I'm a Mermaid, Not a Merman

Chapter 25

Danny knocked on Liam's door. 

Unlike Danny, Liam didn't exclaim "go away" or something. The knob turned, the door opened a crack, and he heard the sound of Liam dropping back on his bed.

Danny went in. He'd been in Liam's room a couple of times. It was nothing really elaborate, just some movie posters on the walls, Lord of the Rings and stuff like that. Liam sat on his bed, looking pointedly at his phone.

"Okay," Danny said, "I... look. I'm sorry how I've reacted to this. I could've done it better. I got mad at you for not accepting my choices, while at the same time being very intolerant of yours. You didn't feel comfortable dating me...."

Danny sighed. "And I... I should've let it end there."

"So what do you want?" Liam asked, "you've established that you feel uncomfortable around me."

Danny winced, and let out another, deeper sigh. "I... no. I don't. I... I've missed you."

"Why would you miss me?" Liam said. "Obviously, because I disagree with you, I am the villain. I have no feelings, don't I?"

Danny sat down on the edge of Liam's bed. "I just... I'm sorry. I respect your beliefs. I don't agree with them, but there are much worse people out there."

"Again," Liam said, "I ask you what you want. I... I want to be your friend. I have told you that I disagree with this - but I will be your friend despite that. I will defend you if people make fun of you, if they insult you. I think that it is acceptable to disagree with the choices of others. Hating them, mocking them, or anything like that though is unacceptable."

"You really mean that Liam?" Danny asked.

"I am not perfect Danny," he said, "but I like to think that's the kind of person I am. At church the other day I got upset at someone in Sunday School because he was making fun of Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't care who you are, no one deserves to be hated."

"Liam... ," Danny said, "... what I want... I want to be a couple again."

"I... ," Liam trailed off. "I... I appreciate that you would forgive me to that point, that you'd consider making amends... but like I said then - I think it's dishonest to mince my words. It isn't just my religious beliefs... but sexuality wise, I only desire to be with biological women. I'm -"

"And that...," Danny said quietly, "is what I am."

"But you said you were trans," Liam said.

"That was what I knew then," Danny said. "This is now. I'm intersex. I was supposed to have breasts, and all that stuff."

Liam let out a long slow exhale, running his hands through his hair. "Like... really? I... "

"I'm a girl," Danny said, "but they thought I was a boy. Until last month."

"Well," Liam said, "I... I'm happy for you. If that's what you wanted."

Danny rubbed his hands against his face. "I don't know. Being male is what I feel comfortable with. But... if I identify as my birth sex... I've been able to do it. It's what I appear to be anyway. I would also be able to have children."

Liam was silent. Danny wished he would say something. Anything, just so he could get a read on him.

"So what are you going to choose?" Liam asked.

Danny sighed. "I don't know. I could choose to live as a man, get several surgeries to affirm that decision... and I'm not sure I'd be happy."

"Danny," Liam said, "I think this is more a thing to discuss with doctors, or a psychiatrist."