[PRP] Life Skills at the Beach (Horace/Kaleb)

[Grey Dragon]

It was a hot day. Kaleb knew he probably should have stayed inside, picked a quiet place inside the air conditioned library if not holed up in his bedroom with his books. But it hadn't been so hot first thing that morning, he had even been comfortable in the sun with the light breeze coming off the water. But by mid-morning he had retreated to the shade of a rocky outcropping, and by the time the sun was directly overhead he was unable to concentrate on his book over the sounds of other people enjoying the beach.

The water glittered blue and tempting as he stared out across the sand... It must have been a great day for a swim.

The Semblance of Unity

^o^

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Horace was already wet from swimming when he ducked over the the rock. He wrung his hair out, the slicked it back. Maybe he'd ask Eli the best way to treat water-damaged hair. Then he blinked - was that?

"Kaleb? I didn't know you liked the beach!" He grinned. The beach was his way of getting out, working off some energy, not thinking.

grey dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

The soft sand and distraction of the waves made a real surprise out of Horace's sudden appearance, but it was a pleasant surprise.

"I do, it's really nice to read out here!" He insisted with a smile. "Usually I go home before it gets this busy though... Is the water nice?" It was hard to miss Horace's drenched appearance, although much like his unusual wardrobe choices, he pulled off the look well enough.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Yeah, it's great today, not too many waves." He was wearing hideously orange swim trunks. "Are you wear your swimsuit - wanna go in? I can watch your book or we can leave it with Larry; he's chill." Larry was the lifeguard. Horace knew him from a funeral two years ago - a tragic accident. It had spurred him on to renew his lifeguard credentials.

grey dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

Kaleb shook his head. Although he was more dressed for the summer than Horace had probably ever seen him, wearing a long pair of khaki shorts and a white t-shirt, he wasn't exactly prepared to go for a swim.

"I don't know how to swim," he admitted with a sheepish smile. The water looked nice enough, but actually thinking about going in as a little bit intimidating. The beach was so much more vast than a community pool.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Horace looked over at Kaleb. Luckily, he could see Kaleb, by the grace of an elastic band he kept hooked to the earpieces of his glasses.

"So.... wanna learn? Like, now." He grinned.

grey dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

"Right now?" Kaleb repeated, clearly thrown off guard by the suggestion. Learning to swim was probably among the last things he expected to do today. He glanced back over at the water, the waves didn't seem too choppy. His brows furrowed as he deliberated.

"Okay, but promise you won't laugh if I suck at it?" Kaleb asked, slowly pulling off his shoes. It was a great feat of trust to accept the offer so quickly, but he wouldn't expect Horace to be so casual if there were any actual danger involved.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Why would I laugh? I mean, you're gonna suck; you don't know how to swim. That's the point." He grinned widely. "Do you wanna do it in those shorts, or there's a stand down aways that sells shorts."

In another life, Horace might have approached swimming with a sink or swim sort of feeling, but he was hoping not to scare Kaleb off.

grey dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

"I don't know, I mean, I'm not above failing horrifically," Kaleb replied quickly, his own smile making light of his words. He glanced down the beach in the direction of the vendors, but if he was going to get wet, it didn't really matter what clothes he got wet in.

"This is probably fine, they will dry fast enough anyway." He pulled his shirt over his head and then shot another glance towards his friend, as though reassuring himself there would be no teasing. His freckled, pale, scrawny physique had always made him an excellent target for mockery.

"I don't suppose you have any sunscreen?" Kaleb finally asked, glancing away self-consciously and tossing the shirt onto his books.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Horace shook his head. "I don't burn. Let's go get sunscreen and swim trunks before you burn to a crisp. Cargo shorts will get bogged down and make it harder to learn. C'mon." Kaleb was pale like sunlight glinting off of water - the type who ever burned thinking about the sun.

He started to head toward the kiosk, trusting Kaleb would follow. Once there he stopped. "Pick a pair." Horace would buy since he was dragging Kaleb along.

grey dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

The moment he followed Horace out of the protective shade of the rocks he could feel the sun already beating down on him, providing an extra reminder that Horace was definitely on the right track.

"It must be pretty nice, I'm not out enough to use up a bottle of sunscreen before it's expiry date passes," Kaleb replied with a smile. At the kiosk he picked up a small bottle with a high SPF, and then selected a pair of dark blue shorts after only a brief glance to check the size.

"This will do," he murmured, and headed over to the checkout happily enough without giving Horace a chance to pay.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Boo, I was gonna pay," he said teasingly. "Go get changed. I'll meet you by the shallows over.... there." He pointed to a spot that was relatively unoccupied in comparison to the rest of the beach.

"Plus, with how pale you are, you should use sunscreen even when you're out reading in the park, Kaleb. Crispy critter." He waved Kaleb over to the small courtesy changing tent that had been set up on the beach.

grey dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

"You're the one teaching, I should get at least this much," Kaleb replied with a bright smile, and then headed over to the changing tent with his purchases.

After emerging from the tent with clothing bundle in hand and sunscreen already applied, he dumped his things by his books and headed over to where Horace had gestured. Spotting his friend immediately, Kaleb made his way directly to Horace's side.

"I'm... kind of nervous," he admitted, glancing at the small waves that rose on the shore. It was probably an unnecessary admission, but saying it out loud was a way of reassuring himself that it was okay. You didn't always have to hide your fears from your friends.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"It's perfectly normal to be nervous. You haven't done this before." He smiled at Kaleb. "Let's try it in the shallow parts, first. If you don't like it, we can try things in a pool next time. C'mon."

Horace strode towards the water's edge and stepped forward, his toes sinking into the wet sand. The water gently lapped against his feet. "Not too cold."

grey dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

Kaleb nodded, and watched as Horace made his way into the water. A cloud of uncertainty hung over his head, but finally, reassured by the comment about the temperature, he stepped into the next little wave.

The shiver that ran up his spine was visible as he tried not to squeal. "It... isn't exactly warm either," he replied through tight teeth. And here he had agreed to submerse himself entirely! To his credit, he wasn't considering abandoning the effort just because the water was a bit chilly. "It gets easier when you're all the way in, right?" Kaleb asked hopefully.

The Semblance of Unity