Ryoma stopped for a while, watching Sakuno observe the stars, sitting on the back porch of the house. He noticed that, since he taught her about the stars, she was always looking at them. She was so beautiful. Her long red hair was tight on a braid, adorned by many little white flowers that Ann put on her for the wedding. She was still wearing the two layer white and orange kimono his friend's wife had lent her. There was still some carmine on her lips.

She had changed his entirely life completely in such a short time and Ryoma was sure he loved her with all his heart. He had learned so much on the mermaid's side, emotions he had buried deep inside and others he didn't even know he was capable of holding for someone else.

They got married on the afternoon, after Momoshiro and he ran around the town looking for a priest to perform the ceremony in such short notice. Takeshi lent him his dark ceremonial black kimono from his own wedding and although it was a little big, he looked extremely handsome on it. Before the ceremony, he wished his father and sister was by his side and his heart hurt a little. But soon that bad feeling vanished completely when the scarlet eyes looked at him and his bride smiled.

Ryoma was now the husband of the mermaid and he felt incredibly blessed.

Momoshiro and Ann prepared a special dinner for them and they celebrated until late.

"You are still all dressed up." He said, coming close to her side, with a small smile. He had already changed to a simple yukata.

"I am happy." She smiled and touched his face. "I am so happy, Ryoma."

"Good. I want you to always be happy, Sakuno." He gave her a small kiss on her cheek. "We should go to bed and sleep. There are some places I want to show you tomorrow."

"Okay." He held her hand to help her stand up, but her legs failed on her and she fell.

"Sakuno!" Ryoma kneeled by her side and looked at her worried. "What happened?!"

"My legs." Her voice trembled. "They are hurting so much."

Ryoma pushed the layers of the kimono away and examinated at them. They didn't seem hurt and the temperature was normal. Sakuno held his arms tightly and lowered her head, trying to cope with that immense pain.

"Sakuno, what can I do?! Please, tell me!"

"Ocean…" she raised her eyes and they were glistering with tears. "I need to go to the ocean."

"Sakuno, I am sorry, but… it is filled with people outside, you cannot go and…"

The sharp and burning sensation got worse and she screamed, holding him. Ryoma's heart broke and he stood up.

"I will be right back!"

The young human grabbed a big bucket on his way out of the house and ran desperately down the streets until the harbor. He was barefoot and people stopped, looking at his desperation while filling the object with the sea water.

He returned home after a while and entered by the backyard, not wanting to startle his friend's family

Without saying anything, he removed his wife's clothes in a hurry and poured the sea water on her legs, rubbing them. Her tail did not appear, but she seemed more confortable in the minute the water touched her skin.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, worried.

"I am. The pain is not that bad anymore.. she touched his face, trying to undo the frown on his forehead. "Thank you, Ryoma."

He took a deep, relieved breath and sat down.

"I am sorry. You are all sweaty."

"And you are all wet." He showed her a small smile. "We should take a bath, otherwise we will ruin the sheets and the futon."

"You can go, I…" before she could finish her sentence, Ryoma picked her up on his arms and Sakuno looked at him surprised.

"You don't have to do that!"

"It is okay." He showed her a small smile.

##############

They were sitting on the opposite sides of the ofuro, surrounded by warm, scented water. It was bigger than the one they had on his house. Ryoma was massaging Sakuno's legs and she smiled, satisfied. She had unbraid her hair and the little flowers were floating around them.

"Does it feel good?"

"Yes!"

"It almost scared me to death. You probably cannot be outside the water for more than one day. Did that kind of pain happen before?"

"Yes." She said, sadly. "When he took me from the sea. He didn't let me on the water. I screamed and cried for days and he would just… laugh."

"I am sorry a human did those things to you. I am very sorry." He got closer to her and touched her face. "Let's not talk about that anymore. It is in the past. Only good things are going to happen from now on. For you and me."

"Okay." Sakuno smiled and kissed him. Her arms were around his shoulders, bringing him closer. His chest was pressing against her breasts and Sakuno deepened the kiss. Ryoma moaned when her tongue touched his and her embrace got tighter.

"Sakuno…" the golden eyes were blurry with lust. Her legs were around his hips and she could feel his hardness and desire.

It fit. It was hot and tight and it fit. His heart was on his throat being all the way inside his wife. The doctor side of his brain had so many doubts it would ever work. But, the other half, the half that was deeply in love, was lost on that unique sensation. She had bitten his shoulder gently and her fingers entered his black hair when he started to move. Sakuno didn't know what that feeling was, there were no words to describe it. Her whole body was set on fire every time his hips met hers.

Ryoma found his pace, moving with the mermaid's cries. He wanted to love her until erasing from her body all the bad things the other human had inflicted. The young human promised Sakuno would experience only love and pleasure. He wanted to kiss her but he had no neurons left to do anything but trying to breathe and continued to thrust into her. His opened mouth was on her neck and Ryoma's eyes were closed, her sweet voice completely filling his mind.