Insane House Competition: mermaid/merman

365: teal

Bath Bomb Appreciation, Mermaid's Delight: Write a mermaid!au

Tea Event, Gone Surfing: Write something set at sea

Showtime, "Words Fail": worthy

Sticker Challenge, badger: Write about a loyal character

Word Count: 1378

Sirius doesn't know how long he's been following the ship. He no longer tries to track the days since it's left the English Isle on its way to who knows where.

All merfolk are fascinated by humans. There's something hypnotic about their legs and the way they can move between land and water. To Sirius' knowledge, however, none have ever been so drawn to a single human being.

He doesn't know what it is about the young man he often sees leaning against the ship's railing, but Sirius follows along, happy to steal glances of the tawny haired man. Something about the man calls to him, and Sirius feels the tug in his heart.

There's a light splash behind him, and he turns to see his brother swimming over. "It's time to come home, Sirius," Regulus tells him.

Sirius rolls his eyes. They're at sea; everywhere he turns is home. Of course, he knows what Regulus means. He can only imagine the scandal the Atlantean prince's disappearance has caused. Should anyone discover his endless pursuit, his mother's prideful heart might not be able to take it; Sirius can only hope.

"I will return to our kingdom when I am good and ready, brother," Sirius says, grazing his fingers over the teal waves and watching the ripples dance across the surface. "I have other things to tend to."

Regulus laughs. "Following a human who can never know of our existence? You're a lot of things, but I never thought you to be a fool."

Clenching his jaw, Sirius turns his back to his brother and pushes himself forward. He won't allow Regulus to bait him into a fight.

The younger prince swims after him, easily keeping up with Sirius' quick strokes. Sirius rolls his eyes. Everyone always accuses him of being stubborn, but Regulus is just as bad. "Have they sent you to follow me?" he asks. "Should I expect armed guards to ambush me and drag me back in a net?"

Regulus snorts. "Don't be ridiculous. Mother wouldn't be able to survive the scandal. I'm here because I want to be."

Sirius glances at him, brows raised. While his brother might be telling the truth, he doesn't full trust him. Regulus has always be the cunning one. He doesn't do anything without some ulterior motive swaying his hand.

"Come home, Sirius."

"No."

Regulus shrugs before swimming backwards, his green and grey fins poking out from the calm sea. "Well, I tried."

Sirius raises his brows suspiciously. In his mind, the pieces seem to click together. "Didn't try very hard," he notes.

Regulus will be able to go back and say he tried. The younger prince will be hailed as the hero who tried to dissuade his wayward brother from this pursuit. If Sirius doesn't return, his brother's claim on the throne will be stronger.

Sirius considers for a moment. His eyes drift back to the ship in the distance. The young human is on the deck, enjoying the sunshine. He knows his pursuit is foolish. They are from two different worlds, and the human can never know about Sirius. It would be wise to return home with his brother and go back to the way things should be.

But he can't. The young man's heart continues to sing for him, and Sirius can't ignore it.

"Return to the kingdom, Regulus," he says. "I have found my calling."

"And what will you do when the ship reaches land? Pine away?"

Sirius doesn't answer. He dives the waves, swimming away. Now, Regulus doesn't follow him.

…

The sea is vicious tonight. The violent waves churn, but Sirius is not bothered by the change. He has been part of the sea for so long and can adapt easily enough.

The ship, however, does not have the same luck. He watches as the ship is tossed about. Voices drift through the air, panic saturating each syllable.

It happens in the blink of an eye. One moment, the ship is rocking but stable. The next, it's ripped apart.

Sirius swims closer, his heart racing. His human is among the wreckage. He cannot just abandon him.

He keeps his tail completely submerged as he approaches the ruined ship, though he doubts anyone would notice it at all in the frenzy. Still, he doesn't want to take any chances.

He finds the man on some driftwood, a nasty gash on his head. Sirius is careful as he wraps an arm around the young man. Humans are such fragile creatures after all.

No one pays them any mind. They are all afraid, too concerned with their own survival to notice the merman swimming away with the unconscious human.

"Sleep," Sirius sings as the human tries to stir. "Sleep, my love, and I will keep you safe and warm."

…

Sirius lays on the rock, his bottom fins dipped in the calm water. His eyes are fixed upon the young man in the sand. The wound on his head has been healed through sea magic, and all Sirius has to do is wait.

The man groans. Slowly, he sits up, blinking against the sun. His eyes rest upon Sirius' majestic teal and sea green tail. "I died," he murmurs. "I died, and there are mermaids in heaven."

"Mermen," Sirius corrects, pushing himself off the rock and into the water. He swims to the shallows area near the shore, careful not to get too close. "And you're not dead. You're welcome for that."

The man is silent for several moments. He stretches his arms and legs, groaning. "The ship? I remember a storm, and... "

Sirius recounts the story as well as he can. The man listens quietly, dragging his finger across the sand seemingly without thought. When Sirius finishes, the man's finger comes to a halt. "I'm lucky you were so close."

"It wasn't a coincidence. I've been following you," Sirius admits.

"Why?"

The merman shrugs. "Your heart called to me, and I answered."

"I thought I saw you once. The Captain said there have been reports of merfolk, but I decided I just imagined it."

"I'm Sirius."

"Remus. Remus Lupin. Where are we?"

"Not sure," Sirius admits. "The island is uninhabited. I swam the perimeter, and there's no one."

Remus nods, a frown on his lips. It clearly isn't the answer he had hoped for, but it also doesn't seem to bother him too much. Whatever reasons he'd had to be aboard that ship don't seem to mean much now. "I always wanted my own island," he says.

"I can bring you fish," Sirius tells him. "You won't starve."

Remus reaches out to him, taking Sirius' hand.

…

Days pass, and they grow close. Sirius wonders if any of his kind have ever become so well acquainted with a human before. While it isn't forbidden, such things are taboo. Humans are not made for the sea, and merfolk are not made for land.

Remus tells him that he had been on his way to meet the woman he'd been arranged to marry. He confides that he's always been afraid, the he wants to be able to follow his heart. Sirius tells him about Atlantis, and how the city became an empire that expanded across the ocean floor, offering a safe haven to merfolk and other sea creatures.

"I was a prince."

The two lay on the shore. Sirius upper body rests in the sand while his lower half remains safe in the water. He watches the stars as they twinkle overhead, a small smile on his lips.

"Was?" Remus asks. "Why aren't you?"

Sirius shifts his gaze to the man. "I followed my heart."

Silence hangs between them. Remus seems to ponder this for several seconds, his smile fading as understanding sets in. "I'm not worthy of that," he whispers. "You shouldn't have given up your future for me."

"I told you before. Your heart calls to me," he says gently, taking Remus by the hand. "You are my future."

Remus gives his hand a reassuring squeeze. Though he doesn't speak, he doesn't have to. Sirius can feel it in the air.

They are an odd couple— one that should not be. It doesn't matter, though. Their worlds have collided, and there is no separating them now.