"i'd really like that," she offered up, smile in place as she settled in beside him as the netflix thud erupted. head pressed against his chest. this was intimate. far intimate than they'd ever found themselves before, but she wanted this. she wanted to be with eric more than anything. she could only hope that he wanted the very same. though, from the romantic idea of a boat ride, she had the sneaky suspicion that her feelings were fully returned by the human.

it may have appeared that his attention was on the screen in front of them but eric's mind had wandered. he was already thinking about the boat trip, because of course he was. everything from planning the menu to pack for the picnic to thinking about flowers and champagne? and maybe some romantic music? ariel loved music, but would she love it for this? 

she cuddles against him and absentmindedly his arm wraps around her, holding her close to him. a dreamy smile falling onto his features. a long day was an understatement— she'd put so much into her show and eric had seen that from the audience. he wouldn't hold it against her if she did nod off. eric only realizes just how close they are when she mentions a blanket. heat floods his cheeks and he pulls his arm away from her. 

she wanted to share her home with him as he had so happily shared his. there was so much that she wanted to show him and so many important figures from her life that she wanted to introduce him to.

you're family now. ariel's words bring an unexpected warmth to his chest. almost as if she'd wrapped her arms around him in one of her exuberant hugs. comforting and heartfelt. 

eric's family had always been so small. sure, he had a pretty large extended 'family'— there was grimsby and carlotta, he'd even go so far as to consider chef louis part of it, along with everyone else that worked in the castle. but his immediate family was so much smaller than ariel's. he didn't know what it was like having any siblings, let alone six. 

while she never truly hated this part of herself, she had been so desperate to become human. it seemed a needed part of their developing relationship that eric know just who, or rather what, he was sharing a bed with.

"you don't have to call me anything but my name," ariel told him, her smile playful as her fins absently flapped at the edge of the bath tub.

once his hand is pulled away from her tail it instinctively is turned over, inspected for injury. his eyes find nothing, no cuts nor blood. his thumb brushes over the pads of his other fingers as his gaze lifts back to ariel. 

the smile that played on her lips is so familiar. he'd seen that smile before too many times to count. kissed that smile, fallen in love with that smile. it was such a stark contrast to the fins that flapped against the opposite side of the tub. fins that were new and strange and unfamiliar. but still ariel. 

JESSIE KNEW WELL IN ADVANCE THAT THIS COULD END HORRIBLY. But it was Eric, a man that tries to keep it all together despite feeling like a ticking time bomb. She knew that he was sick of feeling like a fraud, like someone who didn't deserve the crown ( or really even wants it in the first place ) but keeping feelings under lock and key like that only breeds resentment, only makes it so he's always unhappy underneath the surface. It reminds her of herself way too much, and that's part of the reason why he needs to let it out. Jessie would let Eric say anything to her if it meant he wasn't drowning in his own thoughts anymore .

Jessie's lips curl into a smirk as he insults her, shaking her head. "I know my life is meaningless," The truth didn't scare her, Jessie's whole being just aligned with the broken toy that gets thrown in all directions just because didn't bother her anymore after years of hearing about it from others. She beat up a tree and moved on with her life, she still has the scars on her knuckles to prove it. "The thing about you is that your life isn't and you act like it is. Golden boy gets waited on hand and foot and I'm supposed t'feel all sorry and pitiful 'cause you don't feel like you deserve it." A dry laugh leaves her, they're practically chest to chest.

"I went through everyday wishin' I was dead 'cause my daddy hated me so much. Got the bruises t'prove it," a pause, sizing him up even further. She wants him to explode, needs him to if they're going to get past this. Jessie loves him, loves him so much that she needs him to be free of this weight. The girl can see it rising to the surface with each comment she makes, green eyes not showing any emotion other than her default stare, lips pursing. "I ain't gonna coddle you or cryyy 'cause someone better than me says the obvious, Darlin'. Better tell me how ya really feel about me since I'm so foolish."

because he felt like he didn't deserve it? ha. that wasn't it at all. and here he was thinking jessie, who he'd grown up with, knew him better than anyone else. could see clearly how he felt about the attention and coddling he received. how uncomfortable he was in this role that was dropped into his unsuspecting infant lap. 

"do you even hear yourself? your life is far from meaningless. you have the freedom to do whatever you choose with it." eric craved that kind of freedom. yearned for it. sought for a way out of the life he'd found himself stuck in for a chance at a taste of that kind of freedom. had hoped that a life with jessie would give him just that.

“I’ve considered doing just that, but, truthfully, I fear what may happen to a lone woman on the seas." If she had managed to find a monster lurking in her own home, what kind of horrors would she manage to find on the open ocean? What would stop them from tossing her overboard? Or doing far worse than George had ever done? As much as she wanted to fly away, she feared what might happen if she were to fall instead. "I admit that my fears of the unknown have often held me back from breaking free entirely. A cage may be restrictive, but it's safe. Constant."

Shaking her head, she offers a gentle laugh. "Forgive me, I'm sure you'd much rather speak of other things. I'm curious, where is your favorite place you've been?"

if the circumstances were different, maybe eric would have volunteered to aid in her escape. a prince with his own ship and crew, he could promise that nothing would happen to her on the journey. that she could make her escape without harm or fear of being found out. he could sail her to one of his favorite destinations. wish her well in her new life. under his rule perhaps it would be easy. but he could not guarantee that either would get away with such a plan. the mere thought of causing trouble for anne made eric's stomach churn. 

"i understand that safety more than it may appear. after all, i do continue returning home." and maybe his returning was more than just out of obligation and responsibility. he sought the safety that came with being home, on his own island surrounded by people who would ensure nothing happen to him. 

his head gives a gentle shake, to argue that it's fine but he's never one to pass up an opportunity to share recounts of his travels. "its hard to pick a favorite but there is a neighboring island near home that i never tire of visiting. i love the culture and the customs— the people are always so welcoming. but i do seem to always return with far too many mementos." he lets out a chuckle at himself. "i take it you have not done much traveling yourself?"

"I mean, I'm not a princess. But I don't see why princesses gotta be uptight. If they're uptight, they're not for you. But you gotta meet 'em before you know if it can be love. That's what all the.. balls and proper introductions are for. So we can mingle. And sometimes, honey, you gotta give someone a second consideration. It's hard when you met so many ladies who all don't seem t'fit. But maybe she was just nervous first time. Or maybe she feels just as pressured as you do." A shrug as she licked the powder off her fingers.

a soft smile tugs at the corner of his lips, quickly disguised by his head nodding in agreement. "your father is correct, there is too much focus on legacy and what matches are most beneficial for what kingdoms. and we, the ones in the middle of it have no say about it. it feels like we're just pieces being moved about in a giant game of some sort. it's all so unappealing— it has begun to sour me on the entire idea of marriage." 

eric licks his lips before they press together. "you do raise a good point, they could be just as uninterested about the whole situation. or feel just as pressured— which never helps any. there are so many people who expect me to meet a princess and instantly fall in love with her, to have this deep connection after just one conversation." his head gives a shake at the thought. "but having to attend a ball just adds another level of stress to the whole thing. can't there be something more casual for these introductions? with less expectations?" 

Her heels clicked in a cheerful rhythm as they soon found more quiet grounds. There were some glances following her track but all Lottie could do was giggle cheerfully in response to this entire scenario. Oh gosh, she was running off with a charming prince - she truly was!

eric is quick to understand the instructions given and even quicker to willfully follow her wherever she leads him. though he does so as unnoticeably as he possible. attracting more attention the last thing he needed when the taste of freedom was as close as the taste of those chocolate tarts he'd piled high on the plate in hand. 

the sound of charlotte's heel click and her mellifluous giggles echo in the otherwise quiet corridors. both of which elicit a grin to eric's face, so wide that it aches at the corners. to think, he didn't even want to come to this event. but charlotte had made him glad he did. 

"can we find a ... a cure though? a solution? some way to break it?" her voice is soft. worse though, it is hopeless. "this magic is bigger than both of us. i'm afraid that even our titles will be worth nothing. dark magic is more powerful." because that's what it was, right? whatever coarsed through her veins — whatever it was that forced her to take another form in the most terrible way — it must be evil. she cannot bear the mere thought of eric — or anyone at home — looking at her in disgust. or worse, horror. because their princess is only a human during the night and a bird during the day. she's not herself. she goes away, away, away when the swan takes off.

"i want to believe you ... i want to go back with you. they'll call for my head. they'll call me a witch. they'll burn me at the stake." her heart hurts so badly now, odette thinks it has been carved out of her chest. she aches to cross the distance that separates them and wrap her arms around him. but she doesn't. but he came all this way, and she owes it to him to hear him out. all those years of knowing each other are not so easily forgotten on his part, it seems. and neither on hers. her heart hammers loudly in her chest, and the words spill out before she can stop them.

eric had long gotten used to odette's stubbornness. her instinct to quickly dismiss his thoughts or ideas. but this wasn't odette being obstinate for the sake of being difficult, this was different. heavier. not only could he hear the hopelessness in her voice, he could see the despair etched on her face. an expression he was not used to seeing his best friend wear. his heart clenching at the sight. 

"w-we will spare no expense, leave no option unexplored." a response that sounded too official, not the response he wanted to give her. eric wished he had the answer, the one she's wanted to hear from him, as much as he didn't want to admit it— he didn't have that answer. but he wasn't going to let that deter him. he would explore every available option, even if that meant delving into even darker magic. 

"they won't— i won't let them touch you." eric's stomach churning at the mere thought of intentional harm coming to her. his head giving a shake to force the thoughts away. the title he held could only do so much, he knew that. even if magic and spells or medicine failed them, he would find some way to ensure her safety. 

max barks again more insistently this time. the dog hurtles himself towards them, and odette barely has time to crawl off eric and out of the way as max barrels into the prince. odette sits up with a disbelieving laugh and pushes her hair from her eyes.

"your highnesses!" it's grimsby's shouts of partial indignation (directed towards her, she assumes) and relief (directed towards eric, obviously) that makes odette sit up with a start. all she can do is smile sheepishly in the direction of grimsby's voice and wave. thankfully, the wagon has already made its way to where they were. jean-bob—who odette didn't realize was back safe until now—wraps an arm around odette's waist as he pulls her up to stand.

her panic resurfaces as he begins to lead her back to the wagon. "get eric, i'm fine!" she protests, but jean-bob adamantly ignores her and scoops her up to place her back in the wagon as he takes a seat besides her. she's already trying to stand, and her crewmate braces a firm hand on her shoulder.

"your highness, please. you're hurt. they'll take care of his majesty."

an instinctive but weak smile tugs at eric's lips. such a natural response to odette's reaction. if the circumstances were different a laugh would follow. he tries to force it. tries to make it appear that his entire body didn't ache with every breath he took. instead there's a slight wince he tries to disguise that accompanies his wit. "that sounds like a head injury to me." 

with not a moment to brace himself eric lets out a pained groan as max ambushes him. wet nose and tongue is felt against his skin as the dog launches his own examination of any injuries. eric attempts to rein him in, push him away all while reassuring his canine best friend that he was all right. "good boy, max. i'm okay. i'm fine. i love you, too." 

through all the chaos, eric can make out grimsby's voice. he'd recognize it anywhere. the prince's head lolls back against the sand. another wash of relief that grimsby had made it home safely, only for realization to dawn on him. his head turns toward where odette had been sitting in the sand with him. "he's going to kill me." he lets out quietly before even noticing that odette was being stolen away from him once again. an arm lazily reaches out toward her. "wait! odette— did you see her— the girl?!" a sense of urgency in his voice, desperation. he knows the moment he's back in the castle's grasp he won't be seeing odette until he's well. and who knows how long that will be. 

Ariel looks up at him, her frown turning thoughtful. “Do you mean – do humans use forks every day then?” Scuttle had told her that dinglehoppers forks were unusual – but then, to someone like Scuttle & even a mermaid like Ariel, they were unusual. Her frown starts to fade as she realizes something, her face even brightening a little. Maybe forks weren’t special because they were rare, like she had thought. But maybe they were special because they were so useful to humans!

The embarrassed expression returns to her face at his last words. She drops her gaze again, but slowly holds out the fork to him. “You don’t have to do that just to make me feel better,” she says softly. Her lips form a small smile. “It’s alright. I wanted to learn more about human things, and you’re helping me learn more.”

eric watches ariel's expression fall, the smile she'd worn falling into a frown. at the same time his heart dips in his chest. the disappointment she was feeling his fault, as unintentional at it was. he doesn't understand why he it makes him feel so bad, he was doing what she wanted— to learn about humans and the things they use and how they used them. 

he tries to push the rotten feeling in his stomach aside, giving a nod to the question ariel asks next. "we do in the castle. it's considered improper to eat with our hands. though there are some meals that would be considerable easier to eat without the use of forks. or spoons or knives." realization dawns on his face, at his own words. she probably has no idea what a spoon or a knife is. "oh, uh... a spoon is like a fork, except it's..." eyebrows knit together in thought. he's never had to describe or explain a spoon before. "well, it's solid and rounded out... we use it for liquids." his face twists slightly at the terrible description before quickly adding, "and a knife is like a small dagger." 

his head gives a little nod, taking the fork in his hand. he hadn't meant to embarrass her or make it seem like he was patronizing her. just... it was interesting to learn how she had used this common human object so differently. "the way you use it is still more interesting." he glances down at the fork before lifting his eyes to ariel again. "did you bring anything else?"

Ariel softly frowns as Eric explains about searching for her (the mystery girl) & what happened with Vanessa. “…found her sitting on a rock in the waves.” Ariel hadn’t heard about that part until now. “It sounds like she was there waiting for you,” she mumbles. Ursula must have been spying on them that entire day. It almost feels violating to realize the sea witch had been watching them the whole time they spent together. But Ariel decides she won’t let that invasion of their privacy taint her precious memories with Eric.

“…the feeling of being obligated became overwhelming…” Ariel looks up at him. “That must have been the affect of the spell on you. Maybe it was more like…the power of suggestion, or something.” “I wanted to see you, I was looking for you…” Ariel’s eyes soften, staring up at him. “Really? You were?” she asks quietly. The thought that even under the sea witch’s spell, he had been looking for her, he hadn’t forgotten about her after all, makes her heart beat faster.  

“If you heard about the marriage, is that why you left?” Ariel’s forehead furrows a little. She shakes her head, frowning. “No! Well, actually…” She huffs out a little breath, almost like a sigh. “That morning Scuttle flew in my room & woke up me & Sebastian. She said that the word around the village was that you were getting married, to a girl that no one knew. So she assumed it was me. Scuttle & Sebastian both got excited, because we all thought it must be me. So I got dressed & I ran downstairs to find you, & that’s when…” Her voice falls.

She drops her gaze. “I saw you and…Vanessa…talking to your mother & Sir Grimsby. I couldn’t understand why you thought she had rescued you, when I knew it had been me. I heard them talking about your engagement. I heard you say it was what you wanted, so…I ran away.”   

"it's certainly nice to hear that i have earned all of their approval. i'm very glad that they all like me. it sounds like they know more about me than i know of them, which i do hope will change. any friend of yours i would hope to have as a friend of mine as well." even if the thought of having a crab, a sea bird and a fish for a friend, his words sincere. if they were to hope to better the relationship between their two words, the best way was to build friendships with all creatures. right? 

waiting for him? ariel had said that the witch could have been spying on them. watching their every move. making sure that her plan wouldn't have been thwarted. eric had found it odd for the woman to have been there on that beach. at that time of night. alone, with only the waves crashing on the rocks accompanying her. but he never would have imagined a witch had been watching him. his lips press together, a fresh wave of anger washing over him. 

a hand reaches to takes ariel's hand into his, laces their fingers. "i was. i was so worried when i couldn't find you and when i was told you'd left the castle." he pauses for a moment considering what ariel had said about the witch's power over him. "it was as if i was torn between what i wanted and what someone else wanted for me." but in his heart he knew what he wanted, he wanted ariel. even if his mind was a disoriented mess, his heart knew. 

eric's heart drops into his stomach as ariel recalls how she, and all her friends, heard he was to be married to a girl no one knew. the excitement she must have felt thinking she was the girl the village must have been talking about. it must have felt like the same excitement he'd had when lashana came to inform him of the girl the fisherman had brought to the castle. only to be crushed at the realization that it hadn't been her who he'd intended to marry. 

"but it wasn't what i wanted!" he counters, his voice rising slightly, not out of anger but rather frustration. he remembers the conversation he and vanessa had had with his mother and grimsby. he remembers being there but at the same time not being fully aware of what was going on. like he'd been in a trance. "i couldn't make sense of what i wanted. i even expressed that to grimsby. none of what was happening made sense— the engagement, you disappearing. but i couldn't figure out why it wasn't making sense. i found the girl i thought i was looking for. . .  but then i was looking for you instead. whatever the effect of the witch's spell on me, it made it incredibly difficult to think clearly. " 

She arrived at the little houseboat she called “home-away-from-home” with barely enough time to dry off & get properly dressed. It was already noon (the time she was supposed to meet Eric) when she headed off to the small café they were meeting up at. She arrived at the café breathless & with her hair still visibly damp (she hadn’t had enough time to properly dry it). She sees Eric standing near the outdoor tables by the café. She wasn’t sure of the exact time, but she knew he had probably been waiting for her. She hurries over to him. “Sorry I’m late!” she exclaims. “I had to take a trip last night, and I got back late.”

after he'd returned home that night, eric tried to put what he'd seen out of his mind. that was easier said than done. every time he tried to close his eyes to get some sleep, the scene replayed. ariel, jumping into the water. him, standing there too stunned to do much of anything. a finned-tail popping out from the water. he couldn't get it out of his mind. he could forget about getting much sleep.

while he waits for ariel outside the cafe, he tries to put what he saw out of his mind. convince himself that it was all his eyes playing tricks on him. especially the tail part. definitely just a hallucination. he'd spent the previous night doing the same, but maybe eventually he'll believe it. he's about the check the time on his phone for the third time when ariel's voice cuts through everything else— the noise of the street, his mind screaming about what he'd seen. a relieved smile instantly lights up his face. she was here, she was okay. he must have been seeing things. "don't worry about it," an arm reaches out to give her a quick, casual hug. one meant to ensure she was real, not another hallucination or whatever it had been. "i'm just glad you're okay— i mean, you made it." as he pulls back, her damp hair catches his attention and he almost chokes on his own breath. a cough attempts to cover any slip of his expression, lips pressing together then, biting back a barrage of questions that threaten to escape. a trip? where to? the depths of the ocean? did i really see you jump into the sea last night? was that a tail? he composes himself with a light shake of his head. "you must be hungry, you ready to get some lunch?" 

"You -- you know," she starts to stammer uneasily, "you-- you could have woken me up." A trembling hand drifts over her forehead and then casually attempts to make right her silky locks. His kindness astonishes her and large eyes that were already soft on him, turn even softer. Had she been drooling? Her hand immediately moves to check, sweeping across a blessedly dry lower lip.

The disastrous princess swallows down sharply. "Sorry." She breathlessly apologizes again even in the wake of his smile. A part of her almost wishes for invisibility now, and yet, being seen by him of all people-- it felt special despite the humiliation. "Oh, believe me," she starts giddily, "you're very comfortable." A little too comfortable. Her cheeks BURN with an uncontained blush. "A little -- too -- comfortable." Not that she minded. No, Mia could envision having slept the whole night on that shoulder. She tried to swallow down the fact that her heart was beating quite frenzilied now.

"H-- how -- how can I repay you for your kindness?" Mia stammers in spite of her best efforts to regain composure. It's still hours to their destination. She'd rather run away. To ignore the press awaiting their arrival. Joseph, however, was watching hawkishly over them.

he hadn't intended to startle her. trembling hand and stammered words indicating, despite it not being his intention, that is what appeared to have happened. he does his best to try to ease any anxiety he may have inadvertently caused. 

"i could have, but it would have felt very impolite doing so. you looked too peaceful to have disturbed. besides, i really don't mind and please, you don't have to apologize, there was no harm done. really." 

mia's compliment, of sorts, brings a hearty laugh out of him. genuine and uninhibited. a feel good kind of laugh, and boy did it feel good to laugh like that. "i think you might be the first to say that i'm comfortable. maybe not the first to feel that way, i've had a surprising number of fellow sailors fall asleep on my shoulder— but definitely the first to tell me." a unique compliment, and as someone who has heard them all before, he could appreciate it so much more. his head then gives a firm shake. "repay me? all i did was lend you my shoulder, there's no need to repay me for that. truly, i'm honored to have offered my services. you could have chosen any shoulder among us, but you chose me." a dimpled smile falls onto his lips. 

In a fluid motion, Ariel moves to press the curve of his palm to the globe of her own cheekbone. Warm, wonderfully, wonderfully warm, it is. To her, it is likened to basking upon those massive forbidden rocks. Perhaps, it is because to her, he embodied sunshine itself. Her with the glittering ocean, and with him, her world finally feels a semblance of completion.

"I want to be where ever you are." She murmurs fondly in response. Her gaze follows his eagerly. "We can go when you're ready." Cold weather is not nearly so miserable when he is near. "Do not rush because of me...." She mindfully adds.

Eric takes the opportunity to allow his thumb to brush lightly over Ariel's cheek where his hand rests. Her skin smooth and soft, a vast contrast to his own hands. The urge to pull his hand away fought off, knowing that Ariel didn't mind the roughness of his skin. 

The question Ariel poses rattles his thoughts. Attention drifts toward the rolling waves of the calm sea. Is that was he was doing? Waiting and hoping to see something out there? Find something?