Archive of Our Own

"Would you ever want to visit the ocean with me?"

Summer days were a quiet affair in the Sharence tree, the melody of cicadas on their perches growing more soothing with familarity over the years. So soothing that Micah startled in his chair at Pia's sharp voice, the dagger he was in the process of sharpening clattering to the ground. He groaned. Typical. In the process of bending down to retrieve his slippery weapon, he managed to jam the edge of his boot against the table with a loud thunk. Micah cursed under his breath.

Pia giggled, her eyes crinkling at the edges. "Micah you're so clumsy, like a baby fish just learning to use its gills." She grinned and darted below the table to grab the dagger, placing it on the table within Micah's reach. He smiled at her in thanks and basked in her warmth when their fingers brushed.

"Could you repeat that, Pia?" Micah asked.

"Y'know baby fish? Smaller than adult fish-"

Micah sighed but it wasnt wholly in exasperation. His wife's ditzy behaviour, while cute, could sometimes trip him up in conversation. But this time it was alright, manageable even. Nothing could ever be as confusing as when she brought home hundreds of squid he could barely fit in their poor fridge. When Pia pouted so adorably like that Micah somehow could no longer say the word "no". The taste of squid stuck on his tongue for a week straight

"No, Pia I know what guppies are. I mean about seeing the ocean." Micah paused for a moment and glanced at her. " Is that something you really want to do?"

From the way his wife spoke of the ocean it seemed to be a place she never wanted to visit again. Pia's eyes would take on a distant, empty quality when recounting her days beneath the seas. How she would flounder in an empty ocean, grey waves breaking off into the horizon, with no one for company beside a few fish and her own voice echoing back at her. Even in Micah's dreams the ocean became a symbol of loneliness. He could never tell Pia, but he would never stop being grateful to Sakura and her family for throwing a lifeline at a lonely, lost mermaid that day.

Pia grinned but even Micah could tell it was a little forced. "Well I mean, shouldn't we? It was a major part of my life and-." Pia's sentence trailed off to an uncertain note. She ducked her head down, pink bangs shuttering her eyes from view.

"Pia," Micah dropped the knife and in two strides made his way to stand next to Pia's chair. With a gentle hand he tilted her chin upwards. Thrugh he parted hair Micah could see her eyes shine with unshed tears, eyelashes clumped together and brows scrunched. Something inside him broke at seeing Pia so miserable yet so unusually silent. The mental image of a lonely mermaid floated to the forefront of Micah's mind and suddenly the thought of one more moment of her bearing her pain alone was going to kill him.

A thumb from his free hand brushed under her eyelids as if she was made of glass. Pia leaned into his hand and sighed. He swept it back and forth while she trembled. Micah looked down at her and on impulse pressed a kiss to her temple. "What brought this on?" he murmured against her skin. The hand that rested on her chin moved to her back and rubbed small slow circles. It was silent once again in the Sharence tree home, but this time it bore the heavy burden of words unspoken.

Whatever spell held Pia in place broke as his gentle ministrations continued. Micah heard her inhale sharply. Her limbs flew towards his torse and dragged him closer, hands pressing into the grooves of his back and clutching the fabric. He wobbled, trying very desperately not to fall on top her and send them both sprawling. When they were close enough to nearly be fused into one person, Micah felt her relax against him.

"Last night I dreamed about it. I hadn't thought about the ocean in a long time- too long maybe." A shuddery sigh. "But the dream wasn't as gloomy as usual. It was dark yes, lonely yes, but the moon's reflection on the water was one of the prettiest things I'd seen in a while. There was a bed of stars on the water Micah!" She tilted her head to look Micah in the eyes, her own still watery but with a determined glint in their depths.

"It was difficult down there but there were also good times too. I know the terrible times outnumber the better ones but- but-!" She shook her head. "I still want to share them with you! How the sun would glimmer just right and make a beautiful rainbow like Odd Valley Falls! I just, I don't know how to face the rainbow trout while remembering the foul squid underneath."

He was used to his wife's strange metaphors by now. "I'll never understand how lonely it could be down there. But I do know this. It's ok to miss the good parts Pia. You don't have to face the bad all by yourself." Micah tucked a stray pink strand behind her ear. Gods, he was in love with her. "There are lots of ocean views I'd like for you to show me."

Micah nudged his head onto her shoulder. Pia flushed bright crimson. "And if you want we can see them all, Pia. We can make new memories by the ocean." Micah made a noisy peck on her check, grinning. "Just you and me!"

"Hey! Dont tease me like that" Pia pouted.

"You started it by clinging to me like a cute squid."

"Excuse me?!"

A few months later, with a dozing Pia in the crook of his neck tired from a day at the beach, Micah could not think of anywhere else he'd rather be.