Astrid is the crown princess of Atlantis, but she barely has time to worry about the kingdom with six younger sisters to watch over, especially with the youngest coming into her powers as a daughter of the sea to navigate time. When Astrid fears tha...
"Okay, I'll do my best." He points at the first word. "An ex is someone you used to have a relationship with. Soon I won't have a relationship with my friend who betrayed me by going after my ex-girlfriend."
Nodding some more, I continue to study him, noting the humor in his tone, but the pain etched by his eyes.
Brendan moves to sit next to me and points to the next word. "A girlfriend is like a guy having a friend who is a girl, but they kiss and stuff for fun, and maybe fall in love."
I feel my entire face light up. If I take this position of a girlfriend, will it make him fall in love with me so I can find my sisters?
He clears his throat awkwardly. "Single is when you don't have a girlfriend. Hitting on is what guys without girlfriends do to girls in an attempt to make them a girlfriend. Idiots are guys who hit on girls who are obviously out of their league- way too pretty and regal for them. And a couple is a guy and his girlfriend."
So it all resolves around relationships, like courtships and the like.
Thank goodness I don't have any of those to worry about at home. Or any of my sisters. Well, except for Calypso...
She better not do anything to keep herself from breaking the curse.
"Astrid? Are you still with me?"
Taking a deep breath to regain her composure, Astrid lifts her face to look Brendan in the eyes.
His orbs are full of trepidation and confusion. She gives him a smile to reassure him.
Brendan releases his breath before grinning back. "Thanks, Astrid. This'll be great for both of us."
Astrid nods back before scribbling another few lines on her paper.
"Do you have a stipulation?" Brendan asks, leaning forward. "Name it. Anything. I owe you big time."
Astrid holds up the paper better for Brendan.
He reads the words before his jaw drops open. "I... what?" Brendan shakes his head as if to clear it. "You want to practice?"
Smiling to hide her nervousness, Astrid nods.
"Practice what? Hand holding? Hugging?" His face turns completely red. "K-kissing?"
Well, I definitely need practice on all those qualities, since I've only done those actions with my sisters, late mother, and maybe once or twice with my father the king.
Standing up, I give him a smile that I hope puts him to ease, and move toward him with a stride to give him confidence.
Brandon's eyes widen at my approach, but he doesn't back away. Nor does he flinch when I wrap my arms around his neck.
His arms awkwardly circle my waist as he clears his throat. "Guess we're skipping the hand-holding lessons and going straight for hugging-"
I cut off his words and my own doubts by using my new toes to tip myself upward and press my lips to his.
For a moment, neither of us seem to know what to do, and are mouths are against each other like two dead fish.
But then Brandon wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer, his lips starting to dance across mine.
Tingles dance through my body. At least my human seems to know how kiss. He can teach me, since it isn't a class my royal tutors thought was necessary to become a queen.
But a sea witch seems to think it is to break a curse.
Suddenly, Brandon's mouth is pushing harder against mine, and all rational thought leaves my mind as I struggle to deal with these new sensations.
Brandon's hands wrap around my waist, so I mimic the gesture on his, enjoying the feeling of muscles there. Then Brandon pushes deeper into me so much with his mouth, it feels like he's knocking me off my new feet.
No, I really am losing my footing, and falling backward.
Brandon pulls his mouth away, but he keeps his arm around me as he tries to keep me upright. But my arms around him and my new klutziness win, and we both go crashing. Me backward and him forward. Me hitting the ground hard, and him falling on me.
"Oof!" Brandon moans.
Groaning, I open my mouth in habit, too. "Ouch."
We both tense.
"Did you just speak?" Brandon gasps.
I gasp back at him, or at least try to. "You're... on top... of me."
Brandon's eyes widen still more, and he rolls off to lie by my side. Turning his head, he still gawks at me.
Opening my mouth, I attempt to thank him. The sound is missing at first, then painful, but then- "Th-thank you."
The boy I was just kissing appears to be having the same trouble trying to speak.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
