I manifested too much to explain for a chapter I outlined a year or so ago.


Chapter 228: Sirène de la mer

SHIELD Headquarters - 9:26

Merida groans as she opens a file on her work desktop and sees that the scroll bar is smaller than her cursor. Every day that she spends in the office instead of the field is a reminder on why Xavier despises paperwork, and she understands why he held such a grudge on Agent Vander for nearly 3 years and procrastinated his paperwork. Why does she have to read a file longer than the Bible? This is why they have Communications agents.

If only Hank messaged her to go hang out with James again and keep him company, but apparently Sigyn was taking today showing up with "witch's brew" … whatever that means.

Before she could even read the title of the file, her phone vibrates in her pocket and she immediately whips it out. Merida leans back in her desk chair, rolls back from her computer, and smiles upon seeing Blake's name on the screen—before remembering she's at work and she would never grin at her phone like a schoolgirl because her boyfriend sent her a text. Her eyes quickly dart around at the other agents at their desks either on their computers or on a call, but she knows they probably saw her since, well, they're agents like her. She would've spotted it instantly.

Blake: Open these when you're alone.

Merida sees the notification for five images from him and rolls her eyes. She was accidentally there when Victoria received explicit messages she didn't want to look at and repressed those jarring images while Victoria laughed (at the pictures and at her). However, Merida knows Blake is better than that so she opens the images and the same stupid smile is back. Blake sent her little kid illustrations of redheaded mermaids with different coloured tails per page and a scribble of waves and misshapen bubbles. A few of them have glossy fish stickers on it and a chicken scratch of Auntie Mermaid on them.

Her smile hurts her cheeks and some agents quickly glance at her. She doesn't care anymore.

Merida glances at the clock and counts in her head. It's only 3PM in Switzerland, where he is now. Even if it was 3AM, he would drop anything, even his nieces or nephews if she called him. She doesn't hesitate to call him and, as she expected, he picks up by the second ring.

"This is the only reason I gave you my number," Merida states, her heart thrumming as she hears his laugh on the other side.

Blake: My nieces and nephews overheard their moms talk about you at Christmas. They now know that their Uncle Blake has an American girlfriend named Mer - or that I call you that. Since they speak French and you know that the French word for the sea is la mer, the kids all assumed Merida is somehow code for mermaid. I don't think the younger ones could pronounce your name but they could somehow say mermaid. I don't know. You being a redhead in that one photo of us together doesn't help.

Merida scoffs. "Because my hair changes colours depending on the picture."

Blake: Seems mermaid-esque to me.

"You live on the West Coast. You could easily snag a mermaid."

Blake: We met on the pier in San Francisco. I did catch a mermaid. I'm offended they drew you and not me.

"Why would they draw you?"

Blake: Fair. They did draw on me with sharpies because I'm the only one with tattoos.

"Tell your nieces and nephews to draw my navel piercing next time."

Blake: Mer, no! Besides, your navel doesn't show with your tail.

Merida's face relaxes, but the happiness lingers. Sometimes, she can't believe that she has a boyfriend—or boy-friend, as she prefers to call him, and it was someone like Blake Wilde. Although their long-distance and have been together for only a few months, they were quick at the start. They've been on chaotic and passionate dates that he tracked (badly, in her opinion, since they were drunk for most of them), she brought him as her date to Emily and Daniel's wedding after only knowing him for a week, he said he loved her a week after that, and he invited her home to meet his family (cause meeting her parents and friends is different).

It's been a weird almost three months for her.

Blake: Is this a bad time, Agent Mer?

Merida shakes her head although he can't see her. "Nice German accent, by the way."

Blake: Funny. How was your Christmas?

Images of The Great Hunt flash in her mind and she quickly shakes them out. "Quite the tale. What about yours?"

Blake starts rattling about his holidays.

After they had a "fight" about his German accent/voice, he invited Merida to go home to Switzerland for the holidays. She didn't know what to say. It's not as if he was making it a life or death situation although that's how she interpreted it. She isn't one to say anything about it being too early to meet the parents, but he met hers and all her friends when he only knew her for a week and they weren't dating. He knew he loved her after a week. He knew how she felt at the wedding and during the fiasco with the shark tank, even if she didn't know for herself. But there was something weird about the concept of her going to meet his family. His mom, the rest of his sisters, their husbands, their kids, other relatives. His mom. Did she mention his mom?

At least now, even if she did end up going to Switzerland, Apollo would've kidnapped her to partake in MojoWorld with him and that would've been weird to explain to the family.

Blake: So, change of plans, I'm staying here till the New Year.

"In Switzerland?" Merida asks.

Blake: Oh no, I'm going to France with Brooke and her family. We're heading over there tomorrow morning.

Merida looks at the clock at the corner of her computer screen and purses her lips together before a grin appears. "Sounds fun."

-o-

Montpellier–Méditerranée Airport - 12:36

Merida has never been happier that Xavier is technically her superior at work. Did she tell Xavier that she had "important classified business" to do and had to leave immediately? Yes. Did Xavier know she was lying? Yes. Did Xavier give a shit? No. His only condition was not to do anything stupid, especially if it required him to fill out paperwork afterwards. Merida couldn't promise any of that but left anyways.

She was blessed to catch a night flight. If she flew a quinjet, then there would be paperwork.

Merida walks through the airport with a duffel bag on her shoulder, striding thought the arrivals section with no idea on where to go from here. She puts her bag down on a seat and takes out her phone, but before she unlocks it, the sound of children laughing perks her head up. She looks in that direction and, to her surprise, sees Blake with three kids, two nieces and a nephew. His sister and her husband sit tiredly to the side as he entertains their kids by looking at the big arrivals schedule on the airport wall.

Merida grabs her bag and starts walking over.

"Blake!" She calls.

Blake turns over as do his nieces and nephew. Although he's wearing his glasses and can see her perfectly, his stunned expression tells her that he can't believe his eyes. His nieces and nephew start jumping and yelling excitedly since they recognize her from the pictures and even their illustrations, much chagrin to the travellers around them who just endured long flights, but she doesn't care.

Merida doesn't know if she's ever seen him this happy, even when he runs up to her and hugs her so tightly that she almost drops her bag and falls over. Merida wraps her arms underneath his so her hands hook around the back of his shoulders. She hasn't even had the chance to look at him up close properly or say anything before he grabs her face and kisses her. They smile against each other before parting and he remains cupping her face.

"What are you doing here?" Blake whispers.

"Happy New Years in advance," Merida responds.

Blake turns around to face his family, seeing one of his nieces standing in front of them. Her dark hair is pulled back with a bow and her face is littered with freckles as she looks up at them with a smile that's missing a few teeth. She's the oldest out of her siblings, but couldn't be more than ten. Blake keeps an arm wrapped around Merida's waist, almost as if they're still hugging.

Blake clears his throat. "Mer, this is my niece, Sixtine. Sixtine, this is—"

"Tatie Mermaid!" Sixtine exclaims, hugging Merida around her legs.

Merida pauses, unsure whether to focus on the endearing name or the child hugging her. She glances over at Blake and he takes amusement in her bewildered expression on what to do with a child.

"Comment est-tu arrivée ?" Sixtine asks her, looking up but not letting go.

"I swam here," Merida responds.

Blake looks over at her. "Really?"

"I caught a good wave."

Sixtine laughs. "Tatie Mermaid, meet my siblings. Ça c'est Pierre et Louise."

Sixtine runs over to her siblings and parents. Blake and Merida follow and he doesn't let go of her, even when Brooke hugs her again and she shakes hands with her husband, Paul, as this is their first meeting. Merida even waves happily to Pierre and Louise who look up at her with pure wonder in their eyes since their drawings have come to life right before them.

"Toutou Blake, on veut manger," Pierre says, tugging on Blake's shirt.

Blake looks over at Brooke and Paul, who hand him some cash. The kids start jumping excitedly as Blake kisses Merida's cheek and quickly whispers that she'll grab her something to eat as well before the kids drag him away.

"It means a lot to Blake that you're here," Brooke tells Merida as they take a seat again. "Mama kept asking about you over the holidays and Blake lied and said he didn't invite you."

"Why would he say that?" Merida asks. "He did invite me. I just said no."

"We know," Paul responds. His accent is thickly French like Brooke's, but Merida assumes she grew up with a German one like Blake's before she moved to the south of France. "It looks better for Mama."

"Saving the good impression for when you do stop by. Mama would love you."

"Although, I will warn you that she will be tougher on you."

"Paul!"

"Ma chère, it's cause of Blake, not her. Seriously. It's the fact that he hasn't brought you home that makes her realize you're important to him, believe it or not. She hated his exes."

Brooke scoffs. "So did I."

Merida laughs a little. She doesn't know if it's better that she chickened out on meeting his mother and that he lied about it, or if she would've gone over to Switzerland for Christmas. She also won't know what his mother would think when she finds out that Merida showed up in France for New Year's. Maybe it would be better if she avoids meeting his mother for longer just in case. He wasn't so stressed on meeting her parents so why does she feel this way about meeting his mother?

Pierre runs up to Merida and hands her a brown paper bag. "Toutou Blake nous a dit que tu aimes les pains au chocolat."

Blake eventually shows up with Sixtine and Louise, handing out paper bags and drinks to everyone else.

"Merci," Merida says happily, taking the delicious pastry in her hands as Blake hands her a coffee in a paper cup with the airport's logo on it.

"It was that or some fruit thing," Blake tells her.

"Just say you wanted pains au chocolat."

"I have never seen you eat a fruit in my life."

Teasing, Merida shrugs as she bites into the warm pastry, brushing the flaky crumbs from her lips.

"Tatie Mermaid, tu restes avec nous?" Louise asks her.

Merida blinks. She didn't think of an accommodation when she decided to come to France. She just bought a ticket on her way to the airport after throwing together a bag in 20 minutes. She eyes Blake the same way the three children are looking at her, and Blake looks at Brooke and Paul the same way. The parents don't even look at each other before nodding their heads and the children exclaim excitedly. Merida mouths a merci as Blake takes her bag and they start heading to the exit.

"Tatie Mermaid," Sixtine says, walking beside her and Blake. "I made a bet with Toutou Blake and won."

"What bet?" Merida asks.

"Whoever annoys Mama the most and he lost so now he has to get another tattoo."

Merida narrows her eyes at Blake, knowing that he picked an easy bet for him to lose so he would lose … and make his niece happy in the process.

"How unfortunate for you," Merida teases and Sixtine giggles. "Are you seriously getting it?"

"It's only fair," Blake responds in a sarcastic defeat. "You and I will plan something later."

"For sure."

"Look at us planning a future together," he says happily, kissing the side of her head.

-o-

The guest room's door clicks softly as Blake steps in, bare feet padding against the floor. Merida watches him from sitting against the bed'a headboard, legs tucked underneath the sheets. The soft glow of the bedside lamp catches the glass of red wine in her hands. A quiet smile tugs the corners of his lips as he leans back against the door, pushing his glasses up his nose as he looks at her.

Merida fixes her gaze on him while swirling the wine in her hand. There's something about the quiet of the day, hanging out with the family and driving around Montpellier, that made coming home to the calmness put her at ease.

"Another glass without me?" Blake asks teasingly as he walks to his side of the bed. She notices that his voice shifts from a German accent to American, with some French in it because they're in France.

Merida smirks playfully. "Maybe I was waiting for the main event."

Blake raises an eyebrow intrigued and amused. "Main event, huh? And what's that supposed to be?"

Merida turns to the side to put her wine glass down on a coaster. When she faces Blake again, she has a washable marked in her hand and he starts laughing.

"You must really like me if you put the wine down," Blake says.

"I guess I do," Merida responds.

His face softens a little as he looks at her for a moment longer. "Mer, I'm happy you're here."

She takes a breath. "Me too."

Blake grins as he pulls Merida onto his lap. She uncaps the marker as she straddles him, looking at his chest and hovering the marker over his skin to decide what to draw and where. Her fingers delicate trace him and she tilts her head a few times, but the marker doesn't touch him.

"Any ideas?" He wonders.

Merida shrugs. "Still thinking."

"I wanted another tattoo. That's why I bothered with a bet I purposely lost … but technically won cause I like bothering Brooke. New year, new ink."

"You're really thinking of that now?"

"I'm not going to say my first thought out loud. It's obvious." He leans in closer to her, looking up at her until she locks eyes with him. "You know the way this would end, right?"

"How?" Merida asks, matching his suggestive tone.

Blake traces Merida's shoulder, looping the inside of her pyjama shirt's neckline for a second before playfully flicking a red curl away. "Getting that washable mess all over you, of course."

"What if we both got mermaid tails?"

Blake thinks it over and before he could say anything or nod, Merida takes his left forearm and looks at the space around and above his Macbeth quote. Her touch is gentle, almost absentminded, as her fingertips brush above the shark tattoo above his elbow—the same placement as her own—before pressing the marker to his inner bicep. She sketches with careful strokes although she's no artist, trying her best at drawing a mermaid's tail unfurling like a mythical dream being. The ink smudges slightly under her palm as she tries to fix her lines.

When she's done, she hesitates for a moment before meeting his eyes.

"I might add some waves," Blake mutters. "Here."

Blake takes the marker as Merida lifts her pyjama shirt just enough to reveal the curve of her ribs. He shifts, placing a hand against her back, turning her slightly so he can see better. The marker's tip is cool against her skin, but she doesn't react. He draws slowly, even referring to the sketch on his arm for reference although an actual tattoo artist could do a far better job. He draws slowly, adding waves where the mermaid is diving into the ocean, tracing the lines as deliberate as he could. Although it's only a temporary sketch, he wants it to be perfect as if it was permanent.

Once he finishes, he lingers for a moment before capping the marker. Merida doesn't pull away but looks at it for a second.

"Now you just look more girly," Blake jokes.

Merida laughs as she drops her shirt. "Fuck off."

"Oh, ma sirène de la mer…" Blake whispers, keeping his eyes on her. "Thank you for coming here. You have no idea how much if means to me."

"Because I love—"

Merida bites her tongue and darts her eyes away. Her heart thrums so loud against her ribs that he might be able to feel it if not hear. Did she really almost say that? It was definitely the wine. Her body warms and she wants to slump away back to her side of the bed before her washable mermaid marker sketch melts off her body, but Blake keeps his hands on her waist, keeping her in place right on him.

"You know how that would end, right?" Merida asks.

"I can take a guess," he responds before kissing her.