Chapter Text
Dirk hadn’t seen Jake in while. He remembered seeing him along the beach at the full moon. He’d managed to convince Dirk to sit on the sand. He was still pulling it out of his hair. But he’d enjoyed it. How the moonlight reflected off the emerald-colored eyes. How the soft light of Dirk’s own bioluminance flickered shining blues off the other and reds off his scales.
He wanted to...to no. If he left again Dirk would never forgive himself.
The next day Jake had been ashen. He’d been so warm. He wanted to take him to the deepest part of the cove and hold him until he was back to a normal color and temperature. He let him go home that night.
And now he’s glad he didn’t kiss him on that full moon.
Except no.
This absence was different. Something was wrong. There was no hum of a boat engine in the distance. No beat of a big metal bird flying overhead. No. Something had to be wrong.
He had to find out. But how. He spent days circling the cove, hoping Jake would come out to the beach. And he never did. Dirk had taken to pulling at his own scales in anxiety.
Half asleep on a sunning stone in the late afternoon the wine-colored clouds passing by as he tried to think of a solution. Any solution. And it seemed to come to him. The voice of the silver-haired daughter of clay echoing in his head. Mermaids and Nymphs and Sirens all have one trick to bring us to them. They can be what we want or need.
Of course. Dirk wanted to beat himself over the head with a clamshell. His magic was around what humans wanted or needed. And right now Jake needed him to have legs.
As he seemed to figure out what was needed the water began to boil around him and he screamed. At least until he couldn’t breathe anymore. His lower gills sealing shut leaving his more decorative neck ones flapping in a panic as he darted up.
He coughed and began paddling to the shore. He looked down. He still had scales on his legs. They’d have to be kept wet. So would his neck gills. But he could walk.
Wait he could walk! He scrambled to his feet and stood his knees bent towards each other as he stumbled forward. DIrk’s legs coming out from under him and he wheezed as he tasted sand. Spitting it out he got back up and grabbed the nearest bit of brush. He could use this okay. He was a weak legged newborn. But he’d figure it out soon.
Slowly he kept going. Walking and grinning as he figured out. You had to paddle in the shallows before you could race the seals after all. But it seemed he couldn’t do this for long. He was racing against a clock to figure out what was wrong.
Stumbling through the trees he’d become more aware over time as each thorned plant ripped his flesh. Pulling at the thin frills on his arms and legs that were remnants of his beautiful long golden tail.
The jungle sun was unforgiving the more he tore through the underbrush the thirstier he became. The night was drawing close he had to keep tearing through. And so he did. Until his foot hit something painful and it broke. He made a face at the sticky fleshy feel of a fruit. He looked down and picked it up. It was wet. But not water. But it might be edible.
He looked up and turned his head spotting a small...well small compared to the cove place of residence. He darted towards it. He tore open the door like a crazed man...fish man. Heh. Until he heard something shatter and confused noise.
He turned his head and saw Jake. His beautiful earthen skin and beautiful green eyes. A perfect sculpture of the earth. Dirk felt relief flood him until he tried to speak. A high pained noise leaving him instead. His throat burned. It itched. He clawed at the gills there as Jake made a panicked noise and was moving to him.
“Dirk! You’re naked!” he said and was moving. He turned on a faucet and grabbed a cloth. He wet it and moved over tying it around his throat. Dirk looked at him confused. Why? Jake was the one in trouble right.
He was still so warm. His earthy skin was so pale. More like the color of dried-out dirt rather than the warm wet clay that the earth worked into beautiful creations. Dirk grabbed his face and tried to speak again this time words coming out,” Jake. Okay?” he asked looking at him.
“Is that why you are in my house naked! Because you were worried!” he asked earning a nod and a big fishy blink. Regardless Jake smiled,” I’ve just got a cold Dirk. I needed to make soup and rest a few days.” He said softly,” But you just scared the dickens out of me. So my soups kinda on the floor now. Let’s get you dressed now.”
Dirk can’t help the giddy feelings that twist in his gut. Spinning and spiraling around as Jake leads him to a room with more water sources. Dirk follows acutely aware of how his leg muscles seemed to twitch.
Jake sat him down by the sink. A mild noise of discomfort leaving him as the cold porcelain touched the dry scales. His hand reaching down he clawed at his scales. Jake’s hand smacking it.
“Stop it. Those are dry. You’ll scale yourself if you’re not careful.” he said. He squeezed a tube. The white paste oozing out as he put it on a white stick with more white fluff. He let Jake put it on some of his worse scratches. Jake getting out more long wraps of bandages. Dirk watched as he wound them around his arms. Wider bandages going around his torso. Covering the worse of bruises and scratches.
His hands have callouses on them. Dirk doesn’t think as he grabs Jake’s hand and kisses it. He hears Jake’s breath catch and he looks at him. Eyes through golden lashes.
Jake clears his throat. “Let me go get you some water.” He said and pulled his hand away from Dirk. Dirk looked at him sadly. Did he do something wrong? Did humans not share such gentle affection between people who want lovers? Did Jake not want him as a lover?
But before long Jake’s returned. He gives him something that looks tight. But it’s damp. It looks like it’ll fit his legs. He slides them on. And looks at Jake. Jake clears his throat. His cheeks look tinted. Like they did when the sun-kissed him too much with her gentle rays.
Dirk can’t help but smile. Jake’s freckles dot his nose like stone dots the earth.
“Do you still need to eat? Let me help you clean up.” Dirk offered already going to move past him. He didn’t need a shirt. He didn’t know how his body would change based on what Jake wanted. He just hoped Jake was happy with him like this.