Julian leaned into the merman's hold, finding comfort in their closeness. The merman smelled like the sea again, not clorinated water, filled with chemicals, not anything but the salty ocean water ...

"I want to spend time with you too," murmured the young man softly as Meison eclipsed himself from the beach. It felt like a part of his heart had gone with the merman, strange though that was considering their relatively short time together. He didn't want to be left alone, sitting upon the shore and watching as each wave erased any sign that the merman had been there at all.

The revelers, the partiers, arrived at the once pristine beach. Julian didn't have it in him to stay and watch. Instead he gathered up the blue starfish and when he went home put it into an aquarium he'd bought on a whim. It was small compared to the sea, yes, but filled already with the kind of things a starfish and other denizens of the ocean might like. By most standards the glass box was a rather spacious one. Julian had made sure of that when he'd bought it.

He came up out of the way, pulling himself up onto a smooth, flat stone out of direct line of sight from the beach. From here he could see the people, but they couldn't see him, even as his scales glowed in the moonlight above. Had he come up anywhere else, the gaggle of humans would have seen him shining like a beacon in the sea. They would probably try to investigate. But here he could see them, and could see Julian, and Meison curled his tail around himself and stared at the human as he gathered some things up and left the beach without acknowledging the group that had arrived as they lit a bonfire and played deep, beating music. He never did like that music, full of rough instruments and odd voices shouting things at the listener. Maybe it was because of his race, but human music was always so rough now. Centuries ago, when instrumentals were rampant, Meison and his kind enjoyed the freedom they had to sit upon stones and beaches and listen to concerts and beautiful opera, where the voices were clear and sweet.

But now he was forced to endure the annoying booms and growls of people that thought they were tough, warriors, rebels. He shook his head and dove back into the water as soon as he saw Julian was gone, and slipped through the sea as easily as silk. This time he was free, he wouldn't be so easily captured. He wouldn't hide like he had last time, and hide in a carefully disguised cage that would entrap him. Not this time. This time he would live for someone else, and not just himself. If he could just get through this barrier that race exhibited. If he could bring Julian to a small island he used to enjoy sunning on. It wasn't far. Maybe he would have a day off soon. Meison stared at the moonlit sea's bottom as it gradually sloped, filling with more life and less human waste. Tomorrow he'd see Julian again. It was only tomorrow... He slid down to a quiet coral reef and found a gentle sand pit among glassy coral of red, blue, and white, and curled himself up tightly. The current wouldn't sweep him away.

Julian dreamed of Meison that night, of long silken hair and shining scales flashing beneath the waves. The only reason he wasn't sad to wake up, tangled in the soft cotton blanket of his bed, was because he knew that soon he'd be able to speak with the real deal.

That day at work the chlorine scented air did nothing but remind Julian of how fresh the sea smelled in comparison. He went through the motions required of cleaning tanks and feeding the fish. Damp clothing didn't bother him all that much. A tremendous splash from a slick skinned killer whale had caused that one when the creature had jumped up from the tank to snatch its meal in midair. The people watching had gasped in delight, the chorus of their voices filling Julian's ears.

Compared to Meison, such a trick couldn't compare. Shaking his head, he smiled at the thought.

The young man was grinning when he walked away from work. Before going to the beach, he grabbed a map of the coastline he'd purchased in the marina along with some food. It didn't take long for his feet to be padding across the sand once again. Julian settled down with his feet in the water, skin tickled by the waves, to wait for Meison while he ate his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Unlike most marine life, Meison wouldn't drown if he stopped moving. And a good thing, as merfolk needed to sleep as regular humans, they just needed to find a safe enough place. Coming out of his small hiding place, he breached the water enough to find that the beach was empty, save a burnt-out bonfire pile and some cans the partiers didn't remember to pick up. If he could, Meison would have gone to grab them and find an acceptable place to throw them, but he'd have a difficult time dragging himself up the beach, then the steep incline. And then what? How stupid a thought...

Still, he abandoned the beach for a while in lieu of chasing fish for his morning and eventually, afternoon meals. Eating still-struggling fish without preparation first would make others of his kind, his bloodline, specifically, cringe and gag in disgust, though it seemed to taste the same in any case. Perhaps a bit of an extra crunch, true, but it was all the same. He strayed far from land, to the island he'd wanted to show Julian. It was beautiful, a tiny place, probably a fourth of a mile all around. A good number of trees, a couple land animals that somehow managed to get here, birds aplenty, and the sweet scent of fruit. Grass and sand mingled a little ways up the small beach, and it was beautifully shaded. A small rocky shelf gave the place a beautiful sunning spot, and this was where Meison spent the rest of the day, thinking about the human he delighted in being around.

The sun was very slightly down, just enough to discolor the sky very slightly, and Meison slid off the rock and dove back toward the quiet little beach. Maybe tonight no one would come and force him to vanish quickly, in a rude manner as before. He slid through the water quickly, leaping out of of the water as dolphins were prone to do to save energy. What was it the humans called it...? The thought was left unfinished as he saw Julian, and flicked his tail, perhaps showing off a bit as he made another swift leap, diving more elegantly before making it to the sand and sliding up to meet Julian. He tilted his head, brushing his soaking hair back. "What is that?" He asked slowly, eyeing the thing Julian was eating. He didn't get to know human food well, though he would see them eating things like this a lot.

Julian glanced at the debris from yesterday's previous visitors. He'd known bringing a bag to pick up the mess was a rather good idea. Julian would take care of that before leaving that night, once Meison had disappeared from sight, so long as no one else came to interrupt them.

The young man shook his head. He stopped in mid motion at the sight of something elegant slashing through the water. One leap exposed who and what it was, the next made a loud gasp escape Julian and his eyes widen in wonder. He bit into his sandwich to hide how amazed he was. The human had to work hard not to let the other man's beauty affect his opinion of him over much. This was Meison, the same man who had been so hard-hearted before, but now ... Oh he was so delightful in so many ways.

"It's a sandwich, peanut butter and jelly." The sound of sand rubbing against Meison's scales and skin had Julian wincing. That couldn't have been too pleasant to have happening. He knew he didn't like having anything sticking to his skin like that. "Would you like a bite?" He held it out to the merman, half expecting Meison to refuse.

Meison shifted a little so he could sit upright, tilting his head the other way. Peanut butter and jelly? He heard little kids talk about that kind of combination a lot. Usually when their parents or family would come to the beach with a basket of food and they would hold the thing up and run off with it. He just never heard of what it was called before now. A sandwich? He mulled the word over in his head a little until Julian offered him a bite. Glancing down at his sandy hands, he paused, and settled with leaning forward and snatching a bite quickly. The outermost sections were so dry, and Meison grimaced at first, until he bit down more and found a sweet and sticky something in the middle mingling with the dry. Which was which? There was peanut butter and jelly, but he didn't know how to place one and the other. He swallowed quickly and stared at Julian.

"Human food is... odd." He said, though he couldn't quite get the strange though pleasant taste out of his mouth. "So... strange, yes, but very good." Meison wouldn't have admitted that before, but at one time he felt his kind were superior. Of course, the fact that they couldn't walk on land without trading their tails for legs was a big reasoning against that.

"What else do humans eat?" He asked quickly, suddenly stricken by curiosity. "Is it diverse? Intricate? Do you eat fish like us below? I always see little... plastic bags with... names. 'Do-ree-toes or Free-toes or Lays... What are those?" The bags were always empty when he came to find them, so he could never be sure what they were, specifically. He assumed they were containers for food but never learned what was inside them.

Meison's fish-like qualities jumped to the forefront as he leaned over to snatch a bite of the food. It was interesting to see the facial expressions crossing over the merman. A soft sea breeze played over the beach. The feel of it made Julian smile, but not more so then the merman. He was such a delightful sight! Meison didn't smell bad either. Salty, fresh, a little fishy, Julian had to stop himself from leaning over too much. He might have fallen, if he hadn't caught himself in time.

"Humans have created a variety of different foods, and it depends on what part of the world you come from. Different tastes and all. " He laughed when he heard about doritos, lays. Julian couldn't help it, the words sounded so strange, coming form Meison's lips. "They're called chips, made from corn and potatoes with spices scattered all over them. Doritos, Lays and whatever else you might see on them other then flavors, is the name of the company that makes the food." Would Meison understand the explanation?

Meison nodded. Of course that made sense. chips, though? A human food, of course, though he'd never tried them---he'd seen humans eating them and heard how crunchy they were, like fish bones. He nodded again, quickly this time. "Of course, of course! The producer puts their name on it so that the buyer knows who they are buying from. And it becomes a well-known name. In the city the merchants will scribe their name in metal on an unobtrusive part of the item, or commission a symbol so that they own it and can press it into their jewelry or handcrafted instruments. Perhaps it isn't as... large-scaled as yours, of course, what with our small population, but I do know what you mean. It... sounds nice."

Humans had such a massive amount of land at their disposal, so much to be found away from the sea and in cold climates, and some things Meison had never even heard of, let alone saw or tried before. Some sweet fruits could be stolen away from a land merchant's basket if they set the basket close enough to the edge of the dock they might rest on, but otherwise Meison and his kind were only subject to hearing about it and learning from overhearing humans. "You have so much to choose from... I can't shake this jealousy this time, Julian, it sounds delightful. So much to... choose from, how do you decide what to eat from day to day? Or what to wear...? Or where to go?" The sea was beautiful, of course, but Meison could only see the green and white mountains and deserts from an objective point. Or photos.

"You do that too? How strange ..." Though it wasn't so much. In fact, Julian found it fascinating, how many similarities there were between humans and merpeople. Despite that, the young man knew there were many more more differences that he knew not about. With Meison around, he was sure to find out.

Them mention of choices made him roll his eyes. "Too many choices. People don't appreciate what they have, because they always want more, something they think is better. Greedy fools." Julian smiled, tilting his head to turn his gaze upon Meison. "I'm sorry, something I don't like my fellow humans all that much."

Meison ran his hand down one of the trailing ribbons that came off his tail and rested on the sand. "Quite all right." He said simply. "I... have discovered a newfound dislike of my own people recently. Perhaps for different reasons." Greedy, maybe not. They had an abundance of beautiful and priceless things that humans would die to have, and used one to trade for another if both parties saw value in the items presented. The money that was used, was used very sparingly, and by visiting merfolk from far, far off that would trade their silver coins for other things that they couldn't find where they came from. The silver was melted and used to make more jewelry in turn. Though in terms of vanity, they were fraught with it, like an epidemic. He only recently realized that.

Meison suddenly snapped to attention. "Oh, Julian! I was... hoping... I could show you something." He looked down, away from the human. "It's a bit of a ways out, but not so far at all. I could pull you along, if you aren't afraid..." That little island was so perfect for Julian! If he showed the human, they could spend all their spare time there and not worry about people suddenly appearing. It would be like... a small paradise. But maybe that was Meison's overly-dramatic tendency.

Julian nodded. He could understand that. From what Meison had said, merpeople were a rather vain race, concerned with appearances more then anything else. He snapped from his thoughts upon hearing his companion's eager words. Laughter bubbled up from his lips. Julian reached out to smooth his hand through the merman's long hair.

"I trust you to keep me safe and sound in the big dangerous ocean." The young man leaned over to lie down upon the sand with a sigh. He knew bringing a pair of swim trunks would have been a good idea. Oh well, he'd remember for next time, for he was certain there would be. Julian wondered what it was that had Meison so excited. Fish, perhaps?

Meison slid his tail into the water a bit, leaning down to meet Julian's gaze. "I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised." He said simply. "Nothing like you can see from day to day at that marine prison, absolutely not---it's all natural, and you won't be in the water long, I promise you." Just a short trip, and Julian would be able to to see the things within the trees Meison never could find. Meet the animals that were oddly friendly despite being without humans. Smell the sweet tropical flowers and fruits... He grasped Julian's hand. "You will come, yes? There are no humans there to bother you, as well. It's an oasis away from their influence." And his own kind's. He adored the place, though he could never see the mystery within.

For a precious moment he was caught in the merman's gaze. Those mesmerizing eyes, Julian could think of nothing better to look at. At the mention of such a paradise-like place, he lifted himself from the smooth sand and plunged into the water. He stopped when the warm sea water hovered above his waist. "What are you waiting for, let' go!" A place without interruptions would solve most of their problems.

Julian couldn't wait for his next day off all of a sudden. Plans formed in his mind swiftly. He could pack a few things to cook himself and Meison food. The merman seemed rather fascinated with human fare. A waterproof bag would take care of the things he would need for the little picnic.

Meison's face brightened immediately, and he slid out into deeper water with Julian. It was so calm here that no waves would harm the human and knock him back, so Meison grabbed his hands and pulled, spinning in the water and bringing Julian up to join him. "Hold on to me." He said simply, putting Julian's hands on his shoulders and starting off. With the human at his side Meison could kick his tail more fluidly, and in a moment they were in deeper water. He kept his head and shoulders above the water though diving down would have made it faster, but he didn't want to startle Julian and make him breathe in water accidentally. Only several minutes passed before they were nearing the small island, and as usual, no one was there. The water was too shallow to bring up a boat, and far too far to swim for a human without help.

Meison deposited Julian on the soft sand. "This is the place I wanted you to see." He said, gesturing in a grand way at the island. "I thought you would love to see it... And it would make meeting... so much easier... Without interruption." He smiled, but searched for some type of approval from Julian.

The young man complied quickly, letting his arms move to wrap around the merman's neck after their wild dance. He couldn't wait to see how it felt to swim as fast as Meison. To be able to slice through water as the merman did ... Oh it was a wonder! That was something he wanted to know badly for himself. Sometimes a wave would slash over his head, but not often. When it happened, he spluttered an coughed until his throat was clear once more.

Once he was placed softly upon the sand, he scrambled out of his wet clothes self consciously. What would Meison think of him? He was just beginning to gain a tan, and he wasn't very hairy at all. He was grateful for that, now that he compared himself to the merman. Such smooth skin, Meison had. Shaking his head, Julian laid out his clothing to let it dry, then plopped down upon the ground with a nervous grin. "I like it, very private."

A big bed of soft seaweed was by where Julian stripped of his soaking clothes. Meison couldn't help but smile, laugh lightly, at the way the human moved awkwardly around him. He pulled himself onto the powdery sand, near the seaweed, and laid down on his back, studying the human. He so admired the human body, how long and elegant it could be, how beautiful dancers were and how gently they could move about when they wanted to. And at the same time, how admirably awkward they could be, how endearing and sweet. Meison's hair spread out in a fan beneath his back, and he grinned at the human. "A beautiful place, is it not?" He asked. "From the shore no one can see any life on the beach here, and the friendliest animals call this place home. And I've seen many a sweet-smelling fruit growing among the trees."

He turned over, flicking his tail in the water as it lapped the shore. "I am... so glad you like it." He said after a moment, and slid himself up, closer to Julian. "A gift for my friend... my first... friend." He smiled, but it had a sad air. He was so glad to have a friend, and be able to give him something he would truly love. Something more than a little starfish.

He suddenly felt the urge to paint, or draw, even though he had no such skills. Julian's eyes kept getting caught up in drinking in how elegant Meison appeared. Mentally he contrasted it with how the merman had looked before, and could find no fault in either form. This was Meison after all, a changed Meison who cared. That was more beautiful then he thought he could ever explain. "All the more beautiful for the company." Turning his body around, he caught sight of some of the fruit Meison had spoken of, hanging invitingly from the branches of a nearby tree.

Thoughts of food were chased away instantly by the other man's sad smile and hesitant words. He shifted, reaching out to let a hand trail across the merman's shoulder. "Of course I like it. You went through so much to find this place and show it to me." Friend? He wanted to be seen as more then that, but it was good enough for now. More then that. "Being your first friend's an honor, a pleasure, Meison." He was only sad for the fact that Meison's life had pushed so many people away from him.

Meison smiled. He didn't think himself the most gorgeous creature to grace the living anymore, but did enjoy when someone made a comment. Most specifically, when Julian spoke a compliment. Or when Julian spoke at all. His voice was sweet and kind, just like really was. A sweet and beautiful human in every way he could consider, more than any natural thing in the ocean. He regarded Julian's words with a slightly brighter smile. "I found this place long ago, but felt you would love it more than I." Meison replied easily. "And... I would love to bring you here as often as you like. I may not be able to follow you into the center of the island but I... would like to know what is beyond the treeline."

He slid forward a little, the powdery sand comfortable on his scales. Usually the sand was a bit difficult to relax on if it was above the lapping water, but this was different---it was pillowy. He pulled himself up and out of the water entirely, very close to Julian. "I'm glad you enjoy my company." He said quietly. "... For more than only my looks." It was so nice.

With a glance at Meison, the young man slid himself closer to the merman. So close their skin nearly touched. A stray breeze had Julian shivering, though he didn't think that was all that made his skin come out in goosebumps. He was nervous. "I wouldn't want to visit more of the island without you there. " Julian smiled, but felt it falter as his friend quieted.

"Meison ... I enjoyed your company even when you were all crochety and didn't want to let anyone close." The human tilted his head, turning his eyes to the ocean and tried not to think of his nakedness. He really didn't think he was the epitome of male human beauty, and to have Meison looking at him ... It just made him feel even more insecure about himself all of a sudden.

Meison was glad to hear everything the human said. The way he actually didn't mind Meison when he was angry and bitter and negative, a poison to himself regardless of his appearance. He felt happier now that he could feel better about others, and himself. And he didn't even need his beauty to prove anything now. Julian was a beautiful soul, much more than Meison could be. He was already tainted by his past evils. He gladly leaned sideways as a breeze floated by, and sent his hair around to brush against Julian's back. "I think I prefer this version of myself to what I used to be. I feel people aren't so hesitant to be around me. And I feel better about everything." It was more than he could have imagined. And having a friend on top of it...

Meison stared across the water. The way the sun grew dim with the onset of evening, allowing one to look at the sun without it harming the eyes. He didn't need to talk to enjoy the time he shared with a friend, a human, and without really noticing himself gravitating toward Julian and leaning against him, resting his head against his shoulder. "How is it to be a human?" He asked after a moment. "To... see those places far away from the ocean? I only ever see them in pictures. I dream about them a lot, but I might not be... accurate." He could only ever see it in the waving form of underwater currents. It might be far, far brighter. Clearer.