"You guys, I really hate to break this up, but Ian says we need to leave, or we will probably die," Tristan said, and Austin sighed, sliding off the bolder with a splash. "I know, I know, but do not shoot the messenger, thanks," Tristan said, plunging underwater himself.
The dark blue of the ocean surrounded them, and Austin drew a sigh. While it was nice to get a break, go above, he wanted to stick around. It was his home, in a way, and he wished he could spend more there.
"Come on, we have to keep looking for Mason. He could still be hurt; we cannot afford to take any more breaks," Ian mumbled. Austin nodded. He kinda felt bad for Ian. Speaking underwater was difficult for Austin, but for Ian, it must be hell of a lot more challenging...
"Yeah, sounds good," Tanner said. "Where to next, Ian?"
"North," Ian said, and began swimming.
"North it is," Tanner said, shadowing him.
Interesting events were hard to find along the journey. Most of Austin's time was spent in silence, travelling along behind Ian. It was boring. It was saddening. It was driving Austin mad.
"I feel like I'm going insane," he announced one day, as the group sat in a circle, feasting on another successful hunt.
"You are not insane, Austin, trust me. I have met plenty of insane mermen in my life, and you are not one of them," Tristan said.
"Okay, sure, but I feel like it. Like, I've never been on an airplane. I've never left home, and yet here I am, in the middle of nowhere, without a map, relying on someone's intuition," Austin said.
"It is not just intuition-"
"I know, Ian. It's your Kaitiaki Connection, I get it. It's just, as we travel and stuff, I wish we could do more things. Hell, I wish we would just talk more," Austin said.
"We are talking right now, are we not?" Tristan asked.
"I mean, yes, but I wish we'd talk more. Like, I don't care, hold hands and sing Kumbaya. You know?"
The whole group stared at him, alarmed looks on their faces. Austin sighed. "What did I do this time."
"Do- do you know what it means to hold hands?" Tanner asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I honestly have no idea anymore," Austin said. "I don't really know much about anything down here, as I'm slowly finding out." Tristan giggled, lowering his gaze. Ian looked away, finding the movement of seafoam in the water far more interesting. "Okay, what's so funny?" Austin asked.
"Should I tell him?" Tanner asked Tristan and Ian. Ian shrugged, still refusing to look Austin's way.
"Austin," Tanner said seriously, "holding hands is the way of um, well... reproduction."
"You're fucking shitting me," Austin said, looking from face to face. "You guys fuck by holding hands?"
"Well, technically, you do, too," Tanner said, and Austin groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.
"And no one ever thought to tell me?"
"Well, it is not something people really talk about," Tanner said. Tristan giggled again, and Austin shot him a look.
"It is something about spreading eggs via hand contact... I don't know, no one ever really told me," Tanner said.
"So how the hell does safe sex even work?" Austin said. He was mostly surprised, but also a little appalled.
"What do you mean by 'safe sex'?" Tanner said. Austin pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing again.
"Never mind. You know what, never mind. I am done with this conversation, like, forever," Austin said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
YOU ARE READING
Mermaids in Massachusetts
Fantasy{Book Two of the "merpeople are ruining austin's life." Series} The bang. The sound. The snap. With that, mixed with the looks on his companions faces, it wasn't hard for Austin to tell that whatever was happening was bad. Very bad. Dust skittered f...
