Beneath The Light

12. We Only Hurt The Ones We Love

It took a while to find Topaz. She wasn't easy to find when she didn't want to be. But Aden knew Topaz better than she thought. He knew the type of places the mermaid fled to when she was upset. Someplace dark and quaint, quiet with lights that reminded her of Ireland and her childhood, a life long forgotten. At the end of the street stood a large play-park for kids, and in the fields behind it, a rose garden with fairy-lights twisted in the trees. The thirty-foot gate was locked, but Aden climbed the metal and dropped to the grass below, seeing the fairy-lights reflected in the mermaid's glossy black hair at the top of the hill. As Aden approached he noticed that in the centre of a flower patch, a small pond reflected the fairy-lights as well as the moon. He sat down on the bench at the top of the hill and looked across at the mermaid sat at the end of the bench. He didn't say anything. And neither did she. Instead, she brought her feet down off the bench and scooted closer to him. Sitting there, on the top of the hill, looking down at the endless greenery before them, the moon and fairy-lights reflected in the water infront of them, Topaz laced her fingers with Aden's and rested her head on his shoulder. And then she smiled.

Alice checked them in. She got a joining room for her and Zac and Robert, and a third room at the end of the same corridor for Aden and Topaz. She knew they'd want their space just as much as they did. But not only that, the double room for her brother and the mermaid, was the last room in the hotel. It was a small, basic hotel, in the heart of the city, and it was the first weekend of the summer holidays. The Norant schools were on holiday, explaining the throbbing streets packed full of excited tourists. She didn't ask Zac if he was happy about the sleeping arrangements, because she was angry with him. She was aware of how he felt, but that still didn't excuse the slap he'd given Topaz. Nothing could ever excuse that. She'd been just as confused as Alice, who felt bad for shouting at her in the car when she'd been asking Zac about their home. The least he could've done was tell her what was bothering him, but even that was too much to ask. She opened the door to their room and lead the mermaids inside, setting her bag on the bottom of the double bed before unlocking the joining room and putting Robert's bag on the bottom of the single bed there. "Is this okay for you, Robert?" She asked as the mermaid entered the room sleepily. "This is great, Alice," He smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Is everything okay?" He asked before the Angel could escape. Alice sighed and turned to face the mermaid. "If I promise to explain everything tomorrow, can you wait?" The mermaid gave a short laugh and nodded. "Yeah," He told the Angel before yawning tiredly. "Goodnight." Alice smiled. "Night Robert."

She didn't say anything to Zac, and ignored him when he called after her as she headed inside the bathroom. She changed into pyjamas and called reception, explaining that her brother would be checking in shortly. Once this was done, she slid into the bed and turned her back on Zac. "Alice." He tried again. In a way of replying, she flicked the bedside light off.

Aden opened the door of the room he and Topaz were sharing and switched on the light. "Oh," Topaz said surprised. "It's a double," She stated, wandering around the basic room. It was nothing compared to the hotel the Worlders had first stayed in, just like it was nothing compared to the Irish house, but it was still somewhere to sleep. "How interesting." Topaz smirked mischievously as Aden locked the door and dumped his bag at the bottom of the bed. "Is that okay with you?" Aden asked, shrugging out of his leather jacket and hanging it over the back of the chair infront of the dresser. "Well," Topaz wrapped her arms around Aden backwards, her fingers scratching over his chest through his thin t-shirt. "You could say that." She smiled against his back, pressed tight behind him. The Angel smiled and turned to face her, looking down into her sparkling blue eyes before kissing her passionately. Topaz pulled back with an entertained cackle, slipping out of her own leather jacket and dumping it over Aden's. "Clearly, this is going to be an interesting stay." She told him, unzipping her boots as Aden unlaced his own. "Clearly." He agreed, watching as the mermaid searched for a bag that wasn't around. "Wait a minute," She said in shock. "I don't have my bag," Aden straightened with a smile, dropping his own on the bed infront of him. "So you didn't bring mine, no?" Topaz asked, folding her arms despite the wicked smile on her lips. "Sorry love, didn't think." He said, unzipping it. "What?" Topaz asked, her arms dropping to her sides. "I genuinely didn't think about your bag, sorry." Aden apologised genuinely. "No... Not that," Topaz shook her head in interest, stepping closer to the Angel. "What did you just call me?" Aden had to think hard to what he'd just said. He felt his cheeks flush. "Love." He repeated. Topaz grinned. "I love that." She said happily. Aden grinned at her in return. "Well," he said, fishing a t-shirt out of his bag and throwing it at the mermaid. She caught it effortlessly against her chest. "You can wear that to bed, love." Topaz gave a hearty laugh and wandered to his side, reaching up on her tiptoes. Aden thought she'd kiss his cheek, but instead her lips pressed against his left ear and whispered, "And there was me hoping you'd just ask to sleep nude." Aden's eyes flew open wider and he turned to the mermaid who winked flirtatiously at him. "I'm up for that." Aden said eagerly, making Topaz laugh. "Oh we all know that, Angel," She said, wandering to the bathroom with his t-shirt. "The problem is," She said from the doorway. "I was only joking."