“I can’t believe you just…fell.” Adelaide shook her head, staring at Ian, who was sitting cross legged in front of her. They were watching TV in her hotel room, and a story about Ian’s disqualification prior to the Olympics had just come on; it was a pre-show to the footage of last night’s race. “I mean. I saw it on TV then and I was so shocked.”

“You and me both,” Ian remarked, stretching out his legs and scowling at the TV. “Too bad they’re not showing something better than this.”

“They probably are,” Adelaide said, picking up the controller and flipping channels. “AH! Manchester United!”

“You’re a football fan?” Ian asked in surprise.

“Well, just of ManU.” Adelaide laughed, shrugging.

“David Beckham.” This was said with a frown, and with a disgusted voice.

“Partly, I suppose. But it doesn’t matter as he doesn’t play for them anymore.” Adelaide looked at Ian, taking her eyes off the screen briefly. “You’re hotter than him, anyway, so there’s no need to get jealous.”

Ian‘s mouth opened in shock, but he was laughing. “I most certainly was not jealous.”

“Okay. Whatever you say.” Adelaide turned back to the screen. “I get a little too into the game sometimes, so it’s probably better if we watch something else.”

She was about to change the channel, but Ian grabbed her hand, holding it in mid-air. “Let’s watch for a bit,” he said with a sly grin.

“Okay, but if I get too loud, put a pillow over my face or something. That’s Sydney’s job normally.”

“Where is she, anyway?” Ian asked, looking around the room as if she might pop out from behind the dresser at any moment.

“No idea. Probably with Michael. OH!!! That was SO a foul!”

Ian smirked at her, but didn’t say anything about her outburst, which had been directed at the TV.

“Randall’s kicks are so erratic. He just randomly kicks whenever he pleases. Rarely does the ball go in.”

“Are you like this when you watch swimming?” Ian questioned, leaning back against the pillows, looking totally relaxed.

Adelaide smiled down at him. “Oh, yes. I’m always going, ‘Oh! Ian, that was almost a dolphin kick!’ and things like that.”

“I don’t do dolphin kicks,” Ian retorted, sniffing. “Thankyouverymuch.”

“Oh, right. I got you mixed up with Aaron Peirsol.”

“Actually, he really didn’t do a dolphin kick that time, when the officials DQ’d him. That was a crap call, and he knew it, and he fought for it. Which is good, because---what?”

Adelaide was giggling. A lot. “Nothing. You’re just so cute when you’re all worked up about swimming.”

Ian smirked, his eyes narrowing in a falsely malicious fashion. “Am I. Well---”

“FOUL!!!!” Adelaide screeched, pointing at the television screen and very nearly falling off the bed with the vigor of it all.

Ian grabbed a pillow from behind his head and smacked it against her; she let out an “oomph” and fell over next to him.

He held his arms out in mock surrender. “Hey, you told me to do that should you get too loud. I think they heard you over in the states.”

“Ha ha. Very funny.” Adelaide stuck her tongue out at him. “Shouldn’t you be training or something?”

“Nope.” He stretched out, sighing in contentment. “I’m fine right here.”

“For now.”

“What do you mean for now?” Ian asked lazily, his eyes drifting closed. Pretty soon he felt the unmistakable feeling of a pillow being thrown at him. “Okay,” he warned, sitting up and looming over a smiling Adelaide. “This is war.”

As he plummeted her with pillows and she screamed for mercy (using all the techniques such as: “I give up!” and “UNCLE!” and “WHITE FLAG!”) he started laughing hysterically.

“Look out for the pillows of DOOOOOOM!” He yelled, throwing another one at her, which she promptly threw back; it flew past his hair and hit the wall. “Hey! You’re messing up my hair!”

Adelaide gave him a look. “It was already messed up.”

“Oh, below the belt!” He accused, tackling her, the pillows forgotten as he tickled her madly. “Do you surrender?” He asked suddenly, his face very close to hers as she struggled to get out from under him.

“Never!”

Ian continued to tickle her, and Adelaide gasped for breath; eventually, he slowed, and his hands were on either side of the bed beside her head. “How about now?” He asked, his voice low and soft as his breath tickled her hair.

“Okay,” she replied slowly, loving the feel of his lips as he pressed them against hers.

After he pulled away, he stared down at her intently. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do when you leave.” Ian started coiling his finger around a lock of her hair.

“I live in Australia,” she stated, her voice oddly low. “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. Even though Australia is a large place, at least we’re on the same continent. Michael and Sydney don’t have that.”

“Good point.” He kissed her and then rolled over to lay beside her. “I should go. I’ve got that…thing…to do later.”

“Oh that kicking-Michael’s-ass thing.”

Ian grinned. “Yep. That’s the one.” He rolled off the bed and grabbed his sunglasses from atop the television. “You’ll be there, right?”

Adelaide sat up, smiling at him. “What kind of a question is that? Of course I will. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” He smiled one last time at her, kissed her briefly, and then jogged from the room.