Noah woke up numerous times during the night, opened his eyes to see Veli awake, and closed them again. If he'd said anything, it would be angry, and he didn't want Veli to have o deal with that. Come morning, however, he sighed and kissed the side of Veli's face briefly.

Veli looked tired, but not just in the physical sense. God, he hated this. Hated going back there. Hated Noah being mad.

His eyes closed at the kiss, however brief. Noah still loved him. He was just mad.

"I was born out in a cove on one of the nearby smaller islands." He didn't know the name, but knew how to get there. "There's a boat in the harbor, so I can take us there."

"We need to rent one anyway. Some tanks too," Noah said, his voice softer than the day before. Perhaps he was no longer angry?

"I can't stay under water for that long."

"The boat's sufficient. We can rent scuba gear, though." Veli sighed, running one hand through his hair before tying it back. He reached out and gave Noah's arm a squeeze.

"Thanks for coming, Noah." It would make it easier to bear, with him around.

"Yeah, well, you're pretty important," Noah snorted, grinning and again playing with Veli's hair.

Sighing, Veli leaned against him. "We can grab you some breakfast outside. But the sooner we get this started, the sooner we can go home."

Noah suddenly leaned over the bed to his suitcase and drew out what looked to be a family-sized bag of trail mix.

"I've got it covered. Let's go."

Normally, Veli would have argued. Trail mix did not a breakfast make, however. But he didn't this morning.

"Okay. Let's head for the docks. Should be a shop to rent diving gear and the like."

And, again, Noah leaned over the bed, but this time he drew up a heavy-looking bag.

"Got it. Used to dive. I just need more'n one tank."

The tanks were found, and soon enough Noah and Veli were on their way to the island. Veli was a competent captain, though he looked more ill as they went on.

He could hear the taunts on the wind, the horrible true things they called.

Once they'd gone so far, Veli stopped the boat, letting down anchor. He moved to one side, fidgeting.

"Now... We wait." He said softly, wincing at something only he could hear.

"And I prepare," Noah sighed, "So help me, if they watch me change, I'm killing them." And he began to do just that, getting into his wetsuit and gearing up. Ahh, and one couldn't forget his arsenal...

Veli waited, his elbows resting on the side of the boat. Someone would come and help him, it was required. Even if they hated him, someone wou-

"Just a few more weeks and this wouldn't be necessary." A voice whispered from the ocean. Veli couldn't spot the speaker, but had a pretty good guess of where she was. "Surely being mortal would be better than what you are."

"You'd think. Nasia?" Veli called. A woman surfaced then, looking much like the stereotypical mermaid. Large eyes, thin, with flowing blonde hair. She was beautiful.

She gave him a look of distaste. She apparently didn't want to speak above ground.

Noah just smiled to her.

"'Lo. Name's Noah. Kinda hopin' you guys'll stop badmouthin' my..." He paused.

"Mate."

Nasia curled up her lip at him. "You mate with that?" She gave another look to the stripping Veli, who soon enough dropped himself over the side of the boat. "Ugh, even your human form is incomplete."

Veli didn't say anything. It was true, after all.

With visible distaste and reluctance, Nasia put both her hands on Veli's chest. After a few moments she pulled away quickly, and Veli changed into his merform. The mermaid made another disgusted noise, shooing Noah a look of disbelief.

Noah just put his regulator in his mouth.

"You'll keep away from him, if you know what's good for you," he spoke through it. His voice was slightly muffled, mechanical, but completely understandable...and he stepped off the side of the boat, into the water, holding and anchor and looping it around one arm. Well, fuck this was heavy.

The mermaid looked at him for another moment, then giggled. Horrible bitch. "Even we're not allowed to strike down monsters playing at being like us." She said. "And with what you're wearing, no one will try and fight him for you. Enjoy your stay in our clan."

She disappeared back under the water, and a slight, indistinct whisper could be heard. Veli swallowed, looking unhappy. One hand reached out for Noah as he looked down at the water.

Noah just wrapped his arms around Veli, oddly relieved to see him once again fishy.

"C'mon. We gotta go down so I kin drop this off. Don' wanna float away during the night."

Nodding, Veli ducked under the water. And once Noah was underwater as well, the whispers would become more distinct, hearing what Veli had heard since they left the plane.

"That thing is back..."

"The monster that ripped it's way out of it's mother's womb?"

"It has a human, how sweet..."

"It's sister is so beautiful, but no one will come for her. She may share it's taint."

"Should have been killed when it took it's first breath..."

Veli did his best to ignore the whispers, swimming downward. He was used to them, after all.

Noah was...pissed, to say the very least. The best he could do for Veli, though, was to be there...so he'd stay. He dropped the anchor down, steadying a prong beneath a bit of coral. A fish swam out.

"Apologize for me."

The fish didn't seem to be affected by the Merfolk's dislike. It swam around Veli, looking at him in interest.

"Forgiven." He told Noah, reaching out one claw to the fish. Fishy rubbed against it before swimming back into it's home. The whispers were more quiet now, harder to hear.

"Drove it's father to madness..."

Veli flipped his tail in the water, sighing, moving against his Noah. Noah could protect him from the words.

"Keep the children away, you never know what it'll do."

Noah smiled at the fish's affection (seriously, why did merpeople hate Veli so much when fish loved him?) and held his lover to him. He pulled his regulator out and blew a few bubbles before kissing Veli's cheek. Yes, he was here. He cleared his regulator and put it back into his mouth.

Sighing, Veli snuggled against him, stroking at him with the backs of his hands. He was so careful not to hurt him, so loving.

"My parents were on vacation when I was born. Father spent the next eight or so years here with me while I matured, protecting me. If he hadn't stepped in, they would've killed me shortly after birth." He said, nuzzling. "But, because of my birth here, this is my 'home'."

Noah shook his head, nuzzling his cheek against Veli's.

"Home is where the heart is, not the birth."

Veli just sighed, resting there. Oh, Noah...

A peice of shell passed by. Quicky followed by two rocks, and what seemed to be a large pearl.

"Make it move!" A voice called, sounding very, very young. Another rock caught Veli in the side of the head. He sighed, closing his eyes. Ah, the children. He'd forgotten.

"Why won't it move?" Another child, this one sounding like it was pouting.

"What's it got with it?"

"Smells funny."

Noah turned around, leaving Veli where he was.

"Hey! You! Go away!" he pointed, his shouting horribly quiet through the regulator. Nevertheless, he tried.