#afloat

Algy tried and tried to inflate his plastic boat, but it was just no use: try as he might, he simply couldn't do it. Fluffy birds are not easily discouraged, of course, so bearing in mind the poet's incitement "Say not the struggle nought availeth" Algy blew into the wee plastic tube time and time and time again, until he was completely out of breath… but it was indeed to no avail, and eventually he became so exhausted by the constant effort that he simply fell asleep on top of both the boat and his wee book of verse, completely tired out.

Imagine Algy's astonishment, therefore, when he woke from a fretful dream about trying to blow endlessly into the impossible inflation tubes of completely impossible boats, and discovered himself afloat in a most beautifully inflated wee boat, complete with suitable decorations for a voyage across the sea… and in the company of a leprechaun ☘️

For a few moments Algy assumed that he must still be dreaming, albeit in a very much more pleasant dreamland than the one in which he had found himself before. But he could feel the plastic around him, and smell the salt of the sea air, and he soon began to realise that he was indeed awake.

Gazing at the leprechaun seated opposite him, Algy suddenly remembered the wee fellow he had met in the depths of the forest on St. Patrick's Day: the sad, lost, lonely little leprechaun who had explained that he was unable to return to his home in the Emerald Isle.

"So you followed me through the forest!" exclaimed Algy.

Fandom: Love and Deepspace Characters: Rafayel/Reader

Summary: “Teach me how to swim.”

// You knew where you stood, behind the line that clearly separated you from him: a princess betrothed to another, and a talented, handsome artist, free to explore the world as he wished.

But with each step you took into the waters, that same line grew murkier, and there would soon be no turning back.

ch 1 | ch 2 | ch 3 | ch 4 | ch 5 | ch 6 | ch 7 | ch 8 | ch 9 | ch 10 (coming soon)

*See replies to this post for the AO3 link.

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It seemed Rafayel had made the right call getting you to learn how to float first. 

The next time you tried practising holding your breath underwater again, a familiar apprehension gripped you, but it was swiftly washed away by the warmth of an even more familiar presence. 

Rafayel stood next to you, elegantly taking your hand as if inviting you to dance. He had the stature of a prince, even though he looked nothing like one, in his drenched clothes and with his wet hair matted to his forehead. 

As for you, you certainly resembled nothing like the crown princess you should have been, dressed in nothing but a thin nightgown and half-submerged in the ocean, all alone with a strange man. 

By all accounts it was improper. Scandalous, even. You, standing nearly chest to chest with a man who was not your intended. It was a daily rendezvous that was slowly but surely turning into something more, with each lingering glance, each lingering touch. Each time you were with him, you felt an irresistible pull to his side, like it was where you belonged. 

Now, as Rafayel drew you closer, resting a hand on the back of your head and gently pulling you down into the water with him, you followed his lead. You felt the rush of waters enveloping your body, the noise of the wind muting into the background as your head sank beneath the surface of the still waters, and then your world turned quiet and peaceful. There was no panic. No instinct to flail your arms, no racing pulse. 

You could still hear your heart picking up its pace, but it wasn’t because you thought your life might be in peril again.

At the wordless beckoning of his fingers tapping on your head, you slowly opened your eyes, and saw Rafayel in front of you, his free hand clasping yours. His hair was floating in the waters, dancing languidly with the currents. With his eyes fixed on you, he offered you a smile, as if he was saying he was proud of you, and that there was nothing to fear, like he had told you before. 

After all, he had promised from the very beginning that he wouldn’t let go. 

Your gaze trailed to your interlocked fingers, and you squeezed his hand — a wordless thank you. 

When you eventually felt like you were running out of air, you emerged to the surface together with him. The lungful of air you breathed in was crisp, salty, and you couldn’t help the wide grin spreading on your face. It was contagious; Rafayel noticed this too as he combed his hair back and out of his eyes, lips breaking into a similar smile, teeth showing. 

“Thirty-two seconds. You’ve improved, princess.”

Your grin grew wider, if it was at all possible. “I did it!”

“Yeah yeah, you did it without choking me half to death this time. Good job.”

He chuckled as he easily dodged the incoming slap on his arm. “We’re making good progress. I think now’s a good time to start teaching you how to swim properly.”

“How long will that take?”

“Hmm.” Rafayel counted with his fingers, and eventually held out two of them. “I’d say, two months? Depends on how long it takes for you to learn to tread water, which is what we’ll be doing next.”

“Two months…” Your smile faltered. “That long?”

“Considering our lessons are so short, yeah.” He tilted his head, noticing your downcast gaze. “What’s wrong?”

With all the fun you were having out here, you had briefly forgotten about the reality of the burden that lay on your shoulders. 

And in truth, you didn’t have much time left.

“Well, for starters…” You met his eyes, and offered him a feeble smile. 

“I have to leave in two months’ time. To Yaryn.”

by a thread, or maybe by tiny roots, 2025

work in progress, nib pen and ink, coffee and gouache (so far)