dreamnotfound / gream • one shot / short story book

lovers overboard

a n o t h e r merman! George x pirate/sailor! Clay because I can

and I totally didn't listen to sea shanty 2 from RuneScape for this
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The commotion from the ship's main deck was enough to pull Clay out of his slumber. There were people running about his mother's ship frantically. Panic rose in Clay's chest thinking they were being attacked, again.

Clay saw a familiar face rush towards him, he stuck his arms out in an attempt to stop the boy. "Woah," Clay felt his friend Darryl run into his hands. "Darryl, what's going on are we under attack?" Clay tried to ask calmly, but urgency to know laced his words.

Darryl was breathing heavy as he broke into a smile. "There you are you muffin!" He laughed. "They caught one! Come on!"

Clay didn't have to ask what the 'one' was.

His mother was given the task of returning to some posh city with a mermaid that was to be used and sold for show. He knew how much the mission meant to her, it would give her enough gold to last them and their crew for a long time.

"Go go go!" Clay pushed into Darryl's back to run across the ship faster. They weaved and bobbed around their crew mates, jumping over loose ropes tied to the sails.

They approached a group of people who were using a wooden crane to lift what looked like a net. Clay and Darryl skid to a stop wide eyed as Clay's mother laughed triumphantly. The net was moving frantically, as if something was trying to free itself.

Clay realized quickly that, holy shit, something actually was trying to free itself from the net. He caught a glimpse of the creature, Clay's breath hitched in his throat as he saw the glimmer of blue scales meeting pale skin. The mermaid- merman- had brown hair, and was flailing around in the net. The crane lifted the net and the boy over the side of the ship, dropping him to the wooden deck with a nasty thud.

The merman squeezed his eyes shut as the sailors surrounded him, opening them again amidst the excited shouting.

Clay looked at the creature's soft face, feeling paralyzed as desperate brown eyes met his own. The poor thing was panicked, pushing the net away with its arms and whipping its tail.

Clay's heart dropped as one of the men aboard the ship slammed the heel of his foot into the boy's ribs. "Stop movin' ye damn sea creature."

Clay watched in silence as a pained expression became written on the merman's face, cradling his body with his arms to protect himself from any more attacks.

Darryl was shaking him from the side, trying to get his attention, but Clay was focused on the beautiful creature as it was lugged away.

He heard Darryl whistle loudly into his ear. "Ocean to Clay," Darryl snapped his fingers a few times. "You muffin, focus."

Clay shook his head lightly, turning to look at Darryl. "Wasn't that cool?!"

Clay laughed, a pit forming in his stomach as he lied. "Yeah, it was!" He faked, mind still thinking of those poor, innocent eyes.

He was raised as a pirate, to be ruthless and strong. But the second Clay's eyes met the merman's, he felt so wrong for wanting to ever help his mother capture something so ethereal.

Clay went back to his private quarters (courtesy of being the captain's son) to change into better attire to meet with his mother. He changed into a flowy white shirt, with a dark green overcoat and black pants. His sword strapped to a leather belt around his waist.

After a few minutes, he exited his quarters and aimed to reach the other side of the ship where his mother's office was.

"Clay, did I raise you without manners?" His mother scolded and he knocked on the door. "Come in."