Chapter Text
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Soft sounds of water could be heard as a rowboat cut gently through the water. Oar splashing the water as it broke through the surface. A familiar sound to Hermes, something he was used to and always looked forward to hearing again.
His gentle human was once again making a trip to some part of the lake, perhaps fishing, or simply enjoying the quiet. Hermes couldn't say that he understood why his human liked to row so much, but he hoped Charon was looking for him.
Hermes wasn't a patient creature. Whenever his human decided to head to the lake, it didn't take long before he was trailing the boat or climbing nearby rocks to see him. He had tried to climb into the boat once or twice, but the quiet boatman didn't appreciate almost capsizing his vessel. Pushing his head back into the water and lifting his small fin-like hands off the sides. Only returning Hermes’ whines and snorts with a stern look and a shake of his head in disbelief.
It was easy to follow the boat, since it wasn't one of those loud motorized ones. Hermes simply dove after it, poking his head up to breathe and look at his solemn human.
He was wearing a hat and tinted glasses again, hiding those captivating eyes from Hermes. He loved looking at Charon, could spend hours simply watching the human do chores or smoke cigarettes while reading in a chair on his lawn. And for a while now, he had done just that.
His human wore the hat more often than not, the wide brim now immediately recognizable to the selkie. And it had always been odd to see him without it. His human had fallen asleep on a chair one summer afternoon, hat on the ground next to him.
Hermes had crawled out of the water, inspecting the hat and the small baubles sewn on to it, before whining loudly to wake the human up. The boatman had simply laughed at Hermes, offered a few gentle pats, before he placed his hat back on his head and promptly fell back asleep to continue his nap. Hermes had thought his human would shoo him away, but he was allowed to spend the rest of the afternoon by his side.
It was getting chillier again, the colorful leaves on trees having already mostly fallen, so Charon had to wear warmer clothes if he still wanted to enjoy the soft waves of the lake. It was also too cold for the human to nap on the shore again, so the selkie only saw less and less of his precious Charon.
Hermes wasn't ready for winter, to leave his lonely human for many moons while a thick sheet of ice covered the lake. And more specifically the beach his boatman lived by.
They had known each other for a long time now, many days spent in each other's company. Sharing food, enjoying the summer heat and listening to music.
Sometimes the boatman was building something, sometimes making food outside, maybe hanging up laundry. Whatever his human did Hermes wanted to be there with him.
He always wanted to see that gentle smile again or hear his raspy laugh. He would do anything to wipe away the sad looks. Hermes wanted to stay with Charon, to keep him company and make him happy.
After a short trip on the lake Charon returned to his beach, pulling the boat to the shore. He hadn't stopped anywhere. It wasn’t unusual, but most of the time he went rowing with a purpose… maybe today was a bad day?
Hermes climbed up a ramp attached to the wooden dock, that his boatman had built for him. A few fallen pine needles tickling his thick hide and crunching pleasantly against the wood.
Once Hermes had pulled himself up to rest on the dock, he noticed Charon signing to him. The selkie didn't really understand what the human was trying to tell him, other than what he assumed were signs for either friend or seal... or perhaps it was a name Charon had given to him.
In any case, Hermes happily bellowed back at his love. Letting out sounds that could be classified as snorts and whines, but Charon didn’t mind the odd way the seal showed him love. He simply smiled at the ringed seal who had been following him on his small rowing trip.
Hermes didn't know why Charon couldn't talk, and it was really a shame that he didn't understand the signs just as well as he understood spoken language. How he wanted to know what the boatman was telling him the rare times he did sign to Hermes.
Only reason he even knew the boatman’s name was because of other humans that sometimes visited the little house. One black haired man visited the most, usually bringing fish with him that he shared with Charon and on occasion with Hermes.
He had seen the cheerful man before on the lake. Spending many mornings fishing, something that didn’t seem to fit his personality but obviously loved.
The smell of fish had attracted Hermes back to the shore one afternoon, assuming that his human had caught something and was preparing it. A perfect time to visit. When he had reached the surface he saw an unfamiliar man at the shore.
“Oho! Asuuks täällä norppa?” The new dark haired man with mismatching eyes looked alarmed when he noticed the seal several meters away from the dock.
Hermes retreated back deeper into the lake, wary of the new human. Loud humans were usually bad news.
“Hey, Charon! I think there is a ringed seal here?” The black haired man turned around, yelling to the direction of the house. Did he know Hermes’ human?
Not long after the familiar tall man walked outside, holding a pan under his arm as he signed something to the new human.
“Oh, okay. I think it smelled the fish… Is it against the law to give it one of them? That’s an endangered species right?” The visitor looked back at Hermes who was still staying well away from the shore and dock.
The boatman simply shrugged as he went to sit down on the chairs around the firepit.
“Wow Charon, you have a seal living on your property and you didn’t even check this stuff.” The black haired man laughs, picking up one of the smaller fish and throwing it into the water close to Hermes.
“Just gonna leave him a little snack, since there is enough for us.” He picked up the bucket with the rest of the cleaned fish and went to...Charon. Hermes ate the roach that was offered to him and climbed on a rock close to the dock. Watching Charon and the visitor talk and eat, noticing them watching him bask on occasion.
Hermes very often wanted to ask his human to come closer to him, since his own movement on land was very cumbersome. Well, at least when he was a seal.
But truth be told, Hermes wasn't sure if Charon would like him if he knew what kind of a creature Hermes actually was. It was different for a human to love what they assumed was a normal animal... but a selkie? He didn't know, and for a while now had been afraid to find out.
Alas, Hermes was also a greedy creature. Whether it was stealing fish from the humans or getting pets from his boatman, he always wanted more. And his heart soon couldn't take it anymore as he thought about the upcoming winter and separation from his boatman. He was selfish and wanted more.
He was sure Charon would be nice to him no matter his form... but could Charon love him back? Would he want to spend time with him if he was a human? There must have been a reason for the man to live alone, far away from other humans.
Hermes watched the tall boatman start a fire in a pit he had built over the summer, heart missing beats and doing flips as he once again mulled over his options.
It wasn't the first time he had considered just shedding his skin and running to his human. Though he still knew there was a chance that it wouldn't end well.
The rest of that afternoon was like many other days they had shared. Both relaxing on the beach, until hunger made them separate. And that hurt Hermes the most. He did not want to see Charon go, he wanted to go to the little house with him. But he couldn't, as long as he was a seal.
He couldn't help it, he loved Charon with his entire being.
Leaving his skin behind and taking his human form permanently seemed more and more appealing as weeks went by. There weren't a lot of beings like him in these waters in the first place, aside from his family. And while animals were good company, Hermes wanted more to be with his human.
It was a cold morning when he finally made his decision. The sky was grey, and leaves on the forest floor among the moss were now decomposing. Hermes had found the hiding spot months ago, a small hole under thick roots of a pine tree that was growing over the rocks at the shore. Close enough that he could swim or walk to his boatman's beach, but still far enough that any nosy humans wouldn't find the precious skin.
He rolled the skin up and placed it under the roots. A final goodbye he supposed, unless his human completely rejected him. He couldn’t think like that though. He would do anything for his boatman, and if it meant leaving his skin he will gladly do it.
He climbed back down into the water, which now felt much more cold than before. Everything felt more cold than he realized. His human form is obviously devoid of the thick skin and a layer of fat. Reasons why humans wore so many clothes.
Still he pushed forward, quickly swimming to the familiar shore and running to the small sauna close to the dock on Charon's yard. He knew his boatman left extra clothes there, along with... blankets of sorts?
Even when the little sauna wasn't heated at the moment, the dry floorboards felt heavenly on his more sensitive human feet. Running through rocks and pine needles wasn't exactly comfortable. Still, his teeth were clattering as small droplets of lake water fell from his short hair and limbs, breaths coming out as puffs as he tried to stay warm.
He rummaged through cabinets, finding some fabrics that looked like clothes. But everything looked like they were too big for him.
It might be possible that he never realized how small he was compared to humans. In any case, he used one piece of fabric to dry his hair and skin, getting rid of the ice cold water still chilling his bones. Then pulling a shirt over his head.
It was too big for him, reaching his mid thigh as the arm holes fell down droopily. It was still a better option than to walk outside naked again. Humans didn’t do that.
Hermes looked up from the little pile of fabrics he had managed to leave on the floor, noticing a mirror on top of a small tabletop, littered with bottles and other things Charon must need.
He had never seen his human face like this before. Reflections on water and ice were usually too unclear to make out details. But here he could even see his eyelashes. The selkie pressed his fingers into his brown hair, pushing it away from his face. Noting that his eyes were also brown, just a different colour.
His face was very different from Charon’s. Skin light brown, nose wider and rounder. His cheeks puffier and even his lips were bigger than Charon’s. Like they were complete opposites. Though Hermes was fairly sure he wasn’t…. bad looking? Selkies were supposed to be as pretty as nymphs after all, but all that might be just hogwash.
Pushing the last of his hairs behind his ears, Hermes thought that it was finally time to see his boatman. Even when he had no idea what his actual plan was.
He was sure Charon would be kind to him… but unsure what would happen past that.
The sun was barely up, and even then it was hidden behind grey clouds, making everything look dreary. The damp grass was still uncomfortably cold against his bare feet as he hopped towards the house. Trying to avoid bigger rocks from digging into his soles. The shirt he had on barely helped with the chilly weather.
He wasn’t confident, possibly way over his head, but he had to follow his heart. So Hermes knocked on the door of the house his beloved human lived in.
His heart was pounding as he waited for any signs of life. Usually Charon woke up early, but what if he had slept longer today? Hermes could wait in the sauna if Charon wasn’t awake… or just go inside? No he’ll wait.
He knocked on the door again, slightly louder this time. The cold was starting to get to him again, having to wrap his arms around himself to stop shivering so badly. His damp hair was feeling more and more uncomfortable as time passed.
Without much warning the lock on the door clicked and it was opened. Hermes held his breath as Charon appeared from the other side of the door, looking tired and confused.
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