Page 23 of The Noble's Merman

“Kent…” Mo swallowed, “While I don’t know how to solve your problems, I do hope I can still help, however it may be.”

“Mo,” he breathed out. He looked down, then back up. And then—he smiled. “I always appreciate everything you do. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, my dear Kent.” He smiled back.

Though, he could tell Kent was hesitating, looking to the side, avoiding the inevitable. It was getting much darker now, the sun long gone, the only light source coming from his glowing sea crystal necklace and the moon above, and the human would leave for his home. He couldn’t keep him out here with him forever, as much as he desperately wanted to.

“How soon will you be back?” prompted Mo, since it seemed Kent was going to stay silent otherwise. He finally pulled his hand away from his face, down to his lap.

Kent gave him eye contact. “I told my sister I’d go with her to an event tomorrow, but I promise, I’ll try my best to meet you here the next day.”

Mo grinned at that. “We meet every other day or so anyway, so that’s perfectly fine.”

“Oh, um… yes, yes, of course!” Kent’s face was flushed crimson, his awkward smile so adorable.

“I hope you’ll have a good time with your sister.”

“W-well, Father won’t be there, so I shall manage.”

“That’s great to hear.” He let go of Kent’s hand, moving it instead to pet his shoulder. “I will be waiting for your return.”

Kent bit his lip, still smiling that sheepish smile. “And—I promise I will be back.” He leant forward, pulling Mo in a tender embrace. His warm breath against Mo’s neck kept the minnows constantly fluttering around his heart, and he returned the hug, patting his hands over the cloth on Kent’s back.

“I shall see you soon,” he meant as a promise as well.

TEN

He kissed me.

Mo really kissed me.

And I kissed him back.

The events of the evening replayed in Kent’s head, over and over as he slept, and as he had breakfast the following morning. With his head so much in the clouds—or in the sea, more accurately—it was impossible for him to focus on any given task. He laid low in his rooms until evening, when Turner ushered him out with his sister.

“Are you well, Kent?” asked Katherine after they’d been on the road for some time toward Portsmouth, sitting across from him in the carriage. He only realized now how quiet he’d been.

“Oh, well… yes and no. Yes, because things are going swimmingly with the merman,” he joked, and Katherine laughed. “But no, because… the usual problems. Only now, with Mo’s involvement in my life, somehow I feel like those problems have increased tenfold.”

His sister pursed her lips. “How does that make sense? Pray tell, things are going well with him, yet they’re not?”

Kent shrugged, confusion flooding his mind. “I’m not even sure how to explain it to myself, to be quite honest. I need some… time to think about it, before I can truly put it all into words.”

“Well, all right. Perhaps some gin will help you loosen up, then?” She smiled playfully.

He had to chuckle at that. “Yes, perhaps.”

After arriving and greeting their hosts—noble friends of Katherine’s betrothed Sir Randolf—Kent quickly settled in and grabbed something to drink. It was a soirée and without his father in attendance, Kent felt no obligation to meet anyone new, to dance with anyone, to court anyone. Katherine knew Kent’s troubles with their father well, and would not put him purposefully into a situation that would make him uncomfortable.

He downed one drink, and then another, making himself comfortable in a chair to himself off to the side. The gathering lay before him, people chatting and gossiping about everything and nothing. He could join in, he could talk with Katherine, but his mind was still buzzing. He needed more time to think, and hopefully the gin could open his mind more to what he needed.

Plenty of couples were here, linking arms, touching their shoulders softly, laughing amongst each other. A man and a woman, together, as it always should be. That was the only way it could be, right? Two men couldn’t marry—in fact, it was completely outlawed. Sure, some men could be discreet about a relationship, he figured, and with enough status and rank it may be excused, but it would be risky to always be avoiding the law. How hard it must be to live like that.

How hard it must be, Kent chuckled to himself. I’d always wondered. But now, look at me. With how I've been feeling about Mo…

What he should do is end what was happening before it started—he couldn’t be with Mo like that. He needed to do what he’d always planned to do in life: marry and have children. Doing that was impossible with Mo. Not only was he male, he was a merman. He couldn’t even walk on land. Kent shouldn’t even think of being with him as a possibility at all.

But what lay awaiting him if he did marry? If he did manage to find a woman, devote himself to her, spend his life with her. He couldn’t keep what he already had with Mo if he were with someone else. It wouldn’t be right—and not to think of how Mo would feel. Wouldn’t Mo feel betrayed? It would mean—no more visits at the beach, no more long talks until the stars came out, no more gentle caresses, no more soft kisses?—

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