Meant to Be
Despite the fact that he was a former land-boy, Zac somehow understood Lyla's deep connection to the sea better than anyone ever had. As Lyla and Zac grow closer, Lyla begins to wonder if his transformation was truly an accident. Set a few months after season one.
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It was all so familiar now, Lyla mused as she let the garden gate snap closed behind her. The fence, the flowers, the thin rocky path—she had come here so many times and probably could have navigated it in her sleep by now.
She had never intended to stay on land this long, nor had she intended to spend this much time on the Blakely's beachside property—but somehow, without her even realizing it, it had all become part of her routine.
The other day, Nixie had joked that Lyla should just move in with Zac. "You spend so much time there anyway," her sarcastic friend had joked, "maybe it's time to cut the charade and just start living together." Lyla had rolled her eyes at the time, but part of her knew that Nixie had a point. She did spend a lot of time with Zac nowadays and the thought of being closer to him did appeal to her.
But she knew it would never happen. He was still pining after Evie and, one day, she would rejoin her pod. They were practically the definition of a hopeless case. She had long-ago vowed to enjoy his friendship, and nothing more.
With a sigh, Lyla tried to get Nixie's words out of her head. She found it hard not to get flustered around him on the best of days, and she didn't want to start acting like a giddy school girl before she even started talking to him.
She was far too stubborn to let that side of herself show.
Resolutely, she squared her shoulders and walked on.
Although the light was beginning to fade, she could make out Zac's muscular figure on the dock and she rounded the corner. As usual in recent months, he was alone—probably just enjoying the warmth of the remaining sunlight and the gentle sound of lapping waves. Like her, he loved listening to the sound of the water and they often sat in silence, simply marvelling at the wonder of the sea. Despite the fact that he was a former land-boy, Zac somehow understood Lyla's deep connection to the sea better than her mer-companions ever had. Nixie and Sirena certainly loved their ocean home, but they had never seemed to see it with the awe and reverence Lyla thought it deserved. But Zac did—she could see it in his eyes every time they neared the shore.
It was one of the things she loved most about him.
As she approached the dock, Lyla took a deep breath. She was determined, as always, to keep up her calm façade. She didn't want him to know how rapidly her heart beat whenever he was near, or how electric it felt whenever his skin brushed against hers.
"Zac."
At first, she wondered if he would be annoyed that she had disturbed his quiet time, but the wide grin on his face as he turned to face her quickly dispelled her fears.
"Lyla." He said, still smiling. "I thought I sensed you coming. You're later than usual."
The mermaid flashed him a sheepish smile as she sat down next to him on the dock. "Sorry." She replied, "I was at the café and David brought out the last of today's prawns for us to eat…I couldn't say no."
Zac laughed.
"Yes, it is difficult to say no to that." He agreed, running a hand through his short dark hair. "I guess I should have popped by tonight after all. It's hard to get as much seafood as I'd like at home. My mom would be suspicious if I insisted on an all-seafood diet so I have to keep eating what she makes—even though I don't enjoy most of it anymore."
She nodded, instantly understanding his predicament. Most of the human food she had tried during her time on land hand been bland and tasteless. Seafood was the only thing that appealed to merpeople, and Zac had mentioned that his tastes had changed since his transformation.
"And since I've been trying to avoid the café…" Zac trailed off, and Lyla suspected that his thoughts had drifted to his ex-girlfriend. Since they had split a month ago, Zac had hardly gone to the café—Evie was almost always there, tending to her shop. Cam was usually there too, which made matters even worse.
He could barely stand to face either of them at the moment so Zac had been spending most of his nights alone. Or with Lyla. And while she did feel bad that he had been betrayed by his best-friend and dumped by his girlfriend, Lyla had to admit that she had enjoyed having more time with him. The past few months had brought them closer together than ever.
"Anyway," Zac sighed, swinging his feet off the side of the dock, "On a happier note, I went for a swim earlier and came across a beautiful part of the reef that I haven't seen before. It was a bit deeper than I usually go in that area, and there was the most beautiful blue coral. It was really spectacular, I'll have to take you there." He paused, smiling as he recalled the sight. "And, even better, I found this."
The young man shuffled for a second as he reached into the pocked of his shorts and pulled something out. For a second, Lyla thought it was some sort of shark tooth but as he moved his outstretched hand closer to hers she could see that was, in fact, a perfectly formed pearl. Round, and white and glistening. It was rare to find one in such pristine shape.
"It's gorgeous." She said, admiring the item. "So perfect."
Zac grinned again.
"It's for you." He said as he reached for her hand and placed it in her palm. "It…it made me think if you. And I thought maybe you could put it in a necklace or something. Or, I dunno."
"Wow, thanks." She said, returning his smile. She could still feel a surge of warmth were his fingers had brushed hers. "I love it."
If Lyla didn't know better, she could have sworn that she saw the slightest blush on his tanned cheek. But she knew that was silly. He had been heartbroken when Evie had dumped him, and she knew that he still held out hope that they would somehow got back together. Personally, Lyla thought it was a lost cause—Evie had said that he had changed too much, that he wasn't the boy she had fallen for anymore. And she was right about that. Zac wasn't just a regular land boy anymore and he probably never would be again. If Evie couldn't handle that, then it was her loss.
Carefully, Lyla put the pearl into the pocket of her dress. She had meant what she said, she did love it and she couldn't wait to ask Sirena to incorporate it into some sort of jewelry creation.
For a long moment, the two friends stared out towards the darkening ocean, enjoying the gentle sound of the waves. The sea was calm tonight and Lyla loved the way the moonlight danced on its glassy surface.
"I'm tempted to go for another swim." Zac said, his eyes still fixed on the lapping water. "Although the logical part of my brain says I should probably study a bit more and then get some rest."
Lyla snorted. "Logic is overrated." She commented playfully. "I say, follow the call of the ocean."
"Yes, you would say that." Zac returned with an exaggerated eye roll. "Such a bad influence."
"Psh, looks who's talking!" she retorted, "You're the one that convinced me to go for a three day swim last weekend without telling Rita or the others. Do you know how much flack they gave me for that?"
"Yeah, but you said it was worth it."
Lyla tried to scowl but her display of false anger failed miserably. One glimpse of the playful twinkle in Zac's eye was all it took to make her smile.
"Yes, yes. It was worth it." She admitted, throwing up her hands in mock defeat.
She sighed softly, her gaze catching the moonlit ocean once more. Last weekend had been the most fun she'd had in a long time—just the two of them and the open sea…she couldn't have asked for more. It had been so fun, so natural. When she had first met the troublesome boy, she never could have imagined that spending time with him—with a merman— would feel so right.
But, for some strange reason, it just did.
"You know," Lyla mused, turning back to face her friend, "You always seem happier when you're out on the ocean."
Zac raised an eyebrow.
"I mean," She continued, "You're relaxed, and you laugh more. And you seem…I don't know, more like you. Which is silly, I suppose, because none of this was meant to happen, and you're not supposed to be one of us, and yet…"
"I am happier out there." Zac cut in, his expression more serious than it had been before. Lyla hoped she hadn't upset him by saying that his current form of existence was an accident. She wasn't sure if she had crossed a line.
"You're right, it is sort of weird. And I've been thinking about it a lot." He paused. "I keep thinking that Evie probably had a point when she told me why we were breaking up. She said I wasn't the same person she used to know, that something deep inside of me had changed. It wasn't about the tail or the powers—it was about something more than that. And she's right. I don't feel like the same person anymore…but, unlike her, I don't see that as a bad thing."
Lyla cocked her head to the side, perplexed by his sudden reflections. "What do you mean?" She pressed.
"This is going to sound silly." Zac began, biting his lip nervously. "I've always had a good life, a happy childhood. But the more I reflect on it now, the more I feel like something was missing. It's hard to explain, but it always seemed as if something wasn't quite right. Like I wasn't complete. And now, since that night in the moon pool, I don't feel like that anymore. I lost so much—friends, hobbies, a normal life—but when I'm in the ocean, I finally feel like me."
He let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "I'm being silly, right?" He asked, his big brown eyes wide and earnest. "It was all just an accident, and I'm not supposed to be a merman. This isn't who I am meant to be."
Despite her better judgement, Lyla reached out and placed her hand on his. "I don't think you should dismiss those feelings so quickly." She said, her eyes locking with his. "Magic works in mysterious ways, and you are more connected to the sea than anyone one else I know. Even Nixie and Sirena."
She paused, wondering if she should share something else that had been nagging at the back of her mind for some time now.
"I didn't want to say anything until I did more research." She began hesitantly, "but that night, when Cam tried to steal the trident…" She could feel him tense at the thought. His hand gripped hers more tightly than before. "I've been doing more reading lately, and all the books say that being in the moon pool during the height of the full moon should have made you completely human again. But it didn't."
His brow furrowed. "The books must be wrong, then."
"Maybe." Lyla replied. "Or maybe you're some sort of exception to the rule. Maybe this was meant to be."
Zac shook his head, clearly unconvinced. "That makes no sense," he stated firmly, "I mean…it was all just a fluke. If I hadn't gone to Mako that day, if I hadn't gone down that path, I would still be normal."
The girl shrugged. She wasn't surprised by his reaction, but she knew that she wouldn't be satisfied until she did a bit more investigating. If Zac wasn't interested in participating, that was fine with her. Maybe he was right, but she couldn't ignore the doubt that had been growing inside of her lately.
Something just didn't add up.
But now wasn't the time to press it.
"Normal is overrated." She said playfully, hoping to lighten the mood. "And you know you look much better with a tail anyway."
Zac laughed before rolling his eyes once again. "Oh really?" He challenged, folding his arms across his muscular chest. "I happen to think that legs aren't that bad."
Lyla gave a mock look of disgust. "Nope, legs are gross." She replied.
A small smirk brushed across her face and, before Zac had time to detect her plan, she telekinetically splashed him with a flick of her hand. His legs were drenched and, seconds later, his sleek blue tail was revealed.
Lyla felt her heart beat even faster as she looked sheepishly over at her companion. Although she didn't think legs were that gross, she did think he looked more dashing with his tail. Her eyes travelled down his now bare chest and lingered on the spot where his skin turned seamlessly into scales. His tail was blue and muscular—similar to her own, and yet uniquely masculine. There was no denying that he made quite an impressive merman.
Her body felt as if it was on fire, and it took all of her impressive willpower not to buckle under his handsome gaze.
"Well, if that's how you want to play it…" Zac said before flicking a wave of water at her with his tail.
She sputtered in false indignation for a moment until her own golden tail appeared.
With a giggle, she slid off the dock and into the water, revelling at how soothing the salt water felt against her skin. She had told the others that she wouldn't be out late but, now that she was in the water, with him, she knew that she couldn't keep her promise. "Race you to Mako?" She asked gleefully, looking up at Zac. "Unless you're too much of a land-boy to try it."
Never one to back down for a challenge, he launched himself into the water, disappearing beneath it for a moment before popping up to the surface, his face mere inches away from hers.
"I'm not a land-boy anymore." He replied impishly, splashing the water with his tail to emphasise his point. "Game on."
Lyla smiled.
No, he certainly wasn't a land boy anymore.
She couldn't help but wonder if he ever really had been…
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A/N- There will be more, and reviews will inspire me to write. Please let me know what you think!