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riptide_asylumTitle: Four Days Off: Four
Rating: PG
Summary: "What you need in this life, Cody, is a damn good boat, some damn good beer, and a damn good friend."
Cody was alone, sitting on the deck of his grandfather's boat, the Eventide, listening to the soft slap of the waves kissing the hull.
Looking around, he recognized the cove from childhood fishing trips. It was one of his granddad's favorite anchorages, and it felt odd to be there without the old man beside him, checking his lines, shaking his head in mock disapproval when Cody let a big one get away.
"Plenty more fish in the sea." The old man's voice, gruff and amused, made Cody turn, almost expecting to see his grandfather at his shoulder. But the deck was empty - the boat was empty, Cody knew that, Grammy and Grandad had left him years ago.
Cody turned back to the water, looking out to the blue-gold of the horizon. In the old days he'd stared at the sea, looking for mermaids and magical kingdoms, but this time he found his eyes drawn upwards, scanning the sky.
He realized he was listening for rotors.
"Son, don't you look at the sky." The well-known voice was rich and true and Cody lowered his gaze to the ocean, fighting the urge to turn around. He didn't want to see the empty deck, not when it was so easy to believe Granddad was right there with him. "You make sure you always got one eye on the sea, boy, and that way you'll never get lost, you hear? Charts can tell a man only so much, but a true sailor can read the sea, Cody, and that's what you are. You're a sailor, just like me."
"You're a chip off the old block." Cody mouthed the words as he heard them. He knew this speech by heart, it was something his granddad had told him time and time again, and now that he'd spent the last few years away from the ocean, its truth struck him keenly.
"Maybe I did get lost, Granddad," he said doubtfully.
"What you need in this life, Cody, is a damn good boat, some damn good beer, and a damn good friend. You got that, life's easy." At that point in the speech, Granddad would always wink and look over at Grammy. "'Course, son, if you play your cards right, that damn good friend'll marry you and make you an honest man."
Cody listened for Grammy's retaliation, but the only sound that reached him was the lonely cry of a seagull, far out at sea.
"Don't you forget, Cody." His grandfather's voice was fainter now, and Cody swung around in panic.
"Granddad! Don't go!"
But the deck was just as empty as it had been before, and although Cody strained his ears, all he heard was the lap of the waves and the lonesome seabird's call.
"Cody! Cody!" The voice wasn't his grandad's, but the sound was comforting, familiar. Cody blinked in confusion and the Eventide's deck swam before his eyes. In its place, he found himself on land, looking into anxious blue eyes.
"Nick?" Cody grabbed at his partner's arms, registering dim light filtered through canvas. They were in the field somewhere, camped out. It wasn't safe. Automatically, he reached out for his weapon, but his hand came away empty. The rifle wasn't in its spot and he caught his breath in panic.
"Easy, Cody." Nick's arms slid around him, drawing him close. "We're home, pal. Home, okay? You're safe. I got you. Hey, I got you."
Still tense and trembling, Cody allowed himself to collapse against Nick's shoulder, holding on. Gradually memories returned. They weren't camped out in the Vietnamese pampas, they were back behind the tide-line on a Southern California beach. The lonesome gull he'd heard in his dream still cried, and Nick's voice was soft in his ear, soothing and gentle.
Cody sat up slowly, pulling a little away from his partner and drawing up his knees. Nick's hand stayed on his back, offering comfort, reminding Cody that Nick was with him, beside him, no matter what.
Taking a deep breath, Cody leaned his arms on his knees. He'd never let on how much he relied on the feel of Nick's hand on his back. How much he needed him. Cody closed his eyes against the dim morning light, against the concerned warmth in Nick's eyes.
His grandad would have liked Nick. Cody knew it instinctively, had always known it. There was no bullshit about Nick, everything about the guy was right there up front, for people to take or leave as they liked. Cody marveled at Nick's confidence, the way he let people see him and didn't seem to care if they liked what they found or not.
Showing too much of himself scared Cody. If Nick didn't like what he saw, if Nick turned away, Cody didn't think he could bear it.
He opened his eyes again, blinking in the soft dawn sunlight shining through the fabric of their tent. "Sorry I woke you." He glanced at Nick and then away.
"I was awake anyhow." Nick moved closer, sliding an arm around Cody. Cody risked another quick glance at Nick but his partner was fumbling in their rucksack, not looking at Cody. "Here."
Cody took the bar of chocolate Nick held out, relaxing and shifting closer to Nick so that their hips touched. "Thanks." Nick never pushed him, never tried to make him talk until he was ready. Never tried to take more than Cody was able to give. "Thanks for coming, Nick."
Nick bit into his own chocolate bar. "You're my partner, man. My partner and a damn good friend, the best friend I ever had. You know?" He wasn't looking at Cody, his eyes fixed on the corner of the tent, but his hand kept moving, warm and sure, on Cody's back.
"I know." Cody took a bite of his candy bar, savoring the sweetness, leaning into Nick. He thought of the dream again, his grandfather's words, and wondered if that meant he was doing the right thing, coming back here to the ocean. Coming back here with Nick. "I was dreaming of Grandad," he said, very quietly.
Nick's hand stilled on his back, and then Nick tightened his arm around Cody. "Yeah?" he asked. "You want to tell me about it?"
Cody shrugged a shoulder and turned to look at Nick. Nick was looking back at him, a little worried, Cody thought, and impulsively Cody leaned forward and kissed him, deep and sweet.
Nick melted against him, wrapping both arms around Cody, and Cody lost himself in the magic of Nick's mouth. Finally they broke apart, breathless, and Cody leaned his head against Nick's shoulder.
"Y'know," he said hesitantly, "whaddaya say we rent a boat today? There's this place I know, a cove off one of the channel islands. The fishing's good, and there's a nice beach..." Cody trailed off, looking up at Nick anxiously. "If you want to, that is," he added. "If you'd rather surf - "
"Fishing sounds great." Nick touched his cheek gently. "Cody, I'd love to go out there. It's a great idea."
Cody sighed happily. Taking Nick to the cove was the right thing to do, he knew that. It was what his grandfather would have wanted. And Nick wanted it too. "Granddad always said all you need is a damn good friend, some damn good beer and a damn good boat," he said quietly.
"Yeah?" Nick grinned and kissed the top of Cody's head. "Well, pal, we got the beer in the trunk. And the next little town's called King Harbor, and according to the map, they've got a pretty big marina. You want to go take a look?"
Cody raised his head, grinning into his partner's deep blue eyes. "There's no rush, is there?" he asked, sliding his hand behind Nick's head and pulling him down for another kiss.
Rating: PG
Summary: "What you need in this life, Cody, is a damn good boat, some damn good beer, and a damn good friend."
Cody was alone, sitting on the deck of his grandfather's boat, the Eventide, listening to the soft slap of the waves kissing the hull.
Looking around, he recognized the cove from childhood fishing trips. It was one of his granddad's favorite anchorages, and it felt odd to be there without the old man beside him, checking his lines, shaking his head in mock disapproval when Cody let a big one get away.
"Plenty more fish in the sea." The old man's voice, gruff and amused, made Cody turn, almost expecting to see his grandfather at his shoulder. But the deck was empty - the boat was empty, Cody knew that, Grammy and Grandad had left him years ago.
Cody turned back to the water, looking out to the blue-gold of the horizon. In the old days he'd stared at the sea, looking for mermaids and magical kingdoms, but this time he found his eyes drawn upwards, scanning the sky.
He realized he was listening for rotors.
"Son, don't you look at the sky." The well-known voice was rich and true and Cody lowered his gaze to the ocean, fighting the urge to turn around. He didn't want to see the empty deck, not when it was so easy to believe Granddad was right there with him. "You make sure you always got one eye on the sea, boy, and that way you'll never get lost, you hear? Charts can tell a man only so much, but a true sailor can read the sea, Cody, and that's what you are. You're a sailor, just like me."
"You're a chip off the old block." Cody mouthed the words as he heard them. He knew this speech by heart, it was something his granddad had told him time and time again, and now that he'd spent the last few years away from the ocean, its truth struck him keenly.
"Maybe I did get lost, Granddad," he said doubtfully.
"What you need in this life, Cody, is a damn good boat, some damn good beer, and a damn good friend. You got that, life's easy." At that point in the speech, Granddad would always wink and look over at Grammy. "'Course, son, if you play your cards right, that damn good friend'll marry you and make you an honest man."
Cody listened for Grammy's retaliation, but the only sound that reached him was the lonely cry of a seagull, far out at sea.
"Don't you forget, Cody." His grandfather's voice was fainter now, and Cody swung around in panic.
"Granddad! Don't go!"
But the deck was just as empty as it had been before, and although Cody strained his ears, all he heard was the lap of the waves and the lonesome seabird's call.
"Cody! Cody!" The voice wasn't his grandad's, but the sound was comforting, familiar. Cody blinked in confusion and the Eventide's deck swam before his eyes. In its place, he found himself on land, looking into anxious blue eyes.
"Nick?" Cody grabbed at his partner's arms, registering dim light filtered through canvas. They were in the field somewhere, camped out. It wasn't safe. Automatically, he reached out for his weapon, but his hand came away empty. The rifle wasn't in its spot and he caught his breath in panic.
"Easy, Cody." Nick's arms slid around him, drawing him close. "We're home, pal. Home, okay? You're safe. I got you. Hey, I got you."
Still tense and trembling, Cody allowed himself to collapse against Nick's shoulder, holding on. Gradually memories returned. They weren't camped out in the Vietnamese pampas, they were back behind the tide-line on a Southern California beach. The lonesome gull he'd heard in his dream still cried, and Nick's voice was soft in his ear, soothing and gentle.
Cody sat up slowly, pulling a little away from his partner and drawing up his knees. Nick's hand stayed on his back, offering comfort, reminding Cody that Nick was with him, beside him, no matter what.
Taking a deep breath, Cody leaned his arms on his knees. He'd never let on how much he relied on the feel of Nick's hand on his back. How much he needed him. Cody closed his eyes against the dim morning light, against the concerned warmth in Nick's eyes.
His grandad would have liked Nick. Cody knew it instinctively, had always known it. There was no bullshit about Nick, everything about the guy was right there up front, for people to take or leave as they liked. Cody marveled at Nick's confidence, the way he let people see him and didn't seem to care if they liked what they found or not.
Showing too much of himself scared Cody. If Nick didn't like what he saw, if Nick turned away, Cody didn't think he could bear it.
He opened his eyes again, blinking in the soft dawn sunlight shining through the fabric of their tent. "Sorry I woke you." He glanced at Nick and then away.
"I was awake anyhow." Nick moved closer, sliding an arm around Cody. Cody risked another quick glance at Nick but his partner was fumbling in their rucksack, not looking at Cody. "Here."
Cody took the bar of chocolate Nick held out, relaxing and shifting closer to Nick so that their hips touched. "Thanks." Nick never pushed him, never tried to make him talk until he was ready. Never tried to take more than Cody was able to give. "Thanks for coming, Nick."
Nick bit into his own chocolate bar. "You're my partner, man. My partner and a damn good friend, the best friend I ever had. You know?" He wasn't looking at Cody, his eyes fixed on the corner of the tent, but his hand kept moving, warm and sure, on Cody's back.
"I know." Cody took a bite of his candy bar, savoring the sweetness, leaning into Nick. He thought of the dream again, his grandfather's words, and wondered if that meant he was doing the right thing, coming back here to the ocean. Coming back here with Nick. "I was dreaming of Grandad," he said, very quietly.
Nick's hand stilled on his back, and then Nick tightened his arm around Cody. "Yeah?" he asked. "You want to tell me about it?"
Cody shrugged a shoulder and turned to look at Nick. Nick was looking back at him, a little worried, Cody thought, and impulsively Cody leaned forward and kissed him, deep and sweet.
Nick melted against him, wrapping both arms around Cody, and Cody lost himself in the magic of Nick's mouth. Finally they broke apart, breathless, and Cody leaned his head against Nick's shoulder.
"Y'know," he said hesitantly, "whaddaya say we rent a boat today? There's this place I know, a cove off one of the channel islands. The fishing's good, and there's a nice beach..." Cody trailed off, looking up at Nick anxiously. "If you want to, that is," he added. "If you'd rather surf - "
"Fishing sounds great." Nick touched his cheek gently. "Cody, I'd love to go out there. It's a great idea."
Cody sighed happily. Taking Nick to the cove was the right thing to do, he knew that. It was what his grandfather would have wanted. And Nick wanted it too. "Granddad always said all you need is a damn good friend, some damn good beer and a damn good boat," he said quietly.
"Yeah?" Nick grinned and kissed the top of Cody's head. "Well, pal, we got the beer in the trunk. And the next little town's called King Harbor, and according to the map, they've got a pretty big marina. You want to go take a look?"
Cody raised his head, grinning into his partner's deep blue eyes. "There's no rush, is there?" he asked, sliding his hand behind Nick's head and pulling him down for another kiss.
