Hook, Line & Sinking (Completed)

22. Diving Lessons

Hey Guys!

Ready for this new chapter? :-) I had fun writing this, hope you guys enjoy reading it!

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Diving Lessons

Matt worked quietly in his office a while and asked me to work on the couch there to keep him company which I did. He was catching up on all the paperwork that had piled up while he'd been gone the past two weeks since Thorne was apparently absolutely useless for that stuff.

Then by late afternoon Dev and Mitch showed up and the four of us headed out to Sharkfell Island and then beyond it so that Matt could give all of us a joined deep diving lesson. Though Mitch chose to mostly sit it out while he sunned in the boat.

I was scared to get into the water at first, feeling oddly out of my element and I tried to hide that by fussing over the injury on Matt's chest. "You shouldn't get it wet, what if it gets infected? Going diving was a bad idea!" We were all sitting on the beach and Dev and Matt were in the process of stripping down to their shorts before they waded in for the change.

Matt rolled his eyes, "That only counts for non merfolk." Dev laughed, "Yeah Dani, we were made for the water, it's not gonna kill us." I scowled at them, "I'm certain that if you get dirt into that slash it will still inflame, fast healing or not. Just because you can breath underwater doesn't mean you're immune to all the shit in it!"

By then however I think Matt had caught on that I wasn't really making an issue over him getting hurt more but that I was actually scared to go in. He waded out of the surf and gestured at Dev to go ahead while he dried himself up with practiced ease. When he reached me he pulled me to my feet and lifted my head by the chin so I couldn't avoid his eyes. "What's going on darling? Is it the water? You worried about going in?"

"Is that really stupid?" I asked him and he immediately shook his head. "Of course not baby, it's really understandable but it's not going to help you. You can't avoid the water forever, eventually the need to swim will get too strong. Better you do it now, with all of us here right?" He was holding my face so gently in his big hands and looking at me so tenderly with his near black eyes that I felt some of my fear drain away. Matt would look after me and besides, I wasn't helpless was I?

I now had a shiny knife in a holster strapped to my arm. It was a temporary one Thorne had dropped by sometime today on Matt's request. Matt had told me he'd already ordered one especially for me but that would take a week to be made by this mate he had from his navy days who was really good at crafting water suited blades.

"I think it's not that I'm afraid someone will hurt me or something. It's just that I nearly drowned twice last night... It's like the water turned against me too and I'm not feeling very trusting." I hated that my voice actually quivered a little and I could see that it did something to Matt to hear me speak in such a timid voice. He got this really intense look on his face and then he pulled me into his body for a real hug, tucking my face against his chest and brushing kisses over my forehead and in my hair.

"I understand, I came close to drowning once or twice myself you know. It was hard to get back in the surf afterward. You're being really brave by just being here. I hadn't even realized you were having a problem with it until just now." His voice was husky as he spoke and his hands so nice and warm as they stroked over the bare skin of my back.

"I'll be with you every step of the way okay? I'm never going to leave your side." They way he said that, it sounded like he meant it in a much deeper way than just today in the water. Which was a stupid thought to have when it concerned something the guy I'd accused of having commitment issues said.

"Okay, I'll do it," I told him. Feeling a little braver I pulled away from him and that's when I caught Dev and Mitch staring at us with these Cheshire grins on their faces. Mitch draped over the edge of the boat, Dev bobbing in his merman form next to him in the water. "What are you guys looking at?" Matt demanded suspiciously.