His breath.
She'd felt it against her lips, her neck, her ear. She'd claimed his lips in her own and felt it tickle the roof of her mouth. It heaved from his chest. It wheezed out his nose. It gasped, slowed, faltered and almost stopped.
He was so beautiful. She couldn't bear to see it end.
She'd kissed him and felt his life waver against her lips.
"Just ask me." She said.
"Forgiveness." He'd gasped out.
He came to her as he was dying. He'd needed to see her again. Why?
She'd saved him. He lay before her now, stretched across the rocks. She remained in the water, watching the rise and fall of his breath. He slept. She pressed her forehead to his temple.
"I absolve you." she promised.
She didn't know what else to say, but that seemed right. She felt the tears spring forth again. She held his hand in hers, searching his face for any emotion. But he betrayed no expression, eyes closed and breathing slow, but steady.
His hand twitched, then squeezed her fingers in his. Her eyes snapped from their hands to his face, eyes shining and a bemused smile.
"I didn't confess anything yet."
He leaned in and kissed her.
When he carried her, he whispered in her ear.
He told her many things; that he wouldn't let and harm some to her, that he had faith they would be fine.
He told her stories. Some old Celtic tales he'd heard from a fellow missionary, of creatures called selkies, seals who shed their skins to become human. He'd thought mermaids were like selkies.
He told her magical stories of fairies and gods and goddesses. Sad stories, adventure stories. Stories of love, and people who were willing to die for it.
"I'd never believed in them though, but here you are."
Here you are. It was as if he'd been waiting for her, as if she'd redeemed his faith.
"Don't be scared." He whispered, breath brushing her hair from her ear. "I will keep you safe, I promise."
She felt a twinge of sadness whenever he stumbled, or looked too tired to keep carrying her. She wished she'd been able to walk, for his sake. She shook the guilt free. She wasn't taught to feel that emotion. She didn't understand it. He made her feel a lot of things she didn't understand.
When they arrived at the graves of her kind she blanched, each pool of water holding the corpse of a mermaid. She felt his grip tighten, as he attempted to hide her eyes from this sight. She was pulled from his grasp and dragged into the water.
-"We could spend our lives together." He proposed.
"You could join me." She pulled on his wrist and eyed the water.
He glanced at her nervously. There was something that set her apart from her kind, but her deep dark eyes held certain…seduction to them.
She pulled herself from the water, neatly flipping her tail onto the rocks. She laid herself down on top of him. Her tail glittered and faded away into slim hips and long legs. Her gaze never left his, and vice versa, for she could tell he wanted her to trust him and would not look at her bare body.
"It's indecent."
He hissed through clenched teeth.
"You have seen this before and covered it up. Do you not wish to see me?" her hands settled on his chest, her eyes wide with anticipation.
His eyes flitted past her head to stare at the sky.
"I do, very much so." He coughed. "It's terrible how much I do. It's impure."
"So you do want me." She observed.
She sighed and rested her head in the crook of his neck, snuggling close.
"You love me, I feel there is nothing indecent about it."
"But such acts are meant for man and wife."
"Who is here to marry us? We are all that is here. Just us. It can't be wrong, impure, indecent or the other things you say." She said stoutly. She rolled off him and neared the edge of the water. "If you don't want to I can just…"
He seized her arm, rolling her back towards him and pinning her body beneath his own.
"Don't go…please."
He kissed her so gently and carefully. She shut her eyes and let everything melt away.
He pulled back gently, slowing his movements; she pulled him down to her lips by weaving her fingers in his hair.
His lips broke from hers, as he leaned his forehead against hers.
"I can't." his eyes pleaded with her.
"You say 'man and wife', but there is just man and woman. I give myself to you completely and you refuse. How can we be together?"
"I want us to be." He answered surely. "You really want to give yourself to me?"
Her eyes darkened.
"I will not beg."
He smiled. "I won't make you."
Her lips turned upwards for a moment, and he realized he just made a mermaid smile. His heart thudded as she pulled him down to her lips. She paused, placing a hand over his beating heart.
"You're so warm." She mused.
Her pale skin was cool and slick. She moaned under his lips and he felt her struggle with his belt. Her legs were already wrapped tight around him, and he feared he couldn't pry them off him, even if he wanted to. At this point, he knew she was right. Who married Eve to Adam? He shrugged off the bad example of original sin, but knew without civilization, there would be no marriage. He just wanted her, most likely even more than she wanted him. He loved this heavenly creature, in and out of the water. The most beautiful thing he had every seen lay in his arms, kissing him, grabbing his shoulders, pulling him closer, wanting him.
She finished with his trousers, legs tightening around them. He felt his arousal grow hard against her heat.
He pulled back and stared at her. Her hair splayed out on the dark gray rocks and she dragged her finger across his jaw line.
"Why do you want to give yourself to me?"
He didn't want to know the answer, in fear he had truly been seduced by this creature, but her eyes didn't flinch.
"You saw I couldn't breathe. You clothed me to allow me modesty. You showed me kindness. You were so different."
His arm slid around her waist and lifted her back a bit, making her arch upwards. He kissed her neck and she moaned. He pushed inside her as gently as he could. She mewled loudly as he laid himself back on top of her, rocking languidly inside her. She pulled at his hair until he moved his head to grant her access to his neck, jaw and ear.
"I fell in love with you. I wasn't afraid when you were there." She whispered in his ear.
He grunted as her walls tightened around him, she gasped at the sensation.
"Please, say it again." He pleaded.
She simply kissed his neck, parting lips to suck on his skin.
His hips shifted and he gave a harder thrust into her. She cried out again and moved her hips to match his movements. His pace quickened and she felt happy, and emotion that confused her. She was joined with a man, a human, which she'd never felt possible. He purpose was to seduce, not to comply, not to ask for.
She felt his heaving breath against her lips and for once noticed her own cool gasps escaping her lips. She'd never known she'd needed to breathe so badly until she was with him. Now every gasp of air was a drug, just like he was a drug, and in the short, tame, teasing doses she was given she'd only wanted more. Now that she had him, she was soaring and alive and gasping for everything he could offer, even if was more than she could handle. She learned men were so weak and easy to ensnare because they craved love, they needed companionship. She wanted it just as much, if not more, than the men her sisters pulled off rowboats and dragged into the deep. She wanted whatever life had to offer with this man, even if she wasn't sure how they'd live, if she could survive on land, how often would she need to return to the sea. If he could join her someday. She just wanted this, whatever this was, the emotion, the pleasure, or even just the fact it was shared, for as long as she was breathing.
"I love you." she said in a weak voice as her head rolled back and she shook as she came, an ecstasy she didn't know existed. She didn't know women could be seduced so easily. He'd stolen her heart before he claimed her body. Now he had both lain out on the rocks beneath him.
He thrust a few more erratic times and followed in suit, releasing himself into her.
"I love you." she repeated, tasting the words in her mouth.
He smiled and looked like the sun, rolling onto his side and pulling her so she snuggled up against him.
"You possess my heart, and I'll never let you give it back." He kissed her temple. "My beautiful Syrena."
He gave her a name, a home, a purpose. He gave her something warm to hold, something to love. Someone to live for. Someone to breathe for.