There's a peace, but also an unreality to swimming in the ocean. Swim far enough and you're surrounded by nothing but the blue of water and sky - a place that is worlds apart from land, buildings and people. Yet it's not really another world in itself, merely a transition. It really isn't that surprising to see a head emerge just a few feet away. The blueness of his skin and beard, and the sweeping points of his ears are, likewise, not that startling. They are all a part of this place.

His eyes are dark as the deep ocean - doors to yet another world. I know, because I've seen that world too. After I fist saw him (and he me) the water churned with a splash of flukes. I craned my neck, treading water to find him. I felt the ripples of his emergence behind me. I turned quickly! His face was a hand's width from mine. Fingers caressed the curve of my hip, smooth and with the coolness of water on a scorching day. I brought my hand to his and felt webbing between his fingers.

He took my waist in both hands and my kicking slowed as he buoyed my weight. My own hands swept from his arms to his shoulders. I did resist as he pulled me to him (and pulled me between worlds). He brought his lips to mine and I tasted sea and salt (and something else). I closed my eyes and felt his arms wrap around me. Sound went away. He felt warmer. His lower body moved back and forth between my legs as his tail pushed powerfully at the water beyond my feet. His tongue was slippery on mine. His breath poured air into my lungs.

The light around us dimmed. I opened my eyes to find our embrace surrounded by a deepening blue. He was diving deep, taking me with him. I tried to pull away, to break our kiss, but one strong hand moved gently, cradling my neck, holding our lips together. I nearly paniced as the light faded and the pressure of water pushed against me. He breathed into my mouth once more. He gave me air. I stopped pushing at his chest and instead I clung to him. I tightly wrapped my arms and legs around him so that his lips could not leave mine. We headed still deeper. His body pumped powerfully beneath mine.

He moved his hands from my neck and hip, along my outer thighs, then to my rear end. My legs split whereas his tail did not. Two different worlds. But there is a transition between. Webbed fingers slid between my bathing suit and skin. He moved the fabric aside until the junction of my legs touched the smoothness of his body. There, then, an opening, a slit like mine, lips like mine, met and kissed.

But they were not like mine.

A smooth hardness emerged, extending out of him and into me. I felt the heat of him. Though his skin was cool as the ocean, inside himself (and inside me) he was hot with life - life that filled me as we descended from blue to black. I clung to him, pressing myself against him, for life and for more than that. I would have screamed, but I would not (could not) break our kiss. I feared the breaking of a spell. I feared I would drown. But I did moan into him. I raked his back with my nails as his flukes propelled us through the water, and propelled him in and out of me.

I don't know how long we were together - ever deeper in the water, ever deeper in me. I remember seeing lights. Figures swimming and coming closer as the dark water invaded my senses. I flowed around him and he churned into me. I squeezed him with arms, legs and insides. The ocean flowed around me and into me. I couldn't help it - I broke our kiss to scream my passion. Bubbles rose from me. Bubbles were everywhere and a much darker blackness crushed me from all sides...

I came to on the beach - a small crowd of concerned faces clustering around me. I coughed up a mouthful of water, tasting salt and something else. One hand moved to my brow, the other to my belly. Inside, the sea flowed.