It didn't take long for Lucio to be done with his food, it seemed even the dessert didn't call to Lucio too much although the boy seemed happy enough to take a few bites. Ansel finished off the gelato and strawberries once Lucio had had his fill, not wanting to let the delectable treat go to waste. Ansel was incredibly fond of flavors such as mint, coffee, pistachio, flavors that weren't overly sweet and sugary. He liked the contrast of the gelato's creaminess with the mint's light touch. Although he had noted that Lucio hadn't eaten enough, in Ansel's opinion, anyway, the professor didn't press the issue, not tonight. Tomorrow, when they went shopping, Ansel would ensure that they bought all of Lucio's favorite foods in an effort to put some weight back on Lucio's body, but that wasn't a discussion he felt was necessary right now. Lucio seemed happy to be there with Ansel, and he didn't want to ruin that.<br/><br/>Ansel looked up at his love as Lucio stood, watching with intrigued eyes as the young man began to strip. Although Lucio still bore the evidence of his time with Buckley, blotches of discolored skin and slightly exposed bones from his weight loss, Ansel still thought Lucio to be the most staggeringly beautiful creature he had ever seen. He smiled and stood, keeping his eyes locked onto Lucio has he removed his own clothes and tossed them carelessly to the side. "Cold water doesn't bother me," Ansel said, "Besides, I'm sure you'll help keep me warm." When Ansel was in high school, he used to wake up at 4 am four times a week just to swim alone in cold, unforgiving waters. He had grown to love the way the icy wetness crept into his skin, chilling him all the way down to the bone. Perhaps the lake would do something similar.<br/><br/>When Ansel was completely nude, he took Lucio's hand and led him down the hill toward the lake. He stood on the edge for a moment with Lucio, looking out onto the water and feeling a serenity that he was excited to disturb. Without warning, Ansel rushed forward, pulling Lucio along with him as he sunk deeper and deeper. It didn't take long for them to reach a point where the floor of the lake dropped off, leaving only cold wetness to wade through. Ansel let go of Lucio's hand, gave him a huge grin, and dove into the water, completely disappearing beneath its glassy surface.<br/><br/>Swimming had always given Ansel a sense of euphoria and peace, and tonight was no different. He moved through the water like he knew it, was intimately knowledgeable about every push and pull of the lakes movements. As graceful as the professor appeared on land, down here, away from sunlight and air, he was even more so, and for a brief moment, he forgot about everything. Grissom, Buckley, Petra, everything that left Ansel feeling angry or threatened. Nothing mattered down here.<br/><br/>But he couldn't stay down there forever, and his lungs began to burn. He stretched his body toward the sky and broke through the surface of the water, feeling rejuvenated. He wanted to share this with Lucio, this feeling inside of him. He wanted to experience every wonderful sensation with his lover by his side. He wiped at his eyes and looked around, searching for Lucio's lithe silhouette in the twilight.