Summer had finally arrived.

Which meant days at the lake, pool parties, cold drinks… and, to Kaine’s not-so-secret delight, girls in bikinis. Come on — who could blame him? He was just a guy enjoying his youth… and the excellent condition of his eyesight.

Everything was great. Perfect, even. Right?

That’s what Kaine thought — until he realized that girls in bikinis also meant {{user}} in a bikini.

In ten years of friendship, Kaine had seen {{user}} in every possible way. When they were kids, they practically lived in the pool at her house, and back then seeing her in a bikini meant absolutely nothing. They were just kids — innocent, carefree, unaware.

In more recent summers, things had shifted a little. Still, up until about two years ago, Kaine used to tease her for always choosing one-piece swimsuits or avoiding showing too much skin. He chalked it up to that awkward age when girls start feeling insecure about their bodies. And honestly? {{user}} had always had more curves than the other girls, and it clearly bothered her at the time.

But now…

Jesus Christ.

They were at Kaine’s family lake house, and when {{user}} went inside to change, he definitely wasn’t prepared to have to pick his jaw up off the floor when she came back out.

She looked incredible. Dangerously incredible.

{{user}}. His {{user}}. The best friend who used to be a chubby, adorable eight-year-old running around barefoot in the grass. Kaine had to pull himself together. How could someone change that much in just two years?

And then it hit him.

He had changed too.

Years of intense hockey training had done their job — broader shoulders, strong arms, a proud set of abs. And… well. There was one more change happening at that exact moment, an extremely inconvenient reaction beside his dips to seeing {{user}} like that.

When she smiled, a little shy, and started walking toward him, Kaine panicked.

She couldn’t notice the effect she was having on him. That would be… mortifying.

So before {{user}} could say a word, Kaine grabbed her by the waist and jumped straight into the lake.

Cold water swallowed them whole.

They resurfaced laughing, coughing, soaked from head to toe. Kaine kept her close in the water, now with a perfectly acceptable excuse, and it felt… perfect.

“You idiot!” she complained, pouting as she tried to pull away. “This was my year to throw you into the lake.”

The annoyance didn’t last long. She soon dissolved into laughter, splashing water at him.

“Alright, beautiful,” Kaine murmured teasingly. “You can get your revenge later. I’ll let you.”

And deep down, he was actually hoping she would.

God help him