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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 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?"

[depthlesslock]

'It can help with stability,' he agrees. It can also help with predictability, which can lead to less desired situations, but there are ways of managing it to maintain stability without being too predictable.

'Get a float for your neck?' he suggests, unaware if such a thing exists or not. 'Like a life-jacket, but just the collar.'

He looks back at the main pool. It's been a while since he was active for fun, longer since he went swimming. He would love to start up again, but he still has a job to do. 'Perhaps another time.'

[protective_logic]

"Still wouldn't feel too safe," Delta agrees, but he sighs and shakes his head. But he considers York carefully. Wonders how to address this. But then he shifts in the water, less floating and more moving to sit on the bench in the hot tub. "Go swim. I'm safe in here, no one can enter. Besides, might build my confidence to see someone comfortable with it displaying a bit of skill."

[depthlesslock]

'Fair enough.' No matter how good the safety, you're not going to sleep if you don't feel safe.

He looks over at Delta at the permission, glances back at the pool, then at Delta again. He seems sure, and he's got a point. Might build confidence for both of them. Delta knows the system here better than he does, he should have faith in that.

Nodding, he gets out of the hot tub and walks back over to the pool, easing in to let himself acclimatise to the cooler water, then he pushes off and begins swimming.

[protective_logic]

Well, Delta hopes York enjoys. He moves to the edge of the hot tub to watch his friend. HE won't call York anything but that. If he starts looking at York as anything else then he might forget this is a person. And he might fail to build that connection he will have no choice but to have with a man he's pretty much going to have to share his life with.

But damn if he doesn't look good as he climbs out of the hot tub with water running down his body. Is there any chance York knows how good he looks?

Nope, not thinking of that. Instead he is watching York get into the pool and start swimming. Because, really, it's going to be more comforting to see that this guy really does know what he's talking about.

[depthlesslock]

It's nothing short of relief to have the freedom to exercise and with decent equipment. Defaulting to front crawl, he starts making lengths up and down the pool. The strength in his arms and legs moving him through the water is so satisfying, if weaker than it used to be. He'll build that back up. He prays he won't need it until he's back in peak condition.

Of course, ideally, he'd never need it at all. While it's obvious why people would want to hurt Delta, the more York gets to know him, the more he thinks it should be impossible to go through with. Delta is clever and caring, kind in a way rarely seen among those in his position.

Plus he's got a dorky handsomeness to him, with his cheekbones and quick, pretty eyes, and that smile...

He changes to breaststroke, going a few strokes in underwater, hoping to cool or at least hide the warm in his cheeks. He needs to watch these thoughts, they can lead to difficult situations.

[protective_logic]

Difficult indeed, but that does not change the fact that Delta has moved to the edge of the hot tub to appreciate the form of the man swimming. Granted he can only see York for part of the laps from his position, but he watches anyway. Just... evaluating the man he's put his life into the hands of, clearly. Nothing more complicated than that. The man that has already spared him suffering, arranged by his father as best they can tell.

He feels like he owes York something, but he isn't sure how to pay him back. How do you repay a man who feels it is his obligation to protect you? An impossible to determine answer.

If only he knew York was thinking positively of him... Well, he'd probably die of embarrassment. Which is probably physically impossible, but he'd feel like it was happening anyway. And he'd probably grant bonus points that it wasn't all about his looks.