A/N :
Okay, so I apparently was wrong earlier, this update will be even longer than the last by about 3500 words, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show :P
Thank you!

    I drifted awake slowly, registering the weight draped over my waist and shoulder and opening my eyes slowly. Leo was curled against my back, his arm and leg thrown over my side to pull me closer to him, his fingers still tucked under my shirt to rest on my stomach. His soft breaths stirred the hair at the base of my skull and I smiled, rolling over carefully to check the clock. 
    I just couldn’t bear to tear myself away from him to go swimming and I burrowed back under the covers, wrapping my arms around him and tucking my feet in the crooks of his knees when he rolled onto his other side. He mumbled something sleepily and I pressed an impulsive kiss to the side of his neck, squeezing him gently with my arms and feeling my heart swell almost painfully when he pushed himself back into me. 
    Leo searched up somnolently with one hand to twine his fingers through mine and pull my arm more firmly against his chest. I sighed happily and watched the strong swell of his shoulder rise and fall with each breath, the hair on his forehead stirring slightly. I reached up to brush his hair back and then let my fingertips linger, following the soft curve of his cheek and then tracing the delicate shell of his ear. 
    Leo’s fin and the webbing between his fingers retracted when he was out of the water and I ran a soft fingertip up and down each of his fingers, marveling at his slender hands. Leo’s breathing began to quicken and he yawned, starting to wake up. I ceased tracing his hands and instead held him close, nuzzling into the back of his head. 
    Leo rolled over and his fingertips scrabbled against the white bandage on his wrist, a frown on his face. I looked down, my heart warming again when Leo tucked his head under my chin and buried his face sleepily in my chest. His arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer, his breathing deepening. 
    I almost thought he had fallen back sleep, but Leo looked up after several moments and frowned again.
    “It hurts.” Leo finally said, catching my eyes and raising his right hand. I frowned, worried about infection, and grasped his hand gently. I scooted backwards, drawing the covers back from my legs and wincing at the cold air. 
    “Why don’t I take a look at your wrist and then you can get some more sleep?” I suggested, eyeing the puffy skin underneath his eyes. Leo nodded after a moment’s thought and I smiled, standing up and coming around to his side of the bed.
    “I can walk,” Leo said, yawning drowsily and pulling the covers away from his legs. I nodded, giving him space and a small smile. 
    Leo slowly pressed the soles of his feet into the wooden floor and leaned forward, balancing his weight carefully and taking a hesitant step forward. His leg held and I smiled wider, my heart softening at the intense concentration written across his face. His knuckles were white where he clung to the edge of the bed, the tip of his tongue caught between his white teeth. He slowly let go of the bed and took another step, wrinkling his nose and leaning against the wall.
    “Legs are weird.” Leo grumbled, making me laugh as I led him towards my bathroom. I closed the toilet lid and motioned for Leo to sit, letting him take a break as I retrieved my medical kit from the kitchen. 
    I returned and unwrapped Leo’s bandage carefully, sighing in relief at no obvious signs of infection. I carefully dabbed more antibiotic cream on the line of stitches and began to cover them with a line of sterile gauze I found at the bottom of the kit. 
    His wrist was banded with a thick line of maroon scar tissue left by the bracelet’s barbs, faint healing scratches still marking some of his skin. The line of black stitches was irregular and jagged, covering the top of his wrist, but Dr. Cha said the scar left behind would blend into the others and become less noticeable. He had considered cutting the edges of the skin to leave a straighter scar, but didn’t want to risk damaging more tissue. 
    I searched around inside the kit and found a white packet with two painkillers inside, tearing the paper and handing them to Leo along with a glass of water.
    “Dr. Cha will be by later today to take a look at everything and we’ll see what he has to say.” I said, getting an agreeable nod from Leo. 
    “Come on, let’s go back to bed.” I said, looking forward to a few more hours of sleep myself. 
    Leo nodded, making his way painstakingly down the hallway before settling back down in bed. I took a moment to check that his cannula was still firmly in place and attach another bag of saline, setting the bag on the nightstand and lying down behind Leo.
    He rolled over, burying his face in my chest again and laying his arm across my ribs. I smiled at his willingness to cuddle and wrapped my left arm around his back, wiggling my nose when his hair tickled the bottom of my chin.
    “You don’t mind, right?” Leo asked, his voice muffled by my chest and his breath hot against my shirt.
    “Not at all.” I smiled, touched by his trust and affection. 
    “We sleep in a chain at night,” Leo said drowsily, obviously talking about his pod. “We hold hands, so no one drifts away.”
    Leo reached to twine our fingers together after he said that, his hands soft against mine. He tucked my hand tightly to his chest and I could feel his heartbeat on my fingers, along with the swell of his flexed pectoral. I smiled, my own eyes beginning to slip closed, and let myself drift back to sleep. 
    Rapid movement from next to me made me crack my eyes open, thinking for a moment I had fallen asleep on the couch next to my housemate and he was having one of his nightmares. Instead I found myself in my own room, Leo tossing and turning next to me with throaty sounds of protest. We had come apart sometime during our nap, which was understandable considering Leo’s sprawling movements, and I yawned widely. I half sat up, the sheets falling down around my ribs, and looked down at him in concern.  
    Leo’s face was creased in a grimace and his hands were tangled in the sheets, his knuckles whitening at his tight grip. He fidgeted, one hand releasing the sheets to come up and shield his face as he twisted away from me. Leo’s breath came fast and he whimpered lowly, curling up on his side.
    “Leo, wake up.” I whispered, touching his shoulder hesitantly. Leo’s eyes shot open, flashing at me warningly, and he hissed, bolting upright.
    My hand jerked back instinctively and Leo’s eyes widened once he realized who I was, his lips relaxing to cover his teeth. 
    “Sorry,” Leo said quickly, sweat dampening his collar and making wisps of black hair stick to his forehead. He ran his hand through his hair and I returned to my place closer to him, frowning.
    “You were having a nightmare.” I said, lying down and reaching out to wrap a hesitant arm across his chest. Leo turned and backed into me, his eyes closing and his breathing slowing when I twined my other arm around him tightly and sighed. 
    “Do you want to talk about it?” I whispered, the curve of my throat resting on the back of his head when I snuggled even closer. 
    Leo didn’t respond and I realized he was already back asleep, beginning to snore softly. I smiled, pressing another quick kiss to the top of his head and shifting my arm underneath him slightly. I stayed awake from then on, making sure he didn’t have another nightmare, and my arm slowly began to fall asleep.
    By the time my fingers were prickling and my forearm was numb, Leo’s snores had gotten louder and my shoulder was beginning to cramp up. I slowly slid out from under him, standing up carefully and bending to check that he was still asleep. 
    “I’m going to go get something to eat and take a shower; you get up whenever you’re ready. I’ll leave some clothes for you.” I whispered, patting Leo’s back gently. Leo grunted an affirmation and I quietly snuck from the room, padding into my housemate’s bedroom.
    I figured Bell would be closer to Leo’s size than I was, and he had left behind plenty of his clothes when he visited home. I nearly tripped over a squeaky toy on the way to his closet and then really did trip over a dog bed lying across the floor, cursing Bell’s lack of organizational skills. 
    I picked out black sweatpants and a thin black tank top, guessing that Leo would be comfortable with less clothing considering he’d never had to wear it before. I left the clothes and a pair of Bell’s underwear just outside my bedroom doorway, continuing on towards the kitchen.
    I yawned and stretched as I walked towards the kitchen, passing through the living room and almost continuing before I registered a strange incongruence to my right. I paused and turned my head, first taking in the two dogs lying on the couch, then the human with them.
    A young man sat cross-legged on the couch, his baggy black sweatpants and soft v-neck blending in with the black cushions. The left side of his head was buzzed short but the rest of his black hair was pulled into a tufted ponytail that stuck up above his head, his long fringe sweeping his sharp chin. A sketchpad was balanced on his knees and his fingers were smudged with ink, a tray of charcoal pencils and fancy pens resting on the coffee table in front of him. A smile broke over my face and I rushed forward, getting his attention.
    “Bell!” I exclaimed, watching him slowly lift his head. He fixed me with permanently half-lidded eyes and a faint smile, setting his pen down on the page and reaching out with long fingers to rub one of the dogs behind the ear.
    “Hey, Wonshik.” My housemate said in his mild voice, still petting Rebel gently. Anarchy was resting his head on Bell’s thigh and his tail began a steady drumbeat against the couch when he looked over at me. 
    “What time did you get in?” I asked, walking to the kitchen and yelling over my shoulder.
    “About two in the morning.” Bell answered, the click of dog nails across wooden floors alerting me to Rebel’s presence.
    I knelt, giving the dog a firm rub and watching his tongue loll happily out of his mouth. Bell volunteered at an animal shelter and had found Rebel and Anarchy when they were puppies, taking them home and giving them a new life. The dogs were just like Bell—tough on the outside, but quiet and gentle on the inside. Both were brown brindle Staffordshire Bull Terriers—basically mini Pitbulls—and they were the strongest dogs I had ever met. 
    “Why is there a guy in your bed?” Bell called, still making his voice appear soft despite its ability to carry.
    “He needed a place to crash. Do you mind?” I asked, frowning as I failed to find anything in the fridge that was suitable for breakfast.
    “Not at all,” Bell said, not bothering to look up when I came back into the room.
    “I’m going to run to Kokomo Joe’s and pick up something for breakfast. You want anything?” I asked, already anticipating his answer.
    “Coffee.” Bell said immediately, making me smile.
    “Black?” I asked, already scooping my keys from the table by the door.
    “Like my eyeliner,” Bell answered, getting a laugh out of me. Rebel whined at me to take him with me but I pointed back to the couch, smiling when he obediently trotted over to Bell and curled up beside the man. 
    “I missed you guys.” I smiled, closing the door behind myself and walking to my car. 
    Bell was on the swimming team with me, not that you would know it from his constantly white skin. Normally we wouldn’t be allowed to live outside of the dorms so soon, but Bell couldn’t live without his dogs and I liked having a place away from all the craziness, so we petitioned to the college administration and were granted permission. 
    Bell was a hard-core introvert, master of books and silent conversations, which came in handy whenever my anxiety kicked in. If the team was getting too rowdy or one of us felt uncomfortable, the other was always there to provide a friendly face or even an agreement to head home. He reminded me a little of Leo with his listening skills and hidden sense of humor. 
    It was only a short drive to our favorite breakfast place and I went through the drive-through instead of going in, eager to get back in case Leo woke up. I didn’t want to leave him alone with Bell, knowing that Bell’s appearance was a little much to get used to at first. I returned to the driveway and yawned, balancing all of the different boxes and cups with difficulty. 
    I walked back inside, toting coffee, tea, and a box of pastries and dodging Rebel and Anarchy’s attempts to dislodge the box from my hands.
    “Control your beasts!” I said, making Bell look up slowly before shrugging and looking back down.
    “They’re going to spill your coffee,” I warned, holding the large paper cup above my head. Bell’s head snapped up and he gave the dogs a warning glare, a small smile gracing his face when they immediately looked back at him and abandoned their attack.
    “There, I helped.” Bell reached out with greedy hands and I laughed, handing him the cup and listening to him follow me into the kitchen. Bell boosted himself up on the countertop and sat with his legs swinging in slow circles, taking a deep swallow of hot coffee.
    “Oh god, I missed their coffee.” Bell moaned, taking another gulp and then reaching out to steal a bit of my cinnamon roll.
    “Bell, all coffee’s the same—” I started, stopped when Bell raised an imperious hand and looked at me.
    “You finish that sentence and I’ll never speak to you again, you ignorant lover of hot leaf water.” Bell said, giving me a sharp glare.
    “Okay, okay, I get it.” I laughed, tearing off another bit of cinnamon roll and tucking the warm pastry into my mouth. I chewed, chasing it down with a gulp of tea and smiling down at Anarchy pacing around my feet.
    He whined and I shook my head, nudging him over towards Bell.
    “If Bell really loved you, he’d give you some cinnamon roll.” I teased, watching Bell roll his eyes. 
    Bell looked up, his eyes flicking rapidly from me to the doorway to the kitchen in a message. I turned, smiling when I saw Leo leaning against the doorway. He looked unsteady on his feet but had obviously figured out how to walk pretty quickly, giving me a hesitant look. 
    “Hey, glad to see you’re up. You hungry?” I asked, frowning softly when Leo’s eyes remained fixed on Bell. 
    “Leo, this is my housemate, Bellamy Bandai.” I said, gesturing to the silent man sitting up on the countertop. 
    “Just call me Bell,” Bell said calmly, extending one hand and cradling his cup of coffee lovingly to his chest with the other.
    Leo nodded silently, looking Bell up and down. Bell’s sharp features and edgy hairstyle made him appear intimidating, but I was sure Leo would soon realize what a sweetheart Bell really was.
    “Bell pretends to be scary so people don’t talk to him.” I explained with a smile, watching Bell roll his eyes before grudgingly agreeing. 
    Bell pushed off the countertop, straightening to his full height, and I realized how lean he had gotten since I’d last seen him. He’d always been long-limbed and coated with the smooth, lean swells of muscle earned through swimming, but now he was starting to look skinny.
    “Bell, do you want some of this breakfast? You look like you’re losing weight,” I fussed, watching him roll his eyes and take another gulp of coffee.
    “I’m fine. Feed your boyfriend.” Bell suggested, reaching out with his feet to rub his soles along Anarchy’s back and taking another sip of coffee.
    “He’s not my boyfriend and I’m making you an omelet.” I said firmly, motioning for Leo sit down on one of the stools.
    I grabbed a pan and turned the switch on the stove, blue flames erupting from the burner. Leo gasped loudly, staring at the fire and seizing me by the wrist, dragging me behind him.
    “Be careful!” Leo scolded, looking me over anxiously. I chuckled and rested my hands on his shoulders, giving him a reassuring smile.
    “Leo, I’m just cooking food. It’s perfectly safe,” I said, reaching out demonstratively to dim the fire and then crank it back up again. 
    Leo nodded, still looking concerned, and then sat obediently on one of the stools. 
    “Is your boyfriend on drugs?” Bell asked flatly, taking an unimpressed sip of coffee and raising an eyebrow. 
    “No. He’s just…Amish.” I said, casting around for a credible lie and falling upon perhaps the stupidest in the book. 
    “Doesn’t dress like an Amish person.” Bell pointed out, looking Leo up and down. 
    “He lost his clothes. Those are yours.” I supplied, watching Bell cross his arms and give me a mildly suspicious look.
    “Doesn’t talk like an Amish person.” Bell said, making me roll my eyes.
    “You don’t know any Amish people.” I countered, slipping a pad of butter into the pan and cracking three eggs into a bowl.
    “I’ve seen tv shows.” Bell sniffed haughtily. “And I’ve read books.”
    “Of course you have.” I said, picking up a whisk from a drawer and beginning to whisk the eggs. The yolks ruptured and yellow liquid mixed with the whites, turning an even lighter color when I added a splash of milk.
    “Besides, you wouldn’t date an Amish dude.” Bell said knowingly, his head tipping back as he emptied the coffee down his throat. 
    “Well I’m not dating this one.” I said easily, beginning to chop up mushrooms, ham, cheese, and green onions to go into the omelet. 
    “Wonshik, what’s Amish?” Leo asked quietly, looking very confused at the current conversation. Bell raised a superior eyebrow and smirked, tossing his cup in the trash.
    “Told you.” Bell said, getting down from the countertop to root through the cabinets behind me. 
    “Ah, ah, ah, you’re eating this.” I scolded, lightly kicking the back of his thigh and wrestling the bag of cookies from his grip, holding them up high where he couldn't reach them.
    “I don’t want an omelet, I want cookies,” Bell whined, startling a laugh out of Leo. Leo blushed immediately as both of us turned and stared, a smile on my lips and an amused look on Bell’s face. 
    Anarchy whined up at Leo and the merman leaned down obediently, scooping the dog up and depositing him on his lap. Anarchy melted into a content puddle and Leo scratched his stomach, one hand cradling the dog’s head carefully. Leo looked glad to have something to focus on other than the fact that we were staring at him, but he also looked genuinely happy around animals.
    “Here, eat this.” I said, turning from Leo to flip the omelet onto a plate and pass it to Bell. Bell grumbled his gratitude and forked up a bite, shoveling the entire thing into his mouth in two seconds flat. I rolled my eyes when Bell slipped his plate into the sink and then walked silently from the kitchen, disappearing into his room. 
    Bell appeared a few moments later to sit on the kitchen floor and lace up his shoes, dressed in legitimate clothing.
    “Why didn’t you get some sleep when you got home?” I asked, worried about him running around town all day.
    “There weren’t any sheets on my bed and I wasn’t tired.” Bell said, rolling his eyes. “Stop mothering me.”
    “I’ll put your sheets on.” I said, watching him shrug and stand. 
    “I’m going to the bookstore.” Bell said, his black messenger bag slung across one shoulder and his car keys dangling from one hand.
    “See you tonight,” I said knowingly, getting a wave from Bell as he shut the door behind himself. He could spend hours in a bookstore, curled up in a chair with a cup of coffee and a stack of titles from each genre. It wasn’t technically allowed, but he had been blessed with relaxed charisma that allowed him to charm the staff until they were practically bringing him the books he wanted. 
    “I like him,” Leo said quietly, looking up from rubbing Anarchy’s back. The dog was sprawled across Leo’s lap, half-hypnotized by the attention, and I laughed when Anarchy began to roll backwards and nearly fell off. Leo caught him gently before he could fall off the stool and also laughed, looking up at me and setting the dog down when I set a plate of fresh salmon before him.
    Leo tore off a small piece of the meat and put it in his mouth hungrily, chewing quickly before a disgusted look crossed his face. He leaned forward, spitting the piece back out onto the plate, and looked up at me.
    “Is it bad?” I asked, sniffing the plate of salmon. It didn’t smell rotten and Leo shook his head, looking confused.
    “The texture is just…bad.” Leo said. I nodded, a thought crossing my mind as I scooped up the plate and turned back to the stove.
    I scraped the chewed bit of fish into the garbage and then began to sear the remaining meat, the scent of cooking food flooding the kitchen. I wiped my forehead and took another sip of tea, turning to look at Leo. 
    “How old are you, Leo?” I asked, propping a hand on my hip and turning back to make sure the fish didn't burn. Leo sighed thoughtfully and continued rubbing Anarchy, scratching at the dog’s short fur. 
    “Let’s see…it’s been three years, so I’m almost 22. What about you?” Leo asked, looking up at me. I sighed in mock frustration, rolling my eyes. 
    “I’m just 19.” I admitted, transferring the cooked fish onto the plate and getting a fork from one of the drawers.
    “Aw, you’re just a baby.” Leo teased, his eyes sparking as I pushed the plate towards him.
    “I am not!” I said indignantly, the fork clattering after the plate. Leo laughed and hesitantly picked up the fork, poking at the steaming pile of meat.
    “No, you’re not,” Leo agreed absently. “You’d already be a guardian if you were like me.”
    “Be careful, that’s hot,” I said, watching Leo shovel up a piece of salmon and blow on it cautiously. “What’s a guardian?”
    Leo made eye contact with me and his fork halted in its path to his mouth, his tongue catching between his teeth as he tried to find words to explain. 
    “In the pod, once you turn 18 you’re considered an adult. Half of the adults are nomadic, traveling with dolphin and whale pods to keep an eye on migration routes and protect the animals, but the other half stay with the young and elderly members in a fixed location.” Leo said slowly, watching my face to make sure I was absorbing everything. “The adults are called guardians, because it’s our job to defend whichever pod we’re with.” 
    “Were you guarding your pod or traveling when you were attacked?” I asked, trying to pinpoint where Leo could be from.
    “I was with my own pod.” Leo said, finally taking a bite of the cooked salmon and beginning to chew. His eyes widened in surprise and he smiled, quickly forking up another bite. 
    “Is it good?” I asked with a smile, happy I had figured this out. Leo nodded, quickly polishing off the plate and draining a glass of iced tea I set out.
    “Thank you, Ravi.” Leo smiled, his grins coming easier and his blushes appearing less the more comfortable he got with me. 
    “You need anything else?” I asked, putting his plate on top of Bell’s and looking at the way he scratched at a patch of scales on his collarbone. 
    “No, I’m full.” Leo said happily. He had begun to fill out more and more since I started feeding him, the harsh points of his shoulders and collarbones disappearing behind muscle and the sharp points of his elbows rounding out. Even his cheeks were plumping up, contrasting with his sharp jaw as cute little puffs off skin beneath his cheekbones. 
    “Did you take the IV out?” I asked, noticing for the first time the familiar cannula was absent. Leo nodded with a shrug and continued scratching at the scales, his nails rasping against the roughened skin. 
    “Here, if you go sit on the couch I’ll get you some lotion to put on your skin so it won’t itch so much.” I offered, rinsing off the plates and opening the dishwasher. I realized I had forgotten to put the clean dishes away and sighed, bending down to begin pulling them out.
    “Alright,” Leo said, carefully standing and beckoning Anarchy after him as he made his slow way to the couch.
    I went to my room and grabbed one of the containers of lotion my mom had made me, also grabbing a fresh cannula, lead, and one of the saline bags. I walked back to the couch, struggling not to drop everything, and set the medical equipment on the coffee table.
    “My mom makes me this for my eczema,” I explained, unscrewing the top on the lotion and offering the container for Leo to inspect. He leaned forward, sniffing at the jar, and I scooped up a thick glob onto two fingers.
    I started spreading lotion on a patch on Leo’s hand, rubbing the lotion into the scales and looking up to see Leo’s reaction. Relief lessened the crease between his brows and lifted the corners of his mouth, and his other hand fell from his neck to rest in his lap. 
    “That feels better,” Leo smiled, obediently tipping his head back so I could spread more lotion across his collarbones. I dabbled carefully around the bones, pressing my fingers gently into the soft skin next to the scales so the lotion would absorb faster.
    “Here,” I said quietly, waiting for him to tip his head back down so I could gently spread some on the patch on his cheek. 
    Leo’s eyes closed instinctively before opening slowly, tracking my movements. Leo’s hand rose and I froze when his fingers landed on my lower lip, making me realize that I had been biting down on it. I slowly took my teeth off my lip, looking down with a blush as Leo dropped his hand back to his lap. 
    I finished with Leo’s face, and then wiped my fingers on the edge of the jar.
    “Is there anywhere else?” I asked, swallowing hard and trying to control my pounding heart. Leo nodded and hesitantly reached for the jar, looking surprised when I jerked the jar towards him in an effort to be polite but only succeeded in almost hitting him with it. 
    Leo laughed quietly when he saw my shocked face, scooping up a glob of lotion and pulling up the hem of his shirt. There was another patch on his ribs and Leo began to rub the lotion into his skin, my heartbeat jumping again and my eyes held by the ridges of his abs. Leo had obviously been filling out in areas other than his cheeks, and his sweatpants were slung just high enough on his hipbones to conceal everything but not quite high enough to keep me from blushing like mad. 
    “I’m…gonna go finish the dishes,” I blurted, standing up hurriedly and banging my shin on the coffee table. I swore, hobbling into the kitchen chased by Leo’s laughter. 
    I had barely finished putting the dishes away and was just walking to join Leo on the couch when I was forced to change course by footsteps on the front porch. The doorbell rang and I realized it must be Dr. Cha, unlocking the deadbolt and opening the door wide. To my surprise, there were two men standing on my doorstep, and my mouth dropped open for a brief moment before I recovered. 
    “Ken?” I exclaimed, my eyes widening as my coworker waved and smiled. Dr. Cha stood next to him, holding a bag full of equipment, and Ken ran his hands through his hair with another wide grin.
    “I told you I wasn’t expendable.” Ken smiled, brushing past me to stand inside the entryway when I took an inviting step back.
    “You knew?” I said, unable to picture my easy-going friend being so good at concealing his knowledge. 
    “I knew more than he knew,” Ken said quietly, gesturing to Dr. Cha. 
    The doctor had also walked inside and was busy setting out medical supplies on the coffee table next to the IV I had been too flustered to administer, taking a moment to kneel with a smile and give Rebel a belly rub. Anarchy trotted over from his place by Leo and also lay down next to Rebel, one of his feet kicking rhythmically when Dr. Cha found a good spot on his stomach. 
    Dr. Cha and Leo greeted each other but my focus was drawn by Ken still speaking quietly in my ear. 
    “I’ll be honest, Hakyeon is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, but he’s pretty damn clueless. The board elected me to set up surveillance equipment inside the enclosure and monitor Taekwoon’s behavior.” Ken said, his voice still soft as he leaned in to talk to me.
    “So, you could see Hyuk and Hongbin hurting Leo and you didn't do anything about it?” I said, my respect for Ken diminishing gradually.
    “I knew Hyuk and Hongbin were mistreating Taekwoon, but the board told me to refrain from interfering unless Taekwoon’s life was in immediate danger. They wanted to see how much abuse he could take,” Ken said, crossing his arms over his chest with a deep frown.
    “And you didn’t tell them to stop?” I said, unable to believe someone could just stand by and watch Taekwoon be abused.
    “They weren’t allowed to know that I knew anything. Only Hakyeon and the board knew I had any information on Taekwoon. I was there to make sure no one found out about Taekwoon and to keep people away from his area.” Ken explained, looking over at Dr. Cha.
    “Why couldn’t Dr. Cha figure out that Leo was being mistreated?” I asked, glad that I had found someone to answer some of my questions.
    “I was asked to keep Hyuk and Hongbin's behavior to myself, and it’s not like Dr. Cha had a whole bunch of mermen to study. Taekwoon was his only subject; he had no way of knowing whether Taekwoon’s behavior and physical attributes were typical or abnormal for his species.” Ken said thoughtfully, nodding when I beckoned for him to follow me into the kitchen.
    “So, it’s not really his fault.” I said, pouring myself another cup of iced tea and motioning for Ken to help himself.
    “No, it’s not.” Ken said. “When kept in captivity, especially in solitary captivity, for extended periods of time animals can undergo physical changes. Plus, depression can cause loss of appetite and weight loss, and it’s not uncommon for them to bruise easier due to lack of nutrition. Dr. Cha had no definitive proof that Taekwoon wasn’t simply anemic and depressed instead of abused.”
    “And Dr. Cha had no knowledge of the cameras inside?” I asked. Ken shook his head, pouring himself a mug of coffee and taking a deep swallow.
    “None. He only knew I was aware of Taekwoon.” Ken said. I nodded, absorbing all of the new information, and we both fell silent.
    “So, if you had access to the cameras, you must’ve known about me.” I said quietly, looking up at Ken. A wide smile split his face, the first since he had stepped inside the house, and he took another sip of coffee.
    “I edited out the footage of you inside the enclosure, and I was the one who convinced Hongbin he had merely misplaced his keys the night you took them.” Ken smiled, looking pleased with himself.
    “Why?” I asked. “Weren’t you supposed to inform the board?”
    “Screw the board,” Ken said. “They intended to keep Taekwoon locked up until the day he died; at least you gave him some happiness.” 
    “Thank you,” I smiled, relieved and grateful. Ken shrugged, still smiling.
    “Besides, you were making breakthroughs that Dr. Cha would have never been able to make; Taekwoon trusted you. I was a little concerned at first when he almost drowned you,” Ken laughed. “But that worked out quite nicely.”
    I laughed as well, watching Ken’s grin turn to a smirk.
    “I’ll admit, I never suspected you would bust him out so quickly.” Ken said, reaching out to clap me on the back. “You’re a good man.”
    I was saved from answering by Dr. Cha ducking into the kitchen and beckoning both of us out. 
    “Leo’s wrist is healing, but I’m going to give him some antibiotics just in case.” Dr. Cha said, digging around in his bag and pulling out a small bottle. He handed it to me and smiled, taking it back to scribble instructions on the side of the bottle before handing it back. 
    “Thank you,” I said, setting the bottle down on the kitchen counter where I wouldn’t forget about it. 
    “Is there anything else you need?” Ken and Dr. Cha asked, walking towards the door. 
    “Where was Leo picked up?” I asked, glad I could use them for more information.
    “On a beach in San Francisco.” Dr. Cha said, and I nodded in understanding. I could now identify the large island from Leo’s memory as Alcatraz, and I realized he was probably attacked during the annual swim towards the island. 
    “I’ll be down that way for a couple of weeks, so if you find yourselves in need of anything, give me a call.” Ken said, digging around in his wallet to pass me a business card.
    “Thank you, to you both.” I said. Leo waved to them and the two men ducked out of the doorway. The door closed behind them and I took a moment to retrieve my phone and enter Ken’s number in it before walking to the kitchen to read the instructions on the side of the antibiotics bottle.
    “Leo, are you hungry?” I called, bending to look around inside of the fridge. It was virtually empty and I knew I would have to go shopping this afternoon, trying to figure out what I would fix for dinner. 
    “Not really,” Leo murmured from behind me, startling me so badly I rammed the back of my head on one of the shelves. 
    “Damn,” I hissed, crouching my way safely out of the fridge and then standing slowly. 
    “Sorry,” Leo said, a smile hitching at his mouth before concern turned it back down. “Are you alright?”
    “Oh, it’s fine,” I said, fighting another yawn. “Do you want to come to the store with me?”
    “Sure.” Leo said hesitantly. 
    “You don’t have to,” I reminded him. “I just thought you might like to see some of the human world while you still can.” 
    “Okay,” Leo said, slightly more enthusiastically. 
    “I’ll be with you the entire time.” I said, picking up my wallet, keys, and phone and slipping them into my pockets. I put on my sunglasses and looked back for Leo, smiling as I held the front door open for him. 
    “Here,” I said, slipping a pair of Bell’s sunglasses onto Leo’s face as we walked out onto the front porch. 
    It only took a minute to drive to the store and I found a parking spot fairly quickly, turning off the ignition and taking off my sunglasses. 
    “Now, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Nobody is here to hurt you or notice you, we’re all just going shopping. If you need anything, I’m right here.” I reminded him, unbuckling my seatbelt and turning to look at Leo.
    “Thank you.” Leo said, looking nervously out the window and poking his glasses higher up on his nose. 
    “You’re sure you want to do this?” I asked, resting a calming hand on his. Leo nodded, taking a deep breath and giving me a smile.    
    “Yes. Let’s go.” Leo said, giving my hand a squeeze before getting out of the car. He stood and looked around at the people milling through the parking lot, squaring his shoulders and following me towards the entrance to the store. 
    We walked through the double doors and I pulled my shopping list out of my pocket, retrieving a cart and beginning to walk up and down the aisles. Leo’s mouth had dropped open and he followed me closely, his eyes wide as he looked around at all the people and food items. I stopped to put a loaf of bread in the cart and then walked over to add a round of cheese, looking up to locate Leo. He had wandered over to the bakery section and was standing with his body pressed against the glass case, watching one of the bakers icing a cake. 
    Leo glanced around and narrowly avoided running into an old lady’s cart, giving her a panic-stricken look that I hoped she thought was cute and not insane. Leo looked around for me and found me with relief, reaching out to wrap both hands around my wrist and stand behind my back. I smiled when he pressed himself into my shoulder blade, resting his chin on my shoulder and still clutching onto my wrist.
    “You okay?” I smiled, twining my fingers through his. One of his hands still held on loosely to my wrist and it felt good that he trusted me to keep him safe and took comfort in me. 
    “Yeah.” Leo said, refusing to relinquish his hold on my hand. I pushed the cart with other, glancing up at the shelves and picking out what I needed. I felt a sort of smugness as well, looking at other shoppers and feeling a flash of ‘look at this gorgeous man holding my hand, aren’t you jealous?’. 
    It wouldn’t normally have taken very long to do the shopping but Leo tugged me up and down every aisle, his timid curiosity melting my heart as he poked around in bags of chips, stood transfixed in front of the massive produce section, and got lost in the dessert section. I finally convinced him to come with me to the check-out station so I could pay, both of us stopping at a cafe nearby to get cups of iced tea. 
    We piled into the car with our drinks, a contented smile on Leo’s face. I grinned at him, setting my cup down and turning the key in the ignition.
    “That wasn’t so bad,” I said, slowly reversing out of the parking spot.
    “I liked it.” Leo said, a lot of his timidness outweighed by his curiosity. I smiled, glad he had enjoyed the outing, and watched Leo stare out the window on the way home.
    “The human world is kind of interesting, isn’t it?” I asked, pulling into the driveway and getting a vehement nod from Leo.
    “I used to watch the lights on the wharf at night and wonder what it was like to be a human.” Leo admitted, helping me carry the shopping bags inside.
    “You did?” I said, getting another nod. “I guess it was against the rules to go spend time with us.”
    “Yeah. But I guess it’s okay now; I’ve already broken the rule once, so it doesn’t matter if I keep breaking it.” Leo said, walking into the kitchen with me.
    I set down the shopping bags on the counter and began to put away the perishable items, watching Leo yawn as he sat up on the countertop.
    “I’m going to go take a shower before I make dinner; you can go relax on the couch before that.” I said, watching Leo nod. 
    He turned to go and I finished putting everything away, walking over to the bathroom and selecting comfier clothes. I the shower and stepped under the spray, catching a mouthful of water and then spitting it out, scrubbing at my face. I washed quickly, not wanting to leave Leo to his own devices for too long, and covering another yawn. 
    I got out of the shower and toweled off, pulling on sweatpants and a muscle tank before scrubbing my hands through my hair and sending water droplets in all directions. I hung my towel up and began walking down the hallway, yawning into my palm. 
    I found myself scratching absentmindedly at my forearm again and frowned, peering down at the reddened skin. Familiar patches of thickened skin had risen along the inside of my forearm and I sighed as I walked to my bedroom to dig around in my nightstand drawer to find more of my mom’s handmade lotion. I usually got the patches on my hands and knees; it was the first time I had ever gotten some on my forearm, but I shrugged and rubbed a liberal amount of lotion onto the uneven skin. 
    I walked back towards the kitchen and Leo glanced up from reading one of Bell’s graphic novels, Anarchy and Rebel sprawled over his legs and his hair mussed. His tank top had fallen slack now that he rested his back against the couch and the collar had slid sideways, exposing a sliver of his collarbones and part of his chest. 
    “Where are you going?” Leo asked, holding me in my tracks.
    “I’m going to go start making dinner. You want to come?” I invited, smiling when Leo nodded and carefully pushed the dogs to the side.
    He set the book down and followed me into the kitchen, hesitantly helping me make dinner. It turns out he was good at slicing vegetables and I put him to work far away from the stove, laughing and joking with him while we worked. It was a comfortable way to spend the evening and I smiled over at him, opening the lid on a pot to check whether the noodles were done yet. 
    They were done in no time and Leo and I both helped ourselves to large servings, settling down on the couch. I ate quickly and got up to get seconds, falling back against the couch when a twinge shot through my legs. I sat back down, reaching down to rub the cramps out of my thighs, a frown on my face. 
    “Wonshik? You okay?” Leo asked, looking over with a concerned frown.
    “Yeah, my legs are just a little sore.” I said, yawning and stretching before getting off the couch. Leo nodded and sat down, prompting me to sit back to him. 
    “I’ll take you back home tomorrow, alright?” I asked. Leo nodded, tucking his knees to his chest and fiddling with his hands anxiously. I thought of his spoken desires to see the wharf in person and an idea began to surface, making me look over at him. 
    “Why don’t we go and spend a day there beforehand, just sightseeing. It’s your last chance to really see my world; it would be fun.” I suggested, not quite ready yet to relinquish Leo back to his own world. 
    “Okay, that sounds fun.” Leo agreed, looking excited. His hands quit their nervous fidgeting and I smiled, pulling out my phone.
    “I’ll see if there are hotels with vacancies.” I said, walking into the kitchen to make my calls. I finally found one and booked tonight and tomorrow night, grabbing Leo’s antibiotics off the counter and walking into the living room.
    “Let’s drive there now, spend tomorrow sight-seeing, and then I’ll take you home the morning after.” I suggested and Leo nodded, following me into the bedroom. I started packing a few extra changes of clothes and anything else we might need, Leo watching me from his place in the middle of my bed. 
    I took a brief moment to make sure I had everything and scribble a hasty note to Bell, leaving it on the kitchen table. I glanced back, giving Leo a smile and feeling the familiar rush from doing something spontaneous. Leo followed me outside and I put the bags in the backseat, opening Leo’s door for him. 
    The sun was just starting to set as we piled into the car and I smothered a yawn, looking to make sure Leo had buckled his seatbelt before pulling out of the driveway.
    “The drive is about three hours long, so just try to get some sleep.” I smiled, gesturing to the blanket I had tucked on the floor of the passenger seat. There was a pillow in the back seat if Leo wanted it as well, and I fiddled with the radio station.
    Leo and I talked for a little while during the drive before Leo began to drift off, his hands curled up to his chest and his head resting on the center console again. I smiled and pulled off to the side, ordering a cup of coffee at a drive-thru in an attempt to stay awake and taking a moment to pull the blanket up over Leo and put his seat back so he could lie down. 
    I continued driving, glancing over when Leo straightened out and began to reach out to turn the air conditioning off. 
    “That cold air is the only thing keeping me awake.” I informed him quietly, watching Leo grumble at me in response and curl up into a tighter ball. 
    I chuckled, tucking the blanket higher around his shoulders, and returned my focus to the road. It only took about twenty more minutes to reach the city, and I found the hotel soon after, pulling into the garage and turning off the car after finding a parking place. 
    I got out of the car, opening Leo’s door and glancing down at his sleeping face with a sigh. I bent, reaching behind myself to maneuver Leo onto my back and then lean forward so his weight shifted. His arms fell slackly around my neck and I hooked my elbows under his knees, turning back to pick up our bags as his head fell forward to nestle into the crook of my neck.
    I locked the car and walked into the hotel, approaching the front desk and signing in. I was given my room keys and walked slowly down the hallway, careful not to bash Leo’s knees into the walls whenever I turned around a corner. I finally located our room and opened the door, pushing open the heavy door with my knee and tossing my bags onto the bathroom floor located right next to the door.
    I let the door close behind myself and flicked on the lights, walking towards the fluffy white bed and easing Leo down onto it. He grumbled sleepily at me as I worked his shoes off of his feet and pulled the blankets over his body, brushing his hair back from his forehead. I turned off the light by the bed and walked sleepily to the bathroom, pulling our bags out towards the main area.
    I washed my face quickly, brushing my teeth and toweling off before falling into bed. I was exhausted, reaching out to curl around Leo and relax. He turned over, wrapping his arms around me. I turned over as well, letting him pull my back towards his chest sleepily and then feeling him sigh into the back of my head. I yawned and closed my eyes, flicking out the last light and quickly drifting off. 

    I woke to sunlight streaming through the light gauzy curtains, my hand falling across my eyes instinctively. I looked back at Leo, asleep on his stomach with one arm slung across my chest and his head tilted towards me. I smiled, reaching out clumsily to pick up my phone from my nightstand and check the time. 
    I disentangled myself and stood, walking to the bathroom to take a shower. Leo stirred and then rolled over, looking at me with a yawn.
    “I’m going to shower.” I said quietly, getting a nod in response. I chuckled at Leo’s willingness to sleep, digging out a pair of clothes from my suitcase and closing the bathroom door behind myself. 
    It felt good to step under the water and I realized I missed getting to swim every day, despite getting to spend extra time with Leo. It was bittersweet to realize that after today I would be able to swim again, but I wished I could have even more time to spend with Leo. I sighed and shook my head, clearing it and bending forward to let warm water dribble over my back. 
    I was busy scrubbing the washcloth over my lower back when I felt another rough patch of skin spreading over the back of my rib cage and up towards my shoulder blades. I sighed, making a mental note to rub some cream on it later, and placed my face back under the steady stream of warm water. Another patch covered one of my knees and I scrubbed at the dried skin, trying to rub some of the darker flakes off.
    It was no use and I sighed, straightening up and rinsing the soap from the washcloth. Leo was listening to music in the next room and I could hear the melody through the walls, soothing and soft. I didn’t recognize the singer, but the voice was rich and melodious, if a bit raspy. I wondered how he’d figured out how to use my phone but shrugged, shutting off the water and emerging from the steamy shower into the cold bathroom.
    I toweled off and brushed my teeth, pulling on the jeans and long-sleeve v-neck I had selected. It would be cold outside and I was glad I had brought a jacket, stepping out of the bathroom to see Leo puttering around in front of the coffee pot and singing.
    I froze, realizing that the beautiful voice was his, and just hovered in the doorway to listen. Leo was just mumbling to himself and I smiled as his song took shape, comical in its lyrics.
    “…and I have no idea what I’m doing, but one of these has to work so I’m just gonna press them all,” Leo crooned, poking each one of the buttons until the coffee pot chimed. Leo smiled and turned, stopping short when he noticed me watching.
    “You have a really pretty voice,” I smiled, walking to set out a pair of jeans and shirt for him. Leo muttered something self-conscious and wriggled into the clothes, fighting a blush. 
    I laughed, looking at his sleep-tousled hair and half-lidded eyes. Leo grumbled something at me and finished getting dressed, slipping his feet into a pair of sturdy boots I had lent him for walking around.
    “Okay, so first we’ll take a cable car to the wharf, then we’ll go to Ghirardelli square, then Coit tower, then somewhere for dinner.” I said, watching Leo blink at me blankly. “Come on, it’ll be fun.” 
    We walked out of the hotel room and I hailed a taxi, piling into the car with Leo. We bought our tickets for the cable car and Leo couldn’t stop looking at all the shops and people going by. I smiled, motioning for him to follow me onto the cable car. He sat and I stood in front of him, holding onto the pole and leaning into his legs. The wind was cold and numbed my face, stinging my cheeks every time the car accelerated down a hill. I had purposefully tucked Leo inside the car to keep him warm and I was glad when I stepped off the car, wrapping his warm hands in mine and stealing some of his heat.
    “This is Fisherman’s Wharf,” I said, looking up at the rows of shops stretching out in front of us. Leo and I spent about two hours on the wharf, perusing shops and buying some fruit from the farmer’s market on the first level. 
    Leo and I paused to look out at the sea lions sitting up on the wooden planks set out for them, a smile on Leo’s face. He turned out to look towards Alcatraz and he smiled, leaning against the railing in front of us.
    “Are we in the right place?” I asked, getting a contented nod in reply. 
    “Thank you, Wonshik.” Leo smiled, lacing our fingers together to continue looking at shops. We stopped at a small cafe for a quick breakfast and the continued on, walking towards Ghirardelli square.
    Leo and I paused in front of the mermaid fountain in the center of all the shops, crossing our arms as we looked at it.
    “Here, I’ll get your picture in front of it.” I said, leaning forward to whisper in Leo’s ear, “Just don’t get splashed, or you’ll show everyone what a proper mermaid looks like.”
    “Merman, excuse you,” Leo whispered back with a laugh, walking to pose awkwardly in front of the fountain. 
    We browsed the over-priced shops before stopping for lunch at another cafe, taking a moment so I could point out Coit tower in the distance.    
    “We’ll take a taxi, but then we have to walk to the top.” I said, getting a grudging nod from Leo.
    The taxi ride was short and we were deposited at the base of hill leading to the tower, beginning the trek up. Leo made it about ten minutes before he began to complain, our shopping bags of fruit and trinkets banging into his knees with each step.
     “This is too far to go for any tower ever.” Leo groaned, pausing halfway up to bend and lean his hands on his knees. He panted and I laughed, stopping in front of him to offer him my back. Leo’s hands appeared on my shoulders several moments later and he hopped lightly onto my back, securing his legs on top of my hips and hanging his arms over my shoulders. I handed him the bags so I could hook my elbows under his knees and keep climbing, laughing as he sighed happily and relaxed. 
    We stopped up at the tower and took several moments to look out at the water surrounding us on all sides before beginning the long descent down. Leo walked this time and I took most of the bags from him, leaving him with the lightest one and smiling when he twined his fingers through mine as walked. We passed an old man sitting by the side of the trail, a small cardboard box resting in front of him.
    “Do you have any spare change?” The old man asked, bundled up in a dirty sleeping bag. I patted around in my pockets and pulled out a five dollar bill, handing it to him. To my surprise Leo was also digging around in his bag, pulling out some of the fresh fruit we had just bought.
    “Stay warm, Uncle,” Leo smiled, offering the man the fruit he had selected. The man returned Leo’s smile, accepting the fruit with a grateful nod.
    “Bless you.” The old man grinned, cradling the fruit to his chest and waving to Leo before looking up at me. “Take care of this one.”
    I smiled and nodded, wrapping my hand around Leo’s and feeling my heart swell with pride. 
    Leo and I turned to continue walking and I smiled down at him, wrapping an arm around Leo’s shoulders. 
    “That was very nice of you.” I said. Leo blushed and shrugged, walking with me along the sidewalk that looked out over the water. It was already beginning to get dark and I was stunned with how quickly the day had flown by with all the new experiences and conversations. If anything this day was making it harder to say goodbye to Leo, not easier. 
    I treated him to a fancy dinner at a cozy underground Italian restaurant right by one of the entrances to Chinatown. We stuffed ourselves with pasta and seafood and then split a dessert, Leo’s tolerance of human food growing by the minute as he polished off an entire slice of tiramisu by himself while I fought him for the ice cream. 
    Instead of taking a taxi to the hotel we decided to walk, our breath clouding in front of us and our hands clasped together to keep out the cold. Bright lights from storefronts slid over Leo’s face and highlighted it every so often, his teeth flashing as he threw his head back and laughed at something I said. 
    Despite the ethereal bliss of our walk together, we were both glad to reach the hotel and get out of the wind. I opened the door to our room and was greeted by a wash of warm air, Leo brushing past me to sigh as he stepped inside. Leo burrowed under the covers immediately, shooting me a jealous look as I walked off to take a hot shower. It felt good to wash the city from my face and scrub my feet, letting the warm water heat me thoroughly and thaw my fingers. I changed into soft pajamas and climbed into bed, finding Leo already asleep. He stirred when I turned off the light, looking over at me sleepily.
    “Thank you for such a fun day,” Leo said quietly, giving me a drowsy smile and running a soft hand along my upper arm.
    “Thank you for coming with me,” I said, reaching out to curl around him. Leo let out a happy sigh and went back to sleep, his gentle snores filling the room. 
    This would be the last time I ever held Leo in my arms and I stayed awake for hours, wanting to fully savor the experience. I finally gave up and drifted off, tightening my grip around Leo’s torso and running my fingertips gently along his skin. Leo murmured in his sleep and shifted closer, holding onto me as he shifted positions and sighed contentedly. I smiled, also closing my eyes again and letting myself fade away. 

    I shook Leo awake and gave him a smile, handing him a pair of clothes to change into. He yawned sleepily and pulled them on, giving me a look when I wrapped a jacket around his shoulders and pulled a beanie down over his hair.
    “Are you ready?” I asked, looking at his excited face. Leo nodded, reaching out quickly to wrap me in a tight hug.
    “Thank you,” Leo mumbled into my shoulder, his fingers tightening in the back of my shirt. I laughed, sinking into him, and squeezed him back. 
    “Of course.” I smiled, letting him pull back first. “Are you hungry?”
    “No, let’s just go.” Leo said eagerly, following me out of the room and towards the car. Ken had texted me the name of the beach where Leo was found and I entered the name into my phone, taking my time with the drive. 
    It was cool and cloudy this morning, wind rolling off the ocean and chilling us. I the heater in the car and Leo fiddled with the radio, figuring out how to change the station just in time for him to leave my world. My phone beeped, announcing we had reached our destination, and I could hear sand crunching under my tires as I found a parking spot. 
    The sand was dark tan at the water’s edge, colored by the wet, and clumps of seaweed rested on the shoreline. A dark tumble of black rocks jutted out into the water to the left and eucalyptus trees swayed near the parking lot, whispering with the wind. 
    “Does this look familiar?” I asked, turning off the car and gesturing out the windshield to the expanse of beach in front of us. Leo nodded, a smile curling his lips, and I smiled as well. 
    “Come on,” I said, opening my car door and motioning for Leo to do the same. 
    We walked out onto the beach and I sighed, looking up at the sky and watching the wind play with the tendrils of hair that escaped Leo’s beanie. 
    “How do you know you can find your family?” I asked, worried that Leo would go through another breakdown like the first. 
    “The pod lives a few miles offshore; there are plenty of underwater caves that have airspace near the top for us to shelter in. Small holes in the roof give a steady supply of fresh air, and they’re easy to defend. We move location every few months so the oxygen level has a chance to replenish completely.” Leo said. “They’re bound to be in one of them.”
    “But what if they’ve moved to safer location?” I asked gently. “Or they’ve all followed the whales this year?”
    Leo turned to face me squarely, meeting my eyes with an even, determined look and hooking his thumbs in his pockets.
    “Wonshik, I was attacked by a great white shark. I spent three years in a tank being beaten and starved. Now that I’m free, I will stop at nothing to find my pod, not even if I have to swim the earth’s oceans until I die.” 
    “I believe you.” I said, walking out onto the beach. Leo followed me down to the water’s edge and then we changed course, walking towards an outcropping of flat rock that would provide privacy and access to the water. 
    Leo twined his hand through mine and took a moment to look out at Alcatraz in the distance. It was cloudy and a cool wind blew off the water, ruffling the waves that crashed on the rocks.
    “This is it.” Leo said quietly, bending down to trail one hand through the water. His nails extended slowly and webbing began to shimmer between his fingers, a shiver running over his skin as he stood and began to pull his jacket off. 
    His shirt soon followed and then Leo was walking into the water, disappearing from view as he stepped into the icy volumes. He resurfaced a moment later, pushing the hair back from his forehead and grinning up at me in content. 
    “Thank you, Wonshik. For everything,” Leo grinned, leaning back and closing his eyes happily. The pure joy on his face made up for the aching loneliness building in my chest and I smiled down at him.
    “No problem.” I said, watching Leo trail his fingers through the water. 
    “If you ever need something, come back here and call for me. I’ll come.” Leo promised, looking at me before his eyes slid sideways.
    “Leo, go enjoy being home. I’ll be fine.” I smiled, waving to him. “This isn’t forever.”
    “Goodbye, Wonshik.” Leo smiled, holding out a hand for me to shake. I shook his hand hesitantly, wondering if I was more invested in this friendship than Leo was. 
    “Goodbye, Leo.” I said quietly, watching Leo slowly let go and then sink underneath the water. He was gone in an instant and I lowered myself to sit on the rocks, feeling them press into the back of my jeans.
    It reminded me of the day I had held Leo while he cried and I wrapped my forearms around my knees, drawing my legs up towards my chest. I sighed, surprised at just how much this hurt. I got up slowly, walking further up the beach before sinking down into the sand. I stretched out on my back, not caring about the damp sand that would cling to my clothes the moment I got up and make my skin itch.
    I sniffed and realized dimly I was crying, salt dripping past my lips as I dug my fingertips into the sand on either side of me. I wiped my nose and got a face full of sand, sitting up and pressing a hand to my chest to try to stamp out the ache.
    I sat on the beach for hours in the cold until I was chilled to the bone, shaking like mad. I stopped on the way home to buy a hot tea and sip at it, setting it down in the cup holder without really tasting it. I fixed my eyes on the road ahead and cleared my throat, punching at the buttons on the dash until a suitable radio station came on.
    I was really going to miss him. 

    “Wonshik, get out of bed.” Bell commanded quietly, yanking at my covers. I growled at him and burrowed further into the bed, tucking myself into a ball.
    “Go away.” I mumbled.
    “I know you miss your boyfriend, but it’s been two whole days. Go take a shower, you filthy animal.” Bell ordered, yanking the covers off of me. I swung an arm out at him but he dodged it, using it to yank me upright and propel me towards the bathroom.
    “He’s not my boyfriend, he didn’t even hug me goodbye.” I muttered. “I got a handshake.” 
    “That’s very nice. When was the last time you ate something?” Bell said, turning on the shower for me and laying out a clean pair of pajamas.
    “Breakfast. Yesterday.” I said, watching him grumble and smack at me. “I’m not hungry.”
    “It’s already dinnertime!” Bell scolded. “Dammit, I’m not cut out to be a parent, don’t make me mother you!”
    “Okay, okay.” I said, yawning and shucking off my clothes. Bell took them and added them to the laundry basket in the corner, picking up the heavy load and handing me a new bottle of shampoo.
    “Call me if you need me.” Bell said, turning from the bathroom. I nodded, taking no joy in the shower. I washed quickly, stepping back out and brushing my teeth. It felt good to finally get clean, and I walked back towards my bedroom to find Bell putting clean sheets on my bed and clearing the trash from my nightstand.
    “You didn’t have to do that,” I said, following Bell into the living room. He dumped the trash and then walked back inside, catching my attention. 
    “Come on, we’re going on a walk.” Bell said, grabbing two leashes and handing one to me. I bent, calling Anarchy over to me and watching him waddle sleepily in my direction. I clipped the leash on and straightened, shuffling into flip flops and following Bell outside. 
    We began to follow our usual route, falling into a familiar pattern and giving the dogs plenty of time to stop and sniff everything. Bell was silent, not pushing me to talk, and I looked over at him hesitantly after a few minutes of walking. 
    “I really liked him, Bell.” I admitted quietly. “And now I’ll probably never see him again.”
    “Can’t you visit?” Bell asked, looking over at me with a puzzled expression.
    “It’s…a little more complicated than that.” I said, looking down at Anarchy.
    “Bull.” Bell snorted. “If you like him, you’ll be able to make it work. I know you; you don’t give up on anything.” 
    I was quiet, not believing him, and Bell reached out to put a hand on my shoulder and pull me to a stop.
    “No, really. Remember how much I wanted to avoid people when I first got here, and you somehow stuck with me anyway? And now you’re my best friend.” Bell said. I smiled half-heartedly, patting his shoulder and continuing to walk.
    “Thank you, Bell.” I said, wishing I could tell him the full story about Leo. Instead I was quiet, enjoying the stillness of the evening. The sun had set just enough to turn the trees to black but still lend some bleached color to the flowers, the sky gilded at the horizon.
    “You know, my anxiety was gone when I was around him.” I said softly, looking at the ground. “I haven’t had a single panic attack since I’ve met him.” 
    “You should go visit him.” Bell urged again. “It’s not like he lives on another planet.”
    “Okay.” I said hesitantly. What if Leo didn’t want me to come back? What if I was just the human who busted him out and now he didn’t have to pretend to put up with me? 
    We got back to the house and I retreated to my bedroom, opening my laptop and trying to find something distracting to watch. My door opened and Bell poked his head inside, walking fully into the room when I looked up and set my laptop aside. 
    “Eat.” Bell ordered, offering me a steaming plate of bread, sliced and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic reduction. My eyes widened and I took it, sitting up in bed.
    “Thanks.” I mumbled, a taking a bite of the warm, thick fluffiness and closing my eyes as I chewed. 
    “I’m here if you need me.” Bell said, setting a cup of tea on my nightstand and closing the door behind himself. 
    I finished eating and ventured from my room to drop my plate in the sink, my empty cup following it, and I climbed back into bed. I turned off my lights, sleepiness pulling my muscles into the mattress. I slept almost immediately before waking up, finding the room dark except for the moonlight slanting in from the window. 
    I tossed and turned, taking a pillow from the floor and punching it into shape beside me. I curled my arms around it but grumbled to myself—the pillow was nowhere as good as holding Leo. I sighed and rolled over, the sound of nails clacking over the floor and a soft thump filling the room when Rebel launched himself onto the bed. He pushed his way up between me and the pillow, resting his head on my chest and snuffling quietly. I wrapped my arm gratefully around him, taking comfort in his warmth and dense weight. 
    My gratitude was diminished ten minutes later when I found myself with a loudly snoring dog keeping me awake, rolling over with a sigh to check the clock. It was three in the morning, and it took about three hours to drive to meet Leo. It felt like 300, my arms crossing over my chest and my nails gliding across my forearm. I scratched harder and looked down, trying to see in the dark. 
    The patch of eczema had darkened and itched horribly no matter how much lotion I layered on it. I the light next to my bed and frowned, peering down at the skin. It had turned a peculiar texture and when I shifted my wrist, it seemed to shimmer softly. I frowned, wondering if Leo might have any idea what was going on. 
    He had said to see him if I needed anything. Besides, I missed him. I glanced over at the clock again, getting out of bed and scribbling a note to leave on Bell’s door. I left out a bowl of food for Anarchy and Rebel and climbed into my car, scratching absently at my arm.
    The three hour drive was a mixture between monotonous scenery, low background music, and my buzzing thoughts. What if Leo had forgotten all about me? He probably had already found his pod and was long gone, all thoughts of me gone from his head. 
    I shook my head to clear it and realized I was closer than I thought, pulling along the coast as I drove towards Leo’s beach. I stopped briefly to get a hot cup of tea, gulping it down and looking up at the overcast sky. 
    I found a parking spot and sighed, steeling myself and chugging the rest of my tea. I rubbed some more lotion on my forearm, sighing again and opening the door. I got out of my car and walked to the outcropping, glancing at the water and walking to the very edge.
    “Leo?” I called uncertainly. There was nothing but the sound of waves and I called again, silently louder.
    I was about to give up, turning away with my heart in my throat when a faint splash broke the quiet air. The water in front of me began to bubble and stir and then Leo appeared, smiling up at me.
    “Ravi!” Leo said happily, taking in my concerned face. My heart leapt when I saw his glowing face, his skin healthy and beginning to tan and his shoulders rounded with new muscle from sufficient food. 
    “I’m so glad you’re here,” I said, squatting down so we were closer to the same level. It was so good to see him, a content feeling suffusing my entire body and lifting my heart despite my worries. 
    “Leo, do you know what this is?” I asked, pulling my sleeve up to reveal the thick patches of darkened skin on my forearm. The patch had climbed up to my elbow, spreading down towards my wrist, and I half-turned to hike up my shirt with the other hand and expose the dark section on the back of my ribs.
    I could feel Leo’s wet fingertips trail along my back and turned back around, meeting his confused look.
    “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Leo said with a frown. “Well, I have, but not on humans.”
    “What do you mean?” I asked, desperate for answers. Leo silently propped his hands on the rocks in between us and boosted himself halfway out of the water, tipping his head back to bare his throat to me. An identical patch of darkened skin resided on Leo’s collarbones and I reached out hesitantly to touch the scales, both rough and oddly soft under my touch. 
    Leo’s eyes followed my movements and his head tipped back down when I looked down, scrutinizing my own skin and finding faint lines that cut through the skin.
    “Oh my god, am I turning into a fish?” I gasped, looking at him with wide eyes. Leo shrugged, relaxing back down into the water and keeping his forearms on the rocks.
    “Most likely not. Haven’t you had this since you were born?” Leo asked, looking puzzled but relatively calm. He rested his chin on his forearms and I was distantly pleased to see his arms had gotten rounder, muscle building underneath his skin and bulking him up. 
    “Well, yeah, but it’s never been this bad.” I said worriedly. “Besides, it looks like scales.”
    “Why don’t you go to a human doctor?” Leo asked, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. “You know, someone who actually knows about your kind.”
    “I…I just thought of you first, I guess.” I admitted quietly, realizing my frantic trip here was rather stupid. The odds that Leo knew what was wrong with me had been slim, and I fiddled self-consciously with my fingers. 
    “Thank you,” Leo said, making me look up in surprise. 
    “You’re…you’re welcome.” I said hesitantly. “How’ve you been?”
    “Pretty good…I’ve been looking around but haven’t found the pod yet.” Leo said. “What about you?”
    “It’s been…okay.” I said. “I missed you.”
    “I missed you, too.” Leo said immediately, a trace of deeper emotion flitting across his eyes. Before I had a chance to wonder if Leo had been as miserable as I had, he opened his mouth again.
    “Can I show you something?” Leo asked hesitantly, an unexpected blush on his cheeks. I nodded with a shrug and Leo motioned for me to come closer, waiting until I reached the edge of the outcrop. 
    “What is it?” I asked, puzzled as Leo fixed me with soft eyes.
    “It’s amazing.” Leo said quietly. “If you want me to stop, just tell me.”
    Leo’s wet hands reached up and cupped my cheeks as he rose in the water, pressing his full lips to mine. My eyes widened and then closed instinctively and I reached out to cup Leo’s jaw tenderly with one of my hands, feeling cold water on the back of my neck when Leo reached up to wrap one forearm across my neck and twine his fingers through my hair. His lips were soft and warm, stacking perfectly against my own, and he cautiously kissed my mouth open. His other arm slid across my shoulder blades and I realized he was pulling me down into the water, cool liquid lapping at my elbows as Leo’s tongue darted out to tease at my lower lip. I smiled into the kiss and let it distract me from the chilly ocean water, nipping softly at Leo’s lip and flicking the tip of my tongue briefly over his. 
    A shiver raced down my spine at the sensation and I tilted my head, getting better access and curling my fingers in Leo’s silken locks. Leo groaned softly and pressed me back against the rocky outcropping, the vibration traveling from his mouth to mine and only heightening the kiss. I pulled back only to drop light pecks over his perfect mouth, giving him a smile before stacking our lips a second time. Kissing him was bliss and I could’ve stayed like this forever, my arm curling around his waist and pulling him to me as he kept us both afloat. Leo pulled back slowly, his eyes remaining closed for many moments until he opened them at last, shy joy lighting them as he gazed at me. 
    “Was that what you wanted to show me, because that wasn’t bad.” I chuckled, still drunk on Leo’s kiss and looking proudly at his swollen lips. Leo laughed shyly and rubbed the back of his neck, blushing even deeper.
    “It doesn’t truly let you breathe underwater; I can’t even do that. It just makes you able to utilize oxygen more efficiently, extending your time underwater.” Leo said warningly, waiting for me to nod. My mind was still spinning and Leo reached out for me with a smile, a fainter blush coloring his cheeks. 
    “Oh my god, I missed you.” Leo whispered, pressing a quick kiss to my cheekbone and leaning against me for a brief moment.
    “I missed you, too.” I smiled, all of my worries reassured. Leo had just been happy to finally get home; I really did mean something to him. 
    “You’ve only got two hours in this water before you start getting too cold,” Leo said knowingly, taking my hand and inhaling deeply. I nodded, also taking a deep breath and letting him pull me under the water. 
    Leo swam with his arms stretched gracefully above his head, undulating his body powerfully to propel himself further along. I was obviously slower than him and Leo was holding back so we could swim together, traveling along through the brackish liquid. Leo was right; we had been underwater for about ten minutes before I began to even think about taking another breath. 
    As we got further towards the open ocean the water got clearer and colder, silver fish beginning to flicker underneath us. Leo’s hand brushed mine and he beckoned me up towards the surface, our heads breaking the water.
    “Leo, this is amazing!” I exclaimed, taking a deep lungful of air. Leo laughed, looking around and raising his fingers to his mouth. He let out a piercing whistle and a jet of water exploded from about a hundred yards away, a large whale breaching out of the water.
    “Oh my god,” I gasped, my eyes widening.
    “This is what I brought you to see. I found her a few days ago--her and her calf.” Leo said proudly, gesturing for me to follow him over.
    I ducked down under the water and swam with Leo, treading water hesitantly as we came closer to the large humpback whale. There was a small calf hovering by her side and the mother nudged the calf up to the surface to breathe, her large eye fixing on me. 
    I swallowed hard, feeling the raw power and majesty that aded the water around the whales and suddenly feeling very small. Leo swam a little closer and smiled, raising his hand to gently his palm alongside the skin next to the mother’s eye. She blinked and a low sound vibrated through the water from as she inched to the side to bump ever so gently into Leo, almost playful in her movements.
    Leo chuckled, bubbles leaving his mouth in a stream, and then beckoned me closer. I swam forward cautiously, looking over as Leo grasped my wrist and helped me rest my palm on the whale. She carefully looked me up and down and then nudged me as well, making Leo laugh.
    Leo left me to swim gracefully over to the baby, resting gentle hands underneath the baby’s body to raise the calf higher so it could take a breath. My heart warmed at his actions; he was always helping someone or loving someone. Leo hadn’t let his bad luck and harsh conditions make him cruel, and I treasured his kindness. 
    I turned back to the whale, my hand over her soft skin in a sweeping motion and then leaning forward to press a kiss above her eye. She blinked slowly and I smiled, turning back to see Leo watching me with a peculiar look on his face. He turned back to fawning over the calf, swimming back over to motion me back up to the surface.
    I paused to press another kiss to the whale’s skin and pressed my body against her in a semblance of a hug, my heart warmed by her gentle strength. I swam over to gently run a hand over the calf, kissing it softly before kicking up to the surface with Leo. 
    “Leo, they’re incredible.” I breathed immediately, looking over at him. “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done.” 
    “They were separated from their pod as well, and now they’re working together to find their family.” Leo explained, hope lighting his voice. 
    “Leo, you’ll find your family, too.” I promised, watching him turn to me with a smile. Leo nodded, reaching out to twine our fingers together and look towards land.
    “We should get you back soon, I don’t want you getting too cold.” Leo said, pressing a shy kiss to the back of my hand and tugging on me gently. “We can come back and visit them another time.” 
    We began to swim back towards the distant shore, my clothed limbs clumsy in the dark water. I was glad for Leo next to me giving me an added sense of security; I was used to swimming in water with better visibility and less dangerous animals, and I took comfort in his measured movements. A flash of motion caught my eye and I turned my head, touching Leo’s shoulder warningly. 
    “Leo, what’s that?” I whispered, pointing to a dark head that breached the water a few yards away. There was a large rock that stuck up out of the water and a tanned hand stretched up to grab onto the rock and pull its body up. 
    A tanned torso was revealed, closely followed by a dark tail, and I gasped at my first sighting of a merman in the wild. He settled himself on the rock and leaned back, catching his breath and pulling a netted bag off of his shoulder. He peered inside the bag, pulling out several fish and a few clumps of seaweed to examine his catch before returning them safely inside. 
    The top half of his hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, the rest free to cascade wetly down to his shoulders. His face was just as handsome as Leo’s, gifted with distinctly masculine features, but his eyes were a glimmering green instead of gold or black. His torso was thick with muscle and I could see scores of small, maroon scars that marked his body, showing up white on his darker tail.
    “Cain.” Leo whispered next to me, a wide smile lifting his lips as he raised a hand and called loudly, “Cain!”
    The merman’s head snapped up and he peered out into the water, his mouth falling open when he saw Leo.
    “Leo?” Cain asked incredulously, pushing himself off of the rock and skimming into the water. He swam closer warily before smiling widely, reaching out to eagerly pull Leo close in a tight hug. My heart warmed at the smile on Leo’s face; he had finally found his family. 
    “Where’ve you been, brother?” Cain asked quietly, his arms still wrapped around Leo and one of his hands cupping the back of Leo’s dark head, tears beading his eyes.
    “It’s a long story,” Leo laughed thickly, sinking happily into his friend. Cain looked up slowly, seeming to notice me, and he frowned. 
    “Which pod are you from?” Cain asked, his arms lowering as he scrutinized my face. There was something distinctly animal in his movements that was absent from Leo’s, something in the way he looked me over appraisingly. “I don’t recognize you.”
    “Cain, this is my friend, Wonshik. He helped me get home.” Leo said, swimming back to my side. Cain frowned and ducked down underwater, coming back up with a hiss.
    “Leo! You didn’t!” Cain exclaimed, reaching out to pull Leo behind himself and glare at me. “He’s human!”
    “Cain—” Leo started, placing one hand on his friend’s shoulder. I reached out for Leo and Cain knocked my hand away roughly with a warning hiss, the spiked fin on his back rising in challenge. My hand stung dully and I backed up a few feet, treading water warily. 
    “Leo, if the pod finds out about him, you’ll be banished. You can never see him again,” Cain said, turning to look back at Leo, his voice colored with wary panic. 
    “He saved my life,” Leo said quietly, swimming around Cain to put himself as a barrier between us. “He’s my friend.”
    “He’s a human, he's not your friend. Their kind cannot be friends with our kind; they are too ignorant.” Cain said roughly, glaring at me with bared teeth. 
    “Wonshik isn’t like that!” Leo protested loudly, a sudden scowl turning his face into something formidable. His eyes flashed gold and his own fin began to rise, his arms spread protectively wide.
    “How many humans did you talk to?” Cain demanded. “Oh god, you didn’t walk, did you?”
    Leo was silent and Cain swore, driving his fist into the water and spraying his own face with froth. 
    “Hey, he didn’t talk to humans for three whole years! It’s amazing he didn’t talk sooner—” I started, angry that Cain was insulting Leo like this. Leo gave me a warning look and Cain’s eyes snapped over to me, his lips drawing back in a snarl.
    “Stay out of this, human!” Cain ordered before turning back to Leo, still scowling. 
    “You know what this means, don't you? You put the entire pod in danger. According to our laws, you’re a traitor, Leo.” Cain said slowly, looking at Leo with sorrowful eyes. Leo swallowed hard and stared at the water’s surface, running his hand through his hair. 
    “I’m sorry.” Leo said quietly, meeting his friend’s eyes. “I didn’t mean any harm; I didn’t think I would ever get out of that tank.”
    “Tank?” Cain said, his voice dangerously low. “You let them study you?”
    “Yes, Cain, I let them study me.” Leo spat, his scowl deepening. “I asked a shark to bite me, nearly died, and then asked the humans to beat me and keep me in a tiny tank for three years! Nobody came to help me except for Wonshik, so yes, he is my friend!”
    “We thought you died an honorable death!” Cain yelled back, the water around the two of them roiling as their tails swept in agitated paths back and forth.  
    “And I didn’t! I survived!” Leo yelled, his voice quieting some when he took a steeling breath. “So, let me come home.” 
    “We have to move. The whole pod has to migrate, far away from here. Leo, this is all your fault! What if the roving warriors come back here and can’t find the rest of us? Or worse, they’re trapped like you were?” Cain asked, getting more and more on edge. “I need to get back and warn the others.”
    “What about me?” Leo asked, making Cain meet his eyes hesitantly.
    “Leo, I’m sorry, but you can’t come. You’d just be cast out anyway once they learn of your actions, and I don’t want to dishonor your name. To the rest of the pod, you died three years ago defending the bay, and that’s how it’s going to stay.” Cain said, beginning to turn to leave. 
    “What about my mom? What about my friends?” Leo broke in, making Cain pause and then turn back. His eyes fixed on me and a shiver ran down my spine, something about his expression making me feel totally exposed.
    “Find another pod. Start fresh, all by yourself.” Cain suggested, glancing at Leo and speaking gently before looking back at me. 
    “All by myself?” Leo echoed, his eyes widening in realization just a moment before Cain leapt at me. 
    The merman slammed into me and his hands latched onto my shoulders, water closing over my face as I in a deep breath. I cried out when his claws dug in and sliced down, opening long gashes along my biceps as he applied vise-like pressure to my upper arms. He forced me down under the water, bringing his sharp teeth towards my throat, and I turned my head at the last second to deflect his path. His teeth sunk into the place my shoulders met my neck instead of my throat and I grimaced, blood ribboning up from my wounds. 
    I struggled against Cain, trying out all the water polo release tricks I had acquired and even attempting to just kick him off, but it was impossible with my arms pinned. Cain was even stronger than Leo, and I every time I shifted against him it just forced his claws deeper into my skin. It felt like I’d been under the water for hours but I knew it could only have been a few seconds, Cain’s movements incredibly fast. He held tight to my arms with his claws still in the gashes, striking forward again and landing another solid bite a few centimeters above the first. His claws scored down my chest and more blood spilled into the water, mixing into the blue and disappearing.
    Leo’s arms wrapped around Cain’s neck and he yanked the other merman off of me, his yell audible even under the water as he sunk his own sharp teeth into Cain’s shoulder. I kicked weakly up to the surface and drew in a deep breath, my palm pressed tightly to my neck to try to stem the blood. The surface of the water churned next to me as Cain and Leo fought under it, Leo surfacing a few moments later to swim up to me. 
    Cain surfaced as well and there was a bloody cut above one of his eyes, more gashes along his neck and shoulders and a massive bite on the side of his neck that streamed volumes of blood.
    “He knows too much! He’s a danger to the whole pod—Leo, use your head!” Cain yelled, scowling. 
    “Cain, don’t make me kill you. I don’t want to, but I swear I will.” Leo growled, his words shockingly quiet compared to Cain’s but deadly serious.
    “The pod will hunt him down if they see him.” Cain promised and I focused on staying afloat, looking down at the deep cuts on my chest. Blood flowed hot and thick onto my palm and I realized the bite on my neck was worse than I thought, my hands beginning to shake. 
    “Cain.” Leo growled warningly, making the other merman sigh and shake his head.
    “I wish it wasn’t this way,” Cain said helplessly, true sadness in his voice. Leo didn’t budge, Cain’s blood running from the corner of his mouth as he bared his sharp crimson-stained teeth in a reminder of the damage he’d already done. 
    Cain turned, shooting me one last glare as he dove back into the water and swam away, blood trailing behind him. Leo relaxed slowly, glancing over at the bag still on the rocks and sighing.
    “At least he left dinner.” Leo said numbly, turning around to face me. I chuckled weakly and struggled to stay afloat, my chest, arms, and neck burning as salt water lapped against the fresh wounds. 
    “Wonshik, how bad is it?” Leo asked concernedly, swimming over to look at my wounds. I blinked slowly, dropping my hand so Leo could see my neck, and Leo swore.
    “This is all my fault.” Leo murmured, fear flashing through his eyes before he carefully concealed it. “Put your hand back on and hold it there. Put pressure on it.”
    I obeyed, pressing my palm to my neck and feeling the ragged skin shift under my fingers. 
    “Is it bad?” I asked, glad when Leo reached out and supported me so I could relax for a moment. 
    “Just stay with me, Ravi.” Leo ordered, pressing his chest to my back and sliding his arms up under mine. One of his hands pressed against the wounds on my neck and he began to swim towards the shore, his tail undulating powerfully under my legs to propel us towards the beach. 
    A sharp bolt of pain rammed unexpectedly through my legs and I gasped, tearing my neck from Leo’s grasp so I could look down. My feet and legs were cramping painfully and I threw my head back with a yell when another excruciating wave of pain rolled through my hips and legs, sending fire up the base of my spine.
    “What’s going on?!” Leo demanded, slowing so he could also look down. I shook my head silently, my knees and ankles popping loudly.
    “Something’s wrong!” I managed through gritted teeth, crying out again and reaching back for Leo. My hand found his shoulder and I held on tight, grounding myself as stinging prickles erupted over my skin. 
    Leo glanced around quickly and then changed course with a sweeping flexion of his tail, water rolling across my torso as Leo swam for another series of rocks that stuck out of the water. I bit my lip hard as my skin began to burn, my bones cracking and shifting around in my legs sickeningly. 
    Leo slapped one hand out onto the rocks and hauled himself up, dragging me up onto his tail and looking down at me.
    “Oh my god,” Leo whispered. Another loud crack sounded before the pain began to recede abruptly, relief flooding through me at the rapid cessation.
    “What?” I said quietly, looking down and feeling my eyes widen.
    A long tail swept through the water next to Leo’s and I looked around for the second merman, expecting another attack. My feet twitched in an subconscious effort to prepare to defend myself, and my mouth dropped open when the tip of the second tail twitched as well.
    “Leo.” I said haltingly. “Is that…mine?”
    Surely blood loss and impending hypothermia was making me hallucinate, but I could swear Leo nodded down at me with wide eyes. 
    “Let me see your arm,” Leo said, holding one palm to my neck and reaching out the other. 
    He inspected the patch on my forearm and I could see the thickened skin had turned to scales, just like the dark scales that had blanketed my legs and turned them to a tail. My brain struggled to form a coherent thought and Leo swore incredulously, looking amazed.
    “Did you turn me into this?” I asked, waiting for the situation to truly sink in. 
    “N-no, I have no idea how this happened.” Leo said, his eyes becoming more focused as he pushed himself back into the water. “And it’s not important now. We need to get you to a doctor.”
    Leo grasped me gently again and began to swim towards to shore, my tail dragging behind me. I could feel the water flowing past the fin on the bottom and tried to look down, stopped by Leo’s grip on my neck.
    “Stop moving, you’re making it bleed more.” Leo scolded, holding me in place. I stilled obediently and felt the impact shake Leo underneath me as we landed on the beach.
    Cold air hit my body and made me shiver, blood mixing with the water tracking down from my chest. Leo sat up with some difficulty and hauled the two of us all the way out of the water, pausing to pant and rest my head on his tail. He kept careful pressure on my neck and appeared above me, peering down at my face, and I blinked the fuzziness from his form.
    “Where do I take you?” Leo asked, panic coloring his voice. I struggled to think clearly, pain lancing through my lower body as my tail began to turn back. 
    Leo also arched in pain, seeming to run through the process much faster and with less difficulty than me. More practice, I supposed. Despite the pain, I was glad this wasn’t permanent.
    “Hold onto me.” Leo ordered, bending to pick me up carefully while my feet were still reforming, the webbing between my fingers falling away. I wrapped my throbbing arms around his neck and he took staggering steps forward, reaching my car and looking around for my missing keys.
    Leo smashed out the passenger window and unlocked the doors, juggling me as he walked around and set me in the driver’s seat away from the broken glass.
    “What do you need?” Leo asked, grabbing the blanket from the backseat and pressing it to my neck firmly. I gestured weakly to the first-aid kit under the driver’s seat and Leo dug through it, pulling out all gauze pads he could find and tearing one open to add to the top of the now-soaked blanket. 
    “My phone,” I gasped, fumbling around in the center console and managing to unlock the device. I scrolled through my contacts and selected Ken, dialing him quickly.
    “Hello, Ken speaking.” Ken answered and I sighed in relief, looking at Leo’s anxious face.
    “Ken, where are you?” I managed, trying to decide if I was fit to drive. I supposed it didn’t matter if I didn’t have keys. 
    “Um, at a coffee shop on the wharf. Why?” Ken asked. I could hear him shuffling things around and my lips, wishing I had some water.
    “I need help. I’m parked on a beach near the wharf; I need you to come and get me. I think I need a doctor.” I said, looking down and feeling slightly relieved when I saw the wounds on my chest were clotting. My neck was still bleeding badly and Leo used one hand to hold the gauze secure, using the other and his teeth to tear open a new gauze pad and add it to the first. 
    “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Ken said, his voice clipped and business-like. I nodded gratefully, the phone slipping from my hand to fall into my lap.
    “Ravi, I need you to stay awake.” Leo’s voice sounded as though it reached me through volumes of water and not even the pain was keeping me present.
    I began to fade away, my hands reaching up to latch onto Leo’s shoulders. I gripped him close, afraid of him slipping through my fingers. I was terrified to fall asleep because I knew he would be gone when I woke up but I couldn’t help it, the world turning dim. 
    “Ravi? Ravi!” 
    Darkness.

    I woke slowly, my hands instinctively reaching out for Leo sleeping next to me. My hands came up empty and a small prickle of pain in my arm made me look down groggily, slowly realizing there was an IV lead in the crook of my elbow. I surrounded by various machines and I looked around the small hospital room, finding Ken and Bell asleep in armchairs next to the bed.
    “Bell,” I managed, my throat hoarse and scratchy. “Bell, where’s Leo?”
    Neither of them stirred and I struggled to pull the blankets back, stopped by a sharp flash of pain through my neck and chest. I glanced down, pulling the hospital gown’s collar down slowly to reveal a white bandage wrapped around my chest. I reached up carefully and felt the thick bandage on my neck, wincing softly. There were thick bandages wrapped around my upper arms as well and I could feel the dull sting coming from my gashed skin. 
    “Bell!” I croaked slightly louder, smiling despite myself when Bell snorted loudly and jerked, half-falling out of his chair. He blinked sleepily, rubbing at his eyes, and sat up when he saw me.
    “Wonshik, take it easy, okay.” Bell said, leaning forward to place a hand on my shoulder and motion for me to lie back. 
    “Where’s Leo?” I asked, catching at Bell’s hand to keep him from forgetting my question. “Leo was with me.”
    “Leo? Leo isn’t here.” Bell said, reaching out to smack Ken’s shoulder. Ken had his chin propped on his hand and was swaying in his sleep, barely managing to keep himself from falling off the chair. Bell smacked him again and Ken blinked awake, looking around groggily.
    “Ken, have you seen Leo?” I asked, my voice rasping softly. Ken shook his head, looking confused.
    “You were alone in the car.” Ken said. “I drove you here and the doctors started fixing you up.”
    “How long was I asleep?” I asked, worried about Leo. Ken stood, stretching, and tapped my shoulder.
    “Two days.” Ken said. 
    “Two days!” I squeaked, my voice cutting off as I began to jump up and then groaned. 
    “Take it easy! You lost a lot of blood.” Bell scolded.
    “You sure have the doctors stumped. They can’t figure out what attacked you.” Ken said. “It wasn’t Leo, right?”
    “Of course not! It was another one.” I said quietly, reaching up to touch my throat again.
    “Stop talking so much. I’m going to go get some coffee,” Ken said, walking out of the doorway. “And remember, if the doctor asks, you can’t remember what attacked you.”
    I nodded and looked over, making eye contact with Bell.
    “So…I guess Ken filled you in.” I said hesitantly, watching Bell lean forward and slap my shoulder. “Ow! What the heck?”
    “The next time you get a y, supernatural boyfriend you have to tell me! We’re best friends; what else are best friends there for except for that?” Bell said indignantly, slapping my shoulder again.
    “I know, Bell.” I chuckled. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
    “It’s okay, I know you had a lot going on.” Bell said, looking up when Ken reappeared toting an extra cup of coffee.
    “Here you go,” Ken said, handing it to Bell. 
    “Bless you,” Bell mumbled, taking a grateful sip.
    “You’re not even religious.” I pointed out, watching Bell roll his eyes.
    “Bless you,” Bell repeated pointedly. 
    “When can I leave?” I asked, looking up at Ken. He frowned, walking over to check the chart on the wall.
    “Well, you’re awake now so…maybe later today? Tomorrow?” Ken said. “I’ll go ask a nurse.”
    He left and Bell sat beside me nursing his coffee, enjoying the silence. I sighed, thinking of Leo.
    Seeing the whales together had been amazing, finding myself with a tail had been jarring, and being attacked by his friend had been just plain terrifying. Ken came back into the room and I shifted hesitantly in the bed, clearing the throat.
    “Um…Ken? Is it possible that a merperson’s kiss could…turn you into a merman?” I asked shyly, watching Ken frown pensively. 
    “I’m not sure…I don’t think so.” Ken said. “We found components in Leo’s saliva that led to the more efficient use of oxygen, but it seems impossible that it could transfer that sort of ability.”
    “Great.” I muttered, puzzled. 
    “Why?” Ken asked. I sighed, crossing my arms before thinking better of it and leaving them at my sides.
    “Well…Leo and I kissed, and then his friend attacked me, and on the way to shore, I kind of…changed.” I admitted, watching Ken’s eyes grow large. 
    Ken stuttered in disbelief, trying to form words, and Bell rolled his eyes.    
    “Fine, I’ll say it for you.” Bell muttered. “What?!”
    “It was so odd; just all of a sudden—boom! Tail!” I said, watching Ken’s eyes grow even larger.
    “Are you sure you didn’t dream it?” Ken asked and I nodded, watching him frown. “Did you have any symptoms beforehand?”
    “Well…my skin looked funny, that’s why I went to see Leo.” I said, holding up my arm to show Ken the patterned scales on my forearm. Ken inspected them, frowning as he ran a finger over the scales. 
    “I suppose it’s possible the skin, the kiss, the attack, and the tail could all be related. Maybe spending time with Leo started to affect you physically, the kiss affected you even more, and then the stress of the attack triggered you to change?” Ken mused. “But that’s preposterous.”
    “No, no, I’ve had the skin condition since I was born. It just got worse around Leo. My mom told me it was eczema.” I said, shaking my head. Ken frowned, ducking out into the hall. 
    He reappeared a moment later, dragging a doctor in by the poor man’s coat. 
    “Excuse me, can you tell me if this is eczema?” Ken asked shamelessly, positioning the doctor in front of me.
    “I’m sorry, I can’t work on patients who aren’t my—” The doctor started, cut off when Ken raised a hand.
    “I just need a yes or no. No legal strings attached, just tell me if you’ve ever seen something like that.” Ken ordered. The doctor looked closer at my arm and slowly shook his head, frowning.
    “I don’t know what that is, but it’s definitely not eczema.” The doctor said, ducking back out of the room and fleeing as soon as Ken relinquished his hold on the man’s coat. 
    “They look exactly like the patches on Leo’s skin.” I said quietly and Ken nodded, his eyes growing wide as he looked at me. 
    “If his eyes get any bigger, they’re gonna pop out of his head like a pug’s when it runs into a wall.” Bell observed dryly, glancing up from his phone. 
    “Shush.” I scolded, seeing an idea stirring in Ken’s head. 
    “Is there any chance you have mermaid blood?” Ken asked. I shook my head immediately but then paused, frowning.
    “It would be highly unlikely…merpeople aren’t even allowed to let humans see them, let alone have children with them.” I said, still intrigued despite myself.
    “So you know both your parents are human?” Ken asked. 
    “Well, no…Wait!” I said, remembering the picture of my parents together. “My dad had patches on his skin just like me! He died in a boating accident when I was a few months old.”
    “I think there’s a very small chance that your father was either a merman or had mermen in his family.” Ken said, his eyes lit up with the joy of his discovery. “This is fascinating, the odds of you finding Leo…”
    “Leo said I reminded him of his own people…” I remembered. “Maybe it’s because I am one.”
    “I think your mother has some explaining to do.” Ken smiled, and I nodded. I’d have to contact her as soon as I knew Leo was alright after Cain’s attack. 
    A few hours later I was informed that I was being released and was given many many instructions on how to care for my stitches. The nurse left to retrieve the proper paperwork for my release and Ken stepped forward, offering me a bundle.
    “I brought you clothes,” Ken said, giving me baggy sweatpants and a sweatshirt to pull on. I thanked him, looking up when a nurse appeared with a wheelchair. 
    “I don’t need—” I started looking at the wheelchair.
    “It’s protocol, shut your face.” Bell interrupted, giving me a stern look. I obediently sat down, letting the nurse disconnect me from everything and push me out towards the exit. 
    A car was waiting outside and Ken unlocked it, walking around to the side. 
    “Come back to my place, rest up, get your stuff.” Ken suggested, opening the car door for me. 
    “Thank you,” I said, letting Bell help me into the back seat. Ken closed the door and Bell settled in next to me, making sure I was okay. 
    Ken began to drive slowly, taking the turns gently as he drove through the overcast afternoon air. We reached Ken’s hotel room and walked inside, Bell flopping immediately onto the bed and going to sleep. Ken rolled his eyes, digging through his suitcase for clothes.
    “He was frantic when he heard you were in the hospital. You’ve got an odd friend, but he has a good heart.” Ken said, holding out a stack of clothes towards me. “Your pain medication will be available at your home pharmacy later today.” 
    “Thank you for all your help.” I said, gratefully accepting the jeans and t-shirt and pulling them on, handing his comfier clothes back to him.
    “No worries, Wonshik.” Ken smiled, opening the mini-fridge. “You hungry?”
    “No, thank you. I need to go see him.” I said, looking at Ken, who nodded. 
    “I called AAA and got a copy of your keys; your car’s in the hotel garage. Go ahead.” Ken said, tucking a granola bar into my hand along with a bottle of Ibuprofen and keys. “I couldn’t find your wallet either, as you weren’t wearing pants when I found you. I suppose that’s a lot more understandable now that I know you had a tail.” 
    I laughed and accepted another package of fresh dressings for the wounds on my neck, arms, and chest. I thanked Ken again and he promised to send Bell home, giving me peace of mind.
    It felt good to get back into my car and I could almost see Leo sitting in the passenger seat next to me, asleep with his head on the console. I smiled, noticing that Ken had removed the blood-stained blanket and placed a clean one on the back seat, the broken window repaired and all traces of glass gone.
    I began to drive, using my phone’s GPS to find Leo’s beach. I drove down to the beach, fumbling in my glovebox for two Ibuprofen and taking them dry. I touched the white bandage on my neck absently and pulled on my collar, hoping I would be able to see Leo. The loneliness after I had first parted from Leo was nothing compared to this; this was a physical ache just below my left collarbone. I tightened my hands on the steering wheel, reaching the now-familiar beach and turning the engine off. 
    I got out of the car, pulling my jacket close against the wind and stuffing my hands in my pockets. I walked out across the rocks, staring at Alcatraz as I walked to the familiar black cluster of rocks reaching out over the water. I came to a stop on the edge of the rocks, pulling my hands from my pockets and feeling wind tousle my hair with chilled fingertips. 
    I cupped my hands around my mouth just like last time and leaned my head back carefully, glancing out at the water.
    “Leo!” I called, hoping he came. I called a second time and bubbles rose from the water in front of me, excitement flooding through me as the water began to heave. I bent towards the water, expecting his dark head to appear at any moment. 
    Imagine my surprise when instead of Leo, a mermaid with long blonde hair shot out of the water towards me. I barely had a moment to take in her snarling face before I was backpedaling and then tripping over one of the rocks, landing on my and scraping my palms badly on the jagged rocks. The impact sent pain through chest and neck, my eyes closing instinctively before I forced them back open.
    “Jesus!” I exclaimed, watching her plant her hands on the rocks and haul her body out of the water towards me. She hissed again and a strong hand appeared on her shoulder, ripping her back into the water. My palms had settled on my biceps instinctively, protectively covering the gashes underneath the bandages and also defending my chest. 
    I sighed in relief when Leo appeared, a snarl on his lips and his eyes burning gold. He growled in warning at the female and she hissed half-heartedly in response, disappearing under the water with a large splash. 
    “Leo.” I said, relief flooding my body as I slowly pushed myself up off the rocks and wiped my stinging palms on my jeans. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
    Leo turned to face me and my mouth dropped open, my eyes flicking over the bruise across his eye and the bridge of his nose. Leo rolled his eyes dismissively and leaned forward to haul himself painfully onto the rocks, another bruise covering one of his shoulders. A massive collection of lacerations littered his flanks and were just starting to heal, more bruises appearing around the reddened skin. 
    “Oh god, Leo!” I exclaimed, looking at his battered body and pressing a hand to my mouth. Leo looked up at me, panting softly, and leaned his weight back on his hands.
    “It’s not safe for you to be here,” Leo said, looking up at me with eyes half-closed from exhaustion and pain. 
    “It doesn’t look very safe for you either!” I said, anger pooling in my gut. “Who did this?” 
    “It’s not a big deal, Ravi. You can’t keep coming back here; the pod left guardians behind to watch for you. They’ll kill you, do you understand?” Leo said seriously, running his hand through his dripping hair and revealing a ragged bite on his forearm. 
    “They did this, didn’t they?” I asked, already making plans to hunt down the remaining “guardians” and make them pay. 
    “Ravi—” Leo started, his arm wrapped protectively around the cuts on his torso. 
    “No, Leo! This isn’t okay!” I snapped, watching him shrink back immediately. I sighed, reaching my hand out to him slowly. “You know I’m not angry at you.”
    “Are you alright?” Leo asked, his eyes lingering on my neck. I nodded, looking him over.
    “What happened? It’s only been two days; did your own people do this to you?” I asked, gentling my tone. 
    “I just tried to go home.” Leo said quietly, pulling himself further out of the water. “It didn’t go so well; I’m obviously not welcome.”
    “Cain?” I asked, getting a small nod from Leo. “Leo, I think it’s time to accept that this place isn't your home anymore.” I said softly, my heart bleeding for him.
    “This place has been a home for my people for centuries. This was supposed to be my home forever; I don’t have anywhere else to go.” Leo said brokenly, staring down at his hands.
    “You have a place with me. You know that, don’t you?” I said, squatting next to him and tipping his chin up with gentle fingers. “You always have a place with me.” 
    “But you have a life,” Leo started, cutting himself off when I interrupted.
    “I also have a tail!” I pointed out, half-teasing. “You could come and show me the ropes of being a merman, and I could give you a home.”
    “I don’t know…” Leo started uncertainly, looking up at me. “I don’t want to bother you.”
    “Leo.” I said quietly. “You completely clueless, oblivious, ignorant, lovely, beautiful soul.”
    “What?” Leo said, looking confused by my excessive adjectives and their sudden shift in meaning.
    “I love you, you idiot. You’re not bothering me.” I said, reaching out to knuckle his jaw gently and then press a kiss to his forehead. “Every second away from you drives me crazy.” 
    “I…I love you, too.” Leo said, smiling. I bent, kissing him quickly, and then offered him my hand.    
    “Come home with me, you y thing?” I teased, helping him pull himself higher out of the water so his tail could start to change. 
    “Thank you, Ravi.” Leo smiled, his legs beginning to take shape.
    “I’ll go get you some clothes from out of the car.” I said, running back to my car and grabbing a spare change of clothes out of the trunk. I also picked up the fresh blanket Ken had put in the car, hurrying back to Leo.     
    “Thanks,” Leo said, holding the clothes delicately. “I don’t want to get blood on your things.”
    “Leo, just put them on. They don’t matter.” I said. Leo nodded, pulling on jeans and a sweater with some difficulty and letting me wrap him in the blanket. I helped him to his feet and twined our fingers together, drying his hands by putting them in the pockets of my sweatshirt. 
    “Here,” I turned with a smile, boosting him onto my back. Leo laughed, resting his chin in the crook of my neck and wrapping his arms slowly around me. He pulled the blanket around the two of us, lending me some of his warmth as I walked to the car. 
    I stopped halfway through my journey and began to grin, throwing my head back in a laugh. Leo poked the back of my head questioningly and I turned back carefully, still chuckling.
    “I love you, Leo.” I said, joy flooding through me at finally getting to say those words. “I love you, I love you, I love you!”
    I had begun to spin and Leo grinned, holding on tightly to avoid being flung off as I danced in place. 
    “You said that already, you dork!” Leo pointed out with a happy laugh, giggling into my ear and pressing a soft kiss to the side of my neck, careful to avoid putting pressure on the bandage on the other side of my neck.
    I stopped spinning when I got dizzy, fetching up against the side of the car and opening the passenger side door. I ran a cautious hand over the seat before setting Leo down on it, checking for any remaining pieces of glass. 
    I closed the door behind him and settled myself in the driver’s seat, playing a quick rhythm on the dashboard and smiling over at Leo.
    “Alright, where do you want to go?” I asked with a smile, reaching out to twine our fingers together over the center console. “We could go walk around Ghirardelli square, or go get lunch on Fisherman’s wharf; anything you want.”
    Leo smiled, leaning over to place his free hand gently on the back of my head and kiss me soft and slow. He pulled back just a centimeter, his eyes shining, and kissed the tip of my nose just as softly.
    “Let’s go home,” Leo murmured, one side of his mouth rising higher than the other when I pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips.
    “Your wish is my command.” 

    “Ow, ow, ow, take it easy!” I grumbled, flinching away when Leo brushed against my dissolving stitches. He rolled his eyes and continued affixing the bandage to my neck, slapping my shoulder and shifting slightly on my lap. 
    “Stop it, you big baby.” Leo scolded, the healing bruise on his face turning him an odd mixture of yellow, green, and blue. It’d been about a week since he’d come to live with me, settling into life surprisingly easily and becoming more and more comfortable around humans. 
    “Is it looking better?” I asked, thinking of the raised pink crescent-shaped scars forming on the right side of my neck. They were a much smaller version of the scar on Leo’s torso and he rolled his eyes again, leaning back to pull my shirt up.
    “Yes, it’s looking better.” Leo said, busy unsticking the edges of the bandage from my chest and pulling it away slowly. The gashes on my biceps had healed surprisingly quickly and had already turned into maroon scars, marking the skin of my arms permanently but thankfully leaving my muscles undamaged. My hands came up instinctively to cup the back of his hips, making sure he didn’t overbalance backwards and fall from his precarious perch straddling my legs. I could feel the hard points of his spine on my forefingers and frowned; no matter how much I fed him, he still remained lean.
    I looked down, watching Leo carefully inspect the fading scars on my chest before reaching back to pick up a jar of vitamin E oil to rub over the scars. 
    “No more bandages for here,” Leo said triumphantly, applying a few drops of oil and then carefully patting them into the tender skin. 
    “You’re too good for me,” I reminded Leo, smiling up at him when he flashed me a quick grin and then wiped his oily fingers on the hem of my shirt.
    “He knows.” Bell remarked on his way to the kitchen, giving us an eye roll. “There are two bedrooms in this house; go canoodle in one of them.”
    “We’re not canoodling!” I called, pulling my shirt back down and leaning forward. “Okay, your turn.”
    Leo nodded and pulled his shirt off, looking down and beginning to slowly pull a bandage from across his ribs. I smacked his hands away gently and continued removing the bandage, biting my lower lip at the deep series of claw marks revealed as I worked. They were healing slowly, the edges beginning to scab over, and I carefully dabbed more antibiotic cream over the cuts. 
    “Do they still hurt?” I asked, looking up at Leo’s face. He shook his head and I rolled my eyes, pulling the backing from a thick adhesive pad and attaching it. “Liar.”
    “I am not lying,” Leo whined, watching me pull another bandage from the other side of his ribs. The four deep lines left by his own people’s claws were the worst on this side and I frowned deeply as I looked closer. 
    “Let’s leave these open to the air for a while and I’ll bandage them before bed,” I said, eyeing the flayed flesh. Leo nodded, letting me check the bite on his arm. It wasn’t as bad as everything else and was almost gone, not even requiring a bandage. 
    “All done.” I said, reaching past him to set the first-aid kit on the coffee table and zip it up. 
    “Thank you,” Leo smiled, looking down at the open wounds and prodding at them carefully. I brushed his hands away and he yawned, shaking his head softly and running his hands through his hair. 
    “Leo,” I started hesitantly. “Do you have anywhere you want to go or anything you want to do?” 
    Leo shook his head after thinking for a moment, meeting my eyes. 
    “I don’t have any attachments except for you. I’ll go where you go.” Leo said, his hands cradling mine gently.
    “How do you feel about warmer weather?” I asked, giving his fingers a soft squeeze. Leo tilted his head to the side questioningly and I my lips, continuing. “College on the mainland is all well and good, but I think I’d rather be a merman in Hawaii.”
    “Hawaii?” Leo echoed, looking uncertain. I nodded, remembering a single cut on his back that I hadn’t checked yet and opening the first-aid kit again. 
    “Besides, my mom has some explaining to do. We think I might’ve grown a tail like that because my dad was like you.” 
    “Really? Is it possible?” Leo asked, his eyes wide. I shrugged, motioning for him to turn so I could check the cut. 
    “Were there ever any stories of your people leaving to live with mine?” I asked, replacing the large band-aid after dabbing antibiotic ointment over the cut. 
    “One or two in my lifetime, but it was rare. It was taboo, but some of us still fell in love with humans.” Leo said, giving me a self-conscious smile. I smiled as well, gently smoothing out the bandage and setting him carefully on the couch so I could stand and throw away the packaging. 
    “I’ll book a flight for tomorrow morning for Hawaii. If anything, we’ll just go for a week to get some answers and figure out where we’re going to go next.” I said. Leo nodded, helping me put away the first-aid kit.
    We settled in together on the couch with our books and the dogs, Leo’s legs thrown across my lap and my feet up on the coffee table. It didn’t matter if we were going out on an early morning walk, reading quietly on the couch, or staying up till three am just talking, I couldn’t get enough of him. 
    Leo had become my replacement to water—I hadn’t been back in a pool since the day I grew my tail, and I didn't want to risk transforming or getting sick from the chlorine. So instead, Leo was my comfort. We took care of each other and my heart warmed when I thought how lucky I was to have him.
    I pulled out my phone and began to schedule the tickets, glad to be able to find some on such short notice. I found some and then settled back on the couch with my book, reading quietly for about an hour. I looked up after a little bit, yawning and wondering why Bell hadn’t appeared to scavenge for food yet. 
    “Here, I’ll cover that and we can go to bed.” I said, watching Leo’s eyes begin to droop and his hands start to drop his book. Leo shook himself awake and nodded, handing me the bandage I had set aside on the table and sitting next to me.
    It only took a second to affix the bandage to Leo’s side and he smiled afterwards, leaning forward to peck at my lips.
    “Thank you,” Leo said, leaning forward to slide one hand under my jaw, his fingers brushing my earlobe. I caught the look in his eyes and a smile slid over my own face, reaching up to cup his face as kissed me. 
    My eyes closed and I kissed him back slowly, slipping one hand up to tangle in his soft hair and pull him closer. Leo nipped at my lower lip and I smiled despite myself, my other arm reaching down to curl cautiously around his waist. One of his legs lifted and he slung it over my lap, pulling himself up so he was straddling me again. I opened my mouth and Leo slipped his tongue inside, exploring my mouth teasingly slowly. One of my hands skimmed down his spine to squeeze his playfully, a startled sound vibrating from Leo’s mouth to mine. 
    I smirked and Leo gave a soft growl, the sound shooting straight to my gut. He leaned one hand on my shoulder and sunk into me, forcing me back into the couch as he kissed my mouth open again and combined a soft kiss with a hard flick of his tongue. The contrast made my head spin and I took a deep breath through my nose at the same time as Leo, the air shared between us. I grasped his slightly harder in retaliation to his toying, kneading the firm flesh through his sweatpants and feeling Leo arch into me. 
    “Oh my god, guys!” Bell snapped, his voice cutting through the air. “No canoodling in the common areas!”
    My hand left Leo’s hair to wave Bell away, not bothering to open my eyes until Leo began to pull back.
    “Sorry, Bell—” Leo started, cut off when I reached up and pulled him back down.
    “Not sorry, Bell.” I murmured, landing feather-light kisses over Leo’s bruised nose and cheek. Leo’s eyes closed and I peppered tender kisses on each of his eyelids, smiling up at him when he looked down at me with a light blush. 
    We both turned when Bell appeared, planting his hands on his hips and looking at us pointedly. I looked back at Leo with a sheepish smile, my hands resting on the ridges of his hipbones.
    “He’s not going to go away,” I whispered, finally tipping my head back with a sigh. “Fine, you win!”
    Bell smiled and I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around Leo’s back and picking him up. Leo laughed, his legs wrapped around my waist, and let me carry him towards our room. I kicked the door shut behind the two of us and pressed Leo carefully against the wall, continuing where we left off with a sinful smile. 

    Leo and I stepped off the plane into the Oahu Airport, walking out into the terminal. Leo hovered close by me as we walked towards the baggage carousel, looking around with wide eyes at all the people.
    “Come on,” I encouraged, making Leo look back at me.
    “How far away is your mom’s?” Leo asked. I shook my head, reaching out to ruffle his hair. 
    “I want to take you somewhere else first,” I said, stretching and leaning over to pick up Leo’s bag. I led him out to the rental car and piled our things inside, taking a deep breath of warm air. 
    “Feel good to be back?” Leo asked and I nodded, smiling at him as I got into the car and found my favorite radio station. I sighed, looking up at the palm trees whizzing by and glancing sideways towards the beautiful blue water I had grown up next to. 
    We had been driving for about half an hour when I turned down a small dirt path, driving past large trees and waiting for the road to come to an end. It finally did and I turned off the engine, opening my door and giving Leo a beckoning look.
    “Follow me,” I smiled, reaching out for his hand. 
    I led Leo down to the secret beach I’d found when I was little, looking around to make sure it was deserted before I pulled off my shirt. Warm sunlight shone down over my shoulders and I buried my toes in the sand, looking out at the crystal blue water that lapped at the beach.
    “Let’s make sure I’m really like you,” I suggested, walking forward into the water. I could hear Leo walking along behind me, his own toes dabbling at the clear foam produced by the breaking waves. 
    I waded in to my waist and then ducked forward, diving under the swell of the next wave and feeling water surround me. It only took a few moments for my legs to stiffen and I kicked up to the surface to wait for the transformation to finish. The second time around it was less painful and I was able to stare down at my tail in utter disbelief, fully realizing the situation. 
    I looked over at Leo, surprised to see his tail had lightened considerably from dark blue and green to light, shimmering colors. He glanced down, shrugging, and offered me a smile.
    “The color changes depending on the temperature and color of the water so we blend in more.” Leo explained, my own tail a brilliant mixture of lilac and sky blue. “Yours is really pretty.”
    “Thank you,” I blushed, taking a look at the sweeping fin at the end, my scales edged with gold instead of Leo’s silver. I reached behind myself to see if I had a fin on my back, but Leo shook his head at me.
    “It’ll take a while to develop; I didn’t get mine until I was five or six.” Leo said, diving under the swell of a wave and surfacing a moment later. 
    “Follow me,” I beckoned, swimming through a group of brightly colored fish and leading Leo to a set of underwater caves I had discovered by the reef. 
    I didn’t know if Leo’s kiss still affected me or the merman part of me had been fully unlocked, but either way I still didn't need to breathe as often. I stretched out fully and spun in lazy spirals under the water, enjoying the catch of water around my fin and the obvious strength stirring in my tail. 
    Leo and I swam for hours, careful to avoid being seen by any surfers or straying far from the beach. I finally swam back towards the beach and Leo followed, watching with amusement when I hauled myself up and panted on the warm sand. Small waves kissed at my hips and waist and I trailed my fingertips through the water, staring up at the clouds above.
    “Why are you laughing at me?” I asked, turning my head to glance over at him as he lay next to me, our fingers tangling together.
    “You’re just cute. You’d swim yourself to death if I let you,” Leo chuckled, rolling over to pull himself further out of the water and beginning to change back.
    We both transformed and then pulled our shorts back on, enjoying the warmth from the sunlight on our bandages. I pulled my wet bandages off, looking down at the mostly closed skin and deciding it wasn’t that big of a deal to replace the bandage. 
    “How are you feeling?” I asked, watching Leo also picking at the edge of his bandage. He peeled it off and looked down at the scabbing latticework of cuts on his ribs and the fading bruises.
    “Better.” Leo said, giving me a smile. “You take good care of me.”
    I smiled and blushed, getting up reluctantly and brushing the sand off the back of my shorts. I tugged my shirt back on and offered my hand to Leo, helping him up.
    “We should go and meet my mom.” I said quietly, watching Leo nod understandingly.
    “I’m right here for you always,” Leo reminded me. I smiled, ducking forward to kiss the tip of his nose and grasp his hand.
    We walked up to the rental car and got inside, following the wide curves of the road towards my house. I reached the gravel driveway and glanced around, finding only my mom’s car around. That was good—none of the boys would be hanging around through this difficult conversation. 
    It was good to be home but I still took a steeling breath, opening my car door and walking up to the front porch with Leo. I raised my hand and knocked on the white wooden door, shell wind chimes clattering in the wind. Leo’s fingers twined through my other hand and he gave me an encouraging look. The door opened and my mom’s face lit up in a grin.
    “Wonshik! You came for a visit!” Mom said, looking over at Leo with a wider smile. I cleared my throat, gesturing to Leo. 
    “Mom. This is Leo, my merman boyfriend. I now turn into a fish every time I’m immersed in water. Would you care to explain?” I said, watching the smile on my mom’s face slide sideways . 
    “Oh, dear.” Mom said, realization flooding her face as she stepped back. “Come in.” 
    We walked inside and the familiar scent of home surrounded me, relaxing me briefly. The house looked unchanged and Mom gestured to the family room couch, giving Leo a small smile.
    “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Wonshik’s mom, Lorelai.” Mom extended a hand to Leo and he shook her hand, half-standing up.
    “Nice to meet you,” Leo echoed, his fingers giving mine a reassuring squeeze as he settled back down next to me. 
    “Ravi, I didn’t know if this day would ever come.” Mom said, sitting across from me and folding her hands in her lap.
    “Mom, I’m not mad at you. I’m irked, but I mostly just want answers,” I said, recognizing her nervously fluttery movements. 
    “Your dad was…like him.” Mom said hesitantly, gesturing to Leo. “We didn’t know if you would be like him or not, but when so many years went by and we just had to give you that cream for your skin, we thought we got off easy.” 
    “Does Alika know?” I asked, understanding. It’s not like my tail was a sure thing, but I still would’ve liked to know about it.
    “All the boys do. They always looked out for you when you were in the water to make sure you didn't start changing.” Mom said. “I’m sorry I kept this from you, but I didn’t want to scare you away from the water or get your hopes up.” 
    “I understand.” I said, realizing there was no point in getting upset about everything right now. “How did you meet my dad?”
    “I was out swimming the reef when I found him. He had been shot with a spear-fishing gun by mistake and was losing blood quickly; I patched him up and we became friends.” Mom said, a small smile tracing her face at the memory. “You would have loved him, Ravi. He loved you more than anything.” 
    “Did he really die in a boating accident?” I asked, almost afraid of the answer. Sadness crossed my mom’s face and she looked down at her hands, sighing.
    “No.” Mom said, looking over at Leo. “His family never approved of him talking to me. They told him to stay out of the water, or they would send their people to hurt him.”
    Leo nodded and I thought of the horrible wounds Leo’s own family had inflicted upon him, adding to his collection of scars. 
    “He tried to stay out of the water, but it was torture for him. One day, he finally gave in and they killed him.” Mom said, her eyes blurring with tears as she stared down at her hands. Leo surprised me by reaching out and resting his hand comfortingly on her hands, giving her a gentle look. 
    “Leo, you’re safe here, aren’t you?” I asked, terrified that the same thing would happen to Leo. Leo nodded quietly and my mom looked over at him, concerned.
    “Has your pod hurt you?” Mom asked, and Leo nodded again. He pulled his shirt up, revealing the bruises and healing scars on his chest, and my mom gasped. 
    “It’s not their fault, I just have a problem with authority. I kept trying to return even though they marked me as a traitor.” Leo said, shrugging. 
    “Well, you’re welcome here as long as you like. We don’t have many merpeople out this way anymore, so you two will be relatively safe.” Mom said, resting a grateful hand on Leo’s knee. 
    “I was thinking of transferring to West Oahu to major in psych and minor in English.” I said, watching my mom nod in approval. “And Leo could get his GED and then go to college, if he wants.”
    I looked over at Leo and he nodded, giving me a smile and squeezing my hand softly.
    “And you two could help out with marine clinic, or with Kaimana’s shave ice stand for summer jobs,” Mom suggested, giving us a happy look. I nodded, glad she was so cooperative, and stood.
    “I suppose you two want to go explore the island,” Mom said knowingly, reaching out for a hug. I gladly hugged her, smiling as she kissed my cheek and ran a hand over the top of my head. 
    “Thanks, Mom.” I said quietly, taking a deep breath of her familiar perfume mixed with the salt from the sea.
    “I missed you, keiki.” Mom said softly, leaning back to offer a hug to Leo. Leo accepted it and I happy they seemed to like each other, rolling my eyes.
    “I’m not a kid anymore, Mom.” I said, protesting her nickname. She rolled her eyes right back knowingly and then made shooing motions, smiling at us.    
    “I know, I know, get out of here. But be sure to be back for dinner; the boys will be glad to see you two.” Mom smiled, hurrying the two of us towards the front door. “And, Leo?”
    “Yes?” Leo turned back, looking at my mom’s teasing face.
    “Keep an eye on Ravi.” Mom smiled, closing the door behind us. I chuckled and then walked off the porch, looking down at the beach below. 
    “Come on, there’s a good diving spot nearby.” I said, motioning for Leo to follow me as I walked towards the end of the street.
    We walked in silence, alone with our own thoughts, and I looked out from the top of the cliff pensively. I suppose everything made sense; if anyone was half merman, it would be me. I looked sideways, quietly giving thanks for Leo beside me. I had saved him from that tank and he had saved me right back, showing me parts of myself I never would have discovered on my own.
    Leo seemed to sense that he was in my thoughts and sighed softly, kicking off his shoes and glancing down at the water. Leo looked across at me and I took his hand, stepping forward and pulling him off the cliff with me. We hit the water with a crash and water closed over our heads, weighting our shorts and lifting our shirts around our necks. 
    The transformation took even less time than before and Leo pulled me closer, our hands still connected from our jump. He smiled at me and a small bubble escaped his mouth as he placed his lips against mine. I smiled as well and kissed him softly, my eyes opening as we swam up to the surface, our chests pressed together in a hug and our tails flicking together gently. 
    We were home. 

A/N :
I actually finished it! *so happy*
I was legitimately afraid for a few days there that I wouldn’t make the deadline, but here it is *dances around*
I stayed up until two in the morning last night to try to finish the last chapter but still had to write for another four hours today, so if anything seems rushed or a few things are out of place, it’s because I had scrambled brains from being up so late :P 
I hope there aren’t too many typos, inconsistencies, or rough patches of any sort, but if there are, I apologize *bows and waves cutely for forgiveness*
Hopefully you all enjoyed this story!
I’m considering doing a sequel just to cover a little bit more in detail what happens after this and how life worked out (maybe even just adding another chapter to this), so please stay tuned and I’ll try to do that as soon as I can find the time 
Thank you so so much to all my wonderful upvoters, readers, commenters, and subscribers — y’all mean the world to me!!!
Once again this story was dedicated to my lovely Unnie <3
And special props again to fourteenlove for being the first one to figure out that Wonshik was half-merman 
Thank you so much again!
Love you all <3
—Sujinnie 
If you have any further questions or comments about the story, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me for an explanation ^_^ 
Oh, and Bell looks a little like Uta from Tokyo Ghoul, just without the piercings or tattoos~