[C] The Last Table

"Shhhh, shhh," he whispered softly, rubbing at the boy's back as he clung to him.

He picked the boy up and carried him back to their area of the beach.

Dario sat down with his legs crossed and set Hayden in his lap.

"You're safe. No more water. No more stupid bastards. You're safe," he crooned, fingers running through the boy's hair.

The boy wasn't going near the water again today if Dario had a say in it. He was safe.

Hayden continued to cry for a long while until his fear waned enough that he could let the man's soothing actions begin to calm him slowly.

Once the tears had pasted he sat there quietly just holding onto the man, unwilling to be pried away from him as his body continued to tremble softly.

He had never come close to drowning before, he was always very careful around water, he knew he couldn't swim so he always sat in the shallows where the smaller children would run around under the keen eyes of their parents.

He sniffled softly and nuzzled against the man, leaning against his chest now that he was safely set in his lap, his small hands still gripping tightly to his shirt, the fabric bundled in his grasp.

"I'm not going anywhere," he cooed softly.

"You're safe. I'm here. Everything's okay."

His fingers continued to run through the boy's hair and rub his back gently as he slowly calmed.

Dario was a detached person sometimes, but he couldn't help himself when someone was in trouble. His heart went out to people that were scared and in trouble.

His lips pressed to the crown of the boy's head before he even thought about it.

With each stroke his body slowly relaxed, the trembling dying down, his heart rate and breathing slowly becoming normal again as he just sat there, listening to his gentle coos.

He was safe, no one would dare take him out of Dario's lap, he was going to be alright now that he wasn't near the water.

Hayden let out a soft sigh as the fear left his body, he was still shaken but he felt safe again now that he was up against the man.

A small smile pulled at his lips as the top of his head was kissed and he shifted a little in the man's lap, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you."

He muttered before settling back down in his lap, laying his head up against the Dario's chest.

The human smiled gently as the shapeshifter kissed his cheek and thanked him.

"Don't mention it."

He'd do it again in a heartbeat if he could.

"Feeling a little better now?" he asked, stroking the boy's back and shoulder gently.

"I'm fine."

He muttered softly, looking up at Dario with wide sad eyes, a small smile forcing it's way onto his lips.

Truth be told he was still shaken up, it had happened all too quickly and he didn't understand why the man had still thrown him in even after he had pleaded and screamed.

He reached into the pocket of his hoody, pulling out the only shell that had managed to stay in there, snagged of a piece of thread.

He turned it over in his fingers slowly before dropping it back onto the sand.

"I don't think I like the beach anymore."
The boy admitted, leaning back against him.

He watched the boy toss the shell with pursed lips.

This was going to be in the boys mind for a while. Poor kid was going to be shaken every time he went near the beach now.

He kinda felt sorry for the boy.

"Come on." He stood up, still holding the boy close.

"Let's go get some ice-cream to cheer ourselves up."

Hayden knelt down and pulled his pants back on as Dario stood, pressing back against his side as soon as he was dressed.

"Alright."

He muttered, he didn't really want to go anywhere else but home right now, he wanted to curl up on the couch and sleep it off but he knew if he did that he would be scared to go outside on his own again.

He refused to live like that so he took Dario's hand, holding it a little tighter than he had before as he walked pressed up against his side

Dario pulled the boy closer when he pressed against him.

The boy was finding comfort near him. He couldn't bring himself to push the boy away. If he felt safe close to him, then he could press as close as he wanted.

"Pick a flavour," he murmured as they approached the closest kiosk.

"One ninety nine and a..." His eyes turned down to Hayden, encouraging him to pick a flavour.

Dario saved his life, right now he was the only person around that he knew he would be safe with.

The boy's eyes brightened as he looked through the glass, it didn't matter how terrified he was, ice-cream was one of his favourite things so he couldn't bring himself to be miserable.

He looked up at Dario, this time with a more genuine little smile as he turned to the man behind the counter and pointed at his choice.

"That one, please."

He muttered, he hadn't had that flavour before but he was already in love with it, a house special, vanilla ice-cream with a caramel swirl, littered with small chocolate turtles.

He didn't even know that made tiny chocolate turtles but that knowledge automatically made him happier.

"A ninety nine and that one."

The human smiled as he watched the two cones being piled high with ice-cream and passed over to them.

He pulled his wallet out of his picket and winced as it dripped onto his shoes.

He hadn't had the time to pull his wallet out of his jeans when he jumped in after Hayden. "Slightly soggy," he murmured sheepishly as he paid for the two cones with a few coins.

Better the coins than the soggy notes.

"Come on, kid. Let's go find a nice spot to eat our ice cream."

Hayden couldn't help but giggle softly as Dario's wallet started to drip.

He did feel bad for potentially ruining some of the man's belongings but the man's sheepish smile was slightly adorable.

He kept close to Dario as they walked even though they were a fair distance from the water now.

His gaze was glues to his cone as they walked, clutching onto it excitedly as they found somewhere nice to sit, one of the small turtles didn't make it that far as it ate it off the top.

The man chuckled softly as a turtle disappeared into the boy's mouth.

He dipped a finger into the top of the boy's ice cream, smearing cream and sauce over Hayden's nose.

"So impatient."

He led the boy to a bench just off the beach and sat down, dropping his bag next to the bench then leaning back as his tongue ran up the length of the melting treat.

His lips wrapped around the peak.

"Mmmm."

He hadn't had ice cream in a while. This was nice.

Hayden's nose wiggled, his eyes crossing as he tried to look at the mess smeared over his nose.

He gave a soft huff as wiped it off with his finger, licking it clean, he didn't want to waste any.

"The turtle made me do it."

He accused, bringing the cone to his lips and devouring another one before swiping at the melting edges of his ice-cream with a loud purr.

"Turtles sure are evil things, aren't they? Convincing poor innocent people like yourselves to eat them."

Dario leaned over to steal a turtle from the boy's cone.

He bit into it, purring as the caramel oozed out.

"The turtle made me do it. They're even corrupting me," he chuckled, licking his lips with a purr.

That was really nice.

He pouted softly as a turtle was stolen from his cone, he couldn't imagine that being the only one he lost.

Quickly his tongue lapped over the melting ice-cream again, purring as he devoured it eagerly.

"Devilish turtles."

He muttered with a smile as he grabbed another between his teeth and wiggled it at Dario, as if the chocolate creature was trying to escape from his mouth.

Dario leaned forwards, his teeth biting into the turtle.

His lips brushed against the boy's as he pulled the turtle away, chewing on it contentedly.

"Truly devilish turtles," he purred softly, licking his lips again.

He leaned back in the bench, one arm resting on the back of the bench behind Hayden's shoulders as he returned to lapping at his own ice cream cone.

He bit into the flake.

Hayden's freckled cheeks became dusted with scarlet as Dario's lips brushed against his own, his gazed focused on them as he licked his lips and pulled away.

He swallowed thickly before looking away, suddenly the ground got excessively interested as he at his ice-cream more eagerly, chewing slowly on a turtle as he stole a gaze at Dario through his fringe.

His tongue swiped over his lips slowly, trying to steal a small taste of the fleeting touch of their lips.

Dario was completely relaxed.

He wasn't as affected as Hayden was. These touches were common for him.

Though there was a little fluttering in the pit of his stomach that he quashed immediately. Hayden was a nice boy. He was adorable and good company.

But there was no way he could let anything happen.

Not with all the trouble that could happen.

His teeth sank into the cone.

Hayden was a romantic, he couldn't help but let his mind wander for a moment.

Gorgeous man rescues him from the ocean when he is drowning, and then...

His cheeks blushed a little darker but he shook his head, trying to get the images from his head.

He looked up at Dario then back down to himself, there was no way anything like that would happen, men like Dario didn't go for boy's like him, he was too little and inexperience, he didn't have much to offer.

Still, he could dream.

He smiled softly as turned his attention back to his ice-cream, lapping at it as streaks of it threatened to run over his fingers and leave him not only wet but sticky as well.

Dario crunched the last of his cone.

"That was good."

He leaned over to steal another lick of Hayden's ice cream, capturing a turtle between his teeth.

He grinned around the turtle as he leaned back on the bench again.

He couldn't help but chuckle as another turtle was stolen.

This time it was his turn to steal it back, leaning up as Dario grinned and biting the turtle in half, their lips once again brushing as he chewed contently with a purr and sat back down with a little smirk.

He couldn't stop himself from blushing softly but didn't mind that much as he bit into his cone.

The man smirked as Hayden leaned up.

His tongue lapped out, tracing over the shapeshifter's lower lip slowly as he pulled away.

There was nothing wrong with just a little fun was there? He'd put a stop to it if it even hinted at getting serious.

"Ice cream made you feel better, didn't it?"

His cheeks turned a dark shade of scarlet, rivaling the shade he had turned when Dario's bag had fallen over.

A small smile graced his lips as he nodded up at him, brushing hair from his eyes.

"Yeah a little, you made me feel better than it did though.
Thank you for looking after me."

He responded as he finished off his ice-cream, offering over the last little turtle to Dario.

"It's all right, kid."

He ruffled the boy's slowly drying hair.

"I'm just glad you're feeling better."

He took the turtle and bit into it, chewing on half of it as he pressed the other half to Hayden's lips.