Dancing With The Devil

until the blade gets dull.

"Em, you scoop the ice cream this time," Jimin whined, throwing the spoon at me.

"Alright fine but you owe me"

"I can just tackle you and tickle you again"

"Hey! Don't you dare touch my Emrie!" Taehyung said, chest-bumping Jimin.

"Or what? What are you going to do about it, junior?" Jimin challenged.

"We're the same age!"

"I'm older by two months so technically I'm in charge"

"'In charge' my ass, let's battle it out then"

I sat back shoving ice cream in my mouth and watching the friendly battle going on between them. "Swordfight, the loser has to jump in the pool," Jimin shouted.

"You're on!" Taehyung agreed. They both confidently marched out to the backyard occasionally shoving each other with their elbows. I followed them out and took a seat on the outdoor furniture and watched them battle each other like children. They reminded me so much of the brothers I never got to see grow up. It's hard to believe that they're both assassins behind this childlike behavior. The world really can turn good people bad.

After five minutes of them "battling" it out with pool noddles and whacking each other, Taehyung won. "How does it feel to lose, shorty?"

"Hey! I'm not even that much smaller than you!"

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," Taehyung snickered, putting his hands on Jimin's shoulders. With a quick shove, Jimin flung into the pool. He rose to the surface, pouting and his hair no longer fluffy. Taehyung approached over to me and dropped into a bow.

"Your majesty" he took my hand in his.

"Are you my winning prince, you fine-looking gentleman?"

"I sure am, your grace," he said, picking me up bridal style. Before I knew it, he jumped in the pool with me in his arms.

"What are you hooligans doing?!" Jin shouted from the balcony. He stood, one hand on his hips, one hand waving around a spatula, apron secured tightly around his waist. "Get out of there! You're all going to get sick!! I'm not gonna tell you twice!"

Jimin hopped out swiftly and somewhat majestically, water dripping from every edge of him. He ran over to the diving board, flipping off of it, sending splashes in every direction. Taehyung jumped out of the pool and headed for the diving board as well. I inhaled deeply before submerging myself underwater, my hair moving in slow motion above me. I let the water consumed me, lukewarm water embracing my every inch. There was a moment of peace for me, being fully submerged. Some might call it crazy, I called it comfort.

I sank to the bottom of the pool within a matter of seconds, staring at little particles floating by and the water pressure threatening to swallow me whole. I could see the boys' legs treading water and their muffled voices from above. But it's lovely, deep down under the water, like being in a different world, though the temperature was significantly colder. Water was a beautiful thing. It had the power to kill us in so many ways, yet we rely on it more than anything. My air bubbles made their way up to the surface with every slow exhale. They were the only thing in a hurry to leave.

I didn't know how long I had been under, it had to be at least a few minutes. My heartbeat frantically, begging for sweet air but I didn't want to give it the power of satisfaction. Every cell in my body was screaming for oxygen. The pain, the suffocation, the urgency comforted me. The peacefulness of it all was so intoxicating, it numbed all the pain.

I felt a pair of arms behind me yanking me to the surface, I wanted to resist but I stood no chance. They were far too strong for me. The first breath of air felt like the first sunny day in a century of dark skies. "What the hell are you doing?!" Taehyung shouted, wiping the water dripping from my chin. He impatiently dragged me to the shallow end, Jimin swimming closely behind us, looking at me like I've lost my mind.