Calum doesn't remember falling asleep, but he remembers waking up the next morning pressed against Ashton's side, his head resting on Ashton's chest. Ashton remains asleep, eyes swollen shut, one of his arms wrapped around Calum's shoulders. The morning sunlight glistens against the surface of the water, and Calum faintly hears the other mermaids nearby, talking amongst themselves.
Calum embarrassingly scoots away from how close he was to Ashton, but Ashton makes a noise of protest, pulling him back close to him. Calum lets a small smile slip onto his face and complies, returning to his side.
The two of them remain beside each other for a little while longer, listening to the ocean wake up from the night. Calum watches the schools of fish swim through the water, the sand drifting underneath their fins. Calum closes his eyes. He was foolish yesterday to think about all the dangers of the ocean and to even consider that overpowering the beauty of it. On mornings like these, early mornings with the bright sunlight and the fresh water, the beauty will always overpower the danger.
Ashton and Calum get up once they hear Joy talking close by to Luke. Ashton rubs at his eyes to help him wake up fully before swimming towards them.
"Hey, Ashton," Joy says. "The nets should be cleared by now. We're ready to head back whenever you are."
"I think we're ready. The ocean is fairly clear this morning. It would be smart to get an early start," says Ashton, so Joy leaves to go tell the rest. Luke instantly begins talking to Ashton, chattering about nothing and everything. Ashton, like the genuine man he is, listens with a smile and never once interrupts him. Calum watches with a small smile on his face.
Calum didn't bring anything with him, so he has nothing to pick up in order to leave. He helps his mother gather everything and assists some other mermaids struggling with things to carry, and in no time, the clan is ready to leave. Ashton gives thanks to the other clan leader for allowing them to stay for a little while, and then he returns to the others, swimming past everyone else until he stands right beside Calum and Luke. Ashton gives Calum a sideways glance, smiling a little and squeezing his hand before letting go and picking up a few supplies.
"Alright, everyone," says Ashton. "Let's go."
The journey back is a quiet one. Nobody talks much, but the atmosphere of this journey is definitely a more positive than the previous one. Luke tells jokes to keep everyone entertained, and Ashton quietly talks to Calum as they swim, pointing things out and explaining things whenever Calum asks. Joy swims beside him, and Calum honestly couldn't be more proud of the woman he has as a mother. Calum feels fortunate that he found her after so long.
Even so, it doesn't change the fact that he still has a family back on land. The moment the mermaids finally reach back home and settle in, Calum places everything down and looks toward the direction of land.
He turns to Joy. "I've got to go do something real quick. I'll be back soon." Calum starts to turn away, but then he stops. He turns back to Joy. "Tell Ashton to meet me at the dock north from here. At the beach." Calum can barely get the words out of his mouth fast enough. He itches to get back to land, to see his best friend and his foster mum. The moment everyone settles back in their homes, Calum swims out of the clan and starts the familiar trail he used to always take that leads to his beach.
He thinks about what he just said, and feels a little better. Ashton mentioned last night, late before they went to sleep, about wanting to meet Michael. If Michael no longer hates Calum's guts, he figures that might work out alright.
He begins to grow nervous on his way there. The last time he set foot on land, it didn't go to well, health-wise. He also won't have much time to convince Michael he didn't choose the ocean over him, that it wasn't much of a choice at all. He just needs to see him, and Laura. He needs to see him and he needs to say he's sorry. If they'll let him, of course. Michael may absolutely despise him by now.
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Under the Sea ⇔ Cashton ✓
Fanfiction[MERMAID AU] When Calum turns 17, he is diagnosed as terminally ill by a group of doctors who can't seem to explain why he is feeling so sick. However, Calum's symptoms go away when he goes diving in the ocean, finding he has not a disease, but a ta...
