“Syd? Yeah, you’re not allowed in the changing areas.” Adelaide pulled her friend away from the entrance, and off to the side of the beaten path under the cover of semi-darkness.

“Why not? I’m sure it’s only him in there.”

“There are rules you know,” Adelaide laughed, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you.”

“I know there are rules, Addy. I just choose not to follow them.” She lowered her head towards her friend and whispered, “You keep the security busy while I sneak inside.”

“I’m not going to be your accomplice today.” But her sentence had fallen on deaf ears, as Sydney was already creeping towards the entrance.

“What are you looking at?” Came a whispered voice in her ear, making her jump about a foot in the ar.

Adelaide spun around, a hand on her heart. “You scared me.”

He flashed her an impish grin. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she smiled at him, watching as he ran a hand through his long hair. “I was watching Sydney break the law.”

Ian looked past her, into the dark hallway leading to the changing rooms. “She’s not doing that again, is she?”

“Afraid so.” Adelaide sighed, shrugging and gave Ian a quizzical look. “I thought you were waiting at the hotel?”

“I figured I’d bring breakfast to you instead.” Smiling, he held up two plastic containers; one held her fruit, and the other some toast. “I was afraid Sydney would be arrested and I wouldn’t see you until tomorrow.”

Adelaide smiled more than she had in her entire life. “You are so sweet.”

“I do try.” He grinned a cheeky grin and led her over to a well-placed picnic table a few yards away which was both, as Ian explained, appropriate and in the eye line of where Sydney was apt to get arrested.

Ian took a hearty bite of toast and waved at someone waving to him from a distance.

“Fan of yours?” Adelaide questioned, chewing on a strawberry.

“Yes,” Ian nodded gravely. “I think he’s in love with me, actually.”

Adelaide shaded her eyes and peered to the figure walking away. “Is that Grant Hackett?”

“God, you’ve got good eyes. 20/20 vision?”

“Yes, but I could see the sun reflecting off his bald head,” Adelaide replied, laughing. She chewed thoughtfully, still watching Grant; Ian was watching her curiously as he finished off a piece of toast. “Why did he shave his head?” She turned her attention to Ian, her eyes squinting in the bright sun. “Don’t tell me it’s more aerodynamic.”

Ian chuckled. “It probably is. But he shaved it because I dared him to shave his eyebrows.” Adelaide looked perplexed, but she was also trying very hard not to laugh. “He said he wouldn’t, so I told him to shave his head instead. It took some convincing because he’s so vain…but in the end I convinced him that having a bald head would a.) attract more ladies and b.) give him a quicker 200m.”

“None of which is true.”

“Nope,” Ian smirked. “I hope he never figures out the truth.”

Adelaide shook her head, laughing. “You’re something else.”

“Why, thank you.” He leaned forward, motioning for her to do the same. Conspiringly, he whispered, “The real reason I did that was so I’d be the sexiest swimmer in Australia, with no one contesting my title.” Ian sat up straight again, his grin very prominent. “The first time I saw him bald, I yelled really loudly, ‘Aha, now that Grant Hackett has no hair, I am OFFICIALLY the sexiest swimmer in Australia, if not THE WORLD’ and Grant pushed me. Quite rudely, really.”

By the end of this statement, Adelaide was bent over clutching her stomach she was laughing so hard. She leaned backwards slightly, and Ian jumped off his seat to make sure she didn’t fall off (as the concrete beneath her head was bound to be rather hard) and as she did fall, forced by the vigor of her laughter, Ian scooped his arms behind her and held her so she couldn’t travel down to the earth.

She stopped laughing abruptly as soon as she realized what sort of position she was in. “Hey,” he smiled down at her, his face inches from hers, blocking the sun’s glare.

“Hi,” she whispered, her heart beating terribly fast against her chest.

Second later, she felt his lips on hers, and she reached up and put her arms around his neck; pretty soon he had straightened her up and was sitting beside her, cupping her chin in his hands as the kiss deepened and spectators began walking by for the next event…completely unbeknownst to Ian and Adelaide.

*

Sydney was creeping stealthily down the hallway, following the sound of running water. She was used to being quiet whilst on a mission, as she seemed to do this quite often.

“Michael,” she whispered, ducking her head in the first doorway and peering around; it was completely deserted. It was lucky that the swimming events were over for the morning, and wouldn’t be starting again until the evening, otherwise she’d have found herself in a very different situation.

“MICHAEL,” she whispered louder this time, the sound of running water seeming to be very close now. She pushed open the last doorway and was surprised and a little worried to see she was now in the showers. “MICHAEL!”

“Yeah?” Came a muffled voice in the far back of the large room.

Sydney crept forward a few paces. “Michael, it’s, um…hi! It’s Sydney.”

“Sydney?” Michael spluttered. “What are you doing in the showers?”

“I haven’t had one yet this morning and was hoping I could catch one here?” She could see the top of his head over a wall now, and he was just washing shampoo out, his head bent slightly.

He laughed, and she saw his shoulders shake with the force of it. “You can hop in if you want.”

Sydney’s cheeks flushed and her heart began racing quite rapidly. “Um, no. I’m fine, thanks. I’ll just…just wait here? Yeah. I’ll just wait. Right here.”

Michael looked over the side of the wall, spotting her. “Hey.”

“Hi,” she replied meekly, raising a hand in a wave. “I’m sorry for barging in here. I told Aaron Peirsol about my idea for Cherry Aarons, and I had pancakes for breakfast and Ian showed up and said you’d had a swim this morning, only I missed it since I was sleeping, and I was upset that you didn’t tell me you were swimming.”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “Say that again?”

Sydney shook her head. “No, I don’t think I can. Or should.”

He smiled at her and turned off the water. “Can you pass me that speedo?”

“Sp---speedo?” Within seconds, she had fallen to the floor in a heap.

Sydney felt a tapping on her cheek, and water dripping onto her face; her eyes fluttered open, closed, and then tore open again. “Sydney? Are you okay?”

“Michael?” Her forehead creased in confusion. “What’s going on?”

“You fainted,” Michael replied, looking worried. “Can you get up?”

“I think so.” She sat up, leaning against the cool wall behind her. Noticing that Michael was dripping wet, she closed her eyes. “Are you clothed?”

He laughed. “Yes.”

She opened her eyes again, looking down to check he was right; he had a towel wrapped around his waist, and she breathed a sigh of relief mixed with regret.

“Do you need some water?” Michael asked, gesturing to a bench behind him where a few bottles were standing.

“No, I’m okay, thanks.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You said speedo.”

Michael laughed oddly. “Yeah. Sorry about that?”

“That’s okay,” Sydney said dismissively. “I’ve obviously lost my mind. Or been in the sun too long or something.”

“So, before you fainted you were telling me about Cherry Aarons and being pissed at me for not telling you I was swimming.”

“Oh, yes,” Sydney replied seriously, remembering her mission. “I was going to yell at you. But now I haven’t the energy, nor the need. You’re too sweet to yell at, giving me water and making sure I don’t crack my head open, and all that.”

He stared at her as if waiting for her to say something more, and she moved slightly to sit with her legs crossed. “So, um. I got you a shirt.” She held up the bag which had been discarded on the floor before she fell.

“You got me a shirt?” He echoed, taking the bag from her; his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. “Why’d you do that?”

She shrugged, trying to maintain her cool. “Because I wanted to. And I saw it, and I thought of you.” She coughed, attempting to divert his attention from her very red cheeks.

Michael smiled widely and dug the shirt out of the bag. He studied it a moment, still smiling, and then turned to her, holding it up against his bare chest. “What’s it say?”

Sydney cleared her throat. “Rock star.”

The laugh that erupted from his mouth was one that caught Sydney off guard, but was so infectious that she couldn’t help but join in. After a moment he pulled it over his head and stood up, modeling it for her. “How’s it look?”

Sydney beamed up at him. “Perfect.”

Michael leaned down again, crouching in front of her. His voice was serious and affectionate when he spoke. “Thank you.”

“You’re wel---” She couldn’t finish the sentence because he was kissing her; it was a short kiss, but effective nonetheless. For it rendered Sydney completely unable to move her legs, or arms, or any other body part.

And when Michael stood up and offered her his hand, she took it, figuring he’d never in a million years get her off that shower floor. But he did. She stumbled when she got to her feet, falling slightly into him, and then blushing and apologizing.

“Oh, sorry.” She laughed weakly and dropped his hand to pick up the bag on the bench. “I’ll just…go…and let you get dressed. And I’ll see you? In a minute?”

Michael gave her a knowing smile. “I’ll meet you outside in five.”

With that, Sydney stumbled from the room, gasping for breath when she hit the hallway. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was shocked, or happy, or both, but it was extremely difficult to get herself down the hallway, and out into the sunlight.