Fish Keeper
Yan!Mermaid!MHA x reader
word count: 2.7k
Mermaids like to keep pets too.
(Warnings: implied kidnapping, captivity, implied punishments, yandere, non con touching, a bunch of mermaids drag you down into the ocean so they can stare at you all day WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME)
Merfolk and humans share many similarities.
Humans love animals, many often make great strides to ensure the pets they keep are healthy. You knew of many cat owners and dog owners in your time on land. A few humans also opt for taking care of more exotic creatures: reptiles, birds, insects. Though they aren't the most traditional, it's clear they love their animals just as much.
Merfolks also enjoy being pet owners. They mainly keep humans.
You stare at the mirror. The dress looks more like it's wearing you, rather than the other way around. It's frumpy, with frills and bows in every place you look. Impractical, is the only word you can describe it as. The heels weren't any better, already constricting your feet. You'd fall if you took two steps. Luckily, you didn't have anywhere to go.
If it were up to you, you would have burned the dress a long time ago. Unfortunately, your owner would not appreciate your lack of gratitude.
There's a soft tap on the glass. You'd like to ignore it, but you know better. Merfolk are prideful as they are beautiful. You remembered the last time you stubbornly ignored a visitor. Some nights, you can still feel the water in your lungs, the taste of seawater in the back of your throat.
You reluctantly rise up from the vanity mirror. The walk to the end of the room is short and yet daunting. It's not so much of a room than it is a bubble. The space is larger than a house, with a ceiling that stretches tens of feet above you. It's more of a ballroom, packed with things that resembled a home: a bed, a mirror, a desk, a bathtub.
There were no walls, nothing but crystal clear glass. Why would a pet need a silly thing such as privacy?
Scarlet red hair and a long tail greet you. He looks enthusiastic as soon as you meet his gaze, spinning and bobbing in the water.
"Eiji." You greet, hoping your voice and smile is soft and sweet-just the way he likes it.
Kirishima seems satisfied with your act. His grin deepens, showing you his sharp teeth.
"I missed you!" He says your name with a happy thrill. "Did you miss me? It's been so long since I last saw you. Is Momo treating you well?" He frowns, clawed hands scraping at the glass that divides the both of you.
His voice is slightly muffled, but you can hear him just fine. Unlike the others, Kirishima is specifically prohibited from entering your terrarium. He's too brash, too reckless, uncontrollable. Those are the traits Momo often complains about. You've seen the way he ripped apart a human ship with his bare hands, all with a smile on his face.
For once, you and your owner share the same sentiments.
"She's been well to me. Everyone has." You insist.
He brightens. "Oh! I have a gift for you." He unveils his hand.
A pretty necklace sits in his palm. It gently floats in the current.
"It's beautiful." You awe. "Is it for me? Thank you."
He nods excitedly, preening and your acceptance.
"Is Momo here? I'll give it to her." He suggests.
You give an apologetic smile. "She's out with Jirou. I'll let her know you came by." You suggest.
"That's okay!" He tells you. "In that case, why don't you let me in?"
You can feel your smile freeze on your lips.
"Oh..." you trail off, pretending to think, pretending that your heart isn't pounding in your chest. "I'm not sure if Momo would like that."
"It's okay." Kirishima tries to assuage your concerns. "She won't have to know. It'll be our little secret." He winks.
When you continue to hesitate, his smile starts to fade.
"Do you not like me?"
"What?" You backtrack. "It's not like that. I just-"
"I'm the only one not allowed to come see you and touch you." His voice drops. His tone shifts from a whine to something more akin to a growl. "I can only talk to you with this wall stuck between us!" He presses harder against the glass. You swear you heard it crack.
"I don't get it, why don't you want to let me in, why don't you want to-"
He's cut off by a hand yanking on his hair.
"You're not allowed in 'cuz you're a dumbass." Bakugou gruffs out.
Immediately, Kirishima reverts back to his original self. He whines as he holds his hair, complaining about how rough the other merfolk was. Bakugou hardly seems to care about his grievance. His red eyes focus on you.
You stare right back.
While Kirishima was built like a tank, Bakugou was built for agility. He’s far longer than Eijirou, with an orange and black tale that glimmers like gold in the sunlight. The fins on his face and hands are the same pattern. His neck is often covered in necklaces covered in gems and shark teeth. He never fails to stand out.
Much like Kirishima, Bakugou also seemed to respond well to your placating, though he isn't as expressive. He and Kirishima often visit you at the same time. You think it's intentional on Bakugou's part. He seems to like to step in and play hero when Kirishima grows too erratic. You arch your lips in a smile, trying to look relieved and happy to see him, despite the flip-flopping in your stomach. His red eyes simmer a bit.
Then, he looks down at your outfit and scoffs.
"The fuck are you wearing?" He asks.
You glance down, looking at the ridiculous amount of frills and bows.
"Momo gave it to me." You could only answer.
"Course she did." He sneers. "Always had a shit sense of fashion."
His lips curl as he surveys you a bit more. You don't like the look in his eyes.
"You need something that shows more skin." He decides on.
Kirishima floats next to him. He tilts his head as he looks at you.
“That’s a good idea.” He agrees. “Maybe something a bit more red.”
It’s odd how naked they make you feel sometimes, like you’re nothing but fillet freshly served and ready for them to eat.
That’s probably how they saw you.
Bakugou retreats slightly. They exchange glances.
“We have to go,” Kirishima says, clearly disappointed. “I’m sorry. I promise to visit you as soon as I can tomorrow.”
You wave him off as he disappears into the murky sea. Bakugou starts to follow but he hesitates.
He looks once more over your dress.
“I’ll find you something.” You don’t know if that promise is to you or himself. He’s gone with the flick of his orange tail.
You finally take your first real breath of air in minutes.
~
In the center of your terrarium, sits a large pool of water that gradually seeps up from below.
It’s where most of the merfolk like to visit you. Talking behind the glass is mostly reserved for quick visits. During their leisure, most of them like to sit at the edge of the pool, swishing their tails back and forth as you obediently sit beside them.
Though you’d never admit it, you did have your favorite share of visitors. Perhaps favorite isn’t the best term. Most tolerable. You liked Jirou, the more musically inclined of the merfolk. She’s not a big fan of touching, happy to sit at the pool and hum tunes.
Sometimes, she goes a bit overboard, gets caught up in her songs, and starts to really sing. She typically stops when your nose bleeds and your head feels like it’s about to crack open. Mermaid songs aren’t made for human ears.
Iida is another one who is on the tolerable side. You don’t like how coddling he is sometimes, but he’s pretty respectful. He isn’t too keen on touching, either. You can’t tell if it’s the genuine lack of desire, or the fear of never getting enough once he does. Sometimes, you can see his fingers twitch and his mouth clench in a way that you force yourself to ignore.
Midoriya and Ochako have no such regulations.
“Is that the dress Momo gave you?” Ochako asks when she floats up to you. Without hesitation, she reaches out and lightly tugs on a bow.
“It’s adorable!” She squealed.
Beside her, Midoriya grins. “The color suits you.” He compliments.
“Thank you.” You tell them both, allowing Midoriya to fiddle with your shoes with scarred hands.
You’re pretty sure it’s his favorite part of you. When you first became Momo’s, Midoriya could not take his eyes off of you. You often wondered if you were the first human he’d ever met. He always seemed to watch your every move, memorizing every action you did. At least, he has the decency to look bashful every time he gets caught looking up your skirt.
Ochako is a bit more obvious with her interest. Her hands often stop lingering right at your thighs, mostly because she knows she’s not allowed to go any further. You have this scary thought that if Momo was any less restrictive of you, Ochako wouldn’t ever stop exploring every nook and crevice your clothes hid away.
Eventually, you fade into the background as the two friends catch up with eachother. They talk about their lives, what they’ve been up to, small talk. It reminds you of the talks you had with your own friends all those years ago, before you were dragged down into the depths by slender hands and pretty lips.
“Did you hear about Todoroki’s newest human?” Ochako asks.
Midoriya gives her a sympathetic look. “I heard. Poor thing. He only had that one for a few weeks, too.”
From your brief glimpse into merfolk culture, it seems only a certain type of merfolk are able to obtain and keep humans. Momo is one of them, which is why so many flock to her terrarium, eager for a glimpse of you.
The other is Todoroki.
Unlike the others, you never knew how to treat Todoroki. He never seemed to respond to your placating, or your feigns of appreciation to his appearance. His face remained blank every time he approached your terrarium. He hardly ever spoke. Despite being allowed to, he’s never once entered your terrarium.
He just watches. Every move you make. Every breath you take. He catalogs it all.
He keeps humans, too. Multiple. You hear he replaces them once a month.
Ochako seems to finally catch on that you’re listening. She coos, reaching out her hands. You obediently lean down to rest your face in her cradling fingers. Her claws ever so slightly scratch your checks.
“Did I scare you?” She asks. “I’m sorry. Don’t worry, nothing like that will happen to you.”
“Of course not.” Midoriya assures. “You’re so sweet. Momo would never replace you.”
Ironically, you often wished Momo would get bored of you and replace you. Especially in the beginning. You used to hope she’d find another human and forget all about you.
Maybe it’s a good thing you continue to hold her eyes to this day– considering what getting replaced means down here in the depths.
~
You never know what time it is.
The merfolk have no such thing as clocks, and sunlight does not reach this far in this ocean. You have no idea if the sun or moon is out. The only light you have comes from the terrarium itself.
It’s scary to think that all that’s between you and the tumultuous sea is delicate glass. One tiny crack, a miniscule chink in your frail armor, and it could all come crashing down. Millions upon millions of seawater would descend on you. You wouldn’t drown. You would be destroyed. Not a trace of you would be left behind.
There’s no way to tell time here, but you know it’s the end of the day when Momo comes back.
She slowly eases her way into the pool with the grace of a ballerina. Water drips from her pretty face and hair as she peers up at you with adoration. Silently, she lifts her hand out.
You step forward, uncaring about soaking your dress as you float into her arms. Momo grabs you when your feet can no longer touch the bottom. She brings you into her chest, face pressed into your neck.
“Welcome back.” You murmur.
“Thank you, darling.” She coos, inhaling your scent.
“Did you have a good day?”
You nod. She pulls back, searching your face.
“I heard Kirishima made a scuffle a while ago.” She frowns. “Did he scare you?”
You shake your head. She doesn’t buy it.
“I’ll be stricter on him going forward.” She tells herself.
A part of you hopes this means you won’t have to see him for a while. That’s usually what she meant.
She hums as she spins you around in the water. It feels like the two of you were dancing as she holds you against her, like she’s leading the waltz.
She glances down at your dress. “Do you like the dress?” She asks.
You nod. “I love it.” You tell her. “Thank you for giving it to me.”
“I ran into Bakugou, earlier. He certainly wasn’t a fan.” She rolls her eyes. “I believe his exact words were ‘a lump of shitty bows’.”
“He mentioned he’d bring me something else.” You offhandedly mention.
“Did he?” She wonders. “What do you think of that?”
You smile. “I appreciate anything everyone gives me. Especially you.”
She likes that answer. “What do you like about the dress?” She asks.
You look down at the soaked fabric. It’s ruined now, but neither of you care. She’s planning on getting you a new one tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that.
“I like the color.” You tell her, trying to sound eager. “I just really love the shade. I also like the shoes. They may not be practicable but–”
You stop as soon as you hear those words. It was too late.
Momo’s eyes darken.
“You don’t like the shoes?”
“No!” You immediately backtrack. “I adore them! I–I meant they just weren’t the best for swimming, that’s all. They’re so beautiful, Momo. Every part of the dress is so beautiful.” The words rush out like vomit. Momo doesn’t seem to hear any of them.
She sets you down at the edge of the pool, pulling away. She refuses to look at you. In desperation, you try to reach her, trying to escape your fate.
“I’m sorry,” you tell her. Your voice trembles. “I–I didn’t mean it like that. I love the dress. I’m so sorry.”
Eventually, she sighs. She takes her hand in her own, pressing it to her cheek. Her skin is several degrees cooler than yours and stiff. It oddly feels like she’s dead.
“No, I’m sorry.” She tells you and she looks genuinely remorseful.
Your shoulders are about to sag in relief, when she continues.
“I haven’t trained you well.”
You try to smile. It comes out like a grimace.
“That’s not true,” you say.
She nods, continuing to lavish your body heat. “It is. You wouldn’t be so ungrateful, if I had.”
She hesitates at this next part.
“I was talking to Todoroki a while ago. He mentioned he had some experience with training humans. I think it would be a good idea if he kept you for a few days.”
Something lodges at the back of your throat. You want to scream.
“You want me to leave?” You ask instead, already on the brink of a breakdown.
She shakes her head, leaning up to give a kiss on your freezing cheek.
“I’ll never abandon you,” she tells you with unwavering eyes that almost make you want to believe her.
“But, it’s not good for either of us if you keep acting up like this. We need to deal with that somehow.”
Outburst. She considers a hint of criticism as an outburst, of you lashing out. Any hint of disobedience is shot down because pets aren’t allowed to complain.
She looks heartbroken as she looks at you. You feel her lips against hers as you remember cold eyes–one blue, the other black. Always watching. Never not watching.
“Maybe in a week." She hums. "You’ll see all that I do for you.”
