FicWad

The human world was a strange place; a very strange place indeed. As days passed by and Frank would go out more with Gerard, mostly to help him sell the artwork he was beginning to create, the younger man was starting to get used to many of the sights, sounds and smells. But there was never a day that went by when Frank wasn’t shocked or confused by something.

Two weeks had disappeared in a flash since Frank had first washed up on the harbour wall and by now he rarely even thought about Jamia and Bob let alone worry about them. He knew they would be safe in the ocean by now and only every now and then would a passing moment of guilt stab at his insides as he wondered if they would still be worrying about him. He liked to think that they wouldn’t be… that everyone would just be moving on with their lives, but sometimes Frank wasn’t able to convince himself of that.

Learning about the humans made Frank grateful that merfolk didn’t have the connection with their parents that people did. Since the children born of the sea creatures were raised by the community as a whole and not by the merman and mermaid that created them there wouldn’t be anyone suffering too much from Frank’s absence. Of course he knew the community would worry, but he also knew that if he had two parents like humans did then they would be forced to suffer the pain of a broken heart until he returned. Frank didn’t want anyone to suffer… he just wanted to be able to explore the human world for a little longer.

During the two weeks that had come to pass Frank and Gerard had started to grow closer. They were still getting to know each other but spending twenty four seven together meant that it felt like they had known each other for years already. Frank would help the artist with his painting most days, or he would watch the television or go out and walk about the town alone to explore a little.

Sometimes he would go out with Gerard for a drink, or to get the food shop. Now that business was picking up again Gerard had been able to re-stock his cupboards and fridge and he had even started teaching Frank the basics of cooking. Food was probably Franks favourite thing in the entirety of the human world, other than Gerard of course, he loved eating and he liked cooking too though he did often burn himself when he would forget the oven or the stove was hot. Fire and heat like that just didn’t exist in the sea and so it was difficult for Frank to keep it in the forefront of his mind that he could hurt himself.

Despite everything though Frank was having the time of his life living with Gerard. He couldn’t imagine returning to the sea now though he knew he should eventually. He couldn’t just let everyone worry about him forever, and he didn’t belong on land although he secretly felt he was fitting in much easier than other merpeople would. Sometimes he convinced himself he never wanted to go back to the sea… and sometimes he missed it with every fibre of his being.

Gerard’s art work had taken a decidedly nautical route. His paintings of mermaids becoming paintings of ships and underwater worlds. Most of the time it looked nothing like what Frank knew the ocean to really be like, but he found he preferred Gerard’s made up worlds better. The artist had an incredible imagination, and by being such a good painter he was giving Frank the chance to see that imagination splashed onto a canvas. It was the sort of thing that just simply couldn’t be done back home in the sea and Frank just felt as if there was nothing more astonishing and beautiful in the world than art.

Frank voiced his thoughts freely, and Gerard had promised to take him to an art gallery sometime soon. Frank had lay on the couch one evening, watching Gerard paint and listening with parted lips as the artist explained to him what a gallery was. It sounded incredible, and Frank couldn’t wait to go to one. He was surprised Gerard didn’t want to be in one all of the time considering he painted so much, but perhaps the novelty had worn off for him.

The two weeks that passed went by in a happy haze for Frank, but things couldn’t remain perfect forever.

Frank tried to shower only when Gerard wasn’t home or when he was preoccupied with his art so that he didn’t become suspicious if Frank was taking a long time. Frank really enjoyed using the shower, but having to wash himself on the floor and then wait for his tail to dry was a bit awkward. It meant he was always in the bathroom for much longer than Gerard ever took, and he didn’t want to seem strange for it.

Luckily Gerard was so busy with his work now that Frank didn’t have to wait too long before he would have a free moment to shower. He waited until Gerard went out again to sell some more art before he made his way into the bathroom one day. He had told Gerard he wasn’t going to come with him because he wanted chance to just relax, and Gerard hadn’t questioned it. Frank was always so full of energy it didn’t seem strange at all that he might want to slow down for a moment.

Once Gerard had left the apartment and Frank was safely on his own the younger man made his way into the bathroom and locked the door. In the two weeks that had passed he had learnt more about his human body and was starting to grow used to even the strangest parts of it. He could now urinate without really needing to think about it, and was even discovering the joys of masturbation. The classes taught in the ocean had skimmed over the masturbation topic, just making it known that humans could self-pleasure as well as fornicate together; Frank hadn’t thought much of it, but with his new body it was fast becoming one of the things he was most interested in.

Frank stripped from his clothes and walked to the mirror to inspect his body as he so often did. He didn’t turn the shower on just yet, not wanting the steam to fog up the mirror. He turned from side to side, gazing at his reflection and trying to figure out what it was about just having a pair of legs that made his entire appearance so different.

Frank really loved his human body. He especially loved seeing it naked. It was just so different and strange and yet beautiful. He wished he could see Gerard’s naked too, just to compare… He found the older man so utterly enchanting even with clothes on, he imagined seeing him naked would probably make him happy for life.

Thinking about Gerard and trying to imagine what his body would look like beneath the jeans and shirts he was always wearing was making Frank feel funny. It was a like an almost-not-there kind of sensation. It was like he could feel it but then when he tried to focus on it, it would disappear. He could tell it was a good feeling though, and he gazed at his reflection with curious, sparkling eyes as he imagined Gerard some more and gazed at his own body for reference to try and concoct an accurate image.

As Frank looked at himself and thought about Gerard he began to feel a change happening. He had had an erection a couple of times since becoming a human, he had tried touching them and was learning what felt good, but this was the first time he had deliberately caused one. Thinking of Gerard wasn’t enough to get him hard alone, but that combined with his hand stroking over his shaft soon had the blood pumping into his growing erection.

Frank sighed and leant one hand onto the sink in front of the mirror. The porcelain bowl was set into a faux marble counter and the mirror stretched across the length of it, giving Frank a wide view as he wrapped his hand around his hardened cock and began to stroke slowly. He had tried a variety of techniques since he had started trying to masturbate, and he started to combine a couple as he loosened his grip and pumped his hand in short, sharp strokes nearer the head than the base.

Frank sighed and bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment before slowly meeting his gaze in the mirror. His heart began to thump faster and his stomach lurched as he watched himself, moving his gaze down to look at his hand sliding over his cock and he almost moaned when it twitched in his grasp. It felt strange to be looking in the mirror as he did this; it felt secret somehow and watching himself brought it to the open, but it was exciting and new and he bit back a small whimper as he thrust his hips forward and squeezed round the crown for a moment before loosening his grip again.

Frank kept his gaze on himself in the mirror as he began to twist his hand with each up stroke, resisting the urge to tighten his grip too much. He had noticed a lot that he often became too sensitive after a while and would have to stop but that his erection would remain for quite some time afterwards. He knew of orgasms and knew that when you had sex you were supposed to have one, but he was certain he hadn’t felt one yet.

Frank’s free hand squeezed tight on the edge of the sink and he groaned quietly as a surge of pleasure tugged at his nerve endings. He continued to picture Gerard naked in his mind, but kept his eyes open as he stared in the mirror. He began to pump his hand faster, his balls tightening and his cock throbbing as he began to reach a point he hadn’t got to before. It was feeling good… really good. Better than it had felt before, and it wasn’t getting too sensitive yet.

Frank guessed he must have perfected his technique enough to know how to build the pleasure without tipping over too soon and making it hurt. He began to pant softly as he bucked his hips and arched his back, his whole body writhing and when Frank saw the way the movement was making his muscles ripple and clench he moved even more.

Now that he knew how to pleasure himself Frank didn’t last long, gasping and moaning as he felt his pleasure climbing and climbing further than he felt it ever could. He could sense it was building up to something and his whole body tensed as if there was a spring coiling up tightly inside him. He threw his head back and squeezed his eyes shut, unable to keep them open any longer as the spring inside him suddenly released and sprang up.

“A – Ah! Gerard!” Frank gasped and bucked his hips forward, crying out in surprise as his orgasm hit him and he came hard over the sink and mirror. He stumbled and clutched the counter for support, still stroking his cock to get through the sensations tearing through him. It lasted only seconds before it began to die down again, ebbing into a sweet afterglow as he slowly uncurled his fingers and slumped down over the counter.

Frank groaned and panted softly, his head spinning. So that was what an orgasm felt like… He didn’t think he’d ever be able to describe it to anyone, but he knew he wanted it to happen again. Now he could understand why humans had sex other than just to procreate, if that was how good it felt.

Once he had cooled down a little Frank slowly opened his eyes and looked at the mess he had made. He felt as if he had cum an incredible amount, but the sticky white substance in the sink and on the mirror was minimum. It only took him a moment to clean it all up, his cheeks flaming red as he hoped Gerard wouldn’t find out what he had done.

Frank walked to the shower and switched it on, sighing as he stretched and waited for the water to warm. He felt loose and happy after his orgasm, and he found himself wondering if Gerard did that at all. He knew humans were supposed to and he blushed even more as he imagined the artist hunched over the counter with his hand working over his cock. The image made Frank tingle all over and he almost felt turned on again. He wanted to see Gerard touch himself, he wanted to watch him make himself cum and then he wanted to kiss all over him when he was done.

“Man…” Frank shook his head and ran a hand through his hair as he stepped into the shower, trying to stop himself from thinking about the artist like he was. He was sure it wasn’t appropriate and he definitely shouldn’t be thinking about having sex with a human. He had come to the shore to create life with Jamia as all the other merpeople were supposed to do in their respective couples. He shouldn’t be on land anymore as it was, let alone wanting to have sex with a man.

Frank sighed and soaked his hair, getting it completely wet before quickly choosing which shampoo and soap he wanted and then sitting down before his tail could start forming. He was used to using shampoo now and hadn’t had any more soap in the eyes problems since the first time. He poured some of the red liquid onto his hands and began working it into his hair, making sure his head was tipped back and his eyes were closed.

The sweet smell of strawberry filled the shower cubicle as Frank washed his hair and let the bubbles run down his back. He was so busy thinking about Gerard still that once he had finished washing his hair and was picking up the shower gel to wash he still hadn’t noticed that his tail wasn’t forming.

Frank opened the bottle of shower gel and poured some into his hands, putting the bottle back down and starting to soap over his arms before hesitating when he noticed his legs. He stopped moving and lowered his hands, staring in surprise at his legs stretched out in front of him. Was he imagining them?

Frank slowly wriggled his toes and bit his lip, bending his legs at the knee and feeling dread start to creep up on him. His tail always changed almost instantly when he got his legs wet, it should have been completely changed by now.

Frank’s heart started to race as he struggled onto his feet and stood directly beneath the shower, making sure his legs were soaked before he sat down further back so his torso was out of the water and his legs were directly beneath the spray. He stared intently at his knees, waiting impatiently for them to turn but nothing was happening. Not so much as a single scale.

“Come on… come on, change…” Frank whispered, his heart pounding so hard he could feel it. He began to feel queasy, his head spinning as he stared at his legs. Nothing was happening, they weren’t changing. Frank knew there was a time limit on how long a merperson’s could be on land before they would be unable to get their tail back but he couldn’t believe his time was already up.

Frank sprang to his feet in a panic, rushing out of the shower and grabbing a towel to dry himself off. He was enjoying his time on land and had wanted to stay for longer, but he hadn’t wanted to lose all chances of returning home.

Frank felt like he was going to be sick as he finished drying his body and yanked his clothes back on. His hair was still wet but it didn’t matter. He had to get to the ocean.

Gerard would still be out for some time Frank was sure, so he didn’t worry as he left the apartment and locked the door with the spare key Gerard had given him. He wasn’t intending to leave for good, but in his panic he was determined to get to the sea and get his tail back. He couldn’t have lost it for good already, he just couldn’t have…

Frank knew the way to the harbour fine by now. He and Gerard often walked there to look at the ships together, and Frank had been there a few times on his own though he found it difficult to look out at the sea without feeling guilty, especially when he wasn’t with Gerard. He knew his friends must have given up on him by now, and that he would be putting them through some pain. If and when he returned to the town he would be in a lot of trouble too, and no one would trust him again. But Frank couldn’t just leave Gerard…

The harbour was busy again due to the fine weather and holiday season. Frank dodged past people and wormed his way through the crowd with his head bowed, feeling anxious and ill.

He made it to the end of the harbour wall where a small pier reached out into the sea. The tide was out just enough for there to be a small patch of shingle beneath the pier that Frank could drop down onto and so once he was certain no one was watching him he slid beneath the rail on the side of the pier and onto the shingle below.

Frank crouched down and waited to make sure no one had seen him before he ducked beneath the pier and began to strip of his clothes. He knew he was running a high risk doing this in broad daylight with hundreds of people milling around but he couldn’t wait. He folded his clothes up neatly and placed them beneath a rock as close to the harbour wall as he could get them to collect later. He then turned to face the water lapping close to his feet and took a deep breath.

If his tail didn’t return Frank didn’t know what he would do.

No one enjoying the sun at the harbour noticed as the naked man stepped slowly into the waves, walking smoothly deeper into the water before disappearing completely beneath the surface. Frank was forced to hold his breath as he began to swim away from the harbour and deeper into the ocean. At first he began to panic, wondering if he was just going to end up drowning but then he began to feel the familiar sensation of his legs fusing together and he gasped in relief as gills opened up on his neck.

Frank headed straight down towards the ocean floor, wanting to be as far away from the humans as possible. He was still in sight of the harbour wall but he didn’t want to go so far as to lose it. He still wanted to go back to Gerard, but it was a relief to have his tail back.

Swimming during the metamorphosis was awkward but by the time Frank had pressed his hands to the sand of the seabed his tail was fully formed and he was breathing easy again. He rolled to his back and sat up to look at his scales and fins, relieved to see that they appeared fine. Relief washed over him and he swam about a bit, weaving beneath boats and round anchors just to enjoy the freedom again.

Despite his relief that he hadn’t lost his tail for good Frank’s heart was still racing erratically. He realised now that he was running a high risk by staying on land. If he didn’t get back to the ocean and stay there before the time limit was up he would be unable to return at all. But Frank didn’t know what the time limit was… It could be months from now or only days, but he knew the only reason his tail had appeared now and not in the shower was because the first stage was up. From now on he would only be able to get his tail back if he was in salt water.

Frank slowed down his pace as he began to swim deeper into the ocean, hesitating to look at his surroundings before he turned and began to swim back towards the harbour wall. As long as that was in his sight he would be able to make his way back.

Swimming about the harbour with the boats and fishing nets above and around him Frank was reminded of the night he and Jamia had been pulled apart by the storm. He hadn’t thought about that night since discovering Jamia was safe with Bob, and he didn’t really want to think of it again if he could help it. He had pushed it safely out of mind, where it couldn’t hurt him anymore, but being in the place where it had happened brought the memories rushing back.

Frank had almost convinced himself he had been unafraid that night, but thinking of it now with the soft silence of the water pressing around him he remembered just how terrified he had really been. There had been moment when he had thought he was actually going to lose his life, or that Jamia was, and he couldn’t remember anything more frightening.

Frank sighed and stopped swimming, bowing his head as he floated beside a long chain anchoring a ship and slowly wrapped his hands around it. He let his forehead touch the cool, slimy metal and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about how Jamia must be feeling and realising he should go home.

Frank was going to be in a lot of trouble with the merpeople that much he knew. But he also believed that both Bob and Jamia would welcome him back with open arms. They had been on land, surely they had looked for him? Perhaps Bob had been there looking for both of them and had been lucky enough to find Jamia, or perhaps Jamia had returned to the town and then come back with Bob to look just for him. Either way Frank knew that they wouldn’t shun him, and he did miss them.

However, Frank couldn’t simply swim back to the town so easily… He still had Gerard to think about. And God, Frank thought about him all the time…

The artist was doing something to Frank he couldn’t quite explain. He enjoyed his company more than he had ever enjoyed anyone else’s, more than even Bob’s or Jamia’s. He missed Gerard when he wasn’t around and loved to please him, seeing him smile made Frank’s heart skip and half the time he just felt weak and giggly around the older man. Not to mention he was causing a sexual attraction which Frank had never felt at all before, let alone so strongly. That was not so simple so just walk… or swim… away from.

Frank groaned and covered his eyes with his hand for a moment, trying to think of what to do. One thing he was certain of – he wouldn’t return to the underwater town tonight, but he had no idea how long he could risk staying on land for now. He would have to tell Gerard he was going to leave soon to prepare him, and make a plan. But how could he plan his leaving when he wanted to stay so badly?

Frank was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice movement behind him, a shadow passing along the sand near his caudal fin before disappearing quickly. Around him the boats and anchor chains creaked quietly in the water, and Frank focussed on that as he tried to come up with a solution to his sudden problem. He should get back to the merpeople, put their minds at ease and settle back into the world he belonged to but… Gerard…

Frank sighed and slowly moved his hand away from his eyes, opening them slowly and letting go of the anchor chain before jumping and gasping in shock when he realised there was a mermaid floating barely three feet in front of him, watching him with no expression and cool, calm eyes.

Frank’s heart stuttered and pounded from his fright, his eyes widening as he took in the maiden before him. He could tell almost instantly she wasn’t a normal mermaid, and he kept silent as his eyes scanned over her long, slender torso and her plain silver scaled tail which stretched much longer than Frank’s did. She also had only the pelvic and caudal fins, and these were such a pale silver they were almost transparent. Her long hair was a deep ebony colour and her skin pale, her eyes a swirling shade of lilac and Frank realised what she was with a shudder.

“What are you doing here?” Frank clutched the anchor chain again and bit his lip, knowing better than to try and swim away. Sirens were vicious creatures and if Frank tried to flee and was caught the maiden would tear his flesh apart. “Isn’t it a bit risky to be so close to the humans?”

“I could say the same to you.” The siren responded in a silky sweet voice, so intoxicating that Frank almost swooned. That was the problem with Sirens, their greatest weapon was their voice. They could seduce anyone, and even if you knew they were going to kill you, you would still go willingly into their arms.

“No Sirens live near here.” Frank said slowly after taking a minute to gather his thoughts, forcing himself to picture Gerard to remind himself that he wasn’t interested in women and that this creature was dangerous. If he allowed himself to get pulled into her charms she would slaughter him. “Sirens haven’t been in these waters for hundreds of years…”

The Siren shrugged her dainty shoulders and leant back, treading water and idly swishing her tail slowly as she eyed Frank.

“My clan has moved closer to the mainland.” She said slowly, her voice utterly delicious but Frank knew she must not be trying to seduce him, despite how is head grew delightfully fuzzy he was able to clear it easily. If the Siren had wanted him dead he wouldn’t find resisting her so easy.

“It’s harder to catch sailors now… The ships that go across the waters to the different countries are too large for us. We cannot easily catch even one man.” The Siren’s carefully masked features suddenly filled with anger and her fists clenched as he swam round Frank in a wide circle, always facing him.

“We have set up a new resting place for us, only a few miles from here. From now on we will have to catch our sailors one by one.” The Siren looked up then, following the anchor chain to the boat it was attached to and Frank realised her plan. If she couldn’t get sailors from large cruise or cargo ships then she was going to snatch them from fishing boats.

“But you,” the Siren turned her cold lilac eyes on Frank again. “What are you doing here? We heard there was a town of merfolk not far from us, but we did not believe they would come so close to the shore…”

“I… I’m lost.” Frank spoke slowly, not sure how much he should tell this creature. He was desperate to get away from her, she was dangerous and intimidating and yet at the same time he was transfixed over her beauty. He was almost falling for the mask of innocence she kept permanently over her features.

“Lost?” The Siren frowned as she swam lazily round Frank, gazing at him curiously. “You are the one the merfolk have been searching for?” She asked slowly, a grin splitting her features. “The one who they believe was cast onto the shore by a storm?”

“You’ve heard of me?” Frank gasped, dread filling him. If even a Siren had heard about him then obviously the merpeople were looking for him. He hadn’t been expecting that and he felt almost irritated by it. Why hadn’t they given up? Why was he so important

“So it is you?” The Siren laughed, the sound like the sweetest music and Frank’s head swam dizzily. “You can’t find your way back?” She asked curiously, Frank blushing as he shook his head.

“I know my way back…”

“Ah… Then you don’t want to go back?” The Siren giggled and swam close to Frank suddenly, cupping his face and gazing into his eyes with excited intrigue. “There have been many search parties sent out looking for you… It has made my job harder not to be caught… your clan is risking everyone for you.” The Siren purred softly as she ran her fingertip down Frank’s cheek. “Where have you been hiding?”

“I haven’t been hiding.” Frank whispered, his body trembling as he struggled not to lose sight of the danger he was in. “I was… hurt, when I washed up on land. A human found me and was taking care of me, I couldn’t get away.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, Frank could have left whenever he wanted to but the Siren didn’t need to know that.

“Really?” The Siren’s eyes seemed to flash with hatred for a moment before her innocent look was back. “Could it be that you’ve been with that human all this time… because you love her?”

“Him.” Frank corrected automatically before blushing. “And that isn’t true. I… I don’t even know what love is so…”

“Oh you’d know.” The Siren whispered, drawing away from Frank but still keeping close as her hair floated about her like a dark halo. “I think you already do know… why else would you be avoiding all the merpeople looking for you? I can tell you’re not planning to go back to them.” The Siren grinned darkly, but her eyes betrayed her anger. “You would be a fool to go back to the land.”

“Why?” Frank asked quietly, unable to tear his eyes away from the maiden. “I don’t even know if I can go back there. My tail stopped forming in water I… I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to come back to the sea if I go on land again.” Frank nervously behind himself, thinking again how he should go back to the town. He didn’t know why he was confessing his problems to a Siren, but to his surprise she offered him some useful words.

“You have been on the land for two weeks.” She stated, smirking at Frank’s surprised expression, wondering how she knew that. “You can keep your fins for two more months… Any salt water will work for the next four weeks. After that only the ocean will return you to this form… If you do not return here in by the time the two months are up, you will remain human.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Frank asked softly, not sure whether to believe her. Why would she want to help him?

The siren shrugged and cocked her head to the side, gazing at Frank for a long moment before speaking. “It is nothing you should not have been told already by your own people.” She purred. “This man you would be human for… You would not be the first of us to fall in love with a human.”

Frank bit his lip and nodded, watching as the Siren sighed and grew sorrowful, starting to swim away from him.

“Wait!” Frank rushed after her, unable to bear to see her go so soon. “Have you loved a human?” He asked desperately, somehow just needing to know, but the Siren didn’t look at him as she continued to swim away.

“No.” She said simply, her longer tail giving her advantage in speed over Frank and soon he could barely hear her, but her sweet voice floated back to him through the water. “But others have… And it always ends in death.”

*

Frank sighed as he hoisted himself back up over the harbour wall and sat down on the edge for a moment, taking a deep breath and laying his head in his hands. He had been under the water for hours, drifting around thinking about the Siren and almost hoping she would come back. By now the harbour was empty of people and the moon was high, providing enough light for Frank to get home by, not that he was really sure where home was anymore.

Knowing he had two months to make a decision on what to do made Frank feel a little better, but knowing that Sirens were now living in the area made him worry about his own little family of merpeople. But the things the Siren had said to him made him worry even more… What did she mean about loving Gerard? Frank knew what love was, but he didn’t know how to tell if he was feeling it. Was it even possible to be able to feel it after only two weeks?

Frank sighed and slid off the harbour wall, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets as he walked down the street. He couldn’t tell how late it was but he guessed Gerard would have been home for a while by now. Frank felt awfully confused as he thought of the older man, not liking having to worry about his feelings for him when things had been going so well.

The walk back was quiet and lonely, Frank sick of thinking the same thoughts over and over. He just wanted to push it all out of mind and fall asleep in the gloriously comfortable bed he had at Gerard’s apartment, and maybe have a bite to eat too.

It didn’t take long for Frank to make it back to the apartment building. He made his way to Gerard’s door and knocked gently before slipping inside. He looked about as he slid his shoes off, the lamp in the living room ahead of him was switched on and the TV was on low but there was no sign of Gerard.

“Gerard… I’m home.” Frank called softly, taking a step forward before stopping when the older man appeared in the kitchen doorway, staring at him with wide eyes for a moment before he rushed over and yanked him into a bone crushing hug.

“Oh thank God, I’ve been worried sick!” Gerard cried, crushing Frank to his chest and holding him tight as he hid his face in his neck for a moment. Frank bit his lip and hugged Gerard weakly back, surprised by the greeting.

“Where the hell have you been!?” Gerard suddenly demanded, moving back and holding Frank at arm’s length, hands on his shoulders as he glared at him with sparkling eyes. “I got home and there was no sign of you, no note, no nothing – I expected you back hours ago, I’ve been out looking for you and everything.” Gerard didn’t mean to snap at Frank but he felt sick with relief, so glad to have him back but angry at the same time for being made to worry. “I thought you’d gone without saying goodbye…”

“I… I’m sorry Gerard…” Frank said timidly, biting his lip and gazing apologetically at the artist as he touched his hands and moved them off his shoulders, lacing their fingers gently. “I just went out for a little while. I didn’t meant to be gone so long I just…” Frank trailed off, not knowing what to say. He couldn’t tell Gerard the truth. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“Well you did. A lot.” Gerard said firmly, scowling at Frank for a moment before he sighed and softened a little. “Where were you? I looked everywhere…”

“I…” Frank bit his lip, not knowing what to say. He gazed into Gerard’s warm, frightened eyes and felt an odd tightening his chest. He suddenly wanted to tell Gerard everything, to fall into his arms and cry into his shoulder and ask him for help. But humans couldn’t know that merpeople existed. “I can’t tell you. I just… I can’t.”

Gerard was surprised to see tears in Frank’s eyes and he bit his lip, suddenly feeling guilty for getting so angry at him and he sighed as he wrapped his arms loosely around him.

“Alright.” He nodded, kissing Frank’s forehead softly. “I’m sorry that I snapped, I was just really worried about you.” He apologised quietly, Frank nodding as he tried to force a smile.

“It’s okay, I should have left a note.” Frank sighed, not wanting Gerard to feel too bad. “But I promise, I won’t ever leave you without saying goodbye.” He added quietly, looking up at Gerard through his lashes and sighing as Gerard gently lay his hands over his jaw and cupped his face.

Gerard opened his mouth to speak, to thank Frank, or offer comfort or something; he sensed Frank needed it. But when he tried to speak no words would come, and so instead he did the only thing he could think of and pulled Frank gently to his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist and tilting his head up so that he could tenderly capture his lip in his own and kiss him softly on the mouth.