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The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea | Part One

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Summary: An attack on Arthur’s imprisoned brother Orm leaves him with no choice but to rely upon you, a friend made due to unfortunate circumstances nearly a decade ago, to provide safe haven while he restores peace to Atlantis. Suddenly tasked with sheltering a sullen former king results in a very different summer vacation than you had originally envisioned, but changes both of your lives forever.

Warnings: Language, Discussion of Injuries, Discussion of Events of Aquaman Movie, Reader Has No Dietary Restrictions, Orm Is A Picky Eater, Arthur Is A Drinker, Alcohol

Word Count: 1781

Sunset Country, Northwest Ontario, Canada – Summer 2019

You leaned back on the lounge chair, looking out over the diamonds on the water of the lake where you had spent your summers since the year you were born. It has been in the family since the 1920s. The footprint of the cottage had changed over the years, as had the neighbours, but never the peaceful scenery. The granite rocks, the crooked jack pines; they had been there for centuries and would remain long after you were gone.

As the world became less and less familiar, the consistency of this place was a comfort to you. It was why you had decided to spend the month of August here for summer holidays. You glanced over at your phone as it chimed with a message on Facebook Messenger. Probably a reply from Tom. You unlocked the screen and looked over the panorama of the coast he’d sent in reply to your panorama of the lake. You really needed to get back to Maine one of these days…

A well-earned respite from the daily grind! It’s a beautiful day down here, too. Enjoy your vacation!

You replied with a GIF of Eddie Murphy in a lounge chair enjoying a glass of champagne with the caption ‘vacation mode’ and chuckled at his reply of laughing emojis. Sure, Facebook and it’s Messenger companion weren’t for the cool kids anymore, but out here with only WIFI, they were the most reliable way to stay in touch with others.

You set the phone down and took a sip of your own cool beverage before burying yourself in the book you’d been saving for this exact purpose. You passed the day reading, swimming a few times, enjoying some snacks, but never really leaving the dock. The lapping of the water on the rocks, and the creak of the floating dock attached to the solid one upon which you sat were your soundtrack. It was heaven.

It was just about time to head up to the cottage, to think about dinner, when two figures suddenly burst out of the water and landed on the end of the floating dock. The water you had been drinking missed your mouth entirely and poured down the front of your bathing suit, the cold shock against your warm skin propelling you to your feet with a gasp.

“Jesus fucking Christ” You exclaimed. “Arthur?!” You squinted at the dark haired, towering man who you had not seen in person in nearly a decade. “What the fuck are you doing here? How did you even…” You trailed off as your manners caught up to your shock. There was someone else with him.

Arthur smirked a little as he strolled across the wooden boards towards you. “Easy Brokedown Girl, can’t I visit an old friend?”

You nodded dumbly, but your eyes were resting on the figure beside him…His blonde hair shone in the long light of the afternoon, his eyes were a pale blue. He didn’t stand as tall as Arthur but was just a broad and perhaps even more imposing due to the stoic look upon his face.

“Orm, this is Brokedown Girl. Brokedown Girl, my brother Orm.” Arthur’s introduction pierced through your thoughts, and you cleared your throat.

“It’s been seven years, Arthur. Will you ever let me live it down?” You smiled to them both and introduced yourself properly to Orm. He nodded in return and that is when you noticed the rips in his black suit…it looked akin to a wetsuit but definitely seemed more advanced. Arthur wore something similar, though with more structure and gauntlets. Most noticeable, however, were the wounds on his brother’s exposed skin. “Why don’t you come inside and tell me why you’re really here…”

You grabbed your things and led them up to the modestly-sized cottage, holding the door open for them as they filed in, finding themselves in the kitchen.

You headed further into the building, through the open dining and living room and down to the hall to grab a couple of towels and the first aid kit from the bathroom, before returned to guide them to sit on the wooden chairs at the dining table. They would take the damp better than the soft furniture of the living room.

A screened in veranda with a pair of day beds and a few chairs was attached to the front of the cottage, facing the lake, accessible from the dining room, while access to the back deck lay opposite, facing miles of uninhabited forest.

You came up to Orm, admittedly intimidated by his handsome appearance and cold demeanor, but set the first aid kit in on the table in front of him.

“I’m trained in first aid; can I help you?” You asked while trying to assess the extent of his wounds.

He shook his head.

“No need. I will see to it myself, where may I get cleaned up?”

You nodded and led him to the bathroom, leaving him with the first aid kit and more towels before coming back to Arthur who had stripped to the waist and was towelling himself off at the table. Well at least he didn’t seem injured. You grabbed him a cold beer from the fridge and offered it to him, hoping it would help him explain what was going on.

He took a grateful, and deep, swallow before looking to you and sighing. “He was supposed to be safe. Our mother had been visiting him, things had been going so well…”

You held your breath at the mention of his mother, holding back your shock, and nodded as though you knew the full story. You were honestly just relieved he’d started talking. Your nod was enough to prompt him into a fuller explanation. Of the attack on the surface, the ring of fire, the trident, finding his mother…that part brought a smile to his face…the battle, and finally the defeat and imprisonment of his brother. By the time he finished his story, Orm had joined you at the table, bandages visible through the tears in his suit, his hair combed back neatly.

“I am going to find out who did this…I am going to bring peace to Atlantis and then all seven of the kingdoms…but I need to keep you safe, little brother. You’ll stay here with Brokedown Girl.” Orm opened his mouth, most likely to protest, but Arthur shook his head and continued.

“No one but my father knows who she is or that she even exists. You know how hard it was for us to get here, it is the safest place for you to be until I fix this.”

You swallowed tightly, processing the extensive information he had just provided to you, and now the fact that you were going to be sheltering his brother.

“Are you certain, Arthur? You know I’m not…”

“You are the safest place in the entire world. There is no one I would trust more with my little brother.” He interrupted you firmly.

You nodded in reply, lost for words at the heartfelt nature of his statement.

“Well,” You cleared your throat “You’ll be needing something food before you head back, right? Steak and potatoes?” You stood and grabbed the ingredients from the refrigerator, seasoning the steaks and washing the potatoes before wrapping them in foil. You could hear them talking to each other quietly as you worked, and you consciously ignored them. It was obviously not a conversation for your ears.

You cooked everything on the barbecue on the back deck, burning any remnants of food off the grill while the steaks rested to prevent any temptation to the local bear population. You made a salad just before you sat down together to eat. Arthur was ravenous, obviously having used a lot of energy to get his brother to you, so far inland. Orm was somewhat more reticent. He tried bites of the steak and potatoes, mostly seeming to gravitate toward the salad, but hunger eventually won out and he cleared his plate as well.

You were already planning on going into town to get him some clothes. You’d make sure to buy some food more to his liking as well. The sun was beginning to set when Arthur announced he would get going. The two of you followed him down to the dock as he pulled his suit back onto his torso while walking.

“I will come back once it’s safe.” He grabbed Orm’s forearm and pulled him in for a hug. Orm seemed somewhat stiff in the face of the affection but nodded as Arthur pulled back.

“Just remember you can’t text me out here, ok?” You reminded him, giving him a hug. “Be careful…” You said firmly but offered a smile.

“Don’t you worry about me, Brokedown Girl. Just make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble.” He patted your head, and you shot him a look of annoyance. Orm did not look overly impressed with his comment either. Neither of you had the opportunity to reply, however, as he promptly leapt backwards into the lake, leaving a ripple of wake in his trail as he shot off through the water.

You turned to Orm, the light of sunset playing off the water onto his striking features and swallowed.

“Well…I’ll, uh, show you your room.”

He turned to you and nodded. You were close enough to see the stunning blue of his eyes. A shade reminiscent of some tropical waters off in the Pacific somewhere. You managed to turn away before he saw you swallow visibly, or at least you hoped that was the case. You led him back up into the cabin and down the hall past the bathroom and towards the bedrooms. You stepped into the one beside yours, looking out over the water.

“Will you be comfortable in here?” You asked.

He nodded quietly. “It will do, yes.”

You smiled a little, relieved. “I’m just next door, please let me know if you need anything. I’ll be up for a while yet reading, but I understand in you’ve had a long day?”

He nodded again. “I will retire for the night.”

“Good night then.” You smiled again and stepped out, leaving him to his privacy.

You cleaned up the kitchen and sat on the veranda as the night closed in, cooling off from the heat of the day. You tried to pick up your book again but found your thoughts drifting…drifting back to Arthur’s words, back to his brother just down the hall. You sighed as you looked out over the water and couldn’t help but feel like your life had just become very, very complicated.

Read Part Two

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