Author's Note: This is set in an AU where mermaids exist and a different time when arranged marriages were still common.

Disclaimer: I don't own Free! but if I did, SeiGou would be cannon now.

Faraway from the beach, a single, smooth-topped rock seemed to perch on top of the waves. There were two people there, one half-submerged in water, and the other laying down with its head propped on its palms. They were talking, sadly, it seemed. Even if you could not hear them it would seem that way. Their expressions said so. The waves said so. The birds flying above said so. There was a saddening atmosphere.

"That night the little mermaid's sisters gave her a knife, and told her that if she killed the prince she would get her tail back and she would be able to live with them again." The girl with her dark red hair in a ponytail smiled sadly at the redhead she was talking to. "But she couldn't do it. You see, she loved the prince too much. The next morning, when the sun rose, the little mermaid died and became sea foam. The prince married the princess, and never knew that the little mermaid was the one that saved him." She smiled the same, sad, half-smile and ruffled the red hair of the person in front of her.

"I don't like that story." Seijuurou Mikoshiba flicked his tail, sending a powerful rippled through the waters. "It makes mer-people seem stupid. And, anyways, aren't stories like those supposed to have happy endings?"

Gou Matsuoka tucked a stray lock of red hair behind her ear. "Not this one, I guess."

"Gou-kun, what's up with you today?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" She stared wistfully at him, the sad smile on her face yet again.

"Like that! You keep looking sad, and looking at me like I'm lost or something and you haven't laughed a single time since you've come here! Oh! And you always tell me to call you Kou after I call you Gou-kun, but you didn't!" Seijuurou raked his hand through his hair.

Gou looked away. "Sei…" She tugged on her ponytail. "Today is the last time I'll see you."

The merman froze and he could've sworn the water suddenly got a lot colder. "What?"

"Mother thinks I'm old enough to marry… I'm meeting the prince tomorrow."

Seijuurou bit his lip. "You haven't even met him yet?"

Gou shook her head. "I'll miss you so much, Sei."

"Wait, why can't you come see me like always? We can keep it like this! You can even talk to me about your husband! Just… please… don't leave me." The merman's head bowed, his hair shadowing his face.

"I'll probably be moving into his kingdom – his palace. It's too far away from here. I will not be able to visit."

"Gou-kun…" His hand slipped out of the water and grasped hers. "Please don't go." His voice, his face, his body was pleading. Pleading her not to leave him.

She smiled, but it was tinged with sadness, and her eyes were squeezed shut so that her tears would not fall. "I don't want to go either." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it still trembled. "Wouldn't it be nice if there was a sea witch who could give me a tail and let me live with you?" Before she could stop them, her tears were dropping steadily, one after the other, down her cheeks.

"I wouldn't like it if she took something from you though. I don't want you to suffer…" Seijuurou propped his forehead against Gou's and looked into her watery red eyes.

Gou sniffed and smiled slightly. Seijuurou beamed. It wasn't the sad smile, sure, there was some sadness lingering, but it was mostly happy.

"I should get going now," Gou said, standing up. She pulled the jacket of off herself, revealing her swimsuit underneath. She placed the jacket on the rock and put a smaller (but heavy) rock on top, just as she had done many times before, before she remembered that this time she was leaving for good. "Keep my jacket for me. Maybe one day I'll return."

Seijuurou nodded, and blinked hard, trying – unsuccessfully – to hide the tears gathering in his golden eyes. "I'll swim back with you," he said, his voice cracking on 'you'.

Gou nodded and dived into the water. Although the sun was starting to set already, the water was still pleasantly warm. Gou was a strong swimmer, but mer-people had rails to propel them. Seijuurou stayed alongside Gou, swishing his tail once in a while to slip forwards.

It seemed that no time had passed when they reached the beach. Seijuurou stayed farther away so that he wouldn't accidentally wash up onto shore. Gou hugged him and he pressed her to him, never wanting to let go. But he did. Gou swam a step towards the beach. "I'll miss you, Sei."

Then she ran out of the water, grabbed her dress from the cove where she'd hid it, and fled up the stairs towards the palace. Seijuurou felt a little bit of his heart shrivel up with every step she took away from him. And even when she'd faded into the distance, and even the bright red of her swimsuit couldn't be seen anymore, Seijuurou stayed in the waters a few minutes more before diving under and heading back to the rock to retrieve her jacket and head home.

Author's Note: So that's it! I hope you liked it, since I couldn't sleep because of this and had to type it up at 12, midnight. I love the pairing SeiGou sooo much.

I don't know if you found this sad, but I did. I know they're a little OOC, but it's an AU and everything.

This was meant to be a One Shot, but I've got some ideas still about this, so if you life it please review and tell me if you want it continued.

Xoxox, I love you all!