Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2017 03:22:54 +0000 (UTC) From: Andrew Bailey Subject: Aquata Cove - Chapter 94 Aquata Cove Chapter 94: Haunted "Mgghh! Mgghh!" Adam pants as his insides feel like sharp metal poles are moving inside him, his eyes covered in his tears as he stands in pain, hunched over, his arms held back by two pairs of strong hands. He looks with begging eyes, one of them bruised horribly as he sees the two other attackers, with the other two holding him from fighting back. "NNH!" One of the attackers punched Adam's other eye hard, before clocking his jaw, and sinking into his stomach. "MMMFFFF!" Adam doubles over, his eyes clenching while feeling the wet paint on his face and clothing, his many cuts stinging like fucking hell, as well as the horrible taste trapped in his mouth by the duct tape. "Hah shit, he's crying. Fuckin crying, be a fuckin man for ONCE!" The attack says as the crowbar flies and cracks into Adam's knee joint. "MNNGH! M-hnnhh!" `Help me! Somebody fucking help me!' Adam thinks desperately, every inch of him wracked with mind-numbing agony, his worst fear of his whole life is now taking place. `Merrick! Help me, Merrick, where are you?!' His metal-struck mind reeling. They've hit him in the head a lot... All he can think of is where Merrick is, he could fight these men. As if he's forgotten Merrick went to the sea. `MERRICK!' -KKKHH!- "MMhmhmhmh!" Adam clashes onto his knees, one of them feeling like it's exploding from the inside, cringing onto his side on the concrete floor of the parking lot, before he's forced back on his feet, and his head is struck again, and then his hand. "HFFFFF!" Sprits of pink paint and saliva jump from his duct tape as more of him breaks apart inside him. "Fuckin gross, man." One of the men jeered as they see the fluid moving down Adam's chin and neck, dribbling all over downward. "Merrrkkkk!" Adam spat out, "Mrrrkkk!" One of the masked attackers forces the tape back onto Adam's mouth as his stubble dribbles with the fluid mixture. "Oh shit! ... Thin someone's coming" He hears a distant voice. Adam struggles as he takes a step with his barely good leg, his blurring eyes looking desperately for any help. Adam finally yanks himself partially free to swing at the guy with the paint bucket, only to have his right ribcage burn with pain. He then feels the penalty of a fist's blow to the side of his head, before his arm is pulled back away. "Hey! What's goin on?!" Comes a familiar dark voice. "PNNFFF!" Adam gets struck into the stomach again, trying to see the incoming newcomer, but everything is so blur, it's all noise and pain right now, and blaring lights. "HEY!!!" Comes the voice again. It's Jamal! "Shit, man!" Says one of the men behind him. Adam's eyes flood with tears as he tries to yank his arm again, but is again immediately crippled by searing agony. He looks to the two men in front of them, one of them holding the paint bucket, and the other one brandishing the crowbar. Before moving it back, and swinging it at top speed at Adam's- KUNG!! ()()() "AH! HOHhhhh! Aahhhoohh!" Adam yelps as he jumps up in his bed. He pants, heart pounding, covered in sweat as his hands grab his head, panicking as he feels, trying to feel some sort of excess liquid. He keeps looking at his fingers after investigating his hair, trying to see any blood from his scalp. There's no such crimson substance anywhere on him. Adam shakes violently as he sits there, the images of the nightmare still fresh inside his mind... What was that? A few hours ago, he was having one heck of a wet dream, wild and sexy. Now he suddenly has this night terror? None of his dreams or nightmares has ever felt like this one... They were thorough and detailed and fanciful, but this one... This one felt real... "Thhhrreer." Came the purring mew from Skyler. Adam huffs as he turns, chuckling as his kitten scrambled behind him. "Hey there, kitty..." Adam takes the small cat and puts him on his blanket-covered lap, "Hey fluffy boy." He says lowly, stroking the purring critter. He pets the kitten as he stares drearily at the blanket, before he hears a soft knock on his door, "Y-Yeah?" The door opens, and a large silhouette, with the weak blue early morning light showing large pectoral muscles and a few curves of muscles. "Hey, man, you ok, Adam?" Jamal asks. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." Adam answered back, "I had a bad dream... I'm ok though." "You sure?" "Nhh, what's up?" Yuri asked while groaning sleepily from behind Jamal. "I just... I had a freakish nightmare... I-I'm ok..." "Alright... I'm down the hall if ya need anything." "Night..." Yuri turns away and creeps lazily into her room. Jamal moves the door to almost close it, before he walks back into his own door. Adam takes a deep, shaky breath, and exhales slowly. "I wish Merrick was here..." Adam mumbles, "I wonder if he'd be willing to stay here for a while, sleep on the couch..." For some reason, he feels like Merrick would make situations like these better... Just hearing his voice or something, being near him... Like he'd be the only one who might understand. ~~~ "HHH... HHH... Hhh... Hhh..." Merrick pants in his small reef dwelling, his gills twitching madly as his whole body shakes. He unfurls, and swims out between the ice spires of Savarna's Sea Spot, into more open water, holding his head softly. "What was that..." Merrick asked himself, "What was that." He paces around in the water, his tail gliding around behind him, "What was I..." He rubs one of his arms, remembering here the crowbar hit him in the dream. "By the Sea Mother, what did I just see?" He remembers several masked people. They where beating the hell out of him and pelting him with pink paint. "And I think I heard Jamal's voice before I woke up... Damn..." Merrick puts a hand on the left side of his head, where he was last struck, "I can still feel it..." "Brother?" Savarna says. He turns to see the Adra Noita come to him from nearby, "What has happened? I sensed a powerful source of darkness and fear from here. Now it's just vanished." "That may have been me, Sister. I have just awoken from a painful nightmare." Merrick swims to her, "Look into my eyes. I think I have memories that don't belong to me." "..." Savarna peers into Merrick's soul though his eyes, instilling her inner sight into his mind. She can see wavering bits and pieces of the intense pain of lingering horror, and a few vague shapes of human hands, brushes, a metal rod with a hook at the end, strange colors blotching and smearing here and there, "This is confusing. There is not a lot I can see. Only fragments of a dream. I don't know how they are supposed to piece together." "What was going on then?" Merrick ponders as he crosses his arms and turns his gaze down. "See, I dreamt that four humans have attacked me, as if they were trying to kill me. And it felt like they did, or at least almost by a near miss. But something like that has never happened to me, not since years ago when I was captured, and this was nothing like that." "Four humans assaulting you? I don't know just how skilled you are with your legs, Brother. But I don't think they could kill you that easily, given your time on the land..." "If four humans attacked me, I wouldn't have any trouble dealing with them at all." He replies to her. `I am an elite when it comes to aquatic combat, and even Yuri says I'm a good fighter when we spar in the yard. I can easily just use my voice alone to disengage them and get the upper hand; heck, I could kill them or knock them unconscious if I hit the right sound... So why was I so helpless in that nightmare? They just... Came out of nowhere, and started breaking me. Like I wasn't even given a chance to fight...' "Brother, maybe I should bring Mother. She can see better into auras than I can." Savarna suggested. "No, I'd rather not wake her on my account... By the time she gets here, there won't be much for her to see anyhow." "I see..." Savarna nods, "Do you... Wish me to stay with you until the sun rises?" "Yes, please..." He nods. Merrick huffs as he turns, and swims back to the rocks and coral. He whimpers silently as he returns to the reef, putting his forehead onto his arm, "I wish I can be with Adam right now..." His shimmering, graceful fish tail curves closer to him. ~~~ Adam woke up several hours later, groaning as he turns and gets up. He looks to his computer, thinking of writing in his diary, but yesterday was completely uneventful -- it's only been a whole night since he moved back into this house. Today though... He huffs as he gets up, and got dressed before coming into the living room, where he can smell a delightfully sweet aroma. He peers in, and raises his eyebrows up as he sees Merrick working at the sizzling oven. "Merrick?" "Ah, good morning, Adam." Merrick greeted with a smile. Adam blushes as he notices Merrick isn't wearing a shirt under his apron. He walks around, looking, and ending the momentary suspense upon seeing the beige cargo shorts he's wearing. "Um, what are ya doing here?" Adam asked. "I was in the area, thought I'd cook breakfast." Merrick smiled, "I have a key to the house, and I had no where else to be. Jamal and Yuri don't mind if I come here and cook." "O-Oh, really." Adam says, as he looks at the food on the pans, what looks like thick, roasted bread. "Had a rough night..." He said, "Had a couple of weird dreams, and I had a hard time getting back to sleep." "I know how you feel. My night was like that too." Merrick says as he seasons the food with cinnamon and a dash of butter around the pan. Adam looks about in the kitchen, his mind recalling the vision he had yesterday when they had noodle soup and chicken for lunch. He remembers... Something... Adam walked closer to Merrick, moving close behind him. Merrick looks curiously from the corner of his eye wondering what he's doing turning his head over his shoulder. Adam places himself right where he was in the very vague memory, his front pushing onto Merrick's back, before his arms held around Merrick's waist. Adam closes his eyes as he puts his chin on Merrick's shoulder. Merrick moves the pan away from the fire as he lets Adam hold him. He quietly takes one of those hands, rubbing it gently. Adam moves his hand with Merrick's. His hand is so soft... Something about standing in this exact position feels so familiar, it's almost scary... But very nostalgic at the same time. Adam rests the side of his face onto Merrick's bare shoulder, closing his eyes as he hugs him. "Mnhhh..." Merrick moans quietly as Adam hugs him closely. After a minute of holding him, Adam steps away, and to the side. He scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "I uh... I'm sorry..." Adam mumbled, "I just... I still feel alone, and..." "I understand." Merrick smiled, "Don't apologize. I missed this a lot." He said before moving up, and kissing Adam's cheek. "A-Ah..." Adam feels that awkward prickling sensation again, "M-Missed this?" "That's how my boyfriend used to hold me. Before he disappeared." He says before Merrick takes the French toast from the pan, and pours syrup on it, and sprinkles it with powdered sugar, and slicing the strawberries and banana to garnish. "You made two?" "Yeah. I had a feeling I'd have someone to eat with." Merrick said with that cute grin after picking up the two plates of food. "I'm pretty intuitive." "Oh ok." Adam says as he follows him to the living room. ---Several Minutes Later--- "This was, oh man." Adam said as he chews the last bits of his meal, sitting at the couch with Merrick while the TV plays a show, "You're really good at cooking." "Thanks, it's pretty fun." Merrick says as he puts his plate down. "So when do you go into work?" "In a little while." Adam answers, "My Dad is picking me up and taking me there." "I see." Merrick nods as he leans back. Adam glances at Merrick a few more times, his stomach feeling a trickle of fear and suspense. He wants something from him... He keeps thinking of all those times Merrick just randomly kissed him... Taking a quiet deep breath, he cleared his throat and adjusted in his seat. "M-Merrick?" "Yeah?" "Um... Can I... I-If you um... If it's ok..." He blushes hard as he rubs his arm, "C-Can I try and... Kiss you?" Merrick smiles at him, "Of course." He said. "O-Ok..." Adam scoots over to him, and sat right next to Merrick. Hesitant, Adam's chest goes crazy with nerves as he moved his face to the other, until he plants his lips onto Merrick's cheek. Adam adjusts, and kisses him again. Merrick giggles as Adam kisses him more than once, while Adam wonders just how Merrick would mind him doing this. Merrick moves his face, and then kisses Adam's lips. Adam blushes as he hears their lips lap and part -- just the sounds alone are so appealing, and even doing it at all feels so good... No wonder Merrick does it so much... Adam looks to the side as he sees Merrick's hand move, going to him. He flinches, but stops when his hand only tenderly rubs his arm. Adam pushes his lips onto the other, suckling Merrick's for just one moment, before repeating. "Hahh... Hahh... Hahh..." Adam pants as he stops kissing Merrick. "Are you ok?" Merrick whispered. "Yeah..." Adam nods, "I just... I like this..." "Ok..." Merrick kisses the corner of Adam's mouth, nuzzling his perfect cheek along Adam's shaven jaw line, before kissing his cheek again, "Do you want to stop?" "No..." Adam hushed. Merrick faces him again, and comes forward. Adam opens his mouth as he lets Merrick come to him, their mouths gently pulling and gnawing on each other. Adam shudder's as Merrick's tongue even makes a rub onto his upper lip. "W-Wait, wait..." "Yes?" "Is it... Is it ok if we just... Like... Sit together?" Adam asked, "You know, just like close?" "Heheheh, I'd love to." Merrick smiles. He comes to him, and snuggles next to Adam. This morning is turning out to be very... Eventful. Adam feels so compelled right now... He keeps thinking of when Merrick stripped to nothing in the ward, and now all he can think of how much of a mistake that was. Merrick closes his eyes as he snuggles to Adam, before Adam slowly puts his arms around him. Merrick lays on Adam, cherishing every second of this... Does Adam finally remember? Has his memories come back? ... No, it's too much to hope for. If they have come back, Adam would probably look a lot more shocked and surprised or something. `He's holding me so tight...' Merrick thinks, `... And he held me like he always has in the kitchen... I want him back...' His eyes quiver for a moment as he felt a hint of tears, `I want my Adam back...' Adam stares with astonishment at Merrick's perfect complexion. Not a single hair below his neck. He's so perfectly smooth. His hand lies flat on Merrick's smooth abs, tracing his fingers along every line. "Hehehehehe!" Merrick suddenly squirms and stopped for a moment, "I'm ticklish." "Oh, aheheh..." Adam chuckles, but he continues to feel Merrick's body. Why does he want to do this? Why is he caressing him so much? Why does he feel this very weird sense of want inside him? Adam's other hand rubs along his side, and around the border of his pants. Adam blinks as he sees some kind of bulge in those cargo shorts. Merrick breathes deeply and moans slightly as he feels Adam's strong hands explore every inch of his torso. Adam's heart is pounding as he stares at that button keeping Merrick's pants together. Adam trembles, trying to find some kind of reason why... Why he wants to feel deeper like this, why his mind is oddly curious about doing this now. Adam's fingers push in under the waistband, finding it easier. Merrick feels himself blush as he can feel Adam's hand go into his garment. Say nothing, let him do what he wants. Let him take these steps. "Are you ok..."Adam mumbles. "Mmhhh." Merrick nods, his eyes still closed. "Yes..." `Why am I doing this... I don't even know him...' Adam thought. "I don't know why I'm doing this..." Adam whispers. "It's ok... It's ok..." Merrick answers back quietly. Adam's hand reaches deeper into the warm confines of Merrick's clothing, feeling the layer of Merrick's underwear as he breathes harder, until Adam's fingers close in on a round shape inside. "Mllnn." Merrick lets out a small moan as his balls are gently fondled. "Are you ok?" "Mmhh..." Merrick nodded. Adam's hands then unbuttoned his pants, and pulled down his zipper. He's wearing them. The same boxerbriefs he wore on that day. The same color, the same tight appearance, but it feels so loose and smooth. Adam's face goes hot as he allowed his hand to return to that warm pouch. "Ohhhohhh..." Merrick moaned as he let Adam's hand feel and roll his balls in those underwear. His boner throbs inside his underpants as Adam's warm fingers press and investigate his testicles. "Please don't stop..." He whispers. Adam silently nods as he becomes extremely invested in this. Something's telling him to do this. Something is making his hands hold and stimulate Merrick like this. Something is pulling this intangible urge the depths of his psyche and acting on something he doesn't even know about. All he knows is that he wants to make Merrick keep moaning. Adam's hand moves from Merrick's twin orbs, and glides his hand over the fabric, and then widens his eyes as he feels something long and solid in his search. "Hhhoollhhh..." Merrick whines as his leg shifts on the couch, his torso flexing a bit just from his erection being grabbed. Adam glances at Merrick, and then back into the cloth-like cave his hand is inside. This whole time, Adam's own penis is raging hard as he does this. Adam rubs that rock-hard rod up and down, even feeling a weirdly wet spot at the end of it. Merrick squirms very softly as Adam strokes him, breathing out as his member is caressed and massaged. Adam makes a bold move. He removes his hand from the enclosed dick, tugs at the waistband of his underwear. Through the low-lit area, Adam's eyes can make out what is hidden under the garment. He puts his hand into it, and moves his hand onto Merrick's cock. "Mnnnhhhh~" Merrick moans as Adam's fingers wrap around his dick, skin-to-skin, a hot palm pushing on a throbbing rod. "Ollhhh... Nnnhhh..." Merrick whines as a fist-shaped bulge moves up and down in Merrick's cargo shorts, "Hahhhh... Ennhh..." Adam breathes harder, his chest purging deeper and deeper as he systematically rolls his grip up and down on Merrick's meat. Merrick holds onto groans as he grooves his hips, sliding his dick with Adam's slow pump. Encouraged and horny, Adam strokes Merrick harder, stroking his and touching the sensitive flesh. "Ohh, Hoohhh, Hoohhhh~" Merrick's moaning escalates, his hips moving in sync with Adam's hand, almost wailing out as the stimulation grows higher, oh so high. The more Adam jerks him off, the more thoughts come into mind. He wants Adam to push him against the wall and bite his ear like a wild wolf. He wants Adam to hold his head as he fucks his mouth. He wants Adam to pin him on the bed and wreck his ass. He wants to be bound and restrained tight and blindfolded as Adam teases him with random and very erotic advances. "Awwwll! Hawwll!" Merrick furrows his brow as his moans get louder, "Ohhh! Hohhl! A-Ahhh!" Then, Adam feels Merrick's penis pulse wildly, followed by something wet and hot roll on his fingers in Merrick's briefs. "Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh..." Merrick huffs and whimpers, panting as Adam slowly pulls his hand from Merrick's underwear, the cum wiping from his hand and fingers. Merrick pants as he lies on his side, his arm around Adam as he calms down. Adam's heart is racing, now distracted from his own hard-on, actually feeling a little tired again. He turns his face to look at Merrick, who moans quietly as he moves up. Their lips meet again in a soft, thick kiss. Adam pushes his lips on him, his arm still shaking from the ordeal. "Was... I..." "Don't think about it..." Merrick muttered, "You were amazing..." He sighs as he slowly kisses the jaw line of Adam's cheek. "I... I was?" "It's ok... It's ok..." "But I don't know..." Adam says, blushing as Merrick nuzzles him and rubs his chest, feeling his own pants very tight as he lies here with Merrick. "This is good for you... I promise..." "O... Ok..." Adam nods as Merrick snuggles up to him. He... He almost wants Merrick to... Well, do SOMETHING akin to what just happened... How and why does he want that? What are these feelings? Donna told Adam Merrick is a reliable replacement for his mental health... And as far as intimacy goes, Merrick is a lot less invasive and pressuring than Jessica was. It's like... Merrick is allowing him to come to him rather than forcing. Merrick continues to kiss Adam affectionately, and feeling him almost in a worshipping fashion, while the deflating bulge in his briefs begin to feel a little cold and wet. He wants so much just to open his pants, and let Adam's cock out free, and just slip it into his mouth. But now's not a good time... Adam needs to figure out he can get off too. Adam settles back as he lets Merrick lay with him, still not knowing in the slightest about what all of this means... ~~~ Luther drives the car into the dock's parking lot, with Adam in the passenger's seat. "Alright, are you ready for your first day of work?" "I guess... But what about you? Weren't you sick yesterday?" "Merrick's soup works better than a flu shot. Just took a couple of pills, and I'll be fine." They get out of the car, and soon approached the welcoming gate of the Kele-Kolika Pier. "Whoooaa..." Adam looks up in awe at the giant bronze sea horses. He walks with his father along the shops. Adam looks around, still trying to remember anything that he's seeing, just like when Jamal or Luther brought him here on trips at the ward... But he can still only feel a skim of inkling. "And this is where you work." Luther says as they arrive at a building with iron sides and metal tribal fish welded all around it. Adam observes that the right side of the building has glass windows, and he can also see tables and chairs with people eating. In the middle, it looks like an open market with different types of raw fish on ice and a few other merchandise type of thing. On the left side of the building is where someone is driving a cart with a large water-filled containing live crabs crawling around within. Around the entire place are random people fishing over the tall docks. "What is this place?" "The Fish House." Luther tells him, "You've worked here for over a full decade, since you were still in high school. It's a seafood cannery, a local delivery service, a manufacture of fishing bait and tackle, a fish market, and a restaurant all in one." "You said I have two jobs, right? Are they both here?" "No, you work in two different places. This is where your first job is, and you go to your other job in the evening." They walk around into the building, and into the EMPLOYEES ONLY doors. Luther runs a card along a scanner, and takes Adam into what seems like a musty locker room. "Do you work here, Dad?" "No, I just have clearance as a VIP. The owner is a close personal friend of mine." "Oh, I..." Adam stops as he sees the showers in between the rows of lockers, his eyes widening as he sees the nude backside of a man, showering and rinsing himself off. He blinks, and sees Luther getting farther, so he jogs to catch up. "I see." They come to locker number 21, and Luther takes out a slip of paper with three numbers on it. He turns the lock dial several times around, while Adam watches carefully to memorize the way to do this, before it opens to several objects held inside. "Alright, here you go." Luther says as he takes the rubber overalls, boots, a green long-sleeve shirt, and rubber gloves, "Change out of your clothes, and put these on." "Wha, Dad, I," Adam blushes as he looks around, seeing several guys around him, "Here? Now?" "It's where all the guys change here, even shower, it's nothing they haven't seen before. Here, I'll turn around, you let me know when you're ready." "O-Ok..." Adam turns around, trying to match in time of when there's anyone around, waiting for the opportune moment when he can quickly take his pants off, and pull the rubber overalls up his legs, now he just needs to change his shirt. He does so in a hurry, still trying to get in and out of it as soon as possible. Luther glances back around, and chuckles as he sees Adam's uniform lopsided and sloppily put on. "Here, let me help you." Luther says as he goes to his son, and adjusts the straps and the buckles, as well as correcting the buttons on the green uniform shirt. Adam frowns with embarrassment as he feels like a little kid right now. Adam glances to the side, before he starts to feel light-headed again. He blinks a few times before turning to look. It's another shifting vision behind Luther. He sees himself being shoved down onto the floor by an aggressive-looking man. The apparition gets up to slam the locker closed, and grapples with the offender. He can see blurry images of different men pulling them away, with legible blood being seeing up and around from the fight. Someone large and loud comes between them breaking up whatever conflict this is. "There, that's how you're supposed to look." Luther says as he gives Adam a nod, as well as pinning his metal nametag on the magnet implant in the top middle of the overalls. Adam snaps out of it, and looks to his father in front of him. "Lets go." Adam follows him to along the fish-smelling halls, and through a door that led to the marketplace. Adam looks up, and drops his jaw as he sees a large banner up on high, reading: {WELCOME BACK ADAM} The banner has shiny foil fish, shells, dolphins, and crabs attached with it. -POP- "Ah!" Adam jumps as a puny gunshot was fired next to him, along with a few lines of color and paper confetti next to him. He sees a fat, old, grumpy-looking old man with a small, cheap popper in his hands, wearing the same rubber overalls, a captain's hat, and a large coat. "Adam... Fuckin Adam." Captain says as he claps his shoulder hard, "It's fuckin good to have you back, ya tough son of a bitch." He growls with a grin. "A-Ah, what? Th-Thanks..." "Adam, this is Captain." Luther tells him, "He's your boss here at the Fish House." "O-Oh, I see, nice to meet you." Adam said as he shook his hand. "Meet me?" Captain growled, "Hells bells, fishboy, I visited you in the damn hospital." "You visited him, once." Luther smirked, "While he was still in a coma." "I'm sorry..." Adam says lowly. "I'm just fuckin with you, fishboy, loosen up." Captain slaps his shoulders and shook him a little, "Thought fags knew all'about that." "Grugger!" Luther said defensively, "Don't call him that, please??" "Bryant, if I had a problem with fags, I wouldn't let your boy go messing around with my fish. I say what I want." "A bit more discreetly though??" Luther said, "It's only his first day back on the docks." "I don't go by any politically correct shit, or any easy-going shit." Captain says as he makes Adam stagger with a shove on the back, "Lookit him. He can take a beating, yeah? Still fuckin standing after all that fuckin shit!" "G-Grugger, please, just..." Luther said, getting a little worried about the rough man-handling. "Lay off, Bryant. Your boy's tough as fuckin nails." He growls. Adam can't help but feel flattered... Even though he hardly knows what this guy is saying. "Ok, but... Me and my wife have to go back to Washington tomorrow, so can you just-" "Yeah yeah, I fuckin know." Captain scowls, "I have my good eye on him, he'll be fine." "Alright, just... Tell the `crew' to take it easy on him? He's still trying to get used to all this-" "Yeah yeah, I gotta go hit the head, show him what he needs to do." Captain said as he slumps around them, and passed though the swinging doors. "Uh..." Adam looks after him as he and Luther walk on, "Is he... Really my boss?" "Hahaha, yeah." Luther said, "He's a colorful character... Or used to be. He's very rough around the edges and very blunt, but he's a decent man. As long as you do your job right, he doesn't have much to yell about. "Right..." Adam says as he walks with him. "Adam! Hey buddy!" Harold says as he claps Adam's shoulders. "H-Hey, Harold, hi." Adam smiles as he recognizes this guy -- he's come to the docks a few times, this man works here, and he and his wife visited him at the psychiatric ward once or twice. "Oh my God, ADAM!!!" Squeals a lanky woman in the same uniform as they are, "I didn't know you were back!" She gives Adam a tight hug. "Easy there, he just barely got here." Luther says as he and Adam continue to go. "Oh snap, Adam!" Says someone else as they pass by. "Dad, does everyone here know me?" Adam asked. "A lot of them do, yes. You've been working here ever since you moved to Hawaii, you have some serious roots here. About 10 years here." "Whoa..." Adam says as he looks about and around him. With Luther dressed in a brand new uniform, he shows Adam one of the cart-tanks with a huge hose connecting to it, and to the ocean. "So, part of your job is to deliver fish or crustaceans to the local areas on the pier." He explains as the tank fills up with seawater. "Sometimes you need the tanks to transport live crabs or lobsters, or other living specimens." They walk to another cart, with trays of ice and fish laid out, "Other times, you just need to deliver these." "Ok." Adam says, jotting down a few notes on a small pad. "Or sometimes, you're to work at the small fish market in the Fish House, selling souvenirs or seafood. You were in cashier training at the psychiatric ward, right?" "Y-Yeah, I was." "That's good, one of the others would probably fill you in then." "And is that part of the job?" Adam asks as he points out the employees that are fishing over the rail. "Hahah, in a matter of speaking. The Captain technically calls it, `Testing the hook and tackle merchandise manufactured here'. But really, it's just an excuse so his employees can fish for up to an hour if they want." "Can we start with that?" Adam asked with a smile. "Hahaha, no, we need to get you started on the main job. Come on." Both of them put on thick rubber gloves, and start to put moving crabs into the tank. Once loaded with the required amount of water and crabs, Luther shows Adam the controls of the cart, and teaches him to drive it. They take the crabs to a restaurant, where a manager signs for it, and gives Adam a couple of dollars for a tip. After a couple of hours of doing pier-work, Luther and Adam sit at the dock behind the Fish House, both of them having a fishing rod with a line in the water. "You getting the picture of it?" "Yeah. I kinda like this job." Adam says with a smile. "I don't know how I can put it, but I like being here." "Hahaha. You've always been fascinated by the sea, ever since you were a little boy." Luther chuckles, "One time, you actually told me you wanted to be a shark when you grow up." "What??" Adam laughs. "Hahah, you were so adorable about it." "Hey so, um, Dad..." "Yeah?" "I uh... I kind of want to ask you about something, and... I'm kind of uncomfortable with asking Mom about it..." "Oh? What is it?" "Well... Lately... I've been having some weird... Feelings..." "Weird how?" "Well... It's like... I feel really weird when I'm around Merrick... Like, I feel shaky and nervous, but it's like, I want to see him all the time." "Oh. Oh damn, uh..." Luther winces as he turns his head, "Uh... Are you sure you don't want to talk about this with your mother?" "Not really... I don't really comfortable with telling her this." "Uh... Christ, can't believe I have to have this talk again, uh... How about Jamal? I'm sure he can fill you in. Or Yuri, she's a doctor, and-" "Daaad. Stop beating around the bush." Adam frowned, "I got enough of that from everyone at the ward." "Dammit, why did you have to say `Bush'? Haaaahh, ok." Luther groaned stubbornly, "Alright. See, when a man and a woman are together, they... Their bodies react in certain ways, that... They are attracted to each other, and want to spend some time alone together, and... Well, feel each other's bodies, and... Yeah... And when their bodies get excited from these feelings they have for one another, they... Put their private areas together and... Yeah, things go from there... It's called `sex', or `intercourse'." "But Merrick isn't a woman, Dad." "I know, I know. And sometimes... A man is attracted to a man, and a woman is attracted to a woman. It's strange for a lot of people, but from what I gather, it's as normal as everyone else." "Ok, sooo... Me and Merrick, I think I might be... You said attracted to him?" "No, I didn't say that. But yes, you are." "Oh." Adam nods, "W-What's it called when a man is attracted to another man?" "It's called homosexuality. Or else known as gay." "I see..." Adam looks at Luther's facial expressions and gestures, "Dad, why are you looking like that?" "Like what?" "Like... You don't like telling me this." "Well, first off, having the Sex Talk with your kid is awkward enough, and I had to do it when you were a teenager. And... You are homosexual." "Yeah... I think I get it now... But you look like you're not..." "Adam." Luther puts his hand on his shoulder, "You are my son, and I will always love you. But when we found out you were gay... I had a harder time coming to terms with the idea. Your mother was fine with it completely, but I..." Luther sighed, "I tried to cope with it fine, but being gay just seemed to be causing a lot of problems for you..." "What do you mean?" "The reason why you live here, Adam... When you were in school, you were bullied at lot when you came out. It got so bad that we had to take you out of school, and you were old enough to move out on your own, so you came here..." "Oh..." Adam nods, taking it in. "And... It's also the reason why you were hospitalized." "What?" Adam gives him a strange look, "Mom said I was attacked, that's how I was so injured." "Yes... But that is the reason you were attacked in the first place, Adam..." Luther said regrettably, "See... A lot of people, bad people... They hate homosexuals so much, some of them think they're better off dead. They targeted you, even though you are a good person. You didn't deserve what you got, it was horrible." "I don't understand..." Adam shakes his head, "Why do people hate them so much?" "Haahhh... I'm not sure myself. Something about the bible and God, but what these people do just seems more extreme than it needs to be in my opinion..." Luther sighs as he looks at Adam, "And I'm ashamed to admit it, there were times where I blamed your sexual preferences for the things that happened to you. Once or twice, I even thought we could change you so you wouldn't have to go through what you did." "Change?" "Some parents send their kids to gay-conversion therapy. Where they make them straight. Your mother knows though that would have only made it that much worse for you. I admit, I'm still a little ignorant about it, but..." "You still wish I wasn't... Gay, was it?" "Adam. As I said." Luther tells him, "You are my son. My good, hardworking, gay son. And I wouldn't have you any other way." Adam blinks with a happy notion, and finds himself smiling. ~~~ "Whoa shit, really??" Nick says with his eyebrows raised, he and Merrick stocking the shelves with very expensive dildos at Lovers. "Yeah. It just came out of nowhere. He just asked me, flat out, if he can kiss me." "Man, that sounds hot." Nick grins. "When we were kissing, he was so cute, he was breathing hard and shaking, trying to copy the way I was moving my mouth." "You git deep in his mouth?" "No, we didn't get THAT far in." Merrick chuckles, "I wish, I missed that mouth." "Hahahaha, right??" "And it actually goes further than that." Merrick smirked. "Fuck, man, details." "After we kissed for a while, he laid back, and I snuggled up next to him." Merrick smiles, "Then he started to feel me around." Merrick gestures his hands around his torso, "You know, like this?" "Ahhh man, he wants you, man." Nick gloats as he picks up a couple of fleshlights. "Yeah, he does." Merrick gives a very sly grin, "He really, really does~" "Oh snap." Nick raises his eyebrows, "You guys fucked?" "Ahahah, nooo." Merrick shook his head, "Again though, I wish. After a while, things are getting nice and cuddly... And honestly I was rock-hard just when he started hugging me in the kitchen." "Wow, man. When was the last time you got off?" "Ummm..." Merrick looks up, pondering... "I don't have a clue." "What??? Are you serious, man?!" "Yeah. I think I haven't cum since before this whole thing started. God, and when he grabbed my dick..." "Oh fuck man!" Nick laughs as he hits Merrick's arm, "You fuckin... But still, I can't even last a couple days without blowing my load." Nick snickers. "No, we didn't have sex. He just gave me a handjob." Merrick corrects him. "Hahah, bet you were all over him, huh?" Nick nodded to him. "Nope. I may be fish, but this time I just let the big stud come to me~ Me and my rod~" "Shit, man, you getting ME hard." Nick picks up the empty box and folded it flat. "Yeah, I didn't last long at all." Merrick tells him, "And oh my God, it felt so good. Fuck, it felt like I came for the first time. Fffff... God, I want to do so much." "I still can't believe you went without jacking off over 3 months, man." "I still can't believe Adam touched me at all." Merrick counters, "Before, when I was at the ward, he basically threw me out. Now he's back home..." He smiles as he looks out the window, "It's like he's picking up where he left off..." "Hey, remember." Nick nudged Merrick before he opened the next box, "It's been a long time for him too." "I know, right?" Merrick chuckled, "I wanted to blow him right then and there, but Donna is VERY explicit on how much I do with him." "I say he's wantin you to do a LOT more with him." "That's what I'm thinking too, but... It's like, it's better if I don't try that hard." "Ahhh, what?" Nick quirked a brow, "C'mon, man. Yo bear needs DICK, dude!" "As my Father says," Merrick continues, "If you want someone to really trust you, don't tell them at all." "Like, let him come to you?" "Exactly. If I told Adam, `It's ok, you can trust me,' That's only going to partially convince him. Anybody can tell you to trust them, it's that easy. He's probably heard that a lot by now, so with me NOT saying it, it makes me stand out. Or as you humans say, `Actions speak louder than words'." "And man, he is fuckin talking your ass off." Nick teased as his hand makes a jerking motion at his crotch. "Not yet, Nicky. But soon..." Merrick says with lidded eyes, stroking a very fluffy magenta pillow like a cat, "Soon he will come to me in need of release. And I, the merciful guide of twinkhood, shall oblige. He will have no choice. He will come. And he will come again. And again. And again. AND again." He says while petting the pillow. "Phghghgh... Dude, you realize that pillow says `Pussy', right?" Nick points out. Merrick looks on it, and sees the indicated word in shiny red thread in cursive, "You strokin pussy, man!" "Ewgh!" Merrick tosses it at him. Before ducking and grabbing a penis cushion. "Better..." "Fuck, man, you gettin, me on, ahahah. How bout a BJ for me? Yeah?" Nick said with a wink. Merrick quirks his brow at him. "You know Nick, I would, but I'd never get the taste of nickel out of my mouth from your Prince Albert." He retorts as he throws the pillow at him. "It's fuck-gold, bitch." Nick retorts. "Yeah right. Your dick turn green yet?" Merrick says as he turns to get something from the back. "Get on your knees and fuckin find out~!" Nick called. "You're a SLUT!" Merrick shouted back. ~~~ "Things are... Feeling great, actually..." Adam says he and Donna walks along the aquarium, hoping the oceanic exhibits might jog a few memories... "I love working at the Fish House, it just seems like the kind of thing I go for." "That's very good to hear." She said with a smile, "You've really come a long way. Has your head been hurting at all?" "No, not since I came home." Adams with a smile, "Though... I had this horrible nightmare last night..." He says, "I can't remember much of it, but I just remember I was in a lot of pain." "Oh no..." Donna looks to him, "What else do you remember?" "None of anything, really." Adam answers, but he ponders a bit, before bringing up something that's been on his mind... A lot. "Hey, Mom... There's this... One thing I've been wondering. I've been thinking about it for a while." "Oh? What is it, honey?" "Well... You know Merrick, right?" As he was mentioned, Donna's hesitates as they walk, "He used to volunteer at the psychiatric ward, right?" "Yes he did. He came everyday... Well, except when he pulled that stunt with you. What about him?" "Could you uh... Tell me what he's like?" "Merrick?" Donna thinks for a moment, "Well, he's a hard worker in several ways. He's rather energetic and active, but reserved and collected at the same time. He shoulders an immense innate sense of responsibility -- he has a tendency to be a lot harder on himself than he should be when something goes wrong. He is also on the naïve side when it comes to direct situations, but he is very self-aware. He can be a bit difficult to talk to at times -- he and I tend to disagree and argue, but that's just because we don't always see things the same way. He is very reliable in terms of morals and behavior, though. From what he says, he comes from a strict upbringing by his Father, while his Mother nurtured his softer side in feeling to other people." "Oh... Anything else?" "That's him in a hundred words or so. Why do you ask?" "Well..." Adam shifts around, and sits up, "He's been spending some time around me, and I... I want to know, is he... Like, dangerous?" "Dangerous?" Donna looks at him curiously, "I wouldn't exactly say that. He does have a bad temper on him -- when he's angry, he lets everyone know. He's a lot stronger than he looks too; I've seen him punch a wall of wood logs down, but that was when he was absolutely furious, and that was just once from all the time I've known him." "Um... Anything else? Are you, are you sure he's a... You know, good guy, or something?" "On the whole, yes, Merrick is a good man. He and I clash heads time to time on a personal level, but he's rather upfront and forthcoming, if a little headstrong." Donna glances at a large, cylindrical tank of rays and sunfish, "Was there something he did that concerned you?" "Well, uh... I know you don't want to talk about too much of my past, but..." Adam shifts a little more, "I was told that... He was the reason I was put in the hospital." Donna stops walking, causing Adam to stop a couple seconds after, and turn to her as she blinks curiously at him, "Adam, who told you that?" "Oh- uh... Just... someone I know, who visited me a while back..." "Hmph," Donna scoffed as she adjusts her purse, "I highly doubt is was any friend of yours if that's what they said about Merrick. That isn't true at all." "Really?" Adam asks as he looks at her. He can't help but feel relieved and reassured. "Well actually... I can only think of one person who would say something like that -- a coworker of yours at a nightclub with a rather obnoxious attitude, I never know just what might come out of HER mouth, but I can't imagine her making that sort of statement, joke or not." So Jessica did lie... About every single little thing... Merrick didn't hurt him... He wasn't the reason he nearly died... "Though, if you want to know a strange tidbit," Donna said, getting Adam's attention again, "If you were to ask Merrick himself, I'm sure he wouldn't disagree." "Huh?" Adam looks up at her, "What do you mean?" "As I mentioned, Merrick has a tendency to hold a lot of responsibility. It's really not hard for him to put the blame on himself when something horrible happens that concerns him. And I can tell you that you and him..." Donna looks intently at Adam, hesitating, before sighing, "The two of you were really close. He was away at the time you were hospitalized, and he blames himself for what happened." "That doesn't make any sense." Adam says, "You said I was beaten up in a parking lot, right? He had nothing to do with it, and if he wasn't there at the time, how can it be his fault?" "That's just the way he is." Donna says as she shrugs, "You could ask him yourself, if you want HIS side of it." "Maybe..." Adam trails off while they walk to the otter exhibit. He chuckles as he looks up of the glass wall of the tank, seeing the otters jump in and dive down, spiraling down... His head gets foggy again as he blinks. He can imagine a different kind of sea otter swimming in the tank. This one's fur is imprinted with tribal designs along his sides, where the brown meets a cream-colored underbelly. It's also wearing a belt and straps around his body made of seashells, right before a large, blue fish looms around the otter, swimming playfully with it. "W-What the??" He blinks again, but sees no such fish, or the peculiar otter -- just the ones playing with the plastic toys inside the water, before he walks with Donna away from it. ~~~ "Aight, you ready to head home?" Jamal asks as he and Adam walk out of the surf equipment shop -- Adam wants to hit the beach soon, and needs some new stuff for it. "Sure, I..." Adam glances, and spots Merrick from across the street, "Oh wait, there's Merrick!" "Ah shit, no kiddin?" Jamal raises his eyebrows as he sees Adam start to run off the curb. "HEY! Merr-" "ADAM, shit!" Jamal yanks him back, just as a car drives by, honking his horn, "Man, are you crazy?!" "W-What, I-I" "We take the cross-walk, man!" Jamal scolds him as they jog over to it. "YO MERRICK!" "Huh?" Merrick turns around, and smiles as he sees Jamal and Adam across, "Oh hey!" He beams as they cross the traffic lights, and come to him, "Are you guys heading back home?" "Yeah, we was bout to go home. You wanna come with?" "Sure, I'm done shopping." Merrick smiled. "A-Actually, would it be ok if uh..." Adam says, "If we uh... If me and Merrick stuck around here for a while? Maybe show me some of the stores around here?" "Uh, you sure, man?" Jamal says, "You know Merrick doesn't drive, right?" "I do know the bus routes though," Merrick said, "I never take my moped to this part of town, it's too crowded to ride it." "Well..." Jamal shrugs as he thinks about it, "I gotta git home and walk Sally, but I don't think Adam should be here without someone without a car." "I'm find, Jamal." Adam says, "I, ahem..." Adam looks sheepish, "I trust Merrick." "Egh... Still don't like it." Jamal says, "I think you should come home with me." "It's fine, Jamal. I can look after him." Merrick says as he holds Adam's shoulders. "He's safe with me." Jamal takes a deep breath, before answering after a huff, "Aight, you guys be careful then. If anything happens, I want you to call me now, like yesterday. Or if I can't git to you, call Bertha or Jerry from the club, they're the closest." "Got it. I have their numbers." Merrick nods. "Aight... Be careful now, both a'yall." He tells them before he turns to leave. "So," Merrick says as Adam turns to him, "Where do you wanna go?" "Um... Where ever." Adam grins with a shrug, "I think I'm getting a little hungry." "Ok, sure. Lets go to Magic Dragon Teriyaki, you love that place." "Ok, lead the way." Adam says as they walk together. As they go, Adam doesn't try to take in scenes and surroundings like he usually does wherever he goes. He's more preoccupied at Merrick. He steals glances at him every chance he gets... Images of his hand inside Merrick's pants and rubbing his dick is still swimming in his head. The way Merrick moved, the way he moaned, the sounds, how he just laid there and let Adam play with him like that... It's almost like what Jessica did to him. She told Adam to trust her, and then she molested him. Nothing about what she did felt right or good. She made him feel terrified and filthy. But Merrick... He didn't tell Adam to do anything. He just... Accepted things as they happened. He cuddled with Adam and touched him in a way that makes his insides feel so light and flustered. Adam reached to Merrick's groin, and it turned into something thrilling and suspenseful, and it makes him want more. His own dick was so hard while he pleasured Merrick... Adam's hand twitched as he moved it to the side, his face feeling hot as they two of them walked, glancing down at Merrick's free hand. His chest pounding, his hand moved, and his fingers brushed against Merrick's. "Hm?" Merrick turns his head, and down to see Adam's hand carefully touching his fingers. He looks up to see Adam's face in a mixture of fear and uncertainty. Merrick chuckles as his hand grips Adam's palm and brings it up. Adam blushes as Merrick kisses his fingers, before letting them back down. "Hhh.... Okeh..." Adam muttered as they continued to walk, holding hands. His chest and stomach feels wild and excited, shaking all over his body as they continue on their way. "Omhf!" Suddenly they bump into somebody, a man with dark hair and white skin. He shoves at Adam as he leers at him, "Watch it, freak." He scowls at him. Adam suddenly feels a lightning bolt shoot inside him. Everything goes into slow motion as he looks at this passing aggressor's face. His eyes follow his as everything gradually progressed around him, even as the man's eyes stayed into his peripheral angle. Glimpses of darkness and echoes ring and flash across Adam's eyes. His chest feels cold and solid while his limbs go numb. `Get him! Hold him back, dammit!' He can't move, his body jerked about. His wrists hurt as his arms are yanked back. Adam stands in horror as all sorts of sensations of agony jump through his head. A crowbar swings quickly. Cracks of pain explode invisibly everywhere. Adam screams, only to have a thick, wet brush shoved in his mouth, and take in a horrible taste. `Paint him nice and pretty.' Echoes a sadistic voice. "Adam? Adam, are you ok?" Merrick's voice distinctly reaches out. He can't even feel his hands grip his shoulders. `Geheh, fuckin faggot.' Says a grin under a black handkerchief, covering all of their faces, leering at him as the sounds and noises echoes around all of the parked cars. -BAM- -PUNCH- -GKKLL- He punches and beats on him as Adam is held wide open for the attacks. `I've wanted to do this for years, fuckin fudge-packer!' "Hah... Wha, oh my ghoh, fuck..." Adam pants, his chest starting to hurt. "Hoh my fucking God." He whimpers loudly, his arms twitching as he walks backwards. "Adam! Speak to me! What's going on with you?!" Exclaims a flash of bright yellow hair as he feels yanks and tugs around him. A fist flies directly into his stomach. `Like old times, eh fishboy?' Says an antagonizing voice. Adam shrieks his voice out before his pink dribbling mouth is blocked by a strip of duct tape, a hand smoothing it. Adam chokes as the vile paint rolls down his throat. `Here, lemme spell it out for you.' Says one of them as he takes a black sharpie, and wrote across Adam's sealed mouth. The metal weapon is winded up like a baseball bat, and it swings down Adam with raw force! Adam coughs as he doubles over, holding his stomach, gagging on nothing as he turns around, falling down onto one knee, and held his hand onto the pavement. "Adam! Adam, what's wrong?" Merrick asks with worry, "Adam-" "HHH HHH HHH HHH." Adam hyperventilates as he tries to sprint off, stepping up while looking back, but only manages several steps before he trips, "AH!" His hands and knees scrape into the pavement, "I can't breathe, I can't breath!" His voice strains out in a high pitch, still scrambling as terror lashes inside his stomach. "Hgh hgh hgh hgh hgh!" Adam yanks at everything he can get his hands on, trying to escape... Something, what is going on?! "Adam! Adam, Adam, Adam, calm down!" Merrick catches up to him, putting his arms over him. "What's going on?" Asks as a random stranger. "Is he gonna be alright? What's up?" "What happened??" Some of the passersbys are starting to notice, stopping as Adam accidentally knocks a patio chair down. "Adam, what's going on?! Talk to me!" "There's... Hhh hhhffffuck, I can't..." He whines, wheezing as he grips whatever he can hold onto. "I don't know! I don't know!" "Here, hang on, settle down." Someone says as they help pull Adam to his feet, and have him sit on a patio chair. Adam pants as he ducks his head down, digging his fingers into his hair. "It hurts. It hurts, it hurts." Adam growls with fear, clenching his eyes shut as he curls tighter. "It's ok, sir, it's ok." Says the waiter who helped him, "Wane! Get some ice and water!" "Adam, it's ok, calm down, I'm here." Merrick tells him, holding him gently as he brings up his face, "Adam, look at me. Look at me, you're with me, you're ok, I'm here." He says as those brown eyes show every ounce of pain and shock as Adam processes this panic attack. "Ghuhhghghgh." Adam ducks his head down again as Merrick holds him, rubbing his back gently as he feels his lover's fear pulsing through him. What is making him so afraid? Merrick turns his head to the direction where that jerk was walking, the one who bumped into Adam, whose already walked pretty far. His eyes lock onto the man himself as he seems to look at Adam along with a few more other people. His blood thickens with focus and anger as his instincts whisper into his mind. His eyes narrow as he memorizes that face, his throat rattling, knowing as little as he does right now. `Hiiiiimmm...' Merrick locks that man into his mind as he turns away to leave further. ---The Next Day--- Belinda coils inside her dark, cavernous Sea Spot, giggling as she ponders on the glittering jewelry she might wear for her and Harold's rendezvous. He says he's gonna surprise her with a little something~ -Slap slap slap- That should be him now, slapping upon the rock to summon the reptilian mistress. She smiles as she unfurls her long body, and slithers through the very narrow tunnel of rocks, and out to the bright and open outside of the beach under the docks. Her body recedes as she hisses mystically, turning her body into her human form while the sand coating the opening of her cave gravitates to her skin like a magnetic veil, and forms into an elegant yellow blouse as she emerges from the entrance. "Hello, my lov-" She begins, turning her head, and seeing Merrick leaning his back against the rock, his arms crossed and staring at the shore, "Merrick?" His aura seems... Aggressively troubled. As if he just received some irritating news. "What are you doing here?" She asks as she stands up. Merrick turns his gaze to Belinda's violet eyes, "Belinda. I need a favor."