puis-je vous aider? - Kenna

Kenna had noticed he was charming as a second-nature. She thought it might be because of his species. Just as she had trouble turning off her senses, it might the same for him with charm. If you went back to another time, what defined the sirens was their ability to lure sailors into death. They had to be at least a little charming to do that.

If Kenna didn't already know he was a siren, she did when she saw his pizza. She wasn't sure it could even be called a pizza with so many toppings. It was a seafood buffet with bread, cheese and tomatosauce. She ate her own pizza, looking at him struggle to keep the toppings on top of the slice. "Oh yes, please do," she encouraged him with a smile in between bites.

She liked that he went along with her joke. It was funny to think about how some disney movies, and fairytales for that matter, alligned with some of the species that did exist in the real world. Not all, but some. "I shall remember to approach you probably in the future, my prince," she added and folded her hand as you would when bowing before royalty. "Of course I will. He will be happy to hear from you, your grace," she said continuing with the joke.

Kenna nodded as he talked about his family. She did notice the difference between present and past tense. If his dad was human, it was only natural he would die before his supernatural sons. "So is it just you and your brother now?" She was curious to know more about him. She took a bite of pizza as he asked of her education. She quickly chewed and shallowed so she could answer. "I finished college last year with a major in sociology and part time psychology," she explained proudly. It was her biggest accomplishment yet. "My parents had money saved to both me and my sister, but my sister didn't want to go to college, so they had enough to pay for all of my expenses," she continued and took a sip of the water.

Ellery couldn't help but smile chuckle as she encouraged him to keep being cheesy. Was she flirting with him, or was he just overthinking it? - Anyway, it was nice with the company, seeing as he almost never talked to anyone beside Nathaniel - and he was... Well, a prick.
The Disney-jokes continued, and it seemed like she enjoyed the thought of him being a prince a bit. Maybe because it would explain his behavior? He didn't mind it, though, as it was clear to him - and hopefully her - that it was just joking.

''Please, don't. Nobody here knows about my bloodline!'' he whispered, with a crooked grin, before he continued eating. Her question about his present state of family made him look at her a bit reluctant. Not because he didn't want to tell her, but because it was hard to explain.

''Well, my mother and her new husband are still alive, and well. My brother and I, though we share living arrangements, aren't really that close. We rarely talk anymore, unless it's about something one of us aren't pleased about.'' he said, shrugging a shoulder and looking down at his pizza shortly.
*Nice way of putting it, you arse. You know damn well that I talk to you all the time!* Nathaniel snarled at him, with an angry tone so loud that it echoed and made it ring in Ellery's ear.

Ellery looked at Kenna, as she proudly told about her educational level. It was impressive, just as herself. For a short moment, he blamed himself for thinking she might not even have had an education. ''That sounds like a dangerous course-combination, but very suiting for a dangerous woman.'' he said, before winking at her. It wasn't meant as an insult to her, and he surely hoped it wasn't received as such.

Kenna was not a natural flirty person. She had a tendency to overthink it when she wanted to flirt. Seeing at she had ever only been in one relationship, she was not sure if her techniques worked. She was much more straightforward. If she liked someone, she would say it, rather than try to show it with small acts. She knew that not she wanted to know if someone was attracted to her, so she mostly did that herself.

"Of course, I'm sorry," she said and looked around to see if anyone heard them. "I think we're good," she said and formed an o with her thumb and indexfinger, all the while having a grin on her lips. "I could never imagine living like that," she said in a lowered voice. Although her relationship with Nate was mostly filled with bad memories, at least they talked. She knew he loved her in his own way. Maybe some of it was her fault. Maybe she hadn't tried hard enough to make it work. She looked away as the thoughts became overpowering. She took a large sip of water, hoping to drown the lump that had taken reisdence in her throat.

She chuckled at his comment about the courses being a dangerous combination. "Yes, well..." Before she could continue her phone started to ring from her backpack. She unzipped the front and picked up the phone. She saw the name on the screen and instantly pressed to reject the call. She looked around, expecting Nate to be in the restaurant. She was terrified he would find her. Kenna put the phone away again. "Excuse me, I need to powder my nose, or whatever it is you say," she said with a weak chuckle, trying to keep up an apperance. If just one person believed she was okay, maybe the rest would as well. She removed away from the booth and towards the bathroom. Tears were already starting to form in her eyes. If him calling her had this affect on her, she truly hoped she would never see him again. Kenna looked at herself in the mirror, swallowing her tears as she had done so often before.

Ellery did of course find it very amusing that she still went along with the whole secret-prince-thing. It was her comment afterwards that made him furrow his brows. Living like what? - Not talking to his family? - maybe it was a bit weird, for sure. It was painful too, at times. He missed his father; he hated his brother and their mother didn't want to see him after what Nathaniel had done to her new husband. He felt alone, even though he always had Nathaniel right there in his head.

He did notice her change in appearance. She looked like she got choked up about a memory - and as he wiped his hands with a napkin, she took a sip of water. His hand found its way over the table, about to take her hand and giving it a tight squeeze - but her phone rang, and he immediately withdrew his hand so that she didn't have to think about that.

The phone call made him bite the inside of his lower lip, as she rejected it. A few moments later, she was on her way to the bathroom, and he sat there with his eyes fixated on the door to the restroom. He wasn't supposed to listen in, and he wouldn't. If she wanted to tell him about it, he would listen, but he wouldn't intrude. Whatever she was running from, she was scared it had followed her. The thought of it made him swallow hard, as it seemed more to be a crazy ex than the responsibility of being a beta. He didn't know, though, and if she wouldn't tell him he could understand that completely.

The owner of the pizza-place made his way elegantly to the booth, looking concerned at Ellery. ''Was something wrong with the food?'' the owner asked, nodded it Kenna's plate. Ellery shook his head, before he looked at the owner. ''No, thank you.'' he just said, as a way to tell the owner to back off, politely. Ellery was were protective of the ones he liked - and Kenna, though she was perfectly able to protect herself, had woken that instinct in him.

He just sat there, waiting for her to come out. *You scared her away with your idiotic little Disney-prince-jokes!* Nathaniel laughed at Ellery, and Ellery just looked down at his plate. ''Why couldn't you, just for once, shut the hell up while we're out in public?!'' Ellery snarled at his brother, but Nathaniel just laughed even louder. *Why? So you can get laid, while I'm still grounded!? No way, hosé!* Nathaniel snarled back at Ellery. Ellery sighed and rubbed a finger on his forehead. ''Fine... If I let you out tonight, will you please just be quiet until we're alone? Just once...'' Ellery pleaded his brother, and for a second, Nathaniel was quiet. *Deal.* Nathaniel said, and Ellery could almost hear the smirk on Nathaniel’s face.

Kenna didn't mean to be rude. She was just scared. She tried to be strong. Fake it till you make it. She wanted to one day be able to walk through a street without looking over her shoulder. But she had to give it a chance. She had tried to end the relationship for a long time, but in reality it hadn't even ended. She just went away without telling him anything. It was not fair, but how he had acted wasn't fair either. Her reflection seemed wrong, distorted. She didn't see herself anymore.

She hung her head when a woman entered the bathroom and went into one of the stall. Kenna took in an unsteady breath, as a tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly caught it and looked at herself. Just smile," she thought to herself, showing the best smile she could muster. It was not real, anyone would see that she was faking.

Kenna exited the bathroom and walked back to Ellery, a strained smile on her lips. "Sorry about that," she said. She stood at the edge of the table, unsure if she should sit back down or make up an excuse to end the date here. Or the third option. "I would hate to leave a meal unfinished, but perhaps you would like to escort me back to my hotel room," she suggested. Was it smart of her to invite a stranger back to her room? Not at all. She just didn't want to be alone.

She would understand if he didn't want to, but the thought of being all alone was unpleasent to her. Perhaps she would be able to open up to someone about everything. If not Ellery, then someone else. It just took time for her to gain the courage to do so.

As she returned to the table, he noticed the remants of tears on her face. Had he done something wrong? Slowly, but with a steady hand, he handed her a napkin.
''Of course.'' he said, as an answer to her request. If she needed to head back, he wouldn't be the one to stop her. He got up, and briefly he looked at her with a concerned look on his face, before he grabbed two pizza-boxes from behind the counter and shuffled each of their pizzas down into seperate boxes. Waste of good food wasn't a thing he wanted to deal with - besides, if she got hungry later, she wouldn't have to dig out her purse to buy more.

He then, without asking her, grabbed her backpack and calmly placed it over his shoulder, before taking the pizza-boxes and with a soft smile he escorted her out into the mild and fresh air.
''Are you okay, Kenna?'' he asked, as he gently placed his arm so that she could hold it if she wished to. Without much else to do, he started walking back to the hotel she had checked in to earlier. Even though it was a short date, he still didn't find it a waste of time. He was sure, that in time, she might open up to him about what she was so scared off... Or who.

He wanted to comfort her, tell her everything would be okay. But he wouldn't risk lying to her. His pulse quickened as he thought about it; her upset, to the point where whe had left her family, home and friends... She was running. Could he open his arms, and show her that he wanted her to be safe, he would have done it in a heartbeat. Not because he needed too - but because it looked like she could need a friend right now.

Kenna took the napkin and dried her face and eyes. Afterwards she folded her hand around the napkin, keeping it hidden within her fist. She couldn't voice how much she appreciated him. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't try and pressure her to talk. It had become such a common thing to ask people if they were okay, without wanting to talk about it. So she had become good at not talking at all. His actions showed her, that this was a person she could use in her life. It seemed he knew what she needed, without her having to ask for it.

She was just about to grab the backpack, but he was faster. Instead of insisting on carrying it herself, she just followed him outside. She took in a deep breath of the fresh air. "No," she just said, shortly looking at his arm. This time she didn't hold it. It might be considered rude, but she couldn't care less about that right now. She walked by his side, keeping her gaze in front of her. She was afraid if she looked at him, she would break down. Just a little more, and then she would be in private, and she could break down all she needed to.

The walk seemed shorter than before. Perhaps because she was so caught up in her own head. She looked into the mostly empty lobby, before turning to Ellery. "Thank you for everything," she said, her eyes blank from the tears she managed to hold back. "I'm sorry I ruined it," she said and looked at the ground between them. The tears were threathing to fall, and this time she knew it was not an empty threath.

As she rejected the opportunity to hold his arm, he calmly withdrew it to carry the pizzas with two hands. He could tell that she was upset, and a part of him already had guessed that it had something to do with the phone call itself. The way she had turned to determine if someone was there with them at the pizza place - he knew that look, and he - for some reason - felt very angry with the person that had made her feel that way.

As they stood outside the hotel, he looked at her again. She thanked him for everything, as he calmly handed her the pizza-box with her pizza in it. ''It's my pleasure.'' he then said, trying a crooked smile to cheer her up - but instead she looked down. He was noticing how she didn't even look at him, but at the ground between them. He had done something wrong, for sure. He smiled at her, but as she didn't look at him she surely wouldn't see the fact that he was a bit more touched by her words.

''Ruined it? I got to eat dinner with a wonderful woman. Who ever ruined it, it surely wasn't you.'' he said. He couldn't resist it, as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. ''Text me if you need anything, okay?'' he then said, before removing his hand and gave her the backpack. He felt so terribly sorry for her, as he stood there. He wanted to punch someone, something... But... No. He wasn't angry, he was... Sad. And he knew, within a matter of minutes, he would be that guy that asked who had done this to her, and he would hate to do that.

''I... I think it's time for me to leave now, okay? Just... Text me.'' he then said, again in a soft and calm voice. But his voice were shaky and a bit darker - as he surely was getting mad at the person that had called her; the person that had made her feel this way.
He backed away a few steps, looking at her to make sure she wasn't about to collapse, before he turned his back on her and started walking down to the waterfront where they a few hours earlier had met.

Kenna tried to be angry. Angry was easier to deal with. But something in her, still cared about Nate. She wanted him to change for her. But she knew that was unlikely. She just needed to build a life here, find people who could act like her safety net. She grabbed the box and met his eyes for few seconds before looking away again. She was afraid he would see just how broken she was, that her eyes would reveal more than she wanted them to. Kenna had an almost neurotic need to be perfect. She had trouble with letting people see the scars and bruises, to see the pain.

Who ever ruined it, it surely wasn't you. His words lingered in the air. She saw his hand move, and as a reflex she closed her eyes, readying herself to be struck. Not because she believed Ellery would ever do that, but because it had been normal for her. It should never be normal to be hit, least at all from someone you trusted. She took the backpack as he pulled, and then he took a few steps away. She looked up and saw his back moving away from her. She couldn't just let him go like this. What if they never saw each other again. She didn't want this to be his last memory of her.

She put the backpack and pizzabox against the wall. "Wait," she said and walked towards him. If he didn't stop, she would run to him. She stopped in front of him and looked directly at him. "I..." She started out, not sure what she wanted to say. "I like you," she said honestly. "I guess you have already figured out something is going on with me. I have trouble trusting people and allowing myself to be weak." She had said it now. He seemed intelligent, so he might already have guessed it, but now she had expressed it, just in case he didn't. "I just wanted you to know before you left," she said, not letting her eyes leave his once.

He did notice it as she was readying herself for a strike. Anger boiled inside him purely by the thought of someone harming her. But he didn't mention it - if she hadn't said anything about it, it would be because she didn't want him to notice it. The anger just added to the fact that his voice went ever so slightly darker.

As she asked him to wait, he stopped and turned towards her. He wasn't exactly sure about her words - her carefully thought out words. She liked him? - He already felt the friend-zone creep closer, and as usual, he would accept it. He didn't care for being the guy that wasn't content with being in someone's life if it asn't on his terms. He wasn't that guy. Her eyes, as the fixated on his, seemed to be glaced over from the earlier tears, and softly he smiled. It was a subtle smile - more the kind you would find on someone that just saw a sunrise or something.

She told him what he had already guessed - she was exactly as he thought. It didn't put him off, though. She was a strong and independent woman, as soon as she could rebuild herself. ''Hey..'' he said, quietly and soft, as he looked deebly into her eyes. ''I know. And you should never have to feel like you have to explain yourself, Kenna. Not to me.'' he said, with a soft and caring smile. He might have sounded like a brother, more than a possible boyfriend, and he didn't care. She didn't need a boyfriend - she needed a friend.

He put down the pizza-box on a bench a few feet from them, so he had both his hands free. After that, he simply placed his arms around her in a gentle embrace. He was careful, mainly because of he reaction before. He didn't want her to ever be scared of him striking her. ''I like you too..'' he then whispered gently to her.

Kenna couldn't think long-term right now. She couldn't imagine her future relationships with new people in fear that she would just be disappointed. Right now she felt comfortable with Ellery, and that was enough for her. What happened down the road, she couldn't say. Maybe the would become friends, maybe more than that. Or maybe they would have this day. She wouldn't mind seeing him again, she would actually prefer it, but if she didn't, she would just be happy the first person she met was someone like him. Someone understanding and caring.

She let out a breath as he assured her she didn't have to explain herself. It was like she had been holding her breath for years, and now she could finally breathe freely again. Kenna returned his smile. It was not a happy smile, but it was not sad either. The smile hid many emotions, but none of them bad. Mostly she just felt safe. Kenna felt his arms around her, and she just leaned her head against his chest. She needed someone to just hug her, even if she said she was doing okay. Because she wasn't. It was clear now how she was in no way okay. She could hear and feel his heart clearly. It was calming her down, giving her something to focus on.

Tears appeared in her eyes again, but this time she didn't try and fight them, she just let them roll off her chin and onto his shirt. She looked to his eyes when he spoke. She had no idea how much she had needed to hear that. It made the tears flow faster. She put her hand on his chest, enjoying the safety of his embrace. "I am happy I met you today," she said with a groggy voice. He had pushed her to feel everything, perhaps not intentionally, but it was what she had needed. If she had gone with it too long, she might have fallen even harder. It wasn't because Kenna didn't feel some attraction to Ellery, but she tried to push it away. She wanted to be ready before she allowed feelings of any kind to develop, and right now she was far from it.

As he stood there with his arms around her, he clearly felt how she leaned into him with her head on his chest. Softly, he caressed her back, as to comfort her, while they just stood here. There was no need to rush anything - least of all a friendship. He had all the time in the world - and he wasn't in any hurry. She needed time to trust someone, and he understood that completely.  

He felt the tears on his shirt, but he remained silent. She didn't need him to say anything, she needed to heal. If he could help her, he would, in a heartbeat.
''I can only say that it goes both ways,'' he said, softly and quietly - as to not be too intimidating. Her hand on his chest made him smile - and his heart started to beat faster. Why? It was only a hand; it wasn't like she was about to kiss him. The almost silent moment abruptly ended when his phone started buzzing in his pocket. It wasn't the usual buzzing from a phone on silent mode, but more like a buzzing in a rhythm indicating whether it was a call for Emery or Nathaniel. The buzzing revealed that it indeed was a call for the quite annoyed Nathaniel. *For crying out loud, E! Pick. Up. The. Phone.!* he snarled, but Ellery just ignored both the phone and his brother, as he looked at Kenna. She needed his attention more than his brother and that stupid call.

''I need to get back... It's been a while since I left the water.'' he said, honestly. He felt the urge - the need - to return to his true element. She would understand, hopefully. If not, it would be like he left her - a feeling he was not going to accept. ''Do you want to come with me?'' he then asked, with a slightly crooked smile. ''I'm not quite sure about leaving you alone, to be honest.'' he then said, honestly. It might have seemed weird and overprotective - but she seemed truly frightened back at the pizza-place. He couldn't leave her until he was sure she wasn't affected by that.

Kenna did trust him. Enough to tell him some of what was going on with her. She had not even told her parents about what she had been through, so that she trusted someone she had just met was a big deal to her. Maybe it was just as much because she needed to trust someone, and he hadn't given her a reason to not trust him.

She put her head back against him. She let out a sound that told of her comfort, a sound resembling a sigh, but more vocal than that. His words made her smile, but she didn't say anything. Her eyes fell shot. His heart began to beat faster, but she didn't question as to why. She could stay there for the rest of the day. But she knew it would not work, not just because it was highly impratical, but also because she needed to learn to find comfort in herself and not just others. Her eyes opened when she heard the buzz. She looked up at him, waiting to see if he picked up the source of the buzzing. He didn't. Instead he just looked at her. She had tried to keep her paranoid thoughts at bay, to not allow them to take over, but she couldn't help but think that he had a reason to be this nice, that it was not just selflessly. She wanted it to be that, but she was prepared for the day it wasn't. Just in case.

Kenna nodded when he talked about going back in the water. She understood the urge to be a certain place. Although the pull between a werewolf and the forest was not as important as the one between a siren and the water. She didn't need the forest to survive. She smiled as he invited her along. She moved her hand up to his cheek as he admitted to not wanting to leave her alone. "I don't want to be alone. I will happily tag along," she said, before removing herself from his embrace. "I will just go put the things into my room." She looked at his pizza box as well. "Do you want me to take that as well? She asked, nodding towards the bench it laid on.

That sound - the audible sigh - made him chuckle softly at her. He knew that sound far too well, as it was the same sound that he made every time he returned to the water. It was a sound om comfort.
Her nod made him question shortly whether she accepted the invitation or just acknowledged the fact that he needed to return - but as soon as she placed a hand on his cheek, he softly closed his eyes. This was nice - and remarkably silent. Why? Why didn't Nathaniel try to ruin this for his brother? He searched for his brother's mocking words but found none. As he opened his eyes again, he looked straight down at Kenna. ''Perfect,'' he then said, to her accept of his invitation. ''Then I'll promise not to drag you in the water with me!'' he said, with a teasing smile.

She removed herself from his embrace, and for a second, he just wanted her to come back. But her words made hen realize that she was talking more sense than he was.
''That would be great,'' he said, with a sly smile. ''It would be shame for it do go off as I show you something amazing.'' he said, enticing. She might not have known it, but she had just accepted a really rare invitation from Ellery. No one had ever been asked to join him in that - him returning to the water. He actually hated the fact that he had to return - but that was the cards he was dealt.

''I'll wait here,'' he said, with heart pounding away in his throat. Then he could spend a few minutes telling Nathaniel that he had to wait a while longer to be able to get out. He knew, however, that Nathaniel was growing impatient, and sooner rather than later, the twin would force his way through. Ellery just hoped that it wouldn't be near Kenna. She wouldn't like Nathaniel, at all.

Kenna had not met that many supernatural creatures other than werewolves. She knew of many of them, but she not had the pleasure of meeting many. She had met a vampire or two and she had seen a group of sirens swim in the ocean once on a vacation. The next day she met a girl from the group. That was the only reason she recognized the scent. She dried her eyes with her hand and smiled at his threat. As she was out of his embrace, she lifted her finger in a warning matter. "You better not," she said in a warning tone that matched her raised finger.
Kenna had never seen a transformed siren up close, and she was looking forward to it.

"No, that would be too bad," she said and walked over to receive the box. She looked back at him. "I'll be right back," she said and walked to get her own things. She got the key and moved into the hotel and up the stairs to her room. It was not big, but it was fine for just her. She put her backpack near the bed and put the pizzaboxes into the small fridge. She had to squeeze them a little for them both to fit, but she made sure it was just the box and not the leftover pizza.

She hurried down the stairs, but lowered her speed as she reached the lobby and walked out slowly. Kenna stood still a short moment and just watched him from afar. She was happy she had made contact to him. She had known him for just a few hours, but she already felt like he could become her rock. She walked back to him, and entangled her arm with his. "Let's go," she said excidedly. She was feeling a lot better already.

He smiled at her, as she left to get her things stashed away. As soon as she was inside - he collapsed on the bench, with his head in his hands. ''Please, don't tell me you'll try to ruin this..'' he said, quietly, to his brother. Nathaniel remained silent, but Ellery knew him better than that.
*You are too kind to her, E.. She'll see you as the gay best friend soon.* Nathaniel finally answered, after a few seconds of silence between the brothers. ''I... I don't care.'' Ellery said, but Nathaniel almost interrupted him. *That's a lie, E. Come on, I might not be that kind and loving, but I'm the one that get the girls. They don't want sweet, they want firm and hard.* Nathaniel said, harshly. Ellery shook his head and sighed loudly. ''You are being a dick, Nathaniel! So what if she will see me as a friend? What's wrong with that?!'' he asked, a bit frustrated. Suddenly he realized what his brother was doing. ''No, not now. I promised you, later. But for now, you'll stay quiet, or the deal is off!'' he said, quickly, as he saw Kenna approach him. Nathaniel mumbled something, before going back to staying quiet.

He got up, as she walked closer to him, and as usual he let her take his arm. That was the most natural thing for him, after all. As they started to walk, he looked at her from time to time, but mostly his eyes were fixated on the water not too far from them. He wanted to go home to the house, to their private boating bridge, but he didn't want to force her to go anywhere with him. Therefore, he settled for the fjord - there was a spot where they could get really close to the water; and there was sand. She could sit there, instead of on hard rocks.

''I feel like I should warn you,'' he said, with a teasing smile and a boyish sound to his voice. ''Some find it beautiful. Others doesn't really like it. But I'm sure you know that, you are a changeling yourself.'' he said, calmly. It was obvious he didn't find himself very attractive in his natural form. Of course, he knew that men and women by nature was drawn to him and his voice, but... That didn't equal that he was attractive. Not in his head.

Kenna had known for a while now he was traditional. She was not that herself at all. She was polite, yes, but not always. She sometimes swore og behaved less than lady-like. She was good at fitting in with other people though. She quickly picked up on how they did things, and followed suit. At least until she got angry, then she might care as much about fitting it. Kenna was not the most social person you could come by. She would for the most part, stay away from large gatherings of people. Especially if it were people she didn't know. She allowed him to lead, as he probably had a place he preferred to change. She had one back home. She would need to find a new one now.

Kenna had grown used to his accent, and although it was still very charming, it did not affect her the same way as it had at first. She looked at him and noticed the teasing smile going hand in hand with the boyish tone of voice. "I truly believe your true form is much more appealing than my own." She didn't mind her werewolf side, she had lived with always and learned to love it, but she also knew what it was not; beautiful. It was terrifying at best. "Besides it doesn't matter what I or anyone else think. The important thing is what you think." She smiled at him. "Do you think it's beautiful?" She asked. "You don't have to answer. I'm just curious," she quickly added. She had a feeling he would feel he needed to answer, if she didn't made it clear he didn't have to. Kenna looked forward to the water coming closer for each step.

As she followed with him closer to the water, he couldn't help but walking a tiny bit faster. He was longing for the water - for the sea. His skin itched - that stupid human-skin! It wasn't made for longer times on the surface.
''I'm not beautiful at all, Kenna. Not now, and not in the water. Handsome, on the other hand - that might be a little more fitting, don't you think?'' he asked, with a sly smirk. He knew that it was an unfair question, but he liked the idea of making her admit if she found him handsome or not.
''You don't have to answer, I'm just curious.'' he then said, imitating her, teasingly. He then winked at her, with the same sly smirk as before.

''No, really, though... I've never seen myself in my true form. I know what I look like, but I've never seen it. In drawings, perhaps, a long time ago. But it's all a bit blurry.'' he said, honestly. He tightened the grip they had on each other’s arms, before looked at her. ''Just so you know it, by the way... I might have to strip for you, too.'' he then said, keeping the straightest face he could, but only for a couple of seconds before he smiled jokingly at her.

They neared the water - the beach-like spot - and he guided her safely down to about five or six feet from the water, where he stopped and looked out over the water. It would be too cold for humans to swim now, so he didn't fear that he would run into any of them. ''So, Kenna. Can you swim?'' he asked, as he looked at her. His eyes, normally a mixture of different colors, had shifted to a combination of violet and grey, as was his skin starting to have an underlaying glow of the same color. It was a clear sign, that he was close to his element; water.

She followed him, even as he sped up. She was fast enough to keep up with his long strides. She rose one of her brows slightly at his words. "Very smooth," she said with a chuckle. "But yes, you are handsome," she admitted. She pushed his arm with her shoulder when he imitated her. He was taller than her, so she couldn't reach his shoulder and had to settle for pushing his arm. "And funny too, aparently," she said with a full smile.

She knew what he meant. Today she had cameras to take pictures of her in her transformed state, but she had never asked for it. No matter what she looked like in that form, she thought she wouldn't feel like she was looking at herself. She smiled at the tightened grip. Her gaze feel to his eyes when he talked about stripping. "Please don't, that sounds like a new form of torture," she said with a cutting sarcasm. She wouldn't mind him stripping down one bit.

She kicked off her shoes the moment they were in the sand. She had expected she would sit here on the beach and watch him as he swam, but it seemed like he expected her to join him. She didn't mind that. "Only dog swimming," she said and moved her free hand like how a dog would move their paws when swimming. "Are you asking me to join?" She wanted to be sure that was in fact what he was suggesting.

She admitted that she found him handsome. A victorious smile was forming on his lips as she mentioned him being funny too. That was a new one. Not many saw him as funny - not anymore, at least.
The cutting sarcasm made him look at her, and wink. ''My dear, you would be very lucky to see an Adonis like me strip.'' he then said, using his thick French accent to underline the fact that he was jesting.

As they stood in the sad, he kicked of his sandals, and looked at her while she explained that she could dog swim. Of course, that made sense. ''Well, I wouldn't mind you joining me, but maybe we should wait and see if you dare to when I'm in the water?'' he suggested, with a calm expression on his face. He released her arm, and start to button down the shirt slowly. Had they been more romantically involved, he would have let her do it for him - but that would be coming on strong right now. Soon, his chest was exposed, with softly chiseled muscles and a sparse growth of body hair evenly distributed.

He looked at her, at he in an elegant motion snug out of the open shirt, and now stood in front of her in shorts and nothing else. On his left upper arm, he had a tattoo - a feather with white and black ends. He hadn't really talked to anyone about the tattoo, as it was a symbol of the mind of his being split in two.
He leaned closer to him, with his lips a few inches from hers. Shortly, it seemed like he was about to kiss her, as he gazed at her lips, before his eyes met her, and he smiled a crooked and boyish smile. He then straightened his back, and opened his shorts. The outline of his underwear showed, as he stood there with messy hair and opened shorts.

He then did let the shorts drop down into the sand, and then he stepped out of them. Now, he was standing there in nothing but a pair of boxers, that clinged tightly to his body. He didn't mind them breaking when he transformed, so he'd let them stay. He looked at her, gave her a wink, and then looked out across the water. He longed for the feeling of changing back to what he was; at siren. He sighed of pure relief, as he then walked to the bridge about a meter from them. He had always found it easier to dive into the water instead of walking. When he reached a place where he estimated the water to be deep enough, he looked at her, winked, and then jumped straight in.

To him, the transformation was painful and filled with bones cracking. His skin from the hips and down ripped off, as his scales surfaced, and his skin changed to a slightly darker geyish color. He waited until the water around him was still, before swimming up to the beach where Kenna was. He stopped a few feet out in the water, and looked at her. To her, nothing much would have changed about him, apart from him having a two meter long violet and grey tail, gills and violet pale eyes. ''So, still handsome?'' he asked, with a little smile. He was laying in the water, but the water was so low, that as he laid on his stomach, she would be able to see most of his body clearly.

He kept winking at her. What did that mean? She couldn't decide if it was his way of flirting or if he was just doing this when he was being funny. She tried to not put to much thought into it, but it lingered in the back of her mind, waiting to flare up when he winked again. "Get on with it then," she said keeping her gaze on him. She admittedly was curious as to what hid underneath the fabric. "As you wish, Prince Adonis," she said with a glimmer in her eyes. She watched him as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Was he doing that to tease her? She let her eyes search every part of his bare chest. She was no longer trying to hide the fact that she found him attractive.

He was elegant in his movements, like every move was part of a larger dance. Perhaps that was part of him being a siren. Maybe he could seduce through a simple movement as well. She spotted the tattoo, but didn't get a good look at it, before he leaned closer. She thought he might kiss her. That made a bunch of thoughts run through her head, some good and some bad, but she didn't focus much of them. She focused on her heart beat. It was racing. Did she want him to kiss her? He leaned away before doing anything else. She felt a wave of disappointment fall over her. She did want to kiss him. She kept her gaze at his eyes, before he started to remove his shorts. Her gaze shortly fell down to his hands working to remove one of the last layers of clothing.

Kenna looked back in his eyes. She swallowed, being overwhelmed by the sexual tension between them, she felt so strong right now. She stood still a moment, feeling the remains of the tension in the air, before she turned to watch him at the bridge. He jumped into the water and at first nothing happened. She then saw movement in the water. He stopped in the water, but laid so she could see all of him. She looked him up and down, taking everything in. His question didn't surprise her. Her actions did. She removed her shirt and shorts, and joined him in the water. She walked to him and looked into the violet eyes. "Still handsome," she confirmed. She put a hand on his cheek, letting her thumb stroke his cheekbone. She contemplated if she should just follow her desire, or if it was too soon for her to act on whatever chemistry was between them. What if it would make him want something she couldn't provide? She removed her hand from his cheek, but kept the eye contact intact. "You should have kissed me," she said in a lowered voice, before she dove underwater.

It was a completely innocent flirt between them, as he teased her with the physical suggestion of a kiss. He could almost feel her craving it, as he moved away from her and out on the bridge.
What he didn't expect though, was the fact that she joined him in the water without any hesitation. Where every action from her side had been filled with hesitation most of the evening, right at this moment he saw something enchanting about her; her way to enthrall him, as walked out to him in the water. As their eyes met, and her hand gently caressed his cheek, he smiled knowingly. He did not wish to rush things, but chemistry was an undeniable thing. As she lowered her voice, he readied himself to be confronted with the fact that she didn't wish for him to be that way; for him to not be flirty and enticing. Instead, he was met with the statement that made him chuckle softly as she dived under water.

With ease, he followed suit and joined her under water, where he gently swam closer to her. His fingers, though now webbed, gently touched her arm as he approached her. He felt so much more at ease in the water, at he knew that it would be visible to her. He moved freely, but slowly to not scare her. His smile didn't expose his teeth, to avoid scaring her with the razor-sharp teeth that had replaced his human-smile.
His tail - long and strong, danced in the water as he moved. The tail fin looked more like smoke than a fin and made the illusion of him moving way faster than he really was. He would have talked to her, but surely that wasn't a good idea, as even his words under water could make her hexed by the sound of his siren voice.

Instead, he swam close to her - so close that their bodies touched. His chest against hers, as his hand caressed her arm. His body was filled with scars - some deep and gnarly, while others light and soft markings on his skin - and his violet eyes seemed clearer and opaquer in the water. He leaned close to her, their faces now again inches from each other, as he sought permission in her eyes; permission to kiss her… Where he knew that he needed to wait - for both of them, he couldn't.
Softly, he placed his lips on hers, only to make a movement with his tail to let the drift upwards, to the surface. She wasn't made to be under water, like him. He wouldn't risk her drowning. As they reached the surface, the loosened his grip on her, so she could get away from him if she wanted to. After all, a kiss from a siren could be dangerous and scary, to some.

Kenna didn't understand why she had decided to join him. It just happened. She acted recklessly. For most it might seem innocent to go swimming with someone, but it was not easy for her. She had not felt comfortable in her own body for a while, but right now, she didn't even think of it. Before she went into the dark water, she heard his soft chuckle.

Even though the sun had yet to set, the water was somewhat dark. It was not impossible to see, but her human eyes couldn't see much. She closed her eyes a short moment. When she opened them again, they were golden with a blue ring around her pupil. She could see much better now. She watched him swim closer to her and felt his fingers as they gently touched her. She could see it, how he moved to effortlessly. He looked at home. Could it be possible that all this was because of his siren powers? She would like to think it wasn't, but how was she to know? Everything seemed clearer down here. She felt oddly calm, considering the fact that she would run out of air eventually. His touch made her golden eyes meet his beautiful violet ones. She felt the same feeling of her heart racing as he moved closer again. At first she thought he might move away again, but the look in his eyes told her differently.

Kenna nodded, giving him the permission he asked for. It was a strange experience to kiss underwater. She could mostly taste the saltwater, which was not neccisarily a bad thing, just different. He moved them to the surfface, and she realized she had held her breath longer than she thought, as her lungs quickly filled up with the salty air. His grip losened, but she just moved closer again. Her hand found place on his neck, as she leaned in for another kiss. The hand moved into his wet hair, as her eyes closed and turned back to their normal color.

He had not realized that fact that she joined in on the kiss until their lips had parted. As he expected her to draw breath, her lungs filled with the sea air, before he felt her moving closer again. Her hand, and it grasped his neck, send a shiver down his spine, and as her fingers burrowed into his wet hair, their lips met again.
He placed an arm around her waist, to make sure she didn't suddenly fell under water, while his free hand slowly burrowed into her hair as well. Had it not been for the fact that he was doing all in his power not to cross the line between a flirt and using his powers, he would have been even more affectionate with her.

His breath, warm and soft, hit her lips, as the kiss ended. He was breathing heavy, and his heart was racing. Surely, she would have noticed.
She had seemed so careful; so reserved, but now, it seemed like she was loosening up around him. Was this a good thing? Was this safe, for her? He would manage just fine, but her... How would she feel about this the next morning?
He shortly rested his forehead against hers, while we waited for his heart to slow down. No rash decisions here, no sir..
''I...'' he started, but he didn't know what to say to her. He feared doing as all the stupid movies said; saying the big three words after a heated date at the beach - but no. He wanted to enjoy this moment, as he feared she would never contact him again afterwards.

He slowly went in for another kiss - a soft one; a tender one. Not the heated let-us-follow-our-instincts-kind of kiss. A kiss that witnessed what he had been saying to her earlier; she should never feel like she needed to explain anything to him. Whatever this was, needed no explaining; no label. It was nice; pleasant, and that was all he needed to know right now. He pulled her in closer, tighter, as his kiss turned into something greedier. A hunger for intimacy that hadn't been tamed for centuries. Nothing intimidating; she could with ease get out of his grasp, if she felt the need to.

He had soft lips, really soft. Still now, she could taste salt on them. His arm around her, told her she had not wronged him. He wanted it to. She leaned closer to him, deepened the kiss. Kenna wanted to squeeze everything she could from this kiss, just in case she would never feel his lips again. She wasn't scared. Somehow everything in her past seemed far away. She knew it wouldn't last, but for now she would dwell on this carefree feeling. The feeling every 23-year old girl was supposed to feel. She was not supposed to be afraid from something as simple as a touch. She wanted to be normal, and right now she was.

She sighed against his lips as the kiss ended, she opened her eyes and looked at him. It was clear he was as affected by the kiss as she was. Not only was his heavy breath brushing her lips, his heart was beating fast. It was racing along with her own. Kenna couldn't say if she would feel differently later, but for now she was not scared, and that was good enough for her. He had given her a day where she had mostly forgotten why she came here in the first place. It was what she had needed, the perfect start to her new life.

She closed her eyes when their foreheads met. She had only ever been with one person. She knew love wasn't supposed to be like that. She had seen her parents, and even though they had met under means that didn't necessarily started out as love, she knew they did love each other now. She wanted something like that, someone who would never do something to hurt her.

She used a few seconds to wonder what he was going to say. Then he kissed her again. It wasn't like before. It wasn't done out of passion in the same way. It was sweet; innoncent in a way. She didn't feel pressured in any way. He hadn't made her feel that once. She allowed her other hand explore his body. First it ran across his chest and stomach. He really did have the body of an Adonis, her hand then reached his tail.She let her fingers run across the scales, expecting them to be hard, but they weren't. They were not soft either, not like feathers or fur. She let her hand rest on his lower back, just above where his body turned into a tail.

The kiss developed into something else. She allowed it to do so. She craved to feel him close to her. She knew he would never try and force her to stay in this if she didn't want to. She had a choice. She chose to stay. Eventually she had to come up for air, and ended the kiss. Kenna moved her hand from his hair down to his neck. "Wow," she whispered. She moved her other hand as well and locked them in the back of his neck.