Gem of the Sea (Mertalia SpaMano AU)

37

Toni hit the water with a gasp, all the air escaping his lungs in a rush of bubbles, his feet hit sand and his chest started aching "how far down was he? What was this nonsense?

For all his struggling, he wasn't sure he was getting anywhere near the surface and it was getting harder to focus without air, the thought suddenly occured to him that maybe Lovi's father, who he'd first heard of as being a bastard, might have just tricked him into killing himself.

Everything was just fading out of his mind when a strong arm wrapped around his waist and water started rushing past. He wheezed and spat out a lungful of water, blinking and looking around he found Lovi shaking him by the shoulders "what was that?! Are you stupid you bastard? Are you trying to give me premature grey hair?! Why did you throw yourself into the ocean?!" He screeched, throwing him up onto the beach "what the fuck?!"

"Well, I figured," Toni wheezed, wiping his eyes "those witches used me as bait so much, I might be able to do the same" Anuk was coming down the cliff side path as he crawled over to the water again "let me look at you, how are you? Healed?"

"I'm well enough to come keep you out of trouble, what would you have done if I hadn't showed up?" He crossed his arms.

It was later, once Toni and Anuk had set a campfire on the sand, that they really got talking, it started off with a discussion about everything that had happened, and despite the warm fire, Toni opted to sit in the cold water with Lovi tucked close in his arms, Anuk frowned "why don't you two come sit up here where it's warm?" She wasn't actually watching them, she was rummaging around in a bag she'd brought, Lovi was slightly baffled by how much this woman carried around with her, as she produced a brown paper package and a loaf of bread, the package, as it turned out, contained cheese.

Lovi sighed and dragged himself out of the water, he didn't want to try changing while the others were around, not only because of the fact that humans apparently had to deal with modesty, but because he didn't actually have much faith in the curse being gone. Conversation was lacking as they ate untill Toni asked "are you sure you can stay out this late? It's almost sunset? Won't your family notice?"

"Actually," Lovi glanced at the water "they know where I am, and I have their blessing to be here, besides, they couldn't force me to leave if they wanted to" he grinned

Anuk was puzzled "why not, I thought you said it was law that you couldn't be here, and we couldn't go there?"

"Well first off, both those laws are long since broken now, and also, they said Mermaids can't go on land"

"Last I checked, you're Mer"

"So did I" he shrugged, his fin thumping against the sand "but it seems my father didn't care much for these laws because I, unlike my half brothers, am by law both a human and a merman"

"Holy shit" she whispered "that's certainly a loophole" she nodded, exchanging a look with her brother.