Work Text:
There's something in the water
I do not feel safe
It always feels like torture to be this close...
The sound of the subtle shore was louder than it had been all night, even as the waves broke less frequently and without a wind behind them to offer a forceful break against the sand. With Bill’s arms around his waist, dragging him upright and holding him still, Davy fought against the grip and his heavy, sodden clothes to get back to James.
Miles was going to do it. He had to stop him - he had to bring James back.
“Davy...it’s okay.” Bill’s words were almost shouted against the wetness of his hair around his ear, but everything about the man was lost to the overwhelming need Davy was consumed by to get free of the vice and back out to James. Leg cramps be damned, he wasn’t leaving Miles alone with him. He’d changed his mind, he didn’t agree anymore - James had to come back to shore. He’d promised his Mum and Dad!
“Davy, Davy...” Bill gripped Davy’s waist tighter, squeezing the cold, salty water out of his stretched out, soaking-wet top as he heaved the man’s body against himself. “Calm Davy,”
“No!” Davy growled, arching his back and pushing his hips forward like a child refusing to get into their buggy, trying anything to break free. Slipping from Bill’s hand, despite the Scotsman’s efforts, Davy made a break for it, wading back into the waves until they reached hip-height, only for Bill to reach out and capture his arm in an attempt to drag him back onto the beach.
“It’s what he wants, Davy.” Bill struggled, pulling against the wet sleeve of Davy’s white shirt.
“I promised his parents, Bill. It isn’t time yet!” Davy’s spun to face him, his words spat out through gritted teeth.
“You think I want him to die?” Bill asked, tugging firmly on Davy’s arm until Davy stumbled forwards, back toward the sand, water kicked about around them. “I don’t want this, mate, I don’t want to let him go but I don’t know what it is to be him, Davy. But last night? That was horrible and if he’s living with that, every moment of every day, I’m not going to be the one to tell him he can’t make this choice.” His breathing was laboured, his eyes flicking between Davy’s wet, distraught face and the flickering, shrinking silhouettes of Miles and James out in the bay.
“But it isn’t time yet.” Davy repeated, his bite so tight the words almost disappeared back down his throat.
“I know,” Bill took a step closer to Davy, back toward the deeper water, and placed his hand on the back of Davy’s wet head. “I know, mate.” He pulled a resistant Davy closer until his head was resting on his shoulder and patted his hand redundantly against the wetness of Davy’s top as it clung to his skin. “Truth is we’ve been losing him for a while, you know that Davy.” He muttered, frowning as he looked out on the bay over Davy’s shoulder and couldn’t see Miles or James.
He silenced.
The waves didn’t seem so loud for a moment as he watched the water, eyes moving, holding Davy to him as closely as the emotional man would allow. James’ auburn hair was nowhere to be seen, Miles’ blond curls were gone. He watched, heartbeat irregular and drumming loudly, breathing quickening whilst Davy’s slowly calmed.
He watched, counting the seconds in heartbeats, and inhaled deeply as Miles reappeared on a wave. James wasn’t with him, James didn’t come back up.
Davy’s words echoed in his mind for a moment: It isn’t time yet. It’d never be time, but it had happened.
He watched Miles’ body bobbing for a moment before he closed his eyes and held Davy a bit tighter before releasing him. “It’s his decision,” he said, his throat dry. “And he’s right, there’ll never be a better goodbye than the one we just had.” He shrugged as Davy scanned his face, frowning. “I couldn’t be the one to tell him he couldn’t, Davy and neither could you.”