Where the Water Meets. [Lewis Mccartney]
mermaid!reader x lewis mccartney | chapter 01.
She thought she was the only mermaid. She never expected her best friend to be one too — or to fall for the same boy.
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You moved to the Gold Coast with a half-worn suitcase, saltwater in your veins, and a secret you’d never said aloud. No one here knew who you were, and that made everything feel possible. You told yourself this would be different. That you’d be different.
You weren’t hiding anymore—you were just... blending in.
The school was big, warm with sunlight, and always close to the ocean. You found yourself watching the tide from the windows during class, zoning out to the hush of waves in your memory. You made polite conversation. You smiled when expected. And then, everything shifted over a tuna sandwich and a crooked smile.
“Hi! Mind if I sit?”
You looked up into bright brown eyes and the kind of grin that made people feel at ease.
“I’m Cleo,” she said, already sliding into the seat beside you. “You’re new, right?”
“Yeah,” you said. “Just moved.”
That was all it took. Within minutes, Cleo was pulling you into her world with soft energy and endless chatter. She told you about her part-time job at the marine park, about her best friends Emma and Rikki, and about how she still couldn’t figure out how to open her locker without it getting stuck.
You didn’t realize how lonely you’d been until she made you laugh.
From that moment on, you were in. The girls welcomed you like you’d always belonged. Emma was calm and dependable; Rikki had fire in her veins and always had something smart to say. But it was Cleo who felt like your anchor. She found you in the hallway every morning. She saved you seats at lunch. She linked arms with you when the wind was strong, like it was nothing.
You started to love her like a sister. And that made what was coming harder.
Because then there was Lewis.
He was Cleo’s oldest friend. She introduced you to him like it was no big deal, and for a while, it wasn’t. He was funny, awkward, and asked a lot of questions that somehow didn’t feel invasive. He had wild curls and a lopsided grin that always appeared after his own jokes, even when no one laughed. And you liked him.
Too much.
It started slowly—shared jokes, group projects that turned into late-night messages, a beach day where he offered you the last slice of watermelon even though you both wanted it. He never asked why you dried off faster than everyone else. He never looked at you like you were strange. He just saw you.
And you started to fall. Which made everything worse.
Because Cleo liked him. She hadn’t said it. But you saw it in the way she looked at him when he wasn’t watching, the way her smile slipped just a little when he turned his attention to you. So you pretended.
You let your heart race and ignored it. You laughed at his jokes and told yourself they weren’t meant for you. And every time Cleo reached for your hand or whispered something only you could hear, your guilt grew heavier.
Still, you couldn’t help loving the moments in between.
One warm Friday after school, Cleo grabbed your arm and pulled you toward the docks.
“We’re heading to the beach,” she grinned. “Emma and Rikki are already there, but it’s the perfect weather for just relaxing. You in?”
You smiled, grateful for the invitation. “Yeah, sounds great.”
The beach was peaceful as the four of you arrived. The others were already stretched out on towels, talking, eating snacks. The air smelled like salt and sunscreen, and the sand was warm beneath your feet. You could feel the tide in the distance, beckoning, but you kept your distance.
Lewis caught your eye and smirked, his arms resting casually on the sand. “What, are you waiting for the ocean to invite you in?”
You raised an eyebrow, trying to keep the tease light. “No, just thinking about taking a swim later. Just don’t expect me to race you.”
He threw his head back in a laugh. “I’d never challenge you unless I knew I had a chance,” he teased, the way he always did when you were around.
Cleo, Rikki, and Emma were busy chatting and setting up more snacks, leaving you and Lewis to linger on the edge of the group.
It felt easy, effortless. You felt yourself drawn to the way his laugh seemed to fill the space around you, how he always had something to say when there was a quiet moment.
“Hey,” he said after a beat, looking at you with that crooked grin. “Ever wonder what’s out there?”
He gestured to the horizon, the endless stretch of ocean. “Like, what’s just beneath the surface?”
You didn’t answer immediately. Instead, you stared out toward the waves, something stirring inside you. You knew what was beneath the surface. But you couldn’t say that to him. You couldn’t even begin to explain.
“You never know what you’ll find,” you said, your voice soft.
“Guess you’re right,” he replied, his voice quieter.
“Sometimes it feels like there’s more to the world than we see. Like there’s this whole mystery just waiting to be uncovered.” He looked back at you, and you swore you saw something deeper in his eyes, but then the moment passed, and he gave you that signature grin again.
“Maybe we should go find out. Swim out there and see what’s hiding.
Your heart skipped. “Maybe some other time.”
The evening was winding down, and Cleo, Lewis, and the others began packing up their things. They were ready to head back.
"I think I’ll stay here for a bit longer," you said, giving a small, easy smile as you waved them off. Cleo gave you a knowing look but didn’t press you to join them.
"Okay," Cleo replied, her voice gentle. "But don’t stay too long, alright?"
You nodded, and they all headed back to the car, leaving you alone by the water. You felt that familiar pull, the quiet hum of the ocean calling to you like an old friend.
As soon as they were out of sight, you made your way down to the beach, your heart already beating faster as you neared the water. The moon was rising now, casting a silvery glow over the ocean.
The waves gently lapped against the shore as you slipped off your sandals, feeling the cool sand between your toes. Without another thought, you waded in, letting the water creep up your calves, the cold bite of the night making you shiver just slightly.
You had no intention of swimming too far—just enough to feel the familiar freedom of the sea, the only place you ever felt truly at home. The waves swirled around you as you swam further into the calm, deeper waters. The ocean seemed to come alive beneath you, the occasional flicker of coral dancing with the rhythm of the current.
The underwater world stretched out before you, a beauty you never tired of. The corals, rich in color, swayed with the movement of the water, and fish darted past in flashes of gold, silver, and iridescent hues. You took a deep breath, letting the salty air fill your lungs, and sank lower into the water.
And then you saw it.
A tail. A flash of movement just out of the corner of your eye.
You turned quickly, your heart racing, but by the time you had fully shifted your gaze, the tail had disappeared. It was orange—bright, like the corals themselves—and for a moment, you froze. Your mind raced. You had always believed you were the only one, the only mermaid. But this… this was undeniable.
Your pulse quickened as you scanned the water, the waves rippling over the spot where you’d seen the tail, but there was no sign of the other mermaid. Just the dark, endless expanse of the sea.
You stayed still for a moment, your thoughts swirling. How could there be another like you? After all this time, all these years, you’d always assumed you were alone. But now, there was no denying it.
Eventually, you pulled yourself from the water and made your way back to the beach. You were in a daze, everything feeling slightly out of focus as you retraced your steps. Your mind kept replaying the brief flash of the tail, the memory of it glowing in your mind like a light in the dark. You didn’t know who it was or why they were out there, but you knew one thing: you weren’t the only mermaid anymore.
Back at home, you collapsed into your bed, the quiet darkness of the room pressing in around you. You turned onto your side, facing the wall, the stillness suffocating. But no matter how still you lay, you couldn’t sleep.
The thought of the other mermaid, the tail, consumed you. You had been lying to everyone for so long, pretending you were just like everyone else. And the worst part? You had always felt so alone. So isolated, in a world where no one could understand.
And now, there was someone else out there. Maybe even more.
Tears welled up in your eyes, and without thinking, they spilled over. You tried to hold them back, but it was impossible. The relief, the joy—it was too much. All these years, you had kept your secret. And now, for the first time in so long, you felt like there was hope.
You lay there, in the dark, your body trembling with emotion.
And from that moment, you made a silent vow: you were going to find them. Whoever they were. No matter how long it took. You didn’t know how yet, but you would find them. And when you did, you would finally have the answers you had been searching for.
