Notes: The start date of the story was in February 2011, and I have continued to write and edit chapters pretty sporadically. I finally feel comfortable enough to post the beginning parts that were originally on the kink meme. I apologize for the slow updates!

Thanks to solaciolum and Endy for the beta!

It starts with a storm.

The water rolls with a flurry of air and bubbles that would suffocate a mer if he or she is too careless. Malik never intends to see what he does, but he happens to turn his gaze upwards to the sight of the dark shadow of a ship, coming dangerously close to the sharp reefs where he sometimes visits to gather fish and clams, and occasionally the trinkets from bodies of dead, half eaten sailors.

He is almost eager to have the ship crash into the hills of coral. Malik knows what the humans carry with them—fascinating things like metals and gems and spices, items not found anywhere within the ocean—though it's the steel that Malik loves collecting. The precious metal fetches a high price in the market, and if he ever has the chance to talk with a human, he would surely ask how they are made, hard and sharp and nearly unbreakable, nothing like glass at all.

Malik tails the ship as closely as possible, still keeping low and away from the reef. Lightning flashes and he can make out the outline of sails, already yearning to feel the strange fabric in his hands. He has read once that the cloth is made from cotton, and that it sprouts from the ground like seagrass and kelp. Such a baffling place the world above must be, he thinks, craning his neck to look up.

There is another flash of lightning and Malik catches a glimpse of a small shadow falling into the sea. It is a human, but humans are forever falling into the ocean, so Malik doesn't think to pay it any attention until he sees the glint of metal strapped to the human's hip.

Judging from the panicked way the human's limbs are flailing, it doesn't have long to live, and Malik, ever practical, swims towards it.

In hindsight, it would have been a better idea to at least wait for the human to expire before trying to wrench the sword away. All it does is send mixed messages, and it's rather hard to communicate with a drowning human underwater, especially when the human is incoherent with fear and doesn't know any better than to wrap it's arms and—ugh, legs—around Malik's torso. Malik shouts, angry, and tries to pull away.

For a second, the human stills, startled, and looksat him.

Many things happen after that. Things like a hand on the back of Malik's head, clinging and desperate, the sliver of golden eyes before they squeeze back shut, and muffled words that take the form of bubbles, but Malik can hear each plea that tickles by his ear, fleeting and growing weaker by the moment.

Malik doesn't intend to save the human, but he does, though he has to knock it over the head first to stop the stupid thing from struggling. Above them the storm rages on and there are many times when Malik starts to think the human is not worth the trouble, dragging and pulling and trying to keep its head above the water. It becomes even more difficult as the water starts to become shallow and Malik has to flop awkwardly on the beach, his tail thrashing in frustration since his arms are full of unconscious human.

The air makes him feel lightheaded, but Malik sits up to check the rise and fall of the man's chest, amused to find that humans and mer are oddly similar in some ways. He looks into the pale face, noting the scar on its lips, the strands of hair slicked from its forehead, and almost wishes he could see more of the strange golden eyes.

"I saved your life, so it is only fair that I am rewarded," Malik says instead, tilting his head at the curious sound of his voice, how sharp and clear it is, like a blade.

And it all ends on the shore, with the sun shining against his back and the sword in his hand.