Spike sat on the bench of the change rooms staring dejectedly at the swimming shorts Xander had handed to his partner, before heading to relieve himself.

Xander emerged from the lavatory without Spike noticing. He saw the look and moved quickly to his partner’s side.

“What’s up sweetheart?”

“Don’t swim”

“What?”

“I. Don’t. Swim.” Xander watched the countenance of his lover fall even further as he quietly continued, “Can’t swim. Never learned. Nineteen bloody hundreds in England pet… wasn’t exactly the done thing was it?!”

“Oh… but I thought since no breathing…?”

“Bloody scary ain’t it… cold ‘n dark ‘n all pushin’ in ‘n…..”

“Spike! What happened to make you think…”

“Water’s about hidin’ an’ bad stuff… escape to bottom of the Elba in 1887; the stinkin’ eff’in Thames, 1912; under a bloody raft for days after Angelus tossed me out of the Uboat in ’45… f@#ing sharks! Oh bloody hell… Please Xan don’t embarrass me?! I can’t swim mate – you get it? I don’t need to breathe, but I *can’t swim.*”

“Oh God… sweetheart I had no idea! But hey, this is about a nice, warm, indoor pool… and you can touch the bottom! Besides it’s after nine thirty so it’s probably just us anyway… Please…please let me show you… let me hold you… I’ll keep you safe. Promise.” He moved in to do his best seductive voice… “I’ll keep you safe and we can paddle and then I’ll take you to the sauna and see what some real heat can do for us both…”

Spike relented, stood and reluctantly changed.

Xander looked away trying very hard not to smile. His own swimming shorts on Spike’s narrow frame looked adorable. His partner appeared for all the world like someone’s gorgeous little brother heading for a swim, his slim pale legs poking from a large pair of surf shorts that someone had loaned him for the afternoon… At that moment, Xander was mildly pleased that his own shorts were so loose, though Spike still smirked as he detected the distinct scent of arousal in the air.

“OK, Mr Royal Lifesaver, come and show me what I’ve been missin’ out on.” Spike was about to give Xander a kiss when Andy came into view and ushered them both toward the pool.

Andy jumped over the side and began to do a few laps with a swimming style reflecting someone who constantly fought a little with the water as they swam. Xander dived in with practiced ease, and swam freestyle with the smooth confidence of the trained swimmer to the other end and back. Spike simply sat on the edge of the pool feet dangling in the water until Xander tumble-turned unnecessarily at Spike’s feet and sent a large splash of water over his friend.

“Oi you sod! Can’t a fella ease in to the baths without some larrikin ruinin’ it!”

Xander stood up in the waist deep water grinning at his friend. “It’s a pool S..Will.”

A petulant pout met his smile as Spike ground out, “It the bloody public swimming baths, with everyone’s body odor and chlorine and cleaning chemicals floatin’ in it.”

Xander saw his partner’s discomfort and reached out both hands as though to catch a small child.

“C’mon sweetheart, it’s only up to my waist. Just jump in, it’s actually quite warm.”

Spike took an unnecessary breath and reached out to grab Xander’s hands. He was going to do this, if only to prove to himself that something he had feared for so long was of little consequence. Two strong hands grabbed his and held tight, so Spike pushed off the wall to stand in front of his lover. He let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and gradually released hold of the hands steadying him.

“You go for a paddle luv, I’ll just stand here and get me bearin’s for a mo’ “

Xander grinned and took off, completing almost five hundred meters before putting his head up to notice his friend Andy standing alongside Spike showing him how to ‘scull’ the water to stay up.

Xander listened to Andy’s quiet instructions and realized why he was not just a consummate manager of people in their business, but also why Xander treasured him as a friend.

“That’s it Will, far out! You’re doing *so* well! Just….. yeah that’s it! Hey Xan!! Come and look at what Will can do!” The broad grins from both his lover and his friend were a picture. Xander dove deep and traversed the twenty five meters underwater.

“Good God Xan did you do the whole lap under??” Andy’s awed expression made Xander smile shyly.

“Yeah well… swimmer… ‘s easy after a while… Anyways you guys were doing something down here that I need to see … so, Seeing Man at your service. Show me the skills.”

Andy looked at Will and smiled, “OK…”

Spike squatted down so only his head remained above water. He proceeded to move his forearms and hands back and forth at speed creating tiny whirlpools over each hand, then lifted his feet up off the floor of the pool, continuing to keep his head above water.

Andy grinned, “Taa Daa, behold….. Houston we have liftoff!”

Xander smiled broadly at his workmate. “No wonder we have so many folks wanting to work on your team! You are a wonder… !”

“Yeah well, Will here said he hasn’t done a lot of swimming, so I figured…” It was Andy’s turn to look slightly embarrassed.

Xander’s quiet reply was everything, “Thanks… It means a lot.”

Andy smiled, “Yeah well, I’d better get going anyways… Kelly will kill me if I do a night with the boys past ten o'clock mid week – even if it *is* a sport thing.”

Spike had his feet on the ground again and offered a handshake to his erstwhile instructor. “Cheers mate, hope to catch up before I leave.”

“Oh terrific! …Of course. See you Xan, enjoy.” Andy lifted himself from the pool and as he went to collect his towel, the tall brunette turned to comment, “You know Xan, I can second your membership to this place if you like?...”

“Thanks I’ll think about it – seriously I will. See you tomorrow.” Xander’s last comment was made as Andy waved and disappeared into the men’s room.

“So show me what you've learned again?”

“Nahh pet. Why don’t you show me somethin’ new?”

The next twenty minutes were spent with Xander gently supporting Spike as he instructed his partner how to perform a flutter kick on his back, and then introduced some arm movements. He was not surprised at the speed with which Spike learned, though still frustrated by the biggest problem - Spike’s lack of buoyancy. Much was to do with his partner’s leanness, but the main issue seemed to be the fact that, as a vampire, filling his lungs with air required conscious effort and was often forgotten, leading to a negative buoyancy, hardly conducive to learning to swim.

Spike eventually became tired of his role as learner, “OK! OK!! I’ve got it, you git – now just… go have a swim!”

Xander gave his friend’s hand a squeeze, then gratefully took off to finish another twenty laps.

At lap fifteen, Xander stared at the bottom in amazement. His partner, so scared of the prospect of swimming, had somehow managed to strike up the nerve to lie on the bottom un-breathing like some enormous bottom dwelling predator, and was watching the human swim over him. Xander broke off his swim, then dived to hug and give his blonde observer a kiss before having to return to the surface for air. He then continued to swim to the shallow end of the pool.

Settling against the wall of the pool, he watched as Spike emerged, walking from the watery depths.

“Gahh! You nearly gave me heart failure!”

“Glad I can still stir your pot, luv.” His dripping friend fell forward into Spike’s arms. Swishing water around his partner, the vampire grabbed the human’s inner thigh and began to caress in earnest. Xander groaned with appreciation.

“Hey, is warming up of the good? ‘Cause I’m thinking the sauna is free…”

“Sounds better than the ‘murky deep’ to me pet.”

There was a half hour before closing as the two entered the heated steam of the sauna. No one else was present, so Spike settled himself on the lower step between his lover’s knees.

As they both relaxed back, the vampire began slowly laving the inside of Xander’s right knee and thigh. After less than three strokes of the cool tongue and despite the heat, his partner was hard and begging, but acutely aware of security cameras and occasional safety checks by staff.

“Hey sweetheart, we can’t really… just come up here and lie down….”

Xander pulled his partner up to the top step and directed him until Spike was lying with his head on Xander’s lap, feeling the human’s rock hard sex against the side of his head, left arm snaking around Xander’s calf, holding hands with his right. Both partners closed their eyes and enjoyed the heat. Xander caressed the vampire’s torso and occasionally stroked over the towel clad sex with his free hand

Eventually it was time. “Hey buddy… You ready for home? C’mon sweetheart, I’m ready if you are… let’s just.” Before Xander had completed the sentence Spike had hauled them both up and they were heading for the change-room. The drive home seemed ridiculously slow, the passage of time made even more tortuous by Spike’s continued ministrations around his lover’s crotch.

Xander still had niggling worries about how the whole night had played out, particularly the Jarred incident and the implications if Spike and he happened to become ‘long term’ partners in Sacramento. As they entered the apartment however, Spike put his lover’s mind at ease with a few simple words, “So, when are we goin’ to the club again?”

“Oh G…., I love you William Aurelius, have I told you that lately? I. Love. You.”

Spike accepted the compliment and passionate kiss from his dark partner then grabbed his hand and led him toward the bedroom, adding, “Well good. Assume you’re up for a shag then?”