Ariel couldn't stop staring at her legs in disbelief. She wasn't sure if she was feeling more terrified or giddy as she stared at the two long, pale limbs stretched out under the water in the lifeboat. Half of her wanted to yell, but the other half couldn't stop the smile from creeping onto her face.

"What…how…" she stuttered, unable to convey the thoughts she wasn't even quite sure she understood.

"Magic, love. You're a woman now. Care to try walking?" Killian said, a smirk across his face as he watched the beautiful young lady marvel at her legs. He extended his hand to her. She looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with tears, which he assumed were from both joy and fear. "Come now, it's easy."

Tentatively, Ariel placed her small, soft hand in his larger, rougher one. He helped pull her to her feet, but she couldn't support herself on newfound, unused muscles. She stumbled, nearly crashing back into the water, but Killian pulled her to him, supporting her before she could fall. Her hand was still encircled by his, both of them resting against his chest. She was pulled close to his body, relying mostly on him to hold her up.

The two of them made eye contact, and in a slow, confusing and breathtaking moment, found that neither could look away. All Ariel could think was, here he was – the man she had been gazing upon for weeks, marveling at the line of his jaw, the wind in his hair, and the look in his eyes. Killian's mind was busy trying to memorize the curve of her lips and the light smattering of freckles across her nose. He was mesmerized by the way her breath felt as it tumbled over his throat.

All too soon, though, a heavy wave knocked the ship off balance, sending them both crashing to the floor. Ariel landed on top of him, blushing and clumsy, still struggling to figure out how to use her legs to maneuver off away. With an awkward and nervous giggle, she tried climbing off of him, but he wrapped an arm around her waist and kept her close.

"I quite like the view from here, mermaid," he whispered, his lips close to her cheek.

"I already told you my name is Ariel," she corrected, but her voice held little protestation.

"Ariel," Killian sighed, rolling the name around on his tongue. He ran his hand through her locks, tangling his fingers in the curls at the base of her neck. "Well, no matter, I still am enjoying the scenery."

Her cheeks blushed even more scarlet at his words and at his hand stroking her hair. Clearly unsure of what to do or say, she cleared her throat and tried to push up off of him again.

"So, um, are you going to teach me to walk now?" Ariel blurted, sitting up too abruptly.

"Aye, if that's what you want, love. But first, we need to get some clothes on you. Don't know how much longer I can resist the temptation," he said coyly, his eyes travelling down her body. She looked away, feeling embarrassed, though she wasn't sure exactly what he meant. "I don't have any dresses befitting of a princess, so these will have to do."

He stood and walked over to an unsightly wooden dresser, pulling out a pair of worn, brown trousers and tossing them to her. She caught them, but eyed them incredulously.

"I don't know what to do with these," she mumbled. With a dark chuckle, he crossed the room and kneeled by her side.

"Well, let me show you then, love," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear as he pulled her to her feet. Still wobbly, she had to hold his shoulders as he kneeled before her and guided her right foot, then her left foot into the pants. As he carefully helped her feet through the legs, Killian shifted his head slightly, his nose brushing against Ariel's bare thigh. She gasped, her fingers reactively tightening on his shoulders. He froze, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly before helping her shimmy the pants up her legs. When he stood and met her gaze, her eyes looked hazy and surprised, but were fixated directly on him.

"You have no idea the things I want to do to you right now," he breathed huskily, his fingers working in tandem with his hook to lace up the front of the pants, lightly brushing against her through the worn leather. Her breathing was ragged, and he was fighting to keep his even. Once he tied the knot, he took a step back, watching the torrent of confusion and desire flash in her eyes.

"Step towards me. Left foot," he instructed, taking one of her hands in his good one and guiding her other hand to his shoulder. She daintily lifted her toes from the planks below her feet and placed them back down several inches closer to him. Her eyes were now intently focused on the ground. "Very good, love. Now shift your weight onto that foot."

Slowly, Ariel did as Killian told her, and shifted forward. She lost her balance slightly, falling into him again. She herself wasn't even sure if she had done it by accident or on purpose, just to be close to him again. He chuckled and took another step back.

"Right foot this time," he coached, smiling when she got the step right. They continued on like that for several minutes, each time, Ariel taking baby steps closer to him, still putting much reliance in the support of his hand and shoulder. Soon, he took several steps away, leaving her standing on her own in the middle of the room.

"It's easy, Ariel. Do what you just did, but by yourself," he said, beckoning her towards him with his hook. She took a shaky breath and lifted her foot to take her first step by herself.

Neither of them knew it, but this wasn't the last time Ariel would find herself on shaky ground, wanting nothing more than to hold Killian's hand again.