Original: Gave & Shallou (slash)
Title: Gave & Shallou
Rating: PG
Summary: Everyone's in love with someone - else. It seems.
A/N: This snuggle resisted for a long time. I barely convinced it to be short enough. In return, it insisted on being angsty. It's not a very snuggly snuggle. But in the end, everyone is happy. :)
The party was in full swing, and Gave watched everyone having fun. He wasn't a party fish. Had never been, but since the accident where he'd got caught in a fishnet, he'd done his best to avoid all gatherings. The scars that ran from his face down his side and tail still drew glances, and the looks of mixed awe and fear and disgust were … depressing, on good days.
But this was Loura's bonding party, and she was his sister, so he'd come. Well, that was one reason. The other … Gave's eyes sought out the real reason he was here.
Like Gave, he sat alone and watched. Deep green hair flowed around his pale face, and his blue-green eyes - stunning, mesmerizing eyes, the same colour as his iridescent scales - were fixed on the dancing-current. His expression was cloudy.
Shallou. Best friend of Loura's bonded Teap. And, obviously, very much in love with him.
Gave sighed in painful sympathy. He knew how Shallou felt. Knew how it was to yearn for someone who'd never return this love. It had always been hopeless, even before his accident. Even then, Shallou had barely talked to him. Then Gave had been scarred, and who would look at him, dark and scarred as he was, when Teap was around? Handsome, charming Teap, with his sand-golden hair and seablue eyes.
Not Shallou. But he was the reason Gave had come. He seized every chance he got to catch a few glimpses of the mer he loved.
Shallou's face darkened, and Gave followed his gaze. Teap and Loura had left the dancing-current and were talking animatedly, heads close. Gave saw them look at Shallou every now and then, and when Teap made an unhappy face and swam towards Shallou, Gave straightened. He didn't like the expression on Loura's face.
He drifted closer, watching Shallou as Teap spoke, and saw the fury in Shallou's face.
"WHAT?!" he bellowed. Mers stopped dancing and talking to stare at him.
Teap whispered urgently, but Shallou reared back.
"No!" he snapped. "What gave you such a flipping ridiculous idea?"
"Loura said-"
"Oh, Loura said," Shallou spat. "Of course what Loura says must be right. I thought you knew me better."
The hurt was unmistakable. Teap looked apologetic and embarrassed and defensive. "She heard it from someone else, and-"
"Someone else?" Shallou straightened. His face was white. "Who?"
"I don't know!" Teap threw up his hands. "Listen, Shal, I just thought-"
"Does everyone flipping believe I'm in love with my best friend?" Shallou demanded loudly, looking around. Most mers avoided his eyes and shifted. Shallou's face hardened. His eyes met Gave's and held. Gave swallowed, guiltily, and had to look away from Shallou's searing gaze.
"I see," Shallou said after a moment's silence. Gave balled his fists. "For your information, I'm not secretly in love with you. And before anyone gets any ridiculous ideas into their head," he added, bitingly, "I'm not pining for your lady-fish, either. But thanks for your vote of confidence, Teap. Nice to know what you think of me."
With a flick of his tail, Shallou turned and disappeared. Teap made move to follow but Loura grabbed his arm, and they began a furiously whispered conversation. Everyone else drifted around in embarrassed silence or started talking loudly. Gave hesitated only for a second, then he followed Shallou.
He felt awful. He'd misunderstood Shallou. Hurt him, somehow. He'd never meant to hurt him.
But following Shallou was easier said than done. He was fast, and he knew where he was going. He was also swimming towards the surface.
Icy fear flooded Gave, and it took all of his courage to keep moving. He hadn't been this high since his accident. But this was Shallou, so Gave gritted his teeth and swam on. Up and up - until, half-scared out of his mind, he broke surface.
The coast was lonely. Red brush and dead trees, a mountain looming in the distance. No humans. Shallou was up ahead, perched on a boulder that was splashed by the waves. He looked miserable.
Gave hesitated, then swam slowly closer, heart hammering, wondering what he was going to say now that he was here.
Shallou whirled around as though he'd felt Gave's approach. His stunning eyes went wide. "Wha- You?"
"I'm sorry," Gave blurted out.
"W-what?" Shallou looked disproportionally stunned.
Gave licked his lips and struggled on. "I'm sorry I thought … Just, you looked so sad, sometimes. When Teap was with Loura. And … I know what it's like, to love someone who won't love you back. So …" he trailed off confusedly at the flash of pain in Shallou's eyes. "I'm sorry," he said miserably. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I made assumptions…"
Shallou smiled bitterly. "Oh, no. You're right. It's exactly as you say. Just … not Teap. Or Loura. But … yes." He wrapped his arms around himself. "And seeing them so happy, together, and knowing he'd never … care for me like this …"
"Are … are you sure?" Gave asked, wishing he could do something to help. If only Shallou was happy, he could bear it.
"Looks like he's in love with someone else," Shallou said with a hollow laugh.
"Oh."
There was nothing he could do, then. Gave ached. He was jealous of the mer Shallou loved. He wanted to scale the bastard. How could he not love Shallou back?
"So, who's the lucky mer?" Shallou asked with forced levity. "The one you're in love with?"
Gave hesitated, then took a deep breath. He'd braved the surface. He could do this.
"You."
Shallou's eyes went comically wide. Gave flushed but bravely looked back.
"Oh," Shallou said faintly. "You … Oh!"
With a cry, he launched himself from the rock. Suddenly, there were arms around Gave's neck, a tail wrapped around his, and lips on his mouth. Stunned, Gave did the only thing he could and kissed back.
"For your information," Shallou said as he finally pulled back. His hands cupped Gave's face, his blue-green eyes blazed with happiness. "I'm in love with you, too."
Rating: PG
Summary: Everyone's in love with someone - else. It seems.
A/N: This snuggle resisted for a long time. I barely convinced it to be short enough. In return, it insisted on being angsty. It's not a very snuggly snuggle. But in the end, everyone is happy. :)
The party was in full swing, and Gave watched everyone having fun. He wasn't a party fish. Had never been, but since the accident where he'd got caught in a fishnet, he'd done his best to avoid all gatherings. The scars that ran from his face down his side and tail still drew glances, and the looks of mixed awe and fear and disgust were … depressing, on good days.
But this was Loura's bonding party, and she was his sister, so he'd come. Well, that was one reason. The other … Gave's eyes sought out the real reason he was here.
Like Gave, he sat alone and watched. Deep green hair flowed around his pale face, and his blue-green eyes - stunning, mesmerizing eyes, the same colour as his iridescent scales - were fixed on the dancing-current. His expression was cloudy.
Shallou. Best friend of Loura's bonded Teap. And, obviously, very much in love with him.
Gave sighed in painful sympathy. He knew how Shallou felt. Knew how it was to yearn for someone who'd never return this love. It had always been hopeless, even before his accident. Even then, Shallou had barely talked to him. Then Gave had been scarred, and who would look at him, dark and scarred as he was, when Teap was around? Handsome, charming Teap, with his sand-golden hair and seablue eyes.
Not Shallou. But he was the reason Gave had come. He seized every chance he got to catch a few glimpses of the mer he loved.
Shallou's face darkened, and Gave followed his gaze. Teap and Loura had left the dancing-current and were talking animatedly, heads close. Gave saw them look at Shallou every now and then, and when Teap made an unhappy face and swam towards Shallou, Gave straightened. He didn't like the expression on Loura's face.
He drifted closer, watching Shallou as Teap spoke, and saw the fury in Shallou's face.
"WHAT?!" he bellowed. Mers stopped dancing and talking to stare at him.
Teap whispered urgently, but Shallou reared back.
"No!" he snapped. "What gave you such a flipping ridiculous idea?"
"Loura said-"
"Oh, Loura said," Shallou spat. "Of course what Loura says must be right. I thought you knew me better."
The hurt was unmistakable. Teap looked apologetic and embarrassed and defensive. "She heard it from someone else, and-"
"Someone else?" Shallou straightened. His face was white. "Who?"
"I don't know!" Teap threw up his hands. "Listen, Shal, I just thought-"
"Does everyone flipping believe I'm in love with my best friend?" Shallou demanded loudly, looking around. Most mers avoided his eyes and shifted. Shallou's face hardened. His eyes met Gave's and held. Gave swallowed, guiltily, and had to look away from Shallou's searing gaze.
"I see," Shallou said after a moment's silence. Gave balled his fists. "For your information, I'm not secretly in love with you. And before anyone gets any ridiculous ideas into their head," he added, bitingly, "I'm not pining for your lady-fish, either. But thanks for your vote of confidence, Teap. Nice to know what you think of me."
With a flick of his tail, Shallou turned and disappeared. Teap made move to follow but Loura grabbed his arm, and they began a furiously whispered conversation. Everyone else drifted around in embarrassed silence or started talking loudly. Gave hesitated only for a second, then he followed Shallou.
He felt awful. He'd misunderstood Shallou. Hurt him, somehow. He'd never meant to hurt him.
But following Shallou was easier said than done. He was fast, and he knew where he was going. He was also swimming towards the surface.
Icy fear flooded Gave, and it took all of his courage to keep moving. He hadn't been this high since his accident. But this was Shallou, so Gave gritted his teeth and swam on. Up and up - until, half-scared out of his mind, he broke surface.
The coast was lonely. Red brush and dead trees, a mountain looming in the distance. No humans. Shallou was up ahead, perched on a boulder that was splashed by the waves. He looked miserable.
Gave hesitated, then swam slowly closer, heart hammering, wondering what he was going to say now that he was here.
Shallou whirled around as though he'd felt Gave's approach. His stunning eyes went wide. "Wha- You?"
"I'm sorry," Gave blurted out.
"W-what?" Shallou looked disproportionally stunned.
Gave licked his lips and struggled on. "I'm sorry I thought … Just, you looked so sad, sometimes. When Teap was with Loura. And … I know what it's like, to love someone who won't love you back. So …" he trailed off confusedly at the flash of pain in Shallou's eyes. "I'm sorry," he said miserably. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I made assumptions…"
Shallou smiled bitterly. "Oh, no. You're right. It's exactly as you say. Just … not Teap. Or Loura. But … yes." He wrapped his arms around himself. "And seeing them so happy, together, and knowing he'd never … care for me like this …"
"Are … are you sure?" Gave asked, wishing he could do something to help. If only Shallou was happy, he could bear it.
"Looks like he's in love with someone else," Shallou said with a hollow laugh.
"Oh."
There was nothing he could do, then. Gave ached. He was jealous of the mer Shallou loved. He wanted to scale the bastard. How could he not love Shallou back?
"So, who's the lucky mer?" Shallou asked with forced levity. "The one you're in love with?"
Gave hesitated, then took a deep breath. He'd braved the surface. He could do this.
"You."
Shallou's eyes went comically wide. Gave flushed but bravely looked back.
"Oh," Shallou said faintly. "You … Oh!"
With a cry, he launched himself from the rock. Suddenly, there were arms around Gave's neck, a tail wrapped around his, and lips on his mouth. Stunned, Gave did the only thing he could and kissed back.
"For your information," Shallou said as he finally pulled back. His hands cupped Gave's face, his blue-green eyes blazed with happiness. "I'm in love with you, too."