wade through thoughts [oliver + oscar]
Despite only being in the facility for about a week, Oliver had already decided on his routine. He would let the guards and staff usher him around during their schedule, play good boy and fall in line with everyone else, do his job and pretend that he was happy with pleasing his superiors. He would give them that, because he had known what he was signing up for when heâd offered his services to the Genesis Project. Free time and Sundays were all for him, though. Heâd made that deal with himself, if only so he wouldnât go insane from the stress and end up being dropped in a psychiatric ward.
Oliver had always liked swimming. There was something about it that he had always found calming, whether is was floating on his back in the middle of the ocean or doing laps in a pool, mentally chanting the national anthem of Russia for something to think about that wasnât what was going on in his life. There was something about cutting through water and pulling air into his lungs, holding it for moments while he moved through something that completely uncased him, that brought him calm.
The fact that the facility had a pool didnât surprise Oliver, but the fact that they were allowed there outside of lessons was. They werenât allowed to be alone with guns but they were allowed to be alone where they might drown? It made so much sense to Oliver. Really.
With a sigh, he dropped his bag on a blue plastic chair, unzipping it and tugging out his towel. Draping it over the back of the chair, he fished out his goggles, turning and stepping towards the edge of the pool. The scent of chlorine would probably stick in his brain for a few hours after he was done, but Oliver didnât mind. He was happy, a hint of genuine joy creeping into his veins while he looked down at the clear water, the reflections of coloured lines on the pool floor and walls. He hadnât been able to swim like this, alone and in a place where few people could walk in on him, in a very long time. The camps had, of course, had swimming areas, but they were public and Oliver had no intentions of making himself that vulnerable.
Tugging his goggles into place, he moved to one of the diving boards, climbing up with ease while he breathed in steady air. There was always a rush at first, the slightest tingle of nervousness at jumping into something unknown. Oliver didnât get off on that feeling, but it grounded him. The board was hard beneath his feet, stable and not likely to break with the weight of his body. He was grounded down, with an anchor to hold onto while he dived.
He jumped, eyes open when he knifed through the water and his body tensed at the change of temperature. It wasnât cold, by any means, but it was different. Bobbing to the surface, he swam to the edge of the pool lazily, grabbing the edge and turning himself around. Readjusting his position to follow the lines, Oliver took a breath and pushed off.