The Beach, Sunday Afternoon

[doesnotkneel]

The weather was certainly beginning to look up - moreso than Edward was used to this time of year, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. Rather, he would let it guide his choices on these days when he had very little to do with himself-- he would go down to the beach and see if anyone else was interested in joining him there.

Which is to say, he was taking a dive in the water, from the highest point he could find on the surrounding rocks; and he was enjoying the refreshing splash of cold it offered him, even if it was still a bit chilly.

He swam a few laps until he got tired of that and got back to the beach, where he went looking for the second highest point on the surrounding rocks.

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[halfbad.livejournal.com]

When Nathan went outside, he tended to gravitate towards forests or mountains. Water, to him, consisted of rivers and lakes so seeing a beach for the first time kind of floored him. So much water stretching out further than even his eyes could travel.

He stared for awhile, closing his eyes and smelling the salt. That was new too. When he opened his eyes, he caught movement and glanced over. It took him a second to recognized the person as Edward but when he did, he gave a short wave.

That was a new kind of thing too.

[doesnotkneel]

So much for leaping off something, then. Not that Edward minded terribly - he was in a good mood, even if he looked a bit like a drowned rat, his blond hair sticking to his face, neck and shoulders.

"Nathan!" he greeted warmly, walking towards the lad. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"It's warm," Nathan said, nodding and holding a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. "You look like you found the cure for that, though. Been swimming?"

[doesnotkneel]

"Seemed like the best time to give it a try, aye," Edward said, coming to a stop at Nathan's side. "Thinking about going in yourself, yet?"

He hadn't forgotten about their last conversation.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

Nathan shrugged a shoulder noncommittally. "I hadn't really thought about it, actually. I more came down here just to see it. I've only see pictures in my brother's books. Never seen a beach in person."

Nathan wasn't even sure if Arran had glimpsed a beach before. And Nathan doubted that he'd ever get to ask either. "Is there always this much water?"

[doesnotkneel]

"Sometimes there's more," Edward said. He looked over to the horizon, thoughtful. "'sfar as I can tell, we're still in a bay of sorts. The open ocean's a bit further off; that's much bigger."

He shot Nathan a glance. "At least stick your feet in, mate."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"...okay." Nathan didn't see how that could go wrong even with his bloody poor luck. He crouched down to untie his shoes and tug his socks off.

Couldn't help but wiggle his toes in the sand because that was a new sensation as well. It tickled and he even let a small laugh slip through before he started rolling his pants up so they wouldn't get wet.

The tattoo on his ankle would be in plain view but Nathan wasn't thinking of that right now. After the feeling of the sand, he was curious to see what the water would feel like. "Never felt sand beneath my feet before. Mud on a river bank doesn't really compare."

[doesnotkneel]

"Mud's a lot harder to get rid of," Edward agreed philosophically, following him on ahead - and then past him, stepping back into the water. "Water's still a bit cold, but that's not such a curse with the way the weather's turning."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Cold's not really a bother," Nathan told him, ambling behind Edward. "It was nearly the dead of winter for me a few weeks ago. I think my body's still adjusting."

It wasn't but he could definitely still remember that harsh, unforgiving snowstorm that he'd met his father during. He stepped into the water, feeling the chill immediately head up his legs. The sand turned into something softer but firm and he laughed a little.

"That's refreshing," Nathan said after a moment. "A good way to wake yourself up in the morning."

[doesnotkneel]

"Isn't it?" Edward asked, drenching his feet good and proper. "Though I wouldn't advise sticking your head into it right out of the bed."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Something you have experience with?" Nathan asked, looking over. "Or just witnessed someone doing it and saw the end results?"

[doesnotkneel]

"When I was younger, I thought cold water would cure a hangover," Edward confided. "Turns out it just makes you wet and miserable."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Another thing I haven't experienced myself," Nathan noted, leaning down and scooping some water up with his hand. It slipped easily through his fingers and back into the water below. His fingers felt immediately cooler.

"My experience with hangovers were some women and men I encountered during early morning trips to get coffee," he continued. "They reeked of alcohol and often looked like death would be more welcome then what they were feeling."

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

Ichabod felt more like himself than he had the past few days, and the strange thing on his body had disappeared, just like Celia had predicted. She was also the subject of his thoughts as he walked along the beach, enjoying the unfamiliar salty breeze from the sea. During their recent meetings they had both voiced strong feelings for each other, and while he didn't regret it or wish the emotions he felt to go away, Ichabod was still unsure what to think.

Lost in thought, he didn't pay enough attention to spot Edward.

[doesnotkneel]

He was going to have to notice Edward, sooner or later - likely sooner, as the man himself hurled himself into the water again with a noise loud enough to be audible by the shore, even if the displaced water wouldn't reach Ichabod (and more was the pity).

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

The noise tore Ichabod away from his thoughts, and he stopped to look out across the water. Recognizing Edward he frowned and muttered something about behaving like a child.

[doesnotkneel]

Not everyone got to sit around in posh libraries reading, Ichabod.

Edward swam back towards the shore, clambering up out of the water - shirtless and looking like a drunken rat otherwise. "My, look what's left the safety of the dorms."

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

Ichabod looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "It's not as if I haven't been out of doors since I arrived, unless you didn't know."

[doesnotkneel]

Edward let out a snort. "Ah, there's those haughty airs again," he said. "Can't take a joke, can you?"

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

"I certainly can, if they are amusing," Ichabod replied, clearly not amused at all. "Nice day for a swim, it it?

[doesnotkneel]

"Aye, it's lovely," Edward said, sliding his fingers through his hair to make sure it'd stop sticking to places that kept him from seeing properly. "But you seem ill-dressed for it."

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't planning to join you," Ichabod clarified. "Merely to take pleasure in the scenery." Which, clearly, was what a man of refined tastes would do.

[doesnotkneel]

"Is that the sort of thing you lot do?" Edward asked, laughing. "Wander about, 'taking pleasure in the scenery', then go home and prepare to boil in your fancy breeches?"

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

"I know it takes some education to appreciate the beauty of the natural world," Ichabod replied curtly. "So I am not going to comment on that. Perhaps after a while at the school you will see my point."

[doesnotkneel]

"No, it takes some bloody living in the natural world to appreciate it," Edward said with a highly visible roll of his eyes. "Having books don't make you special."