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Sketches for the fic We Are Sure to Drown by Good_Luck_Charm
A Drift in the Lagoon
Mer-Shark Drift x Reader
(Merformers for MerMay)
It was a perfect day in the lagoon. The sun was shining, the water was calm, and the only other living things around were the fish and birds that called the sea home.
While only a recent discovery, the hidden beach had quickly become a safe haven from the usual tourist-crowded shorelines. You visited the cove frequently, bringing your skiff along to explore the little slice of paradise you had found. It was peaceful, quiet, and you never thought twice about what else might be swimming beneath the tranquil waters.
The sun was high in the sky by time you climbed back into your little boat to sorted through your meager findings. Hours of diving had yielded little of interest; a handful of broken seashells, a few bottle caps, and enough spare change to buy a soda. It wasn’t much but you were certain your determination, or stubbornness, would reward you. Eventually.
As you debated on where to drop anchor next, a quiet splash to your left made you glance up. You expecting to see a swooping bird or leaping fish but there was nothing amiss among the sun-dappled waves. It wasn’t until you looked back down that you noticed something new in the boat; a piece of sea glass, round and smooth with fresh water droplets still clinging to its surface.
Before you could pick up the mysterious pebble, another splash startled you, now on the starboard side. You scrambled to get a glimpse of the source but past a trail of fading bubbles, the water was clear all the way down to the sandy bottom. A cold dread shivered down your spine when you realized the colorful schools of fish had also vanished.
Something that only happened when a predator was nearby.
You slowly leaned back, nearly sitting on the item that had appeared in your brief moment of distraction. This time, it was a queen conch, big and bright pink with golden spikes swirling along the outer edge. As you examined the ornate shell, movement out of the corner of your eye caught your attention while more splashes failed to misdirect you.
A hand was reaching into the boat. It was human-like but huge in size, covered in bright white scales with slight webbing between long, claw-tipped fingers. In the blink of an eye, it dropped something onto the deck before retreating back into the water without ever making a sound. After a moment, you hesitantly peeked where the strange appendage had appeared but whatever being it was attached to was already gone.
Quick, tapping noises brought you back to the gift it had left instead. A small crab was scuttling along the bottom of your boat, snapping its claws angrily at your vulnerable toes. You yelped and jumped back, dodging a pinch but rocking the skiff in the process. Everything pitched sideways as your unstable step tipped you over the edge and into the sea.
A cloud of bubbles fizzled through the water while you flailed about gracelessly, trying to orient yourself back towards the surface. Before you could make much progress, something warm and solid wrapped around your kicking leg. It felt like a large hand.
Your panicked shout only added more bubbles to the confusion and wasted what little air you had left. A second hand wrapped under your arm and no amount of struggling could break the firm grip it had on you.
One moment, you were underwater, fighting to escape whatever has caught you. But the next, you were coughing and wheezing in precious air while the mysterious hands held you above the surface.
“Woah, take it easy, you’re alright,” a gentle, baritone voice soothed. You shook your head and blinked saltwater from your eyes until the shape looming over you came into focus.
At first glance, he looked like a man but much bigger, easily double your size. His skin was covered in tiny white scales that sparkled in the sunlight. Larger, thicker plating covered his broad shoulders and toned chest like armor. Fins framed either side of his face, edged with delicate frills that arched into sharp points above his head. His facial features were nearly human; a nose compressed down to a bump with slits, brilliant blue eyes that regarded you curiously, and a mouth fitted with razor sharp teeth.
You stared in shock, body frozen and mind struggling to process the alluring creature still holding you. After a moment, he frowned and his eager gaze narrowed warily.
“You’re not going to freak out, are you?”
Despite your panic, you managed to shake your head slowly.
The unnerving teeth gleamed in a bright smile. “Good! This is going better than expected!” When you still didn’t speak, his enthusiasm dampened to a more resigned sympathy. “I know this is probably a lot to take in. Let’s get you back to your boat and we can go from there.”
He tucked you to his armored chest as he swam forward, catching up to the unmanned skiff with surprising swiftness. The careful hands kept you steady while you grabbed the side of the boat and heaved yourself in. When you turned back, the creature was still floating among the waves and, for the first time, you saw the huge ivory fishtail swaying gracefully behind him.
“You’re a mer!” you finally spoke.
The mer in question tilted his head. “Technically, yes. A mer-shark to be precise. Though my friends just call me Drift.”
“But mers are just sailor’s stories; they aren’t real.”
The mer, Drift, chuckled at your words. He folded his arms over the side of your boat and rest his chin on them with a playful pout. “What, I’m not real enough for you? And here I rescued you from drowning, just like the legends say.”
For a moment, you wondered if anything was real. Maybe you were still drowning at the bottom of the lagoon and hallucinating handsome mer-sharks in your final moments.
Slowly, you reached a hesitant hand out to stroke his arm. Drift neither objected nor shied away, staying purposefully still under your curious caresses. His scales were smooth and cool to the touch but felt surprisingly sturdy for how delicate they looked. When you traced the angled fin along his forearm, it fluttered and tickled your skin in turn. It made you giggle with delight until you noticed Drift’s amused gaze watching your every move. An embarrassed blush warmed your face like a sunburn and you quickly tucked your hands into your lap.
“Okay, you’re real enough to touch at least,” you relented bashfully. “So…why are you here?”
Drift scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Because I live here? This lagoon is mine. At least, that’s what I tell the other sharks before chasing them off.”
“Other sharks?” You scanned the lagoon nervously but didn’t see any other creatures lurking about, legendary or otherwise.
“Don’t worry, they know better than to bother me. I like my privacy.”
Drift gave you a pointed look and you flushed even redder at the not-so-subtle hint. “Sorry I sort of invaded your home and took your seashells? You can have them back if you want…” You trailed off as Drift continued to stare, the tips of his sharp teeth peeking out between grinning lips. “You’re not going to eat me, are you?”
He blinked in surprise. Then started to laugh, nearly slipping off the boat in the process. “No, I’m not going to eat you!” he chuckled, shaking his head at the thought. “And I don’t mind if you come to my lagoon. I’ve been watching you since you started visiting.”
“The whole time? But I never saw you.”
“Mers are very good at hiding from humans.” Drift’s tone dropped and took on a bitter, melancholic edge. “We stay hidden to avoid being caught or hunted. Not all humans are safe for mers to befriend. But you, though!” His expression suddenly brightened again, head fins fluttering with excitement. “You seem different. I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while but wasn’t sure how without scaring you off. Do you like the gifts? I didn’t know what you were looking for so I brought a few different things.”
You glanced down at the assortment of objects he had tossed into your boat. “I’m usually looking for seashells,” you explained, gently picking up the fancy conch. “Ones this nice are impossible to find. Thank you, it’s a wonderful gift. Could have done without the attack crab, though.”
Drift snickered. “You’re brave enough to swim with mer-sharks but can’t handle one little crab?”
“To be fair, I didn’t know there was a mer-shark here until today,” you sassed back.
“Well now that you do know…” Drift smirked, leaning forward to hover in your personal bubble. “Do you think you’re still brave enough?”
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AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47571460/chapters/119894119
