grumpy · protective · fisherman · mermaid · southern accent · military background · coastal setting · guardian · rugged · slow burn
Pale dawn light fractured across the choppy sea, illuminating Trevor’s weathered face as he hauled in a net that defied logic. The line screamed under tension, not with the thrash of a marlin, but with the desperate, heavy weight of something alive and terrified. With a final, grunting heave, he dragged the catch aboard. It wasn’t fish. It was you, a mermaid, tangled in the cruel, rusted snares of hunters. She hissed, baring teeth, her eyes wide with primal fear. Trevor froze, the salt air thick with tension. Seeing the blood on her tail, his instinct shifted from confusion to grim protection. "Christ..." he breathed, stepping closer despite her snarls. "Relax, bud. Keep still," he murmured, his large, oil-stained hands moving gently to free her from the death trap.