Chapter 2 – Lay it on the Table

With the scraping of wood on wood Rhea forced open the door to her apartment. She looked around in dismay at the sea of clothing around the main room that was either hers or her roommates. Rhea flung herself around the room picking every piece of clothing she could see.

“Make yourself at home, I’ll be right back,” she called to Aengus from over her shoulder and she ran down the hall to the spare room with the evidence. With a huge effort she pilled all the clothes on the bed and panting slightly she darted back out of the room and shut the door. For a moment she stood there facing the door, her hand still clenching the door knob.

Rhea, do you realize what you’ve done? She thought, you find a stark naked man on the beach and after one or two kisses… amazing, fantastic, radical kisses…

“Rhea?”

Rhea jumped and turned to find Aengus right behind her, and still naked.

“I found this,” Aengus held up Rhea’s red lacy bra, “is it yours?”

Rhea grapped the lingerie out of his hand. “Ha, look at that… um you go back in there and I’ll take care of it.”

Rhea watched Aengus walk back down the hallway- the view was just to die for- and once he was out of her sight she opened her own bedroom door, threw the bra in, and walked back into the room.

As she walked into the light, Rhea almost had a heart attack; Aengus was right in front of her again, and the view was just too much of a shock to see every time.

“Um… Aengus?” Rhea said, trying really hard not to keep looking at Aengus’ features, and failing miserably, “do you think you could put on a pair of those boxers I picked up for you on the way here?”

Aengus looked around and found the plastic bag that had been tossed on a chair, and pulled the plastic container of three boxers out of it. “This?” he asked, “I did not realizing this was for wearing… how does one…” and he then tried to hold the box up to himself, but when he let go it did not stay like he intended, but fell to the floor.

In spite of herself, Rhea laughed at Aengus’ confusion. “Here,” she said, picking up the box, “you open them at this end… and just take one of them… here… and then you put them on… uh… no… not there… one leg in each hole… yea, that’s good… and then you pull them up… you pull up not out… here-” and Rhea took each side of the pair of boxers and pulled them up to Aengus’ waist. No sooner had she done so that Aengus had wrapped his own arms around Rhea. She felt her breath shorten.

“Ah, I see,” said Aengus in her ear, “so they just stay there like that?”

“Ah… yea,” said Rhea, her voice fading with restraint, “they stay there just like that.” Rhea slowly unattached herself from Aengus and walked back a safe distance.

“Listen Aengus,” started Rhea, “I think we should talk about what’s happening with us.”

Aengus looked amused. “What’s happening I hope,” he said, “will not be happening for much longer.” And at these words he started towards Rhea. Rhea held up her hands.

“Hold on there just one second,” Rhea said, “what I meant was… well, who are you? Why are you here?”

A look of understanding crossed Aengus’ face. “I understand,” he said, “I will explain.” Aengus took Rhea’s hand and led her to the couch, where he motioned for her to sit and then followed suit, except turned to face her on the edge of the couch.

“I believe you remember our first meeting?” asked Aengus, “when you got lost in the ocean?”

Rhea nodded, “yes, of course, I was seventeen, it happened on the other side of the island, I believe. But is that really to say, that you lived in the ocean? A real merman?”

“Yes,” Aengus said, “it is true. Believe me when I say that I was once one of the merpeople in the sea, and it was really I who saved you that day, but that was not the first time I had seen you, to be sure.” Aengus drew breath, and soon launched into his story.

“You see,” said Aengus, “many years ago, which are much longer to you than to me I am sure, I was living those vast waters, and just coming of age. One of the privileges of coming of age was the opportunity to break the surface of those waters which we all called home. I had always been eager for this occasion, having heard many stories from the older merfolk, and I could not wait to see land for myself. The day came, and while my brethren of the same age chose to break deep at sea, I decided to do so closer to the shores. You could imagine my surprise when I broke through the waves, not more than fifty lengths from the shore, to see a beautiful young girl curled up on the jetty, with long fiery hair that billowed in the wind. I was shocked to see a human so quickly, and while I was wary, my curiosity and admiration got the better of me, and I swum around the other side of the jetty to observe her without her seeing me. Upon closer scrutiny I saw the girl was crying. ‘They don’t understand,’ she cried, ‘they just don’t get it.’ Then she looked out to the sea and said, ‘I think I shall only ever love the sea.’ And at those words I grew to feel a great affection and sympathy for that young girl, for I was also misunderstood by my people in the sea. From that moment forward I was always close to the shore, always looking for her… well, always looking for you. I watched you grow up on that shore, and as I watched you mature affection grew to admiration, admiration grew to love, and love grew to devotion. I found that when you seemed happy, I was happy, and when you seemed sad, I was sad. Then one day I saw you with your friends in the ocean, and saw you being pulled under into the waves. At first I was excited, because I wanted you to be with me in the waters, but after remembering you could not survive in the water, I swam to save you. In my selfishness I pulled you deeper into the water, farther away from the shore, though I made sure your head was above the surface. Once we were far enough away I made sure you were alright. You were barely conscious; I knew you would not remember much of what had happened. I knew it was futile, but the sight of you and the feel of you in my arms was too much to overcome. I kissed you. I kissed your forehead, your checks, your eyes, your neck, every part of you. Lastly I kissed your lips, and as I did I knew you were kissing me back. We kissed for a long time, how long I don’t remember, but as the sun’s rays were hitting the water I knew I had to take you back. I swam up onto the shore and laid you on the sand. Despite my better judgment I gave in to temptation and kissed your perfect mouth again. I think that was what woke you-”

“You were still holding me,” said Rhea, “and not knowing who you were I kissed you back, because it was the only time I felt loved completely, and completely understood.”

Aengus continued, “I think we were there for some time as well, until I heard noises further up the beach, and I had to leave.”

“You left so quickly,” said Rhea, “I sat up to see where you had gone, only to see… your tail in the waves… it was then I knew that my deepest love lived in the ocean.”

Aengus smiled, “I am glad to hear you say that.” And with another look at Rhea he continued his tale. “From that day on I was more than ever in love with you. Instead of just waiting to see you on the beach I found your house, by the grass coast of the island, and would try to catch glimpses of you. I tried to follow you when you left for several years, but I could not find you.”

“Oh,” said Rhea, a little embarrassed and ashamed, “that would have been when I was at college.”

Aengus rolled the word over his tongue, “college.” Then he shrugged and went on, “when I saw you after those four years I was so happy to see you, and almost in even more pain from being apart from you. I knew then I had to do something. The merfolk always talked of a seawitch who lived far away, and I decided to go and find her. It took many months, but finally, I found an old hut at the bottom of the sea. The seawitch was there and after I explained the situation, she agreed to help me. She made me a potion that would allow me to become human, in exchange I… well… I gave her my hair.”

At this Rhea looked at the cuts that scourged Aengus’ head. “But it will grow back… won’t it?” she asked.

Aengus shook his head. “Once she cut my hair off she rubbed a salt on my scalp which prevents hair growth. It is impossible. I suppose she took it because she has none, she must have been jealous… many others were… I honestly cared less about my hair… I think she knew that…”

“But if she knew you didn’t care, why would she make that the only price?” questioned Rhea.

For a moment, Aengus looked like he was hiding something, holding something back, but the moment faded and he simply shrugged. “Who knows why seawitches do anything?” Aengus asked rhetorically, “what’s important is that now, I am here-” he leaned in to Rhea, inches away from her face, “with you.”

Rhea stared at Aengus for a moment, trying to sink in every thing she had just heard. Looking at him now, she knew he was telling the truth, she knew he had watched her from a far for a long time, and she knew how deeply he loved her, more so she knew just how much she loved him.

And before either of them knew it, they were kissing again, deeper than ever before. Aengus lay on top of Rhea sprawled out of the couch. Their hands searched each other, and they were so immersed it was hard to tell whose limbs were whose. Passion radiated off of them like heat as they embraced each other hard. Finally Aengus pulled out and looked at Rhea.

“Rhea,” Aengus said, his eyes penetrating deep, “I do not want to rush you. I want our moment to be right.”

As Rhea looked into Aengus’ eyes she knew whatever hesitation she may have had before had vanished entirely. “I am yours forever,” she replied.

At those words, Aengus’ face seemed to radiate with love and passion. With the caressing touch of a devoted man, Aengus lifted off Rhea’s top, and after a moment playing with the clasp undid her jeans. Rhea undid the clasp of her bra and let it drop to the floor, then Aengus gently removed her underwear. Shivering with anticipation Rhea took off those boxers that she had helped Aengus put on only minutes ago. For a moment they just looked at each other.

“I can barely believe,” whispered Rhea, “after all this time.”

And again they embraced. Aengus on top of Rhea, holding her and kissing her deeply. They where one mass of people, entirely immersed in each other. The passion increasing more and more with each blessed moment and – ok really people! They’re making love, they deserve some privacy. You people just have no decency.