this series was originally supposed to have three parts, but you guys like it so much that i have decided to make ANOTHER part. it'll be up tomorrow! 

/ / /

You took a bite of every single slice that had a different topping. Barley finished off the slices you weren't too excited about, and Laurel and Ian watched curiously to see which ones you liked and didn't like. The entire kitchen was full of laughter as you grimaced at the taste of mushroom and the smell of onion.

Eventually, you, Barley and Ian moved to the couch to watch movies. You watched action movies, superhero movies, comedies, and a bunch of other things that both of the boys could quote word for word. It was funny to see what they thought was entertaining, and you honestly could easily say that it was better than any show you had ever seen back home.

After that, Laurel helped you get ready for bed. She made you a bed out of the sofa and gave you a couple of towels to take to the bath. You stood outside of the bathroom while she ran water for you. 

"Ian told me you get your, uh, fin back in the water?" 

You nodded. 

"I hope I filled it with enough water for you." She adjusted her glasses and pulled her sleeves down. "Please don't be afraid to call for me if you need any help. Oh, and Barley left out some clothes for you to wear so that you could sleep in something comfortable."

"Thank you," you said. 

You stepped into the bathroom and locked the door. You took off your outfit and folded the clothes, putting them on the side of the sink. Then you turned towards the bathtub and smiled. 

Laurel had filled it with bubbles. You eagerly stepped inside and slid into the warm water. Half a second later, your legs were turned back into a fin. A rush of calmness went over you. Shutting your eyes, you were sure that you were home.

You sat in so long that your skin wrinkled before you realized that you were just wasting time that you had with Barley. You hurriedly let out the water and then lifted yourself on the side of the tub. You grabbed the towel and started to pat your fins dry. Once they were no longer wet, they dried and you were back with your legs. 

You got out of the tub and dried off the rest of your body. You shrugged on Barley's oversized t-shirt and the pair of shorts you had been given and then walked out of the bathroom, running a towel through your hair. 

Barley was coming up the stairs. "I was just about to check on you."

"Sorry," you said. You dropped the towel from your hair. "The water felt nice."

He laughed. "Don't you get enough of that?"

"I guarantee you that you'd miss the air if I put you underwater," you said.

He nodded. "Probably, because I'd drown. C'mon, I set up the game for us in the living room floor. We can play as long as you want."

For the next several hours, Barley taught you all there was to know about his favorite game. You laid on your stomach in the living room floor, your chin in your hands, smiling as he offered you all of the pieces and characters. 

"These are really cool," you said. "It's hard to believe this world used to be just like this."

"I wish it still was."

"Me, too. But it's getting there, isn't it?" You frowned. "And it isn't always a good thing. My parents have been so into keeping things traditional that I'd never even lived outside of the ocean before today."

"Yeah, that part stinks," he agreed, "but there are good parts."

"Like... what?"

"I don't know," he said, shrugging. "I really like the old ancient artifacts that are left in this town. Like the... like the... oh! Like the old fountain in front of the school. I would hate to see that get torn down. I thought we were going to get to keep it, but they're looking to remove it again."

You frowned. "The fountain you found the phoenix gem in?"

"That very one."

"Oh. I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "Eh, it's just a fountain. Nothing too special I guess. Oh, you still gotta choose what you want to be."

You scooted closer and Barley took out one of the books. He flipped through the book, and after some close thinking, you chose to be a wizard.

"You have to pick a wizard name now," he sang, moving your character for you.

"What kind of name does a wizard have?" you asked. 

"Whatever name you want." 

"Isn't my name good enough?"

He shook his head. "No, it has to be something... be something dramatic. Something to make people remember you!" 

"You pick it out for me, then! I don't know what to pick."

"Come on! Be creative!"

You laughed. "I can't!" 

"Can you two keep it down?" Ian hissed down the stairs. "It's one in the morning!"

You nodded and looked back to Barley, who apologized softly. "Oops," you breathed. You got up and sat on your knees. 

"I guess it is getting pretty late," he said. "You're probably tired." 

"Yeah." You stood up and so did Barley. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's okay! We have tomorrow." He stepped around the game awkwardly, careful not to crush his props or his cards. He stopped right in front of you. "We'll leave the game here so we can finish, and..."

You wrapped your arms around his middle and leaned in close. You laid your head against him and sighed, content. He embraced you back, his chin on the top of your head. 

"I don't want to today to end," you said. You thought for a moment, then moved to look up at him. "I don't want any of this to end."

"Me either," he said. "You like it here?"

"I love it here," you told him. "I love being here with you."

He grinned. "It'd be great if you stayed."

"Yeah," you agreed, grinning right back. "It really would be great, huh?"

You hugged him again, for a long, long minute. 

/ / 

The next day, you woke up to the smell of breakfast and some noise coming from the kitchen. You stood up and rubbed your eyes before stretching our your arms, then your legs, and getting up off of the couch. Your feet shuffled across the floor as you turned towards the kitchen. 

"Oh, good morning," Laurel said, tying an apron around the back of her neck. "It's so strange to see someone up this early on a weekend."

"What are you doing?" you asked, looking around. 

"I figured I'd make a good breakfast since you're here," she said. "Eggs, bacon, pancakes... we will have it all."

You smiled. "Can I help?"

"You are the sweetest," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Barley should consider himself lucky to have you. Come on over, I'll teach you how to start the pancakes. You haven't had pancakes before, have you?"

"No, ma'am, I haven't," you replied. 

After she taught you how to make pancakes, she sent you to set the table. She handed you a stack of plates and pile of forks and knives and you walked to the table to set it. You paused, seeing a bouquet of colorful flowers on the table. 

"Oh, these are so pretty," you gushed. 

"Hm? What are?" She glanced over her shoulder. "Oh! Barley went out early this morning and got you those. That's why he is still asleep."

You turned. "He got me these? Why?"

"It's a gift," she said. "Just because."

"People give gifts just because here?"

"Typically when you care about someone," she explained, waving her spatula as she spoke, "you get them anything from chocolates to stuffed animals to flowers."

You looked at them, your heart expanding in your chest. "What else do they get?" 

"Like what?" 

"Like fountains?"

/ /

It was after breakfast, and you and Barley were playing the game on the living room floor again. It was an hour into the new game when there was a knock at the door. Barley started to get up, calling out, "I'll get it!"

"Oh, no, no, no!" you said quickly. You stood up and ran to the door. "It's probably for me!"

Barley froze, tilting his head to the side. "For you?"

You pulled the door open and peeked through the crack. It was a man with a clipboard in his hands, a piece of paper on top. "Ma'am did you order the, uh..."

"Yes, I did," you said quickly. 

He handed the clipboard over. "Sign."

You did, and you handed it back. He waved and told you to take care.

Barley was confused. He pulled the door open all of the way. "What are you doing?" 

"I got you a present," you said. You took his hand. "You know how you got me flowers? Well..."

You dragged him outside and pulled him towards the fountain, which was sitting on the front lawn. He looked from you to it and his jaw dropped. 

"Holy tooth of Zadar," he gasped. "This is --- this is unreal! I mean... how did you? Whoa... how did you---"

"I sold the jewelry that I had," you said, waving your hand dismissively. "Who needs a pearl bracelet? Those things are all over the sea floor." You bit down on your lip and turned to him, wringing your hands together. "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" he whispered. He blinked tears from his eyes and pushed his beanie and hair out of his face. "This is... this is the best thing anyone has ever gotten me. Ever. And you... you did this for me?"

You nodded. 

"Why?" He shook his head. He couldn't understand it.

"I did it because... because I love you," you said. 

He looked at you as his eyes slowly grew wide. "You what?"

"I love you," you said.

His face softened and his head tilted to the side. "Aw, babe." He grabbed you gently by your shoulders and pulled you close. "I love you, too." 

"You do?" you asked. 

"Of course I do." His voice was just a whisper as he pulled you close and leaned his cheek against the top of your head. 

/ / 

You stood in front of the mirror, using your hands to fluff out your hair that fell wildly around your shoulders. You pulled down on the front of your dress, adjusting the blue skirt. You turned your head and admired the way you looked in it. Never in a million years did you dream that wearing a dress would be this fun.

"Babe, are you ready? It's getting dark." Barley was knocking on the bathroom door.

"Just a minute," you said, and you gave your hair one last run through with the brush.

You opened the door and stepped out. Barley smiled at you as you did a slight spin.

"Aw, babe, you look great," he said. 

"Yeah?" you asked, tucking your hair back behind your ears. "Thank you."

He reached out and took your hands from your face. He pulled them close to him and sighed out, "I have the prettiest, most amazing girlfriend in the world." You laughed, and he continued with, "It's true! She's a mermaid, for one, and two, she's super gorgeous..."

"Stop," you said, laughing. 

"Okay." He laughed. "What did you want to do?"

"Everything," you answered, your eyes glittering. "I want to go everywhere."

"Everywhere? Well, then we had better be going, my dear." He offered you his arm. "May I?"

You smiled and hooked your arm with his. 

Sitting in Guinevere II, you enjoyed the feeling of the wind blowing against your face as he drove fast through the neighborhoods. You weren't sure what he had planned, but you soon discovered that it consisted of dinner, a movie, ice cream, and then a long, long walk to see where he had grown up. 

"And this is where my dad took me to get my very Quests of Yore game," he said, stopping in front of the store. "I have a lot of good memories about this place and him."

"I like hearing about them," you told him. "About those memories with your dad."

"I'm glad." He put his arm around you. "Come on."

As he walked, you looked up at the sky. It was cloudy, but it was dark, and the moonlight made the clouds a deep navy. You sighed as you looked at them, a sadness setting in your heart as you looked up at them. Although they were beautiful, they were a grim reminder.

"Babe, what's wrong?" 

"This time tomorrow, I'll be looking at this view from the water," you said.

Barley swallowed hard. "Oh. Well... you know, you don't --- you don't have to leave."

"I wish," you said.

"No, really," he said, grabbing your hand to stop you. "You don't have to. Ian can extend the spell."

"So I can what, live off of your mom and stepdad? Sleep on your couch?" You shook your head. "Barley---"

"No, no, I know," he said, holding up his free hand. "But I can help you get a place. An apartment nearby! And you can move in there, 'til I graduate college in a few years and move out. I'll save up for a better place for you. For us. Or hey, we can skip all that and just get married!"

"Get married?" you questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on! It'd be great."

You shook your head. "Barley, other than today, we'd never been on a date before. I'd met you three times, I'd been talking to you for only a few months! We can't just get married."

"Sure we can," he said. 

You shook your head again. "No, we can't." 

You tried to pull your hand away, but he grabbed it. "I love you," he said. "I love you enough to marry you right now."

"That's crazy," you said, shaking your head. "And we can't get married. I-I have a family that I love back home. They let me have a weekend, not an entire lifetime. And I don't want to just drop them, anyway."

"Okay, I know the marriage thing is a little fast, I get it. I say things without thinking!" He sighed. "But you'd always wanted to be able to walk on land and live here. Now you can."

You shook your head, swallowing hard. "No, Barley. I like being a mermaid. I like who I am. I only did this to meet you. But I didn't... I didn't know..." You pulled your hand away slowly.

"So what, you're just going to leave tomorrow?"

"Barley, I don't have a choice!" you said. 

"I love you! I can't lose you." His voice broke. "I mean, come on. You're... you're my dream girl. This is supposed to be our fairytale."

You shook your head slowly, wrapping your arms around yourself. "Barley, this isn't a fairytale. This is real life."

He blinked, hurt and surprised. He looked away and turned his head. "If this isn't a fairytale, then why did you even waste your time and come?"

As his words set in, your heart shattered. Your world fell apart. Reality really set in. Reality that even the man you loved most could hurt you.

Before he even opened his eyes, you ran away.