Everything To Me - Orm Marius/Ocean Master

Chapter Six - Teach Me How to Flirt

With that, the Currys hit the bar - bringing  Orm along. No way were they leaving him at the lighthouse unattended. After all, as Aurelia said, he was her prisoner.

Orm had left his hair down, despite how it obviously annoyed him - despite his best efforts, he said it wouldn't tie back properly not being under water. He had also borrowed some of Arthur's clothes - neither man was too happy about that.

"I'll head out tomorrow morning," Aurelia told her father.

Tom nodded, though didn't look too happy about this, understandably. "You could rent a boat."

"That's not a bad idea actually."

"So, you and my cousin, huh?" Arthur went and plopped himself on the bar stool next to Orm while Tom and Aurelia discussed her situation.  Orm just raised his eyebrows in questioning.  Arthur chuckled.  "Ah, come on, Man. I can tell you like her."

"We're betrothed - or at least we were."

"That sounds intense.  But you don't like her just cause of that. Yeah, it's that obvious. You told her?"

"No, we were too busy trying to kill each other."

"Fair point. It sounds like you've got a lot going on, but you've gotta ask yourself what do you want when all this is over? Maybe you want similar things."

"She hates me. I can't just walk up to her and tell her how I feel."

"Sure you can. But first, have you tried a more subtle approach?" Another eyebrow raise in response.  "Like flirting?" The blank response in the prince's almost too-blue eyes told Arthur everything. "Pretty new to this, huh? No biggie, I'll be your wingman."

Truth be told, Orm didn't understand a word the human was saying.

"Oh come on, you've gotta have this stuff 'under the sea'. Here, allow me to demonstrate - watch and learn." He waved at the young woman who was working behind the bar.

She gave him a knowing smile as she came over. "Back again, Arthur?"

"Just can't stay away." He flashed her a grin.

"The beer's that good, huh?"

"Yeah, and the service."

The woman chuckled. "I'll get you another round."

"Thanks." Still smiling, Arthur turned back to Orm, who looked very confused by what had just happened. "See, easy."

The woman came back with two overflowing glasses of amber liquid. "Enjoy boys."

"Thanks, we will." Arthur winked at the girl. "See, piece of cake. And you don't even have to say anything. Just look at her, smile, maybe brush some hair out of her face if you're feeling bold. Say nice things." Arthur clapped the prince on the shoulder before leaving him alone with his beer.

Orm closely examined the liquid, sniffed it, dipped his finger into the foam on top and tasted it. Deciding it was alright to continue, he took a sip - instantly spitting it back out and spluttering.

Meanwhile, at the Curry booth, Aurelia and Tom were still discussing her plans. "He's coming with me to Sicily," she told her father, speaking of Orm. "I'm not leaving him here with you. I'm not thrilled about it, but at least this way I can keep an eye on the guy."

"Hey, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Italy one of the most romantic places in the world?" said Arthur, rejoining them.

"I hate you."

He chuckled and nudged her good-heartedly.  "Hey Couz, Blondie wants to see you."

"Oh goody." Looking over, she found Orm heaving with coughs. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing. Got him a beer."

She rolled her eyes but got up and went over to the counter where Orm sat, bringing her beer with her.

"What are you up to?"  Tom asked his nephew once his daughter was gone.

"Nothing," Arthur said in mock-innocence, sipping his beer.

"Hey, you okay? Arthur didn't try and poison you, did he?" Aurelia asked, sliding onto the stool beside the still-coughing Orm.

"I'm thinking he may have." He noticed her staring. "What?"

"I'm just not used to seeing you with your hair down like that. Hey, you know who you look like? Raoul from Phantom of the Opera-" She was cut off when Orm reached up a hand, brushing aside the fringes of her hair that were dangling before her eyes. "Uh... what are you doing?"

"I'm flirting." His tone was proud and he gave an equally proud smile. 

She could hear Arthur and Tom laughing behind them, it only stopping when she sent them a death glare. Oh, wonderful.

"You know I wouldn't listen to my cousin's romance advice. He's not exactly a pro." She rolled her eyes as she watched Arthur now flirting with the bartender yet again.

"Is she not his betrothed?" Now Orm sounded confused. "He spoke like she was. They acted like they were together."

Aurelia snorted. "Naw, he's just flirting for fun, for attention. You'd think he'd ask her out by now."

"Ask her out?"

"Yeah, you know, like on a date?" Now he looked deeply confused; she'd only confused him more. "You don't do that down in Sea World? Okay, well it's when two people who like each other romantically go out and spend time together doing something fun."

"Oh." He considered this. "That sounds... Nice..."

"Yeah. They usually do it at the start, then things either continue and they become a couple, maybe get married, maybe have a family, or not. And they try with someone else."

"Hmm, strange. Betrothal sounds much easier."

"Yeah, but what if you're betrothed to an-" She decided to reconsider her word choice. "-To someone you don't like? Are you really going to go through with it and spend the rest of your life with them?"

"It's duty."

"Okay, yeah, but still... Doesn't sound like a very happy life."

"And this 'dating' - what if you keep doing it and never find the right person?"

"Well, I guess that's a risk you have to be willing to take. It's hard, and it hurts sometimes, it can be discouraging, but you just have to believe that the right person will come along eventually, you just have to keep looking."

"And do you believe that?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes more than others. I haven't had a lot of luck myself, but look at my parents - they met cause my mom washed up on the shore and Dad helped her. So it can happen any time, any place. Just like that." She gulped down the rest of her beer. "A little pro tip: usually you don't tell the person you're flirting with that you're flirting with them.  It just comes across naturally." She winked and then nodded to his untouched beer glass. "You gonna finish that?" He shook his head. She grabbed it and knocked it back, finishing it in one swig. "Ha!" She pounded the glass back onto the counter. "Did you see that, Dad?! Whoo!"

(Couldn't help but add the Phantom reference ;) I haven't seen it, but I've seen pictures of Patrick from it and it's a good look! ;))

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))