I woke with Sebastian’s arm laying on my waist. Shocked by his closeness, I pushed at him, making him jolt awake in surprise, falling off the bed. I burst into laughter before receiving a pillow to the face followed by Sebastian laughing. I took the pillows and stretched out across the bed.

“Go make me some breakfast,” I yawned rolling over continuing to stretch.

“Fine, but just so you know, I’ll be going to work today,” he said digging around the draw. I sat up surprised.

“You’re leaving me here…alone?” I asked wide eye. Sebastian glanced over his shoulder back at me with his wonderful deep blue eyes.

“Do you have a problem with me leaving you here? “ I shook my head. “Good, don’t burn the house down.” He grinned as I giggled. I was finally going to be alone, all to myself… with privacy. I flopped back down against the squishy pillows smiling as the day could only get better.

“Am I allowed to go outside?” I asked thinking of all the things I could do.

“I’d preferred if you didn’t. But if you really have to, don’t go more than a three blocks away, ok.” I smiled and nodded and continued to hug the giant pillows as another random fish swam passed me. I instinctively clawed at it but miss once more.

Breakfast was the usual stuff. I’d really have to try making pancakes, with self-raising coral flour. Maybe I could experiment with it while Sebastian was out. I looked in the fridge to see if I would have everything I needed. “If you need to get in touch with me, send a messenger trawl. They’re the ones with the red tags, just clip a message to it and tell them where to go.”

So that’s what that little random fish was, back at Earls. I nodded and turned back to the fridge. Seem like I had everything. Sebastian left to get ready while I started taking all the ingredients I needed. I checked my book to make sure I had all the right ingredients and got out a mixing bowl. In theory it should work. But that had not always been the case with a few of my dishes.

“Ok well I’m off,” Sebastian said returning a few minutes later, heading towards the door. I swam over to him stopping him so I could fix his hair. I ran my fingers through his dark strands so that they were neatly spiked. Sebastian chuckled and I instantly drew my hand back at lightning speed. He chuckled again and kissed me on the cheek. “All better?” he asked with a cute tempt at smugness. I nodded silently surprised by my own actions. “You’re playing your part very well, now I better go and play mine,” he kissed me on the other cheek and left. The house fell silent.

I returned to the kitchen and got out my measuring cups. I loved how certain liquid thingies didn’t dissolve in the water. I’m sure there was a science to it, but I didn’t know or really care. I stirred the batter before swimming up to the air pocket where a little stove and oven sat above the water. I fried the pancakes flipping them with awesome skill onto the plate. I drizzled some sea syrup onto them with a dollop of whipped cream made by yours truly.

“Sebastian, come try my pancakes…” I called. I turned and realize I was talking to myself. I looked down at my dish and sighed. I had made way too much. I stabbed one with my fork and took a bite. It was ok, a little to rubbery for my liking, but it might have been to Sebastian’s taste. I let some of the fish fight over the remainder.

No matter, next time he would have to try it. I cleaned the dishes and stacked them neatly back on the shelves. I looked at the clock. It was only quarter past eight. I looked around to find something to do. I decided to clean the house, and started going along to each room pinching things off the floor and either cleaning it or returning it to its proper place. I had just finished the bathroom when I heard a knock at the door, probably the seven. I swam over to the door and peeped through. It wasn’t them. In fact I had no idea who it was. Sebastian had warned me about the paparazzi, who honestly hadn’t been a problem. Just one or two mulling around in search for a story. I opened the door. It was a fairly old mer, wearing a daggy blue uniform.

“Special Delivery for Mr Sebastian Vischer,” he said through his bristled moustache.

“He’s not here right now, I’d be sure to get it to him later.” I signed and took the package and placed it on the table.

I went back upstairs to the bedroom and begun picking up his clothes and made the bed. I looked in the mirror at my bright red hair flowing around me. I looked at my scales, I moved and they changed colour from purple to green depending on the light. I’d have to admit my scales were beautiful but as for the rest of me… unique yes, beautiful no. I turned away from the mirror and looked about the room, perfect.

I finished the rest of the house before flopping onto the couch. “I’m so bored,” I whined despite the lack of audience. It didn’t even feel right, lying along the length of the couch without Sebastian’s lap for my head to rest on. I didn’t know what time he would be back, or what he wanted to eat for dinner. Did he even have anything to eat for lunch? Mers’ didn’t really eat lunch. Well they did, but it wasn’t unusual if they didn’t eat. Breakfast and dinner were the main meals in the day.

I stared at the clock watching as it slowly ticked by. I started counting fish that swam past. I must have fallen asleep as I woke up and it was almost three. I swam around the house again cleaning up anything that I had missed. It was so quite an unnerving. I had thought a number of times on going out but there was no point, I had no money and was more likely to get lost and cause someone trouble.

It was strange I had been alone most of my life, but for once in my life I knew what it felt like to be lonely. I heard the door click.

“Honey I’m hom…arr,” I cut him off by tackling him to the ground hugging him. “Hey what’s up Aubrey? Is everything ok?” he asked wincing trying to sit up.

“I just missed you, that’s all,” I admitted still holding onto him. He seemed to hold me tighter nuzzling his face into my hair.

“I missed you to,” he whispered in my ear. He kissed me on the cheek as I had dug my face into his shoulder scared I was blushing. He got up still holding me and shut the door before getting to the couch. “Are you going to let go?” he asked a few minutes later.

“Do you want me to?” I asked still refusing to look at him. He had the same spicy smell which tickled my nostrils. He stroked my hair which in recent days had begun to curl, due to the water.

“What did you do today?” he asked. No don’t ask me that. I turned my head away from him.

“Nothing interesting, what about you?” I enquired wanting to hear his sweet voice.

“Hmm, I had to run some inspections on the grounds and had to make sure the little man in Accounting wasn’t nicking anything. It’s happened twice in the past three years.” I turned back to him and nodded absentmindedly. The topic didn’t interest me much but it was better than the silence. “I also had a little free time today. Remember how you wanted know what a minyorni was?”

“Is it a type of pasta,” I asked already thinking about what to make for dinner. Sebastian laughed and shook his head.

“In our culture we make a minyorni for our lover. I guess you can call it an engagement ring but we craft it ourselves.” He pulled out a tiny shiny black thing hanging off a necklace. I studied it closely.

“Is that a pearl?” I asked aloud in wonder. Sebastian nodded. I held the tiny thing in my hand. It had been carved into a weird unrecognisable shape and pattern. “Did you carve this” I asked. You could see little mistakes and slips of the hand if you looked closely. I looked back up at Sebastian who hadn’t answered. He was looking off into space with a kind of embarrassed look spread on his face.

“Yeah, it’s not very good I know. I have never been few good with arts and craft. If you don’t like it you can give it back. It’s not unusual if a girl refuses the token.” I started giggling and held the little necklace up to the light.

“I like that it’s kind of abstract and that it’s not perfect. It gives it character and a unique charm,” I smiled bringing it down to my neck. “Will you help me put it on?” I asked undoing the clasp and held it for him to take and do it up. I felt it fall against the bear skin of my neck.

“You do know what it means by accepting it. Right?” he asked with a hint of wariness. I nodded and giggled.

“It means that I can use it as a reminder of how bad you are at art,” I joked.

So now I was officially engaged to this guy. It was unavoidable, but let’s be honest, despite kidnapping me, he was wonderful. The first and only guy who every paid any attention to me and loved me for who I was. I laid back against him taking in his warmth. This is by far my most favourite time of day. “I made pancakes today,” I mumbled dozing off.

“What is a pancake?” he asked intrigued. He repositioned me and moved over so I could lie across the lounge with my head in his lap where he stroked my hair and back.

“It’s a pastry thing you eat in the morning, usually with syrup, cream, butter or jam,” I explained.

“And how did it turn out?” he asked, probably hoping it wasn’t another disaster recipe as he was going to have to eat it. I closed my eyes once more.

“Hmm, not bad actually, a little too rubbery for my liking but the fish enjoyed it.” I yawned dosing off.

I woke up an hour later to find Sebastian had also fallen asleep. I gently got up and swam over to the kitchen to make something Italian, with pasta fresh in my mind. I was just about to plate it when Sebastian woke.

“Mmm, something smells nice, one of your own?” he asked confident he was going to like this dish. I smiled and nodded. He sat down at the table. “Package?” he asked I looked over my shoulder.

“Oh yeah that came for you this morning,” I turned back to my cooking, sprinkling some cheese on top. Satisfied with it I turned back to Sebastian and set the plate down in front of him along with the cutlery. He had a newspaper in his hands and the package was open. “Any good news?” I asked knowing well that ‘good news’ never sold.

“Earl sure knows how to write it, that’s for sure,” I was unsure if he was annoyed or pleased I took the paper from him and looked at the inside cover article with a sticky tab to it with the words; ‘Tomorrows Newspaper, Enjoy. Earl.”

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Wow i'm on a role with this story :D

So now we are finally starting to see Aubrey's feelings for Sebastian. Though i wonder if her reasoning for getting engaged was wise... Like she barely knows him.

Anyway, what would you like to see happen next?