The warm wind blew through his hair as Francis walked along the coastline of the English Channel, watching the sunset. The grayish clouds were dyed bright orange and purple, the edges tinted a pale blue-green. Medium-long, blonde hair flashed in the dying light as Francis brushed it out of his eyes and behind his ear, and glanced along the beach. There was no one there; all the tourists had retired to their hotels, the inhabitants back to their apartments and houses. The only sound was the rush of water and the occasional squawk of seagulls, which was soothing. Francis had had a long day at work, and he needed to relax before going back to his hotel. Thankfully he only had three more days before he could go back to his beautiful home in Paris, France. England was rather boring - it rained a lot (it was more like a light drizzle more often than not, though) and was too gloomy for his taste. However, Dover was a rather nice city. The buildings were colorful and the people were friendly, although Francis prefered to make his own food, since he had had some bad experiences with English food in the past, and preferred to not have a repeat of those experiences.

He sighed and turned his eyes toward the city, where his hotel was. However, a flash caught his eye, and he looked to his right, out towards the water. At first he saw nothing, but another flash alerted him to a figure on a rock about halfway out in the water. Francis peered at it. Could it be a tourist? No, no one would be sitting on a rock in the middle of the water, especially at this hour. So who could it be? The figure turned, and Francis saw the outline of a human torso and... a fish tail? I must be seeing things. Mermaids (or mermen?) don't exist, right? As soon as he finished his thought, however, he knew his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. The chest was, in fact, human, and the lower half of the body was the tail of a fish, sparkling green, pink, and orange in the sunset. The merman had blondish brown hair, cut short, and pale skin. He shifted positions on the rock, and must've caught sight of Francis, for the merman paused, evidently looking him over. Francis stood still - he didn't want to frighten the… creature? - before taking deliberate steps out towards the ocean. His toes touched the edge of the water before he realized he should take off his shoes and socks, and bent down to do so. The merman kept watching him, wary of any sudden movement. Francis dipped his toes in the water and grimaced at its cold touch before wading in until the water reached mid-shin. The rock was still a few feet away, but he knew the merman could hear him. "Bonjour?" Ah, merde, that's in French, he thought to himself. "Um… hello?" The merman looked at him for a second before replying.

"What are you doing here? Who even are you?" he said, rather rudely. Francis drew himself up, minorly offended.

"If you must know, my name is Francis. Francis Bonnefoy. What, then, is your name?"

The merman rolled his eyes, but obliged. "Arthur Kirkland." Francis smirked at him.

"That's a very English name, even for you."

"Well, I was born here, so it makes sense that I would have an English name. And while we're talking about this, why are you, a Frenchman" - this word was said with much disdain - "here in England? I've heard Frenchmen hate it here."

Francis sighed. "It is true that England is usually looked upon with dislike in France, but it's not like I chose to come here. I'm here for work."

Arthur suddenly perked up. "Work? What work do you do?" Francis looked at him quizzically, surprised by his sudden interest, and Arthur scowled at him. "I'm just curious. There aren't many humans that are willing to talk to me a lot of the time, so I don't know too much about their lives and day jobs. Isn't it normal to be curious?"

Francis laughed. Arthur seemed like such a child, acting so curious about a trivial thing like a job. But he was a merman, and, like he said, probably didn't have too much interaction with humans, so Francis was happy to answer his question. "Oui, oui, curiosity is normal. I'm a history teacher. I was asked to come here to teach for a few weeks at a local school."

"I should've expected as much. You act very much like a teacher, what with your arrogance and those glasses of yours."

"The arrogance isn't from being a teacher, mon petit triton. It runs in the family." Francis flashed a smile at the merman, who grimaced at the nickname.

"Don't use French around me again. It sounds horrible."

"Does it? Ah, désolé. I'm so used to speaking in French, so I can't promise that." He winked, and Arthur scowled again.

"Must you do everything so ostentatiously?"

"Of course! I am French, so I simply must act this way."

Arthur rolled his eyes and muttered stupid Frenchmen under his breath. Francis caught the remark and lifted an eyebrow, but didn't comment. His eyes met Arthur's, and they looked at each other for a minute, simply observing.

"So… when are you going back to your hotel?" Francis was caught off guard at the sudden question. He glanced at his watch. 10:30, it read.

"I should really be going soo-" Francis stopped at the hopeful look on Arthur's face. "What? Did you want me to stay?"

Arthur realized the expression he wore, and quickly replaced it with a glare, although his cheeks were dusted light pink. "N-Not at all," he stammered. "I was just… wondering if you'd… like to come back… tomorrow." He looked down, clearly embarrassed, and Francis smiled, resisting the urge to laugh. He was glad that Arthur had asked, actually; spending time with the merman was fun, especially the part about teasing him. And he was sure Arthur wanted some human companionship, which he was delighted to provide, since he had never met a merman before.

"I would love to come back tomorrow, triton. Would you like me to meet you here around the same time?" He couldn't resist the use of the nickname again, and Arthur's answering scowl proved how much he disliked it. However, there was a hint of a smile on the merman's lips - it seemed he really was looking forward to tomorrow.

"I suppose that would work," Arthur replied curtly, but Francis knew he was happy about it.

"Well then, I guess I'll be off. Tomorrow, then?" Francis looked into Arthur's eyes, noting the color of them, almost a perfect shade of green, with almost-hidden inklings of yellow.

"Tomorrow." Arthur said. He held Francis' gaze for another second before saying a hurried "goodbye" and diving into the water. His tail sparkled with a myriad of colors before disappearing under the water, causing small ripples to spread outward, the only sign that he had been there previously. Francis stood for another minute, watching the sun sink behind the horizon and dyeing the water with its reddish-orange glow, before walking back to his socks and shoes. His feet were numb now, but he didn't particularly care. He treaded carefully on the cooling sand, bemoaning the fact that he now had sand between his toes; at least he had to wash his feet anyway. He glanced back at the water, then mentally berated himself. Was I hoping to see him again? No, no, that wouldn't make sense. Then again, none of this had made sense. Meeting a merman, talking to a merman… this was the kind of stuff that only happened in fairy tales, wasn't it? Francis decided to stop thinking about it; otherwise, he'd give himself a headache. Besides, he was going to talk to Arthur again tomorrow. He smiled and walked just a bit faster back to his hotel, whistling a cheerful tune. Tomorrow was going to be a good day.

*The next day, at sunset*

Francis searched the water, hoping to see Arthur soon. He had promised to meet him here, after all. He had already taken off his boots and socks, and sat on the warm beach, pebbles and grains of sand sliding in between his toes and on top of his feet. Francis burrowed his feet under the granules and attempted to cover them fully, much like a child. He almost missed the splash that came a few feet away, but his eyes caught the ripple of water, and he looked up to see Arthur resting a few feet away with his elbows resting on the beach and his tail flowing behind him underwater, glimmering with countless shades of pink and greenish-blue.

"Hello." Arthur said, his eyes shining with what looked to be anticipation and enthusiasm. Francis replied with a smile and a quiet bonjour. They sat in silence for a few minutes, appreciating the sounds around them: the cries of seagulls, the rush of the ocean as it lapped against the shore, the music that could be faintly heard from a nearby club. Francis was the first to speak.

"So… did you want to ask me questions about humans? From what you told me, it seems you don't get much human interaction. You must be very interested in what we do all day."

Arthur nodded. "That is true. I've only ever had one human talk to me, and he talked much too fast and was very energetic. He didn't quite complete his thoughts either. I believe his name was Alfred." Francis laughed. He knew who he was talking about. He was an American, and decidedly much too energetic for his own good. "But other than what he told me, I know nothing about humans. They seem very mysterious, if you ask me."

"You could say the same about yourself. Mermaids and mermen are just supposed to exist in stories. Fairy tales. But here you are, triton, and you most definitely are not a fairy tale." Francis laughed at the shocked look on Arthur's face.

"Most people don't know mermen exist?" Arthur said, clearly appalled by this fact. Francis nodded and gave Arthur a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. If humans knew you existed, there wouldn't be any more of you. You'd be hunted and killed, for many humans merely want glory and power. However," Francis added, "I am not one of those people, rest assured."

"Humans sound like horrible creatures," Arthur muttered.

"Ah, but not all humans are bad. There are many kind, caring humans. Take le très bien moi, for example." Francis beamed and tossed his hair with a flourish.

Arthur scoffed, but a small smile was apparent on his lips. "You really are the definition of a Frenchman. You all seem to think you're the most beautiful people on the planet."

"Well, that is not true. For you are the most beautiful, mon petit triton." Francis laughed at his indignant expression - Arthur was most likely wondering what the heck Francis was doing - before changing the subject smoothly. "What's it like, being a merman?"

Arthur looked at him questioningly before resigning himself to answering. "Well, it's… amazing. The ocean is so big and full of color, and there are tons of sea creatures. You can go right up to them, because they know you aren't going to hurt them, and they'll show you the most wondrous places." Francis thought longingly of what it would be like to spend time with the merman under the water, exploring coral reefs, seeing so many varieties of animals, maybe even k- Wait a second! What am I even doing? Francis shook his head quickly and returned his attention to what Arthur was talking about, his mind still thinking at a million miles an hour, trying to comprehend what he had just thought about. Arthur looked so enthusiastic about talking his home, and Francis felt a twinge of sadness. He couldn't spend his day with Arthur, and Arthur couldn't spend his day with Francis. There was no possibility of it happening; after all, Arthur was a merman.

Francis smiled at Arthur with a hint of melancholy. "It sounds absolutely gorgeous. I would love to see it, and I would love to hear more of your explanation of it. However, I must wake up early tomorrow, so I should be going." That was a lie - he didn't need to wake up early at all. Yet he had to think of an excuse to leave, because he didn't know what his thoughts were doing at all. He needed time to think, to sort them out. The sad look on Arthur's face was disheartening, but Francis reminded himself it was for the better. If he spent even one more minute around Arthur, he didn't know what he'd do.

"Do you want to meet me here again tomorrow?" Arthur asked, a hopeful note apparent in his voice before he tried to mask it with a scowl.

"Huh? Ah, sure…" Francis trailed off, looking away slightly.

"What's wrong?" Francis turned and looked into a searching pair of eyes, and shifted his eyes downward again.

"Well… tomorrow is my last day here in England. After tomorrow I can finally go back to Paris." He didn't have the heart to make any jokes. He knew this would make Arthur sorrowful, for even though they had only known each other for a day, they were surely attached to each other.

"... time with me," Francis heard Arthur mumble.

"What was that?"

"I-I said… you only got to spend a bit of time with me. I'm going to be lonely, you know." Arthur's cheeks were colored a light red as he said this.

Francis felt his chest ache. He was definitely going to miss the merman. Arthur had somehow crept into his heart and taken control of it, and there was no way Francis could change that.

"Oui, we didn't get to spend too much time together. But hopefully we'll get to see each other again someday. And you might even find another person to talk to. It's not like you'll be completely alone."

"... You don't understand, do you."

"Excuse me?" Francis looked at him quizzically. What could Arthur be talking about?

"I don't just want human company. I want someone I can spend days, weeks, even months with. I… thought that could be you." Arthur looked at Francis with what could be considered a desolate look, and Francis bit his lip. He knew he should be going, but… no one could leave Arthur looking like that. Francis sighed.

"Listen. We can talk about this tomorrow, alright? I really should be going. I'll see you tomorrow." Francis stood up and turned to walk off, and met no resistance. He glanced back slightly to see Arthur watching him go sadly, and Francis couldn't stand it anymore. He picked up his socks and shoes and started running, away from the beach, away from mermen and heartbreak. He ran towards the neon lights shining in the town, the loud music, the distraction of humans. He didn't know how he was going to face Arthur tomorrow, and he didn't even want to contemplate it. He simply ran for the time being, and let his mind concentrate on the thud of his feet against the sand and the radiant lights ahead.

His hotel was easily visible, being one of the tallest buildings around, and Francis heaved a sigh of relief. He could relax there. He gingerly stepped inside the lofty lobby - his feet were still sandy and slightly damp - and made his way to his room. The first thing he did when he got there was take a shower. Showers always made him feel better.

As he stepped out, he heard a knock on the door. Grumbling about room service, he wrapped the towel around himself and answered the door. However, he almost fell over at the sight of Arthur Kirkland standing in front of him, very much a human and very much not a merman. Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly, and Francis got momentarily flustered.

"Would you like to, ah, come in?" Francis asked, and Arthur merely nodded. He let Arthur step through the doorway, quickly shut the door, and turned to face Arthur.

"Um… I'll be a few minutes, so make yourself at home, I guess." Francis heard an answering kay as he stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He covered his face with his hands. What is he doing here? Why does he have legs? None of this makes any sense! He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself as best he could before hastily dressing and walking back into the main portion of the room. Arthur sat on the lone bed, gazing out the window at the dark city full of lights.

He coughed slightly, and Arthur turned to look at him. Francis has so many questions he wanted to ask, but for the time being they stayed that way, simply looking at each other like so many times before. He was the first to venture speaking. "Can I sit here?" Francis gestured to the space next to Arthur, who shrugged.

"Go ahead. It's your room after all, isn't it?"

Francis nodded, then cautiously sat on the bed a few feet away from the (former?) merman. He sat for a few moments, then opened his mouth to speak, but Arthur stopped him by holding up a hand.

"I know what you're going to ask, so I'll answer it so you can save your breath. Mermaids, and mermen in particular, can change their tail into human legs for a period of time each day."

"That sounds handy," Francis remarked.

"It's not always, but for this, it's extremely handy." Arthur looked pointedly at Francis, who averted his gaze. He was embarrassed about running away like a child earlier, especially since the man he was running from was now sitting right next to him.

"Why'd you run?"

Francis sighed. He knew he had to answer the question. "I… I couldn't handle it anymore. Being around you, talking like we were… it all became too much."

Arthur nodded slightly. "We can talk now, if you'd like." Francis grimaced slightly.

"I don't know if I can do that. My thoughts are everywhere right now."

"That does make sense. You looked a little out of it earlier." Francis inwardly cursed his inability to hide his emotions some of the time, and smiled slightly.

"You're right. I was out of it." Francis sighed. "I just… don't know what we're going to do. If there's anything that can happen."

"Well, there's something happening right now, isn't there?" Francis laughed a bit at that.

"That is very true, triton." The nickname made Arthur glare as usual, but it was less harsh this time.

"Do you think we can make this work?"

Francis hesitated for a second before wrapping his arms around Arthur and hugging him tightly. "I believe we can, yes." He felt Arthur pause for a second as well before returning the embrace. Francis sighed happily and buried his face against Arthur's shoulder. He was happy. He was content. And most of all, he was loved.