.+*[the little sea monster]*+.

ch.15

the hairs on the cat stand on end, as that same, back of the pescheria smell. the one that tainted luca. machiavelli suddenly lets out hisses and yowls, breaking the spell under the pair of lovers.
alberto pulls away, alarmed by machiavellis hissing. giulia curses in all kinds of profanities as luca swings his head in horror as he sees his mother and father.
his mother's face is frightened in the initial shock, and his fathers face stays that way as daniela emits in a burning rage.
"luca paguro!" she shouts, walking over and jabbing a heavy, hard accusatory finger into her sons chest. "what in the name of poseidon do you think you're doing?!" she screams, "running away to this- wearing land monster clothes- courting a fishermen, no less?!"
luca chokes a sob as alberto watches in hopeless confusion, before swinging a protective arm over luca and bawling his hand into a fist. "hey! who are you and what gives you the right to talk to luca in such a way?!" he asks.
"why?" daniela shrieks back, stepping back as she swipes a hand up, ready to slap and shank a bitch. "i'm the boys mother!"
lorenzo catches her arm, "honey, please!" he cries out, "this might not be-"
"what?!" daniela whips her head around to lorenzo, "you think his own mother can't recognise her bambino's face?"
before lorenzo can counter to that, daniela whips around again and steps forward.
luca yelps and stumbles back, before tripping and falling into the fountain behind him.
"what are you, crazy?!" alberto pushes the women away, before swinging back to grab luca. he jumps back at the feeling of rough, shedded skin and looks down in utter horror at the thing before him.
face down, peddles covering its- his face, luca is drenched. down his arms are cyan coloured to luminescence like scales.
ripped with his legs, forcing open and stretching the pantyhose stockings he was wearing, was a tail. it flapped, splashing water to the pair of presumed parents, revealing their true forms.
but all alberto could look at was luca, who looked up at him slowly, and a shamefully, eyes ringed in yellow and holding that amber glow that pierced through his soul.
luca looked up at him like a kicked puppy, before hissing in a sigh as he screwed his eyes shut. without a word of a chance to react, luca pushed himself up and walked away to the shores with his head hung low, bringing his parents with him. alberto watched on, his mouth dry as he and giulia tried to digest what they had just witnessed.

days. alberto had been looking for days. rowing hopelessly in search for answers, for luca.
he thought he would have to give up, the only thing of note was how well massimo had taken the news that well. yes, luca was the boy who saved him. but, he also, just so happened to be a sea monster.
alberto sighed as he neared isle del mare, before rowing up to shore and wading through the water, just to hop on land and lay down on his back and bask in the sun, alone with his thoughts.
or at-least, he thought he was alone. until he started hearing some sulked singing.
singing that was familiar it burned into his brain and alberto found himself stumbling around, searching for which direction the voice sounded clearest from.
he peeled himself over the corner, looking into the grove and slipping back with a hiss as he saw another sea monster.
it was luca, humming as he clawed at pebbles. he sounded distraught and choked.
alberto hit his lip, unsure of what to say or do.

daniela had finally spotted in her search to find her son, she thought she put giuseppe on watch! for the love of neptune. giuseppe was watching luca, well, if you count watching as crying and comforting a crying luca. she sighed at how distraught her son looked, and went to go and try and fix their relationship, but she flared up as she saw that land monster boy again!
oh, that-
drilling her tail, she went to dart forward and shake the bees from the boys brain. but she was held back from her arm, yanked by lorenzo. she whipped around to look at him, but he was silent and focused on luca, so she turned to look at their son.

alberto sighed through his nose, biting his lip.
"i lost him once," he murmured, "i'm not going to lose him again." he vowed.
"alberto?" he hears a weak cry, he peeks over and sees luca looking straight at him, with big, brimmed with the tears eyes.
alberto smiles weakly, and waves. luca sniffles and shakes his head, looking around frantically as alberto rushes over to him, taken a-back by the breathtaking transformation that was sea monster to land monster. luca hissed.
"alberto," luca rushes to grab his hands, dragging him down as he looks around frantically and hisses, hunched anxiously, "you've got to get away from here."
"no!" alberto snaps back, rushing his hands up to lucas shoulders, "i won't leave you."
luca looks at alberto desperately, and hiccups as he crashes his head into albertos chest, crying as he clutches the boy.

daniela watches in stunned silence. then turns as lorenzo pats her gingerly, she sighs.
"he really does love him," asks the slumped she-monster, looking up at her mate weakly, "doesn't he, lorenzo?" 
"well," lorenzo clicks his tongue, shaking his head with a chuckle, "it's like i always say. children have got to be free to live their own lives." he hushes.
daniela blinks through her tears, then whips her head to her mate, nostril flared.
"you- always say that?" she chuckles, teasingly. laughing as lorenzo sputters, she sighs, wiping away a tear as she smiles.
"then, i guess there's just . . ." she looks up to the pair of star-crossed lovers holding each other, "one problem left."
"and what would that be, my queen?" lorenzo asks.
"how much i'm going to miss him." she sniffs, before nodding slowly as she swims over, holding lorenzos hand as they dart over and wade to the boys.
they're holding eachother with baited breath before alberto notices and pulls back, looking from luca to daniela in fear.
luca sniffs, his cheeks dusted with scales. he holds onto alberto for dear life, like he'll slip away. it's a wordless exchange between him and his mother as she nods approvingly, smiling.
luca blinks, then grins, laughing before whipping around to alberto who seems to have caught on to what's happening and grins back. they laugh as luca crashes him into a hug, smiling like an idiot before he grabs albertos face and pulls him into a kiss.

these two,,, i swear to god my heart hurts 😢😭😩😔🥺😳😖😫👊🤌💓💞💕✨❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💖💜💙