I started the boat.  The wind picked up, blustering my face and spraying me with water. The sky darkened with threatening grey rain clouds, the ocean a mess of turbulent waves crashing against the dock the boat was secured to.  There’s gonna be a storm soon. I need to make this quick. I was snapped out of my thoughts by a spray of salty cold ocean water…  So far no injured animals. I’ve been working this job since graduating from college. I’ll call it after an hour if there’s nothing.  

An hour passed with nothing in sight. there’s nothing out here time to head back. Another spray of water splashed me from below, soaking my raincoat even more and leaving the taste of salt in my mouth. A chill shook me down to my very bones as the wind howled around me, causing me to shiver uncontrollably.. I heard a cry coming from the water a desperate scared animal noises that sounded like squeaking cry.

Shit it’s a sea otter pup!  My heart tightened in  my chest. I pushed the accelerator forward as low as I could without being too fast with the six foot waves. It’s gonna drift out to sea if I don’t do something! As the boat went over a massive wave that had to be at least fourteen feet, I heard a ringing in my pocket. I fished my phone out from the waterproof pouch in my pocket and held it to my ear, careful to stay low so I wouldn’t be thrown overboard. 

“Reid! You need to get back to the aquarium now! It’s dangerous out there!”  My boss, shouted.

“I see a sea otter pup! If I don’t do anything it’ll drift off to the open sea!” I yelled over the raging tides.

“I know you love sea otters Reid  but you’re a scientist, not the coast guard!”

“I’ll be fine I promise !”

“Your life isn’t worth risking for this.”

“If I go now then the otter might die!”

“Reid-“ 

I hung up, tucking my phone back into my raincoat. I leaned over the railings and reached a net over, hoping the pup would grab onto it. A wave slammed into the side of the boat and I went flying off. My head hit the side of the boat on the way down, leaving me disoriented in the ice-cold ocean. I struggled against the ocean as every passing wave dragged me down. My water logged clothes felt like cement bricks. Ignoring the burning in my arms, I desperately fought to make it back to the otter, but the ocean had other plans, carrying the otter further and further away from me. . Water poured down my throat every chance I got to breathe.  The cold numbed my body, while my clothes made it hard to move. Taking longer to reach the surface each time. I kept breathing in salt water, my throat stringing and my chest on fire. I’m drowning aren’t I? . I felt strangely numb almost pleasantly as I sank beneath the waves. I’m going to die…

I swore I saw a handsome man swimming towards me. I must be delirious… he grabbed me and kissed me.  The feeling of drowning disappeared.  

When I woke I was on a beach. My head felt horrible. I turned to my side and vomited sea water. I gasped  wheezing for air. As I tried to stand up I felt woozy  and fell. A handsome man ran over to me with green hair the colour of kelp and grey eyes like the ocean.  Something ethereal and otherworldly about him But completely naked. I flushed and looked away. Shouldn’t he be freezing like that? He’s not even shivering. Where’s his clothes?

“Be careful human, your pretty head is bleeding.”

“Worry about yourself. You’ll get hypothermia like that.” I said. Why the hell is he trying to flirt with me.   

“You’re the one that could get ill in this condition, darling.”

Darling?!?! He rubbed his eyes, then rubbed his tears on them… then touched my head. The pain in my head went away.   I stood, this time having no trouble. There’s something different about this stranger… He noticed me looking at him and smirked. Just then I remembered his lack of clothes and tore my gaze away. Why does this strange man have to be so hot? I took off my soaked jacket and threw it towards him.  “Tie this around your waist so the wide part covers in between your legs.” 

“Why?” His face, genuinely confused.

“I don’t want to see your…erm…cock…”   My eyes wandered down his body-it’s definitely not a small cock.  I quickly averted my gaze, hopefully he didn’t notice… It certainly didn’t help that he had a muscular build at least 5 or so inches taller than me. A pretty face too. If only he wasn’t too handsome I  shouldn’t get all hot and bothered over a stranger.  He could be a murderer or something.   

“What? You don’t like what you see? Your face says otherwise.”  He smirked smugly like he won something in what I don’t know his ego getting stroked maybe.

“Let’s go find my car . I’ll take you home.” I huffed pulling out my phone to gps my way back.

“I don’t have anywhere to go on land.”  He responded 

On land? “You’re a merman? Then just go to your home  in the water.” That explains the lack of clothing,  no one would that chill about lacking clothes. Was he the one that saved me and not my dying minds delirium? 

He stood silently  contemplating. “Well I could but who would take care of you?”

“My cat Matcha  will take care of me.”

He lifted my head to meet his gaze.  “Who’s gonna protect you then human?”

My face went beet red.  “I’m-I’m not targeted by a gang or something  I-I don’t need your-your protection.”

“What if you fall into the sea? I need to protect you from drowning again. Besides I’m curious on what the human world  is like after all someone as lovely as you lives in.”