M.A.R.

Chapter 21

Ami stopped at the shoreline, wet sand stick to her feel like barnacles. She ran into the sea waters despite the darkening skies. She was frustrated and full of guilt with what she so impulsively did. She couldn’t face Ritsuka with her knew hair-cut, but maybe Mitsukuni would be more forgiving…

“Mitsukuni!” she cried out to the sea. She knew it wouldn’t take him long to arrive. “Mitsuku-”

“Ami?! What did you do?!” his familiar voice startled her. Beside her the merman sat with his jaw on the seafloor.

Ami sunk to her knees, ignoring the freezing waters. “I-I just… There were some mean people and they were just… It was just an impulse, I couldn’t control it!” she explained herself as Mitsukuni swam closer to her, picking up her shortened hair and taking out loose pieces.

“But… Your gorgeous, long, red hair…” he whispered out, shock dripping with every word.

“Do you really think it’s gorgeous?!” she asked him desperately.

Mitsukuni looked at her, a double-take in his eyes. “Of course I do. And I always will, but,” he turned back to her hair, “It is just…so short now…”

Ami stared into the waters, guilt creeping up into her heart. She shouldn’t have done this…even if those girls were picking on her. Now Mitsukuni must think she’s as ugly as the others do. He probably never wants to see her again… He’ll probably leave and look for his princess now, just as he had always planned to do…

All of a sudden, she was pulled into the merman’s frigid chest, causing shivers to tingle up and down her body. He wrapped his arms around her lovingly, kissing the top of her head. Ami gulped in surprise, resting her head on his chest.

“Your hair is not what makes you Ami. You make you Ami. And I love Ami, not the hair.” Mitsukuni promised, squeezing her tighter.

Ami chuckled at how ridiculous the statement sounded, but basked in the sweetness of the message as she sighed deeper into his chilly embrace. Breathing onto his skin, her warm breath became visible and made the merman pull away to smile at her. Ami laughed with him as they sat down into the waters as if they weren’t freezing cold. She was glad she went to Mitsukuni first. It gave her hope that Ritsuka’s reaction won’t be as terrible as she thinks…

“Hey, Ami?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember what I was talking about before we were interrupted?”

Ami turned to look at him, dreading what he would say next. She almost didn’t want to answer in fear of him telling her he was leaving forever. She turned away, her smile gone. “Yeah…” she whispered softly, hoping he wouldn’t hear.

“Then you know what my purpose here on land is, do you not?”

Ami’s chest suddenly caved into itself at the words. “Please don’t leave me, Mitsukuni; you can’t go!” she suddenly exploded, burying herself in his chest and wrapping her arms around him. “I won’t let you! Just… I can’t let you go…”

Mitsukuni’s laugh startled her. She looked up at him in bewilderment. What was this laughter about?

“Ami, you make me laugh!” Mitsukuni teased. “Do I really mean that much to you?”

Her face warmed up at his kindhearted smile. She looked away in an attempt to save whatever dignity she had left. “W-well… Yeah, Mitsukuni… You do.”

“So, have I won your heart?” he asked provocatively, his eyes suddenly serious.

Ami looked up at him as guilty as ever before letting her arms around him go and turning away.

Mitsukuni didn’t need an answer… He looked down at the red head, wondering what this emptiness inside him was. This bareness that anchored itself deeper into his chest… Why would it not leave this spot? Why would it not stop nagging at his heart? “You do know, do you not?”

“Know what, Mitsukuni?” she asked back, her sweet voice echoing in the emptiness. It felt as if a child was throwing pebbles down a well. His chest being that well, of course.     

“That you are the princess I have been looking for…” he confessed.

Ami whipped her head to look at him, eyes wide in shock.

Mitsukuni slowly turned to face her, sighing when their eyes met. Her wide eyes searched his for any fault; but the truth swimming around his pupils was all he found…

Step…

The water was disturbed not 3 kilometers away. He turned to look in that direction.

“You’re… You’re kidding, right?” Ami asked to the back of his head.

“There is someone coming.” Mitsukuni answered with instead, getting ready to leave.

“Wait! Wait, no you can’t leave like this! You’re just joking, right?!” Ami reached for him desperately.

Mitsukuni twisted around and swiftly embraced her lips with his own, stunning Ami into silence.

“I would never joke with you.” He promised, disappearing into the waves…

Ami stared out into the sea, her heart pounding in her chest in disbelief. There was just no way she could be who he was looking for…

“No…”

Ami jumped up out of the water at the sound of another being. She pivoted on her heels, her heart thumping in her throat. Who had caught her?!

“Ami, please… No…” Mr. Dally begged from the shoreline…