My Ariel | Sea Tales

butterflies

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' mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand ' — neil armstrong

~

wet, yet feathery, harsh, but soft; and very, very green. ariel lets her fingers delicately twist around the blades of grass, a hum of delight spilling between her closed cherry stained lips. it kinda reminds her of seaweed, though more dry and so much more smaller. she wraps her fingers around it and plucks a few blades from the ground. she holds it up to her face and tilts her head as she examines it. humans have so much of this green stuff on the ground. she wonders how it grows, wonder what's it purpose. her hands move faster than her brain and suddenly her tongue is wrapped around the tiny, seaweed-grass. she also wonders how it tastes.

okay, ariel, not bad. less flavor than the seaweed back home, but not all that terrible. as she pinches a few more grass blades between her thumb and index fingers, a hearty laugh erupts from the back patio door. it's enough to make her pause in her tracks. her head lifts as if she was a deer caught in headlights. she dawns an innocent, almost childlike stare watching eric stand in the doorway doubled over.

"oh, love," eric puts a hand to his forehead, his fluffy hair brushing up as he continues softly laughing at the brown-skinned girl. "you're always getting into things." he mumbles while trying to hide his smile. he fails of course.

ariel's cheeks flush as red as her hair and the grass drops from her fingertips back onto the ground. eric's face softens and his laughs quiet as he gets closer to the girl. "sorry, i didn't mean to make you shy." he sits beside her on the ground, both their backs pressed against a giant tree.

ariel let's her eyes wonder, still embarrassed from being caught. "were you watching me the whole time?" her voice is soft, gentle like a whisper.

eric runs his hand over both her tucked knees and gently pulls her legs closer to his body, "not the entire time."

ariel shoots him a look.

"okay, so maybe the entire time." he admits. she elbows his side.

the action only making the burly man release another chuckle. her eyes roll and her head turns back to the grass surrounding their backyard.

eric notes her curiosity, "it's called grass. normally meant to keep the farm animals fed, but i see it does well in keeping you full too." he jokes. ariel cracks a small smile, leaning her head against his shoulder. her hands fall onto his arm that's still thrown across her legs. her fingers are quick to find his and she interlocks their hands. eric's eyes catch glimpses of ariel's red hair as they trail. he sighs contently, "how long have you been outside by yourself?"

"about an hour." she answers fast, but then hums questioningly. "or, at least, i think. you left really early this morning and i was very bored. but, then i saw something fly past the window really fast! it was so colorful, eric, like a ball of colors floating through the air. i was trying to catch it for hours, but could hardly keep up with it." ariel re-tells the story of her adventurous chase with beaming eyes.

eric furrows his eyebrows trying to think of what on earth this girl could be talking about.

"it was really small, too. how could a creature with such small wings fly so fast?" she adds, mostly muttering to herself.

a lightbulb lights in his head almost immediately, "a butterfly?"

ariel tilts her head up, "what's that?" she asks.

eric bites back a smile, not wanting to embarrass his girl again. "the tiny ball of colors you were chasing." he answers.

ariel's face lights up, "butterfly..." she likes the way it rolls off her tongue. she just learned a new word! "that's such a pretty name for such a beautiful creature." she marvels, smiling wide as she reminisces the butterfly she was trying to catch.

eric can't help but to get lost in her innocent happiness. it's these moments between them that he adores the most. her laugh, he thinks as ariel giggles under her breath, how did i go so long without hearing that sweet voice?

he breaks their intertwined hand, reaching up between them to cup the side of her face. ariel's giggles go quiet as they stare at eachother, but her smile remains.

and it's eric who takes initiative to plant his lips against hers. it's a loving, lingering kiss that he pulls away from first. ariel bites her lower lip, eyes glued to eric's mouth. her palm rests on the back of eric's hand that's still cupping her cheek. her other arm slithers around his neck, until her nails are gliding down his toned shoulder.

she moves in to kiss him again, lips molding together like lost puzzle pieces finding their match. they flow in a rhythmic pace, each movement pulling eric in until one of his legs is situated between ariel's and his hands are on either side of her waist.

the brown-skinned girl runs both her hands down his back, trailing them back up until she's holding the back of the prince's neck.

eric let's ariel's lips go for a moment of air. and a moment was all he got, before she's attaching her lips back to his. he smiles in the kiss at her eagerness to be so close, pulling away once more. he holds tightly to her waist, keeping her at bay from attacking him with another kiss, "the sun's starting to set and it'll start to get cool out soon. let's get you back inside, yeah?" he suggests.

"i'm used to the cold." ariel replies, not really listening to what he's trying to say. she could stay outside forever if it meant being up under him.

eric lets out a breathy chuckle, standing up whilst picking ariel up in the process. she squeals as he tosses her over his shoulder like nothing, feet walking toward their home. "eric!" she exclaims, "put me down!"

the prince laughs, "c'mon, it's time for supper, love." he emphasizes, "gotta have something to wash down all that grass you've eaten." ariel pouts, her bottom lip jutting out as she surrenders to her husband.

and he doesn't sit her down until they're both back inside in the warm cottage.

~