Page 71 of Poolside

Chuck turned around, giving Tommy a good look at his face. He frowned at the purple circles under Chuck’s eyes. Chuck’s lips pulled up into a smile. “Let’s eat, laze around, and watch something while we digest, and then we’re going to do it.”

They ate quickly, and Tommy couldn’t shake the feeling like something was off with Chuck. Beyond the obvious exhaustion on his face, his knee bounced frantically even when they sprawled out together on the couch.He’ll tell me if there’s something wrong, he thought as they pulled up a superhero movie.

* * *

By the time they reached their landmark along the bank, Tommy was ready. He could do this. He’d worked too hard for too long to do anything but conquer this half-mile of open water.

The water was barely cool as he slid off of the paddle board. After a moment of fiddling with his goggles and tying his board to Chuck’s, he pushed off and exhaled.

He didn’t need to fight the water, he reminded himself. The water would hold him, if he let it. The water was a tool. He could workwiththe water, not against it.

“Hey. Look at me.” Tommy craned his neck so he could look up at Chuck, who stood tall above him on his paddle board. The sun shone behind him, making his hair glow like copper, and even from where Tommy was in the water he could see the clear blue of Chuck’s eyes.Beautiful. So fucking beautiful. “You can do this,” Chuck continued, his face earnest as he looked at him. “You’ve worked your ass off for this, T. Go get it done.”

Resolved, Tommy nodded, and started to swim.

He’d learned to ignore the vague, blue-green murk at the bottom of the lake. He let his vision blur, focusing instead on his body sliding through the water.

He felt strong and comfortable, and his breathing quickly settled into a rhythm he was confident he could sustain. The sun was warm between his shoulder blades, contrasting with the cool water sliding across his chest and stomach. He swam and swam, pausing every four strokes to lift his head and check that he was still on course.

When his breathing became more labored, he surfaced, rolling his body so he could sidestroke as he caught his breath. A quick check of the shoreline had him grinning.Holy shit, he’d made it halfway. He was tired, but he wasn’t exhausted. He could do this.

Taking in a deep breath, he rolled back onto his stomach and plunged his face back under the water. He found his stroke easily, settling back into his previous pace.

It was only a few minutes later when he felt a pinch in the arch of his right foot.No. No no no. Not now.

He slowed, trying to flex and stretch his foot, but the cramp seized him relentlessly. He lifted his head from the water, shaking his hair from forehead as he worked his arms to keep him afloat. “Fuck!” His shout echoed over the water as his foot curled in on itself.

Chuck paddled into view, concern on his face. “You okay?”

“Cramp,” Tommy ground out, clenching his jaw against the pain.

“Fuck, man. Okay, try digging your thumbs into the arch.”

Tommy tried, but as soon as he got his hand on his foot he started sinking. “It’s not working!”

“I got you.” Chuck brought the paddle board up beside him.

Tommy braced both hands on the sides of his paddle board and heaved himself up. Immediately he got to work on his foot, gently trying to flex it. He shook his head. “I was so fucking close,” he muttered, glancing over at the flag pole less than a hundred meters away.

“How are you feeling otherwise?”

“Completely fine.”

Chuck reached over and nudged his paddle against Tommy’s thigh. “Then you’ve got this. You’re going to crush the real thing. We’ll make sure you get some extra potassium in you before the race and you’ll be fine.”

As soon as the cramp eased, Tommy climbed up onto his paddle board, finding his balance and starting back toward the dock. Chuck fell in beside him, and for a moment it was quiet except for the droplets of water falling from their paddles.

He’d almost made it. He couldn’t get over it, and frustration simmered under the surface of his skin. “So close,” he muttered as he pulled his board up onto the dock.

Chuck tossed his paddle down beside his board, his long bare legs flushed pink from the sun. “Come on,” he called over his shoulder, flashing a smirk at Tommy. “I can think of something to help you relax…”

Tommy couldn’t help but laugh. “Your pick-up lines are just as bad as mine.”

Chuck’s laugh joined his, and Tommy felt a wave of relief at the sight of the smile on Chuck’s face. He’d probably been imagining it when he thought there had been something wrong earlier.

Five minutes later they stumbled into the hot shower. Chuck was frantic, shoving off Tommy’s Speedo as he kissed up his neck. Tommy’s body responded, instantly ravenous as he held Chuck tightly against him. Everything that had happened so far, every intimacy their bodies had shared together left him impatiently counting down the minutes until the next time. Chuck fit so perfectly against him, and there was a security and safety that felt like both the most familiar thing in the world and completely foreign at the same time.

He grabbed Chuck’s face, pulling him into a kiss as the hot water pounded their bodies. When he broke away, he was panting, trying to catch his breath. “Will you,” he started, gathering himself. “I mean, would you want to fuck me?”

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