Again, apologies for the late chapter! I was dealing with a copyright situation that really got me shook for a while (someone stole a few of my books and SOLD them on Amazon. Don't worry, it has all been dealt with now)! I just needed to take a break and figure it out properly. Also, I've been moving house and I now live in a tent in my mum's garden, so that has been interesting :')

Anyways... I KNOW you'll enjoy this chapter ;)

- Sian

The boys moved their heads closer until Rowan felt Kaerius's nose against his own. Kaerius's breath against Rowan's lips was hotter than the sun shining on his bare torso. Kaerius smelled how the ocean tasted; salty. Rowan wasn't sure how to describe it, but everything about the Thalassic Mortal reminded him of the beach. Rowan supposed that was natural, considering how Kaerius lived in the ocean.

That thought linked to how Rowan was moments away from kissing a supernatural being who lived in the sea, permanently, and how their souls were tied together by an invisible rope that was shrinking with every new day. The bond terrified the human yet filled him with emotions that should have taken him months to build, not a few weeks. He didn't know Kaerius that well, but Rowan would do anything for him. Right now, Kaerius's soul wanted a kiss, and Rowan would do it. He just needed a nudge, then his self-control would crumble like a sandcastle caught in the rain.

Kaerius was trying to concentrate on himself, rather than how Rowan's nose was touching his own. Kaerius tried to pull away, but it was like his back had nowhere to move, and he could only push forwards, which would result in pressing the rest of his face against Rowan's. Kaerius tried to convince himself that Rowan was something deadly and he had to escape. He couldn't trick his soul.

"Kaerius, we can't... we can't do this," Rowan whispered. "We shouldn't."

"No. But..." Kaerius's hands twitched to touch him.

"But you want to."

The longer they stayed so close, the stronger their affection became. Rowan's mouth watered for Kaerius's taste. His skin longed for Kaerius's skin. For a human, Rowan had resisted the bond surprisingly well. Addictions ate humans generously. The bond wasn't like being addicted to coffee or to alcohol or sweet snacks. It was woven into every fibre. It was a need, a necessity, a must. Rowan had to be close, like Kaerius's heart was his and vice versa. Rowan had to satisfy what Kaerius wanted or else his heart might just break. It was as if his brain fired up for Kaerius, his heart pumped blood through his veins for Kaerius, his lungs breathed for Kaerius, and his lips were shaped for Kaerius.

Rowan's hand slowly moved until his fingers touched the Thalassic Mortal's shoulder.

Kaerius didn't flinch from his touch, but it felt so intense that he froze. He could only concentrate on the contact as Rowan's hand moulded into the curve of his shoulder. The human's skin was hot and smooth and gentle. Kaerius closed his eyes. If he couldn't see Rowan, and if he stalled for long enough, he hoped that one of them would pull away-

Kaerius's breath caught in his throat when he felt something lightly brush against his lips. Was it Rowan's lips? Kaerius didn't dare to open his eyes. A part of him didn't want to ruin the moment, and a part of him screamed that the moment should never have started.

Rowan's lips were on fire. They touched lightly against Kaerius's mouth. He wasn't sure who was the one to lean close enough for them to touch, but now that they had touched, he was fused into place.

A warm breeze filtered through them, and a sudden loud squawk of a seagull forced Rowan's head back. He stared at Kaerius, suddenly wide-eyed like he had woken up from a deep sleep. The world around him was bright, and a loud, high-pitched noise rang in his ears. He watched Kaerius open his eyes, and the purple colour entranced him once again.

In a daze, and with emotions so strong that he couldn't control, Rowan lifted his other hand and gripped Kaerius's other shoulder. Without stopping to contemplate what was the right thing for him to do, Rowan's hand then moved to the back of Kaerius's neck, and he pushed his face close, kissing him deeply on the lips.

Kaerius, at first, tried to pull away but his body wouldn't move. Then he started to relax, then he melted against Rowan and kissed him back. Kaerius forgot where he was and only thought about how kissing in the air made every touch and sensation enhanced. The freezing temperatures of the water usually numbed him. Being directly in the sun's rays made his skin sensitive, so when Rowan's fingers brushed through the back of his hair, Kaerius felt their faces press harder together when his spine shivered. He was responsible for sparking up another kiss, allowing their lips to move in sync.

Their noses squished against each other. Their foreheads rubbed when their lips mushed together. Kaerius's hands found Rowan's waist. He held him, wanting to pull their bodies closer.

Rowan kept their lips moving. He enjoyed the salty taste of Kaerius's lips, and how kissing him felt so personal and unique. His heartbeat was fast, and his thoughts were stationed, so Rowan was able to stay somewhat calm in the mind.

The end of Kaerius's tail swished excitedly in the water. He had kissed other sea creatures before, but nothing felt quite so intense. Kissing Rowan felt natural. Their lips moved like they were familiar with kissing each other. Being so close to a human had never felt right, but being intimate with the person who was meant to share his soul was everything he had ever wanted to explore.

The boys were losing themselves in the moment. Rowan was on the verge of wrapping his arms around Kaerius's neck and kissing deeper and building the simmering tension between them. Usually, for him, first kisses were a little awkward and a test to see how much sparked between him and the individual. Kissing Kaerius didn't feel like their first time. It felt magical enough, but incredibly ordinary like their lips had been preparing themselves for this very moment.

A few seagulls squawked above, and kids were squealing and getting louder as they played in the ocean. Nobody could see the boys, but the noise was enough for them to pull away.

At the same time, they peeled their eyes open. Their faces were still close, and their breathing was a little heavier. Rowan's eyes immediately wandered around Kaerius's face, searching for any sign that he was disgusted. Kaerius only looked content, surprised, and very serene. Rowan felt that way too. He could barely believe that he wasn't in a dream. He almost wanted to check that he had all his fingers and toes and wanted to pinch himself. Rowan's pleasant dreams were his reality, and if that were not a sign that he did something right, then Rowan would never see the correct path.

"We just kissed," he whispered. Saying it out loud fizzled his insides. He stared at Kaerius's mouth. He now knew how his lips felt; his body craved for more.

"Yes." Kaerius didn't point out Rowan's ability to state the obvious. "Kiss human. Oh, dear." His eyes were still glued to Rowan's mouth. Did he really just kiss a human? Was he really so thrilled by it that he would call it one of his best experiences?

"I don't regret it," Rowan said, pulling away from him a little more, so he could look Kaerius in the eyes. "I feel like that was going to happen at some point, whether we wanted it or not."

"Kaerius- I wanted to kiss human," Kaerius said and watched Rowan's features soften from the sound of his deep voice. He shifted on the rocks and stared into the calm water. His tail rippled the surface. "Oh, dear," he said again. "Oh, no. Bond strong. Too strong."

"Don't panic, alright? We'll figure this out."

"How?" Kaerius was still in a daze. He could simply sit and stare into the horizon and zone out for hours thinking about their kiss.

"Well, I mean, I guess this means that we should think about our future if we can't get rid of the bond in time." Now when Rowan thought about removing the bond, it physically hurt him. His chest tightened, and his heart seemed to panic.

Kaerius thought about what Laiken said. Was there even a way to get rid of the bond? He rubbed a hand down his face, thinking that he could wipe the tingling sensation away from his lips. Rowan's lips still felt like they were touching his own. Kaerius had a feeling that he would never stop sensing Rowan's touch.

"Jaiker lie... maybe," Kaerius said, moving his tail back and forth in the water. If he looked back at Rowan, he was scared that his heart might explode.

"Lie?" Rowan asked, not able to tear his eyes away from the beautiful Thalassic Mortal sitting next to him. His head span and his fingers subconsciously touched his lips. Rowan was trying not to smile and word vomit about how the kiss made the bond feel even shorter.

"I can't explain it. I don't know the words," Kaerius thought with frustration.

"You can if you try," Rowan said, and Kaerius's eyes shot to the horizon.

The Thalassic Mortal turned his head slowly, peering at Rowan from the corner of his eye. "I didn't say that out loud," he thought and watched how Rowan's face drained the colour away.

"Stop doing that," Rowan said. His neck tightened with shock.

"I can't just stop thinking," Kaerius thought, though his skin prickled with sudden uneasiness. "If you can hear my thoughts, then this really is a punishment."

"Wow," Rowan breathed. "That's... this is... um..." he paused, listening to the deep echoing voice quietly muttering in the back of his head. "invasive."

Kaerius lifted a hand and poked Rowan on the forehead. "Kaerius not hear Rowan."

"Wait, what? Is this a soulmate thing, or am I not coping with this as well as I thought? You can't hear me?"

Kaerius shook his head to say no. "This is cruel, goddess. What have I ever done to you?"

A short and humourless laugh escaped Rowan's mouth. "This is... actually kinda cool," he said and watched Kaerius frown. "I struggled to understand you. Now we can talk to each other properly."

Kaerius did not look pleased. "This is a violation of my privacy. I demand my thoughts back."

Rowan ignored his demand. He was getting excited. "Why are you not speaking in Thalassic Mortal tongue? Maybe you are, and it's getting translated to English. How does it do that? Are you sure you don't hear my thoughts? I guess that's a blessing because I never stop talking to myself. Are you chatty in your head? You can tell me about the ocean now. I have lots of questions, like how far down does the ocean go? Is there an end, or does it just not stop until you pop out of the other side of the world? Is that even possible or am I just being stupid?"

Kaerius stared blankly at the human. He blinked as slowly as he exhaled, then shuffled to the edge of the rock and flopped face first into the water.