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There were many ways someone could appreciate a pool. You could go swimming, you could float in it, and you could get into water fights.
How Apollo appreciated it was not at all because he’d rather be inside. He was a shower man, and how someone who barely liked baths could enjoy something like the pool was beyond him.
Now he was sitting in the sweltering heat under the umbrella with him and Klavier’s things. Klavier was insistent he bring a towel as well, despite knowing full well that making him put on the swim trunks he had bought for him before they even left was a big ask.
At least they were red.
Klavier, the beautiful man he was, swam over to the edge. He flipped his beautiful hair over his shoulder and leaned up on the edge to smile up at him. “You know it’s a lot nicer in the water, Schatzi.”
“You know I can’t swim.”
That was a fact that should’ve been obvious when he had to drag him to get swim trunks because he hadn’t owned any. He had his one accident, and that was more than enough for him actually.
“It’s not that deep, you don’t even need to know how to swim,” Klavier pouted up at him. “I could ask them if they have anything you can float on. I’m sure they’ll have something for you.”
“If it’s not deep, then why would I need something to float on?”
“Ach, you really have never gone swimming, have you. You’ve never been able to enjoy a good float,” he shook his head. “Perhaps you’d like it better if I held you and we could float together?”
“Assuming I don’t accidentally freak out and make us both drown…”
A dramatic hand was draped over his shoulder. “Do you really think that I’m such a poor swimmer I could not save us both, Schatzi? Plus you’re forgetting how shallow the water is. We could both stand up and be fine.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier if I just watched?” watching worked better for him anyways. The view might’ve been sweatier, but it was safer.
“Please, Schatzi? ” Klavier whined, batting his eyes at him.
“Fuck. Fine. I’m getting in the water,” but only because he has the emotional backbone of a chocolate eclair and he does like the idea of being held.
“Thank you, Schazi. I appreciate it. Plus it would be a waste to let those trunks I got you go to waste,” he beamed, pushing off of the ledge to swim over to the ladder.
Which was just showing off at this point since it was allegedly shallow enough to stand.
“I already said yes, you don’t need to make more points,” he grumbled as he got up.
Looks like he would need the towel after all.
He made his way over to the ladder, and looked over the pool. It was huge, and luckily it wasn’t busy. That was probably because Klavier picked a fancy resort and people probably had better places to be than some pool. Apollo didn’t like huge groups of people most of the time, but he’s come to learn that fewer people around Klavier was always better.
Not that it made getting in the pool anymore inviting. Apollo still wanted to go back to his beach chair and sulk until Klavier was done. It wasn’t that he was afraid of getting in, so much so as it was he just didn’t see the point of getting in. He couldn’t swim so why was he going to get in the water.
“You’re not going to jump, ja? I would like a little warning if you are.”
Apollo yelped, as his reason for getting in the pool seemingly reappeared from nowhere. “No, just… reconsidering this because let’s be honest, it’s kinda dumb. I’m just going to be standing in water.”
“But Schazi …” Klavier whined.
He barely batted his eyes once before Apollo’s hands were on the rails of the ladder. “I’m getting in! I’m just saying! Kinda dumb!”
The water was as cold as it was uninviting. He had a foot in, and already he hated it.
“It’s easier if you move faster.”
“I think it’d be easier if I just went back to my chair …” he grumbled as he continued down the ladder.
There were three steps, but this was somehow the worst thing ever. His feet were freezing, but the top part of him was boiling. What was the point of a fancy people pool if it sucked and was cold.
Apollo hated to admit it, but maybe Klavier was right. He just needed to bite the bullet and do it. Like ripping off a bandaid.
He took a deep breath in, and hurried down the rest of the ladder. The cold made him gasp, even though the water barely reached his stomach. The only good news Apollo could gleam from this situation was that he was a big brained genius who knew everything and didn’t even have to get in the water to know he’d hate it.
“A lot better now that you’re in, ja?” Klavier smiled an obnoxiously beautiful smile.
He had a lot of nerve to look that good while Apollo stood there stiffly in the water, because now all his joints were frozen.
Apollo just scowled in his direction. He had no more words. He lost them the moment he fully committed to being in the water.
Then Klavier had the audacity to chuckle at him. “Perhaps a few more minutes.”
He wouldn’t dignify that with a response, especially because he was starting to warm up a little. That changed nothing, and Apollo was still going to be grumpy about this.
With another chuckle, Klavier swam over the basically nonexistent amount to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Danke for doing this for me, Schatzi. I appreciate it.”
It was still too cold to use his words, so he would simply hold his arms out towards him and hopefully he’d understand what he meant. It worked late at night when Klavier insisted on staying up at unreasonable hours so it should work now.
Apollo may be freezing, but he could see that little roll of the eye. Was he forgetting he got in the pool for him? Not allowed!
“I suppose I did promise that we could float together,” he said as he got up, wrapping his arms around him and putting his freezing body against his. “You will have to trust me a little, ja?”
Concerning, but he’d nod.
With little warning other than confirmation of trust, Klavier laid them down on the water. Apollo knew it was coming, but it still didn’t stop the small yelp from escaping him as he was suddenly a lot closer to the water than he’d like.
But his face didn’t touch the water. He was laying safely on Klavier’s chest, and his legs and arms were the only part of him that was in the water.
“So? What do you think now, Schatzi?” Klavier asked.
“I’d still rather cuddle on solid ground, but I guess if I have to be in the water, this isn’t too bad.”
“And if I put you down?”
His grip grew tighter as Klavier laughed. “ Don’t let go of me. You know I can’t swim.”
“You do know there’s no part deep enough that your feet won’t touch the bottom, ja? It’s not a deep pool, Schatzi.”
“That means nothing to me, my feet can touch the bottom of any pool. They could touch the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean.”
“Safely, Liebling. They can safely touch. Your head will always be out of the water unless you make the choice to put it underwater.”
“I’m just saying, your statement has changed.”
“It has not, you have just willfully misconstrued it.”
“You made an intentionally vague statement,” he huffed.
Klavier kissed the top of his forehead. “Glad to see you’ve relaxed a little.”
He sputtered for a moment, because that was an unfair rebuttal. How was he supposed to have a counterargument to that? “Maybe you relaxed. Ever considered that!?”
“Nein, I suppose I haven’t,” Klavier said, restraining himself from laughing at him further. “Though if you want, I can take you back to the ladder and you can dry off. You’ve been a good sport and I won’t force you to be in here any longer than you want to.”
Apollo was quiet for a minute, his cheeks a sheepish pink.
“Can we keep cuddling? I mean I’m in here anyways, no reason to stop, right?”
Klavier kissed his forehead. “Ja, no reason.”