Joshua gave a loud whoop of excitement before running towards the inviting blue and green of the lake. The water was like a jolt of ice upon his burning flesh and he dived to the bottom, seeing that it was rather shallow. He rose to the surface with a grin of delight.

   “This is so beautiful, Kunimi! I can almost forgive you for bringing me all the way down here.”

   Kunimi laughed softly and waded into the water to join his friend. “I’m glad you like it. The color…” He stopped for a moment and turned his face away as if embarrassed at what he was about to say, but he finished up quickly. “The water…reminded me of your eyes.” And to punctuate his words, he gathered a handful to splash it towards his surprised companion.

   “Hey!” came the cry of indignation as Joshua gathered a handful himself to splash at Kunimi. For a while they continued with their playful antics, laughing and dodging as best they could from each other’s attacks. Exhaustion and hunger slowly crept in and both boys floated languidly, staring in awe at the tiny streaks of light seeping through the holes of their natural hideout.

   “I can’t believe you found this place all by yourself,” Joshua whispered as the water licked against his thighs. “When did you discover it?”

   “When I was ten,” Kunimi replied with a wistful but pained smile. “I was running away from home at the time.”

   Joshua gave a sidelong glance at his friend but said nothing. He knew Kunimi would tell the tale if he felt like it.

   “My dad and grandpa were fighting again, and I remember Mom crying in the corner of the room. But I had had enough and didn’t want to hang around anymore to listen, so I ran out of the house…and just kept running. I figured if I could get as far away as possible, they’d never find me and I’d go back to the city with the money I had saved up and never come back here.”

   “But you found this place instead,” Joshua mused aloud.

   “It’s funny; I didn’t really appreciate it at first because I hid over there.” He lifted an arm to point towards a section of the grotto hidden from any watchful eye from the outside. “But after I fell asleep and woke up, I took one look at the lake and realized it reminded me of you and…I didn’t feel so alone anymore.”

   Joshua’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment and giddy pleasure at Kunimi’s words. He couldn’t believe his friend would be so open with him like this. And with the combination of the summer heat and the relative intimacy of their hideout, he felt a surge of confidence flow through his body. It was going to be daring and pretty risky to take the plunge like this, but it was best to know now about his friend’s true feelings than not knowing at all.

   He opened his mouth to say something but was beaten by Kunimi’s softly spoken words.

   “I haven’t scared you off now, have I?”

   “Wha…what do you mean?” He gasped as he suddenly found himself staring into Kunimi’s piercing black eyes, mere inches away from him. His hungry gaze flew towards the full parted lips that looked so inviting…tempting. How he longed to taste them!

   “Are you afraid of me now?” Kunimi asked as he reached out to place a wet palm upon his friend’s cheek. He smiled.

   Joshua’s breathing became rapid “Aa...afraid of you?” he managed to whisper shakily as he unconsciously parted his lips to allow Kunimi’s wandering thumb into it. He felt his lashes growing heavier, the air around them growing thicker with a tension unlike any he had experienced before. “I…I’m not…” But anything else he would have said dissolved into a helpless moan as his tongue brushed against the smooth flesh of Kunimi’s finger. He closed his eyes and became bolder with his tease, sucking gently on the offered flesh, knowing that this was also affecting Kunimi as well.

   “Joshua…?” Kunimi began, leaving his question unfinished but poignant with meaning. He watched in silent awe as those incredibly long lashes lifted slowly to reveal the breathtaking green eyes. Their gazes remained locked for an indefinite period of time as the world spun around them, but all seemed to come to a standstill as the blond finally covered the small distance between them. Shyly, their lips met and a sharp jolt of awareness— not unlike pure electricity—coursed through their bodies as they gasped in unison. They withdrew and then met again, this time pressing their trembling lips a bit more tightly to each other’s as if afraid that the moment wouldn’t last for very long.

   Their hands reached for each other and clung tightly, legs now treading water even as their knees threatened to buckle with the intense feelings they were experiencing. Joshua deduced that kissing Kunimi like this felt good, that being this close to his best friend made him feel incredibly alive. He felt the coolness of the water against his thighs, but it was soon replaced by the undeniable heat, which began to emanate from their groins. Joshua made the mistake of moaning in response and was shocked into submission when he felt Kunimi’s tongue slip into his mouth hastily. He felt his cheeks darkening with color at the intimate contact, but he made no effort to push Kunimi away. Shyly, he licked and stroked Kunimi’s tongue with his, their breathing becoming harsher as their legs interlocked to bring their already flushed bodies closer. This was so much better than he had ever thought it would be, and Joshua never wanted to stop. He almost whimpered as Kunimi slowly pulled away with a smack of his lips and a satisfied smile on his handsome features.

“I can make you feel even better, Josh,” he said softly as he allowed his hand to wander towards the stiffening flesh beneath the wet pair of shorts which were now clinging to Joshua like a second skin.