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He made it as far as he could.

The rocks were long into the sea, more than what Marcus'd expected. Once he reached the end, he was met with two path ways. One was easy to follow while the other, not so much. The rocks were sharper and more wide apart.

Marcus ignored the small waves crashing on it and chose the more dangerous one. He leaped onto the rocks, praying hard that they weren't slippery and continued his way.

Finally, it all came to a stop. Marcus found himself in a mini cave like structure. The rocks were so large, it covered the open view and looked like a mini cave. On to the opposite side, even with the poor eyesight because of the night, he could make out an opening of the ocean.

Marcus could see the darkened beach from where he stood but knew for sure no one would see him, even in broad daylight.

Stepping in, he walked further around the cave like structure only to freeze when he noticed the bundle of clothes at the side. He could make out that it was a pair of pants and a shirt. With a pair of boxers.

Clicking on the phone, he found the flashlight, viewing it so he could see better of the dark place. His heart hammered and he wondered why he tried to figure things out. He was probably going to get killed.

His eyes found the clothes, a stack of another, a pair of shorts played on one of the rocks, with a phone, a new model, on top. Someone is here.

Marcus tried to find anyone around the place but when he realized that he was alone, he let out a frustrated sigh.

"But who's are these?" He whispered to himself.

"Hey! Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"

Marcus almost slipped in surprise. Rushing away from the direction of the noise, he pointed his phone-slash-flashlight at the area, breathing hard. He took another step back, choking out a cry.

"Who are you?! Where are you?!"

His eyes searched frantically until he came across a figure, the top part of it, in the corner. It had a face and he could see the shoulders. What surprised him more was that the face; he'd seen it before. It was Ocean, his savior.

"I'm here," the man replied dryly, he wasn't pleased at all. By now, he realized who he was confronting as well. "God, why can't I have a day to myself?" It was a mutter, but Marcus heard it.

"What are you doing in there?" He noticed that Ocean was in the... ocean. He also noticed that the guy was topless. Well, he'd been naked when he saved him. The thought led Marcus to eye him down, trailing passed the blurred image of the chest from the water, until they landed on, a tail. "What the f-"

That was definitely not what he hoped to see.

"Calm down."

"W-where's your tail- I mean, legs! Your legs! Why do I see a tail?! It's glowing! Oh my god!"

Marcus took another step back. His hand were shaking, resulting the whole shadow to shake. Ocean moved forward, getting closer to the rocks.

"Don't move." His voice was threatening. "Don't do anything or I swear I'll pull you into the water." Marcus stepped back again and Ocean decided to go a little easier. "Stay calm and I won't do anything. Promise."

"How- how, do I believe you?"

Ocean raised a brow, now swimming near the rocks. "I saved your life, it's the least you could do for me."

"N-not if I'm in danger again."

"Smart, but listen here. You have no idea what's happening. I'll explain..." he watched the boy eye the tail in the water. He tried his best to not move it, but it's hard if you want to stay above. "Everything. The tail, why I'm here and who I am."

Ocean had a few options in his hand. Either let the boy drown again, poison him with ink that he stored at home for emergencies or make him blind and mute; erase the memory.

He used a bit of strength to reach up and climb out of the water. He watched the boy he'd save stare at him, eyes wider than the owls. He was, too busy gaping at the glowing tail Ocean sported, how it started to flip side to side, as Ocean tried his best to contain it. He watched the tail slowly start to stop and once the tail had no water splattering, god Marcus was sure it was magic, the tail turned into two legs.

Ocean was once again, a normal -naked- man.

"Okay then, do you want to continue this in here or get back to the beach?"

"The beach." Marcus squeaked out, taking fast steps away from the man as he moved in. He silently watched the guy get dressed, hiding his precious... jewel, and move out, leading him.

They made it to the beach, standing at the stairs to Ocean's house.

"So, what's your name?" Silence. "You know mine."

After a few seconds, "I told you when we first met, it's Marcus."

"Right, Marcus, the guy who claims to be a great swimmer yet failed to not drown in the sea."

Marcus ignored it. "What just happened?"

Ocean had climbed up the stairs, and for so reason, Marcus followed. "Why did you come back?"

"I ask the questions!"

"I'll answer them once I get mine. Don't forget, you're in my property."

"Doesn't apply when there's a chance that you're the lurking creature everyone's so afraid about."

Ocean chuckled, opening the gates and walking towards his front door. "Oh, please. Don't compare me to those things your people created. Plus, they're not real. But it doesn't matter either way because you seem to understand one thing: people are afraid. So, what are you doing here swimmer, in my land? Aren't you afraid?"

Marcus gulped his feared in. "You saved me."

"Yeah, so? You know my secret now. I don't care of your soul. I can easily kill you. Mind me, even if I don't eat humans."

Their surroundings filled with silence and Ocean decided to head inside; it was getting a little colder.

Marcus shuffled around, keeping a close eye on his savior as he entered the rich place. Everything was polished as he expected. Everything looked expensive. His father had been right. He'd also been correct about something not being right about Ocean. But here he was, not being able to understand nor escape.

Marcus froze at the sight of the thing in the middle of the house. It was displayed on a tall stand, up to his chest and held a delicate hold on a pearl. It was shining and more polished than the tiles. He walked up to it, gasping at how magnificent the feeling it was.

"What's this?"

Ocean hummed, looking up from his making of orange juice. He froze when he saw what Marcus was asking at and slowly made his way to the boy. He eyed the figure before checking the pearl.

It was different to how it usually stays. It was bright, shining and snarlingly with attention.

"No..." Ocean glanced back and forth between Marcus and the pearl. "No way, it can't be possible."

Marcus turned back slightly to see Ocean's reaction. "What's wrong? What can't be possible?"

When Ocean didn't say anything, Marcus decided to continue to stare at the man in front of him. For the first time since meeting him twice, both times with no clothes - not that it needs to be mentioned, Marcus was seeing the real Ocean. The Ocean his father seemed so edged about.

The man, other than freaking Marcus out with a fish tail, looked normal as one could be. Tall, muscly and pale skin. Short black hair, bright, captivating blue eyes, dark lashes, sharp nose, perfect jaws to die for and a decent amount of red in those delicious looking lips. Marcus wanted to devour him.

His heart skipped a beat at that thought. Did he really just think that?

Sure, he never put a label on who he liked. He liked whoever as long as their personality matched the outer beauty. His friends called him a sappy lover. Marcus never cared. He didn't know what to think of, for the thoughts were directed at his savior, who saved him naked and had a magic tail that glowed in the dark.

As he thought about it more, the way Ocean's eyes made Marcus want to dive in and how he lived near the beach all those years alone, and the fact that he swam alone, he felt like he knew what it's all about. Let's not forget the tail, a very important... asset.

"You're a mermaid."

That snapped Ocean out of his daze. He blinked at Marcus, wondering if he heard right and then at the pearl, which kept shinning bright and annoying him more.

"Alright," he muttered to himself. "Let's figure this out, come on," he pulled Marcus to the sofa, softly placing him on it and sitting near. "Don't ever call me a mermaid. Do I look like a mermaid to you? Which part don't you get? Do you see something extra? Tell me, where are the overlarge breasts? How about you touch me and see if I have a vagina?"

Marcus blushed at the words. What was he doing? He should be in a pool, underwater, clearing his head.

"I'm not a mermaid. I'm a merman. Got it?"

Marcus blinked.

"Don't call me a mermaid. It's an insult to all the male species because somehow the human only remember about the females. We do exist and I'm proof. I'm over a thousand year old thank you."

Ocean curse under his breath. What was he doing, saying confidential things to a human?

But it did feel good to tell someone after a long time.

"Okay..."

Ocean watched the brain work, not that he actually saw Marcus's brain. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't've said those things. You probably think I'm crazy or something."

"No, I believe you."

Ocean grabbed his jaw before it dropped to the ground. "You do?"

"Yes, it makes sense. You're the one who pulled me underwater right? You must've thought that I'm trying to catch you or something. But you also saved me, which doesn't make sense."

Ocean breathed out, thankful that the situation was going better than expected. "No. Yes. Well, I did see you struggling at the edge of the rope line. So I came and had a look. At first I thought that you were a hunter but then you suddenly started to drown so I helped. Didn't want to expose my hiding spot so had to get you to the beach."

"You thought I'm a hunter?"

"Yes, until I realized how innocent and cute you are."

Marcus blushed, looking away. He didn't know what to say. No one, not a single person has ever called him cute. Sure, handsome, his mum when he wore a suit for the school dance, but that was it. He didn't have the looks. A small face, just the right amount of color skin, small nose, a big mouth from gasping during swimming and a messy brunette hair. Thick eyebrows and long lashes that kept growing because he's always surrounded by water.

"What?"

Ocean hummed, as if he didn't understand what Marcus was asking. Of course, he did, but he was too embarrassed to repeat it. So, the smart boy changed the topic.

"What, is that pearl? Does it glow all day? Like... like your tail?"

Ocean turned to the pearl, glaring at it. After all those long years, it decided to be today. "There's more to it."

"Try me, I have all day- I mean, night."

That got Ocean thinking. "What were you doing out so late? Won't your parents worry?"

For a second, Ocean cursed inside his head. What if the boy didn't have any parents?

"Um..."

With how Marcus was glancing away, a guilty look on his face, Ocean knew otherwise. "What are you doing out here, almost at midnight, without letting your parents know?! Do you want me in jail?! Better yet, dead, when they find out what I am!"

"I'm sorry!"

"You better be, get up."

"I didn't know that I was going to find a mermai- man, a merman in the of the night only to find out that he was the same man who saved me!"

"That doesn't add up kid."

"Kid?!"

"Yes, now, get out. I'll treat you food another time."

"Another time?"

"Yes, now go. How did you get out? Is your house nearby?"

Marcus grinned, showing Ocean that he was still, in fact, just an eighteen year old. "I'm good at escaping my own room. And yes, it's a few minutes away. I'll walk." Then he stopped, frowning. "But then, you're okay with me knowing about your tail?"

Ocean wondered if the guy was asking to get killed. "No, I'm not," he lied instead. If he said yes, then he'll need to explain.

"Then why are you letting me leave and saying that we'll meet again? Aren't you worried that I'll tell my friends?"

"I am, but that's for me to worry about."

Marcus was still thinking as he made his way out of the large house. He suddenly realized how gutsy he'd been when he noticed the empty town. The silence was deafening and the darkness sent chills down his body. "Don't you have powers? You know, like controlling minds?"

He was guessing. That's what he'd read once during middle school.

"Yes, I do."

"You do?!" Marcus's voice echoed a little and he lowered his voice, "you do?"

"Yes I do Marcus, I'm a merman. What did you expect, for me to sing you an ear-screeching song?"

"I thought of that too but-"

Ocean's eased chuckle stopped him. He watched the man, who declared to be a thousand years old, bend down, hands on hips, laugh. To Marcus, Ocean just looked like an ordinary guy, in his early twenties. This was the man who owned multiple art galleries?

"Why aren't you wiping my memories then? If you can do it?"

Ocean stopped laughing and stared at the boy. "Because, you're different."

With a raised brow, Marcus asked, "how so?"

After thinking too much, realizing that there was no other way and since he was already going to be tide with a few problems in the future, the older man decided to be honest. "Because, it has something to do with the pearl you saw inside."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"No," came the answer fast. Marcus pouted visibly. Ocean chuckled once again, patting the boy's back in assurance. "Another time. Now get home. I don't have to worry about someone kidnapping you right?"

Marcus let the matter go. "Of course, we live in a safe town with the most of the population working as hunters. What could go wrong?"

Ocean frowned, remembering who he was and why he stayed out of town. Well, one of the reasons. "At least it does one of us good."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Get home safe." He gave a smile to hide his fear. When Marcus waved one last time and turned, all he could do was worry how for the first time in a thousand years, his secret was out, and he couldn't do anything about it.

~~~

Marcus jumped back into his room. Cursing quietly, he kicked the goggles that laid around on the floor and dressed out of his dark clothes. Jumping into bed, he thought of all the things he'd discovered in one night.

Suddenly, his room door opened and a shadow of someone peeked in.

Marcus immediately silenced his heavy breath and slowly slipped more into the covers. Had something happened while he was gone? Was there actually a thief in his house? Were his parents okay?

"Marcus?"

His dad's voice immediately calmed him. He muddled over answering or not. He decided to play dead.

"I thought I heard something..." came a mutter.

"It's nothing. Let's get back to bed."

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Alright, only a chapter to go. I don't know, I'm having a dilemma of leaving it short or to continue so everything makes more sense. I don't want to drag it on.

Let me know on what you think!