When I returned from my walk, Berwald was already at home, diligently working on getting dinner cooked. I called to him from the doorway, letting him know I was home. He called back, welcoming me and beckoning me into the kitchen. Once I had removed my shoes and made the short trip, he asked me to sample something he was cooking, and I was quick to oblige. No matter what he made, it was always tasty. And, lucky for me, he seemed to like seafood. I guess it would make sense; he fished in his free time for some extra income, on top of his office job.
After I had assured him that the food was tasty, he asked me about my walk. He always did that. Perhaps it was a simple common courtesy, and he probably wasn't that interested in my conversations with Matthew, but he always asked, and he always listened attentively. And, of course, I returned the favor, asking him about his day at work. It was never very interesting, consisting mostly of paperwork and annoying coworkers, but I made sure to listen to every word. He finished up dinner and brought it out to the table for us. We sat down across from each other and began eating, remaining silent through most of the meal.
"Tino?" He asked, drawing my attention away from my plate.
"Mhm?" I prompted as I continued eating. It had taken me a while, but I had grown skilled enough with forks and spoons that I could eat without paying much attention to my food.
"...Don' ya... Don' ya miss the ocean?" He wondered. I paused, taking in the words he had said, and set my fork down.
"Why? Do you..." I hesitated, going over the possible meanings of his question. "Do you want me to leave?" I questioned, already feeling hurt by the thought of it. I thought that he enjoyed my company, but it would appear that the feeling wasn't as mutual as I believed. But his face, which typically remains pretty stoic, took on a look of mild panic.
"No! O' course no'! Ah jus'... Ah assumed ya'd be missin' it. It's yer home, after all." I sighed, relieved that he wasn't trying to get me to leave.
"Oh, okei. Sorry. And I suppose I do miss it a little." I lied. I didn't have words powerful enough to describe my homesickness, but he didn't need to know that. "But... I like it here a lot too. And I'm much safer." And that was pure truth. Even if the hunter had given up, it would be next to impossible to find my way back to the caves, let alone get there without being caught. "What I really miss is swimming." I admitted.
"Hmm..." He replied, showing that he needed a moment to think. "Well, Ah know it isn' the same, bu' maybe Ah coul' take ya to a pool?" He suggested. I could only blink stupidly at him, as 'pool' was not a familiar word. "Um... It's like the bath, bu' much bigger." He explained.
"Oh, I think I saw one on television! But... Aren't they public places? I'd start to change back if I was in for more than a couple of hours..." I pointed out, and he nodded.
"Ah coul' ask aroun' and see if we couldn' ren' one out for a day. Ah've hear' tha' they sometimes do it for Muslim women. Oh, and birthday parties, now that Ah think abou' it..."
"So, it would be just you and me?" I wondered.
"Ja."
"Really? Can you do that? It would be wonderful to swim for a while! Oh... But I bet that would cost you a lot of money... That's what "rent" means, right? That you have to pay money? I don't want you to spend so much on me for something I don't really need." I said, my spirits falling already.
"Don' worry abou' it. Ah can give ya a trea' every now and then." He assured, giving me a soft smile. I pouted for a moment, but eventually returned it.
"Well, alright, if you insist." I exclaimed dramatically, getting up to take my empty plate to the sink. As I passed by, I whispered, "Thank you, Berwald."
-.-.-+-.-.-
Surprisingly enough, it was actually pretty easy to find a pool that was willing to clear out for a day. The pool belonged to a local school (a place where human children go to learn about things.) But when school was not in session, they would occasionally open it up to the public, or rent it out for parties. It was, thankfully, indoors, so it would be difficult for anyone to see me when I changed. He scheduled a day, reserving the entire pool just for us. When he informed me of the plan, I found myself unable to contain my excitement. I hadn't had an opportunity to swim since I'd left the ocean, and I was looking forward to finally stretching the muscles I hadn't utilized in ages.
He warned me that the water probably wouldn't agree with me. He said they used chemicals to keep it clean, and that it would burn my eyes if I opened them. I frowned, but figured it couldn't be too unbearable if the humans swam in it. And he solved the burning eye problem by buying me something called 'goggles.' They were similar to spectacles, but they were strapped around the face and made to seal the water out. With those at hand, I was fully prepared for my day in the water. All I had left was to wait.
It seemed like years before the fateful Thursday, but when it finally came I made sure Berwald knew. I woke up after only a couple hours of sleep, before even the sun had risen, and wiggled my way out of bed. I took my shower, then went to wake Berwald up. He groaned as I shook his shoulder, glancing at the alarm clock on his bedside table. It was only five twenty, and he looked at me like my sanity was crumbling. But, with a few words of urgency from me and ten minutes of cuddling from him, he was up and making breakfast for the two of us. I made the bitter black drink of energy (also known as coffee) to make up for waking him so early. We couldn't even get into the pool until ten, leaving us with nearly five whole hours of nothing to occupy. If we ate slowly, that might bring us down to four.
He yawned, transferring the eggs and bacon he had cooked onto plates, getting cheese from the refrigerator to put on top of mine. I thanked him, sitting at the island. He joined me, putting a glass of orange juice in front of me, and we began eating. I tried to go slow, to take up time, but it was all gone before I even knew it was in my mouth. I frowned, drinking my juice as I watched Berwald eat his own meal. He was taking it much slower than I had, sipping his coffee now and then, glancing my way on occasion. I smiled each time he did, fidgeting until he was finished at last. He got up, taking our plates to the sink and scrubbing the remnants off. I came to stand next to him, shifting my weight from foot to foot, wringing my hands together with my excitement. He sighed when he finished putting the plates into the dishwasher, turning my way.
"How abou' we go ou' for a walk?" He suggested, drying his hands on a small towel that he kept near the sink.
"Oh, sure! I'll go put shoes on!" I said, walking to the entryway to fulfill my promise. He followed behind, and I could have sworn I heard him chuckle, but it must have been my ears playing tricks on me, because he hardly ever did that.
Once we both had shoes on, we headed out, walking towards my favorite park. There weren't as many people around at this time of the day, but there were a few people out running. Berwald explained that a lot of people would go for a jog in the morning. Apparently it was better to run early if you wanted to lose weight. I shrugged, not really that interested in the whole "physical exertion" thing. Strength had never been a quality of mine, so why bother with it now?
We walked around the trails a few times, but after an hour Berwald admitted that we would have to find something else to do. After a short debate with himself, he announced that we would do some shopping while we waited, and lead me into town. I wasn't sure what we were shopping for, so I just followed along where he led, gaping at the buildings we passed. I had been into town a few times by then, mostly to and from Berwald's place of work, but I was still amazed by the structures that the humans could build. He took me into a few clothing stores, occasionally picking out things that he requested for me to try on, though we didn't end up buying much of anything. We both acquired a new shirt. Truth be told, the fun for me was the actual experience. It was the first time that he actually let me roam around a store by myself and pick out things that I liked.
Shopping consumed most of our remaining time, and we headed back to his home to deposit the shopping bag and prepare for the pool. Berwald gathered up all of the things we would need in a bag, then led the way back out of the door. I followed, my excitement rising yet again as we neared the pool.
Someone was waiting to unlock the door when we arrived. She said that she would be back around five to lock it back up, and then she left. Berwald locked the door behind her, then ushered me inside. He lead me to a small room that had small compartments, made of metal, protruding from the walls. He said they were lockers, and that it was called a locker room. He instructed me to remove my clothes and put them inside one of the many lockers, and I did as I was told. He did the same next to me, exchanging his clothes for a pair of short pants. I blinked, wondering why he was putting clothes on if he was getting in the water. But then, he was a human, and they have this strange obsession with covering themselves, so who was I to argue.
"Do I need to wear that too?" I asked, pointing at the article with a slight frown.
"Normally? Ja. Bu' since yer legs are gonna change soon anyway, it'd be bes' if ya wen' withou'." He explained, his cheeks getting a bit red after he looked over at me. I wondered what that was about, but I nodded, trying not to picture what I would look like if my legs started changing while wearing pants. I imagined it to be pretty painful.
"Right, okei. Are you ready?" I asked eagerly, already heading for the door.
"Ja, hol' on." He instructed, removing his spectacles and pulling the goggles from the bag, as well as the towels he had brought for us. I tried to wait patiently, but I ended up bouncing up and down next to him. He finally gestured for me to leave the room, and I nearly fell over in my attempt to do so.
When I got into the main room, where the pool was, I could immediately smell something funny. I supposed that it must be the chlorine that Berwald had mentioned, but I never dreamed it would be that strong. Still, I wouldn't be deterred. I was going to swim, chemicals be damned. I turned to Berwald, trying to look as appealing as possible as I asked if I could go. I was already running before he had even nodded his consent. I hopped in with a big splash, elated to be in water at last.
Of course, in my haste I had forgotten the goggles, and I came up for air whining about the burning sensation. He shook his head with a small smile, offering them to me. He helped me put them on and showed me how to press them to my face to seal out the water. I thanked him, then returned to my swimming. True to his word, the goggles kept the water out, and I smiled to myself. I took my first breath under the water, willing my gills to kick into gear again. The water was awful, and it stung a bit as it went through my respiratory system, but it was manageable.
The thing that wasn't manageable was swimming with legs! How on earth did the humans do it? It was no wonder they were such terrible swimmers. I hoped my fins would form sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I returned to the surface, swimming back to were Berwald was. He had only his legs in the water, the rest of him perched on the edge. I frowned up at him, pulling on his arm in a bid to get him swimming as well. I guess he wasn't expecting it, for he fell in with a splash, scrambling to right himself once he was in the water. He looked my way, sporting a frown, but I could see a bit of humor behind it.
"I thought you were going to swim with me." I pointed out, pouting at him. He sighed, nodding his head.
"Ja ja, Ah'm in." He agreed, and I grinned happily. I waited a moment, then swam away as quickly as I could with my legs, hoping he would get the hint and chase after me. But he didn't, remaining stationary as he blinked in my general direction. I frowned, returning to him yet again, and pulled on his arms, forcing him to follow me with a bit of effort on my part. I finally got him following behind, but that was all he did; he didn't try to catch me, he just followed behind me at the same pace. I frowned yet again, turning around and swimming a circle around him. I hardly ever got to play, why was he denying me a game? Surely he knew that he was supposed to chase!
I was about to scold him for not being a sport, but I heard the melody from his phone playing. He apparently heard it as well, his face turning in the direction of the spot where he had left our belongings. He sighed, then excused himself, saying he'd be right back. I pouted but let him go, knowing it was probably something important. I returned to swimming alone, heading to the deeper part of the pool. I stayed under for a few minutes, swimming around the entire perimeter. When I came up, Berwald gestured for me to go over to him.
"Hej," he greeted when I made it over to him. "Ah'm really sorry, bu' one of mah coworkers called in." He informed me. I frowned, already knowing where this was going.
"So... We have to leave?" I offered miserably.
"No, bu' Ah have to go make a business call for 'im. It'll take me a while, Ah jus' wanted to le' ya know." He explained.
"Oh, okei. I can entertain myself for a bit. Come back soon though, okei?" I smiled when he nodded, sinking back down into the water. He walked back to the locker room, and when I popped my head out of the water once in a while, I could hear his voice echoing throughout the structure.
-.-.-+-.-.-
By the time Berwald returned from his phone call, my fins had fully formed, and swimming had become much easier. As soon as I spotted him moving toward the edge of the pool, I swam to meet him. I pulled myself up enough to rest my upper body on the ledge, smiling at him happily.
"Sorry tha' took so long." He apologized, putting his feet into the water again and letting the rest of his body slide in after them. I shook my head.
"That's alright, as long as you play with me now." I assured, circling around him lazily as he remained upright and stationary in the water. He raised an eyebrow at my demand.
"An' how do ya wan' to play?" He wondered. I grinned, coming to a stop in front of him.
"You chase me, of course!" I replied, giggling as I swam away from him. It took him a moment, but he started following after me. He did his best, but after just a few seconds, I realised that there was no way that Berwald had any chance of catching me. He was so far behind, and swimming so slowly... But it was still fun to be chased, and I would feel awful telling Berwald that he's a terrible swimmer, so I slowed my pace, letting him think he was catching up. He seemed pretty proud of himself as he neared, reaching out in a bid to grab the end of my tail. But I was much too quick, speeding up to avoid him. I spared a moment to send a cocky grin over my shoulder.
We went on like that until Berwald was panting and unable to move anymore. I gloated about my win while he regained his breath. Once he had returned to normal, I decided to give him a break, and we floated at the surface of the water, letting the small current created by what Berwald called 'filters' gently move us around the pool. To stay together while we floated, he held my hand, his fingers laced with mine. A feeling that I was unfamiliar with washed over me when I thought about our twined fingers. No one had ever held my hand, not affectionately anyway. Though it was foreign, it was a lovely feeling, and I was content to spend the rest of our day at the pool like that. My stomach didn't agree with that sentiment though.
When the growling became loud enough for Berwald to hear, he stood upright, letting my hand go in order to walk towards the edge. I followed after him, stopping when I realised that I had no way to get out of the pool. I wouldn't be able to heave myself out, so I was stuck unless Berwald decided to help me out. And he didn't. He left me in the shallowest part of the water, going over to the bag. He took out a towel, drying his hair and face, then wrapped it about his waist. Once he was sure it secure, he grabbed the bag, bringing it over to me. He sat on the ledge, his legs dangling. After taking a moment to get settled, he opened the bag, removing a smaller one from inside. After unzipping it, he produced several containers full of food, placing them within my reach. I waited till he had everything unpacked, then started picking out things I liked, popping them into my mouth.
"Jus' don' drop anythin'. We'd get in trouble." He said. I nodded, making sure to be extra careful with my food. As we ate in companionable silence, I couldn't help but think back to the time when food was scarce. I remembered filling my sleeping area with pearls several nights because of stabbing hunger pains. It seemed such a faraway memory already, though I hadn't honestly been on land for very long.
And, as I thought of my old life, I inevitably thought back to my bed mate. He was nearly as small as me, so he had never fared much better. I wondered how he was doing. Perhaps my absence had been good for him; he had the sleeping area to himself. And there was one less mouth to feed, so he could take my share...
But who did I think I was tricking? Certainly not myself. I knew that he was likely having a very hard time by himself, especially being mute. I could only hope that he would survive on his own. He had been doing alright when I left, but he and I were also sharing food. And without me talking to him all the time, he might grow depressed from loneliness. There were so many things that could go wrong, simply because I had disappeared from his life, and I felt truly guilty about leaving for the first time.
I think Berwald noticed my dark thoughts, for he captured my attention, and he too was frowning.
"Are ya alrigh'?" He asked, putting his half eaten sandwich back into the box.
"Yes, I'm fine!" I assured him, trying my best to put on a smile to be more convincing. But I could tell that I failed, so I let it fall without much of a fight. "I just... I'm worried about my friend. The one I told you of? He's very similar to me; Small and not very muscular. And he doesn't speak. I really hate to think of all the things that could have happened to him since I left." I admitted, casting my gaze anywhere but his face. I wished that I hadn't burdened him with my fretting, but what was done was done. He was quiet for a while, and I was too down to fill the silence with needless chatter.
"Wha' do ya wan' to do?" He finally asked, and I looked up to his face at last.
"Want to do?" I repeated.
"Ja. Ya have two choices: Ya can go back an' check on him, or ya can assume tha' he's alrigh', and le' it go." He explained. I frowned even deeper. I didn't like either of the options. I feared the ocean too much to return, but I doubted I could ever forget someone I was so close to. But what could I do? I sighed, looking to Berwald as if for guidance.
"I... I suppose I'll have to put my thoughts of him aside for now. There is nothing I can do." I said bitterly, hating to admit that I was so powerless. Berwald nodded, resuming his eating. He gestured for me to do the same, and I picked up a sandwich, though I had lost my appetite.
After we finished eating, Berwald insisted that he wait thirty minutes before rejoining me in the water, and he wouldn't be swayed, no matter how I begged him. I swam off with a huff, planting myself at the bottom of the deepest part so that he couldn't talk to me. I was a bit miffed by his rejection. I expected him to be quick to comply, especially considering the depressed state I was in. Who cared if he got cramps? It's not as if that would be the end of the world.
I pouted, half at him and half at myself. I was being selfish and immature, and I knew it. Berwald gave me practically everything I wanted, without a single question asked. I sighed, a few bubbles escaping my mouth. I returned to the ledge where his feet dangled in the water, surfacing next to him. His expression hadn't changed since I left his side, but he made an attempt at a smile when I allowed our eyes to meet. And I knew, at that moment, that I had no chances of ever staying angry at him. That almost smile would always melt my heart.
I laid my head in his lap as way of apology. He stiffened for a second, but then relaxed and rested one of his hands in my hair. I stayed like that for at least a few minutes, then pulled away, smiling at him. I lifted my arms up, signaling to him that I wanted help to get out. He grabbed me and heaved, managing to get me out of the water with a grunt. He sat me down next to him on the ledge, my tail still dipped into the water.
"Thank you." I said, scooting a little closer, pressing our shoulders together so I could use him to support my sitting position.
"Ja."
"I'll wait too. Until you can swim again." I announced. He nodded, running his fingers through my wet hair. He then proceeded to laugh, and my hands flew up to feel what he had done to my hair. It was sticking up where his fingers had trailed, and I hastily flattened it down, scowling at him as he continued to chuckle. "That was not very nice." I pointed out.
"Sorry." He offered, though I could tell by his dying laughter that he was not sorry at all. I let it go though, choosing to enjoy his company, funny hair or not.
-.-.-+-.-.-
Five came much too soon, in my opinion. Berwald insisted that I get out an hour before the lady was meant to show up, because we would have to leave when she arrived, so I would have to have legs by then. I made a fuss, but eventually let him coax me out of the pool with a promise to take me again soon. He carried me, with much effort, to the locker room, and helped me shower the chemicals off. Then he wrapped me in a towel and started getting dressed himself.
I sat, wondering how long it would take to make the change. Berwald, after finishing with his dressing, sat next to me, offering his conversation as a way to pass the time. We eventually got to talking about what I did when he was at work.
"Don' ya ever ge' bored? There isn' much to do at mah house." He admitted. I smiled, nodding.
"Sometimes, I guess. But it isn't as though there is anything else for me to do." I pointed out.
"Hmm... Maybe ya coul' ge' a hobby?" He suggested.
"A what?"
"A hobby. Somethin' ya do to pass the time." He explained. "Some people draw, or play instrumen's, or make clothes, there's lot's to choose from." I considered it with much thought, but wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about.
"Is a hobby... fun?" I wondered.
"It's supposed to be."
"Well... It never hurts to try. But what should I do? I don't know how to do any of those things." I reminded him, frowning a bit.
"Learnin' is half the fun. An' ya can try a few ou' till ya find one ya like."
"Okei, I'll try. You'll have to help me though."
"Ja." He agreed, giving me a small smile. Looking down, I could see the form of the legs starting to show through, though my fins were still very prominent.
"Do you have a hobby?" I asked, never having noticed anything like one before.
"Ja. Ah carve things ou' of wood." He said. "Ah can show ya when we ge' back." He offered. I nodded, very eager to see what he had made.
We talked like that for about thirty minutes, and by then I had two separate appendages, however scaly they might have been. I got dressed, then returned to sitting with Berwald, though it seemed we had reached a lull in the conversation. I fell to an old habit, letting a slow melody slip from my lips. At first I just sang notes, but eventually I transitioned into words, old Mer. It was only used when we sang, and it sounded much different out of the water. Before we adapted to the human language, we could only really communicate under water. Our language was simply too complex for the lack of acoustics on land. But luckily the building that housed the pool allowed for an echo, so I didn't sound too terrible. I let the words flow, not truly thinking about what I was singing about. That is the way of the Mer. The lyrics come on their own, we sing about what we feel. It's natural for us, much like breathing.
I sang of the fear of my life before, of my narrow escape, of the savior that cared for me still, of growing affections.
When I had nothing else to sing of, I let it trail off, opening my eyes. I heaved a sigh, feeling great after singing after such a long lack thereof. I wondered vaguely why I hadn't sung in so long, but I was reminded when I looked over at Berwald. His eyes were wide and transfixed on me, obviously captivated. My stomach lurched, remembering all of the stories of kidnapped Mer, forced to sing endlessly for humans.
But, thankfully, after a few moments Berwald regained his senses.
"Tha' was... Beautiful."
A/N: Chapter four is a go. It's funny, I refuse to upload the next chapter until I have the one two ahead of it finished. So I finished chapter six last night, and chapter four comes out. I do that because I want to have a few already written just in case, but it kind of defeats the purpose, seeing as the whole point of that was to avoid super long upload gaps. Oh well, at least I have a couple to fall back on should I hit any massive writer's block. It also gives me a one up on you guys, so when you review I can snicker at the things you do or don't guess. It's fun for me!
I'm typing this at my dad's house, actually, which is a rare thing for me. I live with my mom, but my dad is giving me a car, and I have to learn how to drive it. It's sad that an 18 year old is just now learning to drive. In my defense, it's a five-speed, so it's a bit harder than a normal car. It's a cutie though, itty bitty and red. (I wish it was blue. I might look into getting it painted. But that's so expensive... Ugh, we shall see.) Hopefully I'll be driving soon.
The other day, I simply couldn't resist, and I ended up writing the climax of the story! I know that's cheating, but I've been dying to do it since I started writing this, and you've got to write when you get the inspiration. Now I just have to make sure I mention everything I did in the climax. Let's just say, I have a lot in store for our favorite Mer and man. A LOT.
This past weekend, I was at Dodeca-Con, which is the first convention EVER in my city. It was tiny, but because of that I ended up making a lot of new friends, and managed to stretch forty dollars out into several purchases! I was actually working for them... Well, volunteering. And I hosted the cosplay panel, which means I got to dress up every day! And I placed in the costume contest! I was awarded "best representation/reproduction of an anime character" for my Ciel cosplay. If you'd like to see me all dressed up, I have some pictures up on my facebook page, at least one of each costume. Feel free to check them out, there's a link to my facebook in my profile!
For now, I'm trying to save as much money as I can for Supernatural Toronto, but it's proving very hard with all of the awesome Kingdom Hearts stuff and fabric I need to buy. The life of a cosplayer. I'm currently working on Natsuo and Youji from Loveless, and after that I'm planning on doing Himeno from Pretear with my little brother, who is going to do Hajime. I'm still looking for someone to do Takako/Fenril, but so far my search has been in vain! I'll never give up though.
Okei, I'll let you all go, sorry for Tino ranting at you every time I post a chapter, I just love talking to you all so much! I'd be tickled if you reviewed. Trust me when I say, the more reviews I see, the more I want to write. So keep 'em coming, and I'll keep the chapters coming. Thanks for your time, and I hope to see you all next time around. For now, Auf Wiedersehen and Rakastan Sinua!
KuroRiya
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