At this point Evan knew what parents go through with a newborn. Even though Johnathan didn’t cry out or was completely helpless he needed the extra help. He needed help getting places either by being carried or just needing a helping hand. Evan had to bathe him then fight for him to get out of the water. All the things Johnathan didn’t know about he taught him.

It was all very hard, but the youngest between them did it out of love. Just to see that bright smile and hear that unique laugh. To see the corners of his eyes wrinkle or his peaceful sleeping face at night was all Evan asked for. Everything he did was for the deep love he had for a man from another world.

A man that was now excited each morning to start walking because one day he won’t need Evan’s help. One day he’ll walk on his own just like the other humans. He’ll be able to walk along the very people he was taught to be afraid of and experience what it’s like to feel the ground under his feet. Every night he dreamt of it and with each step he was getting close to it.

Johnathan was becoming his eager self again. Television was a regular entertainment for him when he was downstairs. He became fascinated with old horror movies that Evan told him were very cheesy. It never stopped him from watching his favorite; Friday The 13th.

He had to agree the gore and some of the scenes were very exaggerated or horribly done, but something about the hockey mask wearing killer got him excited. When Evan told him there was about nine sequels Johnathan demanded that they had a marathon.

Which they did and in the middle of Friday The 13th Part 3 they both fell asleep on the couch snuggling under a warm blanket. Those were the moments both of them treasured deeply. The simple smiles they exchange to their lips moving against one another in a kiss were always stored in their hearts.

The both of them have gotten in a daily routine since Johnathan gained his legs. They would wake up wrapped in each other’s arms in a close embrace. When the sleep finally ridden them Evan was the first to get up to assist Johnathan. They brushed their teeth together, dressed together, and then went on their daily needs.

Since Evan worked mainly from his computer he didn’t have to leave when worked called. He could do his job helping a small gaming company from the comfort of his home. Sometimes Johnathan would pipe in with a few ideas or detail problems.

When the youngest did leave it was to go grocery shopping or spend two hours maximum at the gym near his home. Johnathan hated to be home alone, but his lover always gave him a reassuring kiss before he left. He was like a dog waiting for his owner to come back home.

Evan wasn’t any better though. Even though he was having a good session working on his muscles he still ached to get back home as soon as possible. He was basically a worried mother when he was out. Always thinking worst case scenario that Johnathan fell trying to walk or someone broke in and kidnapped him.

He worried too much but how couldn’t he? He was caring for a man that was a mermaid and had no knowledge of human life. Is he still a mermaid? Would his tail come back one day? The unanswered questions continually circled his head. For all he knew Johnathan could be the first mermaid to turn human.

It bothered him deeply. Numerous researches did him nothing in the late hours as his partner slept soundlessly in bed. The only thing remotely close was the movie The Little Mermaid, but there was no magic involved in their case. Johnathan was just a fish out of water.

Evan chuckled to the thought of it. Down below there could be a sea witch that granted Johnathan human legs so they could be together. It was charming and romantic, but it wasn’t true. Or was it? The Asian looked at the sleeping Johnathan with a questionable expression.

No, it wasn’t true. If it were true he would have told him right away. Whatever happened to Johnathan was a mystery to the both of them. Not that he didn’t like it, he loved that he was so much closer. Evan didn’t have to wait at a certain time in the hot sun to meet his lover. All he had to do was get up, take a few steps, and then climb into bed.

His arm draped around Johnathan’s waist pulling him close. The oldest was so warm with his back against the other’s chest. His chest slowly rose and flew with each soft breath he took. At times like this Evan wondered how lucky he was to have Johnathan. Maybe fate took a part in their meeting, but all he cared at the moment was keeping the other happy and safe.

Mornings reminded him of how lucky he was to be in this position. Johnathan was the first to wake. His eyes opened to the sight of Evan’s sleeping face. The Asian had his cheek pressed against the pillow causing his mouth to be slightly open. He was peaceful and adorable.

The older man’s hand came up to cup the other’s cheek. His thumb softly rubbed against his soft skin watching it twitch to his touch. Then Evan closed his mouth and leaned into his hand. This was his favorite way to wake up. He dreamed about it down in the sea and now its right in front of him.

Evan’s face scrunched up the more his lover kept his thumb moving. His nose made little wrinkles Johnathan loved to see. He woke up to the sight of his favorite smile and his favorite shade of blue. This was his favorite way to wake up. A smile grew on his own face while he put his hand on top of Johnathan’s.

“You ready?”

“Whenever you are.”

Their morning started as it always did. Evan helped Johnathan with his balance as they walked into the bathroom to brush their teeth. When they finished cleaning up Evan carried the oldest in his arms and went downstairs where he sat him on the couch.

Johnathan flipped through the channels until he found something worth watching. Morning shows were always the most uninteresting. He would go back to watching the Friday the 13th movies, but he’s saving those for when the sun goes down.

Bored, he tossed the remote to the other side of the couch and huffed. Evan was in the kitchen fixing them breakfast as he regularly did. Entertainment from him wouldn’t come until after they ate. The only thing left was the TV showing a chick flick kind of movie.

He rolled his eyes already finding these weren’t his type of movie a long time ago. Johnathan looked back to where he tossed the remote and found there was nothing there on the other end of the couch. His eyes searched for it then spotted the object on the ground far from arms reach.

It must have bounced off the couch then slid across the hardwood floor. Johnathan cursed around his breath and decided to wait for Evan’s help. For a few seconds it didn’t feel that bad until the movie turned into a scene of girls fussing about a man.

His eyes couldn’t roll any harder. Waiting for help wasn’t an option anymore. Johnathan took in a deep breath encouraging himself mentally to just do it. He hasn’t tried getting up by himself before and it could only end badly if he isn’t careful.

He braced his hands on the couch and slowly lifted himself up on his feet. It stung a bit; that familiar wave of needles going through his legs. He put his arms out to balance himself as he stood still. His legs wobbled and he was forced to put his hands back on the couch so he wouldn’t fall.

This was stupid to do especially without Evan nearby but fuck it if he’s going to watch this terrible movie. He went back to standing straight using his arms as balance with a slight wobble. When he thought it was safe enough he took a step.

After all this time the pain had subsided only to a prick and as if his ‘leg fell asleep’, as Evan put it. The first step was a boost to his encouragement as he took the second step. He almost fell over but caught himself on the edge of the couch. Again, he regained as much balance as he could and took another step.

Now for the tricky part. Slowly Johnathan bent over to grab the remote until something straight from a horror movie yelled his name. He dropped down out of surprise landing on his side. His arm hurt but wasn’t injured in any way. When he looked up to see what made him fall he saw the face of scared.

Evan was standing there with two plates of food in his hands and a face that screamed how panicked he was. Quickly he put the plates down on the coffee table and rushed to Johnathan’s side checking him for any bruises. He was beyond thankful he didn’t hurt himself although he didn’t ease up.

“What the hell was that? You could have gotten hurt,” he blurted out helping the other sit up.

Johnathan sighed a little bit annoyed and held up the remote for Evan to see. When he looked into brown eyes a smile grew across his face at the realization of what he just did. It was a huge step for him, literally. He didn’t need Evan. He did it by himself even though he fell towards the end.

“Did you not see me? Evan, I just walked all by myself! I actually did it just so I didn’t have to watch this terrible movie.”

His eyes were electric and eager. The smile he wore only made his face glow more. It ended up being contagious as Evan’s lips formed a smaller one.

“You still could have hurt yourself. I’m really proud of you, Johnathan. Next time just have me around so I can catch you, ok?” his voice became soft while his hand rubbed his lover’s back gently.

The oldest huffed and rolled his eyes playfully. “I wouldn’t have fallen if you didn’t scream bloody murder.”

Evan chuckled lightly and picked the other up to put him back on the couch. He gave Johnathan’s plate then began eating his own while watching the channels change every second. The feeling inside of him was pure excitement for Johnathan.

This risk he took was a major one and by the smile on his lover’s face it boosted his confidence. Although they were celebrating in silence with some dippy eggs and toast Evan still felt worried out of his mind. Just because of this one little thing Johnathan could try it again, but end with a horrible ending.

His mind kept running with how the next step could put the man beside him back in the bed. This was very unhealthy, he knows, but he is the only support and safety that Johnathan has. Before his dreaded mind could roam any further his cell phone vibrated in his pocket.

He took it out and opened the new unread message. It was from his good friend Tyler, a friend he met in college before the other dropped out. Now he remembered what was going on before Johnathan’s little stunt.

While he was in the kitchen he was on the phone with Tyler talking about their lives and why Evan became distanced. It was a relief to talk to his best friend after all the chaos happening in his life. He had a special way of showing his affection by calling Evan “a piece of shit hermit” and commenting “I’ll punch your dead body”.

Most people didn’t like his dark humor or the way he talked, but that was how Evan became drawn to him. Tyler was someone who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and just enjoyed his life. He was the friend Evan went to when shit hit the fan.

[TXT From: Tyler]

“Still want to hang out?”

Evan leaned back into the couch reading the message over and over. Even though he enjoys Johnathan’s presence they both couldn’t be stuck with each other. Especially the further since he never met another human being or interacted with anyone else.

It was a great opportunity for him to come out of his shell a bit. Johnathan could see that there are more good humans out there and he shouldn’t fear all of them. He was still trying to get over the sound of the pizza guy at the door. Every time Evan greeted him Johnathan hid under the blankets.

Yeah, this would be good for him. He needs to be around more people than him. Evan turns to face Johnathan who is glued to the screen while he ate the last piece of toast. Even with the sun not hitting directly on his face he was still shimmering.

“Hey, how do you feel if one of my friends came over today for a little?”

Johnathan’s face dropped along with his shimmer. He turned his head toward Evan with a horrified expression painting on his face. It was the reaction Evan figured would happen, but it didn’t stop him from going further with his plan.

“Hear me out-“

“Why would I want to meet someone else? Evan, I’m not ready for that. What if they don’t like me or they know what I am or was. I don’t even know anymore,” Johnathan’s body language was stone tight. His baby blues drowned in imaginable fear.

The youngest sighed then set their plates down on the table. He took the other’s hands rubbing his thumbs against them. Evan looked deep into his sky filled eyes trying to find that little light of encouragement.

“I think you’re ready for this. You can’t just stay in this house with me as your only way of communication. Trust me, Tyler is a nice guy. He has a very colorful mouth, but once you two get to know each other you’ll be friends. I’ll be right next to you while he’s here,” Evan spoke softly as he held his hands tighter.

Johnathan’s expression turned into one of uncertainty to confusion in one fluid move. His head tilted to the side like a puppy’s would as he asked, “What color is his mouth?”

Evan snorted out a laugh to the other’s confusion. He let go of one of his hands just to cover his mouth. The stare he was receiving only fueled his laughter more until he got a light punch to his shoulder. His laugh faded out into a playful giggle.

His partner was too innocent and clueless for his own good. Evan wiped a tear at the corner of his eye then sighed in relief.

“That doesn’t mean his actual mouth is colored. It means he cusses a lot more than he should. God, you’re adorable. Thanks for the laugh,” the youngest patted Johnathan’s shoulder gently which another punch to his shoulder was given in return.

Soon the older of the two chuckled seeing how stupid his question was. There was more to learn about humans than he thought. Once they settled down the dread of meeting someone else resurfaced to his thoughts.

Johnathan knew Evan only wanted to help him and make him more comfortable with this new situation. He wouldn’t tell him, but did want to explore beyond the front door at this very moment. That was impossible though with the condition he was still in.

Maybe bringing the outside world in would be a good start. Besides he was still in this house that became his safe haven with Evan. It was better to bite the bullet, as Evan put it one day, than stalling. His head slowly nodded to the younger one’s proposal.

Evan’s eye lit up in excitement along with his smile. He kissed the other’s cheek then took his attention to his phone sending Tyler a text saying he could come over. A nervous Johnathan just sat and watched trying to mentally prepare himself for this other step in his new life.

“You won’t regret this.”

Those were the words Evan told him about an hour ago when he agreed to this. Now he was sitting on the couch after being freshened up anxiously waiting for the doorbell to ring. His thumbs kept pushing against one another as the seconds felt like hours.

He was regretting it. He wanted to take back what he said and never see another human. A hand touched his shoulder softly rubbing the tenseness out of it. Johnathan looked to his right meeting those earthly golden eyes that always eased his spirit.

Evan gave him a heartfelt smile as he continued rubbing his shoulder. It did make Johnathan feel slightly better, but deep down he was screaming. Screaming into the void of his mind that’s telling him to jump back into the ocean and hide forever.

The doorbell rang before he could open his mouth to protest. Evan looked happy as ever as he stood and walked over to the door. Johnathan couldn’t see, but he heard someone greeting him in a not so friendly way. His heart started to beat faster.

“Hey, you son of a bitch! You’re not dead after all,” Tyler greeted with a huge smile while bringing Evan into a hug that was long overdue.

Evan returned the hug and also the smile feeling happy to see his best friend again. He stepped to the side letting him enter. After closing the door he escorted him to the living room where Johnathan sat picking at the beds of his nails.

The oldest looked up noticing how much taller Evan’s friend was than he imagined. It made him scream even more inside, but he put on a friendly face.

“Tyler, this is Johnathan. The guy I was telling you about earlier,” Evan introduced with a kind smile.

If Johnathan wasn’t in a panic before he sure is now. Tyler stuck is hand out to him with a warm smile that almost makes him look less scary.

“It’s nice to meet you. I apologize that Evan is a fucking dweeb and you’re stuck with him,” the taller man joked with a light chuckle.

Johnathan took his hand and shook it calmly. The smile on his face grew genuine as he felt his mood brighten a notch. Evan rolled his eyes to Tyler’s remark then gently shoved him. He took a seat next to Johnathan keeping himself in the middle.

Through the day Johnathan slowly came out of his shell. He got use to Tyler’s foul language even though he didn’t understand some of the things he meant. Evan brought in his gaming system and played his friend in numerous games that all lead the two getting competitive.

It wasn’t until Evan left to make them dinner when the anxiety started to creep its way back into Johnathan. He was left alone with this stranger with his partner too far from comfort. Tyler was too busy finding a movie to watch on Netflix to notice the other breathing irregularly.

This situation was not what he wanted. This was the very thing he was afraid of and all his mind was telling him was to flee. Johnathan slowly stood up with the couches help. He could hear his heart beat bumping against his ears as well as his veins against his skin. The room started to feel hotter as he tried to take a step.

“Hey, are you alright?”

He took another step like earlier trying to distance himself from the voice. His body felt heavier than usually with a next step. Everything started to feel closed in.

“Dude, you need to sit down. You don’t look too good.”

Johnathan’s head shook frantically declining the help. His vision was starting to blur as he readied his foot to step down again. Then it was Evan’s voice that rang through his ears. The same scared tone from morning.

The step went unsuccessful. His foot turned the wrong way in splitting pain. Johnathan flew to the floor feeling that so familiar pain in his foot, but it was different. It wasn’t needles poking his skin. This felt like something inside was broken.

Evan quickly rushed to his side cupping his cheek. He kept talking about breathing and why did he get up, but Johnathan was too focused on the awful pain. His heart still pounded against his chest as he looked up at his lover’s worried face. It was a face he’s seen so much before. He’ll probably never erase it out of his brain.

“Tyler, get your car ready. We have to take him to the hospital. His ankle is all swollen and bruised,” Evan’s voice was panicked. He was panicked. The one thing he was worried about happened. Now Johnathan was in pain again holding back tears while lying on the floor.

Everything was going so well. Evan blamed himself for all of this, but kept it to himself. Tyler went out and started up his car, a bit of panic in him also. The youngest of the couple picked the other off the ground carefully. He held him bridal style and took him to Tyler’s car.

He sat in the back with Johnathan laid across the seats. His head rested on Evan’s lap who stroked his hair slowly trying to calm him down. It was an awful day for the both of them.

The worst of it was when they arrived at the hospital. Johnathan was afraid and clung onto Evan while nurses looked at his ankle and foot. There were too many people around than he liked. Doctors and nurses kept examining him then took an x-ray.

Whatever chance Johnathan got he stayed on Evan’s lap. The life on land was too much for him. Everything was happening too fast for his brain to comprehend. All he could focus on were Evan’s soft words in his ear telling him everything would be alright over and over again.

Next thing Johnathan knew the doctors gave him a shot, which he did not like at all, and he fell asleep in an uncomfortable bed. There was nothing but cold darkness around him. It was like being back under water in that cell of disobedience.

It was somewhere he didn’t want to be. Cold and lonely and away from Evan. His mind sparked to that name. Where was Evan? Did he never escape and he was still a mermaid? Too many thoughts were spinning around him until the stopped when a hand touched his.

A hand so warm and soft to the touch. A hand he’s held many times before. Johnathan laced their fingers together feeling safer now that he knows this is real. He’s still with Evan.

“Johnathan? Are you awake?” his soft voice spoke above the pitch black. It felt so inviting and bright, but sad.

Evan was upset and most likely beating himself up mentally for this accident. That was one thing Johnathan hated the most. A person as sweet and caring as him shouldn’t feel such a burden or take the blame.

He willed his eyes open then quickly shut them due to the bright lights above. When they felt better he opened his eyes again to see Evan standing by the bed side holding his hand. His face was beyond worried. He was distressed.

The youngest greeted him with a small smile. His hand tightly held onto Johnathan’s afraid he will somehow vanish. He let it all sink in for his lover while he waits patiently to talk. Johnathan was dazed, but took notice of his surroundings. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as they did often.

“You’re in a hospital. When you took that wrong step he broke your ankle, but the doctors fixed it. Don’t try to move, please. I don’t want you in anymore pain,” Evan explained. His other hand came up combing his fingers through Johnathan’s hair.

It was a welcoming feeling Johnathan leaned into. His body felt tired and heavy just like before he fell. The only thing he was happy about was waking up to Evan. Even though he left for a minute he still stayed by him through this terrible night.

“I’m tired. Will you stay here with me?” the oldest asked in a hushed voice.

His fingers locked tighter on Evan’s wanting him to stay as close as possible. The Asian nodded his head then climbed into the bed with him being extra cautious about his foot. This was better than Johnathan wished for and gladly snuggled up to the other’s chest.

The beating of his heart almost matched the beeping to a monitor he was hooked up on. It was soothing nonetheless as he closed his eyes and let his body relax. Evan never let go his hand and kept the other in his hair gently running his fingers through his dark brown hair.

Their time without any trouble was starting over again. Next time Evan was going to be prepared for whatever happens. He will be right with Johnathan to make sure this wouldn’t happen again. It was his fault to leave him there with Tyler knowing he was uncomfortable.

But now Johnathan was better and breathing calmly against him. This was all he wanted while he was in the operating room. He leaned his head on the pillow looking up at nothing in particular then slowly drifted off to sleep knowing Johnathan was safe in his arms.