Norman looked at his scars...it hurted so bad. He locked himself on the bathroom and was breathing quite heavily. Emma was so fast in her movements, that he didn't even noticed her hand in his check, he didn't even noticed his wound until the blood dropped into his white coat.

And it hurted more than it should: the wound wasn't that deep and it was almost closed...the blood was stopping. Why did it hurt so much? He touched his check and without noticing 

A tear fell down from his right eye 

Did he do something that hurted her? Was she thinking about something else, was she hallucinating when she hurted him? She looked like she regretted that she did he moment she marked his face like that...she reached out for him with a sad face 

And still he was scared but he knew there was a reason behind it...and he should discover that was making her behave like that. Still, the problem was...there were video cameras in the room and he was sure that someone say it...the worst possible scenario: Vincent   

If Vincent saw that it would be a big problem and he just prayed 

He was sure that Emma didn't mean it...still it hurted more than he would expect. 

And so, like he always did he hide his pain from his face with a wide smile and walked back to the place there Emma was, still looking guilty, still reaching out for him or at least trying too

" Emma, sorry it took me so long...I'm back now! Are you all right?" 

" Norman- Emma sorry" 

" Yeah...I forgive you so don't feel guilty... but would you tell me that's on your mind?" 

" Mind?"

" Yeah...that are you thinking...that were you thinking when you drew that you shown me, when you know, hurted me just now..." 

Emma looked down. She understood in some way that he meant. She was angry...angry because she took out her anger in Norman, when he didn't do anything wrong, when she knew that if he could he would set her free, because...he had such a painful face when she showed him her sadness 

And her sadness became his and she took it all on him...how could she explain that to him, how could she make up to him. He treated her so well and he didn't deserved such treatment. She was being unfair. 

" Emma miss family and friends...it's a pain. Norman is no fault, Emma is sorry..." 

" Yeah... you are angry right? I'm sorry if I'm the one that keeps you away from them...I understand if you-" 

Emma placed her hand in his check and for a moment, Norman was scared. Now this time, her movement was delicate almost in show motion, and he watched her get closer to him. He didn't move: there as a feeling that kept him standing waiting to be touched 

" Norman is no fault! Norman is kind he was no fault...Emma is sorry, I'm sorry" 

" It's ok Emma...I don't resent you...I understand your anger and I'll do everything in my power to help you anyway I can" 

And for her surprise he placed his hand in her own. It felt strange in some way: her hand was wet and his was so dry...they seemed so closed, but also two world apart, from two different realities. Right now they were trying to close the gap...they were so close 

" Norman help Emma?" 

" Yeah...but that's a secret, all right?" 

Norman smiled and walked away from Emma. Placing his hand on his lips like a "shh" signal, Emma somehow understood his signal and smiled... he was being so kind again to her: how could she hurted him? She was ashamed of herself 

She wanted to make up to him 

He wanted to make up to her 

Emma placed her hands in her heart and her scales started to glow like the Northern Lights. Norman walked right into the security room: at those hours the bodyguard who always watched him had already left. He turned off the cameras and locked himself down on the room. 

When he turned off the light and saw Emma glow like that Norman felt like he was being pushed him, a force that made it impossible to look away from her. The song she sang sounded like the most beautiful melody, the most beautiful song he had ever listen too. 

It was a song of cry and sorrow, a bit of happiness he would say. That was her way to tell him about her friends and family. Music the universal language, never fail Norman, never fail Emma and he could understand everything she wanted to say 

" I miss my mom and my brother...I left them and wasn't strong enough to protect them. I fear they might get into trouble because of my weakness. Norman is kind and he saved me from some of the pain...thank you so much for all your effort and I'm sorry for my selfishness"

He understood all of it and she smiled back at him, her green vivid eyes shining again, reflecting in his own blue ocean eyes. 

It was not to late...for whatever they were trying to communicate  

" I promise Emma... I will help you...I won't let anyone hurt you, ever again" 

" How...how is Norman going to do that?" 

He smiled at her. For some reason Yuugo's words echoed in his mind...he was always hunting him like a ghost, his legacy always on his mind. He lived a life Norman tought to be perfect but he wanted to be free, a free spirit unbounded by the chain of others, just bound by the chains he wanted to keep

The true chain that kept him on the track to the difficult task...of being just like a child. Doing something crazy and don't give a dam, being selfish and trow everything away just to rebuilt it again. 

------------------- O -------------------

" Norman, son, listen...the universe main goal is to destroy. Creating is going against the flow, it's changing the weather. Sometimes I feel so tiered from resisting...sometimes we have to destroy to built something that really matters"

" But Dad, why do we spend so many time creating? It is fro being destroyed? Doesn't that make everything is life pointless ?"

" We built a lot of stuff...Norman do you know how animals have to many cubs to make sure some of them survive? We are just like that...we create so something remains even if it's a little thing, a reason we existed" 

" I understand... as long as something remains, our existence is not worthless" 

" Make a life worth living son...and make sure you leave something behind: a piece of art, a new knowledge, a changing of view whatever that is" 

-------------------  O -------------------

" Don't worry Emma... I promise you I will help you meet your friends and family so you can be free one day..." 

"Norman...will be in danger?" - Emma looked confused: if his job was keeping her there and test her, wouldn't that mean that he would be breaking the rules? That he would lose his "job"? 

He smiled at her: the universe main goal is to destroy and that might be just right, Norman thought...but he wanted to be able, to have the power to choose which things he wanted to destroy and which things were worth saving. 

To Vincent, Cisclo and the government: they wanted to destroy mermaids, Emma and others of her kind to satisfy human greed, probably make money out of it... and protect their benefits and positions in society 

To Norman : He wanted to protect Emma, and other mermaids of her kind...by destroying his job, his hole reputation and work for 6 long years....

He smiled: he wasn't making any sense at all... he was being crazy just like his dad 

" Yeah...it might be a bit dangerous, but I want to do it. Maybe I'm doing this for myself as well, maybe I'm doing this for my father and his memory...maybe just want to free myself from the world that always suppress me...I'm sorry if I'm being selfish Emma..." 

Emma crossed her fingers and smiled at him...she didn't care what his intentions were...if he would set her free, even if that meant his disgrace she would always be forever grateful to him

" Norman...swim?" 

" What?" - Norman widen his ocean eyes 

" Norman...swim with Emma in thank?"  

She was inviting him to swim with her? Well...he didn't really wanted to get wet and he had a quite fragile health...he hesitated for a minute and still had to find the strength to deny her hopeful eyes and hands. 

"Well..thank you so much for your invitation but...maybe some other day..." 

" Norman...doesn't swim?" 

"Yeah I do know how to swim...it's just-" 

When Norman open up his eyes again, he took a deep breath just to find himself at the top of the thank with his legs between Emma's head and orange juice hair, her hands in his legs, keeping him standing in place 

He was a red mess of feelings 

" Emma? What are you doing?"

" Norman doesn't swim... Norman puts feat on the water!" 

" What? Ahaha that's right...it actually feels nice to have my feet on the water like this...it's harm" 

" Norman is happy?" 

Norman looked down on her with a surprised look, changing his face into a smile. The way he soften his eyes and widen his smile always amazed her and she tought that his smile, was now her save place. 

He placed his hand on her hair and run his fingers on it...it felt so good. He hair was so soft and so wet...it looked read, sometimes yellow, sometimes green...it seemed like it was magical and made him feel in peace with himself...

And now they were sharing such a intimate moment and Norman didn't feel nervous, didn't felt uneasy... as if he always belonged there, between her arm, by her side and by her smiling face that he found out to be so beautiful. 

" Is Emma happy?" - He redirected her question to herself 

" Norman is happy...Emma is happy" 

" Than...I'm very happy right now, Emma...thank you for your kindness" 

" Norman is kind too...Emma is grateful for it"

When Norman opened his eyes he knew Gilda and Don would ask him a lot of things, since they went to work on another project. He knew the guard and body guards would scold him for turning off the security cameras. He knew Vincent would threat him in a very terrible indirect way and for some reason...

He didn't worried about it...he didn't regret that he was living right now with Emma 

" Emma?" 

" Norman?" 

The world main goal might be to destroy, but he wanted to pick, he wanted to put his own hands in destiny, he wanted to twist the world, make sure something that he created would remain in this world...was it worth it? 

" Promise me Emma...what we will destroy all this...but not our bond" 

" Bound?" 

" Yes - Norman took her hand in his and she looked with a surprised cute face to him - when two people share a relationship what tie them together...that is called a bound"

" Emma is tied with Norman?" 

" Yes...let's go against the flow and make sure this remains" 

As Norman closed his eyes and feel asleep in Emma's arms, Vincent Cislo and all the staff from the lab entered the room where Emma was being kept just to find a sleeping young scientist prodigy and a orange, green eyed mermaid smiling into his silver hair 

That wouldn't remain for long 

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Thank you so much for reading this chapter! All the credits for the art , cape and AU ideia and comics of this fanfic are to @stray_tori on Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram! Please go check her fantastic art!

Note: Mika-hime changed her name so please search her art by the new name of her account!

Thank you so much and see you soon!