Soulmate Little Mermaid AU- Solangelo

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Will POV

I heard someone coughing violently as I was on the way to the beach in front of the castle, where I washed up after almost drowning yesterday. I immediately started running over, scared that someone else was doing the same thing. I heard voices that suddenly stopped and water splashing. I turned the corner that was blocked by a tree and my breath caught. It was him. The boy who rescued me. The one with the jet black hair and chocolate-y brown eyes that I could so easily fall in love with if given the chance. He was laying down on the sand, staring in amazement at it like he's never seen it before. 

I slowly walked over to him and my shadow crept over him, making him look over. Our eyes caught and I felt a surge of electricity go through my whole body and heart. "Hi." I waved at him. He sat up with some difficulty and waved back. 

"Are you okay?" I asked, crouching down in front of him. 

He nodded. 

"Were you in a shipwreck?" I asked, seeing the little bits of seaweed stuck in his hair and the small cuts on his feet. There was a huge scar on his chest that seemed to be faded like it was from years ago. I tried not to blush when I realized he was only wearing swim shorts. 

He stood still a moment before nodding. 

"How many people were on board?" 

Again, he hesitated before lifting one finger. 

"Just you?" 

He nodded. 

"Can you talk?" 

He shook his head. Poor thing. It must have been a trauma response or something he got from the wreck. I knew this was the boy who saved me. Same angelic features, same soft black hair I wanted to touch, same warm eyes that looked like they could see through my soul and understand every bit of me. Still, I wanted proof. 

"Were you..." I paused, then restarted my sentence. "Yesterday, I got into a shipwreck myself...the boy who saved me...was that you?" 

He seemed surprised for a second before hesitantly nodding. I grinned. 

"I knew it. Thank you." I told him. He blushed. My heart suddenly started racing three times faster. He nodded in response. 

"Do you want to get up or stay here for a while?" I asked. "We should probably go get you to the hospital." He tried to stand but fell down again. "Oh! Sorry, here." I wrapped his arm around my shoulders and helped him up. "This okay?" 

He smiled a little in response. 

I carried his weight to the castle, where I went into the servants corridors to find Hazel and Bia, two sisters who worked for my father. 

"Hello, your highness. Who is this?" Hazel asked, putting down the clothing she was just ironing. 

"I don't know his name, but he was just in a shipwreck. I found him on the beach just now. It was just him in the wreck." 

"Oh. Poor thing. We should run him a bath. I'll go get Frank." Hazel ran out, going to her fiancé. Bia kept looking at the boy, a sad look on her face. 

"Are you okay, Bia?" I asked. She nodded, seemingly distracted. 

"Yeah. Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, your highness. I'd better go set the table for dinner." She left the room, tripping slightly on a chair set near the door. 

I adjusted my grip on the boys shoulders when he started to slip a little. "How're you?" I asked him. 

He shrugged, which I somehow understood meant could be better. 

"Would you like to stay with us for a while? I would like to give my appreciation for saving me. If it weren't for you, I would have drowned." He blushed but nodded. 

He mouthed, "It was no problem." 

"Still. Thank you." He rolled his eyes. 

"You're welcome." 

I smiled smugly as Hazel and Frank came into the room. "Hey, Frank here is going to show you were the bathrooms are. Would you like privacy or do you need help bathing?" Hazel asked the boy. I assumed she didn't know he couldn't talk. He looked at me with adorable doe eyes that were impossible to say no to. 

"Hold up one finger for alone, two for help." I told him. He gave me a look of appreciation and held up one finger. 

"You got it. Just go with Frank and he'll be there if you need help getting in, finding the right bottles, etc." I knew Frank wouldn't partially like this arrangement, finding it awkward to even see someone wearing a crop top or short shorts, but he didn't say anything, he just took the boy from my arm and held his weight out of the room. I again felt empty without those brown eyes in my sight. 

"Can he not talk?" Hazel asked, going back to the laundry. 

"No, I don't exactly know why because I heard him speak just yesterday." 

"You met him before this?" Hazel asked. 

"Yeah, kinda. I almost died after the shipwreck yesterday. I should've. If it hadn't been for him... I've been getting small memories of him carrying me to the surface just before I drowned and putting me on the beach all day and even dreamed of it last night. He saved me. He sang me a song with the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard while I was waking up. But for some reason, when my mom and brother came over to find me, he left. I don't know why." Hazel was silent for a moment. 

"You like him, don't you?" 

"Wh-what? No, that's crazy." I lied, fidgeting with my shirt. She gave me a knowing look. 

" 'He sang me a song with the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard.'  Please. You know, you just had the most love-sick expression on your face I'd ever seen." She teased. Hazel, Bia, and I have been friends for almost our whole lives, all growing up in the castle. Sure, we seemed to be professional around other people, but in private we just teased each other mercilessly. Like regular teenagers. It was nice. 

"Shut up." I laughed. "It's not like I can do anything about it. I didn't see a soulmark." It was the first time I was really thinking about it, but looking back, his forearm was blank. No name. Which means he can't be Niccolo di Angelo, the one person my whole family has been waiting years to meet. Even if I had a chance with this boy, I couldn't kiss him. I would have to dump him once I found Niccolo. For my family's and the kingdom's sake. We couldn't rule together by thousands of years of tradition. 

"Hey." Hazel said, suddenly serious. "I'm sorry. Y'know I don't think anyone would blame you if you got together with him. Just for a little while. You could be happy. That's all we want." 

"But I'd have to break up with him." I said, miserably. Hazel went up to me and rubbed my back. 

"It'll be alright. The thing about soulmates is that they make you the happiest you'll ever be. Whoever this Niccolo is, I'm sure you'll love him." I sighed. 

"I know." We stood in silence for a bit. "I should go get ready for dinner. Bye, Haze." 

"Bye, Will. Just remember, let yourself be happy. Just this once."

"I'll...try. Thanks."