milk to her own. She headed for the bottom of the stairs, both cups in her hands. Her eyes glanced Hikoru up and down, her bottom lip puckering as she pouted. "No faiiirrr.. You have a cloak on..." Now she felt lightly awkward in her own bathing suit... She held his cup out, "Here's your coffee.." She started to sip on her own, trying to cover as much of herself as she could, now feeling a lot less confident.

Spoiler

*note: her chest is smaller than picture.

 

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru nodded as Kit mentioned they should go sometime. "Yeah, I usually go there to cool down after a fight on the fields. Help to clear my mind." He spoke, then went upstairs. He came back down to see Kit in her bathing suit, and a full blush fell on his face. He did his best not to stare as he took the cup of coffee, taking his trembling hands with the coffee in it and sipping quietly, He looked around the house as he did so, sipping quietly as he did and looking at all the different views, areas and little things Kit has on her walls and in rooms. He let out a sigh as he finally finished calming himself down. He came over to Kit and kissed her forehead gently, placing the empty mug of coffee on the nearby area, and smiled softly.

"Let's go for a swim." He spoke softly, leaning down to whisper those words into her ear. He then stood and went to the door to the beach. Outside, the sun was starting to set as the sky turned a beautiful hue of different oranges, yellows and even pinks. He smiled and made his way onto the sand, his toes touching it for the first time in a long time, enjoying the sensation that he felt at this current time. "It's been far too long since I've seen a nice sunset." He said with a chuckle. "Spending far too much time in those caverns..." He turned to look at kit, his cloak slowly falling off of him, revealing his broad shoulders and toned back, smiling and starting into the water. It was cold, far colder than expected, but it felt fantastic.

Hikoru's Swimsuit (Hidden underneath cloak):

Spoiler

 

[Kityuisa 0]

As Hikoru took the cup of coffee from her, she could see him trying not to look at her. Kityuisa sipped her coffee, until it was halfway. As Hikoru walked forward, placing his cup on a table, Kityuisa set hers down as well. Hikoru kissed her forehead, whispering in her ear. Kityuisa felt a blush creep up, before Hikoru could walk towards the door, she reached out. She latched her hand around his arm, pulling him back a little. That way he was facing her. She looked at him, making eye contact. "You can look if you want to." Kityuisa gave him a soft smile, wrapping her arms around him. Once her hug was finished, she let go of Hikoru and followed him out to the sand. 

The sky was alight with colors, Kityuisa loved how realistic everything looked and felt here... Kityuisa saw Hikoru's flicker of movement. His cloak dropping. Her eyes making contact with every piece of bare skin that now was revealed on his body. I'm one lucky girl.. Kityuisa couldn't help but let her thoughts burst forth into her mind. Kityuisa realized he might think she was staring, so she looked up towards his face. His feet making contact with the water, Kityuisa walked forward. Joining him, "It feels good." She reached out, her fingers wrapping around his own. She now stood on her tip-toes as she attempted to whisper in Hikoru's ear. She had to try to get him to lower his body though, "You look really good..." If he looked at her face, her eyes would be genuine. 

[Hikoru 0]

As Hikoru attempted to leave, he felt a tugging on his arm and was pulled back to Kityuisa. He raised an eyebrow, as she innocently but confidentially said that he could look, and he blushed as she pulled into a hug. He pulled her close, making sure to keep himself hidden beneath the blue cloak until he got onto the beach. Once she let go he did as well, and they went outside. He watched her eyes widen as the cloak fell from his shoulders, and a playful smile was on his lips. He chuckled and enjoyed the feeling of the water on his feet. Kit held onto his hand, and soon motioned for him to bend down, and he did so. She spoke a few words, and the words made him blush, and a small smile formed on his lips. He kissed her on the lips gently

"And you look gorgeous." He spoke, then picked her up bridal style, taking her into the waters with a chuckle, slowly fading into the waders as if he was apart of some sort of horror movie. As they grew deep enough to swim, he let her go and swam in the water like a buoy, staying above the waters and relishing the refreshing feeling the water had given him.

[Kityuisa 0]

A gentle kiss, sweet yet sincere. The kind written in romantic novels, yet one that Kityuisa had never experienced for herself before she had met Hikoru. The sweet kiss, unexpected yet appreciated. Kityuisa kissed him back, her lips finding their place. He pulled away, telling her that she too looked gorgeous before scooping her up and bringing her to the water. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding on as he brought her into the deeper water. She felt safe while Hikoru was holding her but as soon as he let go of her, she felt fear strike through her body. Despite the time she had spent with Alec with the snake. When she had been in the water she had made sure that the bottom was close to the point that she only ever stood where the water was chest-high. She may act confident, but truth be told, she couldn't swim. Endless depths of water till her feet touched the bottom scared her. She liked the beach, yes. She liked sitting on the beach, or standing in waist-high water. 

So, the moment he let go of her, leaving her to try to swim in the water, she wrapped her body back around his, "I'm sorry..." She didn't want to explain her problem to him, the fact being that she had never learned how. Instead, she kept her arms around him, trying to keep her head above the surface while making sure she wouldn't drown Hikoru.

[Hikoru 0]

As Hikoru let go of Kityuisa, he realized that she was completely terrified of the water, and held onto him for dear life. He realized that maybe he should have asked if she could swim, but whats happened has happened, and he just chuckled, and started to swim back towards the more shallow end. He got to where he was at about pectoral height in the water, then stopped, helping Kityuisa get back into the water instead of around him. He smiled, then grabbed her.

"I want you to trust me real quick, okay?" He spoke quietly, a look of sincerity in his eyes. "Now, take a deep breath, and come down with me." He said, then took a deep breath, and slowly sunk into the water. He waited for Kit to join him, and when he did he came closer, pulling her in for a kiss beneath the waves, the crashing sounds above them only being a dull roar as everything melted away, and he saw the sunset cascade onto her golden locks. He wrapped his arms around her waist, then slowly lifted them from the waters, still kissing as the broke the surface. He pulled away and laughed. "Okay, that's the last surprise kiss." He said. "For now."

[Kityuisa 0]

A simple nod of her head was enough to prove that Kityuisa did in fact trust Hikoru. When he slowly sunk into the water after taking a deep breath, her gaze watched where he had sunk down. She too took a deep breath before sinking beneath the waves. She reached out, feeling Hikoru's bare shoulder. Her heart beating wildly as he pulled her closer to him his lips attaching to hers as they stayed beneath the ocean waves. Her eyes closed as she relished in the moment, never having felt this way about anyone before. She would then swear to herself that she would never lose him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling them back up to above the surface. 

Until at last, he pulled away. Kityuisa puckered her lips, pouting silently, sad over the fact that they had ended the moment that they had just shared. "Last surprise kiss from you?" Her eyes twinkled,  "Doesn't mean I can't get my surprise kisses in." Her joking manner stopped for a moment, "Teach me how to float..." 

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru just laughed at Kityuisa's flirting and smiled softly, happy that she seemed to be in better spirits. She then asked him to teach her how to float, and he nodded, bringing her to more shallow waters and letting her go. "Floating is the easier of things to do." He said, laying down and his body resting near the top of the water, slightly submerged but his head above water. "You have to let the water do its job of pushing your body, but you need to make sure your body stays filled with air. Since Air is lighter than water, it floats to the top, along with your body."

He let out the air that was trapped in his lungs slowly, making sure to make it easy to see for Kit. As the air slowly left his body, he started to sink into the waters. Then he took a deep breath, and his body floated to the top. "It's just practice before you can learn to do it. But if you let your ears rest under the water, you can hear the currents around you." He spoke as he slowly put his ears under, hearing the crashing waves against the shore. He sat up and looked at Kit. "Let's see if you can do it."

[Kityuisa 0]

Trying to float in the water below her, would prove to be a somewhat simple task. She had never tried before and watching Hikoru it made it seem easy. She listened to his words as he spoke. "Hold your hands out just in case?" Kityuisa pleaded with her loved one, wanting him to agree to protect her in case things went south. Kityuisa did as he had done. She laid on her back in the water. Kityuisa did as he had told her to do.

Her body relaxing as she sat with the front half of her body exposed. The water that lined her skin glistening as the sun hit it just right. Kityuisa closed her eyes, and let her ears relax under the water. She listened, being able to hear the currents. Her smile started to spread across her face. Until she started to panic. Her head bobbed down and her body started to trash. "Help..."

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru nodded as Kit asked for him to have his arms under her, placing them gently underneath her, slightly hovering beneath her so she could actually attempt to float on her own without his help. She seemed to be enjoying it for a while, but she started to panic a little. His arms instantly shot up, lifting her body safely out of the water, and he smiled. "See? You did great for your first time." He spoke. "But let's get you a little more used to it safely." After this, he held onto her back and under her legs gently, lowering her body slowly back into the water and her body slightly lapped over the waves. He held onto her as her head went back slightly under the water, so her ears were within the waves to hear the currents, but her body didn't come anywhere near close to going under. He made sure of it.

After a few moments, he helped her up. "It's a little bit of practice, but it's one of the things I used to do when I had a stressful day." He said with a chuckle. "The sound of the waves is something that calms me down, and brings my mind to a sense of peace." He looked back to the shore and saw that it was starting to grow dark. "I think it's time we dry off and head inside. It's starting to get a little too dark for my liking, and as safe as I feel with you, I don't want to test to see if mobs will spawn at night." He said with a light-hearted chuckle.

[Kityuisa 0]

The strong arms of Hikoru held her body above the water as he had her lay back on her back. His hands continuing to make contact as she listened to the waves and the currents. The night was surely coming, and although her beach was pretty much safe and sound with next to no monsters, minus a few weak ones she had to slay here and there, the waves and current got steadily faster and larger as the moon rose into the sky. "More so for the strong currents and waves." Kityuisa agreed with Hikoru and held onto him until she was able to stand at waist-length water. Once at that depth, she took the lead, her fingers dropping to lace around Hikoru's fingers.

She grinned back at him before picking up the pace, "I'll race you~" She let go of his hand and moved her legs through the water, breaking into a run and splashing water everywhere as she made her way to the beach. Once there, she stood as the water lightly lapped at her toes. She rested her hands on her knees and took a few deep breaths. Then she looked up to see whether Hikoru had beat her or if she had beat him. 

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru helped Kit get to more shallow water, as she was still afraid to swim, and soon she stood on her own two legs. After she was okay, he thought that he was done. But, she challenged him to a race. At first, he thought of going easy, not actually trying with her, but he realized that it would be wrong to do so. He had to give her a little... incentive, to get stronger and get to the frontlines. He wanted her to be there, as leaving her at her home whenever he had to go made him worry about her, not knowing where she was or if she was safe. There was a lot of drama that always seemed to follow him, ever since he wielded Shadowed Path, and even though it was dangerous at the floor boss fights, it would make him feel better if she was there for him to protect.

"Alright then." he simply spoke, then darted out of the water quickly. With his stats, he didn't need to focus on strength or power as much as other Frontliners did. For this, he made up for it with Speed and Accuracy, and his attacks seemed to show that. Soon he was onto the shore while Kit was still wading through the water, the waves seemingly ineffective against him. As she came and gasped for breath from being tired, he just laughed and pat her head. "Good try, but I win this time." He said kindly, offering her a hand to help her up.