#ship spring

Roman woke up to his body heaving heavily. Throat burning as water spilled out from his lungs. He tried grabbing something, anything, as trying to steady his breathing but his hands caught nothing but sand, the grains seeping through his fingers.

His head felt cold and heavy as he tried to fight the nausea swirling inside it. Wouldn’t be good to get sick, the captain was already furious with him. He swallowed it thickly and painfully. His chest hurt more with every breath.

His hands sunk deeper into the coarse sand. He’s going to have to sweep it later. How did they even manage to get this much onto the deck?

Weren’t they miles away from land?

He felt cold and tired. Slowly his breathing steadied, he already listened in for whatever complaints the captain could throw at him.

That’s when Roman heard sth being dragged along the sand.

His eyes shot open, making his head spin.

Roman always loved fairy tales. Daring stories of knights in shining armor saving damsels, and more importantly, fellow knights in distress. Fighting dragons, slaying beasts, entering worlds of magic and fantasy.

But he believed it to be just that, fantasy.

There was no such things as fairies, huge, monstrous lizards filling the sky with fire or…

..mermaids.

A small rational part of Roman, whose voice sounded suspiciously like Logan’s, told him he was seeing things. His head was still spinning, headache growing steadily worse while his lungs still burned from the saltwater.

No, no, no.

He must be hallucinating, he rationalized, trying desperately to wrap his heavy mind around the situation.

He remembered the captain shouting orders, something about a storm, lowering the mast.

He remembered being on the deck as the weather shifted.

Logan screaming, reaching out with his hand.

Their fingers grazed just barely as a wall of water hit them, taking Roman with it.

And then the ocean. Dark and cold. Swallowing him, filling his eyes and lungs as lumps of air escaping his lips, swarming his vision.

Rising higher until Roman couldn't see them anymore.

Until all that was left was the darkness that creeped up around him.

Cold, heavy and thick, swallowing him whole.

Until he couldn’t tell which way was up anymore.

Was he… dead?

It certainly didn’t feel like heaven with the way his chest burned with every breath.

He closed his eyes. Willing whatever vision flooded his mind away, but once he opened them the thing was still there. It’s posture slouched, body facing away from Roman save from it’s head that was turned towards the sailor.

It was.. watching him with those unblinking black eyes.

“Are you-” There were a thousand questions running through Roman’s mind. He hadn’t managed to settle on one before his lips finished the sentence for him. “-afraid of me?” He scolded himself as soon as the words left his mouth. Their tail must have been longer than Roman was tall and if the sharp nails it tried to hide in the sand were anything to go by it’s diet certainly didn’t consist of plants only.

It drew back it’s tail, turning their body to Roman. It bared its teeth and raised its fins. Sharp claws grinding against sand.

“No.” It hissed.

Well, that certainly wasn’t very convincing. Not that Roman knew a lot about lying of course, being so honorable, but he could spot a poor performance if he saw one.

“Hi, I’m Roman” The sailor offered, voice heavy. “I’m… well… unarmed.”

He could practically feel Logan’s disappointed stare on him as he revealed himself defenseless against whatever he was facing. But Logan wasn’t here now, he told himself, desperately trying to not think where his taller friend was. He couldn't think- he made it, and Logan was smarter, if Roman made it-. He shouldn’t- He couldn't-

Not now.

“What’s your name?” He asked the creature, who thankfully hadn’t fled yet.

“I don’t give my name to strangers.” It practically hissed the last part, baring its teeth at Roman.

“Alright there Mr. Incredible sulk-” Roman chuckled, the motion almost sending him into another coughing fit. The creature's eyes were black but Roman swore he saw an eyeroll and if his friendship with Logan was anything to go by, this was a good sign. “-would you mind telling me where I am then?”

“On land.”

“I… can see that.” There was definitely another eye roll. The fish-man was warming up to him.

“Why the hell are you asking then?”

“Well I was hoping, you might be a bit more specific.”

“How the hell would I know? I don’t go on land much. Tails aren’t exactly meant for that.”

It was only now Roman realized how far away from the water he was. The sand stretching out under him suspiciously dry. The fish must have dragged him all the way out here, or at least waited until until the ebb with him.

“You saved me, didn’t you?” And probably risked their life while doing so. He should probably thank them for that.

“Wow, amazing observation skills.” Never mind with the ‘thank you’s, this fish was an ass.

“Are you this friendly with every human you save?”

“I don’t save humans.” The fish deadpanned, already turning away from him. Roman couldn’t help but grin as he rose to his feet to chase after them.

“Does that mean I'm special?” The fish glared up at him before continuing to drag its body toward the water.

“Don’t let that go to your head Roman.” The sailor swore he heard faint amusement. “It’s already bloated enough with all the water you swallowed.”

“That’s not- hey!” The fish gave him a far too annoying smirk. “I don’t like you.”

It’s smirk only widened.