Safe Harbor

by Welch, HJ

  “Robin!” he bellowed.

  He didn’t get any reply, but a few seconds later, a light swung wildly, cutting through the inky blackness. Dair’s heart lurched. It was maybe thirty or forty feet away from him. It seemed to steady and then point upwards.

  It had to be Robin.

  He started swimming again, praying he wasn’t too late. There was more shouting. Dair could discern two separate voices, but not the exact words. He might have heard a ‘no,’ though, and that made him drive his body through the water even faster.

  There was a loud splash and Dair fumbled to a halt. “Robin?” he yelled, terror creeping up his throat. “ROBIN!”

  Oh god.

  Dair covered the last twenty feet at an inhuman rate. An empty rowboat finally came into sight.

  Mac’s head burst through the surface a dozen feet away as he coughed and spluttered. “Where’s Robin!” Dair demanded.

  “What the fuck? What the fuck are you doing here?” Mac spun around. “That asshole pushed me in.”

  “He can’t swim!” Dair screamed at him, his fury rivaling his panic.

  The light. There was something glowing in the boat. Dair sprinted to it. Sure enough, there was a large flashlight rolling around in the bottom of the damp boat. He snatched it up and angled it at the water, desperately looking for any sign of Robin.

  “Where is he?” he cried. Fear and cold made the light shake in his hand.

  “How the fuck should I know?” Mac snapped. “Fuck, I think my arm might be broken.”

  There! What was that? Dair shot forward, trying to get a clear view through the churning water. He swore he’d seen the pale flesh of a hand or something…

  “Robin!”

  Dair had never been very good at keeping his eyes open underwater, but he fucking managed it now as he plunged under the surface of the lake. He used one hand to pull himself down while he kicked frantically, the other hand still holding the flashlight to see by. He hoped it was properly waterproof, but he had no way to know. All he could do was get to Robin’s sinking body before the light died on him.

  Robin’s arms and legs were twitching feebly. He hadn’t quite given up, but it looked like he was fading fast. Dair’s fingers seized Robin’s jacket. However, even his slim form had been weighed down by his waterlogged clothes. So Dair released the flashlight, letting it fall rapidly through the depths as he grabbed Robin with both hands and began kicking with all he had.

  His own lungs were just starting to protest.

  How long had Robin been under?

  There was no time to waste. Dair cycled his legs through the water, hoping he was moving toward the surface. Robin was a dead weight in his arms. Fuck. Dair didn’t know what he’d possibly do if he was too late. Stay with me, hon, he thought frantically.

  What the hell had happened? How had he and Mac ended up in the water? Robin would never have voluntarily gotten in, so Dair couldn’t help but assume it was Mac’s fault, the shithead.

  He could worry about that in a minute. Right then, they suddenly broke through the surface into the night air, and he gasped as deep a breath in as he could manage.

  “Robin!” he yelled as soon as his voice worked again. He shook Robin’s body and held him close. He couldn’t tell if he was breathing or if he had swallowed any water into his lungs. Awkwardly, Dair shifted his arms and jammed his fingers against Robin’s throat.

  He had a pulse.

  “Robin!” Dair jostled him again. Was he going to have to perform the Heimlich maneuver?

  All of a sudden, Robin’s body jerked violently as he began to cough and splutter. His hands scrambled, finding purchase on Dair’s arm still wrapped around his chest.

  Dair released a sob of relief.

  “Oh my god, are you okay?” he moaned, hugging Robin’s freezing body to his own. “Hon, you scared the shit out of me.”

  Robin’s teeth were chattering as he twisted in Dair’s arms and blinked incredulous eyes at him. “Dair? Where – what?”

  Dair kissed the side of his neck, hoping that was okay. But his heart was pounding and he still felt like he might cry. For a second, he had been forced to consider the possibility that Robin might truly have been taken away from him.

  He never wanted to feel like that again.

  “I heard you scream. I knew you’d come out here with Mac-”

  Robin burst into tears. He scrambled around so he could fling his arms around Dair’s neck. Dair was treading water for the both of them, but the fatigue after his mad sprint was starting to kick in. He began to gently ease them toward the bobbing boat so he could hold onto the edge to help keep them afloat.

  “I’m so sorry,” Robin cried.

  “For what?”

  Robin shook his head against Dair’s cheek, his fingers gripping on to Dair’s sodden shirt for dear life. “For trusting that asshole. I just wanted to be brave and do something crazy. I was so upset, missing you-”

  “I’m right here,” Dair assured him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  They reached the boat and Dair’s hand gratefully found the side.

  “But last night-” Robin began.

  Dair shook his head. “I talked to the others. I think Mac played us both. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re…? But I didn’t push him off quick enough.”

  Dair shook his head. “We can talk after we get out of the water. I just have to make something very clear. If you want to be with me, I want to be with you. No more dancing around. I want to be your boyfriend.”

  Robin was trembling with his own hand on the side of the boat. Dair hugged him close with his free arm, not willing to let him go just yet. Robin blinked, droplets of water clinging to his lashes, sparkling in the pale moonlight.

  “You want…but I’m…”

  Dair waited, but Robin didn’t seem to know how to finish that sentence. Dair leaned forward and pressed his lips to Robin’s temple. “Amazing? Gorgeous? Cute as hell and smarter than that?”

  Robin bit his lip. “A dumbass?”

  Dair chuckled, the relief still making him feel lightheaded. “We’re both dumbasses, all right? So can we move on, be boyfriends, and get back into the boat?”

  “What the actual fuck is wrong with you assholes?” Mac’s sneering voice rang out from the other side of the boat. “You’re both psychopaths. Don’t think I won’t be pressing charges against you both!”

  Robin sighed and looked at Dair. “Do I even need to tell you he tried to kiss me, then pulled me into the water when I fought him off?”

  “No.” Dair hugged his beautiful man close and kissed his cheek. “Fuck him. Let’s get you back into the boat, okay?”

  Mac continued to mutter and hiss curses, but Dair ignored him. Instead, he gave Robin a boost so he could scramble his way into the rowboat. With his weight over the other side, Dair was able to hoist himself on board without tipping it too much or letting an obscene amount of water inside.

  It was absolutely freezing out in the air again. Dair hugged Robin to him, trying to keep them both warm with their body heat. Once he was settled next to Robin, Dair reached his hand down to Mac, who was stubbornly treading water the other side. “Okay, come on. Get in.”

  Mac seemed to realize he was being addressed. He looked at Dair’s hand in disgust. “Fuck off,” he snarled. He even backed away a few feet.

  Dair rolled his eyes. They didn’t have time for this. “Don’t be an ass. We’re not leaving you out here.”

  “I’m not getting back in that thing with either of you,” Mac shrieked back. “Robin, you’ve ruined my phone, my suit, and my shoes. What the hell were you thinking?”

  Robin grabbed both sides of the boat and looked over the edge. “I was thinking that I said ‘no.’ Many, many times. But don’t worry. I won’t be saying it again, because we’re really done this time, Mac. I never want to see you again. Don’t call or text or email or slither into my DMs. Now hurry up and get into the damn boat so I can get on with never spea
king to you for as long as I live.”

  He dropped back into his seat with a huff and crossed his arms. Dair felt his heart swelling with pride and…

  …love.

  He wasn’t even surprised. Of course he loved Robin. They may have only been getting closer this week, but they’d known each other a few months now. He meant so much to Dair. No matter what, after tonight he was going to grab on to this relationship with both hands.

  If that was what Robin wanted too.

  As he snuggled against Dair’s side, Dair felt pretty sure they were on the same page.

  Mac slapped his hand across the water’s surface, spraying droplets everywhere. If some of them reached Dair and Robin, Dair couldn’t tell. They were far too wet and cold.

  And impatient.

  “Get in,” Dair growled.

  “Fuck you, Army Boy,” Mac spat back. “I’ll fucking swim, all right? If you did it, it can’t be that hard.”

  Dair huffed and grabbed the oars. They’d managed to cling on in their rings during the kerfuffle, thank goodness. Dair wanted to get him and Robin back to shore as fast as possible before they caught a chill. If Mac was such a stubborn ass he wanted to swim, screw him. He’d almost let Robin drown. Dair wasn’t going to force him to let them take care of him.

  It wouldn’t be that far back to the country club with the advantage of a boat. Dair expected Robin to move and place himself on the other seat. Instead, he stomped his way in between Dair’s legs, sat in the inch of water covering the length of the boat’s base, and hugged Dair’s calf while resting his head on his knee.

  Dair smiled and gently stroked his wet hair back before picking up the oar handles. “Comfy?”

  “Extremely,” Robin grumbled, then kissed Dair’s knee through his soggy pants.

  Dair’s heart swelled again.

  They rowed through the night. As soon as they left Mac behind and his angry splashing, the Pine Cove lake was beautifully peaceful. Dair glanced over his shoulder every thirty seconds to make sure he was heading in the right direction still. But as they got closer, he realized the soft glow from the venue wasn’t the golden light he expected.

  It was flashing red and blue.

  “Oh, crap,” he said, not really sure what to expect.

  Robin twisted around, sloshing the water around their feet to look. “Holy fuck!” he hissed. “Oh my god, I’m never going to live this down!”

  Dair steered the boat toward the end of the jetty. A pair of paramedics were beckoning them in alongside a cop, all of whom looked concerned with how wet Dair and Robin were.

  Dair could hear Jay’s voice. “Let me through! Robin, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Robin called back miserably. He hid between Dair’s legs while Dair snorted.

  “It’s okay, hon. They’re just worried about you.”

  “Because I’m an idiot. What the hell was I thinking?”

  He sounded so dejected Dair stopped rowing, even though they were only fifteen feet out. The boat continued to drift gently, but Dair hoped they’d get a few more seconds before they hit the dock.

  “Hon,” he said firmly, squeezing Robin’s shoulder to get his attention. “You went out on a boat. I know it ended badly, but I’m so proud of you to face your fear. That was really brave.”

  Robin’s topaz eyes widened. The flashing red and blue lights reflected off the whites. “Yeah – I was tired of being afraid.”

  Dair encouraged him to come sit in his lap, seeing as he was done rowing. He cradled Robin’s cold, shivering body against him. “Well done. And as for the other shit – all I care about is that you’re okay. That is all your friends and family will care too. I promise.”

  Robin scrubbed his face. “Thank you. I still feel really stupid. But – lesson finally learned, I guess. No more Mac.” He pulled his hands from his face.

  “Oh, no,” Dair lamented, realizing he’d been rubbing his eyes. “You lost your glasses?”

  Robin looked at him for a moment in confusion, then smiled. “No, I’m wearing contacts.”

  “Oh, good,” said Dair in relief. “You’re just not you without your glasses.”

  Robin’s lip wobbled, just for half a second, before he broke into a magnificent smile. “I love you,” he said in one rushed breath.

  Wait – what?

  “Sir, are you okay?” the lead paramedic cut in. The boat had drifted just close enough so that she could seize the edge and drag them against the dock. Then it was a flurry of bodies as Robin and Dair were pulled up onto the jetty. The paramedics were inspecting them for injuries as a firefighter threw a blanket over each of their shoulders and the cop asked them what the hell had happened.

  It turned out that Peyton, Jay, Emery, and Ava had been just a tiny bit disturbed when Dair had thrown himself off the end of the pier and into the water. They’d called 9-1-1 and summoned everyone they could, convinced Mac was on a murdering spree. Although they might have exaggerated the circumstances a little bit, Dair was grateful for their proactiveness.

  The police were very determined to keep any bystanders back for the time being, and that included Jay and the others. Dair hugged Robin to his side as they sat on the dock, huddled under their blankets as they tried to recount the events of the past hour to the officer. It was a little difficult with Robin’s friends and family pushing through attempting to administer hugs. Eventually, the whole throng shuffled up the pier to the safety of the bank. But by that time, people were coming out of the reunion as well, curious as what the ruckus was all about.

  “Oh, god,” Robin muttered. “I just want to get out of here.”

  “We can go home soon,” Dair promised.

  Robin shook his head. “I wish we could have some privacy,” he lamented. “With all this craziness, I’m not sure I want to face all my family right now.”

  Dair considered for a moment. “Well, I do have my motel room still. There isn’t anything really in it, but-”

  “We can swing by a store,” Robin interrupted, his eyes lighting up like Christmas. “Oh my god, that’s perfect. A whole room, just to ourselves.”

  Dair beamed down at him. “Perfect,” he agreed.

  “Robin!”

  The emergency services personnel finally parted ways and agreed to let Robin’s nearest and dearest come through. Dair and Robin had been perched on the edge of an ambulance that had driven over the grass to reach the lake. The country club staff was apparently extremely unimpressed at this, evident from the loud argument one of the managers was having with the ambulance driver. Dair hoped the lawn was okay, but he couldn’t say he regretted any of the emergency staff arriving when they did.

  He watched on as Jay threw his arms around his twin and hugged him so tightly he lifted him off the ground. “You idiot! I could kill you!”

  Robin patted his dark hair. “I love you too, Jay.”

  There was some shouting back down around the jetty, with various people pointing. From what Dair could make out, Mac had seen the flashing lights and was trying to scramble to shore on one of the pebbled banks so as to avoid capture. But the police had spied him, and now it looked like he was evading arrest. That wasn’t a smart move, but Dair didn’t have the energy to waste on that dick any longer.

  So he turned away and left them to it, focusing on the only person who mattered to him.

  Robin.

  His friends and family were all tearfully hugging him. But then Jay relinquished his hold, spun around, and threw his arms around Dair.

  “Thank you,” he stammered thickly. “You saved my brother.”

  “Ahh…he pretty much saved himself.”

  Dair bashfully rubbed the back of his neck as Jay stepped away. As he did, Ava punched him on the arm. Hard.

  “Ow?” Dair arched an eyebrow at her.

  “That’s for being a dumbass.” She chewed her lip and rolled her glassy eyes. Then she patted where she’d hit him. “That’s for being pretty damn cool.”

  “So?” E
mery demanded as he sniffed and wiped his eyes without smudging his liner. “Are you done being morons?”

  “Huh?” Robin said, looking between his brother and sister.

  Peyton huffed. “Are you ready to admit you’re dating for real? No more pretending?”

  Dair held his breath. He’d hoped he and Robin could have gotten more of a chance to discuss that in private.

  But Robin just blinked in surprise. “Oh, yeah. We already sorted that.” He moved from his siblings to slot under Dair’s arm and hug his side. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my definite, not-fake, amazing boyfriend, Dair.”

  “Thank fuck for that,” Jay cried as the others whooped and clapped.

  Dair beamed and kissed the top of Robin’s wet hair. They needed to get the all clear from the emergency services, but as soon as they could, Dair was getting them out of here.

  He needed Robin all to himself, desperately.

  24

  Robin

  Pine Cove’s most popular motel wasn’t seedy like the ones Robin had seen on TV. It was more like a long log cabin with rooms nestled among the trees, tucked away from the road. Kind of similar to the counselor accommodation over at the town’s summer camp. It felt welcoming.

  Soft lamps lit the walkway as Robin followed Dair down to his room. The bags they’d picked up from the convenience store swung from their hands which weren’t connected. Robin’s feet squelched in his ruined dress shoes.

  Dair rubbed his thumb against the back of Robin’s hand, making him look up. “You okay?”

  Robin smiled, another wave of relief rolling through him. He was happy for so many reasons, but making things right with Dair was at the top of the list. They’d talked things through, making sure they both told the other their version of what had happened at the fairground.

  Unfortunately, that had led to some discussion of how Mac had been able to convince Robin his cheating had been Robin’s fault. He hadn’t been able to look Dair in the eye when he’d mumbled about how bad he was in bed. Yet here they still were, in a room of their own, half the town away from Robin’s family. They had real privacy.