Chapter 52 - Ocean - Tournament Part 5

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Ocean

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My heart was pounding. I could not believe what had just happened. I could not believe that I had just won. I had placed first in the whole tournament. What did this mean for that time when I raced against Makai two weeks ago?

Had I gotten faster or was it because I was sick? But, what about all the times he beat me when he first got here? Was I just unnerved by him or something? Why couldn't I beat him back then?

All of this was just so confusing. However, I was just happy to have won. I was glad that I could show them all what it was that I could do. And this would be something I could rub into Brittney's face while turning her down when she came crawling back to me.

Following all the events that filled the day, there were interviews and photographs to be taken. During the change up and reset for the guys to start their final heats the girls had already been interviewed. Apparently, the only ones left to be interviewed were the top three guys and some notable mentions that came close to the top spots. The remainder of the swimmers had already changed and were getting ready to leave. A lot of the schools, those that hadn't made it to the finals or semi-finals, had already left or hadn't even come back today.

Slowly, the ten guys from the finals trickled away until it was just the three of us that had taken a top prize. And it was a prize too, not just a trophy. Each member of the group relays would take home between two thousand five hundred and ten thousand dollars worth of scholarships along with a two thousand five hundred dollar cash prize, the higher scholarships going to those that finished in a higher place.

As for the individual winners, they each took home scholarships as well: ten thousand for the third place winner, twenty-five thousand for the second place winner, and fifty thousand for the first place winner. The cash prizes for these students were also higher. The third place winner would receive five thousand dollars, the second place winner would receive ten thousand dollars, and the first place would receive twenty thousand dollars.

Adding this all up, that meant that Makai just got thirty-five thousand dollars in scholarships and twelve thousand five hundred dollars in cash prizes. And as for me, I got sixty thousand in scholarships and twenty-two thousand five hundred dollars in cash prizes. This had turned into an amazing day, and I was now able to tell my parents that I could help them pay for my college now. I definitely had a lot to be thankful for.

The reporters that were there to interview us all seemed to take a liking to me and Makai. Unfortunately that meant that the third place winner was pushed off to the side after a while. He wasn't all that happy about it, but he eventually walked off and joined his team.

"You two boys are from the same school? Do you practice together a lot? Do you motivate each other to do better? Is there a constant rivalry going on between the two of you?" The reporter that was in the lead was firing off her questions like she was some paparazzi in Hollywood.

"We're pretty good friends. We train together at all of our team practices and occasionally outside of them. And, I would say that there is a little bit of rivalry between us, but that just motivates us to do our best. We're still super supportive of each other, and I couldn't be happier that the person who beat me today was him." Makai was able to answer their questions easily and make up stories about our lives. I mean, I guess none of it was fake, but he was spinning it into a really good friendship between us.

"Would you have felt the same way, Ocean? Would you have been happy if Makai beat you?" She fired off more of her questions.

"If he gave it his all I wouldn't have cared. I just wanted to swim an honest race against him. If he swam as best as he could and won then I would have been fine with it. Makai is an excellent swimmer, and I am proud of him." I plastered on a smile and tried to do my best, just the same as he was.

"You two seem to be really good friends. I bet that is just the best thing, to be best friends with your biggest rival. It must keep things interesting." This was from another reporter, a woman who looked like she was just a little bit older than we were.

"Oh it is really cool. I like the fact that we can challenge each other all the time, but then we can just go to lunch together and joke like everyone else." Makai threw his arm around my shoulder, and I saw a series of lights flash in front of us. I was just glad that I had noticed them prepping their camera and had the time to prepare a smile for them so that we would come off as the best of friends.

The rest of the interview was a blur. I had been a little more than shocked by what Makai had done during the interview. We managed it though, and I don't think that I sounded like a complete moron. Thankfully, it all went pretty well.

Our coach was the only one left waiting for us when the interview was over. Everyone was already out on the busses, waiting for us.

"You two go and get dressed, we will see you out on the busses when you're done. Don't take too long, alright." Our coach was riding high with the excitement of the day. He had two teams place in the top three for the relays and two swimmers place in the top three for the individuals. He was the only coach that could claim that for the day's events. He felt higher than a kite right now, and it was more than obvious.

The coach left the building which was almost completely empty now. There were still a few staff members milling about, but the crowd from earlier was gone. Makai and I went to the locker room, one of the several they had that was designated for our team. It would only take us a few minutes to get dressed so that we could leave. It wasn't that late in the day, and we could still get dinner after we got back to the school.

I was hungry and so focused on the food that I almost forgot that I was going to be in the locker room, alone, with Makai. That could be dangerous. After what had happened last night I didn't know what to expect.

Makai, as he did at our school and at our last away meet, had chosen the locker right next to mine. We were bound to be side by side apparently so I hadn't thought much about it. However, now I was looking at it completely differently than I had before. 

Was Makai sticking close to me because he liked me? That couldn't actually be true. We were both guys. He didn't like me that way. He just couldn't. Could he?

And, what did I think about Makai? I wasn't gay was I? I didn't like him like that did I? I mean, I had actually had a girlfriend. I have never thought about a guy like this until Makai showed up. But to be fair, I had never truly thought about Brittney like this either.

I had never actually thought about anyone like this. I had never felt like I was drawn to someone the way I was drawn to Makai. He made me nervous and scared, but it also made me smile just to be around him. Just being in the same room with him both brought me a sense of peace and made my heart race so much that I thought I was going to pass out. What the hell was the matter with me?

I couldn't stop thinking about what it all meant while we were getting dressed. And I guess I was staring at him more than I usually did.

"Do you find me that irresistible? That you just can't take your eyes off of me?" I heard Makai's voice as he turned toward me with a grin on his face.

I had been watching Makai at the same angle that I had always seen him, he was facing slightly away from me, his left shoulder and most of his back facing me. His ass naked as he took off his uniform speedo. The muscles under his body rippled as he moved and worked to hold in his chuckle.

"W..w..what m..makes y..you think I..I w..was l..looking at you?" I tried to pretend I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Aside from the fact that I can feel you burning holes into my back? How about there is also the fact that I can see your reflection in the lockers, and you haven't looked away since we got in here."

There was a sudden purr in his voice, something that said he was happy with the current situation. I watched, stunned, and he slowly started to turn toward me, happy that he had put on a pair of boxer briefs first. Since that was as far as I had gone though, we were both practically still naked.

"W..w..what are y..you d..d..d..doing? I asked him as he turned and shifted his body toward me. Involuntarily I looked down the length of his body, just to make sure it was covered. It seemed he had put his bottoms a little too hastily since they were crooked and the waistband was slightly rolled. I saw, just under the line where his speedo would sit, a birthmark that looked just like mine. Only his looked more like a tattoo since it was shiny and almost a silvery green color. "W..w..what's that?" I asked to try and distract him.

"It's a birthmark, just like yours." There was heat in his eyes and a strength to his voice that was a little too rough as it rolled over my body.

It felt like he was walking toward me so I took a step back. He was walking toward me though because with every step I took he took another one and herded me toward the wall. It didn't take long and soon I was standing there with my back pressed against the cold tile.

"Why are you walking away from me, Ocean?" Makai's voice held so much heat that it almost took the shiver away as the cold wall pressed against me. Almost. 

"B..b..because you were h..herding m..m..me over here.

"I wasn't herding you. I simply wanted to get closer to you. I always want to be closer to you." His voice was coming closer now, as he moved his mouth next to my ear. "I want you to know, Ocean, that I do not regret last night, or that night on the beach. I quite enjoyed them both and would love to do them again."

"W..w..w..what?" My stuttering had been under control until I was alone with Makai, that was when it became so much worse. "W..w..why?"

"Why?" He chuckled, and I had the urge to shiver, an urge that was hard to control. "Because I like you, Ocean. I have from the first time that I saw you. You drive me insane, and I want to be with you. I find you irresistible, sexy, funny, and you're a damn good kisser."

At that, Makai moved his mouth along my jaw. He scraped his lips, hot and wet, along my skin. The feeling caused me to shudder, and I couldn't hold it in this time. When Makai's lips pressed against mine, I groaned. It was the third time that we had kissed, and it was becoming a habit. His kisses were also better than anything that I had ever experienced with Brittney.

I couldn't stop myself. I kissed him back. Makai's hands wrapped themselves around my waist as he pulled himself closer to me. Our hips pressed together, and Makai bent his knees just a little, one of which pushed itself in between my thighs as I grabbed onto Makai's arms and pulled him toward me.

When Makai pressed his tongue against my lips, I opened my mouth for him. His tongue slid inside with a sigh and explored the depths of my mouth like he was trying to memorize the lay of the land. I had never experienced something like this before.

I didn't want to let him do all the work though. A guy needed to do his fair share of the work after all. I tangled my tongue with his for a brief moment before I explored his mouth just as thoroughly as he had explored mine.