Falling

When Sora woke her up and asked if she was having breakfast Mizuki just kissed him and mumbled, "Later."

"Okay," he replied gently as she nestled back down beside him.

He ignored the restlessness of his own stomach and laid there, watching her like he was memorizing every curve and occasionally reaching out to stroke her hair or touch her skin for a moment, until she finally woke up around noon.

Mizuki rolled out of bed without a backward glance, although she heard his exasperated sigh. After attending to immediate needs, she walked back to the bed where he still waited, although he'd sat up. Without saying anything, she stripped.

Sora raised his brows, then grinned at her and held out his arms. She crawled into his lap and kissed him.

"Demanding," he murmured. She hesitated and he grinned at her and insisted, "Don't stop."

She kissed him harder and he pulled a familiar packet out of his pocket. They crashed together a bit later like the waves against the beach outside.

Neither of them said anything when they finished, but they kissed a lot, and did it again in the shower before leaving the room.

--

Shizune was still yawning when Mizuki finally entered their room, although she was already dressed in a bikini with a sheer over shirt. "Finally!" she told Mizuki.

"Finally what?" Mizuki asked laughingly. "I bet you slept as long as I did, and I'm starving, but you look dressed for the beach."

Shizune blushed, but insisted, "Well put on your suit, and eat some fruit and stuff like I did. I told Hattori-san that I'd let him take us snorkeling this afternoon."

Mizuki hesitated and Shizune asked a bit sharply, "What? I thought you were trying to get me to let him take us?"

"Can I invite Sora?" Mizuki requested.

Shizune shrugged and pointed out, "You could ask Hattori-san if that's alright?"

Mizuki considered it for a moment, and then told her sister, "Let me ask Sora if he'd even go before I find out. There's no point if he doesn't want to."

She stepped outside, walked over to where Sora had sat at the edge of the walk, and asked hesitantly, "If it's okay with the guy who offered to take us snorkeling, would you like to go with us?"

Sora grinned at her. "Sure," he agreed easily as he stood up.

Mizuki hugged him and smiled. They stood there grinning at each other foolishly for a minute, and then she pulled out her phone to call Hattori Shinichi and ask.

Shinichi replied dubiously, "I'm not sure it would be safe to add another person if none of you have any experience."

Sora spoke up from behind Mizuki's ​shoulder, "I'm already scuba certified. I can look after Mizuki while you keep an eye on Shizune-chan."

Shinichi promptly agreed, and Sora promised to bring his own gear as well.

After she ended the call, Mizuki turned to Sora and demanded he lean down enough that she could kiss him again before asking, "Did you eat breakfast this morning? I'm starving, but we have fruit and stuff we bought at the grocery store in our room."

He admitted that he hadn't but pointed out, "I have a car rented, and we could just go out to lunch before going swimming."

She hesitated a moment before finally deciding to just tell him honestly, "I don't want to spend the rest of my spending money on eating out."

His lips quirked with amusement and he kissed her again before telling her agreeably, "Whatever you want to do? I'll buy lunch if you like, or eat fruit and stuff with you."

"Fruit today, lunch out somewhere tomorrow?" she suggested hopefully.

"Sure," he agreed with a grin.

--

They met Shinichi at the beach where they'd first met him. Both Shinichi and Sora already had their own gear, and Shinichi had brought masks for the girls.

"We don't get flippers too?" Mizuki asked curiously.

Shinichi told her, "If you get comfortable with the mask today you can have flippers to start learning with tomorrow if you want."

Sora grinned at her, but didn't interrupt as Shinichi gave them a brief safety lecture on swimming in the ocean. When he finished, Mizuki warned him before he lead Shizune into the water, "Shizu-nee-chan is an indifferent swimmer."

Shizune blushed as she admitted that Mizuki was telling the truth.

Shinichi just grinned at the two sisters, but said to Sora, "Then it's even better that you came along Konami-san."

Sora nodded soberly, but then winked at Mizuki when she looked at him, and she blinked.

Shinichi took Shizune's hand and they all walked out into the water. The waves pushed at them much more than Mizuki had expected, but Sora let her make her own way out. They practiced with the masks where they could all still touch comfortably.

Mizuki felt that nature was unfair, as she was forced to remain a little closer to shore until Shinichi was satisfied that none of them were likely to breathe water while trying to clear their own mask. Once he was reasonably sure that she wouldn't drown, Shinichi offered to tow Shizune out along the coral formations. Mizuki watched them depart and then she and Sora swam out a little.

After watching her for a few minutes Sora pulled her up and told her, "You have to stop fighting the waves."

"But they'll carry me out?" Mizuki objected.

He showed her how to relax as the waves pulled them away from the direction they wanted to go and swim when they pushed in the direction they wanted.

After a surprisingly short time Mizuki admitted, "Sora, I'm exhausted already. I had no idea it would be this difficult."

He looked at her with surprise, but agreed, "Okay. You are finally getting it, but let's take a break."

She fell when she tried to stand up after they returned to the shallows, and said with surprise, "Maybe I waited too long, my body feels like lead." Sora frowned, scooped her up, and carried her out of the water. She didn't even protest, but looked around a little anxiously and asked, "Do you see them?"

Sora pointed them out, "Over there."

Mizuki asked worriedly, "Aren't they really far out?"

He shrugged. "Hattori-san seems to know what he's doing, and it's not that far, I could get to them within a couple minutes easily."

Mizuki apologized guiltily, "Sorry I'm holding you back."

Sora grinned as he assured her, "You're doing fine. If you keep working on it, tomorrow or the next day you'll be able to swim out that far with me, instead of being towed like luggage."

--

Shizune didn't mind being towed. It was amazing, and she felt like they were swimming through a fish tank. There were so many fish, and the water was so warm. It was fascinating. Shinichi pointed out especially vibrant or interesting things and they moved slowly through the water.

They stayed at one spot watching a school of delicate transparent jellyfish for a while. When he floated around to face her, she was suddenly distracted from the fish. His reaction to her was very visible and she reached out to touch him.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up until they were face to face on the surface, then pulled up his mask and said scoldingly, "Unless you want me to do you, don't do that Shizune-chan."

She pushed up her own mask and kissed him.

--

Mizuki opened her eyes where she was resting against Sora's chest and scanned the water for her sister and Hattori-san again. After she spotted them she sat up and asked Sora worriedly, "What are they doing?"

Sora looked out and watched for a moment before laughing. He looked down into Mizuki's worried face and told her, "I'm betting that either Hattori-san is in really good shape or your sister is very buoyant."

Mizuki looked at him in shock as she realized what he was implying, and then hid her face against him. But after a moment she looked out again and admitted anxiously, "I don't want to watch but I don't want them to drown."

Sora laughed and asked, "Do you want me to watch?" Mizuki nodded and pressed her face back into his chest. After a couple more minutes he told her, "It's safe to look. They are already done and heading back to us."

She looked up and told him rather fervently, "Thank you."

He laughed again and pulled her up for a kiss.

--

When they came out of the water after they got back to shore, Shinichi asked Shizune worriedly, "Were you stung anywhere?"

She looked back at him in surprise and asked, "Were you?"

He blushed and nodded and showed her a little red mark on his hip when they were completely out of the water. He examined her carefully and then declared with relief, "It looks like you're fine. I've never had a bad reaction to the ones here, but some people do."

Shizune turned bright red all over when Mizuki asked with interest, "Stung by what?"

Shinichi's blush faded as he turned and explained, "The jellyfish. They are still tiny, but they are swarming all over the reef right now."

Shizune couldn't help laughing as Mizuki immediately dragged Sora back into the water for a chance to view the swarming jellyfish that she hadn't noticed.