Mark finished with the translator. It had cost him more money than he had planned for this trip, but he'd bargained well enough. Turning around, he cursed. Sean was gone. Exactly what he didn't want to happen. Most of the crew were busy with the ship, or going farther into port to seek out some Greek company. So, he was sure that no one had chased him off. Moving to where he last saw Sean, he followed the footprints in the sand. In the woods, Mark lost his trail. The grass was too thick and nothing stood out to him. Kneeling where the trail ended, Mark thought hard about where Sean might go. In the distance, he faintly heard the rush of water and wondered if Sean had headed to another water source.  Drawing his sword, he crept through the brush. If Sean had been chased off by something, than he was going to be ready. As the large pool came into view, Mark stopped within the wood line. 

He could hear Sean humming a light song that was almost haunting. Standing in the shadow of a large tree, he decided to watch Sean for a minute. Sean was sitting on a large rock under the waterfall. The sunlight glinting off his scales, sending sparkles across the water and grey rocky walls of the mountain. The water ran down Sean's pale shoulders, showing how flawless it looked.  His back was free of all scars, making him look soft to the touch. The sparkly tiny scales along his cheekbones were back, making his bright blue eyes stand out. Mark couldn't look away from him. He was the most beautiful creature that he had ever seen. Mark smirked seeing Sean's long fin like ears fold down and spring up with his moods. Even his long red tail stroked the water serenely. Sean was happy. Sean raised his hands to brush his long wet green bangs out of his eyes, causing Mark to unconsciously try and move a little closer.

Mark's boot kicked a rock causing a 'Thud' to alert Sean. Mark stepped back behind the tree. He thought that Sean would continue doing whatever this was. Sadly, instinct told Sean to hide. Cloaking himself, he vanished on the rock, but the running water from the falls framed his body. Soon his frame vanished, followed by a soft splash on the other side of the falls. Mark cursed to himself and trudged out from his hiding spot, bellowing out. "Sean? It's me. Get your scaly ass out here." Mark moved to the shoreline, kneeling down by Sean's discarded clothes. Scanning the water, he tried to see if he could spot any movement beneath the surface. The water looked so calm, except for the area around the small waterfall. Mark even listened closely, but couldn't hear anything over the rush of water. He was starting to get worried that Sean had taken off, when the water burst up in front of him.

Falling back on his ass, Mark grabbed his racing heart. Sean braced his hands on the shore, chuckling out innocently. "Mark! You found me!" Mark let out a loud exhale, grumbling out. "Don't do that!" Sean's perked up fin ears, folded down as he guiltily mumbled out. "Sorry... I forgot. You're jumpy." Mark sat up, crossing his legs as he asked more casually. "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to go too far?" Sean sank in the water, crossing his hands on the shore to rest his chin on, answering playfully. "I wanted to go for a swim." Mark gave Sean a stern look, scolding him lightly. "You shouldn't wonder off without someone with you. You don't know anything about this island, or the people that live here. What if you had gotten hurt? What if someone had seen you on that rock?" Mark bit his tongue. He hadn't meant for the last part to slip out. Sean's eyes narrowed on him, asking with a slight blush. "You were watching me?"

Mark turned away to hide his blush, mumbling out. "You were out there for everyone to see." Sean lifted his head off his arms, his fin ears perking up as he told Mark. "You didn't have to hide. If I had known it was you, I would have let you watch." Mark turned to look at Sean again, telling him seriously. "Why is that?" Sean shrugged, honestly replying. "I'm not ashamed of my body. I understand that you're curious about it. I've been told that a lot of humans are." Mark rolled his eyes in response. He had expected him to say something else. Shaking his head, Mark retorted defensively. "I'm not ashamed of my body either... We wear clothes to... To look civilized." Sean tilted his head confused. Mark let out a small sigh, trying to clear it up a bit more. "We wear clothes because some people believe their gods will get angry if they are... tempted by primal urges."

Sean snorted, chuckling out. "That seems silly. Everything in nature is driven by primal urges." Mark raised his hands in surrender, stating out firmly. "I don't know, nor do I care. I didn't say that I believed in them. It's just become the normality on land." Sean rested his chin back down on his arms, while his tail rose up behind him in the water. Mark compared it to the way Bethany used to lay on her bed with her feet propped up as she wrote in her journal. Sean broke the image by asking him sweetly. "You wanna swim with me? The water feels great." Mark cleared his throat, uttering out. "No... I don't like swimming unless I have too." Sean chuckled a little, asking him. "Are you afraid I'll drown you?" Mark crossed his arms over his chest, seriously retorting. "It did cross my mind." Sean waved a dismissive hand at him, pushing back away from the shoreline as he answered playfully. "I wouldn't do that to you. You saved my life."

Sean ducked under the water, his tail splashing behind him as he dived far beneath the surface. Mark slowly uncrossed his arms and let out a heavy sigh. He didn't want too, but a part of him thought it would be fun to swim with him. He resisted the urge though. Instead, Mark pulled out his whetstone and started sharpening his sword. Every so often, Sean would catch his attention. He'd splash around with excitement and pop up in front of him to show him a colorful shell that he found. Mark would give him a nod, then set the shell aside. He was so easily amused by shiny things. It was kind of cute in a weird sort of way. Sean breached at one point to bang what looked like a rock against another rock on the shore. Sean continued to do it for a long time, yelling out. "Open! Open! Open!" The sound getting so annoying, that Mark called out to him. "Sean?! What are you doing?"

Sean stopped banging the rock to excitedly tell him. "I found an oyster, but his shell is too hard! I can't break it. I need a bigger rock..." Mark rolled his eyes, gesturing Sean over to him. Sean swam over to him quickly, muttering out. "Damn it... My da usually opens these... Gives them a good zap with his trident." Mark took the oyster from him and removed his dagger. Sean rolled his eyes, muttering out. "His shell is too thick. You can't stab it." Mark raised an eyebrow, placing his dagger's blade along the back seam of the oyster's shell to pry it apart. It took some effort, but he managed to pop it open. Sean's eyes widened with fascination, asking him curiously. "How did you do that? You didn't zap it open..." Mark handed the pieces back to Sean, answering. "You just have to pry them open with a sturdy knife." Sean gave the oyster back to him, excitedly saying. "You earned him. He's yours. I'll get another one and you can show me!"

Mark chuckled to himself as Sean raced back under the water. He wasn't overly fond of oysters, but he could eat them. Digging his dagger in the half shell to dislodge the slimy white creature from the shell, he tilted the shell close to his mouth and swallowed it like a shot glass drink. Sean returned a short time later with an arm full of oysters that he dropped over the shore at his feet. Mark tried to show him, but winced every time the dagger slipped in Sean's hands. He came close to slicing his wrist one too many times for his liking. So, he relented. Removing his clothes down to his underwear, he slid into the water to stand just behind Sean and showed him properly. The first one he mostly did himself with Sean's hands just... being there. The next one he let Sean have more control of. He did well, but needed Mark's strength to pop it. After that, Mark resigned to the fact that he was never going to get his dagger back. Sean was having too much fun popping them open.

While Sean ate his oysters, Mark drifted out into the pool. The water did feel really nice. He couldn't remember the last time he did something just for the fun of it. Taking a deep breath, he let himself sink to see what Sean loved about this place. Under the water was brighter than he had thought it would be. There were colorful bits of coral and seaweed along a white sandy bottom. Yet, closer to the waterfall was a much deeper and darker looking cove. It was all really cool. A completely different world from the one he knew. While he looked, Sean dived in to swim by him with a bright grin.  Sean was beautiful on land... but in the water he was almost celestial. All his movements were so graceful. Mark headed back up for air, breaking the surface with a smile. Sean circled around him beneath the water, before raising up behind him to whisper hopefully over his shoulder. "Can I show you something?" Mark pushed his long wet bangs out of his face, answering curiously. "Sure."

Sean took his hand and they both sank beneath the surface. Sean swam straight for the dark cove beneath the waterfall and Mark started to panic a little. Sean released his hand, swimming around him for a second, before he cupped his face and grinned warmly at him. Mark took ahold of Sean's wrists, moving them off his face, but didn't release them as he rose to the surface. Mark replenished his air, then dived back down to follow him. Sean swam into the large dark cove, causing Mark to flinch a bit. He wouldn't be able to see anything down here. Did Sean know that? Could Sean see in the dark depths of the water? He thought that Merfolk lived close to the surface like whales and dolphins. The minute they entered into the dark cove of water, Mark's eyes widened in shock. A line of scales along the sides of Sean's tail started to glow with a bright green bioluminescence. Even the spines of his ear fins began to glow with the same green light.

It was visually stunning to behold. It lit up the walls around them in soft green light. That wasn't what Sean was trying to show him though. He kept guiding him deeper into the cove. Sean turned his head to check on him, briefly paralyzing him with his gaze. Sean's eyes had changed to a bright blue bioluminescence. Was that how Merpeople were able to swim at night? Sean's grip on his hand tightened and he pulled him into a side chamber. Mark was starting to loose air, when Sean pulled him up into a cave. Mark gasped for air, then blinked in bewilderment. It was a little cave covered in gold coins and gems that sparkles in the presence of Sean's light. Mark climbed out of the water to look over the gold as he asked Sean dumbfounded. "How did you find this?" Sean pointed straight down into the water, chuckling out. "The oysters are just down there. I got curious and came up here for a bit. Thought you might like to see it."

Mark laughed wholeheartedly, loosing himself to the moment. Kneeling down by the edge, Mark placed a hand on Sean's neck to see if he could coax him up. Sean rose up to the extension of his arms, reaching his eye level and giggling out. "What? It's what you're hunting for right? Treasure?" Mark pulled Sean in, kissing him without thinking about it. Sean resisted a little at first, but slowly warmed up to the kiss. Mark enjoyed kissing Sean. Kissing him always felt like it was his first time.  Sweet and innocent.  It felt magical and in this moment, Mark couldn't have been happier.  Eventually prying his lips away from Sean's, he breathlessly whispered over his soft tender lips.  "Pirate."  Sean's cheeks flushed a bright pink, causing him to sink back down into the water up to his flushed cheeks.  To Be Continued...