betteralready | i will build a lighthouse there somehow } selkies au

Entry tags:

rp,
with: henry

i will build a lighthouse there somehow } selkies au

He's glad this is his life now.

He's glad he doesn't have to live his life in fear. He's glad he isn't constantly looking over his shoulder waiting for disaster to strike. He's glad that most of his days involve tending to the lighthouse and its grounds; involve walks on the beach and swimming and fishing.

Involve loving and being loved by so many very good people.

Elliot has been adjusting well, though he still seems just a bit nervous. Archie is giving him some space as the young man reads in the lighthouse; instead heading outside to see if anything interesting has washed up on the shore.

His gaze, as always, flickers on occasion out into the water and towards the horizon. He's never sure when something (or someone) might come out from the deep and surprise him.

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This time, at least, Henry comes from the shore.

There's always been something slightly springing in Henry's step. Even at the worst of their time on the Renown, there had been the irrepressible edge of fight in him that had never fully bled out of his natural gait.

Catching sight of Archie as he makes his way toward the lighthouse nonetheless puts even more of a spring into his entire being.

"--oi!"

The call is one that's entirely familiar, though he's more used to hearing it from a selkie. Still he's not at all displeased to see the young man making his way down the shore. He's definitely going to be making his way over to Henry with an entirely broad grin on his face.

"Hey, you!"

They're not standing on a dangerous ship. They're not worried about breathing wrong, let alone expressing their thoughts.

It feels, every time, like a true victory to be able to throw his arms briefly tight around the older man.

"Keeping well, Archie?"

Of course he's going to be embraced instantly. Of course Archie isn't going to be able to help the entirely pleased sigh that comes with being able to hug someone he cares about.

"Even better, now."

"Nigh impossible, I'd imagine."

There's nothing in the world as comforting as knowing how happy Archie and Horatio seem to be with their new life.

"Heard you've got a bit of a crowd going out here now."

“The good kind of crowd, yeah.”

It’s always nice to have selkies taking refuge here. It means he and Horatio are helping.

“He’s... young, for getting out.” Which, near as they’ve been able to tell, means he was young for being caught.

No need to focus on that, though, “He’s— quiet, but sweet. I think you’ll like him.”

The flicker of emotions is a quick, visible thing. There's a brief rush of quiet rage, followed by a flood of sympathy, and immediately mopped up into a look of hesitant excitement.

"--what, really?"

Surely someone in a delicate place didn't need Henry barging in and upsetting the order of Horatio and Archie's home. He'd already resigned himself to loitering outside on this visit.

"Yes, really. Horatio'll want to catch up, and I'd love to have you over for a bit if you're able."

It's always good to have such a dear friend visit. Archie can't help the brightness of his grin, before the lingering worry over their other guest has it fading to something affectionate but fretful.

"I think it'd be-- good for him. To have someone else around."

To learn from. To see what life as a selkie could be like.

Well, Henry can hardly say no to that. Since their time together on the Renown, nothing in the world had been quite so comforting as having his cheek pressed to Horatio's heartbeat for a few long minutes of breathing.

Being able to duck close to Archie and catch at the man's hand and generally not worry about being infinitely proximate was a very close second, though.

"If you're sure. You'd know better."

It's a second that makes Archie smile more properly again and squeeze Henry's hand fondly.

"He'll be shy. You'll have to be gentle. But I think seeing someone who's-- even more often at sea than Horatio will do him good.

"I barely bite, compared to Horatio."

There's infinite affection in Henry's tone, just as there is in the squeeze of his hand. True, most of his education had been with a hand at the back of his neck, but being nipped now and then had been soothing in its own way.

There's also an immediate gentling after the absent teasing. If he gets something wry from Horatio, he gets an absolute gentleness from the man he's clinging to the hand of now. "I'll be sweet. Cross my heart, Archie."

Of course that earns a huff of a laughter and a fond squeeze.

"I know you will."

Nudging his forehead briefly into Archie's shoulder is an old instinct. It comes naturally now before he casts a curious glance up at the lighthouse.

"What's his name?"

Henry's going to get a quick kiss brushed against his temple when he leans in close. It absolutely can't be helped.

"Elliot," he says, and the fond hint of a smile on his lips indicates to an affection akin to what he feels for Henry directed towards the young selkie, "C'mon-- I'll introduce you?"

"Aye aye, sir."

Following Archie has always been easy. Following now, without the sense of the world closing in around them at every turn, was even easier.

The chipper words earn another huff of laughter that he absolutely picked up from Horatio.

"C'mon, then."

He'll guide Henry back up to the lighthouse and wave him over to go sit in the kitchen for a moment.

It's important, after all, to make sure that Elliot is up for meeting someone at all. The murmurs that come from the room the young selkie is reading in are quiet and calm-- just as Elliot's expression is when he appears in the kitchen doorway with Archie.

Or, well, quiet and a little bit nervous. His shoulders do relax just slightly when he sees the other selkie.

"Hello."

Sitting is a good thing. Sitting helps Henry stay firmly in place, tethered by the table until he can properly take in the youngling's nerves.

It's oddly familiar. All that's missing is Horatio, hand settled on the back of the boy's neck.

"Hullo." Staying still feels unnatural. Settling back slightly in his chair is better. "Elliot, isn't it? I'm Henry."

"Hullo, Henry."

He'll approach a little closer, tucking the book he's been carrying under one arm, just over where his skin is hiding. One hand will be offered with a hint of uncertainty.

That's probably not the way to greet a fellow selkie, but he's not entirely sure.

Archie will quietly maneuver his way around the conversation, moving silently to go put some tea on-- the boy certainly looks like he might need it.

"'s nice to-- meet you," Elliot continues.

This is good. This is slow and gentle and surely what the youngster needs.

"You as well."

Henry takes care to move his hand slowly to the pup's, squeezing only briefly and without insistence. The safety of contact wasn't inherent, after all; it came from years of living in the comfort of one's own kind.

"How's the cove treating you?"

"It's nice."

And that does have him smiling a little more properly as he settles into one of the other chairs.

"I like being able t'wake up and-- know 'm by the sea."

The house he'd lived in was still technically in this coastal town, but it wasn't on the water. He'd never felt as able to breathe as he does now.

There's no stopping Henry's grin at that. His arms fold comfortably on the table, helping to stop him from leaning much farther forward than he has to.

"Nothing like it, yeah? Well better out here." Which is surely part of why Horatio had been drawn to the lighthouse in the first place. "Getting some good swimming in?"

Under, one had to assume, the fretfully protective and incredibly watchful eye of the older selkie.

The question has him brightening even more, sitting up a little more properly.

"I am, yeah. That's really nice."

It's been so helpful to be able to get properly into the water so often.

Horatio had always been protective enough of Henry's time in the water while they navigated the difficulty of the Navy. He has to imagine this pup is getting nearly ever safe waking moment in the waves.

"Thinking of trying the big drink soon?

"Think so, yeah."

If clearly a bit nervous about it, still. It's something that he properly feels the pull towards, of course, but also something he's not sure he's ready for.

"'ve never been."

So it's scary.

"Big enough jump." Henry's elbows inch forward, head ducking slightly with a conspiratorial air. "Y' know something?"

It isn't actually the same, but it's close. It isn't actually giving Elliot his life back, but maybe it's helping make the late start less confusing.

"I grew up on a cove like this. First time out in the deep-- I was petrified."

"Yeah?"

That has him brightening just a little bit, his expression looking more hopeful and interested.

"What-- helped make it better?"

That's a good sign. That's the sort of eager curiosity that marked their kind in the wild--and that got stripped when held too long against their will on the shore.

"Taking it a little step at a time. With someone you trust." It's a simple thing, but simple things could be massively helpful. "My da took me out--a little further every time, then back in again. Until it started to feel normal."

He nods thoughtfully as he listens.

"I trust-- Mister Horatio."

So that's a good start.

"Good."

And thank goodness Horatio had been the one to find Elliot. Thank goodness that Elliot hadn't been so far gone as to not begin to relax into this new home.

"He'll keep you safe. Honest, he will."

"He says they've-- done it a lot."

Looked after other selkies, at least. Helped them find their way home again.

The slight dip of Henry's head is brief. It never got easier, to think of how many of their kind needed to be brought home again from the world of men.

"They've gotten quite good at it, yeah."

"Did you-- ever meet any of th'others?"

It'd be nice, to talk to someone else who had ended up being stuck for so much of their life.

"A few, aye."

And there's no helping the brief flicker of strain that passes over his features. The healing process was never pretty--and the scars marking their kind were always much fiercer from land than from sea.

"Takes time."

"But they-- get better?"

They heal, as best they can?

His fingers have to dig into his arms to keep himself from leaning farther forward.

"They do. They get... control."

And what they did with it varied wildly, but that's hardly the encouragement Elliot needed just now.

"That can take getting used to, hm?"

"I can imagine," he says softly, fingers fidgeting in his skin.

"But it must be-- nice. To have-- choices."

"It is." There's a moment of consideration before Henry hazards the gentle addition of, "You'll get used to it too, hm?"

The reminder can't hurt.

That earns a briefly startled blink, before he nods, slowly.

"I guess-- I guess I will. Yeah."

"Not a race or anything, hm?"

Just another marathon. Just another long season of slowly moving into deeper and deeper waters.

"But you will. Honest."

That earns a flash of a more proper smile. That’s incredibly reassuring, after all.

“—Thank you.”

It does help a lot to hear.

"Of course, /little brother/."

It's an easy, thoughtless affection. It might even be one that Elliot had picked up by now, if others have passed through particularly often.

The sentiment will surely get through regardless.

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i will build a lighthouse there somehow } selkies au

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is henry still in the navy?

rng says no, so merchant navy for this bab once his dads leave

aww billiam will be lonely :/

billiam should come with him?? let them all have more autonomy??

the navy's pretty bad at letting their people go be autonomy tho :/

then who will go take all the things from India. WHO.

...sharpe ;P also i imagine el is probably ~3-5yrs younger than henry? does that jive?

TAKEN THERE AND BACK BY MERCHANTMEN. also probably 5, yeah!

...a fair and compelling point. also o7

/hairflip forever

silly <3

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