LUCK PUSHER °° Arthur Curry

2. praying

PRAYING
*•.

          

            CALANTHA STARED AT THE MAN THAT STOOD BEFORE HER FOR WHAT COULD'VE BEEN HOURS. "You? A king?" She asked finally, her voice dripping with absolute disbelief. "Arthur please stop with the jokes, I don't have—"

"Would I joke about something like this?"

The dark haired woman pretended to think for a moment. "Yes. Yes you would."

"Look, I don't have a lot of time." His golden eyes were shining in the dimness of the living room. They were filled an actual air of distress.

She folded her arms across her chest almost as if i'm doing so she could protect herself. "I don't understand what you need me for."

"You would provide moral support and help us find the trident," he explained. "The ocean still speaks to you right?"

"I'm sure she does," she said, vaguely answering his question, more interested with the second half of his sentence. "Wait the trident? Like the one that's supposed to be lost to all life?"

"That's the one," he smirked. "So in or out?" His long hair was flaked with sand, which had always been a pet peeve of hers. Cal had to restrain herself from running a hand through his hair in an attempt to get rid of the tiny rocks.

"Arthur we aren't kids anymore, you can't just throw shit on me like this," she complained. "And have you not been paying attention to a word I've been saying?" The ridiculousness of it all was astounding. "You literally rejected me and lied to me and now you want my help? Something isn't adding up." She glanced down, noticing his battle attire for the first time.

"I'm sorry," he stressed once more. "I've changed since then and I've thought a lot about what you said—"

"Arthur," called a voice from behind him. Cal peeked over his shoulder. She saw a head of vibrant red hair that could only belong to one person.

Calantha stretched higher to get a better view. "Mera?"

Her expression was serious for a moment. The blue-green suit she wore glistened in the moonlight. "Calantha," Mera let out, her expression blank. Then her face broke out into a smile and she entered Cal's apartment. Mera's arms wrapped around her in a hug that she immediately returned, despite learning of the current state of her relationship with Destin.

"Mera?" Cal heard her cousin ask from the other side of the room. The two woman broke away from their embrace.

"Destin." The two stared at each other before Destin turned and went back into her room, slamming the door.

"You know, this is a lot more awkward than I thought it would be," Arthur said. "Maybe you should check on her before we all leave." He said this to Callie and she titled her head in question.

"You mean before you leave."

"Uh, no I think I said what I meant," he replied, rubbing his hands together. "And hurry we have a limited time slot to do this."

Calantha turned to Mera, who was looking regretfully to Destin's room. "Mera, where are you guys going?"

"We," Arthur corrected.

The two woman promptly ignored him. "The Sahara Desert."

"You plan on swimming there?"

"No, we've got a whale waiting, but it won't wait forever." Cal was confused at his words, before remembering Arthur's gift of being able to speak with underwater creatures. "Calantha, we need you. As soon as this is all over you can return to your life and not worry about anyone from Atlantis ever bothering you again."

She thought for a moment realizing how selfish she'd sounded this whole time. This war didn't have anything to do with her; that fact was true. Yet, eventually it would. Calantha looked from Arthur to Mera and back again.

Shit.

(//)

Cal stared at the ocean, her waves in a state of unrest. She could could almost feel the ocean's pain, though she'd been trying her hardest to mute anything from the ocean. Calantha knelt down as she dropped any and all the barriers she'd had formed to sever her connection with the ocean. There was an instantaneous feeling of pain that she could do nothing to soothe. Gasping, she desperately pushed passed the familiar and painful feeling. Cal absently waved off a worried Arthur. He seemed to forget that she'd been 'one with the ocean' for as long as either of them could remember, and the feelings and thoughts she put into her mind were hardly ever happy. It just took some getting used to.

"Is it saying anything to you?" Arthur asked referring to the ocean. Callie rolled her eyes before standing.

"She," the dark haired woman corrected. "And no, she isn't. There's just a lot of... pain."

"I still don't understand how—" The two women simultaneously cut him off.

"Don't," they both say. It was not the time.

"We should start moving," Mera continued.

Calantha hesitated, watching Mera and Arthur get into the dark water. Mera went under but Arthur turned, studying his old friend. She hadn't been in the ocean in years. Being near her was hard, but actually swimming...

"Are you ok?" Arthur questioned, his voice calming over the rocky waves.

Cal rubbed her face. "I don't know." And she didn't. It was starting to become increasingly evident that she was in way over her head.

He reached out to her, droplets of water cascading off of his golden skin. She stared at it, contemplating.

"It's just like when we were younger," he said. It isn't, she wanted to reply. It was never going to be like that again. Still, she took his hand. "I've got you. Always."

His words hurt her heart because it almost sounded as if he meant them. Arthur always sounded like he meant what he said, but that didn't make his words true. Her eyes fluttered close as she descended, praying that the regret of this decision wouldn't come. Praying that when this was all over she could still be the same person, and praying that after this she would never have to run again.

Yet, her prayers were falling upon deaf ears.

-unedited-

author's note
omg, this update isn't even good, but i just wanted to put something out. the next one will be better because i can finally start with the aquaman movie stuff. and it'll definitely be longer bc i usually write chapters well over a thousand words. anyway don't forget to vote and comment and i promise the next update will be here sooner :)

-rewritten on october 18
-syd