My Aquaman (a.u)

Chapter 32

I felt like I hadn't slept at all when my alarm went off the next morning, but I was glad I somehow remembered to turn it on before falling asleep. I got dressed and packed my bag before, throwing the half-empty containers from last night into the garbage bin by the desk. I then made my way out of the room handed in the key and walked out the door. I decided to get something for breakfast at the airport while waiting for the boarding. My body was not hungry, but more impatient about getting back home, to him.

The boat ride was excruciating, I just wanted a familiar sight. My phone had run out of battery, so I was now just sitting at the bench at the front of the captain's hut, my leg shaking nervously.

I wanted to tell Arthur about my time in Gotham, but I guess I had to leave out the part of me getting attacked and almost raped in an alley. Knowing how Arthur may react on the matter, I would rather keep it to myself.

The boat suddenly turns around the familiar stone island and the houses of Djupvik appear into view. The sun was out for the first time in a long time, making the little town looking more beautiful than ever from here.

As the boat approached the dock, there was no one there waiting for me. I picked up my bag and got ready to get off. The first thing I wanted was to get to the pub and help Palina with the afternoon-rush we had every Tuesday because of the fishermen coming back from the sea.

"Are you just walking away from me? Without as much as a hello?" I turn around and to my surprise my dad is walking up to me in front of some of his colleague from the same boat. "Well, hello dad" I say and stand stiffened as he hugs me. I feel him linger a little, waiting for me to hug him back, but I didn't, and he eventually let me go.

"Where have you been?" He asks as he joins me walking down the rest of the dock. My decision about going to the pub and helping Palina, changed the minute I saw my dad walking in the same direction.

"I have been visiting a friend in London" I lied. Not wanting him to know about my trip across country and my plan for moving there if I got into the university there. He would lose it, probably blaming me for leaving him, wonder if he still drank as much as he did when we lived back in London.

Flashbacks from an episode at apartment back in London came into mind. I was cleaning up all the empty bottles on the table, my dad was out cold on the couch and I had to leave in a few minutes for a lecture at school. I cleaned the table and collected all the garbage to throw into the bin.

Getting ready to walk out the door, my dad had woken up and managed to get into an upright position in the couch. "Are you leaving me now?" He mumbles and I stop. "What?" I reply and watch as he struggles to get up. "You are not leaving me, you can't" he screams and start blocking my way to the door. "I am going to school, dad. I need to go" I tell him, but he keeps blocking the exit. Still being in the state he was I were not even remotely strong enough to push my way past him.

I never got to the lecture that. He pushed me into my room, locking me in, but later in the day he came in and apologized, saying he would never do that again, reassuring me that he was going to stop drinking. And as stupid I was then I believed him, made me think that I had to stay with him to make him happy, when he really needed help.

Pulling me back from the memory was him calling out to one of his coworkers as they were approaching the pub. "I need to go now" I say, and my hand tightens around the strap on my shoulder. The jet lag was pulling up all kinds of bad memories now, and it was tiring me out. I decided to get back to Arthur's cabin and perhaps sleep for a bit. Maybe he was there waiting for me?

The cabin was dark as I approached it, and the door was locked. I had figured out where Arthur hid the key when he went to the sea. The hiding-spot was easy to find, and I quickly unlocked the door as grey clouds covered the sun and it got dark. Well, the sun was nice when it lasted.

I went inside and was now surrounded by silence and darkness. The sound of the wind howling outside was the only sound that filled the air as I walked over and turned the light by the chair. The familiar smell of him surrounded me and I couldn't help but stand there, taking it in. I let go of my bag and went straight for the bed. My head was aching now and as my head hit the pillow, I smiled. It smelled like him.