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After a long first month of classes, you needed a nice long swim. Some would argue exercise would be the furthest thing from relaxing, but the way the water envelopes you feels otherworldly, like you're leaving all your troubles behind. You had gone to the university pool a few times just to scope it out, always during the day. As expected, it was always too busy for you to properly enjoy a dip. Even if there were a lane available for you, the amount of people felt crowded and uncomfortable. Besides, something about swimming at night always felt ethereal, like you were the only one in the world.
Tonight, that was only partly true. Instead of finding the pool blissfully empty, there's one other soul who swims at this time of night. You shrug before heading to the changing room. You'd prefer the solitude, but you can share. After changing and showering you lower yourself into the lane on the opposite side of the pool to the other swimmer. The water is crisp and chilly as you expected, but the cool water still relaxes your nerves from all your classes. You slip in and begin your laps, letting your mind go blank as your muscles work. It's easy to lose track of time in the repetitive motions, and frankly, that's why you swim. To escape, and forget. By now you've completely forgotten the stranger on the opposite side of the pool. You don't even know what classes you have the next day. All you pay attention to is the timing of your strokes and breaths, taking your laps at a leisurely pace.
Perhaps because you lost track of time, you hadn't been paying attention to your body properly. You hadn't taken into account how long you had been working it without breaks, or even stretching before you began. It could be a number of factors, or purely bad luck. The muscles in your right leg grow tense. It's negligible at first, until it grows into a deep ache. By the time you notice, it's spread down the entirety of your leg. You go to break the surface but you can't swim properly with your leg seizing up. Your hands manage to meet air, but for a brief moment before you begin sinking. That ache becomes a sharp pain all along the nerves in your leg. It makes you scream out, and the pool water takes the opportunity to fill your lungs. You're kicking your one good leg and paddling your arms as hard as you can, but it's not enough now that your lungs are full of water. The harder you swim, the further you seem to sink. The pool suddenly feels as though it's bottomless as the surface gets further and further away. Your lungs burn with the chlorine water and your consciousness begins to slip.
The pain and panic mercifully fades as you pass out. You don't even comprehend the lithe arms around your torso as the only other person in the pool kicks as hard as they can, pushing you towards the surface. His heavy breaths echo in the empty chamber as he drags you up onto the tile, laying you on your back. Without a moment of hesitation he begins giving you chest compressions. His own panic begins rising the longer you go without breath. After about a hundred compressions he swears, seeing no sign of improvement. He leans down, pinches your nose, places his mouth over yours, and breaths. He swears again when that doesn't work and begins chest compressions again. He didn't want to risk going to his locker to get his phone, as he wouldn't be able to move fast enough with his limp. His only option was to resuscitate you on his own. He once again placed his mouth over yours and breathed. He sighed in relief when you began choking and coughing up all the water in your lungs. You rolled over onto your side, feeling like an ocean was flooding out of you. He rubbed you back as you heaved for air.
"Breathe slow and deep." He assured. The contact was grounding as consciousness hit you violently. He continued rubbing your back as the minutes passed and your breathing eventually grew more steady. "That's it." He cooed.
"Holy shit. Thank you." You say between breaths. Your lungs ache, your leg still hurts, and your head is throbbing, but you're aware of your surroundings. And you're alive.
"Wouldn't have reflected well on me if I let someone drown, would it?" He quips, the comment makes you laugh, which immediately makes you cough even more. "Easy."
"I'm lucky someone else likes swimming at unconventional hours." You say after catching your breath. He helps you sit up properly to face him. The man kneeling next to you is around your age, thin and lean, his tousled brown hair slicked down the back of his neck, and his gold eyes focused solely on you.
"Yes, you are." His accent is thick with worry. "Why are you here so late?" Shame begins to creep its way into your mind.
"I don't like being around a lot of people, and I'm more of a night owl than a morning person." You're shy as you respond. Seemingly picking up on this, his tone shifts from concerned to sympathetic. You notice his hand is still on your back.
"I understand. It's peaceful here at night."
"It is, but I think I'm done for the night after almost dying." It's his turn to chuckle at your comment. He stands and offers you a hand up, which you gladly take. You go to put weight on your right leg and stumble a bit when it buckles. He holds out his arms to steady you.
"Would you like me to walk with you?" He offers. Despite how intimate the moment has felt, you realize he's still a stranger.
"Who's asking?"
"Viktor." His name rolls off his tongue with ease and grace. You could listen to him talk all night. You give him a soft smile.
"Well Viktor, I wouldn't mind the company, especially after such an eventful night." He returns your smile.
"Very well." It takes you a bit longer to make your way back to the changing room as your leg still aches. You revel in the feel of your sweats and oversized hoodie. You limp out to the front of the building to find Viktor waiting for you. He gives you a kind smile and offers you his free arm, which you gladly take. It's a slow, pleasant pace back to the dorms, which gives you plenty of time to converse.
"I haven't seen you around campus before." You gently probe. He graciously responds to your curiosity.
"I take a lot of advanced classes, and my schedule keeps me very busy. How about you?"
"I'm in general studies, and the time I don't spend in class I usually spend in the library."
"And at the pool?"
"Yes, same as you, I suppose."
"I swim when I can, which, is not often. But it is the one time I usually have to myself that I'm not working."
"So not a lot of people drowning then?" You say with a teasing smile. He laughs at your comment before responding.
"No, you're my first." You both laugh into the night as you walk. Time seems to have flown by as you find yourself at your door. You sigh, not wanting to lose his pleasant company. You take a moment, working up some courage.
"Could we exchange numbers?" Viktor seems taken aback by your request, but before you can feel regret for asking, a soft smile spreads across his lips and he nods. You hand him your phone and he promptly inserts his number and name.
"Text me, I'd like to enjoy more of your company." He says as he hands you your phone back. The comment sends a gentle swarm of butterflies to your stomach. You hope the night time darkness masks the subtle blush growing over your cheeks. You can't find the proper words so you nod in agreement. He chuckles at your sudden bashfulness and bids you farewell before heading off to his own dorm. You enter yours and prepare for bed with a certain ease of mind knowing you'll get to see him again.