Chapter Text
The waves of the Atlantic Ocean lapped peacefully against the shoreline, a briny breeze ghosting against Newt Geiszler’s face as he inhaled deeply, the feeling of home enveloping him with each breath. Florida was hot, and stuffy, and Newt knew that a leather jacket probably wasn’t appropriate attire for the weather but everything else about this six-month research post had been a colossal disaster so far, so why not add physical discomfort to the mix.
He’d already been berated by three senior academics for how he chose to present himself, had found out that half of his research money had been lost ‘somewhere’ and he would have to recoup the losses via expense claims, and had been put up in some shit-hole apartment at least half an hours walk away from the University because of a mix-up that would ‘soon be rectified I’m sure’. He was almost ready to just call the whole thing off and finish his research back home at the Max Planck Institute, but no, he had to persevere. There was no way he could successfully study the significant differences in marine life within the Atlantic Ocean if he couldn’t physically get to any other part of the Atlantic Ocean than the North Sea. That he was having to repeat his official research proposal and subsequent visitation request to convince himself was probably a bad sign though.
At least he had this though. This sense of calm and tranquillity that never failed to calm the whirlwind of worries in his mind. It reminded him of days spent with his dad and uncle as a teenager in a fishing boat in the North Sea. Before he could travel too deeply into reminiscent territories, he caught sight of a small ripple followed by a splash and what briefly looked like a medium to large sized tail fin.
Medium to large though? Large sea-life didn’t usually swim this close to the shoreline unless injured. Most were clever enough to know that humans couldn’t be trusted. Newt could respect that, could even relate to that somewhat. It was partly the reason he had chosen marine life as his specialist subject. Well, that, and it was easier to get to the ocean than it was to get to space.
Another unnatural ripple just below the inky surface of the water, only about 50 metres from the shoreline and inching ever closer, had Newt ditching his initial confusion and putting his ‘marine biologist’ head back on. This could, after all, be a sea creature in trouble and he just wouldn’t be Newton Geiszler if he let it die when he had the power to help.
He’d just turned to see if he could spot a ‘free’ fishing boat that always seemed to be parked up on the shorefront when he heard a rustle that sounded suspiciously close behind him. Upon turning back round he couldn’t see anything,
“Hello?” He called, willing his voice to sound a bit braver than he actually felt. He hadn’t heard of many murders occurring along this particular shoreline, but there was always a possibility, “Is anyone out there? Look, if you wanna be skinny dipping in the middle of the night that’s on you, some of us just want to be walking, you know?” Ah, yes, common sense thy name is Geiszler, “I bet it’s nicer in there though isn’t it” Sometimes he cursed his own lack of brain-to-mouth filter and inability to shut up when there was a very real chance of murder.
It was silent again. Eerily silent. So silent that he was about to just turn tail and run, when all of a sudden he caught sight of a flash of something pale behind a nearby rock jutting out of the ocean, it was just a milliseconds worth of movement, but it was enough to pique Newt’s interest. The aforementioned rock was only 10 metres out and easy to wade to. So with that thought in mind, and careful to not take his eyes off the rock just in case he missed any more movement, he slowly removed his boots and socks and began his journey.
Half way there and still no sign of anymore movement and Newt was beginning to wonder if it was just a figment of his imagination when he saw it. A face peering from behind the rock, hidden up to the chin under the water,
“Hey, man, what’re you doing out here?” He panted as he dragged his legs through the water, gripping on to the rock when he finally reached it, “Probably not a great idea to be going for a paddle on your own, I gotta say”
He got a tilt of the head as a response, at least he thought that’s what it was, the person was still shrouded in shadow, weirdly still under the water’s surface, “You’re not stuck are you? You’ve not gone and busted your leg on a rock or something?” Still no real response, “Look, sorry about accusing you of skinny dipping earlier… you’re not are you?” Nothing, “Whatever, doesn’t matter really, but if you want help I can get you back to the shore and call someone? Friends, family, hospital, you know whatever?”
He could make out some rapid blinking from the person in front of him, and then something brushed against his leg and quickly retreated. Brushing it off to focus again, he caught sight of the person attempting to move in the opposite direction and without thinking he grabbed hold of their arm and pulled them back towards the less-shadowed side of the rock,
“Wait, no, you need-” And the rest of what his ‘rescuee’ needed died on his tongue as he finally got a look at the ‘persons’ features, or to more precise, he zeroed in on the pointed fin-like versions of ears on the side of the head, then looking down he noticed that the arm he’d grabbed onto had similar fins dancing up from the wrist to the elbow. He quickly released the arm, eyes wide and a bit panicked as he stumbled backwards. Then his last coherent thought was ‘Oh yeah, moving in water isn’t easy’ as he felt himself falling backwards towards the rock that had been so interesting beforehand.
***
He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out of it, but the next thing he knew he could feel soft sand underneath him and waves lapping at his bare feet. Blinking the blurriness from his eyes, he could see the face from before above him, a surprisingly soft finger running down one ear, apparently so immersed in memorising its shape that the creature hadn’t noticed him waking up.
He almost wanted to stay still and silent and let the other study him, it was an interesting feeling, being on the other side of ‘research’, however all of his nerve endings came to life at once and he was hit with the mother of all migraines and just couldn’t hold back the groan of pain that escaped him.
The hand drew back instantly, webbed fingers curling into the palm and face now turned to look at him. Newt almost forgot the pain he could feel now that he could get a good look at the feature that had so startled him before. What he’d thought was just pale skin was in fact shades of blue, green and iridescent scales running around the outer perimeter of the face and neck, fading into incredibly pale skin in the centre and covering the expanse of the chest, the same scales covered most of the hands and the ears and Newt had to wonder if the creature had more matching scales elsewhere, the eyes were larger than the average person, but didn’t look that different in general, and there was a patch of normal-looking, if shoddily styled, dark hair atop the head.
“Who are you?” He couldn’t help but ask, even with his speech slightly slurred and stilted.
The creature raised an eyebrow (‘normal eyebrows and eyelashes as well’ Newt’s brain helpfully noted) and tilted their head in that same manner as before, and then the next action came as a surprise to him,
“You’re heavier than you appear, and significantly denser than I had first assumed, to come wandering in to dark waters by yourself,” Newt certainly wasn’t expecting a decidedly male sounding, overly posh British accent to come from the mouth of the creature in front of him, and Newt was about to protest the accusations before a small smile appear on those thin lips, “But you are interesting, and very pleasing to the eye. I would so hate to see anything bad happen to you.” Those same lips twisted slightly and suddenly a small vial appeared in front of his face, procured from a bag that Newt hadn’t noticed before now, “Please, take this,”
Not that he had much choice with the vial pressed to his lips and he only just remembered to relax his throat to allow the surprisingly sweet tasting liquid to flow down. Another smile graced the creature’s mouth, so at least Newt had something pleasant to look at if he had just had poison forced down his throat.
“That should allow you feel well enough to go to one of your healing centres,” The creature announced, “Please do so, as soon as possible”
Then he felt a pair of cold lips press lightly against his forehead before the creature backed its way back in to the water. Newt scrambled up to a crawling position quickly, ignoring the now dissipating throbbing in his head, “Wait” He called, almost desperately.
The creature stopped its retreat, and turned to him questioningly.
“I don’t even know your name?”
That small frown appeared again and Newt was worried that he wasn’t supposed to ask.
“I-” The creature started, then paused, “My name isn’t pronounceable in your given language”
Newt deflated a little, “Oh,” He sighed, then perked up slightly, “Well, can I give you a nickname?”
“A what?”
“Like, something that I can refer to you as” Not really an accurate explanation, but it was easier, he decided as he got to his feet and made his way into the shallows of the water, until he was within touching distance where he got back down to his knees,
“Why would you want to?”
He was being eyed warily now and so he gave a small shrug, “I don’t know really” He answered lamely, “I’d like to see you again though?”
The creature looked down, worrying its lips between its teeth. There was silence for a long while and now Newt was truly worried that he’d pushed a bit too much. A quick glance out to the far ocean, and then back to Newt, and then with a small gulp and a slight movement closer, scaled hands gripped his own suddenly and a decision seemed to have been made, “Two nights. Give me two nights and then I will come back here, at this same time” One hand released his to point away, “At that same rock, yes?”
Newt nodded eagerly, “Of course, yes, definitely”
He received a wide smile in return and an extra squeeze to the hand, before the creature was gone in a flash, leaving Newt somewhat dumbstruck and awed, with just a couple of thoughts going through his head,
‘Did I just get insulted, then flirted with, by a merman?’ followed by, ‘Did I just ask a merman for a date?’