#i think it makes sense to link Grantaire to the earth

[mysunfreckle]

If you still need prompts to keep you sane maybe fluffy fantasy au enjoltaire? (Idk if you've seen the siren Enjolras and nymph grantaire posts but you can do something along those lines if you want it's up to you) thank you for literally everything you've written because it's amazing and thanks in advance!

I haveindeed seen (and loved!) @stopcallingmeapollo‘s myth au! Which actually made itrather a puzzle to come up with my own… But that gave me an excuse to daydreamabout folklore for days, so thank youso much anon, for your incredibly kind words as well! I hope you’ll like this

( @petalparnassee you have given me fresh Scottish lore and now look whathappened:)

Grantaireis lying on his stomach on a flat rock that rises just above sea level, his lowerhalf still comfortably in the foamy water. It’s early in the morning yet,the wisps of mist that drew  from the seatowards the shore have barely dissolved. Through the faint haze that is stillleft Grantaire sees a shape approaching. It’s a black stallion and the gate of his hooves is like poetry itself. Blinking lazily Grantaire watches himapproach the shore. He is too familiar with the elegant movements and the prouddemeanour to be impressed. The cobbles on the beach skit away or are trampledunder the gleaming black hooves and the horse charges straight into the water.Grantaire doesn’t bother to watch the proud head disappear underneath thewaves. A moment later there’s a splash of water beside the rock he is restingon and two pale hands grip the edge. Montparnasse pulls himself up out of thewater, his dark hair wet and slick against his head.

“Show off,”Grantaire hums.

“Goodmorning to you too,” Montparnasse snarks. He sits down with his legs crossed.

In the greylight of morning his skin looks even paler than it is, but Grantaire knows thelighting doesn’t matter. Montparnasse will always be annoyingly beautiful.

His greyeyes are staring of into the distance. “I saw someone walking towards theshore,” he says nonchalantly.

Grantairemakes an exasperated sound. “I swear, if I have to rescue one more of your stupid victims I’m telling Jehan.”

Montparnassemakes a tutting sound. “This one isn’t really my type,” he says airily.

“That’ll bea first,” Grantaire grunts. He splashes his heavy tail in the water, makingMontparnasse glare.

He ignoresthe insult however and continues casually: “Too blonde for a start… To loud… Tointerested in you.”

Grantairegulps and nearly rolls off the rock.

Montparnasse’sdistinctive kelpie laugh sounds loud and neighing across the water.

“Enjolras is on his way here?” Grantairesplutters. “Why didn’t you just say that, you ass.”

“I wasgoing to,” Montparnasse sniffs. “You were the one that decided to be rude.” Helets himself slide smoothly off the rock and allows the waves to carry him fora moment so he can shoot his most annoying grin at Grantaire. “Good luck, seal-boy.”

He divesunder water before Grantaire can either answer or lash out at him. AnxiouslyGrantaire directs his gaze towards the shore. This is ridiculous. Will he evernot be nervous at the prospect of speaking to Enjolras? Because it’s thespeaking that’s the problem. Seeing him is fine. Grantaire used to watch himwander along the shore, collecting pebbles for hours. But that was before heactually met him. Before Enjolras noticedhim. There is a jolt of nerves in his stomach as his eyes finally discern ashape in the distance that might be Enjolras. Grantaire watches it approachuntil he is sure. It only takes the morning sun throwing one rosy ray on thefigure’s head. Golden locks gleam like yellow flames and Grantaire knows it canonly be Enjolras. He slides off the rock, his round body moving with as muchgrace as Montparnasse’s lanky one and swims to the shore with a effortless preoccupation. As soon as his tail brushes the loose cobbles of thebeach his sealcoat unfurls from around him and two feet offer him stability.Grantaire follows the rolling waves onto the shore, wrapped loosely in hisfurry pelt. He would rather wait for Enjolras like this. Transforming before theeyes of someone else is unnerving to him. He sits down on a boulder resting very nearthe water that is big enough to seat two and turns his head towards the walkingfigure. He takes a deep breath and raises his arm in a wave.

“Grantaire?”a melodic voice calls out.

“Who else,”he calls back, thankful that his voice displays more confidence than he feels.

Enjolrasspeeds up and Grantaire smiles when he is near enough for Grantaire to hear thepebbles clinking in his pockets. Enjolras has a relatively hard time repressinghis hoarding tendencies.

“I didn’tknow if you’d be here,” Enjolras says, almost apologetically. “But you usuallyare in the morning so…”

“It’s veryearly,” Grantaire points out. “You must have left before sun-up.” Waking upwithout the sun on his face is distasteful to Enjolras, Grantaire isn’t sure hehas ever seen him this early in the day. He gives Enjolras an enquiring look.“Wait…did you even sleep?”

“I did!”Enjolras protests. He sighs. “Just, not a lot?” He sits down on the boulderbeside Grantaire.

Grantairelooks out across the beach, watching the waves break on the shore. “Didsomething happen?” he asks.

“No…”Enjolras says slowly.

Grantairenods and waits. Enjolras lives in the small town nearby. Lots of people there.People that, kind and understanding as they may be, still get freaked out bythings they did not expect to see. Maybe that’s why Enjolras rambles around thefields and over the beaches so much. Maybe that’s why when he’s talking toGrantaire-

“It’s justfrustrating!” Enjolras bursts out. “I mean I like it here. And it’s great having to not, you know, hide who Iam. It’s definitely better than the city but-” He gestures in frustration. “Nowit just seems like I’m dealing with stupid stereotypes every other day. Why thehell would I care whether someone isa virgin or not?”

Grantaireis very happy Enjolras doesn’t expecthim to actually answer that question, because it took all his self-command to notaudibly choke at that sentence. It’s not that he minds, he just didn’t expectthe conversation to take that turn. Enjolras luckily doesn’t notice his temporarydistraction and swiftly moves on to other grievances. Grantaire doesn’tinterrupt him. Enjolras clearly needs to vent.

AndEnjolras does vent. He vents until sparksstart flying from his mouth and thin wisps of smoke crinkle from his nose everytime he exhales in a huff. Grantaire feels the heat that always radiates aroundEnjolras growing stronger and he silently basks in it. In the water he is nevercold, but on the shore he is. Enjolras pours his heart out until his fire literally spills from his lips.

“Sorry,” hegulps, shutting his mouth in embarrassment.

Grantairelaughs softly. “Don’t worry about it,” he says. “You bottle stuff up too much.”He’s painfully aware of how much that is the pot calling the kettle black, buthe carefully ignores that.

“I know,”Enjolras sighs. He glances sideways at Grantaire and gives him a slight smile.“Thanks for listening.”

“Thanks forwarming me up,” Grantaire quips.

Enjolrassmiles a little wider. He looks a lot better now. Less at war with himself andthe world in general. “How have things been here?” he asks after a while.

“Wet,”Grantaire says seriously.

Enjolrasmakes a sound hallway between a laugh and a scoff. “I’m serious,” he says.“Talk to me about what bothers you for a change.”

Grantairegrimaces. “Kelpies,” he says decidedly. “Kelpies bother me.”

Enjolraslaughs. “Why?” he asks.

Grantairepulls a dramatically incredulous face. “Have you ever met a kelpie?”

Enjolraslaughs again and this time Grantaire can hear the roar of fire and the clink ofgold echoing in the back of it. He grins and thinks it’s a pretty fantasticalthing, for a selkie to be able to make a dragon laugh.