★ The Prince and The Mermaid [Giant/Tiny]★

IV - Meetings

"Mari~" she mumbled dreamily, almost drooling as she remembered her first kiss from the night before. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger but was gently nudged by her father, snapping her back to the present. She had completely forgotten she was in a meeting with Wade and Kaine. Kaine watched her with a stoic expression as their parents conversed.

He was in a constant state of shock. He had convinced himself he had found the girl of his dreams, but now, he struggled to say anything. They had been invited to the castle, so when Wade collected them in their carriage and brought them to his house, Kaine set up cups filled with water. "Son, take Princess Mariana—" Wade started, but Kaine, to everyone's surprise, leapt from his seat and prowled over to her. "Let's go, babe," he demanded, reaching his hand towards her, looking away bashfully, causing her to blush harder. "That's so bold," she murmured, shuffling nervously. Just as he was about to sweep her off her fins, Kaine plucked her up and gazed at her. "What a pretty mermaid," he mumbled, holding her close. She squealed and clung to his blouse with starry eyes as they left the room.

King Cove was horrified. What had possessed his daughter to fall in love with such a brash boy? "I'm assuming you're shocked too?" Wade leaned toward Cove with a smug look. "She's really with him, how...?" Cove trailed off, wondering if he had made a mistake. "They hung out together for two days straight; it was bound to happen. My son really likes your daughter, even if he won't admit it," Wade commented, watching as Cove looked defeated. "Hey, that means we're brothers now, right?" Wade joked. Cove, lighting up, replied, "Yeah," and they continued discussing their plans.

Mariana sat on a giant bed for the first time. Her own bed resembled a huge open clam shell with blankets and pillows, while this bed was made of wood and other materials. Kaine showed off every valuable item in his room. He wanted to snuggle with Mari, but she was curious and begged for a tour. "What's in there?" she asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity. Kaine turned to see his underwear drawer. "Giant boy clothes," he explained carefully. She nodded, staring up at him.

"Can you call me Mari? Like you did last night when you—" she recalled him hugging her and talking about their problems. He yelped and threw his hat over her to stop her. Even if it was a good memory, it was still cringy to him. She found herself under a real pirate's hat, custom-made for him.

"KAINE, YOU HAVE A HAT?" she squeaked, bewildered. He came over and lifted it, now dressed in a black tank top and shorts. He placed the hat on his head and smirked at her. "You're staring. Do I really look that—" he started smugly, trying to tease her, but she interrupted. "You do, so handsome," she said dreamily. "Kaine, can we do 'that' again?" she asked hopefully.

"Why should we?" he snapped, unable to control his tongue. "Don't you want to kiss me?" she asked with a sad look. "HEY. NO CRYING. COURSE I WANNA KISS YA, DOLL. It's just...I don't want to hurt you," he confessed with a frown. She shook her head and reached for him. He lowered his hand, and she grabbed it. "You could never hurt me, Kaine. I trust you, and you need to trust yourself too," she said, kissing his fingertip gently. He immediately leaned in and kissed her passionately. She squeaked but leaned into it, holding his gigantic lower lip in her hands. He pulled away to admire her. "Wanna head back...Mari?" he asked with a grin, and she nodded. "Yeah, I think lunch is about ready. I can smell it."

"Wait, why do you have a nose?" he asked, confused "Don't you have gills or something?" he gently poked her nose. She shrugged, giggling. "I'm not sure," she said, embracing his finger. He smiled before lifting her to his shoulder. She buried herself within his collar as he set into motion, moving slowly to accommodate her. She had never been up this high before. She happily rubbed her face against his neck, finding the warmth she wanted. Kaine didn't mind her closeness. He was sure this girl was the one; he just hadn't said it yet.

Mariana already knew. He was terrible at hiding it—the way he touched her, acted tough around her, stared at her. She was snuggling against his neck, but he said nothing. He secretly liked it. Kaine entered the meeting room and sat next to his father, gently plucking Mariana off his neck. She squeaked and squealed as he gently bent her arms and played with her, almost as if she were a doll in his huge hands. Noticing she was a bit dry, he grabbed a cup and placed her into it.

He stared down into the glass goblet, resting his head on his arms as she swam in circles. So cute. Mariana reminded him of a jellyfish—graceful and pure.

"Mari," he found himself saying. She spun around, cheeks red, clutching them with her hands. The way she looked at him— "If either party has no fondness for the other, then—" his father spoke, but Kaine shot up with determination. "NO. I WOULD NEVER LOSE FONDNESS FOR MARIANA," he declared, standing with newfound energy. Mariana blushed, shaking her head.

"Son, we're talking about how sea alliances work..." Wade explained in a hushed voice. Kaine blanched. What had he just done? He glanced at Mariana, who was slightly embarrassed. Kaine sat down, defeated. "Kaine, I love you too," she whispered, pressing her hands against the glass. "Hey, I didn't say I love you," he mumbled, flicking her glass teasingly. She giggled, wrapping a strand of hair around her finger. "Kaine, do you also love me" she asked eagerly, her tail flopping.

"Of course, sweetheart," he replied.