For the Hetalia Extravanganza Event!

Day 6 - Mermaids/Pirates (though I really only did the mermaid part)

~ I ~

—Couldn't breathe. Lovino couldn't breathe!

The ship dragged him down, away from the light and, no matter how hard he kicked his feet, it was futile.

A burst of bubbles left his lips, left him defenceless to the onslaught of water relentlessly filing his lungs. Lovino stopped trying. He was exhausted, vision darkening as he drifted down.

He just barely registered something brush by his legs, a smooth hand clasping his bicep as an arm wrapped around his waist.

The world was brighter than it had ever been before, but all Lovino could see were those red eyes.

~ II ~

Gilbert was so bored.

Nothing interesting ever happened, and everyone he wanted to spend time with was busy. Ludwig was studying, Roderich was practising, Erzsébet was on a date, and his father had sent him outside to swim his useless energy away like a small child.

So, Gilbert had gone to the parts where his father had explicitly told him not to go, the shipwrecks always having new secrets to discover.

He had to duck behind one quickly, the sirens chattering excitedly as they drifted by, stained the water, spoke of those poor unfortunate souls that hadn't heeded their warnings.

Curiosity had always been Gilbert's fatal flaw.

He hadn't stood a chance against the gold treasure drifting lifelessly to the bottom.

~ III ~

Red.

Endless red peered down at him, observed him, consumed him.

Lovino lied on his back, the creature hovering over him, shaggy white hair touching Lovino's forehead. He had been coughing, hacking even, the get rid of the water when the creature had slipped unto the rocks, curled beside Lovino and murmured soothing words as it propped itself up and over Lovino.

He supposed it could be considered beautiful—ethereal, surely. Its long tail curled over his legs, strangely warm, fins fawned out over his feet. White scales glinted in the light filtering through the cracks in ceiling. They dotted its skin like freckles, melding seamlessly with its pale skin, covering its chest, shoulders, biceps until they came together again just above its elbows. Its fingers were long, leaving scratches in the hard rock.

One claw glided over Lovino's arm, a fleeting touch that solidified as its long digits bunched up the ruined fabric of Lovino's shirt and wrapped around his arm. Yet, Lovino was still captivated by those eyes, though the sharp teeth peeking past its pink lips were a grim reminder of those old legends the sailors spoke so fondly of.

But then the creature started speaking, or so Lovino assumed. Short chirps intermingled with thrills and squeaks, followed finally by a low whistle. Then, it paused, as if it had realized the futility, and looked at Lovino curiously.

"I—" He didn't actually know what to say. His throat was raw, his voice strained and rough, but even if speaking didn't hurt as much as it did, what could they say to each other?

The creature blinked, made a low noise that was almost a coo, almost sounded like an apology, eyes flickering momentarily to Lovino's lips.

And then it kissed him.

~ IV ~

Humans could be so unnecessarily fussy, Gilbert reflected as he swam after the ship that held the angry little human.

Lovino, as he had spat after Gilbert's questioning, had curled up against the far wall, watching Gilbert's every move warily after their kiss. That was if you could really even call it that. It had only been a light press of the lips, nothing intimate at all, just enough to initiate the spell.

How else was he supposed to learn human language, or this particular variant of it?

But he had handed Lovino back to a ship after earning his trust, and now he followed behind, too curious for his own good.

He had to hand it to humans however. Even though they weren't made for the water, their limbs clumsy and stiff, they still found workarounds that did not involve magic.

Ships were large and bulky, but did not cause much harm unless they sank, and even then it was minimal. Dolphins liked ships also, just because they liked to gossip about the humans aboard.

A pod was keeping a respectable distance from Gilbert, breaching the water and cheerfully whistling about everything and nothing. Gilbert swam over after gaining their approval, rolled over one so he was in their midst, smiling as he brushed their sides with careful fingers. Their mindless chatter was great company when he felt lonely, though he much preferred the sharp retorts Lovino tended to throw his way.

Then, they paused, one confused chirp giving Gilbert all the information he needed, all the incentive to turn on his back and break to the surface with a grin.

"You can't tell dolphins to shut up, Lovi," he said toward the man scowling down as he leaned over the side of the ship.

Lovino narrowed his eyes. "It's your fault! They talk so much and I can understand everything!"

Gilbert laughed. "I told you, magic works two ways."

Lovino rolled his eyes, but a noise caught his attention momentarily and he glanced behind him. When he caught Gilbert's eye again, his expression was milder. "Get out of sight before they see your dumb face, Gil."

Gilbert chirped, safely hidden by the waves with one strong sweep of his tail.

~ V ~

This was becoming weird. Not only did a merman follow him around no matter where his ship took him, his new affinity with the ocean—or better, its creatures—gave Lovino such an understanding of currents and storms that his captain had more or less promoted him to navigator, much to the senior navigator's irk and the crew's suspicions.

Really, Lovino just asked Gilbert, and if he didn't know, there was a good chance the dolphins did.

Sometimes, when no one paid attention, Lovino would scale down the side of the ship, having made a perch just below the cannon deck, out of sight to anyone peering down. From there, he could speak with Gilbert in his language.

His larynx wasn't yet used to the different frequencies of all the different noises Gilbert could produce—Lovino had particular trouble with the crooning and the whistles—but he was steadily improving.

They talked of everything at once or nothing at all, touching topics that ranged from both human and aquatic politics to the stale food Lovino had to deal with that day or this huge fish Gilbert had caught that morning, I swear, Lovino, you would've been so impressed!

Slowly but surely, Gilbert became an integral part of Lovino's life. It was a little frightening, but also very, very exciting.

~ VI ~

It occurred to Gilbert one evening as he scoured the shallows for pretty stones and shells and tidbits to give to Lovino that he might be in a little too deep. Accompanying this, the realization dawned on him that all this gift-giving he had been doing since Lovino had blushed so sweetly after receiving this cool shell a couple of weeks ago came very close to traditional courtship.

Gilbert settled in the sand, running his fingers across a particularly pretty stone as he thought about these developments.

He liked Lovino. He really did. But Lovino was also a human, bound to land and duties and family. Their friendship was unsteady enough as it was and a danger for both of them, and yet all Gilbert could think about was how much he looked forward to seeing him again.

He just hoped Lovino felt them same way.

Well, Gilbert thought, Lovino hadn't turned him down yet. He always seemed genuinely happy to receive Gilbert's little gifts, even if he scowled as Gilbert showed them off (and the corners of his mouth twitched as he tried not to smile).

Oh, how Gilbert lived to see Lovino smile, to elicit that red flush on his freckled cheeks, to see those brown eyes light up golden.

He sighed and curled in on himself, clutching the stone to his chest.

~ VII ~

Port had never instilled as much reluctance as it had that time. Port meant stepping away from the ocean, his freedom. Port meant separating from Gilbert, even if it was only for a short while.

He stood on the docks of a small port town, the crew trudging back and forth with errands. Lovino had already fulfilled his obligations and was left to his own devices. Now, he could hardly tear himself away from the water, and he knew how suspiciously tied to it he seemed, but he simply couldn't help it.

He was hopelessly in love with Gilbert.

It wasn't that surprising, not a sudden realization or anything grandiose. It was simply a warm fondness that spread from his heart, all the way into the tips of his toes and the crown of his head. And he hadn't done a single thing to prevent it either.

He revelled in his conversations with Gilbert, free to say whatever he wanted and not fear the judgement that came from humans. He liked to listen to Gilbert's excited chirps and squeaks whenever he was particularly involved in what he was saying. He treasured every single gift Gilbert had ever brought him, even if Lovino sometimes felt a little bad for not having anything in return.

Turning on his heel, he figured he should rectify that. He didn't exactly have money to buy something pretty, but he did have a knife, and the beach always had driftwood to offer.

The beach where he settled in the sand was secluded, tucked away between large rocks, out of sight of the town. It was thus no surprise that Gilbert appeared in the shallows.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his Italian still a little clumsy, but beautiful nonetheless.

Lovino stood, slowly meandered his way to the water. He removed his boots before he walked in, but couldn't be bothered with the rest. Sitting down in the surf, waves gently lapping around him, he waited until Gilbert had slithered to his side before he showed the little wooden figure he had been working on.

It was rough and a little inexperienced because while Lovino's father had taught him the basics, he had died before Lovino had really actually learnt something. Lovino just hoped it conveyed what he intended and allowed Gilbert's curious fingers to take it from him.

"This is—" Gilbert sat up immediately, bronze eyes flashing to Lovino in honest wonder. "Me?"

Lovino coughed in a useless attempt to hide his blush, playing with the knife in his hand. He nodded, not trusting his voice.

Then, a couple of things happened very quickly.

Lovino found himself pressed against the sand, the water only reaching his ears, with Gilbert between his legs, having manoeuvred the knife away from bodily harm. The water was freezing, and he would have to explain to the crew later why he was soaking wet, but none of that mattered at that moment because Gilbert had pressed his lips to Lovino's.

It was nothing like the kiss from the spell so many months ago now. Then, chaste, a fleeting touch, nothing personal at all. Now, Gilbert kissed him, insistent and almost hungrily, leaving Lovino gasping.

There was a pause where Gilbert pulled back, searched Lovino's eyes for something and licked his lips so delectably, so Lovino wrapped a hand around his neck. He grazed through those coarse strands and pulled him forward to continue kissing.

~ VIII ~

Gilbert was prepared. He had done his research; he had found what he needed. All he had to do now was ask the next time he met with his Lovi.

It made him really giddy. He loved to refer to Lovino as his boyfriend. While he was mercilessly teased by his friends, it was absolutely worth it. Lovino was worth it all.

It was a beautiful day, the sky cloudless and blue, the sun illuminating the aquatic world just so. And Gilbert was going to ask Lovino to be a part of it.

The ship loomed in the distance and Gilbert's heart soared. He was so excited—maybe a little scared too, even if it didn't mean the end if Lovino refused (Gilbert would find a way to go on land instead then).

Popping his head above the surface, far enough away to not draw attention to himself, he realized something was wrong. Even from this distance, Gilbert could see the humans flitting about, heard their angry shouts and accusations, saw the glint of auburn in the midst of it all.

Lovino was shoved toward the side of the ship, sun glinting off his hair. His hands were tied behind his back to an anchor.

Gilbert's stomach sank, and so did Lovino as he was pushed off the ship and into the freezing ocean.

Gilbert dived after him, watched in horror as Lovino's breath left him. The anchor touched the seabed first, a plume of sand blinding Gilbert until his hands settled on Lovino's shoulders.

Murky brown eyes blinked lethargically and Gilbert doubted he could bring Lovino to the surface within the limits of an oxygen spell. The steel chains did not budge.

Panic seized Gilbert's mind and he desperately dug through his satchel, found the flower, didn't hesitate in forcing it into Lovino's mouth and down his throat.

Muttering archaic words, he sealed the spell with a lingering kiss.

~ IX ~

His lungs burned, but not like they had when he had been drowning before. And Gilbert—he remembered seeing his face, something being forced past his lips, and then he had lost all feeling.

Now, it returned to him, slowly, spreading from his lips through his throat, to his stomach, to his fingers, all the way down to his… not his toes. As the feeling spread to below his waist, something strange happened. Different sensations, the loss of limbs, melded into one.

He could feel soft hands on his cheeks then and blinked open his eyes. Then, he blinked some more because it didn't feel as if they were open, even though they were. When he got used to the feeling, the world seemed brighter—Gilbert seemed brighter.

Lovino really wanted to reach out, but his hands were still tied, so he frowned to convey his displeasure even as Gilbert's fingers started to wander.

Opening his mouth—to say what, Lovino wasn't sure—he came to two conclusions. One. Human phonetics did not carry well underwater. Two. He had no need to breathe.

He looked down, just as Gilbert touched his finned ears curiously, and found a long golden tail splayed out in the sand, glinting in the slants of sunlight that managed to reach the seabed. He tried to stretch his toes, but all it earned him was a twitch of his tail fin.

'What?' Lovino mouthed and it caught Gilbert's attention.

He crooned apologetically, explaining his initial plan, followed by his panic at seeing Lovino drowning. Touching Lovino's cheek, Gilbert moved behind him, tugging at the chains.

Lovino simply sat still, tried to get used to all the new sensations, his tail, the many fins adorning it, the way his hair swished around his face, the sounds, the smells, the sights; it was all different.

But it wasn't unpleasant and, as Gilbert managed to undo the iron that tied him to the anchor and freed his wrists, he was mostly curious.

His hands were covered in scales, his fingers having become the same long claws Gilbert sported. He reached up his neck, ghosted over the gills, then reached down to undo the buttons of his shirt.

Gilbert had settled back in front of him, partially over him, watching Lovino with great interest. He did not have nearly as much patience as Lovino had and ripped the remnants of Lovino's trousers away just as Lovino cut through the thread of the last button.

Lovino observed how his skin melded with the scales, how they dotted his skin along with his freckles. Then, Gilbert reached out, traced patterns between the scales on Lovino's chest and grinned.

"You look really handsome, Lovi," Gilbert said, the thrills and chirps cutting through the water easily.

Feeling his face flush, Lovino touched Gilbert's cheek, pulled him closer and kissed him. It was a little weird and Gilbert almost cut his tongue because he forgot Lovino now shared his shark teeth, but Lovino could definitely get used to it.

~ X ~

Gilbert loved watching Lovino swim. It had been awkward and stiff at first, Lovino not yet used to the flexibility his tail offered, but now Lovino swam as gracefully as any other.

His hair would glint red in the sunlight if they swam close to the surface and he'd smile so prettily that Gilbert couldn't stop himself from touching him, holding his cheek or pressing their foreheads together, tails intertwining just before either would lean in for a kiss.

Gilbert loved showing Lovino around, all the pretty sights and fishes and creatures and corals, laughing when Lovino had squawked and ducked behind him as they came across a great white shark.

But it just brushed past them, more interested in the school of fish behind them. Lovino's fingers dug into Gilbert's shoulders as he watched it swim away.

Gilbert pried at Lovino's hands, taking them in his own as he pulled him around. "Nothing will hurt you here, Lovi."

Lovino's eyes were still on the shark, so Gilbert cupped his cheek and forced Lovino to look at him. Rubbing soothing circles in the skin, Gilbert grinned, showing off his own teeth. "We're far more dangerous."

Lovino snorted, ducking his head and pressing it against Gilbert's collarbone. "So dangerous."

Gilbert trailed fingers through Lovino's hair, pressing a kiss to his head. "I love you."

Sighing softly, Lovino pulled back enough so he could kiss Gilbert. "I love you too."

Really an excuse to practice vignettes, hence why it jumps all over the place. I have a couple of extra scenes that do not fit in the main story that I'll publish later as a chapter two of uhh "deleted scenes"

Originally posted on 29th of September on AO3. Part of my catching up spree.