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Alberto rose from the shallow depths not unlike a Loch Ness Monster, a creature that Luca had read about in Guilia’s books, and must have made a strange sight for Guilia. For Luca, this was simply the form that he had met Alberto in, but Guilia jerked backwards as he emerged from the sea foam.
“Help! Don’t hurt us!” She jumped back instinctively, half-hiding herself behind Luca.
Alberto, skin now mirroring the dark clouds above them, forcefully exhaled. “See! I knew this would happen!” Hurt was painted across his face as he stared distrustingly at Guilia, cowering behind Luca.
And Luca… and Luca felt his heart sink.
If this was Guilia’s reaction, how would strangers react? If Guilia’s - their friend, who had picked up two strangers off the streets and unwittingly been the one to teach them about humanity - first instinct was to cower and hide at the sight of their true forms, how would her classmates react? How could he go to school and learn in constant terror?
It would only take a few drops of water for everything to come crashing down upon him.
Luca unfroze, pushing Guilia’s hands away from his arm, the bubbling excitement swelling up inside of his chest fizzling out.
Alberto watched him, gaze filled with a mixture of triumph and sorrow. “See?”
“I-” Luca started.
Guilia faltered, tapping Luca on the shoulder. “Luca?”
“Sea monster! There it is!” A cry came from nearby, and Luca turned to see Ercole scrambling over a boulder, harpoon in hand. Behind him stood his henchmen, wielding the same weapons.
“Go!” Luca shouted. He spun around quickly to face Ercole and his henchmen, spreading his arms in an ineffective attempt to use his body as a shield.
Ercole sneered down at him, but didn’t dare to launch his weapon at the fleeing Alberto. He didn’t have any proof that Luca was the same as Alberto, and still held some morals - or at least had enough to prevent him from committing murder outright.
“Protecting a sea monster? I knew there was something off about you. What are you hiding?” He glared, his henchmen darting around the three at his instructions and chasing after Alberto. “What do you know about the sea monsters, hm? Tell me what you know and perhaps I’ll let you off easy.”
Luca stood there in stunned silence for a moment.
“Well?” Ercole demanded.
“I- I don’t know anything!” Luca lied, his high pitch betraying him.
The older man’s eyes narrowed, and he raised his harpoon threateningly. “Want to try that again, piccoletto ?”
Guilia stepped in then, in an almost sickening mirror of their first meeting. “Leave him alone, you bastard!”
“Defending sea monster fraternisers, now, Spewlia?” He raised his eyebrows. Regardless, he lowered his weapon in the face of a definitely-human adversary.
“Luca said he didn’t know anything, go away!”
Ercole conceded remarkably quickly, but a frown imprinted itself on his face. “Only because the sea monster is getting away, and I want my prize. I’ll find you later.” He promised, uttering an italian expletive that Luca wasn’t able to translate. Judging by Guilia’s expression, it wasn’t flattering.
He vanished soon after, chasing after his henchmen who were starting up a boat. Luca wasn’t that worried. The time he had spent stalling Ercole meant that Alberto was probably a mile away by now, and maybe even back at the dilapidated castle that they had made their home before arriving in Portorosso. Alberto was safe.
What Luca was more concerned about was Guilia’s reaction.
“Did you mean it?” He asked her, staring sightlessly at the patch of ocean where Alberto had submerged himself.
Guilia jolted. “Mean it? When I told Ercole to leave? Of course!”
“No, I mean when you called Alberto a monster. He’s our friend .” He emphasised.
She sobered at that, which surprised Luca. He had been expecting more of the same fear she had displayed just minutes ago. “I… He’s a sea monster.” She whispered, as though scared to vocalise it. As if saying it aloud would make it more real.
“He’s our friend.” Luca repeated, tonelessly.
“I didn’t know sea monsters were real.” Guilia said, her own sights turning to the dark expanse before them. “He’s… Are you one too?”
Luca didn’t reply.
“I see.” Her voice was faint.
“Are you going to scream?” Luca asked, terrified that she would. Not for his safety - the ocean was right there, he could be home in a matter of seconds - but for fear of losing his friends to the humans’ rhetoric.
“No.”
He broke his transfixion with the waters to look her in the eyes, feet pausing in the motion of sliding further towards the waves lapping at the shoreline. “You’re… not going to?”
“No. I- I’m sorry for screaming.” Guilia apologised, hanging her head. “I’ve been talking to you two for weeks but I just- Alberto-” She gestured with her hands, mimicking Alberto’s pectoral fins by placing them over her ears. “He scared me.”
“He scared you.” Luca repeated. He was starting to sound like a broken record.
Guilia seemed downright dismal. “I’m sorry, you’re right. He’s our friend, I shouldn’t have reacted like that. You two are as human as anyone else in Portorosso… Well, sort of.”
“So you’re not going to murder us?”
“Of course not.” Her blatant distaste calmed Luca’s nerves. “But… but…” The cogs of her mind began to turn before her attitude made a complete about turn. “ Sleeping under the fish . Now I get it.”
“I can explain?” Luca half-laughed nervously now that he had ascertained there was no chance of being harpooned by Guilia.
“Of all the places for sea monsters to visit, Portorosso?” Guilia hissed, throwing her hands into the air. “Seriously? You idiot!” She cursed, words tinged with frustration - but also, endearingly enough, worry.
And maybe Alberto wasn’t able to return to the city anytime soon, and maybe Ercole still had it out for him; but he had Guilia on his side. Even as she launched into a rant into about how dangerous it was for him to remain, Luca was determined to stay to at least try to win the race. If he couldn't attend school with Guilia, he at least wanted this.
For him and Alberto both.