FicWad

Frank lay on his back, staring at the roof of his cave and trying to relax so that he would be able to get to sleep. His photophores were glowing gently, bathing him in a blue light that highlighted the shadows beneath his eyes. He hadn’t been able to sleep since returning to the ocean, he spent most nights tossing and turning, wishing to be back in Gerard’s arms where sleep came so easily.

Frank had been in the sea for over four months now, and still nothing had been done to attack the Sirens. The merpeople had taken some small steps in trying to stop them from killing so many humans, if only to stop themselves from being found if the humans decided to check the sea. Already some diving squads had been out trying to find what was taking the sailors, and some of these had also fallen prey to the Sirens but the merpeople had done all they could to stop this.

The Sirens wouldn’t attack the humans if the merpeople were in their way. They never exchanged words or got close, but just the Sirens seeing the merpeople from a distance could usually make them drift away back to their own town. Only during the day though, when it was night the Sirens would let nothing stop them from swimming to the harbour, and the merpeople had had to flee in a hurry several times when they had tried to stop them.

More and more divers were being sent into the sea, and Frank knew that the humans were growing more and more suspicious. Soon they would find something and this fact was the only thing that was allowing Frank to keep pushing to get the Sirens attacked.

Frank was desperate to protect the humans and return to Gerard, but that evening things had taken a sudden and unexpected jump forward and Frank wasn’t sure how to feel about it…

Over the months that had passed several meetings had been held over the Siren situation. Jamia was still arguing strongly against them taking any further action and even complained about the little they were doing. She refused to speak to Frank outside of the meetings, and the only time she spoke to him in them was when she was refuting something he said. Their lost friendship pained Frank, but he had other things to worry about.

Frank and Bob had managed to mostly rekindle their past relationship and were good friends again. They weren’t as close as they had once been, but Frank knew that Bob was feeling torn between him and Jamia. He was supporting Frank though, which was all Frank could ask for, but in that evenings meeting Bob had done much more than simply support Frank.

“If we don’t strike soon then the Sirens are going to start attacking us. /” He had insisted after the meeting had been called to a start. “They’ve started to get closer to us every time we patrol the harbour, and I think it’s becoming pretty clear to them that the last thing we want is a fight. They’re going to use that to their advantage and just get rid of us completely if we don’t act NOW.” /

Frank had been expecting most people to ignore Bob’s words, the same way they always ignored him, but to his shock almost everyone had murmured and nodded their agreement. It had then been a simple task for Bob to insist that the Sirens were probably planning to attack them any day now and that the town needed to be prepared, or better still, needed to attack first and take the Sirens by surprise.

Frank had barely realised what was going on before Marigold was holding a vote and hands were being raised in agreement of all the men and any women who volunteered to gather weapons and attack the Sirens the following evening. Frank had sat stupefied, and only raised his hand when Bob shoved him gently.

Only three women and Jamia had not raised their hands and once the vote was passed Frank had watched in dismay as Jamia swam away after screaming at him that he had doomed them all. It was clear that even though it had been Bob to bring about the decision it was Frank that she blamed.

Lying on his rock in his cave unable to sleep Frank couldn’t help but wonder if Jamia was right. If anyone was hurt or killed the following night it would be his fault. He had been the one had kept pushing the need to attack the Sirens and now it was finally going to happen he was beginning to realise just how dangerous it was going to be.

Worry gnawed at Frank’s insides and made him feel sick, his mind turning over all the different outcomes that could happen. The merpeople winning and coming away unscathed seemed laughably unlikely and he was even considering calling off the whole attack. But he couldn’t abandon the humans… Gerard was relying on him, he was probably wondering why the disappearances hadn’t stopped yet.

Frank groaned and rolled over onto his front, burying his face into the seaweed coating the rock. He wished he hadn’t left Gerard, he wished he hadn’t taken on this task… the responsibility was too much for him. He should have just begged Gerard to take him away from the coastal town. They could have moved somewhere inland and just forgotten about the horror that had taken over the harbour. They could have lived in ignorant bliss and Frank could have just pushed his guilt down whenever it tried to rise. That seemed far more appealing right then than fighting the Sirens did.

As Frank lay on his rock, worrying over everything he felt more than saw a shadow pass over the walls of his caves. The water around him shifted minimally and Frank slowly lifted his head, looking around nervously. His photophores were still glowing, and Frank couldn’t see anyone. Perhaps it had been a fish, or an octopus.

Frank sat up and peered into the darkness that stretched to the back of the cave where he hadn’t managed to spread the photophores yet. He could sense someone looking back at him and he swam up, drifting backwards slightly as his heart began to race.

“Is someone there?” He called softly, falling still and growing tense when he felt the water around him shift as someone swam out of the darkness and into the soft glow of the photophores.

Frank recognised the lilac eyes peering back at him immediately and he felt a strange clenching in his chest and his stomach. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around his body, blocking body contact as the Siren swam lazily closer, though she paused and just drifted in front of him at a safe distance.

“W – What are you doing here?” Frank whispered, his heart stuttering and thudding with fear. The Siren had a pained expression on her face but Frank knew she could just be faking it. He couldn’t allow her to seduce him.

“I’ve been watching you.” Frank almost swooned at the sweet tone of the Siren’s voice. He had not forgotten its affect from when he had first met her, but knowing about it couldn’t protect him from it.

“You spied on us some time ago…” The Siren continued softly, her hair seeming to move about her with a life of its own. “We thought you were planning to harm us, so I have been keeping a close eye on you ever since.”

“You saw us?” Frank breathed, having thought the Sirens had all been asleep that night those months ago. The Siren smirked slightly and nodded, shrugging her dainty shoulders.

“Of course…” She purred as if it should have been obvious. “You foolish merman… We always have one awake to keep watch through the night. It was my turn that night, but don’t worry… I did not tell the others about what I saw.”

The Siren began to drift about the cave, peering around everywhere and gently touching the algae over the walls. Frank watched her, frozen with fear.

“Why not?” He finally managed to breathe out, not sure why the Siren was here or what she wanted from him. But he couldn’t believe that she saw them that night and didn’t tell her group.

“I met you once.” The Siren was gazing at the photophores, her face full of sorrow but somehow mixed with determination. She refused to look at Frank as she spoke. “You are the merman who is in love with a human.”

There was a pause and Frank wondered if he was expected to give some sort of an answer, but his mouth wouldn’t move. There was nothing he could think of to say anyway. He didn’t want Gerard to be mentioned, he was terrified of him getting brought into something dangerous.

“I could have killed you that day we met.” The Siren continued speaking quietly when Frank didn’t. “And you… You could have tried to kill me too.” The Siren finally turned to look at Frank though she didn’t move away from the wall. “You were afraid of me, I could tell, but you spoke to me that day as you would have spoken to any other… So I let you go. I did not expect you to ever return to the sea, I thought you would stay with your human.”

The Siren swam back into the centre of the cave, drifting down to sit on the rock Frank had vacated. She curled her long, silver tail beneath herself and peered at Frank curiously through her long eyelashes.

“You did not love him enough?”

“No!” Frank blurted out the word without thinking, his heart searing as if it had been stabbed at the prospect of him not loving Gerard. “Leaving him to return here was the hardest thing I’ve ever done! But I had to do it!” Frank spoke passionately, clenching his fists, but when the Siren smiled he blushed and quickly curled back in on himself. He realised he should not have talked, and that he had revealed too much.

“I see…” The Siren sighed, idly running her fingers over the scales on her tail as if Frank’s words had not interested her at all. For a while she didn’t speak, but then gradually she lifted her gaze again and her face grew cold.

“Your town held a vote today.” She stated bluntly, Frank’s face growing red as he blushed and lowered his gaze, trying not to look guilty. “I’ve come here to tell you to call off this attack that you plan.”

Frank looked at the Siren in surprise, biting his lip. He was tempted to agree immediately and not just because the Sirens charms were weaving around him. He opened his mouth and then hesitated. He hadn’t been the one to raise the vote, it had been Bob, and he doubted if he told everyone now that he didn’t want the attack to go ahead no one would listen to him. And he couldn’t let the humans be killed.

“I…” Frank considered for a moment, taking a deep breath and picturing Gerard in his mind to combat the Sirens attempts to woo him. “I will call off the attack,” he told her, “if you take your clan and go far away from him and leave the sailors alone.”

The Siren raised her eyebrows at Frank, though the rest of her face remained perfectly neutral. She considered his words for a moment, mostly just surprised that he had tried to make a deal with her. Part of her wanted to agree and part ways with an amicable peace treaty in place. But she knew there was no way she would be able to persuade the other Sirens to leave.

“I can’t do that.” She finally spoke, her voice cold and calm. “You will call off the attack, or I will kill your human.”

Frank’s whole body jolted as if he had been electrocuted, his heart starting to clench as if it was inside an iron vice and he shook his head.

“What? No, you can’t do that.” Frank narrowed his eyes suspiciously, trying not to let himself grow panicked. “Gerard isn’t a sailor, and he knows about you and your kind. He would never come onto the sea.”

“Oh wouldn’t he?” The Siren smiled sweetly, rising up from the rock and shaking her head. “You think the only power we have against man is our charms? Don’t be such a fool merman.” She scoffed, swimming past Frank and brushing her arm against his, making him shudder.

“We can coax any man onto the sea if we want to, the only thing we need is a deep connection with them.” The Siren turned to look at Frank, scowling at him. “You have that connection, and it would be only too easy for me to take it from you.”

“What do you mean?” Frank whispered, starting to back off deeper into his cave. He had never heard of Sirens being able to do anything with a connection before and he wasn’t sure how his connection with Gerard could be manipulated. He wanted to believe the Siren was lying to him, but he didn’t want to risk Gerard getting hurt.

“It’s simple really…” The Siren cooed, swimming up to Frank without hesitation and suddenly gripping his wrists. She leant into him and kissed him before Frank could do anything, her soft lips sending Frank’s head into a spin and he gasped in delight.

For the few seconds that Frank was kissed he was unable to think. He couldn’t remember who he was, or where he was, his entire being had been taken over by the Siren and when she pulled away he was left gasping on the cave floor.

The Siren sighed and drifted back a few feet, feeling a deep hatred as she watched Frank trying to compose himself. A Sirens kiss was intense for merpeople, and for humans it was deadly. Sirens could not love, their embrace killed any they tried to make a life with, human or otherwise.

Once Frank was able to sit up and look around again the Siren took a deep breath to compose herself and appear calm again.

“To kiss the lips that have loved your human is all I need… You said his name was Gerard?” The Siren smiled darkly, swimming towards the mouth of the cave. “Well merman, I suggest if you ever want to see Gerard alive again, you will do what I asked.”

Frank watched in quiet bewilderment as the Siren left his cave, his whole body feeling icy cold and weak. He didn’t know what to do, or what to even believe anymore. All he knew was that he couldn’t let anyone hurt Gerard, even if meant sacrificing every other human in the world… He had to keep Gerard safe.

xXx

Bob looked at Frank anxiously; the younger merman looked ill, like he hadn’t slept for a week. He was pale and there was a green tinge around his gills. His eyes were bloodshot and darkly shadowed and he was swimming about restlessly as if he had something important to say.

“So… You nervous for tonight?” Bob tried to start a conversation, guessing the reason Frank was looking so run down was because of the prospect of trying to fight the Sirens. He was nervous himself, just like everyone else in the town was. “We’ll be okay you know…”

“I don’t think we should fight anymore.” Frank blurted out the words suddenly, as if he had been fighting with the urge to say them all morning. He stopped his swimming around and turned to face Bob with wide, frightened eyes, worried about his reaction but Bob just looked at him with confused eyes.

“I… What?” Bob wasn’t sure what to say, Frank had been pushing for this for months. He could understand if he was nervous but he didn’t think that was a good enough reason to want to call it off completely.

“I thought you wanted this… What about the humans?” As much as Frank had been trying to persuade everyone to fight with the whole ‘the town is at risk’ angle Bob had not been fooled. He knew that Frank wanted to get rid of the Sirens for the humans but Bob didn’t care, he wanted to get rid of the Sirens too and so what did it matter what Frank’s reasons were.

“I just think it might be too dangerous.” Frank mumbled timidly, wringing his hands together. He didn’t want to reveal the truth to Bob, he couldn’t let anyone know that he had fallen in love with a human and if he told Bob about being threatened by the Siren then he’d have to reveal everything.

“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anyone got killed.” Frank continued, feeling more and more embarrassed as Bob stared at him like he had gone crazy. “Jamia is right, it would be all my fault.”

“What?” Bob raised his eyebrows in surprise and then scoffed, waving his hand. “Don’t listen to her Frank, she’s just angry that you were gone so long.” Bob shrugged like it was nothing, but his cheeks had gone pink. He always got embarrassed when he talked about the way Jamia was treating Frank, he didn’t like it and he had talked to her several times trying to persuade her it was time to let the grudge go but it always just caused an argument.

“We have to fight Frank.” Bob insisted, swimming closer to Frank and gently touching his shoulder. “I know you want to do this to help the humans, but you’re not wrong when you say that the town is at risk too. This is my home and I need to protect it…” Bob hesitated a little, seeing that he wasn’t getting through to Frank. “Even if you refuse to fight, I’m going to. And I’ll make sure everyone else joins me. It won’t be your responsibility at all, I want to do this and so I’m going to do, with or without your blessing.”

Frank looked at Bob with wide eyes and parted lips, his heart racing. Usually he would have been grateful that Bob was so determined to fight, and that he was willing to take all responsibility off Frank’s shoulders as well. But now the words only filled him with dread. Bobs blue eyes were full of determination and Frank knew there was no way he would be able to stop him.

“Bob please….” He breathed, turning to face his friend properly. He lay his hands on his shoulders and squeezed tight, holding his gaze and trying to make it clear in his face how serious he was being. “I’m begging you Bob please don’t fight. If you do something terrible will happen.”

“What are you talking about?” Bob frowned, starting to feel confused and suspicious as he gazed at Frank. “What’s going on Frank, why are you being like this?”

Frank blushed, drifting away from Bob and bowing his head. “I… It’s nothing. Just trust me… /Please/.”

Bob sighed, shaking his head slowly and feeling a hint of dread swirl in his stomach. He could tell that Frank was panicking, and he wondered if he should listen and call off the fight. But it had taken so long just to get people to agree to help, if they called it off now he didn’t think they would ever be able to gather the whole town together to fight again.

“I do trust you Frank.” Bob said slowly, gazing at Frank with sad eyes. “But I can’t call off this fight. I’m sorry.”

xXx

Gerard was lying on the sofa just like he had been most days the past four months. He had attempted to do some painting that morning but had soon given up and chose instead to drink the day away. He had been doing that a lot… too much really… He had been painting so little that his income was dwindling away rapidly. When he did paint it felt like so much effort for him that he just rushed to finish quicker and as such the few paintings he did finish just weren’t good enough to sell. He had managed to sell some older work, but it just wasn’t enough to fund his new drinking habits and pay his rent.

Gerard was close to his family, and he kept in contact with them a lot. But he hadn’t had to beg his mum to pay his rent for him since he had been a college student… For the past three months though he had managed to keep the roof over his head only thanks to his mother. It was a risky tactic, he rarely called her now, too nervous she would hear the depression in his voice. When he did call her she would worry incessantly and had threatened several times to send his brother Mikey over to check on him. Luckily he was so far from home that so far he had been able to escape having Mikey turn up on his doorstep, but he feared it would only be a matter of time.

Gerard sighed and ran a hand over his eyes, the guilt of his actions just consuming him. He knew he needed to stop being so pitiful and just get back to work, but whenever he thought he would be able to do it he would start painting and it was like a dark shadow would just take hold of him. He was wrapped in a shroud of sorrow and nothing could take him from it but Frank.

Each of the four months which has passed since Frank had left felt like a lifetime. Gerard was beginning to wholly believe that Frank had forgotten him, or wouldn’t return. Why would he? He had his own life in the ocean, merpeople he had spent his whole life with… why would he give that up for a man he had only spent two months with?

It was this mind-set that was making it so hard for Gerard to cope. He knew he was acting like a sulky child and was doing the exact opposite of what he should be doing. But no one had made him feel like Frank did, he had been in a five year long relationship and had never felt as in love as he did with Frank in their short time together and now he was imagining never seeing him again he just didn’t want to motivate himself to do anything.

Gerard sipped straight from his bottle of whisky, gazing blankly at the TV, not even sure what he was watching. It was starting to grow dark outside and he felt cold, but he couldn’t summon the energy to move off the sofa to fetch a blanket. Frank was on his mind again and he knew he was going to end up spending the whole night thinking of him and growing more and more depressed.

Gerard didn’t know how long he lay on the sofa wallowing in self-pity, but he was just beginning to drift to sleep when a strange feeling suddenly took over him.

The living room was dark, lit up only by the glow from the TV and Gerard looked around with sleepy eyes. He was feeling confused and dazed, getting to his feet slowly. He walked to the window and gazed out at the black sky. He couldn’t see any stars and he guessed there were too many clouds. He suddenly longed to go the sea, his whole body aching fiercely and somehow he just knew the only thing that could soothe it would be the cold salt water.

Gerard closed his eyes and swayed on the spot for a moment, a strange feeling coming over him like a breeze was caressing his skin but the window was shut tight. The imaginary breeze was also whispering his name… He could feel it more than hear it, but he knew what it was saying. It was calling him.

“Frankie…” Gerard’s heart squeezed and he knew he needed to follow the thing calling him. His chest felt tight and he couldn’t breathe, he had to get to the sea.

Gerard walked as if in a daze, his eyes swirling darkly as he hurried across his apartment, ignoring the TV. As he passed the kitchen he looked in at the knife block on the counter and something buried deep inside him screamed at him to arm himself. The voice was buried quickly once more, taken over by the gentle, seductive voice cooing his name.

Gerard’s legs seemed to be trying to drag him to the door and a strange battle raged inside him as he gazed at the knives. It wasn’t Frank calling him to the ocean… how could it be? But something was… Gerard remembered Frank’s words about how seductive Sirens were and with a huge amount of strength he managed to force his unwilling body into the kitchen. He grabbed the longest knife from the knife block and slide it beneath his shirt, the blade resting behind his belt buckle as he then surrendered himself to the invisible breeze pushing him and allowed himself to be led from the apartment and outside into the night air.

xXx

“Frank! Frank where are you going!?”

Frank ignored Bobs shouts, his tail undulating rapidly as he swam after the Siren who had visited him in his cave the night before. Her longer tail allowed her to swim much faster than Frank, and the dark water was making it difficult for Frank to keep her in his sight, but he refused to lose her… As soon as the fighting had broken out he had met her gaze and seen the expression on her face and he knew she was going to go after Gerard.

Frank had continued to try and persuade Bob to call off the fighting that night, and when he had been unable to he had tried to plea to individual merpeople instead but it was simply too late. The decision had been made and no one wanted to hear him changing his mind. They all told him not to be so nervous, and that he had to master his fear and turn it into strength… No one had understood that he simply couldn’t.

Now Frank’s fears were coming to light. The fighting had begun, Gerard was in danger and he wasn’t able to help the merpeople with their battle. He dared to glance behind him and instantly regretted it. The Sirens didn’t look nervous at all, and though they could not seduce the mermaids the mermen were all just floating uselessly on the outskirts of the battle, clearly already under the charm of the Sirens. Only Bob seemed immune, unnoticed by the Sirens as he gazed after Frank and shouted at him to return.
Frank squeezed his eyes shut and then carried on chasing the Siren, Bob’s voice growing quiet and he hoped it was simply out of range and not that the blonde had also been caught in the Sirens charms. He had the horrible feeling that he was leaving his town to a massacre, but he couldn’t turn back when Gerard needed him.

Frank followed the Siren further and further away from the fight, and closer to the harbour. His lungs were burning and his tail and muscles ached, but he couldn’t slow down. He forced himself to think about Gerard to give him the strength to continue, but he couldn’t even see the Siren anymore. He only hoped that he would be able to find her at the harbour, he was guessing that was where she was heading. He wouldn’t even allow himself to consider not finding her… He had to find her, Gerard would die if he didn’t.

xXx

The water was freezing and Gerard shivered violently as he waded into it. His eyes were open but he wasn’t even seeing anymore, he had been completely taken over by the seductive voice in his head and he was nothing more than a marionette on a Sirens strings.

The knife in his belt had been forgotten, just like everything else had been forgotten. He could feel the cool wind blowing and the freezing temperature of the water as he walked deeper and deeper, just like he could feel his shoes getting stuck in the sand and slipping off his feet; but he couldn’t feel his love for Frank or the fear of swimming in the dead of night in Siren infested waters. It was like his brain had been half shut down.

Gerard walked until the water became too deep and then he swam. His clothes were weighing him down but he barely noticed, whenever he sank beneath the waves he just struggled more so that his head remained above the water and he could breathe.

He swam until the harbour wall was almost a mile away and no one would be able to see him from the land, not that anyone would be looking anyway. The harbour was usually abandoned now, even during the day. As soon as Gerard was far enough away though a head appeared above the waves.

Gerard’s eyebrows rose in surprise and he stared in amazement at the beautiful eyes gazing back at him. The woman’s face was expressionless, gazing at him as if she hadn’t been expecting to see him there. In the back of Gerard’s head he was aware that he was looking at a Siren, but the knowledge was so buried by the lust he was beginning to feel that he simply continued swimming eagerly towards the beautiful woman.

Gerard had never seen a more beautiful creature in his life. He had never been attracted to women, but suddenly all he could feel was the need to touch the Siren. His heart was racing erratically and something inside him was screaming, Frank’s image kept appearing in his mind and making him hesitate but then the Siren would bat her eyelashes or smile at him and the hesitation would be gone.

“Gerard…” The Siren began to coo, her voice like the sweetest music, weaving around Gerard and making his head spin. “Come to me Gerard…”

Gerard wasn’t about to refuse the gorgeous woman. He swam faster, desperate to take her slender form in his arms. His soaked jeans were like a weight dragging him down, but the Siren reached out to him and took him tenderly by the hands as soon as he was close enough.

“What a handsome man.” The Siren breathed, Gerard’s ego inflating tenfold and he grinned stupidly as he swam into the Sirens arms. She smiled sweetly at him, her lilac eyes drawing him in. Gerard stared at her, drowning in her gaze and gasping sharply when her lips suddenly touched his and his entire world seemed to explode.

The Siren wrapped her arms around Gerard and kissed him gently as she began to drift beneath the waves, pulling the artist down with her. He had become a dead weight in her arms, his mouth slack as she kissed him and he released soft groans of discomfort into her mouth.

The Siren closed her eyes as she twirled down towards the ocean floor, kissing Gerard and drawing the life right out of him. She took no pleasure in what she did, killing men from a kiss alone was the Sirens curse. They could not love, and it was their grudge against nature that caused them to kill.

“Mm… Nngh….” Gerard’s eyelids were fluttering but the salt water blinded him so that all he could see was black. The Siren’s lips were soft on his, like the lips of an angel but he knew that they were killing him. Now that he was released from the charm all he could think about was Frank and he wished that he could call out to him but his lips were paralysed just like the rest of his body.

The Siren cupped Gerard’s face, deepening the kiss and letting his body drift down as his eyes shut and his muscles relaxed. He slumped down to the ocean floor as the Siren released him, his body crumpling just as a blur of red and black sped past and collided into the Siren.

Frank hit the Siren at full speed, screaming in her face and crying as he pushed her back as far as he could. Once his momentum ran out he used his fists to hit her, pounding into her as he sobbed and shouted. He couldn’t create words, too overcome with anger and sorrow, he could only make animalistic cries as he plummeted to the ocean floor, the Siren beneath him.

Gerard was motionless in the sand and Frank spared him a glance, his heart lurching when he saw him. He was pale and clearly not conscious. Maybe even dead. All Frank knew was that even if he wasn’t dead he needed to be taken to the surface or he would drown.

“Gerard–” Frank suddenly released the Siren, going to rush to Gerard’s aid but cool hands suddenly grasped his caudal fin and yanked him backwards with surprising strength. “NO G-“

Frank suddenly found himself beneath the Siren, his tail thrashing against hers as he tried to push her off him. Her hands suddenly grasped his throat, smothering his gills and gripping tight to block his airways. Frank tried to gasp but his blocked gills couldn’t take in the water and he began to suffocate.

As Frank struggled with the Siren it soon became clear that he wasn’t going to be able to push her away from him. He had completely underrated her strength and his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, trying to take in oxygen but he could nothing with the hands clasped tightly around his throat.

Frank turned his bulging eyes to Gerard, wanting him to be the last thing he saw. Even if he was dead, his beautiful face would be enough to make death less terrifying. Perhaps he would join him somewhere, he knew that some humans believed in an afterlife… perhaps merpeople could go there too.

Frank could feel his heart swelling and bursting with the need for oxygen and the hint of a smile crept over his face as he looked at Gerard and thought about joining him somewhere in paradise. Frank closed his eyes to let death take him, relaxing into the sand.

Suddenly the Siren’s hands released Frank’s throat, a deathly cry escaping her lips and Frank’s eyes shot open again as he sucked in a deep, lungful of air.

“FRANK! GET THE HUMAN!”

For a minute Frank couldn’t understand what was happening, but then he saw Bob, a harpoon in his hand pressed deep into the Siren’s chest and dark, black blood was spreading through the water like mist. Frank felt paralysed, unable to move but then he realised what Bob’s words meant and his need to save Gerard forced him up from the sand and he shot towards his lover.

Franks body felt weakened from his near suffocation, but he summoned up the strength to grab Gerard by the shirt and hoist him up. His body was like a dead weight, his skin pale and his lips blue. His dark hair seemed blacker than ever, a halo of shadow around his head as Frank swam with all his might towards the surface, his hands beneath Gerard’s arms.

Frank broke the surface at high speed, plunging up so that his shoulders were exposed but then he sank down again, getting dragged by Gerard’s body. He struggled to keep him supported above the water, his heart racing and his breath coming in short, sharp pants as he panicked. He hoped that Bob was okay, but in that moment Gerard was more important.

“It’s okay Gee… Its okay, I’m going to save you okay? Just don’t be dead, please don’t be dead… I love you so much.” Frank didn’t even notice that he was crying as he spoke, struggling to swim back to the harbour wall.

“Frankie!” Frank glanced over his shoulder and sobbed with relief as Bob appeared, swimming fast towards him and taking hold of one of Gerard’s arms for him. “Let me help you.” Bob’s eyes were bright and sympathetic and Frank could only nod gratefully at him.

Together the two merman carried Gerard to the harbour where Bob helped hoist him up onto the wall before helping Frank clamber up there himself. Bob hung on the edge, only his head showing above the wall. Frank lay on the harbour path, his tail stretching out behind him as he looked at Gerard, tears streaking down his cheeks.

“Is he…” Bob trailed off, not sure what to say. He wasn’t sure what a Sirens kiss did to people, he had only ever heard stories but they were all different.

“He… He needs to get the water out of his lungs. Humans drown if they have water there.” Frank whispered, his hands shaking as they hovered over Gerard’s chest. He knew very little about how to save him, he only knew what he had seen on TV when he had been on land but none of it made sense to him. It was better than just sitting and giving up on Gerard though so he did all he could.

Bob kept quiet as he watched Frank clasp his hands over Gerard’s chest and began to press with force. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he assumed Frank knew something he didn’t so he didn’t question it. He desperately wanted the human to be okay, it was obvious he was important to Frank. He supposed he was the man Frank had said he had made friends with, but the way he was looking at him Bob suspected they were more than just friends.

Frank wasn’t sure how to tell if what he was doing had any effect, and he was beginning to lose hope when suddenly Gerard’s mouth opened and he coughed violently, water splashing up between his lips.

“Gerard!?” Frank jumped back in shock before he seized the artist by the shoulders and tipped him onto his side to let the water run out of his mouth.

“Hit his back!” Bob offered helpfully, watching as Frank did as he suggested and thumped hard on Gerard’s back, forcing him to continue coughing and choke up more water.

“He’s alive Frankie.” Bob laughed with relief, feeling tears prick at his own eyes. “Look, he’s alive!”

Frank laughed through a sob, nodding his head and crying as he rubbed Gerard’s back once he had finished coughing. He was taking deep, rattling breaths and he was still an awful greyish colour, but as long as he was breathing then Frank knew he could help him.

“I have to get some humans here, they need to take him to a hospital.” Frank looked up and around but no one was there. He bit his lip, not sure what to do. He knew the number for an ambulance but he didn’t have a phone and Gerard’s cell wasn’t in his pockets when he checked. He found the knife though and only sobbed harder knowing that even in his hypnotised state Gerard had managed to break out of it long enough to try and protect himself, even if it hadn’t worked.

Frank looked about desperately, trying to explain to Bob what he was looking for when his eyes landed on it. A payphone.

“There!” He gasped, pointing at it across the street and feeling panic suddenly settle over him. “I need to get over there…”

“What? Frankie you… How? Its too risky, if a human appears you’ll be caught.” Bob gasped, shaking his head but Frank was already struggling to sit up.

“I have to… Bob he’ll die if I don’t. You need to come down here and guard him for me.” Frank looked at Bob with intense eyes, his face determined and though Bob opened his mouth to argue he didn’t manage to emit a word before he sighed and slid over the wall and dropped onto the hard ground beside Gerard. His tail made a horrible slapping sound on the slabs, but he wasn’t hurt.

“Okay… Okay… Be quick.” Bob looked at Frank with terrified eyes, gently taking over rubbing Gerard’s back as a lump rose in his throat.

“I will.” Frank nodded, looking about quickly. “If anyone comes then get back into the water.” He told Bob softly, looking at him seriously to show he meant it, he wasn’t going to get Bob caught too. “I’ll be as quick as I can.” He whispered before Bob could protest, and then he was rushing away.

Bob watched as Frank used his arms to drag his torso and tail across the road. The further away he got the more frightened Bob felt, but he just continued to rub Gerard’s back and keep watch in case anyone appeared.

Frank felt hideous as he dragged himself across the road. The asphalt felt painful as it rubbed his stomach and tail, but he didn’t care. He had to get to the payphone. He focused on it like it was a holy beacon and used all his strength to drag his body to it. Once he reached it he stretched up, groaning as he tried to use the muscles in his tail to raise his body even further.

“Come on…” Frank groaned, clenching his teeth as he swiped the phone off the hook and stretched his arm up higher. The 9 button was reached quick enough, but the 1 was much harder. But Frank stretched and worked his tail until his finger grazed across the button and he managed to swipe it twice.

Immediately Frank dropped back down and pressed the phone to his ear, the cord stretched down. He listened intently, sighing with relief when it actually worked and a cool female voice spoke to him.

“911 What’s your emergency?”

“There’s a man injured at the harbour.” Frank spoke rapidly, looking about with nervous eyes but the area was still deserted. “I don’t know the name of the area exactly, but he’s opposite the rusty anchor pub. I think he might have almost drowned you have to come quickly.”

“Okay sir, please calm down and just answer a few questions.”

Frank held onto the phone tight as he spoke to the operator, answering her questions about Gerard’s condition. Once she asked for his name though he shook his head, insisting he couldn’t say anymore. He hung up soon after, abandoning the phone and letting it hang off the hook as he struggled back across the road.

Bob was watching Frank and waving at him frantically to hurry, Frank moved faster, the muscles in his arms burning by the time he made it back to Bob but to his immense shock it was to find Gerard’s eyes were open and looking at him.

“Gerard!?” Frank felt his heart miss a beat and tears spilt down his cheeks as he rushed to his lover and gripped his hands. “Gerard, are you okay?”

“F…. Fr – ank…ie…” Gerard’s voice was rough and it sounded like it hurt him to speak, but Frank still grinned in relief and cried as he leant down and kissed Gerard’s cold lips gently.

“Gee… Oh God… I was so scared…” He whispered, gripping Gerard’s hands tightly and smiling when he heard a pained, raspy ‘I love you’. “I love you too…” He breathed back, kissing Gerard again and shaking as he held onto him. “I’ve called an ambulance okay, you’re going to be fine…”

“Don’t… Don’t g –go…” Gerard gasped, gripping Frank’s hand tight and trying to keep him to him. “P… Please…”

“I have to Gee, I have to go.” Frank sobbed, wishing desperately that he didn’t but he couldn’t remain on land as a merman. “I’ll be back Gee… You know I will, when the year is over I’ll be back.” He sobbed, pressing his face into Gerard’s neck. “When you’re better, come back here… If the Siren attacks stop then come back here at night and I’ll see you…”

“Frank we need to go.” Bob suddenly whispered, the sound of sirens sounding faintly in the distance and Frank looked up with sparkling eyes. Gerard had begun to cry too, shaking his head as he desperately held onto Frank’s hands.

“Frank, the town needs us. We need to go back and /fight/.” Bob urged, already pulling himself up onto the harbour wall. “Frank /please/.”

Frank looked at Bob, swallowing thickly as he nodded. He turned back to Gerard, meeting his gaze and tenderly running his thumb along his cheek.

“I love you…” He whispered, his words strong and genuine and he smiled as Gerard whimpered the words back. “I have to go though Gee… We’re fighting the Sirens and my town needs me.” Frank sighed as he kissed Gerard again, his lips lingering though as he ached to stay with him. “Remember what I said about coming here…”

Frank pulled back and struggled not to break down into tears again as he struggled to the wall and hoisted himself up onto it. He stopped when Gerard suddenly gasped his name and looked over his shoulder at him, half over the wall.

“Frankie… I… B – Be safe…” Gerard croaked, his eyes terrified and Frank smiled weakly at him, nodding his head.

“I love you.” He whispered one final time before dropping over the other side of the wall and disappearing into the water with a splash just as blue flashing lights appeared at the end of the road.