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Requested by a guest; I hope you like it!

Couple: Hippo/Seira

He couldn't help but think that she was an incredible and amazing girl.

The guardian hippocampus stood in his human form, alone on the beach by the side of which the hotel was built, staring out at the setting sun over the the horizon, dying light radiating a rich orange and golden glow over the rippling sea water and the sandy beaches. Hippo looked down at his feet, shuffling slightly in place as the cool sea breeze blew in, ruffling his blonde hair. His green eyes lifted to stare at the orange-hued sky... orange, just like her hair and eyes. Just about everything reminded him of her nowadays, the hippocampus was vaguely aware, but then again, he saw her every day.

It was hard to describe such a feeling, really, but it wasn't as if he had never felt it before. He knew that feeling in his stomach — those fluttering butterflies every time he saw her, the nervousness that built up in him whenever he had to speak with her, and the spacing out he would always do when around her. It was embarrassing, but he knew it well, and he knew what it meant. Love. It had been the same feeling that he got whenever he had seen Yuri and whenever he had been with the water demon. He had thought that since her death, he would never feel like that with anyone else, but he was wrong.

His face immediately coloured as he thought of her bright smile, the lighthearted giggle that she made whenever she saw something funny. He always loved to see that smile — it meant that she wasn't troubled, and that she was happy, and in turn, that made him happy as well. It was maybe a little ridiculous, a sudden crush inspired by her lovable smile, but it was true. He could close his eyes right now and remember her smile as she was passed an ice cream for dessert, or the laughs she made when she watched stand-up comedy shows with Rina.

He could picture her brilliantly shining eyes at every single moment — saturated orange irises that sparkled whenever she was happy and amused. He liked to see them filled with the bright shimmer, and he knew that he would try to make her happy to the best of his ability so he could see that sparkle present always. For that smile, for that shine in her eyes, he'd do anything.

And yet, was that allowed, even?

The Mermaid Princesses were royals, the absolute authority of the oceans. He was an ancient guardian tasked by Aqua Regina to guard and protect them. Surely, he would be overstepping his boundaries like that? The Princesses were not supposed to love anyone outside of their kingdoms hierarchy — the devastating result of the late Orange Pearl Princess' heartbreak over a human man a disturbingly fresh reminder. Maybe it was not to be?

Hippo fidgeted with the hemline of his shirt, his mind still on the princess that had captivated his thoughts ever so thoroughly. No, he decided, he should keep his distance. It would certainly hurt, but at the very least, he would never have to hurt her, even at the cost of having thousands of knives digging into his heart, even at the cost of his own grief and heartbreak. Perhaps… perhaps it would be better that way, for the both of them.

"Hippo!"

She was calling him. The princess that had his heart in her hand.

The blond boy turned on his heels, feigning surprise and trying his best to quell the nervousness that was making him go weak in the knees. "A-ah, yes?" the hippocampus asked, cursing his stammer and hoping against hope that the young princess had missed his slight slip. "Did, uh, did you need me for something?" He smiled at her, silently admiring how the final rays of the evening sun seemed to set her vibrant hair ablaze.

"It's getting late," she told him, suddenly reaching over and taking one of his hands in her own. "Lucia told me to ask you to come inside. Nights are getting cold out this time of year, you know!?

Hippo used his other hand to anxiously scratch the back of his head in uncertainty. "I… uh, I'll be back inside in a while," he said with a slight smile, trying to hide the way he was slightly trembling in his anxiety. Butterflies were stirring in his stomach, the fluttering feeling making it hard to concentrate. "Promise," he added hastily, seeing that she didn't look convinced.

The princess paused, pondering over it for a while, then finally, she nodded. "Alright then," she said with a smile, "but just don't take too long to come back, alright?" Without waiting for an answer, she suddenly stopped closer and pecked him in the cheek, then with a giggle, she pulled away and ran back for the hotel, waving. "Come in soon!" she yelled.

Hippo's hand slowly reached up to touch his cheek as warmth flooded him. His face was already burning with a fiery blush, and his thoughts were running wild, suddenly incapable of processing a coherent thought.

Had she just… had she just kissed him?

A small smile tugged on the corner of his lips. Perhaps there would be a chance yet.

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