the fact that we can tell EXACTLY what eric is thinking, how he goes from realizing ariel is a mermaid to recognizing that there’s a bigger thing to focus on and he’ll process the reveal later, when the woman he loves isn’t in danger.
how he immediately looks down at ariel and sees her expression, he sees how terrified she is, because for the past three days he’s done nothing BUT learn how to read her expressions, so he knows her fears without her having to say anything, and his only thought goes to “keep her safe, keep her here, keep her close”
and can we please talk about the physical affection between these two???? how ariel’s hand goes from laying on eric’s chest to holding onto his shoulder, how eric goes from just kind of holding ariel up to pulling her as close as he possibly can, curling himself around her and surrounding her in his arms, fully prepared to take the brunt of ursula’s power if it comes down to it. because she’s his world, and he refuses to lose her again.
and eric’s GLARE??? HELLO???? the man just realized that the silent girl he’s fallen in love with and the girl who saved his life is the same person and he just wanted to kiss her and celebrate that but now he is PISSED and he just wants to live happily ever after so he can and will do everything he can to get that ending for him and ariel.
IT’S JUST THE WAY ERIC IS HOLDING ARIEL SO CLOSE TO HIM AFTER SHE TURNS BACK INTO A MERMAID AND ARIEL IS HOLDING ONTO HIM AND ERIC TOTALLY LOOKS LIKE HES READY TO KILL URSULA AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT ARIEL 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭