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seasonsofeverlark · 3 years

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And the Sea is A-roar

Author: @shesasurvivor

Prompt: Everlark + surf, sand, and sun [submitted by @anonymous]

Rating: Explicit

Summary: The people of land aren’t supposed to interact with those who live in the sea. It’s a law that was decreed long ago. Peeta, prince of the kingdom by the sea, knows this better than anyone. But the sea calls to him, and he finds himself unable to resist. On a secret visit to the shore one day, he finds himself attempting to save a mysterious woman, only for her to save him instead. Upon discovering that his savior is a mermaid, the two strike up a deal for her to give him secret swimming lessons. However, Peeta finds it harder to keep his taboo relationship with the mermaid hidden; and worse, he finds himself falling for her.

Author’s Note: I took some liberties with the prompt, but it still technically fits, right? I hope so! This is planned to eventually be worked into a multi-chapter story. Word Count: 10,547 words. ___________________

The ocean was not usually this quiet.

Peeta Mellark would know. His castle sat on the cliffs overlooking the beach. He was able to watch its activity daily, even if he could not reach it on his own for the day. But he did try, as often as he could, to get down to the water. Though he was the prince of the kingdom that sat on the shore, Peeta was lured to the water’s edge, as he had been for as long as he could remember.

He told himself he was attracted to the beauty of the ocean. He knew that was part of the draw; he frequently spent evenings attempting to capture the seascape colors with his paints. It was what he told others when they questioned him over it. Despite the boundaries drawn between his kingdom and the sea, few could deny the beauty that the ocean held.

This wasn’t the entire truth, though. Peeta knew it, deep down inside, even if he could not explain this to the others. He knew that they wouldn’t understand. Not when the ocean was forbidden to all in their kingdom, as decreed by Peeta’s father himself.

So the shoreline was usually not very populated, save for a few brave souls who dared to brave the sandy beach. But today, it was quieter than it usually was.

Peeta was grateful for this fact as he walked across the sandy stretch of land that kissed the salty waves. It was a perfect day, really: the sun was warm on his skin and was accented by a cool breeze that danced across the water. It made him feel alive in a way that remaining couped up inside the castle never could. If no one else was here, then that was one less reason for him to feel guilty in enjoying his trip to the shore.

He walked a fair distance away from the castle and the village that surrounded them. Some would say that it was too far away, but his legs carried him anyway. The further away he got from his home, the more tempting the water seemed to him. He wasn’t supposed to enter the ocean, not even for a minute. But from time to time, he worked up the courage to dip his toe in.

How could he refrain from doing so on a day like today? These were the kinds of days that were made for swimming in the sea. The sunlight sparkled on the ocean surface, looking so incredibly inviting. Peeta was at the edge where the wave lapped onto the shore before he even realized what he was doing.

For a few moments, he stopped and simply stared across the surf. He knew he shouldn’t do this. It was forbidden, and he was the prince of the kingdom. It would be better if he turned around and walked away now. He was just on the brink of doing so when his body moved forward impulsively and stepped into the cool water.

An excited shiver jolted through his body. It was the thrill of the taboo. It didn’t help that the sea water’s temperature was so refreshing. He almost felt as though rejuvenating energy coursed through his veins. It took everything inside of him not to push forward and splash through the waves into deeper waters. He had only just enough self-control to prevent himself from doing so.

Still, it was nearly impossible to convince himself to leave. It was as though some invisible force kept him glued to the spot. He stood in that stop, his feet deepening in the muddy sand as the waves lapped around and eroded the sand around his feet. He lost track of all time as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to become lost in the sensations. When he opened them sometime later, he wasn’t sure what time it even was anymore. The sun still shone brightly above him, so it must not have been too long.

He was starting to come back to reality. With increased awareness, he remembered that his scent could easily be picked up in the ocean. He was fortunate that he hadn’t been detected already. It was the thought that he may have been that prompted him to finally move. He quickly moved back, back until he was safely removed from the touch of the water.

It was then that his ears picked up on something. Turning his attention to this new sound, he realized it sounded like a woman singing. Mentally he kicked himself for losing track of himself the way he had; if someone had witnessed him in the ocean, it would be trouble for him and the entire castle. He turned his head, looking for the source of the voice, and caught a figure in the water a short distance away from him.

For a moment, all he could feel was a sense of relief. Even if he had been caught, so had this woman, whoever she was. In fact, she was in more violation of the law than he had been, considering that she was further in the surf than he had been.

He stood and watched her for some time. She seemed blissfully unaware that anyone else was on the beach with her. He couldn’t bring himself to interrupt her, though, because he understood all too well the irresistible draw of the ocean. Besides, her voice was lovely. In fact, the longer he listened, the more he thought it was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard in his life. It was almost otherworldly. Again losing track of himself, he moved in her direction. He didn’t know what he would say to her, but he also couldn’t stop himself from approaching her.

He reached the edge of the water nearest her and realized she was about his age. She had dark hair that she kept in a braid and skin darker than his own fair complexion. He didn’t recognize her, and he thought he was familiar with most who lived in his kingdom. But perhaps she lived further out from the main village.

She didn’t seem to hear him above the sound of her own voice. Even when he was right above her, though still on the sand as he should be, Peeta had to clear his voice before he could get her attention. When he did, she stopped singing abruptly. She turned wide, terrified silver eyes in his direction as realization dawned on her face that she was not alone.

“I’m sorry- ” Peeta began to apologize, but it hardly made any difference. Before he could even complete the sentence, she had turned quickly away and dove underneath the surface.

For several long moments, all he could do was stand and wait for her to resurface. Minute after minute ticked by, with no sign of her. It was finally clear that she would not be returning. Panicked, he wondered what he should do. Peeta couldn’t allow her to drown under his watch, even if both of them were out in the waters when they were not supposed to be. But diving under the waves was dangerous. His head whipped from side to side, wondering if perhaps she had come up for air some distance away, and he only had to catch sight of her to feel reassured. But there was no sign that she had ever existed.

At last, he couldn’t take it. Even if it meant punishment, he had to at least try to save the woman if she needed it. Even though it was likely too late now. He kicked off his boots, leaving them behind on the dry sand, and ran into the water, kicking up splashes around him as he ran. He soon reached the spot where she had sat and tried at first to feel around with his feet. He felt nothing but the force of the water moving against his leg as it moved.

Now he had a choice to make. With the kingdom’s rules being what they were, he had never learned to swim despite living next to the sea. But he couldn’t reconcile his conscience with the thought that he might have to let this poor girl drown. If he stuck in this general part of the water, didn’t go too far out, he would probably be alright. Sucking in his breath, he braced himself and dove under.

IT was a pointless endeavor, he soon learned. It was so murky in the water that he could barely see a couple feet in front of him. And the salt stung his eyes so badly, he was forced to close them for protection. He attempted his task with his eyes closed, but it also proved to be a poor decision. He quickly lost track of where he was, and the tide moved him back and forth until Peeta couldn’t tell where he was. He opened his eyes long enough to figure out which direction the surface was in and then did his best to struggle up towards it.

The ocean proved more robust than he. Even though he briefly breached, there was a pull that sucked him back underneath. Without the skill to swim, he proved no match against it.

The current grew to be too much for him. He made one last attempt to save himself with the remaining strength he had left before he succumbed into the darkness that grew up around him. This is it, he thought. I’ll be lost out here, and I never should have come in the first place. Father was right.

Just before he blacked out, he thought he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. But it must have been a hallucination as his body shut down.

—

Hot. That was the first word that formed in Peeta’s mind. He could see nothing, and all he was aware of was the heat that radiated onto his face, his entire body.

He opened his eyes and realized that it was the sun beating down on him as he lay in the sand on his back. It took a moment to reorient himself until he realized he was on the beach. Why was he on the beach? He swam around in his memory for why he was here- and suddenly, it all came flooding back to him, the way he had been struggling as the ocean had overcome him. But he should have drowned. He thought he had drowned. Why wasn’t he dead? What happened? It was with this thought that he tried to sit up a little too suddenly before growing dizzy. Holding a hand to his head, he sunk back down to the ground.

“Careful. You need to stay quiet,” a female voice said.

Peeta’s eyes flew open. He didn’t recognize this voice, and he knew he had been alone in his last few moments. The only woman around him had all but disappeared. Unless…

He spotted the female figure crouched near him. “You!” he gasped.

The woman looked unmoved by his realization and instead remained focused on his condition. “Don’t move too suddenly,” she urged.

Still trying to understand what had happened and where he had come from, he fixed his gaze on her. He had been correct about her age–she was roughly the same age as he. Long black hair, olive skin, a lithe body.. and suddenly, he realized she hadn’t any clothes on. His face grew hot as his eyes grew wide, and he turned away in embarrassment.

“What happened?” he dared to ask.

There was a beat of silence, and for a split second, he wondered if she weren’t going to answer him. Finally, though, she spoke. “You nearly drowned. I rescued you.”

Despite everything, it was a little embarrassing to have it said so plainly like that. To think that the prince had needed rescuing from a woman. But the thought only lasted briefly, as he realized it didn’t bother him as much as he thought it maybe should. He was just grateful to be alive.

“I saw you before,” he tried to explain. “Sitting in the waves. I thought you needed rescuing,” he said, then had to give a slight laugh. “Ironic.”

She gave no response to this, no explanation as to what, exactly, had happened to her that she might disappear for so long and yet somehow appear from the murks to save him. “Are you thirsty?” she asked instead. “You should try to get your strength up.”

He thought about it and realized that he was. He nodded his head and tried not to watch the backside of her exposed body as she left to bring him a drink of water.

Several moments later, he felt her settle down in the sand next to him. Daring to look at her, he saw that she was holding out a shell full of water. He gingerly sat up, realizing as he did so that she was right that sitting up too quickly still caused him to feel light-headed. Once he was up, though, he took the shell of water gratefully and took a large gulp.

Only to spit the water out in surprise a split second later. “It’s salt,” Peeta said, forgetting himself. He glanced over at her and realized she was giving him a confused look.

“What do you mean, it’s salt?” she asked him.

“It’s saltwater,” he sputtered. “I can’t drink that.”

“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize that you couldn’t drink it.”

Even though he was still gagging from the mouthful of salt, Peeta raised an eyebrow at this comment. How could she not realize that? Something strange was going on. This time, he deliberately ignored decorum as he turned and examined her naked body, the way she studied him with a puzzled look on her face and not the slightest hint of sensing she was inappropriate in her lack of clothing. And slowly, the pieces of the puzzles began to come together.

“You’re… a mermaid. Aren’t you?” he asked carefully.

A look of fear briefly crossed her face, but she quickly banished it, replacing it with one that was far more neutral. “I should leave,” she said and began to turn away from Peeta.

“Wait!” Without thinking, he reached out quickly and grasped her arm. “Please don’t leave. I won’t harm you,” he begged. She stopped, but he could see the conflicting emotions on her face, deciding whether she should stay or go. He loosened his grip on her arm, hoping to encourage her, to help her realize he truly meant no harm. It took her a minute, but finally, she seemed to be convinced as she turned back to him. Though he could see from her body language that she was still on guard.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ve just never met a mermaid before. But I’ve always wanted to.”

She looked at him without change to her expression and said nothing.

“That’s why I couldn’t find you after you dove under the water on the beach, isn’t it?” he continued, still piecing things together. “You swam away. And that’s why you were able to rescue me,” he finished.

He thought she would remain silent, but to his surprise, she actually nodded after a moment. “Yes,” she said quietly.

He gave an embarrassed smile. “I guess you really didn’t need my failed attempt to save you at all, did you?”

“You’re not a good swimmer,” she said so bluntly that he couldn’t even be offended by it. All he could do was laugh.

“That’s true,” he admitted. “I was never given lessons. We’re not allowed to go into the sea.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment. “If you’d like… I can teach you,” she offered.

He looked at her, dumbfounded and unsure how to respond. He shouldn’t even be entertaining such a thought - it was forbidden, after all, and he was the son of the king - but he would be lying if he admitted that he had been secretly wanting to learn for his entire life.

“It’s forbidden, you know,” he said. “We shouldn’t even be speaking right now.”

She frowned. “You should learn,” she insisted, ignoring Peeta’s comment altogether. “You need to know how if you’re going to go in the water again.”

He had to smile at this. “All right,” he found himself agreeing, even though he knew it was a bad idea. But he couldn’t find it in him to reject the woman. “When do we start?”

“Meet me tomorrow when the sun is directly above,” she told him.

“Noon,” he said. “All right. There’s a small secret cove down a way that would be better for us. No one goes there, and we wouldn’t be caught.” He pointed down the coast where a clump of trees hid a small inlet.

“I’m familiar with it,” she said. This surprised Peeta, and he wondered how often she went there herself. Had she been there any of the times that he had been there? “I’ll meet you there tomorrow at that time.”

“I’ll see you then,” he said with a smile.

She nodded, then stood up and walked to the water. Peeta felt guilty for watching her leave, as she was still exposed, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her either. She walked calmly into the ocean, deeper and deeper until she dove underneath. A second later, a green fin breached the surface before it, too, disappeared under the surf. He had to smile despite himself. She had turned back into a mermaid, and he had never seen one in person before.

It was nearly impossible for him to contain himself that night after he returned to the castle, but he knew he must keep his excitement to himself for his safety and the safety of the mermaid he had met today. What was her name, anyhow? He had been so overcome by surprise at meeting a mermaid that he had completely forgotten to ask her. Oh well; he would be sure to ask her for it tomorrow.

He dined that evening at the great table with his father. By that time, he had managed to arrange his features into a neutral expression to not betray anything to his father.

“How did you spend your day today,” he asked his son.

“Oh, I didn’t do much, Father,” Peeta answered. “I studied a bit, and I painted.” Both were true, even if they didn’t say all of what his day had entailed.

His father gave the briefest of nods and fortunately did not press him further. He began prattling on about his expectations for Peeta’s future, but he did not pay attention. He was too preoccupied with the memory of the mermaid he had met today and her piercing silver gaze.

—

He set out later the following day, being sure to give himself plenty of time to arrive at the destination they had agreed upon. He arrived at the cove as the sun shone directly overhead, just as they had agreed upon. There was no sign of her. He checked around, just to be sure that she was not waiting for him elsewhere and that no one else was there to witness them. He was alone.

He sat down on the beach to wait. Just as he settled in, the water’s surface broke, and the mermaid glided up from the depths.

“Are you ready?” she asked, cutting straight to the point.

Peeta, who was caught off guard by how suddenly she had appeared, took a minute to gather himself. “Yes,” he gulped at last. He removed his boots and stood. He struggled with the decision to remove his clothes, knowing it would be uncomfortable to swim in them, but also feeling it was indecent to swim in only his underwear in front of a woman. Then he remembered the ease with which she had walked around, stripped fully in the nude right in front of him, and realized she did not have the same ideas of decency that they had on land. Even from here, with her body mostly submerged, he could tell she had nothing covering her exposed chest. He stripped to his undergarments, taking note of the fact that she didn’t look away or seem at all flustered by this.

Once he was ready, he waded into the refreshing waters to join her. He went as deep as he was able, and she swam over to join him.

“So,” he said, trying to mask his own nervousness, “how do we start?”

The girl studied him for a long moment. “Perhaps you should learn how to float first,” she said at last.

“Perhaps,” he agreed. It seemed like a good place to start to him, at least. Not that he was an expert on swimming lessons. Wasn’t that why he was here in the first place?

“Lie back,” she instructed him.

He looked at her, confused. If he lay back, wouldn’t he just fall underneath the surf?

“Lie back,” she repeated. “Like this.” And she sunk down backward until she indeed did float on the surface of the water. For the first time, he got a full view of her mermaid tail, which had changed back from her legs as soon as she had entered the water. It was a beautiful, dazzling green that seems to shine in the sunlight. He had heard stories from wizened old sailors who had seen the mermaids firsthand, back when such interchanges between the two communities were allowed. But he had never seen one for himself. It was more magnificent than he ever could have imagined.

“Are you listening?” He came back and realized that she had righted herself and was now looking at him, perplexed. She had been speaking for a few minutes, but he was too lost in his mind to hear it.

Peeta shook his head, trying to bring him back to the task at hand. “Sorry,” he apologized. He didn’t say he had been distracted by the sight of her tail, though. That seemed rude, somehow. “So, um, I just lie back like this?” He tried to do it himself but somehow only seemed to fall through the water and sink down to the sand.

Shocked, he scrambled back to his feet, a more challenging task with his having to fight against the waves that moved towards the shore and back again. As he straightened out, he turned back to her and realized that she had a hint of a smile on her face for the first time since he had met her.

“I guess that wasn’t very graceful,” he said with something of a grin as well.

He could see on her face the struggle to remain serious, but despite herself, the smile actually grew across her face. It lit up her features in a way that made her seem like someone Peeta could spend his time with forever. “You could have done better,” she admitted. “Here, let me help you.”

She swam over to him, and even though he felt like an idiot, he couldn’t help the way his breath hitched in his throat as she grew closer to him. He had been this close to her, once, yesterday when he first came to after nearly drowning. But this was entirely different. It felt more intimate, somehow, as she righted herself and looked him in the eye. Reaching out her arms, she placed one hand on his back. He hoped she didn’t feel the shiver that ran up his spine when her skin touched his. What was wrong with him?

“Just lay back gently,” she instructed. Peeta started to try but felt the pressure of her hand against his back. “Slower,” she said. “Straighten your body out as you go. Put your legs out on top of the water.”

Following her guidance, he soon floated on the surface of the water. He stared up into the brilliant blue sky, and this time there was no masking the giant grin on his face. “I did it!” he exclaimed, feeling like he was ten years old again.

“You did,” she agree, and as her face loomed above him, her dark hair falling around her face, he could see that she was actually allowing a smile herself.

“What’s your name?” he blurted out suddenly. Then he wondered if that were somehow too forward for him or if the timing had been awkward. She did look taken aback for a minute, but after a beat, she shook it off.

“My name is Katniss,” she told him.

“Katniss,” he repeated. “Like the plants?”

“Yes,” she confirmed but offered no explanation as to how or why she might be named after what was generally considered a freshwater plant you would find in ponds or lakes further in, and not something you would typically find out in the open ocean.

“It’s beautiful,” he told her after a moment.

Despite her rather reserved, stern demeanor, he could have sworn he saw her cheeks grow pink at his compliment. Just the sight of it made warmth rush through his own body. “My name is Peeta,” he told her.

“Peeta,” she repeated, nodding. If she had any thoughts on his name, however, she did not offer them.

Peeta wondered if he should offer her more, if he should tell her that he was the prince of this land, and they would need to be extra careful regarding the swimming lessons or else they might accidentally bring down a lot of trouble for each of them and their respective lands. He didn’t want to–he thought he would rather keep things secret for his own, selfish sake. He rather enjoyed having this time with her, alone, where he was just a nobody. But the more he thought about the potential actions to their consequences, the more he thought she had a right to know what she was getting into.

“There’s more,” he continued. “I don’t want to scare you because I’m already enjoying our lessons, but you deserve to know. I’m also the prince of this land.”

For once, he got an actual reaction out of her. Her eyes grew large, and even though he could tell she was trying her best to appear neutral like it didn’t phase her, he could see the way actual fear overtook her features. And he didn’t like it.

“I should leave,” she said. She looked over her shoulder as though looking for someone, maybe guards who might be sneaking up on her now, seeking to trap her. Of course, no such trap was there for her, but just the thought alone broke his heart for her. Still, she made no actual effort to go.

“I understand if you do,” he relented, even though he felt disappointed at the thought of her leaving. “But I have just as much to lose as you do if we’re caught. I promise I won’t betray you.”

She looked skeptical, and he could tell she was weighing whether or not it was a good idea in her mind. He wouldn’t blame her if she bolted now, diving away and never returning again. It wasn’t like he could follow her if he did. Wasn’t that the entire point of these swim lessons?

A second later, though, he nodded hesitantly. Katniss still looked suspicious, but she had agreed. “All right,” she said. “As long as you promise not to tell a soul.”

“Not a single one,” he said. He meant it, but even as he said it, he realized the thought of not telling anyone about Katniss made him sad. Was it because he wanted to brag about knowing a mermaid? A small part of that was true, he knew, but he felt as though there were something else that made him want to share with the world as well. What was it?

“Well, should we continue?” She asked, shaking him from his thoughts.

“Oh. Sure!” He said brightly, feeling as though he might be overcompensating for the way he had drifted off into his own thoughts. Katniss had him practice floating some more until he was comfortable with letting his body dangle on the surface of the water. She even had him practice floating on his stomach, with his face submerged underwater.

“You’ll need to know how to do this when you swim,” she promised him.

“Do you float?” He couldn’t help asking. He’d only briefly seen her swimming today; he hadn’t really witnessed her swim in her full glory, even after she had saved him from drowning yesterday.

“I do,” she admitted. “It’s easier for me when it’s underwater, though.”

That made sense. But another question occurred to Peeta. “How do you ever know how to teach a human to swim?” he asked her.

She gave a tight-lipped mysterious smile. “I’ve found my ways,” she said but would not expand on her meaning. Peeta decided it was better to respect her wishes. If she wanted to trust him with her secret, she would do so.

Before Peeta knew it, it seemed as though the shadows grew longer from the trees that surrounded their cove. “It’s getting late,” he told her. “I should probably get back soon.” He would have to wait until he had dried entirely before he could even return, or it would arouse suspicion. That alone would take more time than they already had.

He could tell she had been thinking the same thing. She had begun taking more frequent glances at the shadows herself before he had spoken up. Where ever she lived, whoever her family was, she would probably need to return to them soon herself and would likely need to cover where she had been with them, just as he would need to do with his own family.

“Thank you, Katniss,” he said in earnest, taking her hand into his. It was the first time he had ever truly felt it, small but firm in his own. Though he tried not to show it, the feeling of her hand in his made his heart beat faster. He wasn’t sure if it had the same effect on her; all she did was look at his hand as though it had tentacles growing out of it when he took hers in his.

Still, she did not draw it away, he noticed.

“Will we meet again tomorrow?” He asked.

It took her a moment to respond, and Peeta found that it felt like an eternity waiting. Finally, she nodded. “Yes,” she murmured. “Meet me here again tomorrow, at the same time.”

“Of course,” he smiled at her. She held his gaze a moment longer, then turned and disappeared back into the sea.

That evening, once he had dried entirely and returned home, he set up his canvas and paints on a patio overlooking the sea. He knew better than to attempt to recapture her likeness, but the sea was in his veins now. Mixing blues, yellows, whites, blacks, he tried to create the wild nature of the waves as they lapped against the beach. The servants around his chamber bade him come out, to join his father in his evening pastimes, but he could not tear himself away from the paint or the view of the ocean. Many times, mainly once he had been left in peace by the other inhabitants of the castle, he would stare out a the ocean, now growing dark as the light faded, and wondering where Katniss was now, what she was doing. What was the ocean like for the mermaids when the sun went down? What did they live in? He had so many questions, and one day he hoped to ask them.

The next day he returned to their cove for another lesson. And another the day after that, and once more the day after that. He asked the questions he hoped wouldn’t make Katniss feel too threatened, like he was attempting to spy on their lives. All he wanted was to make her feel safe with him because he was. Or at least, as long as he had any control over things, she was. And he had no intention of ever telling anyone about her, as long as it meant her safety. But it did still nag him what, exactly, made her give the lessons in the first place. There must have been something she wanted from him in return or something he could do for her. But if there was, she did not offer it up.

As the days grew on, his thoughts increasingly became preoccupied with thoughts of her. The way her dark hair draped over her shoulders and down her body. They covered her chest, which she seemed to have no awareness of evening being exposed. He occasionally caught a peak, but if he were honest, it was just as much her face that captured his mind. So reserved, so controlled as to never betray her thoughts too often. But increasingly, he cracked her stern demeanor and even brought a smile to her face. One day, he even managed to make her laugh. It sounded clear and melodious, reminding him of when he had overheard her singing. Despite her apparent misgivings, he had hoped she found herself unable to do anything except trust him as well.

“My boy,” his father began one morning at breakfast, “you spend so much time milling about the grounds on your own. I think it’s about time you began picking a bride.”

The thought pulled him up short. As the prince of their kingdom, he knew that he would one day need to pick the queen to rule when he took the throne from his father. He had never even dreaded the thought before. He had never been shy with women; he must have noticed every woman of age in the kingdom by now. But ever since he had met Katniss, all thoughts of picking a bride had disappeared from his mind completely. Now that the idea had been brought to him like this, he realized it was also the last thing he wanted.

“Why, whatever is the matter, Peeta?” his father asked him a moment later, breaking Peeta out of his thoughts. He realized he had drifted off, lost in his thoughts, and brought his attention back to the reality before him.

“Nothing, father,” Peeta said quietly, focusing on his breakfast in front of him. “Your suggestion caught me off guard, is all.”

“You’ve always known the time would come when you would need to pick a future queen,” his father pointed out. That was true, and once, Peeta had even looked forward to it. But now, the thought had lost all its luster.

“I had just forgotten that time was getting to be so near,” Peeta explained.

“I see,” his father answered. Peeta tried reading him for any sort of sign as to what he was thinking, but his father had mastered the art of remaining unreadable. “Perhaps we should throw a ball, so you have an opportunity to meet the eligible women in this kingdom.”

If there were one thing that sounded worse than having to pick his bride, it was enduring a ball so that he could do so. “That won’t be necessary,” he said before thinking whether he should say so or not.

“Oh?” his father raised an eyebrow and looked at him curiously. “Do you already have someone picked out, then?”

The question hit Peeta hard. Did he? He spent every waking minute it seemed consumed with the thoughts of Katniss, the mermaid whose existence he couldn’t breathe a word about to anyone else he knew. “Perhaps,” he murmured, unable to stop the words as they slipped out of his mouth.

His father cheered immediately. “Splendid! When shall we meet her?” he asked.

Now Peeta was in trouble. If he couldn’t tell anyone that he even knew Katniss, how was he supposed to introduce her to his father? How was he supposed to… even approach the subject with her, when all they had ever done so far was engage in swim lessons? He didn’t even know if she felt the same way. Just hearing about his feelings could, in fact, frighten her. Cause her to never want to speak to him again.

Oh, but she couldn’t be that cruel, could she?

“I’ll have to arrange it,” Peeta said evasively. But it seemed to be enough for his father, who merely nodded and changed the subject. Peeta listened idly, all the while yearning to leave the table and get someplace where he could be alone with his thoughts. Because Peeta needed peace so that he could let the realization think in, though he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t figured it out before.

He had fallen in love with Katniss.

He was nervous about approaching their usual meeting spot later that afternoon. Now that he understood his own feelings, it made him apprehensive about being around her. Would she notice? Would she pick up on the fact that he had developed feelings for him and laugh? Was it too much to hope that she could possibly even feel the same way?

He reached their meeting spot. Just as it usually was when he first arrived, it seemed empty. Like there wasn’t another soul in sight. Well, except for the other creatures that lived around here.

It took him a moment longer to muster his courage before he stepped into the water. As he did so, Peeta thought about how funny it was, now that he was far more familiar with the sea than he had ever been before and could actually swim some, that he was now the most nervous about stepping foot in the ocean than he had ever been before.

He took a deep breath. I might as well get it over with, he told himself. Then reminded himself that he was making a big deal over nothing. Katniss wouldn’t know what he was thinking. Not unless she had the ability to read minds. And so far as he was aware, mermaids didn’t hold that power.

He was up to his shins deep in the water when she came up from the depths, gliding out of the water like some sort of radiant goddess. He couldn’t help himself as his face broke into a big grin at the sight of her. Maybe she was more likely to figure it out that way, but now that she was here, he realized he didn’t actually care.

To his utter happiness, she returned his smile, her own facing seemingly lighting up in return at the sight of him. It made his heart beat faster before he caught himself, reminding himself that he probably imagined that this was the case. He didn’t know if she felt anything for him, and he didn’t want to project his feelings on her, just in case.

“Good afternoon,” he bid her as he approached. She was still a short distance away from him and made no effort to swim closer. In fact, Peeta realized as he waded further and further into the tide, he would actually have to swim out to her if that was the case. Then he realized that was her plan all along, making him swim out to her. It was how they would start today’s lesson.

She was crafty. Peeta would give her that.

He would show her. This was his chance to show off everything he had learned from her. It would make him look good and flatter her all at the same time. It couldn’t have been more perfect if he had planned it.

He walked closer and closer until he was on his tiptoes to keep contact with the sandy ocean bottom beneath him. Finally, he couldn’t go any further on foot. He would have to swim the rest of the way from here.

He stopped for a moment and looked up at her, sure to make eye contact. She was watching him, waiting to see what he would do. This was the moment of truth. He decided to milk the moment for everything it was worth and stalled in making any sort of movement for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, he moved forward, launching his body through the water as he propelled his way towards her. She watched him, looking please with his progress. He wasn’t going to let her in on it just yet, but he was pleased with it as well. He was having an easier time swimming out to her than even he thought he would have.

Still, he was going to give her a hard time.

He was about halfway to her when he stopped suddenly and feigned that he was losing his ability to float. He took a deep breath and let himself slip underwater. He knew it would be a matter of seconds before she showed up, thinking she needed to save him, so he did what he could to stay submerged until she arrived. Right on cue, she appeared. He could see her through the murky depths swimming towards him. The way she moved through the water was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and he knew it put his own measly attempt at swimming to shame, as proud of it as he had been. He wanted to watch her swimming forever. But he still was only human, and he was running out of oxygen.

Just when she was reaching him, he suddenly shot himself back up to the surface. He gasped as soon as he breached, taking in the air and filling his lungs with much-needed oxygen. Katniss surfaced quickly after he did, and as she flipped her wild, dark hair back, she fixed him with an expression that was both shock and anger.

He couldn’t help it. He started laughing at the sight of how taken aback Katniss had been. When she saw his mirth, she attempted to maintain her serious expression, but it proved futile. He could see a smile creeping in on the corners of her lips.

“You were bad to do that,” she chided him as she shook her head, but he could see that she was starting to laugh herself.

He swam over to her. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it; I wanted to tease you,” he told her.

“After all I’ve done for you.” Peeta was momentarily taken aback by her scolding, but as he looked closer at her, he realized she was barely masking a look of amusement herself. She was teasing him in return.

“You’re right,” he said in mock seriousness. “I’m in great debt to you.” Then he remembered his previous ponderance and wondered if this were the right time to broach the subject.

He wasn’t wrong. A shadow of something, whatever it was, it was more serious, crossed Katniss’s face. Then it was gone almost just as quick. “I guess you don’t need any more of my lessons then,” she told him instead.

“Hold on now,” he said. He was still joking but realized he actually did feel a desperation to keep Katniss around. “Who said we’re done just yet?”

“Well, you clearly don’t need me anymore,” she countered.

“I’m sorry,” Peeta apologized. “I do need you.”

Katniss looked skeptical. “How so?” she asked.

“For starters, you’re still too fast for me. I bet I couldn’t even catch you if I were to swim after you,” Peeta told her.

Katniss nodded in agreement. “That’s true. You couldn’t.”

Peeta quirked an eyebrow. “You’re so certain of that?” he asked.

Katniss shrugged. “I’m still faster than you in the water. There’s no question about that.”

Peeta fought back a grin, attempting to look offended. “I thought mermaids were supposed to be more gentle than that.”

“I’m not,” Katniss said bluntly, and Peeta almost had to laugh at how honest she was.

“No kidding,” he said. “All right, how about this: let me swim after you and try to catch you. It’ll be like a game of tag.”

“Tag?” Katniss asked, looking genuinely confused. Peeta had to remind himself that tag was a game the humans played on land. Even though she could walk on legs herself when dry, Katniss still probably had no knowledge of the game.

“It’s a game children play on land,” he explained to her. “One person runs after someone else, or a whole group sometimes, and if they’re able to touch someone, then they win, and that person now has to do the chasing.”

“I see,” Katniss said. “All right, then chase me,” and with that, she dove into the water so quickly, Peeta almost didn’t know what had just happened. It took him a split second to recover before he realized he needed to get moving if he ever were to have any hope of winning this game.

Katniss remained at the surface to her credit, opting not to dive underneath where she would have even more of an advantage than she did now. Even though she was clearly much faster than Peeta, it helped even the playing field even though she was clearly much faster than Peeta was, or ever could hope to be. He knew this when he challenged her, but he still had to put up a good attempt. To catch her, he would have to outmaneuver her.

She was swimming in a circle, rounding the small cover that they were in. Another way she was trying to give him a fair chance; if she had swum out to the ocean, there would be no catching her. It made him smile, thinking that she was going out of her way to help him, even when it seemed like she was attempting to escape from him.

Peeta paused and waited until she swam back to his other side, so she was between him and the beach. His best bet was to attempt to pin her down here since there wasn’t much she could do to escape. Even if she were to evade him by making for the beach, she wouldn’t be able to move very far until her tail had dried and she was able to sprout her legs. Besides, even in the water, it was more shallow, and he could use the land to his advantage.

She was just coming back around, mere feet away, when she realized her mistake. She attempted to stop and reverse her path, but it was too late. The time it took her to stop and turn around was enough time for Peeta to close the distance between them. She attempted to squirm out of grasp, but she wasn’t fast enough. He reached out and, just when he thought she was going to twist out of reach, his fingers grasped her skin. He was even able to wrap his fingers around her arm, which brought her to a halt. A sound of surprise escaped her mouth as she realized she had been caught.

She stopped then, knowing that he had caught her and won. He realized he was grinning, waiting to see her reaction. When she turned, he realized she was laughing. Actually laughing. Seeing it made him laugh, too.

“I told you I could catch you,” he said to her.

“You surprised me,” she laughed, “that wasn’t fair.”

“It absolutely was,” he promised. “Totally fair.”

She shook her head but didn’t offer up any further reasoning. She lifted her eyes, still laughing, and met his eyes. There was a beat when they looked at each other, and though they were still smiling, the laughter faded, as though they forgot to do so.

He pulled her to him, and she offered no resistance. Their lips found each other, and it took a moment for what was happening to sink into Peeta. Then Katniss brought her arms up, and for a split second, he thought she was going to push him away. At least, it made the most sense because why would she be kissing him back? But then she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer, settling deeper into the kiss.

How long did they stay like this? He lost all track of time. He would have been happy to stay like this forever, but he had to come up for air. Reluctantly he drew away, resting his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to her, feeling it was still warranted, even though he could feel the lazy smile on his face as he said it.

“For what?” she whispered back. Katniss looked a little bewildered herself, and despite her question, he could see the fact that she was questioning her own actions. He decided he didn’t want to do it again if it caused any conflict in her.

“I know we shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered, as though he was afraid someone might overhear them. “I should let you go. You never have to see me again if you don’t want to.”

He started to release her from his arms, though it pained him to know he was letting her go. Instead of swimming away, however, she just pulled him back to her, this time initiating the kiss herself.

Peeta was more surprised by the kiss this time than he had been the first time, and for a long moment, kept his eyes wide open as she kissed him. Then he let himself give in, wrapping his arms around her again and closing his eyes as he deepened the kiss.

Her kisses were hot as her lips tugged on his. It sent a shrill down Peeta, straight to his member. He felt it twitch and begin to harden. He felt embarrassed, wondering if she could feel it and if he should be ashamed if she could. But if she did, she made no sign of showing it.

They pulled apart again, only now Peeta could barely keep his feelings to himself. His head moved down to her neck, where he began planting kisses in the crook. She let out a small sigh, making him realize she enjoyed it. He moved his head, dropping kisses on the side of her neck, the front, and round to the other side, relishing in the way she tossed her head back and tangled her hands in his hair.

He wanted more and was pretty sure she did as well. She certainly made no attempt to push him away or make him stop. But there was little he could do beyond kissing out here in the water. Even despite her lessons, he was unable to do anything more. He decided to take a chance. He moved to scoop her up in his arms, so he could carry her back to shore. She made a sound of surprise as he lifted her in his arms, but other than tightening her arms around his neck, she made no sign that it bothered her at all.

It was all he could do to keep from kissing her as he pushed through the waves back to the shore. Instead, he kept his stare straight ahead, focusing on the sand and the foreign feeling of a mermaid’s tail draped over one of his arms. It was smoother than he expected; he could feel her bone and muscle moving against his arm just as he would a human. It was hard to imagine that this could also turn to human legs, just as his own, even though he was banking on that happening soon enough.

He reached land, holding her in his arms still as he exited the water, making his way to dryer sand. A small part of him couldn’t help wondering, hoping that she may even be impressed by how easily he could carry her without the aid of the water.

He walked until he was satisfied, then carefully deposited her on the warm sand. The sun shone down on her, making her tail dazzle in the light and her skin glow. Her long hair fell loosely past her shoulders, concealing much of her chest. Peeta allowed himself to look this time, spotting the reddish-brown nipple that peaked out from behind a loose black strand.

He settled in the sand beside her and took her into his arms again. For now, there wasn’t much she could do to move, but she managed to turn towards him and look him in the eyes. Her silver eyes were dazzling and dark with desire. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in a breath. “I’m sorry. I’ve thought about you so much.” He didn’t know why he was apologizing, except he still felt wrong for expressing his desire for her. Like it was dangerous to even admit it. Which, of course, it was.

She didn’t respond, except to kiss him again. She seemed to have an easier time expressing herself through action than words; one way, she was the opposite of Peeta. He loved her all the more for it.

It took him a moment to work up the courage to go further. At last, he broke their kiss, holding eye contact with her as he lowered himself to her chest. If they had to wait for more, they could enjoy themselves while they did. She watched him, anticipation evident in her eyes. It made him proud, knowing he had her undivided attention like this. But once he reached his intended destination, the temptation became too much. He looked down, brushing her dark hair out of his way until he finally had a clear view of her nipple.

He lowered his mouth and wrapped his lips around her erect nipple. It was smooth against his tongue, and he could both feel and hear the sharp gasp she let out at the sensation. Another electric jolt coursed through him, and this time there was no denying the way it made him grow erect.

He lavished time first on one nipple, then on the other. Katniss’s breathing grew heavy as she writhed beneath him. He sucked and licked, rolling the nipple between his lips as they grew harder against his tongue.

He would have been happy to continue, but she stopped him. He drew back, propping himself up on his arm as he looked at her in confusion. “What do I do to you?” she asked.

He gave her a wicked smile. “Touch me,” he told her. “I want you to touch me.”

She nodded, looking unsure, and reached out and touched his chest. It wasn’t the touch that he meant, but the feel of her hot fingers against his skin still caused another jolt through him. He let her feel his skin, rubbing up and down his chest, trailing a finger down the curves of his body, until finally, he was so hard he could barely stand it.

He reached up and gently took her hand. She looked to him, clearly afraid he had done nothing wrong. He gave her a reassuring smile and guided her hand down, down, inside his swim shorts, and placed it on his erect member. Once she was there, she needed no more instruction and wrapped her hand around him immediately. Now it was his turn to close his eyes and let out a sharp gasp; her hot hand wrapped around him felt better than he ever could have imagined. This can’t be real, he thought to himself. He opened his eyes again and found her watching him.

“Stroke,” he said, but his voice was so husky, he could barely speak above a whisper. “Please stroke it,” he said again, sounding clearer.

Understanding dawned on her, and she did as he requested. Her hand moved up and down his length, slow at first but picking up the pace as she went. It felt so… good. So good, he could barely stand it. Vaguely, he realized he was making noises himself, but Peeta was so lost in the sensation that he could barely register what they were.

He could feel himself close to the edge. While the last thing he wanted to do was to make it stop, he knew he needed to if they were to do anything else together. And he really wanted to do more together. “Katniss,” he gurgled, afraid he would sound so incoherent that she wouldn’t understand. “Katniss, stop.”

His fears were in vain; immediately, she stopped what she was doing. It was both a relief and a disappointment to feel her stroking end, to remove her hand from him. He looked at her, ready to explain why he had requested her to do so when something caught him by surprise.

She had legs.

Maybe between the warm sand and the warm sun, she had dried off quickly. Whatever the reason, he felt incredibly grateful. “Your legs!” he pointed out.

She glanced down at them but didn’t seem all that surprised. “They formed when I was stroking you,” she said. It was the truth, and Peeta knew she was from a different world that probably didn’t have the same views about… all of this, that his own had. But something about how plainly she said it made him grow harder.

“Katniss,” he whispered, because somehow, by asking this, Peeta felt like he was doing something so naughty that he had to keep it a secret between just them. “Can I- Would it be alright if I… touched you there?”

He hoped he wouldn’t have to explain what he meant; his wish was granted when she nodded permission. “Yes,” she whispered back. Her eyes were even darker with want now than they had been earlier.

A thrill shot through him, and he moved his arm down to her legs. He hesitated, appreciating the weight of what he was about to do. Not only was this a woman he had grown feelings for, but this was a mermaid. It was forbidden to touch her here. And it was all he wanted in the world.

He dipped his fingers into her folds. She let out a breath and leaned her head down to watch. The action excited him. He gingerly explored her, learning how she felt, noting what areas seemed to make her respond in pleasure. He purposely avoided her entrance but found what he strongly suspected was her pearl. He rubbed it gently, and though she did not respond at first, she soon began writhing around, grinding against his hand.

“Peeta,” she moaned his name, and he felt his member twitch at the sound of it. Nothing made him want her more, but he reminded himself to be patient. He would get there soon enough. Instead, he moved his hand down and traced the outline of her entrance.

“You’re already so wet,” he told her. She watched with anticipation, but he drew it out, circling and circling her entrance with just the pads of his fingers until he thought she might burst with anticipation. Then he put a finger in her and smiled as he heard her let out a gasp. He stroked the insides of her walls as her breathing grew labored. With his other hand, he set to work on her pearl again, going until her eyes were closed, and she was groaning in pleasure as she bucked around in the sand.

Watching her, he thought he might burst with his own need. Deciding he had delayed things long enough, he stopped and moved up to her. When she realized he had ended his actions, her eyes snapped open to see what had happened. She looked slightly upset, but when she saw him coming back up to meet her, her expression was replaced with one of curiosity.

He cupped her face in his hands and gave her a deep kiss. “Katniss,” he whispered when they broke apart, though he was still centimeters away from her face. “Can we… can I… ” he faltered, unsure how to explain to her what he wanted. Had she ever done anything like this before? Would she know what it was? He didn’t know what things were like in her world.

“Yes,” she whispered back in such a way that it made him think she knew exactly what he was getting at. “Please,” she added, clinching the idea in his mind.

He nodded and moved so that he was on top of her. Not breaking eye contact with her, he positioned himself at her entrance. She made no indication that she was confused or wanted to stop. Not even when he gently pushed the tip of his member against her entrance, and there was no denying what he was about to do.

“Ready?” he whispered down to her.

She nodded with a smile. Peeta leaned down and kissed her, and slowly pushed inside her.

Hot. Katniss was hot and velvet, and oh, so deliciously tightly wrapped around him. He let out a loud gasp at the sensation. She had let out one of her own, which encouraged and excited him. It felt good for her, too.

Slowly, he drew his hips back until he was partly out and then, just as slowly, pushed his way back in. It felt so impossibly good that he thought he could die right now and be happy. He worked faster and faster, and she rocked her hips against him until, together, they worked up a rhythm that made him feel confident.

“Katniss,” he let out a curse as he panted. “You’re so beautiful.” She bucked her hips against him, causing another swear to fall from his lips. “God, you feel good.”

Again, she didn’t offer up an opinion if she had one, but it didn’t matter. The moans she offered up were enough for Peeta. He had never felt so good in his life and wondered if she thought the same. Everything - from the feeling of her hot center wrapped around his cock, to the way her naked body writhed around underneath him, her chest rising and falling as she panted, loud moans escaping her lips - made him wish he could freeze this moment right here, right now, and live in it forever.

Too soon, he knew he was at his tipping point, and this would come to an end. He closed his eyes and relished the few final pushes, trying to remember how it felt to be inside Katniss until he knew he couldn’t hold it back anymore. As quickly as he could, he pulled all the way out of her, then used his hand to reach the peak he had been climbing. With a groan, he came over his hand. Limp, exhausted, he collapsed in the sand next to her.

He turned and found her watching him. He gathered her in his arms, afraid to let her go because he didn’t know what came next. What they had just done was forbidden. But Peeta didn’t want to let her go.

“What now?” he whispered to her after a while.

She was quiet in contemplation. “I don’t know,” she admitted. She lay her head down on his chest, wrapping one arm around him. His heartbeat grew faster; he wondered if she could hear it. But that settled things in his mind. One way or another, he wanted to be with her.

#everlark #everlark fanfiction #summer #summer 2021 #shesasurvivor #submission #prompt

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