by J. Holland
"Thank you."
"Go ahead and hop in the shower. We'll get you and your clothes clean and you will feel better in no time."
Lorelei reached into the shower when it was clear Nerissa wasn't quite sure what to do and fiddled with the knobs. Once the water was warm, she showed her where to find the shampoo and body wash, then stepped out into the hall.
Reaching out her hand, Nerissa marveled at how warm the water felt against her skin. The ocean was always cold, as was the water from the drinking fountain at the library. The water in the bathroom sink was warm, but that was only for hands. She tugged off her sweaters and her camisole before toeing off her shoes and slipping out of her baggy pants. Entering the shower, she sighed. The water felt incredible sliding down her body. She was a creature of the sea and thought that she knew everything there was to know about water, but this was something else entirely. She never wanted to leave this shower. Even the pinpricks of pain against her sunburned shoulders failed to dull her pleasure. Dimly, she was aware of time passing, of Lorelei opening the door and leaving the promised clothes and a towel for her to dry off with. She took her time with the shampoo and the soap, not stopping until her skin started to wrinkle.
Nerissa finally shut the water off using the knobs she had watched Lorelei turn and stepped out of the shower. After the warmth of the water, the air chilled her skin and she reached for the fluffy towel that Lorelei had laid out on the sink. It was sea green and so soft that her fingers sank into the material. She used it to dry herself, luxuriating in the feel of the plush material against her skin. She startled when there was a knock on the door and quickly wrapped the towel around her body before Lorelei could stick her head into the steamy room. She didn't want to embarrass her hostess again.
"Are you decent?" Lorelei called with her hand up over her eyes.
"Yes?"
Lorelei laughed and removed her hand, blushing at the sight before her. The towel was just big enough to cover Nerissa to the upper thighs, and there was still quite a bit of creamy skin on display. She stopped herself from perving on her new friend with difficulty.
"I brought you some aloe for that sunburn. " Nerissa had clearly taken off her sweaters earlier than her tank top and the whole of her upper back, neck, and chest were slowly becoming more and more red.
"Do you need any help?"
"I don't... Yes?" Nerissa wasn't sure exactly what aloe was, but if it would stop the heat from building beneath her skin then she was certain that she wanted it.
"Here. Sit on the toilet."
Nerissa obediently sat on the closed lid, which was covered with something fluffy the same color as the towel around her waist. Everything here was so soft and lovely. Lorelei was holding a plastic bottle in her hand and Nerissa watched as she squeezed something clear onto her fingers before kneeling at her feet.
"This is going to feel a little cold, but it should take the sting out. Can you pull your hair to the side?" Lorelei rubbed the aloe between her fingers to warm it a bit, before reaching out to touch her trembling fingers to Nerissa's back. She took her time, careful to keep her touch light against the sunburned skin. She had never seen skin so smooth and perfect before. It was like Nerissa's skin was brand-new somehow. She had no scars or blemishes, no freckles or moles. Just what seemed like miles of creamy white and deepening pink.
"I don't think it's going to blister, but you might get some peeling."
"Peeling?" Nerissa couldn't quite keep the alarm out of her voice. When she peeled back her seal skin, there was human skin underneath. She wasn't sure what she would find beneath her human skin but she was not eager to find out.
"Don't worry," Lorelei soothed. "It doesn't hurt." She felt like she was in a trance, running her fingers up and down the silky skin. She worked her way up Nerissa's neck and around to the front of her chest, tracing her fingers lightly from shoulder to collar bone. Nerissa's clavicles were sharp and prominent, and Lorelei found herself tracing them with her fingertips.
Nerissa was trembling. She had never known her human skin to be so sensitive to touch. Her seal skin was thick and tough and whenever she shed it she was alone on the beach or with her family, none of whom had ever touched her quite like this. Everywhere Lorelei's fingers touched Nerissa's skin it erupted with goosebumps. She didn't think it was just the heat beneath her skin, the "sunburn" as Lorelei had called it. This was something new. When Lorelei shifted on her knees to apply the lotion to Nerissa's chest, she realized just how close they were to each other.
Lorelei looked up, and Nerissa watched as Lorelei's green eyes glazed over. She leaned closer and Nerissa suddenly realized what was happening.
Thrall!
She jerked her head back and the spell was broken. Lorelei blushed as red as the sunburn on Nerissa's neck and jumped to her feet.
"Sorry! Oh god. I'm so sorry. I didn't... of course, you wouldn't... Sorry!" She didn't even finish her sentence before darting out of the room and closing the door behind her.
Nerissa sighed and stood up, dropping the towel in the process. The steam had cleared from the mirror and she met her own brown eyes in the mirror. All of her mother's warnings came rushing back to her, about how easily men fell into a selkie's thrall, and the terrible things that could happen to her as a result. She hadn't known that it would work on a woman. That wasn't in the stories. She couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself for letting the magic get out of control. Lorelei must be so confused. She pulled on the clothes that Lorelei had left her, a large t-shirt and a pair of flannel pants that she had to roll at the hem. They were both impossible soft, like everything of Lorelei's so far. Taking a deep breath, Nerissa turned the knob on the bathroom door and went in search of her new friend. They needed to talk.
*~*~*
Lorelei was mortified. She stood in the middle of her living room trying to stop her face from burning. She wasn't sure what had come over her.
You are acting like a crazy person, she informed herself, in case that wasn't clear.
She couldn't believe that she had tried to kiss Nerissa. The other girl was so far out of her league they weren't even playing the same sport. She heard quiet footsteps coming down the hall and tried to steady herself.
As soon as she turned her head, however, her breath caught once more in her throat. Something about seeing Nerissa in her clothes, standing in her doorway as though she belonged there, was incredibly appealing. It also caused her to blurt out apologies once more.
"I really am so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I mean... you are my guest and you are vulnerable and alone and..."
"No, Lorelei. I'm sorry. I'm not..." she sighed. "Can I explain?"
"There's nothing to explain."
"But there is! It isn't about you. I am not exactly attracted to girls. Or to boys. I'm asexual." She hoped that Lorelei knew what that meant. Ever since she had realized how much emphasis humans placed on sexual intercourse, and how disinterested she herself was in the matter, she had done some research and come up with the term asexual. It described her perfectly, as someone who had never looked at anyone, human or selkie or seal, and felt the slightest urge to do anything sexual with them. It was another thing that made her family give her the side eye, but she couldn't help who she was attracted to. Or not attracted to, as it were.
"Oh." Lorelei blinked. She was quiet for a long beat, absorbing the revelation. "Well, I am attracted to girls. I mean, I'm a lesbian. Does that freak you out?"
"Not at all. I don't think that you are going to molest me in my sleep just because you are attracted to me. I'm not really opposed to sex either. There are some asexuals who are repulsed by the whole idea of it, but I'm not. I just don't feel attraction to anyone. And I'm not aromantic or anything," Nerissa rambled on. "Actually, I identify as panromantic. With sex off the table, I've always kind of felt like what is under a person's clothes is the least interesting thing about them."
Lorelei couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Nerissa was adorable. S
he was blushing even redder beneath the pink of her sunburn and was clearly a little uncomfortable with the topic, but that didn't stop her from stating her mind clearly. A lot of people had trouble articulating their own sexuality. Goodness knew that Lorelei herself had stumbled over her words when coming out to more than a few people, but here was Nerissa laying it all out to someone she barely even knew. Lorelei could only hope that she would be worthy of the trust Nerissa was placing in her.
"I agree, although I happen to quite like what is under girls' clothes," Lorelei joked. "If we are both done coming out of the closet, do you want to do your laundry now?"
"Please."
Lorelei grabbed her laundry basket from her bedroom while Nerissa gathered her filthy clothes from the bathroom floor. Lorelei got back with the basket and detergent just as Nerissa finished emptying her pockets. She tossed her clothes into the basket, carefully setting a small assortment of things on the counter, then sweeping them into her satchel. Lorelei made note of a crumpled five dollar bill, what looked like a shopping list, a number of small polished stones and beach glass, and an ornate skeleton key on a chain. Nerissa fished the key back out of the bag and hung it around her neck. She touched it like a talisman, then slipped it beneath her borrowed shirt.
The two of them went down to the basement of Lorelei's building, where Nerissa dumped her clothes into the open machine. She always had to wait her turn when she visited the laundromat near the library. They headed back upstairs together and had just gotten back into the apartment when a knock sounded at the door.
"Oh! I almost forgot. I ordered a pizza while you were in the shower. I hope you like anchovies."
"I love them," Nerissa smiled as Lorelei opened the door and exchanged a fistful of bills for a flat box. Nerissa had heard of pizza, of course, but she had never had any herself. Lorelei set the supreme with anchovies in the center and handed Nerissa a plate.
"Dig in!" Nerissa seemed hesitant at first, but soon Lorelei was squirming in her seat as Nerissa began making nearly obscene noises halfway through her first slice. She ate like she was starving, and Lorelei wondered again about the circumstances that had left Nerissa out on the street.
Once they demolished the whole pie, it was time to throw Nerissa's clothes in the dryer. As they waited, Lorelei got on her tablet to check the news, and Nerissa dug through her satchel, pulling out a tattered paperback. The two girls read in companionable silence until the alarm on Lorelei's phone sounded and they collected Nerissa's now clean and dry clothes from the machine.
Lorelei noticed Nerissa begin to flag on the trip back up the stairs and she realized how late it was getting. Back in her apartment, she grabbed a spare set of sheets and set them on the couch.
"You can have the bed. There are spare pillows in the closet and another blanket if you get cold."
"I can't kick you out of your bed," Nerissa fretted. "I'll take the couch."
"Please. You're my guest. I couldn't make you sleep out here."
Nerissa stuck her head into Lorelei's bedroom, taking the measure of her double bed. She looked at the bed, then at the couch, then narrowed her eyes at Lorelei. "Don't be silly. There is plenty of room for the both of us in the bed."
Lorelei would never admit it under pain of torture, but the noise she made was definitely a squeak.
"Both? Even after I tried to molest you in the bathroom?"
"You didn't molest me. You stopped as soon as I said 'no.' Besides, are you planning to do it again?"
"No! Of course not. I mean, not unless you want me too," Lorelei said, trying desperately to lighten the situation.
Nerissa winked. "Never say never."
*~*~*
It wasn't awkward. Nerissa thought maybe it should be, but she couldn't bring herself to care about human conventions when she was so comfortable. She woke to find herself wrapped around Lorelei like an octopus, even though they had started on opposite sides of the bed. Lorelei was just so warm, she couldn't help herself. As she became awake enough to register more than just warm and soft and happy, she realized Lorelei was awake too and running her fingers through her hair. Nerissa let out a hum of contentment and snuggled closer, relaxing once more with a sigh.
"Good morning," she slurred out between yawns.
Lorelei laughed and immediately stopped her stroking. "Good morning. Do you want some coffee?"
"That depends. Do I have to get out of bed for it?"
"You can stay here and go back to sleep if you want. I've got to get to work."
Nerissa finally opened her eyes and realized that it was still dark. "It's dark out. Let's just go back to sleep."
"I wish. I start early. But that means I get to leave early." She gently disentangled herself from Nerissa and rolled off the bed. "Was that a 'no' to the coffee? You don't have to get up."
Nerissa had turned over and pulled the blankets around her. When she only got a sleepy murmur in return, Lorelei smiled and headed into the kitchen. She started the coffee pot and then blearily headed for the shower. As she shampooed her hair, she couldn't resist doing a small happy dance. She hadn't slept that well in a long time, and she had a feeling it had something to do with sharing her space with Nerissa. It should have felt uncomfortable to sleep so close to a total stranger and wake up in her arms, but she had loved every minute of it. Lorelei wasn't sure that she had ever just slept with someone before in a totally platonic sense, at least not since she was a child. It had been a strangely intimate experience. She turned off the water and toweled off, now slightly more awake.
As she padded back to the kitchen, she realized that Nerissa had moved from being an indistinguishable, blanket covered lump in bed, to being an indistinguishable, blanket covered lump on the couch. She skirted around the coffee table to try to make out Nerissa's face, but she was completely ensconced in her nest.
"I thought I was going to have to pry you out of bed with a crowbar. Did you decide on coffee after all?"
"The bed got cold," was Nerissa's plaintive response, muffled by layers of fabric.
Lorelei frowned. She knew she ran hot, but her apartment didn't seem that cold.
"I'll turn up the heater for you. We'll get a cup of hot coffee into you, and you'll warm right up."
"Promises, promises," Nerissa mumbled.
Lorelei finally talked her into an upright position and even convinced Nerissa to join her at the table like a civilized human being. Nerissa insisted on keeping two blankets wrapped around her shoulders, which Lorelei was trying not to find seriously adorable. She looked like a grumpy toddler being woken from her nap.
"So, did you have anything you needed to do today?"
"Today is Sunday," Nerissa remembered. "The library is closed on Sunday." Her eyes slipped shut once more as she sipped her steaming coffee. "Sundays are for resting. I think that's in the Bible."
"Well, since you are awake and drinking coffee, do you want me to set you up with a movie so you can snuggle up on the couch and get your Biblically-mandated rest?"
Nerissa hummed into her coffee, which Lorelei supposed was all she was likely to get.
"What do you want to watch? I've got Netflix and Hulu, plus a bunch of DVDs. Come and take a look."
Nerissa stumbled over her blanket on her way across the room, but managed not to spill her coffee. She wasn't usually this tired in the mornings. She worried that it was a side effect of being human for so long, but decided it was much more likely to be because the sun wasn't even awake yet. Why should she be? She thumbed through the DVD cases, recognizing some titles from having shelved them at the library.
"See anything you like," Lorelei called from across the room, having changed into her work clothes and filled a thermos with coffee.
"I've never seen any of them."
There was silence behind her and Nerissa turned around to see Lorelei staring at her like she had just told her she ate baby animals for breakfast.
"You've never seen any Disney movies? You've never seen Star
Wars? You've never seen Lord of the Rings?" Nerissa was concerned that Lorelei was about to become hysterical.
"No? Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. This is clearly a travesty that has been committed upon you, and we are fixing it immediately. You've never seen Lord of the Rings. I can't believe it. Do you like fantasy?"
Nerissa nearly snorted. She lived fantasy.
"I like most everything. I did read The Hobbit once, a few years ago. But it made me sad, so I never read the rest of them."
"The movies are the best. I'm putting in The Fellowship of the Ring and we'll watch the others when I get back." Lorelei worked as she talked, setting up her TV and the DVD player so that it was ready to go as soon as she pushed play. She handed the controls to Nerissa and refilled her coffee before heading back toward the door.
"I'll be back in a few hours, okay? If you need anything, my number is on the fridge, and I'm only a few minutes away.
"Yes, Mother." Nerissa was already tucked back into her nest and rolled her eyes. As soon as the word left her mouth, she felt a sharp pang in her chest. She missed her mother, but for now, she was going to sit back on the comfortable couch and watch hobbits journey through Middle Earth.
*~*~*
Lorelei came home to find Nerissa sobbing uncontrollably over the fate of Boromir.
On second thought, The Lord of the Rings was probably not a good way to ease someone into movies for the first time.
While she had been at work, Lorelei's thoughts had kept drifting to Nerissa and the strange things she often said and did. She didn't know what Nerissa was running from, but someone so young and beautiful who was effectively homeless and clearly socially isolated had obviously been through something terrible. Lorelei had spent the morning thinking about cults and convents, trying to solve the puzzle currently in her living room. She wasn't sure what to make of Nerissa, but she knew that she needed help and Lorelei didn't want to let her down. She had already decided to offer Nerissa a place to stay indefinitely, but seeing her so distressed over a fictional character convinced Lorelei that she had made the right choice. She put in the first disk of The Two Towers and crawled onto the other end of the couch, throwing the bag of pastries that she had brought home for them on the low coffee table. As the movie started, Nerissa surprised her by curling up against her side, still swaddled in blankets. They settled in for a lazy Sunday afternoon and made it through both remaining films before dark.