Irrational, a covert affairs fanfic

a/n: It seems like every story involves Auggie comforting Annie. I wanted to change that. I know this story is a little different than what you guys are probably used to, so I hope you enjoy it! Please tell me what you think by reviewing after you read :) Thanks so much!

Irrational

Auggie knew it'd happen eventually. It had to happen. He would have to suck it up and get back in that blasted pool. I mean, it's just a pool. It's a cement lined hole filled with water in the gym of the CIA building. There are thousands like it and yet… and yet this pool terrifies him. With his knees drawn to his chest, he sighs, taking in the overwhelming smell of chlorine that is common with indoor pools. He understands why people develop irrational fears—that is, now that he too is afraid of something irrational.

It is irrational to be afraid of pools. The incident had nothing to even do with water. The incident, of course, being when he lost his sight. He was in Iraq and there wasn't a pool in miles. And yet, here he is, irrationally afraid of a stupid pool.

Footsteps echo in the near empty pool room and he shifts uncomfortably on the cement, straining his ears to make out some hint as to who the person is. However, since everyone near an indoor pool is usually barefoot (his own shoes are placed next to him), it makes detecting the person's identity that much harder.

"I thought I'd find you here. An ex-Special Forces officer such as yourself must keep in shape somehow. You can be such a meathead sometimes, you know."

Her voice startles him but, honestly, he had already guessed that the approaching person must be Annie. Who else would it be? He heard the quiet thump as something was dropped next to him. He reached over and felt it, realizing instantly that it was a towel. He visibly shivered as his mind jumped to conclusions.

"A-are you going for a s-swim?" His voice betrays him and stutters a couple of times. Thankfully, Annie doesn't notice. Or pretended not to, at least.

"Yep."

"But you're not wearing a swimsuit."

Annie giggles lightly, "For a blind guy, you seem quite in tune to your surroundings, Auggie."

"I can hear the fabric rustling," He explains, "If you were wearing a swimsuit, I wouldn't have heard any fabric moving. But the sound is different than normal, which means you aren't wearing your normal attire."

"Clever, Auggie," she smiles at him even thought he can't see her, "I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt over my swimsuit, actually. I just changed in the locker rooms."

Auggie cringes, "So you're really going swimming?"

Annie nods, "Care to join me?"

"Um, I was just leaving, actually."

The lie comes out several octaves higher than he had originally hoped it would, leaving him flustered and red faced.

"Really? That's a shame," the blonde woman shrugs nonchalantly, "Guess I'll be swimming alone again."

"Uh huh," he mumbles.

"Sure you don't want to join me?"

He hears the rustle of fabric as Annie presumably takes her shirt off, dropping it in a pile next to her towel.

"No, thank you."

He hears a zipper and the soft swish as her shorts slide down her legs and joins the pile with her shirt and towel. Some of the blood in Auggie's body moves south, but he clears his head of those thoughts. This is clearly not the time or place for that.

"Suit yourself."

She steps to the edge of the deck and dives into the water. Auggie holds his breath and waits for the sound of Annie surfacing. His fear of pools, he has found, extends to his friends as well. He can't breathe until he hears that they can. When he finally hears the sound of Annie surfacing, he sighs in relief.

"Water's fine!" she calls to him.

He forces a laugh.

"Come on, Auggie," She stretches out one leg lazily, "You just worked out and I'll bet the water will feel amazing."

"That's ok, really, I'm fine."

She splashes a little water on his bare feet, earning a distinct glare in her general direction.

"Stop it, Annie."

"You're not scared are you?" she teases lightly, smiling like a minx.

He turns strawberry red again and turns his head to try and hide it.

"I just don't want to."

"So you're just gonna leave me in here all alone?"

Before he can answer, she playfully splashes him again. He lets out a yelp of protest.

"Come on, Auggie, get in!"

"Annie! I just… I can't," he wraps his arms around himself, sighing.

"You know, I won't let anything happen to you, Auggie. I promise. You have no reason to be scared."

She floats next to the wall, constantly looking at Auggie's face for any sign on emotion.

"I'm just not ready."

"Why are you so scared?" She eyed him wearily, "I mean, I hate to sound insensitive, but it's a pool. Can't you swim?"

Of course he can swim; he'd been swimming since he was a baby. But what if something else should happen? What if something were to happen to him? If he was gone, who would protect Annie?

"Yes, I can swim of course. And I know my fear is irrational," he sighs to steady himself before continuing, "But a pool is scary when you can't see it. I've always been afraid that if I go underwater, I won't be able to see which direction is up and I would drown."

Annie nods, finally understanding, "I would never let you drown, Auggie. I will always be here for you."

"You promise?"

"Cross my heart," She reaches up and draws a mock cross over his heart, "Besides, I took a life guarding class when I was in high school. A girl's gotta get a job somewhere, right?"

He doesn't know whether to laugh or take her seriously.

He takes his shirt off, dropping it in the pile with his shoes and Annie's clothes and towel. Hesitantly, he nears the edge of the pool, scooting an inch at a time. He dips his feet in warm water and draws a deep breath.

"Annie…?"

"On three?" she offers.

He nods quickly, trying to settle his racing heartbeat.

"One, two, three."

He slides off the edge into her waiting arms, a shout of shock echoing off the high ceilings. To his horror, he realized it was his own shout when he is finally standing on the bottom and wrapped in Annie's arms. He wraps both his arms tightly around her back, struggling for breath and control, feet standing on the bottom. The back of his mind notes that she is clearly wearing a bikini, and he shakes his head to clear his more inappropriate thoughts.

"I've got you, I've got you," she comforts quietly. He tries to even his breathing, calming himself a miniscule amount. He was still practically clinging to her when he let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh, Annie, I'm so sorry. I feel so childish."

"Don't worry, Auggie. See? You're in."

Her arms are wrapped loosely around his waist and her cheeks turn pink. She can't decide if it was from their current position or the fact that the water was quite warm, "Don't be afraid."

He half expected his heart to stop the moment he hit the water, but now it only speeds up.

"I'm not afraid," he mumbles, embarrassed now. He feels her release his waist.

"Let's swim then."

"We are!" He tightens his grip as she tried to pry her hands away, "No! We're both swimming, but we need to stay close at all times!"

She chuckles, "You'll be fine, Auggie."

Auggie stares in Annie's general direction, face flush with fear and excitement, embarrassment and nervousness.

"Just… a couple of feet, then."

He lets go of her hands and hears her back up a couple of feet.

"How's the heart?" she asks, treading water with ease. It's shallow enough for Auggie to stand, but deep enough that Annie is forced to tread water instead.

He laughs at his own will power.

"It's better with you closer, but it usually is."

She grins at his words, averting her eyes, "Yeah?" She bits her lip, glancing down at the water.

"Can … you come back now?" She snapped his attention back to Auggie.

"Are you ok, Auggie?"

He takes one large step forward and closes the gap quickly, wrapping his arms around het at once. She laughs, arms draped around his shoulders.

"I am now."

a/n: I am quite happy with that oneshot. It was nice to write Auggie as the vulnerable one for once. I hope you guys enjoyed it too! Please tell me what you thought about it by reviewing! Thanks!