M.A.R.

Ami made her way into the beach, second guessing every step that she took. She wasn’t supposed to meet Ritsuka for another hour, but she just had to talk to Mitsukuni first. She decided to know his feelings of her, hoping it’ll help her make a decision.
But what could she expect? Does he like her as much as she thinks she likes him? Or does he not have any feelings for her at all? An awful shiver crawled up her spine at the second thought. At the thought of rejection… Specifically his rejection. She didn’t want him not to like her, but…
What about Ritsuka? He likes her, doesn’t he? But, doesn’t Mitsukuni as well?
The true question in Ami’s mind was, who does she like? Does she like them both? Does she like neither of them? Who could she picture herself saying ‘I love you’ to?
Suddenly she stopped at this crucial realization. Neither of them has ever said they loved her. Sure, they’ve both acted it, but doesn’t the actual announcing of it mean anything? Even in the slightest way possible?
Her mind now completely overloaded and fogged up, Ami stumbled her way through the thick forest and soon felt soft sand hug her feet. She looked up at the blue sky that was hidden from her by the tree tops, its lofty clouds moving as fast as tanks through the humid skies and holding no promise of rain today.
Ami set her picnic basket aside and decided to go into the sea for a dip. She looked around the beach, making sure no one was around as she stripped to her bathing suit. She was determined not to get caught in her underwear ever again, so she promised herself that she’d be prepared this time. She quickly made her way into the inviting waves and dove deep into the ocean’s warm waters.
All of a sudden, strong arms pulled her into an embrace, holding her up against a toned, cold body. Ami flashed open her eyes in the stinging salt waters and came face to face with Mitsukuni, his bronze hair dancing softly in the sea current.
“Why did you run away yesterday?” he asked, his crystal clear voice concerned with a little hint of hurt.
Ami just gazed at him, a little flustered at his touch, until her dying lungs reminded her she needed air. She hurriedly pointed upwards and Mitsukuni gave her a single, assertive nod, knowing exactly what she meant. He turned upwards and grasped Ami tighter as he waved his tail, swimming up to the surface faster than she could ever think possible.
Once out of the water, Ami gasped for air. Mitsukuni watched patiently as she caught her breath, his fingers twitching in anticipation for her answer. His fingers slightly rub on her bare skin recreated the steamy dream in Ami’s mind once again and she gasped and turned towards Mitsukuni, not caring about breathing anymore. She felt her face shoot up ten degrees as she shivered in his embrace.
“Ami, you are garnet again! Are you okay? Are you sick??” Mitsukuni asked her, concerned for her health. Determined to find out what was wrong, he held a hand to her forehead only to find defeat as Ami’s face grew hotter at his touch. He slid his cold fingers down to cup her cheek as he stated, “It is not any use, Ami! You are just always hot to me as I will always simply be cold to you! You have tell me what is wrong!”
Ami quickly shut her eyes as she uncontrollably hollered, “Mitsukuni, I think I might love you!” then she clasped her hands over her lips, startled by her overly loud statement.
Mitsukuni also gave her a startled look, but it soon turned to innocent wonder as he asked her, “What is that?”
Ami’s jaw dropped as a petrified gasp of embarrassment and shock clouded her face.

“What is this thing??!” Mitsukuni asked in excitement after swallowing his first bite of the sandwich.
“It’s peanut butter.” Ami answered with a chuckle, knowing that it’d be the first time he’s ever tasted the spread.
“It is delicious!!” he cried out as he laid back into the sand, holding the sandwich above him as if it were the most amazing thing in the world.
After deciding that explaining what love was to Mitsukuni wasn’t how Ami wanted to spend this afternoon, the pair swam back to shore and she offered him some food that she packed extra for the picnic.
“Mmm! Mmm! Mmmm!” he hummed between bites until the whole sandwich had disappeared. “Nami, nat n-was n-good!”
Ami giggled some more as the merman desperately tried to lick the peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth. She opened a container of milk and handed it to him, only to have him look at it curiously.
“Drink it.” Ami encouraged.
“N-what nis nit?” he asked.
“It’s called milk. It’ll help you with your problem.” She promised as he took hold of the container.
Giving her one last skeptical look, Mitsukuni took a sip that soon turned into a gulp that evolved into a starving chug until all the milk was gone.
“Ah~” Mitsukuni smiled at her before his eyes popped out of its sockets as he exclaimed, “That did help!”
Ami laughed again. She couldn’t help it considering how childishly adorable he seemed at the moment.
“What Ami?” Mitsukuni asked, a smile on his milk-mustached lips. Ami shook her head at him, suppressing a wave of giggles. “Ami~ Tell me!” he begging, longing in his voice. She just shook her head at him again. “Ami…” He kept smiling at her and grabbed her hands, pulling her closer to him and stunning the smile off of her lips. “Ami, I want to know every feeling you ever have. I want to know what that tingling bell noise you make is and how you get me doing it as well for reason I do not know of. I want to know what sadness is and how it makes water fall from your eyes. But I especially want to know why whenever I touch you here,” he gently grazed the exposed skin on her waist that caused her to gulp and madly blush making him smile as if he were pleased with himself, “your face turns garnet. And I want to know why it gives me this great, warm feeling inside.”
He pressed his forehead against hers, their noses gently caressing each other, and their lips centimeters apart. Ami gave a warm, shaky gasp against his cold, velvety lips leaving them slightly coated in warmth that sent a ripple of shivers up and down Mitsukuni’s whole body. Quickly, he pushed himself away from her, deeply concerned about the feeling that just shot through him.
“What was that? What did you make me do?” he asked her, feeling his face get slightly warmer. Her eyes burnt through his with an astonished and astounded look. He suddenly found himself having to turn away from her gaze because it made his face feel so weird.
“M-Mitsukuni! You’re blushing!” Ami gasped, knowing it was completely new for him.
He turned back to face her, fear plastering his eyes. “What does that mean?! Am I sick? Was it because of the sammich?!”
Ami shook her head. “No. It has to be something we’ve done.” She explained.
“Then do it again!” he commanded desperately.
“Wha-?!” was all Ami had time to say before he hastily leaned his head against hers again. She let out another surprised gasp against his lips which sent that amazing ripple through his whole body once more.
As soon as he realized that it was her breath causing this odd reaction inside of him, he sealed away her lips and exclaimed, “That is it! Your breath on my mouth! What is this blushing? Why am I doing it? Why are you making me do it?” he shot out question after question, not really letting her answer any. His skin felt so warm against her face, it was so alien to him.
Ami gently pulled away his hand with both of hers and set it down, grasping it with all ten fingers. She really didn’t know what to tell him, she had no idea what he was talking about. Seconds ticked by in silence as they both stared at each other.
“What was that…shock wave you sent through my body?” he broke the silence, his voice calm and embarrassed as he turned away from her.
“Shock wave?” she questioned him before it suddenly clicked. “Mitsukuni! That is exactly how I feel when I’m around you! That’s…love.”
His eyes whipped back to hers, startled. “Love is so weird!” he exclaimed, his hand tightening in Ami’s grip. He slightly dazed off, lost in thought and wonder.
Ami’s heart sank. Love was weird? Did he think she was weird because she felt this way about him? Does he not like this feeling? Will he leave because he doesn’t like it? She watched him space out, anxiously awaiting his next statement, her heart hanging on to the thinnest of threads it seemed.
Then he quickly turned back to her, his facial expression totally serious. “Let us do it again.” He stated only giving enough time for Ami to change her expression from afraid to surprise before pressing his lips on hers. He kissed her again and again, his smirk getting warmer with each once until he finally pulled away with a beaming smile. Her face was radiating heat as he exclaimed, “Ami, this feeling… It is beyond words!!”
Ami stared into his truthfully happy sea foam eyes. Soon a smile crept upon her face as well as she wrapped her arms around his chest, leaning her head against it. She felt him chuckle as he hugged her back and she melted into the embrace in total bliss…
‘Ritsuka’ a voice murmured in the back of her head. Like a missile, it sunk all of her momentary happiness to the bottom of her guts.
As if it were a reflex, she pushed Mitsukuni away from her, wiping the smile clean off of his gorgeous face and earning herself a surprised look instead. She turned away from his eyes from fear and regret.
“What? What is wrong?” he asked concernedly, his fingers lightly tracing up her arms.
Ami fought with herself on the inside. There was no way she could tell him! But it wasn’t right to keep this hidden away from either of them… She knew she couldn’t go on with this act… She had to give it up.
Mitsukuni tightened his grip around her forearms, but waited patiently for her answer.
“There… There might be someone else…” she revealed to him in a quivering whisper. “Someone else that I might…also love…” she finally finished. Every word was dripping with self-disgust and loathing. She didn’t know what to expect, so she just braced for the worst, but the worst never came…
“What do you mean by that?” was all Mitsukuni could ask, his voice surprisingly calm. Ami turned to him wide-eyes as her heart crumbled. He quickly slid his arms up to her shoulders and gave them a light squeeze, his eyes growing hints of worry at her empty answer. He gently shook her as he asked again, “Does that mean someone else makes you feel this amazing?!”
Ami couldn’t answer. She was never in a situation like this before, she’s never had experience. She had no idea what to do, her voice was taken from her in her fear and self-disgust. All she could think to say was ‘I’m sorry! So sorry!’ The phrase bounced around in her head, her guts, her heart… She tasted the words in her mouth. They were so bitter and grainy, but before the words could slip past her lips, tears battered their way through her eyes.
She gulped as Mitsukuni caught sight of the tears. He ground his teeth together as his expression instantly switched to frustration. “So it is true.” He stated through clenched teeth, his eyes drenched in icy flames.
Ami hurriedly shut her eyes, truly afraid of his reaction this time. She felt him yank her forward and press something on her forehead. She fluttered her teary eyes open in surprise to find that he was pressing his forehead against hers again, just with more passion than last time, their faces closer if possible. Their noses were side by side of each other and their eyes were millimeters apart.
“I will make you love me more.” Mitsukuni promised in a growl, his eyes burning into hers as if they wanted to reach into her soul. Her breath began to shake as her body quivered against his because of the burning hot promise, but she didn’t do a thing. All she could do was sit there wide-eyed.
Mitsukuni sighed at her reaction, his eyes softening up a bit as he dropped his hands to her waist and his gaze to the ground. He didn’t like being mean to her, it really hurt him inside to see Ami like this.
Moments passed as Ami’s speeding heartbeat diminished to its normal rhythm in her icy chest. She looked up at Mitsukuni who was scowling at innocent grains of sand beneath him. How could she do this to him? This heroic person who not only saved her once, but twice! She couldn’t stress how disgusted she was of herself.
“So who is it?” he shifted his eyes towards her and nothing else.
Ami could make out anger and pain in his stare as her heartbeat picked up again, crashing and beating up her lungs. The name was slipping off of her lips like butter before she knew it. “Ri-”
Mitsukuni quickly shifted his head to look out towards the sea causing Ami to suck the name back into her mouth.
A dolphin had jumped up out of the water four times before it blew out of its blowhole, signaling that royal guards were 40 kilometers away and that Mitsukuni had to hide quick.
He turned back to Ami who looked confused and worried. “I will make you love me more.” He promised again, though this time with a soft and sad smile before he gave her a strong assertive kiss and a huge wave swallowed the edge of the beach, carrying him away and leaving everything drenched.
Ami wiped the sea water from her face and shook it off of her arms. She stared out at the now calm ocean in despair. What was she supposed to do now?
“Ami?” a voice called out as it ruffles through the forest, making her turn around and her heart skip a beat. “What’re you doing here? You’re early!”