[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/qq3mGUO.png[/img]

[sub]a collab with [@Icy Hot][/sub]
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[indent][indent][color=gray]There was another reason for Millie Jean's newfound hate for Cassian Lee — and that was the brutal hell that swim practice has become. Their coach kept the team later than usual since none of them finished their laps in the timeframe she wanted, an almost impossible time that even Cassian struggled to meet to Millie Jean's vicious delight. By the time they were done, the sky was dark and the typical schoolyard clock on the wall said it was 8 PM. 

[color=CBADD9][b]“Thanks, Cassian.”[/b][/color] Millie Jean scoffed under her breath, shooting her teammate a dark look. 

She pressed her hands into the hard floor and pushed herself out of the pool. When she hefted her leg from the water and onto the cement, her thigh spasmed and she collapsed like jelly back into the pool. Her head hit the water like a slap against her face and her right shin smacked against the edge. When she surfaces, it is with an undignified gasp and an angry unintelligible yelp. Her other teammates snicker as they towel themselves off and leave to the locker room.

Millie Jean can feel her blood run hot, the sound of boiling water bubbling in her ear (or maybe that’s just regular water from her slip). Millie Jean manages to finally scramble onto the ground and scans the pool room for Cassian to rip him a new one.

Cassian was among the last of the swimmers to exit the still water, heart drumming in his ears and muscles issuing their complaints as he lifted himself up and out. Realistically if the rest of the team had left with more haste he would have stayed and done a few more laps, but he had a feeling with the current situation that might have added more salt to their wounds. 

[color=white][b]“Lee.”[/b][/color] The stern voice of his swim coach, and realistically the only woman on this earth he feared, demanded his attention. Withholding the groan he approached her, though not without sending his favorite teammate a playfully blown kiss as her vicious glare landed on him. [color=white][b]“Don’t forget you’re still in deep shit, I’ll be in the weight room bright and early tomorrow. Show up a minute late and I’ll chain some dumbbells to your ankles and throw you into the deep end.”[/b][/color]

[color=00000D][b]“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, [i]Mistress[/i].”[/b][/color] Cassian’s Australian drawl was dripping with sarcasm, and he crossed his arm, which only encouraged a humorless laugh from his coach.

[color=white][b]“If you want to be an Olympian, you need to act like one, Cassian. I don’t care how much money you have, it won’t buy your spot onto the team, and with your recent times, that spot is slipping further and further away. Figure out what you really want, you can’t win a gold medal while you’re busy chasing some college ass and getting into stupid fights. Don’t waste my time.”[/b][/color]

Cassian watched with steeled eyes and a clenched jaw as the five-time U.S. Olympic Women’s Freestyle Gold Medalist turned college Coach, Katie Ledecky walked off. With the sound of the doors to the aquatics center closing, Cassian briskly turned towards the locker room and barely took two steps before almost running straight into Millie Jean, [color=00000D][b] “Fuck Zadorozhny, ever heard of personal space?”[/b][/color] he snapped with a roll of his eyes,  [color=00000D][b] “Why are you still here? I thought you’d run as far and fast as possible after falling into the pool like that. Is it to talk about the ‘bed-eyes’ you were giving me before your tumble”[/b][/color] Cassian’s smugness took over his previous scowl, hoping she completely missed the tense exchange between Ledecky and himself.

Millie Jean's face burned, her ears no doubt turning a hot pink for the reminder of her blunder. She had approached him with the intent of yelling at him, but now that she was here she felt her age old shyness rise up.

[color=CBADD9][b]"Sh-shut it, Lee. I wasn't g-giving you [i]bed-eyes[/i], besides m-maybe you should turn your g-grade-A charm on Coach Ledecky. She d-didn't look too happy with y-you."[/b][/color] Millie Jean internally cursed her stutter. She hadn't heard the altercation between Coach and Cassian, but she also wasn't blind and could see the tension in the air. Coach Ledecky wears her displeasure on her sleeve and she looked none too pleased with Cassian. Millie Jean could only assume it was over the fight caught on video, serves him right.

Cassian’s smirk grew deeper into his features as he listened to Millie work her way through her ‘hot burn’, when she was finished he waved his hand in a dismissive manner, [b][color=00000D]“I’m the best coach and this whole school has, it’ll blow over.”[/color][/b] His tone was thick with his own confidence, [b][color=00000D]”Coach is wound up too tight, don’t you think? Taking her frustrations out during practice, you two have that in common don’t you?”[/color][/b]

[color=CBADD9][b]"All the t-talent in the world wouldn't make up for your b-bad personality."[/b][/color] Millie Jean glowered, almost stomping her foot like a child but refraining last second. She whipped her finger at him, brandishing it like it is her own personal weapon (though her finger quivered and her hand shook), [color=CBADD9][b]"If y-you j-jeopardize my s-s-scholarship again, I'll – I'll – k-kick your ass o-or something!"[/b][/color]

Knowing her endnote was rather weak and unimaginative, Millie Jean made to make a dramatic exit to punctuate her point. It didn't go quite as planned because the universe hates her. She spun on her heel to stomp away only to slip on the water that had puddled onto the floor from their soaking bodies. She plunged backwards, feet lifting from the floor, and prayed to God that this wasn't happening to her.

Cassian had half the mind to let her fall, maybe a bruised ass would teach her a thing or two about being annoying. But the concrete was hard and the likelihood of her head being the contact point had him moving into action. Millie was small, easy enough to scoop up and save herself from... well, herself. Cassian refused to look at the girl in danger of her own clumsiness, instead his valiant efforts of saving her from cracking her head open were thrown away as easily as he tossed her into the pool.

[b][color=00000D] “Here, now you can start over from the top. This time don’t try to kill yourself, alright Jeans? Jesus.”[/color][/b] Cassian grumbled but there was an underlying worry to his tone as he turned his back and finally made his way to the locker room, the promises of a hot shower calling his name.

[color=CBADD9][b]"Cassian Lee, you bastard!"[/b][/color] Millie sputtered, treading water in place. With a grumble, she lifted herself out of the pool and sulked into the girls' locker room.

The locker room was empty, the way Millie Jean liked it, and she gave herself a moment to scroll through her phone before she took a shower. A red notification alerted her to her missed texts and Millie Jean glowed. Nothing beats getting out of practice to find out someone missed her enough to text.

[indent][indent][indent][quote][center][b][sub]To: nate mate, deedee[/sub][/b]

[color=CBADD9]sounds fun! im down :)[/color][/center][/quote][/indent][/indent][/indent]

Millie Jean deserves a night out after the hell she just went through.[/color][/indent][/indent]