A/N: Hey, I had the idea for this fic while I was watching Pirates 4 a few months ago, and I've been working on it since then, and, well, I'm feeling generous, so you can have the first chapter! Yay. I don't really know what to say about it up here. I'll talk to you at the bottom, I guess. Warnings for run-on sentences. Also, I hate to disappoint, but I'm fairly certain there won't be any smut in this story.

Fish Out of Water
or
Swim With Me

Chapter One

The most interesting thing about Jeffrey Sterling was not his gorgeous blond hair, his amazing hazel eyes, or his beautiful smile. It wasn't the way his hips moved when he danced, or even the way he looked as he executed a perfect double somersault off the high dive. No, the most interesting thing about Jeff was his necklace. At least, that's what Nick thought.

The necklace was made of hemp or twine and embedded between the overlapping knots, hanging just low enough so it didn't get in the way of his Dalton uniform, was a greenish purple piece of what looked like sea glass. Jeff always said it was his 'little piece of home' and never took it off. Nick knew Jeff was from the East Coast, and given the fact that Jeff was the strongest and fastest member of the swim team, never gave it much thought.

"Watch this one!" Jeff exclaimed. "Are you watching, Nicky?"

They were in the pool house at Dalton, Nick was sitting on the edge of the pool, watching as Jeff did dive after dive.

"Yes, I'm watching," Nick assured him. Jeff leapt off the platform, tumbling faster and faster towards the surface of the water, twisting and rolling as he fell, until he collided with the water below. Gosh, even his splash is beautiful, Nick thought.

Nick and Jeff had been roommates since they started at Dalton their freshman year. Nick had convinced Jeff to join the Warblers and in turn, went to every one of Jeff's swim and diving meets – even the away ones. Sometime during their sophomore year, Nick had realized he really liked Jeff in that way, but whenever he asked Jeff who he liked, Jeff would laugh and change the subject, which, Nick kept telling himself, was not a rejection.

But it wasn't just Nick, Jeff didn't seem to have an interest in people really at all. In fact, Nick was one of the only friends he really had. If Nick had ever given it any thought, he would have realized he really knew very little about his roommate's personal life.

That was because Jeff had a secret – a pretty big one, and it's not that he didn't trust Nick to keep it, he didn't want to run the risk of being found out. It was the whole reason he'd come to Ohio, after all, an almost completely landlocked state – no one would guess the truth.

Jeffrey Sterling was a mermaid.

The necklace that Nick loved so much was, in fact, his secret keeper, without which his secret would be revealed – at least, he figured someone would notice the greenish-purple fish tail he'd be sporting.

A beached mermaid turns into a human. A beached mermaid not soon returned to the ocean would lose all their power and be permanently – human. Most mermaids considered it a fate worse than death, and all beached mermaids were disowned without exception.

Jeff was different. For one thing, he quite liked the human life. For another, he wasn't in danger of losing his ties to the sea. The pendant he wore around his neck was not sea glass at all. It was a mermaid scale. Mermaids being magical beings, the scale actually served a few purposes.

One, it saved his mermaid life – that is, kept him from becoming permanently human. But, two, the pendant also did the reverse, stopping Jeff's human legs from becoming a long, beautiful mermaid tail when he was in the water, which, he was sure, though he'd never tried it, would make showering difficult.

The only thing the pendant didn't do – if Jeff went into the ocean near his home mermaid colony, he would revert to his true form. Another reason Ohio was a good choice. Jeff – only sixteen in human years, but really much older in mermaid years – had grown sick of the mermaid drama back in Sterling City, and made the decision to try land life for a while.

Not everyone had a mermaid scale pendant, it's not like they were easily made, in fact, Jeff's was a family heirloom. The Royal Family. Jeff was Prince of Sterling City – or he had been, two years ago when he'd left.

"What about this one?" Jeff exclaimed, leaping off the diving platform, tumbling once again into the water below.

"Very impressive, Jeff," Nick said as Jeff resurfaced. "I wish I could do that."

"Aw, it's okay, you have other talents," Jeff said, heaving himself out of the pool to sit next to Nick. "Like singing! With Blaine transferring to McKinley, you'll get a chance at solos."

"Yeah, true," Nick said. "But you're a better dancer than me, and you can sing too."

"Oh, Nicky," Jeff sighed fondly. "You're amazing." Nick's head fell onto Jeff's shoulder. "Come on, we should get going back to the room. Bedtime."

They were all the way back in their room before Nick said anything else.

"You're my best friend, Jeff," Nick said, dropping onto his bed with a flump.

"You're my best friend too," Jeff replied happily.

That was the last night of normalcy.

The first day of their junior year started with a new member – Sebastian Smythe. And it wasn't like he wasn't good – he was a great singer and fantastic dancer, it's that he had very little respect for rules, tradition, or authority. Which is how the Warblers found themselves all liquored up in the Warblers Practice Room.

"I know your secret," Sebastian purred in Jeff's ear as the party reached full swing.

"Um… what secret?" Jeff asked nervously. There was no way Sebastian knew – unless he was, himself, a mermaid, which Jeff doubted, or, worse – a mermaid Hunter.

"You're gay like a bag of dicks," Sebastian replied, his mouth now on Jeff's ear. "Which is really good for you, because that happens to be my favorite kind of boy."

"Oh," Jeff barely squeaked. That secret. Not that it was a big secret. A few of the other boys had already called him on that in the years he'd been at Dalton. "Actually, Sebastian, I'm not really looking for a partner at the moment, but I appreciate the offer. If I ever find myself in need of the… services you're offering, you will be the first to know." Sebastian laughed.

"Actually," Sebastian said, now at a much less uncomfortable distance in front of Jeff, "I think your roommate might get jealous." Jeff looked across the room to where Nick was standing – looking calm, but his drink shook in his cup with rage, seeing how close Sebastian was to Jeff.

"Nicky?" Jeff asked. "Nah, we're just friends, that's all."

"Are you sure?" Sebastian asked. "He looks like he's about to march over here and stick his tongue down your throat just to keep me away from you."

"Again, no offence, but you're not really my type…" Jeff said.

"What about him?" Sebastian asked, nodding to Nick. Jeff shook his head.

"No, not really my type either," Jeff said. It wasn't that Jeff didn't see the beauty in Nick or Sebastian, it was that they were two completely different species, and Jeff honestly couldn't see himself being with a human at all, no matter who it was.

"Then what is your type?" Sebastian asked, getting close to Jeff again. Jeff shrugged. "It's funny, cuz I'm everyone's type."

"Not mine," Jeff said. Sebastian apparently took this as a challenge and dipped his head barely an inch to kiss Jeff. Jeff was surprised, but what surprised him most was that he wasn't instantly repulsed by it, instead bringing one hand up to grasp the back of Sebastian's neck, the other around his back, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. The Warblers started cheering. All except Nick, who indulged himself in even more alcohol.

There was a rumor in Sterling City that when a mermaid kissed a human, the human would be protected from drowning. Though Jeff had never known anyone to try it, he figured he would soon find out.

"You're not too bad," Sebastian remarked when they finally broke apart. "See you around." Sebastian winked and flounced back across the room, holding out his hand to Thad, who slapped some money into Sebastian's outstretched palm.

Nick made his drunken way over to Jeff.

"What was that?" Nick asked, trying, and failing, to not sound jealous.

"Nothing," Jeff said. "Just a dare, I think."

"If you're going to be kissing people, you should be kissing me," Nick huffed.

"I'm not kissing anyone, Nick," Jeff said, showing the patience of his years. "I told you before, I'm not looking for a relationship."

"If you were, you'd pick me over Sebastian, right?" Nick asked.

"Of course," Jeff assured him, not really meaning it.

"Good," Nick said, apparently content with this answer. "Cuz, you know what, Jeff? I like you. I like you a lot. I like you more than I should I think. I think I might even be in love with you a little bit." Jeff shook his head in disbelief, suddenly encountering a huge wave of secondhand embarrassment on Nick's behalf. "Hey guys!" Nick announced to the room at large, standing on an ottoman, "I love Jeff!"

"Congratulations," Thad said.

"Thank you!" Nick said before jumping back down and staring at Jeff. "Why don't you love me, Jeffers?"

"I do love you, Nicky, you're my best friend," Jeff said. "Look, I think we should get you back to our room. When you sober up, we can have a good talk. I promise." Nick looked at Jeff for a moment, then:

"Okay," Nick agreed, hanging his head like he'd done something wrong. "But you do love me."

"Of course," Jeff assured him. When they got back to their room, Nick obediently went straight to bed, and the next morning had completely forgotten they were supposed to have a talk.

That was Jeff's doing as well. Being a royal, Jeff had a few powers other mermaids didn't – most notably the power to convince people to forget things – like him, entirely. He'd never had to do that either, but if someone found out about his secret, he would have to.

They safety of the mermaids was always number one – even if Jeff had run away and all but abdicated his throne, he still card about his family. He cared about Nick, though, more than he thought he'd ever care about a human. Maybe they should have that conversation…

"Hey Sterling!" a voice rang out. Jeff turned around to see Sebastian smirking at him. "Where's your other half?"

"Finishing his shower," Jeff said. "You're not his type either, I promise."

"And where are you off to?" Sebastian asked, ignoring that comment, and slipping an arm over Jeff's shoulders as they walked.

"Pool house, see if I can't get a workout before classes," Jeff said.

"You swim?" Sebastian asked.

"Yep, and dive," Jeff said.

"You any good?" Sebastian asked.

"If I'm not, then they keep giving me medals for nothing," Jeff said. "What's it to you?"

"It's not," Sebastian shrugged. "Perhaps I'll join you."

"They tell me it's a free country," Jeff remarked.

"And suddenly I'm that much closer to getting you out of your clothes," Sebastian smirked as Jeff stripped off his Dalton Athletic Dept. Tee, once they were in the locker rooms.

"Not going to happen, quit wasting your time," Jeff said.

"Nah, I never waste time," Sebastian said. "We're friends now."

"You have a very strange process for making friends," Jeff commented.

"Usually don't have to work this hard, but I do like a challenge," Sebastian said.

"Yes, you apparently do," Jeff said.

"Just tell me why I'm not your type," Sebastian said. Jeff ignored this request, instead taking a leap off the starting block and swimming as fast as he could to the other end of the pool, then just as fast, he was back. "Come on."

"I don't know," Jeff admitted, treading water in the deep end, not out of breath in the slightest. "I mean, if I was going to be with a person, I really think I'd go for… Nick."

"Really," Sebastian said. "If you were going to be with a person. As opposed to like a fox or…?"

"Yeah, sure," Jeff laughed.

"You're weird," Sebastian said. "There's something about you, I can't put my finger on…" Jeff laughed nervously, fingering his pendant. "That's a nice necklace."

"Thanks," Jeff said quietly.

"I knew a guy once who had a similar one," Sebastian continued. "When I lived in Baltimore."

"Really," Jeff asked nervously.

"Oh yeah," Sebastian said. "Funny enough, I wasn't his type either. Turned out he was straight."

"That's unfortunate for you," Jeff said.

"His girlfriend didn't have one, though, and I thought it was weird, a guy wearing a pretty necklace like that, but you're a guy," Sebastian said.

Sebastian had met a mermaid before. Interesting. Baltimore – probably not from Jeff's clan. The mid-coast clans had never been very friendly with those in the Gulf of Mexico, where Jeff was from. Either that mermaid had fallen in love with a human or the love of his life had gotten beached and he'd decided to stay with her.

"It's an old family heirloom," Jeff said. "But, yeah, I am a guy."

"I'm mildly surprised you and Nick didn't hook up after Saturday night," Sebastian remarked.

"He seemed to forget the whole ordeal the next morning," Jeff said. "Why don't you come in? The water's nice."

"Never really liked the water," Sebastian said, trying to look innocent as he flexed his bare stomach muscles. Jeff sent a wave of water to the pool's edge, splashing Sebastian.

"Oops." It had been anything but an accident, but Sebastian cautiously slid into the water anyway. "Race you?"

"You'll win," Sebastian said, treading water.

"Race you anyway," Jeff said before taking off. Sebastian took his sweet ass time getting to the other end, but finally stood up, looking like a giant in the four feet of water.

"His was more purple than your green, though," Sebastian said, walking through the water towards Jeff. Yep, definitely midcoast clan. "What is it? Sea glass?"

"Um, no…" Jeff said. Sebastian reached out to touch the pendant, but Jeff jerked away.

"It catches the light reflected in the water," Sebastian said. "God, you're beautiful."

"Thank you," Jeff said awkwardly.

"So you agree?"

"What?"

"You think you're beautiful."

"Oh, um…" Jeff began, but Sebastian had kissed him again, and it took Jeff off guard, short-circuiting the pendant as Sebastian ran his thumb over it. Jeff, who'd been standing in the shallow water, started to fall backwards as his legs turned into tail and refused to support his weight. Sebastian held onto him, their lips still glued together, not noticing the tail on the other boy until it had wrapped around one of Sebastian's legs and Sebastian broke off the kiss to look behind him at what that could be, getting the smallest glimpse of Jeff's tail as it split once again into two legs. Jeff panted hard, slowly standing back up. Sebastian stared at him.

"You're a … mermaid?" Sebastian asked. Jeff looked alarmed.

"No. I, uh…" Jeff's brain refused to come up with a clever lie.

"If you're not, then what the hell was that?" Sebastian asked.

"Mermaids don't exist, don't be stupid," Jeff said, trying as he might to get Sebastian to forget he'd ever seen that – but Sebastian was having none of it.

"Does Nick know?" Sebastian asked as they walked back towards the academic building, dried off and in their uniforms. Jeff shook his head. "Is that why you're not dating?" Jeff shrugged. "If you were dating, would you tell him?"

"No," Jeff said. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

"Yeah, but it's Nick. You're so in love with each other, it's gross."

"I'm not in love with Nick," Jeff said.

"Oh. Well. Me neither," Sebastian said, sending a weird look at Jeff.

"What makes you think I'm in love with Nick?" Jeff asked suspiciously.

"Just stuff," Sebastian shrugged. "Little things. The way you stuck up for him when I tried to take over the council, the way you took care of him when he was drunk."

"He's my best friend. My only friend," Jeff said. "I don't know, I just don't see myself staying here forever."

"Who said anything about forever?" Sebastian mocked. "I'm just trying to get you laid."

"It's not that simple," Jeff said. "With Nicky… I can tell, it would be a forever choice. And I honestly don't know how I feel about that."

"First of all, you and I are friends now, and I respect your decision not to get laid, as strange as that decision is, but I am your friend and you're hot, so you're going to be my wingman, yes?"

"Sure…"

"And secondly, as each other's wingmen, I really think you should at least talk to Nick," Sebastian continued. "If you don't do it soon, he's going to find someone else or the Warblers are going to tease him so bad about the other night that he won't want to talk about it."

"Fine, I'll talk to him," Jeff agreed.

Between Warbler practice, school, and swim practice, Jeff and Nick didn't get a chance to talk until Thursday.

"Nickers, we need to talk," Jeff said, putting down his pencil.

"Right now?" Nick asked.

"Yes, right now," Jeff said. "We have to talk about Saturday night." Nick sighed.

"Just forget about Saturday night," Nick mumbled.

"No, no," Jeff said. "I want to tell you I want to give it a shot. You and me, that is."

"Why? You seem perfectly content with Sebastian," Nick said, refusing to look up from his homework. "And he's tall and hot. I should have known that was your type."

"No, Sebastian is not–" Jeff broke off midsentence with a groan. "I'm not into Sebastian, okay?"

"Not what it looked like Saturday night," Nick said.

"And I told you Saturday night, I don't like Sebastian!"

"Then why have you been hanging out with him all week?"

"Where in the rules of the world did it say that two guys have to be dating to hang out?" Jeff asked.

"Nowhere," Nick conceded.

"Nowhere, exactly," Jeff said. "So Sebastian and I happen to have a few similar interests, great, that means we have something to talk about. You told me and the entire council you were in love with me, and I just want to give you a chance."

"I think you've made it perfectly clear that you're not looking for anything serious," Nick said.

"But if I was, Nicky, I'd want it to be with you," Jeff pleaded. "Please believe me. I said I love you and I do. I always will."

"You love me?" Nick asked.

"Yes," Jeff said, even surprising himself a little. "I mean. I think I could. If you give me the chance. You're my best friend and I love you. I think I could love you more than that if you wanted me to."

"I don't want you to feel sorry for me or whatever this is," Nick said, still continuing to do his homework.

"Nicky," Jeff said indignantly. "You know that's not what this is. I want to give us a chance."

"Then what? When you're done giving us a chance and I lose my best friend because it's too weird to continue our friendship or you just decide you're done with me when we graduate high school?"

To be honest, this was Jeff's greatest fear as well. So he let it go. For now.

A/N: Alright, how's that for a teaser? Yeah? :D Leave me a review telling me to stop referencing Mean Girls or Friends or just telling me how much I suck or don't suck or whatever, I really don't care. I just want to hear what you think, please.

Next chapter to be up within the week, I hope.

xoxo Samantha.