"heyyy," the curly head sang. "i finished the paperwork, i'm feeling like an office siren with all the filing i did."

you laughed at your roommate's words, "you wouldn't survive a day in a cubicle."

"yeah i know," she giggled.

"and you're not any siren, i've seen," sungchan snorted in the corner, shirt back on, and bag slung over his shoulder.

"ooo...."

"you wouldn't know beauty if it slapped you in the face," a'mya retorted arms crossed on her chest.

"hey, the hell!" the brunette frowned.

a'mya stuck her tongue out at the boy, sliding into the room and placing the folders onto the counter nearby. turning towards you, she raised a brow, "you hungry?"

smiling tiredly, "starving, actually. i didn't get the chance to eat lunch earlier."

"well," a'mya said, lowering her voice a bit, "jake's organizing a small korean bbq dinner tonight. it's mostly the swim team couples— plus, i asked megan and manon to tag along."

"sounds yummy, bring me leftovers!" you said, continuing to wipe down the table.

a'mya deadpanned, "you're coming. duh."

your head snapped back up, mouth shaped into a small 'o'.

being invited to the team's little gatherings always made you feel shocked at first, but then that shock soon turns into giddiness. like the time jungwon invited you to get ice cream with him, heeseung and sungchan. or the other time where you tagged along with wonbin, sohee, and anton to the arcade after practice.

"yes, right," you twisted your lips to the side in attempts to hide your smile, the attempt being in vain.

"and," the girl elbowed you playfully, winking. "anton's going, too! jake already guilted him into coming."

your body flushed with an excitement, which you hid behind a stretch. your roommate laughed at your second sad attempt.

"grab your stuff, jake will drive us there," a'mya said grabbing her bag from her small cubby.

"can i come?" sungchan questioned, a hopeful smile on his face.

"not until you find your own siren."

"so," lani started, plopping herself next to wonbin who instinctively wraps his arm around her shoulder. "no one drowned today, we shall feast!"

"that's the bar now?" laughed mal, who handed her purse and jacket to sohee, where he gingerly plucked it out of her hands and hung them neatly on her chair.

"low expectations," chimed in anton.

the group ordered their meats, vegetables, and other sides on the tablet at the table.

at the rectangle table, the seating "arrangements" were:

you were not next to anton, but close enough where it wasn't odd to start a conversation with him, or, in your case, just glance at him through your glass every time he adds something to the conversation.

sohee was already grilling meat and vegetables like it was a part-time job, while mal passed out plates to everyone.

"didn't drown," jake announced. "i expect some praise."

"you were on the lifeguard chair with a whistle," anton stated dryly. "no one was trying to drown."

"that is what a true captain does," jake replied boastfully. "prevention."

laughter erupted throughout the table. anton was smiling, his lips twisted upwards towards the right, and you were glancing at him whilst a giggle escaped your lips.

unbeknownst to you, anton's eyes slowly drifted towards you. he bit the inside of his cheek, trying to suppress his growing smile.

the waitress continued to bring the food out in waves, the meat kept sizzling on the grill, rice bowls were being passed amongst each other, and the air was warm and smoky. the conversations bounced around the table in all different directions. megan and jake argued on what sauce was the best, while a'mya tried to eat in peace between them. sohee and lani were trying their hardest to convince mal to eat a chili pepper, which she tried to redirect their energy towards either wonbin and manon instead.

you sat there chewing your spoonful of rice while you tried to contain your giggles at the chili pepper fiasco unfolding.

"y/n," anton's voice cut through the chatter around you. "you okay with spicy?"

your head turned toward his voice, a curious eyebrow raised. he was holding out a plate of freshly grilled bulgogi, a spicy pepper sauce on the side.

"oh- yeah!" you replied, cringing at yourself for sounding too eager. you graciously took the small plate from his hands, fingers barely brushing each others, but enough for you both to notice. "thanks!"

the swimmer hummed, eyeing you while you took a bit of it. when he saw the way your eyes lit up after your taste test, he smiled.

"it's good?" he inquired.

"very! i've never had this sauce before," you replied, taking another flavorful bite.

after taking a bite of his own, anton rested his head on the palm of his head, looking at you. "it's one of my favorites."

"i'll remember that," you said, not thinking anything and turned to manon to place some bulgogi and pepper sauce on her plate. "manon, you have to try this!"

anton felt a giddy ping in his chest hearing the words, "i'll remember that", from you. he hoped you couldn't see the way his ears flushed a reddish hue. underneath the table, he felt a kick on his shin from whoever was across from him.

ripping his gaze from you talking to manon, he looked at lani, who had an all-knowing grin on her face.

anton rolled his eyes at the girl, distracting himself with helping sohee grill the rest of the meat.

"toni, you're bruning it," sohee leaned over the grill, flipping over a piece of pork belly.

anton blinked, glacing down. "it's fine."

"it's not fine, you charred one side," sohee corrected, sliding the piece off. "let the grill master save it."

the bell above the restaurant door chimed as the group spilled out onto the sidewalk, laughter following everyone into the cool night breeze. extra layers of clothes were being shrugged on, hands being stuffed into pockets, and someone arguing about who smelled the most like smoke.

"it's gonna take forever to wash the smell out my hair," megan groaned, waving her hands around.

"that's on you for leaning over the grill," jake replied.

you stepped out the warm building last, adjusting your sweater as the door shut gently behind you. it was cooler than you expected tonight.

you took two steps before you felt it— a loose tug at your foot.

"oh," you murmured, stopping to glance down at your undone shoelace.

the group kept walking, their voices fading a bit farther down the sidewalk, no one noticing you crouching down to fix the laces.

except anton.

he took a couple steps before he realized you weren't beside him anymore. when he glanced back and saw you near the entrance door, crouched down, he paused.

"you okay?" he asked, voice low so it didn't carry.

"yeah," you said, laughing at yourself. "my shoe's untied."

he nodded once and stuffed his hands into his hoodie. the others continued their pace up ahead, not noticing the two of you slightly falling behind.

finishing tying your shoes with cold fingers, you stood back up to your full height. anton was still standing there, looking at you fondly, no hurry evident in his body language. just waiting for you patiently.

"all set," you said. "thanks for waiting."

"yeah, no problem." anton replied.

your face scrunched slightly, "everyone kept walking."

anton shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. "they always do."

you blissfully fell into step beside him, the space between you comfortable. the noise from the restaurant soon became distant noise as you two walked the sidewalk, trying to catch up with the group.

"dinner was fun," you said after a moment, filling the comfortable silence.

"yeah," anton agreed. "it was." he glanced at you, then quickly back ahead. "you seemed like you had a good time?"

"i did," you paused, peeking up at him. "did you?"

he nodded, "yeah more than i thought."

you smiled up at him, letting the silence filter back in.

as you caught up to the group, lani looked back, eyes flicking between the two of you, and she giggled, making sure to nudge wonbin and whisper something in his ear.

anton didn't notice.

you didn't notice.

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notes: guys i am so sorry for taking forever to update this aggghhhhhhhhhhh, but i hope you guys enjoyed this in return for my absence!!! also the taglist is still open comment on this post if you’d like to be added!!

"skipping class to fuel your caffeine addiction?"

you turned, eyebrows raised, "skipping class to stalk me?"

anton stood there, dressed in his swim team hoodie and a pair of light-wash jeans. his hair was dry, something you weren't used to seeing, as you only ever see him at the pool. but it looked cute with his ends curling slightly still.

"you wish," he scoffed playfully, stepping forward as the line moved. "i'm here for an americano. strictly business."

"mhm...and you just so happened to be right behind me." you said, a small teasing grin on your lips.

"exactly," he grinned back. "coincidence is my specialty, you know."

"oh, i know," you humored, stepping up to the register for your turn to order. you turned to the barista, giving her your order.

as you reached for your wallet for your card, anton's hand appeared, card in hand, tapping the chip on the reader.

you blinked, neck craning to look at him, "what are you doing?"

"paying." he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"anton-"

"it's fine," he said casually. "just get the next one."

you chewed at your bottom lip, not knowing how else to protest his kind gesture. you simply opted for a, "thanks."

anton simply hummed, ordering his own drink and walked over to the pickup counter, you following along a step behind him.

after a few minutes of light bickering, your drinks were ready. anton handed you your drink, his fingers slightly grazing yours. you figured he would be head out after getting his coffee, but he didn't.

he drifted towards a small corner table by the window, glancing back at you as if silently asking you to follow. which you did, sliding into the seat across from him.

you placed your chin in your palm, swirling your drink with your other hand, "you don't have class?"

"in thirty minutes. you?"

"same."

the brunette nodded, taking a long sip from his drink. the silence that followed you two wasn't uncomfortable, just...cheesy in a way. you caught yourself glancing at the small things, like the way his hair fell into his eyes.

needing to distract yourself from staring too long, you opted to start the conversation again.

"you're quiet today," you spoke, breaking the silence.

"i'm always quiet," he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

"true, but i don't know..you're usually more—" you twisted your wrist in a circle motion, finding the words. "more sarcastic?"

he tilted his head, pretending to ponder on your words, "maybe i'm pacing myself."

"that's...ominous."

"call it what you want," anton said, faintest smirk on his lips. "i don't want to scare you away yet."

you laughed, shaking your head, "seriously?"

anton simply sipped his coffee, like that was an answer enough.

the two of you continued to talk more about small things; your next class, his training schedule, his shoulder, how their tuition should pay for their drinks, everything!

the conversation flow was easy, and yet every time the your eyes met for just a second too long, you both would look away shyly.

when it came time to head to class, anton stood, holding the door open for you.

stepping outside, you were met with the warmth of the sun.

"thanks again for the coffee," you smiled at the swimmer.

"thanks for being in front of me in line, coincidentally," he replied, his usual quiet humor threading through his voice.

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notes: yk me i love a cute little cafe chapter!! also sorry for not updating for over a week i was super sick then i went on a small vacation and forgot my laptop

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notes: dani and heeseung i love

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notes: anton fighting for his life rn LMAOOO also should mention that sohee, wonbin, and anton are roommates!!

"hey," anton said, dressed in the team's warm-up jacket, cap, and goggles in hand, his hair wet after his warm up laps.

"morning," you yawned, covering your mouth. "you good to go?"

"yeah. it's just..." he scrunched his face, looking around hesitantly, then back to you. "think you could work and tape my shoulder? just for a few minutes."

you hesitated, eyeing his posture. he seemed to be fine, even during his warm-ups, he was on a roll. you raised a brow, "bothering you again?"

he looked at you almost sheepishly, "not really. its just...i swam my best split time when you helped me last time. kinda feels like you're my lucky charm now."

you raised your eyebrow playfully, "you superstitious now?"

"maybe," the tall brunette was already sitting on the treatment bench. "or i just like the way you tape."

you let out a small laugh at that — trying to muffle it behind your clipboard.

"i'll take the lucky charm option," you mused, crouching to grab the KT tape from the medical kit. anton had taken his hoodie off, exposing his bare back, letting you gently begin to check his shoulder.

only a few feet away, sungchan and heeseung passed by, in matching warm-ups as the boy sitting in front of you, slowing down to watch the moment between you two.

"third time this week, hm?" sungchan teased, leaning into heeseung. "gotta have magical hands or something."

"she's his good luck PT," hesseung said with a smirk. "maybe we should book with her next."

"yeah not happening," rolling his eyes, anton shot back — almost immediately. "go get your own."

"don't get all macho man on me!" heeseung joked.

"jealousy isn't flattering," the boy below you said, making no effort to move at all.

you bit back the smile that was threatening to adorn your lips, but your burning ears exposed you anyways.

after a few more comments back and forth, taking silly digs at each other, the pair walked away, still snickering, leaving you and anton alone again.

"they're idiots," anton muttered.

"mhm," you agreed, placing the KT tape on his shoulder. "but...they aren't wrong either."

anton blinked, turning his head to look at you. "what do you mean?"

you finished the tape, giving his shoulder a soft pat, "you do always come see me, only really me."

you walked in front of him, wanting to see his face. anton bit his lip, slightly avoiding your gaze. the tips of his ears were red.

"not true, i see mrs. seo...and a'mya!....i just like how you do it."

you gave him a look — one that was half teasing, half unreadable — then handed him a stretch band.

"go win your race, anton."

he slowly stood to his full height, and rolled his shoulder with ease.

"only if you're poolside."

"GO SOHEE!" mal practically launched herself forward as the swimmers took their marks, her voice already slightly hoarse from cheering on the previous heats.

you were sandwiched between a'mya and lani in the center of the bleachers, your group stretching all the way to the end of the row. you all wore your various school merch attire, and held sodas and snacks that hadn't lasted very long.

lani elbowed you gently, "she's gonna make me lose my hearing by the end of the meet."

"i'm already down a ear," you grinned, stealing a piece of popcorn from the bag on her lap.

jake, wonbin, jungwon, and sungchan had raced earlier in the meet, leaving heeseung and anton the remaining racers. now, it was time for anton's individual 100 free.

"anton's up next, right?" megan asked, leaning forward, looking at the lane sheet in her hand. she watched as anton pulled sohee out of the pool, having finished his race. "that boy always takes forever fixing his goggles before the blocks."

"he calls it 'mental prep'," wonbin scoffed from behind you, mocking anton's pacing. "it's really just called being dramatic."

you let out a quiet laugh, then focused your gaze onto the race. eyes on lane 4 — anton's lane — focused on his expression.

he was focused, jaw tight, arms loose and ready. he looked confident, but still his natural calm self. even from up in the bleachers, you could see how his mind was working in this moment.

"i still say he swims faster when she's around," sungchan whispered to jake, pointing his thumb over to you. you heard what he said, but didn't acknowledge it. you were focused on the swimmers all ready on the blocks, just waiting for that beep to go.

once the buzzer blared, the splash was immediate.

the whole row shot up to their feet, shouting over each other. megan and manon clapped loudly, while mal, lani, dani, and a'mya cheered loudly.

you stood too, keeping your eyes intensely focused on anton.

he moved through the water so gracefully, almost liked he belonged in there. it was clean, fast, and powerful. his turn was smooth, and in the final stretch, he was just ahead of lane 5.

"LET"S GO, ANTON!" jake yelled, leaning over the railing, already recording on his phone.

you felt your heart thudding hard against your chest, anticipation bubbling up inside you.

then, they touched. the beep was loud.

the board on the wall blinked, calculating, numbers shifting. and then, the name 'anton lee' lit up brightly at the top, followed by the other racers in the order they touched.

"LET'S GOOOO!" sungchan hollered. half the team was already pounding the railing, cheering loudly for their fast freestyle swimmer. sohee and heeseung high fived anton when he got out the pool, waiting for their races to start in a few moments.

you stayed quiet, just happily clapping alongside the others, but your face felt warm and your hands were shaky with excitement to see the boy down below.

the deck was beginning to settle — swimmers were either doing their cooldown laps or stretching their exhausted muscles. coaches were collecting clipboards and shaking hands, while teammates exchanged wet high fives. the meet was officially done, and SNU had won with the most points overall.

the team's section of the deck looked like the end of a marathon and the start of a sleepover with the amount of mats laid down for everyone to roll out muscles and flop down exhaustedly.

the non swimmers have long left, everyone having to go back home and do homework, projects, or just chill out for the rest of the day.

a'mya knelt down beside jake, carefully rolling out the tension in his lower back with practiced ease. his shirt was folded neatly on the side of the mat, while his face was pressed into a towel.

"you good?" a'mya questioned, pausing for a second, after hearing the groan jake let out.

jake muttered, "you're ruthless in your rolling."

she grinned, "you love it."

you were back near the PT benches, organizing and putting away supplies both out of habit and a desperate attempt to keep your hands busy.

while putting the tape away, you didn't have to wait long before your number one patient came to you.

anton approached you, wet curls pushed back, exposing his forehead. a white towel slung over his right shoulder.

"hey," he spoke, voice a little hoarse. "you got time?"

you nodded, "same shoulder?"

he nodded, rubbing it lightly. "tight again. not terrible, just...yeah"

a few feet away a'mya looked over and smirked, turning her attention back to jake, muttering, "another round for 'the shoulder of love'..."

you gave her a sharp look, "heard that."

anton sat down, anyway, giving you full access to his shoulder. you gently took off the wet KT tape that was clinging to his shoulders. then, began to work his muscles.

the deck was silent for a few minutes, between you working anton's shoulder, and your curly haired friend rolling out jake's back.

anton hummed quietly, eyes fluttering closed as you worked your magic. quietly, anton muttered, "you know, you were here for all three of my best times this season. i'm seeing a pattern."

you playfully rolled your eyes, "correlation doesn't equal causation."

"maybe, maybe not...just feels true." he quietly said, humming again in bliss.

the peace and tranquility was soon destroyed as a trio of loud voices came barreling into the area.

"AGAIN?!" heeseung's voice called, skidding to a stop dramatically. "how sore can one guy be?"

"he's not even sore," sungchan said knowingly. "he's addicted."

jungwon joined them on the teasing, grabbing a gatorade from the mini cooler. "i told you, it's not physical therapy, it's emotional support."

anton groaned, his peace long gone, "you're all insufferable, go do your cooldown laps or something."

"you know, if you all chirped less, you might drop time, too," you quietly teased, grabbing blue pre-wrap.

heeseung dramatically clutched his chest, "im emotionally wounded. i need my shoulder checked now!"

"absolutely not." anton deadpanned.

sungchan snickered, "this is a romance in the making!"

a'mya stood up, abandoning jake on the floor, and waved the foam roller in her hand. "please leave before i throw this foam roller at your heads."

heeseung ducked behind jungwon dramatically, "okay, the interns win!"

the blonde gave a look towards anton, pointing his finger accusingly at his arm, "you know it's not even tight. he just wants to sit next to her and pretend it's medically necessary."

anton didn't bother looking at jungwon, "cool. keep talking. i'll even ask coach to double your cardio next week."

jungwon shut up instantly.

with a laugh, you finished wrapping his shoulder, pulling it snug, finally. "all done."

anton flexed the shoulder carefully, testing the range. "you're getting scarily good at this."

"maybe you're just a predictable patient."

he looked at you with his big, brown eyes, smiling at you gently. "still saying you're my good luck."

you blinked, caught off guard and slightly flustered, "you keep saying that."

he gave a little shrug, "because it's true."

and with that, he stood up and tossed the towel back around his neck, "thanks again." he walked off towards the locker rooms, head down and muscles loose.

you stared too long at his retreating figure, biting the inside of your cheek to contain the dopey smile threatening to adorn your face.

a'mya appeared at your side, holding out a gatorade to you, "sooooo...lucky charm, huh?"

"don't even," you said, snatching the bottle. "i swear i'll ice jake's knees out of spite."

jake, still laying down on the mat, raised his hand. "don't involve me, i did nothing."

you snickered, going back to work. your thoughts wandering back to the swimmer who just can't seem to leave your mind ever since you met him. maybe it's cause he comes to see you over the same shoulder almost every day, or maybe it's the way he helps you with organizing the supplies in the office.

whatever it was, you enjoyed it.

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notes: superrrr long chapter!! i love this chapter because, funny enough, 8 is my lucky number and this is chapter 8 and the whole thing is about lucky charms!! love how that played out! anyways hope u guys enjoyed!!

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notes: quick chapter before the next!! i promise it will be long and sweetums!!

but, every day without fail, he would ask you how your day was, offer to help set up equipment, and perform small acts of service that made your day just a bit better.

there were even moments where you'd glance over to him, only to catch his eyes looking right back at you. it made that small flutter in your chest grow more and more with each lingering glance.

it was the end of practice, and you were humming to yourself quietly in the small office as you wiped down the tables, put resistance bands away, and placing paperwork back in their respective folders.

"y/n, you okay if i head out?" a'mya asked from the freezer, putting away the ice packs used earlier, checking off another task that mrs. seo left for you two. "i need to get a head start on my physics homework."

you stopped wiping the table and turned towards your curly-haired friend, giving her a quick nod, "yuck, physics! but don't worry, i've got the rest! there's not much left to do anyway."

"you're the best, thanks! "clasping her hands together, a'mya smiled gratefully, "i'll see you back at the house, the other girls are coming over for dinner later!"

"can we order from that pizza place down the street?"

"yes, and we'll make megan pay!"

laughing at her answer, you waved goodbye to a'mya. soon enough, most of the guys popped their heads in to say their goodbyes for the evening.

sohee and wonbin walked into the office, duffel bags slung over their shoulders. seeing them made you laugh, only because it took you a whole two days to register that these two boys were the same boys that your other two roommates were dating.

"see ya, y/n!" sohee waved, bright smile on his lips.

"bye-bye," wonbin said over his shoulder, making his way back out the door, sohee soon following suit.

once the two boys left, you returned to the last few remaining tasks. humming the song that's been stuck in your head, you hadn't realized that you had an individual lingering in the doorway.

"hey, y/n."

with a shriek, you whipped your head around, hand placed on your rapidly beating heart. you made frantic eye contact with an undisturbed anton.

"jeez, anton!" you exhaled, rubbing your hand where your heart is. "you scared me so bad."

chuckling, anton strode into the office, "sorry, it wasn't on purpose."

"i'd hope not," you laughed, turning around to restock the new bottles of lotion in the cabinets. "anyways, whats up?"

the tall boy rubbed the back of his neck, his damp, slightly curled hair pushed back by the pair of goggles still around his neck. "you busy?"

you blinked. "not really."

he shrugged casually, too casually. "think i did something to my shoulder during warm ups. just a little strain, nothing major."

you nodded, gesturing towards the therapy tables in the corner of the small office, "want me to take a look?"

"if you don't mind."

"of course not," smiling, you squirted some hand sanitizer on your hand, rubbing it in. "it's what i'm here for."

anton chuckled, climbing onto the table, and turning so you could access his left shoulder. "guess i'm in good hands, then."

you applied a dollop of lotion as you tried your best to focus as much as you could on helping the boy in front of you, but his skin was soft against your fingertips. still warm, damp, and chlorine scented from practice that ended not too long ago. your focus came back when he twitched under your touch as you gently pressed down into his muscle.

"here?" you asked.

"yeah," he breathed.

he winced slightly when you pressed on the knot.

"you've got a tight spot, but it's not torn. just overworked."

"is this your way of telling me i should stop showing off during warm-up laps?" anton joked.

you laughed, kneading the knot, "maybe. or follow the stretching routine i made for each of you."

"the sleeper stretches hurt," anton says, closing his eyes while you continue to get rid of the knot in his shoulder. "i think you hate me."

"i think you're capable of doing it," you corrected, working the lotion onto his skin. "and it'll help you in the long run! especially since you are a butterfly and freestyle swimmer."

"yeah, yeah, i know," the brunette pouted.

a small silence washed over you two, each of you waiting for the other to speak up and fill the silence first.

"thanks for this," anton spoke first, voice low and gentle. you peered through your lashes to look at him, but he was already looking at you. "seriously."

"of course, it's what i'm here for."

"yeah, but still. i didn't want to go to coach or mrs. seo...," he turned his head to look at you better. "figured you'd know what to do."

your lips twitched, and your hands stilled on his shoulder. you didn't want to read too much into what he said, but it was the way he said it. like he trusted you more than you expected, especially after only getting to know each other the past few days.

"you should ice it when you get home," you stepped back quickly, getting yourself to think straight. "and rest well tomorrow, take advantage of no practice."

anton straightened his back, rolling his shoulder with a small grin. "guess i'll have to come back if it gets worse."

you raised an eyebrow, "you shouldn't have to if you do your stretches."

anton smiled, "we'll see."

you snorted, "right."

his smile remained as he hopped off the table, grabbing his duffel bag he had thrown in the corner. he turned to you fully, "see you, monday?"

"yeah," you breathe out, watching as he walks backwards towards the door, soft grin still on his lips. "see you."

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notes: i hope u guys like this so far!! we love anton being soft spoken but cocky

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note: the steph curry pic genuinely kills me everytime i cant CLANKKKKK