II.
There was something rippling through the water.
Something strange.
Something powerful.
This was nothing ordinary. It was not a current or a wave. The ocean and the earth under it was still. No tremors below. No breeze above.
And yet there was something powerful surging through the water.
He could feel it. He was sensitive to it.
He swam toward it. The water, as always, was cool against the pale skin of his face, torso, and arms. The powerful tail that propelled him forward was warm with exertion, and he glided through the water as swiftly as a bird soared through the sky.
He blended in well against the dark seaweed he swam through. He coveted his camouflage. He utilized it to hide away from the rest of his kind.
As he continued to swim toward the sensation, it grew stronger. However, it seemed to be eluding him. Glancing to the surface, he saw a great shadow moving overhead. There was something above the surface, in the air. The energy was coming from there, but what was it?
Then, quite suddenly, there was a great burst of bubbles nearly an arms width away from him.
Something had landed in the water.
He quickly stopped his advancement, his brows furrowing in confusion.
As the bubbles floated to the surface and popped, they left behind a figure in their pace. It was a human.
A female human.
What's more, he could feel that she was the origin of the powerful surge.
She was what he was being called to. He watched her for a moment, baffled. This human girl wrapped in strange, heavy garments held some kind of power within her; a power that was kindred with his. Somehow, someway, he was connected to this human being.
Who, he realized belatedly, was drowning.
He had assumed her initial flailing within the water was actually swimming, but when her body convulsed and then began to still, he realized something was very, very wrong.
Despite his better judgement, he swam to her side and reached out to her. He cradled her gently at first, not exactly sure of what he planned to do.
Why should he bother to save this human girl? Yes, there was certainly a connection between them, but this connection could prove to be disastrous. If he didn't save her, then the connection would be gone forever. It would never bother him again. If he did save her, then their bond could potentially send him over the brink of insanity.
Because he knew that if he saved her, he may grow attached. And he couldn't afford attachment.
Having felt his touch, the girl opened her eyes. He could read her expression as clear as the tides. She was surprised, then curious. Her eyes quickly roved over his features and when he found himself gravitating closer to her, she glanced down.
He nearly chuckled at the surprised expression that lit her features upon sighing the not-very-human half of him.
Until her eyes slipped closed again.
He had to act quickly now, but he had made up his mind.
He adjusted his grip on her, brought her closer. He felt the strange garment she wore on the bare skin of his torso. His caudal fin found itself wrapping around the lower part of a leg.
He brought his face closer to her own. He hesitated for just a moment. Then he pressed his lips against hers.
He had to intensify the kiss as he coaxed her lips to part and mouth open. He had to press impossibly close to keep the water from rushing in.
He breathed life into her. There was no other way he could describe it. It was his strange abilities that had isolated him from the rest of his kind and given him the power to do what others simply couldn't.
Such as save this girl from drowning.
Ensuring a seal over her mouth, he parted their lips and began to swim as quickly as he could. Her weight made it difficult, but not impossible. He knew she would survive the next few moments, but if she stayed submerged in the water for too much longer the seal would break and she would perish.
Luckily, he knew exactly where to take her.
Author's Note:
Thank you very much for all those who are reading and enjoying this fic! Truly, the first bit was something I created completely on a whim and in the span of about 45 minutes simply because I was inspired by a fantastic piece of art.
The kiss wasn't intended to be very "sexy". He's trying to save her life, not romance her.
If you're wondering about the caudal fin… Google "anatomy of an eel". That's what I did. WhatamIdoingwithmylife.
I'm going to refrain from turning this story into chapters. It will be marked as completed after this is uploaded, and I cannot promise that I will write more to follow it. It honestly just depends on how inspired I am by this and how much thought I really want to put into it. If I continue, then I will need to flesh out plot and the situation of this universe and at the moment I don't think I am quite up for it.
Again, thank you so much and I hope you enjoyed.