Hi there guys! I know it's been a while and that this is rather short, but I've been busy with school and all, and I've got to settle priorities.

Either way, I hope you like it, even though it is not very long. Don't forget to review!

The delicious aroma of the roasting fish completely invaded his nostrils, and his mouth began salivating. The only thing that filled the silence, besides the ocean's constant lullaby, was the cracking of the modest bonfire that warmed the area around them.

Jack had purposely tried to place it as close to the water as possible, so Tooth could see it in its entire splendor. It had been a nightmare, just to make the rotten wood catch fire. But it was worth the effort, as the timid flame licked the humid logs and the mermaid's stunned gasp filled the air.

"It is like a baby Sun", she had whispered in her amazement. Just for a second her awed gaze had turned towards him, fire dancing in the marveled orbs, and there was such a naïve wonder in them, such a pure happiness, that the boy couldn't have helped but to be contaminated by it.

So he had laughed and chuckled, and slapped her prying fingers away when they tried to grasp the flickering flame.

Now, the initial giddiness had been replaced by a quieter form of admiration, and the pair had remained silent, eyes leisurely settled on the dancing lights.

The mermaid rested with both her arms laid on the slippery rock, and sighted in contentment. Sometimes, a sparkle of green and blue would dance among the other flames, making the moment even more extraordinary.

Between the both of them, the boy was the one who got more amazed by those ephemeral flickers, strange as it would seem. But it was understandable, because if you think about it, Tooth though all kinds of fire looked like this.

Later that day, Jack would come to discover that those fleeting flames, colored in hues of navy-blue, turquoise and emerald, were nothing more nothing less than the salt in which the burning wood was imbibed. Apparently the substance made those much traveled logs, sight the last memories of the color's of sea that had once been their home.

The sun was low again, when their meal was finished, thought they could not know, as the sky had been completely covered in a dense, dark blanket.

The young shepherd's belly was pleased and full, thought it still hurt a little. Not because of such grand quantity of food, no... A young man can take much more than that!

However, all his abdominal muscles were sore from laughing so much. Even his face hurt, from the ever present smiles! The truth is, it was simply impossible not to laugh at Tooth's reactions.

Every bit she gave, every single one, and her eyes would widen and a new response would come.

Sometimes she would scrunch her nose at the strangeness of the taste, or move her jaw awkwardly, as if she didn't know how to chew at all. Other times she would just close her eyes in bliss and moan softly, inadvertently making odd shivers cross the boy's body, as if he was reacting to the sound.

But it was mainly laughter and joy, as Jack was obligated to give incessant information about every single thing he had brought. It almost didn't allow him the time to eat, but the mermaid's curiosity was simply infinite.

Caught in this specific situation, Jack was given the opportunity to study the mermaid before him with a keener eye. Specially her teething.

Tooth had in fact a different kind of teeth. He had never got the chance to notice before, and thinking about it now, it had its reasonable motive: Toothiana never smiled with her teeth. And the boy had learned this in a rather curious episode.

...

It had happened in one of their first meetings, back when they were all flustered and shy.

By accident, Jack had been gazing the mermaid with a look of pure fascination, and a both genuine and open smile had suddenly flourished on his always gloomy face. And much to his surprise, the unconscious gesture was greeted with a quiet hiss, and thought the snarl was low and reverberating, there was an unmistakable warning lingering on its surface, accompanied by a shocking ferociousness.

The joyful beam instantly vanished from the shepherd's features, and he was left with both a look of utter confusion in his eyes and a gelid dread that tensed his body, caused by the sudden change of the creature before him.

- What? – the trembling fear in her melodious voice seemed to cut through the tension built between the pair.

It had sounded almost like a whisper, both quiet and hesitant, but there was a certain bitterness within her voice, that seemed to contaminate her usual sweetness. Jack then noticed that the mermaid had moved back almost a meter, away from his reach, as if she was the one being threatened, as if he was the one who had savagely snarled and not her.

This only made the boy frown even more. In his complete puzzlement he simply echoed her inquiry:

- What?

And left with silence as his only answer, he got up to his feet, his growing irritation making his voice come out harsh and bitter, in much of a snarl as she had done before.

- What do you mean, what? What have I done?

And all the hostility seemed to shake the air around them, making the mermaid's petit form tremble under such enraged creature.

But then suddenly he seemed to snap awake from a dream, at the sight of the fearful eyes that stared back at him, and his legs collapsed under the weight of his body, as he saw the monster reflected in her star-filled irises.

And there he stayed for some time, kneeled with his head low and miserable, the shame making his back yield under the pressure. A whisper was all that was able of leaving his lungs, and it sounded so much like a last breath that the mermaid couldn't help but be terrified.

- Sorry... – he simply said, glancing up from between his locks.

The boy couldn't help but be taken aback by the sight of Tooth's face just under his, trying to peak at his expression, in an inexperienced effort of gentle consolation.

But Jack only laughed, truly surprising himself by his apparent easiness in what regards violation of one's personal space, because in the end he didn't move back an inch.

Instead, it was the mermaid the one to straighten up again, obligating the boy to lift his head so he could keep the eye contact. On her heart-shaped face he found a smile, small but tender, with a speck of a shy hesitancy giving it a special glow.

Tooth on the other hand, was caught up in the vastness of his cobalt irises, for the second time losing herself in that pair of private oceans. Suddenly a flash of white appeared in her line of vision, and her own orbs where immediately called towards it.

There it was again, in all its splendor, as it had been some minutes ago, before all that fuss was made. Jack's teeth, perfectly aligned, glistened with a special kind of charm, which made a new passion rise within the mermaid. Her admiration for the human teething...

But now, as she saw the boy showing his teeth to her once again, she didn't saw the aggression behind such gesture. It was impossible. No, there was no hostility or warning. Not with his eyes looking at her like that.

So this time, Tooth could not see angry mermaids clenching their teeth with a vicious hiss. She could not see the meaning the body language she was taught told her to see.

So as it was, the girl could only laugh to herself at the unnecessary misunderstanding. After all, it was not her fault humans had such strange ways of acting and communicating.

Who in their right mind, would think that baring their teeth to someone was a sign of contentment?

Oh, these humans...

...

..

.

Tooth sighed again, in a quiet bliss. A gentle smile would not leave her features, as she rested, head laid on her crossed arms, part of her torso perched on the rocks, just enough to keep her lower gills underwater.

All that was heard was the crack of the dying embers and the sea's lullaby. There was something more there, just below the lulling melody of the water and fire combined.

Oh, and how much more peaceful it was, calming her in her sleepiness.

The regular inhaling and exhalation of a powerful set of lungs nearby, was the most tranquilizing sound she had ever had the luck of finding.

Her stomach completely full, with such a wide range of new kinds of food, the tender warmth of the dying fire caressing her arms, and the rhythmic breathing of the resting boy, who had crawled closer to the bonfire in search of the gentle heat, all of this was enough to make her believe she had found some kind of heaven... Even the sun had spared her from his unmerciful blaze, now completely hidden behind the thick mantle of clouds.

Everything was just perfect. A perfect peace...

It was in that moment that a bright flash enlightened the skies, and a rumble so loud and so deep ran through the air, shaking them to their until-now serene cores.

The quietness was over.

It is time for the storm to come...

Again, if you want to check out my illustrations for this story, please go to my profile's page an click on the links you have there! I hope you have enjoyed, and I'll try to be quick! ;D

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