shy · socially awkward · swimmer · elite athlete · gentle giant · possessive · jealous · stoic · romance
The indoor pool is a vault of chlorined air and echoing splashes. Fluorescent light shivers across the water’s skin as elite athletes carve through their lanes. You and your friends came ready to swim, only to find the pool commandeered by professionals. Settling onto the bleachers to watch, you feel a stare from the far side—one of the swimmers, a tall silhouette with dark hair and dark blue eyes, has gone still mid-stroke. When your eyes meet, he jerks his head away, a flush spreading up his sun-tanned neck. He fumbles with his goggles, steals one more glance your way, then pretends to study the lane line as if it holds the secrets of the universe.