baek & taeng ; 7340 words.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked while keeping a stern hold onto her petite, slender waist, holding her in place. Baekhyun's face scrunched cautiously at the close distance he was having with the small ladylike figure. He sighed as the girl look at him, tilting her head to the side up with a grin on her small pink lips. He totally didn't sign up for this. 

"Yeah, I'm sure. I think I am over it. The fear, I mean." Taeyeon lifted the hands on her waist away slowly, trying to ignore the rushing adrenaline that had taken over her when their skins touched. Her cheeks flushed a hint of red. Gosh, distance, please. 

"Well, okay then. I have worked with those with traumas before and you surely are the bravest one for now," he let out a small chuckle with a hint of sarcasm lacing his words. He stepped aside, making a distance from her then walked to the right side of the pool, body still dry from any water because they just had barely started.

It was Taeyeon's first swimming class, 'special' swimming class to be exact. She had tried to overcome her fear alone before but failed to no avail. She had once almost drown in the sea at the age of 15 and it left a big impact to her, making her fears most spaces with water, including swimming pools and let alone, the sea. However, at the age of 24, she believed she's now okay. She's an adult and the swimming pool in front of her now is just a swimming pool, with a lot of water. Yeah, a lot of it. She didn't mind anymore..... or maybe she actually did. She sighed and took a deep, relieving breath, trying to distract herself from the fact that she had once hated the bloody huge tank of H2O, plus the fact that a hot guy who had volunteered for her 'special swimming class' to be standing so handsomely at the right side of the pool, with a concern smile plastered on his cute, puppy-like features. She totally didn't sign up for this, either.

"Your stance is actually right, for a beginner. Have you gone to some swimming lessons before?" he asked with two hands resting on each side of his hips,  looking like a stern teacher. Hell, he actually wasn't. He's just some random guy whom Taeyeon's cousin, Irene, had mentioned last week to her about how he was doing private and personal swimming lessons as a hobby. Baekhyun was the colleague of Irene's boyfriend at work, and the boyfriend is Junmyeon. And yada yada, they, Taeyeon and Baekhyun, had decided to meet today-finally, after some text conversations to confirm their meeting. 

"Hmm, yeah-no, NO. I mean no. I learnt by myself, and that was a long time ago. The thing is, I can actually swim, but I haven't gone swimming for God knows how long, since you know.....the accident and stuff," she trailed a bit before sheepishly rubbing her forearm, feeling slightly abashed about going through  the accident and got a trauma from it when she absolutely should not have. The cute-faced guy tilted his head, indicating that he's actually concerned of the girl's tragic past, when he absolutely would not have.

 "You can start now, actually." Baekhyun said as he crouched at where he had stood with a poker face on. The girl was left baffled, feeling confused at the sudden instruction. what.... 

"Don't you have to... erm you know, teach me or something?" Hell, is this how it work? The guy put on an amused-smirking smile, looking at the suddenly frantic little lady. Cute. 

"I believe you have all the basics and things just got easier for me. Now you just have to overcome whatever fears you have and by that, just hop into the water. I'm here anyway," he wears his signature grin, predicting the girl's next move after what he had said. He knew it was absolutely not right to say that, but crouching from where he was, looking at the beautiful woman in a jet black swimming suit that hugs her curves really perfectly, with long wavy light brown hair tied into a loose ponytail and elegant features he couldn't just miss the chance to the tease and grease.  

The girl rubbed her sweaty palms on her sides, feeling nervous as heck! Oh oh oh - She felt herself trembling slightly, adrenaline suddenly rushed rapidly down her spine. Her eyes scanned the enormous amount of glistening blue canvas in front of her, ready to embrace her petite body and now all she could think was on how the hell she's going to jump into the water. She's nervous as hell and only God knows how she's feeling at that time. Just now she's feeling confident and now she's not. Taeyeon mentally facepalmed, blaming her abrupt changing of emotions. 

"There, there. I can feel your nervousness from here. Don't force yourself, I was joking anyway. Sorry for that." the male's voice breaking through the hall of silence. Baekhyun stepped closer to the lady, walking to her side and confidently putting his hands on her shoulders, causing the girl to fidget at the sudden gesture but later on feeling herself calming as the hands put on soothing pressure at her stiff muscles. She had to say she's feeling thankful for that.  

"Calm yourself. Trust yourself. I'm here. You don't have to be worry about drowning because you won't. You know how to swim but you are just afraid of it, and now you have to overcome that barrier, the fear. There's really nothing to worry about, as long as I'm here," his soothing words slowly seeped into her mind, making her less tensed; weirdly and shockingly.

"Once you started, it will be okay, trust me." Baekhyun patted her shoulders in a sense that will give her some kind of motivation and spirit. 

"You can do it, Taeyeon. You can do this. It is not a big dea-" "Are you a psychologist?" his motivation speech was cut off by the girl's abrupt question, a teasing smile was curved on her lips. "-huh-wait, what??" his face looked like he was trolled - dumbfounded at the sudden question. "-no. No, I'm not. What makes you say that?" Baekhyun looked slightly bewilderingly at the girl beside him, hands still on her shoulders but quickly retreated his hands as he realised their too much close of a distance. The guy really didnt really know about personal space, she thought. 

"You are a really inspiring motivational speaker, I might say. And thanks for that. I think I'm okay when you are right behind me," she said but quickly realised that her sentence might have meant wrongly or quite inappropriately when the man cocked his eyebrow, threw her a teasing smirk.

"I-I meant- it's not like that, whatever you think it is. I mean it's better when you are near, you can save me, catch or whatever it is. It's better that way, yeah......." Taeyeon blabbed unknowingly, making her reasons. She could feel heat creeping to her cheeks again. If only the guy was not handsome and cute, she wouldnt have to be this jittery or whatsoever.

"I didn't think of anything," he grins boyishly, amused of the pretty girl's quirks. If only she wasnt that pretty and cute, things would have gotten boring and uninteresting. The girl could only puff her darken cheeks and sighed momentarily, hiding her sudden embarrassment.

"Okay, Taeyeon. Now, now, baby steps. Take a dip. I'm following behind you, or rather beside you." how her name rolled on his tongue might do a flip in her insides but she blatantly ignored it. But, she couldnt ignore his words that were laced with tease. She could only wear a poker face. She might have to think on how to get back at the male later. 

A leg after another, and now both of her legs were in the water, reaching to her milky thighs before she eventually let go of all her worries and hopped into the swimming pool, but not without a pair of strong hands holding firmly at her waist. Her head was wilding with all sorts of images, from some flashbacks of her drowning state, the bubbles of water, the glistening canvas of the vast sea, everything flickered in her head at a speed of lightning. She didnt even realised what happened as she was too focused on going into the water but yeah, Baekhyun and her were now in the swimming pool together with his hands on her waist, keeping her body steady underwater. Her hands automatically flailed unknowingly and ended up on his sturdy broad shoulders which are now of any clothing. She was sure he had worn a grey tee just now and the said thing could be seen situated recklessly beside the pool. When the hell he took it off, she didnt really want to think about that, but she unknowingly did. Her mind processed everything, now she's in the water, the cold water had wetted her skin and sending shivers all over her body. But, she managed to control her emotions as someone was technically holding her. She wouldn't drown this time, her brain tries to reassured herself. 

 "You okay?" his voice was concerned and his wet face was too. The blonde fluffy hair on him was now wet, and hers too. She's shocked at herself, the fact that she's actually feeling quite okay and never been better (she's still trembling though, she hadn't realise it much yet but the man could feel her), even after jumping into a pool with some handsome stranger whom she had just known last week and just met a few hours ago. Most importantly, she's feeling kinda okay, in the vast amount of water. Her legs are far from the bottom and she's feeling okay! That's a wow! 

"Take a deep breath, I'm here." his voice broke her trance again. She looks at him who was in front of her, invading the personal space again. She relaxed her hands on his shoulders, reducing the pressure she had put on them. Others might think indifferently at their intimate position, assuming them to be a perfect couple on vacation . And it seemed like both of them were comfortable with each other already, much to her surprise. 

"Geez, I'm okay, Baekhyun-ssi." she smiled genuinely making the male's insides tingle in a funny way. What a dazzling smile she had and Baekhyun couldnt help but to be swooned unknowingly. "Baekhyun, please. We are informally colleagues." He put on a serious face as he reduced the firmness of his grip onto her lean waist. She cringed at the term. Informal colleagues, huh? 

"Are you sure?" Baekhyun asked as he put a fine gap between them, hands still intact onto her sides. Taeyeon nodded encouragingly, wearing her confident look as her legs constantly kicking in the water to stable herself. She believed she's okay, maybe she had some difficulties before going into the water. But, now having someone by her side, she tried to just behave accordingly. She frowned a bit when the male seemed not to believe her.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure. I can handle thi- HEEY! H-Heeeey!!-" her shrieks boomed across the wide confined space, her arms quickly tighten around the width of the male's shoulders, making her embraced the male automatically. And her legs might also have clung around his waist automatically, everything happened automatically. She looked like a koala clinging to a trunk, face buried in Baekhyun's neck. In no time, the girl smacked the back of his head, counterattacking, making the male winced in pain while letting out a chuckle. How bizarre was his situation, to be writhing and to be laughing at the same time.

"Oww- you said you were sure! And you looked like you were so sure," his toothy grin made him look so fine that Taeyeon couldn't help but not to get mad at the guy. She's weak for handsome men, but not all handsome men. Specifically, this handsome man whom had his face inches away from her. 

"Yeah, I did! But, you didn't have to let go of me that sudden! You can't let go of me!" she replied abruptly, still feeling a bit shocked at his sudden release of hold onto her waist but fortunately, the hold was seemingly more firm than before now. 

"Tsk, feeling clingy, aren't you?" he retorted with a cheeky grin. He wiggled himself in her clinging hold to make her realise how their awkward position was, despite them being strangers in a very first meeting. 

"Yah, B-Baekhyun!" Taeyeon stuttered and quickly let go her legs from his waist, feeling quite abashed of her previous action. Yes, the girl who had said about personal space and distance. Despite her consciousness, her arms we still around his shoulders, moving up around his smooth neck, tightening the grip in pursue to choke the guy in any kind of way she could. The guy reluctantly faked a cough/choke, unwillingly giving up when he saw the cute frown on the girl's pretty face who was determined on getting back at him. 

"I was just kidding. Don't be mad," he reached for Taeyeon's hand on his right shoulder and held it gently with his. Other hand was still on her small back. He cleared his throat and put back his serious demeanour, trying to shake off the fact that their torsos were pressed sinfully against each other just now. Maybe the girl was too occupied on getting back at him for a while just now, he thought. 

"Try floating by yourself. I'm going to let go of you." he slowly released his hand from her back but not without reaching for her other hand immediately. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. Just right here." he smiled reassuringly to the woman, holding both of her hands in his, not letting her go completely. 

"Okay......." she tried to be calm as possible. Not that she knew her face was turning white as sheet, paler than original.

After a while... it was actually kinda hellish for a few moments after for the woman. 

"You are doing great. Now, maybe try a few , feel the water around you and don't think of anything. Just think about swimming and get over this immediately." she nodded grimly. It had been almost an hour since they had started. And she had been doing great for a first time, after so long. Credits to the cute-faced trainer. He wasn't strict at all, just serious and stern with instructions which she had half-willingly obeyed, not that the former knew.  

Her muscles started to feel sore, indicating the long time of not been doing any water-sports. Just after a few , she felt like all of her screw became loose. It took all of her effort not to give up and drown purposely in front of the blonde guy. Surely didnt want to make a scene in front of a new-made colleague.

"That was good! Okay, let's try to go to the other end and see how things are working out for you. I will help. Then, we will dismiss." Oh yes. Finally. Ugh my limbs.

Yeah. Dismissal it is. The so looking forward dismissal.  

--- 

"Oh you know you were swooned!" the younger girl cooed, teasing the older who was sitting in front of her at Starbucks with two mocha latte frappe in front of them. It's the cheat day today so they were having their usual hangout. 

"What the , Bae. Shut it." the older replied boringly. She's had enough teasing already. Taeyeon had told the younger girl how Baekhyun had secretly sent one of the best cheesecakes in town to her workplace, assigned one of the secretaries as the delivery guy and got it placed on her table, with a cute purple post-it-note with his obvious writings in italics of 'Eat well :)'. She had thought that it came from one of her so-called admirers but seriously, no one really knew how she liked her cheesecake. Only some close people would have known, and that included the cute guy friend of hers. She smiled inwardly at the thought. So thoughtful.  

"Baekhyun is still single though, despite his ideal cute boyfriend façade," Irene remarked knowingly while playing with her nails. 

"Didn't remember I ask you that," because she knew. It was obvious as Taeyeon was the only female friend that Baekhyun had kept as a friend. It's weird but it's true. The guy only had male friends, some bunch of his high school to college friends and his colleagues at work. That's all. She found it weird too that the guy didn't have past relationships or whatnot, living the fact he stated that he's kinda popular in high school and being surrounded with handsome guys at college.  

When being asked about being gay, the male just shrugged but eventually shook his head tremendously and screamed NO when Taeyeon made a scene last three weeks, calling the male waiter named Yuta at a sushi bar and telling him that Baekhyun liked him a lot at the first sight - out loud . It earned the female a flick on her forehead that stayed red  for 2 days and she had to constantly remind herself that she would never do it again.  

"Just for fun facts, my darling Kim couzie" 

"So much for your fun facts, Bae."  

"And my BunBun is the cutest! No doubt!" Who the hell is BunBun........ oh. Irene's boyfriend. 

"Say that to his face and see how he'll react. And what the hell is BunBun? Buns? His butts??" the older girl's face grimaced as explicit images involuntarily seeped into her brain. She shook her head tremendously.  

"Lol nah, he doesnt need to know that.