ꨄ Pairing: Merman x reader
ꨄ Summary: Finding a wounded merman on the beach, you decide to take him home before anyone
ꨄ Authors note: Might make it a full thing if people enjoy it
A small trip to the seaside had turned into a predicament you had never envisioned yourself getting into. You had spotted something, a long shiny tail moving just below the water, turning the deep blue, red, as it kept on bleeding. Not having seen anything quite like it before, you reached out for it. A large, webbed hand shot out of the water and wrapped around your wrist. A pair of deep blue eyes staring at you, the colour matching his tail.
“What a mess,” you muttered as you entered your bathroom. Water was splashed all over the floors, some of it even winding up splattered against the walls. The merman barely fits into your bathtub, his long blue tail hanging over the edge. A small grunt left your lips as you unceremoniously set the large bucket of seawater down on the floor. Your back made a popping sound as you stood back up, earning you a look from the strange man you had taken home.
“How’s your tail holding up?” Your hands reached for his tail, brushing over the bandages tightly wrapped around him. The creature tried to move his tail away from you, peering at you through his long black hair.
The word came out rough, spoken by an entity who had never communicated in human language before. At least, not until you taught him. You stepped away from his tail, leaning on the edge of the bathtub as you knelt by his side.
“Thalass, the sooner your tail heals, the sooner you can go back home.” You rested your head on your arms, looking up at his dark blue eyes and pale face. The merman shifted slightly, his not quite human hand rising from the bathtub and resting on your head. You didn’t move. It took a long week of earning his trust for him to even allow yourself near him. Closing your eyes, you ignored the droplets of salty water running down your face from your hair as he stroked your head.
“Just let me help you, and you can go free.” Thalass didn’t respond immediately, his hand falling down to your face. Your skin was soft; he didn’t understand how creatures usually so cruel could be so soft. Finally lifting your head, you looked him back in the eye. Bringing him here had been an impulse, a need to save someone who couldn’t save themselves.
Slowly, you reached out to touch him, placing your hand on his wrist. Your eyes went over his body, where the human skin changed into the blue scales of his tail. The strange man reached out with his other hand, grabbing your own. His were much larger compared to yours, the webbing between his fingers feeling odd to the touch.
“Just let me help you, okay?” As soon as those words left your lips, you slowly reached for his tail. Thalass reluctantly let go of you, allowing you to brush your hand over his tail. When you reached the bandages, you finally peeled them off.
The boat propeller had left deep gashes in his tail, but the injuries had looked far worse than they were. The tissue had started healing decently, causing you to sigh in relief.
“Reckon we could stop with the bandages, if you can promise me you’ll take it easy on the tail.” You stood up as he looked at his tail, turning it slightly as he examined the old wound. He opened his mouth to speak, only for a strange, gargled noise to come out. You looked down at him with furrowed brows. He opened and closed his mouth a few times more before a word finally came out.
“Thank.” His voice sounded rough, and it was hard to make out. You smiled, the merman’s muscles relaxing as he saw the glint in your eyes.
“We’ll work on that,” you snickered as you took a step back to take a good look at him. His torso was larger than that of a normal man, and his tail was larger than any man's legs would be, even for someone that size. You watched him shift uncomfortably in the tub once more.
“I know, it’s too small for you,” you mumbled as you leaned against the sink, tilting your head to the side.
“It’s not ideal either, not being able to shower here.” Your words made no sense to the creature, not that you had expected it to.
“I’m getting you some dinner, alright?” That caught his attention, perking up as he tried to sit more upright. You frowned when you saw the sores on his back. Inflatable pools were expensive, but he needed to move. Deciding not to mention it, you exited the bathroom. When you got to your kitchen, you opened the freezer. The strong smell of fish met you as you pulled out a cardboard box. When you plopped it down on the counter, you heard movement coming from the bathroom, followed by splashing.
With a frown on your face, you pried some fish out of the ice, the cold biting at your hands. You threw it in a bowl and filled it with lukewarm water. Out of the fridge you grabbed some shrimp and seaweed you threw in a separate bowl.
After the fish thawed properly, you entered the bathroom to find Thalass staring right back at you. You handed him the bowl, and he wasted no time digging into it. Leaving him to his meal, you went back to the kitchen so you could use the sink to wash yourself.
Freshly dressed in your pyjamas, you went back in to check on him. Thalass had finished his meal, neatly having placed the bowl beside him with all the scraps and bones. His eyes were fixed on your legs, now bare under your shorts.
“How are you feeling?” You bent down to pick up the bowl, Thalass shifting closer to you.
“Good,” he replied, a small smile on his face. You placed the bowl aside, approaching the bathroom door. The smile slowly vanished off his face as you gave him space.
“That’s good,” you smiled back as your hand went to the light switch. “Good night-”
The interruption caught you off guard as you paused. Thalass reached over, pulling himself out of the tub. His large body moved across the bathroom floor towards you. You cautiously took a step back, furrowing your brows. Thalass paused, laying on his stomach as he breathed heavily from the exertion.
“No?” you repeated, getting on your knees to check on him. Thalass pulled himself a little closer, looking up at you. “You… don’t want me to leave?”
Thalass nodded slowly, planting his wet hand on your knee, the cold causing you to shiver. You wanted to reach out for him, only for him to hook said hand under your knee and drag you closer.
A yelp left your lips, much to the merman’s amusement. He leaned over you, droplets from his long black hair dripping onto your face. You sputtered, rubbing your face dry as you stared at him.
“Want me to stay a little longer?”
