Brendon's Pov
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I quickly ran out the door, not being able to stand it anymore. My chest felt tight, and I was well aware of the tears that were steadily rolling down my cheeks.

I ran into the living room, pulling off my black knee high socks. I wouldn't need them in the water, I wouldn't need any of this in the water. I don't even bother in making sure that they don't fall off the back edge of the couch as I run.

"Brendon!" I hear Josh yell, but I don't listen to him. I don't want to face any of them, or let alone even be in the same room as them. I was scared they would hurt me. I was especially scared that Dallon would come out and hurt me.

I make sure I have my necklace around my neck as I go running out the back door, losing my balance a little as my feet hit the sand. I pause and I very hastily take a moment to pull off my top, and well as my skirt, laying them on the railing of the stairs. My boxers, or more like Dallon's, looked enough like shorts so I just went with it, my head being too fuzzy to make a better decision.

I ran until my feet hit the water, hot tears still rolling down my cheeks and making my eyes burn, but I could care less at the moment. When my feet hit the water I try to breathe in deeply, but the constriction in my chest made it feel difficult, and almost impossible.

I wade into the water until almost all of my torso is in the water before I pull off the boxers, throwing them up to the shore and making sure they stay within eyesight. As soon as I let my whole body go underwater, I feel the warm sensation in my legs.

As soon as I feel my tail, I take off, wanting to be as far as possible. I knew I wouldn't make it far since my chest was still tight and my vision was blurry, but that's what I told myself.

I knew that Josh and Tyler would most likely come after me, maybe even Ryan, but they didn't know where I hung around in the water. Only Dallon knew, and I sob harder as I even just thought about him.

He promised he would never hurt me, but I'm almost 100% sure he would've taken a swing at me if I had given him the real chance to. He had never yelled at me like that before, he would always comfort me when people yelled at me, but he had never been the one to yell.

He told me I freaked out too much, but I didn't purposefully try to. I was only asking questions because I was terrified that I was going to lose one of the only good things in my life. That one good thing being Dallon. Yet he yelled at me for thinking he was going to leave.. who was I to blame though?

He had just stormed out of the house after figuring out our age difference, and he didn't come back. Why was it so bad that I thought he was leaving? He was the one that freaked out over our age difference.. I don't understand why though, he did love me right?

I sob harder as that question replays through my mind, almost like a little voice nagging at me constantly, wanting me to fall into a black hole of all the possibilities.

He did love me, right?

I didn't even know anymore. I feel stupid for even having this thought cross my mind, and just a few hours ago I would've said, Yes, of course he loves you. But now it didn't really seem like he did.

Maybe Atlas was right. Maybe I shouldn't have trusted him so easily. Maybe he is just like all the other humans, backstabbing, and almost no good.

I feel myself become weaker and weaker and I finally have to settle on some rocks. I needed more air, but every time I tried to get some, my airways just felt blocked. So I gave up.

My sobs make my entire body shake, but I can't help it. I put a hand over my mouth to muffle my cries, but it's no use. Maybe he was right though, maybe I do freak out too much.

I hardly had any reassuring thoughts to cling onto anymore, and I couldn't even think of any. My whole world felt like it had come crashing down and I was bearing the weight of it all.

Who was I kidding? Dallon had done something he swore he'd never do. All because of some stupid ages. I shouldn't have even told them.

I look down at my hand and see the ring that is still placed on my finger. It looked dull in the water, only shining and sparkling when it made contact with the sun. I looked up, not even seeing any sunlight from where I was.

My eyes eventually start to become heavy, and that tight feeling in my chest just continues to grow, but I only let it happen.

I'd be fine.

I let my eyes close as I lay there, my body going limp since I didn't have the motivation or even the strength to move anymore. I had probably just lost the only person who really even cared about me. The only person who I had really loved and who loves me as well.

Who was I kidding though? He didn't love me anymore, I had screwed that all up.

And with that, I let myself fade into unconsciousness, all of my problems finally melting away into something I wouldn't have to worry about anymore. At least for a little bit, anyways..

Dallon's POV
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I lay on the floor, my head starting to hurt from crying so much, my breathing ragged.

"Dallon, what the fuck happened?" Ryan said, and I felt him next to me. I only shook my head, as he rubbed my back trying to get me up. "Dallon, answer me, what happened?"

"Dallon, why did I hear yelling?" Tyler asked, kneeling next to me. I couldn't deal with them right now, I just wanted to be alone. I'd messed everything up and Brendon was gone, I knew he was.

"Dallon, why did Brendon run out of the house? He was crying and wouldn't answer me." Josh asked, tilting my head up so I had to look at him. So Brendon had run out of the house, he had left me for good. This only made me cry harder, a loud wail coming from my mouth as I closed my eyes, fresh tears running down my face.

"Dallon, hey, calm down." Ryan said gently, pulling me up and into a hug. "You need to tell us what happened."

I took a few deep breaths, still sobbing a little. "O-okay." I wanted to push them away and hold them close at the same time, I also just wanted Brendon back so I could try this all over again.

"Spill it." Tyler said, rubbing the tattoo on his wrist. He hadn't gotten it too long ago, and I knew it was a reminder to his self harm days. I also knew when he rubbed at the marks it meant he was upset or stressed, so that made me feel worse.

"I...I yelled at him." I choked out. "I yelled at him and slammed my hand on the table cause I was mad...he thought I was gonna hurt him, and I didn't do anything about it. I tried to get close to him and he stepped on my foot...and...and he ran out the door."

"You yelled at him?" Josh asked, taking Tyler onto his lap, holding his boyfriend's hands tightly. "What about?"

"He was scared I was gonna leave him, and he was asking me all these questions...I got mad and yelled." I said, my chest feeling tight again.

"You got mad at Bren?" Tyler asked, cuddling more into his boyfriend which wasn't helping my relationship problems. "What did he do?"

"NOTHING! HE DID NOTHING!" I yelled, crying even more. "I'm just a fucking dumbass who yelled at him for being nervous about me leaving him!" I broke down again, hiding my face in my hands. Ryan wrapped his arms around me, hugging me even tighter as I cried.

"I don't mean to make you feel worse, but he was terrified when you ran out." Josh said. "He broke down, just like how you're doing right now."

I shook my head, not wanting to hear his words. I just wanted my love back, I at least wanted to tell him I was sorry even if he left me afterwards. I hated seeing him upset, and I had made him cry and be scared of me.

"Love is the best and worst thing." Tyler sighed, as I sat up to look at him. "You're both scared of losing each other, knowing that you could break each other at any second, but you hold onto that one thing like it's your everything."

Josh kissed Tyler's temple, running his hands up and down the smaller man's legs. I nodded. "That's exactly what it feels like...I just crushed him when I promised him I wouldn't." I felt Ryan nod his head also, and I felt the tightness die down in my chest so I could breathe a bit easier.

"Should we go find him?" Ryan asked. "He could've gone anywhere, and something might happen to him, y'know?"

I shot up from Ryan's lap, his arms still around my chest so I got the air knocked out of me. I fell forwards, gasping. "Oh shit, I'm sorry, Dallon!" He exclaimed. "Can you breathe?"

"What do you think?" Tyler sassed. "Hey, you're okay, we'll give you a second."

I shook my head, trying to stand up by grabbing onto my friends. Josh and Ryan quickly grabbed my arms, holding onto me. I took a few breaths, nodding to let them know I was okay. "We gotta go...right now."

We didn't even bother with shoes, we just ran outside. We raced down the stairs, tripping over each other. We hit the sand, and I scanned the beach, trying to spot Brendon.

"GUYS!" Josh shouted. "LOOK!" He held up Brendon's skirt and top and I felt like crying even more. If his clothes were here then that meant he had gone back to the ocean.

"What're you saying? He turned invisible or something?" Tyler asked. Ryan groaned, shaking his head. "What? I don't know what else could've happened!"

"He went back to the water, smartass." Ryan said. "He's a merman, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Tyler said. "Yeah, we'd better get down to the ocean, he might be close over there." We took off running again, which was hard in sand, but we tried anyway. I led the way, racing to the rocks where we normally went so Brendon could change back and forth from human form back to being a merman.

"Um...are these his?" Ryan asked, poking at a pair of Brendon's (technically my) boxers that lay crumpled up next to a rock. I nodded, looking back out to the ocean, hoping I would see him.

"Guys...I don't think we're getting him back." I said, trying to hold back new tears. Josh moved to hold my hand, and I didn't say anything cause I needed someone's touch right now.

"We'll find him." Ryan said. "Ty, Josh, we gotta climb up on those rocks to see if we can see him at all."

"This is just wishful thinking." I said, getting dragged over to the rocks. Ryan appointed me to help lift, and same with Josh since we were the tallest. Ryan climbed up first, yanking himself to the top.

"Okay, Tyler, I've got you." He said, laying on his stomach, his arms hanging down. "You're okay, trust me." Tyler nodded, stepping into our hands, Josh and I lifting him up to Ryan. "I got you!"

Tyler let out a whimper as he was dragged to the top. "Dang it, I think I'm gonna bleed." Josh's head whipped around, his boyfriend looking down. "I'm fine, Josh, don't worry."

"It's your turn." I said, cupping my hands so my friend could step in them. He nodded, and I quickly pushed him up, Ryan and Tyler grabbing him. As soon as he was up, I realized I was stuck. "Hey guys, wanna help me?"

"Oh yeah." Josh said. "Jump I guess." I shook my head, taking a running jump, feeling my friends grab my arms. I quickly walked myself up the side of the rocks while they pulled me up.

"Thanks." I gasped out, standing up. The rocks we were on went into the water, and we would have to jump over different rocks that stuck out of the water. "Oh shit."

"Yeah, this should be fun." Ryan said. "Guys, swim back to shore if you fall."

"Wow really? I was gonna stay." Tyler said in a sassy tone, holding Josh's hand. They both looked at each other, then jumped down onto the other rocks. Ryan and I did the same, scanning the water.

C'mon, Bren, I need you. Just this one time for me, darling.

"I SEE SOMETHING!" Tyler yelled, pointing down. We scrambled over to him, trying to see what he was seeing. "Down there! See that red thing?"

I squinted, then saw the glint of something red. "I think that's him!" My eyes widened after a second, and I stood up, panicked. "Guys, he's not moving! He's not swimming, that's not normal!"

"Hey, calm down, it's okay." Ryan said. "It's okay, chill out, just breathe." He pulled me into another hug, but whirled around when we both heard a whimper.

Tyler had his arms around Josh's neck, his eyes squeezed shut. Josh didn't have his shirt on anymore and had his arms around Tyler. They kissed each other pulling away. "I'll be okay." I heard Josh say, brushing what I guessed were tears off his boyfriend's face.

"Be safe, I love you." Tyler said. Josh nodded smiling. He went to the edge of the rocks, doing a backflip into the water. Ryan and I both yelled, looking down into the ocean as Josh fell in.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Ryan asked, turning to Tyler.

"He went to check on Brendon." Tyler said, crossing his arms. I'd never seen him this nervous in my life, and I pulled him into a tight hug, Ryan and I sandwhiching him in between us.

"He'll be fine." I said, resting my head on Tyler's.

"And your boyfriend will be fine." Tyler said. "Ugh I hate this."

"Same." Ryan said, looking back into the water, Tyler and I doing the same. "If they don't come up in three minutes I'm going in." I tightened my hold on my friends, hoping Josh and Brendon would be okay.