There Are Plenty Of Fish In the Sea

Misunderstood Words

     Tonight was the night. Chip couldn't keep his feelings hidden any longer. He had slipped up so many times, and if he didn't confess soon he would end up hurting the person he loved the most. It was getting harder and harder to dance around the truth. He promised he wouldn't lie, so he merely told half truths. Instead of saying I was zoned out thinking about how much I am in love with you, Chip would say he was busy thinking about something. It wasn't a lie, he was just leaving out important details. But Chip's constant pining was getting more obvious.

     And what made Chip's situation worse was that he was in love with Gill of all people. That stupid fish had made Chip fall head over heels for him. Sure Chip thought the triton was attractive when they first met, but Chip didn't really feel like putting moves on someone so new to the world. And honestly Chip could've gotten over Gill if it wasn't for that stupid kiss. That stupidly, amazing kiss. He knew that Gill kissed him to solve the puzzle and save the island, but Chip couldn't help but feel like the kiss ment a little bit more. It ment a bit more to Chip. It meant a lot more. He would trade anything, if it meant Chip could kiss Gill one more time. But there's no way Gill liked Chip back. Gillion Tidestrider, Champion of the Undersea, Hero of the Deep, Chosen By the Gods, in love with Chip, an orphaned boy, forgotten by the Gods, stripped of the only family he'd ever known. Gill could get any man, on land or in sea, he wanted, so why would he ever choose Chip.

     But how Chip fell in love with Gill didn't matter. All that mattered was Chip finally confessing to Gill before he chickened out. Chip had practiced exactly what he would say to Gill. He would keep it quick and simple, and finish it off with reassurance that the two could still be friends. The only thing left to do was to talk to Gill during his watch. It would be better to talk to Gill alone, that way they could speak privately and Chip wouldn't be rejected infront of the whole crew.

     So that left Chip, staring up at the sleeping quarter's ceiling, waiting for Jay's watch to be over. Chip often couldn't fall asleep so laying wide awake in his hammock wasn't new to him. He had practically memorized every nook and crany of the ceiling above him by now. He began to recount the number of planks above him, when the sound of a door creaking interrupted his thoughts. Quickly Chip shut his eyes to make it seem like he was fast asleep. He didn't want Jay asking why he was still awake.

     "Oh my god, I can not keep my eyes open any longer." Jay shut the door behind her and dragged her tired feet to Gillion's sleeping barrel. She knocked on the lid three times before Gillion lifted the lid of the barrel.

     "It's your watch Gill," Jay mumbled as she kicked off her boots, and flopped down on her bed. Jay was asleep before she even hit her pillow, her steady breathing filling the room.

     Gillion rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he placed Pretzel back in her jar. He carefully stepped out of his barrel, making sure not to disturb his two sleeping co-captains. Then strapped Pretzel to his hip, grabbed his sword, and headed to the main deck to take his watch.

     Chip waited for a couple minutes after Gill left the room. It would look suspicious if Chip got up the same time Gill went to take his watch. Chip eventually got up from his hammock and tiptoed to the door. As he stepped out of the bottom deck, the cold night air bit at his skin. Chip let out a small shiver before looking around to find Gill, only for Gill to find Chip first.

     "Chip, what are you doing awake? Did you have nightmares again?" Gill lifted Chip up from the hatch and onto the main deck, startling Chip and causing him to yelp.

     "Oh, it's just you Gill," sighed Chip, "No, I didn't have any nightmares. I actually just wanted to talk to you... alone." Pretzel gurgled what seemed like a hello, so Chip gave the frogtopus a kind wave, before looking up at Gill. Chip let his eyes take in the sight before him. The moonlight illuminating Gill's figure, along with the gentle breeze flowing though his hair. The stars seemed to dance in the reflection of Gill's eyes on top a lake of beautiful Cyan. So beautiful infact, Chip couldn't find the will to look away.

     "Well what is it you wish to tell me Chip?" Gill asked while tilting his head like a dog does when it's confused. It made Chip's heart flutter. Every stupid, adorable thing that Gill did made Chip's heart flutter. The way Gill always puffed out his chest and took a big breath before mentioning destiny, to the way Gill's fins would press against his head when he was flustered.

     Chip pushed his fluttering heart down, and forced him to continue with his confession, despite his brain so desperately wanting him to stay quiet.

     "Well, um...Gill i've...i've been hiding something from you," Chip admitted, breaking eye contact to stare at the deck floor. He couldn't find the courage to look Gill in the eyes, to admit his feelings right to Gill's face. Gill remained silent for awhile, causing Chip's anxiety to swell.

     "What do you mean you've been hiding something. You said you wouldn't lie to me Chip. You promised." Gill's stern words broke the silence like a stone shattering a mirror. Chip looked up to correct Gill, to assure him that he didn't lie, but Gill's face took the words out of Chip's mouth and scattered them in the wind. It was face of anger and betrayal. Gill once soft eyes that looked at Chip with care, now looked at him with icy, cold, disappointment. And as Chip saw Gill's hand tighten around his blade's handle, memories flooded Chip's mind. Memories of a cold, icy, morning, waking up to an even colder ice arena. Memories of anger and betrayal, and Chip's blood splattered across the main deck, with a sword held to his neck. Chip could see that Gill's face look similar to that day. Pain and fear pulled at Chip's heart as the realization hit him.

     "No! No Gill. Not like that. What I mean to say is...well...that I like you." Chip's cheeks donned a light shade of pink as he confessed to Gill. He really couldn't believe how much effort it took just to admit that to Gill. But Chip could tell by the Triton's perplexed face that he didn't quite understand.

     "As in I love you Gillion Tidestrider. As in I want to be with you. I want to date you Tidestrider," announced the rather red face Chip. And as Chip's words flowed through the wind to Gill's ears, the Triton's eyes began to open wide and a bright purple hue began to glow on his cheeks. His grip on his blade grew slack, and the sword fell back to Gill's side.

     "And I know you don't like me back, so you don't even have to say anything. We can just go back to being best friends, and crewmates. Nothing has to change," sputtered Chip trying to reassure Gill that his feelings didn't matter, and everything was fine. But when Gill didn't respond, Chip began to get nervous. He began to spew more apologies, and reassurances. Yet still Gill did not answer, his face was stuck in a state of shock. Chip eventually ran out of apologies to give, so he stood in slience, staring at Gill waiting for a response. For reassurance that he hadn't ruined Gill and his' friendship. But all Chip heard was Pretzel's soft gurgles, trying to get Gill to snap out of his trance.

     "Since you are already awake, you can take this watch. I shall head back to bed," mumbled Gill eventually after a long awkward silence. He quickly climbed down the hatch and back into his water barrel. Pretzel tried to protest but there wasn't much she could do.

     That left Chip alone on the main deck, stuck with the embarrassment of his confession. Flush quickly leaving his cheeks as warm tears rolled over them instead. His quiet sobs drowned out by the sound of the waves crashing against the ship.