Deep Water Ch 03

Levi wandered the streets aimlessly, people stared but he didn't notice. He wished he had never left his home. He wished he had never met Devin or Stoph. He wished he had never been born. He wished he had never fallen in love.

The last thought cut into his mind like a hot knife and he let out another sob. He should have let Devin make love to him again. The more the sealed their bond the more impossible it would have been to break. The freshly made pairing was like a cut that had just scabbed over. It was strong enough to hold together, but the slightest friction would have broken it apart, now all that was left was an ugly scar. Levi brushed his side where his tattoo used to mark him as Devin's, now he wished it had never been there in the first place. You can't miss what you never had.

But he had had it, and it had been wonderful. Even when Devin was mad at him, just to be near him made him feel whole. Now, as the distance between them got larger, so did the newly ripped open wound.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Stoph!" Devin crashed into his friends house.

"Devin?" Stoph raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" He set down his cup of coffee.

"Of course he is!" Boto came from behind him and put a loose arm over his shoulder, across his chest.

"Get off me!" Devin threw his hand off. Boto rolled his eyes and put his hands up in an 'I surrender' gesture.

"Is Levi here?" Devin asked, searching the room with his eyes for any sign of his broken mate.

"No... he was just with you. What happened? Where's your tattoo?" Stoph stood up when he noticed the blank spot on Devin's chest.

"It wasn't my fault, I swear!" Tears brimmed Devin's eyes.

"Devin... what happened?" Stoph demand.

"Just a little lovers spat." Boto laughed and ran a hand through Devin's hair.

"Get off of me!" Devin shouted at the demon. "Stop get your friend out of here!" Devin turned towards Stoph.

"Boto, I think you better leave." Stoph said, sensing what had happened.

"You've changed, Mephistopheles." Boto's brow ruffled.

"Get out." Stoph said firmly. Boto stared at him for a moment before turning and leaving the home.

"Sit down Devin, now tell me what happened." Stoph pulled Devin down to the kitchen table as Steve walked in.

"What happened?" He asked, mouth full of donut.

"Levi's gone. We were just playing, you know... he was getting dressed and I didn't want him to... we were playing hide and seek and Boto showed up. He started coming on to me and he kissed me right when Levi came out of hiding. He saw us... God the look on his face!" Devin was sobbing now.

"It's alright, Devin. We'll find him." Stoph stroked his hair and looked at Steve.

"You don't understand, Stoph. I kissed him back! I wanted it..." Devin covered his mouth.

"No, Devin, YOU don't understand." Stoph made Devin look at him. "Boto is an incubus. He's like a walking ball of pheromones. You didn't want to kiss him, he made you want to kiss him." Stoph explained.

"Can I fix it? Can I get Levi back and... I don't know! Just help me fix it!" Devin sobbed.

"We will, Dev." Steve put a hand on his back. He rubbed his back for a second before disappearing and coming back a moment later, dressed with keys in his hand.

"I'll go look for him. Stoph you and Devin take his truck and see if you can find him." Steve said.

"Devin, why don't you go lie down. Let Steve and I look for him." Stoph said.

"No, I have to find him. I have to-"

"No, Devin. Levi knows that it wasn't your fault, he's just upset right now. Let me talk some sense into him."

"Will that fix it?" Devin touched his side.

"I don't know." Stoph answered honestly.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Stoph drove down the road slowly, stopping to ask anyone if they had seen Levi. He had been following a trail of sightings and ended up at the lake. He climbed out of the truck, slamming the door behind him and walking to the shore.

"Levi?" He called.

"It's Stoph." He searched the water for any sign of movement.

'Go away, Stoph." Levi's soothing voice appeared in his head. For a moment Stoph had forgotten that Levi's kind could speak using telepathy. They didn't do it often, only when they didn't want to come to the surface. They could speak to each other underwater.

"No, Levi. You know it wasn't Devin, it was Boto." Stoph stood at the shore, he kicked off his shoes and waded in knee deep.

"Come on, Levi." Stoph begged. He saw the ripples in the water coming towards him. He sighed and smiled, he didn't want to go swimming.

"Just one thing, Stoph." The voice in his head said. A chill began creeping up his spine and he shook it off.

"What?"

"I'm not Levi." A webbed and wrapped around his ankle and pulled him into the water.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Devin?" Steve called out, putting his keys on the table.

"In here." Devin sat on the couch, he wasn't crying but his eyes were puffy and red.

"Hey, is Stoph with you?" Steve asked.

"No, he went out to find... him." Devin didn't want to say his name, he felt dirty saying his name.

"It's been hours. I tried to call him but he won't pick up his phone."

"You didn't find him?" Devin's eyes began watering again. Steve looked up and sighed. He sat down on the couch and wrapped an arm around Devin.

"No, but we will. Maybe Stoph found him and they're just talking things out." Steve said, knowing it was a lie. Stoph would have at least texted him.

"Maybe." Devin didn't seem like he believed it, but was trying to anyways.

"Come on, lets go see if we can't find them." Steve and Devin climbed into his truck and drove off.

"What about the lake?" Devin said, once they had been searching for awhile.

"You're right, I don't know why we didn't think there first." Steve rolled his eyes and turned the truck around.

Devin's truck sat by the side of the lake, keys still in the ignition.

"There, see," Steve said, climbing out of his own car. "They've got to be around here somewhere." He followed the footprints in the mud to the shore.

"Thats weird, Stoph hates swimming." Steve said.

"But Levi doesn't. He probably went in so that he wouldn't have to come all the way out." Devin nearly choked on his lovers name.

"I guess. But that still doesn't seem like Stoph. Maybe up to his knees, but not all the way in. He can't swim very well." Steve said to Devin.

"Figures, the guy who created Atlantis can't swim." Devin had his arms crossed against his chest, he felt small and weak without Levi. He wondered if he would always feel like this if things didn't get better.

'No, they have to get better.' He told himself.

"Stoph? Levi?" Steve cupped his hands around his mouth and called for his mate and his friend's lost mate.

'Steve, find Levi.' A quick thought flashed through Steves head. He put a hand to his head.

"What the hell?"

"What?"

"I don't know... I just got a flash of something, weird." Steve shook his head and stepped closer to the lake.

'No!' The voice shouted.

"No!" Steve screamed, he held his head and stumbled back several feet.

"Steve? What's wrong, man?" Devin shouted, he caught Steve as he almost fell. Steve leaned against Devin's truck and panted, holding his head.

"Somethings wrong."

"What?"

"Stoph didn't find Levi." Steve shook his head.

"Then where is he?" Devin asked, looking around for his mate.

"The real question is, where are they?" Steve scrunched his brow, and headed back towards his truck with Devin in tow. "Something bad happened to Stoph. He sent me some weird telepathy thingy." Steve waved his hand around.

"I thought he lost all his demon powers?" Devin asked.

"Most of them, he still has a little bit leftover. Like a dead battery still has a tiny bit of juice left, but eventually it will be gone." Steve explained.

"So he didn't find Levi, and he's in trouble." Devin thought outloud.

"Yep." Steve said as they drove.

"How is he in trouble? What the hell fucks with a demon?" Devin asked, and then blushed. "No pun intended." He smiled. Steve rolled his eyes.

"Someone who knows he isn't a demon anymore..." Steve said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's Boto, I know it." Devin said.

"You don't know that." Steve rolled his eyes.

"Yes I do! The guy's a sleaze." Devin said.

"can't argue with you there." Steve sighed.

"Steve, look!" Devin shouted, pointing out the windshield. A small figure stumbled down the road. His beaded hair swung from side to side as he walked and his arms were crossed.

"Levi!" Steve shouted, and pulled alongside the merman.

"Leave me alone." Levi's melodic voice was filled with pain. Devin jumped out of the still slowly moving car and ran over to his mate, grabbing his shoulders.

"Please, baby," he begged. "I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you. He kissed me I didn't want it!" Devin begged. Levi shrugged his hands off his shoulders and kept walking.

"I just want to be alone." Tears fell from his eyes slowly.

"Please, don't cry." Devin sighed.

"Why shouldn't I?" Levi turned and yelled at him suddenly. "You hurt me, Devin..." Levi's voice got quiet and wavered with tears.

"I know, sweetheart, and I'm so sorry!" Devin stepped in front of him to keep him from walking away. "Stoph said that you just needed time to think, and I know I should give you that but there's other things happening right now!" Devin hoped he could put off the hatred in Levi's eyes.

"Like what?" Levi asked, completely uninterested.

"Stoph is missing, we think Boto has done something to him." Steve said, climbing out of the truck.

"Why would he?" Levi asked.

"We think he figured out Stoph is human now. Stoph said it could get dangerous if anyone from his past found out. A lot of people have grudges against him, and the only reason they haven't acted on them is because when he was a demon he could have kicked their asses. But now..." Steve trailed off.

"Now he's vulnerable, and he needs our help." Devin said. Levi looked at him for a long time.

"This doesn't mean you're forgiven." Levi said quietly, and climbed into Steve's car.

"I know..." Devin said silently to himself as he watch Levi walk away from him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Boto, release me!" Stoph shouted.

"You don't scare me anymore Mephistopheles. But I guess I really shouldn't call you that now, should I?" Boto walked around the ex-Demon tied to the chair he had dragged down to the cave, deep under the lake.

"I swear to god, Boto if you don't-"

"You swear to Him now, do you?" Boto glared at him.

"That's not what I meant, you fool!" Stoph shouted.

"Yelling will get you nowhere... Stoph." Boto said. Stoph glared at him and Boto laughed.

"You're human, I can't believe this. There's been rumors on why you haven't been wreaking havoc and now I know." Boto stepped back from Stoph and starred at him for a long time.

"Pathetic, really. I should do you a favor and kill you now." Boto muttered.

"It's not like that, Boto. I'm happy." Stoph said.

"With being human? Impossible, you're one of the greatest demons to have ever lived!" He shouted.

"Was, I was one of the greatest demons. I'm not anymore, and That's how I want it." Stoph said.

"You've gone mad. Probably that soul you have floating around in there." Boto poked his chest hard.

"Steve won't stop hunting for you, neither will Devin or Levi." Stoph said.

"Two humans and a merman, scary stuff." Boto rolled his eyes.

"It's not what they are, that you should be scared of, it's what they'll do to get me back."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you sure it's safe?" Steve asked.

"No." Levi said, staring at the lake. "But if he is down there, we can't just leave him." Levi said.

"And you know where the cave is?"

"Yes, I used to stay there when I was trapped in the lake." Levi explained.

"Good luck, and be safe." Steve hugged him.

"Levi." Devin grabbed his arm, as he started to walk off. Levi turned to face him and blinked, knowing what he was going to say.

"I-"

"Don't." Levi said. Devin looked hurt and Levi looked at the ground for a split second before speaking again. "Save it for when I get back." Levi said. Devin smiled and pulled Levi close to him, in a hug.

"Again, this doesn't mean you're forgiven." Levi said, completely serious.

"I know, but it means I have a chance to be forgiven." Devin gave a sad smile and let him go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The water was a welcoming shock to Levi's quickly changing body. His legs fused together to form the powerful tail that would steer and propel him through the murky water. His eyes glazed over like a sharks to keep the cootie infested water out of them. His hands became webbed and were used to steer and pull himself through the lake and his spine and wrists grew the scaly blue green crests. He could heard Steve and Devin talking on the surface, but turned towards more important matters.

He propelled himself forward and deeper into the darkening lake water. Once he got to the bottom of the lake an average person would hardly be able to see. His pupils widened and made nearly his entire eye black so he could see in the dark water. He searched for the underwater cave he had found his first day here and found it with in a few minutes. The gills on his neck opened and closed as he removed the rich oxygen from the water. He swam inside the opening of the cave and brought himself close to the surface. It was clear there was a fire in the cave, it should have been pitch black but he could definitly see light on the surface. He poked his eyes above water, staying as silent as possible.

"I can't believe you would choose this, Mephistopheles." Boto spoke, his back to Levi. Levi treaded water quietly. Stoph glanced over and made eye contact with Levi, but kept his face the same, showing no emotion to Boto.

"You wouldn't understand a thing about me." Stoph spoke.

"Right, I know you. I've known you for hundreds of years, much longer than these humans." Boto gestured behind him blindly.

"No, you know Mephistopheles. You don't know Stoph." Stoph said, quietly. "I found love, and friends, and family." Stoph said.

"Your only love is for slaughter, your friend is death and your family is pain!" Boto shouted.

"You're wrong." Stoph said quietly.

"You can't honestly say you don't miss it."

"No, I can't. I do miss it, every day. There will forever be that darkness inside of me. But I'm happy where I am." Stoph said, without hesitating.

"You're mad." Boto shook his head.

"I won't go back to what I was, Boto. As long as I have my friends and family, I'm staying right here." Stoph nodded. Boto's eyes lit up.

"I can fix that." He smiled, he began to change, growing the crest on his bare back and arms, fingers becoming webbing. Levi knew what was happening and swam quickly and silently to the farthest wall. Boto dived into the water and swam out of the cave. Stoph sighed and watch Levi surface.

"I knew you'd find me." He smiled. Levi cut the ropes holding Stoph with one of his hardly even shown claws.

"We have to go, he's going to hurt Steve and Devin." Stoph said, stepping towards the water and looking in. He swallowed and licked his lips nervously.

"Just hold your breath, Stoph. I'll do all the swimming." Levi said, Stoph jumped into the water and surfaced, he wrapped his arms around Levi's neck, making sure to stay away from his gills, and nodded he was ready. Levi bobbed up once, before diving down. Stoph shut his eyes and let Levi glide through the water with him on his back. He felt his lungs burn and began panicking. He opened his eyes and looked back and saw they were already to far from the cave to go up, and to far from the surface. He held his breath longer before his chest screamed to let it out. He breathed out, letting several bubbles rise far above them to the surface. Levi looked back and saw the drowning ex-demon. He turned and as his gills opened to collect the oxygen, he breathed into Stoph mouth, giving him enough oxygen to last till the surface.

"Stay here." Levi said, once they were at the top.

"No, take me, it's my job to protect Steve too." Stoph said.

"It just means more swimming." Levi warned.

"If That's what it takes." Stoph said, not backing down. Levi dived again, staying relativly close to the surface. He didn't know what Boto was, but knew where he was going to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Look." Devin stood from the bank of the lake.

"You think it's them, or Boto?" Steve frowned and turned to look at the ripples swimming directly towards them.

"I don't know..." Devin hadn't thought of that. Their question was answered when Boto surfaced.

"Well, this makes things a lot easier." Boto smiled as he stood up with human legs. "Not as much walking, I do really hate walking." He frowned.

"Where is he." Steve stepped forward.

"I wouldn't worry so much about him, more about you two." Boto smiled. He took a step back into the water and began singing. His voice was low and dark, like molasses. He stood at ankle deep water and Steve and Devin stepped towards him. His voice coaxed them to him in the foreign language that belonged to the Merpeople. They couldn't understand the words, but they were well aware it was a love song. Their emotions boiled, and their minds drew blank as they stepped into the cold water. Boto backed up as he sang, until he was knee deep in water. He stood at the drop off of the lake, where it went from shallow, to at least twelve feet deep in less than a foot. He was prepared to change when the two men got close enough. His hands twitched in anticipation of pulling the two young humans down into the depths of the lake, forever. He had a sly smile and as confident with himself, That's why he didn't see the quickly approaching V of ripples in the water. Stoph was swimming around to his right, off to where Boto couldn't see him, and he crawled up onto the bank, hiding behind a tree until Levi was ready.

Boto reached a hand out and Devin followed, their hands were centimeteres away and the arrow of ripples grew closer and closer. Boto grabbed his hand violently and Devin snapped out of the trance, Boto smiled and ceased his singing. Devin opened his mouth to protest, and Levi shot out of the water, wrapping his left arm over his left shoulder and his right arm under his right arm. He pulled Boto back into the lake, taking Devin with them. The three fell into the lake with a splash and Stoph raced to check on Steve.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I don't know what happened. My head is all fuzzy, everything is a blur... where'd the music go?" Steve looked around.

"Levi is taking care of that tool of a musician." Stoph glared at the water, where no sign of the three men showed.

"Devin fell in with them." Steve said. "We have to do something!" He stood up from where he had collapsed when Boto had stopped his song.

"There's nothing we can do..." Stoph said, staring at the calm water of the lake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Levi swam down as fast as he could, pushing Boto in front of him. Boto thrashed from side to side, trying to get free of Levi's grip. His mouth was open, showing jagged shark teeth and his eyes were completely black,. Whether they were black with anger, or because of his enlarged pupils, Levi didn't know. He let his own teeth grow, and his claws on his webbed hands. The spines on his back grew longer and sharper, sharp enough to serve as a knife if need be, and they would serve as a knife then. Boto clawed at Levi's chest and Levi bit at his hands, letting his teeth sink an inch or more deep into the webbed flesh. Boto cried out under the water and managed to splash away from Levi.

Levi shook his head and waited for the bubbles to clear, and when they did, he saw a furious Boto swimming towards him. He moved to make a defense but was to slow and Boto's hands landed firmly on his chest. He was pushed back into a large boulder under the water and he felt his head crack against it. Boto drew his arm back and clawed at Levi's face, Levi moved just in time to avoid taking four razor sharp claws, that resembled a cats, in the face. Instead, the four claw marks were added to the collection on his chest. He hissed and used his tail to smack Boto away from him.