Aquata Cove Ch. 97

"They actually do that?" Adam asked with a quirked brow.

"Yeah, right here." He says as they come to a small exotic basin full of running water, with many crust-looking bivalve shells in there. "We just pick one or a few, and open them."

"Sure, sounds fun, I like this date so far." Adam says with a smile as he gets his FH ID card to the clerk.

"Hello, Adam," The clerk greets. The position and influence of the Fish House has grown in the last few years. The fishboys have become something akin to Go-To guys and helpful people all around the pier and docks - basically, the Fish House brand is invested as part of the businesses of the shops to where the fishboys are like pseudo staff at anywhere.

"Ok, so..." Adam takes a rusted clam-like platter, and takes the provided tongs, "How much are these oysters?"

"With your FH discount, $5.95" The Korean clerk says with a smile.

"Cool, I can afford a few..." Adam says as he stirs the water a bit. He really has no idea just what these oysters might give in difference to each other. He picks up a five of them, and takes them aside. He pays for them, and the cashier takes him to the old cutting area.

"You want to open them yourself? You have knife-license, right?"

"Yep. It's on my ID, right?" Adam says as he brings it out again. On the upper corner of the card are tiny symbols - a fish, a hook, a star, and a half-circle. The half circle represents that Adam has had training in how to properly handle a knife as a member of the staff.

"Ok, I'll be here."

Merrick steps beside Adam, watching him take the first oyster. Adam slices the blade into it, and pries it open, as he always have when he was working with scallop preparation, "Alright, now what am I looking for?"

"You press and feel around the meat."

"Ok..." Adam puts his thumb around, or else the flat side of the knife, squishing the meat until he feels a small, solid lump. He pushes it, and a light pink orb emerges from the raw oyster, "Oh! Wow, look at that!"

"Nice."

"Ok, I clean." The clerk says as Adam gives her the pearl to scrub and wash with salt. Adam opens the next oyster, now eagerly feeling around the meat, until he pushes out a grey pearl with a blue-tint to the color.

"Oh my gosh, wow! This one's like dark."

"I've always liked how oysters can make such things..." Merrick said.

Adam opens the next one, seeing a small white pearl pushed from the oyster meat, "Oooh, I am loving this." Adam says as a gleam goes through his eyes. He picks up the next one, and carves into it. He presses around, until a black pearl comes from out of the raw meat. "Whoooaaa."

"Oooh, a black one! That's rare." The clerk beams.

"Wow, I'm glad you recommended this, Merrick." Adam says. He takes the last one, before Merrick's hand stops him. "Huh?"

"This one's..." Merrick picks it up, and gives it a few subtle taps and presses as he puts it in Adam's hand, "This one is a bit different."

"How can you tell?"

"Well... Kinda like this." Merrick moves it, and opens the oyster. With it in his hand, Adam feels around, but feels the solid prize as something odd.

"What the..." A black arch started to emerge from the oyster's meat before Adam widened his eyes. His fingers took up a ring made of pure black pearl, with white curve designs around the band, and a small, round white pearl at the top side of the band, almost reminiscent of a full moon in a night sky, "Merrick..."

"Adam... Heh, I'm not even sure how these things are supposed to go..." He takes a deep breath, "You know I love you. I always have. And, I know you still hardly know me, and... This ring is supposed to tell you just how much you mean to me, and... Damn, I don't even know how this was supposed to go."

"N-No, I get it." Adam nods, "You're... Like, was this made, or is this just a very smart oyster?"

"Hahahah, no no, I had it made." Merrick nodded, "My Mother herself made it special for you... She told me to give you this ring, as well as her blessing. She wishes you to cherish our lives with everything we have."

"W-Wow, Merrick." He sniffs and rubs his eyes with his wrist. "I wish I can meet her, she sounds wonderful."

"Hmph, you have, actually, years ago. She took an immediate liking to you." Merrick smiled, "I love you so much... And I... I just... Ghah, I don't know."

Adam dips his head in, and kisses Merrick's lips, making him giggle for a second, "I love you too." He took the ring up, but Merrick gently takes it from him. Holding Adam's left hand, Merrick slipped the night-themed ring onto Adam's finger.

"I told you I didn't want you to sa-"

"And you're not being fair again." Adam says as he holds Merrick's arm, "I get to say and feel what I want, and I love you, Merrick." Merrick still looks sadly cynical, "Hey, don't look like that. I mean it.

"Heh... Ok, fine, babe... You win." Merrick says with his eyes cast down. Adam cups his cheek, and moves his face up.

"Merrick. I love you." Adam says seriously, "I've felt it long before you even said it. So stop telling me I'm not allowed to tell you... Ok? And I want you to stop telling yourself that I don't feel this way, I know you are. It's like you won't let me love you."

"Ok..." Merrick nods, sniffing before Adam kisses him softly, "Ok..."

"I love you, Merrick... Don't cry..." Just from Merrick giving him this ring makes some weird dive of a sensation inside him, like something was completely unexpected, yet Merrick's presentation of the ring was a big lacking... Lacking for what?

Merrick smiles as his heart still feels a longing pain. He's happy, and Adam loves him, so... Why does he still feel this lonely trace? He and Adam are as close together as anyone could possibly get, so why does it still feel like a barrier?

Why does it still feel like they are a couple of strangers?

~~~

Adam and Merrick hold hands as they walk into the house. Merrick still has this complicated pit in his stomach, while Adam feels this strange sort of happiness that feels like it's missing something. Something just out of his grasp, on the tip of his tongue, but he can't imagine what. He looks at Merrick, seeing a dampened look on him again.

"Merrick? Are you ok?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, I'm fine..."

"Babe, no you're not." Adam says to him, "You seem in and out of sorts ever since we started to go out. It's confusing, and... Honestly, it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. What can I do to make you feel better?"

Merrick gives a sad smile as he puts his hand to Adam's cheek, "Everything you do makes me feel better, Adam..." He leans up, and kisses him, "These are deeper hurts that I need to worry about, not you. I'll be ok..."

"Oh... Kay..." Adam says before they walk into the living room, and Adam turns on the PS4. "What do you want to watch?" Adam asked as he takes up the controller.

"I'm rather hooked on Glee lately. I think we're on Season 2."

"Ok, got it." Adam smiles as he sits next to Merrick, and plays the episode where they left off - the one where Kurt returns back to McKinley High, and the Warblers are getting ready to say goodbye to him. Merrick scoots next to him, and snuggles with Adam.

[~I walked across an empty laaand ~I knew the pathway like the back of my haaaa~aand~] Blaine sings as everyone looks at Kurt and the singers endearingly.

Merrick holds his arm over Adam's waist to hold him close. He knows he's going to eventually swallow down this knowledge that his Adam may very well be gone forever... But that sentence alone is enough to make Merrick despair all over again.

[~I felt the earth beneath my feet ~Sat by the river, and it made me compleeeee~eete ~Oh, simple thiiiing, where have you gooone? ~I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on ~So tell me wheeeen you're gonna let me iiiin ~I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin~]

He has no doubt that... Sure, maybe his soul remembers Merrick - it only shows in his subconscious behavior, that's all. Adam feels drawn to Merrick, and he is so open and allowing for the things they do and what they share.

[~I came across a fallen tree ~I felt the branches of it looking at meeee~eee! ~Is this the plaaa~aaace we used to looooove? ~Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?~]

[~I felt the earrrrrrrth beneath my feet ~Sat by the river, and it made me compleee~eete ~Oh, simple thiiiing, where have you gooone? ~I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on ~So tell me when you're gonna let me iiiin ~I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin~]

But it's just not the same... It's just not fair. Adam has come so far; he's a fully functional, healthy man again. He was knocking on death's door, and he came out of it alive, his body healed, his emotions mended, his mentality balanced, his function restored. But his past... Those memories... All those years, all the joy, sorrow, bliss, anger, fears, loves, experiences... Why can't he have those back too? He has everything else returned to him just fine... Why is it so hard to just conceive that he can get back what was stolen from him?

[~And if you have a minute, why don't we go ~Somewhere only we know~]

That lyric sparks inside Merrick's mind, his eyes widening.

[~Talk about it somewhere only we know? ~This could be the end of everything ~So why don't we go ~Somewhere only we know?~]

'What...' Merrick thinks, something dawning on him as they watch the dancing schoolboys.

[~Oh, simple thiiiing, where have you gooone? ~I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on ~So tell me when you're gonna let me iiiin ~I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin~]

Merrick listens intently, his heart thumping particularly hard.

[~And if you have a minute, why don't we go ~Somewhere only we know? ~Talk about it somewhere only we know? ~This could be the end of everything ~So why don't we go ~Somewhere only we know?~]

The boys sing on, hugging Kurt one by one, patting him on the back and his shoulders, happy to see him one last time, Kurt overwhelmed with tears as they go by in progression. Finn smiles affectionately before he hugs his little stepbrother, followed by Mercedes, before Blaine finishes the song softly.

[~So why don't we go ~Somewhere only we know~ ... ~Somewhere only we know

~Somewhere only we know~]

[Kurt hugs Blaine one last time, crying quietly as he holds him, "I will never say goodbye to you..." He mutters.]

Merrick's insides feel a very keen strain pull from his heart. A new, unnerving hope.

'Somewhere only we know...'