Romance with the Cursed Siren

CHAPTER 5. First Kiss

"So, tell me, how did you get in here?" Crystal asked as she continued to examine his huge boat and now, she is sitting on the flybridge.

"The waves brought me here." He shortly said, smiling.

"The waves," Crystal repeated in an almost whispering voice and nodded. She stood up from the leather-covered couch and went down to the platform behind. Gabriel followed.

"Do you know that I am an excellent swimmer?" She suddenly uttered as she sat down and dipped her both feet in the water.

"Of course!" Gabriel cried as he chuckled and followed her position.

"I saw how you vanished quickly earlier when you came to see me, so I bet you really are. After all, you live in a place surrounded by the ocean." He added, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, you're right," Crystal mumbled, looking down while kicking her feet gently in the water.

"Why do you sound so sad? Are you?" Gabriel noticed, looking down at her.

"No, I'm not. I'm actually glad to talk to you. Do you know that you are the first person that I have spoken this way?" Crystal told Gabriel.

"And obviously, aside from my parents." She added.

"Don't you have friends to visit you here or someone?" Gabriel inquired.

"Friends? You mean someone to talk to, like this? You mean like you? My friend?" Crystal confusingly inquired, pointing her finger back and forth between them while Gabriel laughed softly at her action.

"Yes, like us, friends." He said, amazed by her innocent.

"Oh, I told you, you are the first. You are my only friend then." She responded when suddenly her aquatic ability sensed a trapped fish. She abruptly stands up and looks around. Gabriel was confused by her sudden action.

"Where is it?" She asked, turning around above the platform.

"What is it, Crystal?" Gabriel asked, as panic also rose in him.

"The fish! Did you catch a fish? Where did you hide it?" Crystal hysterically asked the handsome man who got stunned by her behavior.

"It's inside the cooler." He casually said.

"What cooler? Where is it?" Crystal rapidly asked, clutching his shirt and pulling him down to look at his face clearer like she was searching for the answer on there. She made Gabriel swallow again as he kept on resisting himself to lay the beautiful lady down on his soft mattress.

'Fvck it!' He cursed.

"Crystal, at the b-blue behind you." He managed to say while stammering.

Crystal released him and turned to see a blue box that she thought must be the cooler he is talking about. She quickly took off the lid and frowned as she witnessed how the two big fish compressed tightly at the small storage.

Gabriel is just behind watching, as the lovely island lady carries the storage and throws the fish back to the sea.

"Why did you do that!?" Crystal asked, annoyingly with a scowling face.

"Did what? I guess I should be the one who is supposed to ask you that, right? Why did you throw my fish back to the water? Don't you know that it was so hard to do fishing?" Gabriel argues and complains but he still can't help to smile at the innocent mad face of Crystal.

'She looks like a baby, who is having a tantrum.' He thought playfully as he can't resist chuckling at her.

"What's so funny!?" Crystal asked with irritation, thinking that Gabriel is not taking her seriously.

"Nothing, you are just a very interesting lady." He said as he grinned widely.

Crystal hitched a breath and looked down as she felt embarrassed in front of Gabriel. While the latter can't stop himself, he moved his hand and brought it to her chin and raised it to look up at him in the eyes.

"Yes, you are an amazingly interesting and beautiful lady, Crystal." And slowly, he starts to bend down and almost touches her lips with him but the lady quickly jerks her head, avoiding it to happen as she steps backward.

"Don't look at me in the eyes like that," she told him shyly.

"But why? They are beautiful, I can't help but stare at them." Gabriel whispered in her deep husky voice.

Crystal blew some air to release the heat she suddenly had, together with the weird things she felt inside her body.

"You are making me feel uncomfortable, Gabe." She whispered and suddenly dived into the water.

Gabriel smiled and started taking off his shirt and shoes, leaving his basic cotton shorts, and followed Crystal as he also jumped into the water.

After a few distances, Crystal raised half of her body above the water and joined her hands together before she closed her eyes and tilted her head up to the sky. Gabriel swims closer in her direction but the lady signals him to stop getting near her. Gabriel obeyed and halted, watching the goddess in front of him, murmuring something in silence. Even the brightness of the moon did reflect on her wet smooth skin that made it sparkle just like how the sunlight does.

He watches her until she's done.

"What was that?" He inquired.

"I prayed and asked forgiveness from the Spirits." She said, still looking above the shiny quarter moon.

"Spirits?" He was confused.

"Yes, I asked forgiveness from the Ocean and Moon Spirits because of what my friend did to the fish, I just don't want you to get punished by them." She let out and turned to face him.

But her eyes widened in surprise and abruptly covered her face with her both hands, especially her eyes to avoid the forbidden sight.

"Are you out of your mind!?" She hissed and quickly swam to the shore to get away from the desirable man.

"Wait! What?" Gabriel asked and confused following her to the sand.

Crystal reaches the sand and squeezes the hem of her dress to lessen the water that's absorbed.

"Hey! What's the problem?" Gabriel asked following her from behind but stopped again. He just can't deny Crystal's beautiful figure when her wet dress hugged her body.

'What more in daylight?' He thought, gawking at her from behind.

'How come that a wonderful goddess just hides on this island? I'm sure Axel will envy me once he knows about her, so innocent and just, everything.' He unbelievably added when suddenly Crystal hissed,

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself!? Could you please wear some clothes!?" still facing her back at him to keep her sight away from him.

"Oh! Okay, I'm sorry." Gabriel apologized, crossing his arms, trying to cover his bare body even though he knew that it was useless. He rapidly ran back to his yacht to get his shirt and dry towel for the lady.

With quick movements, he picked up his shirt and went inside the cabin to get the towel, and ran again back where he left Crystal while putting on his shirt. He blew a heavy breath when he got the sight of her sitting on the sand facing the sea and smiled.

"I thought you left me already." He said while panting and putting the soft towel around her shoulder making sure that his hands will behave and do not touch even a tiny part of her skin. He just doesn't want her to get hysterical again like earlier.

Crystal was startled but felt comfortable after seeing Gabriel wore his shirt already.

"Thank you." She mumbled.

Gabriel sat near her but just enough to avoid Crystal getting uneasy again, he's afraid that he will not get a chance like this again with the beautiful lady.

"I'm sorry about earlier, it wasn't my intention to scare you, I was just used to doing that and it's the first time that someone actually doesn't want me to see naked." He tried to explain but it's Crystal again confused about what he meant by that and just gawk at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"I mean, you know, in the city, it's a kind of a natural way of getting in the pool or sea to swim."

"Seriously? That's unbelievable." She mumbled.

"How old are you by the way?" Gabriel suddenly asked to divert the topic, besides, and he's just curious.

"I'm turning eighteen, a day after tomorrow." She announced with a sweet smile.

"Is that true?"

"Why would I lie?" She said.

"Do you have any plans for your coming birthday?" Gabriel inquired.

"We are going to my grandfather in Creekwood City." She announced, playing the sand with her hand,

"Really? That's where I live! I can't believe your grandfather is out there while you guys are staying here. What sickness do you have exactly?" He inquired but Crystal just curled up her body and bent her head on her knees.

"It's hard to explain, Gabe." She said, and stood up on her feet and pulled the towel off her body then handed it back to Gabriel.

"You're leaving now?" Gabriel asked as they both shook off the sand from their bodies.

"Yes, I left the house while my parents were sleeping. My father might wake up and if he notices that I'm missing, that would be bad news and worse if he learns that I came to you tonight, so don't mention it, okay?" Crystal said, smiling.

"Of course, this would be our secret! But, are you still going back to see me again tomorrow?" He asked.

"Sure! That is, if you're still here." She said and gave him a sweet smile.

"I'll wait for you." He responded, while Crystal already turned and walked away.

Suddenly, Gabriel ran to her.

"Crystal! Wait!" He yelled and Crystal stopped.

"Here, take this as my birthday gift to you." Gabriel took a gold bangle bracelet from his wrist and grabbed her hand to put it in when a sudden electrifying sensation traveled through their system.

Crystal quickly pulled her hand off from him and the bracelet fell on the sand.

"I'm sorry." She apologized with her sudden reaction. Gabriel bent down and pick up the bracelet,

"It's okay, I just want to give you this. This bracelet came from my grandmother and I just thought to give you something as a remembrance and symbol of our friendship, please." Gabriel begged.

"Are you sure?" She asked, looking up at him as Gabriel nodded.

"Okay," she smiled and received the gift.

"Thank you." She added, stepping closer to him and tiptoed to reach him for a kiss on the cheek before running away from Gabriel who left dumbfounded with her gesture and smiled touching his face where she kissed.