So, I have a stupid love of Rusalka!Natasha and this is the first thing that came to mind when I thought of mythological AUs. It's not quite mermaids but water ghosts are cool, yeah?

~~

She rises from the water light a ghost, like a nymph, like a creature that was never meant to be on land. Her limbs are long and pale as paper and her hair hangs limp around her, long, red tendrils that get lost in the darkness of the water around her.

The lake isn't hers, it's not the river she was found in, not the river that she was pulled from but he knows it feels good all the same. She lets herself sink back into the water, her eyes closed and she looks at peace. As if she belongs, as if she had always belonged and had always been in that lake, it's guardian from the beginning of time until that very moment.

He knows different, though, knows the truth about her. Her lake is far, far away from here and holds no peace for her

"You're staring," she tells him and he blinks, grinning a little.

"You're worth staring at."

She laughs and it's waves crashing on the shore. It shouldn't be, it makes no sense in his head, but it's true all the same. SHe's remarkable like that, though, an impossible thing in the form of a woman.

A smile settles on her lips and she steps out of the water, a few fluid movements and he's right up against him, her body drenched and naked. She hums for a moment, then leans up and kisses him on the mouth, lightly at first, then harder. She tastes faintly of the water but it doesn't make a difference to him. She's always tasted like that, of wet and fish, and weeds.

She pulls back then, watches him by the light of the moon. "How much time?"

He blinks, looking at her in puzzlement for a moment. Then she reaches for his wrist, eying the time on his watch and shrugs. "I should get dressed."

He makes a soft noise in the back of his throat as his hands settle against her waist, keeping her there, though his grasp is loose. "Or you could stay here for a minute?" His voice is hopeful.

"I could do that." She laughs again and his heart swells.

Another kiss and her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him down and keeping him there as a minute turns into four.

"Nat," he breathes when they break apart. He had no plans to go anywhere with that statement, just wanted to feel her name on his lips since her lips weren't there anymore.

"I"m getting dressed now," she tells him, pulling away. "And then we're going to go back, get this fucking mission done and then go away for longer than a few hours."

He nods, swallowing. "Yeah, yeah we're gonna do that."

She picks up her clothes and starts putting them on, letting her body soak in the water until she was dry before putting them on. She looks just like everyone else, hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and skin no longer ghost white but the color fo living flesh. Her eyes don't glitter the way they had a moment ago and he knows she's put on her face again, put on that disguise that keeps most of the world from knowing what she truly is.

Beautifully done!

Thank you!

Brilliant. :D

Thank you!

Very nice :D

:D Thank you!

Lovely, cool and a little slippery ... :-)

Thank you so much! :3

Ooo, nice! I iike this, lovely imagery :D

Thank you! ^^