Chapter Text
It’s a hot, hot summer and the only way to escape the heat was to go to the city pool. It was full of chirping kids having fun, but that wasn’t something that bothered Flins who was lying on top of his inflatable pink flamingo. The large black umbrella that was attached to it was making the perfect shade, something he considered really important for protecting his pale skin. His feet were cooling in the water, splashing from time to time so he could move around. To top it all off, he had a cocktail in his hand and sunglasses on. That way he could take quick glances towards Varka — the lifeguard.
Him and Flins were polar opposites when it came to vision regarding aesthetics and comfort — while Varka was tanned and didn’t seem to bother too much about clothing as long as he was comfortable, Flins, on the other hand, burnt from the sun way too easily. He wore multiple layers of clothing very often.
Today, Varka’s “outfit” consisted of his red lifeguard shorts, sunglasses and the whistle hanging from his neck. He was quite the view that felt unavoidable to one’s eyes. Flins was wearing black linen shirt and shorts, both loose so he wouldn’t overheat. He would sometimes play with his hair while stealing glances at Varka and imagining sweet conversations between them. For a moment it felt like they met eyes. Varka lowered his sunglasses a bit and winked at him. Flins felt butterflies in his stomach and smiled shyly, his heart racing inside his chest.
Varka was new to the city but managed to steal everyone's hearts within days. His lively and kind personality was liked by all and he was quick to make lots of friends. He enjoyed his work and often gave swimming lessons to the kids that visited the pool with their parents. Little Aino quickly got better at swimming thanks to him and her big sister Ineffa couldn’t have been more proud of her. As a token of gratitude, she would often bring Varka sweets.
Flins wasn't all that great at social interactions and had a bit of a hard time with kids. They were confusing him. Perhaps he could feel a bit too much of a generational difference between them – rarely knowing what to say. As for close friends, he had only just a few. Illuga was one of them, perhaps his closest one, and they would often meet to read books or do work together. He would’ve much rather stayed at places that were quieter and away from people, so him being at the pool was something unusual to his nature.
When Varka moved to the city, he wanted to get to know as many people as possible, including Flins. With time, they got to chat a bit here and there when meeting at occasional barbecue parties. Not long after, Flins found himself developing a crush on him. Hence, he was at the pool that day, as well as many other summer days ever since the constantly warm weather rolled around.
Recently, though, Flins had been busier than usual with work, so he didn't have the chance to enjoy Varka's presence and be in it. Visiting the pool was the only way for Flins to have small interactions with him, so he spent time there a few days a week. He usually worked remotely, so staying at the pool to cool off during work was quite enjoyable to him. It also wasn’t as crowded. Weekends, however, were an entirely different matter. It was loud and packed with people – not the kind of environment Flins was used to. In his eyes, it was all worth it, especially if he had to make up for not seeing Varka the entire week before that.
As the evening advanced, the pool grew more and more lively. Aino and Jahoda were playing in the water, and while Ineffa was busy getting ice cream for Aino, the pink haired girl had decided to show Jahoda her newest gadget she had specifically made for the pool. It was a machine that could create waves, and in Aino’s eyes, it was exactly what the pool needed to be fun.
While no one suspected a thing, the waves started forming, and before they knew it, they were already growing too big. Not a problem for the two girls! Maybe its power was a little too strong, but it did not bother them at all – and it certainly didn’t bother Varka either. He laughed like a little kid, clearly impressed by Aino’s creation. The two of them were quite the bad combination; at times it felt like Varka was the one giving Aino those ideas and she was only acting on them.
Unfortunately for Flins, the waves started rocking his inflatable flamingo. While it was fun for quite literally everyone else, he felt extremely terrified because he, in fact, could not swim. Not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his crush, the only thing he could do was hold on for dear life and hope for the best outcome of that situation. But as the water splashed all over the place, the flamingo got more and more slippery, until he finally slipped off and fully fell into the water.
Scared and panicking, he tried to grab onto something, but the flamingo was already drifting away from him.
Varka’s sharp eyes couldn’t possibly miss a person in need. He jumped into the pool to save Flins. The waves, despite causing some trouble, didn’t stop him from being able to do his job. Not long after, the two of them were nearing the stairs of the pool.
Varka swam on his back while Flins clung to him, pressed close to his chest. He could feel Varka's heavy breaths fanning against his neck. Varka had his arm wrapped around Flins’s chest, having him realise just how big the other's physique is compared to his own.
When they got out of the pool, Varka carried Flins and laid him down onto the nearest sunbed. He was checking if he had trouble breathing and if he was hurt anywhere. Flins felt deeply ashamed by the whole situation. He could feel that everyone around was staring at them. Varka, on the other hand, kept apologising over and over again like crazy for the mistake he believed he had made, receiving only quiet reassurances that it was all fine.
That day, Aino not only got scolded by Ineffa, but also got grounded and banned from eating sweets for a week. Varka was scolded by her as well and likewise forbidden from sweets. Thankfully, news of the whole incident didn't reach his boss, and he got to keep his job.