<\/a>—–<\/p>\nHe had come out of nowhere.<\/p>\n
Michael Phelps, well, he was hardly any surprise, was he? Broke his first world record when he was 15. Youngest male ever to make an Olympic swim team. No one was really<\/i> shocked by those gold medals.<\/p>\n
But Stewart Weir showed up out of nowhere at a community pool one sticky Boston summer in nothing but a black Speedo, without even a towel. All the lanes were full, and rather than ask to circle, he spread himself out in a chair by the side of the pool, eyes closed and his thin, narrow face turned up to the sun. He was very handsome, lean as a whippet, with straight dark hair and gray eyes, and the women couldn\u2019t help their shy little glances.<\/p>\n
When someone got out of the pool, he got up immediately. He slid into the water, got his feet up against the wall, and pushed off.<\/p>\n
He did 50 meters in 30 seconds without ever coming up for air.<\/p>\n
The next year, it was the Pan-Pacific Championship. The year after that, the World Aquatic Championship. And after that, the Olympics. Everyone wondered where he\u2019d come from, where he\u2019d learned to swim. No one was even sure of his real age. Weir smiled well enough for the cameras, but he didn\u2019t talk much. He always seemed to be somewhere far away.<\/p>\n
Victor Aiken knew, though. He\u2019d been waiting a long time for Stewart Weir.<\/p>\n
—–<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere does he keep it?\u201d Stewart asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I knew, do you think I\u2019d still be here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Stewart sighed. \u201cIt was too much to hope for.\u201d He poked listlessly at the orange strips in the black plastic tray. \u201cThis fish is terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought some canned sardines,\u201d said Victor. \u201cThey\u2019re not so bad if they\u2019re canned in oil.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stewart wrinkled his nose. \u201cMaybe if I\u2019m desperate. You\u2019re certain he doesn\u2019t keep it in the United States?\u201d<\/p>\n
Victor shook his head, lips curled back from his teeth like a dog. \u201cHe keeps it with him. He told me so. He said I\u2019d have to pry it from his cold, dead hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m amazed you haven\u2019t murdered him,\u201d Stewart murmured.<\/p>\n
They didn\u2019t look unalike, Victor knew. They were both tall and dark-haired and handsome, with long, lean bodies and long, narrow faces. One of their teammates had already wondered if they were long-lost brothers. But to Victor\u2019s eyes, the ocean still clung to Stewart like a skin and made him distant. People assign malicious intent to the ocean, but that isn\u2019t true. The ocean isn\u2019t trying to kill you. The ocean doesn\u2019t even realize you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would have,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cNothing could keep me from the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n
—–<\/p>\n
The first time Victor leapt into a swimming pool, he\u2019d gasped underwater and nearly drowned. Radcliffe had nearly had to drag him out. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with you?\u201d he\u2019d yelled, face purplish-red, hands clenched into big meaty hammers by his sides. \u201cAren\u2019t you supposed to be a fucking swimmer?\u201d<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t go near the pool again for days. Radcliffe hurled insults and invective at him, spittle flying from his mouth and veins bulging in his neck. Once, and only once, he struck him; Victor let himself go limp in the corner and curled into a ball, hiding his head between his knees. \u201cFucking waste,\u201d Radcliffe muttered. \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have gone through the trouble.\u201d And then he stomped away, bare feet slapping against the patio tiles. The sliding glass door slammed shut, and Victor was left outside, dressed in only a thin bathrobe.<\/p>\n
Victor couldn\u2019t explain that the water in the swimming pool was dead. It didn\u2019t move; it smelled like chemicals; it was safe and idle and contained and dragged the very spirit out of him, what hadn\u2019t already been taken with his skin. He lifted his head and stared at the smooth blue-white surface of the water.<\/p>\n
—–<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s too large for him to just keep with him as it is,\u201d Stewart muttered. \u201cHe must have had it made into something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victor stared at him, aghast.<\/p>\n
Stewart gave him a pitying look. \u201cYou\u2019ve been on land too long.\u201d He stood and stretched, spine cracking in several places; they were surrounded by a pile of plastic cartons, empty but for green scraps of decorative fake grass, pink twists of pickled ginger, and green blobs of wasabi. Stewart knocked them all off the bed with a sweep of one long arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you think he had it made into?\u201d Victor asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s something he always has with him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Humans always had so many things with them. Keys, cell phones, money. All those little pieces of clothing: socks, shirts, trousers. They wore clothing underneath their clothing. Victor shook his head.<\/p>\n
Stewart gave him a long, considering look. His eyes were the color of the Atlantic Ocean. \u201cWe\u2019ll find it,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn\u2019t spend all these years up here for nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
—–<\/p>\n
Robert Radcliffe was made entirely of flushed red skin and a permanent scowl. He kept his hair in a permanent buzzcut, a layer of pale fuzzy down on the top of his square head. He\u2019d been a great swimmer, once; that was why he was coach to the Olympic team, now. He wasn\u2019t as good a swimmer as Victor or Stewart, but then, he was only human.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think he suspects?\u201d Victor whispered after practice, on the way back to the locker rooms. They were wrapped in their towels, but not shivering. Radcliffe had spent all of practice watching Stewart with narrowed eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019d be a fool not to,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cHe\u2019ll see that we swim alike.\u201d He stripped off his goggles and swimcap and stuffed them in his locker.<\/p>\n
\u201cBe safe,\u201d Victor said in a low voice. \u201cI couldn\u2019t bear it if–\u201d<\/p>\n
Stewart bared his teeth at Victor. \u201cPlease<\/i>,\u201d he said, voice dripping with such scorn that Victor\u2019s stomach leapt up and swallowed his heart. He slammed his locker shut and flicked his damp hair back. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to attack him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said he keeps it on his person,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cIf we attack him, one of us can hold him down while the other searches him. It\u2019s the fastest way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut–\u201d Victor glanced around, lowered his voice still more, so that Stewart had to bend his head close to hear him. \u201cWe can\u2019t just attack him in front of everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not,\u201d Stewart scoffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey!\u201d Joseph called from across the room. \u201cWhat\u2019re you two lovebirds whispering about?\u201d The rest of the room snickered.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m certain you and I can think of a way to get him alone,\u201d Stewart murmured, and dropped his eyelids in such a way that Victor had to swallow hard.<\/p>\n
—–<\/p>\n
As it turned out, Radcliffe came to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wonder if I could have a word with Stewart?\u201d he said. He could be mild, when he wanted to be; he was a full head shorter than Victor, although they perhaps weighed the same, now that Radcliffe no longer had to breeze through the water. But there was the hard, corded muscle of the athlete under there; you could see it in the straightness of his shoulders, and the steady, confident way in which he held himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, sure.\u201d Victor held the door open.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlone, if you please,\u201d Radcliffe said. When Victor hesitated, he added, \u201cIt\u2019s about today\u2019s practice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victor glanced at Stewart, who was on his back in his bed, arms folded behind his head. Stewart shrugged, and Victor left the room, letting the door click behind him. He kept his back against it and strained his ears. He could hear nothing but low voices.<\/p>\n
And then, the high, sharp cry of an animal in distress.<\/p>\n
Idiot! He should have brought the key card with him! Victor threw himself against the door to little avail; this was a nice hotel, and the doors were solid. Perhaps if he concentrated his force around the doorknob?<\/p>\n
The door shuddered with an impact from the other side and the knob turned, just a little, just enough that Victor could force himself through the door just as Radcliffe yanked Stewart away from it. Blood dribbled from Stewart\u2019s mouth, and his eyes were filled with murder. He twisted and snapped at Radcliffe, doglike, as Radcliffe tried to get Stewart into chokehold. Victor slammed the door shut behind him and threw himself into a low tackle at Radcliffe\u2019s legs. Radcliffe went to the floor with a grunt, and Stewart ended up on top of them both.<\/p>\n
\u201cHold him,\u201d Stewart hissed. He pressed his forearm down against Radcliffe\u2019s throat, until the man\u2019s eyes bulged and his breath gagged in his throat. Victor hadn\u2019t known his face could get any more purple.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Victor hissed, as Radcliffe\u2019s eyes rolled frantically around in his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cShut up,\u201d Stewart said calmly.<\/p>\n
Radcliffe went slack. Victor made to leap to his feet, but Stewart seized him by the wrist.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not dead,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cHurry up. We need to find it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stewart started by unbuckling Radcliffe\u2019s belt and pulling it through the loops. He sniffed it, made a face, and tossed it aside. Victor pulled off Radcliffe\u2019s shoes and threw them behind him with heavy thumps. He pulled off Radcliffe\u2019s socks. Stewart undid his shorts and pulled them down. Something tingled at the base of Victor\u2019s spine, but he didn\u2019t know if it was excitement or the nearness of his skin, or both.<\/p>\n
Radcliffe had on white briefs, underneath his shorts. Stewart plucked at them disinterestedly. He rucked up Radcliffe\u2019s polo shirt, but of course there was nothing underneath there. \u201cIt\u2019s got to be around here somewhere,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n
Victor picked up Radcliffe\u2019s shorts. His hand glanced against the back pocket, and the tingle shot up his arm, making all the hairs on his body stand on end. He could feel<\/i> the sea, so close it made his eyes water. He reached into the pocket with shaking hands and pulled out a wallet. It had a splash of gray spots on one side.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s so small.\u201d He clutched it with both hands and took a deep breath.<\/p>\n
Stewart grabbed Victor by the wrist, just as he had before to keep Victor from running away. \u201cNot here. We need to get to the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right. He was right. But it was right there, waiting to leap up and fold around him. Victor took a good look at Stewart. The gash on his lip had darkened, and the skin around his eye was swelling. He smelled like sweat and savagery. Victor grasped Stewart\u2019s biceps in his hands and leaned forward to press their mouths together.<\/p>\n
Stewart jerked back. \u201cYou\u2019re mad,\u201d he said, and laughed. \u201cHe\u2019ll wake up any moment now.\u201d He gestured with his chin at Radcliffe, still sprawled senseless on the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you\u2019ll put him out again,\u201d said Victor, already pushing Stewart to the floor, his hands underneath Stewart\u2019s shirt.<\/p>\n
\u201cMmmmm.\u201d Stewart arched his body up against Victor\u2019s. Victor groaned into Stewart\u2019s shoulder and pushed their groins together in one long, sensuous slide. Stewart wrapped his arms around Victor and pressed them closer. He shoved his thigh between Victor\u2019s legs and rolled his hips up. \u201cHow long has it been?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToo long.\u201d Victor thrust his hips down. His clothes were now a torture, and he forced himself to stop long enough to pull off his pants and boxers. Stewart just pushed his down to his knees. Then they resumed their grinding, gasping at the new feeling, their pubes crushing against sensitive skin.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo many women,\u201d Stewart rumbled. \u201cYou could have had sex with so many human women. They all wanted me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victor groaned. He could see it, women dissatisfied in their marriages, coming to Stewart already wet between their legs, their juices clinging to their pubic hairs. No need to shed seven tears into the sea, when what you wanted was already there. He ground down hard against Stewart\u2019s groin, circling his hips. He could feel Stewart\u2019s fingers digging into his rump, hard enough that there would maybe be bruises. They wouldn\u2019t show up under fur.<\/p>\n
\u201cHurry up,\u201d Stewart growled. \u201cThis is taking too fucking long.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victor leaned down and bit into the meaty part of Stewart\u2019s shoulder. Stewart hissed and bit him back. Victor\u2019s hips jerked one last time as he came, sliding messily through his own come, smearing it around and over Stewart\u2019s abdomen. Stewart threw his head back and came, too.<\/p>\n
They lay on the floor for a minute or so, panting as the sweat on their bodies cooled. Stewart was the first to move, pushing at Victor until he rolled off onto the floor. He sat up and dragged his pants back up and buttoned them. Victor eyed his own pants, which were too far away to reach.<\/p>\n
Radcliffe groaned. Victor leapt to his feet and gave the man a savage kick in the ribs. Radcliffe whimpered and curled into a half-ball.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should kill you,\u201d Victor growled.<\/p>\n
Stewart retrieved Victor\u2019s pants and handed them to him. \u201cForget about him,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s not important anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was true. Victor pulled on his pants–Stewart had forgotten the boxers, but he wouldn\u2019t have to be human for much longer. He reached out one hand and tilted Stewart\u2019s face towards his, and gave him one last, hard kiss on the mouth. Stewart gave him an amused look.<\/p>\n
Victor tucked the wallet into his back pocket. Radcliffe could pay for the train ticket to the seaside.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Selkiesbassedef.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/i>Love1<\/span><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Victor\u2019s hand shook so hard that he had to try the key card three times before the door would open. Stewart was already there, stretched out on one of the beds. Victor closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it, hands behind his back, just staring.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease,\u201d he said. \u201cTell me you\u2019ve come for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stewart stretched catlike and rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow to look at Victor. \u201cWhy else would I be here?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[132,425],"tags":[53,136],"class_list":["post-912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-issue33","category-text","tag-nijiiro-sumi","tag-sevenswells"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=912"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7926,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912\/revisions\/7926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}