Hey guys! Okay, so it really aggravated me that they didn't do anything to explain Byron's absence on H2O's second season, so I got the idea for this. Enjoy!
Title: Sunshine
Rating: K+ for teen dating
Summary: Past loves can bring pain. Pain, and sunshine, it turns out.
Details: takes place after season two, Emma and Ash are together.
xXx
Emma swam with so much power and grace. He had greatly adored the way she glided amongst the dolphins, her tail playfully swishing in the ocean water.
Yes, tail. Granted, Ash had never seen this as possible in his lifetime. He never really believed in mermaids, much less ever thought he'd be dating one. Especially not one as beautiful as Emma. He felt himself fall for her all over again every time he saw her with a grin on her face, happy to see her.
Those shining deep blue eyes only persuaded him further that he was the luckiest guy in the world.
xXx
"Okay, so would you rather eat the raw meat of ten garter snakes, or only listen to the same song for the rest of your life?" Lewis asked the two girls sitting in front of him who were sipping juice. Cleo, the one with curly brown hair and tan skin, was enjoying the game, hanging on to Lewis's every word. No wonder, since she'd been puppy happy ever since they started dating again. The other one, Rikki, with fair skin and curly pale blonde hair, was also taking part, although not as bubbly as Cleo was.
"I'd have to say the raw snake meat. At least then I could get it over with." Cleo made a face at the thought of ever eating raw snake "Okay, Rikki, Would you rather relive the same day for-" but Cleo stopped whenever Emma walked in.
Okay, yes, that was pretty normal. But the way Emma was wandering around the JuiceNet- eyes dreamy looking, humming happy tunes. Needless to say, Emma was normally a very headstrong, responsible, no-nonsense kind of girl. Which is why it was strange to see her acting so incredibly doofy.
Unless of course, she had been out with Ash.
"Emma! Over here! Emma?" Cleo kept trying to get Emma's attention, but all she did was wipe a table, the same spot over and over again, a daydreaming look in her eyes.
"She's officially out of it." Rikki said.
"She won't be for too long!" Cleo's eyes widened, and Rikki whipped her head to where Cleo's face was turned.
"Oh. My. Gosh." Rikki put a hand over her mouth to cover the jaw that dropped out of shock.
xXx
"Emma! Hey, Emma!"
That voice sounds vaguely familiar… Emma snapped out of her lovey-dovey state to see a friendly face with orangey-brown curly hair smile at her.
"Byron." Emma said, not as a question, but as a statement.
"Emma! It's good to see you!" Byron wore a look of ridiculous happiness.
"Heh. Yeah." Stop worrying. He told you before he moved it was alright to see other people. It's okay. He'll understand.
Oh god oh god oh god! He's gonna be crushed! I can't do that to him! He's going to HATE me!
Byron leaned in to hug Emma. "So- how- how have things um… been?" Emma stuttered, trying to stall.
What am I going to say? He HAS kissed you, you know. You don't just kiss someone and then- and what, though? Wasn't he gone for seven months? Didn't he say he'd thought it'd be better if we didn't go into a long-distance thing?
But he never gave the impression that you couldn't pick things up again once he got back, Emma realized with a sinking feeling.
"Byron, can we- um- talk… about things?" Emma continued to stutter out her sentences.
"Sure." Byron smiled again.
Why can't he stop smiling? Doesn't he EVER stop? That just makes me feel worse!
Emma led Byron to a spot on the beach where they could walk, a beautiful sunset in the background. When Byron tried to hold hands with her, Emma pretended to cough with the almost-grabbed hand.
"Look, Byron, there's something I should say." Emma stopped to look at him.
"I don't like conversations that start like that." Byron said.
Oh SHUT UP! You're making this way harder than I want it to be! Emma was going to have a meltdown before long.
"Byron- last time you were here, there was something between us. I'll admit, I liked you a lot. I kept thinking for hours and hours 'if only he'd ask me out.' And then you did. After the dance, we got to know each other for a couple of months. And then you had to leave. You said you'd really miss me, I returned that favor. But Byron, right now, I have someone I really really like in my life right now." Emma paused, taking her glance away from her shoes. She was a respectable person, and respectable people looked at who they were talking to. "You know I'll never forgive myself for hurting you. Because I really did love you. But now- now I love someone else. I hope we can still be friends."
"I'll never forgive myself either. I didn't know by moving I'd lose something as incredible as us."
"But see that's the thing. Yes you did, Byron. I know you did. You knew plain and simple we could never be the same after you said goodbye to me." Emma frowned at him. "Look, it's nothing personal. I think we're just a little too incompatible. So- can we be friends?"
Byron smiled again. "You bet, Sunny."
Emma laughed at the old nickname he used to call her, for the time he said the phrase "You can count on the sun- and Emma."
"Don't ever let that sunshine stop, Emma. You know I'll always love that about you." Byron said before walking away.
"I'll remember that." Emma replied long after Byron had gone, sadly looking at the shining sun setting on the ocean water.
I'm gonna be okay, Emma thought to herself after wiping away one last shed tear, walking back inside to join her friends.
xXx
Aww. I'm sad now.
Maddie