Follow Me
from @jegulus-microfic's prompt, beach (860 words)
ok this one REALLY got away from me, and the more i tried to edit it down the longer it got so sorry this one is over the goal wc. but in other news. i need to draw this immediately. also i'm giving this a keep reading cuz it's long <3
“Alright, Captain, we are approaching the affected ship,” Longbottom calls. James nods, taking a deep breath as he always does before a rescue mission. McKinnon and Pettigrew ready the boat for rescue. It’s only a small yacht, but they said it could be holding up to fifty souls. As the yacht comes into view, James internally panics. They aren’t too late, are they?
Reaching the boat, however, James finds it empty. Confused, Longbottom guides them around the other side to see a small island with seemingly every passenger lying on the sand. How they got there, James doesn’t know. There doesn’t seem to be one lifeboat anywhere. The team docks their boat and Pettigrew immediately disembarks to start asking questions.
“Sir, this woman says there was one man who pulled the passengers off the boat and brought them here.” Pettigrew says, returning to James.
“Only one man?” James asks in surprise, surely that isn’t possible. “Where is he?”
“He swam to the other side of the island before getting out of the water, Sir.” James nods and immediately starts walking around the beach. He knows he should stay and do his job, but his curiosity overtakes him. His crew is more than capable of taking care of themselves.
As he comes around the bend of the beach, he stops. He can’t bring his legs to move any further. Standing before him is a man with glistening pale skin, every inch adorned with freckles. His hair: jet black and wavy, curling slightly at the nape of his neck. He’s standing with his back to James, drying himself off with a towel. James quickly looks away, to preserve the man’s modesty, and clears his throat.
In record time, the man is in front of him, handling his face and looking at him quizzically. He feels he’s being studied. As James catches a glimpse of the man’s eyes though, he couldn’t be bothered to give a single fuck if he tried. He’s vaguely aware of his mouth falling open, and then promptly being shut by the man’s slender fingers as he stares into his eyes, focused on James.
They’re the color of the ocean, but much more than that. James will never quite be able to describe all that he can see looking into these eyes, but he knows they hold oceans of knowledge, literally and figuratively.
“You are one of those ‘humans,’ no?” the man finally asks, stepping away. He has a strong accent, but where from, James can’t place.
“Um, yes?” James replies, rather confused. “Aren’t you human too?” The man flashes a grin in reply and James nearly falls to his knees at the sight. He clearly can tell the effect he has on James.
“No,” he replies. “You are quite a nice-looking human, though.” James finds himself blushing from the strange compliment. It feels special coming from him. James stutters through a thank you and the man seems to ponder something for a minute before speaking up again. “What would you say if I asked you to follow me?”
“I’d follow you anywhere,” James replies instantly. He’s a bit shocked at his response but the man acts as if this is perfectly normal.
“Wait here,” he says, and James does. He doesn’t even know this man’s name, yet he awaits his return without a single thought of the people on the other side of the island. He watches the man dive into the water without returning for a few minutes. When he does, he throws his head back, letting his hair fly out of his face, and James is transfixed yet again.
“Well?” the man says, and James realizes he’s been staring for too long. He shakes his head and wades into the water. “Follow me,” he says, and James complies, despite knowing he can’t breathe under water. When he opens his eyes, stinging from the water, he sees the man looking perfectly at home in the ocean.
As he scans down his body, it all makes sense. The man no longer has legs, but a glittering deep blue tail. James gasps and then realizes his mistake when he can’t breathe anymore. “Shit, I forgot,” the man says. He swims over to James and grasps his face in one hand.
“Yes,” James manages to say before his lungs begin filling with water. He somehow just knows what the man didn’t have time to ask.
He lunges forward and captures James’ lips, breathing life back into him. James gets caught up in the feeling, pulling the man closer and trying to push back with as much force as possible. He gets so lost in the kiss that he doesn’t notice his own body has changed. That when the man pulls away, he can breathe again, and his legs are gone. Rather than be terrified, or angry, as most would, James sighs a breath of relief. Something tells him this is where he was meant to end up.
“I’m Regulus,” the man finally says, a clear blush painting his cheeks. “Follow me.” And James does. He swims down deeper and deeper after Regulus. And he never returns to the surface again.
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I have reached a new low. I’m making book covers for fanfic AU’s that don’t exist. Instagram
For their anniversary, two American girlfriends decide to take a road trip through the UK. What started as a cute holiday, ends in a wild goose chase through 10 Downing street, multiple Tesco’s, a conspiracy theorist’s garage and one highly suspicious taco bell.
Characters from @readerofthewilderwest
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