The first three weeks of the semester passed slowly, with all of Vienna's classes dedicating time to relearning the basics of the subjects before descending into more treacherous territories. Vienna had spent most of her time getting a head start on her coursework, having study sessions with Pepe or the girls, and date nights with Joshua. As she did every Friday evening, Vienna was at the university fitness complex, getting ready for a swim.

Vienna had been swimming at her local sports center since she could walk, and though she never did it competitively, she was quite fast. Being in the water helped her relax at the end of the day, so she tried to make time for it at least once a week.

She slipped into the locker room, slipping into her favorite purple swimsuit and pulling her hair into a bun, so she could put her swimcap over it. She grabbed her goggles and towel from her locker and left the room, padding down the hallway to the pool entrance.

The air of the pool deck was thick with humidity from the therapy pool, water vapor rising from the main lap pool in a thin veil of mist. A few students were swimming, but Vienna was able to find an empty lane to use. She pulled her swim cap and goggles on, then dipped her foot in the water to test the temperature. Perfect. With that, she dove in, the cool water calming her mind.

Vienna's body cut through the water with effortless grace. The rhythmic repetition of strokes, the pull of her muscles, and the gentle resistance of the water all felt like a long-awaited release. Lap after lap, she let her thoughts drift from school and her friends, focusing only on the movements. It was just her and the water.

As she reached the last lap of her set, Vienna surfaced and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Her heart pounded steadily, drowning out her thoughts. She let her fingers trail over the water's surface, watching the ripples expand outward.

Once she felt sufficiently cooled down, Vienna finally pulled herself out of the pool. She pulled off her cap and goggles and tried to smooth down her tangled wet hair. When she felt it was sufficiently tamed, she wrapped her towel around her body and headed to the locker room.

"Hey, stranger."

Vienna looked up to see Pepe walking down the hallway in the opposite direction, his familiar grin firmly in place. He was wearing a Redbull hoodie and shorts, a water bottle dangling loosely from his hand, his hair still damp from his workout.

"Pepe?" Vienna blinked in surprise. She was suddenly more aware of the fact that she was wearing nothing but a swimsuit and towel, and her hair looked like one of her physiology rats had taken up making a nest in it. "What are you doing here?"

"Working out. What do you think?" His eyes flicked to the locker room behind her. "You heading out?"

"Not yet," she replied. "Need to shower first."

"I can wait for you. Walk you back after."

Vienna hesitated, caught off guard by his offer. "You don't have to do that."

"I know," said Pepe. "But I want to."

There was something so genuine about the way he said it that Vienna couldn't argue. She offered him a small smile instead. "Okay. I won't take long."

"Take your time, I'll be in the lobby," said Pepe, continuing down the hallway to the main entrance of the building.

Vienna walked into the locker room, shaking her head. Typical Pepe.

Fifteen minutes later, Vienna emerged from the locker room with her damp hair braided loosely over one shoulder. Pepe was exactly where he said he'd be, sitting on a bench in the lobby, looking like he had all the time in the world.

"That was fast," he remarked, standing up and stretching.

"I'm efficient," Vienna shot back, adjusting the strap of her bag as they fell into step together.

The walk back to Vienna's dorm was calm. The snow was beginning to fall again, but it was warm enough that it wasn't likely to stick. Vienna tucked her hands into the pockets of her coat, enjoying the comfortable silence between her and Pepe.

"So," Pepe said after a moment, glancing over at her. "Is this a regular thing for you?"

Vienna smiled. "Yeah, I've been swimming since I was little. I try to go at least once a week to take my mind off other aspects of my life."

Pepe hummed in agreement. "Makes sense. Hey, maybe I should give it a shot during the off-season. Good low-impact cardio. Do you think it would help my already impressive fitness levels?" he joked, nudging her playfully.

Vienna grinned. "Only if you can keep up."

"I think I'll stick to running," laughed Pepe.

They walked the rest of the way in easy conversation, telling each other about their workouts and weekend plans.

"Thanks for waiting for me," said Vienna when they reached her building.

"Anytime," Pepe replied, rocking back on his heels. "Same time next week?"

Vienna smiled. "We'll see."

Vienna hurried up the stairs, eager to return to her room and relax with Ivory for the evening. But something felt off as she inserted her key in the lock and turned the handle. The door creaked open and sheets rustled inside the room.

"Sorry, Ivy," said Vienna, freezing as she realized Ivory had company. "I didn't realize you had-"

Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of a familiar head of curly brown hair.

"Josh?"