Deep Sea Creatures

Part 21

The moment Jack's lips touched Mark's, it was like he was kissing him for the first time. His kiss was so warm that it was setting his heart on fire. He never realized how good Mark tasted. Nothing else mattered to him. As he reluctantly pulled himself away, he stared into Mark's big teddy bear brown eyes. There just wasn't words for how happy he was to know that Mark was alive. Mark licked his lips then cringed, before turning his head to spit into the water. The gesture hurt and his expression must have shown it, because Mark told him nervously. "Sorry. You taste like salt water". Jack narrowed his eyes on Mark, but let it go. Mark reached out to wrap an arm around his waist to pull him in. Jack tried to help pull himself up, only to feel something grab his tail and yank him down! 

Jack's hand slipped off the rail of the boat and sent Mark toppling over the side with him into the water. Jack twisted around in the water expecting to see his dad. Instead, he saw a baby blue whale gracefully twirling through the water singing to itself. His dad swam up to him saying a bit worried. "Ya alright? I don't think she meant to catch your tail when she breached". Jack nodded, then saw Mark franticly trying to reach the surface. It was a struggle for him because he was caught in the current created by the passing blue whales. Racing through the water, Jack rolled over a large male blue whales head to reach him. Mark was freaking out and using up too much oxygen. Jack tried to calm him down, but Mark was becoming hysterical. He really was scared of the ocean.

Jack grabbed Mark's face firmly, pressing his lips in the hopes to settle him. Mark stopped thrashing to accept the oxygen he was providing. Even though his fingers dug into Jack's bare shoulders until it hurt. When he couldn't stand the pain any longer, Jack broke the kiss to take Mark to the surface. The Sea-Witch leaned over the side reaching for Mark's hand, only to stop and back away out of sight. Jack was planning to scold her about it. Mark needed to get out of the freezing water. Suddenly a hand wrapped around his waist and lifting both him and Mark from the water to shove them onto the boat. Jack rolled onto his stomach to see his father rest his arms on the rail of the boat. His dad smirked, stating softly. "Ya should have been paying attention when I showed ya and your brother how to manipulate water. But no... Ya wanted to play with the baby sea turtles".

Jack rolled his eyes, mumbling out. "They were cute". Mark kissed the floorboards of the boat, mumbling something about things that float. So, Jack took the moment to ask his dad curiously. "Why did you bring him here? I'm I suppose to say goodbye"? Mark stopped kissing the boat to look at Jack's dad with a terrified expression. The Sea-Witch cleared her throat nervously and jumped from the boat into the water. That only made Jack's heart sink with her. Mark sat up on his knees, telling Jack's dad hopefully. "Please don't take him from me. You don't know what he means to me. Or even to the people that have grown to love him". Jack's dad sighed, opening his mouth to say something that looked like reluctance and Mark climbed to his feet, saying sternly. "You take him and I'll search the ocean for him! As much as I HATE the fucking ocean, It won't stop me from finding him! You think I'd be out here in the middle of the Atlantic if I didn't love him as much as you"!

Jack could only stare speechlessly at Mark. He knew Mark loved him, but it wasn't until now that he knew how much. Would he really search the deepest parts of the ocean for him? Just the thought of Mark trying to made his heart beat stronger. Jack's dad turned his eyes away from Mark to tell Jack in a low casual voice. "I can't send ya back. Ya could expose us all and that would be devastating to us...". Jack's heart broke and Mark moved closer to stand protectively by Jack, when Jack's dad added in boldly with a deep sigh. "Not like that anyway". Jack's dad waved a hand over the water and then put his hand on the boat. A stream of clear water run up over the side moving swiftly toward Jack.

Mark jumped out of the way as the sparkling clear water ran up the length of Jack's long tail. As the glistening water touched Jack's human stomach, it reversed back out toward the edge of the boat retreating back to the ocean. While melting away his tail as it went to reveal legs instead. Jack flexed his toes, asking his dad a little bewildered. "You had the power to do this all along"? Jack's dad nodded solemnly, telling him in an strained voice. "Aye". Jack staggered to his feet, rushing to his dad to hug him. His dad hugged him back, tightly in return, whispering into his ear. "Just promise me ya'll be safe. I'll miss you so much". Tears started to rolled down Jack's cheeks as he told him shakily. "I promise, Da. Thank you".