Aquata Cove Ch. 71

"I love you too, Adam... Thank you for..." Merrick shrugged as he chuckled in the hug, "Everything you've done for me..."

Looking up, Merrick now sees the majority of the dock they are standing on is decorated with light blue and white streamers, balloons, baubles, cloths, glittering materials, and so on. He let go of the hug and gasped as he sees everyone they know all around. And now, a few guys in tight tuxedo shorts walk in, bringing large platters of food.

"Adam, what IS all this??" He turned, looking endearingly into Adam's wiped eyes, "Is this all for me? O-Or us?"

"M-Mhm," Adam takes a couple of deep breaths as he wipes his tears again, "I-It's an engagement party... I-I just, aheheh..."

"Adam, you humans and your, heh," Merrick clings onto Adam again.

"STOP THIS BLASPHEMY!" Come the sound of a megaphone, "STOP THIS BLASPHEMY!"

Merrick gasped as he looked, and groaned in hurt as he sees a small group of people holding anti-gay sign and symbols of religion. Now fresh tears of anger and sadness start to form in his eyes.

"WE ARE HERE TO PUT AN END TO THE CORRUPTION THE HOMOSEXUALS ARE BRINGING TO OUT LIVES!"

"Oh god-fucking-dammit," Chloe takes a few steps forward as she slouches with exasperation, "Would you sick people just MOVE THE FUCK ON ALREADY?!" Her shrill, angry voice carried across the docks.

"You ain't invited, and we don't want you here!" Jamal shouted, "Go on!"

"THIS IS A PUBLIC PLACE, SIR!" The pasture with the megaphone said, "WE HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND OUR HOME LAND FROM THE BLASPHMEOUS DISPLAY OF THIS EVENT!"

"Oh, just fuck off already! I'm sick of hearing this shit!" Harold yelled.

"Just leave them alone already!" Yuri called out, "This is none of your business! When are you people going to learn that?!" She huffed as she pulled her phone out, "Screw this, I'm calling the police."

"Hm?" Arnaav looked up at Yuri with concern, and then onto the scolding humans. They seem to be angry with Merrick, and his mate. Why, though? Merrick is the best, most trustworthy, generous person he knows - other than the other 3 humans he lives with. Adam is so nice and funny, and Merrick has never done anything to merit such hostility... So what has he done to make those humans over there so furious with the two of them?

"WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THIS ABOMINATION HAS CEASED AND DESISTED! AND WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE HEARD."

"This has nothing to do with you!!" Belinda cried out with a shrill hiss, "Just begone! LEAVE!"

"You REALLY have nothing better to do than to keep bitching about this kind of thing?!" Kevin shouted.

"Just go! You're ruining EVERYTHING!" Syrinx shouted. The party started to advance towards the small mob. They all shouted and ranted at them, turning into another mob - one that's a little bigger than the one crashing the party.

Adam's chest starts to feel hot and heavy, feeling surges of hatred at this sudden incursion on the very night he's been waiting for what almost feels like his entire life. This was his night. HIS night. His time to propose the man he loves, in front of everyone who knows him as a beloved spirit, to help celebrate the beginning of bonding with his lover. And these people... He recognizes some of these people - he's worked with them for years here on the docks... They can think of nothing else but to show up and tell him how wrong and evil he is just for wanting a chance everyone else is entitled to. They really want to go out of their way to ruin his perfect night?

Merrick grits his teeth as he sees all of this blind hatred. So much ignorance and refined savagery... Never in all of his life as a merman, has he seen such a display of barbaric arrogance and shameful disgrace - once again, this behavior is only seen in humans in comparison to any manner of merfolk he has ever met. These humans claim to know the will and mind of their God? And all the proof they have is in a book that has been proven time and time again to be nothing more than allegory that his been rewritten a thousand times over. He will never understand why so many humans cling to hate and hurt.

"MEN SHALT NOT LIE WITH ANOTHER MAN!" The pasture persisted.

Merrick whimpers with rage as he pressed against Adam, while Adam put his arms around his blonde mate, while Adam stared them all back, too furious to even speak right now.

"Oh Christ, I'm done with this," Chloe takes off her earrings, and handed them to Rajani, "Hold on to these, sweetie, Mama's gotta go make blood right now."

"W-Wait! Chloe!" Rajani said, almost afraid to hold her back from her temper, while Chloe is already halfway there.

"I'm gonna shove that thing down his throat, see if he can talk after that."

"IT IS," The other zealots started to join in, "AN ABOMINA-"

-POOOOUUUH!!-

"WHOA!" Chloe jumped back as a solid pillar shot out of nowhere, just inches away from hitting her! She quickly leapt back out of the way, as the burst silenced everyone. The beam hit DIRECTLY onto the protesters, and exploded on them in a powerful shower.

The religious mob cried out as a course of water pummeled and channeled all over them! Everyone jumbled back, wide-eyed as the group got doused and soaked with salt water. Merrick scoffed in astonishment as he covered his mouth. "Oh shit," Adam raised his brows.

The religious haters sputtered as the ravenous splashing came to a stop, and everyone turned to hear the cigar-scratched, dried out cackling of the Captain, holding a huge hose-gun attached to one of his tanks, full of sea water.

"Alright, alright," Captain said, "Baptism's over, Reverend. Now git goin! Mass starts in 10 minutes."

Dripping with the ocean, the pasture raised his megaphone, "SiR, we-" The megaphone buzzed and moaned weakly, prompting a few hard slaps, before bringing it back up, "SIR, WE HAve the riGHt to-" The sound circuit of the megaphone whistle weakly from his voice, "Gah, dang it," He gritted his teeth as he banged the poor device against the dock post, pushing the switch a few times, before quickly giving up, and pulling out his bible, "We will not stand by, and-"

-PUUUUUOOOHHH!-

Another column of water shoots out and blows up all over the protestors, destroying their signs and posters, making them all stagger and yelp as cold seawater surges them for another 10 seconds.

"I got all night, Joey Smith!" Captain called, "Got TONS of Holy Water for ya!" He beckoned with his arm.

"We will not accept this!" A portly woman shouted out, "We must protect our-"

"Got some for you, Mrs Davis!" Captain unleashed the sea cannon again upon them, making the party goers cheer and laugh while the protestors shriek and choke on the liquid salt. "Yeeeaaahhh! Feelin all rectified and sanctified there?" Captain said, unheard by the roar of the water, and the screams and cheers from either side.

"If you pursue this futher," The pastor panted, completely drenched, "We will- BULLLRRRGG!" Again, Captain blasts the hate away.

The religious mob gets driven back each time Captain hits them with a fresh cold shower. Every time they try to preach their nonsense, the old pirate boss just obliterate them with continuous bursts of ocean spray, Beth and a couple of other of the people followed them, and managed to lock a chain across the gateway of the pier, flapping her chubby little hand bye-bye as the rest of the crowd cheers their banishment.

Adam snickers as he looks at the sorry bunch of haters were cast out of the party. After a moment of the defeated people breaking up, he catches a rather lethal death glare from someone in particular. Jessica leers at Adam, with a look of hurt and betrayal as her makeup leaks and drips down. Adam can only cross his arms and give her a solemn shake of his head as she disappears...

"Weird enough, this wasn't ruined at all." Merrick said with that adorable smile of his. Adam grins lovingly as he brought up the velvet box again.

"Yeah... Just..." Adam smiles as he turns to look at the Captain, climbing down from the tank cart, and locking up the hose, "Everyone stood up for us..." Merrick smiles and wiped his eyes, "We were so lucky... They came to ruin everything, and our closest friends defended us." He scoffed a little, "I... I don't know what would've happened if it were just us..."

"We're never alone, Adam," Merrick smiled, "That's the best thing about this... So many... Heh..." Merrick collects himself in a quick second.

"Speaking of which..." He opened the box, and took thing ring from the snug white satin, "I've waited so long to do this..." He takes Merrick's left hand up, and slipped the ring onto his finger.

Merrick sniffled with glee as the delicate band of sterling silver and diamonds slid down onto his hand, "It's beautiful..."

"I almost wanted to make it a match set with this..." Adam said as he carefully felt the angelic filigree key necklace around Merrick's neck, still as stunning and sparkling as the night he and Merrick made up on the cruise, "But it looked so pretty as it was."

"I love it..." Merrick huffed with emotion, before coming up to him, "O-Oh Adam!" Merrick threw his arms around him, and squeezed him tightly. Adam rubs his hand into Merrick's blonde hair, and parted for a moment.

"Guess whooo!" Comes a familiar voice. Merrick turns and beams with delight as an older couple came eagerly up to them both.

"Oh my God, h-hi!"

Donna comes up to Merrick and hugged him tightly, "Oh my goodness, it's so great to see you! Congratulations!" Merrick hugs her back, feeling very excited.

"About damn time!" Luther said as he slapped Adam's back hard.

"Dad, oww!" Adam staggered as his back stung.

"Oh man-up, Son." Luther jested.

"That's what I tell him." Chloe said with her arms crossed, "For a guy who does a lot of men, he doesn't exactly do a lot of manning-up."

"Oh, shut up, bitch." Adam swats at her shoulder.

"Adam!" Donna yanked his ear back.

"OW! Mom, stop it!" Adam rubbed his ear.

"You really behave this way when we're not around??" Donna scolded him.

"Mom, I'm 27 years old." Adam said, "I-"

"He does. All the time." Chloe said. Merrick snickered as Chloe starts off, "He calls me names, he hits me all the time for no reason."

"Oh gracious, here we go." Rajani rolls her eyes.

"He cusses me out whenever I look at him the wrong way..." She sniffles as she talks, "I-I've always wanted to be friends, but he..."

"Oh. My. God." Adam blares as Chloe covers her face, "You are such a freakin-"

"I stood up for you!" Chloe shouted from her hands, "I was going to break those people for you! A-And even after you... Eemm... Even after you called me a..." Chloe sobbed convincingly, "A C-U-Next-Tuesday. Baawhhh!"

"I did not!" Adam exclaimed as he growls, "Mom! Dad, she's throwing me under the bus!"

"All I ever wanted," Chloe choked, "Was to be your best friend, A-Adam."

"Ok, that's enough." Donna rolls her eyes as her hands placed on her hips, "I know a bad soap when I see one."

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." Chloe's gears totally shift, tossing her hair back like a high school mean girl, leaving Donna's mouth wide-open with shock at the sudden curse. Luther stood there, bug-eyed from this deceptively sweet/evil girl.

"SEE??" Adam points out, "I'm serious, she's the one who picks a fight with ME!"

"Is this true, young lady?" Luther asked firmly, "Are you the one antagonizing my son?"

"Ok," Chloe brushed him off, "I don't have stand here, and let you accuse me of things that I CLEARLY do." With that, she walks off.

"As usual, I am sorry for the loose canon she is." Rajani said, before leaving, smiling after her girlfriend.

"Apple Cider?!" Chloe's voice yelled out, "Are you freaking kidding me?! Where's the freakin booze?! You're such a pussy, it's a shock I haven't fucked you yet!"

Luther grabs his mouth as he doubles over with suppressed laughter. Adam did mention a mouthy lesbian coworker, but he never said she was hilarious.

"Right, never mind." Donna pats Adam's shoulder, "Give that bitch hell."

"Got it." Adam chuckled, "Got it all, Dad?" Adam whispered.

"Every bit," Luther said with a nod.

"Awesome."

"Wait, what?" Merrick said, "What do you mean?"

"I'll show you later, sweetie," Adam missed Merrick lovingly.

"Ok, bitches!" Chloe called out with the karaoke microphone, standing on a very small stage with a large white backdrop, where a white sheet, has been set-up and immulinated by white lights, before the small projectors below flashed up colorful, vivid special effects, all the while Harold just finishes setting up the music system, "Let's rock it out!!" She snapped her fingers to the laptop, "Hit it." Harold smiles as he moves the mousepad, and clicks the first song.

"~I don't know where you're going ~But do you got room for one more ~Troubled soul~" Chloe sang out as matching music rang out from the stereos, almost abruptly as per the song, but she managed to keep with it, "~I don't know where I'm going ~But I don't think I'm coming home ~And I said, I'll check iiinnn, tomorrow if I don't wake up deeeaaad~" The partiers clapped as the lights illuminate around her, "~This is the road to ruin ~And we're starting at the end~"

The music stopped, "~Say~yeah~!"

"Yeah!" The crowd cheers as the music booms back on.

"~Let's be alone togetheeerrr~!"

"Yeah!"

"~We could stay young foreveeerrr~!"

"Yeah!"

"Scream it from the top of your lungs, lungs, lungs~" Chloe pounder her chest twice, and punched the air once more, "~Say~Yeah~!"

"Yeah!"

"~Let's be alone togetheeerrr~!"

"Yeah!"

"~We can stay young foreveeerrr~!"

"Yeah!"

"~We'll stay young, young, young, young, young~"

The music rounded about, before Chloe spoke, "We're all the pretty ladies tonight!!" She jokingly called, "Wave your arms with me, come on! Lemme see some girls in this sausage fest! Let's go!"

"~Cut me off, I lost my track ~It's not my fault, I'm a maniac ~It's not funny anymore ~'No it's not... ~My heart is like a stallion ~They love it more when it's brokeeen~" ~Do you wanna feel beautiful, do you wanna, yyy~eeaaah~"

Merrick giggles as his heart flutters with joy as he holds onto Adam's arm. Something so unnecessary and fleeting, as he understands it, and yet... He glances at the sparkling ring, and feels a whole new wave excitement and happiness as he squeezes Adam's arm.

"~I'm outside the door, invite me in ~So we can go back and play pretend~" Chloe waves her hand in gestures

I'm on deck, yeah I'm up next

Tonight I'm high as a private jet

'Cause I don't know where you're going,

But do you got room for one more troubled soul

"She may be a mad cow, but she is a decent singer." Adam smirked, while they danced, "In all honesty, we kinda go back and forth when I work at the club."

"You want an edge, Adam?" Donna asked, "I'm a trained psychiatrist, I can pinpoint her highest insecurities."

"Nooo, Mooom." Adam grinned as he rolled his eyes, "We're cool. I'll let you know, though."

"~Let's be alone togetheeerrr~!" Chloe sang.

"Yeah!"

"~We could stay young foreveeerrr~!"

"Yeah!"

"Scream it from the top of your lungs, lungs, lungs~" Chloe pounder her chest twice, and punched the air once more, "~Say~Yeah~!"

"Yeah!"

"~Let's be alone togetheeerrr~!"

"Yeah!"

"~We can stay young foreveeerrr~!"

"Yeah!"

"~We'll stay young, young, young, young, young~"

The music rounded about again, and so Chloe spoke, "Heck of a party, Adam!" She smirked, "Notorious F.A.G. in DA HOOUUSE!" She deepened her voice with a laugh.

"How do you put up with her, Raj??" Merrick asked Rajani as they danced, "He's kind of... I don't know... You know?"

"Hahaha," Rajani laughs, "I know, dat's why I love her." She said, "She's a loose canon and she's so spicy! I cahn't get enough of her, even if I'm a little too mellow for her."

"Hah! Yeah." Adam snirked.

"What?" Rajani said, "I-I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah, she may act all out-of-control," Adam said as Chloe sang on, "She actually told me one time that she kinda counts on your demeanor."

"Oh..." Rajani smiles as she brightens a little, looking up, and smiling up at her untamed girl.

"~I don't know where you're going, ~But do you got room for one more troubled soul ~I don't know where I'm going, ~But I don't think I'm coming home! ~And I saaaiiid, I'll check in tomorrow if I don't wake up deeeaaad ~This is the road to ruin and we're starting at the end~"

The song finishes, and the people cheer for her as she walks off the stage. The backdrop of the small stage blooms in light and color. A wave crashes into the sea as water and bubbles spiraled and channels until it forms a heavenly heart, with a picture of Adam and Merrick kissing from when they were on a Romance Dance on the LGBT Cruise - where Adam was wearing a suit, and Merrick is wearing a blue and violet sheen drape-robe. Golden letters sparkled first on the top, and then on the bottom.

{~CONGRATULATIONS~}

{~ADAM & MERRICK~}