Ben liked the cold. It made it easier to forget how much he wanted to be warm. But with the current weather outside, he ran the risk of ...well, he wasn't sure if he could actually get sick here but he didn't want to take the chance. He had enough on his mind to worry about without his body making the decision to fail him.
He'd left his clothes and a towel at the door, out of the way to keep them dry. There were nights that he'd tire himself out and he'd almost forget to grab them so he'd started to get into the habit of placing them where he would be able to spot them before leaving. He'd once walked half-way back to his room before he realized he was dripping a trail of pool water through the halls.
When he spotted Natasha coming in, he pushed himself to the surface and went to the ledge near where she was waiting for him. He pulled himself up halfway and grinned up at her. "You're early, boss. I get a few more minutes to practice before you try to beat me."