Chapter Text
Chlorine was not the best smell in the world but Jisung came to tolerate the burning sensation it brought to his nose every once in a while. If it meant that he got to watch Neo City College’s swim team’s most recent meet, then he didn’t really mind.
Jisung wasn’t a very good swimmer, not in a million years and no matter how hard he tried, he never would get any better. Jisung’s best friend since junior year of high school, however, was one of the best swimmers he’d ever seen. Huang Renjun had nothing on Michael Phelps!
Jisung first met Renjun during the summer between the younger’s sophomore and junior years of high school. It was in less than likely circumstances but Renjun would change Jisung’s life for the better and the older boy wouldn’t even realise it.
…::…
“Triple dog dare you to go swimming in the community pool!” Yeojin shouted. “No take backs!” Chenle snorted as Yeojin laughed into Jaechan’s side while he chuckled as well. Jisung frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’ll get me arrested!” He protested, staying planted on the floor as Yerim tried to tug him up from his criss-cross position.
“Yeojinie said no take backs,” Yerim pointed out, heaving Jisung up from under his arms. “Fuck off! There probably isn’t even a lifeguard on duty. I bet it's closed by now, guys!” Jisung whined, saying anything and everything to get him out of the stupid dare. Only he could choose dare and get stuck with the worst one. That’s just the kind of luck Jisung was born with.
After ten more minutes of arguing, Jisung finally gave up and biked to the community pool with his friends trailing behind him. They hopped the fence and stood around the pool where Jisung stood on the ledge, arms crossed and legs shaking in the cool night despite the season being summer.
“Hurry up, Sungie!” Jaechan called from afar, near the lounge chairs. “I’m doing it!” Jisung grumbled, putting his big toe in the water. He cursed, retracting his foot after feeling the ice cold water.
Fuck this! Jisung thought, looking to his friends with a mad facial expression, as they laughed up a storm with their phones out and flashes on, most likely recording for their Snapchat and/or Instagram stories.
“Hey, what are you all doing here?” An unknown voice called from the other side of the pool. “Shit, Jisung, it’s the cops!” Chenle yelled. “What?!” Jisung screeched and turned, jumping out of his skin so hard that when a hand landed on his shoulder it scared him, causing him to fall back into the pool.
The sudden change from air to water confused his tired mind as he fell further into the pool. Had he been standing on the side of the pool that was eight feet deep or four? Jisung didn’t know anymore but it felt like this feeling of falling was never ending. The chemicals in the water stung his eyes when he tried to open them and water filled his nose, mouth and throat, making it impossible to breathe. Well, Jisung never was a good swimmer.
Some time passes and it takes a moment for Jisung to know where he is again once he regains his senses. His vision is blurry for another moment or so but he can recognize that there's a person sitting on their knees over him. Jisung is on the floor, feeling cold and like a wet dog, most likely because he just fell into a pool. The person hovering over him is waving a hand in front of his face.
“…okay?” Their voice faded in and out.
“…CPR?”
“ …be fine.”
“…up! Please!”
“…so dead.”
When Jisung finally sits up, he hears a sigh of relief. “What happened?” He coughs, spluttering water. “You fell into the deep end.” An unrecognisable voice informed him. J isung looked to his left, where a stranger sat on his knees, blonde hair dripping and clothes drenched. He looked really mad. Jisung frowned.
“You’re lucky I was here. You could have died, dumbass.” The person spat, frowning as well.
“But I didn’t,” Jisung commented.
“No thanks to your friends,” The stranger muttered. “What were you all doing here past the closing time anyway? Go home!” “Where did all my friends go?” Jisung asked absentmindedly, looking around although it was hard to see because it was quite dark outside already.
The teen sitting next to him pouted, “When I came up from the shack, they ditched you. Then you fell and I dived in after to save you. Did CPR and mouth-to-mouth and now here we are.” He shrugged, concluding the story.
Jisung could feel his cheeks burn up. “Y-you did mouth-to-mouth?” He whispered. “Yeah, don’t get too excited, kid. C’mon,” His savior, as Jisung would now call him since it seemed more fitting, stood up, holding a hand out to help Jisung from the floor. “There are some sweatshirts in the lifeguard shack that I can lend to you. Follow me, yeah?”
Jisung nodded, following the boy to the lifeguard shack. He must have been closing the pool for the night when he and the others came causing a scene. The boy handed him a towel to dry off with, then threw a red and white sweatshirt that said NEO CITY, NY LIFEGUARD on the front at him promptly after. “Thanks,” Jisung murmured. The atmosphere was awkward now. Jisung had nothing to say and he averted his gaze while the teen changed his clothes. “You know, you’re lucky I always keep a change of clothes back here otherwise we’d both be going home soaking wet.” He complained.
“You can look now, thanks.” Jisung turned to face the stranger. He now wore the same sweatshirt as Jisung except there was a lifebuoy embroidered on the top left corner over the chest with a bit of text inside of it. Jisung squinted to make out the print, “H. Renjun?”
“That’s my name, don’t wear it out. C’mon kid,” The teen who Jisung now knew was named Renjun motioned for Jisung to follow him, and they exited the area. Jisung watched him lock the gates behind them. “I’m driving you home. I don’t think I’d be able to sleep tonight if I didn’t know whether or not you got home.”
Jisung was stunned into silence. This stranger saved his life, gave him dry clothes and now offered to drive him home. Jisung basically ruined his night! Why was he being so charitable to some dumb high school student? Surely, Renjun had better things to do with his time than drive stupid teenagers home.
The car ride was mostly silent except for Jisung’s occasional directions and Renjun trying to make small talk. It was a mostly awkward ride but Jisung admired Renjun trying to at least getting to know him.
And it wasn’t until the two were parked outside Jisung’s house, talking about school when Jisung remembered he left his bike at the pool. He expressed this concern to Renjun who laughed. “I’m not on duty tomorrow but I’ll bring it to you. Don’t worry about it.”
Jisung smiled as a thanks. “See you tomorrow, then.” Jisung walked up the driveway, turning to see Renjun still in the car, probably waiting until Jisung was safely inside. He had to call his brother, since he previously told his parents he’d be sleeping over at Yeojin’s.
Jisung waved as Renjun drove off. “Who was that?” Jaemin asked, pulling Jisung into the house. “Just someone,” He commented, rushing to his room.
As promised, Jisung saw Renjun the next day, and the day after that for the rest of the summer. Then, the rest is history.
…::…
Jisung sat in his seat in the stands, only a couple of feet away from pool, ensuring that bystanders and watchers didn’t get splashed by the water from the swimmers.
He came to the meet alone, as he usually did. This kind of thing was reserved for him and Renjun only, though when Jisung was a mere freshman to the college, Renjun a sophomore, Jisung would force Yukhei, a junior and Renjun’s best friend, to come with him. Yukhei was loud and always shouted out Renjun’s name when he took over the first place slot. He was a contrast to Jisung’s quiet, reserved claps when the meet was finished and the winner was announced, Renjun standing on the highest block with his gold medal.
The meet was almost over. The judges were discussing scores but it didn’t really matter. In the end, everyone knew that Huang Renjun would be taking home another faux gold medal.
Jisung met eyes with Renjun who was standing at the other side of the pool, a blue towel wrapped over his body. The now brunette smiled, sending him a thumbs up. Jisung sent one back, a small smile tugging at his lips. He couldn’t wait for the meet to be over.
After meets, the two of them would walk off campus to get ice cream as a celebration for Renjun’s most recent win.
Jisung would find Renjun at the entrance of the building, in his swim team sweatshirt, track pants, slides with socks (yuck but somehow, Renjun made it work), and wet hair from just having left the shower. Jisung had always thought he looked beautiful this way ever since they first met. He’d thought this when they first kissed. Jisung was convinced he’d think this about Renjun for eternity.
…::…
“You do know that I can’t swim right?” Jisung commented, reluctantly following Renjun as the year older tugged him into the pool area of the building. It was way past the closing time posted on the front door but as a swim team member, Renjun knew the keypad lock. Jisung supposes there are some advantages to being in an extracurricular.
Renjun hummed in acknowledgement. “I’m sure you can keep your body afloat.” He tugged his shirt off, then his sweatpants, shoes and such, folding the clothes neatly and placing them on the stands, where they wouldn’t get wet. “You next!” Renjun shouted, after he jumped into the pool.
Jisung bit his lip in hesitation. Renjun was standing, more like floating, in the seven feet deep area. Even though Jisung was nearing six foot one, he knew that going that deep would prove to be much of a challenge for himself. Begrudgingly, he followed Renjun in taking off his shirt, pants, shoes, and socks, easing into the pool from the shallower end.
He could sense Renjun’s eye roll from where the older was. “You’re such a baby,” He teased, swimming closer to Jisung.
If he was being honest, Jisung wasn’t sure when their friendship escalated to be like… this. More than friends, less than lovers. Maybe lovers was too intense of a word. Jisung wasn’t in love. He was… he was in like, yeah, that sounded better.
Perhaps it started when Jisung’s junior year of high school started. Renjun was new to the town and Jisung just so happened to be in one or two senior classes, ultimately causing him to run into the older teen frequently.
Perhaps it started when Renjun offered to tutor Jisung in AP Physics after the younger cried to him about a failing grade.
Perhaps it started the first night they met, at the community pool where Jisung had almost died.
Jisung would never be sure but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that he was being ushered deeper into the pool by Renjun and the water was creeping closer to his neck.
“Renjun, I’m going to drown again.”
“I literally have a lifeguard certification, I won’t let you die.” He retorted. “Can you go underwater without putting a hand to your nose? Also… Can you open your eyes?”
Jisung gave him a dead face. “You’re funny.” Renjun raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t joking. It’ll be two seconds, I swear.” He held three fingers up. Scout’s honor. You can never lie on that, Jisung cursed to himself. “Fine. But if I die--” “I won’t let you die!”
As Renjun let himself slip under the water, a little bit splashed Jisung in the face. He groaned. The things people do for love.
Water rushed into Jisung’s ears as he went under, the water feeling cooler than when his head was on the surface. Slowly, he opened one eye, then the other to see Renjun in front of him with his eyes open. Renjun gave him a closed mouth smile and a thumbs up that Jisung returned.
The more time they spent underwater, the more Jisung’s lungs started to burn and at some point, he knew Renjun would go up for air too but there was something Jisung wanted to try before they did so.
He inched closer, slowly because he was nervous but also at a fast pace because he needed to breathe. Jisung placed a chaste kiss on Renjun’s lips before returning to the surface, gasping for air. Renjun came up seconds after, pushing his hair out of his face.
“What was that for?” He breathed out.
Jisung shrugged, suddenly feeling shy. “I wanted to try something. I-I don’t know, it’s always in the movies.” Renjun smirked. “What movie are we in right now?” Renjun asked, swimming closer. Jisung backed up. “I don’t know? Percy Jackson?”
Renjun laughed. “Sure, why not.” They continued this until Jisung’s back hit the wall of the pool. He made a tiny gasp of surprise when he felt the concrete. Renjun hooked his arms around Jisung’s next after putting his hands to his waist. “I’ve always wanted to do this with someone special.” He muttered, gaze flickering from Jisung’s eyes to his lips, then back again.
“Because it’s always in the movies… and they make it seem romantic. Like fireworks are supposed to go off in your stomach and give you butterflies while some indie genre song plays in the background as the protagonist and the love interest kiss in slow motion for like five seconds,” Renjun giggled.
“I’m someone special?” Jisung asked. Renjun nodded, biting his lip. “‘Course you are.”
Jisung swears his heart stopped in that moment.
“Kiss me?” “Thought you’d never ask.”
…::…
At the ice cream shop, Renjun decides to buy a pint of chocolate chip ice cream that they can share while they walk back to the dorms. “Why a pint?” Jisung asked. He wasn’t adverse to the idea but rather curious about the change. Usually, Renjun would get mint chocolate chip in a cup while Jisung would get boring vanilla on a cone.
Renjun simply shrugged. “Sometimes you need to switch things up,” He concluded.
As they returned to campus, Jisung, at some point, slipped his bigger hand into Renjun’s smaller one, swinging them as they headed down the gravel pathway to Renjun’s dorm. Jisung was never one for PDA, even small things like holding hands.
“What’s up with you?” Renjun asked as they entered the room. His two roommates were out probably at a party.
He gave Renjun a confused look, “Nothing’s wrong. I can’t hold your hand?”
“Not when you’ve never held my hand in public since this started.” Renjun pointed out.
Jisung licked his lips. “Maybe you need switch things up sometimes.”
Renjun chuckled, grabbing plastic spoons and returning to the couch where Jisung resided.
They ate in silence, watching a movie that Yukhei had recommended to Renjun a few weeks ago on Netflix.
Jisung kept glancing at Renjun. He didn’t mean to but he couldn’t help it. He’d rather watch Renjun laugh at the funny parts, frown at the sad parts, and furrow his eyebrows in concentration during the plot-heavy moments.
“Stop staring,” Renjun muttered, covering his face with his hands. Jisung laughed, reaching over to remove Renjun’s hands from his face. “Don’t do that. You’re cute, like an angel.”
Renjun groaned, “Shut up, Park Jisung.”
“You’re my angel.”