I was sitting on the stairs to enter the pool so that I was in the water but not completely having to swim necessarily, while Rudy and Grey finally got tired and are just relaxing in the adjoined hot tub. Katsuki also decided to join us. He took off his glasses and currently is practicing floating on his back, in the water. Every once in a while, he'll sink out of nowhere, before bobbing back up to try again.
Leo was still sitting near me even after I changed spots.
"So, what else is there to do besides swimming out here?" Leo asks looking around.
"I don't know. Unless we all want to make it more exciting by skinny dipping?" I ask, waiting for the responses afterward.
"Skinny dipping? With him? No way!" I hear Grey says with his eyes still closed in the hot tub. I can only guess he's talking about Leo. He doesn't like him the most.
"Um. Yeah. Don't know how good of an idea that is." Leo says laughing a little.
"Haha. I was just joking. We can do some "getting to know" each other games?" I see them perk up a little and so I decide on just that. We make the rules like a game of truth or dare. If they decide not to answer a question, then they'll have to jump into the water. Nothing special, just would mean them having to be wet and cold afterwards.
"To start, we should pick the order based on..." It's quiet for a while, while everyone is thinking of what would work before Katsuki answers.
"Based on first letter of first name?" I smile.
"Great idea! Then it's me, Grey, Katsuki, Leo, and Rudy." They nod before we start.
"Okay. Each of you will ask me a question and then I'll get to ask you each a question too. I won't switch it up with you guys, being in the "hot seat," just because I doubt you guys are going to care if you know "more" about the others." They laugh while also agreeing and the game begins.
"Eliza. Did you have a relationship before you-know-who?" Grey asks me, making sure not to mention Nathan's name in honor of me.
"I dated Nathan for 2 years until it ended so the last relationship before that was actually in high school which I don't really remember nor know where they are now. " Grey nods.
"Hmm... I personally don't know, so I'll just ask. Do you have any siblings?" Katsuki asks embarrassingly.
"I don't. Actually, that's the reason why my grandfather dotes on me so much." I shake my head thinking about him.
"Ah. Makes sense." He answers back.
"Um. This might be weird to ask in front of everyone but, do you have a favorite out of everyone here yet?" Leo asks. I gasp a little also clearly knowing that he would probably ask something like that.
So, I ponder for a bit on if I should say or not so instead, I stand up, walk to the edge of the pool, turn around, and drop backwards into the water. I hear them both gasp in shock and also laugh and holler at me. After swimming towards the pool ladder, I climb up it and finally, am on regular ground again.
"Wow. You just, decided not to answer huh?" I laugh at Leo who asked the question, who is clearly eyeing me with a sarcastic looking expression on his face.
"Yep. None of you will get that answer out of me, ever!!" I cackle a little mischievously before sitting down again.
"Guess, I'm last... hmm... Elizabeth... do you see me as a kid? Because I know I'm the youngest out of everyone, but I technically am only like a year younger than you and two years below most of the rest of the guys, but I am still a grown man." The rest of them look at Rudy and then turn and look at me. I stare for a while at Rudy myself, avoiding their looks.
"Um. I have to admit that there are times that I treat you that way because it seems that the rest of these guys see you that way, so I do it to... defend you? But then I think it changed a little, after you would do different things that are clearly not "kid-like." Not for long though because it would change back after a little, sorry." The guys chuckle and so does Rudy.
"Okay then, it's my turn to ask the questions." I look at Grey first. "So Grey, I notice you tend to pretend that you don't care about these guys when really, you seem to, even a little. Is that true?" He stares at me, almost glares at me, and then slowly turns to look at the other guys before standing and running over to the pool and flipping into it. I laugh and everyone else makes fun of him.
"Okay, Okay. Calm down. Let's move onto the next guy alright?" He says climbing the ladder while doing some things with his hair to make him look even more... handsome?
"Fine. Next is Katsuki." Grey finally sits down. "Hmm... so Katsuki... how is it that when I sent for you to come here after announcing to you that you won a spot in the candidacy thing that it took only like 2 days, for you to show up even though you lived in Japan?" Katsuki clearly looks a little embarrassed but doesn't seem to stand up.
"Fine, I'm not a "baby" like Grey." I giggle a little and Grey glares at him before it's just silent for little bit. "Ahem. I was sort of... excited... and I guess... I couldn't wait any longer. So I just... left as early as I could." He sort of shrivels into a ball after finishing and I "aw" at him. All the other guys now though, seem to be a little more... on edge?
"Leo!" I say a little loudly and Leo replies back,
"Yes Ma'am!" I chuckle before saying,
"Seeing as you knew me as a little girl, and both our grandparents wanted us to marry, did you want it to happen?" I ask, smiling a little. He clears his throat almost like he was having a dilemma on if he should tell or not. And it looks like he decides on the former.
"Yes." He says plainly and my jaw drops.
"Nothing to it? Just yes?" And he shrugs his shoulders.
"What can I say, as a child you were cute and seemingly as innovative as you are now. So, I didn't see a problem with it." He relaxes back into the chair he's sitting in while I am still seemingly shocked.
"O-kay. Um, finally, Rudy. I have an "easier" question for you. Why did you dye a part of your hair green?" I ask and he blushes and everyone clearly sees this.
"Um... Um... Fine. Remember how I told you about the one time you gave me a pep talk in high school?" I nod slowly and everyone else is just itching to hear the rest of his answer.
"Well, that time... you also... told me you like... the color green so I dyed a part of my hair green in hopes to see you again but of course, you were a senior, so I never saw you again, but I've always kept it this way." He says, saying the last part a bit quicker before lightly touching the green part of his hair. I look at him before smiling.
"I'm glad I had that much of an impact on you." The rest are quiet until Grey starts talking.
"Now I feel stupid for not answering my question." He says pouting. We all laugh before he starts mumbling something.
"Huh? I didn't quite get that Grey." I say with a hand to my ear. Everyone turns and looks at him too.
"Ugh! I said, Yes! It might seem like I don't want to talk to anyone else and that I hate everyone but that isn't true. I have come to like everyone here, a little. Not the "little" part." He says crossing his arms over his chest still pouting.
"Aw. Well, that still means you got wet for nothing haha." Everyone laughs and he stands up and walks over to pool before faceplanting into it. We hear a loud sound as he basically bellyflops into the water before we laugh. I run over to the pool to look and see if he's come up yet and then a hand grabs my arm and tugs me into the water.
We both swim up to the surface and I then splash him. "That's for pulling me in with you!" The rest of the guys get up and jump in, at different times, and join the splashing fest before we finally decide to clean up the pool area and head inside.
We're laughing and walking through the house together, leaving water drops on the floor, when the doorbell rings. I shrug my shoulders at the group of them before walking over to the door. I slowly open it and when it is just wide enough, I'm hugged by two men.