"Will you at least tell me if the sun has gone down yet?" Alfred asked Captain Carriedo. This was probably his hundredth question in the past 10 minutes. He had his wrist shackled to the headboard and that was it. He had lost motivation to get free a couple hours ago.

"Why does it matter to you?" Antonio asked, sitting back in his chair and propping his feet up on his desk.

"Because I like to know what time it is," Alfred said. Ever since a couple of hours ago, he had been feeling extremely drowsy, but he had forced himself to stay awake.

"From the amount of time that has passed, yes, it has most likely gone down by now," Antonio sighed.

"One more day…" Alfred muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Captain Carriedo asked.

"Nothing," Alfred grumbled. He was running out of time and, from the looks of things, he wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon. "You still gonna wed Arthur and Anya?"

"Why do you care?" Antonio scoffed.

"Because I like to know things," Alfred rolled his eyes. "If you don't want to tell me, though I guess I'll be fine."

"How about you tell me how you still have your legs," Carriedo asked him.

"Long story," Alfred sighed.

"We've got plenty of time," Antonio pointed out.

"Not really," Alfred said quietly. And then said louder, "It's also kinda personal, thank you."

"Well that's not my problem," Carriedo sighed.

"You know, I'm really starting to hate you," Alfred let his head rest in his hand.

"Good," Antonio grinned at him.

"Hey, since I'm a prince now, does that mean I don't have to call you captain?" Alfred asked. "You know, since I am of higher authority and all."

"As long as you are on my ship, you are a part of my crew and as long as you are a part of my crew, I am your captain," Antonio glared at him.

"But I'm not really a part of the crew if I don't do anything, am I right?" Alfred tried and tugged lifelessly at the shackles on his wrist connected to the headboard.

"Tell me what it is like underwater," Antonio said randomly.

"Why do you care?" Alfred chuckled. "It's not like you're going there any time soon."

"I'm just wondering," Antonio shrugged. "Do you get gills or anything?"

"On my neck," Alfred shrugged. "I don't have them now, since I'm like this."

"How do you see when you are underwater?"

"I don't know, I've never really questioned it," Alfred sighed. "Is this just going to be like this for a while? Because I'm not really the best person to ask, I don't really check things very often."

"They're simple questions," Antonio stopped leaning back and started tapping his fingers on the table. "What color is your tail? Is it the same as your brother's?"

"Well, I've got nothing better to do," Alfred stretched. "Nope, mine's straight blue, no purple tint. I think he got that from Mom."

"That brings the question, how do mermaids mate?"

"That I don't know because I have never tried," Alfred said bluntly. "Please skip those questions or I won't answer any more."

"Fine then," Antonio sighed. "I take it that, since you're a prince, you are ruled by a king. Does that go for the whole 7 seas?"

"Yes it does," Alfred nodded.

"Is it true you can talk to sea creatures?"

"That I have done multiple times," Alfred said. "I have also talked to a bird. That was interesting. Apparently he'd been following me for a while. He said he belongs to Gilbert."

"That idiot that gave you away?" Antonio quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes, that person," Alfred nodded. "He was also the person who was trying to tell me that life on land sucks."

"Well, it does sometimes," Antonio nodded. "Do mermaids often go up on land?"

"Yes, we do that on occasion," Alfred nodded. "And stop calling us mermaids, I find that offensive."

"My apologies," Antonio said. "What do you call yourselves?"

"Merpeople, I guess?" Alfred shrugged. "That's just what me and Mattie call ourselves. And I guess Gilbert…"

"How often do you go above water?"

"A lot. Compared to the rest of us. Mattie hasn't even put his head above water until now."

"So, who is your father, who is the king of the seas?" Antonio asked.

"King Triton, dick bag of the world," Alfred scoffed.

"So you don't like him?" Antonio asked.

"I never want to see him again," Alfred nodded.

"Why?"

"You're getting personal here."

"What did he do to make you so mad?"

"My problems, not yours."

"Fine," Antonio sighed. "I'll try something else. Does your father keep a perfect world down there? Is there anything that goes wrong?"

"Nothing's perfect," Alfred rubbed at his eye and yawned. The drowsiness was getting worse.

"So, what mark the problems of your underwater world?" Antonio asked. "Like up here with killers or pirates?"

"Ivan," Alfred said simply and yawned again.

"Who is that?"

"Anya."

"Explain?"

"Anya is a sea warlock named Ivan," Alfred shrugged, yawning again.

"And how do I know this is truth?"

"Do I have a reason to lie?" Alfred stretched.

"So what I'm feeling really is a spell?" Antonio asked.

"Yup," Alfred nodded. His eyelids were drooping as he yawned again.

"Do you think there is any way that I can get past it?"

"Probably not," Alfred yawned and his eyes closed.

Alfred could see the fire from a mile away. He didn't bother to tell anyone about it as he swam for it as fast as he could. He hadn't swam this fast before, but he just had to see what was going on.

"EVERYONE! OFF THE SHIP NOW!" a voice boomed and Alfred could hear it, even in the water. People sank into the water all over the place around Alfred and he saw that several of them sank to the bottom, despite their best struggles to get up. There were far too many around Alfred to save them, and he didn't even know where he would take them if he saved them.

Alfred swam up so that his head was above water. The fire was getting worse, he could tell from where he was on the side of the ship. He could still hear footsteps. Someone was still on board, trying to get the fire out. Alfred wished he could see what was happening, but there was no place that gave him a good vantage point to see anything.

And then someone jumped off the side of the ship. All Alfred could see was a flash of blonde hair and then a splash. The man quickly appeared above water and gave the ship one last sparing glace and began swimming. He wasn't even looking and he almost ran into Alfred, if it weren't for him moving out of the way. This man was curious. Land was miles away and he was trying to swim. In the dead of night. When the water was freezing cold.

Alfred followed him and the man actually made it pretty far, but he was slowing with just a mile left until land. He was sinking, like his body couldn't hold him above the water for much longer. And then his head dropped below the water line. Alfred followed him underwater and the man was still fighting to get back up. These humans just don't give up, do they?

Alfred could almost feel his heart break seeing the man's struggle slowing down as he sank deeper into the blue abyss. Before Alfred knew what he was doing, he dove for the man. He picked him up by his back and the underside of his knees. He swam upward as quickly as possible. Humans needed air, right?

The second they broke the water, the man started gasping for air and coughing out the water that had already made it inside of him. Alfred grinned, this man didn't look half bad at all… He started swimming. He knew where the nearest shore was and he would put him there. He had to make sure that the man made it safely. Alfred started using his thumb to mess with the bangs on the man's face, moving it out of the way so he could get a better look at him. His eyes wouldn't open, but there was something weird on his face. Were those...eyebrows?

"Who-" the man's question was cut off by a cough. "Who are you?" Another cough.

Alfred grinned. He couldn't tell him that. But he most certainly did like this man, so he couldn't just say nothing. Then he remembered the song he had just found a week back. His song…

Upon one summer's morning, I carelessly did stray,
Down by the Walls of Wapping, where I met a sailor gay,
Conversing with a bouncing lass, who seem'd to be in pain,
Saying, William, when you go, I fear you will ne'er return again.

His hair it does in ringlets hang, his eyes as black as sloes,
May happiness attend him wherever he goes,
From Tower Hill, down to Blackwall, I will wander, weep, and moan,
All for my jolly sailor bold, until he does return.

Come all ye pretty fair maids, whoever you may be
Who love a jolly sailor bold that ploughs the raging sea,
While up aloft, in storm or gale, from me his absence mourn,
And firmly pray arrive the day, he home will safe return.

My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold,
There is nothing can console me but my jolly sailor bold.

"Th-that was-" the man tried to talk, but he started coughing and just couldn't stop.

"Sh…" Alfred said soothingly and played with his hair some more. "You'll be okay…" Alfred sang the song again. This man was more than interesting, he was beautiful. He was perfect. Alfred didn't really believe in the idea of soul mates or anything sappy like that. But this man…

Alfred didn't notice for a while, but the man's eyes were closed. Alfred brought his ear to the man's mouth. He heard shallow breaths coming out and sighed with relief. It wasn't long until he made it to a shore. He had to scoot forward dramatically, and that was hard, to make sure the man was set in a safe place where the water wouldn't get to him. He only wished that he could get him to a safer place, make sure he would really be okay.

But all he could do was set him in the sand in the middle of the night. He sang the song for him one more time. He almost left, but something in his stomach stopped him. Alfred turned towards the man, who's chest was rising and falling with every breath he took. His clothes were soaking wet so that they laid damply on him, not giving him much warmth at all. Alfred wished he could give him something. If not to keep him warm, then to know that someone who cared saved him.

Alfred leaned over so that his face was just over that man's beautiful face. He leaned forward so that he could feel the huffs that came from the man's mouth as he breathed. And then he leaned down so that their lips touched. Even if it was for a fraction of a second, Alfred could feel the man kissing back.

Alfred pulled away, smiling inwardly. And then he left.

With just a hope that the man would be safe until morning.

And another flashback. Because what is sleeping if you don't have a flashback, right? Sorry this chapter's a little short with nothing in it, really, but be prepared for next chapter, because that's when things start to get intense. You've been warned.

Reviews are lovely and well appreciated.

I don't own Hetalia, the Little Mermaid or "My Jolly Sailor Bold"