Blue Tide

After Damon’s incident, Sarah returned to the beach every single day and today wasn’t any different. She walked barefoot across the warm sand and stopped near the water, observing how clear it was. The ocean was surprisingly calm, the sun was setting, there was no wind and the beach was deserted. She started thinking about the mystery man and wondering if she would ever see him again, then she smiled once the image of him invaded her mind. He was so tall, so pale, so beautiful. His voice was deep and somewhat wise but his smile had a trait of sweetness in it.

‘I wonder if I’ll ever see him again…’ She wondered as the salty water hit her feet and she sighed while Oceanus observed from a safe distance.

He was in his God form and he had observed Sarah every single day. He hadn’t shifted sooner because he wasn’t strong enough, even though, he wanted to meet her. Something about that mortal attracted him, specially the fact that she could restore his powers. Oceanus was getting so weak that a single mortal’s belief was enough to restore most of his powers.

He kept observing her and as she stared at the calm water in front of her, allowing her feet to sink completely, he heard her mumble something and inhaled sharply. He narrowed his eyes towards his own body and submerged completely.

Sarah wiped her tears from her eyes, shaking her head at how ridiculous and sad she was and at the sea’s ability to always bring her emotions up. For the past year, she had begun to feel extremely lonely. All her sisters had married and had children and her family had seemed to have given up on supporting Sarah’s choice of waiting for the right guy, as well as stopped caring. She was the forever single daughter, nothing else. They just wanted her to marry and move out but it wasn’t that simple. Her last boyfriend had been the most promising but after he said that he basically wanted her as a baby-maker, she ended the relationship. Sarah wanted children but she wouldn’t confine herself to her husband’s will, the relationship had to be between equals.

The sea was always her escape to sad days. The water always managed to calm her down and then she smiled upon remembering the geek she was for Mythology, especially Ocean related Mythology, back in college.

"Maybe if I pray to Aqua, he’ll find me the right man." She whispered, chuckling as someone tapped her shoulder.

“What is the reason for such sadness?”

A shiver ran up her spine due to the deep and beautiful voice. She turned her face with to meet the mystery’s man intense gaze as she cleared her throat before speaking.

“Being hurt over and over again is enough, I suppose” She replied, her voice a bit shaky as Oceanus kept staring into her green eyes while feeling a mixture between a small stinging pain and clear healing across his chest due to her mention to his modern designation and the fact that he was still too weak to shift.

“It is.” He agreed “Would you like to talk about it? I am aware that that I am a stranger but…” He started as she turned her body completely towards him and he cut himself off, afraid to have said something wrong.

“You saved my cousin’s life.” She pointed out “And apparently you show up every time I need you, so you are not a stranger, not anymore. Maybe you are my hero.” She said, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile.

Oceanus’s century old heart skipped a beat for the first time in decades. Her smile was weak but honest. Her tears were real but practically ceased and he felt sympathy for her and a huge wish to hold her.

“If I am your hero… it’s my duty to listen to what’s upsetting you.” Oceanus replied logically as Sarah was surprised at his insistence to listen to her.

“Are you sure?” She asked as Oceanus nodded his head and sat on the sand, patting the spot next to him so Sarah would join him while he did his best to hide the fact that he was exhausted and in pain.

“I don’t mean to bother you.” She said quietly, while pulling her knees to her chest.

Oceanus turned his head and smiled weakly at her.

“Bother me? By the Gods, it’d be my honor if you trusted me.” He admitted, realizing that he hadn’t had a proper conversation with anyone in years and he craved for it.

“Well, first of all I’m Sarah.” She said with a soft smile.

“And I’m Oce-… I mean Thomas.” He said a bit nervously, instantly knowing that he could never give his real God name to a mortal because when it happened, a bond was instantly created and he wouldn’t force it.

“Nice to meet you, Thomas.” Sarah said with a slightly nod of her head as she took a deep breath and stared at the ocean.

“You can speak when you feel ready, Sarah.” Oceanus encouraged, her name leaving his lips almost in a whisper as he winced silently.

Oceanus didn’t know much about mortal pain. He knew that mortals killed each other, sinned mutually and did non-sense most of the time, but he had never seen such hurt and sadness all combined in one mortal female. He had seen despair in mortal women when their men died at sea but he had never really paid close attention, because to him death was natural, but Sarah was different and intriguing him.

“I’m just a big sad and disappointed at my family.” Sarah started with a heavy sign while Oceanus did his best not to interrupt, make a sound or touch her.

“I have 3 sisters and they are all married with children. I’m the youngest and everyone keeps on pressuring me to marry.” Sarah explained as her grip around her own knees tightened.

“I’ve had a couple of boyfriends but it hasn’t worked you, you know? And I won’t marry just to please my parents and probably end up in an unhappy marriage. I know that they want me out of their house but I don’t have enough money to move out yet so they just keep on fighting with me and recently, they’ve started to ignore me. I’m literally the black sheep, the disappointment.” She stated sadly as her eyes filled with tears again and she dug her nails in her jeans.

Oceanus swallowed the lump in his throat as Sarah buried her head in her knees and cried. He felt his body twitching and he signed a bit lost about what to do. He scooted close to her and put his arms around her small frame gently.

“You don’t need to do this.” She whispered.

“I want to.” Oceanus replied with a soft smile as he heard her sniff under his arms and frowned.

He had never hold a female while she cried, actually he had never seen human tears this close. Sarah’s tears were so genuine and heartfelt that Oceanus truly felt bad for a mortal for the first time in his existence.

“I’m sure that your family just wants what’s best for you. I’m sure that they care.” Oceanus said, feeling like it was the appropriate thing to say.

“They have a very weird way to show it.” Sarah chuckled making Oceanus smile warmly, while resting his chin on her head, narrowing his eyes slightly at the increasing pain on his chest.

“But they are your family, they are meant to be… strange.” Oceanus replied with a small chuckle, remembering his family, his brothers in arms and the time when everything was alright between them.

Sarah smiled tenderly as she opened her eyes and just heard Oceanus’s breathing close to her. She blushed slightly and felt her stomach form a knot as she bit her bottom lip. Oceanus felt that she was calming down, so he slowly pulled back from his embrace and waited for her to glance at him.

“How do you feel?” He asked.

“Much better, thank you for listening.” She said thankfully as he winced visibly and she tensed up, her eyes widening a bit.

“Thomas?” She called as he smiled at her.

“You’ll find a deserving man soon.” Oceanus replied as he clutched his chest with his hand and his body fell onto the sand with a thud.

Sarah gasped as she called his name and kneeled beside his body. Her voice was faint to him but he couldn’t help but to smile. He didn’t know exactly what was happening to him but this was probably what if felt like when a God was about to die.

“Thomas? Thomas!” Sarah called, fear taking over her as she shook him by the shoulders and froze when she saw his body changing.

Oceanus groaned as his body slowly began to shift back to his God form and he watched her as she was speechless. She watched as his body glowed slightly and his clothes changed to something fit for a king, his hair darkened until it was completely black and his eyes changed into emerald green. As she watched him breathtaking by this new form and the beauty of it, he was able to raise his hand and faintly grabbed her arm, to get her to focus.

“I need you… to take me… into the water.” He pleaded weakly as she furrowed her eyebrows but nodded her head.

She grabbed his feet and while mumbling apologies she dragged him near the water and stopped once she saw that it was hitting him. Then he rose his hand again and quickly joined his hand, grabbing it dearly.

“This will… sound foolish.” He said barely keeping his eyes open but still managing to chuckle “But I need you to pray to Aqua.”

Sarah blinked and was about to protest when Oceanus closed his eyes and she gasped.

“Damn it… Thomas!” She called as she placed her arms around his head and torso and pulled him to him. She shut her eyes, trying to remember the prayer she had read back in college, address specifically to Aqua.

“Holy Aqua, ruler of all the Oceans, please hear my prayer. I am a mortal woman and I surrender myself to your power. I am yours.” She said firmly when suddenly she felt a cold breeze brush past them.

She looked down, to see Oceanus still with his eyes closed and she began panicking.

'This is freaking insane, I should be taking him to a hospital…' She thought but then she remembered his begging tone and cursed at herself for blindly doing what he had asked.

“Please Holy Aqua, save this man. Save this stranger just like he has saved me. I will do anything you request of me.” She said instinctively as small, harmless waves started to form.
As Sarah looked down, she saw Oceanus opening his eyes slowly.

“Thank you. You saved me.” Oceanus said with a weak smile as he saw Sarah crying and rose his hand slowly to caress her cheek.

“What just happened? I’m so confused and… scared.” She said sniffing as he sat up and observed her.

Her clothes were completely drenched from the waist down so he took his coat off to put it over her shoulders before he spoke the truth.

“In reality, I am a God. I am Oceanus or Aqua as you seem to know me. This… this form is my real body. To approach you, I had to look more human.” Oceanus explained as Sarah lost color in her face as he locked his eyes with her.

“W-what?” She asked a bit out of breath as he sighed.

“I know I might sound insane but you saw me shift.” He pointed out as she nodded her head “And I asked you to pray to me because my powers are fading and they are only restored…”

“Through prayer.” Sarah cut him off, remembering exactly what she had studied.

Oceanus nodded, impressed and feeling surprisingly happy to have met a human with knowledge about him.

“And do you know what happens when a God shifts or shares his real name with a mortal?” He asked.

“They are bonded forever.”