The Docks [OPEN, tw: marriage break up, drunken behaviour, violent tempers]

[willcabot]

Sitting at the end of the dock, Will's legs draped into the cold water as he finished the last mouthful of the bottle. Turning the bottle in his hand, the amber glow made him for one awful moment think of Corry's hair in the fading sunlight- throwing the bottle impulsively at the wall, he let it smash satisfyingly before pulling another bottle towards him.

He couldn't feel his toes any more, he couldn't remember how long he'd been sat here for like this. He hadn't been home yet, hadn't been to the boat just in case she was there. Everywhere he looked it reminded him of her, of the life that they'd promised each other and the life that was now in ruins. Because she loved him. Ha!

Glancing at the ring on his finger, he pressed his forehead to the rim of his drink and took a gulping breath in. Her smile as she said I do. Pulling the ring off he stumbled up and backwards before throwing it into the deep waters of the cove. Turning his back on the water, he took another few mouthfuls and heading towards the shore.

"Shit," Will swore, dropping the bottle to the floor before he turned and ran towards the end of the dock. Tearing off his shirt, he jumped into the water and dived into the deep, ice cold waters. Shifting, he swam deeper and deeper until he found the band of metal down in the dark bottom. Clutching it in his hand, he swam back to the surface before pulling himself onto the docks. Collapsing on the wooden planks, he stretched out his hand and ignored the feet of someone else standing there. "Pass me a drink, will you?"

His hand curled round his wedding ring, letting the metal bite into his palm as he stared up at empty grey skies.

Comments

[owenphillips]

The sea was calming, and Owen had been on edge for most of the day after a conversation with Mrs Garner. He’d walked down to the beach. Stripped off to his underwear and then realised that now was not a good time to go into the sea. Because he couldn’t trust that he’d want to get out anytime soon and he had work commitments later. So with a small frown, he’d put all his clothes back on and started to walk home via the docks.

From a distance he saw someone throwing something into the sea. It hadn’t seemed that strange, and he’d not been paying complete attention until the other person seemed to start moving in an agitated manner, ripping off their t-shirt and diving into the sea. From where he stood, Owen didn’t know who it was and thusly couldn’t be sure it was a Siren. So when time had passed and they hadn’t emerged for air, Owen felt his feet carrying him quicker along the wooden ground below. He was just reaching the end when the person finally surfaced.

Will. Will Cabot. Corry’s husband. Siren. Asking for a, no doubt alcoholic, drink and he looked worse than Owen felt. Which really was something right now. “Are you ok?” He asked, it was stupid really, but the first thing that came to mind.

[willcabot]

"I will be when I have another drink." Will groaned. Water dripping off his body as he held one hand aloft and waiting for a drink to be passed to him. The other was tight around the ring he'd fished from the bottom. He'd lost his pants at some point- right when he'd shifted. "So, I'm naked. There's a really good reason why."

[owenphillips]

It was a little hypocritical of Owen not to instantly pass the alcohol over, considering he’d done a fair share of drinking in the days when his friends were missing. But then he hadn’t jumped into the sea drunk during that time. Owen could guess the reason for the nudity – he himself was quite fortunate that his Siren form was similar shaped to his own body but people were different. The question was why Will had jumped in to start with at all.

“Yeah?” He asked, he wasn’t meaning to come across as a dick. But his next statement was meant in good faith. If he thought Will needed it, he’d make sure he got home safe. Otherwise he was chucking the bottle. “Give me a good reason and I’ll give you your alcohol back.”

[willcabot]

Narrowing his eyes at Owen, Will pointed one large muscular arm at Owen before letting it fall heavily to the side.

"Because my wife has left me," Will announced before laughing. Almost a little hysterically. "My wife has left me."

[owenphillips]

For a second he thinks he’s going to be threatened. And that’s ok, he’ll take threats because Will isn’t that much bigger than him, but he’s sober so any thrown punches can probably be dodged without injury.

But then Will speaks and Owen doesn’t really have words to reply. The first thing he does is hand the bottle back because as far as Owen is concerned. That is a damn good excuse for needing a drink. He feels guilty too because only a few weeks ago he’d been at the wedding reception, feeling a bit baffled that Corry was married to Will when he’d always assumed her heart lay elsewhere and then… well. This. He had hoped this wouldn’t be what happened. And yet here he was with Will Cabot whose wife was leaving. He dropped down to sit next to Will, “Fuck. Man, I am so fucking sorry.”

[willcabot]

"Do you know why she has left me? Because she loves me." He took the bottle, practically snatching it from Owen's hands because he'd changed so much for Corrine. To love her, to support her because that's what husbands did. He'd stopped drinking because she didn't drank, she'd emptied his boat and his home of alcohol and pills to take away temptation for her. He'd put her first every day and she was leaving him because she loved him. "She loves me so she's leaving me."

Will laughed bitterly before swallowing a few more gulps of alcohol to stop the burning, empty sensation where his heart had been.