Aquata Cove Ch. 71

"Hey now, come on," Yuri pushed her finger to push up Adam's chin, "I don't think it's pointless, and neither will he." She said, "He's human enough to know this is a big deal, especially if it's clear that it means a lot to you."

"But Yuri, I-"

"Adam." Yuri said, "He let you down only once before." She said, sparking a look of hurt and attention in those brown eyes looking at her, "What makes you so sure he's going to let himself do it again?" Adam's eyes watered as he sniffled, before wiping his eyes, "Hey," She put a gentle hand onto Adam's face, "You've waited long enough."

Adam choked as he smiled, "You always know what to say"

The clock chimes 3:00, turning both their heads. Yuri looks, and turns back to him. "It's 3 on the dot. He's getting off in a while." Yuri said softly as she straightened his jacket, "You better get moving" She hugs Adam for a moment, and he hugs her back.

"I'll see you there..." Adam parted the hug, and turned to get his helmet.

Yuri smiles as she watches him leave, before she turns to see Arnaav, still wrapped in his towel, "Yuri?" His innocent eyes look up at her curiously, "What's going on?"

She chuckled, and walked to him to her room, "It's kinda complicated... I'll explain later, but we need to get dressed first."

~~~

Adam's motorcycle roars down the scenic route with the wall of trees to his right, and mighty rocks overseeing the ocean to his left. His eyes glance up to see Jamal walking along the rocks with Sally on her leash. He waves to Adam as his motorcycle slows down, until it rumbled to a stop next to him. Adam pulls off his helmet, and gets off for a sec.

"Hey, man," Jamal greeted.

"H-Hi..." Adam responded.

"You ready to do this?" Jamal asked.

"No clue... I just... Agh..." Adam shook his head, "I honestly feel I'm about to keel over..."

"Aight." Jamal took a moment to cross his arms, "Lemme ask ya somethin, been on mah mind couple a times." He said, "On the gay cruise, you told me you weren't sho what you feelin for Merrick was real or not, right?"

"Something like that..." Adam said, "I said I'm not sure if I really love him, or if something's MAKING me love him..."

"Uh-huh." Jamal then pats his fist at Adam's chest, "Ya feel that? Like you gonna have a heart attack any moment?"

"M-Mhm..." Adam nods.

"That feel fake to you?" Jamal asked.

"I... I-It's a bit more complex than that-"

"No, it aint'." Jamal said, "That right there." Jamal pokes his finger at Adam's leather-clad chest, "That's all you man." Adam chuckled and scoffed a little, "You guys do anything fo each other, aight?" He pointed to him, "So I don't wanna hear you bitchin about feeling like ya might not actually like him."

"Jamal..."

"I know, because I used to feel like that, back when I had Cheryl." Jamal said solemnly, "No matta how it turns out, you better know that it's all real. Aight?"

"Ok..." Adam nods, and gives Jamal's shoulder a firm squeeze, "Thank you, buddy."

"No problem, mah brutha." Jamal grinned. Adam chuckled as his eyes rimmed with moisture again, before they pull in for a manly hug.

"You better come, ok?" Adam said as he mounted his motorcycle again.

"C'mon, man, who you talkin to??" Jamal holds his arms open as he walks backward, "Ah ALWAYS come!"

Adam snickered harshly as his helmet mushed onto his head, before his motor sparked into life, and he was on his way again.

"C'mon, Salls." Jamal said he had his dog trot beside him.

~~~

Captain grunts as he turns the hatch of one of his tank-carts, and slides it open. Once that's done, he takes one of the thick, wide hoses, and seals it to the tank, and switches the mechanism on. With a hum of the machine, the hose channels a gush of sea water into the empty tank, quickly filling up the glass box.

Harold walks in, having just gotten clocked into work after he and Belinda arrived for an unusual visit to their Winter home. He adjusts his Fish House cap, and pulled at the straps of his overalls, when he sees his salty, old boss filling up a tank.

"Captain? What're you doing? I thought we weren't using the tanks because of today."

"We ain't." The Captain growled.

"Theeennn why are you filling that one up?"

"For taday, I think... I can't remember shit these days..." He said.

"I REALLY hope you're not going to pull something today," Harold said, "This is really important. God, I'll never forget what you did with me when I-"

"That was a fuckin accident, and you know it, goddammit!" Captain responded, "Now mind yer business, Fish Boy, before I overflow this damn thing." Herald takes a deep breath, and sighs as he walks away. Can't argue with the boss, right?

~~~

"Mmff!" Arnaav irks uncomfortably as he tugs at the small polo shirt Yuri is having him wear, "Why do I have to keep wearing these things??

"Because you look absolutely handsome!" Yuri answered.

"That is not what I was asking." Arnaav said with a look of disapproval.

"Haha, you remind me of Merrick when he first came here. He hated wearing clothes too."

"Can you blame him?! I can't see how you humans cans stand it." Arnaav grumbled.

"Look, I just want you look nice for today. Afterwards, you can take your shirt off," She gave a stern finger, "But that's IT. Ok?"

"Fine." Arnaav continues to wince as they leave Yuri's room.

Skyler races across the floor, and climbs right up halfway the screen door, clung onto the spot, before the tiny kitten hops down and jets across again. Skyler launches his way straight at Roxas, before the kitten jumps at the last second, and dashed right away again.

"Could you tell Skyler to settle down?" Yuri said with a laugh.

"What do you mean?" Arnaav asked.

"I- Ah, never mind. Lets go." Yuri said as they went out the door, just as Jamal meets them with Sally. "Agh, THERE you are!" Yuri said, "Hurry up and get ready, you're gonna be late!"

"Quit nagging gurl I know it! Look." Jamal retorted as he opened his coat, showing her a proper outfit, preserved despite the walk with his dog. Yuri raised her eyebrows as she looked him over.

"Wow. I'm impressed." She said, "Good job this time." Jamal disconnected Sally, and came up to them.

"Yeah, well." He smirked, "Maybe you finally starting to rub off on me, huh?"

"And I didn't need a single finger to rub you at all." She said, "Forget I freaking said that."

"PFFF! Heheheeee!" Jamal laughed as he got his keys.

"Dammit..." Yuri growled, "Not letting that one go easily, are you?"

"Not fo a while!" Jamal said after locking the door.

"Just my luck."

~~~

"I swear, everytime I walk into the house," Merrick says, at the clerk desk of the Lovers store still in his uniform, "Those damn flowers get me all riled up! I almost get a boner not 2 minutes after I walk in the door."

"No way, man." Nick grinned.

"Is there a condition fo that?" Sasha asked as they stand around the clerk table.

"It's not like I'm allergic." Merrick dismissed, "It helps when I open all of the windows of the house so it won't be so concentrated. But it's getting to a point where I feel too embarrassed to go home, and Yuri just brought a couple of dozen more tulips home. It's like when a red moon is up, and I can't keep my hands off Adam- Hell, I don't even think Jamal is safe!"

"Go 'head, it's cool man." Nick shrugged, "Guy needs some white chocolate SOMETIMES, yeah?" He snickered.

"That's not the point, Nick." Merrick said with an annoyed expression, "I'm not as loose as you - in every meaning of the word."

"Honey you wish~" Nick licks his finger, and makes a hissing sound when he pokes his hip.

"Oh, just put bag of ice in yo nickas," Sasha said, "That should cool you off."

"Won't work, I tried. My mother is from the far North, ice doesn't effect me much at all."

"So she like an ice mermaid?" Sasha said.

"Pretty much. Which means I can run around naked in the middle of a tundra, and still be wanting Adam to bang me over a glacier. Which reminds me..." Merrick picks up a package with a cyan blue C-String with white, fluffy feathers on it, and several bottles of flavored lube, along with a prostate milker labeled 'Pulsator Stronic, "I need to add these to my tab."

Both Sasha and Nick laugh as Merrick brings out his debit card, snickering as Nick types in the employee purchase.

-Kunk kunk kunk-

"Hm?" The look to see Adam standing outside, holding a small bouquet of white lilies and lite blue roses, while wearing some very snazzy clothing.

"Oh, look aht that." Sasha grinned, "Looks like yoh boytoy is taking you out on a hot date~"

"Awwmy gosh, that's great~" Merrick smiled, "I'm really getting hungry too. I better go change."

"I'll hold on to your stuff till later." Nick said as he bagged Merrick's merchandise, "See ya at the Waltz tonight?"

"Oh would you? That would awesome!" Merrick went to the back to change out of his uniform.

Merrick smiles as he pushes out the EMPLOYEES ONLY door, and grinned as he saw Adam in the shop. "H-Hi babe." Adam greeted.

"Hi, stud!" Merrick trotted up to him and hugged Adam tightly. They parted, and Adam held out the flowers to him. "Oh my gosh, are these for me?"

"No, snaptrap," Sasha said, "They're fo me dear departed mum. Who ELSE would they be foh?"

"Eheheh..." Adam chuckled as his boyfriend accepted the flowers.

"Finally, some flowers that WON'T make me want to screw you silly, huh?" Merrick jested.

"M-Merrick!" Adam blushed harshly before Merrick kissed his cheek.

"C'mon, babe, lets go." Merrick took Adam's arm, and walked out the erotic shop. Adam glanced back, and saw Nick signaling Sasha to go. "Ok! Where to, Adam? Wanna go do some karaoke at King Bar? I'll buy the first round. Or maybe we can check out some other gay bar, I've been wanting to see what Rage is like."

"A-Actually," Adam interrupted, "W-We need to go to the docks..."

"The docks?" Merrick asked. He shrugged and nodded, "Sure, sounds good."

It was a short ride on Adam's motorcycle from Lovers to the Kele-Kolika Pier, where they parked outside of the docks. Adam's heart is going a mile a minute as he locked his ride, and hid his helmet at in the pouch.

"Wow," Merrick remarked as he observed some of the white and lite blue balloons around here and there, "Must be some kind of party going on."

"Y-Yeah... Merrick?" Adam said, turning to his one true love.

"Yes?" He seems so unaware...

"We need to talk..." Adam said.

"About what?" Merrick stepped around the motorcycle, "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing, i-it's ok..."

"Adam..." Merrick took a closer look to his lover, "You're shaking... Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yes, yeah, everything's fine... I just... Well, come on..." Adam took Merrick's hand, and walked him out of the parking structure, and under the copper seahorse gateway.

"Merrick." Adam said as they walked, holding hands, and into the festive-looking docks, "We have been through so much together..."

"Yes... We have." Merrick nodded, smiling as they walked in the sunset light.

"I moved here from Washington almost a decade ago." He said, "I just turned 17, single and unaware of the future..." Adam takes another of many deep breaths, "Remember how this all started? Every moment? Every minute? Ever since we first started going out?"

"Heh," Merrick chuckled as they walked, "I wouldn't exactly call it 'Going out'. I was so scared of you, of what you might do to me."

"And then you saved my life..." Adam said with a smile. Merrick nodded as he kissed Adam's cheek.

"Who knows what would have happened if I didn't?" Merrick said, "I think that sometimes, and I..."

"Merrick... I'm sorry, for what happened because of me," Adam said, "You chose me instead of your future, and you lost everything, because of me." Adam's eyes watered as he held back an emotional choke.

"I've put the past behind me, Adam," Merrick said as he hand tightened around Adam's, "I told you..."

"But you were supposed to succeed your Dad... You had your whole life planned ahead of you," Adam sniffled as they went, "And you had a family, you had people who looked up to you, you had friends, and a life goal, and I took all of that away from you without even knowing it-"

"What happened that day was not your fault." Merrick said, he looked and gasped lightly, "A-Adam! You're crying..."

"I-I'm ok, Merrick, I-"

"No, something is wrong." They stopped walking, and he stepped in front of him. "Adam, what's going on?"

"I'm fine, Merrick, I'm ok."

"Adam, it's ok. I've told you before," Merrick tenderly stroked his cheek, "If saving your life was a mistake, I'm glad I did it. And if I could go back and do things differently, I would go back, and do the exact same thing over again. And again, and again. Because no life for me, no matter what it is or what it brings me, it would never be meaningful if it meant you are not in my life."

Adam sobbed a little as a tear rolled from his brown eyes, "E-Even though you were kidnapped and tortured because of what you are... You could've avoided all that hell if you just let me die all those years ago." Adam's breathing is becoming difficult, "Even now when I think about it, all I can think about is that it's somehow my fault that you suffered for a whole month. If you knew that was going to happen to you, would you still have saved m-"

"Adam, don't say that!" Merrick hushed, "I love you, Adam. And if being with you meant that I would have to go through hell and back, I'd do it ten-fold." Adam huffed with sadness as he covered his eyes. "And thanks to you, my whole world opened up. You've shown me things I've never would've known in my old life." Merrick rubbed his hand onto Adam's cheek, "You've made me feel so many things that I never would have imagined. You've given me so much, Adam."

Merrick nudged Adam's chin up, "Now tell me what's wrong."

"N-Nothing's wrong, Merrick, I'm just... I need to ask you something. I-I need you to give me something now... I really, really need something from you, and I'm afraid that you won't..."

"Adam. What do you mean?" Merrick asked, confused by Adam's rising anxiety, "What are you so afraid of?"

"The thing is... Merrick I need to ask you something from you," Adam took both of Merrick's hands with his, "I have wanted this for so long. I have wanted this longer than you can think, and I have always wanted to ask you. T-The only reason why I never asked this of you is because... Where you come from, what we have is all you want... But you know my kind of people," Adam took a moment to wipe his eyes, "I want something more for you and me..."

"Adam, please..." Merrick said, feeling emotional himself to see so much tears coming from his mate, "Please, just tell me... I'm part of your world now. Just tell me what you need, and I'll give it to you."

"Merrick..." Adam held their hands up a little, "We've been through so much together. You've protected me just as I've protected you. I can never imagine what my life would be like if you never stumbled into my world. Despite all of the hurt and the trials we've suffered through together, I want to stand beside you until the end of time itself, and hold your hand through whatever else we'll have to deal with."

Adam sniffles and tries to control his breathing, "You've made me the happiest human alive ever since that one night under the Lunar Eclipse. The first time we laid eyes on each other, I promised myself to you before I even talked to you."

"Adam, what are you saying?" Merrick's heart begins to pound. Adam is really making his nervous now. Why is he crying so much? Is he sad or happy? He honestly can't tell. Merrick takes a moment to notice that a lot of people are around at the moment, but that doesn't matter right now. The more Adam talks, the more emotional he gets.

"Merrick, I've always told you, since the day we first met, that I will always wait for you. I will wait for you every six months if I can be with you even for just one day. I've always waited, and you've always come to me. I will always wait for you where ever you are," Adam seems to be running himself breathless from all the talking.

"But just for this moment," Adam continued with tears in his eyes, as his and Merrick's hands were brought up, "Just for this one night, just for this once instance, just this once..." Adam trembles from head to foot as he kisses Merrick's knuckles, "I can't wait anymore... I-I really can't hold it in for another minute... I couldn't make myself stay as I am for another second even if I tried... I want this moment to stay in our hearts forever..."

"Adam, I-" Merrick breathes deeply with tremendous emotion as their hands lowered.

"Merrick..." Adam moves his left leg back, and lowered himself down and descended until his knee pressed on the old wood of the dock, with his right foot firmly planted down. Kneeling down before his boyfriend, Adam lets go of one of Merrick's hands, and dug in his pocket.

"Oh Adam..." Merrick's eyes watered as he sees Adam's hand fish out a small, navy blue velvet box. He lets go of Merrick's other hand, and puts his other hand on top of the box, "Oh my God, Adam..."

"Merrick Triton Piscien," Adam opened the box to reveal a white satin-lined inside with a silver ring with diamonds welded into the band as a graceful curvy and swirly breeze. Merrick sobs as he sees the beautiful ring, twinkling in the low light, and then into Adam's moist brown eyes.

"Will you marry me?" Adam managed to ask, still shaking madly as he looks up at his blonde wonder.

Merrick closed his eyes as he covers his mouth, unable to stop himself as he too weeps from the overwhelming impact of the moment. He has no clue whether it is his human side that causing him to become overwhelmed, or if he already knows how big this is. Truthfully, a part of Merrick's mind knows this question, what Adam is asking for, is completely irrelevant.

But Adam really has waited for him - for as long as they've known each other, Adam has faithfully waited for all six moons at a time to see him as much as he could for the month the pod was going to be here. He held his hand when he was poisoned by the oil spill, and he waited as Atarah cured him. Goodness knows how long Adam has made himself wait for this very moment too.

He's waited long enough.

"Yes, Adam Bryant." Merrick nods as sparkling tears dripped from his eyes, "I will. I'll marry you."

"Oh my God, really?" Adam's insides explode with unexpected joy and shock, "R-Really??" Merrick giggled with tears as he nods, "OhmyGod, baby!" Adam gets up from one knee, and hugs Merrick tightly.

Just then, everyone around them cheers out of nowhere. Merrick tries to ignore them as he clings onto Adam just as tightly.

Everyone who knows Adam, the local sweetheart of the docks, came just for this. Belinda and Harold clap in front of the Fish House, along with Beth from the candy store, the various owners of the nearby restaurants, along with almost all of Adam's buddies from the Dream Waltz, including Jerry and Rajani and Chloe, the latter of which is rolling her eyes, and earning a nudge from her Indian girlfriend. As well as most of Merrick's friends from Barns & Noble, especially with Yuri cheering for them with little Arnaav clapping from all the excitement. Next to them is Jamal right beside Nick and Sasha, happy to see them, beside with Syrinx and Kevin, having driven all the way down here to share this moment.

All of them all came to share in this moment for them to finally have taken this step in their relationship.

Adam pushes his eyes onto Merrick's shoulder in a vain attempt to hide his crying, holding him so tight with one hand on Merrick's back, and the other still holding the small box.

"I love you, Merrick." Adam sobbed, with his voice muffled, "I love you. I love you so much."