G/t one-shots and short stories

Friends Out of Water Chapter 2 (Mermaid tale)🐟

Ana lay in the bathroom sink. Her tail swished back and forth in the cool water. Ana had been shrunk for a day now. Forest had come back from work with things for her tank. A filter system and other comforts for her, he refused to let her see, saying it was a 'surprise'. Ana had been amused at this. She had let him pick her up. She can feel the echoes of his warm skin on her body. She found that she liked him picking her up in his big hands. That part of her tiny problem she didn't mind.

The gentle hum of the filter melded with the tinkling chime of water being poured. Forest arranged colorful gravel on the bottom of the tank. Then he placed vibrant water plants, their roots nestling into the pebbles, leaves reaching towards the light above. Before re-doing the tank, Forest had moved it into his bedroom, clearing a space for it on his desk. This way, he could keep her close.

Forest chuckled at the next thing he put in the tank; he hoped his tiny aquatic girlfriend found these as amusing as he did. He pulled out a collection of western-themed props from his shopping bag. A tiny plastic cactus and two little hideaways. Each with a funny fish pun on it. One was a little inn called the 'Finn Inn' and the other a little jail called the 'Gill-ty Jail". He chuckled at the thought of Ana seeing them, hoping it would coax a smile from her and ease some of the tension she had been feeling in the past twenty-four hours.

Ana waited in the bathroom sink, feeling anxious and excited. Although she had always been fiercely independent, dependence on Forest was inevitable in this shrunken form, stirring a whirlpool of conflicting emotions within her.

When Forest finally came back to collect her, Ana felt a swell of affection towards him. Gently, his hand reached for her, fingers curling around her diminutive form with care. Ana clung to his fingers. If she didn't need water to breathe, she'd linger in his palm, safe in his warm grasp.

Forest's hands hovered above the water's surface. His fingers unfurled, releasing Ana into the shimmering confines of her new home. The transition from air to water was seamless, a silent splash that enveloped her in familiar coolness. She felt his gaze upon her, steady and reassuring as she acclimated to the change.

Ana darted forward and examined her new area with a flick of her tail. The water plants swayed with her passage. She liked this added touch; it gave her some sense of privacy instead of leaving her exposed in an open area.

She approached the western-themed decor with measured strokes, her eyes narrowing at seeing the miniature shelters and cacti. Forest's attempt at humor did not escape her notice; she put her hands on her hips and locked eyes with his grinning face. She gave him a big eye roll.

Circling the props, she could feel Forest's attention on her as he watched her explore.

Forest leaned on the edge of the desk, his eyes never leaving the miniature mermaid as she navigated the confines of her new home. The wonder never ceased, seeing Ana with her blue scales and flowing hair. A part of him was thrilled that he could hold her in the palm of his hand. Holding a shrunken person like her was a secret, impossible fantasy he always had. And here she was, a dream come true. He would never tell her this, afraid of making her upset or uncomfortable. He knew how hard it was for her to lose her independence. Underneath his fascination and wonder, he felt protective and an urge to make this as easy as possible for her.

"Is it too warm? Too cold?" he asked, his eyes flicking to Ana, who now had her arms crossed on a plastic Barbie toy made to mimic an inflatable pool mattress. He had bought a few things for her from the toy section, thinking they would be useful for her new size.

Ana shook her head, her dark hair billowing in the water like seaweed caught in a gentle current. "It's just right," she replied, the gills on her back fluttering slightly as she took in the carefully conditioned water. Forest's attentiveness to her comfort made her feel cherished, even in this strange, scaled-down world.