The beach is quiet, the kind of quiet that only exists in the early hours of the morning. The sun is just beginning to rise, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and gold, and the ocean stretches out before you like a living, breathing thing. The sand is cool beneath your feet, the grains slipping between your toes as you walk toward the water’s edge.

You’re not sure why you agreed to this. Well, that’s not entirely true. You know exactly why you agreed to this. It’s him. Kaldur. The way his calm, steady presence makes your stomach do flips, the way his voice carries a warmth that feels like home. You’ve been trying to ignore it, this crush that’s been growing inside you like a secret you’re not ready to share, but when he offered to teach you to swim, you couldn’t say no. Not to him.

You spot him standing in the shallows, the water lapping at his ankles. He’s shirtless, his already wet skin glistening in the early morning light, and you feel your breath catch in the throat. His broad shoulders are relaxed, his posture easy and confident, and when he turns to look at you, his smile is so genuine it makes your chest ache.

“You came,” he says, his voice carrying over the sound of the waves. There’s a note of surprise in his tone, but also something softer, something that makes your heart skip a beat.

You tried to say something casual as you step into the water. It’s colder than you expected, the chill making you shiver, but you don’t let it show. “I figured it was about time I learned. Can’t have the team’s resident water expert thinking I’m scared of a little ocean.”

Kaldur chuckles, the sound low and warm, and it sends a shiver down your spine that has nothing to do with the cold. “There is no shame in fear,” he says, his tone gentle. “Only in letting it control you.”