3rd Person
He liked to call her fleeting.
She would laugh, asking him what he could mean. He would call her pretty. She would smile, thanking him and telling him how grateful she was to have him.
"I think you're beautiful. Seriously. I may have been charmed but it's true nonetheless." He complimented her, eyes filled with adoration. Lucy grinned cheerfully in return.
"Thank you, Verano. You know, I feel so lucky to have you here with me. As the youngest in my family, everyone assumes I have it great but... everyone is very inconsiderate without realizing it. You're the only person I can talk to in this manner." She spoke, voice slowly quieting as she continued. Natsu furrowed his eyebrows in understanding, hands landing gently on top of her dainty ones splayed out across the sand.
"I told you to stop calling me that. My name is Natsu." Lucy giggled heartily and flipped her golden locks of hair out of her way.
"I think it's cute." He scowled— but let it go, seeing as she was happy. After all, he couldn't deny the fact that the nickname made his heart race ."Hey Verano. In human years, how old would I be?" He tapped his finger against his chin.
"Probably in your early twenties. But don't take my word for it. Why do you ask?" Lucy smiled gently, the corners of her lips tugging into a soft grin.
"Well where I live, with my mate, father and sisters, we don't keep many personal things in interest. I think the only reason we have names is to make things convenient. Maybe they don't want us to get attached to the ways of humans." Natsu furrowed his eyebrows, the short story upsetting him.
"Please. Run away with me." He insisted suddenly, glancing at the mellow sunset behind her.
"I don't even have legs, how do you expect me to run?" She giggled, flopping her fin in and out of the shallow water. "I just want you to find happiness. I promise you, staying with a siren who has long passed her worth is not going to do just that for you." She insisted, long nails brushing against his veiny hands.
"Why do you think you can decide that for me?" She froze, eyes glazing over with tears before she blinked the salty liquid away. "So what? Just because you decided I shouldn't like you doesn't mean I'm just going to give up. If that's your plan with me, end shit now before I get attached, please."
"Natsu, please just stop. You sound ridiculous right now." She scolded, removing her hand from his.
"No, you're the one who sounds ridiculous." She was courageous. He knew. But he just wanted to be right in her eyes this time. This time, it was life or death and he was absolutely unwilling to let this girl go down without fighting for her. Even if that meant he had to fight her. "Did You think I was going to be like everyone else? Did you think I was going to shut up and go with what you said? Again, I may have been charmed but don't take me for a damn fool, Lucille. I can't stand watching what they do to you." His face seemed to read offense. Well, he was indeed offended as Lucy stared partially in shock— mostly awe. However, she quickly gained her senses and pieced back together what she could say as a response. Gently unlocking her jaws from each other, she opened her mouth. And before Natsu could even begin another sentence, her voice flooded his ears once more.
"I don't think you're a fool, Natsu." She insisted with a small smile. "The world is bigger than us and impending doom upon marine life is nearly another way Mother Nature has decided to reset. Do you understand? Once the apple begins to rot, one must remove the bad part so that the rest of the apple survives for longer . It's the way of all living things must regenerate themselves. Otherwise, the whole apple rots and goes to waste."
"Please don't tell me your okay with going extinct."
"Please don't tell me your okay with all of humanity dying out." She retorted, locks of gold falling in front of her face as they dried in the salty breeze.
"Have you always been so stubborn?" He sighed, scooting a bit closer to her and twirling a few strands of her hair between his middle and index finger. "There are people out there helping. I'm here to help you, through everything and anything, I don't care what you have to ask me." He mumbled against her soft hair, shining eyes staring thoughtlessly into hers.
"I just... I don't think you realize how inevitable the world is. This is the normal for me— this is what my kind, my people and those underwater see as normal. I only ever hope for the prosperity of humanity, love. If allowing the beauties of the oceans to wander the tanks and gates of aquariums is what will make you happy, then so be it."
"I'm done arguing." He finished, dropping her hair from his hand and standing up to wipe away the sand from his ass. "It's late. I'm gonna go sleep, you should do the same." Lucy shook off the small frown fixed on her peach colored lips and nodded in agreement.
"I have a request, if you don't mind." She pleased, voice light and suddenly relaxing as he bent down once more to her level. Jaw clenched at the beautiful sight of her, he tilted his head as a form of asking what she needed. Wrapping the hands dripping with crystal clear water around his collar, she pulled his lips to meet hers. And for the first time, human met siren in a moment of genuine romantic passion as he wrapped his arms around her lowered waist and embraced her firmly against himself.