a/n: a new story, banzai! i really shouldn't be making more stories; i still need to finish my two other multi-chapters. but, this won't last long, only eight to ten chapters. oh, and another thing: it's a summer-themed fic! my favorite! (^_^)

p.s. this fic is completely a mermaid!au story. there are no special powers/abilities, no soul society; just the characters within the bleach fandom are used. the only twists i added in the story is the merfolk kingdom and the change of location.

prompt(s): the little mermaid, beach, forbidden love, and summer nights.

(disclaimed.)


like salt water and golden eyes
act one

.

.

i.

Our story takes place on an over-populated coast in Japan. It is late at night; the sounds of music, partying, and excitement fill the sake-scented air. The shore is littered with high school students, celebrating the birth of their short-lived summer vacation.

Away from this commotion is a teen male with bright, amber eyes and spiky, orange hair. His body is nicely toned; it could be seen under his open button-up shirt and cargo swim trunks.

His eyes, hidden under his locks, shift when he hears someone call his name.

"Oi, Ichigo! You okay, man?!"

Kurosaki Ichigo turns his head towards the noise and spots two fellow students.

Both students have brunette hair that reach their shoulders and are wearing matching trunks. The shorter male's eyes are glued to his phone while the taller male is exhausted, his hands resting on his knees.

"We were looking everywhere for you. We thought something bad happened!" The exhausted one manages to say between his heavy breathing. The male's assumption would have been mildly accurate—Ichigo is always prone to trouble, most likely from his easy-to-grasp-attention hair.

Ichigo let a quiet laugh escape his lips. "Sorry, Keigo," he says, leaping off his (rather comfortable) seat on the large boulder that lies next to the small cliff. "It's nothing, really. I guess I'm just excited about the upcoming surfing competition on Saturday."

"Well, get your head outta your ass! We need you for the volleyball game. I want to crush Chizuru into the ground!" Asano Keigo goofs with a large grin on face as he punches his fist into his hand. The other male, Kojima Mizuiro, rolls his eyes and casually resumes to his phone.

"Whatever, Asano-san," he speaks in a teasing manner, his fingers rigorously tapping on the screen of the said mobile device. "Well, we should get going." Mizuiro then suggests, leading the trio to the party.

"So, Ichigo, did you see that hot babe wearing a red bikini?" Keigo slyly asks, lounging his arm around his friend's shoulder.

"Un, but I'm pretty sure her brain capacity is minuscule," the redhead comments in a haze, as if he isn't a bit interested.

"Man, what is with you? Every time we try and help you find a girl, you always shoot her down!" Keigo whines, stomping his foot into the white sand.

Ichigo quickly raises his hand in defense. "Oi, it beats flirting with every girl I see."

Mizuiro chuckles in agreement, yet his attention returns to his phone.

"I do not flirt with every girl! Just the ones with a nice rack," Keigo slyly says with a slight glint.

"Why is it when I see you guys, Keigo always have his mind in the gutter?" A mysterious female voice asks.

The trio quickly, yet cautiously, crane their necks towards the owner of the voice. Sitting on a towel, far away from the party, lies Kuchiki Rukia with a large, black marker in one hand and a sketchbook in the other.

"Kuchiki-san~! Come back to the party with us!" Keigo offers in glee, waving his hand in the humid air.

"No, thank you!" Rukia returns with a more enthusiastic tone. "I appreciate you inviting me to this gathering, but I think I rather stay here."

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun~!"

Before Rukia has the chance to reply, she is interrupted by the sound of high-pitched chirping coming from the ocean. The four shift their attentions towards the vast waters and catch a glimpse of three dolphins, frolicking about.

"Who invited Flipper-san and friends?" Ichigo jokes, folding his arms in front of his bare chest.

The quad watch the dolphins swim and play in amusement, taking in the beautiful, yet rare, scene. Rukia glances at the three boys, who are still fixated on the sea creatures, before huffing loudly.

"Alright," she says, grabbing their attention, as she stands from her seat on the towel. She gradually picks up her belongings and flashes them a slight variation of a smile. "I guess I could come to the party for a little bit."

The guys smile with excitement written on their faces.

Keigo throws his fist into the air. "Let's get partying!"

Hoots and shouts and hollers are made as they gradually make their way towards the large mass of people. Everyone, except Ichigo, who stands in his tracks, his gaze towards the ocean.

"Yo, Ichigo! Aren't you coming?" Rukia asks with concern in her soft, violet eyes. Ichigo continues to stare at the vast waters, and it's like he is too focused on the sea to answer her question.

"Oi, do you guys hear that?" He asks, turning his stance towards his friends. "It sounds like... singing."

"Eh?" The group questions loudly in unison.

"Are you crazy?!" Keigo asks, slightly in a joking manner, while he raises a brow at his friend of three years.

"Ichigo, there's no one singing," Mizuiro states casually, calmly.

"It could be one of the girls at the party," Rukia states, shrugging her shoulders. "They've been playing karaoke all night."

Ichigo vigorously shakes his head, as if to get the faint sound out of his head. "Yeah, you're probably right," he finally mutters under in his breath, running a hand through his fiery tresses. With that, Ichigo joins the others and finally return to the party.

.

.

(Ichigo's assumption is, in fact, correct. Someone was singing, but it wasn't emanating from the party. It was coming from the dark, mysterious cove on the opposite side of the cliff...

Oh, and the dolphin's name is actually Flipper.)

.

.

ii.

The moon shines brightly down on the ocean, creating a sapphire-like glow against the slowly rocking waves. Far away from the party dwells a small, unknown cove, where dolphins play and the merfolk (the thought-to-be fantasy creatures that are half-human and half-fish) gathered.

In this cove, a soft, melodic harmony echoes off the cove walls and out into the open sea. The owner of the voice is perched against a rock, engulfed by the ocean. Her scaly, emerald tail casually sways; her head, full of bright, wavy, auburn hair that reaches her bottom and covers her bare chest, bobs to the tune of the song. Yet, her tranquility is cut short when someone calls her by her formal name. She huffs in disappointment and shifts her golden eyes to the source of the commotion.

"There you are, Princess Inoue-san~!"

On a rock adjacent to Orihime lies a fellow mermaid, waving her tail in the air. It is a faint shade of pink, and the scales are larger than Orihime's. Her skin is pale, making her bright, strawberry-blond hair and sky, blue eyes stand out with ease. Her hair is long as well, yet barely covers her full, ample chest.

Orihime smiles at her friend. "Rangiku-chan, you do not have to be so formal to me now. We're not in the castle," she says.

Rangiku playfully huffs and rolls her eyes as she jumps off the rock and into the water. She swims over to Orihime before pulling herself on top of Orihime's rock.

"I know, but you have to stop disappearing like that~! Do you know how worried I was?" Rangiku asks in a whining tone, wringing excess salt water from her hair.

"Gomen ne, but I couldn't ignore a night like this," Orihime returns in a haze, looking up at the bright full moon. Rangiku raises a brow before mimicking her friend as she looks up at the night sky as well. "Besides, it's so boring in the castle! I think it's good to get some fresh air once a while."

"Well, we should get going now," Rangiku murmurs in a sleepy tone, about to dive back into the water. Yet, she is interrupted by the chirping sound of dolphins, or to be accurate, Orihime's pets.

"Flipper-kun, Lorelei-chan! I've been wondering where you guys swam off to!" Orihime says, softly petting one of them on the head. The dolphin leans into her hand, clicking happily.

"Orihime-san, we need to go!" Rangiku whines, waving her tail in frustration Orihime ignores her friend when the other dolphin clicks and chirps something to the redhead mermaid.

"Here? Right now!?" She asks, her voice filled with excitement.

"What is it?" Rangiku inquires, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Flipper-kun says there's a bunch of humans having a party on the other side of the beach! Let's go check it out!" Orihime exclaims, carelessly throwing her hands in the air. Rangiku's eyes widen with fear.

"No! You know how dangerous the humans can be!" She cries.

"C'mon, let's just watch them, then we can go," Orihime offers. Rangiku hesitates at first, then releases a sigh.

"Fine, but only for a little while," she confirms. Orihime's eyes twinkle, tail happily sways, and mouth tug into a smile.

"Banzai!" She shouts before diving deep into the water in glee. Rangiku sighs and jumps into the water as well. Both mermaids follow the dolphins, leading the two to where they spotted the humans. The quad swim until they reach a large rock, resting nearby the beach. It is far enough for the humans not to see them, yet still close enough for them to watch with ease.

"Ne, it looks like they are having a great time," Orihime whispers.

"Okay, we saw them. Let's go!" Rangiku returns.

"But, I want to see more!"

"We are going to get into trouble!"

"There is no rule against observing the humans," Orihime huffs in defiance, her nose confidently towards the air and her hazel eyes shielded by her eyelids. Rangiku groans, knowing there is no use but to give into Orihime.

Rangiku continues to watch the humans, yet her eyes kept glancing towards Orihime. Since the two were a young age, the blond would recall Orihime having a fascination for humans. Whenever she would see one, she would always drag Rangiku along.

Orihime sighs in content, grabbing Rangiku from her train of thought. "See, Rangiku-chan? I told you this wouldn't be a bad idea!"

"Un, I guess you were right," Rangiku replies, resting her head on her arms. Orihime smiles, her glance reverts to the party. She finds it interesting, entertaining how humans are so relaxed and carefree. She watches them talk and laugh and drink and swim and dance. She feels as if nothing could spoil this moment.

"I thought I would find you two here," a relaxed voice came from behind the two. Both mermaids turn around to see a familiar face. A young merman smirks at the two. His hair, long and fiery-red, clings onto his body that is covered with black markings. Although unseen, his black tail keeps him afloat in place.

"Renji-kun! How did you find us?" Orihime asks, still recovering from the shock.

"Whenever there are humans around, you are always there," Renji states as he swims next to her. "I also assumed Matsumoto would be with you."

"You assumed? I believe that it was my assumption," a stern voice interjects. Orihime and Rangiku quickly turn their heads to see a younger merman swimming towards the three, his bright blue tail splashing against the waves. Orihime let out a nervous laugh as Rangiku's eyes widen.

"H-Hitsugaya!"

"Toushirou-kun!"

"That is Hitsugaya to you!"

"Oi, don't talk to Princess Inoue-san like that!"

"I am her adviser, therefore I have control over her! I can talk to her however I please."

"Well, let's see how King Inoue-san will think of that!"

"Y-You're not going to tell this to Onii-chan, are you?" Orihime chirps. The bickering trio turn their heads to face Orihime in shock, as if they have forgotten about her presence. Renji smirks at her.

"Ara, don't worry. Besides, I think Hitsugaya and myself will join you two on your human observation," he says, laughing lightly.

"I'll pass," Hitsugaya dryly murmurs.

"Hitsugaya, don't be such a spoil sport~! It's been months since you've left the castle," Rangiku complains.

"Only because Abarai dragged me along," he mutters. Renji was about to protest, but a loud cry suddenly pierce through the sky from the shore. They turn their heads to the source of the noise, finding a girl fuming red, protectively wrapping her arms around her bare chest as a guy playfully runs off with a bikini top in his hands.

Rangiku crinkles her nose in disgust. "Humans always have to make such a fit over every thing." The group bob their heads in agreement.

"We should head out soon. I sense a current coming," Renji says.

Orihime ignores Renji; her eyes are fixated on a certain redheaded human who is surfing with two others. Suddenly, she feels her heart beats faster, her insides twist. Even from a distance, she could see his eyes; they are the same color as hers.

"Orihime, we're going soon," Rangiku says, tugging at the end of her tail. Orihime vigorously shakes her head, snapping herself out of her daydream.

"Oh, what? Alright then," she murmurs, sounding a little disappointed. As the group departs into the water, Toushirou glances back at the shore.

"Looks like the human lost his surfing board," he says, dryly. The others look and saw the male human swimming deep into the ocean, where his surfboard has somehow ended up. Renji tries to stifle a laugh while Orihime giggles. She smiles once more, observing the human from head to toe.

.

.

iii.

After a round of surfing with Keigo and Mizuiro, Ichigo decides to take a break on the coast and doesn't bother to grab his surfboard on his way out of the water. Suddenly, a strong wind begins to pick up, resulting for Ichigo's abandoned surfboard to drift into the ocean.

"Shit!" Ichigo shouts, quickly returning to the sea. The surfboard floats further and further into the water as he swims towards it. He finally catches up with the board and tightly grabs onto it with both arms. He turns to swim back to the shore, yet his foot gets caught onto a mysterious object underwater. The more he struggles to break loose, the more he feels himself sink deeper and deeper into the ocean.

The others begin to notice his actions.

"Ichigo! What's wrong?!" Rukia shouts.

"I-I don't know! Something caught my leg and I can't—" Before he can finish, a powerful wave suddenly crashes over and around him, engulfing him into the ocean. This time, he doesn't float back up, only his surfboard.

"Shit! Ichigo!" Keigo yells, running towards the coast. "We have to go in and save him!"

"What if we get sucked in too?!" Mizuiro frantically asks, beginning to panic.

The three glance at one another, and their minds went blank for any ideas to save their drowning friend.

.

.

"Why won't he come back up!? It's just a current!" Orihime cries.

"Humans aren't as strong swimmers as we are," Renji answers.

"Someone has to go save him!" She returns in a panicked tone. When no one seem to be willing to help, she volunteers herself. "I'll go!"

"But we can't interact—"

"I know we can't interact with humans, but there's no way I'm going to sit here and let him die!" She returns boldly before diving into the water, leaving the others behind. She swims as fast as she could, fighting the current and the waves.

Soon, she spots the human, unconscious, sinking to the bottom. If she doesn't act quick, she is certain he is going to die. Swimming behind him, she quickly grabs his arms and pulls him out of the large wave. Orihime knew she couldn't bring him up to the shore line, for it would risk the exposure of the merfolk to the humans. She thinks quick, and the cove comes to her mind. Orihime holds the human tightly as she swims towards of the cove.

Once Orihime is close enough to the shore, she manages to drag the human onto the sand. She lays her head on his chest to check if he is still breathing. She hears the sound of thumping; she feels his chest slowly rise and fall. He is still out cold, but alive.

The others follow her and watch from afar.

"Let's go, Orihime-san! Before the humans come!" Rangiku shouts.

"I'll catch up with you guys. Go on without me," she says quietly. Rangiku furrow her brows and begins to swim towards the mermaid, but Renji places his hand on her shoulder, stopping her movements.

"She'll be fine," he mutters; Toushirou nods in agreement. Rangiku emits a long breath before diving into the ocean, Renji and Toushirou following behind.

Orihime slowly looks down at the human. His bright, orange hair, still damp from the ocean waves, is sprawled out. The mermaid blushes as she runs a hand down his face, and decides to sing to him. To a human's ear, the tune sounds unrecognizable, for it is sung by Orihime's native tongue. Her voice is soft, light, when the words flow out of her mouth. As she recalls, it is a song that her deceased mother use to sing to her as a child.

.

.

iv.

Ichigo slowly opens his eyes to the familiar sound of singing. It is peaceful, beautiful to his hears, fully waking the male up. His vision is still blurry, but he manages to see a pair of stunning gold eyes.

"W-Who are you?" He weakly asks. The blurred figure doesn't answer, just smiles. Before he asks again, he hears his name from a distance.

"Ichigo! We found you!"

He vividly blinks his eyes, and the mysterious figure is gone. Instead, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Rukia enters his vision as they run towards the cove, rushing to their friend's side.

"We thought you were dead!" Keigo cries, pulling his friend into a tight hug.

"Oi... Not so tight," Ichigo manages to say, his voice still weak from the lack of oxygen.

"How did you manage to swim out of that strong current anyways?" Mizuiro asks, maintaining a stoic look on his face. Yet, deep down, he is ecstatic, relieved to see his friend alive and well.

"I think... someone saved me," he mutters as he stands up before staring out into the ocean. The three exchange confused glances.

"There isn't anyone here except us," Mizuiro returns, raising his eyebrow. In response, Ichigo quickly looks around, searching for his mysterious savior. When he see no one else, he harshly clench his teeth and curse under his breath.

"Dammit, I know I saw her! She had these beautiful, golden eyes! A-And her voice—"

"You must have drunk some sea water... Come on, I'll take you back to the clinic," Rukia offers, placing the straps of her bag onto her shoulders. Ichigo sighs, giving into her offering, and nods. Keigo, Mizuiro, and Rukia begin to head back, yet Ichigo continues to stand in place.

"I didn't even get to thank her," he groans under his breath, carefully rubbing the salt water out of his eyes. He looks back at the cove, then towards his friends. Hesitantly, he jogs towards the coast, where the waves met the sand, cups his hands near his mouth, and shouts—

"Yo! If you're out there... thanks for saving me!"

.

.

Unknown to him, his savior cautiously hides behind a rock, still observing the male.

"You're welcome... Ichigo," she whispers, recently learning the human's name. Flipper suddenly appears next to her, clicking and chirping into her ear.

"I'm fine. Thanks for your concern," she returns to her pet dolphin. Her hand softly rubs the top of his head before reverting her eyes towards the shore. "But, I think I have found the one... I can't believe I'm saying this, but—

I'm in love."

.

.

end.


—e/n: finished! yep, i think this the quickest time i have written a chapter; it only took me a couple of days. anyone out for summer yet? this girl is~ so, that means i'll be updating stories much more frequently. whoop~

-audrey