Poloish and Vera :3

"Uh-huh." Mike countered, nodding his head dramatically before stepping threateningly toward Damon, his steps springy as a boxer's.
He lunged for Damon, but Laiko knocked him aside - stepping between his friends. "Mike, come on, give him a break." Laiko ordered - wrapping his arm protectively around Damon's shoulders and glaring at Mike - who shrugged airily and turned away.
But as soon as he was no longer facing the pair, a devious grin erupted on his face. His plan was working...
If he put this much thought into his schoolwork, then he definitely wouldn't need Laiko's help to pass.
"Do you want to swim?" Laiko asked, turning to Damon with an innocent smile. "And don't mind Mike... He just gets a bit too boisterous sometimes." Laiko chuckled, shaking his head in fond incredulity as he watched Mike kicking casually at the sand a few meters away - pretending not to eavesdrop.

"Great!" Laiko enthused, giving his friend an affectionate squeeze before bouncing over to Mike and telling him the news. Mike let out a loud whoop of delight, then dashed toward the sea and dived in.
Laiko laughed at his friend's antics, and though he was tempted to mimic them, he went back for Damon instead. His friend seemed a little uncertain, and this tugged at a protective instinct that Laiko had seldom had use for before. "Ready to go?" He asked gently, offering his hand to Damon, and letting a soft smile curve his lips.

"Hey... it's okay." Laiko murmured softly - smiling fondly at his friend, and giving his hand a comforting squeeze.
He stayed close beside Damon, protectively shielding him from the world, and lead him briskly to the water where Mike waited, splashing around like an idiot.
He surfaced as Laiko and Damon drew nearer - looking as though he had some smart-mouthed comment to make. But at the sharp glare that Laiko flashed him, Mike remained silent.

"Come on." Laiko encouraged, tugging gently on Damon's hand and leading him into the water. Of course, Laiko was slightly nervous himself - having never swum in the sea before. But he hid it well, putting on a front of complete confidence in the hope that Damon might follow his lead, and lay his own worries at rest.

Laiko blinked in surprise when Damon suddenly pulled out of his grip, but as he dived into the water, a grin crept across Laiko's face. He laughed jubilantly at his friend's antics, then shrugged his shoulders and followed suit - racing forward and diving into the water. It hit him like a frigid blast, and when he surfaced, his teeth were already chattering. "My word, that's cold!" He exclaimed, crouching in the water and rubbing the chill from his arms.
"You'll get used to it." Mike replied, flashing a reassuring smile. So Laiko shrugged, and took Mike's word for it - hoping that the sharp pains of cold would soon leave him.

Laiko was taken by surprise when Damon tackled him, and found himself submerged momentarily before he joined his friend at the surface - leaning gratefully into Damon's warm embrace as his friend wrapped his arms around him. When he was done coughing, he answered through chattering teeth, "How are you not?! This water is freezing!"
He laughed then, wrapping one arm around Damon to give his friend an affectionate squeeze - then, on impulse, dropping a light peck on the top of his head - enjoying the momentary tickle of Damon's damp hair against his lips.
Mike whistled loudly at that point, and Laiko found himself laughing cheerfully and pulling away from Damon to aim a vicious splash at his friend. "Shut up, you!" He ordered, laughing even harder as Mike retaliated, kicking water into Laiko's face. He dived aside to dodge it - and as the fun began, the cold was soon forgotten.

Laiko couldn't help but grin at the sight of his friend's happiness, ad he soon found himself swimming cheerfully about and enjoying the water despite the cold.
After a while of swimming and splashing about, Mike suddenly poked his head up with a suggestion.
"Anybody up for a game of Marco Polo?" He asked, an impish grin playing at his lips. He was determined to come up with that one epic prank... That one prank that could kickstart a relationship between Laiko and Damon - thus finishing what he had started, and making Laiko officially gay.

Damon's laugh caught Laiko's attention, and he glanced over at his friend just in time to see Damon shake the water from his hair. The sight was quite beautiful... In fact, it had never struck him before just how nice Damon's hair was. All dark and shiny... Laiko stared blankly at his friend, and suddenly things he had never noticed before grabbed his attention. Like the way Damon would always lift just one eyebrow... The way he could look perfectly calm, yet excited at the same time. These were just a few of the little things Laiko found so endearing about his friend - yet he had never really noticed them like this before...
Laiko was still staring thoughtfully at Damon when his friend suddenly turned to face him, a wide grin on his face. Then, Laiko couldn't help but laugh - affection for Damon and his silly expression rushing through him. He had to admit, that grin of Damon's was simply adorable.
For a moment, Laiko felt slightly confused - though unsure as to why... But then Damon's question interrupted his thoughts, and he quickly refocused. "Oh... Uh... Um..." He stuttered, struggling to rearrange his scrambled thoughts. "Sure, why not!" He managed finally, his own face lighting up with a grin now. "But I don't fully understand how it works, some somebody will have to-"
But he broke off then as Mike popped up from underwater at his side, sending a cold shower of droplets over him. Laiko gave a yelp of surprise as Mike suddenly dragged him aside. Once they were out of earshot, Mike explained the game.
A short while later, the pair returned to Damon - Mike grinning like an idiot and Laiko frowning thoughtfully - seeming somewhat uncertain about something.

"Ready!" Mike replied with an enthusiastic grin, leaping up in the water and splashing Laiko again. Laiko wiped the water from his face - then cast aside his doubt and merely shrugged, a faint smile on his lips. "Ready." He echoed with a faint chuckle.
He still wasn't completely sure about this - but if Mike said it was okay... Well, then...
Meh, Mike knew best anyway. No point in him worrying!
"Okay Damon, you go first." Mike ordered, still grinning like an idiot.

Mike stifled an excited squeal as Damon closed his eyes and turned away, and Laiko glanced at him quizzically. Then, when Damon called out 'Marco', Mike threw Laiko a meaningful glance and silently gestured toward Damon. Laiko glanced doubtfully from Damon to Mike and back again - something telling him that this was not a great idea... But at Mike's silent orders, Laiko finally gave in - reminding himself that Damon had agreed to play this game. So obviously, it was not as weird as it seemed.
So Laiko shrugged off his doubts, and glided silently nearer to Damon. Then, drawing in a deep breath, followed Mike's advice and leaned in to kiss his friend.
Mike, meanwhile, had stealthily crept away.

Laiko let the kiss drag on a moment longer, then pulled back hesitantly. With a calm but confused expression on his face, he considered what had just happened for a moment, until he finally reached a conclusion.
"Hmm... I was right, that was weird." He announced finally, frowning slightly, and watching Damon with vague curiosity - wondering how he would react if this was indeed just a prank that Mike had pulled, as Laiko was now assuming.

"I wasn't supposed to do that, huh...?" Laiko mumbled uncertainly - gnawing on his lip to relieve his stress - then ceasing abruptly when he realised the taste of Damon's lips was still there. For some reason, this thought made him blush slightly.
"I, uh... Sorry..." He muttered in a small voice, edging slightly further away from Damon. Had his actions upset his friend...? Why would Mike do this?! Where was Mike, anyway...?

"Yeah... I figured it was okay, since Mike said so..." Laiko trailed off uncertainly, then stood in awkward silence a moment. He didn't like that much, so he decided to break it by innocently pointing out the obvious. "It's cold." He complained in a timid voice - pouting slightly, and rubbing his arms to erase the chill.