It was another two weeks before they actually got to go swimming. They discovered that the pool had been booked and the only day that the pool was free was on the first weekend in November.

            Of course, those two weeks had been spent well. Kai and Kyungsoo had gone out multiple times, Sehun and Luhan had as well, and while it seemed like Chanyeol and Baekhyun were avoiding each other, Kris could see something there that hadn't been there before.

            But best of all, Kris had managed to kiss Tao’s cheek quickly one day as they walked home from class. And, of course, holding hands and falling asleep together on the couch was a given. 

            Finally, after such a long wait, Jungsu graciously allowed them into the pool house, and it was completely deserted. Not even a lifeguard was on duty, since it was the weekend and the pool wasn’t being used.

            “I’m scared,” Tao mumbled. “There’s so much water.”

            “We can start in the shallow area first. Let’s go change and we can start,” Kris told him. He followed Tao into the locker room, where Tao went into a stall and shut the door tight. Kris pulled on his own swim trunks and didn’t bother putting on a shirt; after all, Tao had seen him shirtless before.

            But seeing Tao shirtless was an entirely different matter. Tao came out of his stall wearing black swim trunks that he’d borrowed from Xiumin. They sat low on his hips, and since Tao was so skinny, Kris could see his hip bones sticking out. But he had a nice body, toned from all the wushu, and very pale.

            “Ready?” Kris asked, sure his face was turning red at the sight of Tao’s body. Come on, he told himself, you’re being dumb.

            “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Tao replied. Kris took a moment to collect himself, then smiled at Tao.

            “Let’s go, then,” Kris said, taking Tao’s hand. It was shaking, and he squeezed it tighter, looking at Tao. Tao smiled at him nervously.

            They stepped into the shallow part of the pool, and continued walking to the deeper parts. Tao was fine until he got to his chest.

            “I can’t, I can’t,” Tao said, turning around and attempting to go back to the shallow part. Kris grabbed Tao’s arms.

            “You have to, Tao,” Kris said to him. “You have to.”

            “It’s too deep.”          

            “You’re going to be fine. Nothing is going to happen,” Kris reassured him. He took Tao’s hand again.

            “Can we please start in shallower water?” Tao pleaded, and Kris considered it.

            “Okay. We’ll start with kicking and breathing.” He led Tao to the side of the pool. “Hold on to the lip.” Tao did as he was instructed to.

            “Now what?”

            “Put your head in the water.”

            “What? I can’t do that!”

            “You have to, Tao,” Kris laughed. “Put your head in, just for a little bit. Five seconds. Hold your breath, count to five, exhale through your nose, and come back up.”

            “I can’t,” Tao complained again.

            “You haven’t even tried yet! Do you want to learn to swim or not?”

            “I do,” Tao mumbled.

            “Then try it. Just try.”

            Tao put his head in the water hesitantly, and came up five seconds later, sputtering. He wanted to stop, but Kris told him to keep going. He worked from five seconds to ten seconds to fifteen to twenty.

            “See? I told you you could do it,” Kris said proudly after Tao completed twenty seconds under water for the third time. Tao smiled widely, looking equally proud.

            “Yeah,” Tao smiled.

            “Okay, now we’ll try kicking and breathing at the same time. Hold on to the lip again, put your head in, doing exactly like we just did, and stretch out, kicking your feet.”

            Tao tried bravely and came up quickly, coughing.

            “I think I breathed in water,” he choked. Kris let him stop coughing.

            “Try it again. Concentrate on exhaling through your nose, okay?”

            “Okay,” Tao replied. He tried again, and didn’t cough when he came back up. Kris grinned.

            “Tao, you’re doing such a good job,” Kris laughed. “You’re doing really well.”

            “Thanks!” Tao said happily. “It’s thanks to you.”

            “Let’s try kicking for longer now. When you have to breathe, just turn your head to the side and breathe in through your mouth, and then put your head back in the water and exhale through your nose just like we just did. And keep kicking!”

            Tao did what Kris had told him to do. When he turned to breathe, he glanced at Kris and smiled before putting his head back in the water.

            Kris had the inexplicable urge just to grab Tao around the middle and hug him every time he saw his perfect face come up to take a breath, but obviously, that wouldn’t help Tao learn to swim at all.

            “Is that good?” Tao asked, looking up. Kris grinned.

            “You’re doing great. Do you feel a little more confident now?” he asked, and Tao nodded with a smile.

            “I’m not scared anymore!” Tao said with excitement.

            “Great! Then we’ll go to the deeper end,” Kris announced, and Tao’s expression fell, growing pale.

            “But…I just started,” he protested.

            “Tao, you told me you wanted to learn to swim. You’re going to learn. I swear that nothing’s going to happen to you. You have to do it now or you’ll never learn.” He held out his hand, and Tao took it, grasping it tightly.

            “I take it back; I’m still scared,” Tao said as Kris took him deeper and deeper into the pool.

            “You’re going to be okay, Tao. I promise,” Kris reassured him. “Don’t you trust me?”

            “More than anyone,” Tao said quietly.

            “Then you should know that when I promise something, it’s a promise,” Kris replied. “Come on. You’re going to swim today.”

            “I’m still scared,” Tao said again.

            He led Tao to the lip of the pool.

            “We’re going to try floating and treading water now. Push yourself up and float on your back. It sounds hard, but it isn’t. Put your arms out so your body’s kind of like a cross. Okay? Try.”

            Tao did just as he was instructed, and he floated the very first time he tried.

            He grabbed onto the lip of the pool again, with an expression of great excitement on his face. “It worked! It worked!”

            “Great job, Tao! See, you’re really getting the hang of this!”

            “Okay, I can try…what was it? Treading water?”

            “Yeah!” Kris replied. “Lift your legs and just keep kicking and moving your arms like this,” Kris demonstrated, “and that’s treading water. With your wushu training, I’m interested to see how long you can tread water for.”

            “Like this?” Tao asked. Kris grinned.

            “Just like that. You’ve got it! Tao, you’re a natural swimmer,” Kris complimented. “You really are.”

            “Can I try swimming now?” Tao asked, and Kris smiled again.

            “Yes you can. I’ll stand here. Just do everything we talked about. Breathing to the side, kicking, using your arms. Swim to me, okay?” Kris moved back a few paces from the wall.

            Tao took a deep breath and plunged into the water. His swimming was by no means graceful (it was probably the only non-graceful thing Kris had ever seen Tao do), but he made it to Kris. He grabbed onto Kris’s shoulders and grinned.

            “I did it! I swam!” he cried.

            “Now swim back to the lip! And I’ll move back a little more. Come back to me.”

            Tao swam back to the lip, and went faster back to Kris, grabbing onto his neck again.

            “I did it again! Kris! I’m swimming!” Tao laughed. “I’m swimming!”

            “Back to the lip one more time, and back to me,” Kris instructed, but he was feeling excited too. Kris swam to the middle of the pool, but Tao came directly to him.

            “You can swim now!” Kris cried. “Aren’t you happy?”

            “This is…ah, Kris, this is the happiest day I’ve had in a long time,” Tao smiled, looking up at Kris with his big, dark eyes twinkling with happiness.

Kris stopped and hugged Tao, and Tao wrapped his arms around Kris as well.

            It felt weird to be so close with just a layer of water between them, not even the fabric of their shirts separating them. Tao was warm, and his skin was soft. He felt Tao’s thumb moving up and down in tiny little motions on his back, and he smiled.

            “What was that for?” Tao asked, not bothering to remove himself from Kris’s embrace.

            “I’m just…so happy to be a part of your life,” he replied. Tao pushed him away, but still held Kris’s sides.

            “I’m happy you are too,” Tao smiled. He stared directly into Kris’s eyes.

            Observant Kris saw the message in that gaze.

            He took Tao’s wet face gently in his hands and moved ever so slowly towards Tao. Tao closed his big eyes, and Kris paused to look at Tao’s perfect visage for just a moment.

            When he pressed their lips together ever so softly, he felt Tao smile and snake his hands around Kris’s torso again.

            It wasn’t a long kiss. It wasn’t passionate or deep or lustful. And it wasn’t perfect.

            But Kris couldn’t have asked for anything more. 

Pic credit: Monkeykpop @tumblr

A/N: I actually think the beginning of this chapter is a pretty legitimate swim lesson. If you can't swim, the thing about kicking and breathing will actually help you. Lololol. Can't swim? Read this fic!

@BalancedCuppycake: Hehehehehe Lay is such a fun character.

@tarp_walls: Ooh I definitely need to put in more Baekyeol. Thank you for reminding me.

@Awesome_yep97: I'm glad you like my style! Fluff is something I really like to write. 

@pripri: I'm happy you like the pacing!

@blake_maclaren: And more Baekyeol is on its way!

@Lee_HyunJae: Kekekeke Suho is the parentliest. That's not a word. I don't care.

@chigire: I JUST WANT HAPPY CAMP NOW but noooo 2 more weeks. Boo :(

@UndergroundMemories: No such thing as too cute!!

@underthetwomoons: I just like how Tao is so trusting of Kris. 

@a_song_4_yoo_rin: They can always get cuter kekeke. This isn't even my fluffiest writing. 

@Lala1901: I am sometimes an evil author. We will see if that will happen in this fic. I haven't decided yet. 

@BlueStarLover: Well, now reading this fic, you can imagine that Kris has given you a swimming lesson. Hoorah!

@kitten83: Shirtless kekekekeke.

@AlwaysMe-: I actually LOVE that picture. I shouldn't have posted it though...:/ Happy Camp pics shouldn't be up.

@Rolllikeadonut: Nope your writing was fine! Chanyeolllll whatchu doin?

@SadisticRainbows: Nope, no Sulay in this fic~ Lololol pool . They hadn't even kissed yet!! This is a rational couple. Kekeke.

@aegyoXin: More fluff! Understood.

@sumomoyuki: Swimming swimming~

@jjongai: I'm really happy you like it!!

@1wkeylove: Kekekekeke.

@angelsmiles: It's because panda darling is adorable. And Chanyeol...such a pro. Gosh I need to write what happened. 

@ShaZam: Drool yes :D

@Nakonoshi: I'll definitely write what happened with Baekyeol at some point.

@Kahlem: Breakfast couple 5ever.

@dark_heart: Wahhh your comment reminded me that I need to put in more Kaisoo.

@s7herry: Yes he is~

@sorrowlicher: We'll see what happened at some point in the future.

@freemyse0ul: I'm so excited to write the Baekyeol. 

@kitty_kat: LAY IS ALMIGHTY.

@mj_a_lover: Like actually, Hunhan is just the realest. Like...god they're never even subtle. They're just so cute aghhh I love them.

@PikaKyuLove: Yup! They fell asleep together. I think that's really cute.

@Mulkogi: There will be more!

@fluffcloud: Kekekeke I'm happy you like the story.

@Delvae: I tried to make this as not y as possible hehehe.

@noonabb: So many emotions! I liked writing this chapter because of the emotions.

@vintagescout: Oooh I feel so honored to have been reccommended. I'm happy you like the pacing. I feel the same way that you do, and I guess I'm guilty of writing things fast sometimes, but I think the pace needs to be at least somewhat realistic. 

@JulietteShawol1: Your suggestion turned into an excellent chapter. Thank you!

@WowF4ntasticBaby: Huehuehuehue I'm glad you like the fluffiness!

@clarene: Mmhmm :)

@kpoper: I'm happy you like it! And thank you for commenting. It makes me happy that silent readers comment too :)

@phoenix_taemints: Thank you!

@MsChocoChan: Ohh Baekyeol will get a good part, worry not!

@ichiu11: Ahh a new reader! I'm glad you like the story~

@kpoppie2150: I like the feeling that I connect with the readers. I hate it when writers just write and don't ever acknowledge their readers. It doesn't feel worth commenting when I can't tell whether or not they read the comment, you know? I want my readers to find me accessible. 

@OblivionOfMisery: BAEKYEOLLLLLL

@Evilblea: You and all the other dorm-mates kekeke.

@icecreamninja94: It's all one group! EXO is one :) But I'm really happy that even though you don't know much about them that you read the fic anyway. That's such a good compliment for me, so thank you!

@aznmusiklife: Kekeke Tao is such a darling.

@AsianReputation: I think that I can relate to Lay a lot. I'm usually the one sitting back and giving advice and watching the show :D

@Busker: Ahhhhh thank you!! I'm glad you're reading it. What is your OTP?

♥ Exie