#merman fluff

[dark-moonlust]

You Can’t Eat Soap, Babe (merman x fem reader oneshot)

Pairing: merman x fem reader oneshot

Summary: you teach your merman boyfriend the human ways. SFW, no smut but super fluffy and cute!

This is adorable and hilarious in the most domestically chaotic way! Enjoy!!

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You walked into the bathroom and nearly choked on a laugh.

There he was, your gorgeous merman boyfriend, standing in his human form in the middle of the tiled floor bathroom. Gloriously shirtless, dark green hair touching his broad shoulders, tattoos like liquid night swirling over bronze skin that bunched with muscles. He was magnificent. Regal. Poseidon’s own nephew.

And in his hand…Your toothbrush. Foamy.Chewed.

You clapped a hand over your mouth. “Oh my god. What… what are you doing?”

He turned to you with the most adorably smug grin. “Cleaning my teeth,” he said, chest puffed out, a dollop of foam clinging to his bottom lip. He licked it and held up the mangled brush. “I used the little stick. It’s… chewy.” He chomped down experimentally. Plastic splintered. “Like brittle coral!”

Your eyes darted to the sink. The toothpaste tube lay limp, squeezed bone-dry. Empty. You’d bought it yesterday.

“Babe,” you breathed, “did you… eat it? All of it?”

“Yes! Tasted like mint fish.”

“You’re not supposed to eat the whole toothpaste,” you said, a laugh sneaking out as you stepped toward him. “And that’s a toothbrush. For scrubbing your teeth, not chewing it like it’s sea kelp.”

“It says brush,” he argued, pointing at the embossed word on the handle. “But it feels like a snack.” He blinked. “So… no eating?”

“No eating! Are you okay? That much fluoride could—”

“I feel excellent!” He grinned. “Minty! Fresh! Like I swallowed a cold current!”

You tried. You really tried to keep it together. But then he looked down at the bar of soap on the edge of the sink and reached for it like it was dessert. Lilac-scented. Your favorite. Oh no...

“This,” he breathed. “This smells delicious.” He brought it to his lips. “Can I—?”

“No!” You lunged, grabbing his wrist just as his tongue darted out. “You can’t eat soap, babe!”

“But it smells like your skin!” He poked your collarbone. “When I kiss you here… it’s this scent.” He blinked again, all big, sea-glass green eyes and innocent confusion. “If your skin tastes good, why can’t I eat what smells like it?”

“Babe,” you said as calmly as possible, prying the soap from his grip, “you’re not supposed to eat the stuff that smells good in here. It’s for cleaning. Outside. Of. Your. Body.”

He scowled, crossing his arms. The movement made his tattoos ripple. “But most of it smells like food. Like… sea-salt pie.”

“Sea-salt pie isn’t a thing.”

He grinned, full and charming. “It should be, my love.”

“Soap is bad food.”

“Fiiine. Soap is bad food," he grumbled, though his eyes sparkled. “But you,” he murmured, nuzzling your temple, inhaling deeply, “you are very good food.”

Sighing softly, you buried your face in his still-damp chest, smiling. Immediately, his arms wrapped around you, warm and strong. His hands were big and careful on your back, a gentle kind of possessiveness that always made your heart stutter.

He kissed the top of your head, huffing softly. “Living here is strange. But I like your laughter. Your bright smiles.”

You looked up at him, still grinning. “I appreciate your efforts. Love you so damn much for doing this. Even if you’re trying to swallow everything in my bathroom.”

“I only swallowed toothpaste,” he admitted, lips twitching. “It was tasty, a little too minty but okay.”

“Oh god.” You huffed. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”

“You’re already mine,” he said teasingly. “But no worries, love. I will not eat the soap. Or the toothpaste. Or other hygiene supplies.”

You snorted, hugging him tight. “That’s true love, right there.”

He made a pleased rumble deep in his chest. “I will keep learning. Your world is weird. But it has you.”

Your heart swelled, cheeks flushing. You looked up at this beautiful, strong, impossibly sweet merman; the way the light kissed his eyes, the way his hair curled against his shoulders, the way he looked at you like you were the magic in his life. Leaning in, you kissed his mouth and spoke.

“You, babe, are officially too cute for this planet.”

Reblog if you wanna cuddle this merman!

[rs-hawk]

I've sent a million of these at this point lol. Coukd we see some shark merfolk that get extra worked up cause there's blood in the water?

Thanks ❤️❤️❤️

This was supposed to be an Earth Day Ask... from last year... Sorry!

You had decided to go swimming with sharks. Yes, you had heard how dangerous that it was. Especially the ones that chummed the waters to try to get as many as possible to the area (like the ones you were on…). However, there was no way that you were going to pass up on the trip. Not when you had worked so hard for the past two years. You had earned this vacation. You deserved to do everything and anything you wanted.

Two years of no vacations. Only, what?, three long weekends? You deserved this. Safety be damned.

As you were being lowered into the waters, you saw the sharks swirling around your destination. The part that finally started to make you nervous, though, was not the actual sharks. It was the mersharks that were starting to appear from the depths.

You had never seen a mershark upclose. They were considered solitary, and they rarely wanted anything to do with humans. Yet, the blood had drawn them out. A feeding frenzy.

Of course, they were smart. At least as smart as humans, but it wouldn't surprise you to learn that they were even more so. Especially with the way that these particular mersharks were staring at your body in that skintight scuba suit.

They were snapping their jaws open and shut, creating an interesting clicking sound that you had never heard before. A few were also making an almost... growling? sound, that seemed to be made when they were expelling water through their gills. You had never heard anything like that before. The water was distorting the sounds somewhat, but you still found them fascinating.

One, a surprisingly large lemon mershark, swam up to the cage. His sandy blonde skin reflected the light in a way that made him look almost gold. His soft yellow belly was so cute, you thought. It looked almost cartoonish with the softly arching line.

Then, your gaze lowered slightly, and you realized he was nude. Your face flushed when you saw his cocks hard against his lower belly. His fins doing little but framing the imposing sight. He snapped his jaws again, his teeth clinking together. The snapping sound making you shrink against the back of the cage.

That seemed to hurt his feelings, his dark eyes widening like a scolded puppy. Before you knew it, or could try to stop him, he was undoing the cage, reaching in to tug you out.

You didn't thrash. You didn't to look like prey. Where the fuck were the people in charge of this thing? Weren't they paying any attention to you?!

The mershark was chattering. That's all you could call it. Another mershark, though you were only mostly sure he was also a lemon shark, came over, chattering back and looking at you. Both males looked worried. The new, smaller one, was headbutting your legs and stomach, accidentally knocking against your oxygen tank. The larger one was holding you, his eyes scanning you frantically.

Wait, did these cute, but seemingly incredibly stupid, mermen think you were injured? Did they not understand you were upset because you were scared of them?

Before the thought could fully form, another bucketful of chum hit the water.

Something changed.

Their eyes turned nearly black as they snapped and slurped up the chum. A feeding frenzy starting to rile up. In your mind, you were already dead. There was no way you were going to survive this. However, instead of teeth ripping into your flesh, they were ripping into the fabric of your suit.

The larger one seemed to have more than half a brain, because he grabbed your tank, handing it to the smaller mershark to hold while he pushed open your legs to shred everything separating him from his prize.

You had heard that mersharks were easily aroused by blood, but you hadn't known that any would be here! You were not prepared to take those two massive lengths. Where were the people in charge?!

A sinking feeling pitted your stomach. Had you double checked that this was a regular shark dive verses a mershark dive? If this was a mershark dive, of course they weren't interferring.

Before you could try to express the misunderstanding, the larger mershark was already smearing whatever was throbbing from the head of his top cock against your entrance. The smaller one, still holding the oxygen tank, swam lower, his sandpaper tongue already lapping at your clit the second the larger one turned you to drag your back against his chest.

The smaller one was worshipping your clit. Running his rough tongue along it, dragging his teeth oh so lightly. The larger one was easing the first cock into your arousal swollen entrance (yes, you were embarrassed by how easily you accepted this change of events). He was only sliding in and out halfway before he notced the second one at your asshole.

That was when you felt like all thoughts had been pulled from your mind. You were clutching the oxygen mask despite not needing to. Relentless pleasure was lapping at your clit. An overwhelming fullness stretched your asshole. A deep pressure was pushing into your womb. Every thrust made your breasts bounce, your toes curl. Other mersharks were taking notice, but none moved to try to take you from the two males.

The larger one was trying to hold you mostly still against the smaller one's face. The smaller one was also squeezing your hips eagerly, trying to keep you in place as the larger one set an increasing pace.

Both cocks were sliding in and out of your holes in tandem. Stretching, filling, working your body. Each thrust in pushed you more against the tongue of the other. Drawing your pleasure peak closer and closer, despite your initial reluctance.

Finally, as the larger was biting at your neck to keep you still while pounding into you relentlessly, you spilled all over the tongue of the smaller one. The water carrying the scent of your ecstasy.

The smaller one finished just from your taste, spilling his seed into the nothingness of the water in front of him. The larger one was huffing and growling again, before he pushed so deep that you could feel his cocks rubbing together through the thin layer of your skin. His body jerking as he stuffed you with his seed.

Fuck. You really did need this vacation.

Check out early access, exclusive stories and more on Patreon

[astridmorgasa]

More kirby doodles, a mermaid au, aswell as the addition of

✨Parasol!✨

and a slight redo on Sailor (Parasol’s pen color is red I just didn’t nab it at the time.)

[kassandra-hawthorne]

how about a siren

Something along the lines of siren husband or bf coming home to find reader attempting to gut a Fisch or so for dinner and doesn't know how to do it so he helps and then it turns into a cuddle session cause reader gets really upset at not knowing how to care for him and he comforts her.

Ps.no problem if you don't do it or change stuff also works with other monsters but I just like the idea of a siren husband/bf in this situation because there always portrait as "bad" but I think they just need cuddles (if it being a siren and not a Merman makes you uncomfortable your welcome to change that to). Maybe he also just came back from a hunt which makes reader feel even worse.

P.p.s.🌹♠️🦎 I'll send these to you non anonymous so you cann check my age.(Since you understandably won't do stuff for minors)

First off, thank you so much for following the rules! I really do appreciate it! 💖 Second, I have actually been thinking about a mermen lately so I was super excited to see this!! I know I said I wanted to do possibly just headcanons, but I just love this prompt. I did keep it SFW, simply because there wasn’t a specific request for anything. I do hope I did your prompt justice and that you enjoy! (Also, I did notice my post did say 'any anonymous request' but I changed it to NSFW. Just want to say that I do not mind making SFW content to anonymous request 👍)

Waves of Comfort🌊

GN!human reader x Merman Sometimes you just need to comfort each other.

-SFW, established relationship, slight hints of prejudice to relationship, both comforting each other WC: 1,017

You looked down at your watch.  5:37.  You only had a little bit more time before your husband was going to be home. You wanted to surprise him with a home cooked dinner with his favorite dish. After the mean looks and whispers as you walk down the sidewalk you were relieved to see the friendly worker behind the counter. She actually helped you pick out the right fish and even told you where to find easy to follow recipes. 

You left the shops with a smile on your face, even when you saw more people glancing your way. You weren’t going to let them ruin the simple little date you had planned for tonight.

You lifted your head and smiled in the direction of the onlookers and made your way to the shoreline. You slowed down for a moment to admire the ocean. It was beautiful. You thought you saw your husband’s work boat in the distance. 

Oh shit. 

You look at your watch and make haste to your shared boat house. You make it to the docks and wave at the old man who watches over the homes on the docks. This is the only area that openly accepts human/merpeople relationships.

Even though the town signed a treaty and allowed merpeople onto land, that doesn’t mean everyone accepted it. You didn’t mind it, you enjoyed the small fishing town. It was the perfect compromise until you both could afford the lighthouse up the coast. 

You climbed inside the boat and quickly got started on dinner. You unpacked everything and brought up the video on how to descale the fish. You bought extra just in case. You never really got a chance to learn to do this. Your family usually did it for you when you were younger, and your husband just spoiled you. 

You watched the video a few times, making sure you understood what they were explaining to you. You get everything ready and try to remember watching your husband do this. You hold the fish with one hand and go to cut with the other.

It gets snug, and you try harder. You manage to get the knife across, the fish looks terrible. There are jagged cuts, and scales left on the fish. You do your best to finish cleaning it up. You are able to leave a lot of meat, but it just doesn’t look good enough to serve. 

No matter. That can just be your fish, no worries. You grab another one and try again. You know what you need to do, you just cannot get your hands to do it. You finish cutting the second fish. It definitely looks better, but still looks awful.

You start to get upset and take a deep breath when you hear the door swing open and hear gear being dropped at the doorway. Oh no. Your husband was home and you couldn’t even get the fish done properly. 

Your husband looked tired, must have had a long day. You put a smile, but he saw through your disappointment. You stared into his beautiful green eyes. His face lit up seeing you.

Hello my treasure, he says in his deep voice, making his way to you. Hey honey, you give him a quick kiss and he brings you into a nice firm hug. 

He glances over your shoulder and sees the mess he made.

Are we having fish tonight? If you’d still like it, I tried to descale it myself so I could cook you a nice dinner. It didn’t really turn out so great.

Well what’s wrong? You look disappointed, he asked so sweetly. They just look completely gutted. It makes me feel like I don’t even know how to take care of you even though you take care of me all the time.  

He walks over to the counter and looks at your work. He smiles to himself and looks back at you. 

You know, it’s actually not too bad, he grins, come here and I’ll show you how, he says as he grabs the knife and waits for you. 

You both prepare a wonderful little meal together. He guides you on how to properly descale a fish. He cooks the sides, and you cook the fish. You both set up a little diner setting at your table. You grab the portable tv and turn on the detective show you got him hooked on. 

He gets up to take the plates to the sink after dinner and pours two glasses of wine. He walks to the door and tilts his head for you to follow. You both make your way to the bow and he hands you your glass. He puts an arm around you and you lean into his touch. You sigh while sipping your wine and stargazing with your husband.

Thank you for dinner, you smile up at him. No, thank you for getting dinner treasure. The girl at the shop today really hooked you up. Those were really fresh. That’s just what I needed after today. 

Rough day again?, you put your hand on his cheek and he melts into your touch. He loves how warm you feel towards him. 

Just needed to be in the water more, bit more difficult to do certain things when you have strong waves and such, he takes a sip of his wine, but it’s all worth it to be able to come home to you, he glances down at you and kisses your forehead. 

You both stand outside a little bit longer, making small talk with the couple next door to you coming home. You chat about maintenance that needs to be done on the boat and how you’re going to decorate your lighthouse one day.

After some time, he motions for you inside and escorts you to the bed. Both of you are exhausted. He puts on his wetsuit pj bottoms and climbs into bed, pulling the blanket out so you. You eagerly join him. He puts his head on your chest and holds you so affectionately.

Goodnight my treasure.

divider DNC KoFi

[numtwleve]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Well, friends...if anyone was hoping for some merman on merman action, you should be happy about this chapter 😍

I did the best I could with this fantasy world and I hope that you all enjoy it. Lots of world building stuffs in here, too, so even if you skim over the steamy parts, definitely read the before and after. Important for future stuff!

Excerpt:

“I hate that all of this is being put on you. I just want you to be happy and live your life...not have to go through all of this just to be with...” His voice trailed off. Din heaved a sigh as he pulled Luke on top of him, arms tight around his back. “I don’t want you doing all of this just for me.”

Luke smiled before leaning forward to kiss him softly. “It’s not just for you. It's for the Jedi and, you know, every little kid dreams of being something magical. This is my reality of being magical. It's pretty cool.”

Din didn’t look convinced as he stared up at Luke. “You put too much on yourself. As you always do.”

Luke shook his head, fingers playing with Din’s hair gently. “This is for us, Din. So that we can be together forever. Isn't that what you want, too?”

[dark-moonlust]

Deep desires Part 1 (merman x fem human reader)

Summary: you live on an island and while snorkeling, you get swept away by a merman.

Warnings: island vibes, reader lives on the island, emotional/internal conflict, toe-curling kisses, sharing breaths to breathe underwater, mating bond and bite, nickname (little pearl).

Hello Moonlust crew! I am so excited to share this with you. It’s a slow-burn story and I hope you’ll like it as much as I do.Slow updates here on tumblr, full access on Patre0n. Anyway, happy reading!

PART 2 🩷

And check out the doodle of Thalos too!

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You loved the ocean. You loved it so much that you didn’t care that you struggled with your stubborn snorkel while your flippers smacked against the weathered wooden dock. The island was your sanctuary, a place of peace and beauty. Today was your quiet solo escape, your chance to have a date with the sea. Work had been hectic lately; it was summer and the high peak of the season, with tourists crawling everywhere.

You needed this. A salty escape from the world with only the waves and the coral reef's beauty.

Now, you were dangling off the edge of the dock, halfway between the sun-kissed planks and the glittering sea beneath. The sun beat down on your back, warming your skin. Despite your best efforts to rinse your mask, the glass mask had already fogged up, your snorkel bent at a weird angle, making it hard to breathe. Taking it off, you adjusted it for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Just when you thought you had it under control, one of your flippers slipped off your foot, plopping into the crystal-clear sea. You grumbled, leaning over the side to look into the sea, where the flipper floated lazily just out of reach. The ocean danced lazily, its waves lapping against the wharf.

"Damn, float closer to me," you mumbled, stretching to retrieve your flipper — losing balance and with a loud squeal, you fell in.

Splash! 

Cold, salty water engulfed you.

You plunged deep into the water and disoriented, you swam upwards. The waves were stronger than they appeared, causing your limbs to go in all directions except the correct one.

And then— hands. Big hands. Strong hands.

They wrapped around your waist and yanked you with ease toward the surface. You broke through, gasping, but before you could say anything else, you felt restrained—enclosed in someone’s embrace. Definitely not in the casual, lifeguard-rescue manner. No, this was a full-fledged hug with arms locked, your back pressing against a very hard chest.

Frantic, you wiggled in the unfamiliar hold, and as you turned to meet your rescuer, you realized— he wasn't human. Oh, sure, he looked and was shaped like a guy. He was dark and handsome, with shining blue-green eyes that contrasted beautifully with his toned face. A straight nose, full lips and black hair with electric-blue highlights, some strands sticking to his forehead.

But as your eyes darted, you saw it all: his sleek, iridescent skin shimmered under the water. Broad shoulders tapered toward a muscled chest covered in the faintest opalescent scales. And beneath the waves, where legs should be, a long muscular tail flicked leisurely, keeping you both floating.

A merman. A real merman. 

And he was hugging you. Tightly.

"Uhm—" your voice cracked. "Hi?"

“You fell." His voice was deep and slightly gruff, as if he wasn't used to speaking out loud. "I caught you."

His grip around you did not weaken.

"Yes. That's —uhm… thank you for catching me." You tried to squirm free, but that only brought you closer to his hard chest, forcing your palms to touch his shoulders. His skin felt warm despite the cool water, sending shivers through you.

"Why did you throw yourself into the sea like that?"

"I didn't throw myself in— I fell," you muttered, and he blinked, his eyelashes wet with saltwater. Another shiver ran through you, this time all the way to your core. Oh, hell. That was unfair.

“Please, let go of me,” you said, scared of the sensations he was invoking.

"You are soft." His fingers pressed across your spine, exploring with slow curiosity. You weren’t wearing much, just your favorite blue bikini, and he was roaming his big palms all over it. "Very soft."

"Hey—hands!" You splashed at him, but that only made him chuckle—it was a rich, dark sound that sent more delightful shivers down your spine. Damn. You were attracted to a freaking merman. You needed out. Immediately.

“Please,” you mumbled, even if your heart shouted no.

"You're in my territory, little human." His tail coiled loosely around your legs, the massive muscle brushing against your thighs.

Alarms rung in your ears.

But again, your heart whispered that it was all okay.

How strange…

“I am more than eager to leave. Thank you for helping me out —” you gasped, because his hands were now caressing very close to your ass. "Hey! Stop copping a feel."

His grin grew, pearly teeth flashing. "You are mine, little pearl."

“Pearl?” you stuttered, but before you could form a reply, he claimed your lips. His mouth was warm and soft, brushing against yours. You moaned against him, and he growled softly, his tongue parting your lips to slip inside. You opened your mouth obediently, your fingers burying in his hair as he devoured you, giving you his breaths.

Bodies pressed flush together, you could feel the rapid pounding of his heart against your own. You were shy and tentative, but he was patient, his tongue gliding in your mouth. Tasting, exploring— his lips and tongue incredibly smooth, his breath tickling your nose, causing butterflies to dance in your stomach.

Again and again, you shared breaths until he drew back and looked at you once again.

Then, abruptly, he dipped backward, taking you with him. You cried out at the sudden flip— it was like a dramatic dancing move. Water lapped at your throat, then surrounded you completely as he dragged you underwater. Deep in the ocean, he held you tightly.

Good God! You were gonna die— choke—

Wait a dang minute. You were alive. Breathing quite finely.

Endless blue encompassed you, the water spreading eternally, the rhythm of the sea thumping like a heartbeat. Schools of colorful fish glided in the distance and coral reefs spread out in all directions. You floated weightlessly as you marveled at the sheer beauty around you.

"You're safe.”

You stared at him, your heart beating erratically.

“Wait!” you said, gasping loudly because you could talk perfectly as well. “How the hell—”

“My kiss, little pearl,” he explained, a small smile on his face. His fingers brushed your spine with a feather-light touch.

“You —this— too much— please will you let me go?” you asked, wiggling in his embrace.

His grasp tightened, causing you to groan. “No. You are mine. I’ve finally found you, mate.”

“M-mate? I’m not your mate.”

“Yes, you are,” he drawled, his tail coiling again, keeping all of you perfectly tucked against him.

And, as if all that had happened to you so far weren’t already the strangest (and oddly the hottest, your heart whispered back) things to happen to you— he nuzzled your neck. You felt his warm tongue tasting you and bit back a whine. His full lips brushed over your pulse, and you felt a slight scrape from his teeth. A moan was torn from you, your arms clutching him for dear life.

“Hey, that hurt!”

“Mine,” he whispered, suckling your skin softly, taking away the ache of the sting.

Fixated on your neck, he leaned down, his tongue tracing a path along your jawline. The sensation was electric, with thrills traveling down your spine and heat pooling low in your belly. You whimpered and clutched him tighter as his lips and tongue moved down to your collarbones. His tongue lingered on the edge of your bikini top, caressing the fabric and you bit your lips again, swallowing another whimper that wanted to escape.

You refused to accept it, even to yourself, that your pussy was soaked. All because of his presence and touches.

Every fiber of your being was reacting to him in ways you couldn't explain. It was all because of him—and he wasn't even human. It had to stop. It was insane. You were going insane.

“Hmnn— wait— we shouldn’t be doing this. I can’t— need to go back.”

"You might come from the land," he said against your skin. "But there is salt in your blood. You belong in the sea, little pearl."

You had no idea how to respond to that. Your brain was short-circuiting, torn between panic and the intense need to spend more time with him. Oh, what was wrong with you?! Then, as if sensing your predicament, he laughed— such a smooth, husky sound.

"Fine, little pearl. I will return you to your dock," he said calmly.

“Really?” Your voice quivered, betraying the conflict within. The reasonable half of your mind yelled that this was impossible and that you did not belong underwater with him. But the other half, the one that was deeper and more primal—told you to be brave and give him a chance. Darn it, the merman seemed to thread himself into the very fabric of who you were.

"You fear the unknown," he studied you. "But don’t you feel it? The pull. The connection. You belong here, Pearl, with me."

You shook your head, your hair swirling around like a halo.

He nodded slowly, his arms releasing their hold, and for some reason, you felt the greatest loss ever.

As if he could tell, he returned one hand on your waist, leading you back to the surface.

As you soared, the pressure of the water subsided, the world above becoming visible once more. The shore was close, the waves pushing you toward it. Closer and closer. Your chest ached with emptiness as he thrust you to the surface, his body partially submerged in the water, his blue-green eyes settled on you.

"There," he whispered. "But understand this: you are mine. The water will always call to you now. And so will I."

You stood there, water lapping at your face. You felt so sad and your heart raced, not from terror, but because you realized you didn't want him to leave. He had awakened something in you, something warm and precious, and the mere idea of returning to the shore was like leaving a piece of yourself behind.

"Wait!" you said, over the roar of the waves.

But he was already gone.

Read part 2 here.

[rs-hawk]

Merman Husband: Part Six

Your ceiling was adorned with a mural of what the water's surface looked like from below. On the morning that you and Leith were married, he had sent in some of the best artists from across the world to your palace to paint it.

"It will be hard for you to travel to my home," the merman had said, his soft eyes fixed on you with an intensity that, at the time, you didn't understand. "So I wanted you to see what I see when I wake up there. That way, when we sleep apart, we will still wake up to the same sight."

Back then, you had dismissed it as nothing more than a way for him to flaunt his wealth. Now, after hearing his ultimatum, you thought of that mural again. How you had dismissed it. Why had you? He had always been earnest with you. Even if he didn't love you, he at least cared. That was far from the worst thing an arranged husband could do.

It had been two days since Leith had told you to give his voice back or that he would leave. That he would keep your secret but that he would leave. Be gone. That you wouldn't get to see him every day. It would solve your problem with Eidhneán. He would never know that you lied. That when you took the Spirit of the Sea back, it wasn't the first time you had picked Leith over him. After tomorrow, if you said nothing, then Leith would leave. You would stay married on paper. It would be everything that you wanted.

Yet, the idea of that made your chest ache. Could you really live your life only seeing him two or three times a year? The rumors that Eidhneán was the "real King" or "real consort" would only spread. It would hurt Leith's reputation in your Kingdom, and likely would cause some unrest with the Elven Kingdom as he would never be your official consort.

Just after the morning of the third day, you slipped from your chambers to his. At the center of his marble walled room was a large, clear pool. Leith was sleeping at the bottom of it, his tail curled up around his torso in a way that reminded you of a serpent curling in on itself. His fins flicking slightly in his sleep.

On the golden table by his pool sat the sea grape wine that he kept just for you. He had infused it with magic so whenever you drank it, you would be able to breathe under water. You had only used it a few times because the salty taste was for a taste you had not acquired, but you wanted to talk to him.

Pouring the cup, and downing it so you could choke down the taste, you kept your eyes fixed on where the merman was curled up on the seaweed mattress. It took a few moments for the tingling in your chest that indicated the magic was working to start. You didn't understand at all how it worked, but that didn't matter. It worked, and you couldn't wait another minute to speak to Leith.

Stripping off your clothes, you changed into the merfolk garb that was always laid out on the table as well. A seal skin top and skirt that wouldn't get heavy in the water. As you tugged it on, you glanced at Leith again. He was still sleeping.

You walked into the pool, careful as you sank into it. Cold water washed over you, making you tremble, before you fully submerged. You don't know why it always seemed worse before you submerged, but at least it didn't feel freezing once you were.

While you swam down, the salt water washed over you, filling your chest with its stinging coldness until you breathed it out. How did the potion keep you from drowning? It didn't matter. You weren't going to let yourself be distracted.

When you reached Leith's bed, you pulled yourself onto it. He stirred, blinking his blue eyes blearily. A small smile tugging at his lips.

"Good morning, Wife," he muttered in that wrong, metallic voice. "You came to greet me for a change. How pleasant."

"I don't want you to go back to your Kingdom," you said, looking down at him from where you were propped up.

He raised an eyebrow curiously. "So, you'll give me my real voice back, then?"

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[rs-hawk]

Merman Husband: Part Four

Salt and sand and sweat. That is what Leith smelled like.

He was laying on stone floor by his fountain, with the tips of his fins hardly dipped into the water. Silver hair was splayed across the stone in a fan. A halo of hair made holy by the moonlight bathing him. Catching the droplets and making them shimmer like diamonds.

With his eyes closed, he had no idea of the way you were watching him with the awestruck fascination you typically reserved for your lover.

You don't know what it was about the last few weeks, but something in your heart had changed. For the first time in your marriage, you felt as though you were seeing Leith. Really seeing him. Had he always been like this? Beautiful. Kind. Forgiving. Loyal.

Loyal.

That made your heart jump into your throat. Never had you seen Leith even look at another being, but there you were with an affair so well known that even servants joked about Eidhneán being the true King. How could Leith dedicate himself to someone who had treated him so shallowly? You had treated him like an accessory. Something to be brought around and flaunted, showing your wealth and station, before being put away and forgotten until it was useful again.

After what could have been only a few minutes, or an eternity, you walked over to Leith. Sitting beside him on the stone. Your dress flared as you tucked your feet under yourself.

"You're up late, Wife," Leith said softly, his eyes not opening, but he knew it was you. He always knew when it was you.

"I couldn't sleep," you admitted, worrying your lower lip between your teeth.

Those barely blue eyes blinked open, fixing on you once properly opened. His fingers carded through his hair as he sat up, messing the silver strands. There was something about the way he looked at you, even now, that made your stomach flip. Maybe... maybe there could be more to this marriage than an arrangement. Maybe.

"Are you sick?" he asked, his head tilted as he looked at you.

"No," you said, shaking your head slightly. "I just feel... bad."

"Why?" he asked, his brows furrowed as he held your gaze.

Your eyes dropped. Your face flushing slightly. "I fear that I have been unfair to you."

"You fear that, do you?" he asked with a slight grin, rolling on his side and propping himself up with one arm. Leaning his head into his palm, elbow pressed to the stone.

"Don't tease me," you huffed, pursing your lips.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to. I'm happy you think of me now," were his words, but there was still mirth in his voice.

That wrong, metallic voice. Your stomach sank. Reminded of your betrayal every time you heard it. How you had stolen his voice, hid it away, so your lover wouldn't know that you lied about why you couldn't give it to him. You realized that that was the first time you ever picked Leith, though you did ultimately still choose selfishness. If you had Leith's voice, at least you could give it back to him, and it wouldn't be used for anything. If Eidhneán had his voice, even you had no idea what he might have used it for.

"Why haven't you asked me?" the words come out on a whispered breeze. Almost like the wind sensed how you were almost too scared to say them, so it was almost too scared to carry it.

"Asked you what?" the merman asked, his earfins flicking back as he peered at you.

"Why I took your voice," your voice trembled as you forced the words out.

Any amusement left in his eyes died. Your stomach dropped as he pushed himself to be sitting up, facing away from you. "Because I already know the answer."

Your heart leapt for a moment. "You do?"

Leith snorted. The air being forced out his nose in a frustrated tone. "For him, right?" he refused to say Eidhneán's name even then. "He was jealous of my song, or worried I would use it to seduce you. That I would rally your people against him and have him cast from the lands. Something like that, so you sealed it away to please him."

Of course that's what he thought. You had always put that cruel elf above the gentle merman. Cruel. When had Eidhneán become cruel? You remembered the young boy that would sing to the flowers so they would bend themselves into a crown for you. Who would urge trees to bend closer to give you shade. Who, when you would fall and hurt yourself, would scoop you up in his arms, insisting he carry you to a physician for even the most minor injury. When had he been replaced by a man that wanted to steal another man's power all for himself, and being willing to risk crippling him for life?

"No," you whispered, your tongue darting out to wet your lips. "Leith, I swear. He didn't ask me that, and I didn't do it because he was jealous of you."

"Then why?" he demanded. HIs normally soft eyes sharp. Filled with a pain you had never let yourself see before.

Letting out a shuddering breath, you decided to tell the truth. "Because he wanted to take it for himself."

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