You awaited at the shore of the cove. Once again, you were left alone for the first few minutes, compelling you to pick up the trash others have lazily pushed through the cracks of the cove. You thought this before, but damn, did all this litter irritated you. There was literally a trash can just a few yards away. You sat with your bare feet sinking into the clear water. You have placed small lamps around the cave to illuminate the night when the moon was hidden behind the clouds. The lightly dimly shimmered, brushing against you face. It was a calming feeling. The sounds of the waves softly splashing against the curb of the cave soothed you. The atmosphere of it all had tempted you to fall asleep. Even the sand beneath was inviting, soft and cool to the touch. You often wondered if Lantis slept on shore. With the whole week you have spent with him, you still knew so little about his specials. He did explain that he could live on shore, but it never occured to you for how long since he had confirmed that he mainly spent his time underwater. Then again, you weren't even sure if he even slept. He had eyelid for sure, but if he even needed to close them to rest was beyond you.
You took out a small composition notebook. It had been a small place for you to jot down all you had learned of Lantis, including notes about his own behavior. You weren't sure if other merfolk acted like him, and considering that he was the first, and maybe the last, merfolk you'd see, you wouldn't push your luck to believe that his whole species acted exactly like him. Still, what he had told you and what you have observed was useful, and you would certainly take every little bit of information he would be willing to give you.
As you pondered this, you heard a voice echoed through the cave as Lantis' figure popped out above water. A small splash erupted as his head pushed through the water's surface. "(Y/n)! Sorry, did I make you wait long? I'm sorry, i went out further than I expected last minute and just lost track of time."
"Oh, don't worry about it. It's calming to just sit here. It's so pretty," you chimed. He placed his arms against the shore, bringing himself up slightly. "How long have you known about this place?"
"I've known for awhile now. Though, I didn't really come often...there wasn't really a reason to since I had no one to meet...until now, of course!!" He smiled up at you, and you couldn't help but laugh. The two of you had grown quite attached to each other. Just by being next to him, you felt calm and relaxed. He seemed to feel the same way about you as well. He was a little hesitant at first, but as time passed, it would seem that he had let his walls down. "Now, I can meet you here every night. To be honest, I never really realized how lonely I was without you. But I guess that doesn't really matter anymore! Cause you're going to see me tomorrow, and the day after and the day after, for the rest of our seasons! I...Oh, sorry, but the thought really does excite me!"
You stared at the male for awhile. Species aside, he really did just seem like a lonely soul to you. Given, the tail and fins did drag you in, but you couldn't help but feel attracted to him regardless. His excitement to have someone by his side after so long made you actually want to stay with him for as long as possible. He was a good person from what you have seen, and such a lonely life was something he didn't deserve. But still, you made plans with Tua, and you didn't want to cause any misconception if you were late to meeting him tomorrow night. You placed you hand over his and his cheeks began to grow red. "Hey, Lantis. I'm happy you enjoy having me, I really do, so I want you to know that I made plans with a friend tomorrow afternoon...and I'm not sure if I will be able to see you tomorrow."
"...Oh...R-really?' He stuttered, feeling slightly embarrassed that he already declared that you would see him every day including tomorrow just for you to say that he may not be able to see you tomorrow. "I mean...y-yeah, I'm sorry I jumped to conclusion like that. I know that you have a life outside of me...a-and..."
"No, no," you ensured. "It was my fault. I should have told you first. I should be the one who should be apologizing...sooooo..." you trailed off and let go of his hand. You turned around only to turn back with a container of cheesecake in your hands. "I brought this as sort of an apology gift." Lantis eyes grew wide with hunger and want as you brought the slice of cheesecake to him. He took it cautiously.
"I-Is this all for me?" He asked as he popped the lid open.
"All for you!!" You chimed, and immediately as you said this, the male began to scarf the dessert down, feverishly. He bared his sharp teeth as they dug deep into the soft texture of the cake. He greedily grabbed piece by piece, shoving them into his mouth till nothing was left but crumbs and an empty container. He floated on his backside a bit, sighing in satisfaction.
"It's so gooood..." he moaned out, patting his stomach. You laughed as you took the empty container. He turned back to you with a brighter smile. "I guess I'll forgive you for now!!"
"For now?" You repeated with a scoff. You reached out, ruffling his wet hair. "Well, I can't be picky. I'll take what I can get, and I promise to bring you another one when I come back. Maybe I should let you try something else, though. Maybe a donut or a corndog?"
"A do-not?"
"Yeah," you chuckled. "So donut ruin your appetite till I get back, okay?"
"I suddenly feel sick..." Lantis groaned.
xXx
The next morning, you woke up with a loud knock at your apartment door. You could hear Tua call out from the other side. You groggily looked at the clock, seeing that it was sharply 8am. You groaned before getting up, not bothering to change from you sleepwear. You opened the door with a groggy smile. "Mornin'," you greeted with a yawn. You opened the door wider to let the dark-skinned male in. He gave you a smug look as he gave you figure a quick observation before letting himself inside.
"Just woke up, I see?"
"Yeaaah," you laughed lazily.
"Did you eat breakfast? What am I saying? Of course you didn't; you just woke up. New question: what's in your fridge?" The male helped yourself to your fridge, opening it up to see what was inside. He gave you a look of stern irritation.
"What?" You questioned.
"You have a cart of yogurt that's wildly expired, an empty carton of milk, and a box of energy bars. One: is that the yogurt pack I gave you as a parting gift? Two: why didn't you just throw the empty container away? Three: Why...? Why are there energy bars in your fridge? Have you really been this hopeless since I left you. Whatever, I figured this would happen that's why I bought some ingredients from the grocery store." Her dropped a grocery store plastic bag onto the counter as he threw away the yogurt and empty milk container.
"I kinda like my energy bars cold..." You murmured to yourself.
"Whatever, I'm not hearing it."
"Are you mad?"
"I'm not mad," Tua replied before giving you a look. "I'm just disappointed..."
Ouch...!
"Anyways, help me cook. We're not having those groddy-ass trash bars. I'm making pancakes, bitch!!"
"Fine by me," you smiled. You lazily helped him out with cooking. However, you have proved time and time again that cooking was not your strong suit as Tus scolded you for small culinary mistakes. However, in the end, you managed to make a good amount of food between the two of you. You sat in front of each other on the table, sharing a meal, just like how the two of you had done years ago. You sliced a piece of thick pancake before placing it into your mouth. Your cheeks heated up as you let out a moan of satisfaction. You rubbed your cheek with your free hand.
"God, you really do make the best food!" You chimed, letting out a sigh of joy. Tua stared at you for a moment, once again as if he were expecting a result before he gave you a large smile, somewhat satisfied with your reaction.
"Yeah, yeah! You don't have to tell me every time I cook something for you. But the comment is appreciated," he laughed, leaning back. He dug into his own food, savoring it for a moment before savagely scarfing it down. They way he ate reminded you of a certain fish boy. You couldn't help chuckle at the thought. You began to eat again, quickly shoving forkfuls of pancake into your mouth, Syrup dripped from the corner of your mouth. You wiped it away after you finished.
"So, where do you plan for us to go?" You questioned.
"I was thinking that we should go to the broadwalk!" He chimed in, clapping his hands together happily. I have never really visited that place with someone. So I thought it would be an experience if both of us went together, yeah?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan!" Now that you thought of it, you haven't really went to the boardwalk with anyone either You usually went alone, and since carnival games and fast roller coasters weren't exactly up your lane, you tended to avoid it. But you were sure that it was more fun with someone to peer pressure you into money stealing games and life threatening rides. You looked up at Tua, noticing his dry clothing. It didn't seem like he had any swim attire under it at all. "Don't plan to swim?" He twitched at your question.
"O-oh, uh, ahaha, no. I told you, I don't really know how to swim, and I prefer not to start today and embarrass myself in front of you," he answered with an awkward smile. "Why, did you want to swim?"
"God, no," you chuckled. "I swim almost every day because of my job. I don't hate it, but I am willing to take a break. It can get so sickening, sometimes."
"Yeah, I guess I get what you mean," Tua laughed along with you. He stood up, taking your plate and placing them in the sink. However, he didn't wash them. He usually didn't wash them while you were around.
"Here, I got them," you volunteered, taking the his place in front of the sink. You turned on the water and began to scrub them.
"Oh, thank god," he sighed. "Not to sound like a stuck up bitch, but I would hate to ruin my nails."
"You always are a stuck up bitch."
"At least I'll be a stuck up bitch with good nails, something you could afford to have. I mean look at them, your nails look disgusting."
"That's what I get for handling fish and old ass alergi," you joked. You pulled your hand out from under the water and threatened to splash him. However, he dodged out of the way quickly. He pushed you lightly, glaring at you.
"Insulting my nails and almost ruining my makeup? Are you even my friend?!" He hissed.
"I am. I am," you chimed in. You recoiled your hand and finished up the dishes. You dried and placed them away after drying off your own hands. The male cleaned up as well, putting away the groceries he bought into your refrigerator. You noticed that he had bought more food than just the ingredients for the breakfast meal. You slightly figured such. Tua was probably worried that you wouldn't have good food. He was partially right. You practically lived off cheap energy bars...You like those cheap energy bars. Though, you owe it to him for bringing some diversity into you menu. You quickly changed your clothes and come back out to see Tua ready to leave.
"Alrighty, ready to go? I am ready when you are!!" He chimed. He seemed excited for your trip to the broadwalk. He always had that children-like life in his eyes. You could tell that he was really itching to go. You rubbed the back of your neck and laughed before grabbing your keys.
"Yeah, let's get going! You still don't have a car, yeah?" He nodded. "Alright, I'll drive then."
xXx
One thing about the broadwalk that you have learned is that it was always lively. It was always filled with tourist and screaming children, no matter what day it was. The entry to the boardwalk was free, and it provided good passage to the beach, so it didn't dumbfound you as why. You avoided this place mostly because you felt out of place coming here alone...not to mention, the parking was a living nightmare, but with Tua with you now, you knew that you would have more fun.
The boardwalk was supported by aged but thick wooden planks. You could hear the creak whimper from under your feet as you set foot onto the broadwalk. However, you knew that if the wooden planks could support roller coaster rides, food stands, and arcade buildings, then you were sure you and Tua wouldn't make the planks suddenly collapse on themselves. As for the rides, you cracked your head up to see a number of high climbing mechanical rides. Shouts of joy and fear echoed as the cars would slowly rise up the track then fall straight down. The sight sent chills down your spine. You were both excited and scared, and you weren't sure if Tua would urge you to ride one with him. You looked at your partner, his eyes were filled with childlike glee and wonder. The male tugged at your hand, pulling you over to the first ride in view.
"Let's do this first! No, wait, I want to try that food over there. Wait, what is that? Let's see that! Wait no!!" The male pulled you in every direction as if you were his deadbeat mother.
"Hold on, hold on!!" You cried out. "Let's take this one thing at a time. You wanted to try fried oreos, right?"
"Yeah! How about funnel cake? I've never heard of that before!"
"Alright, we'll get both," you said, pulling out your wallet.
"Oh, hey, wait! No, I'll pay!!" Tua added, pulling out his own wallet. The two of you bought your fried treats, and though you had already ate, you couldn't deny the alluring smell of such fatty delicacies. The two of you ended up scarfing both of the foods.
"Man, these are amazing! Terrible for my health and just empty calories, but they're amazing!!" Tua chimed. He took his fork and cut a small piece of the funnel cake and popped it into his mouth.
"Yeah, they're pretty good, huh? Festival foods are known for being tasty...but really shitty for your health," you replied. You had gotten a good amount of food in your stomach, and you let the boy finish off the rest. You watched as he was finishing it off, bits of powdered sugar fell down onto his jacket. Grabbing a napkin, you patted down his clothing, picking up the bits of sugar. "God, you must really like this. Have you really never had festival food?"
"I haven't. Where I come from, we don't even have fairs or whatever this is. It's a small town, ya know? It was in the middle of nowhere."
"Right, I think I remember you telling me that," you said, sighing. You placed your chin on the palm of your hand, staring at him. "But I guess there is a first time for everything. But, if I may...We have known each other for awhile, Tua."
"We have," he confirmed.
"You've never really told me about your family life...In fact, you haven't even told me anything before you've met me. I mean, you kinda have, but everything you have given me was super vague. Why is that?" The dark-skinned male paused for a moment. He looked at you, and then he smiled.
"Aw, are you curious about me?" He chimed in.
"In fact I am," you laughed, leaning in. "Come on, tell me a bit more about yourself. You crashed my place for a year now. The least you could do is tell me a little bit more about yourself. I mean, that is, if you're comfortable with it? I'm just...you know, curious."
"Yeah, it makes sense that you would be. Like you said, I did crash your place for a whole year...and you were kind enough to give me space to adjust. It's just...I don't want you to know too much about my past self, at least, not yet. I don't want you to judge me when I didn't know any better..." tua leaned back. He didn't seem to worried or concerned about what he had said, but you could tell that his tone was genuine. He bit into the funnel cake once more, wiping his mouth before throwing the crumbs away into the trash. You got up and the two of you began to walk off all the sugar you had consumed.
"Were you like a secret serial killer or something? Is Tua even your real name?!" You gasped in fake shock. You highly doubted your friend was some kind of sadistic fiend. He jumped back, his eyes wide. He waved his arms in a defensive way.
"Oh, god, no! I've never broke the law...I mean, sorta I did, but I definitely not some kind of wanted criminal if that's what you were thinking!" He rubbed scratched at his arm for a moment. His eyes peered off over the dock, staring down at the clear blue waters below. "I just wasn't exactly a good person, and I kinda got hurt because of it...I ran away because of it, and that's when I met you. I was broke and homeless as you know...soooo, I didn't really know what to do before you came and helped me out. I owe you that much. Hell, I practically owe you my life."
"Don't be so dramatic," you chimed in. You lightly pushed him away, and he laughed in return.
"I'm serious," he laughed.
"So, what happened to your eye?" You questioned. Tua suddenly stopped. It took you a moment to realize that he had stopped in his tracks. You turned around and lightly jogged back to him. "Hey, you okay?"
"My eye? You knew about my eye?" He questioned. His hand brushed up against right eye.
"Yeah, I mean...Come on, Tua, I've known you for more than a year, you really thought I wouldn't notice? You're a real pretty boy, but your eye is always closed, and you have some light scaring there. Not to mention, you always cover it with your hair. You really thought I wouldn't have thought something was up."
He took a moment to process his words. He blinked out of his daze shortly after, though. "N-no. No, of course not. I mean, I look so out of place compared to everyone else with just my hairstyle alone, so yeah, I guess it is only natural for you to catch onto the obvious."
"So, something bad happened before you met me, huh?"
"No; I mean, yeah. I mean, it's been awhile. Besides, you'll have to reach a higher level to unlock my tragic backstory!" He wagged his index finger in a scolding manner as his lips twisted into a mischievous smile.
"What? Wait, wait!! I thought you were finally opening up to me?!"
"You do not have enough experience to unlock the rest of my chat log," he cooed.
"Bullshit!!" You hissed. You hit him lightly on the back of his head, causing him to just laugh.
"Ah, don't be like that. You know I'm just playing with ya. My past is all boring and grimy and stuff. We came here to have fun, not be all clue and gloom!" The dark-skinned male once again grasped your hand and pulled you. You whined out, showing him out disappointed you were that he wouldn't talk about himself more. "Oh, stop being so down about it. Let's try out these games instead. Those look fun!" Tua had continued to pull you around, and for a good while, you wasted your money on some carnival games. There were a few here and there that really peaked Tua's interest, and for a moment, you thought that you were babysitting a child instead of an actual adult. He dragged you over towards one booth after another. Though neither of you were able to win anything. With the exception of one game: the last one you two played.
Tua had dragged you over towards a small both with three milk jugs aligned in a pyramid. The teenage worker there seemed indifferent to the world. He huffed and slouched over in his chair, staring at his phone. His hair covered over his eyes, but unlike Tua's style, there was a sense of edge to it. "Alright last one! We'll win this one, I promise!!"
"We better, you pulling me around so much is exhausting, you know," you scolded jokingly. Tua only laughed, coming his fingers through his hair, feeling over his eye for a moment before waving over the teenage employee.
"Heya! Yeah you! Give me them balls!" Tua slammed down a five dollar bill. The employee gave a groan but did his job regardless, giving Tua one large ,soft ball. He gripped on in his hand, weighing itt for a moment, he was a little amazed that it weighed more than he anticipated. He steadied his aim, and you could hear him murmur something you did not understand before he launched it. Though, it didn't seem like everything had gone as planned as he had missed by a long shot. He groaned in defeated, but you decided to put down you own money.
"I'll give it a shot!!" You chimed in.
Once again, the indifferent employee handed you a soft ball, and once again, you could hear Tua whisper something. But you didn't pay much mind to it as you launched the ball. At first, you thought that it was wildly off course due to a huge oversight on your behalf. Not to mention, your upper body strength wasn't the best. However, almost as if it were a miracle, the ball changed direction, suddenly knocking down all the jugs from the small rounded table. You pumped your fists up in the air in victory and Tua cheered with you.
"You did, so what are you planning to get?" You smiled. You then nudge the male. "Choose a prize for me, yeah?"
He looked at the large assortment of stuffed animals. "That one!" he chimed in, pointing at a medium sized octopus plush. The employee slowly worked his way to unhook the prize and gave it to you, who you graciously handed it to Tua. The tanned male lost his voice for a moment, as sprays of red brushed over his cheeks.
"I-I can't take this! You won it fair and square." He tried to push it back into your hands, but you refused to take it.
"No, I wanna thank you for hanging out and for everything, so I think this is proper gift! But I'm going to have the pleasure of naming him!!" You huffed proudly. You stared at you new octopus companion, and you thought for a moment, staring deep into its sewn eyes. "Tentai-"
"Okay, naming privileges have been taken away," Tua butted in. "His name is Ibig, now!" You whined out, reaching for the toy, but Tua turned his body away from you. "Honestly, what dumb-dumb calls a toy Tentai?"
"What kind of dumb-dumb says dumb-dumb?" You mused back, and the male nudged you playfully. The two of you leaned up against the railing of the boardwalk as you stared out at the vast ocean. The bright blue filled with color and life, there was no question that you certainly did love the endless sea, the mystery and beauty under the surface had fascinated you to no end, and you loved it so much! You sighed and spoke out. "What do you think is out there, Tua? Like, what could we possibly be missing out there!" You scoffed to yourself as your thoughts strayed to Lantis for a moment. "I already knew that there was so much I didn't know already, but I never thought that I'd see something like it for myself."
"What do you mean?" Tua asked, looking at you.
"I mean..." you blew a raspberry. "You're gonna think I'm stupid, but like...I really like mermaids and stuff, like, a lot. I have since I was a child. The thought of exploring the ocean without having to worry about air sounds like so much fun."
"Yeah...I mean no! No, that doesn't sound stupid at all," Tua stuttered."I'll be honest, when I left home, I was terrified and excited. It was the first i had ever left. There was so much to learn and so much that could hurt me. It was an entire world i have never touched but so many other people were familiar with it." As you heard his story you felt his hand place itself over yours. His fingers curled over yours and you can feel the soft breeze of the ocean. He stared at you with a soft smile, turning his head from the ocean. "But, I can gladly say that you made the experience so much more enjoyable. You helped me out over and over and over again, even when I had nothing to offer you."
"It was nothing, really," you mused, but he gripped your hand even harder.
"It was, though! You literally took in a hobo you never met before, (y/n), and can't thank you enough. So...if you ever feel like exploring..." He trailed off for a moment. The tan male's face grew a shade darker as he tried his best to put his words together. "Take me with you. I'll give you the best experience cause...cause it's better when you're not alone..."
"Tua..." You murmured.
He immediately let go and laughed. "Yeah...so, uh, whatever. I wanna try out those rides before we go, okay? The line died down a bit; we should go while we can!!" He mused with a childish smile. You took a moment of silence and smiled back at him.
"Of course!" As he walked off, you stared back at the ocean, and something caught your eyes just for a moment. You noticed a large blue tail for a moment before having disappear below the surface and into the blue.
xXx
Wow there was a lot of transitioning in this one, huh? I'm sorry!! I have just moved into my apartment. Anyways, thank you for all the love and support you have sent my way. Thank you for being patient with me. I won't be very active because I have started my classes. I am sorry!!
Also I HAVE RECIEVED FAN ART!!!
God!! This beautiful piece of art belongs to
Honestly, I can not thank you enough for this!! You drew him better than me!! Ahaha, again, thank you so much!! He's so beautiful!!
Here is another amazing piece by , they sent me this through my wattpad account. And golly oh gosh!! It is so beautiful!! I can't believe you made Lantis look so good!! Ahhh, both of you draw him better than me!! And I love it!!
A L S O
I AM OPENING UP WRITING COMMISSIONS.
Please consider them!! I need money for college!!