Summary: The day of the Merfolk Merchant's Fair had finally arrived, and Partitio was having the time of his life. Partitio didn't think this day could get any better, until Osvald showed up, and with proof of his mission's success.


Six months later, the day of the Merfolk Merchant's Fair had finally arrived, and Partitio was having the time of his life.

"Thankee kindly, sir!" the seahorse merman said as he handed a man his bag of purchased goods, and took a small bag of leaves in return. The man looked absolutely thrilled as he walked back down the dock, and Partitio's heart swelled with pride at how well the fair was going so far.

Partitio and the rest of the merfolk had set up at the Canalbrine harbor, where the humans had been kind enough to relocate their ships for the day so that the space could be used to display all of the goods for sale. His dedication to the advertising campaign seemed to have paid off, as Partitio had never seen so many humans gathered in one place before. It really was an incredible sight.

"That was a nice sale, Partitio."

Beaming, Partitio looked up to find Roque standing on the dock, and he tipped his hat at him. "Thanks Roque! The fair is a huge hit!"

Roque chuckled as he adjusted his monocle. "I wholeheartedly agree…although, I think your father may be in over his head over there." Partitio's gaze followed where Roque was pointing his cane to the other side of the dock, where his pops was entertaining a crowd of very enthusiastic human scholars.

"You are a whale shark merman, correct?" one asked, and he along with several others gasped in awe as they took furious notes.

"Sure am!" Papp grinned as he rubbed at his neck over his gills, "There's not many of us swimmin' around anymore, and my son took after his mom, so that's one fewer still."

The scholars whipped their heads in Partitio's direction when Papp pointed at him, and he gave them a sheepish wave before they turned their attention back to Papp, asking all sorts of other questions.

"So, the type of merfolk you are is determined by genetics? Fascinating!"

"How long can you stay out of water?"

"Can merfolk consume human foods without issue?"

The questions kept on coming, and Partitio sighed and shook his head. "Now wait just a minute, is Pops just gonna be goofin' off with the scholars all day? We're supposed to be working…"

"Oh, let him have his fun," Roque said, tapping his cane on the dock, "This is not just a mercantile affair, after all. First and foremost, we want to bridge the gap between us and humans to foster better relations in the future."

Partitio nodded and flicked up the brim of his hat. "Sure, sure. But he's coverin' for me when I wanna mingle with-" He cut himself off when something on shore caught his eye, and a warmth blossomed within his chest as he let out a relieved sigh.

Osvald was standing on shore at the end of the pier, with a smile on his face that rivaled the sunset in its beauty. It seemed that he had finally discarded his prison garb, as he was wearing a rather dashing outfit that Partitio thought he looked mighty handsome in. Next to him was a girl who had a tight hold on his hand, and Partitio assumed that she was his daughter. Osvald had managed to save her, and Partitio never doubted that he would for even a second.

Partitio watched as Osvald said something to a woman on his other side, which made Partitio frown slightly at the implications of that, and she took Osvald's daughter's hand and led her over to where the scholars were still gathered around his Pops. Partitio rolled his eyes; Pops was enjoying this attention a bit too much, he reckoned…

Partitio looked back at Osvald, who was walking away from his pier and towards an empty one at the other side of the harbor, away from the crowds and prying eyes. Slapping his tail against the water in his excitement, Partitio quickly swam off towards the end of that pier, ignoring Roque's shouts behind him.

Diving under the water, Partitio lined himself up with the pier before shooting off towards it, swimming up and launching out of the water when he was close enough. Partitio was happy to see that Osvald had already made it to the end of the dock, and he was even more so when Osvald caught him in his arms, spinning a bit with the momentum.

"Osvald! You made it!" Partitio laughed as he hugged him, and his cheeks flushed when Osvald's arms tightened around him.

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world, Partitio." Osvald's eyes locked with Partitio's when he pulled away, and Partitio breath was stolen from his lungs at the fondness that he found in his beautiful eyes.

"And you saved your daughter!" Partitio said when he found his voice, and when Osvald set him down on the edge of the dock, he took his hand in his, "I'm so happy for ya!"

Osvald gave his hand a squeeze as he sat down next to him. "I did. It was dangerous business, but I managed to defeat Harvey."

"Tell me all about it!"

Partitio listened intently as Osvald regaled him with the tale of Elena's rescue and Harvey's defeat. He was happy to hear that Elena was unharmed, and that she was slowly regaining her memories and finally recognized Osvald as her father, and that brought happy tears to his eyes.

"...and my research assistant, Clarissa, has been an invaluable help to the both of us throughout this difficult adjustment period."

"Oh, your research assistant?" Partitio tried not to sound so relieved, but he was thrilled to hear that was all she was to him. Osvald stared at him for a moment, causing Partitio's cheeks to flush pink, and he brought a hand to his face and cleared his throat.

"W-Well, I'm glad it all worked out for ya, partner."

"Yes, but…" Osvald's gaze locked with Partitio's and he smiled. "I know that I wouldn't have been able to accomplish what I did without your unwavering support. Even though you were not by my side, I knew in my heart that you were wishing me well all this time."

"Aw, shucks…" Partitio said, sniffing as he rubbed at his eyes, clearing away his unshed tears, "I'd do it again, and so much more if ya asked me too."

Osvald chuckled, and his eyes went wide as he reached into his coat pocket, and Partitio tilted his head with an eyebrow raised when Osvald pulled out the silver coin that he had given him the last time they met.

"Ah, right. Here, I can give this back now." He held it out, but Partitio just smiled and shook his head.

"Naw, I want you to keep it! Think of it as your very own supply of mermaid magic." Partitio laughed, but it trailed off when he saw the oddly serious look on Osvald's face.

"Hmm…" Osvald tucked the coin away again and tapped his chin. "Well then, I still need to repay you somehow. How about…this?"

"You really don't need to-" Partitio started, but he found it hard to protest further with Osvald's lips pressed against his own. The rest of his words turned into a startled squeak in his throat, and his heart was beating so fast that he thought it might burst from his chest. Osvald was…kissing him?

Osvald pulled away from the stunned Partitio, frowning. "Partitio, did I do something wro-" He was cut off this time when Partitio grabbed his face and smashed their lips together once again. However, in his haste, he managed to lose his balance and slip off of the dock, dragging Osvald with him, and they both plunged into the cold water.

"Osvald!" Partitio broke the surface in a panic, quickly locating Osvald and grabbing him and then his own hat. He was relieved to see that Osvald managed to hang on to his glasses, and Partitio gently pushed his soaking wet hair out of his face. "S-Sorry, are ya alright?"

Osvald gripped Partitio's shoulders as he tread water, blinking owlishly a few times, before he burst out laughing so hard that tears were running down his face by the time be composed himself.

Osvald gazed at Partitio with a fondness in his eyes that gave Partitio pause. "This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'falling for someone,' you know."

Partitio gawked at Osvald, before snorting and taking his turn to have a laughing fit. Osvald's laughter joined his, and when they both recovered, their eyes met, and soon after their lips followed suit.

"Osvald…" Partitio whispered when they parted, "I love you."

"I know."

Partitio shot him a dubious look, but his eyes slowly went wide with realization, and his face flushed a bright red as he sheepishly rubbed at his neck.

"Back in the Riverlands…You were awake for that?"

"Yes."

"Then that means…"

Osvald let out a light chuckle and nodded. "Yes, I was awake when I said I love you."

"Well, shoot," Partitio said, winking as he pressed his forehead against Osvald's, "I'm sure glad that I didn't spill any super important mer secrets then!"

"What if you had?"

Partitio's tongue poked out from between his lips and a cheeky grin crossed his face. "Hehe, well, then I'd have to silence you."

"How?" Osvald brushed the back of his fingers over Partitio's cheek, and Partitio tilted his head slightly so that their noses brushed, and Partitio's lips grazed Osvald's as he spoke.

"Like…this."

Partitio kissed him again, this time deeper, more passionate, and he smiled against Osvald's lips when he moved one arm to Partitio's waist, pulling him closer. He tried to concentrate on keeping them both afloat, but that was turning out to be quite a challenge, especially when Osvald's tongue found its way into his mouth…

"Hoo-eey! You gonna put on a show for the entire fair, Partitio?"

Partitio jerked away from Osvald, but was quick to grab back onto him to help keep him afloat. He looked up at the dock to find Papp sitting on it, a knowing grin on his face as his tail dipped into the water and flicked water in Partitio's direction. Roque was standing next to him, letting out a deep sigh as he shook his head and tapped his cane against his palm.

"Shucks, pops, how'd ya manage to get away from all those scholars?" Partitio asked, sneaking a glance at Osvald, who was staring at Papp with a curious glint in his eye.

Papp barked out a laugh and shrugged. "Oh, it was pretty easy, considerin' none of them can breath underwater. But, don't change the subject, little minnow. You never told me you had a sweetheart."

Partitio blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "W-Well, it kinda just happened, Pops…"

"Well, get 'im out of the water before he catches cold, and we can have a proper introduction."

"Oh!" Partitio gasped and looked to Osvald, who chuckled and let Partitio pull him towards the dock. "Sorry Osvald, I, uh, got lost in the moment there…"

"It's fine. I was…kept sufficiently warm." Osvald winked at Partitio before taking Roque's offered hand so that he could pull him onto the dock. Partitio's face grew hot, and he couldn't stop a goofy grin from crossing his face as he pulled himself up as well.

"Hoo boy, my son really got you nice and soaked." Papp glanced at Partitio with an eyebrow raised, and he helped Osvald take off his coat while Roque handed him a few towels.

"Thank you," Osvald said as he started to towel himself dry, and Roque offered him a nod in response.

"Well shoot, I didn't expect my boy to bring a human home to me! He must take after me more than I thought." Papp chuckled as he jabbed his elbow against Roque's legs, and he got an eye-roll in response.

"Ugh, Pops," Partitio said, sticking his tongue out at him, "You're embarrassin' me."

Papp chose to ignore Partitio, and instead turned to Osvald, offering him his hand. "The name's Papp, and you are?"

"Osvald," he said, smiling as he took Papp's hand and gave it a shake, "A pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine! I'd love to sit down and have a drink with ya, but that'll have to wait until the fair's done with." Papp looked up at Roque and he nodded before walking down the pier towards shore. "You've still got some work to do, little minnow, so don't dally too much here." Papp shot Partitio a wink before diving into the water and swimming back to the heart of the fair.

"Is your father…a whale shark merman?" Osvald asked, his mouth slightly agape as he watched Papp swim off, and Partitio snickered as he slapped a hand to Osvald's shoulder.

"Sure is! Comes from a pretty rare line of merfolk. Makes me glad that I took after my ma in that regard," Partitio said with a shrug, "I don't think I could handle being ganged up on by those scholars like that, and I get enough attention as it is..."

"Hm…"

Partitio watched as Osvald tugged at his beard, his eyebrows knitting as if deep in thought, and Partitio placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Don't worry, darlin'! I'm sure he wouldn't mind answerin' questions from you, considerin' you're my sweetheart and all."

"I'd like that, if you, er, really think he won't mind," Osvald blushed as he adjusted his glasses, and Partitio nodded vigorously.

"I'm sure he-"

"Papa!"

Partitio's eyes widened as he turned to see Elena running towards them, and Osvald quickly moved to catch her as she stumbled on a few uneven planks.

"Careful, dear. Don't fall now," Osvald said, and she smiled and took his hand, "Where's Clarissa?"

"Sorry, Papa! Lady Clarissa wanted to talk to some merfolk scholars, so I came to find you."

"You really shouldn't just run off on her like that…" Osvald's words seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Elena had turned her attention to Partitio, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Partitio beamed at her and ruffled her hair. "Howdy there, Elena! My name's Partitio."

"Nice to meet you, Partitio!" Elena said, and she averted her gaze as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, before her eyes met Partitio's and a shy smile crossed her face, "Um, can I touch your tail?"

"You sure can!" Partitio grinned as he uncurled the end of his tail, and Elena's eyes went wide as she ran her hand over the hard yellow skin.

"Wow, fascinating…" she mumbled, her brow scrunching up as she rubbed at her chin; she was definitely Osvald's daughter.

"Partitio! Get over here and work your mercantile magic already!"

Partitio heard Papp's voice carry over the sounds of the fair, and he let out a sigh and turned to Osvald. "I gotta get back to work."

"Shall I carry you over there?" Osvald asked, and Partitio beamed as he nodded in response. Sure, it would be faster to just swim over, but as Osvald gathered him into his arms, Partitio decided that he much preferred this method of transportation.

"Oooh, Papa, I wanna show you some cool books I saw!" Elena said, and she took off down the pier again.

"Be careful!" Osvald called after her, and he let out a deep sigh as she continued running.

"She's a good kid, sweetheart," Partitio said, cupping his face and placing a quick kiss onto his lips, "And she's got a damn good papa."

"Thank you, love," Osvald said as he carried Partitio towards shore, "Partitio, do you have any immediate plans after the fair."

Partitio hummed as he tapped at his chin. "Well, I'll be here for a few more days, as we've got trade deals in the works with some human merchants, but after that I reckon I could take some well-deserved downtime."

"I see…" Osvald hummed and his arms tightened around Partitio. "Then, would you like to come to Conning Creek? I think it would be beneficial to have a proper conversation about our relationship, if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind!" Partitio blurted out, and he rubbed at the back of his neck when Osvald laughed, "I'm really looking forward to what the future holds for us, Osvald."

"Me too, Partitio."

Partitio's eyes locked with Osvald's, and their lips met in another kiss. When Partitio had rescued this odd human floating in the middle of the sea on a boat made of ice, he never would have imagined falling in love with him. But now that Partitio was here, cradled in that very same human's arms, he thought that his heart might burst from the amount of love that he held in his heart for Osvald, and he had a feeling that Osvald felt the very same way.