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“Thank god!” Hugo announced the second the group was shaded by the roof of the inn they had chosen to stay at.
It was around five in the afternoon and the July heat was killing all four party members. Nuru was attempting to fan herself with the map, Yong was barely dragging his feet into the room, Varian was trying to compose himself enough to purchase their rooms, and Hugo had flattened himself onto the coolest wall he could find.
“Hello, uh, we need just uh, four beds, please?” Varian recited to the woman manning the front desk.
“Of course! Rooms 173 and 174. Here are your keys.” The woman looked over his shoulder at his companions, “By the way, we do have a pool if any of you would be-”
“YES!” Nuru, Yong, and Hugo interrupted in unison.
“-Interested.”
“Thank you so much! We’ll be sure to check out that pool.” Varian dropped a small bag of coins on the desk and lead the group down the hall.
…
As soon as everyone had offloaded their bags in their rooms, the unspoken consensus was to hit the pool.
Nuru had packed a purple bikini along with a tied waist wrap cover up and Varian had packed a simple navy blue pair of swim shorts.
The other half of their team was not nearly as well packed and was forced to buy swimsuits from the inn gift shop.
Eventually though, everyone made it to the vacant pool. The inn was small enough that there were likely only a few guests besides them to begin with. This made it far less awkward when Varian pulled out a beaker, a pipette and several chemicals to test the cleanliness of the water.
The moment it was deemed safe, Hugo shoved Varian into the pool before stepping in himself, followed by Yong and Nuru.
“Ey!”
“Your welcome my dearest Goggl-” Hugo was cut off by Varian lunging at him, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him under the water.
Hugo obviously decided the best method of escape was to grab Varian’s waist and push him back. Usually Varian would be able to beat him in a simple test of strength but being a bit flustered by the touch, he released his hold enough for Hugo to get away.
Upon reemerging to the surface, Hugo did an efficient lap around the pool, accentuating with a dramatic flop onto his back, still cackling.
“Asshole” Varian remarked, rolling his eyes despite the fond look on his face.
Yong gazed over at the blond, as well as Varian and Nuru who had hoisted themselves out of the shallow water and were now sitting on the edge and chatting, feet dangling into the pool.
Yong shimmied over towards where Hugo was floating on his back, shaking his shoulder slightly.
“Hugo…”
“What’s up kid?” Hugo Acknowledged absentmindedly.
“Could you maybe show me how to swim?” Yong asked timidly.
Hugo suddenly recalled the water trial from several months ago. He distinctly remembered having to hoist Yong out of the water, Varian yelling at him to grab the small boy.
At that point he wasn’t to bothered with this random kid’s safety but after months of growing deeply attached to this group, Hugo couldn’t bare the thought of Yong getting hurt, especially because he lacked a skill Hugo easily could’ve provided him with. Besides, soon enough Hugo was going to have to betray the group and then he wouldn’t be there to help Yong or any of them…
“Eh, sure. Got nothin’ better to do.” Hugo responded after a moment of contemplation.
“Really!?”
“Yup.” Hugo confirmed moving to stand once more.
He lifted Yong to move them into a deeper section of the pool.
“Alright let’s see what we’re workin’ with. Can you float?”
Yong moved out of Hugo’s grip, tensely starfish posing atop the water and occasionally kicking. He stayed afloat for a few moments before sinking and quickly being lifted again.
“Alright. Don’t tense up so much just relax. Also, stop thrashing around so much it’s, making you sink.” Hugo instructed, holding Yong out in front of him, waiting until he was properly laying on the surface before slowly letting go, and…
“I’m doing it!”
“Look at you. Nice job firecracker.” Hugo praised, moving them back to shallower water.
“You keep practicing, I’ll be right back. Yell if you start drowning.”
“Okay!” Yong relied, cheerily reiterating his new skill.
…
“Oh my god, if this place didn’t have a pool I probably would’ve just water boarded myself in the well outside!” Nuru said, leaning back on her hands, legs in the water.
“I know, this heat is insane! We might want to stay here for a few days to wait it out.” Varian replied.
“Plus, there’s like, no one here! A pool all to ourselves and nobody to bother us. Other than Hugo, that is.” Nuru agreed.
Varian snorted at that.
Suddenly Hugo came strolling over, throwing his arms around Varian’s knees and resting his cheek on his thighs. “You talking shit about me princess? And to think, I was about to stop stealing your hair bands.” Hugo provoked with a dramatic frown, holding out one of said hair bands.
“I knew that was you! Oh, you are so giving those back when we get to the rooms!” Nuru seethed, snatching her belonging back.
“Whatever you say sparkles.” Hugo shrugged before glancing up at varian.
He was completely stiff, face red, staring down at Hugo.
“You alright, Sweetcheeks?” Hugo asked looking between Varian’s face and his own arms. Realization struck, his signature smirk crept onto his face. He lidded his eyes, moving one hand a bit father up the side of Varian’s thigh.
“Var?” Hugo said, dropping his voice.
“Mhm! Never uh… never better!” Varian stammered.
“Hugo, why is Yong just lying in the middle of the pool!?” Nuru prodded, intentionally saving Varian from becoming any redder because of Hugo.
“Oh him? He’s practicing floating. I’m teachin’ him to swim.” Hugo answered confidently.
“Then go teach him instead of having him lay there while you harass people!” Nuru ordered kicking his ribs as best as she could without falling off the wall.
“Ugh, fine!” Hugo relented, pushing off the wall.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Nuru turned to Varian. “God, you are hopeless.”
“I know.” Varian admitted into his hands.
“You need to talk to him. I don’t know how much more of you two pining after each other I can deal with.”
“He’s just messing around. And I am not pining!”
Nuru snickered. “Whatever you say mr. ‘Never better!’”
“Nuru!” Varian groaned into his hands as she cackled.
…
After a few hours of messing around Yong called out from atop Hugo’s shoulders for Nuru and Varian to come over to where they were.
The two walked over from where they had sat and watched as Yong crawled out of the pool only to jump into the deep end and swim from one end to the other.
“Did you guys see!” Yong asked excitedly, a little bit out of breath.
“Wow, Yong that was great!” Varian admitted. He knew Yong was usually a fast learner but he was still always impressed.
“Yeah! You sure you only just learned how to swim?” Nuru teased.
Yong beamed with pride, his lost canine visible.
For once Hugo didn’t say anything. Varian peered over at him. He was wearing a soft, proud smile and his eyes looked genuinely happy. No trace of sarcasm or mocking.
It was a good look on him.
…
The rest of the night flashed by. The exhaustion of traveling had finally caught up with the group. They had bought shitty hotel food and ate in the lobby, still in their bathing suits.
Eventually, Varian and Hugo had split off from Nuru and Yong. Waving goodnight, each pair entering one of two rooms.
Hugo turned on the dim yellow light on their ceiling and flopped onto a bed.
Varian scoffed, “Hugo, are you really gonna sleep in a wet swimsuit?”
Hugo only mumbled into the mattress.
“C’mon, sleepyhead, you’ll be pissed in the morning if you wake up with dried chlorine in your hair. Go take a shower.”
Hugo groaned, bonelessly standing and dragging his feet over to the bathroom after grabbing his sleep clothes from his bag and a towel. “You know me too well, freckles.”
Soon enough Hugo was out again. His hair was wet and untied and he had dawned his ratty night wear. His eyes were barely open and he looked about ready to pass out
In Varian’s completely objective opinion, this was one of the cutest sights ever. It was taking everything in him at that moment not to grab Hugo’s face and coo over how sleepy and soft he looked right now.
Lucky for him, Hugo had reached the level of exhaustion where he couldn’t completely think straight. He came up to the end of the closest bed. The bed varian had claimed and was sitting on cross legged, and he proceeded to face plant right beside him.
Varian let out a laugh to which Hugo made a mock offended noise.
“Sorry, sorry! Your just really cute like this, I’m… not used to it.”
Usually Hugo would let out a retort to the sound of “what? You don’t always think I’m cute?” But he was to tired to argue with the pretty boy calling him cute right now so he simply hummed and shifted his head closer to Varian.
It wasn’t long till Varian heard Hugo’s breath even out. He was asleep, and there was nothing to stop Varian from acting on the overwhelming urge to run his fingers through the soft blonde hair in front of him.
It was nice. Almost, dare he say, intimate. His hair was still a bit damp but it was silky and smelled nice so all Varian could do was gently smile at the boy he’d come to care for so deeply.
He’d grown so much since they’d met. For maker’s sake, he was teaching Yong to swim, he was returning Nuru’s things without a whole fight. I mean, here he was, peacefully sleeping next to Varian without worrying something would get him if he wasn’t alert.
Varian felt his heart clench looking at the man he’d never expected to change his ways of selfishness and cold untrusting, allowing himself to be vulnerable.
He’d changed for the better and if Varian hadn’t hadn’t fallen for him before, he certainly had by now.
His hand moved down to brush the cheek that wasn’t adorably smushed into the mattress.
He suddenly felt Hugo lean into the touch and watched him crack one eye open a bit to look at him.
“Hi,” the blonde murmured, smiling up at him like a lovesick puppy.
Varian yanked his hand back from Hugo’s face, embarrassed “Hi! Sorry about-” he was interrupted by a meek whine followed by his hand being dragged right back to where it had been.
“No, S’nice, don’t stop…” Hugo looked heartbroken “please?” And Varian had no choice but to go bright red and oblige the request.
As Varian continued to run his fingers through blonde hair Hugo repositioned himself so that he was lying his head on Varian’s thigh for the second time that day.
“Hugo, I’m covered in chlorine, I can’t imagine you want to put your face there right now.”
Hugo only hummed contently.
Varian folded. He knew he should definitely get up and go shower or at least move Hugo so he didn’t get an earful in the morning about the chemical smell he’d inevitably wake up to. But he couldn’t bring himself to do anything at the moment.
In the morning, Hugo would wake up and Varian would definitely get an earful but it was worth it.