simplepuzzle | Aquatic AU

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.

He looks around the area, looking for...he's not sure. "I wasn't kidding about this being a private beach, we should move."

If he's going to talk about it.

"Okay. I, uh. We can go to my motel?"

Or whatever Chuck wants.

Chuck hesitates. If he's seen going to a motel with someone...

"No." Public's better.

"The diner has great pie."
It seems he's gone native.

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