Above: Dancing Ledge swimming pool

Zelan was woken by the house coming alive. Jonah was jogging down the stairs, making them shake like an earthquake, Penny was shouting about Jonah hiding her favourite pencil. Eddy was trying to shout over Penny to say that he'd found it under the table and that she should finish her breakfast before the bus left.
He lay there, staying silent, not missing the noise of the mornings. There was a school bus that stopped in Worth Matravers, and there had been many mornings when he had run down the road, breakfast in one hand, pulling Jonah along with the other. They had only missed it a few times in the six years that Zelan had got the bus.

There was a banging on his door. "Zelan! Can you give us a lift?" Jonah called.

"No, get the bus!" Zelan replied.

"We missed the bus!" Jonah retorted. "Please?"

"Fine." Zelan smiled to himself, and got out of bed.

He dropped the three of them off at their respective schools, and then headed back down the narrow lanes towards the farm.
A man was running down the opposite side of the road, and Zelan slowed as he came up behind him. Driving at the same speed Coby was running, he enjoyed the sight of Coby in action. Arms moving, his vest top showing off muscles, a thin layer of sweat on his back. Earphone cables travelled down his torso, disappearing into the pocket of his mid thigh length shorts. Just below his knees, his legs disappeared into his blades, which pounded down on the tarmac beneath him.

"Going to wrong way for school!" Zelan grinned, levelling with Coby.

Coby pulled an earbud out. "I don't have any lessons until this afternoon." He replied, slowing down slightly and drinking from his water bottle. "What are you up to?"

"Had to take the kids to school. They missed the bus." Zelan laughed.

"You have kids?" Coby stopped running.

"No, I meant my brother and his friend, and our sister." Zelan laughed.

"Ah yeah." Coby smiled, colour returning to his cheeks. "You scared me then."

"Obviously." Zelan smiled. "Would it be interrupting your run if I gave you a lift?"

Coby checked his watch. "No, I've done today's hours."

"Hours?" Zelan asked, reaching over to open the door for him.

"Well, exactly one hour." Coby smiled, climbing into the vehicle.

"Wow. Not sure I could manage ten minutes." Zelan muttered, checking for non existent traffic before starting the engine up again.

"I dunno about that." Coby replied. "You look pretty fit."

"That's because gyms actually exist in Brighton." Zelan laughed. "I don't go running around the Dorset countryside." He paused. "Where do you want to go? Straight back, or on an adventure?"

"What counts as an adventure?" Coby asked suspiciously.

"I dunno." Zelan sighed. "If you were a friend from Brighton I'd take you to Dancing Ledge, Egmont Bight, Lulworth and Stair Hole, Durdle Door. But I imagine you know the coastline even better than I do."

"Probably." Coby smiled. "You really love it here, don't you?"
Zelan nodded.
"Then pick one, and take me." Coby smiled. "Maybe even two if we have time. Show me all the interesting things that make the Jurassic coast so famous. Show me your favourite places, where you like to swim and sail. Show me your favourite walks, everything that makes you love this place. Show me it though your eyes."

Zelan looked at him. "Alright then. Let's start with Dancing Ledge." He made use of a field gateway to do a three point turn, and headed back towards Langton Matravers. "But this time we're taking snacks."

"Sure." Coby smiled. "But only if you carry them."

Zelan laughed lightly, smiling at the man sat next to him in the pickup. Coby's yellow hair shone in the morning sunlight, his top and shorts revealing tan lines and even more freckles.
"You're something else, Coburn Gadus." Zelan muttered, grinning.

"How'd you know my last name?" Coby asked, almost sharply.

"Jonah- my brother-'s friend seems to know you. Eddy?" Zelan asked.

Coby shrugged. "Doesn't ring a bell. What snacks you thinking about?"

He had changed the subject quickly, and Zelan had noticed. But he didn't point it out. "Not sure. What do you like?"

"I feel like something chocolatey right now." Coby muttered.

"Sure, chocolate's good." Zelan smiled. They bought chocolate from the village shop, and then walked down to the shore.
"Welcome to Dancing Ledge." Zelan smiled, helping Coby over the rocks.

"Go on then, give me the tour guide speech." Coby smirked. "What's with the natural swimming pool?"

"Some geological shit." Zelan shrugged, making Coby laugh. Zelan sat down on the almost horizontal layer of rock that formed the ledge. "Chocolate to celebrate getting here?"

"Ah yes, that long and difficult journey." Coby nodded sarcastically, sitting down next to him, and taking the food Zelan offered him. "This is the best run ever." He laughed.

"Best school run." Zelan agreed. "We should do this more often."

"Well, you still have to show me all the other places that you mentioned and I definitely don't know anything about." Coby smirked.

"Yeah." Zelan smiled. "Why don't you show me your favourite places as well?"

"Do you have diving equipment?" Coby raised an eyebrow.

"Sure I'll find some to borrow." Zelan shrugged.

"Alright then." Coby smiled, kissing him lightly.

Zelan lifted his hand, and ran it through Coby's hair, kissing back. "Coby- is it too early to love you?" He whispered.

"No." Coby replied. "I love you too."

Zelan grinned, kissing him again. Coby tasted of chocolate and salt water, and his hair was soft as Zelan ran his fingers through it.
Lying back on the rocks, the two of them looked up at the almost cloudless sky, hands entwined. "When do you finish today?" Zelan asked.

"Four." Coby replied.

"Can I pick you up?" Zelan asked nervously.

"You don't have to, but yeah, if you don't mind." Coby grinned. "That'd be amazing."
Zelan smiled in response, listening to the sound of the waves on the rocks.
All too soon, they had to head back to the pickup, Zelan driving Coby back to the boarding house so that he could get his school things.
"Come on up." Coby smiled, unlocked the side door.
Zelan nodded, slipping his boots off.

Coby's room was nondescript, and if it hadn't been for a few posters, and other personal objects, could have been anyone's.
Zelan browsed the bookshelf as Coby packed his school bag.
"You have a lot of books on mermaids." Zelan observed.

"I like seeing how we're portrayed in literature." Coby laughed. "Some it's so fucking far off it's painful."

"Fair enough." Zelan muttered, turning around.
His breath caught in his throat, as he caught Coby shirtless.

Coby grinned. "It's not like you haven't seen my chest before, Ze. You're not to bad yourself." he winked, pulling on a grey t-shirt.

"Shut up." Zelan crossed his arms.

"Just you wait until you realise I'm going to be changing my shorts in a second." Coby smirked.

"Fuck you." Zelan smiled, turning back to the books.

"You're allowed to watch, we're dating, right?" Coby smiled.

"Oh thank God." Zelan smiled, turning back to face him.

"Calm down, Horny." Coby laughed, kissed him lightly. "I've got to change legs first."

"Wish you didn't have to go to school." Zelan muttered, watching Coby pull a truck out from under his bed, and swap his running blades for everyday prostheses.

"Yeah, well so do I." Coby spoke up. "I hate it there. But I've got exams soon, so I have to go."

"Why'd you hate it?" Zelan asked, sitting down next to him on his bed.

"Humans have a tendency to be dicks to those they view as different." Coby said, after a pause. "It doesn't help that I've been kept down two years."

"I know." Zelan whispered, putting an arm around his shoulder. "I wish I could make it all better for you."

"Thanks." Coby muttered, standing up. "Black or navy shorts?"

"Navy." Zelan smiled, watching him out of the corner of his eye. "I'm impressed though. You're wearing shorts despite people being dicks to you."

Coby smiled. "I'm not going to let them win." He shrugged, kissing Zelan briefly. "So, you going to give me a lift?"
Zelan nodded, grinning.

Coby chatted cheerfully in the car, but as they neared the school Zelan couldn't help but notice that he started to fall silent. "Did you ever hit them with your crutches, when you were on them?" Zelan asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"I was tempted to, but wasn't sure I would have withstood it myself." Coby smiled. "Now I wish I had."

"Well if you ever need someone to throw some punches for you.." Zelan smiled at him.

"Cute." Coby replied, smiling back at him. "But I can look after myself now. And anyways, if you got into a fight you wouldn't be able to model."

"You matter more than that." Zelan decided, pulling up outside the school. "See you in two hours."

"See you." Coby whispered, leaning over the hand brake to kiss Zelan.

Zelan kissed him back, smiling. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Ze." Coby smiled, stepping out of the vehicle and heading through the student gate. He waved cheerfully at Zelan, then walked towards the science block, shoulders hunched, and earbuds stuffed into his ears.
Zelan sighed, watching him go, before heading back to the farm.

At five past four, Zelan was squealing to a halt outside the student gate again. Coby looked up from his phone at the noise, and grinned, climbing into the vehicle. "How was your day?" Zelan asked.

"Shit." Coby smiled, kissing him lightly. "You?"

"Dad put me to work on the farm. Sorry I'm late. Took me ages to get away."
Coby laughed slightly.
"Shhh." Zelan smiled. "What do you want to do?"

Coby sighed, frowning. "I've got a tonne of biology homework. Sorry."

"That's okay." Zelan smiled. "Another time."

"I don't have anything tomorrow afternoon." Coby suggested. "We can go somewhere then?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." Zelan grinned. "I'll pick you up at the start of lunch."

"Where we going to go?" Coby asked.

"Secret." Zelan smiled over at Coby, who grinned at him, before looking down, and picking at a loose thread on his shorts.

"So, are we dating?" He asked suddenly. "Properly?"

"If- if that's okay." Zelan muttered.

"Then are you my boyfriend?"

Zelan almost did an emergency stop. "Err if you don't mind."

"Why would I mind?" Coby smirked. "Anyone'd be lucky to have you. Have you seen yourself?"

"You're not to bad either." Zelan smirked, trying to hide the blush that was growing on his cheeks.

"God, the kids at school are going to have a field day." Coby muttered.

"What?" Zelan asked.

"The amputee, who's having to retake, is gay and has a boyfriend." Coby laughed dryly. "Let's hope me being on the athletics team is still going to be enough to stop them from beating me up."

Zelan had so many things he wanted to say, and not enough mouths to do so. "When did you know?" He asked quietly.

"What, that I was on the track team, or that I was gonna lose my legs?" Coby smirked hollowly. "Or that half the school hates me for no reason?"

"That you were gay." Zelan muttered.

"Since forever." Coby shrugged. "How about you?"

"Not until I saw you in the water, Saturday night." Zelan admitted quietly.

Coby grinned. "Cute." He paused. "Wow, you must have a lot going on in your head right now, then."
Zelan nodded silently, gripping the steering wheel slightly harder than he meant to.
"If you need anyone to talk to, or help you work things out- I'm here, okay?" Coby asked.

Zelan nodded. "Same to you. With school, anything."

Coby looked out of the window. "Let's just stick to school for now." He muttered quietly. "You don't need to deal with the rest of my shit."

Zelan sat silently for a while. "That's my job, though, as your boyfriend, right?" He asked.
Coby didn't reply, and it took Zelan a while to open his mouth again.
"My birth father- the one who took me fishing- died in Afghanistan. It wasn't exactly easy on my mother. She killed herself a year later. I hate seeing people in pain, and I think you're in pain. I know there's a lot I don't understand about you, things I'll never understand, because I'm not you. But I'll always listen, and try my best."

Coby was silent.

"Sorry." Zelan muttered. "Offloading again, I guess."

"It's okay, I don't mind." Coby muttered. "How old were you?"

"Eleven when my dad, twelve when my mum-" Zelan stopped. "That's why I'm here. I mean yeah, it's summer, and I love this place in the summer, but I'm here for Jonah. I don't know if he was even old enough to remember it properly, but he's what's left of my family."

They had stopped outside Coby's, and he looked at Zelan. "Coming in?" Coby asked.

"I thought you had homework?" Zelan smiled.

"Doesn't mean you can't hang out with me whilst I do it." Coby smiled. "It just means you can't take me somewhere awesome. Come on, you can meet the others. Murdoch is the cheerful year 12, Hector is the moody year 9. Orpha is year seven, but I think she's at a friend's."

Zelan shook his head. "It's okay."

"Please?" Coby asked. "Don't be scared of them. 'Don't let them win', remember?"

"Alright then." Zelan took his keys out of the ignition. "Hand me your backpack."

"What are you doing?" Coby asked, but handed it to him anyway.

"Being a good boyfriend." Zelan grinned, slinging it over his back, and shutting the car door. Coby laughed, unlocking the side door.
"Into battle." Zelan grinned, walking inside.