TA: Saltwater Kisses
I hope you are sleeping, ma vhenan @thewordsmithofhell and you get some real rest, dear heart.
Down, down, the water choking her as she struggled, the salt burning her eyes and filling her nose as she struggled to swim to the surface. She felt her heart in her throat, feeling herself sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness as she closed her eyes against the heavy dark of the sea...
Do not forget your promise, my Champion...
The words followed her into waking as she sat bolt upright, the water sloshing out of the tank as she sputtered quietly. The rocking and creaking of the ship covered most of the sounds she made, and thankfully she missed Hell, who had curled up with her bedroll next to the tank. Biting her lip, she looked down at Hell, feeling at once glad to see her and yet... so sad... It had stung a bit when Hellebore had insisted she didn’t want a fishy girlfriend—she could have argued that she wasn’t really a fish but more like a shark—even though she had been trying to convince Prince Sidon to change her back...
Not that the prince had been the one to cause it, of course. She’d been transported with the scouting party as insurance, the waterbreathing helmet keeping her from losing consciousness at least as they sped through the water. However, it didn’t help when they had been attacked, when she’d been knocked unconscious and a merrow had come flying at her, prying the helm from her head and sending her to sink into the deep, half-drowned by the time she came to a few moments later and sinking faster.
She remembered thinking she was going to drown. She remembered thinking the Prince was going to get blamed. She remembered thinking of Hellebore and hoping, praying to see her just once more... just once...
And she woke a short while later, bobbing in the waves, gills fluttering in the water, fins and sharkskin and claws and sharp teeth... She remembered Sidon being startled when they found her, though rather relieved.
Until he realized she didn’t do it on purpose. In fact, she didn’t remember it at all.
She wanted nothing more than to cuddle with Hell on the floorboards, to feel her warmth and know she was fine. She could feel her fins fluttering with happiness to look at her but like this... She feared to hurt Hell... even a kiss like this might inadvertently hurt her...
She wanted nothing more at that moment. A kiss to reassure herself that she was alive and well... That she was still wanted, even in this terrible state...
Hell murmured in her sleep, Pharony watching her roll over, hand reaching out and finding only empty air. Her eyes opened then, still reaching sleepily for where Pharony ought to be.
“I’m here, love,” came Pharony’s watery voice, Hell’s eyes lifted to look up at her. It took a moment, but recognition finally flashed across those eyes before sadness filled them, even as she gave a tired smile.
“Did you sleep?”
“A little,” Pharony said, smiling in reply as Hell stood. She was used to being taller, but this at least put them at almost the same level., and it was nice to look into her eyes again.
Hell leaned forward, letting her forehead bump into Pharony’s crest, pressing a tiny kiss there as she murmured, “You’re a terrible liar...”
“I did sleep,” she promised, sighing as she closed her eyes. “I just have a lot to think about...”
“Mmm,” Hell hummed, yawning. “Think less, sleep more...”
“Only if you promise too, my heart,” she said, reaching out to brush a lock of hair out of her face. “Please... Rest...”
