They told him not to go out on the rocks, even when the sea was soft. The waters were still deep, and it only took a moment to lose your footing, with the shock to drag you down whenever the waves weren’t around to do so.
Nonetheless, Quinn defied the warnings of his elders and slipped out to the beach at his earliest convenience.
The sun warmed the boy in a welcoming hug. Golden glitters danced along the waves. The light reflected in sharp gleams along the rocks where the water had wet its surface.
Quinn ditched his shoes on the sand. The wind toyed with his golden locks, the loose hem of his shorts, and the button-down he’d untucked. He skipped along the rocks, parkouring with more and more confidence the further along he went.
He leapt just before the last landing, slamming his foot down upon the darkened rock.
He skidded upon the water-slicked surface.
Panic flooded up Quinn’s throat. His back and shoulders cracked into the side of the rocky cascade, sparking a firework of pain beneath his skin.
His limp body plummeted towards the water. He almost managed a cry, but his head crashed beneath the surface before he could force the noise free.
Water roared into Quinn’s ears and smothered his eyes. Bubbles rushed over his skin.
After a moment, everything went silent. The buoyancy of the water caressed Quinn in a sensation similar to a blanket. The sunlight rippled along the distant surface of the water, darkening by a shade of blue for each second the boy sank. Somewhere in his dazed mind, he wondered if he should’ve been concerned.
* * *
The slender figure drifted almost peacefully towards the ocean floor. It wasn’t particularly deep out here, but Wyatt had seen many a human overcome by the suddenness of the fall.
This one was young—probably around Wyatt’s age. Blood drifted from the boy’s back. His eyelids fluttered as he slipped towards unconsciousness.
Wyatt wrapped his arms around the boy’s chest, tugging him up towards sunlight and air.
The waves helped the two along to the beach. Wyatt knew a good little spot along the sand where a small curl of rocks formed the perfect seat for a weary swimmer to rest. He dragged himself up into the cove, propping the half-conscious boy in his lap.
The boy sputtered, emptying his lungs of whatever had managed to get inside of them. Wyatt patted at his back until his coughing subsided. Then the boy slumped back, still too out of it to remain upright.
Wyatt ensured the boy’s nest of golden curls settled against his shoulder. In the bright glare of the sun, he should’ve been dried off and perfectly comfortable in no time.
* * *
Quinn didn’t know how much later he came to—just that it was still bright, and his back still throbbed from the hazy recollection of smashing it against the rocks.
He squirmed, realizing on a jolt of panic that he no longer flailed at the mercy of the water. Much the opposite, he curled against a warm chest with his toes dangling into the gentle sloshing of small breakers upon the sand.
Quinn lifted his head. His throat choked with the rawness of swallowing seawater, and he coughed as he swallowed.
“There, now.” The arm propped around his waist slid higher, keeping him from tipping backwards. “You okay?”
After a fit of slightly hysterical hacking, Quinn squeaked out a “yes.”
“You took quite a tumble there,” the stranger remarked.
Quinn rubbed at his eyes, scrubbing them free of their crustiness. Then blinked them open to fully behold the brown chest upon which he leaned. He slid his gaze upwards to meet a face, with youthful features that couldn’t have been much older than he was himself. Limp stripes of black hair stuck to the boy’s forehead and curled around his ears.
“Th-thank you?” Quinn stuttered.
A blush painted over his savior’s cheeks. “I—I would’ve done it for anyone.”
“Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be thanked,” Quinn insisted.
The other boy smiled, with a tiny, modest pucker of the lips. “Then—you’re welcome…?”
“Quinn,” Quinn supplied after a blank second.
“Wyatt,” his savior introduced. “Very nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Quinn blinked—then glanced down.
He knew about the species—but to actually behold a shimmering royal blue tail rippling against the sand, each scale coated with a breathtaking iridescence…
Wyatt chuckled. “I’m guessing you’ve never seen a merperson before?”
Quinn shook his head. “Y-your tail is beautiful.”
“Thanks. I can’t really take the credit for it, though.”
“Still.” Quinn breathed in deeply, triggering a slight burn within his chest. Whenever he shifted, pain crackled across his back. “I…I should probably be getting to a doctor. But—I’d definitely like to see you again.”
Wyatt nodded. “I can come back to this spot. I like to swim around here a lot.”
Quinn frowned, imagining the lecture awaiting him back at the palace. His parents wouldn’t let him head back out to the beach alone, at least not for the foreseeable future. Unless he mentioned he’d made a new friend who could look after him…? “I can get back out as soon as everyone’s done fussing over me. How about—sunset?”
Wyatt nodded. “Sunset, at the cove. Sounds like a plan.”
“Good.” Quinn wriggled, then swayed forward.
Wyatt gently pushed the boy by the shoulders, helping him back to his feet.
Quinn smiled, his cheeks now stained a deep red. “Thank you.”
Wyatt smiled back. “You’re welcome.” He waved before sliding back down into the water. “See you tonight!”
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