Author's notes: So... this chapter turned out more smutty than I expected XD nothing explicit sorry ahaha. I wanted to advance with the plot but in some way I think I needed to give more attention to Emma and Norman's feelings and their complexity?

I hope you guys enjoy and don't find it boring? 

I also suggest that you listen to the song " Ocean eyes" by Billie Eilish and "invisible string" by Taylor Swift which inspired this chapter! 

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The alarm rang in 5 in the morning at the bed Norman was sleeping in, in a tinny room next to the bathroom where Emma was. When he opened his eyes is slow motion, the rising sun came in and reflected the blue of his ocean eyes. Two emerald ones where looking at him, watching his every move. The face was burred but eventually formed itself into a clear picture 

Emma was staring at him, rubbing her finger in his cheek softly, as if he would break if she touched him more, with more strength: 

" Emma...is that you? That are you doing here! How did you-"  

" I just wanted to say goodbye before you leave and wish you luck - She smiled, a sad smile like she usually did - you didn't had to do this and yet- " 

" Yes I did. I had to do this - Norman's voice as assertive and strong. His eyes were fixed on something in the horizon - It's something I feel obliged to do because everything that is precious to you is worth me protecting, right? "

Norman raised his hand in a slow movement and Emma shivered at the gentle touch. He kissed her softly and touched her hair and scales with the most care. It was a sad yet movement gesture and Emma could feel his love in the tip of his fingers 

Emma smiled: songs weren't the only thing that could express feelings without words, she wondered. In the dance of his frail fingers, she has loved and she was scared.

" Norman...how did you learn to love like that? " - The questions sounded weird but somehow Emma always had that on her head. He looked at her with a curious look 

" I didn't - He paused as he looked down, his chicks red - I never knew I was able of having these feelings...not like this. You unraveled a knew part of myself I didn't knew it existed, Emma " 

Norman downed his head: he felt his heart beating so fast and his face was burning. If love could be everything, to Norman it would be a Bing Bang explosion which created a whole new universe inside himself...which created millions of different feelings he never experienced before. 

He tough he understood love, the love on books, the love on the movies and love songs, but love was like a mirror: he could see the surface reflected as himself, but it was something independent from him, distance and strange... now when he looked at himself at the mirror he saw Emma looking back at him 

* Father...I broke everything down and choose a selfish, childish path. I felt adrenaline, fear, enthusiasm, sadness and happiness. I felt the contradictions of emotions what I can't understand. I caused pain to many people and they only gave me kindness.  I arrived to the conclusion that being selfish is being human...* 

* Being selfish is loving and let be loved...I decided that love or whatever that is can be anything and everything. Love is the ultimate stage of selfishness * 

Emma understood at his eyes meant in a heartbeat 

" Norman...I don't say I'm being selfish by letting you risk your life to save my brother because I know that's a weight you want to carry with me so...please return safe to me. It's the only thing that I ask of you" 

" Sure...I'll make sure I return to you, Emma"  - Norman said as he looked up to her, noticing that she wanted to ask something else... " Is there something you want to tell me, Emma? You seem to be thinking about something..."  

" Yeah... I was wondering why... - She gained courage as her cheeks tuned bright pink - why do we kiss each other and why it's feels good?" 

Norman almost lost it this time cuz he didn't know if he should laugh or cry. Why did people kiss each other? He had no ideia! Maybe cinema culture invented at kissing was romantic? Maybe is was the first step to be intimate in physical and psychological terms with someone else? 

He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes, uncovering the arm she had over her face from the embarrassment. He picked her up to Emma's surprise and placed her on the bed beside him and lied down, looking at her with a tender smile. 

" I don't know Emma... - Norman's cheeks were also red and his eyes sparkled - maybe I don't want only your kindness but also your body..." 

Norman excel stopped working and he forgot how to breath. Yeah...he just said to Emma was he wanted to be more physical with her and now he felt like the worst, most perverted man in the world. He was murdering Emma's innocence and how dirty that was! 

* Nice, Norman good job! Now she will be discussed by you forever you big idiot perv! Damn!*

" What a relief... - Emma took a deep breath as she faced Norman, who turned his head to listen to her - " I didn't know if these feelings were ok...I tough it was weird of me to wanting to touch and kiss you...mermaids usually don't do that but humans..." 

Norman excel stopped working again....no...it actually crashed 

" Really? That's great! - Norman blushed as he noted that he sounded way to loud and excited - I mean... I'm glad you feel the same but...what do you mean when you said that mermaids usually don't - " 

Emma collected herself as she placed her hands in Norman's ears and Norman froze by the sudden intimate movement she made on him. She looked extremely embraced even more than when they kissed each other and Norman was both confused and flustered

" Emma what are you- " 

" For mermaids...touching each others ears is the most intimate touch possible - She stated as if she was forcing those words out of her troth - this area is the most sensible one for us...and a gesture we only do with your partners...we choose for life" 

Norman almost choked on himself. It was a miracle his heart didn't exploded on his chest the way it was beating so loud, Jesus. Still, in the mist of his embarrassment and heartbeats he realized something...

He knew nothing about mermaids cultures, gestures, social codes, tastes and such. He was so focused in teaching Emma his own culture that he forgot that mermaids also had a culture, a complex one which matter to Emma is ways he couldn't understand. 

" Really...thank you for teeling me so... - Emma was surprised with his sad reaction - I'm sorry I never been considerate of your culture and your traditions Emma I - " 

" Don't apologize, Norman... - Emma said as she rubbed his ears in circle moves - I never told you anything so the fault is mine. You had no way to know about it...so I promise from now on, I will teach you, just like you teached me all about humanity culture" 

Norman smiled as he closed his eyes to listen to her melodic voice. Sure kissing has nice but the way she rubbed his ears...how could that feel so good? Her movements had something sensual on them and her hands were driving Norman crazy... 

Still, it didn't seemed fair to him that only he felt that foreign pleasure...so he reached out for Emma's hears and pated her in circle movements, imitating what she was doing to him ( since he had no ideia was he was doing ) 

" Norman..." - Emma gasped as she felt the warm feeling of Norman's fingers 

" Please do... - Norman said aroused by the overwhelming sensation of being so close to her and seeing her pleased features as he touched her ears - please teach everything there is to know about mermaids, Emma...I want to understand you better" 

" Sure...I will - Emma said as she stopped caressing Norman's ears, and placed her hands in his abdomen, under his shirt, making sure to feel his skin - I'll tell you the most beautiful histories about us mermaids, the ocean and the waves..." 

" So, what do mermaids when they want to say goodbye to someone?" - Norman asked as he closed his eyes to feel even more of her gentle hands touching him with care 

" Why are you asking that? You promised me you would return to me, after saving Ray and rescuing Dom and Gilda, Norman " - Emma sounded worried but Norman reassured her, touching her abdomen green scales 

" I just wanted to give you something to remember me by...I know I won't be away for long and that anything material can make up to what you mean to me but- " 

" A shells necklace - Emma said, not letting him finish in own sentence, her voice firm and joined with a full smile - " mermaids usually give shells necklaces to the ones who go away. They usually pick up shells that reminds them of the person who is going away so they won't forget their promise" 

" Is that so...that's a beautiful tradition" - Norman reflected as he held her hand noticing her weird expression - " What's wrong Emma, are you ok?" 

" Yeah...I'm just sore for being out of the water for so long..." - Something clicked in Norman. For some minutes he totally forgot she was a mermaid and she needed water. In his eyes she was just a girl...a beautiful girl who accepted him as he is 

" Aahahah, I'm so sorry Emma! I totally forgot you need water! What the hell is wrong with me? Well, don't worry I'm carry you into the bathroom right away. I changed the water yesterday evening so I should still be fine for you, right?" 

Without giving her time to respond back, Norman placed his hands under Emma's tail and back and picked her up using all his ( not much ) strength in bridal style. Emma didn't really understood why Norman was laughing so hard but...there was something relaxing in his smile 

As she placed her hands on his shoulders she put her close to his chest and smiled into it: she could feel his heart beating fast, the warm of his body that she strangely craved so. She was also afraid of the future...afraid of losing him...

She didn't want to led on the wrong side of love

She would gladly endure any pain by Norman's side but...losing him...

That was something that she could not afford 

Would she forgive herself in her selfishness of making him go to save her brother, Ray ? 

" Sorry, Emma you must be confused - Norman said in a weightless way - usually humans carry the ones they love like this...when they get married I mean... " - Now Norman's cheeks were red and he looked away from her, flustered for a moment   

" Married? Like the prince and the mermaid in the book you showed me back at the lab? " - Emma questioned and Norman seemed surprised by her recalling 

" Yeah...well, more a less... - Norman hesitated: in some way it felt wrong to label marriage as something so simple - " marriage is like a promise you swear no to break, ever...with someone" 

" And which promise is that? What do people swear? " - Emma looked up at Norman as he stopped in the hallway, between the bedroom they were in and the bedroom of the old house

" Well...I'm not sure but...I think people swear to dedicate their lives to each other...they swear to be together trough all hardships, pain, happy moments and love each other until they die" 

Norman took a deep breath and a tear fell down his face for Emma's surprise: Was he happy or sad? She couldn't tell...he had this nostalgic feeling in his eyes as if he was recalling a painful memory that he held dear in his heart 

" And that promise is the most defiant, fantastic, holy yet hard, painful and selfish thing two people can do "

" Than...I want to marry you, Norman " 

Norman turned his head violently at Emma, his tears still trailing down his face. He didn't believed that he just heard and now he was sobbing hard his hands trembling as he held Emma. His arms and legs lost all their strength and he dropped her, slowly in the hallway 

" You don't know that you are saying Emma...you don't understand the weight of your words" 

" Yes I do - She said with an assertive tone - If marriage, like you say, is dedicating your life to someone, I want  to dedicate my life to you Norman...I can't think of anyone else I could do such a thing..." 

" But...you and I we are meant to- " 

" I know - Emma interrupted him, placing her hands in his ears and rubbing them in the familiar, relaxing way she did before - " but still, I want to be with you while I can. Isn't this between us something greater than distance? Greater than death?" 

" Greater than death..." - Norman said her last words out loud as if recording a mantra. He never tought about now great his feelings were...were they greater than death? Could love, their love break those stick boundaries of life itself? 

He wasn't sure...but one thing he knew 

There was something tying them together. Was it a promise? Was it a feeling? Norman liked the ideia of an invisible string tying them, stretching as they fall apart, pulling them close again

" Than if your willing to dedicate me your life, Emma...I will give you my everything" 

The silent fell atop of them as Norman picked her up again and placed on the bathtub. She let go of him and he felt her arms falling into her sides. Letting his tears falling beautifully behind him, Norman lets the door slightly open and went upstairs 

In the bustle of preparations for the mission at was happening down stairs, Emma closed her eyes. In the lovely bathtub she sang a song, the sound of her heart echoing in the small room. A song about a man, a boy with silver hair like the moon, eyes tender as a merciful ocean.

That's where she wanted to belong, as she fell asleep...

When Emma woke up with the morning sun hitting in her scales in a warm way. When she opened up her eyes she had a necklace, a silent necklace placed on her chest 

A promised necklace with a big silver shell with tones of blue.

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Art credits go to: I couldn't find the artist ! Please inform me if you know! 

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!