"Do you want to go for a swim?" asked Melissa.
"Sure!" answered Cody.
Melissa started to drag herself into the water then felt herself being lifted up.
"Let me carry you in" offered Cody.
"My hero!"
Cody carried Melissa in his arms until the water was up to his chest.
"Thank you" she said, adding a kiss on his cheek before swimming out of his arms.
Cody dove into the water and attempted to follow Melissa. He was a good swimmer from all his years spent at the beach as a surfer, but he was still no match for a mermaid. Since it was night, visibility was also very limited. Cody kept catching glipses of a tail, but Melissa proved a mostly elusive mermaid.
Tiring from the chase, Cody let himself float on the surface. Within a minute, water splashed on him repeatedly and he turned to see Melissa using her tail to splash him. Though she hadn't been a mermaid for long, Melissa was quickly getting used to her tail. Teasing complete, she swam over.
"Tired already?"
"Yeah, but I don't have a tail."
"We could go back to the beach."
They swam back to shore and found the hard way they had swam out farther than they realized.
"Would you like me to carry you ashore?" offered Cody.
"If you're not too tired."
Cody was worn out by the swim, but he didn't want to show it. He barely made it to the water's edge when he had to put Melissa down. Cody flopped down exhausted next to her. The surf remained minimal, the waves gently lapping around Melissa's tail. Cody put his arms around Melissa and she recipricated. The two sat there for a few minutes, enjoying the near silence, the gentle breeze, and each other's company.
Cody leaned in for a kiss...