The Ocean's Currents [boyxboy](mpreg)

Chapter 3

When Cole arrives at the big sailing boat the sky is dark. He sees lights on through the windows of the ship.

"Mom! Dad!" he calls out as he ties the smaller boat to the bigger one. He quickly climbs out from the dingy just in time for his parents to come rushing onto the deck. 

"Cole!" Cole's mom shouts with tears in her eyes. Cole can even see my dad's eyes welling with tears as my parents throw me into a hug. 

"Oh my poor baby, I'm so glad you're alright," Mary cries. They both pull back and Cole can see there faces clearly. It's clear to him that they have been worried sick. Mary has been shaking with worry ever since the storm started and Cole was nowhere to be seen. 

Todd was about to call the coast guards when Cole showed up. The couple hasn't ever felt so relieved before this moment, to see they son safely returned to them. Seeing his son safely home made memories of the past resurface in Todd's mind. He looked to his wife to see a pained look on her face, obvious that she was thinking about the same thing. 

In the past, the couple has had a traumatic experience on the seas. 

You see, Mary and Todd are highschool sweethearts. They've been together since freshman year, and they love has only grown. There was only one time when they were on bad terms. The summer before junior year, Jared, Mary's younger brother, died. 

Todd and Jared used to be best friends. Jared was always so interested in the ocean. He loved it so much. He would always dream about diving deep into the ocean. Not the surface of the ocean, where most people travel. No, he wanted to go as deep as possible, to hadalpelagic zone aka the trenches. 

Everyone in the small seaside town knew of the trench a few miles from the coast. No has ever really explored it. The scientist all tend to search the bigger trenches, the mariana. A small trench in tiny port village was nothing important to them, but to Jared it was everything. It was a place for him to start his research, a place to explore and discover and it was right there in his home down. If he found something down there, something new, it could bring business to the dying town. 

One hot summer day, Jared finally convinced Todd to go check out the trench. His parents, his sister, and everyone else in town all told him not to go. He was only 16 and even though he had a proper diving license, it was only for 30 meters, not a hundred, but Jared still decided to go. he told Todd that we was going no matter what, and that Jared wanted him to come with him. 

Todd, knowing that Jared wasn't going to change his mind, agreed to go with him. Maybe if Todd went with him, he could keep Jared safe since todd was Jared's diving buddy. Todd also knew that Jared was a smart guy. He wouldn't dive that deep without doing some research first. So, with that in mind, Todd trusted that Jared and him would make it back safely. 

They went out on Todd's small motor boat, pilling all there diving gear on one side of the boat. The weather was great; the sun was shining, not a cloud in sight, and the sea was calm. as Todd drove the boat closer to the trench, he felt like something wasn't right, like something would go wrong. 

The pair tied the boat to an old mooring line before gearing up. When they were all ready Todd asked Jared if he was sure that this was a good idea. 

"What are you, a chicken? we'll be find," Jared said with confidence. Jared was sure that something was waiting for him down there, something that he just had to see. Even though Todd was filled with hesitance, he still follow Jared into the water. 

From then on, Todd's memory is a bit of a blur. He remembers being filled with fear and losing sight of Jared, then resurfacing to quickly and passing out as soon as he got on the boat. The next thing he knew, we was in a hospital bed with crying people all around him. It was only hours later that he found out that Jared was lost at sea. 

Mary was mad at Todd for months after the incident. Mary thought that Todd was smart enough to know that it was a bad idea. he never should have gone out there with Jared. He should have tried harder to convince Jared not to go. After a lot of time apart and then slowly getting back together again, Todd and Mary's relationship came back stronger than before. 

Even though the ocean carries such traumatic memories for Todd and Mary, they just can't seem to get away from it. Todd became a marine biologist just like Jared yearned to be, and Mary photographs all sorts of interesting creatures that Jared would have loved. 

Now, even though they love the ocean, they can't help but be wary of it. they always make sure to be safe while at sea, and they try to make sure their son does the same. But this time he didn't, this time he got caught in a storm all by himself in a small boat, unfit to handle the harshness of the sea. 

"Cole," Todd says in a stern voice, "you are to never do that ever again. Never, ever, go out on that boat when it's going to storm, do you understand?" 

"Yes, dad, I promise," Cole replies. 

"Good, now, how did you survive on that small boat? That storm was pretty ruff," Mary asks her son. 

"Oh, well, where I was it only rained a little, it wasn't too bad." It's an obvious lie but the couple seems to by it. They smile before leading their son inside to clean up. 

Cole takes a quick shower and changes into dry clothes before joining his parents in the dining area for dinner. As they eat all Cole can think about is his newly discovered mate. He can't believe that merpeople really exist, and one of them, a beautiful one, want to be with him. The two even kissed! even though Cole only met the merman a few hours ago, he can already see himself with Mal for the rest of his life. His parents did it, so why can't he?

Cole sleeps soundly that night with his dreams filled with images of the gorgeous merman.