James huffed a laugh. “I hope I remember my flopping techniques.”
It took Cassian an extra second to come back to himself so that he could respond.
“I’ll be here to help,” he promised.
After a pause, James started over to the stairs for the pool. Cassian, on the other hand, walked over to the edge of the pool, at its head. Sitting, he stretched out his legs to put his toes in the water. Before he could push himself back up to stand, the ship’s movement caused a wave to splash him halfway up his outstretched calf.
While the water wasn’t as warm as it had been before, it still seemed like it would be pleasant enough for swimming. Figuring that it might be beneficial for James if he wasn’t the first one in the water, Cassian jumped in. When he emerged, he found James on the stairs, the water up to his waist. Cassian treaded water while he waited. It took James two more minutes to even make it to his chest.
“I thought we were swimming together,” Cassian said, throwing him a slightly exasperated look that was only half-serious.
“We are. Hovering here on the stairsismy form of swimming.”
“Ah, I see.” Cassian swam over to him. As soon as he was within a couple of feet, a wicked idea popped into his head, and he grinned. “Let me show you my version, though.”
He took hold of James’s hand and pulled him into the swimming bath. Clinging onto James, Cassian pushed off one of thestairs with his foot, bringing them both farther into the pool. The second that Cassian let go, James’s head immediately went below the waterline. James resurfaced for a moment but then went back under. Cassian watched with intrigue and mild amusement as this happened a few more times, and then James began to perform some bastardized hybrid between a Trudgen stroke and a breaststroke back over to the staircase. Cassian soon met him there. James’s breathing was fast and ragged as he clung to one of the stairs from the side, though Cassian took it as a minor victory that the man didn’t simply scramble up them and exit the pool altogether.
“See?” James said as he heaved another breath. “Flopping.”
“Yes, your flopping technique is flawless,” Cassian teased.
“Dammit, I wish I could swim.”
“You really are close, I think. But your movements are so...”
“Frantic?”
Cassian chuckled. “Unpracticed.”
“Trust me, I’ve practiced.”
“Not properly.”
“Maybe I’m not meant to swim,” James countered.
“Everyone is meant to swim.” Cassian pushed himself backward. “Come. Try again.”
“I can’t.”
Cassian forced a serious expression. “It’s not a request.”
Groaning wearily, James said, “Fine.”
Effortlessly staying afloat and upright, Cassian watched James take a couple of purposeful, focused breaths before he pushed off the stairs, only to start flopping around in that erratic, barely competent manner for a second time. Just as James reached Cassian, Cassian caught sight of the man’s face, and he registered a sudden look of panic in the man’s eyes. Before Cassian could react to it, James’s hands found Cassian’s shoulders, and he pushedCassian beneath the water. Fortunately for Cassian, he had taken a breath before his companion began trying to use him as a floatation device.
After only a second or two, James released him, and Cassian came back to the surface.
“Dammit, James,” he spluttered as soon as his head popped up above the waterline.
James had begun flop-swimming back over to the stairs. Cassian caught up with him, and they reached the steps at the same time. James proceeded to crawl up a bit so that he wasn’t fully in the water. Cassian stayed lower, resting his hands on one of the stairs, but still floating otherwise.
“What happened?” Cassian asked.
James heaved a couple of breaths before answering.
“I inhaled some water and panicked,” he replied.
“You nearly killed me,” Cassian said with a scoff-laugh and a shake of his head.
