simplepuzzle | Aquatic AU

Raleigh squeals happily and splashes into the water, happy to flail and continue their game - even though it's totally skewed and he'll never catch Chuck in a million years.

No! No he will not. He tries though, playing through most of the summer. It's a dangerous secret for them both but they both keep it, and when the summer ends and it's time for them both to leave they both promise to meet back at the little beach. And Chuck promises he'll teach Raleigh how to swim better.

They meet like this every summer, play and talk and keep secrets. Chuck looks forward to it over the winter months, looks forward to the one month he gets to spend with his human friend.

His mother dies when he's ten, and it's his fault. No matter what his dad or anyone else says, if Chuck hadn't needed saving then his mom could have been saved. He's angry that summer, lashing out; Raleigh's confused and hurt right back at him until he finds out what happened. Then he bears it, meeting Chuck blow for blow and sometimes with silence. It works for Chuck, everyone else is treating him so fucking carefully, Raleigh's the only person who's treating him like there's nothing wrong. And when he finally, shamefully, breaks down into tears in front of him at the end of the summer, Raleigh just lets him cry on his shoulder, sitting on a rock and wrapping his arms around him.

They're each other's first kiss four years later; it's not long before Raleigh and his family's leaving, and Raleigh's been worried all summer because his mother's been so sick, and Chuck just goes for it with all the daring and clumsiness of his fourteen years. Raleigh kisses him back and smiles; the next fall and winter and spring months are all the more difficult for Chuck with that memory, and the wait is torture.

That next summer has a distinct lack of stupid Becket though; Chuck waits on their beach, even tries looking around the little island, but they're not there. Raleigh and his family stop coming their for the summer and Chuck tries to forget all about stupid humans.

Raleigh loves the summer months, loves spending time with his friend and inevitably he realizes (when he's older, a little more knowing, kissed his fair share of girls to realize) that he loves said friend, too -- because no one else has seen that raw, playful side of Raleigh.

But then his mother dies not long after that sweet summer kiss, she dies and their father flees, leaving three kids helpless and not really knowing what to do. Raleigh's older brother - who he'd mentioned frequently - takes up the mantle of 'father' and takes care of them, ensures their health and safety. Jaz and Raleigh are minors and Yancy's old enough to be appointed guardian, so there's some luck in that, at least.

They don't know what to do, Jaz and Raleigh and Yancy and when Jaz hits that age where she can do it, she drops out, makes her own way and moves across the country, setting up in New York and leaving Alaska and her life as a Becket behind.

Raleigh and Yancy join the military because what else do two boys with zero parental guidance do? They join up, but wind up caught in the crossfire and Yancy dies and Raleigh's unfit for duty, too banged up and hurt to be able to properly function as an active duty Seal (ironic, isn't it).

It's years later when he revisits that beach, when he comes to stand on the shore with his hands in his pockets, lines on his face from trauma and sadness, staring out into the ocean blue.

Things change in those years, for both of them.

Chuck--

...he doesn't get to swim a lot.

He visits the beach once in a while, when he can get away, just standing on the outskirts and sitting with his arms crossed and watching the waves come in. No one else comes, and he can believe it's a cursed place.

So he's pretty surprised to see someone else there--a little angry, too, how dare someone come and ruin his sanctuary. He's ready to yell, maybe throw a punch (he's got enough built up hurt to want to try and let it out) but--there's something familiar...

"Oy," he calls out instead. "Private beach." And that's not even a lie.

He hadn't expected to hear that voice, that accent. He's almost teetering on the edge of thinking it's some kind of hallucination when he turns around and -- no, it's not a dream.

It's Chuck.

Filled out and older and looking all grown up and beautiful, but it's still Chuck.

Still his childhood friend.

"Chuck."

A statement, not a question. Does Chuck remember him, or has tragedy burrowed to deeply underneath Raleigh's skin, leaving him unrecognizable?

--And it's Raleigh. Older, filled out, looking weary and like life's beaten him down a few times but--it's Raleigh.

Chuck's pleased--happy, wanting to tackle his friend into the sea like he used to greet him, see if he's gotten any better at catching people.

Then he's pissed.

"Raleigh," he says, lip curling. Ten years. Why would he bother coming back?

"You look good," he says distantly, voice low, almost a purr. It's a far cry from the lighthearted yelps of boyhood -- they've both changed, grown. Gone through their own personal bits of trauma.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Chuck's not in the mood to deal with friends of his past--not ones that pick now to visit. He's in no mood to start again where they left it off--not when Raleigh never came back after their last encounter.

He's in no mood to be reminded of what his life used to be like, happy, open, free.

"Reminiscing."

Exactly what Chuck doesn't want to do.

"This is the place where my happy memories are. Thought I'd...come say goodbye."

Because he's heading to work on a new construction project created to boost a rapidly failing economy.

"Thought you didn't know how."

You know, how you didn't say goodbye to Chuck when you left?

Chuck shouldn't have come today--Of course Raleigh's just come to say goodbye to this place, not even to find Chuck. He can barely stand the sight of the beach lately, good memories having been tainted with his new prison.

He should just leave. Leave Raleigh to his reminiscings and goodbyes and go 'home'.

"I've never been good with goodbyes."

He runs his fingers through his hair, then crams his hands back in his pockets. It's cold and the salty sea air makes his leg hurt.

"Was hoping maybe you'd be here. Far fetched, but--"

He shrugs.

"Glad you are."

Chuck laughs. Bitterly, and once, a harsh and barking sound.

"I'm not, Raleigh." He takes a couple steps back, shaking his head and dropping his arms. Light glints off of something on his left hand.

"I'm really not."

He needs to go. It hurts to see this--the beach, Raleigh--and remember it's never going to be his again.

There's nothing about Chuck that screams happy, and Raleigh's not blind, he sees the light, sees that he's missed his opportunity, lost the one person he truly loved.

"I'm sorry."

He shivers, and pulls his jacket tighter around him.

"Why?" he snaps, because he should go but he can't because he's not done being angry.

"You left. I waited Raleigh, I waited every summer for you, even after it was obvious you weren't coming. The pod stopped coming, did you know that?" he snorts. "Well of course not, but I kept coming back."

It was a huge fight, too, and one of the only instances Chuck will admit that his dad was right. It wasn't worth staying. He doesn't even know if Herc knows what's happened to him now.

"Because my mother died and my dad left, Chuck." He understands why Chuck's angry - sort of. He can't pretend to know the things that have happened beyond their summers, beyond what chuck clearly thinks is abandonment.

"We were orphans. Jaz ran away and Yancy and I joined the military."

--Well.

"Why?" it comes out a little less angry. Why didn't Raleigh come to him when his mother died, like Raleigh had been there for Chuck when his mother was killed?

He'd never met Dominique but Raleigh had talked about her a lot--her and Yancy and Jaz and their dad, and it sounded...nice.

"I'm sorry."

...but he's still angry.

"I couldn't. We don't live within walking distance, there was no car and then I got deployed..."

He sighs, and he can't really look at Chuck and he just stares down at the sand under his boots, vacantly watchign the water lap at his feet.

"I don't have an excuse. I'm sorry."

Chuck kind of feels like shit there. Making Raleigh feel bad for having his life swept up in tragedy.

...not that his has been a bunch of roses either.

"I didn't know where to find you," he mutters, sticking his hands in his pockets--and this is probably the most clothed Raleigh's ever seen him. "...you're leaving again?" he came to say goodbye, he said.

His eyes follow the light on Chuck's hand until it disappears into his pocket.

Certainly no reason to stay, now.

"Those jobs, the president talked about?" He tips his head, and he shrugs. "I've got one. My position moves with it."

That's really something he should ask Chuck about; the selkie doesn't seem happy for someone who looks like they're married.

"Yeah, I'm keeping up with human news more lately." Not like he has a choice. "...where are you going?"

"East." He gestures. "Towards Sitka."

He rocks on his heels, and finally--

"So. Married, huh?"

Chuck pulls his hand out of his pocket and looks at his wedding ring.

"...If you want to call it that."

...he blinks in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Chuck looks up at Raleigh, his first kiss, his first real friend, his first love...

and sticks his hand back in his pocket.

"Nothing."

Raleigh's leaving, isn't he?

"...you don't seem happy for someone that's married."

Just saying.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject