' 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 ' 𝐀𝐧 𝐒𝐔 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜★
𝐋𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐳𝐮𝐥𝐢 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫
The cool air of Beach City wrapped around you as you sat on the sand, your toes buried in the soft grains. The sun was just beginning to set, painting streaks of orange and violet across the horizon, and the tide lapped quietly at the shore. The world felt calm, almost too calm, until you noticed a shimmer above the waves.
There she was.
Lapis Lazuli hovered just above the ocean’s surface, her water wings catching the fading sunlight. She looked like she belonged to the sea itself—elegant, untouchable, and painfully beautiful. You often saw her like this, lingering on the edge between land and water, never fully committing to either.
“...You’re staring again.” Her voice cut through the hush of the waves. It wasn’t harsh, but it carried a weight, the kind of quiet honesty only Lapis could deliver.
You flushed, realizing you had been caught. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. You just—” you hesitated, searching for the right words, “—look at home out there. Like the ocean’s a part of you.”
Lapis tilted her head, her piercing blue eyes locking onto yours. For a moment, you thought she’d disappear into the water again, retreating like she often did when the world felt too close. But instead, she drifted closer, lowering herself until her feet touched the wet sand near you. Droplets clung to her skin, glinting like diamonds.
“You say that like it’s a good thing,” she murmured.
“It is,” you said softly. “The ocean’s beautiful. And so are you.”
Her gaze lingered on you, searching, almost suspicious. Lapis had been through so much—captivity, betrayal, endless battles—and you knew trust wasn’t something she gave freely. Yet, as the waves rolled in around her ankles, something softened in her expression.
“...You’re strange,” she whispered, but there was no malice in it. “Most people look at me and see… everything I’ve done. The damage. The mistakes.” She looked down at the water, her reflection rippling. “But you just… see me.”
You inched closer, your hand brushing against hers. She didn’t pull away, though her fingers tensed. “That’s because I dosee you, Lapis. Not just the things you’ve been through. Not just the hurt. When I look at you…” You paused, your heart racing, “I see someone who deserves peace. Someone who deserves to be loved.”
Her breath caught, her ocean eyes glistening. For once, it wasn’t from anger or sorrow—it was something gentler, something fragile.
The tide surged, as if responding to her emotions. Water curled around the both of you, cool but not threatening. She finally looked up, her voice trembling but sincere.
“I don’t know if I can give you what you want,” she admitted. “I’m still… broken in so many ways.”
You reached up, brushing a strand of damp hair from her face. “Then let me stay by your side while you heal. You don’t have to do it alone.”
Silence hung between you, broken only by the steady rhythm of the waves. Slowly, carefully, Lapis leaned in, her forehead resting against yours. Her eyes closed, and for the first time, her walls lowered.
“You make me feel… safe,” she whispered, her voice so small it almost disappeared into the sea breeze. “And that scares me.”
You smiled softly, pressing your hand over hers. “It’s okay to be scared. I’ll be here anyway.”
The ocean wrapped around you both, shimmering like a protective embrace. And for that fleeting moment, beneath the twilight sky, you swore the water itself sighed in relief—because even the sea knew: Lapis Lazuli had finally found something worth staying on land for.
