The Heart of the Ocean

“A mermaid found a swimming lad

Picked him for her own,

Pressed her body to his body,

Laughed; and plugging down

She forgot in cruel happiness

That even lovers drown.”

-William Butler Yeats

His lips were soft as they moved against her own. They tasted of salt and freedom, making her fall harder and harder for him. As if she hadn’t already given her heart to him. As if she hadn’t already known this was the man she would spend the rest of her life with. His fingers were tangled in her messy brunette locks, pulling at them gently and angling her face so he could kiss her deeper.

He moaned at the feeling of her tongue dancing against his own, fighting for control and resisting him. Her small hands were caressing the nape of his neck -she smiled against his lips when he shivered at her touch. If heaven existed, Evander was sure this was it. Having his mate in his arms -kissing her, touching her. If he was to die at this very moment, he knew he’d be a happy man.

Her front was pressed against his muscular chest -the contradiction of her soft skin against his hard body made her whimper softly. She rested on his powerful tail, her legs around his broad waist. She pulled away from his fierce mouth, gasping for breath. His forehead rested upon her own as her delicate fingers pushed away the stray locks of hair that had managed to escape his bun.

The song of seagulls above them and the sound of waves crashing upon the shore went unheard by them. All they could hear was their pounding hearts and their heavy breaths as they found comfort against one another. The water of their pond was cold but they didn’t seem to mind. They got lost in the company of one another, enjoying the time they could spend together.

“So, your grandfather used to be a royal guard?”

“That’s what he said”, Aide hummed in agreement.

“And Alexandra is his beloved”, Evander let a small laugh, “Tough luck.”

“Hey!“, Aide punched him playfully on his chest, “My Nana is fabulous -a bit scary, yes. But fabulous nonetheless!”

“I’m just messing with you, my love”, Evander kissed her forehead gently.

“I don’t like it when you make fun of me”, Aide grumbled, crossing her arms above her chest.

“I would never!“, Evander smiled at her before tickling her sides.

Her laugh was like music to his ears. The sweetest melody he had ever heard. He stopped when she asked him though, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. Aide buried her head in the crook of his neck, sighting in contentment. Her breath against his skin melted his heart and created a purring sound that surprised her.

“What was that?“, she asked curiously.

“What was what, my love?”

“That sound”, her hand rested upon his chest, “Why are you making it?”

“Because I’m content to have my beloved in my arms”, he kissed her forehead, “It is also supposed to have a calming effect on you when you’re upset.”

“Hmm”, she hummed softly, “I like it.”

At her words, the sound grew stronger. She leaned her cheek against his chest and laughed at his reaction. She had missed his presence and she also needed his comfort. Things had taken an unexpected turn and her world had come upside down. It wasn’t every day your ‘dead’ grandfather appeared on your doorstep, announcing he is a merman nonetheless!

“You know things actually make more sense now”, Evander caressed her back gently.

“Are you kidding me, Ander?“, Aide chuckled at him, “I’ve never been more confused in my entire life. I thought he was dead. And suddenly, he appears one day and says he’s a merman. Which means I’m one-half a mermaid-”

“One-fourth, actually”, he corrected swiftly.

“Whatever! One-half, one-fourth. I don’t even know how to swim!“, Aide sighed in frustration, “I’ve almost drowned thrice!”

A painful hiss escaped him at the reminder -his arms tightening around her form.

“A mermaid who can’t swim -I’m already a failure”, Aide groaned at herself, “It’s like High School all over again.”

“Well, for starters you’re looking at it the wrong way-”

She grasped his hands and guided them to her ankles. His fingers caressed the wet skin of her feet, before taking hold of them gently.

“Look at them!“, she pointed at her feet, “Does this look like a tail to you?”

“Aide-”

“It’s so wrong and so damn confusing”, she sighed in exhaustion.

“No, it’s not”, Evander shook his head negatively, “Did you know that merpeople have the ability to grow legs?”

Aide’s eyes widened in shock, making him smile softly at her.

“What?”

“Well, you know how important our beloved is to us -we cannot live without them”, he buried his nose in her hair inhaling deeply, “And it can be rare, but pairings between humans and merpeople are possible. Do you really believe these pairings are doomed to fail? Just because our worlds are different, it doesn’t mean they cannot meet.”

“How does it work, then?“, she asked in astonishment.

“Since humans cannot grow a tail, merpeople are able to grow legs when their soulmate is on land”, Evander further explained, “We call it Thalassa’s Mercy.”

“So this is why my grandfather can walk on land”, Aide furrowed her eyebrows, “And Havelock, too.”

“Exactly.”

“Wait a minute, mister!” Aide narrowed her eyes at him, “You said humans cannot grow a tail and yet, you forget that Aileen did.”

“And you, Cor meum, forget that Havelock is the King of Atlantis”, Evander reminded her, “He has a duty to his people -he cannot just abandon them and live on land. And he also cannot lead nor live without his mate by his side. This is the exception to the rule -it doesn’t happen every day.”

“Do you have an answer to everything?“, she crossed her hands above her chest, “Because no one likes a know-it-all.”

Evander threw his head back and laughed loudly.

“Stop laughing at me!“, Aide yelled at him.

“Give me a kiss and I’ll stop my love”, Evander smiled at her flushed face.

“No! And you haven’t answered everything”, Aide pointed a finger at his chest, “We’ve known each other for years and yet, you never walked on land. Why?”

His purple eyes sparkled in delight. His nose caressed her cheek making her heart pound wildly against her ribcage. His voice had softened, making goosebumps appear on her skin. His fingers took gentle hold of her necklace -of the seashell between her heaving breasts.

“Because you were never human.”

Chocolate eyes gazed deeply into purple ones.

“You’re a mermaid”, Evander whispered against her ear, “And the ocean is patiently waiting for you to come home.”

Her lips found his soft ones. It was a fiery kiss -one filled with passion and longing. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else made sense. They hadn’t realized when they fell into the cold water. Aide’s legs automatically wrapped around Evander’s waist as his powerful tail did all the work. The seashells around them glowed as the sunlight reflected upon them -their beautiful colors filling the pond with light. They didn’t notice it -it didn’t matter to them.

They were lost in each other’s arms.

It was true, Evander couldn’t walk on land. He had tried multiple times and failed every single one of them. He could still remember her retreating form that night at the beach -he couldn’t bear to see his beloved leave him once again. He was stunned -she just wanted to say goodbye to her friend and had no idea he’ll be there. He hadn’t seen her in so long -he couldn’t just let her go without speaking to her. Without explaining himself to her for all the pain and suffering he had caused them both.

And yet, as he screamed her name in desperation and his palms fisted the wet sand of the shore, he found himself stuck. He was unable to move -unable to shift and follow her. It had confused him. It had pained him. He got a glimpse of her after so many years, just to watch her disappear before his own eyes. Unable to stop her -to hold her. To say how much he loved her and how sorry he was -for everything. He couldn’t understand why. It didn’t make any sense.

Until now.

It all made sense now. Her grandfather’s return brought the missing piece of the puzzle, making them able to see the whole picture clearly. He had stayed away from his own beloved for so long -he had lost his own sanity and he had forgotten what was important to him. Evander shivered at the thought, kissing his soulmate harder.

He had been so close to turning into a Tenebris. He was so damn close to losing everything -just like her grandfather had. He didn’t care about himself -he didn’t give a damn about his well-being. However, the thought of losing so much precious time away from his better half -it broke him. Not knowing if she’s well or if she’s troubled. Living a life where he has no part in -no. He couldn’t bear it.

Her grandfather had lost everything. Not only his beloved but his family too. He had lost so many precious moments. He didn’t even get to meet his own child. And he may get to spend the rest of his years with his beloved but he didn’t grow old with her. If he hadn’t smelt Aide’s scent -if he hadn’t recognized she was a descendant of his soulmate. If the shock wasn’t strong enough to wake him up and stop his wild instincts. He would have never come back.

He would never return home.

He swam swiftly to the surface, letting Aide have a much-needed breath of fresh air. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and her forehead rested against his own.

“Thank you”, he whispered hoarsely.

“For what?”

“For saving me.”

She felt her eyes fill with tears at his words.

“I’m so sorry”, she whimpered against his lips.

He shushed her gently and shook his head at her words.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Cor meum.”

“But I do. I was so selfish and difficult -we lost so much time together”, Aide sniffled, “You almost turned into a Tenebris because of me. I’m so sorry-”

“Aide, my love. The ocean may seem cruel but it is not”, Evander wiped away a fallen tear, “It is a powerful force that I’m proud to call home. And it always gives to you what it is meant for you to have.”

“You mean your sanity?“, she laughed nervously through her tears, “Is that your way of making me feel better? Because it is a bit confusing and I’m not sure it is working.”

“Shhh, of course, it’s working”, Evander shushed her quickly, “And I don’t give a damn about my sanity. The sea can keep it for all I care.”

“Evander-”

“I meant my heart”, he whispered against her ear.

She could feel herself stop breathing. She gazed at his purple eyes with her own tearful ones, her arms tightening around his neck.

“You’re the Heart of my Ocean”, his lips brushed against her own, “And I’ll be happy to drown in the insanity of its waters as long as you’re by my side.”

He took hold of the blue seashell between her breasts, letting a kiss on the hard surface of its shell.

“This was always my promise to you”, Evander stated firmly, “To love and protect you -always. Even when you’re angry. Even when you’re scared. Even when I’m not there. Whether you want to stay away from me or want me by your side.”

His hold on the necklace tightened.

“You were never alone, my love.”

A tear fell down her rosy cheek.

“I was always there -close to your heart, where I always belonged.”

As the necklace fell from his fingertips, her lips fell upon his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 29!!

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