Colin and Damian hang out by the pool. Damian dives in to cool off. He is very distracting a pretty. Colin teases him when Titus leaps in after a ball. Damian drags Colin in for retaliation and Colin nearly drowns. Damian freaks out and yells about dangers of not knowing how to swim in their line of work. Colin goes inside to get dried off and finds Dick who had been visiting and heard the whole thing. Dick offers to teach him and Colin accepts.
The next week finds Colin slightly regretting his decision as Dick is dripping and beautiful and pulling him into the shallow end. Colin feels a little foolish about the kid like activities since he's an adult, but the water still freaks him out so he's grateful by how slow Dick is going. Colin looks up from where Dick had been helping him to float(cheek to cheek) and finds Damian staring at the two of them with blazing eyes. Colin gets extremely flustered and Dick laughs and tells him that that's probably enough for that week and guides him back. Damian is a little more handsy than usual, helping him dry off and never losing that burning look in his eyes. He tells him that next time he wants to be there the whole time and Colin knows he's doomed.
Colin smiled as Damian threw a ball for Titus and the Great Dane bounded across the lawn after it. It was a beautiful day in Gotham, the skies clear and the sun hot but not uncomfortably so. He and Damian were hanging out by the outdoor pool at the Manor munching on sandwiches and discussing the latest developments in the criminal underworld while Titus happily romped around them. Originally Colin had been cautious about the idea of hanging out at the pool, but Damian seemed content just to lounge like a cat in the sun with just their feet in the water.
The rare peace of the moment was something that Colin relished. Their busy lives with both of their daytime and nighttime jobs meant that he didn't get to see nearly as much of his friend as he would have liked. Especially with Wayne Enterprises taking up more and more of Damian's free time, despite sharing the load with Tim. While the youngest Wayne might complain endlessly about having to share his inheritance with someone who wasn't even his family, Colin knew that his friend was secretly grateful that he didn't have to crunch all the numbers that were required for running a high-class business.
Titus brought the ball back and Damian scratched behind the dogs ears with a slight tug of a smile on his lips before throwing the ball again and then leaning back letting his shoulder brush against Colin's.
Colin fought down the blush that threatened to stain his pale cheeks at that.
"Maan, you're lucky your skin is dark enough that you don't get sunburned Dami. I swear every time I step outside I get even more freckles!" Colin said shifting away under the pretense of rubbing more sunscreen onto his light skin.
"Tt, wouldn't the venom in your system stop you from ever getting burned?" asked Damian frowning over at him.
"It stops me from staying burned, it doesn't stop it from happening at all… and it certainly doesn't stop the freckles. God, I've gotten so many this summer that I swear pretty soon I am going to become one big freckle." Joked Colin holding up his arms for Damian to see. Colin tried not to shiver as Damian gaze traced over the skin and up to his face with the same intense focus the other brought to any situation.
"Tt," Damian clicked his tongue and turned away so Colin couldn't see his face, "Don't be ridiculous."
Titus bounded back over to them. However this time, the large dog fumbled it's grip on the ball causing it to fall and roll into the pool.
"Well go on, go get it." Damian told the dog as the ball floated further into the middle of the pool. Titus whined and rocked at the edge of the water as if he were about to jump before settling on his stomach staring forlornly at them then at the ball and back again looking for all the world like the worse tragedy imaginable had just befallen him.
"Hah…silly creature." Groaned Damian, still loads more fondly than he'd address a human, and proceeded to peel off his shirt. Colin tried not to gawk but it was hard because even though they'd been friends since they were kids, the younger man was still a fairly private person and didn't generally strip off any of his clothes in front of others. Colin didn't think he'd even seen Damian discard his cape where someone else might see. But, damn it all, Damian was beautiful. Toned muscle shifting under slightly coppered skin, dark windswept hair, plump slightly pouty lips, a small upturned nose, and thick dark lashes fluttering over bright green eyes-
Damian jumped into the pool.
Colin yelped slightly in surprise as cool water splashed over his sun warmed skin. In the water, Damian flipped his wet bangs out of his face before swimming of to where the ball was bobbing with a few powerful strokes. Colin had never wondered what Damian looked like when he was swimming, but now he knew: very pretty. It was not a sight he was going to be able to unsee.
Damian squawked indignantly as Titus, upon seeing that his Master was in the water and deciding that it must be safe after all, leaped in practically on top of the man. Colin practically wheezed with laughter.
"Oh, you think that's funny do you?" Damian inquired a sudden devilish smirk spreading across his features as he launched himself across the pool and grabbed Colin by the ankle.
"Wait, Dami-!" Colin tried to warn, fear quickly erasing his laughter, but it was too late as his friend dragged him in.
Colin clawed at the water frantically for a moment before he sank like a rock. He tried to kick off the bottom of the pool but he wasn't quite close enough to reach. He tried desperately to look up to find Damian and ended up with a load of water up his nose making him choke and nearly inhale water. He'd only been under for a tiny bit but his lungs already burned and no amount of thrashing seemed to be moving him any closer to the surface-
Then a familiar hand was grabbing him and hauling him upward.
It was pure relief when Colin's head broke the surface. He spat out the water in his mouth and gasped for breath like he'd never breathe again clinging to Damian with a death-like grip while the other cursed colorfully in Arabic and dragged the two of them to the edge. With some difficulty Colin scrambled out and rolled onto his back.
"Colin? Are you alright?" Damian demanded gripping his upper arm to the point of pain.
"Yeah…" Colin croaked back, grimacing at the sound of his voice and the fire in his throat and nose from the Saltwater of the pool.
"Why would you have not have mentioned that you couldn't swim?! I never would have-!" Damian paused to take a deep breath.
"Didn't think either of us were going in the pool." Colin admitted, shrugging and pushing himself up into a sitting position.
"It shouldn't have mattered if we were or not!" Damian was not quite yelling but he was getting there, "You're a grown-ass adult! Why have you never learned to swim?!"
"Not all of us are privileged enough to have access to a pool, Damian, much less adults around to actually teach us." Colin shot back defensively unable to help himself, "I grew up in the narrows, there was never a opportunity or a reason that I should learn-"
"Reason?! You're Abuse! A vigilante! We live in a city full of bridges and rivers that super-villains always seem to target. Not to mention all the scum that use the sewer system like a highway." Damian growled angrily.
"Dami-"
"One of these days you're going to get pushed or fall into water and then that's just going to be it! How can-!"
"Damian, that's enough." Came a firm voice from the left that turned out to be Dick leaning on the table looking at them with a slightly concerned expression. Colin jumped, he hadn't heard the first Robin approach… but then again he never heard any of the bat-kids coming.
"This is none of your business Grayson." Damian snapped.
"Maybe not, but you're both soaked and Colin should be probably checked over." Said Dick evenly, "Why don't you go grab some towels and ask Alfred to make some broth for Colin."
"Tt." Scowled Damian, but he rose and did as advised. Colin once again marveled at far he had come since they first met when such a suggestion would have been violently rejected. He was reminded again that Damian trusted Dick in ways that he simply didn't trust anyone else and that afforded him certain liberties. A left over remnant from when they had been Batman and Robin no doubt.
"Hey, you holding up alright?" asked Dick crouching down next to him. Colin's breath caught, some times he forgets how very blue Dick's eyes are. And how hot he is. Well he doesn't usually forget that Dick is hot.
'God nearly drowning must have damaged my brain,' Colin groans internally, 'stop drooling over how pretty all the Robin's are.'
"I am fine, really." Was all Colin said. Still, Dick wouldn't let him up till he'd thoroughly made sure that he was okay and not in shock. Then Dick gripped his forearm and helped him to his feet with a dazzling smile.
"Let's get you some dry clothes and something for that throat." Dick said cheerfully walking with him back to the Manor.
"Yeah…" said Colin, thinking of Damian, who still hadn't returned despite his simple task.
"Hey, don't worry too much about the babybat. You just gave him a bit of a scare so it was coming out all sideways the way it always does when he feels things." Said Dick with a fond yet slightly exasperated smile.
"I know…" said Colin sighing and shaking out some of the water from his damp hair.
"You know though… He's right about crooks liking to dump our asses in water every now and then. There's no shame in currently not knowing but, well, it'd be a useful thing to learn right?" said Dick slowly and Colin could tell he was suddenly watching him closely.
"I suppose…" said Colin nervously.
"Would you… what I am trying to ask is if you'd like me to teach you?" said Dick uncertainly scratching the back of his head.
"You?" gaped Colin slightly caught off guard.
"Well, yeah… if you want?" offered Dick with a charming smile.
"I…" started Colin uncertainly. It was true that since Damian felt so strongly about the subject he'd probably end up having to take swimming lessons one way or another and he'd much rather pick something himself than have Damian try and hire some vastly expensive trainer or- God forbid- try and teach him himself. He wasn't sure their friendship could survive that. But he also knew that if he tried to arrange what he could afford then he'd end up in a public pool with a bunch of tittering elementary school kids.
"Just once a week or something. There'd be no pressure for you to be a pro swimmer or anything. Just leaning to float or swim to the edge at least." Said Dick hurriedly seeming to misinterpreted his long pause.
"I- yeah… yeah I think that might be a good plan." Said Colin nodding slowly.
"Really?" asked Dick looking relieved.
"Yeah. Sure." Colin agreed with an awkward smile.
Dick beamed as if he had just promised something wonderful.
"Dick's going to be giving me swimming lessons." Colin told Damian later that night when they were sprawled across the younger's bed.
"Grayson is?" asked Damian sitting up slightly, and there was something in his gaze that Colin couldn't quite interoperate in the fading light.
"Yeah… he offered and I thought it might be a good idea after today." Mumbled Colin suddenly feeling like he should explain himself.
"...It is a good idea. I am glad that it is Grayson, and not someone else. He'll do a decent job." Said Damian slowly nodding to himself.
"Thanks for the Damian-stamp-of-approval. I am now set to continue on with my life." Drawled Colin sarcastically.
"Tt," Damian shoved him hard, but definitely not as hard as he could have if he were really irritated so Colin just laughed. They stared at Damian's ceiling for a bit longer in comfortable silence. Colin tried not to notice that Damian was curled closer than usual, but it was hard not to since his friend was like a little furnace and laying next to him made him want to strip off a few layers. Then again this was Damian and Colin wasn't sure his brain wouldn't spontaneously combust if his skin was so close to his crush without at least three or so barriers.
"I did not mean to yell at you earlier." Damian said suddenly and Colin was suddenly captured in the gaze of unhappy green eyes, "I still meant what I said, that it is reckless of you to not know, but I should not have yelled."
Colin knew that was as close to an apology as he was going to get from the other.
"Sorry for scaring you." Colin replied sheepishly in reply.
"Tt," said Damian, but surprisingly did not deny it. Slowly- and looking pointedly elsewhere as if not acknowledging it would mean that it wasn't happening- Damian wiggled closer into what was almost a cuddle. Colin opened his mouth to comment, but something about uncertainty of the pout of Damian's mouth and the aggressiveness of his eyes made him stay silent. Instead he curled as close as he dared to his friend simply determined to enjoy the fragility of the moment.
"Breathe Colin…" Dick said as he coaxed him into the shallow end of the pool. Colin felt a bit stupid. He spent he nights fighting crime and risking his life, but having more and more water surrounding his body as he slowly submerged himself sent his pulse pounding and made his throat tight.
"I've got you, buddy." Said Dick his hands coming to rest on his sides rubbing soothing circles into Colin's skin as the redhead maintained his vice-like grip on him, "Would I ever let you drown?"
"No." breathed Colin letting his eyes fall closed.
"The trust me… relax and let's get you on your back. Learning to float is the best way to prevent drowning because it will buy you time for someone else to come help get you out." Dick told him guiding him down onto his back.
Colin tried to float, he really did, but every time he tried to get himself horizontal his lower half would start sinking immediately. He pushed off the bottom of the pool with his toes but he'd just sink again.
"Push your stomach up skyward… no don't try and watch it, when you tip your head forward you end up centering your weight inward and it makes it really hard to float… you want to disperse your weight around you, try spreading your arms and legs out like a starfish…" Dick coached his hands correcting Colin's positioning. Every time Colin thought he might be getting it he'd start to feel that sinking sensation and he'd instinctively jerk trying to right himself and end up sinking even faster.
"I can't-" Colin began in frustration but Dick 'shh'ed him dropping down into the water with him so that only his head was sticking out. Dick deftly adjusted Colin so that their cheeks were pressed together and the dark haired man's hand was splayed across the small of his back keeping him floating.
"You're doing really well, I don't expect you to get it right away. But you've got to relax. You're so tense. That tension is going to drag you down faster than a rock." Dick breathed. God he was so close. Colin had to swallow back his nervousness. So far his fear of drowning- or rather his fear of not being able to swim since he knew Dick wouldn't let him drown- had distracted him from how beautiful Dick looked in the water. He hadn't wanted to know what Dick Grayson looked like with water droplets clinging to his eyelashes or the way he simply seemed to exist in the water like it was the most natural place in the world for him to be.
"That's it… relax. It's okay to let your mind wander. Your body does know how to float, it's when you try to control everything that you start to sink." Dick said using his free hand to tip Colin's head back so that it was laying on his shoulder. Colin let his eyes flutter closed and tried to do as he was told. To relax. To let Dick's presence and safety surround him in the water. He felt Dick's hand on his back shift to just his finger tips. Then three fingers. Then one. Then none. He was floating.
Well, for like 10 seconds.
Then he felt himself flailing and grabbing frantically at Dick as water crept up around him. Dick laughed and helped Colin stand again.
"Good job, that was really good, Colin. Keep going like that and you'll be floating in no time." Grinned Dick keeping his hand on his back and flashing a dazzling smile.
"I suppose…" said Colin flushing. He didn't think that he did all that great, but that didn't stop him from internally melting at the praise.
"Let's take a brake from that though and work on something else." Said Dick smiling and moving away to grab a kickboard, "You're already pretty strong so I am not as worried about building up muscles, but I still want you getting used to the feel of kicking across the pool so that when we add the arms later it'll be a lot easier."
"Okay," said Colin gripping the floatation devise and feeling pretty foolish. He looked up and caught sight of Damian sitting at the edge of the pool watching them with a burning look. Colin wondered how long he'd been there. It looked like a while. Colin had to look away from him to avoid getting too flustered.
"Don't just splash the water when you kick, push it. Use your whole leg not just your knees." Dick said swimming along side him, his muscles bare and extremely distracting.
Look at the pretty Robin on the shore that looked like he wanted to eat them or look at the pretty ex-Robin next to him that was looking rather edible?
Colin stared firmly at the water in front of him and tried to ignore both.
When they finished the whole lesson Colin found himself a lot more tired than he expected to be. He caught himself thinking that if he could get himself good enough at it, swimming might serve as a good work out.
"Pennyworth brought sandwiches." Said Damian when he'd climbed out.
"That man is magic." Groaned Colin happily wolfing down the food not realizing how hungry he was until he started eater.
"Tt, perhaps." Agreed Damian grudgingly as he took as towel and began methodically drying him off. Colin blinked in surprise, his friend not usually particularly touchy feely. But Damian's green eyes had that same blazing quality that they had the whole time he had watched the lesson and Colin found himself swallowing thickly.
"Come on little prince, you can't sit on the side of the pool and just never get in!" grinned Dick abruptly scooping up Damian and diving into the pool with him.
"You're dead Grayson!" screeched Damian hissing like an angry cat when he surfaced in the water. Dick laughed, and so began one of the most epic water wars Colin had ever seen.
He had a feeling that these swimming lessons were never going to be boring.