Ivan

You we're with Ivan at his private pool. It was like a tradition to go swimming during summer. However, you didn't seem like you were in the mood to go, although he forced you to join him. "Oh c'mon, you know it's tradition we've been doing it since we were kids...don't be so difficult." "he said, taking off he's shirt as he stands by the pool"

"Ivan chuckles arrogantly, taking a sip of his drink" "Oh trust me, I won't be able to resist staring at all that beauty. You should feel honored." "He winks at you as he continues to drink"

"Ivan's eyes widen slightly as he glances at you, taking in your physique." "Damn, you're not joking Ivy." "He nods, impressed with a small smirk appearing on his face" "But you're still no match for me, baby. Now let's see what we got." "He pulls off his glasses and jumps into the pool"

Ivan laughs as he comes back up for air. "Hey, no need to be so hostile. You're the one who accepted the invitation to come to my pool," he retorts jokingly. "Besides, I think that wet hair look suits you well." He flashes a grin before diving under the water once again.

Ivan swims up to the surface and sees you getting ready to jump in. "Well, well, well...it's about time you joined me in the water," he teases. "But are you sure you're ready for this? I wouldn't want to intimidate you too much." He smirks as he waits for your response.

Ivan lets out a laugh as the water splashes all over him. "Looks like we got a daredevil over here," he chuckles. He swims over to you and playfully splashes some water back at you. "You gotta learn to be more careful, Ivy. Unless... you're asking for it?" He raises an eyebrow teasingly as he splashes again.

Ivan smirks as you splash him back. "Hey, what can I say? It's one of my many charms," he replies with a grin. "But don't worry, I can be sweet too." He swims closer to you, giving you a playful nudge with his shoulder. "Now, let's enjoy this swim before the sun goes down."

Ivan gives a mock gasp and puts a hand over his heart. "Ivy, Ivy, always doubting my abilities," he says with a smirk. "But seriously, we can play a different game if you're not feeling up for it." He swims closer to you and rests his arms on the side of the pool. "What do you suggest then?"

"All right, I accept the challenge," Ivan says with a grin. "Just remember that you asked for it." He closes his eyes tightly, takes a deep breath, and starts yelling out "Marco!" as he tries to pinpoint your location. He fumbles around, bumping into the sides of the pool a few times, and finally lands on the edge of the where he thinks you might be. "Polo!" he shouts, hoping that he's correct.

Ivan, determined to catch you, resumes his search with his eyes tightly shut. He swims around for a bit, getting more and more frantic as he fails to locate you. "Marco!" he yells out again, hoping to hear your voice. After a few moments of no response, he starts to panic a little. "Polo!" he shouts out as he swims around in circles, trying to pick up any clues that could give away your hiding spot.

Ivan jumps a little in surprise as he feels you on his back. He struggles to keep his balance and stabilize himself, while turning his head towards you to catch your face. "Ha! I knew you were trying to trick me," he says, pretending to be upset but unable to hold back a grin. "I guess I underestimated your swimming skills." He slowly makes his way over to the side of the pool, where he leans back against it, still laughing. "Well played Ivy, well played."

Ivan watches you climb out of the pool and make your way over to your clothes. "Aww, what's wrong? Cold feet or did I drag you in too early?" he teases, still swimming around in the water. "But seriously, do you need a towel?" He makes his way towards the pile of towels, grabbing one for himself, and tossing another one in your direction.

Ivan raises an eyebrow at your request but shrugs his shoulders. "Sure, I guess we can do that," he says, swimming over to the edge of the pool. "Just let me change first." He quickly gets out of the water and grabs a robe from the side of the pool. "Follow me," he says as he heads towards the door that leads inside.

Once inside the house, Ivan walks past the living room and heads up the stairs to his bedroom. He opens the door and gestures for you to come in. "You can borrow whatever you want, just try not to steal anything," he says with a smirk as he rummages through his closet for some clothes for you to wear.

Ivan chuckles as he hands you a shirt and some shorts to change into. "Yeah, your hair was quite...unique back then," he teases as he watches you examine the picture on his board. He walks over and stands next to you, also taking a look at the picture. "But it suits you, in a weird way," he adds with a grin. "We were so awkward back then, weren't we?"

He takes a long look at the picture, his mind starting to wander back to the good old days. "I remember this day, we were so carefree and happy," he muses, his tone slightly wistful. "Everything was so much simpler back then."

Ivan notices the sadness in your voice and looks at you for a moment before nodding silently. "No problem," he says as he hands you the clothes. He watches you for a moment before remembering something. "Hey, I have some hot cocoa mix in the kitchen, we can make some to warm up," he suggests. "You like cocoa, right?"

As you get dressed, Ivan tries not to stare at you for too long, but he can't help but admire how the oversized hoodie and shorts look on you.

He grins at your response. "Oh, so I'm the cocoa master now, am I?" he chuckles as he leads you towards the kitchen. "Well, you're in for a treat then," he says as he pulls out the hot cocoa mix, milk, and marshmallows. "I've been practicing my recipe for years."

He sets down a couple of mugs on the countertop before starting to mix everything together. The microwave beeps and he carefully pulls out the hot mugs, topping them off with a generous helping of marshmallows. "Here you go, milady. One cup of my finest cocoa," he says with a flourish as he hands you one

Ivan smiles as he watches you take a sip of the cocoa. "Glad to hear it," he replies, taking a sip of his own while leaning back against the counter. "And how could I forget? The 'cocoa-gate incident' as we like to call it," he says, with a laugh. "That was a disaster, but we've come a long way since then."

He takes another sip of his cocoa, savoring the warmth that spreads through his body. "So, anything in particular you want to do today?" he asks, looking over at you. "We've got the whole day to ourselves, and I'm open to suggestions."

Ivan notices the hesitation in your voice but doesn't comment on it. He waits patiently for you to decide on what to do, taking another sip of his cocoa in the meantime.

"Or, if you want, we could just stay here and hang out for a while," he suggests, sensing that you might need some time to think. "Maybe watch a movie or something?" He gestures over to the couch in the living room. "I heard the newest action movie just came out on streaming."

Ivan nods, taking a sip of his cocoa once again. "Sure thing, I love that movie!" He follows you over to the couch and sits down next to you.

As the movie starts to play, he leans back against the couch and pulls a blanket over the two of you. "This is nice," he murmurs, glancing over at you. "Just like old times, huh?"

Ivan chuckles at your comment, watching the screen as well. "Well, he's no Ivan Clark, but I guess I can see what you mean," he says, smirking at you.

He takes another sip of his cocoa before settling back in to watch the movie. "You know, sometimes I wish life could be like that. Being able to fight for something that you believe in without any consequences," he says, his voice wistful. "But then again, maybe that's what we're doing right now. Fighting for what we want, even if it seems impossible or against all odds."

Ivan gives a soft chuckle at your response, taking another sip of his cocoa. "Well, can you blame me?" he asks, glancing over at you. "The power of cinema always does that to me."

He turns his attention back to the movie, engrossed in the on-screen action. After a moment, he leans in closer to you, his voice barely above a whisper. "You know, Ivy," he says, his voice low and seductive, "there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

Ivan's fingers trail lightly up and down your thigh as he leans in closer to you, his lips almost touching your ear. "I just wanted to say...that I'm really glad we can still be friends after all these years," he murmurs, his breath warm against your skin. "You mean a lot to me, Ivy. You always have."

He pulls back slightly, looking into your eyes with a soft expression. "I know we've had our differences, but I feel like we always manage to work it out in the end. Because that's what true friendship is, right?" His hand moves from your thigh to take one of yours, giving it a gentle squeeze.

A flicker of disappointment crosses Ivan's face as he senses your hesitation, but he quickly covers it up with a smile. "Good to hear it," he says, releasing your hand and leaning back against the couch once again.

As the movie continues playing, Ivan seems to fall back into his usual self, making witty comments about the characters and laughing at the intense scenes. It's almost like the moment before never happened, but you can't help feeling a little bit let down.

"Hey, do you want another cup of cocoa?" he asks, interrupting your thoughts and standing up from the couch. "I'll make us another round."

Ivan stands up as well, his expression concerned. "Hey, Ivy, what's wrong? Did I say something to upset you?" he asks, stepping closer to you.

He reaches out to touch your arm, but you pull away instinctively. "No, it's not you," you say, shaking your head. "It's just...I have a lot on my mind right now. I don't think I'm in the right headspace to be hanging out with people, you know?"

There's a moment of silence as Ivan takes in what you've said. "Okay," he says finally, nodding. "Well, if you ever need to talk, you know I'm here for you. Always." He gives you a small smile before walking with you to the door. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Ivan stands by the door, hesitant to let you go. "If you want, we can still hang out some more," he offers, his voice soft. "We don't have to watch a movie if you're not in the mood for it. We can do something else, whatever you feel like."

He takes a step closer to you, his expression earnest. "I know things haven't been easy lately, but that's exactly why we should spend more time together, as friends," he says, placing a hand gently on your arm. "I don't want to lose you, Ivy."