Out of Depth // Phan AU

02

"Are you a mermaid- man? Merman. Are you a merman?" Phil pulled himself onto a rock by the edge of the lake. His entire body was soaked with water and if the thing wasn't staring at him so intently he would taken off his clothes to wring them out. Instead he left them on and let the cold air bite at his damp body.

It was so dark and hardly any moonlight was getting through the tangle of trees, and Phil was still not entirely sure what the thing in front of him was.

"What gives it away? The gills? The spiky teeth? The scales? Oh I know. Is it the giant slimy tail in the place where my legs should be?" He rolled his eyes and swam closer to the edge.

Phil hadn't actually seen the creatures tail, but he was pretty sure it was there judging by the fin sticking out of the water a few meters away. The scales trailing down its abdomen was also a fair hint.

Phil ignored its sarcastic reply. "You live here...alone?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't it get lonely?"

"Yes."

The creature looked away again, this time for longer and Phil felt his body fill with fear and panic. The calmness returned as soon as it locked eyes with him again.

"Aren't mermaids supposed to live in the ocean?" Phil asked.

"A swampy lake is so much more grunge. Besides I hate what the salt water does to my hair," He bounced Phil's question off as he had done with the others.

Rays of moonlight made it though the branches and for a second the area was bathed in waxy light. Phil caught a look at the creatures tail. It was much longer than he had initially thought. It was several meters on its own and that wasn't including the angelic fins that sprayed out from the end. It was a murky white colour. The scales looked like the inside of an oyster shell and the light bounced off them in the most magical way.

He also was able to see its face more clearly. The moonlight lighting up his brown eyes, and the scales lining the edge of his cheek bones his temples matched those of his tail. His fingers were webbed and his nails sharp like his teeth. He was so strikingly amazing and frightening all at once.

He too looked at Phil as if he was seeing him for the first time, as if he hadn't been watching him ever since he fell into the river.

"Well you've definitely grown," He said looking Phil up and down.

"Well that's usually what people do over the course of thirteen years," Phil was still in awe of the creatures beauty and continued to avoid its gaze and stare at its tail.

"I prefer you like this. Much more to look at," Phil could hear the smirk in his voice, but didn't completely understand what it was implying until he looked down at himself.

He quickly pulled his clingy wet shirt down over his lap in attempt to hide a certain part of him that took the creatures beauty to a different level. Literally.

"It's okay, I usually have that effect on people."

Phil could feel his entire face burning up and was very grateful when the moon decided to go behind the trees again, bringing back the darkness for him to hide his embarrassment in.

It swam closer to him, disrupting the calmness of the lake. It came right up to the edge and rested its arms on a rock by Phil. Small waves lapping at the shore.

"You know if you're staying the night we could always...have some fun?"

Phil shifted nervously, his face burning hot. "No-I-I- I didn't mean to- I- I don't even like boys! Or fish- I-" Phil stumbled on his words, his face growing hotter with each syllable.

It rolled its eyes. "Suit yourself then, just trying to help."

Phil wanted to dive back under the water and drown away the embarrassment.