MPHFPC one-shots

Catching Waves

A/N: For pip_head_luther

P.S. I'm no expert on surfing, feel free to correct me🏄🤷‍♀️

Bookverse

Horace sat at the beginning of the beach, under a parasol, reading his book. He'd bought it from one of the local stores fairly recently and had only just found the time to read it, what with being so busy learning about the modern world and catching up with homework. So far, though, he thought it was a great read.

Down playing in the sea were the other children, and even Miss Peregrine was strolling along the shore.

Horace watched as Enoch took hold of poor Jake and shoved his head underwater, laughing as the latter struggled. It was only when Emma pulled him off that Enoch let go. Shaking his head, Horace went back to his book.

"Horace, why don't you join the others in the sea?" Miss Peregrine suggested a moment later, having walked back up the beach to him.

Horace looked up, squinting in the sunlight.

"I think I'd rather sit and read, Miss," Horace said. He looked over to the others splashing in the sea and rolled his eyes at the sight of Enoch messing around on a surfboard. He was practically doggy paddling trying to ride it.

"Are you sure? The sea's nice and cold," said Miss Peregrine.

Horace sighed and watched as Enoch was flipped over on the board due to a large wave. He was useless.

"All right," Horace decided. He closed his book and stood up, wiping away sand from his swimming trunks. "But only to show Enoch how it's done."

And so Horace strolled towards the glistening, blue sea on the general direction of his peculiar friends. When he reached the shore, he slipped off his shiny shoes and his socks, then his blazer and shirt. That left him in a pair of shorts. He debated taking them off and swimming in his boxers, but decided against it.

Looking around, he spotted an abandoned surf board a couple of feet away on the sand so he quickly picked it up and started wading his way further and further into the cold water.

When he was deel enough in and had caught the attention of his fellow peculiars, he climbed aboard the surf board and waited for a wave big enough to ride.

"Are you sure you'll be able to ride that?" Enoch shouted at him over the sound of seagulls.

Horace turned to him.

"Watch and see," he said.

Turning back, he spotted a perfect wave. Lying down on the board, he started swimming towards it. When the time was right, he stood up carefully and managed to keep his balance, catching the wave with ease. He was almost distracted by the cheers from the others, but easily shifted his focus back to surfing lest he fall and embarrass himself.

Horace managed to hold the wave until it started to curve over like a blanket. As it curled, he came out on the other side of it, only just succeeding in not getting caught.

When he was free of it, he stopped surfing and lay down on the board again to swim back to his cheering friends while he waited for another wave to surf.

"That was amazing, Horace!" Emma congratulated him as soon as he'd reached them.

"I suppose so," he agreed, sitting up.

"What do you mean 'suppose so'?" Questioned Jake. "You're a natural."

"He's all right," Enoch sniffed. Horace glanced at him and couldn't help but compare his appearance to that of a wet dog.

"You're just jealous because he can surf and you can't," Claire smirked.

She was perched on Enoch's shoulder because she was too young to know how to swim, but had wanted to join them anyway. She'd previously promised Miss Peregrine that she would stay above the water.

"I am not!" Enoch denied. "Don't make me drop you."

Claire pouted and rested her chin on his head.

"I think I see another wave coming," Horace announced, hand blocking the sun from his eyes as he surveyed the ocean.

Without another word, he lay back down on the board and started paddling towards the wave.

"Show off," Enoch muttered to himself, earning a light smack from Claire.