Ropes, made heavier by the water they were submerged in, were tangled around him. His tail fin remained free, yet it did nothing to change his situation as his arms were pressed uncomfortably to his sides. The surface was mere inches from his face and he had a clear view of maybe a dozen humans pulling at the ropes constricting him. His efforts to break free were doubled, but they remained futile as his face broke the surface and he gasped. The air was burning him, burning the gills on his neck as his lungs filled with air and took over. He could hear them now, the humans, they were shouting in barely contained excitement while pulling him further into the scorching sunlight.
Marco didn't stop struggling as the sun dried the water from his skin and hair, making the still wet ropes mark his skin and break the fine shimmering scales of his tail. Their hands were on him and he could no longer break free. They were anything but gentle and he still struggled, flailed in their merciless grip, but it was meaningless. The ocean, his home, was getting further and further from his reach as they carried him away into the unknown.
By the time they reached their destination, Marco stopped his resistance; even if he were to get free from the iron grip or the still heavy ropes, he had no way of getting to the water. He wasn't used to being directly exposed to the sunshine as it was his first time out of the comfort of the ocean. For the first time in his entire life, his curiosity to see the surface and the humans became unbearable and he let himself indulge in a childish desire. A desire that got him tangled in a trap, carried by mean looking humans with skin darker and by far rougher than his own.
He was carried into an enclosure, all the while listening to the men speak of prices and quality, potential buyers and their disappointment in catching a male mermaid. His eyes stung and his vision blurred as they entered the darkness of the building. The only thing keeping him aware of the situation was the laughter of his captors as they finally stopped and dropped him unceremoniously into sea water. Marco's hopes of freedom were raised for a moment before he realized it was only a glass tank. The seawater was stale and his restraints remained in place as he slowly sunk to the bottom, watching as the small group of men departed towards the exit, their laughter filling the room.
One of them stopped at the door and turned to him for a moment, before turning back. He seemed to yell something, but Marco could not hear what it was. Not that he really cared, it was too late for him anyway. However stale, the water cooled his skin and he enjoyed the little bit of relief he was graced with. He looked around as much as he could with the ropes still around him, but he managed to discern that the big room was empty and dark save for the fairly spacious tank that lit up the space just barely. Only then did he notice a metal platform with a stair case next to the tank; being blinded by the sun made it impossible to notice or even care how he was even lifted above the tall tank.
The door opened and the new source of light, however brief, alarmed him and he looked at the silhouette standing in the doorway. He could see already it was a person different from the ones that brought him there. The door closed slowly and Marco could finally see the human clearly.
The dark haired boy, judging from the face far more innocent than those of the men who captured him, was staring at him in awe. His freckled face was frozen in unspoken admiration as he moved closer to the tank, his pace slow and careful. Marco observed him with curiosity, after all, this was different from his experience until that point. The boy finally reached the tank and the merman could see him perfectly. His hair was dark and mused, framing his freckled face. The clothing he wore was sparse, the shirt unbuttoned and his pants short while his feet remained bare. The human didn't speak, he simply stood outside the glass wall, observing Marco with the utmost attention. Probably unconsciously, he lifted his hand and placed it gently on the glass as if to keep himself steady.
Marco wondered what the other saw; after all, none of the others spared him a second glance. The boy hardly moved, however, his dark eyes glued to Marco's own. He stared with his mouth slightly agape, the eyes wide open.
Ace couldn't look away from the creature in the water. He had never seen a mermaid up close until the very moment he had opened that door. He had heard the others talk about their latest catch, discussing who to offer it to; slave traders or that scientist that bought their mermaids sometimes. The boss was more for the scientist, he heard, since males never sold well for anything other than experiments. He hardly cared, really, until he looked at the pale curious face observing him through the glass. The last thing Ace expected to find in the tank, when the boss sent him to remove the creature's restraints, was a man. A beautiful man, at that, with blond hair floating in the murky water. The eyes he saw were as blue as the clearest ocean, the seawater in the tank paling in comparison. They were half lidded, but still staring right back at him.
Lowering his gaze, however, Ace was reminded of the reason he was in there to begin with. The merman's body was wrapped in the thick ropes he had untangled just earlier that morning. They restrained what looked to be a strong upper body and a tail that seemed like it was engulfed in blue flames Ace had seen only once; the scales glimmered even in the poor lighting, shifting from shades of blue to green with a flicker of orange on occasion all the way down to the transparent bluish fin tipped with gold.
His hand was still on the glass and the merman observed him intently, his head tilting to the side in what looked like curiosity. The light blond hairs moved gently as well, making a cloud of gold above and partially around the merman's face. It hurt Ace more than he expected. He hadn't expected something so similar to himself, fish tail or not.
"I'm here to remove your restraints," he spoke softly, afraid his voice might crack. "I'm going to enter the tank," he added and finally removed the hand from the glass before moving along the tank towards the platform. The new young hunters were always sent to do that particular job; they looked more trustworthy and harmless. In the event of a violent creature, the newbies were also disposable goods. As he climbed the metal stairs, his eyes still connected with the blue ones belonging to the merman, Ace hoped this one wouldn't be violent. He would understand it, after all he was forcefully pulled out of the ocean, tied up and throw into a tank... Ace stopped on the final step, the truth behind what the hunters actually did finally dawned on him.
He had to do his job, though. With a heavy heart, knowing now that he wasn't cut out for that kind of job, Ace reached the platform and removed his shirt. Ignoring the slight pang of fear in his chest, he sat on the edge of the platform and let his feet dangle in the water for a moment long enough to pull out swimming goggles out of his pocket before he pushed himself in completely. The water wasn't cold, but it wasn't really warm either. Still, with the goggles firmly in place and the feeling of the wrongness of the whole situation buried in his chest, he took a deep breath and dove in.
The merman hadn't moved, he simply turned his head to observe Ace. The freckled human was quick to reach the other and with no oxygen to spare for regret, he pulled out a small knife from his belt. Something akin to fear flashed in the merman's eyes and Ace lifted his hands to show he meant no hard. Slowly, he touched the ropes while maintaining eye contact and to his surprise, the merman nodded lightly. With his air running out, Ace started cutting the rope. His lungs started to burn already, but he wasn't done yet. He was only a few seconds from his goal...
"Why are you doing this?" a deep steady voice asked as he cut through the restraint. Ace lifted his gaze and the remainder of the air left his lungs as he gasped on instinct, swallowing some water in return. He swam to the surface, no longer capable of holding his breath. Once his head breached the surface, Ace gasped and swallowed the much needed air, losing sight of the merman. Getting air was what mattered anyway. Still, he couldn't ignore the soft brush of something against his bare foot before the gentlest touch of fingertips trailed up his leg.
It was all so wrong. The voice, the touch... It all felt so human. Ace realized that he didn't know how to answer the other's question. Why was he doing all of this?
The touch disappeared and the merman's face peeked out of the water too close for comfort. Ace was being observed the same way he must have observed the blond only a short while before. The blue eyes were curious and the other's pale hands were a hairs-breadth from his skin. Excitement grew in the pit of his stomach, he could barely restrain the shuddering breath he huffed out at the faintest of touches just above his navel. The other's fin slid against his calf every once in a while and Ace found himself thinking of strange things, of legends he had heard from his grandfather when he was young.
The mermaids the old man spoke of were beautiful creatures with voices of angels, words as soft as silk and skin as pale and smooth as marble. They were creatures with faces of angels that lured men to their deaths, promising them heavens before dragging them into the depths of the cold ocean. As the merman breathed out a soft "why", Ace could see all of it; the beautiful face and eyes that pierced his very soul, the voice that could make him do anything he was asked to do. The fingers move up his chest, as light as a breeze, before caressing his jaw. The merman was as interested in him as Ace was interested in the blond. The soft touch that spoke of nothing but a gentle curiousness was what drove him over the edge.
"I'm getting you out of here," Ace spoke softly in fear someone else might hear his treacherous words. The blue eyes widened in surprise as he ran his fingers across the blond's jaw in the same way the merman had done mere seconds before. Ace swam to the platform and climbed out. His hand was extended in invitation and the blond observed him, the debate whether he should trust the human or not clearly visible on the beautiful face.
Still, he made up his mind and swam towards the intriguing human. He gripped Ace's hand and lifted himself onto the platform. He already started to wonder how they would reach the ocean when Ace slid a hand around his waist and under his tail to get a firm grip on him. It wasn't an easy task with the smooth scales, but Ace was determined to make this right.
The panic seeped into his mind as they descended the stairs and started for the door. The blond hooked his arms around the human's neck, his face hidden under the wet black curls as he knew they would step under the sun in only moments. However, it didn't seem as bad this time, Marco noticed as the finally left the confines of the building. It was different this time. He was going toward his freedom instead to captivity and it changed everything. Carefully, he lifted his head and took in the surroundings as the hurried to the wooden pier where they dragged him out.
The ocean was in view, endless and blue; his home. He could almost feel the cold water wash over him. Ace noticed the peaceful look on the merman's face and slowed down, letting the other enjoy the sight while he watched the blond's face. They both seemed content, Marco knowing he would get to return home while Ace was sure releasing the other was the right thing to do. No thoughts about the repercussions entered his mind as they stood under the sunlight. They were both almost dry already, enjoying the warmth that filled them with ease.
Still, a sense of foreboding washed over them both as a heavy silence settled over them. Ace never understood the expression 'calm before the storm' until that moment as they stood in utter terrifying silence for what felt like hours until a raging scream of his name reached their ears. His deed now obviously discovered, Ace moved and quickened his pace as he made his way to the pier with the once again frightened merman in his hands.
Marco's chest filled with dread as he couldn't believe he forgot about the other humans that weren't as nice as his savior. They were moving faster, but the voices were getting closer by the second and he couldn't help but fear his probably impending recapture. There was nothing that would save them both if the others caught up with them and Marco feared that was exactly what would happen.
The shore was so blissfully close, but so were the hunters and Ace couldn't run any faster. His grip on the merman's tail was slipping, but he couldn't let himself drop the blond. It was far too late for that, if they caught him again, they would hardly be so kind. A cold gripped his heart at the thought of them getting their hands on the beautiful man in his arms and he tried to move faster, he tried, but he couldn't be sure if it was working. Harsh words reached him and he was painfully aware of the fate that was in store for him because of this one transgression that equaled treason for the men chasing him. How could he find it in himself to care, however? What they did was equally wrong. Or even more so. He could hardly make his heart ache less at the thought of all the mermaids that were sent to their deaths or into captivity because of the very same men trying to capture this one blond Ace had the courage to save.
Yet, the blond wasn't saved yet as they still had a short distance to the edge of the pier where the water was deep enough for the merman to dive in and disappear before he could be caught again. His bare feet thundered across the aged wooden planks of the pier as Ace ran towards the end. It would be his end as well, he knew, as only one of them would be able to escape. It was fine, though, he deserved it for the time he spent helping the people who shamed their kind with their actions. He managed to speed up enough to buy them a bit more time.
Finally only mere feet from the edge, they could both sigh in relief. Ace knelt down on the wooden surface, gently lowering the merman as well to look at him one more time before letting him go. After all, he would never see a mermaid again; or a human as beautiful as the blond, for that matter. Blue eyes watched him with evident sadness as the shouting voices closed in on them again. Numerous sets of feet thrummed across the aged wood and Ace had to let go. It wasn't easy, but he knew he had to.
The merman's hand caressed his cheek as the blond leaned close to Ace, joining their lips for a brief moment before pulling back again.
"Thank you," he said and Ace knew it was a voice he would never forget as well as the taste and feel of the blond's lips. With a generous amount of regret, Ace let the merman slide from his arms and into the water.
For the briefest moment their hands held onto each other and Marco saw the freckled human smile. As he slid under the water, his face barely concealed by the surface of the ocean, his captors reached his savior and he froze. The boy, no, the man who helped him would be caught. The same hands that captured him before now gripped at the young man above him. Marco wanted to reach out, he wanted to help the other as the human helped him, but it was in vain. He would never be able to reach him without getting caught again himself. It would make the other's sacrifice futile. With his face just a mere inch from the surface, Marco watched as the odd human still smiled at him. It was a gentle smile, but still sad at the same time. He watched as the other men surrounded him, the smile never fading. They tied him with those same heavy ropes and Marco felt his eyes sting; it wasn't fair. The freckled human did not deserve it. The merman felt regret wash over him with the currents that pulled him down, further away from the surface and the human he would undoubtedly never forget.
He didn't even know his name.
Written by MyLadyDay