Chasing Tide (A Merman's Tale And The Human Who Desired Him)

UNWELL.

Chapter: 54.
*****

Alexander held out until he was sure he would burst, saltine tears escaping the corners of his eyes, core tightening as his toes curled. Matthew never broke his pace as Alexander rode out his climax, ramming at his sweet spot until he clutched at the sheets with such desperation he couldn't breathe. He could feel Matthew tense above him and shivered at the sensation of his climax, breaths uneven in the aftermath. He felt Matthew's lips caress his cheek, fingers stroking affectionately at his hair. He asked him something he could only hum to, exhausted.

He was drifting off into unconsciousness when a loud bang sounded from somewhere around him followed by his name repeatedly falling off someone's lips.

He forced bleary eyes open to have them staring into the familiar ones of Easton. He was leaning into him, too close for comfort, he snapped his eyes open, fully awake now, and he took in his surroundings, he was in his room, Tide was lying motionless beside him in his Merman form and Easton was casting worried glances his way.

It dawned on him that it was a dream.

Matthew.

The mind-numbing sex.

It was all in his imagination.

Why on earth would he go and dream about something like that?

How badly has this man messed up his entire being?

"Are you okay?" Easton asked, coming to sit beside him on the bed.

"Yeah..." he blurted and escaped into the bathroom to clean himself and to avoid any further questions from his ever-curious friend.

"Tide?"

He heard Easton calling from the room but his mind was far too gone, consumed by that dream, he couldn't make sense of it. Of all people, why him? Why now? He stood and stared at his reflection in the mirror as if he couldn't recognize the man he saw staring back at him.

"Tide!!"

This time Easton's voice had panic laced as he called Tide repeatedly, his brows furrowed.

"Tide!"

Okay, that's it.

He rushed back into the room, to find Easton hovering above a very stilled Tide.

"What's wrong?" He asked, coming to stand beside Tide, eyes searching and following Easton's movement.

"He's not breathing!" Easton confirmed, meeting his gaze. "And he's burning up."

"What?!" He cried, jumping beside Easton and tugging at the Merman who was starting to heat up with an increasing speed.

That was weird, he was usually cold, not warm, more so hot, even the day he had found him he wasn't this hot.

"Tide?" He called, tapping on the Merman but no response. "Tide, can you hear me, wake up, baby." He shoved at the merman with a hiss the hotter his body got. "Pool..." he suggested, gathering the Merman in his arms. "Let's take him to the pool, maybe he's been out of the water too long." He spoke in haste, Easton helped him push the door open and both men were dashing down the stairs with the speed of light.

At the pool, Alexander carried the Merman in and laid him into the water. He watched as he sank deeper until he was lying flat under the pool, it didn't take two minutes the water began to bubble as if it were a hot spring.

"Shit!" Easton gasped upon seeing steams rapidly evaporating from the pool, Alexander who could not stand the heat tried to grab the Merman but flinched and withdrew his hands from how hot the Merman was. Easton helped pull him out of the water. "What do we do now?" He cried, glancing between Alexander and the boiling pool.

"Drain and refill." He suggested and together they went into action. Draining and refilling the pool but just barely a few minutes after the freshwater had filled the pool it began to boil once again.

"Fuck, it's like we are cooking a giant fish!" Easton yelled confused. "What the fuck is going on?!" He demanded shooting Alexander a questioning glare as if he had answers to why.

"I don't know!" The other replied.

"What the fuck did you two do all day?"

"We fucked!" Alexander blurted without thinking.

"What?!" Easton threw back in disbelief. "All day?!"

"Well..."

"Did you even eat?" He threw back, cutting Alexander off.

"What does that even have to do with any of this?!" He shot back angrily.

"I don't know but did you?!"

"I think." Alexander shrugged, he couldn't remember. Once they had finished with the second round, maybe they had gone for a third, and then Tide became insatiable, the more they went at it the weaker he became, at some point, he thought he was going to pass out, maybe he did pass out because all he remembered was that dream which for some reason filled his senses before Eaton had arrived. Was Tide already restless from then and if yes, why didn't he say anything? Too many thoughts and yet his mind couldn't reach a reasonable conclusion as to why his Merman was cooking himself alive.

"You've gotta be kidding me, Alexander, now what the fuck do we do, he is freaking cooking man!"

"I can see that!"

"Then what should we do?!"

"I don't know, I'm as confused as you are, okay!"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Easton panted, pacing the pool.

"Again," Alexander suggested.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"Drain and refill... again."

"Sure." They both went to work a second time. Then again and again. After the fourth time, a glowing light began to brighten the pool, gently both men went on their knees and tasted the water temperature with their fingers and it wasn't boiling anymore. They both breathed when they saw bubbles shooting from the Merman's gills as he breathed slowly.

"Should we get him out?" Alexander asked.

"What?" Easton asked in total disbelief. "Hell no, he belongs in the water, he's not coming out of there again until we have figured out how to help him get back home!"

Get back home?!

What does he mean by that?

Easton must be joking, he's only just found him, how could he so heartlessly be considering sending him back into the sea.

But, the Merman is unwell.

Maybe he's the heartless one for not wanting to send him back.