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

VIII - Taken...?

Mariana sat in her usual spot, beaming with happiness as she meticulously crafted a flower crown. Her thoughts drifted to her new boyfriend— "BOYFRIEND" she squealed aloud, her fin flapping with giddy excitement. Refocusing on her task, she was determined to make this crown her best yet, selecting vibrant red flowers interwoven with the occasional black blossom made from squid ink. She was truly content, confident in her love, and certain of her future. She felt beautiful, and life felt perfect.

Lost in the rhythm of weaving, she basked in the memory of the kisses they'd shared that magical night. Her arm ached for his warmth, remembering how it felt to be held by him, his tongue wrapping around her arm, the folds encasing it wholly, how romantic! A blush crept up her cheeks just thinking about it. Her father would murder Kaine if he did that to her again, but...He was so—

Suddenly, two shadows loomed over her, and in an instant, a giant glass wall enclosed her. She screamed, trying to swim away, but was swiftly scooped up and raised to the surface. Clutching the edge of the container with fear in her eyes, she feared she might die before seeing her beloved again. But as she looked up, she saw two boys peering down at her. One had red hair streaked with black, while the other had black hair streaked with red, both with tiny horns on their heads. They gazed at her excitedly.

"Whoa!" the red-haired boy exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. "He's going to love this!" he squealed, as the other boy plunged his hand into the water. Mariana didn't swim away this time. Instead, she wrapped herself around the hand, hugging it tightly with her tail. She loves kids, they were so cute and huggable.

"She's so pretty!" the black-haired boy gushed, rubbing her head gently with his thumb.

"We can give this to big brother for dinner," they said in unison. Mariana's eyes widened.

"What?! No, wait! You can't eat me!" she panicked.

"Why not?" one of the boys asked, and Mariana quickly concocted a plan.

"I—I know him!" she blurted out, hoping to buy some time. Despite it being a blatant lie, she was going to find a way to live.

"Our big brother?" the black-haired boy asked, and Mariana nodded frantically.

"Yeah, we go way back. Uh..." she stammered, trying to sound convincing.

"Prove it," they demanded in sync, tilting their heads.

"Uhh, maybe just take me to him," she mumbled, unsure of her own idea. The boys lit up.

"Okay!" they agreed, grabbing the container and running off. Mariana watched as they raced through their kingdom. The architecture amazed her, but her thoughts were on escape. The boys eventually covered the jar with a lid, and Mariana couldn't see where they were going.

Meanwhile, Kaine lay in his room, shirtless, hugging his pillow. His thoughts were filled with Mariana—how he would dress when he saw her, how many times he would kiss her, how she would feel against him. His peaceful daydreams were abruptly interrupted when the door burst open, and two little rascals barged in.

"I thought I told you to find something to do!" Kaine yelled, sitting up and chucking a cushion at them.

"We did! We went fishing and caught you a really pretty fish! It can talk, too. You can eat it, but if you want to keep it, you can put it in there," they explained, pointing to the new fish tank on his bedside table. Kaine sighed.

"Boys, this fish tank isn't for fish. I made it for... never mind. What do you mean the fish can talk?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. Sure enough, they held a jar with a graceful blue being inside. Mariana stopped moving, her eyes lighting up when she saw Kaine.