Eyes like a summersky [AhriXReader]

One lake, one truth

You are still awake, it is way past midnight, but you do not feel sleepy, you cannot even get your eyes closed. But it is not the hot humid weather, not the splashing of water dropping from the hose into the basin and not that your left side almost burns up with Ahri snuggling up tight.
The thoughts came back, maybe never left, the little voice of doubt whispering in your ear, and neither the sound of the water, nor Ahris low snoring can drown that out.
It feels like you overthink again, but are you?
What will happen after those two weeks pass?
Will you just follow her wherever she goes?
You cannot seem to finally get rid of these thoughts, old wounds that were too deep to heal completely.
Maybe, you cannot know for sure, what you will really do when the time comes to decide, but for now, you know a thing, that you enjoy this time, that it is feeling good again.

The heat is not gone in the morning, not a big surprise, yet you hoped that the pool would be somewhat filled or that maybe some rain would come.
And as you stand in the almost knee-high water in the pool basin, you cannot help but feel disappointed by the lukewarm sensation, a merely refreshing puddle.
Coming back inside, Ahri already laid the table, waiting for some good news, you just shake your head.
„With enough fantasy you could imagine it cooling you down", you try to lighten the mood,
„I do not think the heat will believe my little fantasy", Ahri answers, sounding like it is even too hot in the house and maybe she is not that far away with that from the truth.

She seems to be a bit in thoughts as you take the first spoon of cereals, but as you want to take the second one, she suddenly looks like she got an idea.

„What about the lake?"

And just like that, half an hour later and packed with various things, you and Ahri make your way down the hill and through the forest. It feels almost like it would never end, as you can finally spot the light blue of the lake.
„Is that the lake?", Ahri is suddenly ecstatic, pointing through the forest towards the blue,
„I guess so, has been some time since I was ....".
You cannot even finish your sentence, as Ahri is already in a full sprint towards the blue.

Stepping out of the woods and finally getting a good look, it feels like nothing has changed.
There still is the small jetty, barely holding itself over the water, even the little bay it is in. There still is the sand that is a little bit rough, some leafs and twigs hiding in it.
Just like you were kids, how fast time passed.

„I am over here!", Ahri rips you out of your thoughts, as she stands some meters away, waving at you. For a moment, you can just stand there, looking at her.
She got rid of the t-shirt and the shorts, she almost presents herself to you, in a light wine-red bikini. A shy smile on her face, as she sees your reaction.
„You like it?", she asks in a sweet tone, making a slow pirouette,
„Yeah, it looks just... so goddamn good on you".
She has to chuckle.
„And I thought charming was my job",
„Doing my best out here", you tell her while making your way towards her spot.
After cleaning up a bit, setting up the small beach umbrella and rolling out two beach towels, it feels like you can finally just jump in and cool down.
„Hey, Y/N, did you not forget something?", Ahri stops you halfway to the water, being a bit annoyed you turn around, she just waves with a bottle of sun cream.
Maybe a good idea, your last sunburn hurt like a bitch even weeks after.
So you make your way back, where she is already applying some onto herself.
Going through with the motions, it seems done after just some minutes.
„Could you... do my back?", Ahri seems a bit embarrassed to ask that, but turns her back to you,
„If you do mine too, no question", you say while grabbing the bottle.
She shivers a bit as you dump some sun cream on her back, but seems to calm down as soon as you start applying it, smearing it over her back and lower back.
After finishing, you turn around, ready for the initial cool sensation of the sun cream and just like Ahri, a small shiver runs through you.
„You cannot brace yourself for everything", she laughs a bit, while gently applying it on your back, though it feels more like a massage.
You do not answer, just enjoying her loving touch, as she carefully lets her hands run over your back, maybe this will be another day to remember.

„So, I wanted to ask you something", a second time, she seems hesitant, „Is this lake, often visited?",
„No, not really, very secluded, mostly elderly couples out here, and the town? They either have a pool themselves or lakes closer than this".
She takes a long look around, letting her gaze shift along the lake.
She takes a last look, before you can hear an audible click, as she strips off the top of her bikini.
„Sorry, if you want me to wear it, if this is a bit too early for this stuff and so, but as group we never really cared about that",
„No, it is fine, if you want it, I am okay with that".
Again, this sweet smile on her face,
„Well, if that is so...", she leans a bit over, „The last one in the water has to carry more back up" she just spurts it out and begins a full sprint towards the water. It really feels now like the old times, trying to distract the others, setting penalty for the one losing the race to the shore, but you never lost back then and you do not plan on beginning now.

But in the end, even your training could not help, as Ahri already splashes you with water as you reach the shore.
„Finally here?", she asks,
„You love splashing people with water, don't you?", the water now cooling you off, as you already stand knee deep in it.
She gets a bit closer, running a hand through your wet hair,
„Or maybe you just look very good like that", giving you a peck, she wades deeper into the water. Maybe a swim to cool down a bit more is a good idea.

It is a bit after noon, as you both come out of the water the first time, after some small races, some surprise attacks from underneath you both tried and you beating Ahri in a contest of who can hold his breath longer, having solid ground underneath feels somewhat weird.
„That was fun", you remark while laying down on your towel,
„It is just so different to a pool, I even saw a fish!", Ahri exclaims, making you chuckle a bit.
Just another so simple thing that she celebrates like an important discovery.
„I want to tell you something", in a bit of a surprise she lays down in between your legs, looking up into the sky, her head on your upper chest.
While you gently get rid of her wet hair in your face, she begins a small monologue.
„You asked about those grey thingies? A normal medication for Vastayas, must have to live normal, it is a suppressant for this urge to, well...".
She takes in a breath, letting it out in a sharp sigh.
„Vastayas can just literally suck the soul out of your body and sometimes cannot even control their urge to do so and as this will kill you, not something you would want to happen in your town. That is why we take the grey stuff, something, so those.... Accidents do not happen".
You hug her belly from behind, she shakes a bit.
„I was addicted to that, you know?", a small shiver runs through her,
„Those souls, they... they brought memories with them, pictures of their lives, just so banal things I could never experience myself, I only ever bought groceries through the eyes of strangers, slept in, skipped class, had my first kiss with a girl, just memories, feelings and experiences that felt used, but so.... real, real to someone who never experienced it".
She takes a pause, another breath.
„They were always close to dying, badly injured, I never outright killed, yet, could they maybe have been saved? Or did they just die because a spoiled kid wanted to feel normal?".
You cannot really find an answer to that, so many thoughts swirling around in your head, although one catches you, something your grandpa told you.

„The things in the past happened, you know, we cannot change them, we can regret them, learn from them. But we do not always have to be this perfect, superior being, sometimes we just have to be superior to our old selves".