Days twenty-three and twenty-five of MerMay prompt month.

I forgot to post this yesterday, so you might just be getting two posts today. Working on twenty-six as we speak.

SO MUCH FERBELLA GOODNESS! I'm sure you will enjoy it!

Sorry for any typos. I haven't skimmed through it yet. :X

Deep/Secrets - Ferb

Ferb swam in circles, knocking his fist into his head. Stupid stupid stupid! How could he tell her no?!

Well, actually he kind of had to tell her no, but he could have suggested something else for another day!

Stupid hindsight. Stupid koi fish! he berated himself before sighing sadly. Isabella had looked so despondent when he said he couldn't go, and he had felt it in his entire body. Ferb rested a hand against his chest, over his heart, as if he could still feel the pain.

He sank to the seafloor, sitting cross legged (which no longer felt weird with his finned feet, but it used to be so awkward) and he rested his head in his hands. He could easily recall her expressive eyes and all of the emotions they showed—the fright when they first saw each other, the resolve when she said hello to him, the timidity then the hope that showed through when she asked him to accompany her to the pier, then the dimness when he declined.

I am the worst, he said to himself.

His mind supplied him with Taron and Deema telling him off. Various things like "Don't be so self-deprecating, Guppy," and "If that didn't work, try something else," and he sighed. Even if they weren't here, they were right. He could work with this, he just had to try.

He pulled at his hair again, regretting not for the first time that he hadn't already told Isabella about him being a môr. Seriously, if only he had! He could have walked with Isabella to the ocean. They could have spent the evening together, then around sunset—when she was going to be heading home anyway—he could have just dove off the dock!

He already knew Isabella wouldn't go around telling everyone she knew. After the initial shock, she likely wouldn't even care—it'd just be something unique about him, like how Phineas had the urge to know everything about anything, or how Buford gets a random itch whenever a car horn gets honked within his hearing.

And if she did know! He could imagine it so clearly! They could spend hours on the beach, watching the water. Maybe he could even bring her down to see Brosville! They could find a scuba mask for her, maybe something in pink. She'd love it.

Or… or maybe… Ferb felt a tension traveling along his spine as his brain bombarded him with image after image of them kissing, Isabella not wearing an air tank swimming alongside him holding his hand, Isabella decorating his home with some of her own things completely scuba-free, making it their home.

He shook his head, forcibly ejecting those imaginings from his mind. They returned almost instantly and he mentally groaned, falling backwards to gaze up at the surface in the distance. I'm in too deep, he grumbled. I'm too far gone for her. What do I do?

A fish bolted across his field of vision, causing the faint sunlight to flicker, and he frowned. Without much thought, he pushed off of the bottom, kicking with all his strength, torpedoing himself towards the light as fast as he could.

He burst out of the water head first, gazing directly at the half-set sun. As his finned feet left the water, he raised his arms above his head, fixing the painted sky into his memory even as he curled in on himself and dove back into the saltwater.

When his face slapped into the liquid, something fell into place inside of him. Everything suddenly seemed calm and he knew what he should do. Tomorrow, he vowed, a relieved smile growing on his face as he swam towards his home. Tomorrow, I will ask her on a date.

And then…

Then I will tell her about me.

For the second time in a week, Ferb practically sprinted from the warehouse to his family's neighborhood, though this time he had a different destination.

Usually running didn't tax him very much, considering how much stamina he had to have as a môr. And though the exercises had some differences, there were still more similarities. But he was panting when he finally arrived, having pushed his limits.

And this was the sight Isabella was greeted with when she exited her home for her morning ride: a damp haired man, bent over gasping for air, on her front porch.

As soon as the door opened, he took one last breath before standing straight. His eyes were wide, showing how self-conscious he was feeling—he hadn't even knocked yet! He wasn't ready! "Isabella!" he exclaimed, rather loudly, and he winced at the outburst.

Isabella stared at him blankly for a moment before blinking once. "Oh, uh. Hi Ferb…?" she trailed off, wondering what he was doing there.

Ferb opened his mouth, but when nothing came out he closed it again. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing around at anything but her. Fae, she looks good… I should have brought flowers or something. That's what people do, right?

She cleared her throat, bringing his attention back to her. "Are… are you okay?" she asked, her voice holding a timidness that Ferb knew did not belong there.

Was she wary of him? Great going Fletcher, he thought before speaking. "Yeah, I'm fine. Great, actually…" He flexed his hands, trying (and failing) to find the sauveness that he swore he used to have! "Uh… I, uh, actually have something I wanted to… ask you…"

Isabella's eyes brightened while her jaw clenched—she was obviously warring with herself as much as he was. "Oh," she whispered before swallowing and speaking louder. "O-okay…" She took a deep breath that made a flutter appear in Ferb's stomach.

Right. She's still waiting. Squaring his shoulders, his voice exploded out of him. "Will you go on a date with me?"

Her eyebrows rose, eyes opening wide, and her mouth fell open slightly. Ferb stood there, not moving other than closing his hands into fists and opening them again, feeling a tension rising within him with every passing second.

Finally he heard a whisper.

"Yes," Isabella answered. Her lips grew into a dazzling smile. "Yes!" she cheered, bouncing slightly on her toes.

Ferb's face reddened, but he couldn't stop the grin from forming. She said yes! he raved, congratulating himself for getting a positive answer. "Are… Are you free tomorrow?" he asked.

Isabella bit her lip and sadly shook her head. "I have work—"

"NO ISA!" a screech interrupted her from behind and she jumped, practically into Ferb's arms as he raised them to steady her.

She spun around, goosebumps forming as she felt Ferb's fingers graze her sides. "Mama?!" she exclaimed.

Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro was in the entryway, and Isabella finally realized she had been standing there with the door open the whole time. Vivian clasped her hands under her chin, cooing in spanish over how adorable they looked together with Ferb's hands still holding her. Isabella flushed brightly, and though Ferb couldn't understand the words, he got the hint and he watched her with a soft expression.

The blush made her look even more beautiful than she already was…

Isabella's mother gave her daughter a wink and a not-so-sly grin. "You go have fun tomorrow. I'll call in Lizzy or Sarah to take your place."

The teen gaped at her mom. "But—"

"No buts!" Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro said, overriding Isabella's protest. "It's decided. Have fun!" She smiled brightly, nudging Isabella further out the door (and consequently further into Ferb's arms) before closing it between them.

Isabella and Ferb shared a stunned look before almost as one realizing how close they were standing to each other. Ferb took a hurried step back, and Isabella rubbed her hand up her forearm bashfully.

"So, um…" Isabella forced an awkward giggle. "That happened…"

Ferb grinned at her sheepishly but didn't speak. He couldn't think of anything to say. Glancing around him, he noticed Isabella's beach bag over her shoulder. He gestured towards the bike parked next to him, a question in his eyes.

Isabella bit her lip, but her eyes twinkled behind her pink frames. "Yeah, I was," she answered his silent question.

Ferb tilted his head slightly. "Would you like some company?" he asked, feeling nervous.

He didn't need to feel such, however, because her entire face lit up like a crystal jellyfish. "I would love some," she said softly.

His bright smile answered hers and, leaving the bike behind, they walked down the steps together. Ferb glanced at her from the corner of his eye, feeling a rush when he noticed her cheeks were still tinged with pink. The hand closest to her clenched as he tried to gather enough courage to grasp her hand. Before he could, she reached out and found his. She sent him a shy sideways look and everything inside him loosened and he adjusted their hands until their fingers could intertwine.

Her hand felt like it fit perfectly in his, and he felt a warmth rise inside him and fill his cheeks.

They didn't speak, and simply enjoyed each other's presence in a calm, comforting silence.

"Be careful with that board," Isabella warned him from the otherside of the gap. "It's soft."

Ferb glanced down at the last board before the opening in the dock. He nudged it with his foot, feeling for how deep the rot went. He frowned at it, bending down to push with his fingers. I should get this replaced for her before the rot spreads to the other boards, he thought to himself, thinking that he could probably get it done that afternoon while she was off at work.

Standing, he hopped the gap to where Isabella was already sitting and watching him. He sat next to her, his hand quickly finding hers again. Now that he had held it in his grasp, it was like they were magnetized—and he wouldn't have it any other way. If he could spend a year holding her hand, he still didn't think that it would be enough.

Isabella smiled at him before leaning her head onto his shoulder. Ferb felt like his heart could burst with how much affection he felt for this girl. He glanced out at the ocean, feeling a calmness settle over him. "This is a lovely place," he murmured.

Isabella sighed, snuggling deeper into his side. Ferb pulled her hand into his lap, switching which hand was holding it, before wrapping his arm around her. "It is," she agreed. "I've only ever brought my mom here, so she could know where I would be."

Ferb's fingers grazed her middle back and he felt her shiver against him. Biting his lip against the threatening satisfied grin, he asked, "You haven't brought anyone else?"

Her head shook against him. "No. I've brought people with me to the beach before, but this was my spot…"

Ferb squeezed her in a sideways hug. "I'm honored you would show it to me." Especially after I said no to coming here yesterday, he thought to himself.

She didn't reply, but he got the feeling she knew exactly what he was thinking about.

They sat in silence for a while longer, her fingers drawing designs on his hand, his fingers rubbing circles along her back. Isabella hummed a pleased sigh as they watched a cruiseliner far out on the water.

Ferb tapped her spine. "What was the coolest thing you've seen while sitting here?" he asked, sure that she had seen some wondrous events, considering how often she was there.

Isabella's head moved on his shoulder. "You mean besides the creature that isn't a dolphin?" she joked, and Ferb felt a rush when he realized this was the perfect place to tell her! She spoke before he could though. "I have seen a lot of whales breaching—I never get tired of that." She squeezed his hand. "But I think the coolest thing was maybe the Navy SEAL training I saw once."

Ferb's eyes widened and he shot a quick glance at her. Isabella was giving him a rueful grin as she explained. "I probably wasn't supposed to watch, but it was a couple of years ago. I got here really early one morning, before the sun rose. It was just barely light enough to see without a flashlight, but I could see a raft out on the water." She chuckled. "I thought it was maybe a rescue raft and that I should call for help, but I'm so glad I didn't," she admitted with a shake of her head. "I watched people jump off the raft and start swimming towards a spot that was actually quite a distance from the raft, and it was then I realized it was a training of some sort."

With a deep breath, she pointed towards a bare space far out on the water. "Then in that spot something big rose out of the water—a submarine—and it hit me what I was witnessing. It was easily the coolest, most nerve wracking thing I have ever seen while sitting here," she finished with a laugh. Isabella glanced up at him, and upon seeing his astonished face, she laughed harder.

He poked her in the side, causing her to wriggle at the tickling feeling, but otherwise he didn't know how to react. Even spending such a long amount of time underwater, he hadn't seen anything that came close to that—and the SBS were just as intense as the SEALS.

It wasn't until after he walked with Isabella to the restaurant for her shift (late, sadly, but Isabella admitted her mother would most likely be more upset that she showed up rather than that she was late. Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro was very, er, supportive of her daughter's love life), that Ferb realized the idea of telling her about his biology at the pier completely slipped his mind. He sighed, kicking himself for forgetting, but promising to tell her tomorrow.

He headed back home with his mind racing, thinking up ideas for their date tomorrow, then discarding those ideas just as quickly. It needed to be perfect, special—he wasn't going to do a generic dinner and movie date. Isabella deserved something better.

And he needed to let Phineas know he was going to have a late morning that next day, so he could stay out with Isabella later into the evening.

And maybe he should get a haircut too? He had been thinking about doing that for a few days…

Ferb had these and more thoughts spinning through his mind when he walked into his family's kitchen. Phineas and their mom were preparing lunch, both looking at him with curiosity when he slumped down into a chair and tested his head on the table. He didn't acknowledge their looks, not that he noticed them anyway.

"Uh, Ferb? You okay?" Phineas asked carefully.

"Wonderful," the môr admitted, his body language not coinciding with his light tone of voice. "Just thinking."

Linda stepped closer, resting her hand on his back. "Thinking of what, dear?"

Ferb glanced up at her with a thoughtful expression. "I need date ideas and a haircut," he said bluntly.

Linda stared at her youngest son while Phineas gasped ecstatically. "You asked Isabella out?!" he practically cheered.

Ferb nodded, a soft smile on his face as he thought about the girl that had somehow stolen his heart in just two weeks. Linda clapped her hand happily. "Oh! How exciting!" She leaned over him, running her hands over his hair. "Yes, you definitely could use a haircut. I know just the place!" She hurried over to the phone on the wall, dialing a number she apparently knew by heart, and waited for the click. "Yes! I need a haircut for my son as soon as possible. He's going on a date!" Linda exclaimed into the receiver before walking around the corner, chattering to whoever it was.

Phineas sat down across from Ferb, his eyes sparkling. "You need ideas, you said? I can help!"

Ferb smiled gratefully at his brother, but warned him that "I don't want to go overboard. Just something simple but nice, but not too simple like a movie date."

Phineas leaned back, both of them thinking in silence. Linda walked back in, noticing their thoughtful glances. She didn't say anything, but she pulled out her cellphone and did a quick search. When she found what she was looking for, she placed it down in front of Ferb.

"Your hair appointment is tomorrow at two," she told him before heading over to the counter for the smoothie she had been making.

Ferb glanced at her in thanks before picking up the phone. His eyes widened as he scrolled through the screen. Perfect! he thought with a grin.

Phineas saw his face and raised his eyebrows. "What is it?" he asked.

Ferb's eyes were bright with anticipation. "Dancing."

Lelawala

The tale of the beautiful Lelawala comes from the peaceful Ongiaras tribe of the Native Americans. She was married off to a king by her father, but she despised the king and longed to be with her true love named He-No. He-No was the god of thunder and he lived in a cave beneath Horseshoe Falls, a section of the Niagara Falls.

One day, Lelawala decided she wanted to be with He-No at any cost and she paddled her canoe onto the Niagara River, and was subsequently swept over the falls. But this tale has a happy ending as He-No had been watching and he caught her as she fell.

It is said that they stayed together and still live in the caves beneath Niagara Falls to this day.

Melusine

Also known as Melusina, it is a female spirit of fresh water in a holy well or river. She is usually depicted as having a serpent or fish lower body, much like a mermaid. Sometimes she is shown having wings, two tails, or even both. The legends about the Melusine are especially connected with the northern areas of France, but there are also tales in Luxembourg, Germany, and even Britain.

The most common legends consist of a beautiful woman marrying a nobleman who swears an oath to never peek at her in the bath. Usually the husband breaks that promise and discovers his wife has a tail of some sort, and the melusine then leaves him for breaking his vow.

A legend considered an early version of the story of Melusine tells about the daughter of Hippocrates. She was transformed into a hundred-foot long dragon by the goddess Diane, and hidden away in a large castle. She would emerge from the castle three times a year and it was said she would become human again if a knight kissed her. Many knights tried, but they all turned tail and ran seeing her monstrous form and died soon after.

The Starbucks logo is a Melusine wearing a crown though it is commonly referred to as a Siren or Mermaid.