Merworld

Page 6

"You kicked my cousin for me." He said smiling. I blushed and looked away.

"I did." He lifted my face to his and there dancing in the middle of the reef I had my first kiss. I danced with him, kissed him, held him for hours. When I finally went to bed, I swore I was still floating in the open reef.

I had a busy day, between my responsibilities, the gawkers, people congratulating me on hitting Larson, and the press. What I didn't need was my sister heading for me a look that said I wasn't done yet.

"What's wrong?" I asked on a sigh.

"Some VIP is having some trouble and is insisting on you helping him."

"Great. Where?" I headed for his room already rehearsing my 'please calm down' speech. I just stared at Carson when he opened the door.

"Patty said that a VIP was having trouble?" I was really confused.

"Patty is really bad at subtlety, so I sent a message around. I knew it would get you up here personally."

"Okay." He held out a hand. I took it letting him draw me into his room. "Why didn't you just ask me to come to your room?"

"Dramatic flair." He said as I got me look at his room. It was a suite like my parents but his had a dinner for two set up. "I like to give surprises. You seem like the 'but It's too much just for me' type. So..."

"You sent out a problem knowing that I'd come, and you could surprise me with this. Very sneaky, and sweet. Your right I'd have done that for sure." He led me to my seat. I smiled wider as I realized he'd made accommodations for arthropod seating for me.

"So, how busy did you get?" he asked me. I groaned and told him about my day. We talked and laughed for hours after dinner. I was enjoying the view from his balcony. He'd been telling me about the others he had in mind of his article series. It took me a second to realize he had stopped talking. I turned. He was smiling staring at me.

"What?"

"I know you'll probably not believe me but I'm going to say it anyway. Your beautiful." I blushed and looked away.

"Thank you. I know you well enough to know you believe it even if I don't. You wouldn't say it if you didn't mean it."

"How can you not believe it? Is it just because somebody else thinks you aren't?"

"Partially... mostly, I guess. I never belonged anywhere how can anything that doesn't belong be beautiful to anyone. Or useful." He took my in his arms holding me tight.

"I'll tell you how, they start young, following their parents example helping those who need it. Then they get older and start a fund for legal aid for discrimination, they organize support groups, housing, transportation, food, anything that anyone needs at anytime they need it. They belong with the people they helped, the people who care for them appreciate them, appreciate her." I looked up at him. How could he be real? How was it possible to find someone who actually wanted me. "Don't listen to people who can't understand what beauty is. Beauty is the heart you have, the face that smiles when she watches kids. It shows in the way you walk, with confidence."

"The way I walk?"

"Yes. I've noticed since I like to watch you."

"That's not stalkery." He laughed.

"I can't help it. I think you are beautiful and love to watch your scales sway."

"I do not sway." I said blushing worse.

"You do actually. Ask Patty if you don't believe me." I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Whatever."

"So, will you take me at me word that you are beautiful?" I nodded.

"But only for you. Not everyone who says it will mean it."

"As long as you believe me then I can work with it." I trailed my hands around his waist back and forth tracing the edge where his jelly skin started. I titled my head up a question coming to me and I wanted to change the subject anyway.

"I've been curious, a jelly's skin is rather thin and translucent. Yours is light but it doesn't seem that thin, so is it more like a seahorse?" He laughed.

"I tell you that I think you're beautiful and you ask me about my tail?"

"Yeah. It's a natural segue to neutral topics, I think. Besides I think you know I think your tail is very awesome or you'd have worn your robe."

"You are right, I do know that. I can tell when I see you look at me. To answer you question, yes though it's the light blue from my mother it's the thicker skin like my father. My tentacles vary, some are thin the lighter stinging ones are obviously but the ones I use for movement are more like the seahorse."

"That's another thing, you don't sting me when I touch." I said motioning to where his tentacles weaved around my legs.

"It's more of a fear response or of we are hunting prey. I can make it happen, like this," I felt a light zap and tingle up my leg. "but it's not a constant thing. Does this mean I can ask you something?"

"Sure."

"I can see you are built like your mother, have your fathers scales and wit." I chuckled. "But if you met someone, and decided to have kids, which side of the family do you fall on?" I gave a giggle.

"That's what you want to know?"