*hits summit button* Important author note at the bottom

Ivan: *hugging pillow* Phantom does not own.

~Bio-diversity~

Understanding

A week had pasted since Alfred and Arthur had had their fight. Alfred was still in the tank with Cheri with the research team coming by every once in a while to check on him. Every night when Arthur leaves he would go to the tank and ask Alfred the same question and the got the same response, 'no'. Every time Alfred saw Arthur his heart ached and his gut was telling him to go to him and apologize but he was trying to prove his point.

A few days into him staying in the tank Heracles came told him that Arthur had collapsed and was sent home. Alfred was happy because he thought Arthur would finally give himself time to rest. The next day Arthur was back at work and Alfred was mad. Alfred was just swimming around his tank irritated that Arthur did not give himself any time to rest. Cheri kept trying to calm him down but it didn't work not until he saw Arthur himself. It ended in a screaming match in which Alfred got so mad he threw himself out of the tank.

It took four people to stop Alfred for going after Arthur in his rage. Vash came running and injected Alfred with a sedative before moving him back to the tank. Arthur stopped visiting Alfred after that and in turn the merman stopped eating. Every time they tried feeding him he would go to the other side of the tank and sulk. Even Cheri's coaxing did not even work.

When am I going home? Alfred said to Vash as he was floating on his back.

Vash was grateful for Arthur for telling him how to communicate with Alfred, "I'm not too sure yet."

By the time I get out here hopefully it will be time to leave.

"I don't see why you are so mad at Arthur and would you eat something."

He won't listen to me. If he would listen to me for two minutes I wouldn't be like this and he wouldn't be overworking himself. And to tell you the truth I don't have to eat every day we adults usually eat every other day.

"It's been four days." Vash deadpanned.

So, the longest I went without food was a week and a half. Alfred shrugged.

"That's not the point. The point is you need to make up with Arthur because whatever is going wrong with you two it need to be fixed. Even I noticed Arthur is eating less and has bags under his eyes. Something is eating at him and I have a feeling it is dealing with you."

Alfred lifted himself on the wall of the tank. Sorry if he doesn't listen to me for anything. I tried telling him over and over to stop working so much, sleep a little extra, and eat a little more but no I don't know what I'm talking about.

"Stop pouting maybe I can talk to him about it but you have to be willing to bend a little on your resolve. If I can get him out here will you not attack him and try to compromise?"

I can try but no promises about him.

"I'll bring him around in a few hours. Until then calm down and think about what you're going to say when he gets here."

~Bio-diversity~

"No not unless he takes back what he said." Arthur stated.

Vash leaned back in his chair, "He was right about somethings."

"Like what?"

"You keep stressing yourself out. You never want to take a day off so I have to keep forcing you to."

"I'm fine doing what I am doing. I am perfectly fine."

"Arthur everyone sees that you are getting sick and you have been eating less. This had starting happening ever since Alfred left your house. Almost everyday people hear you in the bathroom throwing up. You need to go to a doctor."

"I'm fine, it's just a stomach bug."

"Stomach bugs don't last a week."

"Would you at least make up with Alfred? It's for the good of you both."

"I don't see how he is having fun with the dolphin."

"If you call agitated and not eating having fun."

Arthur shrugged, "He is just throwing a temper tantrum. It will be over soon."

"It's not a good thing though." Vash said pinching the bridge of his nose. "Both of you are too stubborn for your own good. If you can just compromise on something it would work for the both of you. Maybe like taking your off days off and not coming into work for once."

"The work I have to do…"

"Can wait. Your health should be put first. There is no point in working if you're too tired or sick to work. Without your health you cannot work meaning you would just get more behind because you would have to miss even more days."

Arthur was quiet for a minute, "Maybe you're right."

"I know I'm right." Vash said crossing his arms.

~Bio-diversity~

Alfred watched as Vash came walking with Arthur as he promised. His tail started moving in the water angrily. Cheri gave him some reassuring words but that still did not help his irritation. The closer Arthur came the tighter his grip became on the tank. They stopped about a good twenty feet from the tank just in case Alfred decided to jump out again.

Alfred narrowed his eyes. Why are you here?

"Maybe your right." Arthur said.

Right about what, there are lots of thing I was probably right about. Alfred said narrowing his eyes.

Arthur looked away, "About me working too hard."

Really you're finally coming to terms with that. Alfred said folding his arms on the tank. So you have something to say to me, it's written on your face.

"We can discuss this further when you come home."

Who said I was going with you? You just proved me right with you accepting it but that doesn't mean that my advice won't be followed again. What if I give you another suggestion will you shrug that one off too? I know you have your own stubborn ways but listening to another in your terms of health should always be taken in consideration.

Arthur pinched his nose, "I don't want to fight here just come home with me and we can talk it out there."

Alfred just stared into emerald green eyes for about a minute. Fine just let me get changed. And I need some clothes.

Alfred swam over to the edge of the tank where the screen was set up and dragged himself out. Arthur went and grabbed a change of clothes from his car. When he came back Alfred was already sitting here in his human form with a towel wrapped around his waist. It seemed like forever since Arthur had laid eyes on Alfred's human form.

Wasting no time Alfred got dressed and stepped out. He listened to the clicks of Cheri trying to give him advice but ignored them. Arthur watched as Alfred started walking to the doors leading inside with Vash and Heracles following him. When Alfred stopped he saw ocean blue eyes turn to look directly at him. The look in his eyes told Arthur to follow or another argument might ensue. Arthur quickly caught up to the group and followed Alfred through the building back to the employee parking lot.

"I'm sorry if I caused any trouble Vash." Alfred said once they were outside.

Vash crossed his arms, "You two are both too stubborn for your own good. If you can work this out like normal creatures and not a silent battle it would be great. That conversation should be held in private so I suggest you two go home and talk this over."

"Yeah, I think your right about this." Arthur said rubbing his arm.

"Since we are waiting for the next assignment take a few days off to settle this. And if either one of you come back with fight wounds: Alfred, I'm cutting off your balls and Arthur, I'm sewing your lips shut." With that Vash walked back to the building.

Heracles rubbed his shoulder, "What he means to say is not to go overboard okay. We would like you come back in one piece Arthur."

"I'll try." Arthur gave Alfred a sideways glace.

Alfred just snorted and started walking to the car he remembered as Arthur's. He waited until he heard the click of the door opened. When they got into the car Arthur started the engine and started the trip back home. Arthur's nerves were starting to get to him the closer they got to their destination.

"Your heart's beating fast." Alfred said breaking the silence.

"Excuse me for being nervous that you're going to try and rip my throat out again." Arthur said pulling into the driveway.

Alfred flex his hand, "Well I can't do it like this; I have no claws."

Arthur looked at Alfred in horror, "Like that is supposed to calm my nerves, you asshole."

"You're still feeding me right."

"I'm not cooking I don't feel like it. Does pizza sound good?" Arthur said getting out the car.

Alfred started to get out as well, "Huh?"

"Sea, right. It's a flattened piece of bread with tomato sauce and cheese on top."

"Interesting."

"So is that a 'yes' or a 'no'?"

Alfred closed the door behind him, "I'm not going to eat otherwise will I?"

"No."

"Then fine."

Alfred went sit on the couch and he watched Arthur order the food from the kitchen. He could not take his eyes off of him as he closed his eyes and pushed his hair behind his ear. Next thing he knew Arthur was snapping his fingers in front of his face. Alfred snarled and watched as Arthur pulled his hand back with lighting speed to clutch it to his chest.

"The food will be here in about 30 minutes." When Alfred didn't say anything he knew it was time to confront the elephant in the room. "Where do we start?"

"I don't know maybe at your stubbornness." Alfred shrugged when he was pinned with a glare. "It's a start."

"What about you? If you went so stubborn too we wouldn't be in this mess." Arthur huffed as she sat in the armchair.

"It's in my nature what do you expect when you get involved with a dominate creature. I have seen some where after mating they will lead the female around by her wrist to make sure she stays with him."

"That's not the point."

"Yes it is." Alfred leaned over and placed his elbows on his knees, "All those times we did it when you said stop I stopped. I did not want to but I gave into your wishes, I had to fight myself on that. I let you have privacy and space when you wanted sometime I had to force myself to stay put. The one time I ask you to stop working so hard and you say 'no', the one thing I ask of you! It's all confusing, you're confusing! I want to do one thing but I have to do another, my mind is all messed up."

Arthur pulled his knees to his chest, "Maybe I am giving mixed signals. But somethings just scare me, I'm not used to them. I'm not used to have someone trying to care for me. All my last partners were just flings they never tried to get to know me, it's a change. Having someone to take care of me feels like I can't do for myself."

"You're forgetting I need you." Alfred said getting up from the couch to go kneel in front of Arthur, "I need someone to lean on because I do not know nothing about the surface. I don't know how to cook, haven't learned to clean yet, I just learned to work the bath. I don't know how to do anything I am a calf when it comes to these things. At the moment the most I can do for you would be to wash you during a bath and hold you while you sleep."

"That's the time where a person is most vulnerable, in the most intimate moments. It's not like you're going to be here much longer anyway."

"Why?"

"I was talking to Vash and they were going to release you in about two month time."

"What if I don't want to go?"

"You need too." Arthur reached out and pushed Alfred's hair out his face, "You don't really belong here. I am pretty sure that your family is missing you and you miss them, don't you?"

"Of course I miss them, I lived with them all my life but –"

"If you say it is because you can't leave me I'm going to push you in the water myself."

"But-"

"No 'buts' Alfred. What you're feeling is just the effects of mating season. I can't reproduce, that is where the similarity of our species ends. In the end you will return to the sea and forget about me."

"But-"

"Stop. That's how it is more than likely to happen. You will go back to protecting your pod and my life will go back to before you came."

"You think it would be so easy to forget."

"No but you can put the past behind you."

They stayed in the quite for a bit of time. Every now and again they would lock eyes only for one of them to look away first. Just around when Arthur was going to break the silence the doorbell went off. Arthur got off his chair and scrabbled for his wallet. When he found it he handed the delivery driver the total with a tip and took the two large pizzas. When Arthur returned with two plates of pizza and two cups of water he turned on the television and they fell into a comfortable silence as they ate.

~Bio-diversity~

!Pasted in all stories to save time!

Hey guys these last few months have been pretty hectic. My best friend had a high risk pregnancy so I have been spending most of my time with her after work. I am currently in the hospital because she gave birth to a healthy baby girl on today, April 9th. Because she passed out right after giving birth and her husband is out of state for work I am doing the skin on skin contact for the baby. I am typing with a on-screen keyboard so it's taking a little bit. I had to have her mother escorted out by security because she was yelling and making a fuss about not being told about the baby being born. But all is good: The baby is sleeping and warming up under my quilt I brought with me to sleep, she is sleeping after 12 hours of labor, and I am happy that there was no complications.

The other news is that I will no longer be uploading all the stories at once. When I finish a chapter it will be uploaded because I feel like I'm being forced to hurry up a story to get the other stories up. Some stories come naturally then others so they are easy to right but others like Our Songless Music is harder to write because I forgot everything with the lost of my flash drive. But I know major parts that will happen its just the in-between those parts.

Well besides my godchild being born nothing really happened. Well I'm going to go to bed, just got to make sure this little one on my chest is good then its a night in the hospital and hopefully more good news in the morning.