Dark Waters Rising

Swim

A gentle breeze swept across Valentine's skin, carrying with it the familiar scent of the sea.

For years, he had looked upon the ocean and seen nothing but hostility. He'd been banished from it by his father and he'd been cursed to die should he ever return to it. It didn't want him, yet he could never bring himself to leave it.

Looking out over the endless expanse of waves, he didn't feel that hostility anymore. Just a calm, welcoming peace. It was hard to believe there was a war brewing below the surface.

Valentine closed his eyes, sifting his fingers and toes through the soft sand.

It wasn't long before he heard the sound of Wesley's approaching footsteps.

"All cleaned up," the merchant sighed, referring to the mess Andromeda had left from the resurrection. Once beside the siren, he sat himself down in the sand and stretched his legs out in front of him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now that you're here," Valentine said without missing a beat.

Wesley rolled his eyes and huffed, scanning the vast horizon before them.

"I wonder if leaving you in Hell for another month would've beaten that flirtatious tongue out of you."

Valentine smirked softly, opening his eyes and turning them toward his mate.

"If you don't like it then tell me to stop."

Wesley said nothing.

Valentine's smirk grew when Wesley refused to look anywhere near him.

Instead of teasing him further, Valentine reached over and placed his hand on top of Wesley's. The contact was enough to make the merchant face him again.

"Will you swim with me?" Valentine asked when their eyes met. He was still pretty weak and he wasn't afraid to admit that. If he exhausted himself, he'd rather have Wesley be able to pull him out and take him inside than end up spending the night alone in the cold, rocky shallows. It would also be a wonderful opportunity to see his merchant in less clothes than was considered decent and he wasn't about to pass that up.

"Is that really a good idea?" Wesley seemed hesitant. "The last time you took your true form in the ocean, a magical sea beast hunted you down and killed you. What's to stop that from happening again?"

That was a good point. Valentine was silent as he mulled it over. His gut told him it wouldn't happen again, but his head wasn't so sure.

Valentine lifted his hand and gazed at his pale palm, imagining the black mass that once afflicted it. Was he ready to relive that just for a swim? Conversely, was he ready to avoid the ocean for the rest of his life just on the off chance that the curse remained?

He wasn't sure he could do that. The ocean had always been his home, whether he was above or below it. He didn't want to live in fear if there was no reason to.

Clenching his hand into a fist, Valentine pushed himself onto his feet and said, "There's only one way to find out."

The siren didn't give Wesley a chance to respond. He let his borrowed robe slip off of his shoulders and fall to the ground. Then he waded into the water.

"Val, wait!" Wesley called, beginning to panic as his raven-haired head disappeared from his view.

It was just like before. It was just like before and he hated it. He hated that helpless feeling that overtook him like it had in the last moments he'd seen Valentine alive.

Without really thinking, Wesley removed his shirt and charged into the waves. Once the water was deep enough, he dove under, his eyes frantically searching for the siren. Unfortunately, he hadn't gotten a good breath before he dove, so he was forced back up for air before he could spot him.

As he stood, water sloshed around the middle of his ribcage. Though the sea was relatively calm, the waves still had enough force to lift him onto his toes and shift him back a bit every time they swelled around him.

"Val?" he called, a bit out of breath.

"Look!" Valentine's voice sounded from behind him. Wesley turned to find him with a grin on his face. The siren dove under again for a second in order to swim closer to the merchant, but once he resurfaced again, he held both of his palms out for Wesley to see. "No spot! The curse is gone!"

Instead of responding, Wesley grabbed Valentine's wrists and pulled him into his chest. Wrapping his arms around his slender frame, Wesley hugged the siren tightly with his chin firmly on the other man's shoulder.

"Don't do that again," he said softly near the man's ear.

Valentine cautiously wrapped his own arms over the merchant's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he breathed after a moment. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Wesley didn't respond. He simply held Valentine in his arms.

He was relieved about the curse's absence, yeah, but Wesley couldn't ignore the fact that what Valentine had just done had been incredibly stupid. Had the outcome been any different, he would've had to watch Valentine die all over again. He just got him back. He couldn't lose him again.

Valentine, trapped against his mate, found his fingers at the back of Wesley's neck. He could feel the chain of a necklace against the smooth skin, and once Wesley had relaxed a little, he pulled back enough to tug it free from between their bodies.

"What's this?" he asked curiously. He could feel hints of a strong magic swirling around the object, but it was hidden well. He hadn't even noticed it until it was pressed against his own chest.

Wesley eyed the obsidian stone for a moment before speaking. "You're mother gave it to me before she left. She put her magic in it and asked me to hold on to it."

"My mother's magic is in this?" Valentine repeated, resting the small stone in his palm.

"Yes," Wesley confirmed.

An excited glint formed in Val's eyes. With a flick of his tail, Valentine had them both submerged before Wesley even had a chance to think. Once on top of the merchant, Val pressed their lips together and placed one of his hands on Wesley's neck and the other over his ribs.

The merchant was stunned for a moment, but when he realized he was running out of air, he tried to maneuver back to the surface.

Valentine held him down with a hand to his chest.

"Breathe," Valentine instructed.

Wesley's eyes widened both for the fact that the siren seemed to speak as easily under water as he did above it and for the fact that he was trying to kill him.

When Wesley tried again to get to the surface, Valentine grabbed one of his hands and guided it to where the siren's hand had previously rested on his neck.

"Trust me," the siren said. "Breathe."

Wesley didn't have a choice. When black dots started crowding his vision, he gave in.

He breathed.

And the black dots receded.

----+------+----
A/N

Happy three year publishing anniversary to my book Lab Partners! Have you read it yet? Do you own a copy?

Also, if you could watch only one movie for the rest of your life, which movie would you choose?

Happy Friday,
-Mora Montgomery