The Waves Are Ours

16-Just Keep Swimming

Michael's heartbeat was racing as the guards were closing in on him. They were getting closer and closer with every step as they marched down the beach, coming at him from all sides. He needed to do something special. He sucked in a deep breath focusing his eyes on the waves that rolled onto the shore in front of him. He raised his arms watching as the waves began to rise, he drew them towards him, allowing them to swirl around him dangerously like a whirling shield.

They were racing towards him with blades, chains and some with magic of their own.

Something was moving, and he raised his arm. He raised his hand spraying the water at his attacker.

There was a frightened yell, and Michael shot of bed, jarred awake by the sound. He was breathing heavily and stared for a moment at the figure standing beside his bed. The blonde was grumbling and shaking off the water with their hands.

"Luke?! Heck you scared me." Michael gasped. "I'm so sorry." He apologised realising he'd been the one to soak him. Luke didn't look angry just a little surprised.

"Oh, shit no." Luke yelled as he wobbled, and a moment later he fell forward onto the floor. He let out a long humph as he looked back at his silvery tail behind him.

"Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry." Michael yelled feeling guilty for giving Luke his tail. He frowned realising he'd been doing magic in his sleep and it must've been just enough water. "I thought you were something else."

"It's okay. It's what I get for sneaking into your room so early." Luke sighed, with a small smile, "Can you grab me a towel?"

Michael nodded, quickly leaping out of bed and racing into the bathroom to grab him one. When he returned Luke was sitting up now. Michael simply passed the towel over to him and Luke began to dry his tail.

"Are you sure you don't want me to bring the hairdryer in as well. It's much quicker?" Michael asked as he kneeled beside him to help. It was strange being able to have a normal conversation about this now.

Luke shook his head, "It burns though, this is much better."

Michael had to agree the hairdryer did sting a little.

"What were you doing in my room anyway?" Michael asked, curiously. He looked at the clock by his bed noticing that it was only about six am. About the time Ashton and Calum usually woke him up to see if they wanted to come to the beach. Yet Luke didn't seem to be in here for that.

"Well I wanted to ask you something." Luke spoke.

"Yeah, okay. What is it?" Michael looked over at him with a concerned expression. He couldn't help the small panic that begun in his mind. Now that he'd had time to think maybe Luke had changed his mind about their relationship. Just because they'd both thought the other was human, didn't mean now that they knew they were both merpeople things were the same as they had been before.

"Can you teach me to swim?" Luke asked quietly.

Michael blinked, that wasn't what he'd been expecting Luke to say at all. Michael had even heard him say that he never planned to go in the ocean, let alone learn how to swim. He knew from Luke's words how petrified of the water he was. Michael had kind of figured that despite the tail, Luke preferred staying on land.

"Calum was right. It's terrible, I'm a merman and I can't swim to save my life. I was thinking that you could teach me?" Luke continued when Michael didn't answer.

"Well technically we can't really drown, so it's more the sharks and rocks that you need to watch for." Michael shrugged, feeling the need to remind Luke of that. Surely if she'd taught him about the palace guards, she'd taught him that.