Falling In The Deep Blue

~31~ Lunatics

Eleazar's P.o.v.

Did Trystan really just call me his boyfriend? Or did I just imagine things because I was so angry and shocked?

And did he really just say that to this human, that seemed to be about to murder us?

Still clinging to his arm, I got on my toes and peeked over his shoulder. Amias was staring up at Trystan, in a way that I would describe as 'I can't believe you just said that'.

But the fact that he actually let us in one second after, just showed one more time how amazing Trystan was.

Walking down the narrow hallway, still holding my boyfriend's hand, I realized that I had been way too naive thinking that it would have been easy to do this.

Of course he wouldn't believe us. Of course he wasn't happy or gentle as he used to be, because everything got taken away from him and he didn't even remember what that everything was.

But now was my opportunity to change that.

Amias led us into what looked like a living room. It was just as empty and lifeless as the front yard, only a few pictures on the wall and a big black thing, I think it was called at 'Television' were there.

The old men gestured to the couch, before walking into another room.

Trystan and I exchanged a quick look. Then we sat down, our fingers still intertwined. I was glad that he didn't let go. I needed his touch to feel more confident.

A few moments later, Amias came back, three glasses of water in his hands. He put them onto the large wooden table in front of us, before sitting down on a run-down armchair on the other side of the table.

"Now..." he began, crossing his arms while leaning back into the chair.

"How about you tell me what is going on here."

The expression on Amias' face told me that he still didn't believe us anything. But I'd also seen the hidden interest in the look he gave me when I said that I was his grandson.

Even if he was old and his sight weak, he still must've noticed how much we looked like one another.

Trystan cleared his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked at him, trying to tell him that I wanted to be the one to tell the story. He nodded once and pressed my hand.

"So uhm...before I tell you everything, I ask you to do one thing." I paused, looking Amias directly into the eyes. One of his eyebrows was raised, his expression not giving away what he was thinking.

"I ask you to be open minded and think...think outside of what you might believe to be possible."

Instead of replying, Amias just lifted his chin for a second, his index finger gliding over his upper lip. Then he slowly nodded. Only once.

"Okay." I took a deep breath.

"Then let me tell you a story about you. When you were younger, around 40 years ago, you met someone. Someone that you didn't believe existed. A girl. A special girl. You fell in love with her, even though the two of you were as different as the sun and the moon. But still, you completed each other, and it felt right. You had to keep it a secret, because your love wasn't supposed to be. It was forbidden. But you didn't care. So for two years, you kept seeing each other, you even...got pregnant. But before you were to see your child, the girl and you were separated, because her family found out about you. To protect themselves from what they thought to be a threat to their existence, they made you lose your memory of the girl and everything you had. The girl had to live with her family and gave birth to your child, a daughter. My mother. She never told anyone about the father of her child, so my mother and I both grew up knowing nothing about you. But I found out, so I went to find you."

When I was done talking, I could feel my heart bumping in my chest. What would he say? How would he react?

"You're telling me..." Amias crossed his legs, an amused expression on his face, "...that I don't remember falling in love with someone and having a child with them?!" He began chuckling.

"And why would that relationship you're talking about be forbidden? Was she of color? Religious? A drug dealer?" Amias asked, his tone making it clear that he didn't believe a word I had said.

"She was a mermaid. And I am a merman."

Silence.

And then, the old man exploded in laughter. And everytime his chest jumped up, it felt like someone stabbed me with a shark tooth. I felt my fingers beginning to shake.

"A...a mer- mermaid?" he asked, almost not able to pronounce the word right due to his laughter.

I bit down on my lip. What had I expected? That his memory would miraculously come back when I told him the story? That he would open his arms and welcome me as his long-lost family member?

I felt Trystan's arm wrap around my waist. My shaking hand was still in his, uncontrollably displaying the thunderstorm of emotions that was rolling over me.

"If you don't believe us, we'll show you. Come with us to the beach and let Eleazar transform." Trystan said, his voice as cold as ice.

I could tell that he had to restrain himself from punching one of the pillows on the couch.

"And why would I do that? Go anywhere with two lunatics? I should call the men in white to get you." Amias shook his head in amusement, his hand rubbing over his forehead.

"You should come with us, because you know, deep inside you, that the story Eleazar told you has truth to it. You might not want to admit it to yourself, but you have always felt like something was missing in your life, a hole that you never got to fill." Trystan got up, still not letting go of my hand.

"And if you want to find out more about that missing piece of yourself, you should come with us. It's your last chance for a little happiness and I'm not gonna ask you twice."

Trystan's P.o.v.

Amias had stopped laughing, his eyes burning into mine. I still felt Eleazar's hand shaking in mine, filling me with such anger towards Amias and need to protect my boy that I had to try really hard not to punch something.

I felt stupid for letting something like this happen. Why didn't I think of the possibility of Eleazar getting hurt, of Amias thinking that we were lying to him.

I knew that there was only one way to make him believe us. Not that I wanted him to believe us anymore. But I knew that Eleazar did. I knew that he still wanted to see the Amias that his grandmother had talked about. And if that was what he wanted, then I would make it happen.