Dancing On Ice

Rebuilding Reality

Her eyes travelled up to gaze at the sky, watching the stars and moonlight and scattered snowy clouds.

"This all started because I wanted to touch the sky," she muttered.

"The sky?" Perry copied, looking upwards.

"I wanted to touch the sky... go up there but I can't... so I settled for the next best thing and grew to become fascinated by humans." She closed her eyes again. "I should never have looked at the stars."

Perry looked at the stars, watching them glisten above, watching them back. Aeralie tucked her face in against the side of his neck, until the sea pointed something out to her.

Her eyes snapped open and she instantly shoved him back to arm's length, holding his shoulder, making him jump as he stared at her.

"You must be freezing!" she cried, "I forgot! We need to get you out of the sea!"

"What? No, I'm fine," Perry said, confused.

"It's freezing!"

"I'm... not human... remember?" Perry said, feeling side-swiped by the sudden change of tone and direction of conversation.

"But you're not a merman! A sky siren has no protection against cold water!"

"I... I never actually said I was a sky siren or spirit," Perry pointed out.

Aeralie stared at him. "Then what are you?" she asked, frowning suspiciously at him.

Perry was quiet for a moment, then smiled. "Something altogether more powerful."

"That doesn't tell me anything."

"That's because I gave my word that I wouldn't tell anyone the true extent of who I am – except Cole, of course."

"Why Cole?"

"Because he's been put in charge of making sure I don't do something stupid," Perry said with a grin. "So I can say certain things, for example, my crew all know I'm not exactly... normal. But, like you, they don't know the full extent of whom or what I might be."

"Why? I don't understand."

"Because, like you, I am fascinated by humans," Perry said simply.

Aeralie looked away and Perry reached up, resting his fingers against her cheek and turning her back towards him.

"There is no fault in your fascination about that which is different," he said gently, "Don't ever think that everything you've learnt over the years was a waste of time. You have opened your eyes and mind to a world that it unlike your own. You have taken the time to study and appreciate a world that you didn't have to take an interest in – in a world most of your kind shun because it is 'other' and rarely affects them directly..."

He bit his lip, eyes flicking away and back again.

"Perhaps you didn't get what you wanted," he said, "Perhaps things didn't go to plan. Maybe the last ten years feel like a waste because the end result was not the desired one. But they weren't because you are so much wiser to the world you exist in than others."

Aeralie looked at him in surprise.

Then she suddenly started laughing, closing her eyes as tears began to spill over again and Perry withdrew his hand, startled.

"That's certainly one way to cheer up a broken heart," she said, wiping away her tears as they continued to fall. "I suppose I never thought about it that way."

"I... wasn't sure what else to say," Perry muttered and Aeralie shook her head.

"That's good enough... that's perfect," she said, still laughing a laugh that didn't quite cover her cry, "That's just fine, Mr. Peregrine Porter, you did just fine."

Perry watched her as she tried to keep up with her tears.

"Peregrine Lore."

"What?" Aeralie asked, glancing up.

"My actual name is Peregrine Lore. Porter is just a normal name I picked."

"Does telling me that not count as telling me who you are?"

"Does that name mean anything to you?"

"... No."

"Exactly," he said, smiling then held out a hand. "It's late, won't you come to bed?" he asked gently.

Aeralie looked at him in surprise and Perry seemed to rethink what he had just said because his face blazed red.

"Wait! No! I meant it's late! You should go to sleep! In your own bed! In your own room! Alone! It's more comfortable than out here!" he cried.

Aeralie just smiled at him, her lips trembling in either more tears or suppressed laughter.

She took his hand and he quickly pulled her up.

"I think I should go back to bed," she agreed.

Perry quickly adjusted her robe around her shoulders and they headed back up the beach, Aeralie retrieving her shoes as they passed and climbed the steps.

Perry glanced down at her as they re-entered the palace and watched as she wiped at her eyes again, head bowed, face hidden behind her tumbling hair.

He looked away.

Then slowly reached over and wrapped his arm around her delicate shoulders, pulling her close as they walked, pressing his lips to the top of her head as he led her back to the dark, empty rooms. 

~~~

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