“That too, you’re going to scar horrible from my terrible stitching.”

For some reason he starts laughing and then winces, “ow,” but keeps chuckling.

“You jumped in after me and are doing all this…plus I get you as my personal nurse for the next month.”

“Month?!”

“Three months.” He grins. 

“Get out.” I point to the door with a stern expression, his smile fades a little and then I crack a smile.

“You’re evil.” He gasps. I laugh for real and then wince myself. I’m exhausted and I have to work tomorrow. I groan.

He looks at me and then pats the bed, "It's my turn remember?"

In a moment of weakness I flop down beside him. He looks down concerned. “Are you okay?” 

I moan loudly into the blanket. He settles down and looks at me with baby doe eyes. I make a grumpy noise and he snuggles harder against me. I lift my head a little, “I’ll only stay if you’re really careful. You’re gonna scar enough.” 

“What about your arm?”

I glance at it.

“You should dress it too.” I huff but since all the supplies are there I appease him by disinfecting the stitches and dressing the whole thing.

"Happy now?" I ask him despite it feeling much better. He nods looking up at me with only his nose and eyes poking out from the blanket. I lay back down and moan. It’s only been a few hours but it feels like forever since I slept. I notice Andreas moves his arm over my shoulder and back. The weight feels nice. I hear him let out a little snore and snirk. 

My eyes open blearily, no nightmare. I untuck my numb arms from underneath me where I’d slept like a turtle. I look up at Andreas, completely out. Wiping the crystals from my eyes, I look at the time. I curse softly and get up going out into the livingroom to call work.

As soon as she picks up she yells, “How’s Andreas, is he okay?”

“Ye, yeah I didn’t mean to but I fell asleep at the hospital.” 

“You…stayed with him?” She asks. ‘Shit.’

“His parents weren’t there,” I say carefully, scrubbing my face and leaning into my grumpy tone, “I was just going to wait until they got here.” 

“Poor kid, his parents disowned him a long time ago.”

“I…figured considering they didn’t show.” I think of something. “Since he’s an adult anyway I doubt it but you don’t have their address or phone number as an emergency contact or anything right?”

“Gordon you better not be planning on doing anything stupid and no he doesn’t have anyone down as his emergency contact.”

“Fuck.” I say and then excuse myself quickly. “So he’s really gonna be all alone, in the hospital.”

“...Gordon.” She says and I feel like she’s caught me. 

“Well not my problem, he’s gonna live, so I might as well enjoy the peace and quiet while he’s gone.” I start getting ready.

“What are you doing right now?” She sighs annoyed.

“Getting ready for work?” I say legitimately confused.

“Shouldn’t you take a day to rest as well?”

“I already rested recently, remember?”

“Gordon I’ll say this nicely, there’s no work half the time and especially none today that I can’t do on my own. It seems like Andreas managed to get through to you a little bit.” 

“Where is this going?”

“He’s got quite the celebrity crush on you.” ‘I haven’t heard her mention that in a while. I told her when I first applied that I may be a mister-fancy-pants, marine biology prodigy but wanted to be treated normally and she was always good about respecting that.’

“I’m literally old enough to be his father.”

“I think that’s what it’s manifesting as, since he doesn’t have a father figure, and he’s going to be all alone in the hospital…"

I sigh internally in relief thankfully my boss could be really innocent, “Boss, are you trying to manipulate me?”

“Is it working?”

“A little bit but you know I’m going to ask for pto for today right.”

“Three days maybe a week if it keeps being slow.” She chuckles evilly, “But you better come in if there's an emergency or a rush.” 

I sigh long and loud into the phone, “I always knew Andreas was your favorite.” 

“Yup.”

“Thanks boss, see you whenever you decide to let me work again.”

“Oh and Gordon, for the love of fucking Posideon, don't stay in the hospital the whole time. Have some fun.”

I laugh for real, “I have no choice but to respect your orders at times like this. I’ll keep you updated on the needy little shit, bye.” I go to hang up and then hear her yelling at a person. I click the button smirking. ‘I feel bad for whatever poor soul crossed her, she has everything covered there.’ I yawn and stretch then go to check on the mercreature. He’s in the same spot, looking a lot more peaceful so I leave him be. I decided to take a little time to myself and Honey. 

We go on a leashless walk on the rocks. I know that there aren’t any seals here and she’s usually good about staying close to me as we walk the path around the lighthouse down to the less known beach. She goes ham rolling and flinging whatever washed up there and I know I’m going to have to give her a bath. Speaking of which, I sniff myself, when was the last time I showered. I look at the violent waves against the rocks of this area. I whistle and start back up the steep path. Honey now looking more seaweed than dog.

I specifically head to a cove where the water is a lot calmer. I look around and making sure no one else is swimming here beofre removing my clothes. 

"Have some fun." I mutter to myself. "I don't think she understand that all I love is my work." I step into the scenic clean blue water and wade deeper until I'm up to my chin then I look up at the cave ceiling. I close my eyes enjoying the feeling of the water. Sure the siren could sneak up on me now. Selkies exist too apparently but I've not been bothered by anything other than sharks and they avoid the rough waves in this area. Perhaps it'll be the same for something like the siren. 

I enjoy treading water for a while, being careful of my wounds.

"You're bleeding."

I open my eyes and see the siren looking far too comfortable sitting on a rock, he's hunched over a little bit glaring at me and nursing some wounds.

"Are you just going to stalk me everywhere?" I say annoyed and not moving to leave the water.

"Of course, you've gotten pretty annoying messing with all my hunts." He gives me a quick calculating look weighing the odds of attacking me.

"My eyes were closed you could have tested your luck."

"I'm not hungry." He says looking away.

"Mhm." I say and then approach him startling him a little. He can't believe my overconfidence. 

"I will bite you." He flares out his fins.

"You are the one showing up all the time, I'm going to do what any marine biologist would do."

"And what's that?" He leans back a little scared but trying to hide it.

"I'm going to figure out why you aren't acting normal." 

He's momentarily confused, long enough for me to get close enough to start getting a good look at his scales and fins.

'How is he different?' His scales are the first noticible difference from the mercreatures. He's obviously lost a big fight or a few from the old scars. I go to touch and he makes the expression and tension of a wild animal so I let out a soothing noise.

"I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me." I soothe.

"I'm only here to watch you." He growls a little. "I was told not to try to kill you anymore and it pisses me off." He then proceeds to jump into the water purposefully smacking me with his tail.

I get knocked over into the water and when I open my eyes I honestly expected him to be right there. Thankfully instead of being all toothy right in my face he hovers still plenty creepily a few feet away watching. 'He's not allowed to kill me anymore?' I think to myself wondering who was above the sirens and giving orders that his own personal hurt feelings couldn't break. 

I've always known two things. Dying doesn't scare me. I work in the ocean and with sharks half the time. And I hate being told what to do. He told me not to go into the water with him. I swim towards him. He moves slightly to the side eyes never leaving me. I could hold my breathe for a while growing up near the ocean meant I spent most of my life holding it. But I come up for air before I get too close then duck back under. Was I testing the siren's limits absolutely but theres this reckless part of my brain that just did not care. 

I feel an intense pleasure as I hyper focus in on observing something more dangerous than a shark and more ornery than a barracuda in it's natural habitat. It helps that he keeps making expressions of disbelief. He circles me, very slowly tightening the circle. I finally go up for air and I see him twitch. Tempted to yank me back down but he clenches his fist and hilariously waits as I duck back down. My hair catches his attention and then he makes the first contact brushing his tail against me "accidentally" while circling. 

I realize that he's only calm right now because he doesn't want to underestimate me again. He's still eyeing me up for a good opportunity or a flash of fear or uncertanty. I initiate contact second brushing my leg against his tail and he whips it away snarling at me. I have my hands ready to catch his wrist in case he tries anything. He flinches away and holding his neck gives me a murderous glare. But then he presses against my back I try to turn expecting this to be it and the fighting to start but he curls around me tighter and pulls me to the surface.

I gasp in a few breathes and then tread as best as I can with his tail tangling up in my legs. He keeps holding my wrists glaring at me with such hatred and spite but finally hisses. "What do you want from me?" He pushes me away, "Wasn't humiliating me enough. Then sicking the Selkies on me those lazy good-for-nothings have been making my life hell not letting me eat, not letting me sleep! Then I finally find a place to hide to heal and you show up like a fucking curse. Now you just want to play with me? I've killed hundreds of humans I can cause you to drown yourself right now!"

I breathe a little excited. That's right he's a siren, are the myths true. Will his singing cause me to drown myself? He lets out a little grimace teeth gritting. "Take me seriously." He says in the most unintimidating way possible. I blink and remind myself that he's not just an animal he has pride too. "I am. I just don't think you could actually do that much harm if you wanted too."

He lets out a snarl of outrage and lunges forward pushing me underwater. I grab his forearms as bubbles blind me I know a bite may soon follow and get a knee up in preparation. He lunges forward through the bubbles, teeth absolutely terrifying but as I instinctively grab his throat he freezes.