The deck tipped as Blaine scrambled up the stairs with his satchel. Sirens! Of all the things to run into on his journey to the Americas. In the middle of a huge lightning storm, too. A wave of water flooded the deck, knocking sailors aside as more were snatched up by the shrieking sirens ripping the ship to pieces. So far theyd left him alone, but he wasnt sure why. Their own captain had steered them right towards the rock island. Then the storm had swirled up around them, and now the ship was drifting away in a thousand different chunks of wood and flesh and cloth.

"Blaine, get to the boat! Go!"

The first-mate, Thomas, shoved him down as the ship rocked and more water crushed over the sides. Another shriek echoed overhead and then Thomas was gone.

Blaine slipped as the foremast splintered and toppled into the water. Hed have to run for it as best he could. If he could get the boat in the water, get away from the rock island and the storm and sirens, hed be okay. He dove over the crushed barrels and flung himself over the side into the little escape boat. It was half full of water already, but Blaine released the pulley as more shrieks and screams reached his ears. It was good enough to get away. He could empty the water out later.

The boat hit the sea and nearly unseated Blaine. He struggled with the oars and finally got them working. It was slow going, but the wreck grew quieter as he bobbed over the tide into the dark. Blaine paused, panting and gasping about eighty yards away. The boat rocked and hopped over the huge waves, but it more than the ship now. It was broken in half, the middle dipping down into the sea.

They were all gone, werent they? He was out here all alone with no way to reach his parents in America or his brother back in Spain.

A shriek blasted high over his head and then something thundered straight down towards him. Blaine had one glimpse of the siren – a thick, slimy lower body that melted into molted skin, a thin, spiny fin on its head, eyes that glowed like the lightning crackling around them, and two scaly dark wings – before he dove into the water. His boat splintered and cracked as the siren slammed through it and into the water after him. Blaine swam hard, lightning crackling through the water around him.

He couldnt stay down here forever. Hed drown or get eaten like the rest. Water bubbled around him, suddenly hot and sizzling. It was right behind him, right at his ankles, one strong, slimy hand–

Just as hed turned to look at the siren, to face his death, someone had taken his hand and pulled him down. He was moving so fast he couldnt see. Whoever had him was tugging him along faster than any boat could move. They were surging away from the siren, through many miles of water in seconds, but Blaine had been under too long. His vision was blurring, his throat was tight and his chest ached like his hungry stomach had been displaced.

The hand on his tightened, and Blaine thought they were going upwards. But his consciousness was fading. This was how he was going to die. Underwater without air–

His head broke the surface and someone dragged him onto something solid and damp. Blaine gasped and swallowed a mouthful of air. He heaved in a few more, and rolled onto his side, spitting sea water onto the plank of debris on the beach.

Whoever had saved him, made a huge splash behind him. Blaine turned just in time to see what looked like a fish boy sliding into the water before he passed out.

Warm sunlight roused Blaine hours later. Water was lapping at his boots and his head had a huge lump on the side. He sat up gingerly and winced. He was on a beach, surrounded by broken wood, flags half-buried in the sand, and even a steering mast.

Somehow, he was alive. Blaine brushed some of the sand off himself and stared out at the water. Nothing in sight. No land, no ships, nothing. How had he even gotten to this island? There had been the sirens, then the storm, and hed almost gotten away until one had followed him. Then hed swam until–

The boy. The fish boy. Had that been real? Why would one of those sirens save him?

The something rattle not far to his left.

"Hello?"

There was another rattle, and then the noise stopped. Like someone didnt want him to know they were there. Blaine climbed to his feet and hobbled over the planks and boards towards a little hollow between several huge rocks. He paused as his feet hit the slimy rocks at the bottom. The boy was there, his head and torso resting on the sand at the shore. His lower body was under a pile of wood washing up on the shore around him.

"You saved me," Blaine said as he took a step forward. The boy stared over at him and Blaine tried not to stare back too much. His skin was mostly pale, but there were streaks on his arms, his neck, and jaw that were a deep cerulean and scaly. The parts that looked human were dry and pealing. "Here, let me–"

"Dont," the boy rasped. He shifted under the heavy pile and struggled to pull himself free.

"Youre trapped," Blaine told him. "Let me help you back into the water."

"You saw–"

"Its hard to forget anything about last night." Blaine squatted down beside him and looked over the pile. If he could find something to prop it up with, then this boy-fish-person could wiggle out from under it. "Hold on."

Blaine grabbed part of a broken mast and carried it over, edged one end under and started to push. Slowly, the pile tilted up and back towards the water. Inch by inch it went and finally the boy pulled free, but the sight of his lower body made Blaine lose his grip. The pile splattered back down.

"Y- youre a siren?" Blaine hurried backwards as the boy pressed his hands into the sand and started pulling himself towards the water. Hed been saved by a siren. The very things that had been trying to kill him. But where was this boys head fin or his lightning eyes? As Blaine watched the boy struggle to pull himself along their eyes met. Beautiful blue not blinding yellow-white. "Here, Ill give you a push."

"No, dont–"

But Blaines hand was already there. His fingers brushed Kurts back and a thrill shot up his spine. He pushed through it, and finally the boy was back in the water, his pealing skin slipping off into the water and leaving smooth, lighter patches behind.

"Better?"

The boy leaned back and sighed happily. "Wonderful. Thank you."

"Just returning the favor," Blaine said. He smiled uncertainly as his fingers and toes tingled. Something about touching this boy had set his skin on fire. "Do, um, where am I exactly?"

"Half a sun from home," the boy said as he waded out further. "My home," he clarified before Blaine could ask. "Im Kurt."

"Blaine," he said. "You arent a siren, are you?"

Kurt laughed brightly and shook his head. Drops of water sprayed Blaines face. "No way. Im a merman. Well, I will be soon. Im a merboy still according to my tribe."

"Oh," Blaine mumbled. "So youre like, half-human, half-fish or something? Are there a lot of you?"

"Yeah, were all over the oceans," Kurt explained. He draped his arms over a flat rock and stared up at Blaine. "My mother was human like you once. She met my dad when she was trying to cross the ocean. Her ship got snatched up by the sirens and they connected, so she became one of us."

Blaine nodded and tried to keep up. It was such a weird thing to think about. He tugged his boots off and dipped his toes in the water. "I was going to join my parents in America, but now…"

Kurt frowned up at him and reached for his hand. Another thrill surged through Blaine at the touch. Nothing had ever felt like this before.

"Your scales are beautiful," Blaine remarked as Kurts fingers traced over his veins. "Ive never seen a blue like that."

"Theyre like my mothers," Kurt said. "Hers were this color." Kurt pointed to the deep cerulean, and then the pale green. "Dads are like these."

"Were?"

"She died about eight seasons ago," Kurt said quietly. "We buried her on an island south of this one. I think its the one where her and Dad met."

Blaine was quiet for a while after that. Kurt kept a hold on his hand as the sun rose higher and the tide ebbed in. He was just getting ready to ask what he should do now, when a dozen heads popped out of the water.

"Unhand him, human!"

A trident was suddenly against his throat and Kurt was snatched away. Blaine back-pedaled and tumbled onto his butt. More merpeople were popping out of the water, spears and tridents aimed at him. There scales were in every color Blaine knew and ones he didnt have names for. If they hadnt been about to kill him, he would have thought them beautiful. The one with the weapon to his throat was a solidly built man, his bald head shining brightly under the sun and his scaly stripes gleaming a pale green.

"S- sir, I– I was just helping your son–"

"You should have perished with the rest," the man thundered. "All men die when they cross near our waters. Nobody escapes sirens. Explain yourself."

"I- I- I–"

"Dad, please." Kurt swam forward, yanking himself away from the other merpeople. "I saved him. He was almost away if that horrid one with the head fin hadnt followed him. Please, dont harm him. He saved my life, too."

"He– what?"

The trident at Blaines throat dropped a few inches. He nodded along with Kurts story of the night before and the last hour until the whole group lowered their weapons. Kurt swam back to the edge and reached for Blaines hand. He offered it willingly. The merpeople murmured excitedly.

"Youve chosen," Kurts father said in surprise. He looked Blaine over sharply until Blaine had to drop his gaze.

"Yes, I– Blaine, come with us."

"W- what?"

Blaine stared at him in surprise. Hed drown if he went with them. Hed almost drown last night when Kurt had been saving him. If he went hed never make it. But if he stayed here… He looked back at the bare island, covered in ship debris and sand. There was nothing here; no trees or animals or anything he could live off of.

"Please," Kurt said quietly. His fingers brushed Blaines cheek. "I promise youll be safe."

"How?"

Kurts hand tightened around his and lead him into the water. Up to his ankles, his knees, his waist. Blaine shivered at the cool water until Kurt pulled him close and held him tight against his chest.

"Just breathe, okay," Kurt whispered in his ear. "I promise youre safe."

Then they were drifting out and under. Kurts eyes held his as they sunk under the surface and as they did the deep cerulean along his arms and neck and jaw began to glow. He leaned in and pressed his lips to either side of Blaines jaw, his forehead, his nose tip, and then his lips. A prickling warmth ran through Blaine, starting at his lips and surging down his torso, arms, legs. But when he opened his eyes his legs and feet were disappearing. A beautiful deep red tail was forming from his waist down. His pants side off and down to the sea floor as they surfaced.

"Im a– but–"

"Shh," Kurt murmured. He pecked Blaine of the cheek and eased Blaines jacket and shirt off his shoulders. Deep red and purple scales were started to form along his arms. "Come on. Ill show you where home is."

Blaine looked his arms and tail over, felt his jaw and neck, and then let Kurt take him by the hand once more. They floated out from the island, out to sea, and together they dived under the surface for home.