At that point, Julie Stovall just wanted to lay there on the top step of her family's swimming pool, bask in the afterglow of their first physical union, and enjoy the warmth of Eric Anderson's body against hers.
But as she reached out to hold his hand, Julie felt it!
She looked and saw the webbing start to form between Eric's fingers.
Julie turned back to Eric and smiled.
“It's time, my love,” she said, before kissing him.
Eric was still (understandably) in somewhat of a sexual stupor, so he was a bit dazed and confused as Julie (quite reluctantly) removed herself from his penis and started pulling him further into the water.
It was not until they were completely submerged before Eric realized, “I can see, hear, breathe, and talk underwater!”
“Yes, my dearest soul mate,” said Julie, smiling as she held up Eric's hands to show him, “It's happening!”
Except for flesh toned webbing between the fingers, his hands looked normal, but he knew that word no longer applied to him, for Eric Anderson was joining his one true love in were-mer society.
“Julie, I—”
But whatever he was about to say was cut off as Julie started frantically kissing him again, eager for Eric to complete his first transformation.
Eric passionately returned each kiss until he suddenly moaned.
The noise heralded a wonderful sensation. More than sexual. Euphoric!
“I feel kind of warm all over,” said Eric, as they both looked down to see the further changes begin.
Around his lower waist, smooth skin began to form scales.
The pattern was that of any other were-mer as it began to travel lower.
But what interested Julie the most was the coloring those scales soon assumed.
“Blue? Green? Blue-green? I guess it's a question of how the light hits your new tail, especially underwater, but I've never seen a were-mer with that coloring before. Then again, I always knew you were special Eric Anderson,” said Julie, holding his webbed hand in hers as she kissed his cheek.
Julie was starting to change into her were-mermaid form too as Eric transformed, but at the moment she was only in Stage 1, displaying just the webbing between her fingers and toes.
They watched as the scale wave started approaching the upper part of Eric's knees, while the coloring was now mid-thigh and starting to catch up.
Yet what now caught Julie's attention was the fact that her boyfriend's penis was now almost a full foot long, and very interested in her.
“That will adjust, depending upon what stage you're in. Then again, considering the extra length it has to travel when I'm displaying my full tail...” Julie said happily, as she couldn't resist reaching out to caress it.
Eric moaned and almost experienced another orgasm just from her touch.
“You know, before now, I've never put much stock in this whole were-libido mystique,” admitted Julie. “I thought it was just some of the other species bragging.”
“Oh?” asked Eric. Considering she grew up in Moon Lake as a naturally born were, that was a surprise.
“Considering where we are prenatal, were-mers are born already having the abilities to hear, speak, breathe, and see as well underwater as we do on dry land. We're just not able to form and display our tails for the first time until puberty. Except for initiating a normal and formally declaring our soul mates...” Julie then took a quick pause to kiss Eric on the cheek again before adding, “Were-mers aren't as dependent upon sex for our first transformations as much as the other weres seem to be.”
“Could of fooled me. For your first time, you were fantastic,” said Eric, holding Julie closer and thinking her voice sounded just as beautiful underwater as it did on dry land.
“Yet, now that we're truly together...” said Julie, as she started rubbing a webbed hand against her boyfriend's chest. It and his arms were now more toned and muscular for swimming above or below the water, yet still the right size for a 14 year old male. Then again, both of their bodies were still growing and maturing.
“I know the feeling. You would not believe some of the thoughts that are racing through my mind right now,” confessed Eric, looking at his girlfriend lustfully.
“Can't be any hotter than some of what's crossed my mind. Mom did warn me that it would take a while for our new hormones to balance out,” said Julie, smiling brightly at him again.
The scale pattern had reached past Eric's ankles, and was now beginning to alter his feet into a more flipperish shape. The coloring was near the top of his ankles, but steadily working its way downward.
Julie changed too, assuming a were-mer's Stage 2 form of fully scaled legs and flippers. She took note of the contrast between her goldfish scale coloring and Eric's blue-green combo.
“We do make a cute couple,” she said, hugging him once more.
“I was going to say wonderful, but cute works too,” replied Eric, before initiating another kiss.
Soon Eric Anderson's new were-mer legs were complete. He only gained about another inch or so of height, which didn't put him much taller than Julie, since they were originally about the same height to begin with.
Yet, like his upper body, Eric's legs were now more toned and adjusted muscularly for swimming.
“After the very first time is completed, you'll be able to change between the various stages at will a lot more quickly than this, but now comes the final act,” said Julie.
Eric wasn't sure, but he thought Julie had licked her lips in anticipation.
However, a new tingling sensation prevented him from asking.
Eric looked down and saw that his legs were pulling closer together, as if they were high powered magnets attracting each other.
Soon, not only were they against each other, but his legs were merging.
The young couple watched in rapt fascination as Eric's feet flattened out to complete the creation of his full were-mer tail.
“Oh, my handsome merman!” shouted Julie, swimming into his arms.
She had assumed her Stage 3 persona too, and Eric truly enjoyed the sensations of her goldfish hued tail rubbing against his new tail.
“I'm sorry darling, but I can't help myself,” said Julie, as she reached between them to extract Eric's new aquatic penis from its sheath within his tail.
But as she started to caress it again, suddenly Eric broke away from Julie and said “Wait a moment!”, before swimming back toward the pool steps.
Julie feared that she might have come on too strong and scared him away, but was confused when Eric only briefly broke the surface.
“WOW! I can really swim!” he said, returning to his girlfriend's side. Eric wasn't that bad a swimmer as a normal human, but now understood why Julie once said were-mers were not allowed to swim or compete professionally.
“Eric, I don't understand. What...”
Then he held out the single pearl necklace that his mother had made.
“ERIC!” shouted Julie, staring at the item in shock. “I know you just had your first transformation, but in mer society, do you know what that means?”
“I do,” confirmed Eric, now possessing a were-mer's racial memories too. “My mother made it yesterday after she saw us dancing together. She called it a promise ring. For some reason, I forgot to give it to you when I walked you home last night, but I think it's much more appropriate now.”
Then Eric cleared his throat. “Julie Alexandra Stovall,” he began, now knowing his soul mate's middle name, “despite the fact we cannot officially follow through on this until at least after high school graduation, would you do me the extreme honor of sharing the rest of your life with me, above and below the waves?” he asked, proposing to her.
“Oh....” said Julie, as she began to cry. “Eric Ro- Rob-, err... WAIT! Something's wrong! Why am I uncertain about your middle name?” she asked, starting to enter a panic state.
“Calm down honey. Even my parents couldn't agree on that,” said Eric, while holding her close. “Mom wanted to name me Eric Roberts, after the actor. Dad didn't mind the first name, but wanted my middle name to be Robert, after his favorite author Robert B. Parker. So they compromised. My birth certificate officially lists my middle name as R-O-B-E-R-T-(S), so you were on the right track,” he finished explaining with a smile.
“Really?” said Julie, unable to keep from giggling in relief.
Then she straightened herself up and grew more solemn. “Eric Robert(s),” began Julie, doing her best to pronounce his middle name, “Anderson, it would be my extreme honor and pleasure to swim by your side for the rest of time, my one true love and soul mate.”
With that, Eric tenderly put what was now an engagement necklace around his future bride's neck, brushing back her blonde hair as he secured the plastic clasp of the lanyard.
Julie reached down to briefly pick up the single pearl and kiss it, before turning to kiss her fiance.
Eric eagerly returned her kiss, and soon they could not say where one kiss ended and another began.
After that, romance quickly turned to passion.
The new were-mer couple spent the rest of that morning and all the afternoon getting more intimately acquainted with each other.
It would not be until Mrs. Stovall returned from work for the day that Eric and Julie ever took a break, let alone left the pool.
Only then would Eric finally check his cellphone and discover whether or not Julie could accompany him to his parents Skulk induction ceremony that night.
________________________________________________________________
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
A lot of hard work has gone into the previous five episodes of this thread: "Marco...", "Clearing the water", "...POLO!", "At Last", and "YES!"
I have written, rewritten, and sweated over every word to not only make these installments as enjoyable as possible, but to make them as realistic as can be between two fourteen year old Freshmen in love, were-status not withstanding.
I would like to thank s1 for input on this milestone in the lives of Julie Stovall and Eric Anderson.
We will return to our young lovers when Mrs. Stovall comes home from work later.
Meanwhile, there are other events happening in Moon Lake that Friday, so please stay tuned.—The Masked Writer.