DELPHI sat at a table in the center of the crowded Crabby Shack, waiting for Hayden in a bundle of nerves and anticipation. With careful consideration, she chose to wear a long Caribbean blue shawl and white knee-length pants with grecian style sandals. Her hair was tied back in a delicate fish braid. The shawl covered her "tattoos". Technically the arcane symbols were not what humans called tattoos since Atlanteans were born with them. They reminded her of Atlantis. Of course, she missed her old home, but her heart was on the surface. She only hoped she could make a home here, too, preferably with Hayden.

As she had told Callie only an hour ago, she had given up everything for a single shot at happiness. Triton didn't understand how hard it has been for her. She may end up cursed for her disobedience, like Erza and her ancestors. She prayed to the ancient gods many times a day asking for their blessing. The winds have been silent, her prayers left unanswered. Has she already been abandoned? She shook her head. The tide still welcomed her in its embrace. For now.

"Delphi."

She looked up at her one shot at happiness wearing a black tee and khaki pants. His hair looked like he had just rolled out of bed. The green in his brown eyes flickered like a candle, warming her soul. It was like coming up to the surface and gulping in fresh air everytime he looked at her. "Hi!"

"Sorry it took a minute. Had to fill up on gas. I see you've been keeping busy," he said, eying the completed mazes and word searches on a kids menu in front of her. She had just started coloring the crab and his crustacean friends on the front page with the limited choice of primary colors.

"Did you want one? I can ask the waitress for another."

He laughed and sat down. She now had a close view of the freckles sprayed across his nose. His nose blushed from the sun's kisses. "Nah. I'm good. What are you getting?"

"Whatever you get."

"No pressure then. Okay, how about we split a fish and chip basket?"

"Sounds great!" He could suggest they jump off the Great Wall of China and she'd do it.

As silence filled the space between them, he rapped his knuckles on the table that was a circular treasure map. After they placed their drink and food orders, he asked, "So what's up, Delphi? Yous said you needed to tell me something in person?"

Right. She was enjoying being in his company so much, she almost forgot the reason for this outing. "Yeah... I'm glad you came. I heard something and I was just wondering if it was true. Ashley said Farrah is coming back. That you two are getting back together... is it true?"

"Oh... um, yeah, she is moving back next week. And I don't know. We've been texting, but haven't really talked about that."

"But do you want to?"

"I mean, we only broke up because she was moving away. We might get back together. I don't know. Things got pretty heavy before she left."

"But do you want to get back together with her?"

"I don't know. What's with all the questions?"

Okay. This is it. Now or never. She began to tear up her napkin, unable to meet his eyes. "Because I don't want you to... because I like you..."

Her gut twisted itself in knots and now she really couldn't look up at him or she would probably burst out in tears. So this is how it feels to confess. The whole ordeal is underrated in the movies she has watched. Nothing could truly capture the awkward, teeth-chattering tension of a moment like this.

"You like me?" he parroted. There was no need to clarify that it wasn't meant as a platonic 'I-like-you-as-a-friend'.

"Yes. A lot. Do you? I mean, do you like me that way?"

"Yeah. I mean, I don't know you that well. I think I could," he mumbled.

That first word was enough for her to pop her head up and stare at him, her heart trying out for the Olympian gymnastics in her chest. "Really?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure you liked me like that. I mean, I kinda suspected it... but then I thought you and Triton were a thing–"

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, Triton said you two were going to get married. Is that true?"

"Yes..."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's... complicated. But we are not together, I swear. I don't like him like that and he doesn't like me like that either. We never felt that way about each other."

"Still, I wouldn't want to be your rebound and I don't want you to be mine either. Triton has been asking me for advice on how to get you back, so it feels kinda wrong. And now with Farrah back..."

Delphi took a deep breath through her nose and cursed Triton in a million ways. How dare he manipulate Hayden! She wasn't surprised by her love's hesitance. He still has feelings for Farrah, and for all he knows and with all Triton may have alluded to, he may think Delphi is in denial about her own feelings for her own "ex". If only he knew that romantic entanglements did not exist in their culture.

"If you're not comfortable, we can take things slow? Maybe we can spend more time together and just see where things go?"

"So just hang and casually date? Yeah. That's cool."

Pink invaded her cheeks and she wanted to scream out loud in joy.

I will make you love me.

🦀🦀🦀

TRITON was in a great mood. Instead of basketball, the guys hung out on the beach and played volleyball. He much preferred the beach sport. Basketball had too much contact for his liking. After the game, he went with the boys to Below The Deck to celebrate Hayden's girlfriend moving back in town. He wondered if the future Queen of the Sea has heard the exciting news, he thought darkly. He drank a private cheers to his own accomplishment. Soon, he will be able to say goodbye forever to the horrid sun and its burns! No more Karen or canned foods! No more smiling and pretending to enjoy the company of these obnoxious humans, barring Callie, of course.

The alcohol served its purpose and he found himself not minding the loud music or company, even tolerating the intoxicated girls whose hands he had to pry off his person every now and then. True to his nature though, he let them fall over themselves, not bothering to help them up. Still in a good mood when he got home, he spent nearly an hour swimming in the ocean. It had been too long. Was Callie right? Was he getting homesick?

How can Delphi not miss this? He thought as he floated on his back looking up at the stars through the glass-like surface, his bright seafoam green hair dancing with the current.

He staggered through the door at nearly three in the morning, hoping to sneak in since he was soaking wet and the warm effects of liquid courage still lingered in his system. At his entry, Callie rose from where she was sitting at the counter. "Triton! There you are! Do you realize how late it is? I've been so worried. Adam said you left them hours ago!"

"Adam said what? When did you talk to him?"

"I got off the phone with him a few minutes ago. Are you still drunk?"

"No... maybe? Ha, I could never get drunk back home. I'm fine, but I require sleep. Goodnight."

She took a deep breath that got caught in her lungs as he took off his shirt heading to the bathroom and bid her goodnight in another drunk ramble. "Wait. Please don't walk away from me when I'm trying to talk to you."

He sighed. He was having a hard time concentrating and he could physically feel her bringing down the mood. "What else do you wish to talk about?"

"Hayden told Delphi that you said you and she were a thing."

"And?"

"And? You know what you did! Because of you, Hayden has doubts about being with Delphi."

He laughed ruefully. "That's a shame."

"I'm serious."

"I'm sure you are. Can I go to bed now?"

"No! You made a deal with her–"

"Don't lecture me. I have not broken my vow," he said raising his voice.

"You're just mad because Hayden does love Delphi, which means you were wrong."

He gave an unpleasant laugh, turning away from her. "Hayden doesn't love her."

"You don't know that..." She grabbed onto his shoulder preventing him from escaping, ignoring his hissing breath. "Admit it. You're jealous that Delphi would rather be with a human than you. Are you hurt or is it just your pride?"

He narrowed his eyes that had darkened into turbulent depths. A headache began creeping along the edges of his temples. "You know nothing, Callie..."

She huffed. "I know you can't control Delphi or me."

"Enough! I have allowed your counsel on this matter, but now it is late and I am tired, so you can consider yourself dismissed."

As soon as it left his mouth, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Too late to take it back, though, even if he was of mind to do so. Callie flushed and tightened the fists at her side. "How dare you! You can't dismiss me! This is my home and I am not your fucking servant for the last goddamn time! I'm so sick of your attitude, you lazy prick! Guess what! I'm tired, too, cause I have been up late worried about you, you selfish, arrogant bastard!"

He advanced on her and she shuffled backwards bumping into her island counter. He was the Prince of Atlantis. People scrambled out of their way to please him, yet a mere human shows him such blantant disrespect. Her anger seemed out of place and he didn't understand it. His own anger simmered beneath the surface... along with something else..."Stop yelling. You are giving me a headache," he said in a low and dangerous tone, looming over her.

CALLIE huffed and glared at him, her eyes dark without the faintest trace of fear. "You son of a fish! To hell with your headaches! I can yell if I want. Come any closer and I will–"

He rolled his eyes and cut her off by leaning down and claiming her mouth with his. She stilled for a second before her body instinctively reacted, returning the kiss with the subtlety of a jack hammer. He pinned her against the counter to where she felt him, every inch of him, down the length of her body. A deep passion began to boil up.

His kiss was not sweet nor forgiving, it was rough and controlling, and tasted like fire with a hint of something else, something dark and spicy. Wonderstruck by the skill he displayed to part her lips and invade her mouth, her mind clouded. He raised a hand from the counter, lightly brushing his fingers over her shoulder before coming to rest against the column of her neck, to tilt back her head so that he may deepen the kiss, sucking on her bottom lip. A moan escaped her throat.

Placing one hand on his shoulder for balance, she reached the other hand up to explore his hair, which seemed to annoy him to her satisfaction. He murmured a curse against her lips, capturing that hand by the wrist and yanking it down to be held captive behind her back, then resumed his plunder of her mouth. His other hand gripped her neck as if to say 'behave', sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine. The sensory overload was almost too much for her virgin brain to take. She could feel the pounding of her heart in her head. Her knees were starting to buckle so she tightened her grip on his shoulder, afraid she may pass out.

Reacting to the change, he moved his hands to grip her waist pulling her up to sit on the island counter before resuming the kiss. Blood still running hot from the shouting and empowered by the new postion, her tongue tangled with his, now fighting for dominance. Her legs squeezed around his waist as he laid her back.

He pulled away abrupt, looking down at her with a pensive expression as his breathing settled. There was no mistaking the dark lust that shadowed his eyes, mirroring her own. The sight of it filled her with a sense of pride.

Out of breath, she desperately wanted to get back to kissing and couldn't understand why, in the name of whatever gods he worshiped, he had stopped. He finally spoke in a low murmur that caressed her flaming skin. "You see? Desire can happen between anyone. But it's not love."

Still in the haze he had induced and with her legs touching his hips, she sat up and whispered back, "Those two things aren't mutually exclusive."

A deafening silence overtook the space between them. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Yet they are often confused for one another by the inexperienced."

A trickle of irritation rose as she registered his patronizing tone. "What would you know about any of that? It doesn't sound like you have any more experience than I do."

"Delphi and I were not immune to the stirrings of adolescence. We were encouraged to... control it, suppress it... She is confused. As are you. Why else would you reciprocate me when only a moment ago you were yelling and cursing in my face? Do not act surprised, Callie. Don't you wish to know my history before you decide to indulge yourself in my bed?"

A cold realization broke through what remained of her lustful haze. His kiss had been too confident, too sure, too calculated. A myriad of emotions stilled her bones and made her feel unbearably hollow. All the shame and disappointment his words had conjured rolled up in a flaming ball of anger that stung her eyes. She jumped off the counter and gave his perfect face a resounding smack. Retreating to her room and slamming the door, she left him standing there holding his slapped cheek in shock.