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sailor-aviator · 2 months

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Meet Me at the Sea: Chapter Twelve

Meet Me at the Sea: Chapter Twelve

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

Summary: Your best friend, Bob Floyd, had insisted you join him for the summer at his family's home along the Carolina coasts. You had been hesitant at first, but ultimately agreed to his request. Now, here you were in a new town with strange locals who spoke in hushed whispers and cryptic retellings about glistening scales, glowing eyes, and haunting songs that echoed from the sea. You didn't believe them at first, but when you wake up on the beach one morning after having fallen overboard the night before, you can't help but think that maybe you hadn't imagine the strong arms and deep, green eyes of the man that had saved you.

Content Warnings: Panic attack, Mentions of dog attack, Tense Daggers, Arguing, Skipper sneaking away, Cursing, Monster appearance, Crying, Begging, Murder confessions, Execution, Gunshot, Descriptions of blood. I think that's it, but please let me know if I missed anything!

Word Count: 4.5k

Series Masterlist || Moodboards || Playlist || Jake "Hangman" Seresin Tag List

When you were little, your grandmother had a dog. It was a sweet thing, always eager for pets and treats. You always liked that dog, but the dog tended to be a bit skittish.

You remember walking into your grandmother’s living room one day, no older than five at the time, and seeing the dog - Mitzi you think her name was. You had walked up to her, paying no mind to the fact that she was sleeping, and you stuck your little face by her to greet her. You hadn’t meant any ill by it, but the dog had snapped at you anyway, drawing blood and a screech from your tiny lips. Your parents and grandmother had come running into the room, finding you in tears and Mitzi trying to console you.

Of course, you knew that it hadn’t been the dog’s fault, but it didn’t stop you from shying away from her every time you saw her after that, afraid of the teeth of the otherwise sweet as could be creature that always happily greeted you.

Now you stood on the boardwalk, the ringing in your ears drowning out the laughter and chatter around you, sending you spiraling into a panic as you came to terms with what had just happened. You knew that it hadn’t just been Mandy or Jake to sing to you, but you had allowed yourself to be lulled into a false sense of security, sure that Mandy had been the one to kill the others.

After all, she had tried to kill you.

Your breath came out in ragged gasps as your body went into panic mode, your fingers and toes growing numb as you continued to stare after the space where Cole just stood. He had been the one to tear Mandy apart, but why? To protect you? Why had he killed those other girls then?

In order for a sea person to claim their chosen mate, they have to drag their partner down, down, down beneath the waves, cutting them off from air until they’re to the point of death.

Your breath caught in your throat. Had he been trying to claim them? Is that why he had been singing to you? To drag you beneath the waves of the ocean as well? Your head whipped around to the darkening blue just passed the rails of the boardwalk, the thunderous sound of the waves crashing against the shore sounding more ominous with each passing moment.

Skipper.

Your breathing picked up once more, your hands shaking as you froze, vision becoming pin points as you fought to remain standing, your knees threatening to buckle.

“Skipper!”

A hand grabbed your shoulder and you let out a terrified shriek, drawing the attention of several people around you. You whipped back around, tears in your eyes as they met familiar blue.

“Skipper,” Bob murmured, brow furrowing as he took in your trembling form. “What happened? Are you okay? Where’s Jake?”

Your eyes darted around the crowd, several people glancing over at you with hushed whispers and concerned looks. You let out a choked sob as you finally realized that you were safe. For the moment anyway.

“Bob,” you whimpered, a breeze alerting you to the fact that your tears had long since spilled over. Your bottom lip trembled as the tension finally broke, and you threw yourself in his arms, sobs wracking your body as he held you.

“Skipper, what happened?” He asked again, firmer this time as he ran a comforting hand over your back.

“It was Cole,” you managed to get out, pulling away to look at him, shaking your head frantically. “It wasn’t Mandy. At least, not all those other girls. He dragged them down and something happened, and-”

“Honey, slow down,” Bob said, gripping your shoulders and leaning down to look you in your eyes. “Take a deep breath, can you do that for me?”

You nodded, following his lead as he took in a deep breath through his nose, holding it for a beat, and then letting it out through his mouth. He had you repeat the process a couple more times until you stopped shaking, some clarity returning to you.

“Okay, good,” he smiled, rubbing your arms. “Now tell me what happened.”

“I ran into Cole,” you started again, “except that I didn’t know it was him at first.”

You stopped, pursing your lips as you stared at your best friend.

“Bob, he sang to me.”

“He sang to you?” Bob balked, eyes growing wide as he looked around. “Where is he now? Has he been singing to you this whole time?”

“Yes,” you nodded, taking his hand. “This whole time we thought it was just Mandy, but Bob, it was him too. He’s been calling to me since I ran into him that day at the tilt-o-whirl. He’s the one that’s been killing all of the girls.”

“Why would he do that?” He asked, more to himself than to you. You gripped onto Bob’s forearms, drawing his attention back towards you.

“It’s his frenzy,” you murmured, the pieces clicking together the more you thought about it. “Jake told me that the longer a sea person goes without taking a mate, the more dangerous the process becomes. The frenzy causes sea people to lose their control right?”

“Right,” Bob answered hesitantly, the wheels in his head turning as you continued on with your theory.

“He’s losing control, Bob,” you breathed, looking past him and back towards the water. “He doesn’t have a mate, and he’s trying to take one, but he keeps losing control and killing them. He’s going to keep going until he finds someone to be his mate.”

“Not someone, Skipper,” Bob frowned, worry shining bright in his eyes as he looked up at you. “You.”

“What?” You blinked, confusion sweeping over you.

“He’s been calling for you, Skipper. Ever since he laid eyes on you, it’s been you that he wants. He’s not going after anyone else,” he hissed, hand grabbing your forearm and scanning the crowd wildly. “We need to find Jake and the others. Come on.”

Without waiting for a response, he started dragging you through the crowd, the both of you searching wildly for your friends.

“There!” You shouted at him, pointing to your right towards the haunted house attraction. You saw Bob let out a sigh of relief as he pushed through the crowd with you in tow to stand before your friends.

“Hey!” Nat chirped, smile dropping when she saw the two of you looking worse for wear.

“Woah,” Reuben said with a whistle. “What’s up with the two of you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Which can’t be because we haven’t even gone through the haunted house yet,” Mickey grinned, pointing at the building behind him. Nat rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the two of you.

“What happened?” She asked, eyes searching yours. “Where’s Jake?”

Before you could answer, a hand came up to tug you away from Bob, the bespectacled man moving to protest until he saw who it was, relaxing only a fraction.

“There you are,” Jake drawled, placing a kiss to your temple. “You disappeared on me.”

You looked up at him, and his demeanor instantly shifted from easygoing to alert.

“What happened?” He demanded, eyes glancing at your friends.

“We were just about to get there when you interrupted,” Nat scowled, hands on her hips as she glared at the blond. Jake muttered something under his breath but turned his attention back to you expectantly.

“Skipper is in danger,” Bob said, eyes hard and serious as the words left him. Jake stiffened next to you, the sound of a low growl emanating from his imposing frame.

“What do you mean she’s in danger?” He hissed, green eyes narrowing at your best friend. You turned to face him fully, hands grasping his tightly so that he looked at you.

“It’s Cole,” you breathed, “he’s been singing to me. He’s been singing to me this whole time, and we all just thought it was Mandy. It’s his frenzy, Jake. He’s losing control.”

You cursed internally at the way your voice cracked at the end, emotion overtaking you. You thought about Jake and how close he was to being in the same position as Cole. Even now, you could see how desperately he was clinging onto his control, the greens of his eyes glowing at the very thought that you might be taken from him. You reached up to cup his cheek, pulling his attention back to the surface and away from the depths of his inward spiral. He blinked at you, confusion warring with desperation as you stared at him.

An unspoken message passed between the two of you, and Jake let out a long sigh, reaching up to place his hand over yours.

“Let’s get you out of here.”

“That’s the dumbest fucking idea I’ve ever heard,” Nat snapped, glaring at Bradley as he leaned back on the couch, tossing his hands up in defeat.

“If you’ve got a better one, I’d love to hear it,” he growled back.

All of you were seated around Jake and Bradley’s living room, a common spot for you all to gather these days. You wished it was under different circumstances, but it seemed that you were once again the center of discussion.

“We could just leave?” Bob suggested, arms crossed over his chest where he sat perched on the end of the coffee table. A low growl ripped through the form beneath you, and you squeezed the arms wrapped around your waist.

Jake had been reluctant to let you go or out of his sight once he knew you were in danger, insisting on your current position once you all had made it back to the house.

Jake didn’t look at you, but squeezed you tighter to him as he fixed your best friend with a warning glare. No one was taking you away from him.

“That might not be a bad idea,” Reuben muttered, eyes darting up to look at you. You could feel the anger radiating off of your boyfriend, sighing as Reuben averted his gaze once more.

“We know you don’t like the idea,” Nat started, running a hand over her face as she stared at the blond, “but we’re running out of options here, Jake. She’ll be safest away from here.”

“One of us will be with her at all time,” Mickey offered, flinching at the snarl that tore through Jake. Your brow furrowed as you looked around at your friends.

“I’m missing something,” you said after a beat of silence. “Why are you acting like Jake can’t come with me? What am I missing?”

Everyone avoided your gaze before Bradley rolled his eyes.

“He can’t come with you,” he groused, shooting annoyed looks at all of his friends, “because his frenzy is about to reach its peak, and the ocean is the only place where he can go to release some of that energy without hurting anyone. If he leaves with you, it’s a recipe for disaster and we all risk exposure.”

The room was silent once again as he finished his explanation. Your eyes darted around to each of them, waiting for someone to contradict him. When no one did, you let out a sigh. You knew the goal was to keep you safe, but the thought of leaving Jake behind filled your mouth with a bitter taste, and you knew that leaving wasn’t an option.

“He’s right.”

You jumped, turning as much as you could to look at Jake. A solemn expression sat on his face, eyes pensive before locking on yours. You couldn’t help the stab of betrayal that washed over you, and it was obvious that he noticed.

“I don’t want you to leave,” he murmured, resting his forehead against yours, “but if it’s the only way to keep you safe until this passes, then so be it.”

“But what about you?” You implored, feeling the tears kiss the back of your eyes once more. “You shouldn’t have to go through all this alone. I can stay and-”

“Not an option,” he whispered, a wry, humorless smile tugging on his lips. “I need you safe more than I need you here. Don’t you worry about me, angelfish. I’ll be just fine.”

He grazed his nose against yours, breathing you in for a second before pulling away and fixing your friends with a hard stare.

“She’ll need to go inland.”

And with that, they began to discuss plans to take you away from North Island. A feeling of unease and restlessness filled you. How could they expect you to just up and leave? Did you really get no say in what happened? No. Jake might be okay with this, but you weren’t.

While your friends planned, you began to form a scheme of your own.

An hour passed, and you moved to stand, Jake’s arms stopping you as you let out a huff.

“Where are you going?” He asked, eyes immediately glaring at the front door as he listened for any sign of danger.

“To the bathroom,” you scowled. “I think I can do that by myself, don’t you?”

Jake gave you a sheepish look before helping you to your feet, hands on your waist to steady you as you stood in between his legs. The two of you stayed like that, his hands on you as you cupped his jaw in yours.

“I love you,” you said, never breaking eye contact. Jake’s breath hitched at your words, eyes shining as he studied you. He reached up to grab your hand, turning his face into it as he kissed your palm once, twice.

“I love you too,” he smiled, meeting your eyes once more. Your heart swelled before a wave of guilt washed over you, and Jake must have sensed the change because his smile dropped and his brow furrowed. He moved to say something, but you stopped him with a kiss to his forehead.

You pulled away from him, moving down the hall like you were going to use the restroom. The voices in the living room faded slightly, and you paused just out of sight. You waited for a moment before your gaze shifted from the light pouring into the hall to the dimming light filtering through the back door. As quietly as you could, you opened the screen door, slipping out onto the porch and into the night.

You weren’t sure where to go, but you knew you needed to be far away from other people. So you walked the length of the beach, coming to a rocky inlet that was sheltered by the surrounding cliffs. The waves crashed gently against the shore, coaxing you to step closer.

You made a seat out of one of the flat rocks along the shoreline, crossing your legs as well as you could in the dress you still wore. You wished you could have changed, but the group had been in such a hurry to get you away and to somewhere safe, that a change of clothes had fallen by the wayside.

Now here you sat, watching the sun dip below the shoreline, the raucous from the festival still heard even this far out. Still, you waited on the rocks even as the cold seeped through your dress and to your bones, sending a shiver up your spine. The air was calm and unassuming, a stray gull crying out overhead.

“I know you’re out there!” You hollered, watching the waves as they lapped against one another. “I know you’re looking for me too. I’m right here, Cole! Come and find me.”

You waited, still watching the water for any sign of a disturbance. Minutes passed, and you knew the others had discovered your disappearance by now. Another pang of guilt rocked through you, but you remained where you were. After a moment, you stood, stepping back onto the sand and facing the water. With a determined breath, you stepped forward. Then again. And again, until finally you came right to where the water stopped.

“If you won’t come to me,” you shouted, eyes flickering across the waves as the sky around you grew darker, “then I guess I’ll just have to come to you.”

You took a step into the water, feet sinking further into the sand as you shuffled through. Stopping again once the water reached your knees, you looked around for any sign of life. It wasn’t until your third sweep that you spotted him, and your heart stopped.

Cole’s eyes glowed an inhuman green, unblinking as they stared at you. Everything from his nose downwards was hidden beneath the water, but you saw him. It unnerved you how he didn’t move, simply content in that moment to watch you.

“I wanted to talk to you,” you called, hoping you could be heard over the crash of the waves against the rocks. A wave crashed against you, sending you teetering back a little bit as you lost your balance. You stretched your arms out to steady yourself, looking down to frown at the water around you. Looking back up, Cole was gone and your heart dropped. It was only a moment though before he resurfaced, just a foot or two away from you this time, and your heart nearly lept out of your chest at the sight of him.

He looked even worse this close up, olive skin looking pale and shrunken as he stood in the water to face you. The pupils in his eyes were almost slits at this point, and you could see the webbed claws of his hands resting on the surface of the water. He looked like the stuff out of nightmares.

“Cole?” You questioned, unsure if he would even recognize you in his current state. He cocked his head to the side, seeming to contemplate you with a series of clicks that didn’t sound unlike something a dolphin would make. You swallowed around the lump in your throat, continuing, “Why don’t we go back to the beach, huh? We can talk there?”

He stayed silent, still watching as you retreated to the beach, keeping your eyes on him as you moved. Finally, he followed after you, moving like something out of one of those b-grade horror movies Bob made you watch sophomore year.

You let out a small sigh of relief as your feet finally left the water, placing you back on dry land. You retreated a couple more steps until Cole stood in the surf, the two of you only three feet apart now.

“You didn’t mean to hurt those girls, right?” You asked softly, and a flicker of recognition flashed in his eyes before turning into something akin to sorrow.

“Wanted…a mate.”

The change in his voice startled you as well. It was a mixture of a gurgle and a rasp, once again highlighting how inhuman the man before you had become.

“I know,” you murmured, tears stinging at your eyes. “It’s your frenzy, right? It’s making you lose control.”

“Frenzy,” he hissed out, cocking his head to the side once more as he regarded you. Something flickered in his eyes, and he took a step towards you, sending you two steps back. Your heartbeat thundered in your ears as he sneered at you, and you caught a glimpse of his teeth. Teeth that just earlier that evening were normal - human. Now, they were serrated and sharp like a shark’s. You dared to scan the rest of him now that he was completely out of the water, and you noticed now that slits had opened up along the column of his throat. Gills.

“Is this what happens when you don’t take a mate?” You asked him, heart clenching in your chest. “You don’t just lose yourself, huh? You become something you were never meant to be.”

“Skipper,” he said, voice ringing out as he used his song, and a wave of dizziness ran through you, hitting you like a brick wall. You fought against it, shaking your head and clamping your hands over your ears as he went on.

“Need you, Skipper. Come away with me.”

You shook your head again, willing yourself to stay put, but his song that close? It was almost impossible to resist.

“Please.”

Your hands fell to your sides as you quickly lost the battle for your senses, gaze fogging over as you gave in. You took all of one step towards him before the sound of a snarl mixed with what sounded like the call of a whale rang out.

Hands ripped you back before slashing towards Cole, drawing out a pained cry from the man as he fell to the sand, a snarl twisting his lips as he glared up at the person that stood between you and him.

Jake’s eyes glowed a richer green than Cole’s, fury so clear on his face that it almost distracted you from where his pupils were now drawn into slits of their own. His teeth were bared against Cole, hand raised to claw at him again should he move.

“Mine,” Jake growled, the rumble coming from deep within him as he stood over the other man. Cole’s eyes darted to yours, and your heart broke at what you saw.

For a moment, the man you knew before shone through, tears lining his eyes as he looked at you desperately, pleading with you. Without thinking, you placed a hand on Jake’s arm, pushing it out of your way as you moved to kneel down beside Cole.

“Skipper.”

You turned to see Bob and Bradley standing a few feet back, the two FBI agents standing next to them. The older of the two had a grim, sorrowful expression on his face as he watched Cole and the younger looked like he was still coming to terms with what was happening before him. Bob looked like he was about to rip you up from the ground himself while Bradley watched you with an unreadable expression on his face. You gave the two of them a reassuring smile as you turned your attention back to the man in front of you.

Slowly, gently, you cupped his face in your hands so that he looked at you, and for a moment you were reminded of your grandmother’s dog. A sweet thing, but perhaps not meant to be around other people.

Tears flowed freely down Cole’s cheeks as he watched you, the man you knew resurfacing once more. You stroked your thumbs carefully over the apples of his cheeks, wiping away his tears. A sob wracked through him as he closed his eyes, face pinched in pain. You wrapped your arms around him then, holding him to you.

“I’m sorry,” he cried, quietly at first. His shoulders shook as he began to cry harder, his voice raising in pitch as he continued. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I just wanted the pain to stop, and I-I-I didn’t mean to wait this long. I thought I had more time! I thought that I could pick a mate, but every time I tried to bond with them, it went wrong!”

His tears soaked through the fabric of your dress now, and you were only vaguely aware of the tears that streamed down your own face.

“I didn’t want to hurt them,” he whispered, clinging to you.

“I know,” you whispered back, nodding against the top of his head.

“Make the pain go away.”

“Cole,” you trailed off, looking helplessly at the men around you. He shook his head, pulling away from you.

“Not like that,” he rasped, the look in his eyes growing farther and farther away, and you knew that the moment of lucidness was coming to an end. “It’s too late for that now. There’s only one way out for me.”

Your breath caught in your throat, and you moved to argue, but he shook his head.

“I’ll do it.”

You turned to see the older of the two FBI agents, Kazansky if you remembered right, stepping forward to stand beside Cole. You hesitated, looking down at the man in your arms. He gave you a reassuring nod, letting you go as Jake helped you to your feet. The blond pulled you back to stand with the others and you watched as Cole readjusted himself to kneel with his back straight. Kazansky moved to stand behind him, pulling out his service weapon and aiming. A shudder ran through Cole as the monster within came crawling back to the surface, his eyes darting to you.

“I’m sorry,” he sang out, claws digging into the sand. “Please.”

The shot rang out, and you let out a startled cry as Cole’s lifeless body slumped to the ground, crashing with a deafened thump. Your hand flew to your mouth as you stared, watching his blood soak the sand around him and turning it a sickening maroon.

Kazansky holstered his weapon, glancing up at your little group with a purse of his lips as his partner, Simpson, walked cautiously over to him.

“Kerner is going to be pissed when he hears about this. He loves crazy shit,” the younger man muttered. Kazansky scowled at him before turning his attention back towards the four of you.

“You kids should get out of here,” he grunted. “Somebody was bound to hear that shot and call someone. You don’t want to be here when the cavalry shows up.”

“What are you going to say happened?” Bradley asked, eyeing Cole’s corpse. Kazansky shook his head with a sigh.

“You let us worry about that,” he replied. “Now get.”

The boys didn’t wait to be told a third time, moving to leave, but you stayed rooted on the spot. It felt wrong to leave Cole there, and you suspected it had a lot to do with the man who wrapped his arms around your shoulders in a bid to steer you away.

“There’s nothing more you can do for him, Angel,” he murmured, thumb stroking over the skin of your arm as he pulled you along gently.

“That could have been you,” you whispered, and he froze. It was true. Jake was nearing the the point of no return with his own frenzies. He knew it, you knew it, everyone knew it. His hand came up to cup your cheek and you finally looked up at him. His eyes swam with an indiscernible emotion has he studied you.

“It’s not,” he told you quietly, placing a chaste kiss to your forehead. “It won’t be.”

The promise between you two was a silent one, but one that you accepted, finally allowing Jake to pull you along to catch up with the others as police sirens sounded off in the distance.

The weeks of danger, terror, and uncertainty were finally over and behind you.

A/N: Only one chapter left! How exciting!! Anyway, gentle reminder that if you would like to receive updates on my stories or other content I create to follow @sailoraviator-library and turn on post notifications! As always, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! You can also find me on AO3 under sailor_aviator. Until next time! Happy Valentine's Day!!

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sailor-aviator · 2 months

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Meet Me at the Sea: Chapter Thirteen

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

Chapter Warnings: Jake and Skipper fight, Bradley flirts, Vivid descriptions of drowning, Supernatural elements, Siren Song, Biting, Smut (P in V, fingering, dirty talk), Confrontations, Love confessions, Fluff, Angst, Happy Ending. Think that's it, but let me know if I missed anything!

Word Count: 6k

Series Masterlist || Moodboards || Playlist || Jake "Hangman" Seresin Tag List

Your group walked down the lamp-lit streets silently, an air of tension surrounding the four of you. Of course, you knew what you had done had been completely stupid, and they were right to be mad at you. But you knew you had done the right thing, and you knew they knew that too. That didn’t mean that you hadn’t scared them though, and you let out a quiet sigh as you waited for the inevitable blow up from one of them - most likely Jake, if you had to guess.

He was tense beside you as you all continued down towards the house, his jaw clenched so hard that you swore you could hear his teeth grinding. His eyes still glowed ominously, though not as vividly as they had only minutes before. He refused to look at you, eyes trained forward as he kept his hands shoved in his pockets, refusing to touch you.

You deserved his ire.

Bradley hit the steps of the house first, walking up them casually as if he didn’t have a care in the world. You saw the way his nostrils flared though and the way his eyes seemed pinched as he ripped the screen door open and stepped inside.

Bob was close behind him, lips pulled into a tight frown with eyes trained on the ground. He grabbed the door before it slammed shut, pausing for just a moment to look back at you, blue eyes reproachful. You met his gaze, silently communicating your apologies for having scared him, and he must have understood you because he let out a defeated sigh before stepping inside.

You moved to follow him, letting out a shocked gasp as you were dragged backwards and pinned against the pillar of the porch.

Jake’s gaze was thunderous as he finally looked at you, a deep frown on his face as his eyes glowed that ominous green in fury. He leaned into you, forearm pressed to the wood above your head as he crowded you.

“Do you have any idea,” he hissed, eyes narrowing at you, “of how badly you scared me just now?”

You said nothing as he took a deep breath in before letting it out, eyes falling closed for a moment. He opened them again, and this time you could see a mixture of fear and despair beyond the palpable anger.

“I need you safe, Skipper,” he continued, voice so low that it was almost a growl. His hand came up to cup your cheek, eyes begging you to understand him. “I needed to know that you were going to be okay, and what did you do? You ran off without telling anyone where you were going. Do you have any idea how out of my mind I was when I realized you were gone?”

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” you whispered, heart thumping in your chest as you watched him. “But I’m not sorry for what I did.”

Jake’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before narrowing at you, jaw clenching.

“What?” He all but spat at you. Despite his obvious anger, his hand remained gentle on your face.

“I’m not sorry for what I did,” you repeated, voice firmer this time as you jutted your chin out. “I did what I had to do. Running away wasn’t going to fix any of this, and you all know it. It was a temporary solution to a bigger problem. I did what needed to be done.”

“You could have gotten hurt,” he growled, the glow in his eyes brightening as his pupils once again narrowed to slits at the thought of what could have happened to you. “You could have been killed.”

“But I wasn’t,” you reminded him. You knew you were pressing your luck in that moment, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care. Jake let out a hiss mixed with several different clicks, the sound not unlike that of a dolphin.

“You’re mine,” he hissed.

“If I’m yours,” you started, “then you’re mine too. And just like you protect what’s yours, I’m going to protect what’s mine.”

Jake let out another growl, dropping his hand and pushing away from you, running a hand through his hair as he let out a frustrated grunt. You pushed off of the pillar, following him towards the edge of the porch as he paced back and forth, feeling your own emotions rise up in your chest.

“I did what I did because that could have so easily been you, Jake,” you choked out, tears welling up in your eyes. “I saw you in Cole. It could have been you losing control. It could have been you hurting people. Jake, I could have lost you.”

He paused at that, coming to a halt in his movement. He looked up at you, his pupils returning to normal as the anger and despair melted from his face, leaving behind a look of uncertain neutrality.

“But it wasn’t,” he told you.

You stared at him, slack jawed before pulling your shoulders back and pressing your lips into a thin line.

“It wasn’t,” you agreed. Jake’s own lips pursed as he shook his head, taking a step towards you and offering you his hand.

“It won’t be,” he promised, eyes shining in the low light of the porch, the glow having altogether vanished. Your bottom lip began to tremble, heat rising to your cheeks.

“I know,” you whispered, cursing at how your voice cracked. Jake’s gaze softened as he looked at you, crossing the distance to cradle your face in his hands. His thumbs stroked over the apples of your cheeks.

“It won’t be,” he repeated, offering you a gentle smile. “And do you know why?”

“Why?” You asked, lifting your hands to rest over his.

“Because Cole didn’t have what I have,” he murmured, resting his forehead against yours, nose brushing you. “He didn’t have you, darlin’. With you by my side, nothing bad is ever going to happen.”

You huffed out a laugh, lips tugging into a shy smile as he grinned along with you.

“There you go being all cheesy again,” you teased, earning a chuckle.

“Only for you,” he agreed, leaning down to place a chaste kiss to your lips. You hummed against him, eagerly returning the kiss, and he pulled back with a chuckle.

“We ought to get inside and let the others say their peace,” he winked, and you let out a tired sigh.

“Might as well get it over with,” you muttered, allowing him to lead you into the house.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Nat cried out as soon as you stepped foot into the living room, running up to you and pulling you into a hug. “You had us all scared to death.”

“Thought Jake was gonna break all the furniture,” Mickey agreed, pulling you from Nat to give you his own hug.

Javy shook his head with a look of pure exasperation. “Thought we were going to have to knock him out there for a second if he didn’t calm down.”

“Doesn’t matter now,” Reuben chimed in, patting you on the back with a sympathetic smile. “She’s safe and here now. That’s all that matters, right?”

“I don’t know,” Bradley drawled from his spot on the couch. You all turned to him, watching as he slowly stood to his feet and sauntered over to you, a serious look on his face.

“What you did was impulsive and reckless,” he continued, coming to a stop right in front of you. “You scared the hell out of all of us.”

“I’m sorry,” you murmured, looking down at the floor.

“Sorry isn’t good enough.”

Your head shot back up, eyes wide and lips parted in shock as you stared at him. The others also turned to look at him, confusion written all over their faces.

“You have a lot of making up to do,” Bradley sniffed, leaning down so that his face was right in front of yours. A slow, lascivious smirk pulled on his lips as he looked at you. “You can start by letting me take you out, and then we can come back here to-”

“Bradshaw, I will bite you again, so help me god,” Jake growled, pulling you back towards him so that your back bumped his chest. Bradley threw his hands up in surrender, shooting you a wink with a much more playful smirk.

“Alright, scrap that last part then. But you’re buying me some cheese fries from the diner,” he told you, pointing a finger in your direction.

“Deal,” you grinned.

It had been a couple of days since you last saw Jake, your boyfriend having told you that he needed time to prepare for the height of his frenzy.

“I just want things to be perfect,” he had told you, holding your fingers to his lips with gentle kisses against them as he looked at you. “You deserve the best.”

“I suppose I do,” you hummed, a teasing grin on your face. “After all, I am pretty great.”

Jake’s lips quirked into a grin as he placed another kiss to your fingers.

“The greatest,” he agreed.

And now here you stood on the deck of Susan and Richard Floyd’s home, a small piece of paper in your hands. You had been sitting in your room, reading when a familiar feeling overtook you, your ears perking up as a song called out to you from down below.

Come outside, It sang. Obediently, you set your book down, making your way down the stairs and out the back door. You stepped out into the summer evening, breathing in the ocean air. You frowned when you realized that you were all alone, your boyfriend nowhere in sight. You walked the length of the deck, turning the corner to still find no trace of him. With a huff, you placed your hands on your hips, moving to go back inside when something caught your eye.

On the top of the stairs that led down to the dock sat a large whelk shell, the coloring dazzling as it sat on the wooden step. You walked over, crouching down to pick it up and revealing a small piece of white paper laying underneath. Furrowing your brow, you plucked it up, sitting down on the top step to read it.

Meet me at the sea. One hour.

You didn’t have to be told where to meet. You and Jake had discussed it before and he had made it clear to you that he wanted to be close to home, the comfort of knowing that safety was nearby soothed his anxiety about the situation.

You glanced towards the water, a small smile on your face as you tried to catch a glimpse of your boyfriend among the waves. You could feel him watching you, but you saw nothing. Shaking your head with a little laugh, you stood back up, making your way back into the house to get ready.

And hour later, you were walking down the road towards Jake and Bradley’s shared home. The house was uncharacteristically quiet as you walked past it towards the beach, the small dock coming into sight as the sun dipped towards the horizon. The sand shifted underneath your feet, soon giving way to the solid wood that led into the ocean in front of you. You slipped off your shoes, placing them next to you as you took a seat at the end of the dock, your feet swinging back and forth casually as you waited.

You didn’t have to wait long as the sound of the water sloshing to your right caught your attention. You turned, eyes meeting intense, glowing green as Jake rested his arms on top of the dock, cheek pressed against his forearms as he watched you. You could see the length of his tail as he watched you, the brilliant silver shining in the waning light. His face remained unreadable as he continued to watch you, but his eyes were so tender as you took him in.

“You’re so pretty,” you whispered, voice sounding a little breathless as your eyes continued to roam. A smile crept onto Jake’s lips at your words, and you watched in awe as he lifted himself the rest of the way up onto the deck, the scales of his tail fluttering and falling away to reveal his legs. He wore nothing as he shifted between the two forms, and though you had seen him change many times before now, it still left you a little breathless to see him.

He moved so that he sat next to you, his shoulder pressed against yours in a bid of silent comfort. You sighed, resting your head against his shoulder as the two of you looked out at the water. The two of you said nothing for a long stretch of time, simply watching the sun sink lower and lower towards the horizon and enjoying each other’s company.

“I kicked Bradley out for the night,” Jake said finally, voice quiet and pensive. “Wanted it to be just you and me. There’s a cave that people use sometimes for the claiming bite, but I wanted you to be comfortable.”

“Oh,” you breathed, soaking in his words. Wordlessly, your hand drifted from your lap to grasp his as you felt nerves rise up in your stomach. Jake sensed your hesitation and turned to look at you, worry pinching his brow as he pursed his lips.

“We don’t have to do anything that you don’t want, Skipper,” he told you, squeezing your hand in his. It wasn’t that you were inexperienced or didn’t want to. No, it was the thought of the process itself. You knew what to expect, and still it was different from actually doing it.

“I want to,” you assured him, giving him a tight smile that you could tell only served to amp his worry.

“Are you sure?” He asked. You chewed on your bottom lip for a moment before nodding.

“I’m sure about you,” you answered earnestly. “I’m sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

A smile broke out across his face as he let out a chuckle, leaning forward to kiss your forehead. He pulled away after a moment, resting his forehead against yours as his thumb stroked the back of your hand.

“I love you,” he said, eyes glowing bright as he looked at you. Your heart skipped a beat as your grin matched his.

“I love you too.”

“Are you ready?” He asked, worry creeping onto his face once more.

“I’m ready,” you nodded. Jake swallowed thickly, pulling away from you and pushing himself off the dock and into the water. He entered smoothly, the water barely making a sound as he did so. He resurfaced only a moment later, eyes looking at you expectantly as he reached out his hand. Without hesitating, you placed your hand in his and allowed him to pull you into the water.

The water rushed around you, bubbles skewing your sense of direction as you were engulfed on all sides. Your t-shirt billowed out around you, and you felt strong hands take it and left it up over your head, leaving you in your shorts and bra. You opened your eyes, the sting of the salt water almost making you close them again, but you pushed through it as you caught sight of Jake.

He really was beautiful, silver tail flashing in the low light that was left by the setting sun, golden hair looking soft as it floated in the water, and eyes the color of sea glass glowing, pulling you in and practically suffocating you as you got lost in them.

His hands came up to cradle your face, eyes searching yours as the two of you floated there. A song spilled past his lips, the sound both haunting and comforting. His hands lowered to wrap around you, pulling you farther out to sea, the water growing darker and darker the deeper he dragged you. Your lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen, your body starting to panic as Jake held fast onto you. You clung to him as water rushed by you, your vision beginning to grow blurry as you fought to for air, only to inhale the surrounding water. Slowly, your vision began to grow black, his song being the only thing you could focus on.

It was full of lament, the pain of seeing you near death’s door evident in the way he cried, but the promise of relief sinking in around the edges as your grip on him loosened, losing the fight within you as he let you go. Your eyes fluttered closed as your body accepted its fate, all the fight within you gone. The water was still around you, only the sound of the song and your slowing heartbeat to be heard.

You felt the water whip around you as glowing green came into your limited vision, the dream of strong hands cradling your face once more as you drifted further and further into oblivion. The hands moved to wrap around you once more, the song growing louder and more insistent as your limbs grew heavier despite the weightlessness of the water. You were vaguely aware of a body pressing closer to yours, lips skimming over your cheek, along your jaw, and down the column of your throat before settling at the junction of your shoulder and neck.

A prick of pain shot through you, followed quickly by a rush of warmth that spread from your neck and through your veins, the heavy weight of drowning lifting off of you as your mind came rushing back to the surface. The water around you sharpened in clarity, growing brighter as the warmth continued to seep through you, giving strength to your limbs and easing the ache within your lungs. You suddenly realized that you were able to breathe, eyes searching wildly about you as they finally landed on Jake. His pupils had narrowed into slits, the green glowing so brightly that for a brief moment, you wondered if it hurt.

You reached up to cup his cheek, watching as he immediately nuzzled into the palm of your hand, eyes never leaving you as he did so. A wave of heat washed over you as desire clutched at you. Jake must have sensed the change because he pulled you towards him, swimming towards the surface. You buried your face in his neck, suddenly overwhelmed by the new sensations within you as you hurtled for the surface.

The two of you broke the surface with a splash, the sun having slipped below the horizon during your time beneath the waves. The stars began to litter the night sky above you as the faint glow of orange grew dimmer and dimmer. Your eyes searched Jake’s for a moment, taking in his appearance. Eyes still narrowed into slits, his teeth were sharpened to points as he panted in front of you, chest heaving as if he were trying to hold himself back. The sight of him sent a twinge from the fresh mark on your neck down to the apex of your thighs, and without thinking, you surged forward, crashing your lips against his in a heated frenzy.

Jake crooned against you, hands gripping every part of you that he could as he pulled you along towards the shore, scales once again giving way to legs as the two of you sat in the surf on the beach. Your lips moved against each other in a kiss that became more tongue and teeth with each passing moment, your hands wandering across his chest and shoulders as if you could never get enough and already had too much all at the same time.

Jake pulled away after a moment, eyes roaming over you as you worked your mouth along his jaw and down the length of his throat. You nipped at the spot just below his ear, drawing out a pleasured moan from him as you laved your tongue over the spot, sucking a bruise into the skin.

“We should go inside,” he panted, hands tight on your hips as if to help ground himself in that moment. You shook your head, dragging your lips down his neck and to his shoulder where you placed several open-mouthed kisses along his golden skin.

“Need you now,” you whined, nails dragging down his torso and earning a hiss as he threw his head back. “Need you inside of me.”

Jake’s eyes snapped back to you, the beast within taking hold in that moment as he crashed his lips back against yours, swallowing your moans as his hands worked on shoving your shorts down your legs. His hand came back up to cup your mound, the heat of him drawing out a cry from you as you arched into his touch. A finger ran up your covered slit, an embarrassing keen spilling past your lips as Jake grinned.

“Already so needy for me,” he murmured, pressing another kiss to your lips before pulling away, repeating the motion with his hand as you whined. “So desperate. Wonder if you could come just like this.”

“Jake,” you pleaded, eyes wide and imploring. He chuckled, pushing your underwear to the side as finger circled your clit. You squirmed against him, but his hips shifted against you, pinning you down as he toyed with you.

“So wet for me,” he cooed, slipping a finger inside you, stretching you. Your back arched up against him, a wanton moan escaping your lips as he began to thrust into you with lazy strokes, content to watch your face contort with pleasure as he worked the one digit into you. He soon added a second finger, picking up his pace as his thumb swirled around your sensitive nub, free hand stroking your hair out of your face tenderly.

“So tight and warm around my fingers,” he whispered reverently, eyes drifting down to where his fingers were stills buried inside of you. “Can’t wait to feel you wrapped around my cock, squeezing and milking me dry.”

His words sent you sprinting towards the edge, the coil in your belly tightening as he found the spongy spot inside of you. Your hands flew up to his arms, nails digging into the skin as you met his thrusts.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” he cooed once more, kissing your lips in a chaste kiss that was a stark contrast to what he was currently doing to you. “Come on my fingers. Give it to me.”

The coil inside you snapped as you came, release flooding out of you as you rode out your high. Jake watched you, mesmerized as you came down. Once your breathing had evened out, he pulled his fingers out of you with a squelch that had your cheeks heating. He brought the fingers to his lips, sucking on them with a hum as he closed his eyes, savoring the taste of you as your breathing picked back up.

“We should really go inside n-”

He didn’t have a chance to finish before you had him on his back, straddling his hips as you undid your bra, throwing it off to the side and quickly ridding yourself of your underwear. You had never considered yourself to be bold like this, but the combination of adrenaline and lust running through you had you acting in ways you would never have dared to before.

Jake stared up at you with wide, shocked eyes before relaxing into the sand below as his hands rested on your hips.

“Need me that bad, huh?” He teased, squeezing you as you huffed.

“Shut up,” you grumbled, leaning down to press your lips against his once more. He licked into your mouth, and you hummed at the taste of yourself that still lingered on his tongue. The two of you stayed like that for a moment before another wave of desire rolled over you, and you pulled away, shifting to line him up at your entrance, teasing the tip through your folds with a moan.

“Skipper,” he gasped, eyes hooded and lips parted as he watched you, feeling your tight, wet warmth run over him.

“Now who’s needy?” You teased breathlessly. Jake glared at you, but there was no real heat behind it as you slowly sank down onto him, letting out a pleasured hiss at the stretch of him inside you.

“Fuck,” he ground out, eyes pinched closed and head thrown back in ecstasy. You leaned over him, head resting on his shoulder as you sank further and further onto him. When you were fully seated, you took a moment to bask in how full you felt.

Jake’s hands were like vices on you, fingers flexing as your walls fluttered around him. You raised yourself up to look down at him, the two of you simply content to feel each other in that moment. Slowly, you raised yourself up, dropping yourself back down onto him just as slowly. You worked yourself on top of him, alternating between bouncing and grinding as moans escaped his lips. His hands left your hips for a moment to push himself up into a sitting position as you continued to ride him, your own gasps and moans mingling with his. One of his hands rested on your back, pulling you flush against him as the other guided your hips over his, his mouth seeking yours out for a languid kiss.

“Feel so good wrapped around me like this,” he murmured as he pulled away, a strand of saliva connecting your lips as you whimpered when he nudged that spot deep inside you. “So fucking tight, sweetheart. You were made just for me, huh? Made to stretch around me. Such a good girl taking all of me like this, yeah?”

The hand on your back trailed down to reach between your thighs, rubbing small circles on your clit that sent you keening, the pressure in your belly quickly building to another peak.

“Gonna come around me?” He asked, voice sweet as you rested your forehead against his, movements growing erratic as you chased your high. “Wanna feel it, baby. Wanna feel your tight, little pussy come around me. Wanna feel you squeeze and milk me dry just like I said. You like the sound of that? Like the sound of me filling you up? Fuck, I can’t wait to see you leaking with me. Gonna fuck it back into you so you don’t waste a drop, how’s that sound?”

You whined, fingers running through his hair as you teetered at the edge, your eyes drifting down to look at him as you hurtled towards the edge. Your gaze flickered down to his lips, and He smiled up at you tenderly before crashing his lips against yours, nipping at your bottom lip as he pulled away.

“Come for me, sweet girl,” he cooed, nuzzling his nose against yours, breath fanning over you. “I’m right there too, but I need you to come first. Please, baby. Let me feel you.”

Your climax hit you with a cry, your head thrown back, exposing your neck to Jake. His lips pressed against the claiming mark on your neck, and you saw stars as the warmth of his own climax filled you. Jake moved you against him as the both of you came back down from your individual highs, breaths coming out in pants as you came back to yourselves.

The water crashed against the shore as the two of you basked in the afterglow. Your fingers carded through Jake’s hair, his face buried in your neck as his hands soothed up and down your back.

“I love you,” he whispered into your skin after a moment, and your heart swelled with so much love, that it startled you for a moment. Jake chuckled against you, pulling back to look at you.

“It’s not just you that you’re feeling,” he explained, nodding towards the mark on your neck. “That mark is not only a sign of our bond, but a link to each other. You can feel me, just like I can feel you.”

Tears welled up in your eyes as you took in his words.

“I love you too,” you sniffled, leaning in to kiss him once more. Jake smiled against your lips, thanking whatever forces were out there that he got to experience this.

The bell above the door chimed as you entered the shop, the cool air conditioning a sharp contrast to the late July heat. It had been a couple of weeks since the night with Cole and the night when you finally let Jake claim you. You wore the mark proudly as a symbol of the love you shared with the man.

The shop was filled with familiar knick-knacks as you moved deeper and deeper into the space, a fan blowing behind the counter with a faint buzz. You perused the shelves, fingers trailing over the different shells and trinkets that lined them.

It wasn’t long before the sounds of footsteps sounded from the back, stopping as they stepped out into the room. You looked up to see Mrs. Cambroni eyeing you warily, a frown tugging on her lips as she regarded you. The two of you stood and stared at one another for a few moments before she broke the silence.

“I suppose you’re here to yell at me,” she sniffed, voice croaking, and it was then that you noticed how red her eyes looked. “You’ve every right, of course. I should have stopped him.”

“Why didn’t you?” You asked, curiosity instead of anger lacing your voice. Mrs. Cambroni’s eyes darted to the ground before looking back up at you.

“To be truthful,” she began, letting out a heavy sigh as her eyes looked past you. “I knew something was going on to an extent. I tried to talk to him about it because I knew he was getting older and I knew that he was struggling. Did you know that late bloomers tend to have more feral frenzies? His second had been so hard on him, and I suspected that his third was nearing. Late bloomers tend to have delayed frenzies, you see, so it was hard to pin down when exactly it would strike.”

She let out a breath, chewing on her bottom lip as tears filled her eyes.

“He told me that he had found someone,” she continued, voice filled with emotion. “Told me he was courting her, so like an old fool, I let my guard down. I trusted him and that he knew what he was doing.”

A tear ran down her cheek, her face contorting with grief, and your heart broke for her.

“I thought the murders were done by a vagrant, a sea person not from here. I admit, I should have known better, should have known that it was him, but I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to believe that he was capable of doing those things, even if he didn’t intend to do them.”

She looked at you then, grief so palpable in her gaze that it sent you back a step.

“I’m so sorry, my dear,” she whispered, breath coming out as a choked sob. “I should have done something to stop him. I should have done more. Words can never express how truly sorry I am for what he did. If I could go back and change things, I would, believe you me.”

A moment of silence stretched between the two of you as her words settled in the air.

“He was your nephew,” you said finally, an edge of uncertainty coating your words. “You loved him.”

“I did,” she nodded, hands clasped tightly in front of her. “And while his actions were inexcusable, at the end of the day, he was still my nephew, and I still loved him dearly.”

“I’m not asking you not to,” you sighed, glancing out the window as a group of friends passed, laughing loudly as they walked down the street. “I wish he didn’t have to go through all of that alone.”

“Me too,” Mrs. Cambroni nodded, a sad smile pulling on her lips as she regarded you. “But from the sounds of it, he wasn’t alone in the end, and for that I have to thank you.”

“You shouldn’t thank me,” you told her, shaking your head. “I did it for purely selfish reasons.”

“Love will make you do strange things,” she agreed, eyes drifting towards the front door. The bell chimed, signaling someone entering the store, and you turned to see Jake already heading towards you. A sense of worry pulled at your bond, and you gave him a reassuring smile as he glanced over at Mrs. Cambroni. He wrapped an arm around you, hand running up and down your side in greeting. You gave another smile to the older woman, moving to leave the shop.

“I’ll see you around, Mrs. Cambroni,” you told her, Jake following along after you, pausing to give a tight-lipped smile to the shop owner. The bell chimed one last time as the two of you exited, heading down the street towards the beach.

“I won’t even be that far away,” you laughed, looking at your boyfriend with a look of pure incredulity. Jake grinned up at you, leaning against his arms as the two of you sat on the sand.

“Doesn’t matter,” he proclaimed, eyes shining in the waning sunlight. “I’m gonna miss you no matter where you go. I miss you when you’re off with Nat. I miss you when you leave our bed to go make breakfast. I miss you when you go to the bathroom-”

“The bathroom?” You exclaimed, giggles falling from your lips. Jake’s grin grew as he watched you.

“Especially when you’re in the bathroom,” he said, waggling his eyebrows, and you laughed, shoving at his shoulders. He chuckled, shifting so that his head rested on your lap. Your fingers immediately began carding through his hair, a contented hum coming from the man below you.

“See,” he chirped, “now why would you want to leave this and go back to school? This is perfect.”

“Because I want to expand upon my education so I don’t end up as some trophy wife?” You challenged. Jake pretended to think, hand rubbing at his jaw before another grin split across his face.

“You’d make such a pretty trophy wife, though,” he purred, hand reaching up to curl along your side, sending a shiver down your spine.

“You’re ridiculous,” you scowled playfully, glaring at him. Jake shrugged, letting his hand fall to grab one of your own, playing with your fingers as he continued.

“Seriously though, I’m going to support you no matter what you do, Skipper,” he murmured. “Even if what you want to do means we’ll be separated for a little while. I’ll live with it.”

He paused, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he tried not to smile, green eyes dancing with mischief.

“Even if it also means I waste away from loneliness.”

“You’re so dramatic,” you laughed, throwing your head back. Jake turned his head to press a kiss to your thigh.

“You love it, though,” he grinned. You smiled down at him, eyes soft as you took him in. You and Bob would go away to start your studies in grad school in just a week’s time, and though you were reluctant to admit it, you would miss Jake just as much as he claimed he would miss you. Of course the two of you would have video chats and texting, and you’d come visit every chance you got, but that didn’t mean you’d miss him any less. Jake must have seen the look on your face because he leaned up to press a kiss to your lips, one you happily reciprocated.

“I’ll always be here for you,” he murmured against your lips, thumb stroking your thigh. “You know that, right?”

“Yeah,” you hummed, nodding slightly. “I know that.”

“I love you,” he said, pressing another kiss to your lips. You sank into his touch for a moment before pulling away, eyes shining with pure, unadulterated happiness.

“I love you too.”

A/N: Oh my god, it's finally here! The finale! This has been such a wild ride, you guys, and I want to thank each and every one of you for sticking around. I have so much love for every single one of you. Whether you've been here since the beginning or this is your first time reading through it, thank you from the bottom of my heart! If you are interested in receiving updates on when I post, please follow my sideblog @sailoraviator-library and turn on post notifications! As always, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciate. You can also find me on AO3 under sailor_aviator. Until next time!

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