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Byssal had been planning to go out to find food soon. He hadn’t had a good meal for a week with the recent attacks on Pelago. She’d been hurt so badly, the fresh wounds an awful brightness on her dark skin. He had to be stronger.
Pelago was curled up in a dark corner of the cave they called a home. The usually organized place a mess. Neither had felt up to cleaning the destruction from the last group. He wished he could do more for her.
Slowly he settled next to her, the faint droplets of tears floated off her sleeping form. She couldn’t be left alone, but going hunting with him left her in so much danger. He couldn’t risk her life, he’d just have to make do. He could just make use of the stories too, the others were small enough…
The thought made him gag once he saw an image in his mind. They were all about Pelago’s size. He laid a hand near her, he wasn’t the biggest out there. There were a lot more threats to her he could never fight unless he was bigger, but here he felt like he was too big.
His whole hand could wrap around her. He carefully smoothed her blonde hair back. Her head was so much smaller than just his hand. He wanted to be perfect for her, he wanted to be her destiny.
“Byssal…” she whined. He laughed a bit, she never admitted she talked in her sleep. It was adorable, so many sleepless nights filled with the wonders of her mind. A secret just for him. “Please don’t leave. I’ll make it stop.”
He used his finger to carefully wipe away the tears. She was so innocent. After all this time she still thought he could stand to leave her. A part of him was terrified by the idea that she might not be his destiny. He couldn’t ever imagine someone better than her.
“…spell…works….blue now…I’ll blend in…”
She curled in on herself more. She hated her white fins and scales. He loved them, he loved that she stood out. He could see her for leagues, a beacon in the dark depths. He would blend in, fade out of sight even to her. A murky green that humans would think is kelp or algae if he were too high up.
“Please… byss… hate me…”
He almost woke her up hearing that. He didn’t know if she didn’t say everything, but it hurt. He could never hate her. He hated the others who attacked her and peppered her beautiful dark brown skin with pale scars. He hated the ones of the past who left her tortured like this. He hated the pain she endured when first teaching him magic. He hated himself for being too scared to tell her how he feels.
“Find…right one..”
“You really don’t see it, do you?” He whispered.
She moved a bit but curled up tighter without a word. He waited before drifting closer and looking at her wounds again. He traced them gently as she slept, each shudder making him freeze. She was so small.
She started to fidget in her sleep. Her tail moving strangely. He knew what that meant. Another dream, or maybe a nightmare, where she was made human. The sins of the past falling on her leaving her alone in a new world.
“It’s me… please. Byss…”
The other reason he’d never stoop to eating the attackers. She didn’t know he knew this part of her fears. Made human and left in the deep sea, looking smaller and different enough to be seen as just a human. Then he showed up.
“Byss! It’s me! Please don’t!”
Every time those cries fell on deaf ears in her dream. She was speaking a human language, one he didn’t know. He had to learn for her, so she could have these dreams replaced with a shred of reality.
“Pel,” he breathed. He started up with chirps that should soothe her. A promise that she’s safe. “Even if you’re human I’d know it’s you. I’d protect you, take you to land and find a home close by. I love you Pelago. I only wish I could say this while you’re awake.”
Her frantic movements died down. Tears and sniffles echoing in their home. She wrapped her tail around his the best she could. He pulled her closer, keeping her small form safe surrounded by him. He could hunt later for now he’d sleep.
Pelago jolted awake another awful dream ending in pain. She tried to move, but it was dark and cramped. She started to panic until soft chirps echoed around her, a familiar oddity to them that came from the cave’s shape.
She squirmed a bit and the confined space grew more open. A bit of light filtered in and she saw Byssal’s face inces from her own. She raised a hand up to slowly massage the tense look off of him.
He was always doing everything for her. She just taught him magic despite the fact he’d grow so large. She never would have pictured him able to surround her like this back then. He’d barely been her size at the time. She leaned in closer to the warmth if his body, resting her head against his chest.
Chirps echoed again. He always said she talked in her sleep well he chirped. She loved it and wouldn’t ever tell him. They always stood out, her one constant on the changing tides. They sounded sad though.
She chirped with concern and he curled in on her again. He pulled her up towards his face and nuzzled her in his sleep. She chirped happily with a laugh slipping out. That seemed to be his wake up call, green eyes were staring at her. They were such a dark color compared to his pale skin.
“I need to go hunt,” he said. He let her go and swam to the mouth of the cave. He looked back with fear written all over his face. “Hide if any of them show up again.”
She gave an affirmative chirp before he finally left the cave. She went to the entrance and watched as he disappeared. He was so large, disappearing like that just seemed unfair. A lot of things were unfair though, she glared at her horribly white scales. Byssal said he thought they were better than the green of his own.
“You really don’t see it, do you?” She sighed. She could never say this to him directly. “I want different scales to be with you Byss…”
She watched the empty water a little longer before retreating again. She didn’t bother staying out in the open, hiding away where only Byssal would notice the bright white. Someday she’d tell him and maybe he’d understand. She loved him with her whole being and wanted to take away the constant stress and nerves.