"Do you trust me?" Sherlock wondered. John looked at him rather suspiciously, but nodded.
"I suppose I do. I don't think you owe it to me to be honest though." John decided.
"I owe you everything John Watson, you just don't know why." Sherlock insisted. John looked at him rather blankly for a moment, as if he were trying to connect dots that weren't there yet.
"How do you know my last name?" he asked. Sherlock sighed heavily, holding the washcloth to his nose and not answering.
"It's not poison." Sherlock assured. John was silent, but thankfully he didn't ask again.
"How did you find me Sherlock? How did you just happen to swim around under my ship and find me sinking through the waves? The only merman on earth and you just happen to be there at the right place at the right time to pull me from the depths." John muttered. Sherlock sighed, shrugging as if he was wondering that as well.
"Luck I suppose." He decided.
"You werne't following me?" John wondered. Sherlock looked up at him with a slight smile, as if trying to convince John that it was a stupid question.
"Why would I do that?" he wondered. John shrugged innocently, looking rather awkward, as if wishing he could eat his words.
"No reason, I just thought, I don't know. You seem to know more about me than you should, like we've known each other before." John pointed out. Sherlock's tail twitched uncomfortably with this sudden change in conversation. John was exactly right, he just didn't know it.
"Don't you think you would've remembered meeting a merman?" Sherlock wondered.
"Yes, of course, but there was a time in my life I somehow forgot. All of these events happened, my mother died and I had no idea it had even happened. I don't know what happened, I hit my head, lost my memories, I have no idea what had happened other than what Greg told me." John admitted.
"What did Greg tell you?" Sherlock wondered.
"Not enough, not everything." John insisted, looking rather uncomfortable.
"Do you think he would've left a merman out?" Sherlock wondered, flopping his tail above water as if trying to prove to John that he wasn't human. John just laughed, nodding as if he were being stupid.
"Yes, I suppose he would've mentioned you." He agreed.
"It was coincidence John, that I saved you, and I have a way of knowing people before they properly know me." Sherlock assured.
"And you just know that I'm a good person? Even though I kidnapped you?" John asked.
"You're a prince John, and you made your servant go to sleep, and your new wife go to sleep, while you care for your wounded merman? You care about people, you trust people, you just...you just have an aura of goodness around you that makes you undeniable. It's what made me save you in the first place." Sherlock insisted.
"Am I really the first person you've ever talked to?" John wondered.
"The first person I've ever wanted to." Sherlock agreed. John just laughed a little bit, pulling the drain plug to let some of the blood wash down before adding some more fresh water to the bath.
"You're a real handful, you know that? I feel like ever since Mary's arrival you've been rather cold towards me, as if you don't like her around." John pointed out. "As if you're accusing me of picking someone else."
"Are you suggesting I want to marry you myself?" Sherlock wondered, even though that was exactly what he wanted to do.
"I'm not sure of your intentions Sherlock. In the cave, well, you seemed rather, flirtatious." John admitted.
"That was a mistake, that was...that's not me. You were the first person I've seen, you were the first person who has seen me, something inside me cracked." Sherlock admitted. John nodded, looking almost disappointed.
"Ya, it's impossible anyway." He muttered, as if trying to convince himself. Sherlock was silent, not wanting to say something that might jeopardize his cover. John seemed almost solemn, as if he didn't want to admit what he really felt for Sherlock. Was John feeling things as well? Was his heart starting to wake up, had it never gone to sleep in the first place? The potion wiped his brain but his heart might still be screaming at him, trying to make him listen.
"Nothing's impossible John. You're having this conversation with a merman. Nothing's impossible." Sherlock insisted. John nodded, looking almost uncomfortable.
"Do you think your nose is broken?" he asked, changing the conversation almost instantly. Sherlock felt bad for making him uncomfortable, but then again, he felt like it had to be said. John couldn't be left in the mindset that he could never love a merman, and that merman could never love him back.
"I'm not sure, it's not overly painful anymore, I'm thinking it just got hit pretty hard, not broken though." Sherlock admitted, poking at his nose once more to try to feel for possible injuries. It just felt like his nose though, no bumps or lumps or broken bones.
"You didn't see who did it?" John asked, sounding angry once more.
"It was dark, the lamp went out." Sherlock pointed out. "I just felt a punch, and I fell out of Greg's arms, and he dragged me up the staircase. I thought I was going to die, I thought they were all going to come out and attack me, throw the ship into anarchy."
"But you're alive. And I will find whoever did this, and they will be punished." Joh assured.
"Make them clean the showers." Sherlock joked. John just laughed, nodding in agreement.
"With their own toothbrush." He decided.
"That's appropriate." Sherlock agreed, cringing a bit with the idea of such a disgusting, tedious task.
"I think it was Anderson, the one who pinned you down when you first got here. He doesn't like outsiders, new comers, and you're about as new as you could possibly be." John guessed.
"Well I hope he gets punished, because this hurts, and I think he should get hurt just a little bit more." Sherlock decided. John just laughed, nodding his head in agreement.
"You'll love it when we get to shore. I hate keeping you cooped up in this bathtub, but I wrote to them, telling them to build a huge pool for you to swim in, entirely out of glass so that people could see you, with rocks and coral and seaweed and fish, I think you'll really like it." John decided.
"No privacy?" Sherlock muttered. John sighed, but shook his head guiltily.
"We'll only let them in some times of the day, you're half human, you need your space. But I kind of take you as someone who likes the spotlight." John decided. Sherlock just laughed, shaking his head.
"No, actually, I'm not really one for audiences. I only like people who look at me and don't see a creature. That look at me like I'm one of them, someone who's nice and gentle and kind and considers my point of view." Sherlock decided.
"Definitely not the human population then." John decided. Sherlock shook his head, not brave enough to tell John that it was him. John was the only one Sherlock wanted to look at him.
"It'll bring in so many new people though, so many foreigners, from across the ocean, not only will they see a merman, but you'll be able to see all sorts of new people, learn about their cultures and their lifestyles, I think you'll like it. And it'll bring money into our kingdom, something we surely need." John decided.
"Why do you need money?" Sherlock wondered.
"Well, we sell and trade with other kingdoms, but there's a lot of things we need funds for, repairs, food, crops, livestock, armor and weapons, lots of things." John admitted.
"Are you planning on getting attacked any time soon?" Sherlock wondered. John laughed, as if that was a ridiculous question.
"No, not planning on it, you never know when it's coming. But some might see you as an opportunity; they might want to take you away." John pointed out.
"I don't want to you leave you." Sherlock said almost immediately.
"I don't want you to leave either. I don't know what other kingdoms will do, I don't know if they'll treat you with the same respect." John muttered. Sherlock nodded, not wanting to mention that John literally kidnapped him. But then again, this was starting to become a lot better than down at his coral wasteland of a kingdom. At least John was around whenever he wanted him.
"You're being very nice to me John, something I didn't expect." Sherlock admitted.
"Not all humans are vicious Sherlock. Some care about others, some care about you." John insisted, his brown eyes so soft, so beautiful it made Sherlock want to cry. How could someone so perfect be so accessible yet so restricted? He was right there, Sherlock could so easily kiss him, he could just bask in his beauty, become one with him, but no. There were so many things that forced him to stay in that bathtub, to let himself sit and submit to the expectations of man and normality.
"You care about me?" Sherlock asked, asking just for the sake of John's answer. He just wanted to hear John's voice admit it.
"Yes of course I do Sherlock, I care for you." John agreed. Sherlock looked at him with a soft smile, blood dripping down the washcloth as he tried to accept that John Watson really did like him. John eventually fell asleep, his head leaning against the side of the bathtub, snoring softly. It was around four o'clock then they finally stopped talking and exhaustion took him, but Sherlock stayed awake, he didn't think he could sleep if he tried, with John so close, his beautiful golden hair dangling just above the surface of the water. Sherlock moved as quietly as he could, sliding along the bottom of the bloody bath and seating himself right next to John's sleeping form, his tail curled underneath him like a snake. Sherlock was fascinated with John Watson, and he was now so close, Sherlock could see how he changed, feel the difference a couple of months have made in his smooth skin. John didn't even twitch as Sherlock's fingers danced along the surface of his neck, feeling his skin, sliding against his cheeks, the smile lines on his tired face, his mouth, partially open in a mid-snore, lips so soft, lips and kisses that would be wasted on Mary Morstan. Sherlock's hands traveled down to John's chest, wrapping his arms as softly as he could around John without waking him and leaning his head ever so gently on his firm shoulder. John's heart beat steadily under Sherlock's arms, the familiar smell of John Watson mingled with sea water and old blankets, floral shampoo and the mildew clinging to his pillowcase wafting to the merman's nose.
"Oh John." Sherlock whispered, so quiet that he was sure he wouldn't wake the sleeping prince. "If only you knew."                                                                                                                                                                

            John slept through the sunrise, he slept through the crew coming to life and starting to hoist the sails and steer the ship in the right direction. He also slept through breakfast, some yelling on the deck, and Greg's crude wake up scream that announced he was late for his duties. Needless to say, John slept very deeply until about eleven o'clock. Sherlock waited in his bathtub, holding the bloodstained rag to his nose but happily seeing that there was no more blood, his nose felt perfectly fine so it hadn't been broken. Sherlock watched as John started to stir, rolling his head on the side of the bath and starting to reposition himself in an attempt to get comfortable in such a horrible position. Sherlock didn't know whether or not his eyes were open, but he was positive John was awake when he sprang to his feet, yelping and cracking his neck before turning around, staring at Sherlock with sleepy, accusing eyes.
"Why didn't you wake me?" he exclaimed, staring at the merman as if this was all a great scandal. He would've looked more intimidating if he wasn't in pajamas speckled in blood, bathwater, and his own drool.
"You seemed tired, so I let you sleep." Sherlock shrugged. "Is there a problem?"
"I need to do..." John muttered, looking at Sherlock rather blankly, as if he didn't even know what he had to do.
"Sounds like you had plenty of time to sleep in then." Sherlock decided with a small laugh.
"Crew! I needed to find who punched you." John pointed out. Sherlock just shifted in the bathtub so that he could lean over the edge, leaning his head on his arms with a smile.
"I could be wrong, but I don't think they're going anywhere." Sherlock decided. John just groaned, waving his hand through the air as if he had much more pressing matters to attend to and running out the door.
"You're welcome!" Sherlock cried, although he didn't really know what John might thank him for. In reality, Sherlock should be the one thanking John. The day went by very slowly, he heard shouting on the deck, John's voice mostly, so he probably found out who had been the one to punch Sherlock. Honestly Sherlock didn't care much at all who punched him and who didn't, their violence had made John pay attention to him for a whole night, they had conversations and shared longing stares, Sherlock wanted to thank the man instead of punish him. But then again, he was a jerk, beating up on 'the only living merman', so he deserved whatever he was getting. The most exciting part of the day was probably when Gary came in with Sherlock's annual plate of fish, setting the platter down on the edge of the bath and staring at Sherlock for a moment, as if he wanted to start a conversation but didn't know how.
"Is your nose okay?" he asked nervously, wringing his hands together as if nervous Sherlock might not respond.
"How did you find out about that?" Sherlock wondered. Gary shrugged innocently, looking around so as not to stare at Sherlock for so long.
"John's yelling at them now, he's pretty upset." He muttered.
"Why would John be upset?" Sherlock asked, even though he knew exactly why.
"He said that you were a precious creature, and whoever hurt you would pay with something worse than their life." Gary shrugged. "Like I said, he's pretty mad." Sherlock smiled a little bit to himself, a precious creature, that was anew one.
"Who do you think it was?" Sherlock wondered.
"With that much blood, probably Anderson. He's hated you from the start." Gary decided. Sherlock nodded, that was what John had said as well.
"Well, I hope he's brought to justice." Sherlock decided.
"You said...you said that John was beautiful?" Gary said very quickly. Sherlock looked at him slowly, wondering why that question would matter at all.
"Slip of the tongue, but yes." Sherlock muttered. "A lot of people are beautiful." He added rather hastily. The last thing he needed was Gary ratting him out to John, which might not go over well.
"Well, um, I think he, I think he finds you beautiful as well." Gary said very quickly, looking as if he might cry. Sherlock tried not to get overexcited, but his heart starting to beat steadily faster, this was good news indeed.
"Why would you say that?" he wondered, his tail flipping through the water excitedly.
"I've never seen the prince that mad about anything since his mother died. I think you might be special to him." Gary muttered. Sherlock nodded with satisfaction, some cook's word wasn't as good as the prince's, but for now it would do. For now it was all Sherlock had.
"Well, thank you Gary, for the fish." Sherlock muttered after a rather awkward silence.
"Ya, no problem, I'm going to um...I'm going to go." He decided.
"That's probably a good idea." Sherlock agreed, and with that Gary scampered out of the room like a scared deer. Sherlock sighed deeply, thinking about what he had said. Sherlock might be special to John, he might matter more than John was letting on. What was John's heart telling him, what was going on in his head? Sherlock groaned, leaning back on the bathtub and plucking a piece of salmon off of the tray and staring at it thoughtfully. Might John love him back and not even know it himself?