(Untitled)

[strandedseaman]

Horatio sat with Edward in the shallows of the pool. The waterfall churned steadily down, but here the water was calm, the coolest place they could be on a hot day outside of the Compound

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[the_cop]

Ray settled himself down at the edge of the pool. He was wearing shorts and slowly let his legs dip into the water 'til it came up to his knees.

"I gotta say, I had my doubts with that floaty thing, but you really got it working," he said in greeting, smiling from Edward to Horatio.

[strandedseaman]

"I did say," said Horatio. One could not spend the better part of a year with a Mountie and not pick up a trick or two. "So long as the water resistant treatment to the fabric holds, I think I may declare success."

He smiled at Ray. "Then you may take him swimming also."

[the_cop]

Ray let out a long breath. "You know I suck at swimming. I'd probably drown and Edward would laugh at me," he said, his smile going kinda sheepish. He plashed Edward's hands, making the baby laugh and clap his hands against the floating device.

[strandedseaman]

Horatio made a dismissive sound, one half-drowned by water when Edward splashed again. "You've made much improvement since I first met you," he told Ray. "Go and get your trunks."

[the_cop]

"Awww, but daaaad," Ray mock-whined, pouting as he obligingly dragged himself to his feet.

"It's kind of a long walk..."

There was a moment of hesitation, but Ray mentally shrugged and jumped into pool. Far enough away to where he wouldn't upset Edward's floaty, but close enough to splash them both.

[strandedseaman]

Edward's face froze in surprise, the lad himself clapping hands to his face as if to puzzle out from where all the wet had come.

Horatio laughed and smoothed back the boy's wet hair. "There now," he said, "when your father resurfaces, we'll have our revenge."

[the_cop]

Ray resurfaced behind Horatio, glomping his back. "Revenge is mine!" he cried, shaking his head, sending water droplets flying.

[strandedseaman]

Horatio laughed in surprise, wriggling out of his grasp in the next moment. Entrusting Edward to Ray, he submerged, swimming to the deepest part of the pool. From there, he studied the wavering image of the soles of Ray's feet, carefully plotting his next move.

[the_cop]

"Uh oh, looks like papa's looking to drown himself. How do you feel about daddy hooking up with that Linda Hamilton lookalike?"

Edward just made some nonsense sounds and clutched Ray's fingers.

[strandedseaman]

Horatio's eyes focused in on Ray's toes. Knowing well the other man's tendency to yelp when surprised, he smiled under the water, swimming up just high enough to grab Ray's ankles with the tips of his fingers, pinching hard like a mouth might.

[the_cop]

Ray yelped, grabbing Edward's floaty and flailing them both backwards to get away. Thankfully his brain caught up before he could get too far.

"Damnit! Horatio!"