The Mer Prince

Chapter 42

Tbh I thought all the readers of this... just faded away? We have a while to go and I need to get back into the present tense usage. Thanks for sticking around or just joining.

XY's POV

Charley seems so happy, my heart sings for him. We left the flying machine and now walk hand-in-hand onto a boat, both of Charley's hands occupied with both my hand and John's. John seems as pleased as we are, but I want him to back off my lover.

"You just want me to drive you out to the middle of the ocean and let you jump off without scuba equipment?" A man asks Ursula incredulously. The sun had barely risen, and everything seemed cool in the shade.

"Yes, wasn't that clear?" Ursula asks, an eyebrow and corner of her face rising wickedly. "We can pay you to get us out there." She offers the green stuff that can be used in exchange for goods and services.

The man clearly had to think about this, as if there was something wrong with us wanting to go home. I tap my foot in impatience, slowly losing my will to deal with this man. But he accepts the giant wad of cash, letting us onto his vessel. This one is vastly different from Charley's, and reeks of fish and looks grimy.

"I feel like I should have dialed old friends." Charley remarks. "I guess it's better to keep things this way."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"He means he had a life before you." Ursula steps in. "Things are better if you continue to seem dead." Ursula assures him.

"You are right...." Charley agrees with her, though he lets go of my hand and John's to look away from us, back to land. He stares out over the water with a bittersweet look in his eyes, taking in something he would be leaving behind for good. This time, I recognize, he left his human world willingly.

"Are you sure you want to leave?" I ask Charley, moving close to him as the boat shakes and skims over the water. "You would be safer on land." I point out.

"I know I would be, but I have something to do." Charley smiles at me, assuring and moving close.

I see AB in him and wrap my arms around him, squeezing him protectively. "I will keep you safe then." I state, getting repetitive with the sentence but I don't fucking care. I lost AB because he believed he could change things. I will not be losing Charley.

Charley moves onto his toes and kisses my chin. "I know you will." He says confidently, stretching up so he could wrap his arms slightly around my neck. The height difference was killing me with softness.

I sat down and held him in my lap so he could wrap his arms around me, not minding the grime on my pants so long as I had Charley in my lap. We held onto one another and Ursula took Argus aside, moving him over to Cavandan, the three of them talking. I didn't care to listen in, all I wanted to hear was Charley. We sat for hours, or at least until the sun seemed to cross the sky.

"We're getting off here." Charley told me, hands gently brushing through my hair. "We should be near the trench." He didn't seem to want to let me go.

"I can't believe we just crossed from Hawaii to the Puerto Rican trench." Cavandan laughs, "I haven't been back here in ages." He was taking off his shirt.

"Hold on, keep your pants on everyone." Ursula chides. Argus looks disappointed behind her, arms in his shirt and taking it off.

The boat stops and engine quiets. The man walks out of his little box and looks to us.

"Let's go." Ursula climbs over the edge of the boat. "Thank you." She waves to the man.

"Thank you!" Charley adds, and I carry him to the back of the boat and jump off. Splashes come from around and pants disappear, and within seconds, I'm holding a gorgeous orange tail and no longer have to move two legs.