The Soul of Muir Éireann

Uncomfortable

(Written by SinpaiCasanova and Enterthetadpole)

Mark was understandably baffled by Bob's sudden appearance. How in the hell did he even know where to look? They were hiding out in some random house by the lake, and nothing that Mark could think of would lead Bob to check this house specifically to try and find them. In fact, Mark's car was still at the Mermaid Motel, which was the only thing that actually tied him to that location at all. How long had Bob been tracking them? And why was he trying to help after he basically told Mark that he couldn't get involved past the first encounter?

Things just weren't adding up, and Mark was extremely suspicious of Bob's intentions regarding Seán. But he stepped aside anyway, watching Bob closely as he let him inside the house and shut the door behind him. What was the end game here?

"I can't say that I'm not surprised to see you, Bob," Mark said, keeping his guard up. "How did you find us?"

"It wasn't exactly hard, Mark. You did a piss poor job of covering your tracks." Bob simply answered, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. It looked like he was holding something in his closed fist, but Mark couldn't exactly gauge what it was.

"So, where's the merrow? He didn't get sick or anything, did he?"

Mark narrowed his eyes, following after Bob as he wandered through the house, searching for Seán who was still asleep. Mark's instinct to protect him was on overdrive, which made the decision to pocket one of the knives he swiped from the kitchen counter all the more acceptable.

"He's fine. Just sleeping."

Bob paused at the short response, sensing the defensive tone in Mark's voice but choosing not to call attention to it. He could understand why things would look at bit suspicious, but Mark should be open to any form of help that comes his way, right? If it weren't for Bob they wouldn't have been able to make it as far as they did. Mark should be grateful.

"Well, wake his ass up. I want to make sure that he's still healthy and that you didn't taint him with your germs. Can't have him croaking on us before we even get him home."

"We?" Mark parroted, giving Bob a concerned look. "You're actually coming with us?"

"Is that a problem?"

Mark blinked, hearing the hostility in Bob's tone. The hair on his arms was standing up, and something inside of him, and instinct perhaps, was telling him to remove Bob from this house as quickly as he could. He felt sick to his stomach, worried over what he might do to Seán. And Maybe it was just in his head, but something was off about this.

"I, um, just didn't expect to hear that. What about Mandy?"

"I won't be gone all that long, Mark. Now, let's have a look at that merrow, shall we?"

Bob began to walk down the hallway, turning into the first opened doorway he came across. Much to Mark's dismay, Bob was now standing in the bedroom, staring down at Seán as he slept on the messy sheets that reeked of sex.

The taller man sighed loudly behind his teeth at the sight, and then glanced back over to Mark. There was no need for him to say anything else. He had warned Mark about doing anything with the merrow, but for whatever reason, Mark just couldn't keep himself away.

"You don't need to look at me like that," Mark muttered as he wrapped his arms around himself and stared down at his own feet. "I can't help that I fell in love with him, Bob, and I've been trying to be safe when -"

"Trying to be safe?" Bob snapped back, his tone incredulous. "So should I take that to mean that there is a chance that Seán could be pregnant?"

Part of Mark wanted to tell him that it was none of his business. That even if pregnancy had happened that he would do whatever he needed to do to keep Seán safe. The silence was broken by a grunt on the bed, and a bleary set of blue eyes opened up to look at Bob standing over him.

"What's going on?" Seán mumbled.

"I've come to help you two," Bob said quickly before Mark could even open his mouth to respond. "But we all need to get out of here quickly, and it's going to be a really long time before you can shift again. Take a quick bath while Mark and I grab whatever supplies we can get before all of us get the hell out of here."

In a motion, Bob pulled a bottle of salt tablets out of his coat pocket and handed them to the merrow, who was looking at Mark with slight confusion. Mark nodded that it was okay, and watched as Seán got up onto his unsteady feet. Then with another small glance over to both men, he headed out of the bedroom and into the bathroom down the hall to start refilling the tub.

Bob exhaled deeply once the sound of running water echoed back to where he and Mark still stood. It was Mark who closed the door, but if anything, Bob seemed even more relieved by the gesture.

"Before we go anywhere," Mark started, turning back towards the other man, "I don't need a lecture about what happened in front of Seán. He's...really sensitive to things, and just because I didn't fucking think before we slept together isn't his fault."

Bob sighed again as he once again seemed to rummage in his pocket. There was an edge in all of his movements which made Mark uneasy in a way that he couldn't firmly understand, but he didn't want to alarm Seán if he could help it.

"You don't get it," Bob grumbled, taking a couple of steps towards the other man. "It's more than him getting pregnant that you have to deal with, Mark. Merrows have powerful poison sacks within their bodies and...some humans have eventually died after being exposed."

Mark buckled at this new information. Seán could have poisoned him during their sexual romps? That couldn't be possible, though. He hadn't felt sick or anything afterward.

"You've always been shit at keeping a poker face," Bob continued as he saw Mark's reaction. "You wouldn't notice that something was wrong at first. Usually, humans start by having hallucinations. Sometimes about the sea, or becoming a merrow themselves."

Mark felt his stomach turn. Was that what those waking dreams of him and Seán together were about?

"Fuck," Bob grumbled softly. "How about your skin? Any weird rashes or itching recently?"

Mark shook his head, but how could he know if that truly was the case? His body had gone through so much lately with being shot and almost dying less than a day ago.

"I can check to see if you're growing scales," Bob offered as he came closer to Mark. "Just pull off your shirt. Usually, they start on the chest and back."

Without any more hesitation, Mark was bare-chested in the next moment and turned around. His back was muscled and hairless, but it was clear by the way the dying sunlight hit his skin that there were a couple of small patches of what appeared to be fish scales near his spine. They were bright crimson in color and striking against his tanned flesh.

"What do you see?" Mark called over his shoulder nervously. "Is there any - "

Then a sharp pain at the base of his neck stopped him from saying anything else. Bob had jammed a needle into his skin and pushed the plunger. Instantly, Mark felt his vocal chords freeze as he crashed down to the ground. He couldn't move a muscle as he watched helplessly as Bob walked around him and bent down so that they were face to face.

"Sorry pal," Bob said softly as he watched as Mark struggled in vain to scream. "But Novak wants their merrow back, and money talks."