#frogward

Well, we did toy with a few ideas. We didn't want to bring pain to a tiny child Henry.

Originally we wondered if he could be part Selkie or something like that.

Then we wondered if, because there's a three year age gap between Robert and Henry, Robert leaves to work for three years so he can go to University at the same time as Henry. We questioned whether Henry would've done it in that time.

Well, we'll figure it out.

Whilst they were young children however, there was a Frog.

This frog was named Frogward.

Henry originally tried to name it Edward but Robert thought it was too posh of a name. Frogward it is.

They found him creeping around the forest one day, whilst they were sat minding their business playing a card game.

Henry had taken off his coat, laying it down on the ground for Robert to sit on because he knows the other boy gets easily freaked out about dirt and germs.

(He also keeps a small bag with hand sanitizer, wipes and some gloves. Henry wants to make sure Robert is comfortable all of the time.)

They're happily playing their game, a variation of snap where they've made the cards up and drawn them themselves.

Robert is going to play his card when he suddenly shrieks, high and loud. Henry looks up, startled, seeing Robert greying, eyes blown wide and terrified. He's leaning his head far over on one side, closing his eyes and mouth shut tightly, though there are soft, scared whimpers every now and then.

Henry looks at him, confused as ever. Then he looks at his other shoulder and sees a green frog. Gently, he scoops it into his hands and pulls it away from Robert.

Robert can't move his head back, determined that there's some kind of contamination on his shoulder now that's going to spread and spread. Frogs live in the forest, they must be full of germs and disease and is he going to get sick-?! He doesn't want to get sick, not from a frog-!

Henry knows where the wipes have been kept, in a little bag just in the middle of them. He also knows he cannot touch the bag because he's touched the frog and therefore in Robert's eyes his hands are dirty and bad.

Though gently, he does try to speak, his gentle Scottish accent a new tone in the forest. "The bag's just between us Robert, it's okay. You can use it to wipe off your clothes, then it'll all be gone. It's okay."

Robert does so, but he's still freaked out, imagining whatever germs there had been to have creeped between the layers of his clothes. Perhaps they're already on his skin!

Henry can also see that Robert doesn't seem to be improving much, still looking grey and panicked. "Come on. Let's head home. You can have a good shower and find some comfortable clothes."

"But the card game.." Robert manages to whisper out, mildly embarrassed and upset that he's having this reaction to something Henry is happily holding in his hands.

"We can play the card game at home! We can even raid the kitchen for cookies!"

Robert still feels bad, but ends up nodding very softly.

Henry tries to release the frog but.. it won't leave. Everytime Henry places it down, it'll jump back up. Eventually Henry shuffled away into the trees, dropping the frog off, then coming back to Robert.

He sanitizes his hands, twice, past the wrist, then holds them out for Robert. "Am I clean?"

Robert softly nods and Henry holds out a hand for his. When Robert takes his hand, Henry wastes no time in rubbing his thumb over his knuckles, timing it so Robert breathes in sync with it.

As they reach the house, he can feel Robert calming, at least a little. He's not as shaky as he was.

He walks Robert to the bathroom, making sure Robert doesn't run the water incredibly hot like last time, like he could boil the grossness off of him. Henry makes sure there's the good, strong smelling tea-tree soap, then darts away to find Robert some comfortable clothes.

All the while Robert is sat in a distressed little muddle on the bathroom floor, focusing on the sound of the bath filling up.

After he's taken a bath, changing into some soft pyjamas, he finds Henry also in his pyjamas, a new set of clothes entirely.

"Can I hug you?" Henry asks. Robert nods and Henry gives him the gentlest, kindest hug.

Papa Lanyon thinks that Robert doesn't like getting sick, or touching things that might make him sick, but it's more than that.

It's like the area has a black goo on it that's spreading and won't go away, no matter how much he scrubs at it.

Even after his bath, he doesn't feel entirely clean. But Henry's here and so he's safe. Henry understands.

They step over to Henry's bed, Robert being wrapped in a fluffy blanket and Henry starts to deal out a new deck of cards.