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Waves rushed over Arctus' bare feet as he sat on the beach and watched the billowing sails disappear into the brilliance of the setting sun. His lungs heaved, water dripping from the ends of his soaked hair and sand coating his ragged shirt and bare forearms where he'd dragged himself back to shore, too weak in this cursed form to make one last ditch effort to convince his sea captain—his prince—to choose him.
If he'd had his powerful fins and tail, he wouldn't be stuck on the shoreline, salt water catching and drying in his blond eyelashes while he watched his final chance for love and freedom recede into the distance. In his true mer form, he would catch up to the boat in moments, haul himself over the side...
And then what? Kiss his beautiful prince with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth?
The irony was galling.
He'd known the endeavor would be a long shot. The witch hadn't played fair, and he'd expected that, too. You didn't escape a mother like his without cultivating a healthy mistrust of everything and everyone.
And yet.
He'd fallen for Liam without even realizing it, watching from afar, eyes just breaking the surface, as the prince cut a daring path across the ocean, always looking out for his crew, always laughing and smiling—so different from Arctus, who could frighten even the most vicious sea creatures with the power of his scowl alone.
(The teeth behind the scowl probably helped. As did his sheer size and the sharp claws adorning his fingertips.)
All it took was one dark night and a sweet conversation about dreams with Liam, who was sprawled against the deck railing and more than half drunk. Arctus had swum alongside the ship, speaking with him in soft tones, endeared and enamored.
The following day, he'd listened from his hiding spot under Liam's window, half in disappointment and half relief, as Liam brushed it off as a drunken fantasy when taking to his first mate. But after that night, Arctus would often catch the prince pausing at the railing where they'd spoken, his gaze cast out to sea as if scanning for something.
Or someone.
Despite everything in Arctus shouting to swim away and never turn back, he had taken that bit of encouragement and run with it. He'd bartered with the witch for this human form and met Liam on the beach. To his relief and delight, the conversation had flowed as easily as it had that night on the ship. Liam had looked at Arctus with greedy eyes, a seed of recognition fighting with his skepticism.
But Arctus had waited too long to try for a kiss. The witch had outplayed him, and now—
"That scowl of yours could scare an oyster right out of its shell."
Arctus whipped his head around, water spraying from his hair. His eyes widened, and he scrambled to his feet at the sight of Liam, dressed in his best suit, trousers damp up to his thighs, standing not ten feet away.
"You—You're supposed to be on the ship," Arctus breathed.
"Aye, and they'll probably discover the missing life boat soon enough and come round for me. I'd like us to be gone by then, if you don't mind."
Liam grinned and reached out his hand. Arctus stared at it. The dying light painted the sands and their skin red and gold.
Arctus grabbed Liam's hand.
The prince's expression brightened even as Arctus pulled him closer. He couldn't risk waiting—didn't want to wait anymore.
"Well that's good then. I thought maybe... I was... what are you—mphf!"
Arctus smashed their lips together, his heart soaring while also plummeting to his toes. If it didn't work... if Liam didn't love him... then it was all for nothing.
Well. Not nothing. The kiss was pretty fantastic, especially when Liam grabbed Arctus' shirt, hauled him closer, and started kissing him back with a fervor that curled Arctus' toes into the warm sand.
A faint but wretched scream of pure fury raced over the water from the direction of the ship, but it was quickly drowned out by the rush of waves beating against the shoreline and the roar of blood in Arctus' ears. He smiled into the kiss before pulling back just enough to part their lips.
"Care for a swim?"
Liam's eyes were still closed, an expression of pure bliss etched into the fine lines of his face. He slowly opened his eyes, confusion marring his otherwise beatific face.
"A swim?"
Arctus let his hand slide down to capture Liam's and pulled him closer to the waves. Liam's confusion grew, but it spoke to how much he trusted Arctus that he followed along. The waves rushed up and over Arctus' bare feet, and he closed his eyes in triumph as the features he hadn't be able to harness these past three days—his true features—tingled under his skin. His foot rippled like the water that called to him.
Arctus gestured down and Liam's gaze followed.
Gray and black scales covered Arctus' elongated foot, glinting with the fire streaking across the sky. Liam gasped and looked up, eyes wide and grin wider.
"It was you that night! I thought I was going barmy!"
"Not this time," Arctus deadpanned.
In the distance, the ship's silhouette changed. It was turning around.
"I'd love a swim," Liam admitted, "but let's get away from her first, love."
Arctus held his breath and reached for his new human form. To his relief and utter glee, the scales faded into smooth, pale skin.
It was true, then. Despite the witch's interference, her contract with him had been fulfilled by true love's kiss. His new ability to switch between mer and human form was firmly in place. He would need to deal with her fury at some point, but having a form to match with Liam's was more than worth it.
He raised Liam's hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles before pulling back to reveal a grin with far too many teeth.
"Wherever you lead, I'll follow."