ERIC VOILIER

Eric Voilier was a simply guy; there wasn't a lot he wanted or needed from life, just the basics: food, a place to sleep, and something he could row out to sea. He didn't even necessarily need a roof over his head, he would be content to sleep outside under the stars when it was clear, and under a waterproof tarp when it wasn't.

However, he needed a link to the ocean more than he needed to breathe. There was something about the slight sting of salty spray in his face, the rocking of a boat, and the sight of nothing but sand and open water in the distance that made him feel alive. He didn't know what he would do without it.

That was why he had gotten into crew. Not because he was able to compete at sea, which he wasn't, but because it helped to build the skills he would need if he wanted to be able to captain any boat, ship, or dory. He needed to know how to row himself to sea just as much as he needed to learn the gears of a speed boat.

If he was the kind of person who planned his future, he would imagine the best life to be one where he lived in a beach house, right on the water, and owned his own sailboat that he could take to the sea whenever he pleased. He would either work on a fishing boat with a small, trusted crew or as an oceanographer who tried to map uncharted waters.

And he would come home each day to a woman who didn't mind the taste of salt on his lips or the steady stream of sand that would follow him wherever he went. On weekends, they would take turns choosing places to go for dates. He would go wherever she wished so long as, when it was his turn, she would go to the beach with him and revel in the warm, clean sunshine and the ocean breeze.

Of course, Eric wasn't the type to plan things out or think of the future, each day was a new adventure filled with the excitement of unknown possibilities. And he had no idea what that Monday would bring or how many new doors it would open for him.

"Oh shit, you're getting sand all over my car. Just wait one second, okay?" Hans Elsker pleaded with his friend as he brushed the sand of his recently cleaned seat and pulled a towel out from the back of his truck. Sand was a constant in Eric's life, it just seemed to be wherever he was so that he forgot that it bothered some people. Normally, Hans didn't seem to mind, but he was particularly on edge that day.

"Dude, are you okay? I mean it's just a little sand. I mean, I can just bike if it's a big deal—" Hans quickly cut off the young sailor.

"No, I wouldn't care. It's just—just—just, well, Elsa said I could give her a ride home today and," the teen trailed off, blushing beet red as he tried to convey that he didn't care about sand, but he didn't want to put off the only girl he had every really liked.

Eric smiled. He was one of the few people, actually the only person other than Anna Arendelle, who knew about Hans' true feelings and he was relieved that his pal was finally going to get his chance with his dream girl. Maybe then, he wouldn't be so moody all the time. Not that he didn't love his friend, but he needed to give the tortured soul act a rest and actually be with the girl he had pined after for so long.

"I get it," Eric hopped onto the seat, making sure that he wasn't touching anything but the towel beneath him, "Hey, do you know any clubs I could join?" He could tell that his friend wanted to change the topic as quickly as possible and Eric did need to join something.

He had been informed by his college counselor the week before that he needed something other than crew for his college applications, assuming that he wanted to go to college. The jury was still out on that one, but Eric figured that it was better to leave his options open.

"Um, I don't know man, maybe the science club or something. I mean, you're really into all that marine biology stuff," he paused for a moment, deep in thought, "Oh, the auditions for the winter musical is soon. You could always work backstage and do lights and stuff."

And that became his new plan: to do lights and stuff. However, the universe had different plans for Eric, plans that involved a little less lighting and a little more singing.

By the end of the school day, Eric was beat and the last thing that he wanted to do was go beg for a spot on the backstage crew, but, left with no alternatives, he walked into the auditorium, prepared to do whatever it took to make the team. He had heard that backstage crew was a tight-knit group, but he was sure that he could work his way in if he needed to, and he did.

He had barely entered the theater when he heard someone call his name.

"Eric! Thank God," A beautiful redhead ran towards him, her yells drawing the attention of the thirty five other students rehearsing quietly in the theater, "do you have a partner yet?"

Wait what? A partner? If he was thinking clearly, Eric would have asked her to elaborate, but he was having trouble stringing together thoughts much less words. She was holding one of his tan arms in her pale hand and was looking at him with a look of desperation.

He had almost forgotten how beautiful Ariel was. Almost.

After Naveen's party, he had tried to talk to her, but had found that the words simply wouldn't come. Embarrassed by his inability to maintain conversation, he had quickly moved to simply smiling at her in the hallways and, after a week or so of this, the vivacious teen had stopped expecting more from him.

He didn't know how he was able to flirt and dance with her at the party considering the fact that, now, he couldn't get out a single coherent thought around her.

And she wouldn't have approached him so, but she clearly needed something badly.

A partner. Say something, anything! Ask her what she's talking about. Just stop staring at her like a moron.

"Huh?" At least it was something.

"A partner. We all need a partner to perform a duet with and I didn't know this until about ten minutes ago, but everyone I've asked already has a partner. So?" Her blue eyes searched his nervously, begging him to tell her that he could help.

"Sure—I mean no—I mean, I don't have a partner." He managed to stammer, thrilled that he had even gotten that much out.

He didn't know what it was about her, but he just couldn't function properly in her presence.

"Good! Okay, so do you know Oklahoma at all?" She asked quickly, proceeding to list all of the duets in the show, hoping that he would nod at one of them. She had noticed that, for some strange reason, Eric seemed unwilling or unable to actually talk to her, but she knew that he could sing with her and she was banking on that.

Thankfully, his mother actually was actually a huge fan of musical theater and played her favorite shows in the background whenever she was cooking dinner so that he had a pretty good grasp of Oklahoma, which was one of her favorites. She always told him that, if she hadn't met his father, she would have had to track down Hugh Jackman and marry him because he was such a wonderful Curly.

"Um, People Will Say We're In Love, but do you have the lyrics?" He knew the tune, but he wasn't sure that he knew all of the words. She nodded before pulling out her phone and looking up metrolyrics.

And that was how he found himself standing on stage doing his best to remember all the words, hoping that he didn't look like a huge fool.

"Why do they think up stories that link my name with yours?" Her voice rang out clear as a bell as she grabbed his shoulder and turned Eric towards her, acting out the role. A little startled, his beat was a second off, but close enough that no one really noticed.
"Why do the neighbors gossip all day behind their doors?" He sounded far more sure than he felt, his words filling the theater. He felt like laughing, so that was it! He couldn't talk to her, but, when the words were supplied, he could sing them.

Relieved that her partner was actually performing, Ariel began to truly play the part, leaning into him with a flirty smile.
"I know a way to prove what they say is quite untrue," she turned back to the audience, "Here is the gist, a practical list of dont's for you." She bounced around the stage as she sang all the ways his character could throw off suspicions. He smiled, delighting in how much fun it was watching her sing, becoming more and more comfortable on stage.

"Some people claim that you are to blame as much as I," Eric began, grinning at the audience conspiratorially as if they were in on the joke. He belted out the words to the song, going so far as to grab Ariel's hand as he had remembered Curly doing in his mom's movie.
"Your hand feels so grand in mine," He clutched her fingers, bringing the hand to his chest as he knelt at her feet. Possibly having seen the same version he had, Ariel responded just as Laurie had and pried his fingers off hers, stalking off to the side of the stage in mock anger.

He sang the rest of the song directly to the audience,

"They'll see it's all right with me. People will say we're in love."

And he was. Or, at least, he was on his way.

A/N:

Hey Guys,

Here you go! An Eric chapter! I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do next when I had the idea of flipping the Little Mermaid slightly so that Eric is the one who can't speak and draws Ariel in with his voice.

I hope you all enjoyed. Please review telling me what you thought and feel free to tell me which character you would like to see next. And expect another Hans chapter soon. He is my favorite person to write!

LOTS of love

—SSSTD