A/N: Hi. Have this. you deserve it.


Chapter Two.

It was a few months before the topic was breached again. It was after Sectionals and Sebastian and Jeff were rehearsing a little something they'd put together. "Wasn't Ariel a really horrible dancer?" Sebastian asked as they took a break from dancing.

"Who's Ariel?" Jeff asked, drinking half his water bottle in one go and spraying some on his head.

"The Little Mermaid," Sebastian said. "I thought she was terribad."

"I guess you could say that's a common misconception," Jeff said. "I really can't say for anyone else, but I always found dancing a lot like swimming. It's not really in the feet, it's in the hips."

"How is swimming in your hips?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, it isn't for you," Jeff retorted. "Just go with it."

"Would you get kicked off the swim team if they found out?" Sebastian asked.

"If they found out, I'd get a little more than kicked off the swim team," Jeff said. "Hundreds of years ago, my people used to try to help, to guide ships with safe passage, but the sailors were usually assholes, trying to take the mermaids with them, so we retreated. Farther in. The deepest parts of lakes and far enough into the ocean that no one would happen upon us. I can still remember…"

"Remember? How old are you?" Sebastian asked.

"Three hundred and six," Jeff replied. "But that's really young, like… I don't know, human years are different. I'm young for a mermaid, like they stop treating you like a kid at three hundred, usually, so I'm probably somewhere between your sixteen and twenty-one."

"Whoa," Sebastian said. "You're too old for Nick."

"In some ways, I'm really too young for Nick," Jeff said. "If I stay here, I wouldn't look a day past 18 for another 250 years."

"Then why are you here?" Sebastian asked.

"Fancied a vacation," Jeff said with a shrug.

"So that pretty necklace of yours keeps you human," Sebastian said.

"No, it keeps me mermaid. If I didn't have it, I would have become pure human by now with no chance to return home."

"So, hypothetically, you could become human and stay here forever," Sebastian deduced. "Well, until you die."

"Why would I want to give up virtual immortality and a life in the sea?" Jeff asked.

"Because forever is boring without someone to spend it with," Sebastian replied. He seemed very serious.

"You think I should do it for Nick?" Jeff asked. Sebastian didn't respond.


"Nicky, we need to talk," Jeff said, setting his bag down in their shared room.

"Again?" Nick asked.

"Yes, again, and yes, now," Jeff said. "You have literally no idea how much I'm willing to give up to be with you."

"Didn't realize I was such a burden on you," Nick said bitterly. "I guess next time I tell a guy I like him, I'll make sure he's capable of handling someone as high maintenance as me."

"That's not what I meant," Jeff said. "I want to be with you, it's just complicated."

"Sorry I'm so complicated," Nick spat.

"It's not you!" Jeff shouted. "I'm weird and complicated, and I'm honestly wishing I wasn't so we could have a normal life."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nick asked.

"I can't explain," Jeff said. "Not here and not right now. But what you have to know is that I do love you and I want to be with you. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since… since ever, I guess. I don't know what I can say to make you believe me." Nick didn't say anything, just glared. "If that's not what you want, that's fine too, I just want everything to go back the way it was. When we would fool around at Warblers Practice no matter how much Wes told us to behave, when we used to go to the pool almost every night. When it was you I talked to about anything and everything, not Sebastian. I denied it for a long time because I didn't come here to find the love of my life. It was supposed to be a nice jaunt for a few years, nothing serious. I love you, Nicky."

"You're not making any sense," Nick said.

"I know. Someday I'll explain, but not today," Jeff said. "I'm… a little different. Let's go with that."

"How different?"

"Not that different," Jeff said. "Because what is the same is that I love you. Do you still love me?"

"Of course I do," Nick said softly.

"Are you ready to give us a chance?" Jeff asked. "I will wait for you as long as it takes."

"Even if that was a thousand years?" Nick asked.

"Absolutely," Jeff said with a nod.

"Are you going to woo me properly?" Nick asked.

"If that's what it takes," Jeff said.

"Okay," Nick said. "Saturday Night, date, dinner, movie, I expect some flowers."

"Can do."

"Wait, you have a dive meet Saturday," Nick said.

"That's fine, we'll go out after it," Jeff said. "We'll have fun, I promise.

"Okay," Nick said with a small smile.


As usual, Jeff got the gold.

"Have you ever considered that you're technically cheating?" Sebastian asked him, creepily standing outside the shower stall as Jeff washed the chlorine out of his hair.

"Nope," Jeff said. No one else was within earshot thankfully. "Because I'm not. I'm human. 100 percent. Test me."

"But you still have a ridiculous amount of natural talent."

"It's almost like I was born in the sea," Jeff said sardonically.

"So, where are you taking Nick tonight?" Sebastian asked.

"Please don't stalk us," Jeff said, shaking his hair out like a dog and turning off the water. "Hand me my towel."

"What if I don't?" Sebastian challenged.

"Then I guess you'll get to see me naked," Jeff shrugged. "But it'll be the last thing you ever see."

"Are you going to bite my head off? Do you grow fangs and get really scary like in Pirates 4?" Sebastian teased.

"Do you really want to find out?" Jeff asked.

"I'm curious! Do you even have a dick? How do you have sex?" Sebastian asked, handing Jeff his towel.

"Yes, and I'm not talking about that with you," Jeff said, blushing as he pulled back the curtain, towel around his waist.

"Cuz, like, I've seen the Little Mermaid and it's all smooth, so how do they have babies?" Sebastian asked, hurrying after Jeff.

"Why are you even in the locker room?" Jeff asked, turning to his locker and using the towel formerly around his waist to towel his hair before quickly slipping on boxers and a pair of jeans.

"Because sometimes you give free shows and you've got a nice ass."

"Gimme the keys and get out," Jeff said.

"Fine," Sebastian said, slapping his car keys into Jeff's hand before crossing his arms and stomping out of the locker room.

Nick was waiting in the lobby of the pool house when Jeff got out there, hair still wet but actually rather sexy.

"Really?" Jeff asked happily.

"Yess," Nick grinned.

"So um… I don't drive yet, sorry," Jeff said awkwardly. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed like driving was one of those things he'd never get the hang of. "It's supposed to be our perfect date, but, uh… I know you have your license and Sebastian's loaning us his car." He handed the keys to Nick.

"That's okay, I don't mind driving," Nick said. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Jeff said.

"You sort of have to tell me if I'm driving," Nick pointed out.

They had a lovely date. The food was great, and they caught a late showing of Breaking Dawn, Part 1, which is really the best Twilight movie, Nick said, because Bella's in pain for most of the movie. Jeff laughed nervously.

He liked Twilight – but not really. It was like he liked to hate it. He'd picked up the books his freshman year because someone had said they were good, and it was intriguing – the story of someone mortal and someone immortal falling in love. Except. It hurt because, even if Jeff wouldn't live forever, he'd still long outlive Nick.

This was a bad idea.


It was Tuesday when Jeff finally got the chance to talk to Sebastian. Nick was packing to go home for Thanksgiving. He'd invited Jeff and Jeff had agreed.

"I can't do it," Jeff announced to Sebastian.

"Can't do what?" Sebastian asked, barely looking up from organizing his condoms.

"I could stay with Nick for the rest of his life, and even if that's 80 years, that's only 80 years," Jeff said. "What do I do then? Go back to Sterling City and be alone? I don't…"

"If I may make a suggestion," Sebastian said. "You take that necklace off and just grow up. Like Arwen does for Aragorn in Lord of the Rings."

"I can't," Jeff said. "I'm not – I'm not human. I don't belong here."

"Then get out. Go home," Sebastian said. "Those are your options, unless you can turn Nick into a mermaid."

"I can't," Jeff said. "Only – only the King could do something like that."

"Yeah, I told you, I've seen the Little Mermaid," Sebastian said. "Get the King to make Nickers a mermaid. Problem solved."

"Daddy would never do something like that," Jeff said. "Not for me, at least."

"Hold up. Daddy? You're a prince?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah," Jeff said. "Second in line, though, my brother, Eric, is first."

"Eric, like the prince from the Little Mermaid?" Sebastian asked.

"Stop it," Jeff said. "I'm so much older than that movie. And, for that matter, the fairy tale too."

"Well, you could always do what she does," Sebastian said. "Doesn't she kill the prince and then herself?"

"Not the Prince, just herself," Jeff said.

"Whatever," Sebastian said. "Why don't you get your Daddy to turn Nick into a mermaid?"

"My Daddy hates humans," Jeff said, "and can you blame him? I mean, you people have polluted our living space, that BP oil spill a few years back hit us pretty hard. You hunted us, murdered us, harvested us, kidnapped us, and for what? If we're away from water for too long we turn into boring old humans anyway, what's the point?"

"Do people still hunt mermaids?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't know. I'm basically a kid," Jeff said. "I think they're still out there. Mostly on the West Coast."

"So Nick becoming a mermaid is out," Sebastian said, thoughtfully. "And we're back to you becoming human."

"I…"

"Can't or won't?" Sebastian finished for him. "Do you love him or not?"


Jeff did love Nick. Too much maybe. He wanted to spend every second with Nick. Seconds were fleeting. Jeff didn't know how many they would have together.

"When's your birthday?" Nick asked one day, just before Valentine's Day.

"What?" Jeff replied.

"Your birthday," Nick said. "We've known each other for two and a half years so you must have had at least two birthdays. When is it? I want to make you a cake."

"Oh," Jeff said. To be honest, time seemed to pass differently in Sterling City, and human things like Christmas and August made very little sense to him. He knew he'd been born in the spring, so he said the first date that came to mind. "April 23."

"Okay!" Nick agreed brightly. "April 23." Jeff wrote it down so he wouldn't forget. "That's close. You're gonna be 17. Right?"

"Yup."

"Haha, you're old," Nick teased.

"17 isn't old," Jeff frowned.

"Older than me," Nick said.

"Why, when's your birthday?" Jeff asked.

"June 24," Nick replied. "Two months younger."

"You're cute," Jeff said with a laugh.


It was almost Jeff's birthday, and the boys were at the pool. Jeff was practicing his dives like usual. Nick was watching in awe like usual. Jeff was trying a new dive he'd invented or something.

That's when disaster struck. The force of hitting the water at the wrong angle caused the knot on Jeff's necklace to snap and it sunk to the bottom of the pool. Just as Jeff disappeared under the surface, his tail appeared, and with a kick, splashed the entire side of the pool where Nick was sitting. Nick sputtered. Jeff opened his eyes under the water and immediately knew what had happened. The chlorine in the pool burned his scales. On the bottom of the pool was his necklace, the green pendant reflecting the artificial light. Jeff dove for it without surfacing, after all, he didn't really need to breathe. He wasn't even considering what Nick would think, he was more concerned with how he was supposed to go to school if his necklace was broken. As he surfaced, he shook his hair out of his face. Nick was staring at him.

"So that was a bad one…" Jeff said, hoping Nick would be cool. Nick wasn't cool.

"You're a… a merman!" Nick exclaimed. "What did – how did you – how did – what did – Je-eff!" Jeff moved effortlessly through the water to the edge of the pool, trying to ignore the burn of the chemicals.

"Ew no. I'm a male mermaid. I don't know why I like that better, but I do," Jeff said. "You don't happen to have a safety pin, do you?"

"No?" Nick managed to squeak. "How–?"

"I was going to tell you," Jeff said, heaving himself out of the pool to sit on the edge, his tail disappearing as he left the water, until with a final flick, he had two legs folded underneath himself.

"How?"

"Remember how I said I was a little different and complicated? This is why," Jeff said. "I'm a mermaid. I am from a very deep part of the Gulf of Mexico, about 100 miles off the coast of Tampa, in a place called Sterling City. Three years ago, I stole this necklace from the Royal Collection and came here. The necklace – it has special properties." He fumbled with the knot as he spoke, trying to get it to a place where he could get it back on. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. If it's too weird for you, I can understand that." He looked over at Nick, who was still staring at him, confused. "Sebastian does know, but no one else." Nick continued to stare. "Are you okay, Nicky?"

"Yeah…" Nick finally said. "It's just a lot to take in, finding out mythical creatures exist and your best friend is one."

"Almost all mythical creatures have existed at some point in time," Jeff said. "So you're okay with it?"

"Question."

"Yes?"

"Where do your swim trunks go when your legs go away?" Jeff burst out laughing.

"Let's get back to the room," Jeff said. "I have to figure out how to get this necklace back on before something bad happens."

"Like what?" Nick asked.

"Like me becoming human permanently," Jeff said. He put the broken necklace in the pocket of his swim trunks.

"How long does it take for that to happen?" Nick asked.

"Few hours," Jeff shrugged. "It's not a big deal, a safety pin should hold it. I'm sure Trent has one." They stopped by Trent's on the way back to their room and borrowed a safety pin. Back in their room, Jeff put his necklace back on and he could feel the magic envelop him again.

"Are you good?" Nick asked.

"Yep, I'm perfect," Jeff said, grinning. "Are you okay, though? I'd understand if you didn't want to be with me anymore–"

"No, it's cool," Nick said.

"Nick, you don't have to–"

"No, I think it's cool," Nick said. "It's a little strange, but it's cool. My boyfriend's a mermaid and I think that's cool."


"I told Nick," Jeff said to Sebastian the next day. They had first period together. "Well, mostly. He knows now anyway."

"Does he know how old you are?"

"No."

"Does he know you're still considering going home?"

"No."

"Does he know about the unicorns?"

"No."

"Did you tell him anything?"

"I didn't want to open the door to him asking about ogres or platypi," Jeff said. "I love him and I want to take this at the right speed."

"So have you two fucked yet?" Sebastian asked bluntly.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no," Jeff said.

"Damn gurrl!" Sebastian exclaimed, getting looks from the other students. "It's been months, what's your problem?"

"I'm just a kid!" Jeff exclaimed, and now people were really starting to stare.

"This is the best part of your kid years, 16 to 21," Sebastian said.

"It's not exactly like I was a stud back home," Jeff muttered.

"I thought you were a prince," Sebastian said, also lowering his voice.

"My brother always had girls all over him," Jeff said. "But not me. If you can see where I'm going with this?" Sebastian nodded, but the teacher chose to start class then, so he couldn't reply. The percentage of gay mermaids was even smaller than the percentage of gay humans – meaning Jeff was the only boy who liked boys in Sterling City. It wasn't why he'd left, not by a long shot, but it was a fact.


"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Nick shouted. Jeff looked up to see Nick standing at the door, holding a cake.

"Thanks," Jeff smiled. "Ooh, that looks delicious." Jeff loved sweet foods that were otherwise unavailable back home.

"Seventeen," Nick said, happily, setting the cake on Jeff's desk.

"Yep," Jeff agreed.

"Cake, then cuddles, and a movie," Nick said, cutting pieces of cake for each of them.

"Alright," Jeff agreed.

"Pirates, Harry Potter, or Twilight?" Nick asked.

"Pirates, but not the fourth one, I can't watch that again," Jeff said.

"Two?"

"Sure." They convened on Nick's bed with their cake after Nick put in the DVD.

"Is that stuff true, though?" Nick asked quietly.

"Not all of it," Jeff said, swallowing the huge bite of cake he'd just taken. "Obviously not all mermaids are female."

"Can a kiss from a mermaid save a sailor from drowning?" Nick asked.

"I think that might be a rumor that started back when we used to save them – and we knew about mouth-to-mouth before you did," Jeff said. "I wouldn't suggest trying it, though. I sincerely doubt my kisses are that powerful."

"I'm still really curious to know where your swim trunks go when your legs go away," Nick said.

"Don't push it, hun," Jeff said.

"You don't know, do you?" Nick asked.

"Nope, couldn't care less," Jeff said. "I got used to Sebastian asking where my man parts go when my tail comes out."

"Good question," Nick said, reaching a hand forward as if it check if Jeff even had them.

"Excuse you!" Jeff exclaimed, jerking away. "Trust me, they're there."

"Sorry," Nick mumbled, putting his hands back in his own lap.

"Maybe, uh, maybe we should talk about this…" Jeff said uncertainly.

"No, no, it's fine," Nick said. "Things are probably different where you come from. I should have thought of that. Don't mermaids live longer than humans? Seventeen is probably just a baby to you. Oh, my God, I almost molested a baby."

"Um, no," Jeff said. "I mean, yes, we do live longer, but I'm – I'm seventeen in human years, give or take."

"How old is that in mermaid?" Nick asked.

"Three hundred and seven," Jeff said. Nick stared. "I didn't think we were ready for this." Jeff shook his head and set his cake on the nightstand, making to get up.

"No, no, no," Nick said, reaching for Jeff's arm. "That makes more sense. I just… that's a lot older than me."

"Yeah, it is," Jeff said.

"How long do mermaids live?" Nick asked.

"Naturally?" Nick nodded. "Well, provided they don't get killed or something… I mean, my father is like fifteen-hundred-something, and his dad is still alive… it's – it's a long time."

"Oh," Nick said, the sudden flash of human mortality very obvious on his face. "Oh."

"We shouldn't be talking about this," Jeff said. "I'm sorry, I–"

"Don't touch me," Nick said. Jeff retracted the arm he'd been about to put around Nick. "What if – what are – what will you do – what–" Nick stuttered, not sad or upset, just afraid. "Will you forget about me? I – I'll only live to be… my grandfather died when he was 57. Please don't forget about me. Please don't leave me because I get old."

"Nicky, I'm not going to leave you," Jeff said. "And for God's sake, you're 16. You've got a long life ahead of you."

"Maybe you were right when you said you weren't looking for anything serious," Nick said.

"No, don't do that," Jeff said. "I read Twilight, this doesn't end well for either of us if you start worrying about it."

"How do you become a mermaid?" Nick asked.

"You don't," Jeff said. "Don't even think about it. It's – it's not for you to worry about."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nick asked.

"It means that I could take off this necklace and just become a normal human anytime I wanted," Jeff said. "I'd age like normal and die, like normal."

"But–"

"But," Jeff agreed. "That's a lot to give up. I would do it, for you. Because you're worth it. You're worth it to me. But I don't want you to worry about it, honey, please."

"Okay…" Nick said. "You can – you can hug me. Please." Jeff smiled and wrapped Nick up in his arms. "Please love me."

"I do love you," Jeff said softly. "Always will."


A/N: I hope I didn't lose anyone with the Twilight analogies, because fuck you I like Twilight. Leave me reviews. :D

xoxo Samantha.

PS, so like i went to see r5 and it was awesome.

Next ChapteR we meet Hunter! (: