Beyond the sea 8

 Hizashi couldn't sleep.

It was early, after all, he would normally have been in bed hours ago. But he had spent a wonderful night talking with Elly all the way into the morning. It had been so long since he felt such a connection to anyone that he not only desired them, but wanted to learn about their past, future and their dreams.

Wait -

He couldn't remember <i>ever</i> being this eager to know what someone else's dreams were.

<i>And that kiss</i>!

He tossed and turned for a half an hour until he felt trapped, not able to move his legs seperately. Hizashi jerked upright, panicked.

"Shiiiiit." The sheets were ripped out from where they'd been carefully tucked in on his large bed and tossing and turning enough had bound his legs up. After carefully untangling himself, he rolled out and cracked open the curtains nearby to let enough light in to see. "Ugh." Groaning, he flicked a few random strands of hair back where they'd fallen out of the loose top knot piled at the crown of his head. Stumbling around, he shoved handfuls of golden silk under his mattress until he was satisfied it wouldn't slide free again so easily. Of course all that exhertion caused more long, blond hair to fall out and tickle his cheeks.

"S'everything fucking coming apart?" He fumbled the drapes closed, plunging the room into darkness once more. After settling under the covers he took down his hair and redid it all, securing the mass of blond back on top with the black silk scrunchie that held it. "Nmmm. Sleep."

Hizashi flopped onto his pillow and closed his eyes, already replaying the kiss over in his mind. His lips curved into a sensual smile as he slipped into sleep at last.

Elly was also having problems sleeping, but she had some very different reasons.

Her mind raced, refusing to let her tired body rest. The foremost thought was that she needed to make sure Hizashi was protected in the water. She was okay with never walking again if it meant he was safe.

If she were honest with herself, this probably killed her chances with him. Elly bit her lip, staving off tears as she remembered the awesome connection they had, and the power of that kiss!

How could she have been so stupid?

She'd imagined her new body would enchant him and then she would get her legs back. She liked being a mermaid - it was exhilirating in certain ways -- but this wasn't how she wanted to live <i>forever</i>. Topside, the lease where she'd been renting had run out and that was fine, but her worldly possesions were in a storage locker. She couldn't work while she was like this so she was using her savings to pay for that. It wouldn't last forever.

She groaned. <i>Not that I have any place to keep them! Nothing is waterproof!</i>

Also, though she loved the ocean, it was pretty frightening being underwater all the time. There were four dimensions danger could strike from and you had to be alert all the time.

Thankfully she'd found a cave like Aizawa's awhile back, and while smaller, she fit if she curled herself up tightly. A fresh-picked bed of kelp made everything a little more comfortable, but while she eventually closed her eyes, sleep didn't come for hours.