#but it does make sense that nate doesn't like the ocean at all

[icanbeyourgenie]

"Sleeping late?" - Achilles to Nathaniel

The truth is, Nate didn't sleep much. It wasn't until the sun was finally up that he managed a few hours of sleep. He still gave a tired smile to Achilles. The surgeon seemed less cranky than yesterday.

“Did you sleep at all?” Achilles asked, when he took in Nathaniel's current state, and especially the dark circles under his eyes.

Nathaniel couldn't really put into words how the silence in the bedroom he was given was haunting. He never liked silence, but especially not after he killed someone. Or worse, after he almost killed someone. The siren would've loved saying it was the guilt that kept him awake, and it partly was, but mostly it was the hunger. He wanted more. For a terrible moment, the daunting hunger made him horribly aware of the other living creature that was near - the doctor that gave him shelter. That thought made him feel sick; he almost ran away to find Ursula, but he never found her in those moments, she found him. He wouldn't know where to search. So he looked for a distraction and quickly found some poetry books. It soothed him enough to grab a few hours of sleep.

Of course, he wouldn't say all that to the man that helped him.

“I found some of your poetry books. They kept me awake. They tend to do that. I particularly enjoyed the Rûmî compilation. It's my favorite, I have it in my bedroom too.”

Achilles raised an eyebrow. “You have books under the sea?”

Nathaniel laughed. He quite like the direct questions that the man asked. Not many people talked to him like that. “Well, not a lot of course. I just have this one, really. The rest are on land, but I really love Rûmî and I wanted to have him with me always.”

“How does it not... You know-”

“Get soaked?”

“Yeah.”

“My big sister made it waterproof. I like to think it was a gift but really I was just being a crybaby and didn't want to go back without it.”

A silence followed, and Nathaniel would've given everything to know what was on Achilles' mind.

“There's breakfast on the table.” Achilles said after a few long seconds.

“I'm not really hungry.” Anyone who knew Nate would know how alarming this was. The prince could generally eat for five and demand a refill. “And anyway, I abused your hospitality for too long. I'll leave now.”

“You mean we'll leave.”

“Huh?”

“I proposed you a ride to the sea, didn't I? Besides, do you even have a carriage?”

Nathaniel smiled. He didn't, and that wasn't really necessary. But he found himself wanting to spend more time with the surgeon, so he accepted, and they both headed outside.

The ride to the water was surprisingly agitated. Both men easily talked about poetry together. It started with Rûmî but quickly went elsewhere. Nathaniel welcomed the noise, and the apparent normality of the conversation, despite the strange circumstances of their meeting. He was almost sad when the carriage stopped and they reached their destination.

When he stepped out of the vehicle, he felt a knot in his stomach at the mere vision of the ocean. He did not like that place, and he was in no rush to go back. So when Achilles got closer, and Nate didn't move, the surgeon was visibly confused.

“Are you not.... Going back to the water?”

“No. Not yet.”

“...Why?”

“I can't go just now. It's pretty clear that I fed on someone. My father will be angry, I prefer to wait it out a little.”

“Why would your father be angry? Isn't he a siren?”

“No he's not.”

“What is he then?”

The king of the sea was not an answer Nate wanted to give, so he just stayed evasive. “Just... something else.”

“... Okay, now I'm starting to think that you're just being intentionally mysterious to make me want to know more.”

Nathaniel laughed again. A true laugh, with creasing at the corner of his eyes. He looked at Achilles, noticing how beautiful he looked in the sunlight. Especially his eyes. Nate actually wasn't trying to be mysterious, there were just things he couldn't say to a stranger. But still, he went along with it.

“Is it working?”

“Maybe..” Achilles smirked. “But can you at least tell me why we have come all this way if you don't plan to go back to the sea.”

“I heard people really love the ocean. Don't you?”

“... We came all this way so I could see the ocean?”

“Well.... Now that you're saying it out loud it sounds dumb.”

This time, Achilles was the one laughing, which relaxed Nathaniel a little. The siren wasn't the type to really think before acting most of the time. He wanted to spend a bit more time with Achilles, so he just went along with it. And the beach was a great place to do so, right?

When Achilles sat in the sand, Nate figured it wasn't such a bad idea after all. He relaxed even more and sat next to him.

“It is relaxing. As a doctor, I often prescribe walks on the beach, for the salted air. Also, the view is beautiful.”

“It's certainly is.... vaste.... and wet, I guess.”

“Not a big fan huh? Don't sirens love the water?”

“Don't have a lot of good memories here.”

Indeed, his first memory was drowning, and then hurting so badly he thought he might die. He almost did. From that point on, it was only violence, until he found Malachai. And he did love his family, he really did. A little too much. So of course some memories hurt. Like the forced restriction, the everlasting hunger that made him feel like dying at first, his father beating him for his nature, his mother being executed, his sister excluded, banished and erased. The constant pressure of being a prince, knowing than at any moment Triton could revoke him, since he wasn't technically his blood. Knowing that despite that, he loved them all too much to even risk it. To risk them knowing what he did, sometimes, when he went away.

“More mysteries.” Achilles said, making him come back to earth. He shook his head and focused his attention on the man next to him.

“Well what about you Doc?”

“What about me?”

“What's your story?”

“What makes you think I have an interesting story?”

“Let's see. You got a stranger storming into your house in the middle of the night, carrying a man he killed. And not only do you help him burry the body, you also offer him a place for the night AND a ride home. You can't convince me there's not a good story behind this?”

Achilles' smiled deepened and it occurred to Nathaniel that they both didn't stop smiling for a long time now. Achilles took some time to think, but somehow decided to be elusive too.

“Why did you try to save that man yesterday?”

“Why did you help me?”

“You're eluding my questions.”

“And you mine. I guess we both like to play the mysterious card, don't we?”

“I guess we do.”

There was that silence again. Not an unpleasant or uncomfortable one, not at all. A silence Nate didn't hate - he didn't think this was possible.

“I'll tell you what.” This time, it was Nate who broke the silence. He wanted to tell Achilles how much he loved his eyes, but he figured that was a bit too soon. “I answer one question, you answer one of mine. But first, I'm really hungry now. Do you have a place to recommend?”

Achilles raised an eyebrow. “Do you eat human food?”

Nate choked on his laugh. “What?”

“Well, I figured you said you weren't hungry this morning out of politeness, because you didn't want to say that the food wasn't really your type of diet. Was I right? Because, I know I helped you burry a body, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with assisting while you eat someone.”

“I... You're really a unique type of fellow, aren't you?”

“Or so I heard.”

“Don't worry Doc, I do eat human food. A lot of human food, actually.”

“Perfect then. I know just the place.”

He got up and held out his hand to Nathaniel. And even if the siren didn't really need it, he took it all the same.

[mr-independent]

'this isn't your usual time' yeah well i thought I'd get up early and do something for myself before work for once, sue me. Also my cat is finally at my new place and wants me to be anywhere he's not at the moment so...

S2e2, the real start of Jamie's glow up

-- 'were lucky to have loser: Jamie' 'oi, I'm not just a loser, I'm The Loser'

-- low fat custard that doesn't make you sad really does sound too good to be true

-- does. Does Ted have fancy custom-made Richmond pumas????

-- Nate saying 'dont make changes that could throw off a players headspace' like. Ok most of Nate's decisions are supposed to seem nitpicky and unnecessary but like. Nah he's right on that one. Someone changed the grip colour on my racquet once and i kept getting distracted by it. Sports are mental games as much as physical ones.

-- Ted on the mower!!

-- 'closest thing he can find to a Dodge Ram' I love you Roy

-- Ricky Bell... Is he talking about the singer of the New Editions or the dead running back with the made for TV movie?

-- Ted's favourite book is The Fountainhead? Damn man that's a tome.

-- Ted and Rebecca are so emotionally stunted when theyre together is almost funny

-- 'must be nice to just burn cash' Roy.....you're probably the richest person on ten square blocks. You were a star football player for nearly 20 years. You're the richest football mom there is

-- Keeley rubbing one out to Roy crying on live TV......i mean i get it girl. Emotionally available men are Hot

-- Jamie named the soldier after Ted Danson. Me too, Jamie, me too

-- 'old people are like tall yodas' Jamie should write a fucking book

-- 'my father was a lot harder on himself than he ever was on me' and Jamie saying 'youre lucky' fucking YIKES man. Like yes nobody knows bc he's never said, but still. Yikes.

-- Sharon getting closer and closer is fucking funny as hell. She's got a great sense of humour and it's really showing

-- i make a habit of looking up all the Ted references i don't get and he mentioned Bernie Mac and i had no idea the dealer from oceans 11 was a comedian

-- Sam's dad saying Ted is safe hands 🥰

-- Roy loves white orchids? The depths to this man. Also his ringtone is Bad To The Bone and i find the juxtaposition funny

-- i also like how Roy's sitting next to his former gaffer on the stage

-- the two most awkward people in the entire show sharing an office. What could go wrong?

-- Sharon's finally starting to respect Ted, it warms my tiny little heart

-- Prince of Tides (Sharon's fav book) is, for those of you who haven't read it, is about an American football coach who's struggling to keep his family together after the attempted suicide of his sister. So either she's uniquely qualified to help Ted or she senses something and answered that way to prompt his to read it. Given her entire...her, it's probably a toss up