An Unexpected Romance

Untitled Part 2

Cayha's POV

When I get back to camp, I immediately see Zorander cantering up to me and I brace myself for the usual bombarding of questions. "Where were you? Why are you so late? The chief would kill you if you weren't her best fighter."

"Calm down, Ander. Everything's fine. I just got lost, okay?" Yeah, they weren't buying that. I've been walking in those woods since I could walk. "Bitch who did you meet?" Shit, they know. "No one, dumbass. I just walked a bit more than usual."

"Didn't you just say you got lost? You're so inconsistent. Just tell me. I'm your best friend." They gave me a puppy dog eye look and I laughed. "Dude that doesn't work on me and you know it." They sighed. "Just tell me. Was it that fae chick?"

"Definitely not. She's too clingy." My mind fills with memories of that needy hoe. Even if we did take it any further, she would barely be able to do anything like that considering that she wasn't any bigger than my hand. "The elf?"

"No."

"The faun?"

"Ew no."

"That one centaur from the other herd?"

"Nah they left weeks ago."

"Ooo so a new girl then, huh?" I smile at them fondly. "Yeah. A new girl." Their face had a look of victory on it. "Tell me all about her. C'mon, let's go into my tent." We walk into their tent and sit down. "Okay, what did she look like? Don't skimp on the details." I smile as I recall her. Everything about her was so perfect. "So for starters, she's a siren." Their once excited face morphed into a look of slight- what was that- despair maybe? "Oh, Cayha-"

"Hey, you wanted to hear about her. Leave all comments until the end, yeah?" They nodded.

"Alright so, she has her hair tucked into a high ponytail with the sides and the back shaven with maybe half an inch left. She has this thin, golden crown that wraps around her head except for in the front. She has scales coming from her fin-like ears to her cheekbones, where they scatter across the rest of her face and some are on her neck. Her scleras are pitch black and her irises are forget-me-not blue. She's gorgeous, lemme tell you. She wears a tattered piece of cloth around her chest she said her school got from a sunken ship. They found a whole bunch of things in that wreckage. That's where they get a bunch of things, really. Her nails are super long, kinda like claws. She has a fin on the back of her tail. She's so sweet. We talked for what felt like forever. She doesn't have a shortage of stories to tell and we're meeting tomorrow and I am hyped."

Zor looks at me softly. "She sounds lovely, Cayha. I just wish she was a land creature, so you could pursue a future with her."

"Who says I can't?" I retort. "Well, it's just that she's a siren, Cayha. She has to stay in or near the water or she'll die. And by the sound of it, that's the last thing you want." I hadn't thought about it like that. I just thought about how amazing she was and how much I wanted to kiss her full lips. "I'll find a way to be with her. Just watch me."

~~

Kalypso's POV

I wrap myself up in a shawl and try my best to disguise myself from the guards. I almost make it out when I'm stopped by my dear guard friend, Noeroe. "Hey, buddy. Funny seeing you here. Come here often?" He sighed and looked at me with a small smile. "I work here, Lypso. Where are you headed? To see that girl again?" Right. Forgot he knew about Cayha. "Yeah," I say sheepishly. "So could you let me go then?"

"Only for you, Lypso." I hug him tightly. "Thank you, Roe. You're the best." He hugs back. "Yeah yeah I know. Just let me be the best man at your wedding, yeah?" I blush. "Shut it. She's probably not even interested."

"Yeah right. 10 shillings says she is." I smirk at him. "20 says she isn't. Oh, gods, I think I'm gonna be late. Bye Roe." I swam off in the direction of the bay. When I got there, I noticed she wasn't there yet so I seated myself on a rock by the water and I fish-braided my hair while I waited. Right after I was done, I caught sight of her. "Hi, Cayha!" I chirped. "Miss me much?" she said jokingly. "As a matter of fact, I did. You're very fun to talk to." I noticed a dusty pink spreading across her face. "What are you waiting for? Come sit with me." She smiles at me and sits down by the rock I've propped myself upon. "So did anything interesting happen earlier today?" I ask. "Actually yes. In drill today, we had to go to the river and my friend, Zorander, jumped at the sight of a frog. They reared up and I swear that they wanted to run. Ever since the faun attack last summer, they've been so jumpy. I mean, it makes sense. They lost their eye in that attack and have only just gotten clearance to join the ranks again."

"Ah wow. That's interesting." She shifts around, trying to get comfortable. "Yeah, I guess, you?" I think about it for a second. "No, not really. Well, no that's a lie. Mother brought in some new suitors for me since my 21st birthday is coming up and all. That'll be my coronation and she thinks that no queen is fully equipped for rule without a king by her side which is utter bull if you ask me. Soon, I'll have to marry some rando prince but I really don't want that so I just berate every single suitor thrown my way until my mother takes the hint and leaves me alone."

She looks at me for a second and then responds. "Well dang. I mean. Maybe getting a fake marriage could be the way to go. You could befriend a suitor who seems like he's okay with the whole king/queen thing being an act." I ponder this for a moment. "That doesn't sound like a terrible idea, really. It could work."

"Happy to be of service, your highness." She giggles and I smile at her. Damn, she's cute with her night-black hair and her tribal tattoo on the side of her head suits her so well. Her little braid in the back of her hair is adorned with feathers from what look like mockingbirds. Her hazel eyes are boring into my soul. Honestly, very glad that she doesn't wear anything on the top part of her body. "Hey Cayha, really off topic but you're really pretty." She blushes and I smile at her.

"No, wait. That's a lie. You're not pretty. You're hot. That's it." I give her a smirk and she looks away, trying to hide her blush unsuccessfully. Maybe I do owe Roe those 10 shillings.

~~

3rd Person POV

After hours of talking, they stumble across the topic of how many girlfriends the other has had in the past and who we've kissed. "Wait so you're telling me that you've never kissed a girl before?" Cayha asks her in shock. "I've never kissed anyone before. Not just girls. I've always been too scared. I don't know how."

"Oh, it's so easy. Want me to teach you?" Kalypso nods. "Alright so the first thing you do is look them in their eyes, go up to them, shift your gaze from their eyes to their lips, pull them in, and kiss them. Easy. Go slow at first and gradually get more heated. Or you could kiss them really quickly which is just a swift peck. It all depends on what you feel like you should do and what the moment is like."

"Ah okay." Cayha shifted closer to Kalypso, who's heart was beating like crazy. 'Should I do it?' She thought. 'Imma go for it.' Kalypso leaned towards Cayha and kissed her swiftly. "Like that?" Cayha sat there, stunned. "What just- did you-" she muttered. "I'm so sorry I don't know what came over me I just-" she was cut off as Cayha connected their lips once more. Kalypso, once shocked, began to kiss back. She smiled into the kiss. What felt like hours was probably only a few seconds but it was pure bliss for both of them. "Wow. That was- wow. Huh. Gays really do move fast." Kalypso giggled at Cayha's joke and Cayha looked at her like a lovesick teenager. "Your laugh is perfect, you know that?" Kalypso blushed and hid her face in her hands. She then realized "S h i t. I owe Roe 10 shillings. Dammit!" Cayha looked at her, confused as to what she meant. "Ah right. My dear dear friend, Noeroe bet 10 shillings you liked me back." She grinned sheepishly at the centaur. "Ah okay. That sounds like something Zor would do."

They both chuckled at how similar their friends are and look out to the setting sun. Kalypso puts her hand over Cayha's and squeezes it lightly. "Your hands are soft, Lypso."

"Yours are too." They sit in silence, occasionally stealing glances at one another. "Hey, it's getting dark. I should head back to my camp," Cayha said. "Aw okay. Can I see you tomorrow?' Cayha nodded. "Same time. Bye, Lypso." She got up but not before stealing a kiss from Kalypso, making the siren grin like a lovesick schoolgirl. "Bye Cayha."