A Much Needed Vacation

[SRG]

Yusuke was enjoying the massage he was getting from her. It felt like a way of relaxation from the art he was drawing. Soon enough when he praised her, she didn’t seem to take too kindly. He felt her letting go of his back and was confused by it before he sat up on his eyes.

He saw her covering her face in shame, as if she doesn’t deserve any praise. The boy would wrap his arms around her and said”Yukino you are worthy of praise” He whispered into her ear. “You may have lost to Kira, but you fought against the Qualifiers, you fought Nashi in your hardest match to date and now you are in the contenders list for the Openweight title, you are worthy” He said gently as he grabbed her hand and gave it a soft kiss.

[CaptainL]

Yukino didn't know what to think. Her mind was awash with feelings, and she didn't have the time to sort through them. She was flustered, she was overwhelmed, and she wasn't sure what to do - not even what she could do, let alone what would be right to do. She looked back at Yusuke, seeing his face through the gap in her fingers, but when she did, she blushed even harder, shutting her fingers once again to block him out. She couldn't even look at him without being reminded of how inadequate she felt. She never expected he would actually want to be around her, let alone to take her here, or to celebrate her accomplishments. When he was actually showing her praise like this, all she could think about was how little she felt she deserved it. Surely, Yusuke could have picked anyone; why her, when there were surely so many others who would better deserve this treatment, and this care? Who deserved to actually have their lifelong crush take them into their lives with open arms? Even now, when she was being this nervous, and this pathetic, that was a sign that she wasn't good enough for someone like Yusuke...

But suddenly, Yukino felt his arms wrap tightly around her, and she felt the warmth of his embrace; the firm pressure of his grasp on her. Her eyes went a little bit wider as she looked back over her shoulder, and her mouth fell open agape in a silent gasp. She wanted to tell him that he was wrong; that she didn't deserve this sort of attention. She didn't even know why he felt the need to shower her in it. But as he spoke, the tension in her body began to ease, and she sank back against his chest with a sigh. The more he reminded her of all her accomplishments, and how far she had grown, Yukino smiled a little wider, and she looked back up at him to meet him eye to eye. Yukino couldn't dwell on her failures any more. She could succeed - Yusuke believed in her. Not just that, he'd seen proof of it himself. There was no reason she had to run away from all of that.

"You...you're right..." she muttered, nodding her head before looking up at her boyfriend with a smile. Just looking into his eyes, she could feel the look on her face soften as she let out a breath; she no longer had anything to worry about, or any concerns. Then, she leaned in closer against him, her arms circling around his back to pull him tighter into an embrace. "I'm sorry, Yusuke, I...shouldn't dwell on the past. Not when I have so many things to look forward to..."

[SRG]

Yusuke wanted to prove to Yukino that she indeed deserved love and praise for her accomplishments. While she had a rough childhood, someone like her who is a gentle soul deserved the love of any other person. Once she finally said she shouldn't dwell on the bad memories, the young artist smiled"That is correct, and what's best is, we get to have each other" He said as he gave Yukino a soft kiss on the forehead."so want to have some fun?" He asked with a gentle smile wanting her to know that they can enjoy each other's company,

[CaptainL]

Yukino had been a pessimist most of her life - and, no matter how long she'd been hanging around a natural ray of sunshine like Nashi, those old habits had been hard to break. At any moment, she was dogged by the fears that everything was going to go wrong; that all the success she had faced for the first time in so long could suddenly be jerked away from her. After all, it had happened to her so many times before; why should she suspect this time would be any different? But Yusuke had been quick to reassure her. In fact, his very presence was a reminder to Yukino that she didn't have anything to worry about. She could see positive change in her life. She'd already come a long way - she was enjoying a successful tag team run with Nashi, she was back with her old friend, and she had won a shot at the World Openweight Championship. And now, she had the boy she'd always loved right next to her, and she could finally say with pride that they were dating. That was all she really needed to put everything in perspective. She had faced plenty of hard times, sure. But there was plenty to be proud of, too, and plenty to look forward to in the future as well. As long as Yukino kept an open heart and focused on what the future could bring, she wouldn't have to be afraid of anything.

A soft blush tickled her cheeks as Yusuke planted a kiss against her forehead, and she let out a soft sigh, settling into the blanket beneath her as her muscles went slack. Yusuke had said it better than she ever could. They had each other - and that itself was proof Yukino had come a long way.

When he offered to have some fun, for the briefest of moments Yukino's face went red when the first thoughts that crept into her head were...well, less than wholesome. "Huh..?" But she shook those thoughts aside a moment later. It didn't take her long to realize that they had plenty of ways to enjoy each other's company now. And when she'd missed out on this for so long, Yukino was ready to make up for lost time. "Oh! Sure!" she cheered, flashing him a smile as she pushed herself back up to her feet. "Maybe we could go swimming? The water looks lovely..."

[SRG]

Yusuke let out a small chuckle, Yukino was already turning red and the position they were in would give anyone the idea of a "Fun time alone". When Yukino offered, the blue haired boy nodded"off course" He followed after her before interlocking his hand with her'sshall we, m'lady?" He turned his head towards her as the two began to walk in slowly to the ocean before letting go so they could keep themselves a float"i didn't take you for a swimmer but with you're modeling career i guess you had to learn" Obviously it was a bad joke, but Yusuke wasn't at the best at this sorta thing. All he wanted was to make Yukino happy even at his own expense as he began to swim.

[CaptainL]

The blush still tinged Yukino's face in a faint shade of pink, and she giggled nervously to herself; even as she got to her feet she hugged her arms a little closer to her sides. As happy as she was to finally have some closure after longing to be with Yusuke for so long, she still wasn't used to actually being in a relationship like this, and it didn't come naturally to her - she didn't know if she was even doing it right, or really, what people were supposed to do on dates like this. Even when Yusuke took her hand, she couldn't help but blush a little deeper, chuckling nervously. She just had to act natural, she told herself. It'd be okay. The problem...was acting naturally in the first place.

She could feel the cool water lapping over her thighs as she went deeper and deeper into the water; she shivered just a little bit as the chill ran up her spine, and when she felt the steady ground beneath her feet suddenly give way she let out a soft yelp under her breath, only to immediately blush harder and hold a hand to her mouth when she realized how unprepared it surely made her look. Still, when Yusuke let go of her, she looked back at him with a smile. There was something peaceful about it - the two of them having this time to themselves, to share in their company. There was just the clear sky above, and the sparkling waters all around them, their gentle motion rocking them to and fro. Yukino let out a soft sigh, letting her body relax. Maybe, she thought, this wasn't so bad after all.

Though, Yusuke's questions were starting to uncover the truth. "Er, well...I don't really swim all that often..." Yukino looked aside shyly as she admitted it. "I just figured that we might as well enjoy being at the beach together. And I thought it might be fun, you know?" She tipped herself back, laying flat in the water and doing a few backstrokes. She wobbled a little bit as she did, but she bit her lip and tried to hide how nervous she was. She just didn't want Yusuke to be too embarrassed to be around her.

[SRG]

"Ahh i see" He responded to Yukino's point about not being much a swimmer. The blue haired boy swam over to her and "My i wish i had my pencil and paper, this would've been a wonderful piece of art" He raised his hand to his chin before falling underwater"Ahh!" He let a mild scream before swimming back up"Cah- sorry i forgot we were swimming " He first coughed out from water and then commented on the situation"If you don't mind Yukino perhaps when we're done i could grab my camera and take some photos" He offered with a gentle smile.

[CaptainL]

After getting a short distance into the water, Yukino stuck her head underneath to dive beneath the surface. When she came back up, her back bent in an arc and her hands went to rest behind her head, stretching herself out while the water ran off her body and the light of the sun reflected off of her like the glow of an aura. She breathed a sigh of relief at the ease that set into her muscles, and a smile came to her face. Yukino might not have swam often, but she did admit, she had fun when it did happen. Especially knowing that Yusuke was here to share in their company, and that they could enjoy this moment together.

In fact, it was Yusuke who seemed particularly captivated by this moment! After Yukino stopped to shake some droplets of water out of her hair, she looked back only to see the boy remarking on how artistically composed the scene looked. A blush came to her cheeks as a shy smile settled across her face, and she glanced aside with a nervous giggle. "Oh-! You think so? Coming from you, I know that means a lot..."

Yukino had been flustered by her boyfriend's comments, but because of that she had taken her eyes off of him as he drew closer. And that meant that when his footing gave out from beneath him and he sank lower in the water, it caught the white-haired girl by surprise. "Yusuke-!!" she gasped, spinning back around to the sound of his scream. She reached out to try and steady him and to guide him back upright, and when he coughed some water out of his lungs even after he picked himself up, she frowned, tilting her head as she studied him with concern. "Are you okay..!?"

Still, he recovered soon enough, and his thoughts turned back to art. And with it, Yukino. "You...would do that..?" Yukino nodded to his offer - but she still couldn't help but blush at the reminder that Yusuke thought of her as the perfect subject for his compositions. She had posed for photoshoots and ads before, yes, but when it was all done in front of nameless, faceless cameras, it was just a job. When it was coming from the boy she'd known and loved for years, it all felt so much more personal and intimate; that this was his way of paying tribute to her beauty. And to have someone like him, who she always knew had a mind for art, showing her such praise - that couldn't help but send her heart aflutter. "Thank you so much...I'm touched, really..."

But once again, Yukino would be cut off. The tide drifted in again - and when it came, it pulled Yukino along with it! Suddenly, her footing gave way, and she was pulled out further toward the sea, drifting away from the shore - and from Yusuke! The calm look on her face turned to a wide-eyed gasp as she flailed her arms, slapping the water and kicking up splashes in her wake. She tried reaching out to grab something with which to steady herself, but her hands only met air. In that moment, she'd forgotten that Yusuke wasn't as used to the water. She was in a panic! "G-Gaaah..! Yusuke-! Help!!"

[SRG]

Yusuke would pull himself up and cough a bit"Yes im fine" He said to reassure her everything was fine. When he saw how happy Yukino was about the photoshoot made the blue haired boy blush. Then everything changed, Yukino lost her balance was being pulled away"YUKINO!!" He shouted concerned for her well being and reached out to grab her arm and pull her into his comfort"Are you okay Yukino?" He looked down at her asking in a warm tone of voice.

[CaptainL]

It had all happened so quickly, Yukino had no way of preparing herself. But in seconds, everything changed. One moment, she and Yusuke were sharing a tender moment, thinking on how much they meant to one another and looking forward to seeing how the bonds between them could only grow stronger with time. But one moment later, the tide came in - and threatened to pull Yukino back with it! As she found herself drifting out to sea, further and further away from Yusuke, Yukino's arms flailed through the air as she desperately grabbed for anything she could find to anchor herself. But her hands only slapped the water, sending up splashes, and no matter how hard her legs kicked and paddled beneath her, she couldn't hold herself still. It was only when Yusuke reached out and grabbed her that Yukino finally came to a stop - and as she was pulled up against him, her own hands latched onto his shoulders as tightly as she could to try and anchor herself in place.

She was still gasping for breath, and from how tightly they were pressed together Yusuke could no doubt hear how hard her heart was pounding away in her chest. Yukino would only squeeze at him tighter to stay on. "Yusuke!? Oh, god, that was scary...I thought I'd..."

Taking in a few deep breaths, Yukino managed to calm herself down. She let out a sigh, sinking a little lower into Yusuke's embrace. But, as she did, she turned her head up to look him in the eye - and as she did, her expression eased, and a grin broke out across her face. He had done this for her, she realized. When she thought about that, she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter. If nothing else proved that she and Yusuke were meant to be, this certainly did. This proved that he was every bit the strong, dependable hero Yukino needed him to be. And she had him right here, in her arms.

"You...you saved me, Yusuke..."