The night was cold and dan found it hard to sleep. He couldn't get comfortable, and no matter how deep he sunggled up into his sleeping bag he just couldn't get warm. He tossed and turned, each time he was in more discomfort than before. Dan decided instead of trying to get to sleep maybe a midnight swim would be a good idea? Explore the reef, at night. It would be cool. Dan smiled to himself. He carefully removed his body from his sleeping bag, making an extra effort to be silent, as he didn't want to wake his sleeping best friend and phil.
Dan tip toed over the two unconscious bodies and unzipped the tent, cringing at the noise the zip made when he opened it. he tip toed down the beach before he reached the water. He looked up at the moon, it looked so bright. So whole. Dan looked down into the water at his reflection. His hair was all tousled and messy and his eyes had bags beneath them. He thought for a moment, should he swim, or just try to go back to sleep.
He decided on the latter before slowly waltzing into the water taking his time, it was dark. No one was awake, he was at no rise, no one would see him. He let the water take over his body and just as dan expected the bold browny-orange tail appeared. He gave it a test flick before launching himself into the reef, at god knows what speed.
It was dark down in the ocean and dan couldn't see much, he could barely see ten meters infront of him, but he could see enough. As he swam schools of fish swam past almost putting the young merman into a trance. A parrot-fish , about one meter in length swam past dan, it was a deep blue and in dans eyes was beautiful. The merman decided to follow the graceful fish, he was somewhat drawn to it. its blue reminded dan of phil. His eyes , just as beautiful as the large fish he was swimming alongside. Dan willed to be able to take late night swims with phil. As much as he wished he didn't, the brunette enjoyed the other boys company.
Dan carried on swimming for a bit longer before he started to feel tired, finally he thought. He gave his parrot-fish companion a wave with his hand, before realising the fish didn't know what he was doing. Dan gave his powerful tail a swish before he propelled himself back to the beach.
***
Dan crept back into the tent quietly zipping the tent in a fast fluid motion, this made phil stir in his sleep but the older boys breathing quickly became even again and signed to dan that he was fast asleep. Dan crept back over phils limp body and got himself wrapped up once more in his sleeping bag.
"where did you go?" phil asked. Dans eyes were wide open, he thought phil was asleep.
"I went for a swim couldn't get to sleep" he explained.
Dan could just about make out phil nodding in the darkness.
Dan was still a bit chilly and started to shiver in his sleeping bag. To dans surprise he felt phils strong arm wrap around his torso and his sleeping bag was wrapped around the two of them.
"you looked cold" phil explained and dan smiled as he nodded his head into phils shoulder.
All dan could thing was how right it felt to be asleep in phils arms and bloody hell, was phil warm.
***
As dan awoke he felt relaxed and warm inside. He opened his eyes and turned slightly to see his head was resting on phils chest. Their legs were entwined and dan felt content. After a minuet or two of just lying next to phil, all cuddled up in him dan felt the urge to pee.
He gently detangled their bodies and stood up stretching his arms above his head as he yawned. He looked around the tent to see that chris' sleeping bag was empty. Dan proceeded to the entrance of the tent. It was unipped, chris must be up. He clambered through the opening and took in the fresh air. It was cool out.
Chris was knelt down on the sand furiously rubbing two sticks together in attempt to make a fire.
"mate what you doing?" dan asked
"lost the matches" chris said as he stuck his tongue between his lips in concerntracion. Dan re-entered the tent and saw phil waking up. His hair was all messy and his eyes were glazed over. Fuck he looked hot, dan thought.
***
dan tapped chris on the back who was still doubled over attempting to light the fire and handed him the box of matched that he found from the tent.
chris looked at what was in dans hands and then down to his own.
"fuck" chris chuckled before snatching the matches from his best friends hands.
chris struck the match and lit the firewood providing thier camp with warmth.
"fancy a swim?" he asked before walking past dan and perching by the entrance of the tent waiting for a response.
dan shook his head. he trusted chris, he really did, he just wasnt ready to tell him his secret.
"why not? chris asked. you on your period or some shit?" he asked with a chuckle.
shortly after chris left dan by the fire phil came out. he was wearing some blue shorts and a t-shirt that looked way to big for him. it was adorable dan thought.
"what ," phil asked. "your smiling at me" he said as a blush crept over his cheeks.
"nothin'" dan said brushing it of.
***
chris was splashing around in the water as he had done the previous day and dan and phil were sitting in the sand near by, out of the splash zone, of course.
"never have i ever had my ears pierced" phil said and dan lowverd one of his fingers on his left hand.
"we can change that if you want " he said with a laugh making an over dramatic drilling noice through his teeth.
"ah! no! not the ears!" phil exclaimed as he was giggling.
suddenly a wave of water was flying towards phil. he looked at dan. he was soaked through. phil quickly rose to his feet. Using his hands he flicked the water from his face with the sides of his fingers.
"guys come in the water!" chris exclaimed splashing phil again.
fear showed in phils eyes as he bolted towards the water and diving for his life.
but he was to late. dan followed chris' gaze.
chris had seen phils tail as he submerged himself into the water with a flick of his tail.
"did you just see what i saw?" chris said, sounding gobsmacked.
