A/N: This is it for this one, folks. If you're still with me then, wow, thanks. I hope you've enjoyed the story and you aren't just following along because there's nothing better to do. I feel like I've wandered further away from their canon personas here, but at the same time, I've really enjoyed writing this and, for the most part, I'm happy with the end result. Thanks for reading. =D
Thanks for commenting, too. I'm very relieved that people like this one. ^^;

Once more, the original, adult version of this chapter can be found at suspicious (dash) popsicle (period) dreamwidth (period) org

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are from Tales of Vesperia and do not belong to me.

Yuri stared at the little silver key that had been tied to his lantern. He had a pretty good idea of what it was and who had left it, but he hadn't settled on whether he should be amused or angry over the gesture. Judy leaned in close over his shoulder to see it.

"He was looking for you before he left."

"I can see that."

"Are you sure it was okay to let him go?"

He set the lantern down. He'd deal with the key later. "He was just a tourist. I don't make a habit of getting attached to them."

"Hmmm." She understood the situation better than anyone else, really. She was the only person Yuri had ever talked to about Flynn, after all. Still, that knowing little 'I see, I see' noise of hers was annoying.

"I'm surprised you're still around. Now that Zagi's been dealt with, isn't your business here finished?"

"Not quite. You've got something to say to me, don't you?"

"You stuck around for my sake? I'm touched." He set aside the joking. If Judy wanted serious, he could do serious. "You used Flynn as bait knowing that Zagi would try to kill him. All you needed was for that psycho to get a little human blood on his hands and the Courts would take care of the rest."

She smiled slyly at him. "You make it sound like I sent him here on purpose. I was just trying to look out for you."

"You put Flynn's life in danger."

"It all worked out in the end. Would it make you feel better if I let you hit me?"

"I'd rather take a favor as payment."

Her eyes twinkled. "How shrewd. What will it be?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Very well." She plucked a strand of her hair and passed it to him. "Hold on to this. When you decide what it is that you want, use it to call me."

Carefully, Yuri wrapped the hair around the hilt of his dagger and tied it securely. When he looked up, Judy was gone.

"Guess I'm on my own again."

Flynn really did come back. Late one morning, only a few days after he had left, he came striding across the dunes, surfboard under one arm. He stopped at the foot of the lifeguard post and looked up at Yuri.

"I brought my own board this time. Watch me, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Yuri was too stunned to say anything else. He couldn't help but stare as Flynn dashed out into the surf, not hesitating for a second at the temperature, sliding up onto his board and paddling out to catch a wave that would carry him right back to shore.

He wouldn't stay long. All that talk about the beach house wouldn't keep him in Driftwood Cove. He'd fix the place up, get it rented out, and take off—an absentee landlord. His life was elsewhere.

As Yuri tried to watch any of the other swimmers, Flynn rode wave after wave. Only a few got the better of him and knocked him into the ocean. Every now and again, Yuri would hear him shout out his exhilaration, and his gaze would be drawn straight to Flynn's form, a bright spot against the dark water. It was amazing to compare that confident surfer to the kid he'd fished out of the sea fourteen years ago.

After a while, Flynn came back to shore. He stuck the end of his board down into the sand and took a seat next to the tower, soaked and beaming.

"When will you be finished with work?"

"I only went on shift a couple hours ago."

"Well, when's your break, then? I need to get my key from you. All my stuff's still in my car."

Why hadn't he just gone to the cave to look for it? Had he all of a sudden developed respect for boundaries? Not that he would have found it there, anyway.

"I put it in our old hiding place."

"Old hiding place…. Loose board on the third step?"

"I'm impressed."

Flynn laughed, though he didn't sound all that amused. "No, you're not. Surprised, maybe." He turned his gaze out to the ocean. Yuri had to lean out a little to see that he wasn't smiling anymore. "I left that key with you on purpose."

"I know." It didn't mean anything.

Standing up, Flynn brushed off his legs and pulled his board out of the sand. "I'm going to go get settled back in. Come have dinner with me tonight."

"Not if you're cooking."

Flynn smiled up at him. "I'll wait for you." He waved and walked off across the sand.

"Trust Adrien to have flaked out when I actually needed him," Yuri muttered once Flynn was out of sight. "I could've used an excuse." He couldn't just not show up, now. He was expected.

Flynn did cook. The food looked wonderful. When it came to taste, however, it was better suited to being ammunition for a food fight and Yuri put it to good use.

See, Flynn? Everything seems fine and we don't have to talk about it.

Somehow, cleanup went from Yuri picking a piece of broccoli out of spiked blond hair to Flynn licking a bit of splatter off Yuri's cheek and from there, it was more or less a foregone conclusion that the evening was going to end in the bedroom.

Flynn stroked Yuri's scales, kissing everywhere he could reach, and it almost seemed to Yuri that he was trying to wash away the taste of his own cooking. Their first time, Flynn had called him noisy. That night, Yuri discovered that Flynn could be equally loud, if less obscene, when it was Yuri thrusting into him. He caught himself wondering if it had been Flynn's first time that way, and snuck out when Flynn went to take a shower.

Sleep eluded him for most of the night as he tossed and turned in his nest of blankets, listening to the constant crashing of the waves.

Flynn stayed at the beach house for the rest of the summer. He joined a yoga class that met near the lifeguard post every morning. The instructor, a scruffy old man who went by Raven, taught something new every few months. Yuri had picked up a few self-defense moves watching one of his classes a few years back.

Yuri began spending most of his evenings with Flynn. Some days he showed up early enough to help out with improvements. Usually, he just ended up cooking dinner for the two of them.

One night, he made crepes for dessert. Flynn stared at him the entire time they were eating, smiling between bites. Yuri polished his off before Flynn's was even a third finished.

"Do you not like sweets, or something?"

"I was watching you enjoy yours."

"Ugh. Smiling when you say stuff like that just makes it creepier." He stole the unfinished crepe and ate it. Flynn could taste it on him later.

Yuri never stayed the night. On the evenings when they had sex, when they lay together afterward, spent and catching their breath, Flynn would trail his fingers over Yuri's back and say: "It's late. You should stay." It became like a ritual for him, and he always made the offer in the same soft, hopeful tone no matter how many times Yuri slipped away in the darkness. Every night, Yuri would return alone to his cave overlooking the sea, certain that one day Flynn would get tired of asking, that he'd go on back to his own home, and that it would be so much easier to move on if the dinners and the sex and the invitations into his life didn't mean anything. He hated himself a little bit for that, but he didn't have it in him to believe Flynn might prove him wrong.

Summer break ended with the two of them still caught in that strange limbo, and Yuri found that he was actually a little glad that Flynn was leaving. Things would go back to normal, now. The house was fixed up, he'd found people who wanted to rent it, and there was no reason for him to return.

Before he left, Flynn gave Yuri the crepe pan back. He apologized, since he'd said Yuri could keep it at the beach house, but with strangers coming to rent it, Flynn wanted to make sure the pan was safely in Yuri's care.

Yuri saw him off properly that time, grinning and making sure Flynn had no reason to worry about leaving him behind. He took on extra shifts at work and odd jobs and tried not to think about the stupid, Flynn-shaped hole that had been torn in his life.

Four months later, Flynn was back again. He appeared on the beach one evening shortly before Yuri's shift ended.

"Hey. Are you off soon?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might want to go get some dinner. My treat."

"Okay." The response was automatic and shocked him almost as much as Flynn's sudden return did.

They chatted for a while until it was time for Yuri to leave, then walked over the sand, heading for the closest access path leading to Main Street. Yuri caught Flynn reaching for his hand at one point, and shoved both his hands deep into his pockets, hunching his shoulders as if he was cold. He was uncomfortable with the deception—it was too close to a lie—but he didn't know what was going on, wasn't sure why Flynn was back, how long he was going to stay, what he wanted from their relationship. For the first time, Yuri felt at sea in the figurative sense. He didn't like the feeling.

Flynn let him pick the restaurant, and he chose a little hole-in-the-wall place that had good burgers and great desserts. He filled the quiet between them with talk about his lessening hours and some of the stupid shit tourists did on his watch. Flynn smiled and laughed and watched him eat. He looked so…at ease. It was really annoying.

Since there were people still renting the beach house, Flynn was staying in a cheap hotel. Yuri followed him back to his room and they barely made it inside before Flynn pushed him back against the door and kissed him. There was no longer any silence between them to banish with chatter. The room was filled with the smack of open-mouthed kisses, the rustle of cloth and creak of bed springs, gasps and moans, groans, cries, and profanities.

Afterward, Yuri left before Flynn even got up to shower. He let the ocean wash away the smell of Flynn and sex and felt it burn in the scratches and bite marks. He curled up with his back against the cavern wall and tried to figure out what he was going to do when he saw Flynn the next day. In the end, he figured the only thing to do was to try and enjoy it while it lasted.

He got up early the following morning and washed his hair under one of the public showers set up for swimmers to rinse off the ocean before leaving the beach. Raven caught him at it. He'd seen Yuri there before with his little mesh toiletry bag, but he'd never said anything about it, never done anything more than smile and continue on his way. He had another self-defense class starting soon. It was always something more active during the cooler months. Yuri wondered briefly if Flynn would be joining that one, too, but quickly pushed the thought away. One season of trying to keep his attention on his job rather than Flynn's ass was more than enough.

The fates must have been feeling mischievous, because when Flynn showed up carrying his board, he was wearing a black and azure wetsuit and Yuri couldn't help but stare. He wolf whistled and grinned as Flynn got closer.

"That's a good look for you."

"You're making fun of me. It's just a wetsuit."

"I speak only the truth, remember? You look hot."

The compliment had him blushing, but Yuri didn't miss the little flash of guilt that crossed his face. Every time he was reminded of Yuri's resolve to never lie to him, he looked like a kicked puppy. It was his own fault, really. He'd had the chance to ask something else.

Sometimes, Yuri thought it would have been kinder if he'd lied then, though he knew he wouldn't take it back even if he could. He'd answered Flynn's question truthfully, and Flynn would have to live with the answer.

It had been a tricky kind of truth, though. The answer he gave only applied to the way they were as adults. He'd never told Flynn why he hadn't ever lied to him as a child. That summer, seven-year-old Yuri had fallen in love.

It wasn't the romantic kind of love, not really, he just knew that he adored Flynn and that, in all the stories his mother had told him about humans and faeries, only the lovers who were true overcame their trials and earned a happy ending. So, little Yuri had been true. Flynn hadn't.

That had been a hard lesson in reality, and one that Yuri never forgot. Worse, his mother had disappeared shortly before Flynn was supposed to have come back. Alone and miserable, Yuri had waited for him for months before he realized that being blond and blue-eyed didn't make you true and that little half-breed monsters didn't get happy endings.

After that, he'd worked hard to become as self-sufficient as possible. He shied away from making personal connections with anyone, even though he was trapped in that little town with plenty of people who acted like they were genuinely nice and that really sucked because he wanted so badly to like them. He never really fell out of love with Flynn and some days that was the worst part of it all.

"Yuri, you're staring."

"Duh." He smirked, hoping Flynn wouldn't notice that his mind had been wandering to unpleasant places. It was nice enough in the present. It'd be a shame to spoil it with questions or bad memories.

"When's your next day off?"

"Day after tomorrow. I'm on a short shift today, though. Someone should be coming to fill in at one."

Flynn's smile was ridiculously bright. "You should come with me this afternoon, then. I'll pick you up and we can grab some lunch."

"Sure."

Before Yuri quite knew what was happening, Flynn reached out and curled a hand around the back of his neck beneath his hair to pull him in for a light, quick kiss. The PDA left him looking positively impish. Unable to completely banish a smile of his own, Yuri shoved him away.

"We'll get to that later. Go surf."

With one last affectionate tug on Yuri's hair, Flynn spun on his heel and dashed off into the waves. Caught up in watching him, Yuri almost didn't notice the sound of footsteps coming up behind him.

"Didn't expect him to be back," Adrien said.

"Tell me about it."

Wiping what he was sure would have been a foolishly sappy smile off his face, Yuri turned to look at him. He didn't like leaving his back to Adrien. The man wasn't really all that bright, but he could be damnably curious sometimes.

"What's he in town for? Problems with the house?"

"Probably. Ether that or a vacation, I guess. We don't really keep in touch."

"Then if you aren't going to be busy tonight with your little boyfriend—"

Yuri rolled his eyes. He hated hearing him refer to Flynn that way, and Adrien knew it.

"—why not come over to my place tonight?"

"Can I use your kitchen?"

"I love it when you cook."

"All right. I've got some stuff to take care of after work. I'll be by around four."

"Looking forward to it." He strolled off down the beach, whistling.

As he climbed the lifeguard tower, Yuri smiled. With Flynn staying in a hotel, he hadn't thought he'd get a chance to cook. He may not be able to manage a meal for the two of them out of Adrien's kitchen, but he knew a recipe for some killer garlic and herb rolls that Flynn might like. He could pick up the ingredients after lunch and drop off the rolls the next morning before work. It would be a nice surprise.

One o'clock rolled around and Flynn showed up on the dot dressed in a tight black tee and royal blue button down over pale jeans. He smiled hugely as Yuri climbed down to meet him.

"Do you want to change before we go?"

"Nah, I'm good." He eyed Flynn critically. "Why are you all dressed up?"

"No reason." He took Yuri's hand, tugging eagerly. "Let's go."

Bemused, Yuri let himself be led away from the beach. The way Flynn was dressed, the way he didn't let go of Yuri's hand even after they reached Main Street sort of made it feel like a date, which was stupid. They weren't dating. They were old friends who sometimes slept together. It was practically the same arrangement Yuri had with Adrien.

No, Yuri thought, this would be much easier if it was the same as with Adrien. It's not, though. Even if we're going through the same motions, this is different and that really, really sucks.

He slipped his hand out of Flynn's and shoved it in his pocket. He didn't even bother trying to pretend he was chilly. When Flynn asked if he was all right, he changed the subject to where they were headed for lunch. Flynn took him to a seafood place a little more upscale that Yuri was used to. It was a nice change of pace.

This time, he kept Flynn talking about school, work, his friends, anything. There was one girl—Sodia—that Flynn spoke particularly highly of. If Yuri didn't know better, he would have suspected that Flynn was attracted to her. It was sort of a pity. She sounded like she'd have been good for him. Having a girlfriend probably would have kept him from coming back to play screw-with-Yuri, at least. Hell, a boyfriend would have done the trick. Estelle needed to hook Flynn up with someone before he drove Yuri crazy.

The conversation lasted all through lunch and kept them away from sticky subjects such as what was going on between them and what Flynn was doing back in town. It was almost comfortable being with him like that, except Yuri kept remembering that even if he wanted something more, Flynn would be gone again soon. Maybe he would return to visit a few more times, but one day he would leave and not come back. Some new project would catch his fancy, and he'd be back to his own life for good. The tenuous, undefined connection between them was all Yuri would get from him.

When the check arrived, Flynn paid and they left the restaurant. Yuri was feeling full and mostly content and grinned at Flynn as they walked down the street.

"So what's up with the outfit? Needing to talk to the lawyer about the house again?"

He'd said it without thinking because the only other times he'd seen Flynn dressed like that were his visits to the attorney that summer. The sudden realization sat heavy in his stomach. If Flynn needed to talk to the attorney about the house, it might mean he was over the whole bed and breakfast idea already and was getting set to sell, to pull up stakes and leave. Yuri managed to keep his grin in place, but only just barely.

"Nothing like that. I'm going to look around at apartments today. I thought you could help me choose one."

Oh. That was a whole different problem.

"I can't do it today," Yuri said and immediately Flynn's smile faded.

"Why not? You didn't say anything when I asked earlier."

"I thought you just wanted to grab lunch. I made other plans for tonight."

"Can't you cancel?"

"Why do you need me for this, anyway? There aren't but a couple places in town. Just check them out and pick one."

"I was hoping we could go together. What are you doing tonight? Maybe we could at least get together again later."

"It's not in the cards. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He started to walk away, but Flynn grabbed his arm.

"Yuri, it's not…. You aren't going to Adrien's place, are you?"

"I'm going grocery shopping."

"And afterwards? That's not exactly something you need to set aside a whole evening for."

Suddenly furious, Yuri shoved him away. "What business is it of yours? You come drifting into town and expect me to drop everything and be at your beck and call until you leave? Fuck you. Where were you fourteen years ago? Nine years ago? We've gotten along just fine without each other up until now. We can do it again."

This time, Flynn didn't stop him as he stormed off. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to dive into the ocean and swim deeper and deeper until spots started clouding his vision and he had to surface or drown.

He'd been fine without Flynn when his mother disappeared, and he was fine when Zagi came for him. He didn't need Flynn and his stupid expectations and his apartment. Why was he even looking at apartments, anyway? He was barely around. It would be a waste. Unless….

Yuri tried to push the thought away. He was angry enough without that to consider, but it stubbornly refused to leave him alone. What if the reason Flynn had been so insistent about bringing Yuri along was so he could get an apartment for Yuri to live in? The very idea was ridiculous. Flynn was just a college student. There was no way he could afford something like that. He couldn't be making enough between his part time job and the rent from the beach house to be able to pay for an apartment he wouldn't even be using. Besides, he knew how Yuri felt about charity. He'd have known Yuri wouldn't accept being a kept man. There had to be another reason.

He didn't feel like making the stupid rolls anymore. Honestly, he didn't even want to go see Adrien, but he went anyway, if only to prove a point. Things weren't going to change just because Flynn wanted them to. The world didn't work that way.

The next morning, Yuri woke up early with a knot in his back from sleeping on Adrien's couch. Even if he wasn't convinced Adrien only let him stay over in the hopes that Yuri would cook him breakfast, he wouldn't have shared a bed for obvious reasons. He tried to rub the kinks out of his back until his efforts started reminding him of Flynn.

Ignoring the stiffness, he got up and went prowling around the kitchen for something to occupy his mind. He tried making crepes using Adrien's frying pan. They never came out right that way, but it was the best he could do with the tools on hand. At least Adrien had a sweet tooth and would appreciate the treat.

On the way to the beach, he went by Flynn's hotel. That late in the year, the parking lot was nearly empty. He didn't see Flynn's rental car, and an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. It stayed with him all through work, and when he went by again that afternoon to check, the car was still missing. He went to the room Flynn had been staying in anyway and knocked. There was no answer.

He'd known Flynn wouldn't stick around forever, but it was a bit shocking that it had taken so little to drive him away. He hadn't even tried to say goodbye this time. Yuri made his way up to the high point of the cliff outside of town, the place where he had fallen over the edge with Zagi, and sat and stared out over the ocean until the sun set, leaving him to make his way home in the dark.

He settled in for a while on his pile of blankets, carving a new figure by candlelight. He'd nearly replenished their numbers and had actually been thinking about taking a few to Hanks to see if he'd be interested in selling them in his general store. He hadn't gotten around to doing it, though. It irked him a little to think he'd be following Flynn's advice, maybe even admitting in a way that he needed help. He wasn't hurting for cash. Living in a cave might be unconventional, but it kept his bills low.

He was putting the finishing touches on a seal, making minute adjustments to the almost sly expression on its face, when he heard someone call his name. He looked up to see Flynn emerging from the low-ceilinged entrance to his home.

"Don't you know it's rude to come in without knocking?"

"You don't have a door."

"Maybe I'll build one, just for you."

"Yuri…." He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, slicking it back. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to just disappear like that. I had to go pick up Estelle and Sodia at the airport, and I didn't realize what I'd done until we were on our way back."

"What are you apologizing for? It's none of my business what you do."

"Don't be like that. I'm admitting I was wrong. The least you could do is acknowledge that."

"Fine." He fiddled with the little seal as Flynn fidgeted and toyed with the other figures lining the shelves.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask anything you want. Doesn't mean you'll get an answer."

"Did you go to his place?"

Briefly, he considered evading the question, but that would have pretty much amounted to telling Flynn the truth, anyway. Besides, he was sick of hiding things.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I told him I would."

"But why would you want to? He doesn't even see you as a person!"

"So what? Adrien's a moron. You think I care what he sees in me?"

"If you know that, then why—"

"I needed his kitchen, all right? I wanted to cook something for you, so I went over to use his kitchen."

That managed to shut him up for a minute. He gaped, at a loss for words, and shook his head.

"So…you didn't sleep with him?"

"Of course I did. That's kind of like the entrance fee to his apartment."

"You prostituted yourself out to cook for me?"

Oh, that was not a good tone of voice. Setting aside the seal and his knife, Yuri stood up slowly, watching Flynn. He hadn't been looking for a fight, but he would be ready if one started.

"Actually, no. I didn't end up cooking. Sorry to disappoint."

"I wouldn't have eaten it anyway!"

"What the fuck? All of a sudden my cooking's not good enough for you?"

"This is about who you're screwing, not what you're cooking."

"What the hell is your problem?"

"I just don't understand why you would keep sleeping with him when you've got me!"

It was Yuri's turn to be struck momentarily speechless. He stared at Flynn, who was glaring at him, clenching and unclenching his fists. He had a sudden, horrible realization.

"Flynn, what am I to you?"

"I thought you were my boyfriend."

Oh, shit. Really? Yuri rubbed a hand over his face.

"I don't think we've been on the same page about what's going on here." Forget the same page, Flynn had a whole different book. When had he decided on that? Yuri sure didn't remember being clued in.

"What do you mean?"

He didn't sound so angry anymore, but the confused tone that replaced it and the hurt look on his face weren't really an improvement. Anger was something Yuri knew how to deal with. He had some of his own to respond with, anyway. Boyfriend. Yeah, right.

There wasn't really any good way to answer, so he shrugged and went with the most succinct. "I thought we were fuck buddies."

He almost laughed at the look on Flynn's face. Almost. He was pretty sure laughing at that point would trigger an actual fight and he figured maybe he ought to save that for someplace better suited to it. He didn't want to make a mess out of his space.

"How could you say that?"

"Gee, Flynn, maybe it has something to do with you showing up for surfing and some sex and then taking off again."

"I told you, I have to graduate before I can move down here."

Yuri shrugged and sank back down onto his bed, satisfied that Flynn's inclination to start anything had drained away. "You changed your mind about the house."

"You really don't trust me, do you?" It was a rhetorical question, and Flynn sat down next to him with a sigh. "Where do we go from here? I like you. I want there to be something more between us but…what do you want?"

Yeah, he wanted that, but he also wanted to be able to trust people—which he didn't—and for Flynn to not want to talk about this—which he did. Seeing only one way out, Yuri smirked as he turned to Flynn, pushing him down against the blankets and kissing him. Flynn was warm, he was always so warm, but he pushed Yuri back, frowning.

"That isn't really an answer."

"You asked what I want, and what I want is for you to fuck me."

"Do you have to say it like that?"

"What, you want me to say 'make love' instead?"

"Well—"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." He tried shutting him up with another kiss, but Flynn was shoving at this shoulders and turning his face away, so Yuri settled for kissing his neck. He grazed Flynn's skin with his teeth, grinning at the shiver that ran through him.

"This isn't going to solve anything." Even as Flynn said it, he was reaching beneath Yuri's shirt, pushing it up and out of the way, exposing Yuri's back to the cool air.

"Shut up."

The words were muffled against Flynn's throat. The taste of salt was heavy as blood on Yuri's tongue and he was suddenly very aware of the beat of Flynn's pulse just beneath the skin. It would take so little to break through, and his own heart sped up in response to that thought. He pulled away before he bit down. Drawing blood just then would be a bad idea. He was still riled up from their argument and feeling a little happier than maybe he should after hearing Flynn out. There was too much going on in his head, and he was afraid that the instincts passed down from his mother would take over if he wasn't very careful. Instead, he sat back and yanked his shirt off, tossing it away.

Flynn propped himself up, threading his fingers through Yuri's hair to pull him close enough to kiss, pressing his tongue between Yuri's lips. He slid his hands over Yuri's shoulders, letting his fingers play lightly over the scales until Yuri threatened to pull away again.

The warmth and pressure of another person's touch against his back was such a simple thing, really, but so unexpectedly important. He groaned as Flynn raked his nails down his back, tearing a few scales loose. It stung and it hurt, but he'd never been touched like that by anyone else—he'd never let anyone else touch him like that—and all he could do was hold Flynn tighter. He started to push him down again, but Flynn resisted.

Expecting more protests or talk about feelings, Yuri rolled his eyes and broke the kiss. Flynn surprised him, though.

"I want to see your back this time."

He hesitated, but the look on Flynn's face was pure need, and he was reasonably convinced that any more talking was going to be postponed. Thank goodness he was so easy to distract.

"Whatever floats your boat."

It was strange, having sex that way. Not because of the position, but because Flynn seemed to be determined to kiss every inch of scales covering Yuri's back. He was a little surprised Flynn could stomach it. He still thought the scales were weird, and he'd been born with them. As long as Flynn kept touching him, though, he didn't really care.

They slumped into the rumpled covers afterward, panting. After a few minutes, Flynn rolled off him and Yuri had a second to hope that maybe he would just fall asleep and there wouldn't be anymore awkward questions that he couldn't bring himself to answer. When Flynn finally spoke, he almost wished they had gone back to talking about their relationship.

"My dad died two months after we left. He was killed on the job. I'd been looking for the right time to tell you, but there isn't really any good way to talk about something like that. I remember you liked him. He said you were a good kid."

Yuri wasn't sure what to say. 'Sorry' didn't seem anywhere near sufficient. He said it anyway, not sure if he meant it as sympathy for the loss or for the way he'd just assumed the worst for all those years. He said it again, because Flynn deserved to hear it for both reasons.

"I've come to terms with it. I wouldn't be looking at becoming a police officer if I hadn't. I just…after all you told me about Grandma Moira, I realized you'd probably never heard about it. You deserved to know, and I didn't want you to go on thinking I'd just thrown away my memories of that summer."

"Your grandmother…she was pretty stoic. I never had a clue." He curled in on himself. Life wasn't a fairy tale. Sometimes it just really, really sucked. He'd thought Flynn didn't understand that, but obviously he'd been wrong.

"I'm not going anywhere. I kept the house because I want to make my home here. I want to live near the ocean, near you. Even if you never feel the same way about me, I'll still be here. I'm going to get an apartment. One day, I'll move into the beach house. This is where I belong, I'm sure of it, and I want you to be a part of my life."

Yuri heard him roll over, felt Flynn's fingers begin their slow, familiar caress up and down his back.

"It's late. Can I stay here tonight?"

They needed to get up and wash off, but Yuri didn't really want to move. He nodded and, even facing away, he was sure he could feel the warmth of Flynn's smile.

The next morning, Yuri followed Flynn back to his room at the hotel. The girls had spent the night in the adjacent suite. Estelle greeted Yuri with a hug, which he bore patiently as mild discomfort over the touch warred with gladness over being remembered fondly. He received a much colder reception from Sodia who looked him over disdainfully and snubbed him in favor of pestering Flynn about where he'd been last night.

Flynn was tactful in answering, saying simply that he and Yuri had been catching up but, from his easy demeanor when he introduced her to Yuri, it was obvious that Flynn had no idea that Sodia was interested in him. Yuri actually felt a little bad for her. Nothing quite like losing the war without fighting a single battle.

After everyone got ready, the group headed for the beach. They played volleyball, Yuri and Estelle against Flynn and Sodia, and the girls had to rein their partners in as competitiveness started to get the better of Yuri and Flynn. Yuri and Estelle won and Flynn agreed to treat them to ice cream. Then, because he was too much of a gentleman to leave a girl out, he bought Sodia a cone as well which, in Yuri's opinion, completely defeated the point of acknowledging the victors.

They went swimming for a while. Flynn hadn't brought his board that morning, so he didn't surf, and Sodia stuck to him like glue, so they had to be careful what they talked about, but it was still fun. Yuri took small revenge on Sodia for trying to monopolize Flynn by dropping hints about their relationship. Flynn caught on and looked at him quizzically, but didn't seem to understand why Yuri seemed so amused about it.

They dried off in the sun and lunched at the diner. The afternoon was spent exploring the town, poking through the kitschy souvenir shops or following Yuri as he played tour guide to some of the more interesting places hidden down side streets. Yuri told them stories about the town as they went, as well as tales he'd heard from Judy. Estelle was delighted, and suggested he collect them into a book of local lore. Flynn smiled knowingly and took any opportunity to reach out and touch Yuri, letting his hand linger on his back as they guided the group though shops and streets. Sodia remained aloof, though she responded warmly any time Flynn spoke to her and glared at Yuri when no one else would notice. Still, Yuri found that he was having more fun than he'd expected. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been part of a group. He relaxed and laughed and, for the first time, let himself hope that maybe things would be like that from then on.

The day grew late, and they began talking about where to go for dinner.

"It's a pity you can't cook for us, Yuri," Estelle said.

Flynn shifted uneasily at that, probably reminded of the argument they'd had about Adrien and the price for using his kitchen. Yuri grinned and shrugged.

"Come back when Flynn gets his apartment. I'll cook for you there."

Flynn and Sodia both stared at him in open-mouthed shock. When Flynn's surprise quickly changed to a blindingly bright smile, Sodia took one look at that expression and scowled so fiercely at Yuri that he nearly took a step back. There was something weird about her eyes, and he wondered if maybe she wasn't entirely human either. He didn't like that idea, particularly as some mixed-bloods inherited more from their fae ancestors than just physical abnormalities. Picking a fight with her might end up being more trouble than it was worth.

Though if she didn't quit giving him that look, Yuri was going to find out exactly how much trouble she could be anyway. Fae or not, unrequited crush or not, she was getting on his nerves. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but Flynn reached out and grabbed his hand.

"You pick."

"What?"

"You pick the restaurant. You know what's good around here."

He was smiling like an idiot, big blue eyes shining as he held one of Yuri's hands in both of his, and Yuri was willing to bet that the thoughts running through Flynn's mind had nothing to do with dinner. He'd seen similar expressions before, though the other people he'd slept with had never looked at him with that all-too-earnest depth of feeling. He wondered if Flynn knew that he looked stupidly in love when he smiled like that. He wondered how he hadn't noticed it before, himself.

Dinner went by in a blur. Yuri's mind wasn't on the food he ate, but the way Flynn would taste beneath his tongue and the sounds Yuri could coax from him with lips and teeth. He barely cared for the company anymore, save for Flynn's distracting presence at his side. He wasn't interested in talking, but in the hand that stroked down his back, brushed over his thigh, twined fingers with his when he let his own hand drop beneath the table between them. Flynn was driving him to distraction and if he wasn't so ready to jump him, he'd want to kick his ass for having that much power over him. They couldn't get back to the hotel soon enough.

Of course, once they did get back, Sodia wouldn't take a hint. She trapped Flynn right outside his door in conversation about stupid things, about teachers and assignments and mutual friends, about things that had nothing to do with Yuri or making out. Finally, Yuri got tired of waiting for Flynn to shut her up. He scooted between them, grabbing Flynn's key card and opening up the door.

"Excuse us." He smirked and hauled Flynn into the room, pushing the door closed before Sodia could take it into her head to follow them. He'd actually had to reach past Flynn to shut the door, which suited Yuri just fine because it made it that much easier to shove him up against it and kiss him senseless.

"Yuri, wait." Or maybe not so senseless. "I didn't even tell them—"

"Give it a minute, and I'm sure they'll get the idea." He pressed himself fully up against Flynn, running fingers through his hair.

"Not…what…I meant."

He spoke in between brief kisses and Yuri caught him on the last one, deepening the kiss and holding Flynn's head to discourage him from trying to pull away. It was just getting good, Flynn was kissing him back and tugging promisingly on his shirt, when someone—one guess as to who—knocked on the door.

"Flynn?"

Get a fucking clue, Sodia. "Ocupado," Yuri called.

She knocked again. "Flynn, are you coming back out?"

"No habla Inglés!"

"Yuri!" Flynn's shoulders were shaking with repressed laughter and Yuri sighed and gave up, backing away to let him open the door. To Flynn's credit, he only opened it a crack.

"What are you doing?"

"Sorry. Yuri and I sort of have a lot to catch up on. Why don't we call it a night? Tomorrow, I can teach you how to surf."

"All right."

She didn't sound like she thought it was all right, but Flynn accepted her answer, bid the girls good night, and shut the door. Yuri noted with approval that he even flipped the security latch. He was learning.

Flynn smiled cheerfully, in high spirits even for his standards, and grabbed Yuri around the waist. "Where were we?"

"I think I had my tongue halfway down your throat in an attempt to hold your attention. I guess we saw how well that worked."

"You're the one who answered her." He murmured the words millimeters from Yuri's lips, eyes twinkling.

"Like you wouldn't have given me hell for ignoring her."

He tilted his chin and they were kissing again, tongues sliding against each other. They stumbled clumsily to the bed and collapsed onto it, clutching at each other, hands sliding between fabric and skin, seeking contact that wouldn't require breaking the kiss for even the few seconds required to slip out of a t-shirt. Touching blindly, they explored each other beneath their clothes, tracing around muscles, noting the places that drew shivers or moans.

Everything was going extremely well…and then Flynn found the spot. As soon as Flynn's fingers grazed that one spot low on his stomach, Yuri let out a noise somewhere between a bark of laughter and a gasp. Flynn jerked back to stare at him and started to say something before realization dawned. A wicked grin spread across his face and Yuri lurched off the bed.

"Don't even think it."

"I never would have guessed." Slowly, eyes on Yuri the whole time, Flynn stood and began to stalk him as he backed around the room.

"Stop right there."

"Yuri—"

"I mean it, Flynn."

"You're ticklish."

It should have been illegal to look so delighted about discovering something like that. Flynn lunged, just barely missing him as Yuri jumped onto the bed. On his way across, however, his feet got tangled in the comforter, and he dropped to land with a bounce on the mattress. With that, it was over. Flynn was on him in a second, shoving his shirt up and tickling him mercilessly. Laughing helplessly, Yuri rolled and writhed, but there was no escape.

"Damn it, Flynn!" He couldn't bat him away, couldn't curl into a ball tight enough to keep Flynn's fingers from finding that damned spot. His whole body convulsed with laughter. Hot tears wet his cheeks.

"Say 'uncle!'"

"Fuck you! Stop! Stop! Stop!" Yuri's stomach hurt from laughing and still Flynn was relentless. "Uncle, you goddamn asshole! Fucking uncle!"

Satisfied with his victory, Flynn sat back and let Yuri sprawl across the mattress as his laughter petered out and he caught his breath.

Once he could breathe normally again, Yuri glared up at Flynn. "I am going to make you regret that."

"You're welcome to try." Flynn did smug way too well. Smug was Yuri's thing. Oh, was he going to get it.

There was a knock at the door that connected their room to the girls' and Yuri turned his face into the blankets. "Fucking hell," he muttered.

"Everything okay in there?"

"We're fine, Sodia. Sorry to disturb you." Flynn was quiet for a minute and Yuri could practically feel his gaze. "If we're going to pick up, we probably shouldn't do it here. Is there a private beach somewhere, maybe?"

Slowly, Yuri lifted his head to look at Flynn in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He glanced at the connecting door before he spoke, keeping his voice low.

"Do you not remember the story I told you about mermaids?"

"I do, but—"

"And you want to go screw around on the beach? With me? Which part of this plan did you think was a good idea? The part where we get sand in places sand should never be, or the part where I lose control and rip your throat out with my teeth?"

Flynn studied him for a long moment. "You wouldn't hurt me," he said finally. He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world: the sky was blue, the ocean was wet, Yuri was not a danger to him.

"What do you know? Remember when you kissed me while we were swimming and I bit your lip? I sure as hell didn't shove you away to keep Estelle from catching us."

"Is that why you never, you know, use your mouth on me instead of your hands?"

"There's no taking it back if I get carried away."

He hated having to admit that he couldn't even fully trust himself, but Flynn deserved to know. He probably should have mentioned it sooner, but he'd been careful never to bite anywhere that might bleed too much, and he'd always managed to keep it together, or at least to pull back and cool his head a minute when he felt close to losing it. A sick joke about mermaids and all-consuming love crossed his mind and he grimaced.

Smiling gently, Flynn reached out to brush Yuri's hair out of his face. "I trust you."

"Maybe you shouldn't."

"It's fine. You aren't the type to break someone's trust."

"Are you actually challenging me not to lose my head in the heat of the moment and give in to instinct?"

"I'm not challenging you to do anything. I'm just saying I trust you."

"You're an idiot." Yuri rolled onto his side, away from Flynn and wrapped the comforter around himself. "I don't feel like walking all the way home tonight," he muttered.

Flynn stroked the curve of Yuri's back through the blanket. "It is late. You should stay."

It was the first time in his life that Yuri spent the night in someone else's bed.

Estelle and Sodia stayed for three more days. Yuri had work each day, but with the peak tourist season over for the year, his hours were shortened. Flynn made sure to invite him to join them in the afternoons—which Yuri did—and to stay the night with him—which Yuri did not.

Flynn mentioned that the beach house would be between renters on the day the girls were set to leave and, faced with identical looks of expectation from Flynn and Estelle, Yuri "volunteered" to cook for them there. Not that he minded, really. He still owed Flynn those rolls. He even brought out his crepe pan to make dessert, wrapping it carefully in several layers of plastic bags to transport it from his cave.

As they sat down to eat together, Yuri felt that same warmth that had marked his meals with Flynn and Estelle there before. Even Sodia's presence as she begrudgingly admitted that the food wasn't bad couldn't break the comforting spell of a meal shared with people Yuri had come to care about. It reminded him of when he'd stayed for dinner with Flynn and his parents and grandmother all those times years ago. It was how a family was supposed to feel, and he wished the evening could have gone on a little longer.

When they parted after dinner, Flynn made sure to remind him that he was leaving early to drive the girls to the airport, but that he would be back in the afternoon. Yuri rolled his eyes at the show of solicitude and waved him off before Flynn started getting mushy. He wasn't sure how he felt about someone being so concerned for him.

The next morning, Adrien stopped by while Yuri was working.

"You have any plans tonight?"

"Yeah. I'll be busy with my 'little boyfriend.'"

He wasn't altogether surprised to find that his grin was genuine, even though he knew that Flynn still had a whole semester to change his mind about everything. No matter what happened, he wouldn't have traded the past few days for anything.

Adrien must have gotten the hint, because he didn't come around again for a long while after that.

Flynn stayed through the end of the year, ridiculously pleased to be able to surf even in winter. He made Yuri go look at the apartment complexes with him, even though he wouldn't be getting a place until May at the earliest. He also went down to the police station to speak with someone about interviewing for a job when he came back. Yuri didn't go with him for that, wary of his reputation tainting LeBlanc's first impression of Flynn.

A few days later, Yuri took him to meet Repede, the unofficial mascot of the animal shelter by virtue of being its most long-term resident. He was also something of a confidant, so Yuri was glad when Repede took an almost immediate liking to Flynn.

They rang in the New Year together in a fashion that left neither of them with attention to spare for the passing of midnight. As Flynn was supposed to leave on the second, they spent most of New Year's Day together in his hotel room, leaving only when Yuri started to feel the enervating effects of having been away from the sea for too long. Even then, they didn't stay out long and picked up take out on their way back to the room. Faced with another four-month separation at the least, they wanted to get their fill of each other before Flynn's flight.

Yuri spent the night with him again, and woke to see Flynn smiling at him across a scant few inches of pillow.

"Good morning," he said brightly.

"Ugh. You're one of those people, aren't you?" Though he was accustomed to rising early, Yuri was by no means a morning person. When Flynn leaned in to kiss him, though, he figured he could overlook that particular flaw.

They didn't really have time to fool around. Flynn had an early flight and hadn't packed the day before. Yuri lounged on the bed, watching him as he straightened up and prepared to leave. He didn't bother getting dressed until Flynn was packing the car, and he didn't help carry anything out. They said their goodbyes in the parking lot. Flynn said goodbye, anyway. Yuri leaned against the car and dragged him close to kiss him, deep and lingering, until Flynn reluctantly pulled away.

"I have to go. I'll be back after graduation, I promise."

It was that promise that worried Yuri. Flynn had promised to return before, and it had taken him fourteen years to make good on that, and even then it hadn't been because he'd remembered giving his word. He'd been feeling really optimistic about how things were going during this visit. He hoped that lasted.

They kissed once more, briefly, and then Flynn slid into his seat, waved one last time, and drove off.

Yuri watched him disappear, and headed to the ocean for a dip.

It was the height of summer. Back in May, Flynn had graduated top of his class and immediately after, moved down to Driftwood Cove into a single bedroom apartment in the Oceanview complex. He'd gotten a job as the newest recruit at the police station and was already catching flak from Adecor and Boccos over his relationship with Yuri. LeBlanc didn't seem to care about that, though, and LeBlanc was the one whose opinion mattered. Yuri made sure to give the Tweedle goon squad his cockiest grin whenever he met up with Flynn at the station.

He'd met him there that afternoon, in fact, and they'd dropped by Flynn's apartment for him to grab his board and change into swim trunks before heading to the beach. He insisted on holding Yuri's hand the whole way, which was cheesy and stupid, but Yuri let him do it because he couldn't resist when Flynn smiled like that.

Eventually, he was going to have to give in and let Flynn teach him how to surf. For the time being, though, he just swam, drifting with the currents and watching Flynn catch waves. When he got bored of being ignored, he swam out far enough to be swept up in one of the bigger waves, letting it carry him along until he could burst out of that wall of water to tackle Flynn off his board.

Yuri surfaced first, laughing as Flynn came up spluttering.

"That was a dick move."

"Oh, I will show you a dick move."

He let Flynn kiss him, even though they were drifting in the ocean, even though the press of seawater all around him made him all-too-aware of the rush of blood through Flynn's veins and the hunger within himself that was tied up in, but not exactly a part of his desire. He'd become more sure of himself since Flynn had returned, more confident that he wouldn't be dragged under by a mermaid's instincts. He'd had to, since Flynn paid no heed to his warnings and was just as likely to kiss him in the water as out of it.

They stayed out till after sunset and walked home in the dark, hand-in-hand even though Yuri couldn't see Flynn's smile. They cooked dinner together. Flynn was slowly learning how to properly season food, though he still wasn't allowed in the kitchen unsupervised if he was making something for them to share. He bore the treatment with more patience than Yuri would have, though there had been a number of food fights directly related to Yuri's unapologetically honest opinion of Flynn's skills.

Two or three times a week, Yuri spent the night at Flynn's apartment. It was strange, waking up in bed with someone else, in someone else's space, but he was getting used to it. They'd worked out a truce of sorts. Flynn wouldn't pester Yuri about moving out of the cave, and Yuri would stay with him a few nights a week.

Then, one day as Yuri was getting off work, Flynn came strolling down the beach with Repede trotting along next to him. Yuri knelt to scratch the dog, looking up speculatively at Flynn.

"You adopted Repede?"

"He's yours."

He stood up slowly. "And how, exactly, am I supposed to keep him? My situation isn't really conducive to pet ownership."

Flynn's smile was entirely too self-satisfied. "I suppose you'll just have to move in with him, then."

"Let me guess: he lives at Oceanview?"

"Same apartment number as me and everything. What a coincidence. I'm sure he'd love to have you as a roommate."

About to inform Flynn just how dirty a trick that was, Yuri stopped as Repede reached out and drew the invisible iron dagger from its sheath at Yuri's ankle. They watched in shock as the dog tossed his head, flipping the dagger into the air before catching it in his teeth.

"Yuri…I thought no one was supposed to be able to touch that when it was sheathed."

"That's what I was told."

"Can dogs be fairies, too?"

"I've heard of spectral hounds, but…."

The two of them stared at Repede a moment longer before exchanging looks.

"Please don't leave me alone with him."

"You're fine to go toe-to-toe with Zagi, but a knife-wielding dog freaks you out? Wuss."

"I'm not an expert on fairies."

"Neither am I. That's Judy's thing."

Flynn reached out to take Yuri's hand. "Please?"

"…Fine. But only because of Repede. And only if you upgrade to a two bedroom."

Grinning, Flynn grabbed Yuri up into a hug. Repede dropped the knife, making a noise that Yuri swore was a laugh.

"I can't believe I'm getting sucked into your pace," Yuri grumbled.

"It's like getting caught in the undertow. Sometimes something good comes of it."

"That is a terrible analogy."

"It makes sense to me."

Yuri rolled his eyes and shut Flynn up the best way he knew how. When they broke apart from the kiss, Flynn's smile had softened into a tender expression that Yuri was growing increasingly used to seeing directed at him, though it still filled him with warmth every time. Flynn took his hand and began to lead him back toward town.

"Let's go home."

Yuri figured he could probably get used to that, too. Then, because he wasn't going to go over all sappy and love-struck without a fight, he shoved Flynn aside and raced him back to the apartment, laughing the whole way. Life was good.