"I can't do this," he said, his jaw tight and hands balled into fists. He wouldn't even look at me and I knew he would always see me in my true form, even when I walked the land as a mortal. My true form, he hated and I had thought he had loved. I was a fool.

"Fine," I snapped and whipped myself around, tears springing in my blue-green eyes. His rough hand grasped my arm and I wrenched it out of his grip. "You said you wanted to go. Now go," I said gruffly as I shoved my hands into my pockets.

"Wait. Ara, I don't want you to go. I mean--" he said, stumbling over his words and not knowing what to say. Now it was my turn to ball my hands into fists, the fabric of my shorts stretching a bit to accomodate my hands. I rounded on him, tears leaking from my eyes and streaming down my face.

"You said you'd love me no matter what. No matter what."

"I know I did, but I didn't expect..." he broke off and looked out at the crashing waves that loomed in front of us. The spray of the salt failed to reach us, but could be scented on the wind. My heart yearned to flee to the water where I would be safe; from him and from land.

"Scales? A tail? It doesn't change who I am," I said as I hesitantly shuffled closer to him. He found one arm raising up to brush away a stray tear on my cheek. I sighed and closed my eyes when he cupped my cheek in his hand and pulled me closer to him. His lips met mine and I kissed him, trying to push all of my feelings into that simple touch. His lips molded against mine, his honey tinted eyes closed as he showed me how he felt.

I broke us apart, but we stayed locked in each other's embrace. "I don't want you to go," he murmured as he placed his hands on my hips.

"I'll stay if you want me to," I said, my lip quivering as I did so. He kissed me again to silenc my anxiety and a round of butterflies exploded in my stomach. I dug my toes into the sand, but he picked me up in his arms. I gasped, but smiled as he gently pecked a kiss on my forehead. As he turned his back to the ocean, I found my gaze following the sea.

I wanted to be in his arms.

I wanted to be where I belonged.

And I couldn't love both.

____

Hoorah for mermaids. 8D
Continue?

Thanks both of you. ^^

I'll work on another post soon, Russ. c:

I rested my head on my hands which were folded over on my windowsill. The salty Pacific ocean loomed before me from my perch on the window. I blew a strand of honey blonde hair from my face and sighed before rolling over and away from the window. My slender fingers found my temples and I moved them in rythmic circles in an attempt to rid myself of an awfull headache.

He hadn't called like he said he would. In frustration, I picked up a pillow that was lying next to me and threw it at the door to my room. Turns out he was just coming in because it smacked him in the face. I slid my legs off of the bed and patted the side next to me. He smiled and, instead of sitting, tackled me onto the bed.

I found myself grinning when his lips touched mine again, a sizzle of electricity finding its way across our cheeks. I blushed and pushed him off of me halfheartedly, but he kept hold of me in his arms while we rolled onto our sides. "Ara, I want to go for a swim," he murmured into my ear and I pulled back.

"You know I can't go into the water without...you know," I said, pointing to my feet in the process. He seemed to think about it and I watched various emotions flicker across his face, the most prominent curiousity.

"I want to see," he concluded, his hazel eyes taking hold of mine. I felt my heart stutter when his eyes captivated me like that, golden flecks seeming to shimmer when he looked at me. I shook my head and craned my neck down.  I found my jaw tightening, stinging tears threatening to spill.

"I can't. I haven't been in the water since I met you. Since I came to land. The ocean, it's calling me back. I don't know if I'll be able to walk out," I whispered softly.

He pulled me in closer and tilted my chin back up. "Hey, don't cry like that. I've seen enough tears from you," he said and he looked like he was about to say something else, but he changed his mind. "We're going to go for a swim, okay? I know you'll come back to me," he said, hazel eyes putting so much trust in me, I could only nod.

My legs were sore as we walked out onto the sand hand in hand. They had been getting more sore every day, but I hadn't told him. The fear of the ocean pulling me under, never letting me back up, made my spine tingle with fear. "Are you sure?" I asked suddenly and he merely squeezed my hand.

When we neared the shore, as close as we dared without my getting wet, he pulled off his shirt. I bit my lip, knowing I couldn't just walk into the water. My legs would turn before I could get deep enough. He seemed to sense this and scooped me up in his arms, much like he had done the day before. I watched the ocean warily as he waded into the water.

He tightened his grip on me, but there was no need. I was already clinging to him for dear life, suddenly afraid of the water. What if I didn't turn? "I'm scared," I murmured as I buried my face into his chest.

"I'm here," he replied before he lowered himself down in the water, the first licks of ocean water churning around us.

___

I still don't have a name for the guy. ._. The girl's name is Araxie, but I'm brain-dead when it comes to boy names. Help? D8

Araxie is a strange name for a Mermaid. ;n; IMHO.

Hrm... Daniel, James, Ryan, Rick, Drew, Benjamin, Thomas... 

Araxie is a river said to inspire 'poetic ex
pression'...or something ._.
I was thinking Tempest, but that's only because I read that on the back of a mermaid book. >_> I may still change it to that, but I don't want to copy. xD

______________________________________________________________________________

"James," I said as the water touched my shorts, not yet reaching my skin. He pulled me up to him and kissed me softly on my lips and somehow, this gave me courage. I let my arms go slack around his neck and he settled me into the water. Instantly, he was pushed away from me as the current swirled around me. I cringed as raw pain shot up my legs, my shorts falling away as my legs fused together.

He gasped, but my eyes were closed as the transformation took place. Fins stretched out along the length of my forearm, glinting a silvery blue in the sun. Scales grew from my legs in a burst of water, my feet stretching into a tail. I lay there, my eyes closed, afraid to meet whatever was in his gaze, whatever was in those gold-flecked eyes.

I flipped over onto my stomach and dove under the water, opening my eyes and seeing clearly through the ocean. I breathed in through my nose and found that the gills in my nostrils had reappeared, too. The currents bent to my will and I shot forward through the darkened sea.

Using powerful strokes of my tail and cutting through the water effortlessly with the fins on my arms, I found myself going deeper into the ocean. My heart felt more full than it had been in weeks and I rejoiced in the water, my speed decreasing as I decided to twirl in the water. A bubbly laugh escaped my lips and I shot forward, back up to the illuminated surface of the water.

I burst through, my body making a clean arc as I shot above. I saw him back near the beach, so far away from where he put me in. I blinked once and then my face met the water again. When I dove back under, I let myself drift. My gaze kept flickering to the ever deepening ocean where I would be at peace and to where he stood, back on the shoreline near the beach.

I popped above the surface again, my light blonde hair plastered to my face. I looked out at him and read his ex
pression. Anguish, fear, and sadness was all I could make out and I pounded at the sea with my closed fists. I closed my eyes and dove back under the water.

It took me only a few moments to find my way back to him and when I resurfaced, he waded well up to his neck in the water and pulled me close to him. "I thought you--I couldn't bear--" he said as he buried his face into my shoulder. My tail swished anxiously in the water and when he pulled me closer, it brushed against him. "Oh," he said, clearly surprised.

I pulled away from him, but that only caused him to hold me tighter. My eyes were still closed and he rested a fingertip on my cheek. "Look at me," he murmured and I slowly opened my eyes. Surprise flickered in his gaze, but quickly dissolved into what he wanted me to see before. Love.

My arms slid around his sides and he shivered when my warm scales brushed against his flesh. I kissed him, relief sweeping through me and pure happiness replacing my fear. He wasn't afraid of me as I had thought. "James," I murmured into his lips as his hands rested slightly above my waist.

"I love you, Ara." he replied as his fingers found the beginning of the scales that made up my tail.

Thanks everyone. ^^

I'll try to type up another reply once I figure out what I want them to do. x3 For now, I'm going to see if I can wrack my brain on ideas with continuing 'A Dark Angel'.