friends to lovers | duke dennis

sixteen

Renée

Renée's eyelids gently fluttered open, greeted by the sight of Duke already awake. It had become their familiar routine, he usually woke up before her, but he often dozed off first.

"Good morning," she whispered. Duke turned towards her, his lips curving into a smile in response to her greeting. He leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

"What you doing up before me?" She asked, a playful smile curving her lips.

With his arm propped behind his head, Duke chuckled at her question. Meanwhile, Renée gave in to her intrusive thoughts and sniffed his armpit. Which prompted him to give an unexpected reaction.

"What the?" Duke mumbled, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement.

A laugh escaped her as she tried to explain herself but couldn't because of the look on his face, "I couldn't help myself, you smell good."

Before he joined in the laughter, he playfully labeled her a 'weird ass.' After their laughter died down, they got up to brush their teeth, with Duke handing her a new toothbrush.

Now in the kitchen, Renée perched herself on the counter, her feet gently swinging as she asked, "What you making me?"

"Why you want me to cook for you so bad?" He joked, already planning to cook her breakfast.

"I can't just want my man to make me a meal." She quipped back with a playful glint in her eyes.

"No," he mumbled, pulling out eggs, bacon, and bread. She laughed, finding a pen on the counter and throwing it at him.

A soft chuckle left Duke's lips as he began preparing breakfast, gathering the eggs, bacon, and bread. As they chatted, their conversation consisted of shared laughter, and a light atmosphere filled the room. Once Duke made the plates, Renée expressed her gratitude with a warm smile, genuinely impressed by the delicious meal, even though breakfast was simple to make.

After they finished their meal, Renée and Duke teamed up to clean up the aftermath in the kitchen, cleaning and tidying. Her mother's wisdom about cleaning as you go proved to be useful, which she was thankful to adopt.

Their coziness shifted to the living room, where they lounged and cuddled on the couch. They were immersed in the Netflix show "Top Boy." They were currently on the fourth episode after randomly scrolling through options.

The tension onscreen gripped Renée as the scene unfolded, where a group of hostile people ignited a bottle of flammable liquid, engulfing Faez and Heidya's house in flames. A gasp escaped her, but she found relief as the couple made it safely from the burning house, their baby's cries adding an extra layer of tension to the gripping moment.

"That lil nigga still in there," Duke remarked, his attention fixed on the screen. The character struggled to break free from the flames, banging on the window.

"I lowkey wanna go to the pool today," he blurted out.

"Really?" She chuckled, gesturing towards the screen of the burning house.

A sheepish grin crept onto his face as he realized the timing of his comment, a chuckle escaping his lips. "My bad," he mumbled, his laughter continuing.

"Your apartment got a pool?" She asked once their laughter died down.

"Yeah, you wanna go?"

She was going to say 'no' thinking she hadn't packed a swimsuit. However, she remembered the pink swimsuit she had packed away for her trip.

She nodded, smiling and excited to go swimming. She learned how to swim a few years ago and has loved the water ever since. Well, at least pools, the ocean was too big and deep to swim in so freely.

A smile tugged at her lips as she nodded, her excitement evident. Learning how to swim, a skill she had learned a few years ago, resonated within her. Since then, she has loved water, though she has confined it mostly to pools. The vastness and depth of the ocean were extremely scary to swim in freely.

After dressing in their swimwear, they packed towels and all the essentials for their pool excursion. They exited the apartment, strolling down the hall towards the elevator.

"I'm trynna race and beat yo ass in swimming," he playfully declared, intertwining their fingers as they stepped out of the elevator and walked to the pool.

A confident smirk curled her lips in response to his challenge. "You not beating me," she retorted, giving a playful shake of her head.

He raised his hands in mock surrender, his hand remaining in hers. "We'll see," he quipped, a playful glint in his eyes as they continued their journey.

"Okay the loser, pays for dinner tonight," she proposed with a mischievous grin.

"Ight bet," he nodding his head.

Arriving at the pool area, they were relieved to find only two other individuals present.

Duke led the way, and Renée followed, her steps mirroring his as they walked to the seating area at the pool's far end.

"Why they had to be at the shallow end?" She muttered, glancing at the distant 10-foot-deep section.

He settled into a chair, his amused gaze directed at her. "Don't be scared now," he teased, his words lighthearted.

"Ain't nobody scared," she confidently declared, even though she was terrified of how deep 10 feet actually is. Nonetheless, she knew she could handle it.

Taking the seat beside Duke, she took her bag from her shoulder, followed by slipping off the dress she had been wearing, revealing her swimwear.

"Come on," she spoke.

He observed her as she leaped into the pool, her body forming a perfect cannonball shape as she descended. After a moment, she resurfaced, delicately wiping her eyes before her gaze met his, smiling.

"How the water feel?" He asked, making his way to the pool's edge as she swam closer.

"Feels good," she responded with a contented smile.

He retraced his steps, his eyes never leaving hers as he slowly moved backward. The smile on his face grew wider as he admired Renée, the sunlight casting a gentle glow on her dark skin.

Reaching the wall, he paused only momentarily before dashing forward, his body launching into a cannonball. The resulting splash made her squeal, a mixture of surprise and delight.

"Ready?" Renée inquired, treading water but securing her grip to conserve her energy.

He swam toward her, smiling and nodding. "Alright, we swimming to the middle and back, who ever touches the ledge wins," he proposed, their competitive spirits rising.

With determination, they assumed their positions. Duke initiated the countdown, his voice cutting through the anticipatory hush.

As "go" escaped Duke's lips, Renée propelled herself forward using the wall, her strokes propelling her through the water with determination. Tiredness began to creep in, but was determined to win. Reaching the middle, they turned, retracing their path back to the edge. Seeing Duke's lead, she closed the gap by swimming closer and playfully tugging at his shorts.

"I know yo ass ain't just—" he began, but we're cut off by Renée's swift splash. In retaliation, he caught her, pulling her beneath the water's surface for a fleeting moment, their playful antics pausing the race.

"We cheating now?" He asked, teasing, his amusement evident in his voice. Her innocent smile belied her mischievous actions as she swiftly swam toward the edge, only to have her foot grabbed by Duke's firm grip.

Their playfulness escalated, evolving into them play fighting in the water. Splashes erupted, and they took turns submerging each other beneath the surface, their laughter resonating in the air. Amidst the playfighting, Renée's top began to come undone, prompting Duke to seize the opportunity and swim to the edge.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, her laughter intertwining with her struggle to adjust her top while keeping her arm protectively across her chest.

Successfully reaching the edge, Duke couldn't help but let out a cheer. Renée playfully rolled her eyes, showing playful annoyance. He swam back to her, offering assistance, only to be splashed with water.

"Yo ass mad cause yo plan back fired?" He asked, his grip on her waist firm as he drew her closer to the pool's edge.

"Shut up," she murmured, her fingers lightly brushing against the water's surface as she leaned against the pool's edge. He laughed as he helped her tie her bikini top.

"My meal finna hit more cause it's free, you know I'm saying," he boasted, and she quickly spun around and leapt onto him, disappearing beneath the water.

As things died down, Duke had his feet in the pool. He watched Renée float in the pool, closing her eyes and enjoying the fresh, cool water. They were at the 5-foot end since the people previously occupying the area left.

As the commotion settled, Duke found himself seated on the pool's edge, his feet in the water. His gaze remained fixed on Renée, who was afloat in the pool, her eyes shut in bliss in the refreshing water. They were now at the 5-foot end, its previous occupants having left the area.

In response to Duke's silent admiration, she looked at him with a radiant smile before swimming over. Positioning herself between his legs, she rested her forearms on his thighs.

"Why you not enjoying the water with me?" she asked, looking up towards him.

"I don't know if my big ass can float," he chuckled, then leaned down to kiss her lips.

"Yes you can, yo ass for sure big as hell" she laughed, her tone convincing as she playfully tugged him towards the water.

"Okay, lay back," she instructed in a gentle tone. With patience, she guided him through the process of floating, supporting his head and legs. Whenever she released her hold, he found himself gradually sinking, but she continued to coach him.

"Just breathe and relax." Her soft words offered reassurance as she carefully moved away, a smile spreading across her face as he began to stay afloat.

"You're doing it," she clapped, expressing her approval.

Renée was finally done with the water, feeling her fingers and toes start to prune up. Duke followed suit, exiting the pool and settling into a reclining lawn chair. She was seated on the pool's edge, her feet in the water.

A glance over her shoulder revealed Duke taking pictures of her. "You taking pictures of me?" She asked, smiling.

His response came in the form of a nod accompanied by a grin. "Pose for me."

She obliged, gracefully moving through a series of poses before raising her leg. He murmured, "That's the one." Seating herself on his lap, she leaned in to peruse the images.

Unexpectedly, her attention was on a particular detail. "Oh," she exclaimed in surprise as she zoomed in on her ass. "My booty getting big?"

Responding to her observation, he emitted a low hum and placed his hand on her ass, slowly massaging it before delivering a firm slap. A yelp of "ow" escaped her lips as her hand instinctively held the area.