alondra

26 | She/Her | I write sometimes | 🇲🇽 | In love with unattainable fictional men (Miguel O'Hara)

[greensagephase]

Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Verse)

AO3 | Spotify

Nonviolent Communication

Soft Spider-Man!Miguel x Spider-Woman!Reader | ongoing story; 405.6k words Not for the weak slow burn; Colleagues to Friends to Lovers; Miguel goes on a healing journey; so much fluff you'll get cavities; angst because I like to make people cry

After the events of BTSV, you're recruited into the Spider Society. Your boss is distant, works day and night. You can't help but feel intrigued by him despite his coldness. One day he shows up to your apartment after you fail to show up for duties. (Order of fic below!)

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | One-Shots ⬇️

Thanksgiving One-Shot for Nonviolent Communication Blanca Navidad One-Shot for Nonviolent Communication New Year's One-Shot for Nonviolent Communication

Part Twelve | One-Shot ⬇️

Valentine's Day One-Shot for Nonviolent Communication Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen |

Head Canons (Roommate version)

Part Sixteen | Part Seventeen | Part Eighteen |

Part Nineteen | Part Twenty | Part Twenty-One |

Part Twenty-Two | Part Twenty-Three | Part Twenty-Four |

When they Met - Short Thought on their First Interaction (not part of fic)

Link to all Nonviolent Communication Fanart

For Better or Worse Masterlist - Series Dance Lessons - Fanart for FBOW

Making Tamales with Miguel Fluff Baking Halloween Cookies with Miguel Fluff A November Morning Fluff Double Trouble 18+ 2099 Miguel X Reader X Variant Miguel, adult themes, no plot | You find yourself with two Miguel's. Double Trouble 18+ - Part Two 2099 Miguel X Reader X Variant Miguel Waking Up with Miguel Fluff, short piece Miguel on Peeling an Orange for you Short Drabble, fluff Miguel and His Wife/Husband Short Drabble, fluff Miguel and Gabriella | Easter 🐇 Fluff, short drabble Nicknames I would give Miguel as his romantic partner Just nicknames for Miguel, drabble The Boop Thing but at The Spider Society Fluff A Romantic Concert Night Fluff What If...? Mother's Day, smut, fluff What If...? Father's Day Version Part 2, Father's Day, smut, fluff A Strong Man Chilling w/ Miguel on a couch, smut Meeting Miguel at a Mexican Party Just my delulu thoughts on it, unedited, no format Expectant Father! Miguel Fluff "Made by Spider-Man himself" Fluff, some suggestive comments, Halloween-themed A Hardworking Man long drabble; fluff; AU Miguel Getting Freaky with Miguel on Valentine's smut; format is spelling out "valentine's" Flores Amarillas fluff; short The Merman smut and fluff; monster!miguel; merman!miguel x female human!reader Two Tangled Souls smut and fluff; monster!miguel; vampire!miguel x female human!reader

[greensagephase]

Nonviolent Communication - Dulzura's Birthday One-Shot

Pairing: Spider-Man!Miguel O'Hara x Spider-Woman!Reader Summary: It's your birthday! Word Count: 6.2K Warnings: None. Spotify playlist (updated) Masterlist

Holding himself up, Miguel watches you through the kitchen windows from outside the penthouse. He holds his grocery bags together with a single string of his neon red web, watching you bake cookies.

Tomorrow is your birthday and you have no idea that Miguel has put together a surprise party in your honor. The bags on his hand contain the last minute things he needs, which he went out to gather using the excuse of doing a quick patrol around the city to avoid ruining the surprise.

With a smile — one that's always inspired because of you — Miguel watches you mix ingredients in a bowl, dressed in a comfy matching lounging set. Lyla hovers around you, making conversation about God knows what. She loves talking to you, so Miguel knows whatever you two are discussing could be about anything.

After realizing that he's been watching for a little too long, Miguel moves away and climbs further up to enter through one of his bedroom windows. He drops off everything he bought and stores it away with the rest. Mentally, Miguel checks off his list before he actually picks up his physical handwritten list. Everything has been bought and seems to be in order for the surprise birthday party. Everyone that needed to be invited has been invited.

Satisfied, Miguel slips back outside to avoid raising suspicions and enters through the living room, where he's instantly greeted with the scent of baking.

“Dulzura, I'm home,” he calls out.

“Hiii, I'm still in the kitchen,” you reply with a chuckle, luring Miguel to meet you with that sound.

-♡-

Today — the day of your birthday — Miguel wakes up a little earlier than he usually does to get started with the day. He wants everything to be perfect, so he works on some things, like taking off the tags of some of the items and even ironing a new tablecloth he bought for the dining table. He hides away his gifts that he plans to give you later in the day when it's just the two of you before he decides it's time to start on a special breakfast for you.

With soft holiday music in the background, Miguel begins working on the food, doing so with love and appreciation.

In the middle of his cooking, Miguel takes a quick glance around the kitchen and dining area only for his eyes to stop at the Christmas tree. Just like in previous years, Miguel and you set up the tree and participated in your yearly traditions of making your personal ornaments. The new ones have now joined the older ones, marking another year. On the windows, cute snowflake stickers you bought decorate the edges along with strings of lights, adding even more holiday spirit to the penthouse.

In the living room, the same applies to the windows. The big artificial tree was brought out for the second year by Miguel and just like with the holographic one, the two of you decorated it together. You even added handmade bows, a gesture that stirred something within Miguel because it's such an intimate gesture. For some strange reason, your handmade bows make him feel happy and he doesn't know why.

It's not like you haven't already added your own personal touches to the penthouse. You have, which Miguel loves, so he doesn't know why the bows have him feeling like this. It's a good feeling though, so Miguel doesn't mind it.

With a little shake of his head, Miguel focuses on making you a lovely breakfast. An hour later, he prepares the table and puts a different record on, something relaxing and nice for you. When that's done, he pulls out a fresh bouquet of flowers he bought yesterday at the market from the couple the two of you met a while back. Carefully, Miguel fixes the bow he added as he recalls Mr. Gonzalez's question for him when he showed up looking for the perfect bouquet.

”Is she your girlfriend yet, mijo [my son]?” Mr. Gonzalez asked, which earned him a gentle swat from Mrs. Gonzalez.

”Don't pay him attention, hijo [son]. Éste hombre se mete en todo [that man gets involved in everything]. The flowers are for her?” she asked with a smile.

”Si, son para Dulzura [yes, they’re for Dulzura],” Miguel replied sheepishly.

“Come, I have other arrangements over here,” she responded before leading him to see the nicer bouquets.

Girlfriend.

Mr. Gonzalez asked him if you were his girlfriend yet, as if it's something he's already expecting to happen.

We're just best friends, Miguel thought to himself, but he didn't voice it.

Miguel's thoughts come to a halt when he hears you come down the stairs. He quickly straightens up and fixes his sweater while holding the bouquet of flowers, getting ready to congratulate you.

With a smile that could melt all the ice in the world, you enter the room looking radiant as always.

At least, to Miguel you always look radiant, even when you say you look tired or other comments about your appearance after just waking up.

He exhales heavily, releasing a breath he didn't even realize he was holding, and smiles warmly at you. God, did you have to look so adorable this early in the day?

“Feliz Cumpleaños [Happy Birthday]!” Miguel excitedly says as he comes to greet you.

“Aww, Miguel,” you sweetly reply as you greet him halfway, hearing the birthday song in Spanish through the speakers. “You got up early to make breakfast! Thank you, you're so sweet!”

“Of course, I wanted to make you breakfast, especially today for your special day.” Miguel says smiling, offering you the bouquet of flowers. “These are for you. I hope you like them,” Miguel sheepishly says with a little blush on his cheeks.

Smiling, you accept the flowers and smell them. A hum of appreciation escapes you. “They're lovely, Migs, thank you so much. For the flowers and the breakfast, which I'm certain is delicious,” you state, noticing a little greeting card hidden away in the flowers. You pull it out, seeing it's a pre-made one that came along with the flowers.

Miguel raises an eyebrow when he sees that, surprised. He didn't notice and now he wonders if the message is appropriate.

“To my soul mate, I hope these flowers bring you as much joy as you do to me,” you read out loud.

“That's — I didn't — It came with it,” Miguel stutters, trying to explain himself so you don't think wrong about him. The last thing he wants is to upset you, or make you feel weirded out.

“I know, don't worry, Solecito [little sun],” you reply with a small chuckle, tucking away the card. “It's alright.”

“It's just, you know…” Miguel starts, rubbing his neck. “I didn't realize that was there. I don't want you to feel weirded out.”

“I could never,” you answer smelling the flowers again and looking so lovely doing so. “Besides, you do know soul mates can be both romantic and platonic, right? So…”

So… The two of you can definitely be soul mates.

Platonically, of course.

Miguel smiles once more, his worry dissipating. “True. I got worried for no reason when I know you're so understanding, but hey, how about breakfast? Everything is hot and ready, so we can eat now.”

“I'd love some. Is there anything else we need?” you ask, glancing around the table to see if there's anything you can help with, but a gentle hand on your shoulder tells you you're not allowed to help.

“You don't need to worry about anything. I got it. Here, let me help you,” Miguel says removing his hand and pulling out a chair for you. “Please go ahead and take a seat while I fix the plates, Dulzura.” Once you're sitting, Miguel gets back to the food to fix the plates.“So, are you excited to go out with Margo and Jess?” Miguel asks since in a few hours, both Jess and Margo will be taking you out to celebrate your birthday. Miguel has no idea what the plan is, though, since it's a surprise and also a tactic to get you out of the penthouse for a little while to give Miguel and the others time to pull together the party.

Back in the start of November, Miguel decided that he wanted to do this for you and because he knows how much you love and appreciate the spider gang, Miguel felt it was right to invite them to be part of the plan. Not surprising, everyone was on board and the planning soon began. Jess and Margo immediately decided that they'd be the ones to successfully keep you out of the penthouse. He agreed that they were perfect for the task because everyone else seemed less likely to pull it off.

Everything should go to plan, however, so Miguel sits next to you to enjoy breakfast with you.

-♡-

A few hours later, Miguel sees you off. He waves bye as you leave with Jess and Margo, having no clue what he's planning.

As soon as he gives the green light, everyone arrives to help.

With some of your friends working on decorating and Hobie and Pav off to pick up the cake, Miguel cooks with efficiency to prepare the food. He's probably doing a little too much, but considering this is the first surprise party you've had in years and the fact that you haven't truly celebrated since joining the Spider Society, Miguel wants to do this for you. You deserve to be celebrated on your special day, the day you blessed the world with your existence. And, him.

Taking a break from somewhere nearby, Peter looks around the penthouse as little Mayday helps with some balloons. He didn't know until a few months ago that the two of you continued to live together, even when your apartment was ready. In fact, he learned about the arrangement when you informed him that your building was sold off to some company, an update he was saddened to hear because he knows how much that place meant to you. Either way, the entire friend group and him found out about this new update that was somewhat surprising, yet not entirely.

To Peter, it's been clear for years at this point that Miguel and you compliment each other so much. So, he shouldn't be surprised at how homey the penthouse looks and feels, yet he still is because this feels different from just two roommates sharing a space. Typically, he feels like there's an invisible line between roommates, one that marks the territory as such, but here in the penthouse, Peter feels something different. There's a specific energy to the place that tells him that you've both made this penthouse a true home. He can't say it out loud, but it feels as though Miguel and you are a little family of your own.

Smiling, Peter returns to decorating, but not before taking one glance at Miguel, who is still cooking and preparing your favorite foods with so much love, it's hard to remember that there was a time in which Miguel barely set foot in his own home.

-♡-

Almost three hours later, your friends drop you back off to the penthouse. You all slip into the penthouse through a window in the living room, looking around for Miguel.

“I still can't get over how cute you guys decorated,” Margo says, admiring the Christmas tree.

“Thank you! Miguel and I love how it turned out,” you reply, wondering where's Miguel since he seems to be nowhere.

“I wonder if Miguel went out to get something. Groceries, maybe?” Jess states, saying that to purposely lead you to the dining and kitchen area, which she succeeds at.

“We have groceries, but perhaps he needed something —” you start before the rest of your friends jump out from hiding as soon as you step foot in the room.

“Surprise! Happy Birthday!”

“A surprise party?” you surprisingly state with a smile, looking at Miguel who stands in the middle back. He looks handsome in a brown knitted sweater, his hair styled perfectly as always with those little curls in the back of his neck. Even from your distance, you see the shine of your matching bracelets on his wrist. Feeling incredibly grateful and touched, you give everyone a hug and thank them for coming before you reach Miguel.

You're uncertain if you're allowed to hug him in front of everyone. For all you know, some of your friends may attempt to go for it, too, when he's only open to giving and receiving hugs from you.

To avoid any issues, you smile warmly and offer your pinky finger, which Miguel immediately hugs with his own. “Happy Birthday,” Miguel murmurs with a smile.

“Thank you, thank you. You did this, huh? Got me out of the home for this?” you ask with an amused smile.

“Mhm, I've been planning it for weeks and got our friends involved. Everyone helped in one way or another.”

“You’re all so kind and sweet, going through the trouble of planning this lovely surprise,” you answer as you take in the decorations all throughout the dining room. A decorative banner hangs from the windows and balloons decorate the walls and other areas of the room. On the ceiling, garlands with cute stars, moons, and suns in gold hang in a zigzag pattern. Even the table has been decorated with a different tablecloth and with other cute decorations. To the side, a dessert table has also been set up with various choices for everyone, including a two-tier cake. “Aww, this is so lovely. I love everything you guys did!”

“It was no trouble at all and you… You deserve it,” Miguel answers, giving your pinky a gentle squeeze. “Oh, and for food, I made all your favorites. Come, we can all start eating now.”

With that, you and your friends celebrate your birthday over the delicious food Miguel made. Laughter, conversation, and music from Miguel's record player fills the penthouse. When it's time, Miguel lights the candles on the cake, so your friends surround you to sing “Happy Birthday” while wearing party hats that Miguel bought. And yes, even Miguel put one on after he slipped a headband into your hair for pictures, which were taken by both Miguel and Lyla with the latter stating she'll be adding them to her personal file that neither Miguel nor you have found.

After a few hours, your friends say their goodbyes with nicely packaged leftovers because Miguel made quite a lot of food. The birthday decorations are left up with the promise that they'll be taken down tomorrow.

In the early evening, you sit in the living room by yourself. The fireplace crackles, its flames dancing like two lovers in the dead of night. On the windows, the twinkling lights flash on and off in a soothing pattern. The Christmas tree sits in its spot, taking the most space and attention while bringing a certain coziness only such a Christmas tree can bring.

Watching the tree in silence and now dressed in pajamas, you reflect on the day. You’re another year older and somehow, you made it unscathed physically. You’re in good health and surrounded by people that love and cherish you, so you have no complaints.

You made it far longer than you thought you would when you first started the whole Spider-Woman thing, which is a blessing on its own. The thought that it’s probably thanks to your guardian angels brings a smile to your face. Silently, you send them a thank you for keeping you safe and granting you all these beautiful people and moments in your life.

As if on cue, you hear Miguel’s steps from the kitchen, where he went into half an hour ago to do “something”. Glancing at him, you find him carrying a large tray to you.

“So…” Miguel starts, placing the tray on the coffee table before sitting down on the floor next to you. He’s also now dressed in far more relaxing clothes, which consist of a long-sleeve thermal shirt that does nothing to hide his physique from his wide shoulders to his large biceps to his chiseled chest. For bottoms, Miguel has changed into comfy sweats.

With a swallow, you tear your gaze away from his clothes and focus on the tray, which has several items.

“I thought about baking you a big cake, like the one I ordered,” Miguel admits, giving you a cheeky smile. “But I quickly remembered that I’m not the baker in this home and I didn’t want to end up wasting ingredients on a failed cake of that size, hence why I had it made at the bakery. I’m also sure Hobie and Peter would’ve never let me live that down. However, I still wanted to bake something just for you,” Miguel continues, removing a cloth towel and revealing a glass domed cake plate with a round cake inside that looks like Miguel poured his entire heart into.

The cake, which you’re certain is in your favorite flavor, has its exterior decorated with icing that you can immediately tell is homemade. Miguel opted for a rustic art style, making the spatula prints clean and intentional. Fresh strawberries sliced in half carefully decorate the edge of the cake, standing out against the icing. And, in his careful writing, Miguel has written out “Happy Birthday, Dulzura” with icing in your favorite color.

Next to the cake, two mugs of café de olla are full to the brim with the delicious and hot beverage that you crave even more with the festive season [coffee].

Looking up at Miguel, you offer a tender and warm smile, touched by his gesture. “It turned out so cute,” you tell Miguel as he takes the lid off. “So homey. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the cake! And, you even added strawberries!”

“Your favorite,” Miguel murmurs as he pulls out a lighter. “I know you already did this, but I don’t know if you want to do it again?” he asks, raising the candles to show them to you.

How can you not when he’s gone through the trouble of baking a cake and bringing the candles with him? “I’d love to,” you answer, so Miguel quickly places them in a good place and lights them up after moving the cake closer to you for better access.

On his own, Miguel sings “Happy Birthday” to you in Spanish again with a smile so sweet and tender, it puts the cake’s sweetness to shame. When he’s done cheering, he gestures with his head. “Make a wish, Dulzura,” he murmurs.

With a soft sigh, you glance at the flickering candles. There's no need to think about your wish because it comes to you quickly, like an instinct buried deep within you. Gently, you blow the candles with that wish in mind while gazing at Miguel.

I wish, with all my heart, that you're always in my life, Miguel. Until my very last day, whether that's tomorrow or in fifty years from now.

With a smile, Miguel cheers when you blow the candle.

“I suppose I shouldn’t waste my time wondering what you wished for, Dulz?” Lyla asks, suddenly appearing out of thin air.

“We don’t ask what we wish for on our birthdays. You already know the drill,” Miguel states, turning to look at you. “Even if we’re curious to know.”

Chuckling, you look away and grab the knife to cut the cake. “It won’t happen if I share it and I’m not risking it, so… No sharing,” you explain, avoiding Miguel’s gaze as he watches you.

With a small smile, Miguel lets it go out of respect. Though… He’s curious. He noticed you staring at him as you made your wish and that, well, that makes Miguel hope that you possibly kept him in mind in your wish the same way he did for his. For two years in a row, he's asked for the same wish: that you're there with him in every single one of his birthdays for the rest of his life. So far, it seems to be working, so Miguel is thankful.

Shaking his head, Miguel scoots closer and prepares the plates. “Alright, time for the birthday girl to cut the cake. Queremos pastel [we want cake],” he says excitedly. “Hopefully, it’s good,” he adds sheepishly.

“Don’t you worry about that,” you respond with an amused smile. “It looks and smells amazing, and I have no doubt that it’s good. Besides… You’re a man of science and baking is science, so I know you got this,” you add with a little wink that makes Miguel’s heart flutter.

“Oh, is that so?” he asks softly.

“Yep,” you reply with a cheeky smile as you prepare to cut the cake.

“Queremos pastel,” Lyla says in a sing song voice. “Come on, Dulz, slice the cake!”

“Alright, alright,” you state, as both Miguel and Lyla repeat the same phrase. Once you make the first cut, the two of them clap and cheer, celebrating you. With practice, you fix two plates for the two of you.

“And, of course, I couldn’t skip your favorite,” Miguel says, grabbing one mug and placing it next to your plate. “Perfect with cake.”

Carefully, you take a sip and sigh in satisfaction, going as far as to closing your eyes to savor the flavor. “Mmm, you’re spoiling me,” you murmur sweetly. “A personal cake baked by you and then, café de olla? Spoiling me, I’m telling you. Thank you,” you add softly, smiling at Miguel. “This… This means so much to me. From the amazing breakfast to the surprise party to this,” you gesture towards the coffee table. “And, it means so much more to me that I have the privilege of sharing today with you. That you… That you’ve done all of this for me.” Still smiling, you nod to yourself. “I feel… Deeply happy and loved. And I want to thank you for that, Solecito. Thank you so much,” you whisper tenderly.

With his own smile, Miguel nods. “Dulzura… You already know,” he starts softly, lowering his fork. “You know what you mean to me, so I wanted to make today extra special for you… Always.”

“Always,” you whisper with a smile as the two of you gaze at each other for a few seconds until you can’t bear it anymore. You look away and take a subtle yet desperate sip of coffee to wash down the knot that’s formed in your throat.

Damn you and your emotional self. All you want to do now is hug Miguel really tight and sob out of love and appreciation for him on his shoulder, but you know Miguel wouldn’t appreciate you crying on your very own birthday, so you put on a brave face and continue the intimate celebration by eating the cake Miguel baked just for you.

When you’re both done eating your slices, you sneakily take an extra strawberry off the cake, making Miguel laugh. “We have a strawberry thief,” he points out.

“In my defense, they’re my favorite and they're so sweet,” you murmur before taking a bite.

“Like you,” Miguel replies without thinking before he realizes what he said. He holds his breath, wondering what your reaction will be.

Slowly, you lower the half eaten strawberry and give Miguel the cutest shy smile. It’s unfair, Miguel decides, how you dare look at him like that when you’re sitting next to him in your pajamas and the gentle glow of the Christmas lights making you look like an angel sent for him alone.

“That’s sweet of you, thank you,” you reply shyly.

“I — Yes,” Miguel responds, his cheeks growing red. “You’re most welcome. Um… Oh,” Miguel straightens up and reaches under the couch you’re both sitting against, trying to pull himself together. “I have two surprises for you,” he says, retrieving a jewelry-sized box wrapped nicely and offering it to you. “The first one. Please, open it.”

“Ooh, Migs,” you murmur as you take the box in your hands. “You really shouldn’t have. I mean… You did all of this for me already. I don’t need anything else than you and our friends being together, truly.”

“I know, but, I still wanted to get you something. Please,” Miguel murmurs, gently pushing the box closer to you. “It’s just a little something I hope you love. Please, open it.”

With a soft sigh and a smile, you unwrap the box with care until the box is fully revealed. You gaze up at Miguel one last time before opening it, finding him smiling at you with clear anticipation. He nods, silently urging you to open it. Biting your bottom lip, you open the box at last.

Immediately, your expression softens at the sight of the item inside the velvet box. For a few seconds, your lips are parted in awe as you gaze at the “little something” Miguel has gifted you. “Oh,” you murmur, as you carefully take out the jewelry piece. In both your palms, you hold a beautiful gold heart locket with delicacy. “Miguel… It’s so beautiful,” you whisper, running a thumb over the front where your nickname — Miguel’s nickname for you — has been engraved: Dulzura.

“I… I saw it,” Miguel murmurs, watching the way you’re holding the locket and the look on your face of pure tenderness. “And once I did, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. It’s pure gold,” Miguel shares with a smile. “From Mexico. I ordered it a while back to make sure it arrived on time. And, I had your nickname engraved on it, so that took a little more time. I hope you don’t mind that I used your nickname instead of your name,” he adds.

“God, no ,” you respond, looking up at him. “I love it. It’s perfect. More than perfect. It’s so lovely, Miguel, truly. I’ve never owned a locket, so this gift?” You smile with giddiness and bring the locket to your chest, looking so adorable Miguel’s gaze softens at the sight. “I love it. Thank you!”

“I’m so happy you love it,” Miguel answers, feeling more than happiness with your reaction. “Oh, and I added a photo, but feel free to change it if you want,” he says, almost forgetting that detail.

Not needing to be told twice, you open the locket and smile with so much more tenderness, if that’s even possible. Inside the locket, a picture of Miguel and you greets your eyes. It’s a photo that was taken only a few months ago when you two went out for yogurt. On a whim, you decided to take a picture for which Miguel had to significantly lower himself so his face would be in frame.

“From one of our yogurt adventures,” Miguel says.

“One of many,” you add with a smile. “It’s perfect. No need to change the photo. Thank you so much, Solecito.” Lifting your gaze, your want — no, need — to hug Miguel grows. “Mind helping me?” you ask, raising the locket.

“It’d be my pleasure,” Miguel answers, taking the locket from you and preparing it while you fix your top and hair, so they’re out of the way. With care, Miguel helps you put on the necklace. His focus wavers, however, when his fingers brush against the soft skin of your neck and to add to the distraction, there’s your sweet scent that embraces him like a warm and comforting blanket, one you never want to take off.

“Um, there we go,” Miguel murmurs once he successfully locks the locket in place. Reluctantly, his fingers move away, allowing the locket to fall naturally over your upper chest. “All done.”

With a smile, you turn back around and look down at it. With the way you deliberately run your fingers over it, Miguel has no doubt you truly love the gift, something that brings him a deep, deep satisfaction.

“Well, since you loved the locket… Time for the second and last surprise I have for you,” Miguel says with a smile after a few seconds. He reaches under the couch again, which makes you laugh.

“Am I that predictable that you knew I’d be sitting here by the end of the day?” you question.

Miguel snorts quietly as his hand moves under the couch. “No, but I do know you. I know your favorite spot is this one right here,” he says giving you a cheeky smile before he pulls out what he’s looking for.

As soon as you see the guitar, your eyes widen in surprise and delight. Miguel is playing the guitar for you on your birthday?!

“I don’t do this often,” Miguel explains as he gets in position to start playing. “As you know… I only play the guitar on special occasions… For special people,” he murmurs, slowly lifting his gaze to meet yours. “And so, I want to sing you a song, if that’s alright?”

If that’s alright? You almost scoff in disbelief at Miguel’s question. “You know it’s more than alright,” you answer sitting back. “Please… It’d mean the world to me.”

With a small nod, Miguel begins to play the first notes on his guitar, but his fingers mess up after a few seconds. Sheepishly, Miguel apologizes for the mistake. He literally practiced over the last few days while you were out on patrol and he played the song perfectly, but now that it’s time for the real thing, his fingers seem to have forgotten the notes. God, he can’t even run through the lyrics in his head after the third line. “I seem to have forgotten the lyrics?” Miguel states, sounding more like a question. He sighs in frustration at himself before a song comes to mind. It comes to him so suddenly, it feels like someone whispered it in his ear to sing it. “I can only think of one song right now, but it’s not the one I had planned to sing. I'm sorry,” Miguel apologizes, frowning.

“Migs, don’t worry about it,” you assure him. “Why don’t you sing the song you’re thinking about? Whatever song it is, I’m going to appreciate it. It’s not every day I get to hear you sing, so I’ll cherish it all the same.”

“It’s just…” Miguel trails off, his cheeks reddening once more. “The song is typically for, um, you know, people that are… Together,” Miguel explains nervously. “Romantically, I mean, but it could still apply for best friends, if you’re not uncomfortable with it? Or, I can just wait it out.”

“I don’t mind,” you answer softly. “I’ll love it regardless. If you’re worried I’ll be offended or something like that, I won’t. Trust me. If you’re open to singing it, please go ahead.”

With a heavy sigh, Miguel nods slowly and positions the guitar again. He can’t believe this is happening now, not after he practiced to surprise you, but with your enthusiasm to hear him sing and play, Miguel pushes past his embarrassment and starts to play the guitar.

Even though he didn’t practice this new song, Miguel plays the notes as if he did. Effortlessly, his fingers move with practice before he begins singing in his rich and gentle voice.

“No existe un momento del día, en que pueda apartarme de ti. El mundo parece distinto, cuando no estás junto a mi… No hay bella melodía, en que no surjas tú. Ni yo quiero escucharla, si no la escuchas tú [There isn’t a moment in the day, in which I can be away from you. The world seems different, when you’re not next to me… There’s no beautiful melody, in which you don’t appear. Nor do I want to hear it, if you don’t hear it],” Miguel sings beautifully, slowly lifting his gaze to meet yours as his fingers move on their own accord. Inside his chest, Miguel feels his heart racing as the words slip from his mouth, straight from within his very soul.

Hearing Miguel’s lovely voice, you’re unable to tear your gaze away from Miguel’s as he sings to you. Your eyes are locked on him, even when you begin to feel breathless. It’s not just that, though. A feeling in your chest, like that of flowers blossoming in May, grows with a great intensity. Under the locket Miguel has gifted you, your pulse flutters with his voice.

“Es que te has convertido, en parte de mi alma… Ya nada me consuela, si no estás tú también. Más allá de tus labios, del sol y las estrellas… Contigo en la distancia, amada mía, estoy… [You’ve become, part of my soul… Nothing else consoles me, if you’re not there, too. Beyond your lips, the sun and the stars… With you in the distance, my beloved, I’m there],” Miguel continues, unable to look away from your gaze, too. His fingers continue to move against the strings without even thinking about it. All he can do is gaze at you and sing the words that spill from his lips like a promise. Nothing else matters. Nothing else captures his eyes. Everything blurs in the background, except for you. You're crystal clear as you sit front and center, staring back at him with parted lips and your fingers clutching the locket as he almost reaches the end of the song.

“En parte de mi alma… Ya nada me consuela si no estás tú también. Más allá de tus labios, del sol y las estrellas… Contigo en la distancia, mi Dulzura, estoy… [Part of my soul… Nothing else consoles me, if you’re not there, too. Beyond your lips, the sun and the stars… With you in the distance, my Dulzura, I’m there],” Miguel sings, concluding the song with soft notes from his guitar. Ever so slowly, he lowers the guitar and offers you a tender smile, realizing only a few seconds later that he changed the original lyrics from “my beloved” to “my Dulzura” at the end. Miguel quickly rationalizes it.

He did give you the nickname. You are his best friend. No one else calls you Dulzura, except him. No one else has the privilege to address you as such because it’s his nickname for you, so that’s why he did that without thinking about it. It’s a perfectly normal change for a song that can be used for best friends, too. Surely, someone else has used it in this platonic context…

Miguel doesn’t get anymore time to worry over this, thankfully, because you’re suddenly, but gently, taking away his guitar. Confused by his own actions regarding the lyric change and now yours, Miguel watches you place the guitar on the couch to keep it safe before you hug him. His eyes widen in surprise only for a second — one single second — before he embraces you, too. His eyes close as your head settles on his shoulder, allowing him to rest his own on yours. With his arms wrapped around your body entirely, Miguel relaxes.

After everything he's been through, Miguel believes there’s a heaven and he’s certain this is what it feels like to be there.

Safe. Comforting. Heavenly.

Like home.

“Thank you,” you sweetly and softly whisper, so softly as if you’re afraid that the walls themselves can hear those words that are just for him and him alone. “That was beautiful, mi Solecito [my little sun]. So beautiful. I’m eternally grateful that we met,” you continue, hugging Miguel just a little tighter. “You’re… You’re my best friend. And I hope you don’t find it weird, but… I believe we were meant to meet and be in each other's lives,” you whisper, allowing those words from your soul to spill freely, which earn yourself a gentle squeeze from Miguel. With closed eyes, you don’t dare say the other words threatening to leave your lips; that Miguel and you are soul mates. Platonically, of course, because you two are only best friends, but still. “With you in the distance, mi Solecito,” you continue. “I’m there, too… Always.”

“Always,” Miguel whispers back, still holding you close to him protectively.

Outside, the world continues forward. The first snow of the season begins, covering every surface in white, but that doesn’t stop the busy city. Traffic continues, lights flash here and everywhere, and people go on with their lives.

Inside the penthouse, however, time moves at a different and slower pace. The lights and the dancing flames from the fireplace cast a warm glow to the beautiful snow globe-like scene that is Miguel and you embracing.

Beyond this beautiful bubble of yours, nothing else seems to matter in this moment.

“Happy Birthday, Dulzura,” Miguel whispers yet again, silently hoping that this embrace lasts just a bit longer, especially when the world seems so different with you in his arms. And, when the warmth of your body, the sweet and comforting scent that is so uniquely yours, and your divine existence inspire a beautiful melody within his heart. One so beautiful, Miguel longs to share it with you.

Note: Hiiii! I meant to do a little one-shot of Miguel celebrating Dulzura's birthday since I already did one for Miguel's birthday last year, but it wasn't possible. This year, however, I was literally like, "me tengo que poner las pilas 😭😭" (I need to put the batteries on = get it together), so here it is. I hope you guys like this because RAHHHH MIGUEL GIFTING US A HEART LOCKET AND SINGING A ROMANTIC SONG TO US??? I almost gave myself cavities from how sweet that was. (I need NC Miguel so badly😭) I was also a little selfish and greedy by making Dulzura's birthday my own (today) and I'm sorry, but...

I needed this little one-shot. 🥺

So, I hope you guys enjoyed this short update for NC, which takes place months ahead of the last official chapter (24). I just want to mention that to avoid confusing anyone. :)

That's all from me for now. Thank you so much for reading!

Alondra❤️

p.s. the little bits of romanticism in this update... Miguel and Dulzura can't beat the allegations, truly.

[greensagephase]

Lovedddddd the vampire fic!!

I need to know pleaseeee: Does he turn her into a vampire too, now that they finally found each other? Or is this version of her also immortal somehow now that she found him and can remember her past lives?

Loved loved loved it!!!

Aww, hiii, nonnie! Thank you so much for the ask, and for the love towards “Two Tangled Souls”. I enjoyed writing this one-shot so much! 🥰 I was totally in my feelings with this one. 🥺

To answer your question, I left it open-ended for each reader to decide, but in my mind, reader gets turned by Miguel into a vampire after he gets over his worry about “damming” her soul, so they don’t lose each other again :))

Thank you again for the ask and for reading the one-shot, nonnie! I hope you’re having a wonderful day/night! 💖

Alondra❤️

[greensagephase]

Hello. Love your work with Miguel, barely see anything of him nowadays. I was wondering if Nonviolent Communication and For Better or Worse are discontinued? I just like them both a lot and those two are nice to read. Hoping you have a good week xox

Hiii, nonnie! Thank you so much for the ask!🥰

I appreciate the love, too! And yes, I’ve barely come back after an unplanned hiatus and noticed there’s less engagement. It makes me sad, but I know there’s still writers and artists keeping the community alive with amazing stories and art, and through other posts related to Miguel and spider-verse in general.

For anyone feeling down about seeing less posts about him and/or spider-verse in general, I strongly urge you (like I’ve done in the past) to show love, kindness, and support to those individuals still active in the fandom to keep it alive. If you love a story or fanart, let the creator know, even if it’s a post from two years ago and/or it’s from a writer or artist who’s not active right now. It always makes our day and, from personal experience, makes me feel motivated to continue to share my stories and random thoughts I have about Miguel. 🥰 Also, while it may feel sad right now, we can keep the community alive until the release of BTSV. 🥺

As to my own writing, I’m going to continue to write about Miguel until I have nothing else to write. 😤 So no, Nonviolent Communication and For Better or Worse are not discontinued! I had to take an unplanned break due to family stuff I mentioned in one of my asks in October, but I have no plans of discontinuing either story.

The last two one-shots I posted of monster!Miguel were actually a warm-up, so I can get back into both stories because it had been too long since I had written, so I felt rusty. On that note, I plan on updating both stories before the year ends! 🥰

Thank you so much for the ask, nonnie! I hope you have a great week!💕

Alondra❤️

[greensagephase]

Two Tangled Souls

Word Count: 9.4k Warnings: vampire!miguel x human female!reader; mentions of blood; time skip; Spanish, but with translations included; some angst (?); crying; an age gap because Miguel is a vampire; smut; some nipple play; some eating out; p in v; unprotected sex (be safe); biting during the deed; MDNI Songs: "Caribbean Blue" - Enya; "Salvatore Orchestral Cover" - Robbie Devine; "Music Box" - Danny Elfman

Thunder fills the air as you climb up the front stairs of the abandoned castle. Your rain jacket is soaked from the pouring rain and front pieces of your hair are plastered to your forehead.

Stopping in front of the grand doors, you gaze around and admire the architecture. It was the main reason you decided to come explore since you've always appreciated maximalist architecture, especially now in a time when the trend in architecture is the opposite.

Two months ago, you moved into this area when you realized you needed a change in your life. You don't know what it was, but something about this area spoke to you, so you followed your heart. A week after settling in, you heard of this castle for the first time.

According to legend, it's been abandoned for over sixty years, but was once the home of a man, who disappeared the same way he had appeared: suddenly and without anyone noticing it.

Since then, various stories have come to life thanks to the community. There are several accounts of individuals who have visited, or rather broken in, and had strange experiences.

To say you were intrigued by such stories is an understatement, so you found yourself looking up information online. You came across platforms with people talking about the place and sharing theories and such. Photos of the castle are also readily available, though now that you're looking at the castle in person, you're a bit confused.

The castle looks in great condition despite looking terribly deteriorated in the photos. Maybe it's the rain and darkness. Or, maybe, people have altered the photos for clicks and views.

Either way, you smile at the sight, pleased that the castle isn't in that condition. If you could afford it — and it was on sale — you'd buy it and live here.

After a few seconds of admiring the castle's exterior, you glance back and manage to spot your car about six hundred feet away, behind the metal and intricate gates. It won't be long before you return to it, or so you think.

With a hum, you step closer to the front doors and test one out by pushing it, fully expecting it to be locked, as it should be. Except, the door opens at the slight push of your hand.

Taking it as an invitation, you open it further to step inside, readying your flashlight to watch your step. However, your hand grows still when your eyes take in the interior.

It's the absolute opposite of what you were expecting based on the stories online. You expected a thick layer of dust covering everything; from the broken lamps to the stone floors, but no. The lamps are not broken by any means, if anything, they look brand new with working light bulbs, which illuminate everywhere. The floors are clean, as if they're tended to every day. The entrance and the main room, what seems to be the living area, is fully furnished with beautiful and elegant furniture that looks to be made out of expensive materials unlike the furniture of today.

Along with dust, you were expecting cobwebs in every corner and nook, but no. Everything is clean. You look down, realizing you're stepping on a beautiful antique rug. Immediately, you move off it, shocked by the turn of events. Moving further in, you see there's a grand staircase in the living area, leading to the second floor. Even the stairs are pretty looking, you realize with a sigh of disbelief.

Like a moth to a flame, you walk further inside until you make it to the living room. The walls, made out of stone, too, are decorated with painted plaster, displaying patterns and other symbols. There's also framed paintings and tapestries, which makes you pause.

As the huge and intricate fireplace flickers, you step closer to one of the tapestries to inspect it in awe, completely oblivious to the pair of red eyes watching you from the second floor with a mixture of fascination, disbelief, and something else.

Inspecting the first tapestry, you note it's a maroon color with gold and silver thread displaying a man sitting at a table and two women standing by. Only the man and one of the women are stitched in gold while the second woman is stitched in silver, separating her from the couple. Lowering your gaze, you realize there's a date embroidered at the bottom.

1829.

That was nearly two hundred years ago.

You move to the next tapestry, this one displaying just a man and a woman standing in front of each other. The year is 1853.

You do the math and realize that's only twenty-four years apart from the first tapestry. Are the tapestries telling a story?

Curious, you turn to another one with the year 1927. Again, there's a man and a woman. You note the attire seems different enough to symbolize the different fashion style compared to 1829. In this tapestry, the man seems to be embracing the woman from behind.

Shaking your head, you turn to the fireplace to warm up since your soaked clothes are starting to make you feel cold to your bones.

The history nerd inside you starts to think. Those tapestries seem antique, possibly meaning they're authentic. You look up at the ceiling before closing your eyes. Inhaling, the scent in the air is welcoming and for some odd reason, even familiar.

Straightening up, you silently chastise yourself for sticking around for so long in someone else's home. It's clear as night that the castle isn't abandoned. Someone lives here. The question is why the recent posts about this place failed to mention this important fact. Did no one notice that someone moved in and renovated the place?

“You truly ought to change your clothes, querida [dear],” a deep, rich, and masculine voice from somewhere behind you suddenly says, breaking the silence.

It makes you turn so fast you feel dizzy after a noise of pure fear forms in your throat. Shocked, your eyes land on a man, and not just any man.

The man before you is dressed impeccably. You’re no expert, but just by looking at his clothes, you can tell they’re high end. His brown hair is styled carefully, even down to the single piece of hair hanging over his forehead. It reminds you of that one guy from that one boy band you used to listen to in your teenage years. Okay, you still listen to them. Either way, you’ve never seen another man successfully pull off that look until now because the stranger before you… Oh, he pulls it off so effortlessly and gracefully. And, his face? God have mercy on you.

The man is absolutely beautiful. It’s as though, God, the universe, or whatever higher being there is out there, took extra care in making him.

The only thing that makes you raise an eyebrow are his eyes, the ones staring back at you with a look you can't decipher. They’re a rich red, almost like rubies. There’s no doubt in your mind they’re contact lenses, obviously, since that’s not a normal eye color. Yet, as you continue to gaze at them, they look so… Real.

Seeing your reaction, the man smiles softly and tilts his head. “Do you speak, querida [dear]?”

“I — yes, sir,” you manage to say, breaking your silence. With a swallow, you shift under his careful gaze, feeling almost hypnotized by the man’s beauty.

“Good,” Miguel answers, still smiling. “You’re my very first guest.”

That comment makes you snap out of it. You chastise yourself for growing so distracted by this stranger’s beauty. “Uh, right — I’m so sorry, sir,” you start, struggling to pull yourself together. How do you explain that you broke into this man’s home because everyone says it's still abandoned? “I heard from the locals that the castle was abandoned and being curious, I decided to come. I didn’t realize someone had moved in at some point. I'm truly so sorry for breaking into your home. I swear, I have no ill intentions,” you clarify as best as possible, suddenly thinking that this man could easily press charges against you.

To your dismay, the man laughs softly and steps closer. “Querida [dear], don’t fret. I understand the misunderstanding, trust me. Don’t worry your pretty heart, alright?” he says, watching you with fascination. He approaches you slowly, trying to avoid startling you. “My name is Miguel O’Hara. I’m the owner of this castle.” With that, Miguel extends a hand for a handshake.

“… It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” you answer after giving him your name, shaking his much larger and warmer hand. Stunned, you watch in silence as Miguel lifts your hand to his lips before pressing a kiss to the back of your hand. In the blink of an eye, two sudden but vivid images come to mind.

In the first, you see a gloved hand with a dainty bracelet on the wrist held by a masculine hand, the same skin color as Miguel's. It's the second one that leaves you breathless for a moment when you see that same masculine hand tracing a woman's arm, his chest pressed to her back.

You blink again, your vision clearing up only to find Miguel still holding your hand. Politely, you make a move to withdraw it, which Miguel accepts immediately.

That was a weird experience. And then, there’s Miguel's gesture, too.

No man has ever done that for you. In fact, you don't remember seeing this gesture in public in all your life, just in the movies.

“It's a privilege to meet you, querida [dear],” Miguel states with a gentle smile, at last.

You nod, holding your flashlight with both hands to give them something to do. “I’m truly sorry for breaking in. I just… I didn’t see any lights on when I was walking here?” you state, sounding more like a question to yourself, which makes you realize that is true. You somehow didn't note the lights through the windows.

“Don’t worry. Mistakes happen,” Miguel replies, brushing off your statement. “Sometimes… Our eyes play tricks on us, right?”

“I guess, yes…” you reply, feeling the weight of Miguel’s eyes on you. “Your contact lenses, they seem so real.”

Miguel smiles again, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “Do you find them intimidating?”

“Honestly, no. They’re actually cool,” you admit.

“That’s kind of you,” Miguel responds, not disclosing anything else about his contact lenses. “So, you were caught in this lovely storm we’re having, hm? Your clothes are still soaked, querida [dear]. You’ll catch a cold like that. The human body is so fragile already, we don’t want to expose it to such weather. If you wish, I can offer you a change of clothes and a hot cup of coffee, something to warm you right up.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you reply, glancing at the front doors. “I ought to go, truly.”

“Ah,” Miguel starts, slipping his hands into his pockets. “But didn’t you come here to explore the castle in the first place? That’s what so many people have done in the past. I’m assuming you came to do the same.”

“Well, yes, but I mean, this is your home. I already feel bad about you finding me in your living room as if it were my home. I don’t wish to intrude on you or your family.”

Miguel hums. “Don’t worry, querida [dear]. It’s just me and I don’t mind. If anything, I’d be happy to show you the castle. It’s my pride.” He states, gesturing to the living room. “It’s all original and well taken care off.”

“It’s all original?” you question, looking around again.

“Mhm, quite impressive, hm? You seem to appreciate old architecture.”

“How do you know that?”

“You give me that energy,” Miguel replies with a small smile. “Would you like a tour after getting some dry clothes?”

You really ought to go. He’s a man and you’re a woman. The dangers are high, yet… You have a good feeling about him, and your gut is usually right.

“I’ll only stay for a while,” you answer, glancing through a window to see lightning dancing across the sky as the storm continues. Depending on who you ask, you either chose the best or worst night to do this.

Two months later.

The fireplace crackles before you as you sit on a couch. Miguel sits next to you, dressed, as always, so impeccably. Two mugs with hot coffee are on the coffee table, one for each of you.

With a smile, you look up from the jewelry box and gaze at Miguel, finding him already staring at you.

“You like it?” Miguel asks, hopeful.

“I love it,” you answer, tracing a finger over the necklace Miguel has surprised you with out of nowhere. “It’s so pretty.”

“I saw it and thought of you,” Miguel replies, happy that you like your gift.

“This is so sweet of you,” you respond, pulling it out of the box to put it on. “Mind helping me?”

“My pleasure,” Miguel replies, taking the necklace and gesturing for you to turn around. With ease, Miguel helps you put on the necklace. He smiles, truly relieved and happy that you liked what he chose out for you.

It’s been two months since the night you entered the castle. After you changed into dry clothes — Miguel’s clothes — he gave you a tour of the beautiful castle. He was more than eager to tell you about everything, from the kind of stone the castle is made out of to where the furniture comes from.

At the end of the tour, Miguel offered you a mug of coffee to warm up, which you both drank while chatting. Earlier before the tour, you told yourself your visit would be brief, especially because you felt so bad about being caught inside Miguel’s home, but the man didn’t seem to mind at all, so you stayed longer until at some point, you passed out on the couch.

The next morning, you woke up in a beautiful bedroom by yourself. You took note that Miguel had tucked you in and even thrown an extra blanket to keep you warm on top of starting the fireplace.

After making the bed, you went downstairs, where you found Miguel already waiting for you with breakfast. It didn’t take too much for Miguel to convince you to stay and eat with him, especially when the breakfast he made is one of your favorite meals. It was like he knew somehow, though you knew that was impossible, of course.

This only marked the beginning of a warm and beautiful friendship between you from that point forward. With warmth, Miguel welcomed you into his home and so, you found yourself visiting him often. Even if you wanted to stay away, you couldn’t. There was something about Miguel that you found comforting and familiar right away despite being strangers. As the days went on, those feelings grew. It felt as though you two had known each other for years.

The more you learned about Miguel, however, the more you wanted to ask questions that were on your mind since the first night you stepped foot in the castle. To start, there was the question about his eye color. You had originally thought he wore contact lenses, but with each visit, you noticed the usual visible outline from contact lenses was missing on top of the fact that his eyes were red without failure. You figured that on some days, he would give his eyes a break, but no.

There was also the question about the castle. You went there with the belief that it was abandoned, only to find Miguel living there. How was it that no one noticed when the castle is such a hot spot? With the internet at your hands, you spent a few hours trying to find any posts that talked about someone already living there, but you came up with nothing. It was as if no one lived there despite you seeing the opposite with your own pair of eyes.

You knew there was something happening; sensed it. One month after meeting Miguel, you decided to voice your question regarding the castle while having dinner.

“Does it scare you?” Miguel asked, lowering his fork.

“Scare me?” you repeated. “No, it doesn't. I’m merely wondering why people still think the castle is abandoned… There are posts from people who were here only a month before I showed up and the castle was… Deteriorated in their photos.”

Miguel lowered his gaze at that, thinking. “… It's best not to go into it,” Miguel stated with a look that you understood meant he knew there was no evading it, even if he wished not to discuss it. “I… I know you'll… You'll walk away, querida [dear].”

Querida.

From the very first night he called you that and it stuck ever since. “I won’t walk away. Why would I?” you asked, knowing in your heart it was true.

“I’m damned, querida,” Miguel stated, staring at you as if you were already on your way out of the castle.

“Damned? Miguel, what are you talking about? You’re not damned.”

“You don’t know that, querida mia [my dear].”

“Don’t you… Trust me?” you asked. “I… I’m not afraid,” you said suddenly, the words slipping from your mouth without thinking. It felt right to say them. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“You say that now, but if you knew,” Miguel continued with a pained tone.

“I know,” you replied, staring at him so he understood you meant it. “I know that there’s something you don’t want me to know. Something you think is bad enough to drive me away, but I’m still here. Even from the first night, I sensed something, but not once have I ever felt unsafe in your presence.”

“That is kind of you,” Miguel murmured, comforted by your words. “It brings me relief and comfort to know you’ve never felt fear because of me, but… I’m not who you think I am. I’m not like you.”

“You are like me. You and I are so — so alike,” you said, leaning closer to him unconsciously. “I feel that in my heart.”

“Dios [God],” Miguel answered, covering his eyes with one hand in frustration. “You're not making this any easier, hermosa [gorgeous]. I'm damned. I'm not a good guy.”

“You’re not damned —”

“I am damned because I'm a vampire,” Miguel suddenly revealed with a pained expression, but needing you to know the truth. Better now than later, better now than keeping you in the dark. “I’m a vampire. Damned to live for eternity. Do you understand now? We’re not the same. You — You’re human. Your soul is pure, not damned, querida [dear],” Miguel whispered.

Vampire. The word echoed in your head. Vampires are real and Miguel is one. You should've probably been doubtful and or scared, but instead, his confession made sense. There was no doubt in your mind. It was as if you knew all along, somehow.

“That doesn’t matter to me,” you answered with conviction.

“It doesn’t matter?” Miguel replied with a scoff. “I’ve lived for over two hundred years and I’ll be here for another hundreds of years because my soul is damned. All because…”

That night, for the very first time, Miguel shared his story. He was once a human man, born to humans. When he was thirty-three, he decided to venture to New Orleans, where he was turned into a vampire by a random man after nearly losing his life because of a stab injury.

The act itself was traumatic and then, there was the scary knowledge that he had become something else — something other than human, even if he still looked like one.

Through research, Miguel discovered what he had been turned into: a creature that sought blood, whose eyes had turned red when they were once the color of coffee. Despite the years, Miguel's “condition” — as he viewed it — prevented him from aging, or dying, currently making Miguel over two hundred years old.

With a shattered heart, Miguel witnessed his parents, brother, and friends pass away, leaving him utterly alone in the world.

After losing everyone he ever loved, Miguel dedicated himself to traveling the world. Of course, this was also a strategy to avoid raising suspicions over his unchanging appearance.

Years and years later, he decided he had enough of running and wanted a home. Thanks to his inheritance and his own work from years, Miguel decided to settle in the same area you moved into. He bought land and to be funny, he decided to have a castle built. After all, vampires are said to live in them, right?

To protect himself and his mental health, he used his powers that came with turning into a vampire — a trait he discovered doesn't apply for all vampires after encountering others like himself — and used them to put glimmer on the castle.

To any outsider, the castle would look abandoned as a way to deter them from coming in. What Miguel wanted was to avoid human interaction as this would allow him to stay in one place without worries. To Miguel's dismay, however, he discovered that people still wanted to explore the “abandoned” castle, something that became especially popular with the rise of social media. With a scoff of disbelief, Miguel told you about dealing with paranormal content creators and their crews.

“It's fun to mess with them when they pull out their little spirit box, though,” Miguel said that night with a mischievous grin.

With the glimmer in place, Miguel decided that he'd add something else to it for fun, or maybe, as he said that night, it was something he did out of desperation and hope. That little extra he added was so that only certain people could see the true reality of the castle.

The way Miguel saw it, whoever was able to see the castle for its true appearance despite the glimmer, meant that they had an open mind and soul. And, if they had an open mind and soul, maybe — just maybe — they'd be open to the idea of a lonely vampire without fear.

With every passing year, Miguel waited and waited. As much as he despised the visitors, he hoped that one day, one of them would look around in awe as they took in the true interior of the castle. With an expression of hopelessness, Miguel explained that after several years passed, he started to lose hope, even if he had eternity to wait for the one.

“But everything changed that night, querida,” Miguel said, moving closer to you. He gazed at you, as if you were something very precious. “I thought you'd be like every other curious human, until I really looked at you. I noticed how you looked around in equal surprise and awe. I knew it, then… You were the one.”

Miguel's confession from that night only brought the two of you closer and ever since then, you've spent numerous hours in his castle, eagerly listening to his stories.

Your curious nature also led to asking Miguel about the life of a vampire. Did garlic actually work? Did silver truly kill vampires? Did he have any powers?

Miguel, on the other hand, happily told you everything. Although, he did ask you not to expect his skin to glow in the sun like diamonds.

You eventually asked about his diet. When he dined with you, he ate human food, which you found odd. He explained he could still sustain himself from normal food, but blood was best. With a small smile, Miguel answered your next question: his blood diet comes from animals, though he has tasted human blood during his early years as a vampire, when he became some kind of vigilante pursuing bad men.

“It's… Unfortunately, more fulfilling than an animal's,” Miguel shared. “But animal blood does the trick paired with normal food.”

Now, you run a finger over the necklace Miguel has gifted you. One month has passed since you learned that Miguel is a vampire and since then, the two of you have grown closer, so much he has gifted you this beautiful necklace.

Seeing your reaction, Miguel smiles. “You look… Lovely, querida,” he tells you in his gentle tone.

“You're always the gentleman,” you answer, leaning back on the couch to gaze at him, meeting his gaze.

You stare at each other in silence with the fireplace in front of you going strong.

“Can I tell you something?” Miguel asks suddenly, gazing at you.

“A story?” you ask.

“A… Story,” Miguel answers with a nod.

You nod, ready.

“A few years before I was turned into a vampire, I came across a woman. She looked at me and offered her services — not those services,” Miguel clarifies when he sees you raise your eyebrows. “She claimed to be able to read cards. The tarot. As I said before, I was an adventurous man then, so I accepted. No harm, right?” Miguel states. “She read the cards and said, I'd have a long, long life.” Miguel shakes his head in disbelief. “She was right, of course, because look at me. I shrugged it off back then and decided to ask other things. What could she tell me about my professional endeavors? Would I be wealthy enough to support my family, meaning my parents? When she answered that, she asked if I wanted to know about my love life.”

“… Did you?” you ask softly. While Miguel has told you about so many things, he has kept his personal love life a mystery. That fact hasn't escaped you, and you haven't forgotten about the embroidered tapestries with the unknown couple on them either.

“I said fine, even if I was more concerned about my family. The tarot reader proceeded to tell me that it'd take me a long time to be with my partner. She said, I'd have to wait until she was ready to find me,” Miguel continues, staring at you.

“And… Has she found you?” you ask, wondering if Miguel has have someone in the past. The idea… Doesn't sit well with you. A strange feeling forms in your chest at the idea of Miguel having someone significant in his life. It shouldn't, you know that. After all, Miguel is over two hundred years old.

Miguel hums. “The first time I saw her was in 1829,” Miguel states. “She was walking with her mother as I drank a cup of coffee. I was mesmerized in a way I had never been before. She had this gaze,” Miguel shares for the first time, staring at you. “I was hypnotized. I needed to know who she was, so I introduced myself. We had a connection I had never felt with anyone before. I proposed to her, but unfortunately, shortly after we got engaged, she passed away due to sickness.”

Hearing that, you push past the overwhelming unknown feeling in your chest and comfort Miguel by rubbing his shoulder. “I'm sorry for your loss, Miguel. I'm sorry you guys didn't have a chance to start a life together.”

With ease, Miguel takes your hand from his shoulder and holds it in his. “I was heartbroken. This was before my family passed away, so they tried to lift my spirits, but nothing could fix a shattered heart. I never had any interest in settling with another woman, so I focused on my work to distract myself. Eventually, my parents and my brother passed away. It never once crossed my mind to turn them into vampires. I couldn't, so they passed,” Miguel explains. “I picked up and left afterwards. Traveled. Not once did I stop thinking about her. Her sweet smile. Her mesmerizing gaze. The way she laughed. The way her skin felt,” Miguel softly says, reminiscing. Gently, Miguel starts running his thumb over your knuckles. “One day, in a whole different place… I saw her smile again.”

“Wait — what?” you ask, confused.

“Twenty-four years later after she died, I ran into her again. In 1853.”

“But — but you said she died of sickness,” you state, confused. “How was she alive?”

“That's what I didn't know. I couldn't wrap my head around it, but there she was. Standing across the room from me, making eye contact. I felt like the floor had been pulled under me. She was supposed to be dead, I knew that, so how was it possible that she stood before my very own eyes? She wasn't a vampire, who had faked her death. She was human, just like the 1853 version of herself, but she wasn't a woman in her 40s as she should've been had she lived. This woman, she was still in her 20s. That was impossible.”

You stare at Miguel, trying to put this puzzle together.

“When I approached her,” Miguel continues. “It was clear she didn't recognize me. There was no recognition in her eyes, the same ones I had longingly gazed into two decades before. I introduced myself to her and that led to us becoming friends, though of course, I… I loved her.” Miguel whispers the last bit, gently squeezing your hand. “When I started courting her — because she, too, fell for me — she passed away again due to sickness.”

With a sigh, Miguel continues forward. “One thing I very much appreciate from this current time is the medical advancements. Back then, people passed away even from a simple cold, unfortunately. So… That was the second time I lost her, and it wouldn't be the last.”

“You saw her again?”

“Many more times,” Miguel shares. “Under different names, different locations. Each time, she passed away.”

“Miguel,” you start slowly because this is delicate. “You're saying that your partner… She has reincarnated more than once?”

“Indeed,” Miguel answers, still holding your hand. “She has been reincarnated several times, all these years.”

“Several times,” you murmur, trying to wrap your mind around this information. It doesn't take much, after all, you have knowledge that vampires are real now. Is it truly that hard to believe that reincarnation is real? No.

Plus, you've heard of stories in which people recall memories from a previous life. There's even stories about people willingly doing life regressions to gain glimpses of past lives. And, you can't forget of the strange likeness some people have today to people from centuries ago.

“Is there a pattern?” you ask. “Is she always in her 20s?”

“It happens every twenty or thirty years.”

“So, she has either crossed paths with you already, or she will soon,” you conclude, having that feeling intensify within you.

Miguel has someone special. Someone he loves and hasn't stopped loving, and who comes back to him.

This feeling…

You gaze down at your hand, held in Miguel's. His skin is not cold like a vampire’s skin tends to be in fictional works, but instead hot, yet you don't dislike it. It's a heat you could easily lose yourself in, one you'd swim in with ardor.

“She has found me already,” Miguel reveals.

With a swallow, you gaze up to look at Miguel. She has found Miguel.

“…The tarot reader proceeded to tell me that it'd take me a long time to be with my partner. She said, I'd have to wait until she was ready to find me…” Miguel said earlier.

That was it, then. One, the tarot reader was right about Miguel living a long life. He’s now over two hundred years old because he’s a vampire, therefore meeting that statement.

Two, Miguel has been in love with the same woman for nearly two hundred years, the same woman who has been born time and time again. All this time, Miguel has been finding her before she passes away. It seems that Miguel hasn’t been able to be with her because it needs to be her who finds him, not the other way around. Only then, will they be together. And now, she has found him.

“And you’re in contact with her?” you ask quietly.

Exhaling softly, Miguel replies. “Yes.”

At Miguel’s answer, you press your free hand to your temple, feeling a headache forming.

Jealously.

Hurt.

That’s what you’re feeling now.

You’re jealous of the woman Miguel is destined to be with. You’re jealous that she has a connection with him, one so pure she returns to him each time. You’re jealous because you have developed feelings for Miguel. Your heart doesn’t care that it’s only been two months since you met him and one since you discovered that he’s a vampire. No. Your heart doesn’t care because you’ve fallen for Miguel.

On top of jealously, hurt fills your chest. You’re hurt that Miguel has only now shared this, even if he doesn’t have an obligation to do so. You’re hurt that you’ve been around for two months and during that time, you’re certain that Miguel has been in contact with her. She’s probably already been here, you think to yourself.

When you try to swallow, you realize there’s a knot in your throat, one you try to rid yourself of by clearing your throat. You’re Miguel’s friend, you silently tell yourself. You need to be supportive and happy for him. He deserves it.

Suddenly, your hand on your temple is wrapped by Miguel’s free hand. “Querida, what — Are you crying?” Miguel asks, frowning.

Crying? You didn’t even realize tears formed in your eyes. Trying to pull yourself together, you attempt to withdraw your hands from Miguel’s, but he refuses to let go, so you look away.

“Sorry — I’m sorry, they’re… Good tears,” you lie, sniffling. “I’m happy that she has found you. What the tarot reader said, means you’ll be together now, right?”

“Querida mia [my dear],” Miguel murmurs. “Please, don’t cry. I’ve never been able to see you crying without feeling like my own heart is being ripped to shreds,” he continues, bringing your hand to his mouth to press a gentle kiss to the back of it. For a few seconds, Miguel closes his eyes, debating within himself. “Look at me, please. Look at me.”

“It’s alright, Miguel, really. I’m merely feeling emotional,” you spill out, gazing at him through teary eyes.

The sight of your tears rips Miguel apart. He can feel his own eyes tearing up as he sighs in desperation at himself. “I promised myself for your sake that I’d be patient, but I can’t do this anymore,” Miguel desperately states, getting down on his knees in front of you while still holding your hands. “Vida mia [my life], you have found me,” Miguel murmurs, pressing another kiss to your knuckles now. “You have found me. Don’t you feel it? It’s you. It’s always been you.”

“Wh — what?” you whisper, your heart starting to beat rapidly. “Miguel, don’t play like that.”

“Vida mia [my life], I would never play with you. You’re the woman I have encountered so many times. The woman I have yearned for for nearly two hundred years. You found me, at last. You came to me,” Miguel murmurs with teary eyes.

“That can’t be,” you answer, not wanting to feel false hope. “That — that can’t be true.”

“Do you truly believe that, mi amor [my love]?” Miguel asks, breathing heavily. “Look within yourself and tell me you don’t believe it. Tell me you don’t feel it somewhere deep in your soul that you and I have met so many times before. That I haven’t approached you time and time again, longing for you more than I did in your previous life? You’re the woman I fell in love with in 1829 and have been in love with every since. It’s you, I swear,” Miguel proclaims. “I — I have pictures. I will be back.”

“Pictures?” you ask in shock as Miguel abruptly stands up, rushing to his study. “Miguel!”

“Wait, right there,” Miguel urgently answers, pushing the door to his study open. Before you know it, Miguel is back with portraits in his arms, carefully held against his chest like they’re the most precious items in the world. He reaches the couch you’re still sitting on and starts placing each portrait down with care before stepping back to let you see for yourself.

Still shocked, you stand up to look at the portraits and freeze as soon as you lay eyes on them, or rather, on the woman portrayed in them.

It’s you.

You’re in every single one of them, painted in different styles and techniques. In the last ones, you’re no longer painted, but rather photographed due to the advanced technology.

With your heart beating rapidly, you take note of the actual frames. They’re not the same, each one is unique and show more wear than others. Carefully, you pick one up and inspect it closer. For a few seconds, you gaze back at yourself before you inspect it for a date or the artist’s signature, finding initials in the right corner along with 1829 as the year.

You pick up one after the other, noticing all the details that lead to the same conclusion. They’re all from different times, some older than others based on the wear and how the technique is different. As to the last ones, being actual photos, you can spot they’re not altered. They’re authentic.

“It’s…” you start, looking at the portraits all together. “It’s really me.”

“It’s you, amor [love],” Miguel whispers. “It’s you.”

Slowly, you turn to look at Miguel. “You knew from the first night I stepped foot in your home.”

“Yes,” Miguel confirms, slowly moving closer to you. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw you, but there you were,” he murmurs, stopping in front of you. Ever so gently, he lifts his hand and cups your cheek with tears running down his cheeks. “I’ve been waiting for you. You have no idea how many decades I’ve spent thinking that it’d never happen. That you’d never find me.”

Slowly, you cut the distance between you, too, and gaze at Miguel before you lean into him. With a heavy sigh of relief, Miguel wraps his arms around you, pulling you into him. You wrap your arms around him as well and close your eyes, suddenly overwhelmed with so many emotions.

“Miguel,” you breathlessly murmur, inhaling his scent.

“Look at me,” Miguel whispers, lifting your face.

You stare into his eyes, those eyes you love and have loved in each and every life. You admire every bit of them, his dilated pupils and that rich red. As you stare into his eyes — his very soul — you’re suddenly struck with visions.

With his coffee cup in midair, you see Miguel watching you from his seat for the very first time with a look of awe. It blurs away to another scene, a ballroom full of people in which Miguel watches you across the room. Vision after vision, you see Miguel in different styles of clothing with different hairstyles in accordance with the time period.

You see him smiling at you with tender eyes as he introduces himself. You see him on one knee, proposing to you before seeing the rings on your finger. Time after time.

As if it were a dream, you feel Miguel behind you, holding you against his chest.

Your eyes snap open. The tapestries. It suddenly clicks in your head that the tapestries are about Miguel and you. You’re the couple in them.

“The tapestries,” you state, looking at them for a second before returning your gaze to Miguel.

Miguel smiles, nodding. “I made them myself. One for each time we’ve run into each other.”

“Miguel,” you whisper, overwhelmed with your memories. “I've found you.”

“You remember?” Miguel whispers, hoping.

You nod, clinging to each other like you're each other's lifeline. “I remember you,” you whisper before Miguel embraces you tighter than he already was.

“I never wish to be parted from you ever again, querida,” Miguel murmurs, sniffling. “I never stopped yearning for you, even when I thought God was punishing me.”

“Why would God punish you?” you ask, lifting your head to look at him.

“I thought God was punishing me for being created into this creature. That maybe, you and I were meant to be, but when I was turned into this, I was unworthy of you,” Miguel confesses, pressing his forehead against yours. “I thought history would repeat itself. Over and over. That we’d never be together.”

“I'm here now,” you whisper, inhaling Miguel’s comforting and warm scent. “It was merely our cruel luck all those other times, nothing else. It wasn't you. God, or the universe, or whatever bigger identity is out there, wouldn't part us as punishment. If anything,” you continue, nuzzling your nose against his. “The universe fought to keep us together all those times, but the circumstances prevented that. Now, I have found you. I have found you and I don't wish to be parted from you either, querido [dear],” you murmur.

“Vida mía [my life],” Miguel murmurs, returning the gesture of nuzzling his nose against yours before pressing a kiss to your forehead. He presses several kisses on that spot before kissing each of your cheeks. Even your chin and nose receive a kiss before Miguel stops, staring at your lips with yearning.

“I wish to kiss you,” you whisper, seeing the same need in his eyes. “Please, kiss me, Miguel.”

“Since the first time I saw you,” Miguel murmurs, moving closer until there's only an inch left between your lips. Miguel inhales shakily, meeting your gaze. “I’ve been needing to kiss you. May I?”

“Yes,” you answer with need.

With your permission, Miguel tilts your head up and presses his lips against yours, kissing you with an equal amount of need and tenderness. At the feel of your lips, Miguel sighs into the kiss, unable to stop himself.

Equally yearning for the kiss, you kiss Miguel with need as your fingers slip into his hair, pulling him closer to you.

The kiss continues, consuming the two of you like a fire, and carries on as an attempt to make up for all the kisses you never had the opportunity to share.

It could've been hours, months, or years when you gently pull away to catch your breath.

Resting his forehead against yours, Miguel releases a shaky breath. There's an energy within him, as if your kiss has awakened something that he hadn't realized was dormant all this time.

“I’ve missed you. All this time, I’ve had this feeling,” you start. “This feeling that I’ve been destined to be with someone specifically. My person. That you’ve been out here, somewhere, waiting for me, too,” you whisper. “And I’ve found you, at last.”

Miguel sighs deeply, kissing your lips again with need. “I’ve been here,” Miguel whispers against your lips. “I’ve been here all this time. I’ll always be here. I promise,” he murmurs with devotion before kissing you again.

“I need you,” you whisper, making Miguel’s breath hitch.

With wide eyes, Miguel stares into your own. “Do you mean…?” When you nod in confirmation, Miguel exhales shakily. “I need you, amor [love], but I don't want you to feel rushed nor pressured.”

“I don't feel either way, corazón [sweetheart],” you tell him earnestly. “I need you. If you're ready… I'm ready, too.”

Seeing your honest expression, Miguel captures your lips in another heated kiss before he lifts you up, making you wrap your legs around his waist as if you weight nothing. His own legs start moving, heading for the second floor to his bedroom.

Once there, Miguel pushes the door open and carries you to his bed. On there, you lay on your back as Miguel climbs on top of you, settling between your legs. Gently, Miguel breaks the kiss, moving to kiss your jawline and neck, where he eagerly runs his tongue over your skin in between hot open-mouthed kisses.

Little by little, taking your time, you undress each other until you're both left in your undergarments.

“Dios mio, qué belleza… Eres una diosa, mi amor [My God, what a beauty… You’re a goddess, my love],” Miguel murmurs as he lowers his face to kiss your tummy. He presses a few more kisses before kissing his way up to your chest, inhaling the sweet scent from between your breasts. “You smell divine. Everywhere. I think this can go,” Miguel says, gliding a finger over the cup of your bra before he slips one strap down.

“We need to undo it from the back,” you say softly

“Right,” Miguel answers. “I forgot… These things are strange.”

“Strange?”

“I much prefer a corset,” Miguel says as you sit up slightly so he can reach the bra’s back. “Dios [God], you'd look gorgeous in one. I want to buy you many, in different colors.” Miguel says as he tries to snap open your bra with a look of concentration. He gets it at last and smiles as he thinks about something else, slipping the straps down your shoulders. “And night gowns, made of the finest silk,” he continues, leaning in to kiss your lips again. “Lots of night gowns for you to wear around the castle.”

You chuckle against his lips. “You want to see me in corsets and night gowns.”

“You look gorgeous in them,” Miguel answers, letting the bra fall on the other side of the bed. “And it'd be easier to have access to all of you —” Miguel stops and gazes at your bare chest, visibly swallowing. Gently, he cups one of your breasts and feels your skin, finding it soft like the rest of you. He notes your hardened nipples and unable to delay any further, Miguel dips his head to wrap his mouth around one, sucking on it with a low groan.

“Miguel,” you breathe out, watching as he eagerly sucks on your hardened peak. He takes his time appreciating it before moving to the other one, earning himself sweet whines from your pretty mouth.

After a few minutes of playing with your breasts, Miguel stops only to kiss his way down your body until he reaches your panties, where he inhales shakily.

“Mi diosa… Hueles divino [my goddess… you smell divine],” he breathes out, closing his eyes in pure delight. “I wish I could rip these off with my fangs.” Without hesitation, you reply to his last statement. “Rip them.”

Miguel's hand goes still at your words, raising one eyebrow. “Rip them?”

“Do it.”

With a smirk, Miguel lowers his face even more, until his nose is nearly pressed to your clothed pussy. His lips part, revealing his fangs. “Don't move, querida [dear]. I don't want to hurt you by accident,” he warns.

“I'll stay still,” you promise, your chest rising deeply.

With a nod, Miguel gazes up at you as he proceeds to rip your panties apart from the waistband down the middle. With a finger, Miguel removes the ripped fabric to expose your sweet pussy to his hungry gaze. “Mi diosa [my goddess],” Miguel murmurs, leaning in to kiss your inner thigh before he lifts himself enough to appreciate all of you. You’re a beautiful sight, always have been in every shape and context for Miguel. You’re his weakness, always and forever. “I wish to taste you,” Miguel confesses, lowering himself once more so his face is above your pussy. “May I?” he asks, being a gentleman, even now when you’re both like this.

“I — If you want to,” you answer with a small yet shy smile.

“If I want to?” Miguel shakes his head in disbelief. “If I want to… It would be my absolute privilege, hermosa [gorgeous].” Seeing your bashful expression, Miguel smiles. “Look at you being so sweet, mi vida [my life]. You have me in the palm of your hand and you’re still so shy,” Miguel says with tenderness, pressing another kiss to your inner thigh, so close to where you need him. He can see your need for him clearly, how your sweet pussy is soaking wet for him. Teasingly, he breathes on your flesh, making you whine for him. “So needy, amor [love], just how I feel about you. I need you, too,” he murmurs, lowering his face to press a hot and sensual, but slow kiss to your clit to prepare you for him.

Like a starving man, which in your hazy mind makes sense considering the years Miguel has lived for, Miguel laps at your pussy. His tongue delves between your lips before gliding it down to your entrance, collecting your sweet, sweet honey. Blissfully, you tug at his hair and arch beneath him, making him groan.

“Right there, corazón [sweetheart]. I need you,” you whimper, tugging on his soft hair again.

“Such a pretty pussy,” Miguel groans, lapping at your entrance with fervor. “So sweet, so hot — fuck,” he groans, rubbing your clit with his thumb to make you writhe.

“Miguel — Oh, fuck,” you moan, pulling his hair much harder.

“Dulce bebe [sweet baby],” Miguel murmurs, gently slipping one of his thick fingers inside you. The act makes you jolt in pleasure, feeling full by his finger alone as he carefully begins to stretch you. Under his last piece of clothing, Miguel’s cock aches with need as he adds a second finger, feeling the heat and dampness of your needy pussy. In minutes, Miguel makes you cum on his fingers with a breathy moan of pleasure.

Carefully, Miguel pulls out his fingers and sticks them in his mouth, licking them clean of your essence with a loud moan of appreciation.

You look up at Miguel, feeling hazy and satisfied, but not quite just yet. Not when you still need Miguel. By simply taking a look at Miguel’s undergarments, you see he’s still in need of you, too. “I need you, corazón [sweetheart],” you whisper, gliding a hand up his arm.

With a smile, Miguel catches your hand when it reaches his chest. Reverently, he slowly kisses each finger. “I need you, amor [love],” he whispers, kissing your thumb and then, your palm. He leans down to kiss you, feeling your hands glide down his back, seeking his warmth. Panting, he lifts himself, but not enough to stop kissing you. He quickly discards his last piece of clothing, freeing his aching and heavy cock.

Breathless, you feel Miguel lift your leg to his hip, which you quickly wrap around him to bring him closer.

“Fuck,” Miguel breathes out as his cock comes in contact with your pussy. “I can’t hold back anymore.”

“I need you, please,” you murmur sweetly against his lips. “I need you like I need air.”

“I need you like the flowers need the sun. You’re my everything,” Miguel whispers, reverently. “You’re my moon, my sun, my stars — my reason for existing,” he continues as he gently pushes himself inside your warmth, sinking into your welcoming and delicious heat.

“I’ve been looking for you,” you pant as Miguel begins to move above you. “All my life.”

“And I’ve been waiting for you, mi vida [my life],” Miguel whispers. “Been waiting for you for almost two hundred years. Almost two centuries, mi amor, and for you…” Miguel shakily breathes, leaning down to kiss your mouth. “I’d wait for eternity if it means you and I are destined to be. From the moment I saw you —” Miguel stops, relishing the way you writhe beneath him with every thrust of his hips. “My soul was enchanted. I knew I was forever yours in that instant. My soul — if I still possess one — is forever tangled with yours. It belongs to you and you alone,” he desperately declares, burying his thick and hard cock all the way until his heavy balls are pressed to your flesh.

“Miguel, Miguel, Miguel,” you reverently say his name like a prayer, dragging your nails down his back to mark him. “My soul belonged to you then, and it still belongs to you today,” you profess, bringing his face down to kiss him. You want — need — him to know you feel the same.

With the sound of skin slapping skin in the air, Miguel pushes his tongue inside your mouth, craving everything you have to offer him. Your tongue wraps around and slides against his, teasing and caressing; submitting and dominating. All at the same time.

With a groan, Miguel gently bites your tongue before moving to kiss your jawline and neck, where he licks and bites, leaving his mark on your skin.

“Oh God, don’t stop biting me,” you whimper as his hips pick up speed.

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” Miguel warns with a groan. “How much I’m holding back from marking you with my fangs, marking all of your pretty skin for days.”

“Please,” you beg, wrapping your other leg around Miguel’s waist. “I want it.”

“Mi diosa [my goddess],” Miguel murmurs. “I didn’t know you were like this.”

You half moan and half laugh at his statement. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re far too willing for me. What am I going to do with you?” Miguel asks, looking at you with an amused yet tender smile.

“Love me,” you whisper as Miguel dips his head to bite your collarbone.

“You can't ask me to do something I've already been doing, mi alma [my soul],” Miguel replies, lifting his head again. “I have loved every single version of you; every second of my life. Don’t ever forget that. I love you,” Miguel devotedly murmurs against your lips before he kisses you again. “I love you,” he repeats before moving to bite the other side of your neck. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” Miguel utters like a chant in between bites, sinking his teeth into your flesh as you make sweet love.

Lost in the pleasure, Miguel and you move against each other, whispering sweet and desperate I love you's.

“Miguel — I'm gonna finish,” you whimper, squeezing his waist with your legs, not wanting to let go.

“Mi vida [my life] —” Miguel pants, snapping his hips into yours so hard and fast the bed hits the wall again and again. “I'm going to unravel — Need to feel you come. Need to see you come undone for me, mi reyna [my queen]. Mi diosa. Soy tuyo, eternamente [My goddess. I’m yours, eternally],” Miguel murmurs tenderly.

“I love you, I love you,” you sweetly whisper against Miguel's lips. “You're mine. And I'm yours. Eternally.”

“Eternally,” Miguel murmurs, kissing your lips as you both come undone at once.

Miguel can only grip your hand in his, moaning as he feels you come around his cock. His grip tightens at how your divine and hungry pussy milks him, taking everything from him.

Panting, you feel how Miguel fills you up with his hot seed, painting your walls white.

After cleaning up, Miguel and you cuddle in his bed knowing you’re two tangled souls meant to be together, together at last.

I hope you enjoyed this little vampire one-shot! 🥰 I've watched a lot of clips (spoliers 🥲) of the movie Dracula: A Love Tale and got inspired from it. Thank you so much for reading! Alondra❤️

credit for dividers: @saradika-graphics

[greensagephase]

Still thinking about vampire Miguel, who has been yearning for reader for almost two hundred years 🥺

[academic-vampire]

𝔣𝔢𝔢𝔩 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔟𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔬𝔣 𝔞 𝔤𝔥𝔬𝔰𝔱

[teenidlegirl]

[greensagephase]

Girl don’t go, I miss you already 😭 (kidding. Love u. But I do miss u tho.)

Hiii, nonnie! Aww, I'm here! I disappeared for a few days because I got season allergies and then, my time of the month started, so I wasn't feeling well, but I'm feeling better and I'm back! 🥰 I hope you're doing well and taking care of yourself! Love you, too, nonnie! 🥹💖

Alondra❤️

[greensagephase]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNd94fohK/

Heheheheh 🤭 :)))

Hiii, pooks!! 🥰This made me get on TikTok for the first time in... Idk how long since I don't use the app anymore, but haha, it made me laugh (like the other TikTok I saw you made about slow burns mentioning me😭)! NC is truly such a slow burn, but I promise they *will* end up together. I would never not let them be together after everything I've poured into this fic and all the sweet and kind support it has received from you guys.🥹 NC will have a happy ending! 💖 Btw, I'm so excited to be writing again, and I'm already plotting for the next chapter update! I miss Miguel and Dulzura! 🥹 Alondra❤️

(Tiktok)

[greensagephase]

Two Tangled Souls

Word Count: 9.4k Warnings: vampire!miguel x human female!reader; mentions of blood; time skip; Spanish, but with translations included; some angst (?); crying; an age gap because Miguel is a vampire; smut; some nipple play; some eating out; p in v; unprotected sex (be safe); biting during the deed; MDNI Songs: "Caribbean Blue" - Enya; "Salvatore Orchestral Cover" - Robbie Devine; "Music Box" - Danny Elfman

Thunder fills the air as you climb up the front stairs of the abandoned castle. Your rain jacket is soaked from the pouring rain and front pieces of your hair are plastered to your forehead.

Stopping in front of the grand doors, you gaze around and admire the architecture. It was the main reason you decided to come explore since you've always appreciated maximalist architecture, especially now in a time when the trend in architecture is the opposite.

Two months ago, you moved into this area when you realized you needed a change in your life. You don't know what it was, but something about this area spoke to you, so you followed your heart. A week after settling in, you heard of this castle for the first time.

According to legend, it's been abandoned for over sixty years, but was once the home of a man, who disappeared the same way he had appeared: suddenly and without anyone noticing it.

Since then, various stories have come to life thanks to the community. There are several accounts of individuals who have visited, or rather broken in, and had strange experiences.

To say you were intrigued by such stories is an understatement, so you found yourself looking up information online. You came across platforms with people talking about the place and sharing theories and such. Photos of the castle are also readily available, though now that you're looking at the castle in person, you're a bit confused.

The castle looks in great condition despite looking terribly deteriorated in the photos. Maybe it's the rain and darkness. Or, maybe, people have altered the photos for clicks and views.

Either way, you smile at the sight, pleased that the castle isn't in that condition. If you could afford it — and it was on sale — you'd buy it and live here.

After a few seconds of admiring the castle's exterior, you glance back and manage to spot your car about six hundred feet away, behind the metal and intricate gates. It won't be long before you return to it, or so you think.

With a hum, you step closer to the front doors and test one out by pushing it, fully expecting it to be locked, as it should be. Except, the door opens at the slight push of your hand.

Taking it as an invitation, you open it further to step inside, readying your flashlight to watch your step. However, your hand grows still when your eyes take in the interior.

It's the absolute opposite of what you were expecting based on the stories online. You expected a thick layer of dust covering everything; from the broken lamps to the stone floors, but no. The lamps are not broken by any means, if anything, they look brand new with working light bulbs, which illuminate everywhere. The floors are clean, as if they're tended to every day. The entrance and the main room, what seems to be the living area, is fully furnished with beautiful and elegant furniture that looks to be made out of expensive materials unlike the furniture of today.

Along with dust, you were expecting cobwebs in every corner and nook, but no. Everything is clean. You look down, realizing you're stepping on a beautiful antique rug. Immediately, you move off it, shocked by the turn of events. Moving further in, you see there's a grand staircase in the living area, leading to the second floor. Even the stairs are pretty looking, you realize with a sigh of disbelief.

Like a moth to a flame, you walk further inside until you make it to the living room. The walls, made out of stone, too, are decorated with painted plaster, displaying patterns and other symbols. There's also framed paintings and tapestries, which makes you pause.

As the huge and intricate fireplace flickers, you step closer to one of the tapestries to inspect it in awe, completely oblivious to the pair of red eyes watching you from the second floor with a mixture of fascination, disbelief, and something else.

Inspecting the first tapestry, you note it's a maroon color with gold and silver thread displaying a man sitting at a table and two women standing by. Only the man and one of the women are stitched in gold while the second woman is stitched in silver, separating her from the couple. Lowering your gaze, you realize there's a date embroidered at the bottom.

1829.

That was nearly two hundred years ago.

You move to the next tapestry, this one displaying just a man and a woman standing in front of each other. The year is 1853.

You do the math and realize that's only twenty-four years apart from the first tapestry. Are the tapestries telling a story?

Curious, you turn to another one with the year 1927. Again, there's a man and a woman. You note the attire seems different enough to symbolize the different fashion style compared to 1829. In this tapestry, the man seems to be embracing the woman from behind.

Shaking your head, you turn to the fireplace to warm up since your soaked clothes are starting to make you feel cold to your bones.

The history nerd inside you starts to think. Those tapestries seem antique, possibly meaning they're authentic. You look up at the ceiling before closing your eyes. Inhaling, the scent in the air is welcoming and for some odd reason, even familiar.

Straightening up, you silently chastise yourself for sticking around for so long in someone else's home. It's clear as night that the castle isn't abandoned. Someone lives here. The question is why the recent posts about this place failed to mention this important fact. Did no one notice that someone moved in and renovated the place?

“You truly ought to change your clothes, querida [dear],” a deep, rich, and masculine voice from somewhere behind you suddenly says, breaking the silence.

It makes you turn so fast you feel dizzy after a noise of pure fear forms in your throat. Shocked, your eyes land on a man, and not just any man.

The man before you is dressed impeccably. You’re no expert, but just by looking at his clothes, you can tell they’re high end. His brown hair is styled carefully, even down to the single piece of hair hanging over his forehead. It reminds you of that one guy from that one boy band you used to listen to in your teenage years. Okay, you still listen to them. Either way, you’ve never seen another man successfully pull off that look until now because the stranger before you… Oh, he pulls it off so effortlessly and gracefully. And, his face? God have mercy on you.

The man is absolutely beautiful. It’s as though, God, the universe, or whatever higher being there is out there, took extra care in making him.

The only thing that makes you raise an eyebrow are his eyes, the ones staring back at you with a look you can't decipher. They’re a rich red, almost like rubies. There’s no doubt in your mind they’re contact lenses, obviously, since that’s not a normal eye color. Yet, as you continue to gaze at them, they look so… Real.

Seeing your reaction, the man smiles softly and tilts his head. “Do you speak, querida [dear]?”

“I — yes, sir,” you manage to say, breaking your silence. With a swallow, you shift under his careful gaze, feeling almost hypnotized by the man’s beauty.

“Good,” Miguel answers, still smiling. “You’re my very first guest.”

That comment makes you snap out of it. You chastise yourself for growing so distracted by this stranger’s beauty. “Uh, right — I’m so sorry, sir,” you start, struggling to pull yourself together. How do you explain that you broke into this man’s home because everyone says it's still abandoned? “I heard from the locals that the castle was abandoned and being curious, I decided to come. I didn’t realize someone had moved in at some point. I'm truly so sorry for breaking into your home. I swear, I have no ill intentions,” you clarify as best as possible, suddenly thinking that this man could easily press charges against you.

To your dismay, the man laughs softly and steps closer. “Querida [dear], don’t fret. I understand the misunderstanding, trust me. Don’t worry your pretty heart, alright?” he says, watching you with fascination. He approaches you slowly, trying to avoid startling you. “My name is Miguel O’Hara. I’m the owner of this castle.” With that, Miguel extends a hand for a handshake.

“… It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” you answer after giving him your name, shaking his much larger and warmer hand. Stunned, you watch in silence as Miguel lifts your hand to his lips before pressing a kiss to the back of your hand. In the blink of an eye, two sudden but vivid images come to mind.

In the first, you see a gloved hand with a dainty bracelet on the wrist held by a masculine hand, the same skin color as Miguel's. It's the second one that leaves you breathless for a moment when you see that same masculine hand tracing a woman's arm, his chest pressed to her back.

You blink again, your vision clearing up only to find Miguel still holding your hand. Politely, you make a move to withdraw it, which Miguel accepts immediately.

That was a weird experience. And then, there’s Miguel's gesture, too.

No man has ever done that for you. In fact, you don't remember seeing this gesture in public in all your life, just in the movies.

“It's a privilege to meet you, querida [dear],” Miguel states with a gentle smile, at last.

You nod, holding your flashlight with both hands to give them something to do. “I’m truly sorry for breaking in. I just… I didn’t see any lights on when I was walking here?” you state, sounding more like a question to yourself, which makes you realize that is true. You somehow didn't note the lights through the windows.

“Don’t worry. Mistakes happen,” Miguel replies, brushing off your statement. “Sometimes… Our eyes play tricks on us, right?”

“I guess, yes…” you reply, feeling the weight of Miguel’s eyes on you. “Your contact lenses, they seem so real.”

Miguel smiles again, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “Do you find them intimidating?”

“Honestly, no. They’re actually cool,” you admit.

“That’s kind of you,” Miguel responds, not disclosing anything else about his contact lenses. “So, you were caught in this lovely storm we’re having, hm? Your clothes are still soaked, querida [dear]. You’ll catch a cold like that. The human body is so fragile already, we don’t want to expose it to such weather. If you wish, I can offer you a change of clothes and a hot cup of coffee, something to warm you right up.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you reply, glancing at the front doors. “I ought to go, truly.”

“Ah,” Miguel starts, slipping his hands into his pockets. “But didn’t you come here to explore the castle in the first place? That’s what so many people have done in the past. I’m assuming you came to do the same.”

“Well, yes, but I mean, this is your home. I already feel bad about you finding me in your living room as if it were my home. I don’t wish to intrude on you or your family.”

Miguel hums. “Don’t worry, querida [dear]. It’s just me and I don’t mind. If anything, I’d be happy to show you the castle. It’s my pride.” He states, gesturing to the living room. “It’s all original and well taken care off.”

“It’s all original?” you question, looking around again.

“Mhm, quite impressive, hm? You seem to appreciate old architecture.”

“How do you know that?”

“You give me that energy,” Miguel replies with a small smile. “Would you like a tour after getting some dry clothes?”

You really ought to go. He’s a man and you’re a woman. The dangers are high, yet… You have a good feeling about him, and your gut is usually right.

“I’ll only stay for a while,” you answer, glancing through a window to see lightning dancing across the sky as the storm continues. Depending on who you ask, you either chose the best or worst night to do this.

Two months later.

The fireplace crackles before you as you sit on a couch. Miguel sits next to you, dressed, as always, so impeccably. Two mugs with hot coffee are on the coffee table, one for each of you.

With a smile, you look up from the jewelry box and gaze at Miguel, finding him already staring at you.

“You like it?” Miguel asks, hopeful.

“I love it,” you answer, tracing a finger over the necklace Miguel has surprised you with out of nowhere. “It’s so pretty.”

“I saw it and thought of you,” Miguel replies, happy that you like your gift.

“This is so sweet of you,” you respond, pulling it out of the box to put it on. “Mind helping me?”

“My pleasure,” Miguel replies, taking the necklace and gesturing for you to turn around. With ease, Miguel helps you put on the necklace. He smiles, truly relieved and happy that you liked what he chose out for you.

It’s been two months since the night you entered the castle. After you changed into dry clothes — Miguel’s clothes — he gave you a tour of the beautiful castle. He was more than eager to tell you about everything, from the kind of stone the castle is made out of to where the furniture comes from.

At the end of the tour, Miguel offered you a mug of coffee to warm up, which you both drank while chatting. Earlier before the tour, you told yourself your visit would be brief, especially because you felt so bad about being caught inside Miguel’s home, but the man didn’t seem to mind at all, so you stayed longer until at some point, you passed out on the couch.

The next morning, you woke up in a beautiful bedroom by yourself. You took note that Miguel had tucked you in and even thrown an extra blanket to keep you warm on top of starting the fireplace.

After making the bed, you went downstairs, where you found Miguel already waiting for you with breakfast. It didn’t take too much for Miguel to convince you to stay and eat with him, especially when the breakfast he made is one of your favorite meals. It was like he knew somehow, though you knew that was impossible, of course.

This only marked the beginning of a warm and beautiful friendship between you from that point forward. With warmth, Miguel welcomed you into his home and so, you found yourself visiting him often. Even if you wanted to stay away, you couldn’t. There was something about Miguel that you found comforting and familiar right away despite being strangers. As the days went on, those feelings grew. It felt as though you two had known each other for years.

The more you learned about Miguel, however, the more you wanted to ask questions that were on your mind since the first night you stepped foot in the castle. To start, there was the question about his eye color. You had originally thought he wore contact lenses, but with each visit, you noticed the usual visible outline from contact lenses was missing on top of the fact that his eyes were red without failure. You figured that on some days, he would give his eyes a break, but no.

There was also the question about the castle. You went there with the belief that it was abandoned, only to find Miguel living there. How was it that no one noticed when the castle is such a hot spot? With the internet at your hands, you spent a few hours trying to find any posts that talked about someone already living there, but you came up with nothing. It was as if no one lived there despite you seeing the opposite with your own pair of eyes.

You knew there was something happening; sensed it. One month after meeting Miguel, you decided to voice your question regarding the castle while having dinner.

“Does it scare you?” Miguel asked, lowering his fork.

“Scare me?” you repeated. “No, it doesn't. I’m merely wondering why people still think the castle is abandoned… There are posts from people who were here only a month before I showed up and the castle was… Deteriorated in their photos.”

Miguel lowered his gaze at that, thinking. “… It's best not to go into it,” Miguel stated with a look that you understood meant he knew there was no evading it, even if he wished not to discuss it. “I… I know you'll… You'll walk away, querida [dear].”

Querida.

From the very first night he called you that and it stuck ever since. “I won’t walk away. Why would I?” you asked, knowing in your heart it was true.

“I’m damned, querida,” Miguel stated, staring at you as if you were already on your way out of the castle.

“Damned? Miguel, what are you talking about? You’re not damned.”

“You don’t know that, querida mia [my dear].”

“Don’t you… Trust me?” you asked. “I… I’m not afraid,” you said suddenly, the words slipping from your mouth without thinking. It felt right to say them. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“You say that now, but if you knew,” Miguel continued with a pained tone.

“I know,” you replied, staring at him so he understood you meant it. “I know that there’s something you don’t want me to know. Something you think is bad enough to drive me away, but I’m still here. Even from the first night, I sensed something, but not once have I ever felt unsafe in your presence.”

“That is kind of you,” Miguel murmured, comforted by your words. “It brings me relief and comfort to know you’ve never felt fear because of me, but… I’m not who you think I am. I’m not like you.”

“You are like me. You and I are so — so alike,” you said, leaning closer to him unconsciously. “I feel that in my heart.”

“Dios [God],” Miguel answered, covering his eyes with one hand in frustration. “You're not making this any easier, hermosa [gorgeous]. I'm damned. I'm not a good guy.”

“You’re not damned —”

“I am damned because I'm a vampire,” Miguel suddenly revealed with a pained expression, but needing you to know the truth. Better now than later, better now than keeping you in the dark. “I’m a vampire. Damned to live for eternity. Do you understand now? We’re not the same. You — You’re human. Your soul is pure, not damned, querida [dear],” Miguel whispered.

Vampire. The word echoed in your head. Vampires are real and Miguel is one. You should've probably been doubtful and or scared, but instead, his confession made sense. There was no doubt in your mind. It was as if you knew all along, somehow.

“That doesn’t matter to me,” you answered with conviction.

“It doesn’t matter?” Miguel replied with a scoff. “I’ve lived for over two hundred years and I’ll be here for another hundreds of years because my soul is damned. All because…”

That night, for the very first time, Miguel shared his story. He was once a human man, born to humans. When he was thirty-three, he decided to venture to New Orleans, where he was turned into a vampire by a random man after nearly losing his life because of a stab injury.

The act itself was traumatic and then, there was the scary knowledge that he had become something else — something other than human, even if he still looked like one.

Through research, Miguel discovered what he had been turned into: a creature that sought blood, whose eyes had turned red when they were once the color of coffee. Despite the years, Miguel's “condition” — as he viewed it — prevented him from aging, or dying, currently making Miguel over two hundred years old.

With a shattered heart, Miguel witnessed his parents, brother, and friends pass away, leaving him utterly alone in the world.

After losing everyone he ever loved, Miguel dedicated himself to traveling the world. Of course, this was also a strategy to avoid raising suspicions over his unchanging appearance.

Years and years later, he decided he had enough of running and wanted a home. Thanks to his inheritance and his own work from years, Miguel decided to settle in the same area you moved into. He bought land and to be funny, he decided to have a castle built. After all, vampires are said to live in them, right?

To protect himself and his mental health, he used his powers that came with turning into a vampire — a trait he discovered doesn't apply for all vampires after encountering others like himself — and used them to put glimmer on the castle.

To any outsider, the castle would look abandoned as a way to deter them from coming in. What Miguel wanted was to avoid human interaction as this would allow him to stay in one place without worries. To Miguel's dismay, however, he discovered that people still wanted to explore the “abandoned” castle, something that became especially popular with the rise of social media. With a scoff of disbelief, Miguel told you about dealing with paranormal content creators and their crews.

“It's fun to mess with them when they pull out their little spirit box, though,” Miguel said that night with a mischievous grin.

With the glimmer in place, Miguel decided that he'd add something else to it for fun, or maybe, as he said that night, it was something he did out of desperation and hope. That little extra he added was so that only certain people could see the true reality of the castle.

The way Miguel saw it, whoever was able to see the castle for its true appearance despite the glimmer, meant that they had an open mind and soul. And, if they had an open mind and soul, maybe — just maybe — they'd be open to the idea of a lonely vampire without fear.

With every passing year, Miguel waited and waited. As much as he despised the visitors, he hoped that one day, one of them would look around in awe as they took in the true interior of the castle. With an expression of hopelessness, Miguel explained that after several years passed, he started to lose hope, even if he had eternity to wait for the one.

“But everything changed that night, querida,” Miguel said, moving closer to you. He gazed at you, as if you were something very precious. “I thought you'd be like every other curious human, until I really looked at you. I noticed how you looked around in equal surprise and awe. I knew it, then… You were the one.”

Miguel's confession from that night only brought the two of you closer and ever since then, you've spent numerous hours in his castle, eagerly listening to his stories.

Your curious nature also led to asking Miguel about the life of a vampire. Did garlic actually work? Did silver truly kill vampires? Did he have any powers?

Miguel, on the other hand, happily told you everything. Although, he did ask you not to expect his skin to glow in the sun like diamonds.

You eventually asked about his diet. When he dined with you, he ate human food, which you found odd. He explained he could still sustain himself from normal food, but blood was best. With a small smile, Miguel answered your next question: his blood diet comes from animals, though he has tasted human blood during his early years as a vampire, when he became some kind of vigilante pursuing bad men.

“It's… Unfortunately, more fulfilling than an animal's,” Miguel shared. “But animal blood does the trick paired with normal food.”

Now, you run a finger over the necklace Miguel has gifted you. One month has passed since you learned that Miguel is a vampire and since then, the two of you have grown closer, so much he has gifted you this beautiful necklace.

Seeing your reaction, Miguel smiles. “You look… Lovely, querida,” he tells you in his gentle tone.

“You're always the gentleman,” you answer, leaning back on the couch to gaze at him, meeting his gaze.

You stare at each other in silence with the fireplace in front of you going strong.

“Can I tell you something?” Miguel asks suddenly, gazing at you.

“A story?” you ask.

“A… Story,” Miguel answers with a nod.

You nod, ready.

“A few years before I was turned into a vampire, I came across a woman. She looked at me and offered her services — not those services,” Miguel clarifies when he sees you raise your eyebrows. “She claimed to be able to read cards. The tarot. As I said before, I was an adventurous man then, so I accepted. No harm, right?” Miguel states. “She read the cards and said, I'd have a long, long life.” Miguel shakes his head in disbelief. “She was right, of course, because look at me. I shrugged it off back then and decided to ask other things. What could she tell me about my professional endeavors? Would I be wealthy enough to support my family, meaning my parents? When she answered that, she asked if I wanted to know about my love life.”

“… Did you?” you ask softly. While Miguel has told you about so many things, he has kept his personal love life a mystery. That fact hasn't escaped you, and you haven't forgotten about the embroidered tapestries with the unknown couple on them either.

“I said fine, even if I was more concerned about my family. The tarot reader proceeded to tell me that it'd take me a long time to be with my partner. She said, I'd have to wait until she was ready to find me,” Miguel continues, staring at you.

“And… Has she found you?” you ask, wondering if Miguel has have someone in the past. The idea… Doesn't sit well with you. A strange feeling forms in your chest at the idea of Miguel having someone significant in his life. It shouldn't, you know that. After all, Miguel is over two hundred years old.

Miguel hums. “The first time I saw her was in 1829,” Miguel states. “She was walking with her mother as I drank a cup of coffee. I was mesmerized in a way I had never been before. She had this gaze,” Miguel shares for the first time, staring at you. “I was hypnotized. I needed to know who she was, so I introduced myself. We had a connection I had never felt with anyone before. I proposed to her, but unfortunately, shortly after we got engaged, she passed away due to sickness.”

Hearing that, you push past the overwhelming unknown feeling in your chest and comfort Miguel by rubbing his shoulder. “I'm sorry for your loss, Miguel. I'm sorry you guys didn't have a chance to start a life together.”

With ease, Miguel takes your hand from his shoulder and holds it in his. “I was heartbroken. This was before my family passed away, so they tried to lift my spirits, but nothing could fix a shattered heart. I never had any interest in settling with another woman, so I focused on my work to distract myself. Eventually, my parents and my brother passed away. It never once crossed my mind to turn them into vampires. I couldn't, so they passed,” Miguel explains. “I picked up and left afterwards. Traveled. Not once did I stop thinking about her. Her sweet smile. Her mesmerizing gaze. The way she laughed. The way her skin felt,” Miguel softly says, reminiscing. Gently, Miguel starts running his thumb over your knuckles. “One day, in a whole different place… I saw her smile again.”

“Wait — what?” you ask, confused.

“Twenty-four years later after she died, I ran into her again. In 1853.”

“But — but you said she died of sickness,” you state, confused. “How was she alive?”

“That's what I didn't know. I couldn't wrap my head around it, but there she was. Standing across the room from me, making eye contact. I felt like the floor had been pulled under me. She was supposed to be dead, I knew that, so how was it possible that she stood before my very own eyes? She wasn't a vampire, who had faked her death. She was human, just like the 1853 version of herself, but she wasn't a woman in her 40s as she should've been had she lived. This woman, she was still in her 20s. That was impossible.”

You stare at Miguel, trying to put this puzzle together.

“When I approached her,” Miguel continues. “It was clear she didn't recognize me. There was no recognition in her eyes, the same ones I had longingly gazed into two decades before. I introduced myself to her and that led to us becoming friends, though of course, I… I loved her.” Miguel whispers the last bit, gently squeezing your hand. “When I started courting her — because she, too, fell for me — she passed away again due to sickness.”

With a sigh, Miguel continues forward. “One thing I very much appreciate from this current time is the medical advancements. Back then, people passed away even from a simple cold, unfortunately. So… That was the second time I lost her, and it wouldn't be the last.”

“You saw her again?”

“Many more times,” Miguel shares. “Under different names, different locations. Each time, she passed away.”

“Miguel,” you start slowly because this is delicate. “You're saying that your partner… She has reincarnated more than once?”

“Indeed,” Miguel answers, still holding your hand. “She has been reincarnated several times, all these years.”

“Several times,” you murmur, trying to wrap your mind around this information. It doesn't take much, after all, you have knowledge that vampires are real now. Is it truly that hard to believe that reincarnation is real? No.

Plus, you've heard of stories in which people recall memories from a previous life. There's even stories about people willingly doing life regressions to gain glimpses of past lives. And, you can't forget of the strange likeness some people have today to people from centuries ago.

“Is there a pattern?” you ask. “Is she always in her 20s?”

“It happens every twenty or thirty years.”

“So, she has either crossed paths with you already, or she will soon,” you conclude, having that feeling intensify within you.

Miguel has someone special. Someone he loves and hasn't stopped loving, and who comes back to him.

This feeling…

You gaze down at your hand, held in Miguel's. His skin is not cold like a vampire’s skin tends to be in fictional works, but instead hot, yet you don't dislike it. It's a heat you could easily lose yourself in, one you'd swim in with ardor.

“She has found me already,” Miguel reveals.

With a swallow, you gaze up to look at Miguel. She has found Miguel.

“…The tarot reader proceeded to tell me that it'd take me a long time to be with my partner. She said, I'd have to wait until she was ready to find me…” Miguel said earlier.

That was it, then. One, the tarot reader was right about Miguel living a long life. He’s now over two hundred years old because he’s a vampire, therefore meeting that statement.

Two, Miguel has been in love with the same woman for nearly two hundred years, the same woman who has been born time and time again. All this time, Miguel has been finding her before she passes away. It seems that Miguel hasn’t been able to be with her because it needs to be her who finds him, not the other way around. Only then, will they be together. And now, she has found him.

“And you’re in contact with her?” you ask quietly.

Exhaling softly, Miguel replies. “Yes.”

At Miguel’s answer, you press your free hand to your temple, feeling a headache forming.

Jealously.

Hurt.

That’s what you’re feeling now.

You’re jealous of the woman Miguel is destined to be with. You’re jealous that she has a connection with him, one so pure she returns to him each time. You’re jealous because you have developed feelings for Miguel. Your heart doesn’t care that it’s only been two months since you met him and one since you discovered that he’s a vampire. No. Your heart doesn’t care because you’ve fallen for Miguel.

On top of jealously, hurt fills your chest. You’re hurt that Miguel has only now shared this, even if he doesn’t have an obligation to do so. You’re hurt that you’ve been around for two months and during that time, you’re certain that Miguel has been in contact with her. She’s probably already been here, you think to yourself.

When you try to swallow, you realize there’s a knot in your throat, one you try to rid yourself of by clearing your throat. You’re Miguel’s friend, you silently tell yourself. You need to be supportive and happy for him. He deserves it.

Suddenly, your hand on your temple is wrapped by Miguel’s free hand. “Querida, what — Are you crying?” Miguel asks, frowning.

Crying? You didn’t even realize tears formed in your eyes. Trying to pull yourself together, you attempt to withdraw your hands from Miguel’s, but he refuses to let go, so you look away.

“Sorry — I’m sorry, they’re… Good tears,” you lie, sniffling. “I’m happy that she has found you. What the tarot reader said, means you’ll be together now, right?”

“Querida mia [my dear],” Miguel murmurs. “Please, don’t cry. I’ve never been able to see you crying without feeling like my own heart is being ripped to shreds,” he continues, bringing your hand to his mouth to press a gentle kiss to the back of it. For a few seconds, Miguel closes his eyes, debating within himself. “Look at me, please. Look at me.”

“It’s alright, Miguel, really. I’m merely feeling emotional,” you spill out, gazing at him through teary eyes.

The sight of your tears rips Miguel apart. He can feel his own eyes tearing up as he sighs in desperation at himself. “I promised myself for your sake that I’d be patient, but I can’t do this anymore,” Miguel desperately states, getting down on his knees in front of you while still holding your hands. “Vida mia [my life], you have found me,” Miguel murmurs, pressing another kiss to your knuckles now. “You have found me. Don’t you feel it? It’s you. It’s always been you.”

“Wh — what?” you whisper, your heart starting to beat rapidly. “Miguel, don’t play like that.”

“Vida mia [my life], I would never play with you. You’re the woman I have encountered so many times. The woman I have yearned for for nearly two hundred years. You found me, at last. You came to me,” Miguel murmurs with teary eyes.

“That can’t be,” you answer, not wanting to feel false hope. “That — that can’t be true.”

“Do you truly believe that, mi amor [my love]?” Miguel asks, breathing heavily. “Look within yourself and tell me you don’t believe it. Tell me you don’t feel it somewhere deep in your soul that you and I have met so many times before. That I haven’t approached you time and time again, longing for you more than I did in your previous life? You’re the woman I fell in love with in 1829 and have been in love with every since. It’s you, I swear,” Miguel proclaims. “I — I have pictures. I will be back.”

“Pictures?” you ask in shock as Miguel abruptly stands up, rushing to his study. “Miguel!”

“Wait, right there,” Miguel urgently answers, pushing the door to his study open. Before you know it, Miguel is back with portraits in his arms, carefully held against his chest like they’re the most precious items in the world. He reaches the couch you’re still sitting on and starts placing each portrait down with care before stepping back to let you see for yourself.

Still shocked, you stand up to look at the portraits and freeze as soon as you lay eyes on them, or rather, on the woman portrayed in them.

It’s you.

You’re in every single one of them, painted in different styles and techniques. In the last ones, you’re no longer painted, but rather photographed due to the advanced technology.

With your heart beating rapidly, you take note of the actual frames. They’re not the same, each one is unique and show more wear than others. Carefully, you pick one up and inspect it closer. For a few seconds, you gaze back at yourself before you inspect it for a date or the artist’s signature, finding initials in the right corner along with 1829 as the year.

You pick up one after the other, noticing all the details that lead to the same conclusion. They’re all from different times, some older than others based on the wear and how the technique is different. As to the last ones, being actual photos, you can spot they’re not altered. They’re authentic.

“It’s…” you start, looking at the portraits all together. “It’s really me.”

“It’s you, amor [love],” Miguel whispers. “It’s you.”

Slowly, you turn to look at Miguel. “You knew from the first night I stepped foot in your home.”

“Yes,” Miguel confirms, slowly moving closer to you. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw you, but there you were,” he murmurs, stopping in front of you. Ever so gently, he lifts his hand and cups your cheek with tears running down his cheeks. “I’ve been waiting for you. You have no idea how many decades I’ve spent thinking that it’d never happen. That you’d never find me.”

Slowly, you cut the distance between you, too, and gaze at Miguel before you lean into him. With a heavy sigh of relief, Miguel wraps his arms around you, pulling you into him. You wrap your arms around him as well and close your eyes, suddenly overwhelmed with so many emotions.

“Miguel,” you breathlessly murmur, inhaling his scent.

“Look at me,” Miguel whispers, lifting your face.

You stare into his eyes, those eyes you love and have loved in each and every life. You admire every bit of them, his dilated pupils and that rich red. As you stare into his eyes — his very soul — you’re suddenly struck with visions.

With his coffee cup in midair, you see Miguel watching you from his seat for the very first time with a look of awe. It blurs away to another scene, a ballroom full of people in which Miguel watches you across the room. Vision after vision, you see Miguel in different styles of clothing with different hairstyles in accordance with the time period.

You see him smiling at you with tender eyes as he introduces himself. You see him on one knee, proposing to you before seeing the rings on your finger. Time after time.

As if it were a dream, you feel Miguel behind you, holding you against his chest.

Your eyes snap open. The tapestries. It suddenly clicks in your head that the tapestries are about Miguel and you. You’re the couple in them.

“The tapestries,” you state, looking at them for a second before returning your gaze to Miguel.

Miguel smiles, nodding. “I made them myself. One for each time we’ve run into each other.”

“Miguel,” you whisper, overwhelmed with your memories. “I've found you.”

“You remember?” Miguel whispers, hoping.

You nod, clinging to each other like you're each other's lifeline. “I remember you,” you whisper before Miguel embraces you tighter than he already was.

“I never wish to be parted from you ever again, querida,” Miguel murmurs, sniffling. “I never stopped yearning for you, even when I thought God was punishing me.”

“Why would God punish you?” you ask, lifting your head to look at him.

“I thought God was punishing me for being created into this creature. That maybe, you and I were meant to be, but when I was turned into this, I was unworthy of you,” Miguel confesses, pressing his forehead against yours. “I thought history would repeat itself. Over and over. That we’d never be together.”

“I'm here now,” you whisper, inhaling Miguel’s comforting and warm scent. “It was merely our cruel luck all those other times, nothing else. It wasn't you. God, or the universe, or whatever bigger identity is out there, wouldn't part us as punishment. If anything,” you continue, nuzzling your nose against his. “The universe fought to keep us together all those times, but the circumstances prevented that. Now, I have found you. I have found you and I don't wish to be parted from you either, querido [dear],” you murmur.

“Vida mía [my life],” Miguel murmurs, returning the gesture of nuzzling his nose against yours before pressing a kiss to your forehead. He presses several kisses on that spot before kissing each of your cheeks. Even your chin and nose receive a kiss before Miguel stops, staring at your lips with yearning.

“I wish to kiss you,” you whisper, seeing the same need in his eyes. “Please, kiss me, Miguel.”

“Since the first time I saw you,” Miguel murmurs, moving closer until there's only an inch left between your lips. Miguel inhales shakily, meeting your gaze. “I’ve been needing to kiss you. May I?”

“Yes,” you answer with need.

With your permission, Miguel tilts your head up and presses his lips against yours, kissing you with an equal amount of need and tenderness. At the feel of your lips, Miguel sighs into the kiss, unable to stop himself.

Equally yearning for the kiss, you kiss Miguel with need as your fingers slip into his hair, pulling him closer to you.

The kiss continues, consuming the two of you like a fire, and carries on as an attempt to make up for all the kisses you never had the opportunity to share.

It could've been hours, months, or years when you gently pull away to catch your breath.

Resting his forehead against yours, Miguel releases a shaky breath. There's an energy within him, as if your kiss has awakened something that he hadn't realized was dormant all this time.

“I’ve missed you. All this time, I’ve had this feeling,” you start. “This feeling that I’ve been destined to be with someone specifically. My person. That you’ve been out here, somewhere, waiting for me, too,” you whisper. “And I’ve found you, at last.”

Miguel sighs deeply, kissing your lips again with need. “I’ve been here,” Miguel whispers against your lips. “I’ve been here all this time. I’ll always be here. I promise,” he murmurs with devotion before kissing you again.

“I need you,” you whisper, making Miguel’s breath hitch.

With wide eyes, Miguel stares into your own. “Do you mean…?” When you nod in confirmation, Miguel exhales shakily. “I need you, amor [love], but I don't want you to feel rushed nor pressured.”

“I don't feel either way, corazón [sweetheart],” you tell him earnestly. “I need you. If you're ready… I'm ready, too.”

Seeing your honest expression, Miguel captures your lips in another heated kiss before he lifts you up, making you wrap your legs around his waist as if you weight nothing. His own legs start moving, heading for the second floor to his bedroom.

Once there, Miguel pushes the door open and carries you to his bed. On there, you lay on your back as Miguel climbs on top of you, settling between your legs. Gently, Miguel breaks the kiss, moving to kiss your jawline and neck, where he eagerly runs his tongue over your skin in between hot open-mouthed kisses.

Little by little, taking your time, you undress each other until you're both left in your undergarments.

“Dios mio, qué belleza… Eres una diosa, mi amor [My God, what a beauty… You’re a goddess, my love],” Miguel murmurs as he lowers his face to kiss your tummy. He presses a few more kisses before kissing his way up to your chest, inhaling the sweet scent from between your breasts. “You smell divine. Everywhere. I think this can go,” Miguel says, gliding a finger over the cup of your bra before he slips one strap down.

“We need to undo it from the back,” you say softly

“Right,” Miguel answers. “I forgot… These things are strange.”

“Strange?”

“I much prefer a corset,” Miguel says as you sit up slightly so he can reach the bra’s back. “Dios [God], you'd look gorgeous in one. I want to buy you many, in different colors.” Miguel says as he tries to snap open your bra with a look of concentration. He gets it at last and smiles as he thinks about something else, slipping the straps down your shoulders. “And night gowns, made of the finest silk,” he continues, leaning in to kiss your lips again. “Lots of night gowns for you to wear around the castle.”

You chuckle against his lips. “You want to see me in corsets and night gowns.”

“You look gorgeous in them,” Miguel answers, letting the bra fall on the other side of the bed. “And it'd be easier to have access to all of you —” Miguel stops and gazes at your bare chest, visibly swallowing. Gently, he cups one of your breasts and feels your skin, finding it soft like the rest of you. He notes your hardened nipples and unable to delay any further, Miguel dips his head to wrap his mouth around one, sucking on it with a low groan.

“Miguel,” you breathe out, watching as he eagerly sucks on your hardened peak. He takes his time appreciating it before moving to the other one, earning himself sweet whines from your pretty mouth.

After a few minutes of playing with your breasts, Miguel stops only to kiss his way down your body until he reaches your panties, where he inhales shakily.

“Mi diosa… Hueles divino [my goddess… you smell divine],” he breathes out, closing his eyes in pure delight. “I wish I could rip these off with my fangs.” Without hesitation, you reply to his last statement. “Rip them.”

Miguel's hand goes still at your words, raising one eyebrow. “Rip them?”

“Do it.”

With a smirk, Miguel lowers his face even more, until his nose is nearly pressed to your clothed pussy. His lips part, revealing his fangs. “Don't move, querida [dear]. I don't want to hurt you by accident,” he warns.

“I'll stay still,” you promise, your chest rising deeply.

With a nod, Miguel gazes up at you as he proceeds to rip your panties apart from the waistband down the middle. With a finger, Miguel removes the ripped fabric to expose your sweet pussy to his hungry gaze. “Mi diosa [my goddess],” Miguel murmurs, leaning in to kiss your inner thigh before he lifts himself enough to appreciate all of you. You’re a beautiful sight, always have been in every shape and context for Miguel. You’re his weakness, always and forever. “I wish to taste you,” Miguel confesses, lowering himself once more so his face is above your pussy. “May I?” he asks, being a gentleman, even now when you’re both like this.

“I — If you want to,” you answer with a small yet shy smile.

“If I want to?” Miguel shakes his head in disbelief. “If I want to… It would be my absolute privilege, hermosa [gorgeous].” Seeing your bashful expression, Miguel smiles. “Look at you being so sweet, mi vida [my life]. You have me in the palm of your hand and you’re still so shy,” Miguel says with tenderness, pressing another kiss to your inner thigh, so close to where you need him. He can see your need for him clearly, how your sweet pussy is soaking wet for him. Teasingly, he breathes on your flesh, making you whine for him. “So needy, amor [love], just how I feel about you. I need you, too,” he murmurs, lowering his face to press a hot and sensual, but slow kiss to your clit to prepare you for him.

Like a starving man, which in your hazy mind makes sense considering the years Miguel has lived for, Miguel laps at your pussy. His tongue delves between your lips before gliding it down to your entrance, collecting your sweet, sweet honey. Blissfully, you tug at his hair and arch beneath him, making him groan.

“Right there, corazón [sweetheart]. I need you,” you whimper, tugging on his soft hair again.

“Such a pretty pussy,” Miguel groans, lapping at your entrance with fervor. “So sweet, so hot — fuck,” he groans, rubbing your clit with his thumb to make you writhe.

“Miguel — Oh, fuck,” you moan, pulling his hair much harder.

“Dulce bebe [sweet baby],” Miguel murmurs, gently slipping one of his thick fingers inside you. The act makes you jolt in pleasure, feeling full by his finger alone as he carefully begins to stretch you. Under his last piece of clothing, Miguel’s cock aches with need as he adds a second finger, feeling the heat and dampness of your needy pussy. In minutes, Miguel makes you cum on his fingers with a breathy moan of pleasure.

Carefully, Miguel pulls out his fingers and sticks them in his mouth, licking them clean of your essence with a loud moan of appreciation.

You look up at Miguel, feeling hazy and satisfied, but not quite just yet. Not when you still need Miguel. By simply taking a look at Miguel’s undergarments, you see he’s still in need of you, too. “I need you, corazón [sweetheart],” you whisper, gliding a hand up his arm.

With a smile, Miguel catches your hand when it reaches his chest. Reverently, he slowly kisses each finger. “I need you, amor [love],” he whispers, kissing your thumb and then, your palm. He leans down to kiss you, feeling your hands glide down his back, seeking his warmth. Panting, he lifts himself, but not enough to stop kissing you. He quickly discards his last piece of clothing, freeing his aching and heavy cock.

Breathless, you feel Miguel lift your leg to his hip, which you quickly wrap around him to bring him closer.

“Fuck,” Miguel breathes out as his cock comes in contact with your pussy. “I can’t hold back anymore.”

“I need you, please,” you murmur sweetly against his lips. “I need you like I need air.”

“I need you like the flowers need the sun. You’re my everything,” Miguel whispers, reverently. “You’re my moon, my sun, my stars — my reason for existing,” he continues as he gently pushes himself inside your warmth, sinking into your welcoming and delicious heat.

“I’ve been looking for you,” you pant as Miguel begins to move above you. “All my life.”

“And I’ve been waiting for you, mi vida [my life],” Miguel whispers. “Been waiting for you for almost two hundred years. Almost two centuries, mi amor, and for you…” Miguel shakily breathes, leaning down to kiss your mouth. “I’d wait for eternity if it means you and I are destined to be. From the moment I saw you —” Miguel stops, relishing the way you writhe beneath him with every thrust of his hips. “My soul was enchanted. I knew I was forever yours in that instant. My soul — if I still possess one — is forever tangled with yours. It belongs to you and you alone,” he desperately declares, burying his thick and hard cock all the way until his heavy balls are pressed to your flesh.

“Miguel, Miguel, Miguel,” you reverently say his name like a prayer, dragging your nails down his back to mark him. “My soul belonged to you then, and it still belongs to you today,” you profess, bringing his face down to kiss him. You want — need — him to know you feel the same.

With the sound of skin slapping skin in the air, Miguel pushes his tongue inside your mouth, craving everything you have to offer him. Your tongue wraps around and slides against his, teasing and caressing; submitting and dominating. All at the same time.

With a groan, Miguel gently bites your tongue before moving to kiss your jawline and neck, where he licks and bites, leaving his mark on your skin.

“Oh God, don’t stop biting me,” you whimper as his hips pick up speed.

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” Miguel warns with a groan. “How much I’m holding back from marking you with my fangs, marking all of your pretty skin for days.”

“Please,” you beg, wrapping your other leg around Miguel’s waist. “I want it.”

“Mi diosa [my goddess],” Miguel murmurs. “I didn’t know you were like this.”

You half moan and half laugh at his statement. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re far too willing for me. What am I going to do with you?” Miguel asks, looking at you with an amused yet tender smile.

“Love me,” you whisper as Miguel dips his head to bite your collarbone.

“You can't ask me to do something I've already been doing, mi alma [my soul],” Miguel replies, lifting his head again. “I have loved every single version of you; every second of my life. Don’t ever forget that. I love you,” Miguel devotedly murmurs against your lips before he kisses you again. “I love you,” he repeats before moving to bite the other side of your neck. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” Miguel utters like a chant in between bites, sinking his teeth into your flesh as you make sweet love.

Lost in the pleasure, Miguel and you move against each other, whispering sweet and desperate I love you's.

“Miguel — I'm gonna finish,” you whimper, squeezing his waist with your legs, not wanting to let go.

“Mi vida [my life] —” Miguel pants, snapping his hips into yours so hard and fast the bed hits the wall again and again. “I'm going to unravel — Need to feel you come. Need to see you come undone for me, mi reyna [my queen]. Mi diosa. Soy tuyo, eternamente [My goddess. I’m yours, eternally],” Miguel murmurs tenderly.

“I love you, I love you,” you sweetly whisper against Miguel's lips. “You're mine. And I'm yours. Eternally.”

“Eternally,” Miguel murmurs, kissing your lips as you both come undone at once.

Miguel can only grip your hand in his, moaning as he feels you come around his cock. His grip tightens at how your divine and hungry pussy milks him, taking everything from him.

Panting, you feel how Miguel fills you up with his hot seed, painting your walls white.

After cleaning up, Miguel and you cuddle in his bed knowing you’re two tangled souls meant to be together, together at last.

I hope you enjoyed this little vampire one-shot! 🥰 I've watched a lot of clips (spoliers 🥲) of the movie Dracula: A Love Tale and got inspired from it. Thank you so much for reading! Alondra❤️

credit for dividers: @saradika-graphics

[greensagephase]

The Merman

Word Count: 9.5k Warnings: MDNI; loss of virginity for reader, oral sex for m and f; p in v: mention of blood; monster miguel x human reader; I think that's all

The chill of the laboratory greets you as you push open the door. Thankfully, you have your lab coat to keep you warm and if necessary, you have an extra sweater hidden away in the bottom drawer of your desk. The only sound that reaches your ears is that of your footsteps as you walk further inside, but without even seeing him yet, you know he’s watching from somewhere within his tank.

He always does. Despite usually being stoic, he’s rather curious.

With your hands in your lab coat’s pockets, you reach your computer and turn it on to start the work day. It’s another day of researching the merman — the one currently watching you from somewhere within his tank — who willingly volunteered to the human government for research and education purposes. About half a year ago, it was discovered that mermaids and merman exist after all. It’s no longer just a myth, or a fictional princess story by a multinational entertainment conglomerate. To establish a connection with your kind, the kingdom of the sea decided that one of their own was to go to the lab you work at. And so, the mer kingdom approved for one of their princes, that is, Prince Miguel O’Hara, who is next in line for the throne, to volunteer.

You lift your gaze towards the large tank, which makes up the majority of this floor, in hopes of spotting him, but as always, he hides so well in the container that has been his home for four months now. The government used up a large budget for his tank alone. It needed to be large to allow Miguel to swim freely and, of course, to hunt the fishes that were incorporated so he can sustain himself. Seashells and other items were added as a request by the prince.

With a sigh, you look away when you don’t spot Miguel anywhere and turn to look at your desk, specifically the area decorated with seashells and other trinkets. They’re not items you bought yourself for decoration purposes. No, these are all gifts from the merman himself. Every couple of days, he gives them to you. You don’t understand why, when all those items were placed in the tank for him, not for you. Either way, you’ve accepted them, of course. You suppose it’s Miguel’s way of… Showing respect to you?

At least, you think he respects you since he’s allowed you to be the leading scientist running the research. Or, rather, he’s only permitted you to be the researcher. No one else is allowed in the lab. No one else is to run tests on him. Unlike with you, Miguel showed little patience with the previous scientists that were initially assigned to work with him. He ran them out with his impatient, cold, and stoic personality. Then, there’s also his powerful strength, since mer people are much stronger than humans are.

You remember the fearful scientists saying they wished the mer kingdom had sent a smaller male. It’s funny, considering even the “smaller” mer males are big, but Miguel… Miguel is above average. He’s one of the largest of his kind, measuring nearly eight feet tall with a large tail that with one flick alone, can leave you soaking wet. You know that because the scientists told you so, as they stood before with dripping clothes thanks to Miguel’s antics.

Thankfully, you haven’t experienced that. Instead, you’ve experienced a merman who seems to practice patience with you. There’s also the curiosity aspect. You know he watches you because Miguel has one of those gazes, the kind you feel on every single inch of your body. You’ve only ever caught him watching you once, and you’re certain it was because he allowed and wanted you to.

After quickly logging in, you begin to approach the tank, wondering from where Miguel will pop out from.

He suddenly appears at the edge of the tank, water dripping down his face and chiseled torso. He rests his arms on the tank’s edge and watches you with those crimson eyes you’ve grown used to over the weeks you’ve been working with him.

“Human,” Miguel states with his usual tone of aloofness and addressing you as “human” despite knowing your name.

“Miguel,” you greet him, offering a small smile. “Good morning.”

“Is there anything good about this morning?” he asks.

“Well, we both woke up and got to see another day. I think that’s enough to make it a good one, no?”

Miguel scoffs, still watching you. “You are… Optimistic as always.”

And he’s as grumpy as always. You don’t voice that, of course.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you,” you reply.

“Mmhp, do whatever you wish, human,” Miguel replies with a grunt. “What are you doing to me today? Poking me with your needles, pressing your equipment to my chest to measure my heartbeat, or drawing my blood?”

“Well, it seems today we have a routine check-up,” you answer, which makes Miguel even more grumpy.

“Another check-up? Nothing ever changes, you know,” Miguel mutters in annoyance, crossing his large and muscular arms across his wide and chiseled chest.

“I know, which is a good thing, but these are a requirement. We must ensure that your health remains steady. You must remember, this tank was built to ensure your health is not negatively impacted. It’s comfortable, maybe enough to feel a bit like home, or to, at least, simulate your home, but it’s not. It’s still a tank at the end of the day, and this could impact your health.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Miguel grumbles, rolling his eyes. “Come up here and do it, then.”

“I need to get my clipboard. One second,” you reply, returning to your desk to collect what you need. In seconds, you’re climbing the ladder to reach the platform designed for these procedures. “Alright,” you state, kneeling on the platform to do the check-up.

With ease, Miguel swims towards the platform and stops in front of you. With you kneeling, Miguel easily looms over you, but you’ve long decided that this is best. It feels better than standing over Miguel and, to you, it helps give Miguel the impression that you’re comfortable around him to kneel and be in a vulnerable position. Whereas with you standing, it might make him feel like you don’t trust him, and that’s what you don’t want. Perhaps, this trust on your end is what’s allowed things to run smoothly between you since you were assigned to him. Maybe it’s why he didn’t try to run you out with his tricks since day one.

“May I please inspect your eyes?” you ask, always asking for permission before touching or doing anything to respect Miguel.

“Yes,” Miguel answers with a sigh, annoyed he must do yet another check-up.

“Thank you. Let’s see…” you trail off, focusing on the task at hand. Your eyes meet his to see any changes to the naked eye. “Any trouble with your sight?”

“No. Perfect vision,” Miguel replies, watching you like a hawk. “I can see everything perfectly.”

“Well, that’s great,” you answer, jotting down the information. “May I see your teeth and fangs next?”

Miguel nods and opens his mouth, revealing his teeth and long fangs. You hum, taking a look. “Very well. No aches?”

“None. Just like the last time and the time before that,” the grumpy merman answers.

“Glad to hear it. Toothache is no joke,” you reply, quickly scribbling the answer.

“Well, good thing you have your tooth doctors, no?” Miguel asks with a huff.

“The dentists, yes,” you answer with furrowed eyebrows.

Miguel grunts, slightly leaning closer. He inhales subtly before his eyes narrow. “You smell like someone I’ve smelled before.”

“What?” you ask, pausing your writing.

“I said you smell like someone I’ve smelled before. A human male. What’s his name? That annoying human… Peter,” Miguel grumbles.

“Peter — Oh, um, I smell like him?” you ask, confused. “I ran into him at the front office. He uses a strong cologne.”

“Yes, I’m aware. He made it everyone’s business,” Miguel continues, glaring. “You should take off your lab coat. It reeks of him.”

“I didn’t know you have such a delicate nose,” you respond, slipping off the lab coat since you can tell it’s bothering him.

“Well, I do,” he grumbles, eyeing the lab coat with displeasure because of your coworker’s lingering cologne. “Are you sure you only ran into him? Smells like you hugged him, or something,” Miguel states with a hint of accusation in his tone.

“I literally just talked to him about work. His cologne is overwhelming,” you explain. “Anyway, are you experiencing any muscle aches?”

“No. I’m fine,” Miguel replies, eyeing the lab coat before looking at you again.

“Perfect,” you answer. “What about your tail? Any discomfort, or abnormal changes?”

“Looks and feels the same,” Miguel simply answers. “Do you talk a lot with that human?”

“With Peter? Not much.”

Miguel nods. “And the others?”

“You’re rather interested in who I talk with,” you answer, doing a visual check-up of Miguel. You gulp softly as your eyes trace his wide chest and large arms.

“I am merely… Curious,” Miguel carefully phrases, lifting himself higher by using his hands as support. With him doing that, the merman looms over you even more.

You lift your eyes to his face, meeting his eyes. “That’s odd,” you state. “You, curious?”

Miguel scoffs, his arms flexing as he continues to support himself. You don’t really understand why he does this sometimes. You do know, however, that if there were any men around — human or merman — they’d likely be jealous of his physique. “I have something for you,” Miguel says suddenly, lowering himself and slipping under the water like nothing. A few seconds later, he resurfaces with a rock. He extends his hand out, ready to hand you yet another gift.

You carefully accept it in your much smaller hand and inspect it with a smile. “Hey, it’s a heart-shaped rock. The odds of finding one in this shape in your tank are very low, but seems like you found one, hm? Thank you. I’ll add it to my collection,” you promise, gently rubbing a thumb over it to appreciate the texture.

Watching intently, Miguel takes in your reaction. If only you knew that there was no heart-shaped rock until he carved it.

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you again,” you continue, giving it one last rub before slipping the rock into your lab coat’s pocket. “So, Prince Miguel, are you ready to return home?”

Miguel grunts, glaring. “Don’t call me that. Call me Miguel, or something else.”

“You are a prince, you know,” you reply, wondering why Miguel is always so adamant about you not addressing him as such.

“I prefer if you call me Miguel. Or, even Migs. That’s what my family calls me,” he answers. “I don’t want to be addressed as such… By you.”

“And why is that?” you question, putting away your notes and pen.

“Because… You’re the only individual I’ve interacted every day with since I arrived.”

You nod and sigh. “Yes, that’s true. Had you not run off the other scientists, you’d be interacting with others, but I’m guessing you actually mean family and friends.”

“I don’t care for those humans. They were rude and entitled.” Miguel rolls his eyes as he thinks of them. He did enjoy scaring them right out of the lab after the way they were treating him without his regard. The bonus was even better; it brought you straight to him. After a few seconds, Miguel clears his throat. “As to my family and friends… I think about them every day.”

“I can imagine,” you state softly, fully understanding. “Thankfully, you only have about a month and a half left of your agreement. Once we reach that point, you’ll be back home with everyone you care about.”

“Indeed. I look forward to seeing my family, especially my youngest brother,” Miguel shares with a faraway look in his face. He misses Gabriel so much. He misses swimming for miles and miles across the ocean, racing Gabriel. He misses the feeling of community amongst the merpeople. He misses so much, yet… “What if I wish to extend my agreement?”

“Wait — what? Why would you do such a thing?” you ask in disbelief that Miguel has even voiced that question.

“You sound shocked, human.”

“That’s because I am.”

Miguel smirks and leans closer. “Why is that?”

“Because… I don’t understand why you would want to stay here any longer.” You look around at the tank before meeting his gaze once more. “This tank isn’t home.”

“I know that,” Miguel replies, staring into your eyes.

“Okay… So, surely you want to be out of this place as soon as possible and return home with family and friends. Maybe, you even left some broken hearts, hm?”

At the last statement, Miguel’s smirk drops and is replaced by a scowl. “I left no broken hearts.”

“Oh? You sound certain of that, but you’re a prince.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m automatically a heart breaker, human,” Miguel mutters in annoyance. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No? I would’ve thought that a prince merman — single, by the way — would be highly sought,” you answer. You leave out the fact that Miguel is also, well… A rather attractive individual, even if you haven’t voiced that before. It’d be unprofessional since this is a professional setting. There’s also the possibility of that being weird since he’s a merman and you’re human. You’ve reassured yourself that it’s possibly not that weird, considering you live in a world in which werewolves and vampires exist, and have romantic relationships with humans.

“I don’t have time for that. I’m too busy,” Miguel answers, annoyed.

“Hmm… Too busy. So, there’s a chance you do break hearts by not having time for romance.”

“Stop,” Miguel says, staring at you. “Stop talking about being a bachelor and breaking hearts back home,” he adds, his eyes flickering to your lips, his expression almost pained.

You nod, noting the tone and realizing that this topic is clearly a sensitive one for him, so you back off. “Alright, I’m sorry. I was trying to lighten the mood. Forgive me,” you apologize genuinely, missing the way Miguel’s gaze keeps flickering to your lips, longingly.

“You don’t need… To apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just…” Miguel trails off, unable to put his thoughts and feelings into words.

“I’ll give you some time alone, okay? I’ll be at my desk,” you say, beginning to move away.

“No.” Miguel quickly answers. “Don’t.”

You stare back at him in surprise. “… Alright.”

You both remain quiet — you kneeling on the platform and Miguel leaning over it, in front of you. “So… Are you actually considering extending your agreement?” you ask curiously. A part of you is in disbelief about that, yet, a part of you feels a weird sense of happiness that you’ll continued to be in his presence.

“Maybe,” Miguel answers, watching you without missing a second.

“Why?” you genuinely ask. “When you can swim freely again and not deal with annoying humans.”

Miguel snorts, unable to stop the crack in his stoic expression. He sighs after a few seconds of silence. “I miss home. I miss swimming for miles and miles. I miss my family and friends, but… I’ve been thinking about something a little more. Something that’s missing. That I'm missing,” Miguel confesses, still gazing at you.

“Oh,” you simply say, wondering what it could be. Mentally, you decide it must be important if Miguel is allowing himself to be vulnerable right now. “What is it that you’re missing?”

“Something… Something I’ve been needing for a while.”

For a good minute or so, you remain silent and consider the possibilities. Miguel has stated that he misses his family, friends, and the ocean, but there's something else missing. You've already suggested him having someone special in a romantic sense, but he asked you to stop talking about it.

“Something you've been needing,” you repeat slowly, your brain running. “Wait… Do you mean a mate?” you ask carefully since you know merpeople have mating bonds. Miguel hasn't shared much about the process, just that an individual courts another one and it's up to that person to accept the courtship.

Miguel's face changes once you mention the word mate, confirming your guess. “Yes. A mate,” he states, staring straight at you.

Understanding, you nod slowly. “I understand… I have no doubt that once you return home, you'll be able to find a lovely mate.”

Miguel makes a noise, still looking at you. “Do you want to know something?”

“… yes,” you answer, curious.

“I’ve already started a courtship,” Miguel suddenly reveals, leaving you incredulous. This is the first time he's mentioned this and the new piece of information, for some reason, sends a ripple of disappointment across your chest, one that you quickly decide is due to Miguel not trusting you enough to tell you about it and not for any other reason.

“You — you have?” you manage to ask after what feels like minutes despite only a few seconds passing.

“I do,” Miguel confirms, giving you nothing else.

“Well… I'm sorry your courtship has been paused due to this research thing. Someone else should've been sent, so you could've continued it. Though, I'm sure whoever it is, is eagerly waiting for your return,” you genuinely offer, hoping to reassure Miguel if he's having doubts, especially when he's said he’s missing a mate.

“That is kind of you, preciosa [precious],” Miguel replies, this time using another nickname besides “human”. You know exactly what it means: precious. He's never called you that before, though. “However, my courtship hasn't ended nor has it been paused.”

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion, something Miguel notes. “It hasn’t been on pause? But how, if you’re here?”

“No. It hasn't.” Miguel smirks slightly, taking in your expression. “I haven't told you how courtship works for our kind, have I?” he asks rhetorically, because of course, he knows he hasn’t.

“No, you haven’t. You’ve only told me that a merperson starts the courtship and the second person has to decide whether they accept it, or not.”

“Mhm…” Miguel hums in confirmation, gripping the platform you're still kneeling on with his large hands. “For example, a merman wanting to court someone usually displays a different behavior for that person. Perhaps, they're too serious, but with the person they wish to court, they're more open. Or, they could be more on the impatient side, but with that person, they demonstrate patience.”

That sounds oddly familiar to you, but your brain refuses to connect the dots.

“A merman makes his courtship known to the person by gifting them items… Seashells, rocks, and other trinkets they may find in the vast ocean — a symbol they wish to mate.”

The heart-shaped rock in your coat's pocket suddenly feels heavy. An image of your desk decorated with various gifts from Miguel pops in your head. If you connect that dot to the fact that Miguel has displayed different behavior with you than he did towards the previous scientists…

“My courtship hasn't been paused,” Miguel carefully starts. “Because… You are my courtship.”

“I’m sorry — What?” you say in complete shock. Eyes wide, you shake your head. “No, that can't be.”

“It is so,” Miguel replies calmly and in a tone that lets you know that he means it. He’s not fooling around with this. “You’re who I'm courting.”

“I'm human. That can’t be. It just can’t.”

“I know that very well, sweet human,” Miguel answers. “Do you think I care? The answer is no. I don't. I've been courting you since the second week we met. Four months.”

“But I'm human. You dislike humans, so —”

“I disliked the scientists before you. They were rude and entitled. They forgot I'm doing this willingly, expecting respect as an individual nonetheless. They started to poke and prod me without any consent. It was why I ran them out and then, you came along and you were different.” Miguel explains, leaning closer to you. “Right from the moment you walked in… Your scent hypnotized me,” he says, inhaling softly and closing his eyes for a second, as if to truly appreciate it. “I'd replace the ocean with your scent, if I could. Swim in it every day.”

You swallow softly as Miguel's words sink, the word “mate” echoing in your head. Miguel wants you as his mate; as his wife.

“And your personality…” Miguel continues, gazing at you with half-lidded eyes. “You looked at me without fear nor distaste. You didn't work around me as if you were walking on seashells. You looked at me with respect and respected my boundaries from the start. Your gentle and kind demeanor,” he states, slowly lifting a hand to your face. Carefully, he glides a finger under your chin before cupping your cheek.

The act catches you by pure surprise, leaving you frozen as he caresses your cheek.

“So soft,” Miguel murmurs. “Just how I imagined your skin would feel.”

“Miguel, this can’t be because —” you start, trying to reason with him despite your heart racing.

“Because you’re human and I’m a merman, yes, yes. I know your argument,” Miguel interrupts you with a scoff. “There are stories, both from your kind and mine; stories about humans and merfolk being together as a couple. Those are not myths,” he reveals. “They’ve been rare because my kind has been hidden for thousands of years, but they exist.”

“I can’t —” you shake your head, trying to make sense of this. “This is too much. I need to go.”

You attempt to move, but Miguel suddenly holds on to your arm, keeping you still.

“You feel something for me, too,” Miguel declares. “I know it.”

“You can’t possibly know that,” you reply defensively.

“No?” Miguel questions with a small smirk, his hand gliding up your arm and sending shivers up your body. “You’re so smart, mi vida [my life], and you haven’t realized it yet, have you?”

“Realized what?”

“Your body betrays you,” Miguel murmurs, leaning closer. His crimson eyes stare right into yours, not allowing you to evade his gaze. “Your heart races every time you come near me. There are two options for that. Fear or attraction, and I know you don’t fear me.” Miguel’s hand moves to your face again, cupping your cheek. “Your scent is another giveaway. Even from your desk, I can smell you. When you come near me…” he trails off in a whisper, so close now that he decides to run his nose up your cheek, inhaling. “Your scent changes. It’s like you’re begging me to take you with how sweet you smell.”

Exhaling softly from your mouth, you close your eyes and realize Miguel is saying nothing but the truth. All this time — day after day — you’ve been refusing to see the reality. You’ve ignored the signs, even when you noted yourself out of breath due to the close proximity. It was stupid, but you blamed it on the physical activity of walking so much around the lab, or climbing the tank to reach him. The truth is that your heart races because of Miguel. And when you’ve discovered your panties are soaked when you use the bathroom while you’re here at work, you’ve chalked it up to the organ doing organ things. The truth is, your panties are soaked for another reason and that reason is called Miguel.

“Your heart is racing, preciosa,” Miguel whispers in your ear. “And Gods… You smell heavenly right now,” he continues in a strangled voice. “The things I want to do to you. The way I need to worship you.”

“I —” you start, swallowing. “I will admit that I’ve felt things, but this can’t happen.”

“Why not? You and I both want this,” Miguel retorts, frowning. “I can smell your arousal.” With that, Miguel runs his nose over your cheek again. “Do you know how torturous it has been to be able to smell you like this? To know your body needs me the same way I need you, but you’re so blind to see it, I’ve had to act like it doesn’t affect me,” Miguel desperately says. “I must act stoic when I want to do so much to you. I want to hold you in my arms. I want to kiss you senseless. I want to have you under me, moaning my name as I make you mine.”

That sends a rush of heat to your lower regions, but you hold on to logic. Or, attempt to. “No, no, no — There are ethics. I’m a scientist and I’m the person running the research about you. It’s not professional nor ethical, don’t you understand?” you ask, though you’re not sure if you’re only saying this to convince Miguel alone, or if you’re trying to stop yourself from doing something.

“Ethics, ethics, ethics,” Miguel grumbles, pulling you right into him by wrapping his arms around you. “You humans and your ethics. I don’t care right now. I don’t care at all. You’re not taking advantage of me, if that’s your concern. I consent. I need you, mi vida,” Miguel murmurs, suddenly lifting you higher up by your hips. “I need you like I need water. Forget your ethics. Forget everything else. You’re the woman I need. The woman I wish to make my mate.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” you whisper. “I’m human and you’re a merman. This wouldn’t work.”

Miguel pulls back to look into your eyes. “Do you think I haven’t thought about that? I’ve had more than enough time in this tank to think and I have a solution. We can make this work. First, if you’re worry about a human and merperson relationship, must I remind you vampires and werewolves walk amongst you? Humans have relationships with them. They’ve married and have families. This is no different.” Miguel states, making a fair point — one you’ve thought about subconsciously before. “I know it’s easy to think this isn’t possible. Not when you’re a human and can’t thrive in the water, and I’m the opposite, but there are ways and I’m willing to do anything for us,” Miguel confesses, his eyes pleading. “There are sea witches that have magic.”

“What?” you ask in disbelief.

“I’ll tell you more about them later, but they exist,” Miguel states with a firm nod. “They have magic that has allowed many of our kind to walk amongst you before; those curious to see the land. My family is in good terms with them. It would take nothing to ask for potions and spells for us. For me to walk with you,” he continues. “To see your world. The same goes for you to see my world; to swim and live underwater for some periods of time. Please,” Miguel breathlessly pleas. “Don’t lie to yourself. Don’t lie to me. Follow your heart. What does it want?”

“What…” you trail off, swallowing deeply. “What happens if the person you’re courting… Accepts?” you ask, your mind already made up.

Miguel stares at you, hope blooming in his chest. “If the person accepts the courtship, the individuals become mates for life,” Miguel gently answers, still holding you against him. “A mate is the equivalent of a wife or husband in your human terms. A ceremony takes place and rings are exchanged. You… You’d be my wife, preciosa.”

“Your wife… And you, you’d be my husband,” you state, staring at Miguel. There is no denying it. It’d be pointless to do so. Somewhere along the way, you started to develop feelings for Miguel; feelings that run so deep you’re not shooting down the idea of sea witches and the use of potions and spells to be together.

“What do you say?” Miguel whispers, his eyes flickering to your lips with longing. “What does your heart say?”

Leaning forward, you cup his face. “My heart says… That it needs you,” you whisper. “I need to kiss you.”

“I thought you’d never say so,” Miguel whispers back before he cuts the distance between you to press his lips against yours. He kisses you passionately yet tenderly with a hunger you’ve never known and you, you return it eagerly. Your body feels incredibly hot and even more so as Miguel runs a hand down your back, feeling you up. With a soft moan, you trace his back, too, feeling his muscles react under your touch.

Seconds later and panting, Miguel pulls back only to pick you off the platform completely. Carrying you in bridal style, Miguel swims away from the platform, making sure to keep you dry from the water.

“What are you doing?” you ask out of breath.

“Taking you to my little cove,” Miguel answers, reminding you that there’s a back corner of the tank that resembles one, though it’s not a real one. It was designed for Miguel, of course, to have another area besides the tank filled with water. In seconds, Miguel reaches it with his incredible speed, where he lays you down on a dry spot. Looking at him, you watch as he moves with experience on land, moving so he’s over you.

Without hesitation, you reach for him to kiss him again and this time, your hands wander. You touch his strong and wide shoulders before gliding them down his chest.

“You have no idea how many nights I’ve laid here,” Miguel murmurs against your lips. “Imagining your touch. Imagining what you feel like.” He runs his hand down your side, feeling your body and growling softly. “So soft and warm,” he says reverently. “And these hips, fuck. I could watch you walk all day.”

A whine escapes your lips as Miguel grips your hip with his large hand, loving the way he’s touching you. In response, you run your nails down his chest, making him shudder in delight. “You like that,” you whisper.

“More than you know, mi vida,” Miguel replies, lowering himself to kiss your lips again before moving to kiss your neck. “You’ve been driving me crazy since I first saw you. Knew you’d be mine one day,” he murmurs, pressing kisses to your neck before carrying on to your collarbone. Miguel continues downwards, pressing his face into your chest and inhaling. “Need this off.”

You’re quick to oblige, so you sit up and slip off your top to reveal your bra.

“Beautiful,” Miguel murmurs, reaching out to touch your bare shoulder. His fingers trace your skin with gentleness, as if he’s afraid to hurt you. Slowly, he slides his fingers up your arm until he touches your neck and then, down your chest.

“Do you want to… Take it off?” you ask softly.

Miguel nods. “May I?”

“Yes, please,” you reply, anticipation building.

With a hum, Miguel reaches behind you to undo your bra. He takes the opportunity to touch your back, relishing the feel of your skin and warmth. “So, so soft,” Miguel murmurs. “I spent so many nights in this very place, thinking about you. Thinking about touching you,” he continues you, pressing a kiss to your shoulder.

“You thought about me?” you ask, your chest fluttering.

“Only every night,” Miguel replies, moving back to gaze at you. “I lay and stared at the ceiling, counting the hours down until you come back from home.”

“Miguel,” you whisper softly, touched by his words. “I didn’t know… But now that we’re here, that we know how we feel… I’m not going anywhere.”

Miguel smiles and kisses you. “You don’t know how happy that makes me,” he says. “A part of me — a small part — was afraid you’d reject me, not because of your ethics, but because maybe you’d found the idea of being with me gross.”

“What? No, I could never,” you reassure him, feeling disbelief that he’d think that. “What you said earlier, about my body giving me away… It’s true. I was ignoring the signs and when I wasn’t, I was blaming it on something else, but the truth is, I want you, too,” you confess softly. “I want and need you, Miguel.”

“Mi vida,” Miguel whispers, his heart fluttering due to your words. He can’t help himself when he leans down to kiss you again with tenderness.

Cupping his face in your hands, you return the kiss. Deep inside you, this feels so right. Miguel and you sound right.

The kiss continues for what feels like minutes until you both pull away to breathe.

“Corazón [sweetheart; heart],” you whisper against his lips, panting softly. “I need you.”

“I need you, too,” Miguel whispers, pressing a kiss to the corner of your mouth. Gently, he touches your shoulder, slowly pulling your bra’s strap down your arm. He lifts his gaze to meet yours, making sure that you’re comfortable with this, before pulling the other strap down. His breath hitches as the piece of clothing falls off, revealing your breasts. “So beautiful,” he murmurs. “May I?”

Biting your lip, you nod. The way Miguel is looking at you right now is doing nothing to stop the heat spreading in your lower region.

With your permission, Miguel reaches out to cup one breast. He groans at the feel of it, loving how it feels in his large hand. Unable to stop himself, he rubs a thumb over the sensitive and hardened nipple. “Fuck,” he murmurs, lowering himself to latch his mouth to it.

“Miguel,” you whimper, watching him eagerly begin to suck your nipple while he plays with the other one.

“You’re so beautiful, mi vida,” Miguel groans, turning to the other nipple to suck it. He pulls back a little, enough to allow himself to circle the bud with the tip of his tongue. That alone earns himself a moan from you, making him smirk. “So responsive. So sensitive.”

After a few minutes of playing with your nipples, Miguel pulls back. He glides a hand down your stomach, memorizing the feeling of your soft skin, before he reaches your bottoms. With a nod of approval from you, Miguel undoes and begins pulling them down.

He places them with your top and bra, looking at you with affection and hunger. “Your panties,” he murmurs.

“Off,” you whisper, giving him permission to take off the last piece of clothing you have left.

Without further hesitation, Miguel hooks a long finger into your panties and pulls them down. He tugs them down your thighs and legs until they’re completely off.

Shyly, you spread your legs; making a silent offer.

“Fuck,” Miguel groans, staring at your pussy. “I need to — I must try something. Can we try something?” he asks, caressing your calves.

“What do you want to try?” you ask, wondering what he has in mind.

“I’ve heard that humans like to do something,” Miguel starts, running his fingers over your legs until one hand reaches your middle. He doesn’t touch it quite yet, but his hand is close enough that he can feel the delicious warmth exuding from it. “Humans like to taste here, don’t they?” Miguel asks quietly, as if unsure of this.

As soon as you understand what Miguel means, your eyes widen. “You want to try oral sex?” you ask.

“Oral sex, yes. I’ve heard that it’s pleasurable for humans. My kind, we don’t engage in this, but if I’m honest… I’d like to try it with you. I’d like to taste you, mi vida,” Miguel admits. “May we try it, if you’re comfortable?”

“Well, I don’t know that you’ll like it,” you reply, uncertain. “And if I’m honest, I’ve never done it myself.”

“You’ve never tried it either?” Miguel gently asks.

You shake your head. “No, never. Actually, I haven’t been with anyone…”

“You’ve never — You’re…” Miguel trails off, realizing. “I understand, mi vida. Don’t worry.” Miguel smiles tenderly at you, caressing your body. “We don’t have to do this now.”

“No, no, I… I want to,” you reassure him, sure of this. “I’d like to experience it with you, if you’re also comfortable with it.”

Seeing your confidence, Miguel nods. He glides his hands over your thighs, fingers digging into your skin. “Gods, you're so beautiful, preciosa,” Miguel murmurs, looking at all of you before leaning down to kiss your thigh. Lowering himself further, Miguel inhales your scent once his face hovers over your pussy. Despite never having done this, Miguel's mouth waters at the sight of it. He can perfectly see how your pussy is reacting to him, see how it's glistening with your juices. “You’re ready for me,” he whispers with a soft smirk before blowing air on your flesh.

The sensation makes your breath hitch and squirm under Miguel in need.

“Fuck,” Miguel groans as he inhales. “You smell so divine… I want to taste you now. I wanted to take it slow, but you're temptation itself,” he murmurs before closing the distance between his face and your pussy.

He takes you by surprise when his large tongue swipes up your slit, making you whimper. Miguel groans against your flesh, taking great pleasure in how you taste. He takes a second lick, then another one and another one; quickly growing addicted to your sweet taste. Your desperate and sweet moans fill his ears, making his already hard merman cock harder.

“Dios mio,” he murmurs before eagerly sucking on your clit and earning himself another needy moan. “Your special spot,” he whispers, flicking it lightly before sucking it again.

“Fu— fuck, Miguel!” you whine, fighting not to close your thighs around his face.

“Keep them open for me, preciosa,” Miguel instructs, taking hold of one of your thighs to keep your thighs open. “I'm not done tasting this sweet pussy of yours. Won't be satisfied for a while. I understand why humans like it so much,” he murmurs, gliding his tongue over your slit again, collecting your juices. Gently, he pulls your folds apart with one hand, feeling how delicate and soft you are. He moans when he sees your entrance, making his cock twitch. Without further hesitation, he drags his tongue over your entrance before gently sticking his tongue in.

Of course, the sensation of his tongue poking your entrance makes you react. You close your free thigh around his head, making him moan.

“You know what? Wrap your thighs around me,” Miguel says, liking the feeling of your thigh around his head. He slips his tongue inside you again, feeling you do as he’s asked you to do.

“Miguel — oh God, I need you,” you whimper, the ache for Miguel growing worse now that you’ve had a taste of his tongue.

“Not yet, mi vida. I need to get you ready. I'm too large for your lovely pussy,” he says, looking up at you with a string of saliva connected to your pussy. “I don't want to hurt you.”

“Please… I'd like to see it already, at least,” you answer softly since you've never seen his member. By the time you were assigned to lead the research, the previous scientists had already tried asking about his reproductive body part. There were notes in the binder you received, but everything regarding the topic were mere theories since Miguel hadn’t been opened to discussing such topic yet. Once you showed up, you decided to wait on that until the end. You didn’t want to make Miguel uncomfortable when you hardly knew each other.

“You want to see it, mi amor [my love]?” Miguel answers with a smile. “Alright, it's only fair. Hold on,” he continues, moving his hand down his body. He grunts softly as he feels himself jutting from his scales, allowing him to pull out his member with ease. Due to his tail, Miguel decides to lay down instead, so he moves to your side to do so.

Curious, you sit up and look at him, laid out for you. In awe, you admire him. He looks so beautiful with the water casting a gentle glow on his skin. His long tail’s colors — a dark blue with neon red — seems to vibrate with life within the cove. Gazing up at his face, you find his hair messy from your fingers and his cheeks flushed. At last, your eyes lower to his chest and then stomach before it moves lower. That’s when you see it as Miguel pulls it out with a small whimper.

You swallow deeply at the sight of Miguel’s heavy merman cock, sticking proudly out of his colorful scales. To say that Miguel’s member is different from a human male’s is an understatement. To start, there’s the great size difference. From an educated guess, his length is over seven inches, making his member already impressive, but there’s also his girth. There’s no way you can wrap your hand around his cock with one hand alone.

His thick head, which is covered by its foreskin, is the same neon red from Miguel’s tail. Knowing you’re watching, Miguel gently pulls the layer of skin to fully reveal his head. In awe, you watch as precum — a pearly white— leaks from his slit. Though you’ve never tasted a man, your mouth waters at the sight. You want to taste it, just how Miguel tasted you. Lowering your gaze again, you see how his girth expands the lower you go until you spot his heavy and firm sac, sending a rush of heat straight to your already soaking wet pussy.

Suddenly, you imagine stuffing your mouth with his cock and ball sac. Oh, you want that. With a gulp, you kneel closer to Miguel’s side and lift your gaze to meet his. “Do you want to… Do you want to feel what it’s like to receive?”

The offer makes Miguel’s eyes go wide and his cheek turn red. “Receive? Do you mean what I think you mean?” He asks, glancing at his hard cock for a second before meeting your gaze again.

Determined, you nod. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Like you did for me. Only if you’re comfortable, of course,” you answer.

“Yes, but,” Miguel shakes his head, deeply flustered by the idea of you doing this. “It’s too big and your mouth — It’s so much smaller than I am. What if I hurt you? It’d be my first time and I don’t know how I’ll react. I don’t want to hurt you by accident.” Miguel sighs heavily. “I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you, mi vida.”

Touched by his concern for your well-being, you smile softly. “You won’t hurt me, corazón. We’ll take it slow,” you start, caressing his tail. “If you sense that it’s getting too much, you can tap my shoulder and we’ll pause.”

“I don’t know,” Miguel continues. “Are you sure?”

“I’m one hundred percent sure,” you reply, still caressing his tail. “Do you want to?”

After a minute or so of contemplation, Miguel nods, so you move even closer to him to kiss him. Your lips move against his, slowly and tenderly, especially because you can sense that Miguel is a little nervous about hurting you during the process. Gently, you glide a hand up and down his chest, caressing his skin for a minute or so before you lower it to his cock.

Carefully, you wrap your hand around his fat cock, or at least, as much as you can. The weight of it is significant, making you wonder what it’s going to feel like inside you. Unable to stop yourself, you squeeze Miguel’s cock before you swipe your thumb over the tip, spreading the pearly-colored precum over the entire head. At that, Miguel moans and arches his back.

“You liked that,” you whisper against Miguel’s lips with a smile, doing it again to elicit the same reaction.

“You tease,” Miguel pants, resting his forehead against yours. “Fuck, mi vida,” he groans as you start stroking his large cock. “Please, don’t stop.”

“Not planning on it, corazón,” you reply, nuzzling your nose against his, very much loving how Miguel is putty in your hands right now. You take it slow and continue your ministrations for a few minutes, pressing gentle kisses to his face. “You ready?”

“Yes, mi vida,” Miguel answers with fully red cheeks. “Ready.”

With a nod, you move down Miguel’s body until you’re near his cock. You settle down and get comfortable, eyeing the challenge ahead. You’ve never done this before either, yet you’re eager to do this. Wasting no more time, you go for it and lick Miguel’s tip before you gently pull the foreskin down and lick again, gathering the precum on your tongue. Watching you, Miguel moans in pleasure, clenching his hands into fists. You lick his cock head, again and again while Miguel arches his back for you. After teasing him for a few minutes and mentally preparing yourself for the new experience, you take Miguel into your mouth. It takes several seconds to accommodate Miguel, but in the end, you succeed.

“Fuck — Fuck, fuck, preciosa,” Miguel whimpers, watching you with his cock in your mouth. He notes how you’re struggling to take him, yet you’re still trying your best. “That feels amazing.”

Satisfied with his reaction, you decide to go further by pushing his cock deeper in your mouth. Without further hesitation, you begin to suck him eagerly despite your lack of experience.

“Mierda [shit],” Miguel hisses through his teeth, bucking his hips enough to push his cock deeper into your mouth. The sight and feel of you… Oh, it almost makes Miguel cum in your sweet mouth, but he wills himself not to. He can’t do that because he needs to cum inside you; needs to make you his.

Seeing Miguel’s reaction encourages you, so you continue by playing with his ball sac, testing the weight of it in your hand. You moan softly as Miguel’s cock twitches in your mouth, sending a spurt of precum straight into your throat.

“Gods — Preciosa, we need to stop — “ Miguel groans, taking hold of your shoulder to stop you. “I’m going to cum if we don’t.”

With a small whine, you release his cock with a wet pop and admire your work. Precum and saliva drips down Miguel's length, down to his ball sac. “Did you like it?” you ask him with a smile after wiping your mouth.

“Did I like it?” Miguel repeats in disbelief, pulling you closer to him. “You nearly made me release with that alone. Had you continued… I would’ve fully lost control. Did I hurt you?” he asks, lifting your head to inspect your mouth. “I moved earlier and ended up pushing myself farther in, did I hurt you?”

“You didn’t, no worries. I really… Enjoyed myself,” you admit with a sheepish smile. “It was a challenge, but I enjoyed it. And you did, too, didn’t you?”

Miguel smirks, cupping your cheek. “I most definitely did. That was an incredible experience. I truly understand now why humans like that so much.”

“Not everyone is into it, but many do,” you explain, running a hand over Miguel’s chest.

“I see why. It’s enough to make someone come undone. Like you,” he comments, grazing his thumb over your skin. “You looked ready to come for me earlier. Seems like you liked my mouth’s work, hm?”

With a chuckle, you poke his chest. “You seemed to have enjoyed my mouth, too. I felt you twitch, you know.”

“I’m certainly not denying that.” Miguel murmurs, kissing the top of your head to express his fondness. “I’d like to try again in the future. For now…”

You hum and gaze up at him, knowing exactly what he’s thinking. With a nod, you let him know that you’re thinking of the same thing. “I want it, too… I’m ready,” you assure him, caressing his chest.

“I am ready, too,” Miguel whispers, caressing you. “I swear on my life that I’ll be gentle and patient with you. As you said earlier, we’ll take it slow,” he adds.

“Slow and steady,” you state, laying down on your back once more.

With ease, Miguel carefully moves over you to avoid crushing you with his heavier frame. For a few seconds, he allows himself to appreciate the sight of you — the woman he wishes to make his mate — under him. For months, he’s been longing for you and now, you’re both here knowing you wish to be together.

Ever so gently, Miguel lowers himself to deliver kisses. He starts by kissing one cheek and then, the next one. Your lips are next, receiving a sensual and slow kiss. Miguel gives particular attention to your neck next. He plants gentle kisses to the skin there before biting down to give you a love bite.

With a sweet whimper, you move your head aside to give him more access, which Miguel appreciates and takes advantage of to give you more love bites, marking you. Once satisfied with his work, Miguel lowers his face to your chest. When his mouth finds your breasts, he kisses each one before sucking on your nipples.

“Mmm, Miguel,” you whine softly, gazing at him through hooded eyes.

“You like that, hm?” he asks with a grin, sucking on one of your nipples again, harder, until he has you squirming. “Good girl,” he praises you, lifting his head to gaze at you. He’s ready and by taking a look at your sweet pussy, so are you. “Hermosa conchita [lovely pussy; conchita is slang for pussy in some Spanish-speaking countries, though in others it just means seashell; wanted to use it under this context because of the sea theme],” he whispers, dragging one of his long fingers down your slit and bringing it to his mouth to taste you once more. “It’s ready for me.”

Panting, you nod. “I’m ready, Miguel, please,” you whine, reaching for him.

“Patience,” he whispers, moving himself closer to you. From his tail, he can feel his cock aching to be inside you. He breathes in and takes it in his hand, guiding it to your entrance. He hesitates for a few seconds, contemplating the size difference.

“It’s alright,” you reassure him, rubbing your hand up and down his arm. “I can handle it.”

Miguel nods, gently moving forward and pressing the tip of his cock against your folds. The mere touch makes you both moan, leaving you wanting more, but you both know that you need to be patient, considering this is your first time and Miguel is big.

“Go ahead,” you whisper, relaxed.

With patience, the two of you work through it until Miguel successfully breaches your entrance.

“Oh God — you’re so big,” you whimper, looking up at him and squeezing his arm.

“I know, preciosa. Do you need me to pull out?” Miguel whispers, gazing at you with a tender gaze, but you quickly shake your head.

“No, no, just give me a few seconds,” you reply, breathing in and out while your body adjusts.

After a few minutes of allowing you to accommodate his size, you kiss Miguel. “Okay, you can move a little,” you whisper, ready to continue.

With your confirmation, Miguel moves a bit more. Little by little, and with patience, Miguel sinks deeper and deeper.

“Fuck,” he groans, his eyes closing in pure pleasure at the feeling of your walls around him. His breathing is heavy as he controls himself from moving. “How are you feeling, mi vida?”

“Good, so good. I can feel the stretch,” you murmur, feeling Miguel deep inside you.

“You feel amazing,” he murmurs, lifting a hand to caress your cheek. “You look beautiful. So ethereal,” Miguel continues. “My beautiful mate.”

You breathe out and reach for Miguel’s face, pulling him lower. “Say that again.”

“My beautiful mate. Mine,” Miguel repeats, his mouth finding yours to kiss you tenderly. “Eres mía [you’re mine].”

You return the kiss tenderly as you drag your nails down Miguel's back, leaving scratches that make him moan into your mouth. Lost in the feeling, Miguel begins to move slowly by sliding almost all the way out before sinking back in at the same speed.

“Please,” you whine against Miguel's lips. “Take me.”

Your neediness is all Miguel needs to hear before he begins moving a bit more, still gentle to avoid hurting you. His large merman cock slides in and out of you, stretching you like you never imagined. Deep moans fall from Miguel's lips as he feels your walls adjust and squeeze around him, taking his cock so well.

“You’re amazing,” he groans, moving his hips against yours.

“Nmgh, I can feel you all the way in,” you moan, digging your nails into his back even more.

“I know, baby, I’m deep,” Miguel replies breathlessly as he continues to claim you. “You love it, don’t you, preciosa?”

“Mhm, yes, yes, — ah, fuckkk,” you whimper in pleasure as Miguel picks up the speed just a tad more. Scratching at his back, you hear the sound of your wet pussy as Miguel buries himself inside you over and over again, still so careful not to hurt you, but pleasuring you nonetheless and pushing you to the edge.

“Gods, ‘m not gonna last long. Not when you're taking me so well, my sweet mate,” Miguel grunts, baring his fangs at you. “Gonna fill you up to the brim.”

“Fill me up?” you manage to ask as Miguel buries himself all the way in, his sac slapping your flesh.

Miguel nods, watching you with his red eyes. “Fill you up with my seed,” he whispers, moving his hips against yours.

“You promise?” you whisper, rushing to wrap your legs around Miguel’s waist. Gazing up at him, you feel a tingling sensation that cannot be ignored.

“Gods, yes,” Miguel grunts, leaning down to kiss you hungrily as he nears the edge. “Gonna fill you up, baby. Gonna mark you with my seed. You’re my mate. And soon, I’ll make you my wife. My future queen — All mine,” Miguel murmurs reverently.

“Please, please, Miguel. Don’t stop. I think ‘m gonna —” you start only to moan in ecstasy as you come undone at the same time Miguel bottoms out.

Miguel’s cock twitches once. Then, once more before he floods your pussy with his merman seed.

You moan against each other’s mouth, feeling like you’re in another world as you ride your climaxes.

“Miguel,” you whimper, that being the only thing you can utter when you’re a complete mess.

“Preciosa,” Miguel murmurs, nuzzling his face against your neck, his hips stuttering against yours. “We’re mates, now and forever,” he continues.

“Mates,” you repeat, nodding. “We’re mates.” Watching him with tenderness you think about the last four months. You never once imagined you’d fall for the stoic merman, Miguel, you were assigned to research, but here you are. Somewhere deep inside you, as you lay beneath Miguel, you know this was meant to be.

Slowly, Miguel lifts himself up. With tender eyes, he gazes down at you to admire the view of you completely spent. “You did so well, preciosa,” he murmurs, caressing your cheek. “My beautiful, sweet mate.”

With a satisfied smile, you lay your hand over his. “My mate… My future husband,” you whisper as Miguel takes your hand in his, intertwining your fingers with his.

“Forever,” Miguel whispers.

I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading!

Alondra❤️ Note: Want to give credit to @/amari the second on character ai for the initial prompt/idea from their bot :) divider credit: @uzmacchiato

[greensagephase]

Miss girl I miss you 😭 checking on you, hugs hugs and hugs 🫂

Hiii, nonnie!! 🥰

Aww, I think you're the same nonnie that sent one of the asks I last answered earlier this month. I'm here again and I'm sending you lots of hugs!! 🫶🏼🫂I hope you're having a wonderful day/night so far and that you're taking care of yourself!! ✨💖

Alondra❤️

[greensagephase]

🎃Happy Halloween, Sage!!!👻

Hope you enjoy the spookiest time of year! 🍭🍫🍬🍭🍫🍬

Omg, hiiii, Swift!!🥰

Happy Halloween to you, too, pookie!!! 👻🕸🕷🎃

I hope you're enjoying the spooky times, too, hehe!! 👻✨🌕

Alondra❤️

[greensagephase]

The Merman

Word Count: 9.5k Warnings: MDNI; loss of virginity for reader, oral sex for m and f; p in v: mention of blood; monster miguel x human reader; I think that's all

The chill of the laboratory greets you as you push open the door. Thankfully, you have your lab coat to keep you warm and if necessary, you have an extra sweater hidden away in the bottom drawer of your desk. The only sound that reaches your ears is that of your footsteps as you walk further inside, but without even seeing him yet, you know he’s watching from somewhere within his tank.

He always does. Despite usually being stoic, he’s rather curious.

With your hands in your lab coat’s pockets, you reach your computer and turn it on to start the work day. It’s another day of researching the merman — the one currently watching you from somewhere within his tank — who willingly volunteered to the human government for research and education purposes. About half a year ago, it was discovered that mermaids and merman exist after all. It’s no longer just a myth, or a fictional princess story by a multinational entertainment conglomerate. To establish a connection with your kind, the kingdom of the sea decided that one of their own was to go to the lab you work at. And so, the mer kingdom approved for one of their princes, that is, Prince Miguel O’Hara, who is next in line for the throne, to volunteer.

You lift your gaze towards the large tank, which makes up the majority of this floor, in hopes of spotting him, but as always, he hides so well in the container that has been his home for four months now. The government used up a large budget for his tank alone. It needed to be large to allow Miguel to swim freely and, of course, to hunt the fishes that were incorporated so he can sustain himself. Seashells and other items were added as a request by the prince.

With a sigh, you look away when you don’t spot Miguel anywhere and turn to look at your desk, specifically the area decorated with seashells and other trinkets. They’re not items you bought yourself for decoration purposes. No, these are all gifts from the merman himself. Every couple of days, he gives them to you. You don’t understand why, when all those items were placed in the tank for him, not for you. Either way, you’ve accepted them, of course. You suppose it’s Miguel’s way of… Showing respect to you?

At least, you think he respects you since he’s allowed you to be the leading scientist running the research. Or, rather, he’s only permitted you to be the researcher. No one else is allowed in the lab. No one else is to run tests on him. Unlike with you, Miguel showed little patience with the previous scientists that were initially assigned to work with him. He ran them out with his impatient, cold, and stoic personality. Then, there’s also his powerful strength, since mer people are much stronger than humans are.

You remember the fearful scientists saying they wished the mer kingdom had sent a smaller male. It’s funny, considering even the “smaller” mer males are big, but Miguel… Miguel is above average. He’s one of the largest of his kind, measuring nearly eight feet tall with a large tail that with one flick alone, can leave you soaking wet. You know that because the scientists told you so, as they stood before with dripping clothes thanks to Miguel’s antics.

Thankfully, you haven’t experienced that. Instead, you’ve experienced a merman who seems to practice patience with you. There’s also the curiosity aspect. You know he watches you because Miguel has one of those gazes, the kind you feel on every single inch of your body. You’ve only ever caught him watching you once, and you’re certain it was because he allowed and wanted you to.

After quickly logging in, you begin to approach the tank, wondering from where Miguel will pop out from.

He suddenly appears at the edge of the tank, water dripping down his face and chiseled torso. He rests his arms on the tank’s edge and watches you with those crimson eyes you’ve grown used to over the weeks you’ve been working with him.

“Human,” Miguel states with his usual tone of aloofness and addressing you as “human” despite knowing your name.

“Miguel,” you greet him, offering a small smile. “Good morning.”

“Is there anything good about this morning?” he asks.

“Well, we both woke up and got to see another day. I think that’s enough to make it a good one, no?”

Miguel scoffs, still watching you. “You are… Optimistic as always.”

And he’s as grumpy as always. You don’t voice that, of course.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you,” you reply.

“Mmhp, do whatever you wish, human,” Miguel replies with a grunt. “What are you doing to me today? Poking me with your needles, pressing your equipment to my chest to measure my heartbeat, or drawing my blood?”

“Well, it seems today we have a routine check-up,” you answer, which makes Miguel even more grumpy.

“Another check-up? Nothing ever changes, you know,” Miguel mutters in annoyance, crossing his large and muscular arms across his wide and chiseled chest.

“I know, which is a good thing, but these are a requirement. We must ensure that your health remains steady. You must remember, this tank was built to ensure your health is not negatively impacted. It’s comfortable, maybe enough to feel a bit like home, or to, at least, simulate your home, but it’s not. It’s still a tank at the end of the day, and this could impact your health.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Miguel grumbles, rolling his eyes. “Come up here and do it, then.”

“I need to get my clipboard. One second,” you reply, returning to your desk to collect what you need. In seconds, you’re climbing the ladder to reach the platform designed for these procedures. “Alright,” you state, kneeling on the platform to do the check-up.

With ease, Miguel swims towards the platform and stops in front of you. With you kneeling, Miguel easily looms over you, but you’ve long decided that this is best. It feels better than standing over Miguel and, to you, it helps give Miguel the impression that you’re comfortable around him to kneel and be in a vulnerable position. Whereas with you standing, it might make him feel like you don’t trust him, and that’s what you don’t want. Perhaps, this trust on your end is what’s allowed things to run smoothly between you since you were assigned to him. Maybe it’s why he didn’t try to run you out with his tricks since day one.

“May I please inspect your eyes?” you ask, always asking for permission before touching or doing anything to respect Miguel.

“Yes,” Miguel answers with a sigh, annoyed he must do yet another check-up.

“Thank you. Let’s see…” you trail off, focusing on the task at hand. Your eyes meet his to see any changes to the naked eye. “Any trouble with your sight?”

“No. Perfect vision,” Miguel replies, watching you like a hawk. “I can see everything perfectly.”

“Well, that’s great,” you answer, jotting down the information. “May I see your teeth and fangs next?”

Miguel nods and opens his mouth, revealing his teeth and long fangs. You hum, taking a look. “Very well. No aches?”

“None. Just like the last time and the time before that,” the grumpy merman answers.

“Glad to hear it. Toothache is no joke,” you reply, quickly scribbling the answer.

“Well, good thing you have your tooth doctors, no?” Miguel asks with a huff.

“The dentists, yes,” you answer with furrowed eyebrows.

Miguel grunts, slightly leaning closer. He inhales subtly before his eyes narrow. “You smell like someone I’ve smelled before.”

“What?” you ask, pausing your writing.

“I said you smell like someone I’ve smelled before. A human male. What’s his name? That annoying human… Peter,” Miguel grumbles.

“Peter — Oh, um, I smell like him?” you ask, confused. “I ran into him at the front office. He uses a strong cologne.”

“Yes, I’m aware. He made it everyone’s business,” Miguel continues, glaring. “You should take off your lab coat. It reeks of him.”

“I didn’t know you have such a delicate nose,” you respond, slipping off the lab coat since you can tell it’s bothering him.

“Well, I do,” he grumbles, eyeing the lab coat with displeasure because of your coworker’s lingering cologne. “Are you sure you only ran into him? Smells like you hugged him, or something,” Miguel states with a hint of accusation in his tone.

“I literally just talked to him about work. His cologne is overwhelming,” you explain. “Anyway, are you experiencing any muscle aches?”

“No. I’m fine,” Miguel replies, eyeing the lab coat before looking at you again.

“Perfect,” you answer. “What about your tail? Any discomfort, or abnormal changes?”

“Looks and feels the same,” Miguel simply answers. “Do you talk a lot with that human?”

“With Peter? Not much.”

Miguel nods. “And the others?”

“You’re rather interested in who I talk with,” you answer, doing a visual check-up of Miguel. You gulp softly as your eyes trace his wide chest and large arms.

“I am merely… Curious,” Miguel carefully phrases, lifting himself higher by using his hands as support. With him doing that, the merman looms over you even more.

You lift your eyes to his face, meeting his eyes. “That’s odd,” you state. “You, curious?”

Miguel scoffs, his arms flexing as he continues to support himself. You don’t really understand why he does this sometimes. You do know, however, that if there were any men around — human or merman — they’d likely be jealous of his physique. “I have something for you,” Miguel says suddenly, lowering himself and slipping under the water like nothing. A few seconds later, he resurfaces with a rock. He extends his hand out, ready to hand you yet another gift.

You carefully accept it in your much smaller hand and inspect it with a smile. “Hey, it’s a heart-shaped rock. The odds of finding one in this shape in your tank are very low, but seems like you found one, hm? Thank you. I’ll add it to my collection,” you promise, gently rubbing a thumb over it to appreciate the texture.

Watching intently, Miguel takes in your reaction. If only you knew that there was no heart-shaped rock until he carved it.

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you again,” you continue, giving it one last rub before slipping the rock into your lab coat’s pocket. “So, Prince Miguel, are you ready to return home?”

Miguel grunts, glaring. “Don’t call me that. Call me Miguel, or something else.”

“You are a prince, you know,” you reply, wondering why Miguel is always so adamant about you not addressing him as such.

“I prefer if you call me Miguel. Or, even Migs. That’s what my family calls me,” he answers. “I don’t want to be addressed as such… By you.”

“And why is that?” you question, putting away your notes and pen.

“Because… You’re the only individual I’ve interacted every day with since I arrived.”

You nod and sigh. “Yes, that’s true. Had you not run off the other scientists, you’d be interacting with others, but I’m guessing you actually mean family and friends.”

“I don’t care for those humans. They were rude and entitled.” Miguel rolls his eyes as he thinks of them. He did enjoy scaring them right out of the lab after the way they were treating him without his regard. The bonus was even better; it brought you straight to him. After a few seconds, Miguel clears his throat. “As to my family and friends… I think about them every day.”

“I can imagine,” you state softly, fully understanding. “Thankfully, you only have about a month and a half left of your agreement. Once we reach that point, you’ll be back home with everyone you care about.”

“Indeed. I look forward to seeing my family, especially my youngest brother,” Miguel shares with a faraway look in his face. He misses Gabriel so much. He misses swimming for miles and miles across the ocean, racing Gabriel. He misses the feeling of community amongst the merpeople. He misses so much, yet… “What if I wish to extend my agreement?”

“Wait — what? Why would you do such a thing?” you ask in disbelief that Miguel has even voiced that question.

“You sound shocked, human.”

“That’s because I am.”

Miguel smirks and leans closer. “Why is that?”

“Because… I don’t understand why you would want to stay here any longer.” You look around at the tank before meeting his gaze once more. “This tank isn’t home.”

“I know that,” Miguel replies, staring into your eyes.

“Okay… So, surely you want to be out of this place as soon as possible and return home with family and friends. Maybe, you even left some broken hearts, hm?”

At the last statement, Miguel’s smirk drops and is replaced by a scowl. “I left no broken hearts.”

“Oh? You sound certain of that, but you’re a prince.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m automatically a heart breaker, human,” Miguel mutters in annoyance. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No? I would’ve thought that a prince merman — single, by the way — would be highly sought,” you answer. You leave out the fact that Miguel is also, well… A rather attractive individual, even if you haven’t voiced that before. It’d be unprofessional since this is a professional setting. There’s also the possibility of that being weird since he’s a merman and you’re human. You’ve reassured yourself that it’s possibly not that weird, considering you live in a world in which werewolves and vampires exist, and have romantic relationships with humans.

“I don’t have time for that. I’m too busy,” Miguel answers, annoyed.

“Hmm… Too busy. So, there’s a chance you do break hearts by not having time for romance.”

“Stop,” Miguel says, staring at you. “Stop talking about being a bachelor and breaking hearts back home,” he adds, his eyes flickering to your lips, his expression almost pained.

You nod, noting the tone and realizing that this topic is clearly a sensitive one for him, so you back off. “Alright, I’m sorry. I was trying to lighten the mood. Forgive me,” you apologize genuinely, missing the way Miguel’s gaze keeps flickering to your lips, longingly.

“You don’t need… To apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just…” Miguel trails off, unable to put his thoughts and feelings into words.

“I’ll give you some time alone, okay? I’ll be at my desk,” you say, beginning to move away.

“No.” Miguel quickly answers. “Don’t.”

You stare back at him in surprise. “… Alright.”

You both remain quiet — you kneeling on the platform and Miguel leaning over it, in front of you. “So… Are you actually considering extending your agreement?” you ask curiously. A part of you is in disbelief about that, yet, a part of you feels a weird sense of happiness that you’ll continued to be in his presence.

“Maybe,” Miguel answers, watching you without missing a second.

“Why?” you genuinely ask. “When you can swim freely again and not deal with annoying humans.”

Miguel snorts, unable to stop the crack in his stoic expression. He sighs after a few seconds of silence. “I miss home. I miss swimming for miles and miles. I miss my family and friends, but… I’ve been thinking about something a little more. Something that’s missing. That I'm missing,” Miguel confesses, still gazing at you.

“Oh,” you simply say, wondering what it could be. Mentally, you decide it must be important if Miguel is allowing himself to be vulnerable right now. “What is it that you’re missing?”

“Something… Something I’ve been needing for a while.”

For a good minute or so, you remain silent and consider the possibilities. Miguel has stated that he misses his family, friends, and the ocean, but there's something else missing. You've already suggested him having someone special in a romantic sense, but he asked you to stop talking about it.

“Something you've been needing,” you repeat slowly, your brain running. “Wait… Do you mean a mate?” you ask carefully since you know merpeople have mating bonds. Miguel hasn't shared much about the process, just that an individual courts another one and it's up to that person to accept the courtship.

Miguel's face changes once you mention the word mate, confirming your guess. “Yes. A mate,” he states, staring straight at you.

Understanding, you nod slowly. “I understand… I have no doubt that once you return home, you'll be able to find a lovely mate.”

Miguel makes a noise, still looking at you. “Do you want to know something?”

“… yes,” you answer, curious.

“I’ve already started a courtship,” Miguel suddenly reveals, leaving you incredulous. This is the first time he's mentioned this and the new piece of information, for some reason, sends a ripple of disappointment across your chest, one that you quickly decide is due to Miguel not trusting you enough to tell you about it and not for any other reason.

“You — you have?” you manage to ask after what feels like minutes despite only a few seconds passing.

“I do,” Miguel confirms, giving you nothing else.

“Well… I'm sorry your courtship has been paused due to this research thing. Someone else should've been sent, so you could've continued it. Though, I'm sure whoever it is, is eagerly waiting for your return,” you genuinely offer, hoping to reassure Miguel if he's having doubts, especially when he's said he’s missing a mate.

“That is kind of you, preciosa [precious],” Miguel replies, this time using another nickname besides “human”. You know exactly what it means: precious. He's never called you that before, though. “However, my courtship hasn't ended nor has it been paused.”

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion, something Miguel notes. “It hasn’t been on pause? But how, if you’re here?”

“No. It hasn't.” Miguel smirks slightly, taking in your expression. “I haven't told you how courtship works for our kind, have I?” he asks rhetorically, because of course, he knows he hasn’t.

“No, you haven’t. You’ve only told me that a merperson starts the courtship and the second person has to decide whether they accept it, or not.”

“Mhm…” Miguel hums in confirmation, gripping the platform you're still kneeling on with his large hands. “For example, a merman wanting to court someone usually displays a different behavior for that person. Perhaps, they're too serious, but with the person they wish to court, they're more open. Or, they could be more on the impatient side, but with that person, they demonstrate patience.”

That sounds oddly familiar to you, but your brain refuses to connect the dots.

“A merman makes his courtship known to the person by gifting them items… Seashells, rocks, and other trinkets they may find in the vast ocean — a symbol they wish to mate.”

The heart-shaped rock in your coat's pocket suddenly feels heavy. An image of your desk decorated with various gifts from Miguel pops in your head. If you connect that dot to the fact that Miguel has displayed different behavior with you than he did towards the previous scientists…

“My courtship hasn't been paused,” Miguel carefully starts. “Because… You are my courtship.”

“I’m sorry — What?” you say in complete shock. Eyes wide, you shake your head. “No, that can't be.”

“It is so,” Miguel replies calmly and in a tone that lets you know that he means it. He’s not fooling around with this. “You’re who I'm courting.”

“I'm human. That can’t be. It just can’t.”

“I know that very well, sweet human,” Miguel answers. “Do you think I care? The answer is no. I don't. I've been courting you since the second week we met. Four months.”

“But I'm human. You dislike humans, so —”

“I disliked the scientists before you. They were rude and entitled. They forgot I'm doing this willingly, expecting respect as an individual nonetheless. They started to poke and prod me without any consent. It was why I ran them out and then, you came along and you were different.” Miguel explains, leaning closer to you. “Right from the moment you walked in… Your scent hypnotized me,” he says, inhaling softly and closing his eyes for a second, as if to truly appreciate it. “I'd replace the ocean with your scent, if I could. Swim in it every day.”

You swallow softly as Miguel's words sink, the word “mate” echoing in your head. Miguel wants you as his mate; as his wife.

“And your personality…” Miguel continues, gazing at you with half-lidded eyes. “You looked at me without fear nor distaste. You didn't work around me as if you were walking on seashells. You looked at me with respect and respected my boundaries from the start. Your gentle and kind demeanor,” he states, slowly lifting a hand to your face. Carefully, he glides a finger under your chin before cupping your cheek.

The act catches you by pure surprise, leaving you frozen as he caresses your cheek.

“So soft,” Miguel murmurs. “Just how I imagined your skin would feel.”

“Miguel, this can’t be because —” you start, trying to reason with him despite your heart racing.

“Because you’re human and I’m a merman, yes, yes. I know your argument,” Miguel interrupts you with a scoff. “There are stories, both from your kind and mine; stories about humans and merfolk being together as a couple. Those are not myths,” he reveals. “They’ve been rare because my kind has been hidden for thousands of years, but they exist.”

“I can’t —” you shake your head, trying to make sense of this. “This is too much. I need to go.”

You attempt to move, but Miguel suddenly holds on to your arm, keeping you still.

“You feel something for me, too,” Miguel declares. “I know it.”

“You can’t possibly know that,” you reply defensively.

“No?” Miguel questions with a small smirk, his hand gliding up your arm and sending shivers up your body. “You’re so smart, mi vida [my life], and you haven’t realized it yet, have you?”

“Realized what?”

“Your body betrays you,” Miguel murmurs, leaning closer. His crimson eyes stare right into yours, not allowing you to evade his gaze. “Your heart races every time you come near me. There are two options for that. Fear or attraction, and I know you don’t fear me.” Miguel’s hand moves to your face again, cupping your cheek. “Your scent is another giveaway. Even from your desk, I can smell you. When you come near me…” he trails off in a whisper, so close now that he decides to run his nose up your cheek, inhaling. “Your scent changes. It’s like you’re begging me to take you with how sweet you smell.”

Exhaling softly from your mouth, you close your eyes and realize Miguel is saying nothing but the truth. All this time — day after day — you’ve been refusing to see the reality. You’ve ignored the signs, even when you noted yourself out of breath due to the close proximity. It was stupid, but you blamed it on the physical activity of walking so much around the lab, or climbing the tank to reach him. The truth is that your heart races because of Miguel. And when you’ve discovered your panties are soaked when you use the bathroom while you’re here at work, you’ve chalked it up to the organ doing organ things. The truth is, your panties are soaked for another reason and that reason is called Miguel.

“Your heart is racing, preciosa,” Miguel whispers in your ear. “And Gods… You smell heavenly right now,” he continues in a strangled voice. “The things I want to do to you. The way I need to worship you.”

“I —” you start, swallowing. “I will admit that I’ve felt things, but this can’t happen.”

“Why not? You and I both want this,” Miguel retorts, frowning. “I can smell your arousal.” With that, Miguel runs his nose over your cheek again. “Do you know how torturous it has been to be able to smell you like this? To know your body needs me the same way I need you, but you’re so blind to see it, I’ve had to act like it doesn’t affect me,” Miguel desperately says. “I must act stoic when I want to do so much to you. I want to hold you in my arms. I want to kiss you senseless. I want to have you under me, moaning my name as I make you mine.”

That sends a rush of heat to your lower regions, but you hold on to logic. Or, attempt to. “No, no, no — There are ethics. I’m a scientist and I’m the person running the research about you. It’s not professional nor ethical, don’t you understand?” you ask, though you’re not sure if you’re only saying this to convince Miguel alone, or if you’re trying to stop yourself from doing something.

“Ethics, ethics, ethics,” Miguel grumbles, pulling you right into him by wrapping his arms around you. “You humans and your ethics. I don’t care right now. I don’t care at all. You’re not taking advantage of me, if that’s your concern. I consent. I need you, mi vida,” Miguel murmurs, suddenly lifting you higher up by your hips. “I need you like I need water. Forget your ethics. Forget everything else. You’re the woman I need. The woman I wish to make my mate.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” you whisper. “I’m human and you’re a merman. This wouldn’t work.”

Miguel pulls back to look into your eyes. “Do you think I haven’t thought about that? I’ve had more than enough time in this tank to think and I have a solution. We can make this work. First, if you’re worry about a human and merperson relationship, must I remind you vampires and werewolves walk amongst you? Humans have relationships with them. They’ve married and have families. This is no different.” Miguel states, making a fair point — one you’ve thought about subconsciously before. “I know it’s easy to think this isn’t possible. Not when you’re a human and can’t thrive in the water, and I’m the opposite, but there are ways and I’m willing to do anything for us,” Miguel confesses, his eyes pleading. “There are sea witches that have magic.”

“What?” you ask in disbelief.

“I’ll tell you more about them later, but they exist,” Miguel states with a firm nod. “They have magic that has allowed many of our kind to walk amongst you before; those curious to see the land. My family is in good terms with them. It would take nothing to ask for potions and spells for us. For me to walk with you,” he continues. “To see your world. The same goes for you to see my world; to swim and live underwater for some periods of time. Please,” Miguel breathlessly pleas. “Don’t lie to yourself. Don’t lie to me. Follow your heart. What does it want?”

“What…” you trail off, swallowing deeply. “What happens if the person you’re courting… Accepts?” you ask, your mind already made up.

Miguel stares at you, hope blooming in his chest. “If the person accepts the courtship, the individuals become mates for life,” Miguel gently answers, still holding you against him. “A mate is the equivalent of a wife or husband in your human terms. A ceremony takes place and rings are exchanged. You… You’d be my wife, preciosa.”

“Your wife… And you, you’d be my husband,” you state, staring at Miguel. There is no denying it. It’d be pointless to do so. Somewhere along the way, you started to develop feelings for Miguel; feelings that run so deep you’re not shooting down the idea of sea witches and the use of potions and spells to be together.

“What do you say?” Miguel whispers, his eyes flickering to your lips with longing. “What does your heart say?”

Leaning forward, you cup his face. “My heart says… That it needs you,” you whisper. “I need to kiss you.”

“I thought you’d never say so,” Miguel whispers back before he cuts the distance between you to press his lips against yours. He kisses you passionately yet tenderly with a hunger you’ve never known and you, you return it eagerly. Your body feels incredibly hot and even more so as Miguel runs a hand down your back, feeling you up. With a soft moan, you trace his back, too, feeling his muscles react under your touch.

Seconds later and panting, Miguel pulls back only to pick you off the platform completely. Carrying you in bridal style, Miguel swims away from the platform, making sure to keep you dry from the water.

“What are you doing?” you ask out of breath.

“Taking you to my little cove,” Miguel answers, reminding you that there’s a back corner of the tank that resembles one, though it’s not a real one. It was designed for Miguel, of course, to have another area besides the tank filled with water. In seconds, Miguel reaches it with his incredible speed, where he lays you down on a dry spot. Looking at him, you watch as he moves with experience on land, moving so he’s over you.

Without hesitation, you reach for him to kiss him again and this time, your hands wander. You touch his strong and wide shoulders before gliding them down his chest.

“You have no idea how many nights I’ve laid here,” Miguel murmurs against your lips. “Imagining your touch. Imagining what you feel like.” He runs his hand down your side, feeling your body and growling softly. “So soft and warm,” he says reverently. “And these hips, fuck. I could watch you walk all day.”

A whine escapes your lips as Miguel grips your hip with his large hand, loving the way he’s touching you. In response, you run your nails down his chest, making him shudder in delight. “You like that,” you whisper.

“More than you know, mi vida,” Miguel replies, lowering himself to kiss your lips again before moving to kiss your neck. “You’ve been driving me crazy since I first saw you. Knew you’d be mine one day,” he murmurs, pressing kisses to your neck before carrying on to your collarbone. Miguel continues downwards, pressing his face into your chest and inhaling. “Need this off.”

You’re quick to oblige, so you sit up and slip off your top to reveal your bra.

“Beautiful,” Miguel murmurs, reaching out to touch your bare shoulder. His fingers trace your skin with gentleness, as if he’s afraid to hurt you. Slowly, he slides his fingers up your arm until he touches your neck and then, down your chest.

“Do you want to… Take it off?” you ask softly.

Miguel nods. “May I?”

“Yes, please,” you reply, anticipation building.

With a hum, Miguel reaches behind you to undo your bra. He takes the opportunity to touch your back, relishing the feel of your skin and warmth. “So, so soft,” Miguel murmurs. “I spent so many nights in this very place, thinking about you. Thinking about touching you,” he continues you, pressing a kiss to your shoulder.

“You thought about me?” you ask, your chest fluttering.

“Only every night,” Miguel replies, moving back to gaze at you. “I lay and stared at the ceiling, counting the hours down until you come back from home.”

“Miguel,” you whisper softly, touched by his words. “I didn’t know… But now that we’re here, that we know how we feel… I’m not going anywhere.”

Miguel smiles and kisses you. “You don’t know how happy that makes me,” he says. “A part of me — a small part — was afraid you’d reject me, not because of your ethics, but because maybe you’d found the idea of being with me gross.”

“What? No, I could never,” you reassure him, feeling disbelief that he’d think that. “What you said earlier, about my body giving me away… It’s true. I was ignoring the signs and when I wasn’t, I was blaming it on something else, but the truth is, I want you, too,” you confess softly. “I want and need you, Miguel.”

“Mi vida,” Miguel whispers, his heart fluttering due to your words. He can’t help himself when he leans down to kiss you again with tenderness.

Cupping his face in your hands, you return the kiss. Deep inside you, this feels so right. Miguel and you sound right.

The kiss continues for what feels like minutes until you both pull away to breathe.

“Corazón [sweetheart; heart],” you whisper against his lips, panting softly. “I need you.”

“I need you, too,” Miguel whispers, pressing a kiss to the corner of your mouth. Gently, he touches your shoulder, slowly pulling your bra’s strap down your arm. He lifts his gaze to meet yours, making sure that you’re comfortable with this, before pulling the other strap down. His breath hitches as the piece of clothing falls off, revealing your breasts. “So beautiful,” he murmurs. “May I?”

Biting your lip, you nod. The way Miguel is looking at you right now is doing nothing to stop the heat spreading in your lower region.

With your permission, Miguel reaches out to cup one breast. He groans at the feel of it, loving how it feels in his large hand. Unable to stop himself, he rubs a thumb over the sensitive and hardened nipple. “Fuck,” he murmurs, lowering himself to latch his mouth to it.

“Miguel,” you whimper, watching him eagerly begin to suck your nipple while he plays with the other one.

“You’re so beautiful, mi vida,” Miguel groans, turning to the other nipple to suck it. He pulls back a little, enough to allow himself to circle the bud with the tip of his tongue. That alone earns himself a moan from you, making him smirk. “So responsive. So sensitive.”

After a few minutes of playing with your nipples, Miguel pulls back. He glides a hand down your stomach, memorizing the feeling of your soft skin, before he reaches your bottoms. With a nod of approval from you, Miguel undoes and begins pulling them down.

He places them with your top and bra, looking at you with affection and hunger. “Your panties,” he murmurs.

“Off,” you whisper, giving him permission to take off the last piece of clothing you have left.

Without further hesitation, Miguel hooks a long finger into your panties and pulls them down. He tugs them down your thighs and legs until they’re completely off.

Shyly, you spread your legs; making a silent offer.

“Fuck,” Miguel groans, staring at your pussy. “I need to — I must try something. Can we try something?” he asks, caressing your calves.

“What do you want to try?” you ask, wondering what he has in mind.

“I’ve heard that humans like to do something,” Miguel starts, running his fingers over your legs until one hand reaches your middle. He doesn’t touch it quite yet, but his hand is close enough that he can feel the delicious warmth exuding from it. “Humans like to taste here, don’t they?” Miguel asks quietly, as if unsure of this.

As soon as you understand what Miguel means, your eyes widen. “You want to try oral sex?” you ask.

“Oral sex, yes. I’ve heard that it’s pleasurable for humans. My kind, we don’t engage in this, but if I’m honest… I’d like to try it with you. I’d like to taste you, mi vida,” Miguel admits. “May we try it, if you’re comfortable?”

“Well, I don’t know that you’ll like it,” you reply, uncertain. “And if I’m honest, I’ve never done it myself.”

“You’ve never tried it either?” Miguel gently asks.

You shake your head. “No, never. Actually, I haven’t been with anyone…”

“You’ve never — You’re…” Miguel trails off, realizing. “I understand, mi vida. Don’t worry.” Miguel smiles tenderly at you, caressing your body. “We don’t have to do this now.”

“No, no, I… I want to,” you reassure him, sure of this. “I’d like to experience it with you, if you’re also comfortable with it.”

Seeing your confidence, Miguel nods. He glides his hands over your thighs, fingers digging into your skin. “Gods, you're so beautiful, preciosa,” Miguel murmurs, looking at all of you before leaning down to kiss your thigh. Lowering himself further, Miguel inhales your scent once his face hovers over your pussy. Despite never having done this, Miguel's mouth waters at the sight of it. He can perfectly see how your pussy is reacting to him, see how it's glistening with your juices. “You’re ready for me,” he whispers with a soft smirk before blowing air on your flesh.

The sensation makes your breath hitch and squirm under Miguel in need.

“Fuck,” Miguel groans as he inhales. “You smell so divine… I want to taste you now. I wanted to take it slow, but you're temptation itself,” he murmurs before closing the distance between his face and your pussy.

He takes you by surprise when his large tongue swipes up your slit, making you whimper. Miguel groans against your flesh, taking great pleasure in how you taste. He takes a second lick, then another one and another one; quickly growing addicted to your sweet taste. Your desperate and sweet moans fill his ears, making his already hard merman cock harder.

“Dios mio,” he murmurs before eagerly sucking on your clit and earning himself another needy moan. “Your special spot,” he whispers, flicking it lightly before sucking it again.

“Fu— fuck, Miguel!” you whine, fighting not to close your thighs around his face.

“Keep them open for me, preciosa,” Miguel instructs, taking hold of one of your thighs to keep your thighs open. “I'm not done tasting this sweet pussy of yours. Won't be satisfied for a while. I understand why humans like it so much,” he murmurs, gliding his tongue over your slit again, collecting your juices. Gently, he pulls your folds apart with one hand, feeling how delicate and soft you are. He moans when he sees your entrance, making his cock twitch. Without further hesitation, he drags his tongue over your entrance before gently sticking his tongue in.

Of course, the sensation of his tongue poking your entrance makes you react. You close your free thigh around his head, making him moan.

“You know what? Wrap your thighs around me,” Miguel says, liking the feeling of your thigh around his head. He slips his tongue inside you again, feeling you do as he’s asked you to do.

“Miguel — oh God, I need you,” you whimper, the ache for Miguel growing worse now that you’ve had a taste of his tongue.

“Not yet, mi vida. I need to get you ready. I'm too large for your lovely pussy,” he says, looking up at you with a string of saliva connected to your pussy. “I don't want to hurt you.”

“Please… I'd like to see it already, at least,” you answer softly since you've never seen his member. By the time you were assigned to lead the research, the previous scientists had already tried asking about his reproductive body part. There were notes in the binder you received, but everything regarding the topic were mere theories since Miguel hadn’t been opened to discussing such topic yet. Once you showed up, you decided to wait on that until the end. You didn’t want to make Miguel uncomfortable when you hardly knew each other.

“You want to see it, mi amor [my love]?” Miguel answers with a smile. “Alright, it's only fair. Hold on,” he continues, moving his hand down his body. He grunts softly as he feels himself jutting from his scales, allowing him to pull out his member with ease. Due to his tail, Miguel decides to lay down instead, so he moves to your side to do so.

Curious, you sit up and look at him, laid out for you. In awe, you admire him. He looks so beautiful with the water casting a gentle glow on his skin. His long tail’s colors — a dark blue with neon red — seems to vibrate with life within the cove. Gazing up at his face, you find his hair messy from your fingers and his cheeks flushed. At last, your eyes lower to his chest and then stomach before it moves lower. That’s when you see it as Miguel pulls it out with a small whimper.

You swallow deeply at the sight of Miguel’s heavy merman cock, sticking proudly out of his colorful scales. To say that Miguel’s member is different from a human male’s is an understatement. To start, there’s the great size difference. From an educated guess, his length is over seven inches, making his member already impressive, but there’s also his girth. There’s no way you can wrap your hand around his cock with one hand alone.

His thick head, which is covered by its foreskin, is the same neon red from Miguel’s tail. Knowing you’re watching, Miguel gently pulls the layer of skin to fully reveal his head. In awe, you watch as precum — a pearly white— leaks from his slit. Though you’ve never tasted a man, your mouth waters at the sight. You want to taste it, just how Miguel tasted you. Lowering your gaze again, you see how his girth expands the lower you go until you spot his heavy and firm sac, sending a rush of heat straight to your already soaking wet pussy.

Suddenly, you imagine stuffing your mouth with his cock and ball sac. Oh, you want that. With a gulp, you kneel closer to Miguel’s side and lift your gaze to meet his. “Do you want to… Do you want to feel what it’s like to receive?”

The offer makes Miguel’s eyes go wide and his cheek turn red. “Receive? Do you mean what I think you mean?” He asks, glancing at his hard cock for a second before meeting your gaze again.

Determined, you nod. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Like you did for me. Only if you’re comfortable, of course,” you answer.

“Yes, but,” Miguel shakes his head, deeply flustered by the idea of you doing this. “It’s too big and your mouth — It’s so much smaller than I am. What if I hurt you? It’d be my first time and I don’t know how I’ll react. I don’t want to hurt you by accident.” Miguel sighs heavily. “I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you, mi vida.”

Touched by his concern for your well-being, you smile softly. “You won’t hurt me, corazón. We’ll take it slow,” you start, caressing his tail. “If you sense that it’s getting too much, you can tap my shoulder and we’ll pause.”

“I don’t know,” Miguel continues. “Are you sure?”

“I’m one hundred percent sure,” you reply, still caressing his tail. “Do you want to?”

After a minute or so of contemplation, Miguel nods, so you move even closer to him to kiss him. Your lips move against his, slowly and tenderly, especially because you can sense that Miguel is a little nervous about hurting you during the process. Gently, you glide a hand up and down his chest, caressing his skin for a minute or so before you lower it to his cock.

Carefully, you wrap your hand around his fat cock, or at least, as much as you can. The weight of it is significant, making you wonder what it’s going to feel like inside you. Unable to stop yourself, you squeeze Miguel’s cock before you swipe your thumb over the tip, spreading the pearly-colored precum over the entire head. At that, Miguel moans and arches his back.

“You liked that,” you whisper against Miguel’s lips with a smile, doing it again to elicit the same reaction.

“You tease,” Miguel pants, resting his forehead against yours. “Fuck, mi vida,” he groans as you start stroking his large cock. “Please, don’t stop.”

“Not planning on it, corazón,” you reply, nuzzling your nose against his, very much loving how Miguel is putty in your hands right now. You take it slow and continue your ministrations for a few minutes, pressing gentle kisses to his face. “You ready?”

“Yes, mi vida,” Miguel answers with fully red cheeks. “Ready.”

With a nod, you move down Miguel’s body until you’re near his cock. You settle down and get comfortable, eyeing the challenge ahead. You’ve never done this before either, yet you’re eager to do this. Wasting no more time, you go for it and lick Miguel’s tip before you gently pull the foreskin down and lick again, gathering the precum on your tongue. Watching you, Miguel moans in pleasure, clenching his hands into fists. You lick his cock head, again and again while Miguel arches his back for you. After teasing him for a few minutes and mentally preparing yourself for the new experience, you take Miguel into your mouth. It takes several seconds to accommodate Miguel, but in the end, you succeed.

“Fuck — Fuck, fuck, preciosa,” Miguel whimpers, watching you with his cock in your mouth. He notes how you’re struggling to take him, yet you’re still trying your best. “That feels amazing.”

Satisfied with his reaction, you decide to go further by pushing his cock deeper in your mouth. Without further hesitation, you begin to suck him eagerly despite your lack of experience.

“Mierda [shit],” Miguel hisses through his teeth, bucking his hips enough to push his cock deeper into your mouth. The sight and feel of you… Oh, it almost makes Miguel cum in your sweet mouth, but he wills himself not to. He can’t do that because he needs to cum inside you; needs to make you his.

Seeing Miguel’s reaction encourages you, so you continue by playing with his ball sac, testing the weight of it in your hand. You moan softly as Miguel’s cock twitches in your mouth, sending a spurt of precum straight into your throat.

“Gods — Preciosa, we need to stop — “ Miguel groans, taking hold of your shoulder to stop you. “I’m going to cum if we don’t.”

With a small whine, you release his cock with a wet pop and admire your work. Precum and saliva drips down Miguel's length, down to his ball sac. “Did you like it?” you ask him with a smile after wiping your mouth.

“Did I like it?” Miguel repeats in disbelief, pulling you closer to him. “You nearly made me release with that alone. Had you continued… I would’ve fully lost control. Did I hurt you?” he asks, lifting your head to inspect your mouth. “I moved earlier and ended up pushing myself farther in, did I hurt you?”

“You didn’t, no worries. I really… Enjoyed myself,” you admit with a sheepish smile. “It was a challenge, but I enjoyed it. And you did, too, didn’t you?”

Miguel smirks, cupping your cheek. “I most definitely did. That was an incredible experience. I truly understand now why humans like that so much.”

“Not everyone is into it, but many do,” you explain, running a hand over Miguel’s chest.

“I see why. It’s enough to make someone come undone. Like you,” he comments, grazing his thumb over your skin. “You looked ready to come for me earlier. Seems like you liked my mouth’s work, hm?”

With a chuckle, you poke his chest. “You seemed to have enjoyed my mouth, too. I felt you twitch, you know.”

“I’m certainly not denying that.” Miguel murmurs, kissing the top of your head to express his fondness. “I’d like to try again in the future. For now…”

You hum and gaze up at him, knowing exactly what he’s thinking. With a nod, you let him know that you’re thinking of the same thing. “I want it, too… I’m ready,” you assure him, caressing his chest.

“I am ready, too,” Miguel whispers, caressing you. “I swear on my life that I’ll be gentle and patient with you. As you said earlier, we’ll take it slow,” he adds.

“Slow and steady,” you state, laying down on your back once more.

With ease, Miguel carefully moves over you to avoid crushing you with his heavier frame. For a few seconds, he allows himself to appreciate the sight of you — the woman he wishes to make his mate — under him. For months, he’s been longing for you and now, you’re both here knowing you wish to be together.

Ever so gently, Miguel lowers himself to deliver kisses. He starts by kissing one cheek and then, the next one. Your lips are next, receiving a sensual and slow kiss. Miguel gives particular attention to your neck next. He plants gentle kisses to the skin there before biting down to give you a love bite.

With a sweet whimper, you move your head aside to give him more access, which Miguel appreciates and takes advantage of to give you more love bites, marking you. Once satisfied with his work, Miguel lowers his face to your chest. When his mouth finds your breasts, he kisses each one before sucking on your nipples.

“Mmm, Miguel,” you whine softly, gazing at him through hooded eyes.

“You like that, hm?” he asks with a grin, sucking on one of your nipples again, harder, until he has you squirming. “Good girl,” he praises you, lifting his head to gaze at you. He’s ready and by taking a look at your sweet pussy, so are you. “Hermosa conchita [lovely pussy; conchita is slang for pussy in some Spanish-speaking countries, though in others it just means seashell; wanted to use it under this context because of the sea theme],” he whispers, dragging one of his long fingers down your slit and bringing it to his mouth to taste you once more. “It’s ready for me.”

Panting, you nod. “I’m ready, Miguel, please,” you whine, reaching for him.

“Patience,” he whispers, moving himself closer to you. From his tail, he can feel his cock aching to be inside you. He breathes in and takes it in his hand, guiding it to your entrance. He hesitates for a few seconds, contemplating the size difference.

“It’s alright,” you reassure him, rubbing your hand up and down his arm. “I can handle it.”

Miguel nods, gently moving forward and pressing the tip of his cock against your folds. The mere touch makes you both moan, leaving you wanting more, but you both know that you need to be patient, considering this is your first time and Miguel is big.

“Go ahead,” you whisper, relaxed.

With patience, the two of you work through it until Miguel successfully breaches your entrance.

“Oh God — you’re so big,” you whimper, looking up at him and squeezing his arm.

“I know, preciosa. Do you need me to pull out?” Miguel whispers, gazing at you with a tender gaze, but you quickly shake your head.

“No, no, just give me a few seconds,” you reply, breathing in and out while your body adjusts.

After a few minutes of allowing you to accommodate his size, you kiss Miguel. “Okay, you can move a little,” you whisper, ready to continue.

With your confirmation, Miguel moves a bit more. Little by little, and with patience, Miguel sinks deeper and deeper.

“Fuck,” he groans, his eyes closing in pure pleasure at the feeling of your walls around him. His breathing is heavy as he controls himself from moving. “How are you feeling, mi vida?”

“Good, so good. I can feel the stretch,” you murmur, feeling Miguel deep inside you.

“You feel amazing,” he murmurs, lifting a hand to caress your cheek. “You look beautiful. So ethereal,” Miguel continues. “My beautiful mate.”

You breathe out and reach for Miguel’s face, pulling him lower. “Say that again.”

“My beautiful mate. Mine,” Miguel repeats, his mouth finding yours to kiss you tenderly. “Eres mía [you’re mine].”

You return the kiss tenderly as you drag your nails down Miguel's back, leaving scratches that make him moan into your mouth. Lost in the feeling, Miguel begins to move slowly by sliding almost all the way out before sinking back in at the same speed.

“Please,” you whine against Miguel's lips. “Take me.”

Your neediness is all Miguel needs to hear before he begins moving a bit more, still gentle to avoid hurting you. His large merman cock slides in and out of you, stretching you like you never imagined. Deep moans fall from Miguel's lips as he feels your walls adjust and squeeze around him, taking his cock so well.

“You’re amazing,” he groans, moving his hips against yours.

“Nmgh, I can feel you all the way in,” you moan, digging your nails into his back even more.

“I know, baby, I’m deep,” Miguel replies breathlessly as he continues to claim you. “You love it, don’t you, preciosa?”

“Mhm, yes, yes, — ah, fuckkk,” you whimper in pleasure as Miguel picks up the speed just a tad more. Scratching at his back, you hear the sound of your wet pussy as Miguel buries himself inside you over and over again, still so careful not to hurt you, but pleasuring you nonetheless and pushing you to the edge.

“Gods, ‘m not gonna last long. Not when you're taking me so well, my sweet mate,” Miguel grunts, baring his fangs at you. “Gonna fill you up to the brim.”

“Fill me up?” you manage to ask as Miguel buries himself all the way in, his sac slapping your flesh.

Miguel nods, watching you with his red eyes. “Fill you up with my seed,” he whispers, moving his hips against yours.

“You promise?” you whisper, rushing to wrap your legs around Miguel’s waist. Gazing up at him, you feel a tingling sensation that cannot be ignored.

“Gods, yes,” Miguel grunts, leaning down to kiss you hungrily as he nears the edge. “Gonna fill you up, baby. Gonna mark you with my seed. You’re my mate. And soon, I’ll make you my wife. My future queen — All mine,” Miguel murmurs reverently.

“Please, please, Miguel. Don’t stop. I think ‘m gonna —” you start only to moan in ecstasy as you come undone at the same time Miguel bottoms out.

Miguel’s cock twitches once. Then, once more before he floods your pussy with his merman seed.

You moan against each other’s mouth, feeling like you’re in another world as you ride your climaxes.

“Miguel,” you whimper, that being the only thing you can utter when you’re a complete mess.

“Preciosa,” Miguel murmurs, nuzzling his face against your neck, his hips stuttering against yours. “We’re mates, now and forever,” he continues.

“Mates,” you repeat, nodding. “We’re mates.” Watching him with tenderness you think about the last four months. You never once imagined you’d fall for the stoic merman, Miguel, you were assigned to research, but here you are. Somewhere deep inside you, as you lay beneath Miguel, you know this was meant to be.

Slowly, Miguel lifts himself up. With tender eyes, he gazes down at you to admire the view of you completely spent. “You did so well, preciosa,” he murmurs, caressing your cheek. “My beautiful, sweet mate.”

With a satisfied smile, you lay your hand over his. “My mate… My future husband,” you whisper as Miguel takes your hand in his, intertwining your fingers with his.

“Forever,” Miguel whispers.

I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading!

Alondra❤️ Note: Want to give credit to @/amari the second on character ai for the initial prompt/idea from their bot :) divider credit: @uzmacchiato

[stitchedspider]

[enlaniakea]

꒰🎃꒱ ⩩ 🍂┆

[greensagephase]

oh my GOD YAYAYAYAYAYAYA YOURE BACK 🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂 gonna put this on my calendar IM SO EXCITED it’s gonna be october 13, 2026 and im gonna be like …hey….. one year ago your mini hiatus? yeah. that came to an end! but EEEE so glad to see you back in the notifs again <33

Hiiiii, Tay!!! 🥰Omg, it’s so great to see you in my notifs, hehe!! Yes, I’m back from a mini hiatus and I’m so happy about it :)) I wasn’t planning on been away this long (once again), but things happen and thankfully, the mini hiatus came to an end today (thanks to Miguel ✨). Thank you for the love, pookie!!! I’ll hopefully be more active now that things are calmer!💕💕 I hope you’re having a wonderful day/night!!💖

Alondra❤️