Can you write angst prompt 49 for brainia?
#49 “Safety first. What are you? FIVE?”
“Safety first. What are you? FIVE?” Nia practically shouts before shoving the offered life jacket back against Brainy’s chest. “I know how to swim. I learned when I was 4 years old. In a river, I might add. This is nothing.”
“I- well- I mean,” Brainy begins to flounder, grip tightening on the blue life jacket in his hands. He’s wearing a matching one and looking at the pool anxiously.
“You don’t know how to swim, do you?” Nia finds herself asking. The realization has her anger deflating a bit, but she still irritated.
“I know how to swim,” Brainy counters, though his tone suggests he’s not telling the whole truth.
Nia crosses her arms over her chest and does her best to stare him down. It earns her another anxious glance from the Coluan before he looks past her to the pool, which currently has several of their friends splashing around in it. “Then why are you so scared?”
That earns a scoff from Brainy, who drops the spare life jacket at their feet. “I am not scared!” he says in a huff before turning and walking away.
“Come back when you want me to teach you how to swim!” Nia calls after before turning and diving headfirst into the deep end. She’s not going to let his worries bother her. Lena invited them over to have a good time and she intends to enjoy every moment she can.
It’s maybe half an hour later when she’s taking a moment to rest with her arms over the edge of the pool that Brainy finally comes back and, after a moments apprehension, takes a seat beside her with his feet in the water.
“I do know how to swim,” he starts with a weary tone. “One of my ancestors could swim. I know how to swim because he did... I, however, have never tried before...” he admits at last, shoulders sagging in defeat.
“So you what, thought it would be less embarrassing to try for the first time if I was wearing a life jacket too?” Nia speculates aloud.
Brainy nods, hair falling in his eyes. “I am sorry I upset you before. I don’t like to admit there are things I can’t do...” he mumbles before tucking his hair back behind his ear.
Sighing, Nia reaches out and takes his hand where it rests in his lap and gives it a squeeze. “Come on, this is the shallow end, it won't even be up to your neck when you get in,” she tells him as she stands up to show that the water comes up to just below her collarbone.
After a moment's hesitation, he nods and takes off his life jacket before slipping into the water beside her and looking around. “Now what?”
That gets a giggle out of Nia. “Now, you figure out how to swim form those memories you have. If you have any trouble we’ll all be right here to help you,” she assures, gesturing to their friends, all of which are nearby chatting and playing with a beach ball.
Brainy does figure it out, after one moment of flailing and the help of Nia and Kara to get him on his feet again. It ends up being a nice day once Brainy is confident in what he’s doing. He even buys Nia ice cream later as an apology for his behavior that morning.