“You think Isaac would want to see diving if he didn’t have an… interest in one of the divers?” asked Luke.
“I don’t know. He could like diving,” said Katie. “I didn’t know you were gay, Isaac. Weren’t you hooking up with that girl Julia for a while?”
“I’m bi, and Luke’s basically right. I don’t think I’d want to come to diving if it wasn’t for Tim. Who’s about to dive, so shut up.”
Luke looked around. “You know, if any of these people overheard this conversation….”
Isaac shook his head. “Tim said he wanted to wait to go public about our relationship until after he finishes competing so that any resulting media attention is not a distraction, which I get. I’ve been shaking hands with people for a fucking week, and they all look at me like they think I’m about to fall off the wagon, so I completely understand why Tim doesn’t want the publicity. Not to mention, he used to date a TV star and now hates the media. I want to respect his wishes.”
Luke looked chastened. “Yeah. Lips are sealed, dude.”
Isaac let out a sight. “At the same time, I will not be that broken up if people find out. I mean, just for the record, I’m not ashamed of our relationship. It’s the best thing that’s happened to me during the Games, and that includes all the medals, you know?”
Katie poked at Isaac’s bicep. “Who are you and what have you done with our Isaac? I’ve never seen you this sentimental.”
“I like him,” Isaac said.
“You love him,” said Luke with a lot of eye rolling.
“Hey, man, you’re the one who said I should go for it.” But Isaac didn’t bother to deny it.
Luke laughed. “I’m just giving you a hard time.”
“He snuck into the locker room after I won the 200 IM final. I wonder if I could do the same now.”
Katie elbowed him. “Six gold medals. They should let you do whatever you want.”
“Stop talking.”
Tim walked out to the end of the springboard. The dive looked beautiful in the air. Tim launched himself off the springboard, pulled himself into a tight pike, and rotated before kicking out into a straight position, pulling his arms into place to twist, and then straightening his arms to enter the water. It looked pretty dang flawless to Isaac, both powerful and graceful as Katie had said, and he entered the water with very little splash.
Isaac was on his feet cheering for it before Tim even surfaced from the water. So were a group of people a few rows in front of where Isaac, Luke, and Katie sat. These were presumably Tim’s parents, a middle-aged couple wearing sweatshirts. Tim’s mother glanced back at where Isaac was hollering, and Isaac saw her sweatshirt said Team Swan. Cute.
Isaac wanted to be on Team Swan.
He’d been thinking about introducing himself the whole competition, but he wasn’t sure what he’d say. “Hi, Mrs. Swan, I’m the man currently banging your son” didn’t seem to convey the right message.
But man, Isaac’s desire to run out toward the pool to pull Tim into a tight hug was strong. He ached to put his arms around Tim, to congratulate him for diving so well, for… well, hell, for winning a medal. Isaac looked at the leader board and mentally did the math. Perez and Wao still had to dive, but that score guaranteed Tim at least a third-place finish. That would give him his second medal. Isaac’s chest swelled with pride. That’s my man, he thought. I’m with that beautiful man who defies gravity and physics to do something amazing, and he’ll be getting his second medal of these Games, and he’s mine.
Perez dove next, and he looked great while doing it, a bit more elegant than he’d looked in the previous rounds. Wao’s last dive was, of course, textbook, and he got the requisite high score because of it, securing himself the gold. The final scores went up on the big board, showing that Tim Swan had won the bronze. The crowd cheered wildly, most of the spectators on their feet, clapping and hooting for the winners.
Katie said, “Hey, isn’t that guy that CW actor? What the hell is his name? Patterson Wood?”
Isaac’s heart stopped. He followed Katie’s gaze to a tall guy with his hands stuffed into the kangaroo pockets of his Team USA sweatshirt. Isaac didn’t recognize him—not that he would—but