[Gift] Swimming Lessons

     "Hey Corny! I have a surprise for you, get out here!" Corn Chipz paused as he heard his roommate, Chester,  in the other room, going out to him with only half of his clown makeup done. "A surprise?... Uh, can I finish painting my face first? I don't like going out without it done…" Chester chuckled some, shaking his head. "No you're fine. We're just going out to the back yard." Corny seemed baffled for a moment as Chester took his hand. "Wait, we have a back yard? What?" Chester laughed further, seeing the confused expression on Corny's face.  "Well duh. Where did you think the back door went?" Corny stared blankly at the back door, not exactly knowing what to say. “Uh… Honestly I thought that was your closet.” Chester was struggling to keep a straight face as he took one of Corny’s hands in his. “Just cover your eyes and follow me.”

      Leading Corn Chipz out to the backyard, Chester was careful as to not let him trip or walk into things, pausing for a second on the back porch. “You might wanna take your costume off. I don’t think your silks are good for your surprise. Just, face this way.” Chester turned Corny to face the house and waited for him to get his costume off, turning him back around to walk more into the yard. Corny paused as some water hit him. “That’s weird, I didn’t think we were expecting rain today?” Chester chuckled some as he came to a stop. “Open your eyes, have a look at what I got for us to beat the heat.”

     Corny looked around the yard, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the brightness of the sunlight, squinting some as he laid sights on a water sprinkler soaking the lawn. His eyes coasted a bit to the central area of the lawn, and he froze, looking terrified. Chester looked slightly pained, but it followed with confusion as he looked at Corny, then the small pool he set up, looking to Corny for reassurance. “You… Don’t like it?...” Corny held onto Chester’s hand tighter, his lip quivering as he shook his head. “I… I can’t swim… I could drown in that…” Chester hugged Corny some, looking at him in a gentle manner to try and ease his mind. “It’s shallow. Doesn’t go any higher than our thighs. You’ll be safe. Look, I’ll even get in with you to make sure you’re safe, ok?” He smiled softly as nodding a little bit with Corny, coaxing the anxious Scarf over to the pool.

     Stepping in the pool, Chester helped Corny in, making sure he wouldn’t slip on the rubber floor of the pool, meanwhile Corny looked at the water with absolute fear, trying to not cry. Chester coaxed Corny to look at him, shaking his head. “Don’t think too much about it. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you, alright?” Corn Chipz’ lip quivered some as he nodded, looking only at Chester, letting out a small sigh to try and calm his nerves, holding Chester’s hands tightly and not taking his eyes off of him. He shivered some when his skin finally registered how cold the water was. In a moment of courage, Corny decided to look down at the water reaching their knees, his expression calming some. “I’m… Not dead?...” He looked at Chester with a thrilled expression, hopping a bit. “I’m not dead!” Chester chuckled some as watching Corny. “No, you’re not dead. See, I told you I’d keep you safe. Be careful with your little jumps thou–” Before Chester could fully finish his warning, Corny slipped on one of his hops, falling backwards, pulling Chester down with him. Chester last saw Corny’s panicked expression before ~splash~

     Chester, worried, helped Corny sit back up so his head was above water. “Corny! Are you ok? I was about to tell you that the pool is slippery…” Chester let out a small sigh of relief when he saw Corny was laughing some, his half painted face running off from the water. “That. Was. AMAZING!” Corny splashed Chester some playfully. “The water’s nice and cool in this heat and stopped me from hitting the ground. Water good.” Chester chuckled himself some, shaking his head a little bit. “Just be careful I can’t afford another pool right now if this one gets popped. But here, let me give you something so you at least keep your head above water.” 

     Chester then leaned out of the pool some, picking up two neon pink plastic things and blowing air into them. Corny watched intently, cocking his head to the side as he then watched as Chester put the little pink floaties on either of Corny’s arms. “What are these?” He slumped in the water some more and the floaties kept his shoulders and head above the water. Corny seemed even more ecstatic as he realised the floaties were protecting him from going under again. He gasped and looked up at Chester, his tail wagging some, slowly, under the water. “They’re anti-death rings!” Chester couldn’t help but laugh a little bit at the name Corn Chipz gave the floaties. “Yes, but they’re called pool floaties. They’ll keep you safe if I need to run inside at any point.” 

     Corny smiled a bit mischievous, glancing at the sparkling ripples in the pool, then at Chester, grinning a bit as he raised his big floppy Scarfox arms, scooping a bunch of water, and splashing Chester. Chester let out a sound of surprise before laughing and splashing Corn Chipz back, starting a playful war. Corny glided over to one of the sides, grabbing a pool toy, filling it with water and spraying the water at his blue foe. Chester smirked in reply, getting out and running over to the sprinkler, picking it up and aiming it at Corny in the pool. Corny let out a playful yell, refilling his squirt ducky and spraying it back at Chester. 

     Their war continued for quite a bit before the duo were finally tuckered out enough. They dried off, turning the sprinkler off and heading inside, snuggling some trying to warm up as Corny’s boyfriend, Rekoj, sat beside them. Chester had too much fun to actually care about the rock, however Corny seemed in hysterics as he chuckled to what he was hearing Rekoj say. “What’s he saying that’s so funny Corns?” Corny needed a second to regain himself before looking back at Chester. “He called us doofs for getting the yard all wet.”