For @delilah229 who asked for some Hömmels - enjoy!
“We’re going to regret this,” Benedikt predicts.
Mats shoulder bumps him. “When did you become so negative?”
“I’m not being negative, I’m just stating the facts.”
“You need to live a little.”
Benedikt rolls his eyes. “I am living - but I’m not going to be doing much of that if I fall off that thing and drown.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll rescue you,” Mats grins.
Benedikt sighs, then drops his towel and bag onto the grass, watching as Mats heads towards the deserted pool and starts pulling one of the giant floaties towards him so that he can climb into it. Benedikt can’t help but giggle. Not just because Mats is struggling to get into his floatie, but because Mats is struggling to get into his giant swan floatie. That happens to be bright pink. He’d never in his life imagine it, but Mats wrestling with a giant, bright pink, plastic swan floatie is one of the more adorable things he has ever seen.
“Are you alright there?” Benedikt calls out when Mats falls out of the floatie the third time.
“I’m good, I’m good!” Mats calls back.
Mats takes a deep breath, brushes his wet hair away from his face, then wraps his arms around the neck of the swan. He then throws one leg onto the body of the floatie and just freezes. Benedikt giggles some more; Mats looks like he’s awkwardly side-humping the pink swan and it’s fucking hilarious.
Mats takes another breath, then kinda jumps so that he lands tummy down onto the swan with both legs straddling the sides of the floatie. It’s inelegant and ungraceful but Mats looks so proud of himself that Benedikt laughs and laughs.
Mats grins at him. “Are you going to join me or what?”
“Nah I’m good; I’m just gonna sit here and read.”
“Boring!”
Benedikt just shrugs, then sits and takes out his paperback. After a couple of pages, Mats calls his name. Benedikt looks up to see that Mats has somehow - without falling out of the floatie again - managed to turn so that he is on his back, one arm looped around the swan’s neck and his head hanging almost upside down from the side of the floatie.
“Bene, paint me like one of your French girls,”
“You dork!” Benedikt laughs, “I said read, not paint.”
Mats just grins even more broadly. “Come on, babe, bring your book if you want. This is awesome.”
Benedikt thinks for a moment, then slowly stands. Mats had gone to a lot of trouble to set up their free time and he really was grateful that they were alone for once rather than babysitting their tribe of adopted children spending time with all their other teammates. So he takes his book and wades into the pool, slowly making his way to the side and grabbing another of the giant swans. He hands his book to Mats and tries - it’s a lot harder than it looks! - to jump on without falling off too many times.
“Come closer,” Mats says when Benedikt is finally lying on his back safe in the middle of the floatie.
Benedikt pauses a minute just to enjoy how beautiful the day is and how quiet it is without the rest of the team there; he is suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude and love for the other man for making this happen. Benedikt tips his head to the side.
“Mats,” he calls out in a breathy voice, “paint me like one of your French girls.”
Send me a tag prompt and I’ll write you a ficlet
