Work Text:
The tide went out again long before they returned to the beach. The shoreline had drawn back like receding gums in a mouth and the sand, its smoker-gray teeth. There was no one else as they dragged their kayak from the water. Wind-bitten and cold. A few loose hairs escaped from behind their face where they had it pulled back.
The beachhead called Crane’s Neck was flat. The fine, brown sand was pockmarked by scattered rocks and set on a slow incline that grew into raking cord-grass and seaside goldenrod, all turned gray in the winter air.
The kayak fender carved through wet sand, leaving a single deep gash as they trudged up the dunes. Arms strained behind them. The weight, the slough of it, shivered through their body. Too easily a body came to mind, replacing the vessel that dragged behind them. The black hair and shrouded face. An opened throat, a reedy laugh, her red eyes.
A foot sank into the loose sand, unsettled. They stumbled. Stiff hands dropped what they held.
They couldn’t, would not look back at it as they took a frantic few steps up the dunes. The hollow thud behind them made their stomach churn. It took a moment of heavy breaths, watching them cloud and disappear into the cold wind, before they could right themself. Straightened up and slowly, slowly returned their eyes to the waiting kayak. Returned their hand to the tethered loop and restarted their effort of dragging the thing to the dunes where they’d hide it. With a long exhale, they turned back inland.
Then they saw the other figure.
A ways away, but coming towards them steadily. He picked his way down the Neck with all the caution of a soldier in a minefield. Like a trampled brush-weed could mean a blown-off leg. His care manifested in staying as far removed as possible; that he was even here was… anomalous. Their brow pulled down the closer he got.
“Hello,” they rasped, voice tempered, thin as the breeze. If he had seen their struggle, chances are he was going to offer his help, which was unneeded. They adjusted their grip on the kayak, muscles fatigued under the weight. “I don’t want help.” They took another step forward, pushing into his space, then another.
A ghost of a smile passed over his face, and he stayed where he was, only moving to step out of their path and then followed once they passed him. Chancing a look back only set their frown deeper, watching him match his gait to theirs easily. As if they were an ox pulling the plow and he the watchful handler. A huff escaped their nose, and immediately they hated how much it affirmed that image. They did not look at him again, even when he spoke.
“I didn’t know you came here,” he said in lieu of a hello. Brushing past all pretense of small talk.
“I didn’t know you came here,” they echoed at him with a grunt. Of the two of them, he was far less inclined to the sea. Ironic as it was, to be a marine biologist who was terrified of the ocean. Though they supposed that if he were to be here, it would be during low tide.
“I’ve been coming by after Liturgy, sometimes. When it’s calm.” He watched them with steady eyes, hands tucked safely into the pockets of his down jacket.
They just grunted again, struggling up over the lip of the dune and willing their stance not to slip. Ignoring the man as he walked ahead of them, finding the spot they’d used before to shield the kayak from the elements. The flattened, thin grass and shadows imprinted onto the sand. If they had looked, they would’ve seen his nose wrinkle. Instead, a curse cut through the air as cold-stiffened fingers finally lost grip on the tether and the kayak fell again with a hollow noise.
“Fucking-A.” Another bitten curse as they flexed their fingers in vain, breath shuddering out of them in plumes. They were mid-movement, tucking hands into their armpits, when they caught him moving at their side. He took a sliding step, boots half buried in the dry sand, before he lifted the kayak and dragged it the rest of the way to its resting spot.
“Come on.” The wind nearly stole his words as he returned to their side, gesturing with a distant sort of caution. Careful not to crush the endangered moment. With a heavy sigh, they dropped their hands, slowly meeting his eye.
His hands were warm when he took theirs. Long fingers and skin that was still tanned despite the season. He turned them over once, twice, before pressing them together. The calluses of their palms flat against the softer skin of his. Academic smooth. They watched him. Drawing their eyes up the planes of his face as he turned his gaze back towards the ocean. Frown lines carved into his cheeks at whatever he saw, sniffling against the cold. Then, he lifted their hands to his mouth and blew hot air against them. Once, twice. A final parting squeeze before he released their hands, watching as they clenched into fists. Hoping to keep his heat with them even as they felt it leaving again. He just gave them a small smile.
“Better?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded, a dark curl falling in front of his eyes. “I need to get going,” he said gently, giving another look towards the inert kayak and the person before him. He shifted his weight, pushing against the sand until his body followed, and began his dance of weaving through the brush again. So carefully, he disappeared against the gray of the dunes. They watched after him for longer than they might admit.
