Chapter Text
The newlyweds awoke on their first morning as husband and wife rather restless.
I’m sure you can guess what they spent the whole night doing…
They finally caught some shut eye after the midnight sky started to slowly fade into dawn.
They were overwhelmingly exhausted between the wedding ceremony, reception, and a very active night.
Just one passing glance around the room at the scattered roses, blown out candles, strewn out clothes, and even some of the books and knickknacks atop Eric’s dresser and desk pushed down to the ground painted a very clear image of how the night was spent.
There was not a corner of the room unexplored on by the pair.
The twosome could spend the entire day just sleeping to recuperate their energies. Although those energies would certainly find more activities to expend on if they stay lying in bed.
Eric is awakened first, just half past eight. And this time it wasn’t the sun filtering through the window or his mother or Grimsby bringing him out of unconsciousness, it was the presence of his wife.
God he would never get tired of those two words.
She was still asleep, resting soundly with her bare body covered up to the neck in sheets, her head snuggled onto his chest and her legs intertwined with his.
He also lay au natural, the blanket resting along his waistline and his arm nestling her body into his side. But she was the real blanket, his comforter, providing him with the utmost warmth and safety he would ever need.
After only sleeping for an hour or two, he couldn’t get his mind to turn off. While his body felt bone-tired and his eyes, droopy, his brain was wide awake. Along with his heart, that was big enough to fill the whole world, no, the universe within it.
He almost detested the thought of sleep, because it took away from any moment he could consciously love her, stare endlessly at her. But who was he kidding? His dreams were in every way evocative to the life he was currently living, maybe just a tad fuzzier.
But this was as clear as day. He couldn’t believe what the last twenty-four hours have been like. He finds himself staring out at his left hand, examining the ring. His marriage ring. To her.
Onward to the day ahead of them they were going to set sail, free from anyone’s dictation and embark on their voyage to the undiscovered.
Just the two of them.
They would kiss with the eastward sunrise, travel along distant waters and shores as it moved west along the horizon and make passionate love when it set below the earth.
Then, they would track the constellations across the moonlit sky, charting them right back to where their love was first written, among the stars.
But before that would happen, he was just as pleased to continue cuddling her form, captivating in the rhythmic and steady sound of her breathing, the up and down of her chest.
He wouldn’t mind delaying their travels an extra day if he got to stay with her like this, in a tangle of warm bodies and linens.
The twinkling of the blue diamond on Ariel’s finger resting on his chest flashes into his eyes, reflecting against the rays of the morning sun.
He picks up the hand gingerly and presses soft and fluttering kisses all over the palm and lining each of her fingers.
The action progressively awakens her.
The sound of her yawning makes him realize this.
When he looks down at her she is batting her eyes sleepily up at him.
“I’m sorry, my love. Go back to sleep,” he whispers.
“No, no. We must get up, its travel day.” Her voice is scratchy and drowsy but her face perks up with excitement.
“But we need to get the proper rest.”
“We’ll have plenty of time to rest on the voyage.”
She scoots up, just so that her forehead rests against his.
“And to do other things…” she adds, brushing her nose onto his.
He bursts into a giggle that sounded much more like a gurgle; it reverberates down her body.
This sends her smiling from ear to ear.
She closes the space between their lips, apprehending his smiley mouth into a kiss.
He wastes no time in deepening it, moving his hands down to rest on her bum, pushing her closer to him.
She aims her kiss down on his chin, making her way to his Adam’s apple. He extends his neck out further for her and she can feel the rousing sigh that makes its way up his throat and out of his mouth.
Okay now he definitely was going to suggest delaying their trip.
Her kisses form a path down his body, remarking the same spots she left on him from the night before. He would tattoo them onto his body forever.
She reaches his waistline, spending extra time pecking the area.
“Ariel…” His voice was breathy, a few octaves lower than it usually is, a tone he only reserves for her.
“If you go any lower, just know that we are never going to leave this room.”
She pulls apart, throwing her head back into laughter.
“We’ll save it for later.” She crawls back up to plant a kiss on his nose. This was innocent, different from the ones she just electrified his body with.
She crawls out of bed, letting the blanket fall swiftly behind her.
Instead of joining her as she goes about tidying up the mess off the floor, he stays back, allowing himself to relish her body.
He takes it all in once more. The bronze and silky smoothness of her skin, the edges of her body, the lush grooves of her curves, the roundness of her breasts, and the way her long lustrous locs swayed down her back. It all came to form the perfect configuration of human.
He never got to truly admire her in mermaid form, but he imagines it was just as heavenly, if not more.
He makes a mental vow to himself to love and cherish her body at every stage it goes through. Pregnant, thin, big, old, wrinkly, or even without her legs. She would always be just as effervescent as she was now. It’s a promise he would make till time caught up to them both.
“Ariel.”
“Yes?” She was in the midst of hanging her wedding dress on the changing screen.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” She cranes her head to look back at him fully, the two of them sharing a silent but heartfelt look.
She has never second guessed her choice to live this life with the man she loves, away from everything she’s ever known. But the truth is, she never gave up much to be here. Her heart and soul were already here, with him. She just had to take the courage to follow it.
Eric finally finds the energy to depart from the bed. He assists her in picking up the books and collectables from off the floor.
Once they finish, he draws a bath for the both of them.
The warm water did a world of good, easing the soreness and tension of their bones and limbs.
And so did their hands as they allowed themselves to gently scrub each other’s bodies.
As Eric moved the scrub brush around her, he cutely stuck the tip of his tongue out of his mouth the way he always does when he is focused and concentrated on something.
They basked in the time before their adventure started, before their lives officially started.
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For the first time, Ariel got to pick out her own dress and style her own hair. She went with a faint pink dress, tied at the waist with a satin sash in blush color and matching flower designs edged along the ruffles.
She picked her hair up into a high ponytail, just as Lashana taught her.
Eric wore his typical loose and flowy shirt and vest, his hair just as wild and free as his spirit.
He always seemed to be donning the look of someone whose hair was wind-swept by the ocean breeze.
And that’s just how Ariel liked it.
After a farewell breakfast and some heart-warming goodbyes, they set off. They walked hand in hand along the cobblestone pathway leading down to the shore. They almost couldn’t keep up with the racing of their own feet and the excitement thumping in their hearts.
They quickly reached the rocky steps of the beach and to their surprise, there was much more than a rowboat and ship awaiting to send them off.
Flower petals were being hurled at them by a hoard of people lining down the sides of the path.
When Eric quickly glanced at their faces, he can discern that it was villagers and court members.
They all cheered and mouthed their congratulations as the couple giddily pranced down the stairs.
Even the band was there, off to the side playing a commemoratory island groove.
As they reached the last steps, the queen and Grimsby awaited them expectantly.
“What’s all this Grims?”
Eric and Ariel were all smiles and giggles.
“The queen wanted the two of you to have a proper send-off, sire.”
He leads them towards his mother as Ariel lets go of Eric’s hand and places them in the solid and steadying grip of the queen.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“No. Thank you.”
“Much as I hate farewells, we still have cause to celebrate.”
The queen also takes Eric’s hand in hers.
“Our worlds have misunderstood one another for far too long. Your marriage marks a new beginning for us.”
Eric and Ariel can’t help but send a resolute glance at one another at the queen’s defining statement. She meant every word she said.
“Yes. A beginning,” Ariel says. She passes another hopeful glance up at Eric.
The queen then briefly takes his head in her hands. “Now, get out there… and change the world.” She grasps his shoulders tight, a wave of determination taking hold on her face.
Eric couldn’t believe the words he was hearing. He was waiting all his life to hear her say them, to affirm what he has been trying so hard to do.
He would change the world. Especially now that his little mermaid was by his side.
“Or whatever it is you have to do so that we don’t get left behind.” She steps back.
“That doesn’t sound like my mother. What have you done with her?” he playfully chides.
“Oh, off you go.” She shoos her hands at them, waving them off. Everyone laughs.
Eric seizes Ariel’s hand back into his as they skipped down to the shore.
“Have you decided where you’re headed first?” They can hear the light voice of Lashana call out from behind them.
“Uncharted waters.” Ariel felt elated to say it out loud.
Queen Selina and Grimsby watched them scurry off with pride. “A mermaid and a man… whoever would have imagined?”
No one but the gods did. It was an unimagined love that was needed, sealed into fate by the best human and mermaid their worlds had to offer.
They hurry themselves to their boat. It was to take them to a grand ship off in the distance, then on to other worlds and waves beyond.
It was decorated with a magnificent floral arrangement, the same ones lining the rocky path down the beach. A proper sendoff indeed.
As the two ready the rowboat, Ariel suddenly hears the familiar chirping of a rather lively northern gannet.
“Well look who’s here.” Scuttle was accompanied by Sebastian on top of the nearby rocky boulder. Flounder joined them as well, floating in the waters below.
“We got you something Ariel,” Scuttle says.
“Sure did,” Flounder adds.
“Something you almost lost.”
Ariel strode over, bending down to them in the water.
“What, where is it?” Scuttle questions Sebastian.
“You’re sittin’ on it bird,” he berates, clamping down on her feathers with his pincers, effectively shoving her aside and revealing their gift.
“Ow!” Scuttle shouts out.
Ariel sure did miss their playful chittering and chattering.
Her eyes fixate on the jade mermaid figurine. She gasps.
“My little mermaid…” She immediately reaches for it, toying the edges with her fingers.
For a brief moment her mind was taken back to the day in his study where she first admired it, held it. The day Eric said those exact words to her, urging her to keep the statuette.
Little did he know at the time, those words would be meant for her, and he would soon get to keep her as well.
But she thinks for a moment.
“Keep her for me.”
“I hope she causes you less trouble than I did.” She places the figure back on the rock.
“I was right about the dinglehopper, wasn’t I?”
Oh she was so so so wrong.
But who was Ariel to burst her bubble?
“Yes, you were, Scuttle. You were.”
She was going to miss her dimwitted and lovable nature.
“You won’t be gone too long…will you, Ariel?” Flounder’s voice is coy and soft, a tad solemn.
“Of course not. I’ll be back by the next Coral Moon.” She boops the young fish, causing him to giggle.
He was her best friend when she had no one else.
“Yeah, don’t be late this time,” Sebastian scolds.
Although she wouldn’t admit it out loud, she was going to miss the moody crustacean just as much as the other two.
She stands back up, walking out further into the shoreline.
She gazes out at the view.
There was nothing but the open wide ocean backlit by a blue and sunny horizon.
A place she once called home.
She feels reminiscent. A life she had not long ago but has felt like ages since she last had it.
She was a different girl. A different woman.
Eric of course, notices this. And as usual, he never has to ask what’s on her mind. He always knows.
He steps aside from his task. “You ready?” He says from behind her.
One would think the question was simple. As if he was merely asking her if she was ready to go.
But she knew better. She knew it was laced with a deeper meaning, asking if she was ready to officially put her old life to rest peacefully, and say goodbye to the girl she once knew. A girl that would look at the powerful young woman she is standing there today in sheer awe.
She ached to give that scared and lonely girl a hug. To tell her she fought tirelessly for what she always dreamt of and survived to be on the other side. Never give up, never let them change what’s inside of you.
Eric’s seemingly simple question had just as simple of an answer.
A thousand times yes.
“Yes. Yes I am ready.”
And they were off. Eric rowed them out calmly past the shore. A pleasant silence passes between them. There was nothing else but the sound of waves sloshing against the boat and their smiles affixed onto one another.
Until, Eric sees a marvelous sight. One he thought he wouldn’t see for a long while.
It was Ariel’s father, King Triton.
And now his father-in-law, the King of the Seven Seas. That notion hasn’t totally registered with him just yet.
His paddling comes to a slow halt, his eyes focusing on the king before him.
Ariel looks back, wondering what has distracted him.
She couldn’t believe her eyes.
There he was, for the first time in weeks. She had never been apart from her father for more than just a couple days.
But what was more perplexing was seeing his head above the surface, a place he had long harbored such a disdain for.
He was treading lightly, his arms moving about slowly. He was staring at her sincerely.
He moves closer, lifting himself up on the edge of the boat.
“My child…”
He moves his gaze over to Eric, never faltering in its sincerity.
“Eric.” He nods his head down at the prince.
It was a look of acknowledgment. Of acceptance. A silent thank you.
Eric returns the gesture. It was more than Ariel needed for him to acknowledge the man that made her realize her love was too big to fit in the confines of the ocean.
Ariel feels the emotion rush into her gut before she’s even spoken to him.
“Thank you for hearing me.”
“You shouldn’t have had to give up your voice to be heard.”
“But now I am listening. And I will always be here for you.”
“We all will.”
Suddenly, every face she’s ever truly known, rises above the surface around her. Her sisters, her family, the people of her home.
Her eyes dart all around, filling with tears.
There they were, smiling side by side with the humans of her new home.
Was she seeing correctly? Was this real?
It couldn’t be more real. It would be the realist thing she ever saw in her entire life.
She never sought out to achieve this when she first chose to be a mermaid on land, never even fully realized the depth and impact of it. She just wanted to fulfill her inner most desires.
But with her love to Eric it has since become her life’s calling and she was astonished seeing it come to fruition right before her eyes.
Tears stream down her face, her lips quiver with emotion.
Eric had almost filled up her heart to its entirety. But there was just a smidgeon of space left empty.
And in that moment, it was entirely and wholly, full.
She rapidly wraps her arms around the king’s neck, pulling him in for a deep hug.
“I love you, Father,” she whispers in his ear.
Hearing those words in that moment was one of his biggest life accomplishments.
He wallows in her embrace, passing his hand along the locs of her hair and softly shutting his eyes.
When they pull apart, he swiftly pushes their rowboat onward into the open water ahead of them. Into their future.
Ariel stays looking back at her two worlds finally meshed into one.
They too look upon the pair as they end the first chapter of their tale that will be told till the end of time.
It was the end of a beginning.
And they hadn’t even gotten started…