#rf3

     Momentarily grounded by her capricious form, Pia settled in on the blanket where Micah had carefully set her down, happily losing herself in the glint of the golden late-afternoon sun on the calm lake and her own slick scales, the heavy slip of wet waves of hair cascading down her shoulders; reminding her body of where it came from, making it think it was back there, confusing it about what it needed to be.

     She felt the caress of warm dry winds against her skin, and whispered in her mind that she trusted them to change her.

     ...No hurry, though.

     (Waiting really ain't so bad!)

     Not when the whole world was such a strange and funny mystery, and especially not when she had someone to share it with.

     Venting just a bit of her heart's fullness with a satisfied sigh, Pia tilted her face toward the sky and gazed in wonder at the clouds until they began to resolve themselves into shapes.

     "Look!  Those ones are like a school of shiny fishies!"

     She gestured at a gathering of small wispy clouds that caught the sun particularly brilliantly, flashing against the blue sky that always put her in mind of warm shallow seas, especially now that she was fresh off a swim with all her fins out and her legs twined comfortably into a graceful tail.

     I feel like I could swim right up there if I wanted!

     (...But not if he can't come with.)

     Micah followed her hand curiously as he scruffed a towel over his unruly golden hair.

     "...Huh?  Yeah, I guess so."

     Once she was certain enough that he could see it, she pointed slightly to the right of the glittering cloud-fish and toward a somewhat larger and softer cloud, wonderfully billowy and springy-looking.

     "And they're all gathered around you!"

     When she looked from the sky to Micah to get his reaction, she saw that he was wearing the nervous smile he always put on when he wasn't quite sure of something she'd said, but didn't want to hurt her feelings.

     "I'll take your word for it."

     Pia thought it was one of his very best faces, but she was feeling terribly certain of what she saw, so now was not the time.

     "It is so you!  It's a pretty little goldie-puff, just like you when you change!"

     She jabbed her hand at the sky for emphasis, and though it never seemed quite like Micah saw it, his smile did soften into something more wistful.

     "If you say so."

     Pia huffed, her translucent head-fins twitching petulantly.

     "I do say so!  I'll use my fins like wings and be the boss of the whole sky!"

     She must have looked as though she was about to take off from their ratty beach quilt right then and there, for Micah's small smile turned wry and amused.

     "You'll be a flying fish, then?"

     Starting to giggle herself, Pia shyly shook her head.

     "No!  Too high-strung."

     Smiling more warmly now, Micah tucked a few stray locks of hair like swaying pink kelp behind her delicate fins, absent-mindedly twining the drying end of a curl around one small, deft finger.

     "I've never met one myself, but yeah, that's not you."

     Pia's heart danced a quick pulsing rhythm in her chest, reminding her of the undulations of a jellyfish trying to get somewhere important.

     (Silly heart!  You're supposed to be right here!)

     She leaned into his touch like a lazy seal basking on a rock, until he was gently cradling her cheeks.

     "What is me, then?"

     Micah blushed; eyelids lowering demurely, eyes sparkling like cool lagoons as he stole quick peeks at her through his pretty flaxen lashes.

     "Well...  Funny...  Sweet...  Kind of weirdly determined sometimes...  I don't know.  You're a lot of things, Pia...  I don't think there's even words for all of them."

     Their faces drifted together as he spoke, until their lips were touching and Micah's surprisingly strong arms had wound around her shoulders and waist, the warming lake water that still beaded their skins mixing and mingling until it was no longer clear where he ended and she began.

     (We're like two little drops goin' to sea!)

     His embrace was comfortable and reassuring, but something about it made her feel a little absurd.

     "...Oh?  You wanna...?"

     Obviously dismayed to have to break their kiss as soon as it started, Micah pulled back and regarded her inquisitively, gold-dust brows knitted in concern.

     "...You don't?"

     Pia smiled agreeably as she briskly shook her head.

     "Uh-uh...  I do!  It's just...  Hard to hug me when I'm all slippy..."

     He studied her face as she studied her tail, seemingly trying to make sense of her.

     And he must have, because his arms were around her again in an instant.

     "I'll just have to hold on tighter, then..."

     Their kiss lasted longer this time; warm and slow and delightfully clumsy, tongues slipping past teeth like graceful little fish around coral, lips bitten to keep from laughing at each small parting.

     And through it all, Micah held on tight.

     Pia let her eyes drift closed, feeling safe in knowing he would never let her slip away.

     "Hehe...  You're like an octopus..."

     They fell back on the blanket together, Micah looking slightly confused.

     "...That's good?"

     Pia nodded smartly, hair fanning out around her on the sun-warmed ground.

     "Uh-huh!  They're way different than squids!"

     And that soggy weight off her shoulders seemed to be enough for her body to realize where she was, the shiny tail diffusing into a flurry of Runelights and freeing her long legs to wrap around her lover's slight-yet-sturdy, awesome-tacularly-perfect body, eagerly pulling him close for another thrilling dive.