Days twenty-seven of MerMay prompt month.

Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!

I mean, I'm behind! Gah! I'm trying to get caught up, and by doing so things have changed. So now I'm writing blind, which is always fun. :x

More Ferbella goodness in this chapter. Enjoy!

Starfish - Ferb

It had been too late to take Isabella to the beach after their dinner and dancing date, so Ferb was up and ready that Sunday morning. He had enlisted Phineas to help and—after spending Friday shopping not just for the supplies, but also a nice suit for Ferb—they were able to finish repairing the dock the next morning before Ferb's hair appointment. He had originally wanted to bring Isabella there after their date, but the rainstorm from the night before required a change in plans. Ferb had asked to go with her the next morning to the beach, and she was thrilled to have his company.

He hadn't sprinted at top speed to be there, but he couldn't say he didn't run at all. This time when she opened the door, however, Ferb was standing there with a pretty stargazer lily.

He prepared himself to be struck dumb again like the day before, though he did expect for her to be wearing her signature pink this time. That blue dress had transformed her from merely beautiful to absolutely exquisite, the off the shoulder sleeves tempting him in ways he hadn't known he could be tempted. Holding her close while dancing, being able to gaze into her deep eyes—he didn't know how he was able to let her go.

When he had been walking down the street that morning, taking a detour so he could swing by the new(ish) flower shop for the lily, he was up berating himself for not telling her that he was a môr at dinner before pulling a switch and syncing himself up to tell her at the dock today. It'd be perfect! They'd already be at the water's edge, he had fixed her dock, and he could just tell her!

Though… what if she ran away…

Before Ferb could get caught up in worrying about that, the door opened to reveal Isabella. She looked nice and her smile seemed brighter than the sun. Ferb subtly pinched his leg through the pocket of his jeans before he could get caught up in the sight. He held out the flower for her, and she grasped it gently.

"Thank you," she whispered, glancing from his face to the flower and back again.

He felt like he had swallowed a rock and all he could do was nod at her, his face hot.

Behind Isabella, Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro popped up in the doorway. "Oh Ferb, you're here! Would you like some breakfast? Oh, who am I kidding, of course not. You two probably just want to get going and spend some time with each other. What a lovely flower! Isa, I will put it in water for you, not to worry." She practically snatched the flower from her daughter's gentle hold and pushed her out the door. "Have a good time today! Stay out as long as you like. Adios!"

And with that the door was closed before they could even form a response. Ferb looked at Isabella, whose darkened skin was rapidly turning a brilliant shade of scarlet. Deciding she needed a distraction, he reached out and took her hand. He smiled when her fingers seemed to instinctively widen so they could interlace with his, and he pulled her down the steps.

When she finally looked back up at him, he grinned. "Shall we?" he asked, though it seemed superfluous since they were already walking.

Her cheeks were still red, but she rolled her eyes at him and nudged him with her shoulder.

He chuckled and squeezed her hand softly. "How was the rest of your night?" he asked, his voice low.

Isabella's smile shifted from simply happy to dreamy in an instant. "It was wonderful," she admitted. "It was too bad that we had to cut our time together short because of the storm though," she finished sadly.

Ferb grinned and squeezed her hand again. "But we have today," he murmured.

She gazed into his eyes, neither noticing their pace slowing to a stop. "We have today," she repeated.

Ferb didn't know how long they stood there before he realized they had stopped, but when he finally did, he tugged her forward again. He shared a sheepish smile with Isabella as she noticed their delay.

"Stop distracting me," Isabella teased. She reached up and tapped his forehead, brushing aside some strands of his newly short hair before bringing her hand back down to her side.

Ferb ducked his head, laughing. As they walked, he thought back to the night before, when he had to say goodnight to her. It was almost like a movie. Since her parents were home, she ended up parking on the street in front of her house and they'd had to hurry through the downpour to her doorstep.

"Are you sure you didn't want me to drive you home?" she asked, watching him through her rain-spotted glasses.

He shook his head, declining. "I don't mind the rain," he repeated. He tilted his head playfully. "In fact, you could say I actually enjoy the water."

It was true. When he stood in the rain, even while in human form, it extended his transformation. It was a refreshing feeling, similar to the feeling of stepping from a very well-lit room into the sunshine. In the room, the light made it so you could see almost as well as you could in sunlight, but it couldn't replicate the warmth from the sun. Rain was like the well-lit room—it copied the effects of ocean water to a point, but it couldn't take the place of the sea.

Isabella smiled, her eyes sparkling at him. He raised a hand and brushed a wet strand of hair off of her cheek, and she shivered.

"You should go inside and get warm," he murmured and he wondered when they got so close to each other.

"I'm not cold," was her response, her voice soft.

His hand had moved from her cheek and down to her shoulder, lightly grazing the soft skin right above the fabric of her sleeve. As much as he wanted to lean closer, he decided he couldn't. Not now—not until she knew everything. He pulled back, his voice rough when he told her, "You should still go inside."

Her eyes were wide and dark, watching him with an intensity that made his heart yearn for her even as he forced himself to take another step back. She still held one of his hands, not releasing it until after giving him one last pulse of her fingers. "I'll see you tomorrow?" she inquired, bringing both hands to grip her purse strap.

Ferb grinned, not bothering to try to hide the longing in his eyes. "I wouldn't miss it."

"How'd you sleep?" Isabella asked, her voice cutting into the memory and bringing him back to the present.

Ferb smiled down at her, swinging their hands just slightly. "Real well." That was such an understatement. "And you?" he returned the question.

She stepped closer so their hands brushed both of their sides as they walked. "Fantastic," she answered.

"Lovely," Ferb said. On a whim, he changed his grip on her hand and spun her in a circle like he did the night before while dancing. She laughed, throwing her head back in the early sunlight as she turned. He pulled her back in, a soft smile on his face as his arms wrapped around her.

They were pretty close to the beach by now, and he tugged her forward. "Come on, Starfish," he said. "There's a surprise for you at the dock."

Isabella gave him a curious look. "A surprise?"

Sirena/Sireno and Kataw

The Sirena is a sea creature from Filipino culture. Unlike the bird-women Sirens of Greek mythology, Sirenas are portrayed as mermaid-like creatures who live under the sea. The male version of a Sirena is called a Sireno. They have a beautiful and enchanting voice that can attract and even hypnotize the opposite sex, luring them into the sea for either benign or malevolent purposes. When a Sirena/Sireno falls in love with a human, they become tame and obedient to the human.

The Kataw is another of the merfolk in Philippine Mythology. They are believed to have a higher ranking that other water and sea creatures, and that they are the reigning rulers of the kingdom of Bantay Tubig. Like a Sirena/Sireno, the Kataw share a likeness with humans. Unlike the Sirena/Sireno, they have feet instead of tails, though they do have gills on their bodies and fins on their arms. According to some, Kataws have the ability to manipulate and control weather-based elements and can even change water into ice.