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[protective_logic]

Anything is welcome. Just let me know if you want him as an AI or person in the first post

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[protective_logic]

"I thought floating was about just relaxing and letting the water do the work."

Were they already to kicking? Wouldn't that push York off balance? And then they would flail and be in the water and he wouldn't remember to float and...

Delta swallowed down his anxiety, closed his eyes and just tried what York said.

[depthlesslock]

'Humans float, but very few float perfectly. I always find my mid-section going down a bit. Kicking gently or swirling your hands a bit helps stay stable.'

He's doing well though. York holds him steasy and let's him set his own method.

[protective_logic]

"Muscle sinks, fat floats. Your midsection doesn't float well because you are trim."

Not that Delta has checked. Nope. Not while measuring York.

He focused on his floating, keeping his legs moving.

[depthlesslock]

'Huh, that makes sense.' And Delta's not chubby or particularly muscular, but he's keeping up pretty well.

'Alright, stop kicking for a moment just to see where you'll go naturally. I'm still holding you.'

[protective_logic]

Delta closes his eyes and tried not to hold his breath as he stopped kicking. His legs sank by only a bit. He wasn't very muscular so he didn't fully sink but his legs did droop in the water. But he could float, no denying.

[depthlesslock]

'Good. Okay, so if you find yourself in trouble before you get good at swimming, remember that you float in most waters. Get your face above water, spread out and use your hands and feet gently to stay up.'

[protective_logic]

"I know," Delta reminds him. He can mostly float on his own. For short periods. But try to move and he fails.

[depthlesslock]

'Yeah, you do,' he remembers with a wry smile. 'You okay if I let go of your head for five seconds, or would you rather I didn't?'

[protective_logic]

"I should be fine," Delta says, and he's sure that it's okay. Hopes it's okay. And when he looks up at York and sees that smile, he has to smile back. It's beautiful. Dammit, why did he choose someone who was clearly charming?

[depthlesslock]

Delta's face lights up whenever he smiles like that and York enjoys the sight. But they're doing something here and he carefully eases his hands out from under Delta's shoulders. 'I'm still right here, just let yourself float and keep your head up.'

[protective_logic]

The task set to him is a simple one. Didn't make Delta any less tense. But he did manage to achieve what was expected of him. Stayed floating, kept his head up. Like he said, he could float. But just barely that.

[depthlesslock]

York lets him float, watching his movements become a little more pronounced to keep himself up. He's doing well, though he dips a little in the water. York leaves him for a couple of minutes, staying close as promised, then slips his hands back under Delta's shoulders to support him again.

'Good job.'

[protective_logic]

Thank goodness the support was back. Could he please stand up again? When the hands are under his shoulders it is quiet clear he is shaking a little. Just a little. Clearly he wasn't too comfortable unless it was silly splashing in the shallows. But he was letting York do this so... yeah. Agreed to learn together, and he was going to trust York to not let him drown.

[depthlesslock]

Feeling the shaking, York lifts him a little further out of the water. He doesn't seem to be too shaken, but he doesn't want to overwhelm him with this.

'You did good,' he says. 'Do you want to call it a day there?'

[protective_logic]

"I think I need to relax now," Delta admits. "Uh... hot tub or floating toys?"

He might still have an inflatable alligator. Maybe.

[depthlesslock]

'Good plan,' he agrees. 'Which do you prefer? This is your relaxation.'

[protective_logic]

"Hot tub with floating toys," Delta decides. Yeah maybe he should admit that he's an immature kid in some ways. Which means he's going to pull a damn pool noodle over to the hot tub. Thanks. "You're welcome to join if you want."

[depthlesslock]

York has to smile at that. It's not what he expected, at least the floating toys part, but it's simple and somehow fits. 'Nice choice.'

'Is there room?'

[protective_logic]

"Of course. We'll make sure there is room," Delta smiles. Don't mind him, he's picking out a lime green pool noodle. Shouldn't take too much room up like that. Hopefully York will join him. It would be better if he was not alone. He doesn't get to hang out with people like this.

[depthlesslock]

'Then sure.' He smiles back and follows him to the float collection, picking a yellow noddle for himself. Hey, why not? They've done some good work with Delta's swimming, now it's relaxing time.

[protective_logic]

Well, they've got this all sorted out in a way. Delta settles more comfortably into the hot water as it lets him relax in the heat, and he can stand up to be safe. He wraps the noodle under his arms and uses that to float just a bit in the heat. Lovely. Almost as much as York but he is very quiet.

[depthlesslock]

York pushes his noodle under the water to try and sit on it, holding the ends out of the water like he was on a swing. It's certainly not buoyant enough to really hold him up, but it's rather nice anyway. And the pool itself is lovely and Delta's looking much more at ease.

[protective_logic]

Delta offers a smile to the man as he risks closing his eyes for a moment to just... bask in the sensation of the hot water. Clearly the warmth does a bit to please Delta, given how he'd sought warm clothes after the attack, and had even ended up curled up around York the night before.

Warmth puts such a soft look on his face and when he opens his eyes again he is definitely more relaxed.

"Thanks for the first lesson. This should become routine, right? To help?"

[depthlesslock]

York leans into the water a little more, but always keeps half an eye on Delta. He looks peaceful and York is catching on that warmth is a key factor to his relaxation, something he'll bear in mind for future.

Helpful tips aside, Delta looks blissed, the smooth angles of his face turned to the ceiling and at ease. York wants to help him look like that more often.

'My pleasure. Yes, it should be.'

[protective_logic]

"Routine is good," Delta says thoughtfully, his eyes closing once more. Rather would just float here, relax, pretend he isn't stressed. "Warmth is good. Too bad I can't take a nap like this."

He would if there was a safe way to do that. There, of course, isn't. Drowning risk. "What about you, going to swim?"