Title: Sunken Treasure
Fandom: Wilby Wonderful
Rating: G
Length: ~500 words
Content notes: Dan/Duck, supernatural elements/creatures.
Author notes: Standalone story, but inspired by everyone's comments on a similar one I wrote in this fandom, over here. Thanks to hazelwho for the super fast beta and general loveliness.
Summary: Duck gives Dan a bracelet with some history.



Duck’s been clearing out drawers and shelves for a while, and he’d insisted it had to be done alone, so Dan’s curled up on the sofa watching John Wayne when the back door opens and Duck comes in from the garage.

“Look at this,” he says, and Dan pauses the video. “I didn’t realise I still had it.”

He comes over and sits next to Dan, holding his palm out. Dan looks from the curious object under his nose to Duck’s face and back.

It’s a bracelet of some sort – a strip of leather holding together seven small, oddly-shaped beads, all green-greyish in colour, with a sheen like pearls.

“Nice,” he says. “What is it?”

Duck runs it through his fingers absently, like a rosary. “They’re clam pearls,” he says. “Found them sometimes when we went clamming when we were kids. Made this when I was in high school and wore it for a summer. Forgot all about it.”

He slides the bracelet into Dan’s hand.

Forgot all about it indeed.

Forgot burying his hands in the shreds of his pelt, searching for a strip that would serve his purpose. Forgot the pride over coaxing the sea to give up these treasures, forgot how much of himself, his heart and soul, he’d bound up in it.

Forgot it ever existed because he gave it away once, and only got it back by the skin of his teeth. After that, he hid it from everyone’s sight, including his own, because he never meant to give it away again.

But he hasn’t used it to change shape in years, and it means something different now than it did then. Back then, it was a promise to keep the faith, but he’s made that promise to Dan long since.

He licks his lips. “You want to try it on?”

There's a part of him that wants to hold on to the bracelet, but he’s certain it wanted to be found for a reason. He tried everything, gave everything he had trying to save Dan, so it’s only right he should have this.

Dan gives the bracelet back to Duck and holds his wrist out in response. “Go on then.”

Duck slips the bracelet under his wrist, carefully ties knots into the old leather. It hums under his fingers like it’s coming alive.

Dan gives his arm a shake this way and that way, eyeing the bracelet. He nods appreciatively.

“Keep it if you like,” Duck says. “I think it suits you.”

Dan raises his eyebrows. “You sure? Isn’t it a little…”

“What? Camp? Old-fashioned?”

“Unusual, is what I meant to say.” Dan rubs the bracelet against his arm with his other hand and smiles. “It must have been a lot of work to make.” The pearls are warming against his skin and there’s a faint scent of salt water, maybe from the leather.

“Yeah.” Duck looks at him and for a second Dan thinks he can see an ocean wave breaking in his eyes.

He swallows, then leans over and kisses Duck softly on the lips. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

It’s all the reassurance Duck needs to know that this is right.