Under The Veil Of Love

The day was just too perfect to not take a swim. Especially for those with gills.

Hayden Kemp was sitting at the very bottom of the lake in his true form, if you could call resting in a relaxed Rose from Titanic pose on a long blue mermaid's tail sitting, anyways. A rather charming and sociable young fish had taken interest in him and they had started up a conversation, chattering about everything from the lake to the other kinds of fish that existed. The siren had been on the brink of asking the fish (who's name, while having no proper translation in English, shall be roughly translated to Chuck) if there were any others on the lake shore for him to talk to, when his phone buzzed. Hayden had been wise enough to invest in a waterproof phone case years ago, and could access his texts from deep under the waves when he needed to. He read the message and then was silent for so many minutes that Chuck asked him if there was something wrong. No, he replied with a grin. Something so surprisingly good he had been dumbstruck. But that was wishful thinking. Already there he texted back.

Lying to yourself is one of the greatest wastes of time that the whole world seems to enjoy, and Hayden had stopped lying to himself on one point. He wanted and seemingly needed Cairo in his life. It wasn't something fleeting, something that would burn out in a week or two. Not only it was solid but it was the first time he had felt it and it felt amazing. He had been considering texting Cairo for a week now, letting him know he hadn't changed his mind. But something (likely fear of rejection at this point but you'd never hear him admit it) kept him. So he was thrilled the texting metaphorical gap had been bridged at last.

After he responded via text, he explained to small but charismatic Chuck that he had to go. The fish understood, it was rather nice of him to do so. Hayden closed his eyes and turned, making himself change from siren to human. His hair, eyes, everything changed and as he did he kicked off the bottom with the remains of his tail, propelling him up and to the surface. He had his swim trunks balled in his fist, he made sure they were on by the time he reached the top of the waves and splashed to the top. Shaking the droplets of water out of his bright blonde hair, he waved towards the shore where it seemed there was a shape. Since they were rather far away, he began to swim near, his incredible swimming skills bringing him closer much faster than most humans would be able to.

Hayden swam enthusiastically in long, precise strokes, his eyes glittering with amusement. When he was close, he dove under suddenly and went as far to the bottom as he could, diving. Moments before he was at the lip of the lake, he surfaced right at Cairo's feet and gave him his best grin. "Fancy meeting you here" he said in his typical snark. He was in high spirits, the water making him unusually chipper and casual. Nothing made a siren feel more at home than being in the water. It was their natural home, and they were most comfortable there. A body of water was the only place Hayden liked more than the home he had made for himself on land, his precious trailer. He waited for a reply from Cairo while bobbling effortlessly in the water, having no problems with treading water.

The water glittered off the face of the lake, reflecting on his almost tanned skin and in his blue eyes, almost the same color as the depths below him. He grinned roguishly and reached a hand up to muss his hair into its usual beautifully messy state. Water did him a world of good, it accentuated his eyes and any outdoor time helped him tan his skin, which turned right back to ghostly pale if he didn't get out regularly. When Cairo spoke, he raised his eyebrows and put on his face of mock surprise. Then the face of almost comic flirtation. "So. Do you come here often?" he asked, both joking and serious. He continued to tread water for the time being, watching Cairo and enjoying the feeling of water on his skin and surrounding him. It was hot out there at the lake anyways, and he didn't particularly feel like getting out if he could help it. He considered trying to pull Cairo into the water with him, and was wavering on the thought as he watched him from his spot in the lake.