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kendsleyauthor · 1 year ago

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Daniel and Esmae for prompt 21- secretive

((OTP Prompts))

May I just say how absolutely STOKED @marydublinauthor and I are to see Daniel and Esmae getting a request?? These sweethearts bring us so much joy, and we haven't paid them a visit in ages 😭

I decided to write a story about mermaid!Esmae in honor of MerMay coming to a close soon!

You can read more about this AU here!

The Night Cove

Daniel considered it their cove. His and Esmae’s, even if she loved it more than him. In their months together, they had explored up and down the shore near the castle. This inlet, with its massive rocky overhang and calm waters, was Esmae’s favorite.

Daniel might have loved it more if not for the black rocks that jutted above and below the surface. He’d gotten better at not scraping himself, but nighttime visits always ended in a few mishaps. He could already feel the sting of a few cuts.

Esmae, of course, had no trouble navigating the environment. Other than a few torches Daniel had lit up on the shore, she was the only source of light. Her magenta glow darted about in the water like living starlight.

Having found a relatively comfortable rock to lean against, Daniel observed with with stunning clarity as she made a beeline for him. Surfacing, she hefted something proudly over her head.

“What’ve you got now?” he asked softly.

A tiny orange starfish—well, tiny to him. It was nearly the size of her torso.

Bringing himself lower in the water, Daniel inched his palm closer for Esame to place the tiny creature in his hand. She appeared greatly entertained whenever he interacted with little things from her world.

He brushed the starfish with his fingertip, raising his eyebrows at the curious sensation of its arms unfurling calmly against his palm.

Esmae watched raptly, an endeared smile on her face. It’s very sweet, how gentle you are. I didn’t think humans were capable of that. Although she couldn’t speak to him above water, he memorized every word she graced him with when he joined her below the surface.

As she reached for the starfish to return it home, the sash around her upper body slipped a bit, revealing enough to make Daniel blush. She caught his expression and broke into a silent giggle. She adjusted the cloth and gave him a pointed look. Will you be alright after seeing all that skin, you poor thing?

Apparently, merpeople had a different idea of what body parts could be casually exposed. He never ordered Esmae to cover herself, but his flushed face and avoidant gaze were distractingly funny, according to her. He swore that sometimes she created a loose knot on purpose.

“Must you laugh at me every time?” he scoffed.

The grin on her face said it all. Her smooth skin brushed his palm as she took the starfish, prompting him to hold his breath. She was so soft—something he’d never been able to appreciate when he’d stupidly held her captive. Now, he felt unworthy of each bit of contact she gifted him with.

As she escorted the starfish away, she took the nearest source of light with her. As he began to turn in the direction of the shore, the water rippled in the firelight. He froze as something stirred beneath the surface—something that certainly wasn’t Esmae.

A gray fin broke through with near silence.

Daniel froze, his mind rejecting what he saw. A shark shouldn’t have been tempted to enter such shallow waters—yet there it was, heading straight for him. He snapped out of his stupor and jolted back with a noisy splash.

“Esmae,” he breathed, then raised his voice. “Esmae!”

His back hit one of the large rocks. He tried to shuffle to the side, looking around madly for Esmae’s glow while keeping track of the shark’s path. The scrapes on his arms and legs stung sharper than ever—had he drawn the beast right to their cove with his blood?

He shouted her name louder. The shark circled the rock, its fin dipping below and above the rippling water like a taunt. If he dared to pull away to escape, he had no chance of outmaneuvering the predator. Was this how Esmae felt when he’d found her trapped in the tidepool all those months ago?

Except this shark wasn’t overwhelmingly massive. Not to him. It could take a chunk of him, and he might survive. But Esmae… She’d be less than a mouthful to the creature.

As if the thought of that summoned her, a magenta glow bobbed into view beneath the clear water. A shout caught in Daniel’s throat.

Idiot! What was he thinking, shouting for her? He was drawing her right to her death.

“No!” he shouted. “Go back!”

But she drew closer. Daniel tensed, then lunged out to get her to safety. The shark darted around the rock and tossed its head toward his arm. He snatched himself back, breathing heavily.

Esmae paused. Her little, glowing form waved off Daniel flippantly. Then she approached the shark without an ounce of hesitation.

Daniel gaped as she swam alongside the beast. When the pair circled near, he swore he saw her little lips moving. He’d seen her play with fish before, but this was insane.

Before he could think to duck under the water to hear what she was saying, the shark swam off, exiting the cove calmly.

Relief came gradually. He couldn’t believe either of them were safe. Even when Esmae swam up to him, he didn’t take his eyes off the shark’s direction until Esmae nudged his abdomen insistently. He flinched at her touch and looked down to find her peering up at him with an amused expression. She was so close, his slowing heartbeat picked up speed again.

“W-what on earth was that?” he stammered. “You were speaking to it? What did it want? How did you make it leave?”

Her smile widened. At least she was entertained. She found his hand and gave his finger a downward tug. After another wary look at the open water, Daniel lowered himself under the surface, intent on getting an explanation from her.

She took one look at his wide-eyed expression and giggled. He hadn’t heard her musical little voice for hours. “Are you alright?” she asked rather sweetly. She got comfortable near his hand, weaving her lithe form through his fingers.

All he could do was shrug in response.

She giggled again. “That shark helps guard my people. It ensures other predators stay away. My father has a way of convincing certain beasts to be on our side.” She leaned her cheek on his knuckle. “It must have followed me. It came to make sure I was alright.”

Short on breath, Daniel surfaced briefly. “You were able to speak with it?” he asked, struck with more wonder than fear now.

“No,” she said when he ducked down again. “It’d be a bit like talking to… to a dog or a horse.” She enunciated the animals’ names strangely, as they were wholly foreign creatures to her until recently. “I was able to send it off. Though, it’s a good thing they can’t speak. Otherwise, it’d tell my father where I’ve been spending my days.”

She smirked conspiratorily at him. Daniel surfaced. It was rare she spoke of her people, least of all her father. Daniel knew for certain that her people wouldn’t be pleased if they discovered she had made contact with a human. Considering the awful two weeks he’d put her through when they met, Daniel could say little to defend humanity.

“I suppose it’s for the best we stay secretive,” he sighed. He gave another cursory glance at the water, relieved that he saw no more fins breaching the surface. He couldn’t shake how fantastically brave she was for putting herself between him and the beast. He peered down at her. “So—how can you tell the good sharks from the bad ones?”

There was a bit of a wild look in her eyes when he met her under the water again. She moved from his hand and tapped his nose teasingly. “I can’t. I suppose we just got lucky.”

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