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The drama at school dissolved during the next several weeks, and the two otters kept themselves busy between homework and working at the pool. Cloud moved in with Rye, which Rye was even surprised when Nate, Ariel and Patrick came to help Cloud move. Whenever the two otters had free time, they spent it together at their apartment or off having fun with some of their friends; but still, work consumed most of their time.

With Cloud guarding from one of the lifeguard posts, Rye was kneeling next to him and taking samples of the water.

"Chlorine is perfect," Rye analyzed the water. Rye looked up at Cloud, who was staring out over the water looking for drowning cubs or kits. Rye smiled. "Lifeguards are on duty. Pool seems to be in top-shape."

Cloud still didn't say anything and his stare remained straight forward.

"We're under attack by Reanimates," Rye joked. "We're all going to die." Cloud still didn't respond. Rye only smiled. He knew Cloud was in one of his deep thoughts.

Rye stood up and went behind Cloud's lifeguard chair. With a sudden push, Cloud fell out of the chair and into the water with a shocked gasp. The splash caught the attention of a few nearby swimmers but Cloud quickly resurfaced and scowled at Rye.

Still smiling, Rye lied down on the edge of the pool on his stomach and faced toward Cloud. They were so close that the otters were nearly touching nose-to-nose.

"What were you thinking about?" Rye asked innocently.

Cloud's expression lightened up. "About your birthday actually," Cloud admitted honestly.

"My birthday?" Rye repeated shocked. "That's not until spring."

"I know," Cloud agreed, still treading water. "But it's the first time we get to spend one of our birthdays together."

"Well, you don't worry about that," Rye said. "Just having you with me will be more than enough to make me the luckiest otter in the universe."

"You're too kind," Cloud said and chuckled.

"Impossible."

"Can I get out of the water now?"

"Nope." Rye giggled. "I don't like my hot otter-boy sitting in that tall chair as a display for everyone else. You're just for me, no one else."

"I don't think Ryan will appreciate that I'm not on-duty," Cloud tried to combat.

"Ryan stares at you enough already," Rye joked with a smile. "I get to stare at you longer than he does."

"You're really stubborn, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know. It's what makes the world go round."

"Humph!"

They both stared at each other for a few seconds before Rye decided he was satisfied and stood up out of Cloud's way. Cloud climbed out of the pool, and shook some of the water out from his fur.

Grinning at Cloud innocently, Rye waited for him to climb back up to his post. But as Cloud was climbing, he used his tail and quickly swatted Rye over the edge of the pool. Rye fell in and splashed just as loud as Cloud did into the water. Rye quickly resurfaced with his grin gone momentarily.

"Oops," Cloud said mocking shock and horror.

"I'll get you back for that," Rye promised and climbed out of the pool.

"I didn't mean to," Cloud played innocent.

"Right," Rye laughed. "Anyway, I'm going to go do some janitor-duty in the locker rooms. I'll be back at the end of your shift so we can go home together."

"Don't stare at the cute guys in there," Cloud warned Rye with a smile as Rye walked away.

"No one compares to you," Rye commented just before they were out of hearing range.

"Whatever," Cloud said barely audible.

Naturally, Rye's mind wandered toward thinking about Cloud while he wasted time cleaning the locker rooms that were already spotless. The locker room is always spotless. The time passed quickly with Rye keeping himself busy with cleaning, and he didn't even realize the time when Cloud got off.

Rye felt paws go around his waist and pull him close to the body behind him. Smiling, Rye knew who it was and turned around to look at Cloud.

"I lost track of time," Rye admitted. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Cloud responded and smiled at Rye. "Let's go now. I've had enough water for one day."

"Okay, let me just put these things away and we'll walk home," Rye said looking at the cleaning supplies next to him.

Less than half an hour later, Rye was unlocking their apartment front door and leading Cloud into his place.

"Home sweet home," Rye commented setting his keys and wallet down on the dining table.

"You're the only thing that makes it sweet," Cloud said and raided the fridge. Now he usually bought most of his own food but he just stored it with Rye's food. Neither of them really cared who ate whose food.

"Whatever. I bought you some trout this morning, since you won't buy it yourself."

For a while, it's bothered Rye what Cloud did with the rest of his money since he hardly bought food and Rye never seen him spend his money on anything else. But Cloud wouldn't ever say what he did with it so Rye gave up.

"I told you not to buy it, but we can share it tonight."

Cloud grabbed a small snack and went back to the living room.

"Halloween is coming up," Rye noted when he sat on his couch and flipped through the channels on the television. "The party will be Halloween night, at Beach Lagoon."

"Hm," Cloud thought. "I remember last time we swam in the pool at night. I'll never forget that night."

Rye thought about the last time Cloud and he had a swim at Beach Lagoon during the night, and he remembered their first kiss. He grinned at the memory. "That's definitely a night I won't forget either."

"We're lucky Halloween is on a Saturday this year," Cloud commented, now sitting down next to Rye and putting an arm around him. "But I don't assume that we'll be hosting the entire party at the pool all day."

"Nope. A Halloween fair is always set up at Ariel's mansion, courtesy of the Mayor and Ariel's dad. Another attraction for tourist."

"You'd think Ariel's family brings in all the money for the city."

Rye laughed. "They spend just about the same amount that they bring in on these parties. But they do help make this city famous and known for the Games."

"It's only in a couple days and yet I'm still not that excited," Cloud admitted with a frown. Neither of them were really paying attention to the show on the television.

"Me neither," Rye also admitted. "I'm just happy to be spending the time with you. We could be doing anything together and I'd still be the happiest otter ever."

"I already claimed that position," Cloud playfully argued, and then rested his head on Rye's lap. "Although I'm not that excited right now, I'm sure the party will be lots of fun."

"Yeah," Rye leaned down and kissed Cloud's lips gently. "I'll be sure that we have a lot of fun there."

The two of them quickly fell asleep after their short discussion, being tired from school and working all day.

The next couple days were pretty routine: going to school, and then going to the pool to work.

Even when the party came, they didn't do much out of the ordinary except for riding a few of the fair rides that were set up for the Halloween fair. They didn't bother with the corn maze that was on the edge of the fair. It wasn't until near the end of the first half of the party when Rye noticed something out of the usual with Cloud; he was shopping.

"How much would this cost?" Cloud asked the seller, holding up an otter doll.

"Sixty-five," the doe answered.

"I'll think about it," Cloud said putting down the doll, and walked back to Rye.

"What are you doing?" Rye asked, raising an eyebrow. It was unusual to see Cloud shopping for anything; especially, anything that he wanted for himself.

"I need to get you something for the holiday," Cloud answered honestly with a smug smile.

"That doesn't apply for Halloween," Rye reminded him.

"I know, but it'd be nice to remember our first Halloween together."

"You're all about the memories, aren't you?" Rye chuckled quietly.

"You know it."

"Well, then, we'll get something that we can both enjoy. Like some Halloween decoration or something simple like that," Rye suggested.

"Okay, but we really should be getting to Beach Lagoon," Cloud noted. "The pool party will be starting soon."

"Yeah, I guess we'll call it a day here," Rye said leading the way toward his car that was parked near the front of the driveway of Ariel's mansion.

"But I will get something for your birthday at least," Cloud promised.

"Whatever," Rye tried to brush it off; it was hard for him to accept a gift from Cloud especially when he believed that Cloud was already too good to be true.

Both otters quickly arrived at the pool parking lot, which was empty because the party didn't start for another hour, when it was dark. The landscaping around the pool's entrance was ridiculously decorated with dark creatures, cob webs and orange and black lights. Inside the lobby was dressed in a similar fashion.

"Hi Aaron," Cloud said walking up to the desk. Aaron wore a black cape and vampire teeth that extended over his bottom lip.

"Hey Cloud, hi Rye," Aaron said greeting them. "I'm grateful that you're helping with my shifts Cloud but you should try to deal with the mess these parties make sometime. It's a nightmare."

Cloud laughed. "You look like one of my childhood 'nightmares.' Rye and I are going to head back to the pool."

"Okay, just remember our rules, no sex in the locker room," Aaron jokingly said while Cloud and Rye were walking away.

"Aaron!" Rye snapped at him.

Aaron laughed, "I'm just kidding. Go have fun you two love-birds."

Rye and Cloud walked down the hallway which had carved pumpkins lined up down the length of it. They entered the locker room, which was the only part of the pool that wasn't decorated, and started to change.

"Curse your body for being such a perfect piece of eye-candy," Cloud said when Rye undressed.

"Well, don't look then," Rye laughed. "I have to keep myself from looking at you when you undress, you could try to do the same."

"No you don't," Cloud laughed, stripping his shirt off. "I catch you watching me undress all the time." Rye pulled up his shorts.

"Not all the time," Rye admitted with a chuckle. "Hurry up. I'm going to go shower."

Within a few minutes, both otters were in their swim shorts and showered, and out of the locker rooms.

"So what do we need to do?" Cloud asked looking at the empty pool. It was still closed.

"Bring some logs from the storage unit to the fire pits," Rye answered leading the way. "Ryan wants us to have a mountain of logs in each fire pit so bonfires are blazing when the pool opens."

For the next hour, the two otters, with the help of other employees, prepared the pool and sand pit. The area was dressed up well for the Halloween theme, and all the lifeguards that had to be on duty wore vampire fangs similar to the ones that Aaron wore.

At the end of the hour, the pool quickly came alive with activity with students from all the schools in the city, and many more people coming with their families.

Both Rye and Cloud were lighting the logs on fire when the first of the guest who wanted to relax came to the already flaming logs. It wasn't dark yet but the sun no longer shone on the pool, so its light was replaced with large floodlights.

"I never really noticed those floodlights before," Cloud said as they walked by the volleyball nets that were already occupied with two teams of five in each court.

"Last time we swam in the dark, there were only the pool lights and the moon to light it up," Rye responded. "If we turned on the floodlights, it would have attracted a lot of unwanted attention."

The otters respectively walked on the border of the open sand area where games of Frisbee were being played already.

"We were still interrupted, but it still is one of the best nights of my life," commented Cloud.

"Mine as well."

Food was already being sold at the concession stands to hold over those who were going to eat dinner from the courtesy barbeque. Children piled on the playground in the sand, watched carefully by their parents sitting near the fire pits, while others played on the obstacles in the shallower end of the pool.

Rye and Cloud wandered to the pool, and walked on the edge.

"Do any of the kids go trick-or-treating?" Cloud asked.

"Sometimes, a group of chaperones will take kids out to go do that but most of the parents stay here with their kids," answered Rye. "When it's dark, we host a Treasure Haunt for the kids. The playground is decorated like a haunted house. And if they really want to, they can go to the lifeguards to get candy."

"Ryan really plans this out," commented Cloud.

"He's been hosting the Amor Games for about five years so he figured out most of the loopholes and minor details. I've only been working here for three years so I don't know how long he really has been doing this."

"Hey Rye."

"Hi Nate," Rye returned the greeting to his wolf friend. Nathanial was dressed in long surfer shorts. Around him were some of his friends who Rye didn't know that well. "Enjoying the Games?"

"Yeah," Nate answered. "We were just going to find Patrick so we could start a game of volleyball. Do you and Cloud want to join in?"

"Sure."

"If Rye and I can be on the same team," Cloud added.

"Of course."

Patrick wasn't hard to find, as he was with Ariel who had a large crowd around her. Soon after the group went to a net that was still open and began a game of volleyball. Rye, Cloud, Ariel, Patrick and Nate were all on the same team, and they played against five others who were a quite challenging team on their own. For an hour the teams struggled against one another, but at the end of the match, they realized that no one bothered to remember the score of the long match.

The sun set rapidly afterwards, and after the last lights of the sun were gone Rye started to notice dark figures hiding behind the light occasionally. The children also noticed the figures, and they stayed as far from them as they could and told their parents. The parents however laughed and didn't pay any attention to it.

Curious, Rye decided to approach one of the dark figures. He caught a glimpse of one hovering near the main entrance on the far side of the pool.

"I'll be right back," Rye said to Cloud, who was talking with Ariel.

"Okay, hurry back," Cloud replied.

Hastily walking, Rye rapidly approached the creature. The dark figure turned toward Rye, but then turned away and fled. Rye quickened his pace, nearly jogging now and eager to see what was going on.

The dark figure also quickened his pace, but Rye had enough so he sprinted toward it. He grabbed it by the shoulder and turned it around.

"Ah!!" Rye jumped back. It was a fox, nearly naked, with blood and wounds all over its body. Part of his skull was showing, an ear was ripped in half, one eye was missing, and half his tail chopped off.

After a moment, Rye looked in the creature's remaining eye carefully.

"Aaron!"

"Shh! Rye, don't blow my cover," the corpse replied.

"What are you doing?" Rye said in a quieter voice.

"Ryan wanted to try something new this year so five of us are dressed up as zombies," Aaron explained. "We're supposed to stay out of the light and frighten the guest. Ryan is dressed up too, except he's lying around somewhere, pretending to be a murder victim."

"It looks so real," Rye muttered.

"Holographic make-up," Aaron explained. "That's how I can hide my tail and part of my ear, and I'm just wearing a black contact in my eye."

"I have to say, you're pretty ugly," Rye said with a laugh.

Aaron laughed too. "I scared you though, didn't I?"

"Yes," admitted Rye. "I don't really go for the foxes, but I do think you looked hotter in your vampire fangs."

Aaron laughed again. "Have Cloud try them on then. Anyway, the zombies are going to 'attack' some of the other employees soon so I got to go. Don't tell anyone."

"I won't," Rye promised.

Aaron continued creeping in the shadows, while Rye returned to Cloud.

"Where'd you go?" Cloud asked when Rye returned.

"I promised not to say but you'll find out soon enough," Rye said with a grin. "What are you guys talking about now?"

"I'm hosting a laser game again," answered Ariel. "Cloud hasn't seen the Hell setting so I thought he'd like to see that."

"Good idea," exclaimed Rye. "What are the teams?"

"Cloud insists on being on your team--"

"I insist on being with him also."

"--so the opposing team is going to get five extra players. We need to start gathering more people though, since Nate has run off."

"If he sees us gathering with the laser guns, he'll come running," said Rye. "Let's head toward the deep end."

"Okay," Ariel replied.

Ariel started to lead the way toward the diving boards, when a collection of screams came from the other side of the pool, followed by splashes. The otters, Ariel and Patrick turned to see what was causing the commotion. Lifeguards were falling into the pool, some floating belly up while others floated face down in the water. Rye smiled and rolled his eyes.

"What's going on over there?" Cloud asked.

"I don't know, probably just some Halloween prank," answered Rye. "Come on, we're wasting time."

A game of laser tag was soon started even though Nate hasn't found the teams yet. The pool was lit up with the Hell setting for all the games, with lava cracks in the floor, and floating red rocks that were used for cover. After the third game, Nate was finally drawn in by the addictive game and he joined the otter's team with Ariel and Patrick so those five were against fifteen now.

After a fifth game, the zombies attacked again but this time, they stayed and mingled with the guest, dropping the act. Which Ryan took an opportunity to tell the otters to refuel the bonfires. The zombies remained in their make-up, but Aaron found it rather amusing to bring his vampire teeth to Cloud.

"Try these on," Aaron said.

Rye climbed out of the pool, dripping wet. "What are you doing Aaron?"

"Seeing if the teeth fit Cloud," Aaron answered innocently.

"What do you think Rye?" Cloud asked after he fit the teeth in his mouth. "Think I can pull off a vampire?"

Rye examined Cloud. "You look dangerous with those in," Rye finally answered. "I like them. What do you think Aaron?"

"My opinion doesn't matter," Aaron said. "I need to return to the locker rooms anyway."

"You should put on some more clothes too Aaron," said Cloud jokingly.

"I'm a mangled-up corpse for crying out loud, I'm not trying to be attractive," Aaron yelled while he stamped away. But after a few steps, he looked back at the otters and flicked his half-tail up in playful, seductive gesture.

They all laughed, and Aaron finally went on his way.

"If you walked around like that, I know I'd be forced to pounce you," said Rye.

"What? A corpse?" Cloud laughed, joking with Rye.

Rye laughed too. "No, in such a short loin cloth. Come on, there's another game starting soon."

Nearly a dozen games later, Rye and Cloud moved on to a different activity. They paid little attention to when Ryan started the Treasure Haunt for the children, and instead they continued speaking with the friends that they came across. Several hours in the late night, after most of the young children have already fallen asleep next to their parents or gone home, the otters were cuddled up on a bench near one of the freshly-fed bonfire.

Rye rested in front of Cloud, with Cloud spooning the blue otter, and they lazily watched the blazing fire. Neither of them spoke, for no words were needed when they shared such an intense bond of love. Slowly, they both drifted to sleep. They both had a great deal of fun on the holiday Games and it couldn't be ending anymore perfect than it was now.

However, something that has been in the back of their minds since the day they met started to creep up on them. The next milestone of the year was the winter party but something else about winter bothered them greatly.