In Too Deep

fifteen

"What are we gonna tell Lance?"

Keith held the picture as Adam discarded the broken glass. Shiro  sighed and cautiously sat on the couch. "Keith, you should know something first."

"What is it?" Keith joined Shiro.

"You and I... we're half brothers. We share the same dad, but... your mom... she wasn't from here."

Keith looked down to their picture, his brows knitting together. "She was a mermaid, wasn't she? That's how I can understand Lance. And how I can speak to the wind, like Coran."

"Interesting that the wind spoke to you first, though." Coran thought out loud. "Usually one needs to spend years learning the language."

"Can we focus here?" Shiro mumbled, then touched his brother's arm. "So how long have you known?"

"Well, there were signs along the way. But I remembered what Lance told me about a mermaid falling in love with a human, and how they were killed for her betrayal. Then when you said Mom and Dad were killed by mermaids, it made even more sense."

"And... you're okay with this?"

"It doesn't change who I am." Keith shrugged. "Doesn't change who my mom was; she just wanted to be with the person she loved. Kinda sucked that it had to end the way it did, I mean it's not like she was hurting anyone."

"I can understand why it happened." Coran rubbed his arm. "After everything humans have put us through, with the hunting and the trapping... for a mermaid to turn herself into one of you, it's practically dishonoring our entire species." He smiled awkwardly. "But hey! Not all humans are like that. Just look at how incredible you boys are!"

"When we're not consumed with vendetta, we can be quite pleasant." Keith glared at Shiro, who glanced to the ceiling.

Adam nudged Keith's shoulder. "We should break the news to your friend. Plus, he must feel strange being up there without anyone to talk to."

"Right."

Only Keith and Coran entered the bathroom, which made sense because only they could talk to Lance.

"What happened?" Lance asked them. "I heard this loud crashing sound, everything okay?"

Keith sat on the rim of the tub to hold Lance's hand. "Um, no. It's not okay."

"Kay... you're really freaking me out here, what's going on?" Lance tried to laugh off how nervous he actually was, but their grim faces weren't helping.

"Wind gave me some terrible news," Coran started, "I'm so sorry Lance, but it's your mother..."

Keith continued for him, "She's gone."

"Gone... what---what do you mean gone? Like she's... there's no way you mean she's..." Lance's eyes weld up with tears as neither said anything. "Come on, tell me you're joking. Say you're kidding! She's not---she can't---"

Keith leaned down to embrace Lance. "I'm sorry."

"No... how could..." any words he tried to speak were lost in his throat, so he buried his face in Keith's shoulder and desperately clung to his body.

Coran joined the boys and threaded his fingers through Lance's hair.

Downstairs, Adam paced the floor while Shiro gazed at their family picture. "Takashi." Adam suddenly spoke.

"Yeah." The man was still in his thoughts, then realized Adam had called to him. "Ye-yeah? Sorry, I was..."

"Takashi..." he sat down beside his boyfriend, "you were---I don't even know what to say... you really scared me. This whole thing with the mermaids and your... all this hate towards them. You became a completely different person; it was just... I felt..." Adam removed his glasses to rub his eyes. "I don't know."