"Alright, I think you should take a rest for a bit now. Wouldn't want my little tadpole to overexert himself, after all."
And with that, I swam over to the ladder leading out of the pool and laid down on one of the nearby deck chairs, taking deep breaths as I rested. My name is Jake, I'm a 21 year old out of shape computer science student, and I'm friends with Alex, the 23 year old captain of the varsity swim team. Looking at the two of us, we couldn't be more different, and yet, the two of us are now inseparable. And yet, it wasn't always this way.
When I first got into university, I was a loner. Nerdy new kid in a new town was never going to be a good combination, and indeed, I never really socialized with the others, preferring to stay by myself. However, my crappy apartment is, quite frankly, depressing to stay in. It's small, sparsely decorated, and both too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer, not to mention that the drab walls and meager furniture frequently remind me of my terrible finances, which is something I would prefer not to be reminded of. So I actually spent most of my time at university, studying. In the winter, the library is my place; since it's always quiet, whatever books I would want to study are right there, and I can use my laptop to freely access the internet. With the cafeteria nearby, I had access to everything I could possibly need, so I would just while away the hours, content. However, whenever it's possible, I would instead spend my time in the central park area of the university. Just watching all the people go about their business, moving from building to building... it was oddly calming. And I could use calming, because my mind wasn't in the best of shapes back then—it still isn't, really, but it's at least getting better.
The thing is, I have a lot riding on this. That's why I'm so focused on my studies—because failing here might just outright ruin my life, because my parents will disown me, and at that point, I would have no idea what to do anymore. I've spent many sleepless nights dreading the possibility that I might fail because of something out of my control, so I throw all my energy into at least making sure that I can prevent failing because of something that I have control over.
It was on one of those days that I met him. It was an autumn day, and I was enjoying one of the last days I would be able to study outside before it would get too cold again, watching the leaves slowly fall and accumulate on the floor like they were dancing nature's dance of change. Just like every other day, the other students and faculty were walking around, and for a while, I found myself lost in thought, realizing that every one of these people have their own life, their own wants, desires, and fears. Sometimes, I get existential, which is a habit I am trying to kick, as it does invite thoughts of despair as well, and in my current mental state, that's asking for a panic attack. At least now I have someone I can rely on to support me... but I'm getting ahead of myself.
I noticed that one group of people had stopped on the path in front of me, with one of them seemingly telling the others to move on. And when that one turned around, it was the first time I saw him in person. It was Alex, the man I only knew from student newspapers and strolls along the university's trophy cabinets as an athletic marvel. He is an ace swimmer and has represented the university at national championships before. At the time, I had no idea why he wanted anything to do with me, a random computer science student. So imagine my surprise when he introduced himself and asked me if I wanted to be friends with him! I was obviously guarded—I figured there was no reasonable answer as to why he would want to be my friend, so the only explanation I could come to was that he was trying to pull some sort of prank on me or something like that.
And yet, he was never anything but friendly with me, and would stay with me for several hours each day. Sometimes, he would ask questions about what I was studying, not out of politeness, but with genuine interest. I would see his forehead wrinkle in thought as he tried to understand the more complex concepts, and often he would close his eyes, listening to me intently. And I'm sure he did what he did intentionally, but it took me some time to realize that simply having someone to talk to was actually really helping me feel better. Suddenly, it felt like I... had a friend. And I liked that feeling a lot.
Over the next few months, the two of us grew closer all the time, and soon, Alex confided his reasons for wanting to befriend me in me: He was neglected by his parents as a child, and as a result, tried his hardest to become a leader, someone better than them. He wanted to become someone that can push others to be better, and he had picked me to be the one he wanted to push. The reason he picked me was actually quite simple: Every day, when he and his swim team would walk from their classes to the pool, he would see me, sitting under that tree and studying. He asked around a bit, and learned that I was there studying basically all the time. So he knew that I had the desire to become better, but while I had the mental part covered with my studies, he would be the one to better me physically.
I remember the moment he asked me if I wanted to train with him like it was yesterday. His eyes, closing ever so slightly, giving the impression of a gentle father figure that cares about you. His lips, curling upwards in that special way that makes him look so happy just to be there with me. And his hand, carefully reaching across the table, waiting for me to take it—not pushing me, just asking as a friend. Of course, I accepted immediately.
Ever since then, we would train a few hours every day at the university's pool. Alex's status as the varsity captain and a school sports legend meant that he got access to the pool for himself pretty much whenever he wanted it, and we took advantage of that. We started slow, as he knew progress would take time, but over time, I would be able to swim longer and for longer distances, with my form improving by the day. Of course, I would never be as good as Alex, so I would frequently take breaks while he continued swimming.
So now, I'm laying on a deck chair, taking a break, as I see Alex coming out of the pool. And suddenly, something hits me like a brick. Was Alex always this... hot? It's like time slows down as I get to watch his body rise out of the pool, water running along his perfectly sculpted chest, the wet sheen drawing even more attention to his immaculate six-pack. His arms and legs aren't overly muscular like bodybuilders and such, instead having a modest amount of muscle that beautifully rounds off his physique to come together as a prime specimen. And that's not even mentioning his face, with that expression that looks like he's genuinely just happy to be spending time with me, his wet hair shining in the halogen lights of the pool building, and those pearly white teeth that seem to be smiling every time we're together. And the less said about the way he fills out that speedo, the better, because if I think more about that, he might catch me staring. I watch as he walks over to me, his hips swaying like a professional dancer, and sits down on the deck chair next to me. This is also something he would do regularly; he would take a break of his own, sit down next to me and either hold my hand or give me a massage.
This time, he takes my hand and gives me that gentle smile that would make me swim for hours just to get to him. "How's my little tadpole doing?" he asks as his other hand moves over and cups my cheek gently. Little tadpole... that's his nickname for me. It was a bit strange when he started using it, but I really like it now. It just sounds so intimate somehow. I don't answer, still too distracted by the thoughts I've gotten looking at his body. However, he notices something is up as I can feel my face heat up.
"You're blushing, tadpole... and I don't think there's anything else here that could be causing you to blush but me." he says, moving from a sitting position to a laying one on the deck chair and drawing my eyes to those statuesque legs of his, all the way down to his just as pretty feet. And then he says something that changes the trajectory of our friendship forever. "You know, Jake... I've been thinking, and I want to ask you something. Do you maybe...