MERMAID!READER ... who meets Clark after she washes up on shore, naked and tangled in fishing nets and barely conscious. He finds her lying in the surf, gasping for air on unsteady, unfamiliar legs that tremble beneath her like a baby deer.
MERMAID!READER ... who gets taken in by Clark and taught the ways of the human world. He shows her how to use silverware, explains what cars are, and patiently holds her hand when the sounds of the city overwhelm her. He never once asks where she came from, just lets her discover things at her own pace — though he does have to stop you from trying to eat the decorative soaps twice.
MERMAID!READER ... who finds that if she gets splashed by water, she only has about fifteen seconds before her shimmery tail shoots out, scales glittering like crushed gemstones. The first time it happens in his apartment, she knocks over a lamp in her panic. Clark just calmly helps her dry until she can transform back, never mentioning the broken glass he swept up afterward.
MERMAID!READER ... who falls deeply for Clark and finds that he's falling for her enchantments as well. She doesn't mean to weave magic into her laughter, and definitely doesn't realize her voice carries the pull of the tide when she says his name. But he's caught in her anyway, drowning willingly, and when she shyly admits she's never felt this way about a human before, he kisses her like he's been holding his breath underwater for months.
MERMAID!READER ... who loves to drag Clark to the pool or beach any chance she gets. Clark has to remind her that others can't see her with her tail, his hands catching her waist just as she's about to dive into the water. He ends up taking her somewhere more secluded instead. Usually a hidden cove he found on Superman patrol, or a private lake in Kansas, where she can swim freely while he watches from the shore with a soft, helpless smile.
MERMAID!READER ... who has a strong appetite for seafood. It's all she eats really—raw oysters, salmon, tuna, crab legs she cracks open with disturbing efficiency. Clark is more than happy to indulge her diet, learning to prepare a dozen different kinds of fish just to see the way her eyes light up. He pretends not to notice when she gets a little too enthusiastic about the live lobster tank at the grocery store.
MERMAID!READER ... who has the most angelic voice he's ever heard. She hums while she cooks, sings softly when she thinks he's asleep, and sometimes, when the moon is right, she calls to the ocean from his balcony.
MERMAID!READER ... who gets affected by full moons and finds herself drawn to her grotto each time, but Clark helps restrain the pull that often has her acting loopy.
MERMAID!READER ... who is about as close to being drunk as it gets when the full moon is out. She talks about silly things—whether fish dream, what clouds taste like, if Clark would still love her if she turned into a sea cucumber. She has a habit of trying to run away, usually toward the nearest body of water, which means Clark has to scoop her up mid-sprint more than once. She's clumsy, knocking into furniture and tangling her feet, but she's also ridiculously adorable, pressing cold hands to his face and telling him he has "very nice bone structure" with absolute seriousness. He falls in love with her a little more every time.
MERMAID!READER ... who discovers that Clark has superpowers that make him not human too. She loves to watch him fly and sprint and giggles that melodic sound every time he indulges her with his powers.
MERMAID!READER ... who also discovers that Clark's x-ray vision works on her transformation. He doesn't tell her at first — he doesn't know how to explain that he can see the way her bones shift, the way her spine lengthens, the way her legs fuse into something impossibly elegant. But once, when she accidentally spilled water on herself and ended up changing in front of him, he made a choked-up sound. She catches him staring, pupils blown wide, and realizes he's been watching her inside. She should be unnerved. Instead, she pulls him closer, lets him trace the lines of her scales with his fingers while she transforms slowly now, deliberately, giving him something no other creature has ever seen.
MERMAID!READER ... who cries actual pearls when Clark has to leave for any Justice League mission that takes him away during her moon cycle. He finds her curled in the bathtub—his tub, the one she's claimed as her own—with tiny iridescent spheres scattered across the porcelain, her shoulders shaking. Clark's used to this by now, and he always strips down, climbs in behind her, and holds her through the worst of it. She presses the pearls into his palm one by one, still sniffling, and tells him they're protection. “Wear them,” you whisper. "Come back to me and don't be long." He keeps them in his suit from that day forward, and every time he takes a hit, he thinks he feels them warm against his chest.
MERMAID!READER ... whose first time with Clark happens at their private cove spot under the moonlight, the tide creeping closer with every wave. He laid her back on the blanket, the moon painting her silver, and worshipped every inch of her like she was something sacred. When he finally pushed inside, slow and careful, she gasped and her legs trembled, and for a moment she thought she'd transform, but Clark held her through it, forehead pressed to hers, whispering how beautiful she was, how perfect. She came apart beneath him with a sound that made the waves crash harder against the shore.
MERMAID!READER ... who likes to ride Clark's thigh when your too sensitive for anything else. She crawls into his lap, and presses her slick cunt against the hard muscle of his thigh. He watches her with dark, heavy-lidded eyes, his hands gentle on her hips as she rocks against him, chasing something slower this time. She likes that he lets her set the pace. Likes that he doesn't rush her even when his cock is straining against his stomach. When she finally comes, shaking and quiet, she buries her face in his neck and murmurs something in Old Mer that she refuses to translate. He figures it out later anyway. It means mine.
MERMAID!READER ... who begs Clark to take her from behind while she's fully transformed, her tail splayed across the wet rocks of their cove. She's always careful on land, but here she can let go. He pushes into her slowly, his hands braced on either side of her hips, and watches the way her scales ripple with each thrust, shimmering. Her voice echoes off the cove walls, high and melodic, and when she comes, the water around them surges, waves crashing against the entrance. Clark follows seconds later, buried so deep he feels like he might never find his way out.
MERMAID!READER ... who learns that her voice has other uses besides singing. The first time Clark goes down on her, she's a mess of incoherent sounds, gasps, whimpers, broken little moans that seem to make the room vibrate. But when he finds that spot inside her with his tongue, a true siren's keen tears from her throat, high and clear and carrying. Clark freezes, looking up at her with wide eyes, his lips slick. “Did you just—” She claps a hand over her mouth, face burning. “Sorry. I'm sorry. I can't always—” He grins, slow and devastating, and dips his head back down. “Do it again,” he murmurs against her, and she absolutely does.
MERMAID!READER ... who discovers that full moons affect her in other ways too. She's not just loopy, she's insatiable. The third full moon after they become lovers, she wakes Clark at 2 AM by straddling him, her skin fever-hot, pupils blown wide. “Need you,” you slur, already grinding against him. “Please, Clark, I need—” He's inside her before she finishes the sentence, hands gripping her hips as she rides him with a desperation that borders on feral. She comes three times before the moon passes its apex, and Clark has to physically restrain her from a fourth when her legs give out and she can barely keep her eyes open. “Tomorrow,” he promises, kissing her sweat-damp forehead. She pouts but curls into him anyway, asleep within seconds. He watches the moon set through the window and thinks he might be the luckiest man alive.
he sails the roughs seas, taking over and slaughtering other ships, not a care for the blood that stains the water. as the captain of his ship, his crew listens to him happily, knowing they will be rewarded with women and booze when they get back to the coast.
one night, when they are in the middle of the ocean, their net catches something far bigger than a goldfish. pulling it up, gojo’s eyes widen when he sees you, a scaly creature with smooth skin and wide, fearful eyes.
a mermaid.
you squirm and try to escape the net, the cruel ropes cutting your skin. your tail shifts into a pair of legs, leaving you mostly nude in front of all these men.
gojo spends the rest of his night watching over you, how you cower in the corner of the cage below deck, how you shiver cold in the shirt he gave you. but what fascinates him the most is the way you keep looking at your legs, as though you’d never seen yourself like that before.
well, will he teach to use them, or what’s in between them?
hi elle! congrats on 10k, that's so rad! i'd love to play 🎪 showtime! if that's ok. maybe peter parker and a mermaid au? i know that nerdy dude would be so inquisitive while understanding the importance of her secrecy! no pressurre if it's not the vibe!
thank you! I loved this, thanks for playing <3
step right up to elle's celebratory 10k circus
Peter Parker x mermaid!reader who is his scientific curiosity [1.6k words]
CW: fem!reader, attempted animal abuse described [but thwarted!!!], language barriers, fluff
Peter’s backpack – heavier today on account of his flashcards and blankets – sits snuggly on his shoulders as he peers down at the waters of East River. He sends a few shots of webbing at the water that dance across the surface like giant waterbugs as he waits for his signal.
It comes in the form of a bubble ring.
Peter secures his backpack to a suspension post before rappelling himself down, coming to a stop when his boots kiss the rolling waves.
Your head pops up a few moments later.
An excited laugh bubbles out of him before he can stop it. “Hi!”
You repeat his greeting back to him, smile turning a bit shy and confused as to why this dude seems so enthralled with you.
You have no idea.
“How are you? Good?” he asks, tilting his masked head at you to show that he’s asking a question. Conversations with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you are very hard without facial cues, Peter has come to learn. He hopes to rectify that today.
“Good,” you say. He’s not sure if you mean that or if you’re just repeating the last word he said, but he takes it.
“Okay, good! Good to go up? Up.” He emphasizes his words with a finger pointing skyward. Your brows furrow and you look up at the bridge he’s currently suspended from with a healthy amount of suspicion. Your response is merely a wary hum.
You ask him something in your own language, gesturing at his suit and mask and web before wrapping your arms around yourself protectively.
“It’ll be okay,” he tells you, “I’m very strong, and I don’t even mean that as a brag. I won’t let anything happen to you. We’ll be safe; both of us.”
No one will be able to see either of you from one of the platforms under the bridge.
Something about his tone must convince you, though, because you shift ever closer to him in the water.
Peter lowers himself up to the waist in the water and fights against the urge to squeal like a child at the temperature as he encourages you towards him.
“Okay? You’re okay. Hang on here.” He positions your arms one at a time around his neck. “Tight, okay? Tight.”
After he demonstrates holding tight by squeezing your waist, he’s zipping the two of you up towards the underbelly of Brooklyn Bridge.
You see…Peter Parker has found a mermaid. Like…an actual aquatic creature with humanoid features!
One night – well, early morning, really – when he was on patrol, he heard shouting. He was headed towards the boardwalk when he found a group of guys running in the opposite direction he was headed.
That’s where he found you, leaning on the edge of the walkway by your elbows, cooing over a pitifully wet looking kitten as it ate some kind of minnows or something from the wooden planks beneath it.
“Hey! Are you okay?” He asked, hurrying towards what appeared to be a girl who had fallen off of the boardwalk. “Come on, I’ll help you out.”
All he managed to do, though, was startle both you and the kitten; the soggy little thing took off into a few bushes near the Fulton Ferry picnic grove, and you sank beneath the surface of the water. So did Peter’s stomach.
Certain you were drowning, Peter dove in after you.
He nearly drowned, though, and you had to save him; pushing him back above the water and towards the boardwalk where he ripped the water-logged mask depriving him of air from his face.
“What the fuck!?” he asked breathlessly once he had a firm grasp of the rung of a ladder.
You shied away from him again; wearing a contrite expression as you murmured what sounded like an apology in a language Peter didn’t understand.
“What are you doing in the water?”
You looked down at the river; you knew the word water.
“Did you fall?”
You looked at him like he was dumb, expression screaming no, you just fell.
“Land,” you said, pointing at the boardwalk. “Go.” This time, you pointed at his legs.
“Yeah… I…go on land. Do you…not go on land?”
You said something else that Peter didn’t catch before you lifted your bottom half up, poking a knee joint and a fin out of the water.
You were a fucking scientific curiosity, and Peter has since managed to split his time between college, patrolling, helping out Aunt May, and hanging out with you.
Today, hanging is sort of literal.
You’re very displeased with him, clinging to the beams of the bridge with a white knuckled grip as you glare at the man who put you there.
He laughs at you. “What?”
You don’t answer, leaning your head back and looking up at the bottom of the roadway as you work to control your breathing. Peter takes pity on you and secures you to the architecture with some webbing before laying a few of the throw blankets he’d packed over your frame and tucking them in underneath you.
“Okay?”
Your eyes flit uncertainly between his hands as they work and his face. “Okay…”
He laughs again. “Don’t sound so certain.”
You grumble something at him in your own language.
Peter has learned a number of things about you in the time since the two of you met.
Those men had thrown the kitten into the East River. Fortunately for the kitten and unfortunately for those men, you were there, which saw the group getting rocks from the river bed flung at them and a very agitated aquatic creature shouting mermish profanities. Served them right.
You tend to hang around the ferry terminal and a few office buildings which means you’ve picked up some English. Very New York English, but enough that Peter has managed to befriend you.
Peter has also learned that the way to a mermaid girl’s heart is the same as the way to get to a human girl’s heart; food.
He pulls out a bag of Cheetos from his bag and gives it a shake, and whatever beef you had with him about heights and the bottom of the Brooklyn Bridge are forgotten when you make grabby hands and excited trilling sounds.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he laughs, tossing them to you. He pulls off his mask and covers his now damp bottom half with a blanket of his own as he pulls out his flash cards.
“What?” You ask around a mouthful of cheese dust. He looks up to find you peering at the cards in his hands.
“This?” he asks, holding them up. You nod eagerly. “This is how I’m going to convince you to let me take you home.”
Your brows furrow. “Home?”
Peter takes a moment to sift through his flashcards before pulling out the one he was looking for; a picture of a house.
“House,” he explains. “Home.”
You repeat the words back to him before popping another chip in your mouth.
He doesn’t bother explaining that it would involve putting you in his bathtub until he completes his desired measurements and examinations before he pulls out a different flashcard; one with a picture of a mermaid. You gasp excitedly, pointing at yourself.
“Yeah! That’s you!” he laughs, watching your fin twitch in a way he imagines might be you wiggling your toes at him.
You say what he believes might be mermaid in your language.
“Mermaid.”
“Mermaid,” you murmur back at him, eyes shy until Peter praises you, and then they brighten.
Then you point at him.
“Me?”
“You,” you try, gesturing to his legs and then to his mask and then to the webs he’s secured you in, “son of a bitch?”
That’s what Peter means when he says you have a very New Yorker understanding of English. Apparently, listening to taxi drivers shout get off the road you son of a bitch has led you to believe that humans are simply called son-of-a-bitches. You can clearly see that Peter is not a regular son of a bitch, though. His smart girl.
Peter hums thoughtfully as he sifts through his cards. “I’m not sure there’s a good explanation for me, lovely.”
“Lovely,” you murmur, forcing Peter’s eyes to return to you as he smiles.
“You are lovely,” he tells you honestly, if only because you don’t really know what he’s saying.
Peter pulls out two cards; one of a man and one of a spider. He puts the two together like a compound-word-turned-image.
“Spider,” he says, pointing at the arachnid, “Man,” he adds, pointing at the human male.
“Spider-Man,” he explains, holding up his mask.
“Oh.”
“But-” he shows you the mask and then shoves it behind his back, showing you his now empty hands “-no mask means Peter.”
“Peter.”
“Yes!” He congratulates. “I am Peter.”
“Am Peter,” you repeat.
“Who are you?”
“Me?”
He beams at you. “Yeah,”
You hum thoughtfully, “Lovely?”
Peter’s laugh echoes off of the bridge. “Yes, you’re lovely. Very lovely. But what’s your name?”
He points at his own chest again, “name, Peter.”
Your face lights up in recognition. “Name! Name, Y/N.”
He repeats it back to you and you bounce in your seat in response, happily helping yourself to more chips.
“Lovely,” you tell him again.
“You can be lovely. Do you want me to call you lovely?”
“Yeah.” Another New Yorkerism you picked up. “Thanks.”
A/N: This one is for those that asked for the MC’s side after my Diver! Mira & Zoey x Mer! Rumi.
Also, guys, please do not repost, plagiarize, copy or feed my works into AI without my permission. I feel like I’m a pretty chill person so please just ask me and the worst that’ll happen is I say no or ask for credit.
Synopsis: How you, as a mer, met your five feral lionfish mer boyfriends.
TW: Gwi Ma, first meet, hints of self harm (scratching), insecurity, etc.
Disclaimer: I do not own any media I use in my works!
Word Count: 2.0k
Master List || KPDH Request Master List || Diver & Mer! Polytr/x
It’s hard for you to describe life in your pod before your five mates had found you.
To begin, you should begin by explaining how your pod formed. Originally, your pod had been part of a larger pod that lived deeper in the ocean. The patriarch of the original pod had been extremely controlling, a formidable and vicious anglerfish mer that ruled with an iron grip.
Gwi Ma.
He hated humans and forbade any mer in the pod from interacting with them unless it was to kill them. Your father despised Gwi Ma and broke the rules, venturing to the surface to see what humans were like for himself. He found that humans weren’t bad—like mers, there were ones that were nice, ones that were horrible, and ones that fell between the two.
Then he heard the voice of your mother one night, a voice more beautiful than even the most enchanting of mers had drawn him in until he laid eyes on her. And she took his breath away as he gazed upon her under the moon and starlit sky, the reflection of the celestial bodies glimmering around him. He was gone for her from that moment on.
He would visit her whenever he could, spending more and more time at the surface until Gwi Ma inevitably noticed. Enraged at his rebellion, Gwi Ma tried to kill your father, but your father was a formidable mer himself. Coming to a draw, both weakened, your father left the pod, taking those who wanted to leave with him and creating his own pod.
The pod made their home in the deeper parts of the sea just a few miles from the shore of your mom’s home so he could see her as often as he could. Just a few years later, you and your sister were born—the first half human, half mers in existence to your knowledge.
Rumi took more after your mom with a more human appearance while you took more after your dad. Rumi had a purple and white coloring that faded into human toned coloring, her patterns a beautiful, light iridescence. Meanwhile, your fins were frilly red with hints of purple and white at the edges that transitioned into a rich violet body. Traveling upwards, your skin tone was a lighter purple tint like lavender while your patterns were a dark purple like your tail. Your mer abilities were stronger than Rumi’s but Rumi had an easier time pretending to be human in her human form and it was easier for her to learn the human language according to your parents.
Despite you both being physical opposites, you and Rumi were inseparable. One day, when your father’s time came to an end, the both of you would become the matriarchs of the pod—as long as that was what you both still wanted anyways. The two of you brought a balance to each other that even now some of the mers in the pod came to the two of you to settle small issues.
Secretly though, you couldn’t help but find yourself lonely even when you were in a group of people. You got along with all the mers in the pod but you didn’t quite fit in with them and when you spent time around humans that weren’t your mom, you couldn’t help but scratch at your patterns because it felt like they were staring. (They were actually just awestruck by your beauty and how your patterns elevated that but you didn’t know that and staring is still staring so you felt self conscious.)
And recently, it felt like Rumi and you had this distance between the two of you as she spent more time on land or at the surface with your mom or exploring human culture. You thought human culture was cool too and loved learning about it but you weren’t as interested in it as Rumi was. You much preferred exploring the sea floor or hiking away from dense human populations when you were above water.
That day was a day where Rumi had gone to the city and your dad was spending time with your mom so you were left to your own devices as you wandered the sea floor, lazily looking for interesting shells, rocks, or coral.
As you did, you began to hum and then softly began to sing—one thing you and your sister both shared was a love for singing that you got from your mom.
“I've been watchin' you for some time~ Can't stop starin' at those ocean eyes~ Burning cities and napalm skies~ Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes~ Your ocean eyes~”
Unknown to you though, your voice carried away by the currents to five male mers, their frills standing at attention as your song reached them.
Not too far away, an eccentric pod of male lionfish mers had ventured into your dad’s territory by accident. It was a strange coincidence that none of the mers had any blood relations with each other though they were each a lionfish mer with similar purple and magenta coloring.
However, the pod was unique in that it was made up of mers that had left or been exiled from their original pods, eventually coming together under the bond of shared circumstances and friendship. The pod didn’t necessarily have a patriarch though there was a leader of the group that they looked to for final say, but they all aided in decisions.
“No fair~ You really know how to make me cry~ When you gimme those ocean eyes~ I'm scared~ I've never fallen from quite this high~ Fallin' into your ocean eyes~ Those ocean eyes~”
For a few years now, the five had traveled across the seas together, never having an aim or a purpose besides avoiding humans after an especially bad run in with them.
And now, your voice reached them and it was the most hypnotic sound they had ever heard—familiar in their hearts like the sound of the waves lapping against rocks, lovely like the nights they floated to the surface to watch the stars and the moon move across the sky, awe inspiring like swimming along the vast creatures that were a pod of whales, and so very very precious to them like the single time they had seen snow.
Jinu was the first to turn and begin swimming and the others followed close behind in search of the source of the singing.
“I've been walkin' through a world gone blind~ Can't stop thinkin' of your diamond mind~ Careful creature made friends with time~ He left her lonely with a diamond mind~ And those ocean eyes~”
Jinu, Kwan, Chungae, Hyeon, and Jum didn’t know who or what they were swimming towards, all they knew was that they needed to find the source of the song. Their instincts screamed for it. Their souls ached for it. It was almost frightening, the intensity of which they needed to find it.
“No fair~ You really know how to make me cry~ When you gimme those ocean eyes~ I'm scared~ I've never fallen from quite this high~ Fallin' into your ocean eyes~ Those ocean eyes~”
You stopped and settled in the sand, pulling your finds out of your woven bag one by one to look them over before you decided to call it a day. Your claws clicked against them, carefully etching little designs into them as you pleased.
“Da, da-da, da-da~ Da-da-da, da, da~ Da, da, da, da, da-da-da-da~ Mm~ Mm~ Mm~”
The song was almost coming to an end and the boys could feel it, time slipping through their fingers like dry sand. They pushed their tails faster and harder, their spines laid flush to their bodies so they could cut through the water easily.
“No fair~ You really know how to make me cry~ When you gimme those ocean eyes~ I'm scared~ I've never fallen from quite this high~ Fallin' into your ocean eyes~ Those ocean eyes~”
And there you were. The most beautiful creature they had ever seen.
At the same time, your instincts flared, telling you that you were being watched—but it was almost a gentle flare like it was your sister or dad, nothing like the sharp flares that warned of violent or predatory intent. You looked up, your frills flared around your face as you scanned your surroundings. Then you saw them.
You blinked at them, curious, and tilted your head. One of them copied the motion, tilting his head in the same way that made you giggle lightly. Their spines stood at attention in interest at the sweet sound.
“Hello,” You clicked at them. “What brings you to this region?”
“We heard your ethereal song and were drawn in,” the mer with black hair clicked in response. The five of them floated closer, slowly circling you so they could see your every angle, but you didn’t feel intimidated or scared. No, instead you felt comfortable with them, save even.
When you processed the mer’s words, your breath hitched the slightest bit. Your dad had told you and your sister how he met your mom, of course. It was how all mer’s in your bloodline had found their mates, a phenomenon that was known as a siren song, taken from the human myths of sirens.
A mer is typically capable of enchanting their voice to affect humans but only a mate can hear another mer’s siren song when a mer’s voice is so enchanting, so beautiful that you can’t help but follow it to its source. Which is what made your parents so unique since a mer had never heard a siren song from a human.
Back to the present, you cleared your throat, clicking slowly to them, “And… you know what that means, don’t you?” Your face felt warm.
The youngest looking, a male with teal or mint hair, chirped curiously, “What does it mean?”
You couldn’t help but blanch. Had their original pods really never told them about mates or the siren song? Or had they just been too young to really remember? You shook your head, “It means that you five are my mates and I’m yours.”
Oh, they shuddered.
They liked the sound of that.
Suddenly, the one with light purple hair had his arms around your waist, “You’re ours then?”
The one with magenta hair gave an excited roguish grin, grabbing your hand and beginning to tug you away, “Let’s go then!” Already ready to whisk you away.
“Hey—wait!” You chirped, flicking your tail to propel you out of their arms and put a little bit of space between you and them. “You guys can’t just take me away from my pod! I have a family here and I’m not just leaving them! Besides, my dad is the patriarch so you guys have to present yourselves to him! Don’t you know that?”
Sheepishly, the five rubbed at their necks, scratched at their faces, and looked away from your annoyed gaze awkwardly. The one with light pink hair smiled apologetically, “It’s been a while…” He chirped quietly.
You shook your head in amusement because of course you would get the five feral mers as your mates. “Come on, we can chat on the way. I’m (Y/n) by the way.”
“I’m Jinu,” the black haired mer introduced himself, scooping your bag up to carry it for you without another word.
The magenta haired mer subtly flexed his muscles, his arm muscles and well defined abs more prominent, “I’m Kwan.”
The light pink haired mer flicked his hair out of his face with a soft smile, preening slightly, “I’m Chungae. It’s a pleasure to meet you~”
“I’m Jum,” the youngest mer with the mint colored hair gave a small smile, offering you a piece of sea glass that had been twined in his hair. He made a mental note to find out your favorite foods so he could find them for you.
“Hyeon,” the mer with purple hair that hung in his face told you simply, reaching out to interlock your fingers together, his thumb tracing the back of your hand curiously.
You smiled, “It’s nice to meet you guys.”
A/N: I thought about making them different types of mers, like Kwan would be a shark, maybe Hyeon would be an octopus, and Jum would be a jellyfish, but it felt too complicated and I liked the irony of them being lionfish.
Outtakes:
You: *living your best life, peacefully singing and collected shinies*
Saja Boys: *swimming like their lives depend on it as they home in on your song*
…
Yong (Dad): *looking at you and your five new strays* “You went out to get shells.”
You: *nods* “Yes.”
Yong: “And somehow you come back with five feral mates.”
You: *nods again* “Yes.”
Yong: *takes a deep breath*
Yong: *strained* “Okay then…”
…
Rumi: “Here, I brought this back from the city for when you need to distract or entertain them.”
Rumi: *hands you a laser pointer*
You: *turns it on* “Uhm, thanks Rumi but I don’t think this is gonna—“
Saja Boys: *eyes dilated, following the dot, pounce at it only to crash into each other and crawl over each other to try and get it*
You: “…”
You: “Y’know what, thanks.”
…
Inspiration for your’s and the Saja Boys’ mer forms:
Something a bit different but I just love a lil fantasy ✨🧜🏻♀️🫧
Find part 2 here!
Part 3
Part 4
Sevika x Mermaid!Reader - Beneath The Surface
Summary: Sevika swears she’s being watched when working near the docks. She finally comes face to face with the mysterious presence in the water when it saves her life.
The docks always smelled like rust and salt and something a little more dangerous underneath. It clung to the air, to the wood, to the people who worked there.
Sevika only showed up when there was work worth her time. Shipments. Important ones.
Her boots hit the wood with steady, deliberate weight as she moved through the chaos, voices rising around her, crates shifting, the whole place alive with tension. Men straightened when she passed. Conversations cut short. Orders came easier when she was the one giving them.
She didn’t linger.
She never did.
But while she was here, everything bent around her like it had no other choice.
And beneath it all, just out of sight-
you watched.
The water curled around you, cool and familiar, a gentle contrast to the harsh world above. You hovered just beneath the surface, where the light fractured into shifting gold, eyes fixed on her like she was something sacred.
You had been watching her for months now.
Maybe longer.
At first it was curiosity. Humans came and went along the docks all the time, loud and careless, dropping things into the water that you’d collect later. But her… she was different. You noticed it immediately. The way she stood, grounded and unafraid. The way others circled around her without even realising they were doing it.
The way she looked like she could break the world in half if she wanted to.
You had surfaced once, just barely, enough to catch a clearer look.
And she’d turned.
Right toward you.
Your heart had lurched as you slipped back under, the water swallowing you whole. But when you peeked again, she was still staring at the spot you’d been, brow furrowed, jaw tight.
Since then, it became a game.
You’d watch. She’d feel it.
Sometimes she’d glance over her shoulder, eyes narrowing at nothing. Sometimes she’d pause mid-step, like she’d heard something just out of reach. Once, she’d even walked to the edge of the dock, crouching low, scanning the water.
You’d been right beneath her.
Close enough to reach out.
Close enough to touch.
You didn’t.
Not yet.
—
The night everything changed began in chaos.
You felt it before you understood it, the vibrations cutting through the water, sharp and wrong. You surfaced just enough to see the frenzy unfolding. Crates. Weapons. Smoke already beginning to curl into the air.
And her.
Always her.
Sevika stood at the center of it, barking orders, trying to regain control as figures moved in from the shadows. Firelights. You didn’t know their name, but you knew danger when you saw it.
Then the explosion hit.
It split the night open.
The force of it slammed into the water, a violent shockwave that sent you reeling back, ears ringing even beneath the surface. Above, wood splintered, flames roared to life, and bodies scattered like broken pieces.
You saw her go over.
It happened too fast. One second she was standing, the next she was thrown back, body hitting the water hard enough to make your chest tighten.
She didn’t resurface.
You didn’t think.
You moved.
The water parted for you as you surged forward, faster than anything human could track. You found her just below the surface, sinking, limbs slack, eyes closed. Still.
Too still.
Your hands found her instantly, one bracing her back, the other lifting her chin. She was heavy, solid in a way that made your muscles strain, but you didn’t let go. You kicked upward, tail driving you through the water until you broke the surface.
No one was looking.
All eyes were on the fire.
On the fight.
On everything but her.
You dragged her toward the edge of the dock, fingers slipping slightly against soaked fabric before finding purchase. With effort, you hauled her up, following just enough to lean over her, your hands trembling as they hovered over her face.
“Please…” you whispered, voice soft and unused.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then she coughed.
It was rough, violent, her body jerking as water spilled from her lungs. You let out a breath you didn’t realise you’d been holding, relief hitting you so hard it almost hurt.
Your hand moved without thinking, brushing damp hair back from her face. Your fingers lingered, tracing the sharp line of her cheek, the strength in her jaw now softened by exhaustion.
Up close… she was even more beautiful.
Her eyes opened.
Sharp. Piercing. Locked onto yours immediately.
For a moment, neither of you moved.
She stared like she’d forgotten how to breathe, like the world had narrowed down to just you. You felt it, that intensity, heavy and grounding all at once. It made your chest flutter, something warm and unfamiliar curling through you.
You smiled before you could stop yourself.
Soft. Relieved. A little shy.
You wanted her to know you meant no harm. She was safe.
Her lips parted, like she was about to speak, but no sound came out.
Shouting cut through the moment.
Close.
Too close.
Your head snapped toward the noise, instincts screaming. You couldn’t stay. Not here. Not where others might see.
You looked back at her, something aching in your chest at the thought of leaving.
Her hand twitched, like she was trying to reach for you.
That decided it.
You slipped back, fingers trailing from her face, your body already lowering toward the water.
“Wait-” her voice came out rough, strained, but unmistakably directed at you.
You paused just long enough to meet her eyes one more time.
Then you smiled again. A departing gesture. Soft and sincere.
And let yourself fall back into the sea.
The water closed over you, familiar and safe, pulling you away as you dove deeper, disappearing into the dark.
-
Sevika pushed herself up, coughing again, chest heaving as she stared at the empty water.
Gone.
Gone.
But not imagined.
Not this time.
Her hand came up to her face, brushing over the spot where your fingers had been, like she could still feel the ghost of your touch.
A shaky breath left her as she fell back against the dock, staring up at the sky, the chaos around her fading into something distant and unimportant.
All she could see was you.
The curve of your smile.
The softness in your eyes.
The unmistakable gleam of scales where legs should have been.
The impossible, undeniable truth of what she’d just witnessed.
“…fuck,” she breathed, almost disbelieving.
Then, quieter.
“…beautiful.”
And for the first time in a long time, Sevika wasn’t thinking about the fight.
Summary: Y/n will not allow her sister, her father's favourite, to be happy; she will do everything to regain her happiness. Even if it means resorting to evil.
Warnings: Exaggeration of the characters' behaviour, a malicious and envious reader, references to shipwrecks and battles, the author does not know English.
From nymph: I finally finished writing the fanfic that had been gathering dust in my notes for so long, all because I couldn't write the middle part... divider: @saradika
But there was one joy in her life — a handsome young boy from the surface named Eric. He was a kind and charming boy who treated the young mermaid with such tenderness. They always had something to talk about.
"I will definitely marry you, Y/n!" the boy laughed loudly, and Y/n smiled trustingly in response.
However, soon Ariel herself began to dream of the world above the water, because she had long been curious about where her older sister so often swam off to. The little girl didn't really understand anything yet, but Y/n was like that too, so Ariel revealed her sister's secret to her father.
Then the waters of the ocean boiled with alarm, for Triton did not limit himself to the usual reprimand to his daughter, but shouted, overcome with righteous indignation. Frightened and trembling, Y/n stared at her father's angry face, feeling both horror and deep resentment.
"You will go to the deepest sea bottom until you learn your lesson!" the sea lord shouted indignantly.
"Father..." the unfortunate girl whispered timidly, but the king's loud voice stopped her, and two huge octopuses immediately grabbed her delicate hands with their tentacles, carrying her away from the palace.
Before leaving, Y/n managed to cast a hateful glance at her sister Ariel, who was hiding behind their angry father's back. The girl pressed her fist to her lips, her large blue eyes wide with fear, looking confused and bewildered.
"If you try to repeat your sister's actions and run away to the surface, I will be forced to do the same to you," the wise ruler warned his little daughter menacingly, softening a little and adopting a fatherly tone of voice.
And Y/n's heart was filled with black hatred for her father and younger sister. Was everything that was happening fair? After all, she was exactly two years older than the capricious Ariel! Why was there such a huge difference in the manifestation of her father's love? What had she done to deserve such cruelty, why had she been banished to a gloomy underwater prison?
The days dragged on slowly, even though the sentence was relatively short — only one month. What saved the girl's mind from complete madness was a wonderful shell found by chance in the sand at the bottom of the sea. This trinket had magical properties: thousands of ancient spells were hidden inside it. The shell whispered, imparting knowledge and guidance to the young princess, choosing her as its new successor.
The spells were varied: some were kind and bright, others were cunning and dangerous. Some allowed the girl to freely leave the dark cell hidden deep beneath the sea, remaining invisible to the guards patrolling the area. So Y/n gradually learned to leave and return unnoticed.
She no longer saw Eric in their secret place. Perhaps the boy waited patiently for his friend to return for some time, but in the end he lost hope and left the shore forever.
When the punishment was over, Y/n decided to remain alone, far from the hated castle and her relatives. Triton took her behaviour as childish sulking and stopped trying to bring his daughter home until she reached maturity.
"Yes/no..." exclaimed Ariel, suddenly waking up and noticing her sister's movement.
"What's wrong?" the girl replied sharply in an even, firm voice.
"Why are you leaving right now? We tried to arrange a pleasant evening for you..." Ariel muttered, looking with her large, round, sky-blue eyes, as if deliberately feigning touching pity.
"Thank you very much, I am really full, now I want to leave," Y/n said dryly, trying to avoid further questions.
"...Maybe you are ready to return to the royal chambers?" her father asked cautiously, watching his daughter's cold detachment intently.
"I have no desire to," Y/n snapped and instantly dissolved into the depths of the water, leaving her family in silence and disappointment. Triton sighed heavily.
But Y/n's big secret was that she had been watching her family for a long time. Thanks to a magical glass ball she had conjured up. She watched Ariel, saw how the girl was becoming more and more attracted to the surface. The young mermaid collected things that fell from above and settled on the seabed, or searched for human belongings in sunken ships. Y/N sighed heavily. If she showed Ariel's father how she was swimming to the surface, what would he do? She wanted him to get angry and lock his favourite daughter in the cave.
And finally, one day, Ariel surfaced because of the noise of a human ship. Y/n watched closely as her sister climbed onto the ship and watched the people. The people were having fun and dancing, drinking some kind of liquid from wooden mugs. Laughter and loud chatter pierced the silence of the night. Ariel watched everything spellbound when a dog ran up to her and began licking her face. The young mermaid laughed quietly. Then a youthful voice called the dog to him. Y/n froze. She couldn't be mistaken! It was Eric, but now an adult. He had turned from a funny boy into a handsome young man. He smiled and petted the dog, while Ariel stared at the young man in fascination. The woman shifted her attention to Eric, who looked awkwardly at his monument and scratched the back of his head. He was still the same shy young man who did not expect honours and glory. The man walked away from the monument, talking to a grey-haired man.
"The whole kingdom is waiting for you to choose a worthy girl!" said the old man.
"The girl is out there somewhere. I haven't found her yet," Eric replied, slightly sadly.
"Perhaps you haven't looked hard enough," remarked the old man.
"I'm trying to find her, but it seems she's hiding from me. But when I find her, I'll recognise her immediately," said the dark-haired man confidently.
Y/n's heart sank. She hoped that he was looking for her and that he remembered her. The woman quietly shed a tear, which mixed with the sea water.
Y/n clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, as she watched her sister sing about her love, about how she wanted to be with Eric. Y/n couldn't stand it; her sister wanted to take something that had never belonged to her. Then her sister was scared off by the old man, while Eric was already coming to his senses and looking for the person who had been singing to him.
Ariel swam away, hiding behind another rock, watching as the old man led the prince away, lecturing him. She smiled happily and continued her song. Y/N knew what she had to do; she had to tell her father that the time had come.
Triton sat on his throne, busy with royal affairs, and was surprised to see his daughter, who had disappeared from the castle, seemingly forever.
"Have you decided to return?" the king asked with a glimmer of hope. Y/n frowned, but then looked excited.
"No... but... I saw something you need to know about. It's about Ariel." The girl swam closer, and Triton put down his papers.
"What is it?" the man frowned.
"I accidentally saw my sister swimming to the surface."
"What?!" Triton shouted.
"It turns out she collects human things... she has a cave closer to the south," Y/N tried to hold back a smile.
"Are you sure?" Triton took his trident and stepped down from his throne.
"Yes, Father, I'm worried about her. It's not normal, is it?"
"That's right, I'm glad you understand that too... we'll have to explain it to your sister," the man swam to the exit, and Y/n hurried to her cave.
She activated the crystal ball again and watched as her father found the cave and yelled at Ariel, who tried to justify herself and defend herself. But Triton was unrelenting, he began to destroy everything he saw, the last point being Eric's sculpture, the king aimed his trident at him and shot a red lightning bolt. And then he swam away, to Ariel's cries. Y/N watched this and couldn't believe it. Her face reflected several emotions, and she finally felt pleasure. But that wasn't enough. The young princess's dark heart was poisoned with hatred, and she wanted to hurt her even more.
The next day, she sailed to Ariel, who was still sitting on the ruins of her cave.
"What happened here?" Y/n asked, feigning confusion. Her sister abruptly turned her gaze to the girl.
"It's our father... he found out that I collect things from the human world... and that I fell in love with a human..." She cried bitterly, and Y/N clenched her jaw.
"Didn't my bitter experience teach you anything?"
"I'm sorry... it must have been just as painful for you," said Ariel.
"You have no idea... Do you really love this man?"
"Yes... very much... but we can't be together," Ariel took Eric's stone face.
"What if I told you I could help you? I'll give you legs," Y/N added quietly and saw Ariel look at her.
"Really!? You can help me?" Ariel swam up to her sister.
"Yes, but the price will be high, because it's a powerful spell,"
"I agree!" Ariel said confidently, hugging her sister.
Y/n took her sister and they swam to the girl in the cave. There was a peculiar cauldron and many flasks. Ariel looked around, wanting to touch everything, but when she tried to pick something up, her sister slapped her hands away.
Y/n threw various ingredients into the cauldron, which bubbled and shimmered with different colours.
"You must give up your voice, it is the price for the spell," Y/n stood next to the cauldron and took the shell pendant from around her neck. "The spell will last for three days. To keep it from fading, you must make Er... the man fall in love with you, then the spell will not fade, but will grow stronger, and you will remain on land forever. If he does not fall in love, your legs will turn into a tail, and you will have to return to the water, but I will return your voice as well."
"But how can I talk to Eric? How can I make him fall in love with me?" Ariel asked fearfully.
"Why are you asking me? I told you about the price. If you're not ready, then stay at the bottom of the sea and don't stick your neck out," Y/n said irritably.
Ariel hesitated. She had the opportunity to meet the man she loved, but she couldn't say anything to him.
"You have to pay for everything," added Y/n, looking somewhere off to the side, noticing Flounder and Sebastian behind one of the rocks, she sighed irritably.
"I... am ready..." said the younger sister.
"...Then sing," Y/n held up the shell, which began to glow due to the magic, and when Ariel began to sing, it began to absorb her voice.
A clinging green smoke crept into Ariel's throat, sucking out her magical voice. The frightened mermaid grabbed her throat. Y/n took the shell and then cast a spell. The smoke from the shell and the cauldron mixed together, heading towards Ariel, enveloping her and turning her fish tail into human legs. The girl began to flounder, unable to swim with her legs, then Flounder and Sebastian appeared, pulling her out of the cave and directing her to the surface. Y/N laughed with satisfaction. All that remained was to wait. Without her voice, Ariel would be of no use to Eric, and she would return to the sea with a broken heart.
Y/N waited, and on the second day she decided to look into the ball to see her sister's downfall. But she was terribly disappointed when she saw Eric having fun with the girl, teaching her everything and trying to talk to her. The last straw was their walk on the lake. Sebastian tried to push Eric to kiss Ariel, but the man kept dodging and feeling embarrassed. Y/N couldn't take it anymore and cast a spell that flew through the ball and hit the boat, which capsized. They carefully climbed out of the water, Eric laughing loudly while Ariel tried to imitate laughter.
"What a cheeky girl! Oh no, Ariel, I won't let you stay on the surface, you must swim out to sea!" Y/n banged on the stone slab again. She rubbed the shell from which her sister's magical voice came, and Y/n came up with a plan, "Since you're so persistent, what will you do when a rival appears before you..."
Y/n smiled slyly, looking at the couple through the ball.
Under the cover of late evening, when the sky was tinged with purple and blue, Y/n appeared on the deserted seashore. Bright stars twinkled overhead, and moonlight gently reflected off the smooth surface of the waves. The girl wore an exquisite dress adorned with sparkling precious stones, emphasising her beauty. Her hair fluttered in the wind, adding mystery and charm to her appearance.
Now fate had to take a different turn; she knew she would not allow Ariel to find happiness. Gently touching her throat with her fingers, she took Ariel's voice away forever, replacing it with her own.
Y/N knew about Eric's habit of taking late-night walks along the shore, and she waited for him to appear. Soon, the silhouette of a man appeared on the horizon, slowly approaching the edge of the beach. His steps slowed as soon as he heard the first notes of a song coming from someone's lips.
Her song spread around, echoing in his heart. The sad, mournful notes penetrated deep into the young prince's soul, making him forget about the rest of the world. His head ached, but then it became easier. Seduced by the sweet sound, he walked towards the source of the sound, guided by an unknown force.
Halfway there, Y/n and Eric met. The man gazed enchantedly at the beautiful woman, watching in amazement as each tear rolled down her face. Feelings overwhelmed his soul, which had become easy prey to the magic of love.
Finally, her beloved had returned to her embrace, and for the first time, the girl could feel the warmth of his body. Pressing her forehead firmly against his chest, she allowed herself to enjoy the moment of closeness, assuring herself that this was true love, even if it was caused by magic.
"You probably won't remember anything..." Y/n whispered sadly, intertwining her fingers behind the man's belt.
Eric responded with silence, gently stroking her hair and pulling her closer to him. It seemed as if he was ready to absorb every part of her being, to unite with her forever, obeying the influence of a powerful love spell.
The morning of the next day marked the beginning of a new stage in their lives. Earl Grimsby, the prince's elderly advisor, greeted the newlyweds, enthusiastically expressing his admiration for them both. Eric looked at his bride with trepidation and love.
"I am very pleased to hear such compliments from you," said Y/n with an embarrassed smile, enjoying the warmth and confidence.
"Don't be silly! I was just happy to hear that Eric finally found you. Especially since you have such good manners, you're clearly from a noble family. I'm so glad he chose you and not..." The old man paused when he looked up at the stairs.
Y/n also noticed her younger sister behind the column. She was hiding from prying eyes. Y/n could clearly hear the hollow beating of a broken heart, and a triumphant laugh of malice arose within her.
Preparations for the wedding were proceeding at a rapid pace, and the wedding ship set sail that very day. Y/n's heart ached with anxiety; events were unfolding too quickly and flawlessly, causing her unease. To the girl's surprise, the dress turned out to be exactly as she had described it to little Eric, immersed in dreams of her long-awaited wedding.
Ariel no longer appeared in public, and Y/n did not try to seek her out. It seemed that her sister was not even on board the ship, which amused Y/n, as she found pleasure in thinking about her suffering. Sometimes the girl laughed quietly, admiring herself in the mirror. It was a hollow laugh that made insides grow cold.
"Until sunset..." Y/n repeated thoughtfully, touching the golden seashell-shaped pendant that adorned her neck.
A bright light flashed inside her, filled with the sound of Ariel's beautiful voice. Y/n pulled her hand away when her sister's voice broke through the protective barrier of the pendant.
After a while, the maids came to the woman, dressed her in a wedding gown, and carefully praised the bride's appearance. Encouraged by the attention, Y/n broke into a radiant smile.
Amidst the majestic ringing of bells on the ship, the ceremony began. Count Grimsby held her hand confidently, leading her to the altar. Before them stood the slender, handsome Eric, awaiting the upcoming wedding with impatience and joy. The girl caught Eric's fleeting glance and noticed two small tears rolling down his cheek. Y/n held her breath, wondering if Eric was fighting against the spell inside and wanted to break free, or if he was crying because of pain and resentment, because he did not want to see Y/n as his bride and wanted to run away to Ariel. But the girl shook her head and raised it proudly, gathering the admiring glances of the guests.
When there were only a few steps left to take, an attack suddenly occurred. A huge seagull flew at the girl, tearing at her curls with its beak, leaving traces of pain. Almost immediately after the first bird, the rest of the sea creatures appeared on the deck, causing chaos among the invited guests. Every living creature on board felt an inexplicable impulse of aggression towards Y/n herself.
In the heat of battle, the wounded seagull snatched the chain with the shell from Y/n's clenched fingers, throwing it high into the air. The octopus, moving nimbly among the people, pushed the woman straight into the birthday cake, breaking the layers and turning the celebration into ruins. The amulet itself fell right at Ariel's feet, making a final loud crack and scattering into pieces. Following it, the girl's soft, melodious voice finally turned joyfully to the man:
"Eric!"
The young man froze, shocked by the sight of the ruined wedding, the devastated food, and the humiliation of his beloved. His face contorted with pain and discontent when he noticed the crying and dirty Y/n, covered in the remains of the festive feast.
"Calm down, my dear," Eric said anxiously, lifting her off the floor and gently cleaning the remains of dessert from her soiled body.
Y/n listened to his words, trying to suppress her panic and sobs. The guests froze, the sea creatures stopped their attack, tired and motionless, scattering around the edge of the deck.
"How dare you ruin our wedding?!" Eric growled, looking closely at the assembled guests and sea creatures.
"But Eric, she..." Ariel objected uncertainly, looking desperately at the man.
"Was it you? Was this your doing? Envy overwhelmed your heart, could you really be capable of such betrayal? Look at my beloved, she dreamed of choosing the best cake, wearing the perfect dress, and now everything is lost forever!" the prince shouted passionately, feeling irritation and pain from what had happened.
Ariel's blue eyes widened in incomprehension.
"She cast a spell on me, took away my voice, and lured you in with deception! ...But... Why... Why didn't your feelings fade when the amulet was destroyed?" the girl wondered, trying in vain to explain the situation to her brother.
"Spell? What spell?" Eric asked incredulously, casting a wary glance at the redhead.
Y/N looked at the prince with undisguised amazement. Indeed, why hadn't the love spell lost its power, since its source — the magical shell — had been destroyed?
"Love spell! She used my voice to bewitch you! I was the one who sang for you that day! But now you don't recognise me!" Ariel cried hysterically, looking at Eric imploringly.
"I remember every moment of our meeting perfectly," the man replied calmly, continuing to hold Y/N in a tight embrace, gently stroking her wet shoulders, covered with cream stains from the cake.
"What do you mean? I don't understand..."
"Y/N charmed me many years ago, when she was still a child. Then she disappeared for a long time, but one evening I heard a familiar voice that belonged to you, Ariel, and I realised that this sound would lead me to the love of my life!" Eric explained, pulling away slightly from his bride to look into her eyes.
"Love spells lose their power if the object of affection already feels sincere love for the caster," added Y/n, nervously freeing herself from the prince's grip, but he managed to hold her by the hand.
Turning away from the setting sun, she focused her gaze on her sister, who had also noticed the change in light. Their eyes met, and each understood what would happen next.
"Eric, didn't you have real feelings for me?" Tears welled up in Ariel's eyes, rolling down her cheeks like pearls.
"No," the man said firmly, looking away from his future wife and at Ariel.
"But our moments together..."
"To me, you were a pleasant friend. My soul longed to meet the only companion I had chosen long ago," Eric finished firmly, clearly articulating his thoughts.
Blushing with grief, Ariel buried her face in her hands and sank into a heavy stream of salty tears. The sun had finally disappeared below the horizon, its rays that had previously illuminated the world vanishing into the darkness of the night. Green scales once again covered Ariel's skin, returning her to her former mermaid form. The stunned guests gasped, whispering to each other.
Y/n instinctively became frightened, suddenly her own legs would begin to change shape, turning into a mermaid's tail, but nothing happened, she continued to stand firmly on the ground in her torn dress.
The sea creatures began to gently descend into the depths of the ocean, trying to hide from human attention.
"So what does that mean?" asked Scuttle irritably, his bird call turning into a resonating noise that only sea creatures could understand.
"Only that the prince has been infatuated with Y/n all these years," Sebastian stated grimly, hiding in the shadows of the railings.
"But what will happen to poor Ariel now?" Flounder muttered anxiously, deeply concerned for his friend's fate, yet powerless, trapped in a bucket of water.
The prince tried to hold Y/n back when she took a step towards her sister, fearing that the young woman would decide to leave the ship and disappear into the depths of the sea. But Y/n, maintaining her dignity, approached Ariel, whose lost gaze clearly demonstrated her emotional emptiness.
"I never imagined the ending would turn out like this. I thought I would be the one left behind... But I'm so happy..." A single tear rolled down the woman's cheek.
"You..." Ariel moaned, unable to put her emotions into words.
"But he chose me... And I will finally understand what it means to be special and happy. I hope the pain in your heart will go away, but not quickly. Savour this terrible feeling, feel what it's like when you're not chosen and not loved," Y/n added quietly, turning away from her sister.
"Y/n?" Sebastian addressed her cautiously, deciding to intervene in the conversation.
"Sebastian, help her go back to the ocean. Tell Father that he will never see me again, I will stay here, next to my beloved," Y/n said confidently, turning to Eric, who visibly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.
Y/N threw Flounder overboard, and Ariel sat on the railing, took one last look at her sister and Eric, jumped overboard, and disappeared into the blue sea. Soon after, Sebastian jumped overboard, bowing his head in farewell, and Scuttle rose high into the sky and flew over the horizon.
Y/N looked at the sea; it was calm, but at some point, small waves began to rise. She didn't know if it was her father saying goodbye to her or just the whim of the sea. But she was sure of one thing: she would stay on land with the man she had chosen and who had chosen her.
sigh. here we go again... ANOTHER au for fics i’m cooking up… i was just having thots about mermaid!reader x hatosy characters and i needed to get this out.
Content: charlie reid x reader / pope cody x reader / jack abbot x reader / terry mccandless x reader / boyd fowler x reader / mermaid!reader / cloacal genitalia / usage of the term ‘pussy’ / fingering / gill stuff (?) / cum play / ownership / power imbalance
+
charlie fucking reid; the idea of him holding you on his lap as he fingerfucks the shit out of you, calling you “a pretty lil thing”?? delicious. he’s definitely the type to take advantage of a mermaid’s naivety when it comes to humans. chicago isn’t near the ocean, but maybe lake mermaids are a thing? or maybe he has you kept in an aquarium, just so he can admire you and spread you open on his cock whenever he wants?? who knows?? and ofc you’ve endeared yourself to him, making those sweet clicking and chirping sounds when he comes home from work, pressing up against the glass all pretty and showing off your glittering scales. he’ll slowly take off his jacket as you watch, have dinner on the couch in front of your aquarium, look you in the eye as he licks his lips. he’ll coo condescendingly when you follow him around from inside your glass cage, and call you his little pet when you nuzzle your head against his hand, clicking prettily as you offer your slit up to him.
pope cody x mermaid, off-putting x off-putting, my beloved. i do think this one might become an actual fic because god knows i need more soft(ish) pope cody fics (YES I WILL GET ON WITH THE FOSTER!READER X POPE FIC JUST GIVE ME A MOMENT). for this au, i’m thinking that maybe mermaids are more common, but are usually kept as like, pets for rich bastards who want to show off. i’m thinking maybe the codys are pulling off a heist on some bigwig’s event when something goes wrong with their escape vehicle, so they improvise and use the big truck nearby. turns out it’s the bigwig’s transport vehicle for his prized mermaid, and the brothers are just standing in the back of the truck staring at this glittery iridescent mermaid, who’s blinking owlishly back at them like ??? and of course, pope becomes incredibly infatuated with the strange pretty creature and their big doe eyes. i’m thinking that mermaid!reader is used to being pampered and spoilt, so you immediately attach themselves to pope who is awkward but gentle. eventually you start preening, offering up your cloaca to pope because “mate!! you’re my mate!!” and he’s so confused but how he can say no when you’ve wrapped your tail around his legs and you’re holding on to him, keening so sweetly??
abbot is a bit trickier bc like, pittsburgh is fuckass away from water. like i mean ig they have rivers? but also how tf would a mermaid get there, ya know? so i’m thinking for an abbot fic would be a mermaid that has.. human legs? kind of like a legs on land, tail in water situation. as to why mer!reader moves pittsburgh, idfk. maybe mermaids are also prized possessions here, so moving away from water was the best way to keep safe?? no clue. but yeah, i’m thinking heatstroke, real bad because it’s summer and you’re already always on the brink of dehydration. you’re in the ER, and you maintain just enough consciousness to beg abbot not to do an ice bath. obvi he has to, and your mermaid self is exposed, leading you to panic. abbot quickly shuts the curtains, orders his staff to keep quiet as he soothes you, promising that no one will say a word. ofc, being the kind, kind doctor that he is, checks up on you after your discharge, making sure you’re hydrated well and that you’re safe. something something, kiss kiss fall in love, tender bathtub sex, amiright guys?
terry mccandless, the smug piece of shit bastard. maybe while he’s out boating, he spots you swimming and notices you haven’t come back up for air for a while now, so he jumps in and lo and behold, he’s face to face with a mermaid. i think he’d be sweet at first, lay on the southern charm on real thick to get your guard down, just to get a taste of that mer puss. mccandless is definitely into public sex, so maybe he’d take you on the rocks by the beach, huffing quietly into your spiny ears as water sloshes around the two of you. i think he’d like to play with your gills, playing with the slits on your neck. i don’t think he’d go as far as to shove his fingers inside — he knows his thick fingers could damage the frilly tissue and he’s not that sadistic so as to actually hurt you — but he’ll occasionally come a bit toooo close, fingers delving into the fluttering slits, and the way you’ll hiccup out a chirp and squeeze down on him is ecstasy.
sneaking a lil bit of boyd fowler here too bc he’s literally my fucking labubu i need to like clip him onto my purse, spin him around, and squeeze and shake him violently, and i don’t even like labubus but i neeeeeeeed to take a big fucking chunk outta him. anyways, he has a fascination with dead animals, so when he sees you beached up after a storm, he gets curious and comes closer. turns out you’re not dead, and wow you’re a literal mermaid just his type, so he takes you home and studies fucks you. he’d be a bit mean with the sex, fucking you for ages with his thick fingers, enjoying the way you claw at his forearm, twisting and keening as he rubs all your sensitive spots. he’ll stretch you out on his fingers real nice till you’re all fuzzy, just to spread your slit open and admire the way your puffy cloaca gapes, dribbling slick all over your pretty scales. he’d nip at your gills on your neck, thumbing the ones on your ribs as he pounds into you. oh and he’s definitely cumming inside, pumping his seed into your pussy just to shove his fingers in once he’s pulled out, enjoying the way his come froths and spurts out with every curl of his digits.
+
well that was fun. i’m already writing smut fics for charlie and fowler, but gosh darn this was just so fun i’m definitely fleshing these out :0
Contains: angst / fluff / mentions of injury (blood)
Summary: He'd gone for a solstice celebration and ended up on a rescue mission, saving what everyone else called a bad omen.
WC: ~4.6k
Helion's parties were legendary, but they seemed to reach new heights when it came to special celebrations like summer Solstice.
An inlet at the westernmost border of Night and Day was one of the few beaches the court had. Now it was transformed to a Helion certified party. Golden sand, deep turquoise waters. Everything glittery, ivory, and gold decorated the beach—from the cliffs to the east near the border down to the lush, green mountains to the west.
It had been hours since the Inner Circle’s arrival. Their usual finery was traded for something a little lighter. Rhysand had just now managed to slip away for a walk—a well-timed excuse before Cassian and Helion dragged him to competitively drink themselves sick. Again.
The soft sand was warm between his toes, the setting sun warmer. The ocean breeze tugged the open-top of his tunic, sea foam dancing around his bare feet and ankles from where he’d rolled up his pants. He strolled aimlessly along the sand, thinking about nothing and everything a High Lord would, sipping occasionally from the drink he’d brought as a companion.
The celebration became a murmur under the crashing waves the further he strolled, save for the occasional booming laugh or cheers. Easily Helion or Cassian’s doing.
When he looked up again, the cliffs were closer and the sun halfway down the horizon. He scanned the beach briefly before his gaze snagged on a strange, long lump. He nearly ignored it, passing it off as beached driftwood, but no. It was too smooth and…shiny? The waves curved over its form, gently tipping it as they receded back to the sea.
Then he saw hair. Next he smelled blood.
He took a step, turning into a walk and then a jog until he was a few feet away.
There was hair and hands and a head and—
No legs. Not just no legs—there was a long tail in it’s place.
A long tail—one rivaling his wingspan from fluke to the scales that blended into the creamy skin of a torso—now tangled and cut up by netting. Deep gashes slicing into the opalescent scales and muscle beneath, tearing in ways Rhys had only seen on battlefields. Red rivers flowed around the thicker parts. Your fluke and fins were badly shredded too—some parts barely hanging on and small bits gone altogether.
"Hey,” Rhysand called out, drink vanishing dropping into a pocket realm as he knelt. His hands hovered reluctantly over you. He didn’t want to worsen your injuries. “Can you hear me?” he tried again as he assessed you. Your eyes were closed, arms limp and tangled with the net. You're injured and unresponsive.
Fueled by a slight buzz of alcohol, rising adrenaline and a savior complex built on his trauma, he moved without hesitation. A flick of his wrist and the netting vanished. Caution and focus helped him scoop you up, disregarding your blood seeping into his clothes. He was careful to avoid your wounds or pressing against your gills slatted on either side of your ribs.
He winnowed you back to his suite in Helion’s beachside property, where everyone had been given accommodations for the visit. He kicked the nudged the door open with his shoulder, careful not to jostle or bump you around too much.
"I need a healer to my suite immediately." He sent down his mind link to Azriel while he slowly stepped down into the pool, letting warm saltwater surround you and him. He trusted the spymaster to be the most coherent.
"Are you hurt?" Azriel's reply was instant, firm and steady, but urgency slipped through in a way Rhys had come to pick out on rare occasions after centuries together.
"No, but I found someone who is, and I don't know siren anatomy to do anything confidently."
A short, tense pause.
"I'm coming. I'll bring the healers with me."
He exhaled in relief as his gaze drifted over you. How your hair floated like an inky halo in the water. How opalescent scales were the same color as your tail lined your cheekbones, hairline and your arms in random clusters. Long, damp lashes clung to your cheeks. Scalloped fins jutting out from behind your ears—the same color as your fins and fluke—lay flat against the side of your head. Their shape reminded him of butterfly wings if they were sharper—jagged in a dangerously beautiful way. He politely glanced past your bare chest, and down to your tail, mangled and bleeding still but at least net-free.
A door slammed open somewhere, followed by rushed footsteps and voices.
"Bathroom," Rhysand called out, unable to look away from you. You were still breathing, albeit very slowly, but breathing meant you were alive.
He tore his gaze away as Azriel approached with a pair of healers, turning just enough to look at them. One of the healers swore under her breath and made the sign of the Mother with her free hand over her chest and forehead. The other was wide-eyed and visibly paled as she sucked a breath between her teeth.
“I found her unconscious, beached and tangled in a net. I managed to free her, but she'd lost too much blood.” Rhys’s gaze went between them and his brother.
“My lord,” the older healer who’d made the religious sign of the Mother began. “That…that is a a bad omen.” she said the world like it was a secret and a curse. Violet eyes sharpened around the edges as the word and tone grated against him.
“She,” he corrected, without room for disagreement. “will receive help.”
There was a heavy stillness among the four before they finally moved. Rhys waded closer to the edge with you, bloody water lazily swirling around him. The healers knelt, getting to work, but he noticed their cautious eyes flicking towards your face like you’d wake up any moment and use those webbed claws—talons really—to drag them under.
The healers did what they could for hours: stitch and salve your wounds, wrap them to the best of their knowledge. They advised the rest be left up to time.
The bloody seawater was changed out before the healers left, leaving Night’s High Lord on watch. Rhys had sat against a nearby wall, watching your long lithe form rest at the bottom of the pool. Your gills gently fluttering with each breath. Counting them lulled him to sleep.
— • —
Swish.
Hours bled into dawn.
Drip.
Rhysand’s eyes snapped open, his power tangibly charged at possible danger. He wasn’t greeted with a knife to the throat or an arrow between his eyes like he expected.
Instead, at the edge of the pool a few inches away from his outstretched leg was a pair of eyes.
You, still as stone. Awake. Observing.
Everything below your nose was hidden behind the tiled edge or submerged underwater, but even from a distance he could see your tail stretched out behind you at the bottom of the pool.
His breath stalled, and his leg jerked back instinctively. A mistake, apparently.
It all happened in a second. Your once calculating pupils narrowing to pinpricks. The fins behind your ears he thought looked like wings now flared and trembled like leaves in the wind. He watched your teeth sharpen to jagged points as you bared them with a hiss.
His hands flew up in a placating gesture.
“Woah, easy. Easy.” he exclaimed, watching you carefully. At least you were awake.
You only glared harder, a series of high-pitched sounds and clicks emitted from your throat.
Huh.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he continued slowly, taking note of you. you were moving which was good. “Do you remember anything?”
He got a huff and glare in response, which both intrigued and amused him. So you could understand him. That much was clear. You observed each other carefully. You noted if he was still a threat. He noted how the morning light spilling in fat beams through the gilded arches made the water on your skin and hair glitter like diamonds. Even if you looked murderous.
“You didn’t kill me,” you replied. Your voice was rough from misuse, lilted with a faint and unfamiliar accent flooded with suspicion. Rhys hated how his first thought was it was sexy (albeit for half a second before he quickly caught himself).
His lips quirked with a smile. “No, I did not.”
Your eyes narrowed, your pupils are no longer pinpricks but not fully dilated either. “Why?”
“I’m unsure how much of the surface rumors make it down under, but I’m not—”
“Because you’re landfolk,” you interjected. The words landed like a droplet on the surface of a still lake; just enough to unsettle the calm. “And landfolk see my kind as demons.”
He was still deciding whether to be offended or amused at your interjection. A lesser fae would’ve sought death before cutting off the most powerful High Lord. He considered your words and the healers’ reactions when they first saw you.
“Because there are demons up here too,” was all he said, arms lazily crossed over his knees now drawn to his chest. “Ones with a long list of their sins—not that I'm religious. Some seek to build a legacy out of it.”
You eyed him for a moment, more quizzical and slightly less wary as you turned over his words. “You sound like you’re among them.”
Rhys hummed soft and dismissive as he looked at you. A little knowingly, a little misdirecting, a sprinkle of amusement and dash of truth. All laid behind a careful mask.
The water stirred as your scaly hand clutched your rumbling abdomen, hovering over slimy kelp and gauze dressings. Rhysand relished the look on your face. Finally, something besides suspicion and glowering.
You barely started to respond before tangy magic filled the air and a large platter of seafood delicacies prepared in every way imaginable appeared at the edge of the bathing pool.
“Eat. You need it if you’re to heal properly.” He glanced between you and the platter, watching your brows twitch with both distrust and mild interest. He huffed a laugh before musing, “I assure you it’s not pois—”
It was all your desperation needed.
One moment you were wary, glowering, and the next your pupils dilated until they were fully black, your nails elongated, sinuous skin darkening from your cuticles down to your knuckles. Teeth shaped like his one moment became sharpened points the next.
You were feral.
He watched you devour with both awe and horror. Fistfuls of two different meals in each hand, sharp teeth gnashing as you alternated between both. It wasn’t elegant or polite by any means.
Yet there was a disturbing beauty.
A few messy handfuls when you weren't downright famished anymore, you considered him. If he wanted to kill you at any point, he could've—would’ve already, but he didn't. In fact, he went out of his way to heal and feed you.
Names held power and to give it was to put power into someone else’s hands. In the wrong hands meant consequences, yet your gut said he could be trusted. For now. Between bites, you glanced up at him long enough to tell him your name.
Rhysand repeated it softly, rolling it over his tongue. It suited you, he thought. Something beautiful and sharp. Lethally sweet. He watched until you licked the platter clean and the webbing between your fingers. Rhys watched in amusement as you’d gone from hostile and distrustful to softer, calmer, like a feral kitten turned domestic. Your eyes were softer, occasionally glancing up at him. Gone were sharpened teeth and talons.
— • —
It took three days for you to heal significantly. It wasn’t perfect, but it was fast. Having access to the Spell Cleaver's endless libraries in addition to fast fae healing certainly helped. Scarring wrapped around your tail, deeper and more jagged where the worst of the cuts had been. However, you’d make a full recovery. Helion let Rhys extend his visit and use the bathing pool as a makeshift rehabilitation center.
In that time you’d learned his name and his stories. His role in Prythian, his Inner Circle, his home. Slowly but surely you begin to open up too. How you were a siren (“if you call a mermaid a siren or vice versa to the wrong fae, you could start a war”), stories from your childhood in the sea, your adventures, your interests—how you got caught up in the net and beached. Rhysand quickly realized all the stories about sirens were to keep overly curious folks away. He of anyone knew how much rumor and fear could be weaponized. He realized you were more alike than not; how you were all bark and bite because you were afraid, you were lost and cornered in unfamiliar territory.
Rhys knew the feeling too well.
It was the fifth night since your arrival. Sunset had long passed and sconces flickered against the carved pillars of the chamber. Rhysand stood at the doorway with his hands in his pockets. He watched you swim, back and forth across the pool.
You were restless, pacing as much as a siren could who was nearly as long as her space. The thought prodded unhelpfully somewhere in his chest.
“You know,” he announced his presence, stopping at edge of the pool. “If you had legs you'd have certainly worn a hole in the ground.”
Your pacing ceased with your back turned towards him, hair plastered against your skull and shoulders and the rest floating like smoke in the water. You were too quiet, too still and watching the world beyond the carved and embellished arches.
He didn’t have to read your mind to understand the shape of your silence and weight of your gaze. He’d felt it Under the Mountain.
"You want to go home." His voice was quiet, gentle. Of course, you did. What was a bathing pool compared to the open sea? No amount of freshly caught fish would compare to the real hunt. He swallowed thickly as he watched you nod softly.
"I do," you whispered, eyes closing.
"The healers said you'll be discharged tomorrow morning," he stayed quiet, slow moving as he sat on the edge of the pool. "I can take you back to the beach. You can go home." The words hurt to say, but he didn't label it as such. He knew you couldn't stay here for many reasons. It was temporary from the start and only cruel beyond this point.
He looked up as the water rippled further, as you swam closer to him. He watched the firelight bounce off the walls and dimly kiss your skin, illuminate you like an ember, droplets glimmering against your skin. The emotion in your eyes twisted his heart.
You gave a small smile and nod, trekking over him once more. “Thank you,” you began softly, watching the water lap against the tiles instead of his weighty gaze above you. “For saving me. You could’ve left me on the beach but you…you didn’t. I realize I haven’t given my proper thanks.”
There was a pause. Not awkward but heavy with something unsaid as you both looked at each other. He watched your lips part, clearly hesitant, as if you wanted to say more. Maybe it was him projecting what he’d been mulling over these recent nights.
You only smiled softly and whispered goodnight.
— • —
The morning was still cool, the sun barely past the horizon. After breakfast and a full bill of health, he’d winnowed you in his arms to the inlet.
He watched the sea breeze tug at your hair, how you melted into the salty air.
He toed off his shoes and socks, wading into the water with you in his arms. Waves lapped against you, the wind and cool water prickling goosebumps across your skin. You couldn't help the laugh as your home wrapped around you again. Rhys saved the sound, though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe because it was the first time he’d seen it light you up so from the inside.
“Do you feel okay?” he asked gently, stopping until he was chest deep. His gaze flicked over you once more. He used it as an excuse to check your injuries. So what if he did it to memorize you one last time? Who knows if he'd ever see you again. You nodded against this shoulder, wriggling out of his arms until you were swimming on your own. A testing swish of your tail and then a stronger one to propel you. Your laugh was contagious and Rhysand found himself smiling.
You circled him in the waves, playfully splashing him with your fluke. In the limited time you both had together, he'd never seen you like that. There really was no place like home.
You popped up in front of him with a splash, soaked and sparkling under the morning sun. If he was a weaker male, he would've let the receding waves pull him into you. Instead, he huffed a laugh, tucking a wet lock behind your ear. "I take it as a yes then," he mused softly.
His touch lingered and you let it. Hell, you lingered. You could've swam off into the deep the moment he let you go, yet you found yourself staying a little longer. The last few days trickled across your mind, challenging your opinions on land folk. On High Lords. On him. A part of you knew it was foolish to feel anything like attachment in such a short amount of time and yet the more you fought it, the worse you got caught up in it. You blinked rapidly as his fingers brushed your jaw, those violet eyes reminding you of coral on your favorite reef.
"I... I should go," you whispered.
Rhysand smiled softly, coming back from wherever his mind had drifted. "Right. Yes. I should too," he murmured, stepping back to give you room. You returned to it as best you could. You were going home. You should be happy.
"Thank you again, Rhys, For everything," you replied, slowly beginning to swim further out. Your tail rushed against his leg under the water like you were prolonging things, but the tides waited for no one. "I won't forget you."
He softly smiled and nodded once in return, secretly clinging to the way you called his name. "Of course."
You both stretched the moment as long as you could, taking final glances and "accidental" lingering touches before you finally turned and dove under. Rhysand watched you leave from his spot in the waves. How you didn't look back, how your form was dark under the waves, warped and shrinking as you swam further away.
— • —
The year bled by. Seasons passed, solstice or equinoxes were celebrated in their respective courts. It was the thick of summer now, hot, sweltering heat pressing down on Velaris. It was unforgiving this year, but at the ports where it was open, the breeze helped slightly. The fresh air was needed after being held up in the House of Wind and piles of paperwork, though it didn't take work away altogether, to Rhysand's dismay.
"Since the opening of the trade routes, the traffic and jobs at the ports have increased exponentially..." the maritime advisor overseeing Velaris's ports had been droning for a while. Rhysand listed where he should and a little less so when he went off on tangents. Hearing reports and seeing numbers was one thing, but leagues were different than the real thing: the dockworkers loading and unloading ships from various courts, the bustling activity, noise and scents. It ran like its own city.
It was at an unoccupied pier that he noticed the advisor's silence. Rhysand’s watched the distant sea, his hands remained in his pockets. "What is it, Noeh?" he asked light and dry.
"Well..." Noeh began, fiddling with his cuffs. "There's been...a strange occurrence. The sailors are calling it a bad omen." This had Rhysand's brow raised as he pivoted to look at him better. "What is?"
Noeh looked between a barnacle-covered post and his High Lord, unsure. "I think it's easier if I show you."
He followed his advisor back up the busy docks and into his office. It wasn't very big, though the commonly large piles of paperwork didn't help. He wove through the towers until Noeh rounded the desk, drawing a box from a drawer. He glanced between his advisor and the box, a brow raised.
The room shrank as he saw the contents.
Opalescent scales too beautiful for a normal fish and too familiar to the ghosts of his memory. Mixed between them were black pearls, little spheres of night and starlight. there must’ve been hundreds of each.
"It started—we think—in spring. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that we saw them pile up in the same spot on the same pier. We thought it would stop on its own, but it seemed too deliberate. Some of the fishing boats reported a large shadow lurking around the caves and won’t go back. The sailors believe it's a ghost or a siren setting a trap." Noeh explained, huffing a laugh. "Could you believe it? A siren. Laying a trap."
Rhys was barely listening, his gaze pigeonholed on the contents. You were here. You've been here.
He nodded once, taking the box from the advisor. "Thank you. I'll see to this immediately."
Rhys didn't wait for much else, leaving the office and taking to the skies. You were here after a year. There was no way it wasn't you. Those scales haunted his dreams more than he'd like to admit. He landed swiftly and quietly on a sandbar between the rocky arms jutting out from the mountainside. carved by millennia of erosion, pockets of jagged rock formations carved out the tunnels, leading somewhere further inland. It was noticeably cooler here, scattered sunbeams filtering from above. He hadn't been to this part of the court in many years. The box tucked safely under his arm.
"I know you're here," he called out, his voice echoing off the rock walls. Water dripped somewhere, crashing waves echoed around him. "I got your gifts," he added, spinning in a slow circle, scanning the plentiful hiding spots or the waters for you.
He didn't get any responses but kept a watchful eye for any shadows in the deep blue water. Maybe he was too hopeful, deluded by the memories of you from a year ago. How could someone so fleeting be so memorable? He laughed at himself at the thought. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped scaring the dockworkers too," he called out again.
"How else would I get my gifts to you?"
He stilled as the voice came behind him, echoing off the rockfaces just as he remembered. Rhys slowly pivoted in the sand and there you were. Tucked behind a boulder with your arms folded under your head and that long, powerful tail—now scar free—curled around the damp rock. He watched your fluke curl lazily almost like a cat's tail, catching the light just so.
You were more exquisite than his memory served.
Healthier, stronger, happier. He watched you climb off the rock and swim toward the sandbar until you resurfaced. “Hello Rhysand,” you greeted him, flashing him a playful smile that softened around the edges. He returned the grin, sitting on a nearby rock, but was pulled into your orbit anyway. He leaned closer, brushing the wet locks clung to your cheek. There you are.
“Hello, siren,” he mused, low and gentle like a warm current. “I thought i told you to call me Rhys.”
You barely a bit back a laugh, leaning into his touch. This time he didn’t hesitate to cradle your cheek but was gentle all the same. His callouses felt more pronounced against your silky skin, cool and wet from the ocean. He spent too long considering what he’d do if he saw you again. Reconsidering what he wished he did the first time he met you.
It was like no time had passed.
Your eyes flicked over him, his over you. A dance conducted with a look, a secret passed through silence. Rhysand wandered through your mind just as much as you did his, like two lost souls who were trying to find home again.
“You land folk are terrible at passing messages,” you chided playfully, brows furrowed in mock annoyance. “It took me weeks before anyone noticed.”
His laugh felt electric under your skin. “So I’ve heard. Admittedly, I wasn’t expecting anything from you after last year.”
Your smile softened. “Would you believe it if I said I was surprised myself?”
Rhys raised a brow at you, "Why?"
"I don't know."
Silence fell over you both, save for the tides and ocean moving on. He looked over you once before leaning back. his hand left your skin to set the box of your gifts on the rock. you swallowed the embarrassing protest in your throat. you blinked in surprise as he pushed off to sit in the shallows with you. “What are you—” you began, startled.
"I’d rather not catch heatstroke, siren,” he mused, melting in the refreshing water despite his clothes clinging to him. You blinked at him now sitting beside you, though you made extra effort not to ogle how wet fabric highlighted his toned form underneath. He leaned against the rock he once sat on, smirking as he caught your failed attempts to not stare. His attention was all on you anyway. How your hair dried into curls and danced in the breeze. How sunlight reflecting off the water makes you look shinier, the color of your skin and scales brighter.
"I don't know, but I think I'd do it again," you whispered, looking at the rock arches towering around you instead as you revisited your earlier statements.
His gaze returned to your face, his own softening. "I would too," he replied just as quietly. He knew you didn’t mean the messages left on the docks. "But preferably sans injury this time. Maybe like right now," he added lightly, gently nudging his knee against your hip.
You laughed softly, leaning towards him a fraction until your orbits overlapped, your gravities colliding until those unspoken dances and messages came back with a force. there was a charged silence again filled with darting glances between the other’s eyes and lips. too much pressed in, too much caught up.
Neither of you knew who moved first.
His hand cupped your cheek again, his breath fanning across your lips for a second like he was giving you the chance to back out until you closed the gap yourself. You tasted like salt and sun; he was warm and sweet. The waves lolled you both back and forth and he could drown for all he cared. A soft hum buzzed against your tongue, skittering down your spine like lightning. He pulled back first to breathe.
You huffed a laugh, so did Rhys, until you were both laughing like giddy children. Your arms looped around his neck as he steadied you by the waist, drawing you closer until your front pressed against his and you lay between his legs.. He made a noise of surprise as you kissed him again.
"I cannot believe it took me a year to do that," you whispered against him, sparkling, wide eyes flicking between his.
“I’ll be damned if I have to wait another," he replied, stealing another kiss.
