Magic by the Sea
Epilogue

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Epilogue

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For the people who lived on Ryan’s little island, life had gone back to normal. The violent storms that had plagued them for the last month seemed to have curiously disappeared. Almost like magic, some said.

The last few weeks had not been particularly fun for Ryan. He had a lot to make up to his family. Tyler had been especially clingy and followed Ryan everywhere he went. His mother kept a hawk-like watch on him and it was a full five days after Firth returned to the ocean before the woman would even allow Ryan out of the house without supervision.

He had gone back to helping Trent’s father deliver the post to the island’s residents. He had even managed to get a second job on weekends with the ferryman, Mark. This would not have been achievable without Grandpa Jo’s intervention, helping to soothe Alice’s fear and reassure her that a busy teenager was a teenager kept out of trouble. Ryan actually really enjoyed being out on the ocean, feeling more at ease on the boat than he did on land.

The school holidays were over now, and Ryan had gone back to classes. It was probably a good thing because he was so busy with work, school, and Tyler, that he barely got minute to himself to brood.

At first, he had really enjoyed seeing everyone again and getting back into old habits. He laughed and joked around with Trent and found out what the others had been doing in their own school holidays. As the days stretched on though, Ryan found himself looking out the window of a night-time more often than not, searching the coastline for… something.

Some nights Ryan crept out of the house and went to stand on the beach. He didn’t really expect to see or replace anything but seeing the waves under moonlight always helped to soothe him. It seemed ridiculous to miss Firth. When he thought about it logically, they hadn’t known each other long at all. He had probably dreamt of the merking more than he had actually seen the man in the flesh. Somehow though, it didn’t seem to matter. The experience they had shared, and the history of their families had wound them together in some strange way and now that he knew of him, being without the king left Ryan feeling melancholy.

He had wondered… or maybe hoped that he would dream of the merman the same way he used to, that somehow, they could visit each other in their sleep. So far though, his dreams had been perfectly ordinary or sometimes worse. The nightmares of drowning in a vast ocean were rare but left him feeling more isolated than ever.

His grandfather had resigned himself to a sympathetic ‘all for the best’ sort of stance. Ryan’s mother had been much slower to come to terms with the last few weeks. She was still nervous, still unhappy with Ryan going off on his own, but he knew she was trying, and he loved her for it. The truth of the situation was that Firth might not even come back for several years. Maybe longer.

There was a new twist of discomfort as Ryan realised that this this feeling of being shredded apart and weighed down on the inside was probably exactly how his birth mother, Dania had felt. How many times had she come to the docks, expecting to replace her captain, and seeing only old unfriendly faces?

How many times had she woken from her nightmares and fled to the shore in the middle of the night, desperate for just a sight of his ship only to replace a cold unsympathetic roaring ocean? He imagined her stayed there all night, her lips turning blue and her skin losing colour until her drunk father came and dragged her back inside.

Ryan had not tried to visit Dania since the curse had been broken. He had wondered briefly if its end would somehow break the madness in her but just walking past the house and hearing the crazed screaming and Debra’s pleas made him sure it hadn’t. No, what had caused Dania’s madness had occurred a long time ago. It had broken something away and crawled inside the gap to rot and fester until the woman was an evil shell of her former self. He pitied her but he pitied Debra more. Surely the woman had to have known about everything that had occurred and to still have to carry on, keeping up the appearance of a happy schoolteacher.

His stomach twisted up cold and sick at the many times he remembered seeing the odd bump or bruise on her. She had always laughed and said how clumsy she was. How many of those bruises had been from bumping against a misaligned coffee table and how many were from her sister’s fists? Ryan shivered, pulling his jacket a little closer around his throat to protect him from the night breeze coming off the ocean. He had been standing here for a while and it was getting late. He decided to head home for the night.

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‘Debra has put her house up for sale,’ Grandpa Jo said as he handed out plates of scrambled eggs.

‘Really? How come?’ Alice asked as she took her seat beside Ryan.

‘Apparently Dania has been getting quite ill lately and Debra is worried it’s becoming too much for her. They are moving to the mainland where she can get a carer to help her look after the poor woman.’ Jo said, not meeting Ryan’s gaze. Alice sighed.

‘Probably just as well. There’re plenty of schools across the way that would take Debra in a heartbeat.’

‘She’s leaving?’ Tyler piped up; a fork clutched tight in his small hand.

‘Yes dear. I imagine Miss. Penworth will be your new teacher now,’ Alice said thoughtfully. Tyler pulled a face.

‘She’s mean, and she doesn’t like the colour red,’ he grumbled. Ryan snorted into his plate of eggs. Alice shot her older son a disapproving look before looking back at Tyler.

‘She is a little stricter but it’s important to do what the teacher says,’ Alice said knowledgably.

‘I’m sure you always did what you were told,’ Ryan sniggered. His grandfather gave a loud laugh.

‘By the sea gods, no! You know, this one time she put paint in the-’

‘Yes, thank you dad!’ Alice interrupted, her cheeks turning pink.

‘And then she cut that girl’s hair, I thought the mother would chase us off the island!’

‘Thank you, dad!’ Alice squawked. The boys all laughed.

--

Ryan sighed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling drained.

‘Can you imagine, we finish this year and that’s it. Done. No more school!’ Trent groaned, rolling his shoulders.

‘You aren’t interested in going to university then?’ Catlin cooed, knowing full well that he wasn’t. Trent pulled a face as though she had said a filthy swear word.

‘No thanks. Why would I want to torture myself like that?’ Trent spluttered. Catlin snorted.

‘Honestly Trent, you are so lazy. I bet you wouldn’t even come to school if there was literally anywhere else to go on this island,’ she teased. Trent gave a loud melodramatic sigh.

‘Sad, but true,’ he agreed. Ryan laughed.

‘What about you, Ryan? Are you going to university?’ Catlin asked as they walked home. The afternoon was actually surprisingly pleasant. The weather had been warming all day and all three of them carried their school jumpers over their arms. Ryan gave a shrug.

‘No, I hadn’t planned on it,’ he said carefully. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Catlin’s eyebrows go up.

‘Really? Where are you planning on going once you finish school?’ Her question was one he had been asked a few times in the last few days. It was just starting to sink in for the older students that this semester would be their last. There was an of overall excitement which was quickly squashed under a mound of homework. It was almost like the teachers were trying to squash all that excitement out of them.

‘Nowhere,’ Ryan admitted. Catlin’s jaw dropped a little and Trent rolled his eyes.

‘You forget, I actually like it here, on the island. I don’t feel trapped here the same way you do,’ he explained gently. Catlin frowned, clearly unconvinced.

‘Surely your mother doesn’t expect you to stay here forever…’

‘She doesn’t and I don’t choose to just because of my family, though it’s true I don’t want to leave them. Especially Tyler. He’s only five,’ Ryan sighed. Fat fluffy clouds drifted overhead, giving them some temporarily relief from the hot sun. Catlin hummed.

‘He’s a weird one,’ Tyler said in agreement to her tone. Ryan flipped him off. His mother would be working until late and Grandpa Jo had gone to the primary school with Tyler and offered to stay. With Debra gone, the teachers were eager for an extra pair of hands. It meant that Ryan would have a few blissful hours of peace and quiet to finish his schoolwork before he had to cook dinner.

As they rounded the corner, Trent and Catlin went one way and Ryan went the other, the three shouting loud goodbyes as they parted company. Ryan was walking fast, keen to get into the relative cool of his house when a figure standing in the middle of the road caught his attention.

He was dressed so oddly; it would have been impossible not to notice him. Aside from shiny silver hair that had been neatly braided and fell nearly to the man’s waist, he was wearing a pair of crisply pressed dress slacks, a button-down navy shirt and what looked like mismatched shoes. It was the first time he had seen the man by daylight, and it took his sun addled brain a few moments to process what he was taking in with his eyes. Then he dropped his school bag and jumper and ran.

Firth turned at the sound and a wide smile spread across his pale features. He bent, bracing slightly as the teen hurled himself into his chest. The thud was hard and probably would have knocked the wind out of a normal person. Firth only returned the hug with rib cracking enthusiasm. Ryan buried his face in the crook of the king’s neck, breathing in his scent. When they pulled apart and Ryan spoke, his voice had an embarrassing tremor to it.

‘And to think, it’s only been a month.’ Firth bent his head and crushed their lips together. The kiss was hard and all consuming, fed by all the emotion both men had felt in their time apart. When they drew apart, eyes bright and lungs breathless, Ryan grabbed hold of the king’s hand and started to tug.

‘Come on, there’s no one at home right now. We’ll have the place to ourselves.’ He was so overwhelmingly giddy; he nearly forgot his school bag until Firth stooped to pick it and the dusty jumper off the ground first.

Ryan could barely get the key in the front door; his hand was shaking with excitement and nervousness. He spilled into the front room, dragged Firth through the threshold and slammed the door behind him. Firth flung the backpack down to brace himself as the teen flung himself onto him again. They stood together, just breathing and embracing.

‘Sorry, I guess I missed your grumpy ass a bit,’ Ryan laughed. Firth smirked.

‘My grumpy ass?’ Firth asked, a sharp tooth revealed in the hallway light.

‘Tail? Grumpy tail?’ Ryan asked. Firth laughed, the sound rich and mesmerising.

‘Are you hungry? Thirsty?’ Ryan asked, his voice becoming breathy. Firth raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening.

‘No. I didn’t come here to eat or drink,’ the merking snorted.

‘Fan-fucking tastic,’ Ryan groaned happily. He grabbed Firth’s arm and wrenched his towards his bedroom.

‘Are you not going to ask me where I have been?’ the king asked in amusement.

‘Yep. After,’ Ryan barked. They tumbled into the bedroom, Ryan laughing as Firth struggled to get his ridiculous mismatched shoes off his feet. Ryan shoved him. Fifth tumbled back onto the bed, the merking letting out a huff as the air left his lungs. He watched as his young lover straddled his lap, pulling the shirt over his head as he went. Fifth reached for him, drawing his face in for another kiss, needing to taste him. Ryan whimpered, his clothed erection rubbing against Firth’s abdomen.

‘Please tell me you can reach the bedside table. Top drawer, white tube,’ Ryan pleaded. Thankfully, the merking could reach the drawer and found the tube of lubricant. As he fussed with extracting it, Ryan shimmied out of his trousers and fumbled with the button of Firth’s slacks.

‘Lift your hips,’ Ryan panted. Firth grunted, obeying. It was a fast, ridiculous flurry of movement and struggling as they wrestled with material and position. It was a desperate need to touch, to be close. Ryan did manage to keep his mounted position in Firth’s lap.

Firth bit at the cap of the tube of slick. Ryan heard the wet squirt of gel and shivered as icy cold slickness ran along his crack as long fingers found his ass. Ryan groaned, shivering as the first finger slipped into his ass. The stretch was fast and made him wince. Firth pressed soft kisses to his cheeks and jaw, trying to slow down but Ryan shook his head and ground down hard.

Those long fingers plunged in two at a time, causing a moan to rattle from Ryan’s throat. He met Firth in a hard kiss, tasting each other in a rushing of sharp teeth. Ryan bucked, desperate for something bigger than the man’s fingers.

‘Please hurry up,’ he whined. The king breathed a laugh into his neck.

‘Steady love. I don’t want to hurt you,’ the king murmured. Ryan stared at him, his breathe hitching.

‘Love?’ Ryan rasped. Firth smiled and withdrew his fingers, causing a mewl.

‘Yes, love,’ Firth breathed as he steadied the teen, lining up his cock. They paused for a heartbeat. Ryan’s thighs trembled as he slowly eased down on the man’s length. Firth would not let him drop down too fast, powerful hands holding his weight easily. Ryan groaned, enjoying the hard stretch he had missed so much since their first coupling.

The slight pain of the stretch ghosted over to the wonderful too full feeling as he settled fully in the man’s lap. Ryan threw his head back, unwittingly exposing his throat to the man’s teeth and tongue. Firth dove forwards, needing to mark him. He bit hard as he thrust up, forcing a loud mewl from Ryan.

They tried to start slow, Ryan’s hips gently rolling as Firth flexed under him. It felt incredible and both men were soon panting, sweat gleaming on their skin. Firth’s grip tightened, holding him in place as he thrust upwards. Long eyelashes fluttered down as Ryan writhed, pleasure singing hot and sharp inside.

He was getting dangerously close already, hips rocking. Ryan’s red cock slapped against his belly with every hard bounce, his body thrumming with pleasure. He would probably end up regretting not taking it slower but at the movement, he craved the roughness and depth of Firth’s cock. He rose up almost fully before dropping himself down, the cock hitting his prostate and making him see stars. Precum oozed from the tip of his cock. Teetering on the edge, he clenched down hard, making Firth hiss in satisfaction.

A large hand curled around his aching dick and Ryan flew almost violently over the edge into climax. He gave a shout, body trembling, ass clutching the cock deep inside him. His cum splattered across their bellies and spilled over Firth’s fingers. Fifth purred, slowing. Ryan shook his head.

‘D..don’t stop.’ The plea was soft, his hands gripping at Firth’s shoulders. He was so hypersensitive, but he could feel the man throbbing deep inside him. The king plunged up as Ryan rocked his hips. He nearly sobbed as the cock rutted into him. Firth’s hands clenched down hard. Ryan watched in wonder as his lover’s back arched. He felt the cock throb inside his ass as the man spilled inside him. He shivered.

The two gasped, breathing the same air as they came down from their high. Ryan rested his forehead against Firth’s shoulder, his arms wrapped loosely around his neck.

‘Okay, I feel better now,’ Ryan groaned. Firth chuckled, his body shifting. Ryan shuddered and slowly eased himself off the man’s lap, wincing at the slight pain and slick feeling.

‘Glad I could be of assistance,’ Firth said, lips twitching. Ryan sighed, reaching for the tissues and knowing that they probably wouldn’t be enough but at least it would stop the… leakage. Ryan stared up at the king, biting his lip.

‘Go on, ask your questions,’ Firth sighed.

‘Did you replace anyone? Where did you go? Are you leaving again?’ Ryan blurted out. The merman’s smile faltered a little.

‘Yes, and no. We reconnected with one of our sister tribes but of the seven we set out to replace, we only met with two. And yes… I will be leaving again.’ As he said this, Ryan’s body visibly shrank down on itself before he hitched a smile back on that was a little too wide.

‘Well, at least it’s a start,’ Ryan said in a falsely cheerful voice. Firth cupped his cheek.

‘I will have to leave again but my tribe calls these islands home. We will remain here between our missions.’ Firth promised.

‘So… it won’t be so long between visits? I’m not going to get old and grey whilst your gone?’ Ryan asked, only half joking. Firth smiled.

‘No love. You won’t get old and grey without me.’ They shared another kiss, this one lacking the hunger but still sharing that deep need for closeness.

‘So why didn’t it work when my father gave himself up? His sacrifice was the same as mine,’ Ryan asked, settling back more comfortably in the king’s lap. Firth seemed to consider this for a while.

‘I’ve been thinking a lot about that and I’m not sure it was. He gave himself up after centuries of running and only after you were born. He also tried to hide you and his wife from my tribe. He may have sacrificed himself, but his intentions were selfish,’ Firth said thoughtfully. Ryan hummed before lapsing into silence, content to trace the man’s skin as Firth’s fingers slid gently through his hair.

‘How did you replace me?’ Ryan mused.

‘When you came of age, your blood called out. When you swam in the ocean it only became more apparent,’ Firth said cryptically.

‘I almost couldn’t believe it was you, that you were alive,’ he added softly. Ryan grinned.

‘It was you then, that pulled me to shallow water during the storm? I should have drowned,’ he said, remembering back to what was nearly two months ago.

‘Yes. I nearly let you. I felt the pull almost as soon as you hit the water. When you cut yourself and I smelt the blood, I couldn’t believe who you were.’ The man looked slightly dazed, lost in memories. Ryan traced his jawline with his fingertips, wanting to imprint the sight of the king deep in his memory.

‘You told me I would have to become yours,’ Ryan mused. Firth’s silver eyes darkened.

‘You are mine,’ he purred, gripping Ryan’s hips tightly.

Ryan smirked. ‘I suppose I am,’ he agreed. He pressed his lips against his lover’s, begging for entry. A lazy groan worked up the man’s chest. Ryan shifted, pulling back with one last nip to the man’s bottom lip. He met those silver eyes with own, feeling the broadness of his own smile.

‘And there isn’t anywhere else I want to be.’

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FIN

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