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It had been decades, but Steve still remembered the plane crash in vivid detail. He remembered his last words to Peggy, the impact of the crash, and his struggle to break free of the now wrecked plane. But what he remembered most of all was the soft light that had surrounded him and the mermaids singing to him as his legs turned into scales and he suddenly gained the ability to breath under water.
Though Steve couldn’t believe it at first, it was hard to deny the truth. For some reason, he had been chosen to become a mermaid and destined to stay in the deep waters for the rest of his life. Though he had grown to appreciate his mermaid form, his much slower aging process, and his companions over the years, a part of him longed to return to the surface and live once again among the other humans.
Despite receiving constant warnings, Steve spent his days swimming through the sea, closer to the surface than any mermaid had dared before. He sometimes watched the people walking by on shore from his hidden vantage point, dreaming that he could once again walk beside them. Though he normally ended up near his former home of Brooklyn, he spent plenty of time exploring the other locales of the world.
On this day, he found himself going towards the South. The gulf was empty that day besides a singular fishing boat. On the boat sat a handsome Black man, and Steve couldn’t help but watch him as he worked with his fishing equipment. A radio on the boat was playing some beautiful music that Steve didn’t recognize. Though he had been tempted to come out of his hiding spot many times over the years, he had never been more tempted than with the man in front of him.
A sudden noise from the land made the man jump, accidentally knocking his radio off its perch and into the sea. The man cursed, and Steve swam forward in a split-second decision, grabbing the radio before it sunk to the deep. He tried to place the radio back on the boat without the man noticing, but he wasn’t quick enough.
The man’s eyes widened as he took in the sight of Steve on the edge of the boat. “I didn’t realize that anyone was swimming out here.”
Steve realized that the man thought he was a human going for a swim and breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just couldn’t help but be drawn to your music. What is it, if you don’t mind me asking?”
The man raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You’ve never heard of Marvin Gaye? Have you been living under a rock?”
“Something like that,” Steve replied, shaking his head. “It’s been a while since I’ve really listened to music.” He was well familiar with the songs of the other mermaids, but he only had heard flashes of music from the surface over the years.
The man fiddled with radio, that thankfully managed to still work despite its brief time underwater. “It’s a waterproof radio,” the man explained, as though sensing Steve’s bewilderment. He tuned the radio back to the song he was playing. “This is the Trouble Man soundtrack,” the man explained to Steve. “It’s one of my favorites.”
Steve listened in silence, taking in the music and lyrics. “I like it,” he said as the song concluded. The line on the man’s fishing net tugged and the man focused on reeling in his haul. Steve watched as several fish and shellfish spilled out onto the deck of the man’s boat. “What are you going to do with them?”
“They’re for my family’s restaurant,” the man replied. “Wilson Family Seafood. You should come by some time.”
Steve wanted nothing more to take the man up on his offer and see his family’s restaurant. However his lack of legs made it impossible. Furthermore, he couldn’t explain why as mermaids were forbidden to expose themselves to humans. “I would love to,” he replied, “But I can’t.”
The man’s face fell and Steve desperately wanted to tell him the truth. “I’m sorry,” Steve said. He heard the unmistakable sounds of his fellow mermaids calling out to all of the mermaids throughout the sea, and he knew that he had no choice but to return to them. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
Steve took one last look at the man before swimming away. “Wait!” The man called out to him. “How will I find you again?” Taking a deep breath, Steve forced himself to ignore him as he swam deep beneath the surface.
A week went by, but Steve found himself thinking of the encounter with the man on the boat. He didn’t even know the man’s name, but the connection they had shared in that moment was undeniable. He knew he couldn’t tell his friends about it, as they would likely report his forbidden contact with the surface.
He found himself swimming back to the southern gulf, and smiled as he once again saw the singular boat in the water and the sounds of a familiar song on the radio. Against his better judgment, he swam up to the surface and towards the edge of the familiar boat. “How’s the restaurant?” Steve asked.
The man jumped and nearly knocked over his radio again at the sound of Steve’s voice. “You scared me!”
“Sorry,” Steve replied. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Where have you been?” The man asked. “I’ve come out every day this week hoping that you would show up.”
Steve’s heart pounded at confirmation that the feelings that Steve felt were mutual. “It was too risky,” Steve admitted. It was too risky to even admit that, but he felt bad keeping the truth from him.
The man’s face looked perplexed at the confession. “What the hell does that even mean?”
Knowing that he had gone past the point of no return, Steve decided to tell him the truth. “I haven’t been to the surface in quite some time.” Before the man had time to question the statement, Steve showed him his tail.
Steve watched his reaction carefully. The man was shocked, but showed no indication of being frightened. “I didn’t know mermaids were real,” he admitted.
“I didn’t know they were either until I crash landed in the water decades ago,” Steve confessed. The man looked closely at him, his eyes surprisingly lit up in recognition.
“You’re Captain America,” the man said. “I knew you looked familiar.” Steve gaped at him. “I saw your exhibit in the Smithsonian,” Sam explained. Steve didn’t quite know what that meant, but nodded in confirmation.
He held out his hand. “Steve Rogers,” he introduced himself.
“Sam Wilson,” the man replied, taking Steve’s hand in his own and shaking it.
“Nice to meet you, Sam.” Steve smiled, thrilled to finally have his name.
The two looked at each other for a couple of moments. Steve heard the sound of the chief mermaid calling specifically for him, and a shiver ran through him. Did he know that he had broken his rules and made contact with a human?
“I’m sorry, Sam,” Steve said. “They’re calling for me.”
Sam’s face fell, but he nodded. “Will I ever see you again?”
“I hope so,” Steve confessed. Without another word, Steve swam away and down to the home of the chief mermaid.
The mermaid wore her normal stoic expression, and Steve was unable to determine if she was disappointed or angry with him. “You wanted to see me, ma’am?”
She nodded in response. “I’m sure you can sense the uneasiness in our waters.” Steve nodded. “I fear that we may soon have no choice but to connect with those on the surface to save both of our worlds.”
“What do you mean?” Steve asked, trying to not appear hopeful about the implications of what she was saying.
“I want you to go to the surface,” she said. “I want you to form an alliance with mightiest of the surface dwellers so that we can assist each other against the threat that I fear is coming.” Steve looked confused, and the chief mermaid smiled. “You will be the first to be able to travel between the two worlds and shift from human to mermaid to back again.”
Steve’s heart raced as he realized what she was saying. “You can do that?”
The chief mermaid nodded. “I’ve known for quite some time that you’ve wished to return to the surface. Though I’ve been resisting the idea, I can now see a path where both worlds can coexist.”
“I won’t let you down,” Steve assured her, unable to contain his excitement. The chief mermaid worked her magic and Steve felt a shift inside of him. “Thank you,” Steve replied.
He eagerly swam back to the surface. He knew that Sam’s boat would probably be gone, but he swam to the edge of the nearby dock. He shifted his tail into two legs, thrilled that the switch worked on the first try. Climbing onto dry land, he took a moment to look at the clothes that had materialized on his human form. He subsequently fell down on his first attempt to stand. He should have expected it. After all, it had been several decades since he had legs.
Steve finally managed to steady himself and gingerly walked forward. He breathed in the fresh air as he took in the sights and sounds around him. Even the sound of a car honking sounded beautiful to him. He walked down the nearby road, smiling as he came by a beautiful restaurant adorned with a sign that said “Wilson Family Seafood.”
Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside to see a light crowd inside the restaurant. “Will you be dining in?” A woman who was clearly manager of the restaurant approached him.
Steve nodded. “Is Sam Wilson here?” The woman nodded and led him to a table. Steve looked around the restaurant and smiled upon seeing Sam working at the other side of the restaurant. The woman approached him and spoke to him with a teasing expression. Sam looked straight at him, and they both smiled as they saw each other once again.
“How?” It was the only word Sam managed to get out as he approached him. Steve explained his deal with the chief mermaid. “So you’re here to stay?”
Steve nodded. “As long as she’ll allow me.”
“Where are you planning to start? With your recruitment.”
Steve thought about it for a couple of moments. “Here,” Steve said. “If you’ll have me.” He gestured to the seat across from him.
Sam smiled as he sat down across from him. The two spent hours talking, only interrupted by Sam getting them snacks. After years under the sea, Steve was overjoyed to have food from the surface once again and was eager to learn about everything that he had missed over the years. Though he knew that he would eventually have to start his mission, all he wanted to do was spend more time with the handsome man that had lured him to the surface with his song and his heart.