There wasn't much left of the Xebellian army when they retreated; just the king and a few surviving soldiers. Arthur had returned from the battle, partly relieved but also too aggravated by his brothers presence to speak a single word to Camille. In other words, he was giving her the most severe silent treatment she had ever experienced. It only made her feel worse about the decision she had made. That was part of the reason that she had gone to visit the surface world on this particular day. Staying in the castle only made the tension grow.
In Metropolis, the city was exploding in emerald, sage, and lusty chartreuse - neon green with so much yellow in it. It was an explosive shade that, if one could watch it moment by moment throughout the day, would grow in every dimension. It was Spring, Camille's favourite season, and seeing it brought her more joy than she could express.
That feeling stayed with her during her long walk to her old apartment. Technically, she should have been evicted by now, but Arthur had brought the entire building with a sunken chest of treasure. Meaning, she (and the other residents) didn't have to pay the rent and she still had a place to stay on the surface. Here is where she reclaimed her mobile phone; that still had a trident charm dangling from the top. She hadn't seen this thing in months...probably almost a year, actually. There simply wasn't any need for it in Atlantis, and it was also much too primitive to take there without completely destroying it.
Camille held it in her right hand, suddenly aware of how odd the chunk of metal felt against her fingers. She switched it on, and after waiting for the slow device to finally activate, the screen was bombarded with notifications; missed calls from her grandmother and a plethora of texts. Many were from people that she hadn't seen since High School. Some in shock at her new role as queen, and others asking to meet 'Aquaman'. Camille assumed that most of the world knew about her now. That was an unsettling thought.
She scrolled, wiping her damp fingers on a nearby cloth multiple times when the screen didn't register her touch, then tapped on Amelia's name. The first few messages that she had missed were filled with the typical blurry pictures of Superman, and a few memes that she had apparently found too hilarious to not share. It swiftly moved into texts of disbelief upon seeing Camille's name in the news.
Camille had never been good at replying to messages, but after a few months of no answer Amelia started getting annoyed. There were a ton of texts about Camille being a terrible friend, which wasn't exactly wrong, and how Amelia was sick of being ignored. The queen sighed and locked her phone, giving her apartment one last look before leaving.
The journey to Metropolis was an uncomfortable one. It was like she could feel every pair of eyes in the country staring at her, and maybe they were. After all, almost everyone that she past whipped out their camera and started taking pictures. She could only assume that they were posting them online...and that only made her run faster.
Once she reached Amelia's place, she found her attention stuck on the door. There were so many scrapes on its wooden surface, all holding a different memory. One from when Camille was helping her move in, and they knocked her brand-new Chesterfield couch against the frame; permanently denting it. Another few from when they were drunk and had locked themselves out. They had spent most of the early hours of morning scratching at the door in an intoxicated haze as if it might magically unlock.
Camille shook her head, gathering any doubts and throwing them away. She needed to see Amelia. The longer she waited, the worse it was going to be. With a few deep breaths, Camille unlocked her phone once more and texted 'Open the door' to her childhood friend. It took exactly twenty seconds for the wooden slab to be thrown open, revealing a very flustered Amelia.
"Oh, look who finally decided to show up!" She huffed in outrage. Her face was such a dark shade of red that Camille thought she might erupt into a living inferno at any moment. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't have my phone on me." Camille explained guiltily. "And I had a lot going on."
"Yeah. I saw." Amelia retorted crossly. "What I don't understand is why I had to learn about that through a dumb-ass news reporter instead of my best friend!"
Camille felt like the pressure on her shoulders was crushing her. She could barely keep it over her head, and every second that she spent within Amelia's icy gaze only made it heavier. "You're right...I'm a horrible friend. I should have found time for you. Is that what you want to hear?"
Amelia tapped her fingers a few times against the door frame, then as quickly as she had opened the door, her anger disappeared. "Yeah. That's close enough."
The blond then launched forward and engulfed Camille in a tight hug...well, she tried to. The prominent bump of the queens stomach prevented her from getting too close. Amelia gasped, at first, then seemed to slowly fall into realisation. Camille's pregnancy had become the primary subject of discussion on the surface world...but she hadn't expected her to be so far along.
At the surprise in Amelia's eyes, Camille was forced to explain the situation for the dozenth time. "Atlantean pregnancies develop quickly...like really quickly."
Amelia didn't react. As if, for a while, she wasn't even sure how to take this news. It must have been a little overwhelming, seeing Camille so heavily pregnant after so long apart, but Amelia was always able to adapt much faster than her friend. "Well, I hope you're at least planning on calling her Amelia."
She stepped aside and allowed Camille to enter her apartment, without any mind to the water dripping onto her carpet. "I...haven't really thought about names."
"You've gotten this far and haven't come up with anything?" Amelia gently closed the door behind her. "If you've come to hear my opinion, then you already know it. Amelia for a girl, and Ame for a boy."
"I missed you." Camille started, slumping into the Chesterfield couch and shaking her head. "But there's no way in hell I'm naming anything after you, and you know damn well that you wouldn't name anything after me either."
Amelia pouted. "Yeah... You got a point."
"And besides, I'm not even sure how the naming thing works down in Atlantis. I may not have any say in it."
"You're the mother. Tell them to fuck off." Amelia said with a slight twinge of outrage in her tone. She hadn't seen Atlantis in the same light that Camille had. She didn't understand how different everything was down there.
Camille tried not to further the discussion of Atlantean politics, and instead focused on her own feelings towards this issue...after all, she was hoping for a few moments away from the harsh reminder of Atlantis. "If they do let me pick the name, I'm not sure that I'll want to anyway. Mera says that after it's born I can just leave it with the royal nurses. It'll be...as if I never had a kid at all. I won't need to do anything after the birth."
Amelia's lips tugged into a frown. She had almost forgotten how opposed to being a parent Camille had always been. It was shocking that she had even allowed it to happen in the first place. "Are you being serious right now? I know that you've never been particularly jazzed about the idea of kids, but that's just ridiculous. You're really gonna waltz in here after, like, five months and tell me that?"
"It's better off being raised by someone that can do a decent job." Camille averted her gaze. She felt guilty, immediately springing this conversation on Amelia after so long, but she was the only one (besides Deborah) that fully understood Camille.
Amelia stepped forward, much quieter than the usual clumsy 'thump' her shoes usually made, and crouched down to eye-level with Camille. "Not it, Cammy. Him. Or her. You're having a baby, not a thing."
The queen didn't reply to this correction. It only made her sink further into her seat in apparent dread.
"I never told you this, mainly because it's my job to stop you from developing an ego bigger than mine, but you're one of the most good-natured people this gross world has to offer." Amelia took her friends hands in her own tightly. "Except when it comes to yourself."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Camille huffed. Her head had been pounding for weeks now, like a constant migraine that wouldn't leave; an apparently common side effect of Atlantean pregnancies.
"You see the good in everyone but yourself. It's the unfortunate condition of being human." Amelia smiled, and for the first time in a while, Camille felt a small remnants of her courage return. "If this was anyone else, deciding to ignore or give away their child without truly thinking it through, you'd try and reason with them. But when you're the one going through it, you never take your own advice."
"You think too much of me. You always have." Camille hesitantly moved her hands away. "If I met someone that wanted to give their child away, I'd assume they're doing it for the right reasons. I'd encourage it over making the unwanted child suffer."
"And this kid's...unwanted? You really believe that?"
"I know it's not the nicest thing to say, but it's the truth." Each word came much harsher than before, perhaps due to the sheer effort it took to admit this to someone like Amelia. "And it's not the kid's fault. I know that too. But I'd be lying if I said I wanted it..."
"I think you're just confused. You've been through a lot, from what I've heard, and been forced to face things about yourself that you've been avoiding for years now."
"No...you're not listening."
"I am." Amelia huffed, standing up only to collapse in the spot beside Camille. "You think you'll end up like your mother, but we're meant to learn from the mistakes of our parents, not add to them. You know that as well as I do. No one is more capable of raising a...fish baby...than you are."
Camille still didn't look too convinced. Not that Amelia could blame her. A few pep talks weren't going to erase her doubts, but Amelia still had faith that she'd change her mind when the time came.
"Well, if you don't want the Aquababy, then I'll have them. It could be a good way to grab Superman's attention." Amelia winked teasingly and the gesture finally forced a smile to Camille's lips.
"I swear, that's all you ever think about."
"Of course it is. I still can't believe that you're the one that got to marry the superhero." Amelia chuckled without the least bit of resentment. Camille was taken by just how lucky she was to have such a true friend. Most people, after years of pining over people like Superman, would be incredibly spiteful to see their best friend live their dreams...no matter how much Camille didn't want it. Even now, after months with no word, she had forgiven Camille almost instantly. Not many people were blessed enough to have such an amazing person in their life.
"I only did it to help the alliance. I'm sure you would have been a much better choice. I mean, you would have actually wanted to get married."
"Don't start with me, girl. You might have had the alliance on your mind, but that's not why you agreed to marry him. I know you too well to believe that." Amelia smirked knowingly at Camille's surprised face. "You wouldn't marry him if you didn't love him."
"You don't think?" Camille scoffed uncertainly.
"Absolutely not. It may have progressed quickly, but love isn't always a gradual thing."
"You're just a hopeless romantic. And an unrealistic one." Camille laughed in response. "Always have been."
"And you're so guarded all the time that you're not letting yourself feel anything for your husband, or your kid for that matter." Amelia retorted. "You really gotta work on that."
She wasn't wrong. It had taken four years of friendship before Camille ever actually trusted Amelia enough to verbally call her a 'friend'. Which was odd, because Camille seemed to be very in tune with every other emotion that she possessed.
"So, have you spoken to Aquaman about any of this yet?"
Camille sighed. "First of all, his name's Arthur, and secondly he's the king...he's already got enough to worry about. Besides he's not really speaking to me right now."
"Why? What did you do?"
"It's a long story." The queen shifted uncomfortably on the spot. She had already dumped enough on Amelia without adding this into the mix.
Sensing Camille's hesitance to speak about the matter, Amelia shrugged and jumped back to her feet. "When has the silent treatment ever stopped you from speaking before? It's actually better that way, if he ain't talking then he's forced to listen."
"He'll find a way to not listen. He's good at that."
"Oh? Then you're perfect for each other."
Feigning offends, but unable to suppress the smile that snapped onto her face, Camille gasped. "Ouch."
"Seriously, you should go and talk to him. It won't get better if you keep avoiding it." The blonde insisted, placing a pale hand on her hip. "I've got a date in a few hours, so I'm about to kick you out anyway."
"You? On a date?" The tensity of the air seemed to falter for a second. "What happened to saving yourself for Superman?"
"I figured it was selfish to deny the dating world of my charms."
"Glad to see that you're still not lacking confidence." Camille pushes herself off the couch, admittedly struggling a little in the confines of gravity. Especially now that she was carrying another person around in her womb.
It had been a relatively short visit, but Camille felt much better after it; like she had found a missing piece of herself that she thought was beyond reach. Amelia demanded that she visit again soon, which Camille was all too eager to comply with as she left.
With rejuvenated determination, Camille sped back to Atlantis. She noticed that the sea life she past all seemed to stare at her, but thought nothing of it as she arrived at the palace. Arthur was already there, staring at the distant wall in deep contemplation. This complete mental absence didn't last once he sensed his queen returning.
King Orin pushed towards her immediately, and without warning, engulfed Camille in a tight embrace. A surprised squeak escaped her lips, followed by a flurry of bubbles. "A-Arthur...are you okay?"
His grip tightened, arms tensing with a degree of strength that would injure a regular human. Thankfully, Camille was far from that.
"I'm not good at apologies." Arthur started, voice muffled against the crook of her neck. "But I've been an ass. I'm sorry."
The hybrid shook her head against his broad shoulder. "No. You have every right to be upset. I went behind your back. I should have told you that I was going after Orm."
Arthur finally pulled back, but only enough to see her eyes. "I understand why you didn't. I wouldn't have let you go. But you did, and you saved the city. Whether my brother betrays us or not is a problem for another time. I was just too stubborn to admit it."
"There was no right choice. For all I know maybe we would have been better off without Orm..."
"We won't know until it happens." Arthur reassured her, hands drifting from her back to her shoulders. "And even if it happens, that's no fault of yours. I shouldn't have questioned your intentions. Not after everything you've done for my people...and for me."
His touch lingered on her skin, then travelled further down until his fingers rested against her stomach. It was the first time he had touched her there since the revelation of her pregnancy. Actually, it was the first time that anyone had. Camille wasn't sure how to react to such a tender gesture.
"I haven't been deserving of you. I know I've said that to myself before, but somehow I still forget to improve on it." Arthur leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. He never did this. At least, not in such an open area. Camille could tell that it took a great deal of effort to discard his pride enough to show her this affection. "I've never been with someone like you before. I always found myself interested in woman exactly like me; demanding, controlling, and somewhat unforgiving."
Camille gulped, trying not to utter the word 'Mera'. The redhead was a good person overall, but certainly fit the description that Arthur gave.
"You're so...different to me. You have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tries, and a touch that never hurts. You bring out things in me that I never thought were there...and I don't know how to act around you because of it."
Arthur's fingers twitched against her stomach, and within she felt a sudden surge of movement; like the unborn baby was responding to their father's hand.
"I love you. I should have been telling you that every day after our first kiss."
Camille's heart collapsed, but she wasn't sure if it was out of panic or awe. She wanted to reciprocate his feelings. To tell him that she felt the same. However, those words simply wouldn't leave her mouth. No matter how much she wished they would. "I know that you care, Arthur. You don't need to tell me. Words are easily spoken, but actions are hard to fake."
Arthur's touch finally glided back to her cheek, and she leaned into his calloused hand. Her words sounded empty; because she struggled with the very thing that she insisted was easy. The king could only hope that Camille was correct, and that her deeds truly did convey her feelings.
With that hope budding in his chest, Arthur caught her lips in a passionate kiss. It was so deep that Camille started to forget who was breathing for who. He tasted like warmth, and sunlight, and nothing like the salty ocean at all - though it surrounded them fully. As usual, it seemed to temporarily reinvent her. As long as his lips were on hers, she had no doubt that she loved him more than anyone had ever loved before, but when his mouth fell apart from hers she was tossed back into the shadow of denial; into the overwhelming stress that he had relieved her from for a few seconds. She wished that he would just kiss her forever. Then she could forget the responsibilities that balanced on her shoulders like a sensitive, ever-tipping scale.
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Author's Note: Yeah, this chapter sucked XD sorry about the wait. University's gone back and I've had so much reading to do. Updates might come in waves, meaning I might update really fast sometimes, and then really slow, depending on the work load 😂 I hope you understand!