4
Kevin had tried to ask his mother about what the matter was, but his only response was her shaking her head and saying she needed some time to herself. This made Kevin feel a little sad, but he tried to get over it and gazed out of the nearest window at the sea, as if it would hold some answers. He saw the sky becoming cloudy, blackness covering the moon, and sighed before heading back out to fetch Joe and Nick; they would probably think it was a great idea to watch the storm. Personally, Kevin couldn’t understand why Joe was still content to watch a destructive storm like that, seeing as one had nearly claimed his life just a few days ago, but hey, Joe was strange. He probably thought it was romantic or something.
A rumble of thunder spurred him onwards, because with thunder came lightning, and he really didn’t want to see Joe or Nick electrocuted, but as he got closer to the beach, he noticed that Nick was in the sea. What a terrible idea, he thought. The pace of the storm was really picking up, and if he wasn’t careful, he’d get washed out to sea. Blinking, he saw a woman in the sea as well, laughing as Joe looked onwards, clueless as to what was going on. Something wasn’t right here.
As the woman’s screeching laugh escalated, a tumultuous wave soared forwards and engulfed Joe and Nick completely, dragging them further out to sea.
“I can save you!” Nick shouted, eyes burning into Joe’s before he dove under the water, swimming deep down, not really knowing what he was doing. Instinctively, he shouted out for his father, the first person that came to mind. Surely he could help Nick; no one else could. He felt so helpless as he shouted out and no one came. Maybe his father had given up on him; Nick had left without a trace, after all. Perhaps Maya had informed him of Nick’s previous ‘adventure’ and they had assumed the worst and that Nick had gotten caught and killed or something.
He cried out once more, feeling lonesome and pathetic, but to his absolute relief, he saw his father’s unmistakable form charging at him. Firm hands gripped his shoulders and shook him slightly.
“Nick! Where have you been? We all thought the worst and that-”
“I’m sorry, there’s no time! You need to help me! Do you have a weapon?”
“Well, there’s a sword lying over there-”
“Grab it! He’s going to die! You have to help me save him.”
Nick charged back up to the surface, not looking back, focussing all of his energy on getting back to Joe and trying to do something, anything to save him. A feeling of absolute admiration throbbed through him as his father overtook him, brandishing the sharp object as he neared the shore. When Nick’s head broke the surface, he saw Taylor conjure a monster of a wave and crash it down on Joe.
“You,” Nick’s father seethed, much to his surprise.
Taylor was distracted, allowing Nick to dive back under the water and get Joe.
“My, my, my, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again. I didn’t think you’d let me near your son, to begin with, but-”
“I don’t want to hear it!”
There should have been some sort of dramatic build up. Secrets should have been revealed, fights should have happened, and there should have been more resistance. But there wasn’t. It was over so fast that Nick hardly had the time to react. His father had no sooner spoken than Taylor’s once maniacal laughter was cut off abruptly by an ear-shattering shriek of pain as the sword was forced right though her heart. Her screaming sounded distant as brown ooze poured out from her wound, but the storm died down as her body sank into the sea and Nick felt like his tail was being torn in half. While keeping his grip on Joe, he looked down to see that this was indeed the case, the now familiar legs forming. Why was this happening? Joe hadn’t kissed him, although he didn’t remember reading anything about kissing in the contract he had signed... so perhaps that was why he was human again. Speaking of Joe, he was still kind of unconscious, so Nick hurried him to the shore and laid him on his back.
Fear still gripping at his chest, Nick pressed his lips onto Joe’s and breathed, willing his own air into Joe. He only vaguely realised that he was naked, his lower half pressing against Joe’s as he pumped his chest, forcing him to just breathe. It had worked last time, so it had to work this time.
He pulled back and wrenched Joe into a sitting position as he coughed out mouthfuls of seawater, gasping for precious air as his throat and lungs burned with the effort.
“Nick...” Joe wheezed.
“Joe... Oh Joe... I love you. I love you, I really do. I love you, Joe.”
He placed a kiss on Joe’s parted lips that were still gasping for air, pulling him back and drawing him into a hug.
“You too, Nick. I love you. I wish I would have told you sooner.”
“Nick!” his father called from behind him. Nick turned to face him.
“Thanks so much for saving him, Dad. I know I was stupid, and I never should have done what I did, but-”
“You’re in love with him?”
“I’m sorry.”
Nick bit his lip and cringed at his father’s horrified expression.
“I’m leaving. This... I have to go. Goodbye, Nick... Joseph...”
“I’m really sorry, Dad, I-”
But Nick’s father simply shook his head before diving back into the water, disturbing it and leaving a brief trail.
“I don’t understand what just happened,” Joe whispered.
Saddened, Nick pulled him back into a hug. “I’ll explain everything to you later,” he promised.
“Joe! Nick! What the hell just happened? I mean, I saw when the storm started and Nick was in the water, and this crazy lady was laughing, and then Joe was in the water, and... I don’t even know. I was scared, dudes. I didn’t know what to do. Are you okay? Why are you naked, Nick?”
“Kevin,” Nick beamed, smiling at him.
“Whoa, you talk now?”
“Long story.”
“Okay. Well, I have towels...”
“Thank you, Kevin,” Joe said, taking the towels appreciatively from him and wrapping one around Nick.
“We need to get inside, like, right now. You need to dry off and sit by the fire, and explain what just went on. C’mon, let’s go.”
Clutching the towel to himself, Nick got shakily to his feet, extending a hand to Joe. Shivering, they followed a concerned-looking Kevin back to the house, who ordered them to get changed and dried while he set about making hot chocolate. Although their hair was matted with seawater and their skin sticky with it, they didn’t bother showering, too tired and shocked. They didn’t speak, but the silence wasn’t a tense one. He didn’t know about Joe, but Nick was thrumming with happiness, because he loved Joe and Joe loved him and they would stay together forever. He wasn’t even nervous about the prospect of having to explain everything to Joe and Kevin in just a few minutes.
Once he had changed into his pyjamas, he waited outside Joe’s door until he had finished, and then let him lead the way to the living room. As soon as they entered the room, Joe took his hand and pulled him down on the settee right next to him as Kevin handed them each a steaming mug. Kevin was just awesome like that.
“Thanks,” Nick said, just for the thrill of being able to speak again.
Kevin nodded and sat down opposite to them. “So... about what happened before...”
“It’s a long story. And I don’t think you’ll believe it, but I have to tell you anyway. Joe, you saw me when I was in the water before, right?”
Joe nodded. “You had a tail.”
“I did, yes. And this is where it starts to sound weird. I am- was, a merman. I think to you, we’re the stuff of legends, because we haven’t really been discovered. We hide. We are taught to fear the human world and to never speak to a human. But I couldn’t do that. I’ve seen shipwrecks and the amazing things you have; under the sea, I have an enchanted piano where I write all my songs-”
“You have magic down there?” Kevin asked in awe.
“Yeah. I’ll go on to that later. But anyway, I didn’t want to fear humans. I was infatuated with the culture, borderline obsessed, and had to find out as much as I could. And then, four days ago, I came up to the surface because I saw a boat, and then I saw you, Joe. There was something about you, and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. You were just there, alone, drifting aimlessly yet looking so content and just beautiful. I should have just left when I saw the storm begin, but you would have died. You lost control of the boat and fell off and knocked yourself out, so I swam you to the shore and breathed for you. I didn’t know what I was doing, but it worked, and when you started coughing, I was so relieved. You didn’t open your eyes, so I started singing to you-”
“I love your voice,” Joe butted in, earning himself a quick smile from Nick.
“I left when you started stirring, because you weren’t allowed to see me, but I missed you. I know it’s ridiculous, but I really did. I couldn’t be content just knowing you were okay; I wanted to be there. So I did something really stupid, even though I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“Y’know I was talking about magic before? Well, I made a deal with a seawitch who said she would turn me into a human for three days to try and make you fall in love with me. In exchange for that, she took my voice. If I succeeded, I got to stay a human forever.”
“But what happened before?” Joe interjected. “You were a merman... Wow, this sounds so crazy...”
“She made something up at the last minute about it being sealed with a kiss, but it wasn’t in the contract, so when she died, I turned back. And here we are now. Oh, and Joe, I’m sorry if I acted inappropriately over the past few days. I didn’t know much about what was acceptable and it only recently dawned on me.”
“Don’t apologise,” Joe replied dreamily.
“Yeah, it’s not like you would,” Kevin muttered.
“I heard that!” Joe said indignantly.
“This is still insane,” Kevin said, hastily changing the subject. “I mean, who have you left behind down there? Did you get to say goodbye?”
“I... I didn’t even think about that. I mean, I just left without a trace. I didn’t tell anyone when I saw Taylor - the seawitch - so I don’t know what they thought must have happened to me. Maybe they think I’m dead. But-but it’s not like I won’t see them again, right? I could sit on the shore... and wait. I only really had one friend, so I hope she’ll be okay without me.”
“What about your father?” Joe asked. “He didn’t seem happy before.”
“I don’t understand that. Maybe he wanted me to stay under the sea and become a great father myself. He’s lonely. I’ve never known my mother. He says she was snatched away from him shortly after my birth. I was all he had...” He turned to look at Joe. “I don’t regret leaving though. I wouldn’t change anything.”
“Maybe you two should go to bed now,” Kevin interrupted, sensing this conversation was getting more personal.
Nick nodded in agreement, leaving Joe briefly to envelope Kevin in a hug. It felt like the right thing to do. Kevin reciprocated, and for the first time, Nick really felt like everything might be okay.
Joe’s hand nudged at his, and he took it, allowing Joe to lead him back upstairs. Nick stopped outside his door, but Joe tugged him onwards.
“I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” he explained. “C’mon.”
“Are you crying?” Nick asked, following Joe to his room.
Joe remained silent, not saying anything until the lights were dimmed and they were sitting under the covers of his bed.
“I could have lost you,” he stated. “I thought it was inevitable anyway, because... well, it’s me. I dunno. I guess I never thought I could get the person of my dreams. I kept expecting you to move on and find someone else, and I would have accepted that. I wouldn’t have liked it, but I expected it. So when I saw you before, and what you said... just... I can’t let you go. Don’t let me go.”
“Hey, I couldn’t, not ever. You know what I did for you.”
Nick pulled Joe into his chest, helping him through this emotional breakdown that he was totally justified in having.
“I love you, Nick. I should have said it sooner or done something, because then-”
“It’s okay. Taylor would have done something to interfere anyway. And it’s not exactly normal to fall in love in three days. Just don’t worry about it, and let’s sleep, okay?”
“I don’t wanna sleep right now. Can we just talk for a bit? I bet there’s a lot to talk about. Like, what was it like turning into a human? I... I just want to know everything.”
“Then I’ll tell you everything. Everything you want to hear. So, turning into a human. I thought I was going to die. She gave me no warning whatsoever, and I was at the bottom of the sea, completely unable to breathe. I never thought I’d experience drowning, being able to breathe underwater and all. Why can’t humans breathe underwater anyway?”
“Uhm...” Joe pondered this. “I don’t know. I guess it’s because our bodies need oxygen to respire. It must be magical under the sea.”
He smiled in an amused way that Nick found entirely too adorable.
“I thought it was because you - we - had weak lungs,” he mused. “But yeah, I passed out when I made it to the surface, and then I woke up to your face.”
“Yeah, you just washed up naked on the shore...”
“I figured I wouldn’t have been wearing clothes,” Nick chuckled, feeling Joe tense momentarily as he blushed.
“You shouldn’t talk about that right now.”
“Shouldn’t I?” Nick asked, amused.
“Nope,” Joe replied, snuggling in closer. “What did you think when you woke up and we started talking? You must have been really over-whelmed.”
“Mmm, yeah. But I saw you, and I was just so happy because it had worked. And I had legs and human clothes. It was exciting. Then you left and I checked out my legs, and I did not expect there to be anything else down there. Then I ended up... what did you call it? ‘Jerking off’?”
“Whoa. Wow. Thanks for telling me, but don’t talk about it when you’re around other people. I guess it’s not something you generally share with people.”
“It felt really good. Why was that? And then, there were other times...”
Joe did not believe that he was about to explain sex to a sixteen-year-old, and stuttered uncomfortably all the way through his awkward explanations. He barely knew enough himself, but tried his best, and Nick seemed to have some sort of understanding by the end of it.
“Maybe you could show me some time,” Nick said nonchalantly and without suggestion.
“Uhm, yeah. I-I actually could,” Joe startled. “U-uhm, so, do mermaids really wear seashell bras?”
“Oh, totally, they also talk to fish and go on adventures with them,” Nick replied sarcastically.
“Hey, I’m only going on what I’ve seen in cartoons and what you’ve said. Did you have a girlfriend down there? Or a boyfriend? How do merpeople reproduce anyway?”
“I had a girl friend called Maya, but nothing was going to happen between us. We reproduce by fertilising eggs, like fish. We poop like fish as well, in case you were wondering. That... thing, in the bathroom was terrifying, by the way.”
“The toilet?”
“Mmm. Good thing I figured out what to do.”
“Maybe it’s time to change the subject.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Nick? Will you sing for me some time? I really love your voice.”
“Yeah, sure. As long as you sing for me as well. I know you sing sometimes,” Nick said sleepily.
“I do sing. Let’s go to sleep now, okay? I love you.” He felt giddy as he said it, and heard the smile in Nick’s voice as he replied.
“I love you too, Joe.”
Despite the overall trauma of the day, Joe and Nick felt like they had never slept better.
Part 5
A rumble of thunder spurred him onwards, because with thunder came lightning, and he really didn’t want to see Joe or Nick electrocuted, but as he got closer to the beach, he noticed that Nick was in the sea. What a terrible idea, he thought. The pace of the storm was really picking up, and if he wasn’t careful, he’d get washed out to sea. Blinking, he saw a woman in the sea as well, laughing as Joe looked onwards, clueless as to what was going on. Something wasn’t right here.
As the woman’s screeching laugh escalated, a tumultuous wave soared forwards and engulfed Joe and Nick completely, dragging them further out to sea.
“I can save you!” Nick shouted, eyes burning into Joe’s before he dove under the water, swimming deep down, not really knowing what he was doing. Instinctively, he shouted out for his father, the first person that came to mind. Surely he could help Nick; no one else could. He felt so helpless as he shouted out and no one came. Maybe his father had given up on him; Nick had left without a trace, after all. Perhaps Maya had informed him of Nick’s previous ‘adventure’ and they had assumed the worst and that Nick had gotten caught and killed or something.
He cried out once more, feeling lonesome and pathetic, but to his absolute relief, he saw his father’s unmistakable form charging at him. Firm hands gripped his shoulders and shook him slightly.
“Nick! Where have you been? We all thought the worst and that-”
“I’m sorry, there’s no time! You need to help me! Do you have a weapon?”
“Well, there’s a sword lying over there-”
“Grab it! He’s going to die! You have to help me save him.”
Nick charged back up to the surface, not looking back, focussing all of his energy on getting back to Joe and trying to do something, anything to save him. A feeling of absolute admiration throbbed through him as his father overtook him, brandishing the sharp object as he neared the shore. When Nick’s head broke the surface, he saw Taylor conjure a monster of a wave and crash it down on Joe.
“You,” Nick’s father seethed, much to his surprise.
Taylor was distracted, allowing Nick to dive back under the water and get Joe.
“My, my, my, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again. I didn’t think you’d let me near your son, to begin with, but-”
“I don’t want to hear it!”
There should have been some sort of dramatic build up. Secrets should have been revealed, fights should have happened, and there should have been more resistance. But there wasn’t. It was over so fast that Nick hardly had the time to react. His father had no sooner spoken than Taylor’s once maniacal laughter was cut off abruptly by an ear-shattering shriek of pain as the sword was forced right though her heart. Her screaming sounded distant as brown ooze poured out from her wound, but the storm died down as her body sank into the sea and Nick felt like his tail was being torn in half. While keeping his grip on Joe, he looked down to see that this was indeed the case, the now familiar legs forming. Why was this happening? Joe hadn’t kissed him, although he didn’t remember reading anything about kissing in the contract he had signed... so perhaps that was why he was human again. Speaking of Joe, he was still kind of unconscious, so Nick hurried him to the shore and laid him on his back.
Fear still gripping at his chest, Nick pressed his lips onto Joe’s and breathed, willing his own air into Joe. He only vaguely realised that he was naked, his lower half pressing against Joe’s as he pumped his chest, forcing him to just breathe. It had worked last time, so it had to work this time.
He pulled back and wrenched Joe into a sitting position as he coughed out mouthfuls of seawater, gasping for precious air as his throat and lungs burned with the effort.
“Nick...” Joe wheezed.
“Joe... Oh Joe... I love you. I love you, I really do. I love you, Joe.”
He placed a kiss on Joe’s parted lips that were still gasping for air, pulling him back and drawing him into a hug.
“You too, Nick. I love you. I wish I would have told you sooner.”
“Nick!” his father called from behind him. Nick turned to face him.
“Thanks so much for saving him, Dad. I know I was stupid, and I never should have done what I did, but-”
“You’re in love with him?”
“I’m sorry.”
Nick bit his lip and cringed at his father’s horrified expression.
“I’m leaving. This... I have to go. Goodbye, Nick... Joseph...”
“I’m really sorry, Dad, I-”
But Nick’s father simply shook his head before diving back into the water, disturbing it and leaving a brief trail.
“I don’t understand what just happened,” Joe whispered.
Saddened, Nick pulled him back into a hug. “I’ll explain everything to you later,” he promised.
“Joe! Nick! What the hell just happened? I mean, I saw when the storm started and Nick was in the water, and this crazy lady was laughing, and then Joe was in the water, and... I don’t even know. I was scared, dudes. I didn’t know what to do. Are you okay? Why are you naked, Nick?”
“Kevin,” Nick beamed, smiling at him.
“Whoa, you talk now?”
“Long story.”
“Okay. Well, I have towels...”
“Thank you, Kevin,” Joe said, taking the towels appreciatively from him and wrapping one around Nick.
“We need to get inside, like, right now. You need to dry off and sit by the fire, and explain what just went on. C’mon, let’s go.”
Clutching the towel to himself, Nick got shakily to his feet, extending a hand to Joe. Shivering, they followed a concerned-looking Kevin back to the house, who ordered them to get changed and dried while he set about making hot chocolate. Although their hair was matted with seawater and their skin sticky with it, they didn’t bother showering, too tired and shocked. They didn’t speak, but the silence wasn’t a tense one. He didn’t know about Joe, but Nick was thrumming with happiness, because he loved Joe and Joe loved him and they would stay together forever. He wasn’t even nervous about the prospect of having to explain everything to Joe and Kevin in just a few minutes.
Once he had changed into his pyjamas, he waited outside Joe’s door until he had finished, and then let him lead the way to the living room. As soon as they entered the room, Joe took his hand and pulled him down on the settee right next to him as Kevin handed them each a steaming mug. Kevin was just awesome like that.
“Thanks,” Nick said, just for the thrill of being able to speak again.
Kevin nodded and sat down opposite to them. “So... about what happened before...”
“It’s a long story. And I don’t think you’ll believe it, but I have to tell you anyway. Joe, you saw me when I was in the water before, right?”
Joe nodded. “You had a tail.”
“I did, yes. And this is where it starts to sound weird. I am- was, a merman. I think to you, we’re the stuff of legends, because we haven’t really been discovered. We hide. We are taught to fear the human world and to never speak to a human. But I couldn’t do that. I’ve seen shipwrecks and the amazing things you have; under the sea, I have an enchanted piano where I write all my songs-”
“You have magic down there?” Kevin asked in awe.
“Yeah. I’ll go on to that later. But anyway, I didn’t want to fear humans. I was infatuated with the culture, borderline obsessed, and had to find out as much as I could. And then, four days ago, I came up to the surface because I saw a boat, and then I saw you, Joe. There was something about you, and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. You were just there, alone, drifting aimlessly yet looking so content and just beautiful. I should have just left when I saw the storm begin, but you would have died. You lost control of the boat and fell off and knocked yourself out, so I swam you to the shore and breathed for you. I didn’t know what I was doing, but it worked, and when you started coughing, I was so relieved. You didn’t open your eyes, so I started singing to you-”
“I love your voice,” Joe butted in, earning himself a quick smile from Nick.
“I left when you started stirring, because you weren’t allowed to see me, but I missed you. I know it’s ridiculous, but I really did. I couldn’t be content just knowing you were okay; I wanted to be there. So I did something really stupid, even though I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“Y’know I was talking about magic before? Well, I made a deal with a seawitch who said she would turn me into a human for three days to try and make you fall in love with me. In exchange for that, she took my voice. If I succeeded, I got to stay a human forever.”
“But what happened before?” Joe interjected. “You were a merman... Wow, this sounds so crazy...”
“She made something up at the last minute about it being sealed with a kiss, but it wasn’t in the contract, so when she died, I turned back. And here we are now. Oh, and Joe, I’m sorry if I acted inappropriately over the past few days. I didn’t know much about what was acceptable and it only recently dawned on me.”
“Don’t apologise,” Joe replied dreamily.
“Yeah, it’s not like you would,” Kevin muttered.
“I heard that!” Joe said indignantly.
“This is still insane,” Kevin said, hastily changing the subject. “I mean, who have you left behind down there? Did you get to say goodbye?”
“I... I didn’t even think about that. I mean, I just left without a trace. I didn’t tell anyone when I saw Taylor - the seawitch - so I don’t know what they thought must have happened to me. Maybe they think I’m dead. But-but it’s not like I won’t see them again, right? I could sit on the shore... and wait. I only really had one friend, so I hope she’ll be okay without me.”
“What about your father?” Joe asked. “He didn’t seem happy before.”
“I don’t understand that. Maybe he wanted me to stay under the sea and become a great father myself. He’s lonely. I’ve never known my mother. He says she was snatched away from him shortly after my birth. I was all he had...” He turned to look at Joe. “I don’t regret leaving though. I wouldn’t change anything.”
“Maybe you two should go to bed now,” Kevin interrupted, sensing this conversation was getting more personal.
Nick nodded in agreement, leaving Joe briefly to envelope Kevin in a hug. It felt like the right thing to do. Kevin reciprocated, and for the first time, Nick really felt like everything might be okay.
Joe’s hand nudged at his, and he took it, allowing Joe to lead him back upstairs. Nick stopped outside his door, but Joe tugged him onwards.
“I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” he explained. “C’mon.”
“Are you crying?” Nick asked, following Joe to his room.
Joe remained silent, not saying anything until the lights were dimmed and they were sitting under the covers of his bed.
“I could have lost you,” he stated. “I thought it was inevitable anyway, because... well, it’s me. I dunno. I guess I never thought I could get the person of my dreams. I kept expecting you to move on and find someone else, and I would have accepted that. I wouldn’t have liked it, but I expected it. So when I saw you before, and what you said... just... I can’t let you go. Don’t let me go.”
“Hey, I couldn’t, not ever. You know what I did for you.”
Nick pulled Joe into his chest, helping him through this emotional breakdown that he was totally justified in having.
“I love you, Nick. I should have said it sooner or done something, because then-”
“It’s okay. Taylor would have done something to interfere anyway. And it’s not exactly normal to fall in love in three days. Just don’t worry about it, and let’s sleep, okay?”
“I don’t wanna sleep right now. Can we just talk for a bit? I bet there’s a lot to talk about. Like, what was it like turning into a human? I... I just want to know everything.”
“Then I’ll tell you everything. Everything you want to hear. So, turning into a human. I thought I was going to die. She gave me no warning whatsoever, and I was at the bottom of the sea, completely unable to breathe. I never thought I’d experience drowning, being able to breathe underwater and all. Why can’t humans breathe underwater anyway?”
“Uhm...” Joe pondered this. “I don’t know. I guess it’s because our bodies need oxygen to respire. It must be magical under the sea.”
He smiled in an amused way that Nick found entirely too adorable.
“I thought it was because you - we - had weak lungs,” he mused. “But yeah, I passed out when I made it to the surface, and then I woke up to your face.”
“Yeah, you just washed up naked on the shore...”
“I figured I wouldn’t have been wearing clothes,” Nick chuckled, feeling Joe tense momentarily as he blushed.
“You shouldn’t talk about that right now.”
“Shouldn’t I?” Nick asked, amused.
“Nope,” Joe replied, snuggling in closer. “What did you think when you woke up and we started talking? You must have been really over-whelmed.”
“Mmm, yeah. But I saw you, and I was just so happy because it had worked. And I had legs and human clothes. It was exciting. Then you left and I checked out my legs, and I did not expect there to be anything else down there. Then I ended up... what did you call it? ‘Jerking off’?”
“Whoa. Wow. Thanks for telling me, but don’t talk about it when you’re around other people. I guess it’s not something you generally share with people.”
“It felt really good. Why was that? And then, there were other times...”
Joe did not believe that he was about to explain sex to a sixteen-year-old, and stuttered uncomfortably all the way through his awkward explanations. He barely knew enough himself, but tried his best, and Nick seemed to have some sort of understanding by the end of it.
“Maybe you could show me some time,” Nick said nonchalantly and without suggestion.
“Uhm, yeah. I-I actually could,” Joe startled. “U-uhm, so, do mermaids really wear seashell bras?”
“Oh, totally, they also talk to fish and go on adventures with them,” Nick replied sarcastically.
“Hey, I’m only going on what I’ve seen in cartoons and what you’ve said. Did you have a girlfriend down there? Or a boyfriend? How do merpeople reproduce anyway?”
“I had a girl friend called Maya, but nothing was going to happen between us. We reproduce by fertilising eggs, like fish. We poop like fish as well, in case you were wondering. That... thing, in the bathroom was terrifying, by the way.”
“The toilet?”
“Mmm. Good thing I figured out what to do.”
“Maybe it’s time to change the subject.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Nick? Will you sing for me some time? I really love your voice.”
“Yeah, sure. As long as you sing for me as well. I know you sing sometimes,” Nick said sleepily.
“I do sing. Let’s go to sleep now, okay? I love you.” He felt giddy as he said it, and heard the smile in Nick’s voice as he replied.
“I love you too, Joe.”
Despite the overall trauma of the day, Joe and Nick felt like they had never slept better.
Part 5