The bright sun blinded the German sitting on the beach. He had been waiting for his friend for over an hour already and he was getting somewhat worried. Usually, if he waited for over ten minutes he'd call for Feli and he would show up.

Not this time.

Ludwig was tempted to get a boat or something and go out, but he wouldn't know where to even start looking. The ocean was just so big that he was somewhat scared of the idea alone. The list of possibilities was endless-sinking, getting lost, drowning, getting eaten, and what scared him the most was another storm.

Ludwig sighed heavily and leaned back down on the sand. He had gotten used to the burning feeling and the rough texture of it long ago. After a while, even the sound of the waves crashing in front of him oddly comforted him. The warmth and sounds around him made him comfortable and he soon found his eyes begin to droop into sleep.

Just as he was about to completely fall asleep, he heard some shouting far off. He jumped with a jolt and immediately scanned the water. It was almost too easy to miss, but he eventually saw a hand waving to him far off in the distance.

At first, he blamed his off vision. Because he'd have been in the sun so long with his eyes closed, his vision was more green than any other color now. He furiously rubbed his eyes to try and get rid of it before he gave up in the task and stood.

His vision was still stuck on the weird camera mode when he saw the hand off in the distance again. Ludwig gasped to himself and quickly ran into the water without thinking about his fears.

When he realized what he was actually doing he stopped and tried to decide what to do. The once comforting waves were splashing on his shins and the cold temperature of them were just more proof that they were no longer comforting.

He quickly evaluated what he could do as an alternate root. There was some rocks that had made a barrier next to him. He had never really learned what they were called or what purpose they even served, but it was solid and something to walk on.

Ludwig marked the place where the hand was in his mind and turned to the rocks. It would be faster than just trying to swim and eventually drown.
The rocks had a rough surface and were dry to the touch. The rocks were so dull in color he felt his skin dry as though looks could touch.

With a grunt he pulled himself onto the dry rocks and immediately wished he brought shoes. The sand was hot but the rock was even worse. He sighed. It was just his luck. Ludwig shrugged it off and began to jog, minding the wet spots. He knew better to try and run on slippery surfaces.

When Ludwig couldn't spot the merman in the distance he felt his heart drop. Had Feliciano given up and left? He had waited for so long he almost prayed that he was still there. Maybe if he just got closer he could see him...

He edged towards the water, oblivious to the danger he was putting himself in. The waves splashed onto the rocks he was standing on, and one had wobbled a bit when the water retreated back into the ocean.

"Feli? Feliciano! Are you there?" Ludwig called desperately. "Answer me!"

He stepped forward again on the lose rock. The rock, predictably, gave out and pulled Ludwig into the water. He didn't even have time to give a shout before he went under. With a sharp pain in his ankle, he tried to kick up to the surface.

The pain immediately burned more and he glanced down to find a twisted ankle. He quickly began to panic and tried to get to the surface with just his hands. Although he was right next to the rock wall, he was in very deep and in such panic that it was although nothing was near.

Just as he was about to give up hope, two hands grabbed him around the chest and pulled him up to the surface. The air had never felt so good before as it had now that he could actually breathe.

After a few seconds of continuous coughing and panting, Ludwig glanced over to see none other than...nothing?

He was sure that something was there. After all if Feliciano hadn't saved him, what did? "Feli," he asked with caution wrapped around his voice. "Feli are you there?"

"Ve, of course I am!"

Ludwig jumped from being startled like that. He turned around to see Feli next to him on the rocks. His tail was barely dipping into the water as he spread out on the rocks. Ludwig could almost hear the muscles stretching as Feliciano reached for the sky and leaned back. "Who else would save you, Luddy?"

Ludwig blushed at the nickname and coughed into his fist again awkwardly. "W-what are you doing up on land?"

With his eyes closed and arms behind his back? Feliciano looked like he was on vacation at the beach. The merman simply shrugged and laughed at his friends expression. "I can go on land, you know. A lot of the time I can't go too far without water but as long as my tail and gills are wet I'm fine."

Ludwig watched the tail shimmer in the sun. The blue scales were almost like his own eyes, only a few shades darker and it seemed to blend into a whitish color at the fins. Where the black was a tint of yellow followed. It reminded him of the forgetful fish in a movie he once saw years ago. His eyes tracked up the body to his belly. Feliciano wasn't very muscular but he had a few stray scales that dotted his skin. Under the rib cage it looked like a few scars. Ludwig grimaced at them and hoped that it was just an accident or something mild. The blue eyes continued tier way up to Feli's neck where his gills were flapping slowly. Without a constant water source constantly surrounding them they seemed almost confused. Ludwig leaned a bit closer before realizing that Feli had scales around his gills as well. They covered his back neck too and disappeared around his back. Ludwig was almost tempted to ask him to turn when a giggle caught his attention.

Feli had been shy to show Ludwig all of his body willingly but he supposed it was fine now. He watched Ludwig's eyes travel around his body and he felt his chest tighten. He had the entire attention of the person he had lov-er...liked the most. Definitely. Just friend wise. Just, with odd feelings.

Shaking his head he saw Ludwig staring at his gills. They flapped a bit faster in response to Feli feeling his heart lift up higher and he giggled a bit.

Ludwig watched the cute boy's face. It had a few freckles that had framed his face very well. If he had wanted to, he would've reached out and touch his face. Hold his cheek in his hand and kiss him gently on the lips.

He shook his head quickly. That wouldn't ever happen. Feli was a merman there was no way he had those feelings for him. There were mermaids down there for him anyway.

But Feliciano slowly reached out and held Ludwig's hand. The German blushed intensely and seemed to freeze on watching tier hands. Feli giggled again and slowly leaned towards Ludwig, closing his eyes softly.

Ludwig blushed even more as he contemplated on doing. Without even waiting to think, his body made a choice and began to lean back towards Feli, closing his eyes tightly in case something uh...happened.

Just as their lips were about to meet, Ludwig's ankle pierced him with pain again. He yelped and jumped back-which effectively ruined the moment.

Feli sighed and opened his eyes and looked down at Ludwig's foot. He gasped and jumped back. "You're...you're hurt!" He stated loudly.

The German cursed a stream of cuss words in his native tongue and glared at Feli. "Ja, I know!"

Feli creased his eye brows with worry and watched him try to get up. Feli gasped when he fell onto the ground after his leg not being able to take the weight. "Luddy?"

This was bad. His phone was with his things on the beach. He couldn't go get it, obviously, but he wouldn't dare ask Feli to bring him it. Besides, even if he did Feli would go through water to bring it back to him. And if you didn't already know, phones do not mix with water very well.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't realize Feli trying to gain his attention. He was watching him with deep concern in his eyes and looked like somebody had just popped his balloon. "Did you hear me, Ludwig?"

Ludwig blinked a couple of times and shook his head. "Nein, I'm sorry. What did you say?"

The merman pointed at his twisted ankle and shook his head slowly. "I haven't seen that on many humans before. Is that suppose to happen?" He looked back up at Ludwig's face. "Because if it is, humans are really weird."

Ludwig sighed and counted to ten. He didn't really get annoyed with Feli all that much, but today was a very very different occasion. His patience was running very thin with all the pain he was in that moment. "No," he whispered gently, if he said it any louder he would lose his temper. "No, it's not suppose to happen. I can't move on this."

Feli seemed to understand what he was saying before joining him in thought. After a couple minutes he broke the silence with a very good question to think about. "How are you going to get home?"

Obviously, the answer was to call Gilbert, if he wasn't already drunk, and have him bring their truck down here. From there they could easily get him to the hospital and get a few days rest before coming back here to calm Feliciano from worrying too much. But to be simpler to Feli, Ludwig decided to tell him that he needs his phone instead. "What's a phone?"

Ludwig face palmed and groaned. "Feliciano, please listen to me."He had the needed attention and continued on. "I need to get to the shore to call me bruder to come get me. I won't be able to come back for a while, but I promise you that I will and once I do I hope that we could," he turned and blushed brightly to himself. "Hang out or something."

"Ve, I'd like that a lot!"

"Great. But now we have to think of what we need to do to get me there."

Feli only had one single logical answer to that:swim. If he couldn't walk, then Feli could just take him to the shore and try to help him from there. However, once he had recited his idea to Ludwig, the German got flustered and shook his head. "Nein, nein, I dont think that would be a very good idea, Feli."

"Why not? It'd be very easy and you wouldn't have to move until you get on land." Feli gave him the guppy eyes and made something close to a cat face. "Pleaaaase?"

Ludwig groaned and gritted his teeth together. On one hand he could just stay here with Feli and enjoy the day together with him. The cute boy was now batting his eyes at him to add to the effect of begging. But on the other hand he was in a lot of pain and knew that he needed to see a doctor.

The blonde groaned and nodded. "Fine, but be careful!"

"This was by far one of the worst ideas I have ever actually been in, and those usually go very very badly."

"Aw, come on, it isn't that bad!"

Ludwig was sliding down the rocks carefully with Feli waiting to catch him in the water. Ludwig was hesitant at first, but now he was just against the idea. He usually got dragged into Gilbert's crazy schemes and almost always they would get into trouble. After a few years of this, he had developed something of a sixth sense. He would always get a feeling when a plan would go desperately wrong.

And it was going off right now.

"Nein, Feli. I won't do it. Maybe Gilbert will come down and see me."

Feli sighed and rolled his eyes. "Gilbert might be drunking-"

"Drinking." Ludwig automatically corrected with a hint of amusement. "And that is true..." He bit his lip, thinking for a moment before he sighed. "This is not a good idea."
Slowly, he edged towards the water off the rocks. He winced when he had no more area to move to and let himself fall. Feli caught him, even though they both went underwater from the force and weight of Ludwig.

Feli was fine, he laughed actually when they went under. But Ludwig's face was not in amusement or joy, but in pain. He was holding his ankle tightly as if that would save him. Feli's face quickly turned from his usually smile to one of concern. "Luddy, are you okay?"

When Ludwig didn't respond, Feli took a hold of his arms and swam to the surface quickly. The human gasped when they broke the surface and coughed harshly to expel the water in his lungs.

"Luddy?" Ludwig turned to Feliciano. The brunet's face was in deep concern. "You okay?"

With effort, Ludwig managed to grunt and nod slowly. "Let's just get to the shore." Feli nodded eagerly and slowly dragged them back. The waves helped push them to the shore, but it still took a lot of effort with the weight of Ludwig, and they both could tell. By the time they had actually managed to get to the shore, Feli started to rely more and more on Lugwig to get himself the rest of the way.

Once Ludwig had deemed himself on his own, he began to army crawl towards his bag. Luckily, it didn't lay too far, but it still took more effort to get his phone out and wait for his obnoxious brother to pick up. He glanced over at Feliciano, who was sitting in the water, red faced.

"Hey, less awesome bruder! What's up?" Gilbert's voice boomed in his ear.

"Hello, Gilbert. I twisted my ankle. You need to come and pick me up." He muttered into the phone. He hated asking for help and even more so from his brother.

"Oh, do tell. How did you manage that?"

"...It doesn't matter."

"Does it have something to do with that fish?" Ludwig could hear his smirk through the phone. "Kesesesese! I'll be there in a few minutes, bro." The phone call ended and Ludwig groaned. He could count on his brother, but sometimes it showed that he was the older one out of them.

Ludwig glanced over to Feli and saw him rub some of the water onto his gills and fins out of the water. He tilted his head but smirked anyway. Feli looked over and smiled in his adorable way. Feli giggled and waved to Ludwig, "What did he say?"

Ludwig shrugged. "He'll be here soon." Feli nodded and smiled. "But, he wants to see you."

Feli perked up and brightened up. "Really?"

"Ja, he won't stop bugging me about it. It's very annoying." Ludwig's grin felt like it had been lifted even higher when Feli's did. 'He is so beautiful when he smiles,' Ludwig thought in his dreamy state of love.

Feli suddenly blushed and smiled into his hands. Ludwig backtracked. Did he say that out loud? Oh, gott, did he say that out loud?!

Before he could get an answer, Ludwig heard Gilbert's truck coming from the distance. Because they had a private beach on their grandfather's property, he didn't have to worry about anybody seeing the truck or the merman, or anything. And for once, he was relieved that nobody had to seem his brother come out to help him.

"Oh bruder!"

Ludwig rolled his eyes and looked over at Gilbert's truck driving up on the beach. He was leaning on the horn to make his arrival as loud as possible. Feli flinched at the sound and scooted back a bit in the water from the sound and the machine barreling towards them at such an alarming rate. Ludwig simply glared at his, once again, obnoxious brother, from a distance.

"Feli, you know Gilbert."