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It was the summer between your final year of college, one last hoorah before you got your degree and were forced to adult. You decided to spend the summer at your grandmother’s beach house on the coast—your mom encouraged you to take a breather, a break from the pressures of the looming world and hang out with your grandmother.
You’ve spent the first few days settling in, driving your grandmother into town for her doctor's appointments, lunch with her friends, or simply grocery shopping. She was happily using you to her advantage, having you drive her around like her personal chauffeur. You didn’t mind; if anything, it made you laugh, and you got the chance to explore the little beach town.
One evening, after you had eaten dinner and your grandma was sitting on the porch with her cup of tea, you ventured down to the beach, something you hadn’t gotten the chance to do yet.
The beach is quiet, the sun dipping low behind the horizon as the tide gently laps at the sand. You stretch your legs and let your fingers sift through the cool, damp sand, just existing.
Once the sun disappears into the ocean, the purple skies grow dark as the moon rises, and you head back inside.
Unseen by you, something watches from behind the cluster of rocks just offshore. Dark hair tangled with seaweed drifts with the current. Purple eyes track your every movement.
-
The next evening, you sit at your normal spot, a cup of caffeine-free tea in your hands as you watch the waves once again. The tea was lightly floral with hints of citrus, a little sweet and something your grandmother had hand-blended for herself. The scent of salt and something faintly briny danced on the breeze.
There was something grounding about the way the sand shifted beneath your feet, like the ocean was holding you in place. Like she wanted you to stay. Like she was waiting for you to listen.
You wiggle your toes in the sand, hitting something buried. You blink in confusion, holding your cup of tea in one hand as you dig into the grains, finding a gorgeous seashell.
You smiled softly, analyzing the off-white shell. It was pristinely perfect; if you hadn’t found it in the sand, you would’ve thought it was from a craft store.
“Pretty,” you murmured to yourself, gently rubbing the ridges with your thumb as you held it close. You continued the movement of your finger until the sun set, holding the shell tight as you made your way back to the house, planning to show your grandmother what you had found.
Purple eyes watched intently, his lips quirking under the rippling waves as you walked away, clutching his gift. A low hum vibrated in his chest—curious, pleased, maybe even proud.
-
The next evening was chillier, the breeze cold and less forgiving. There was a storm that afternoon, with branches down, trash cans knocked over, and the waves more agitated than normal. You bundled yourself up in a hoodie and sweatpants, your hair being thrashed around with the wind.
You were determined, though, the sunset was pretty from the earlier storm, and you wanted some peace and quiet for a bit. (Maybe you wanted to see if the ocean left you a gift again, but you didn’t want to admit it.)
The sand was still damp from the rain, but you didn’t mind, sitting down on a towel a bit farther from the crashing waves. Oddly enough, something glints in the fading sunlight. You quirk an eyebrow, reaching down to find an oyster shell, seemingly like it had already been cracked open.
Now suspicious, you slowly open the shell, revealing a glistening pearl nestled inside. You audibly gasp, almost dropping the shell in shock, but quickly catch the pearl.
In the back of your mind, you register a splash in the water. You glance up for a moment before your gaze returns back to the pearl on your palm.
“Wow,” you breathed out, holding your hand up closer to your eyes to see the pearl better. “It’s so…small. So delicate.”
It was cold in your hand, a little heavy on your palm and felt gritty when you gently rubbed your pointer finger over it. It wasn’t perfect–and you loved it.
“Thank you,” you murmured softly, glancing out towards the ocean. It was getting dark now, more storm clouds rolling in from the horizon. “Thank you,” you said again, a bit louder this time as your voice carried across the wind as you gathered your towel, the pearl clutched safely in your hand as you went back to the house before you got caught in the next storm.
You kept it. He watched you hold it to your chest like something sacred. Strange. Humans had soft hands, strange eyes, and strange little smiles. And yet, he wanted to see you smile again. Because of him.
Tomorrow, maybe, he would be braver.
You showed your grandmother your pearl when you arrived back at the house. She was tucked in on the couch, a worn book in her lap and a patch quilt over her legs.
“When I was a girl, we used to say the sea gives gifts to those it loves. But the sea doesn’t give away pearls—not without a reason,” She said, holding your eyes for a moment before returning back to her book. “Make sure your window is closed tight, we are supposed to get another bad storm.”
-
You were sure that this was a stupid idea–maybe not just stupid, but incredibly dumb and something that might get you killed. But…even as the sky was covered in dark clouds, the next wave of storms on the horizon, you were on the beach.
The waves were loud, crashing against the wet sand in a sound that almost rivaled the thunder in the distance. It had been storming all day and night, the cold front clashing with the warm summer air to create violent winds and pounding rain.
Your headscarf was fluttering with the wind, each pull of it threatening to take it off your head. You held it down with a hand, eyes on the sea.
You weren’t truly sure why you were out here in this weather; it went against every bit of logic in your head, but alas, you were weak to the tug on your heart.
You were a creature of routine, even when thunder boomed and lightning flashed overhead, you wanted to hear the waves and feel the sand in your toes.
A strong gust of wind took your scarf right off your head, nearly taking your balance with it. You tried to reach for it, but the brightly colored fabric was already halfway across the sand and over the water.
That was your sign to go back inside.
You trudged back into the house, your shoulders slouched as if you had been scolded by the sea herself for going outside in this weather, and now you’ve lost your favorite scarf.
You sighed, heading into the kitchen to make a cup of tea for yourself and your grandmother. She was watching the storm roll in from the living room window.
“She claimed your scarf, huh?” she said as the rain began to patter against the windows.
“A consequence for going outside, I guess,” you murmured, handing her a cup of that tea she loves so much. Your grandmother hums, taking a sip of the warm liquid.
“Must’ve wanted something in exchange for the pearl.” The pearl sat on your windowsill, tucked in the opened shell, glinting faintly in the dim light of the storm.
“Fair enough,” you sighed, tucking your feet under you as you took a seat on the couch, cupping the warm ceramic mug in your hands, watching the lightning jump from cloud to cloud over the dark sea.
You thought you saw something dark cut through the waves, just past the break. But it vanished just as lightning flashed. Maybe a lone dolphin stuck in a bad spot.
A part of you wondered if you would find your scarf tomorrow.
-
He found the scarf, caught between two rocks. He takes it, brings it to his nose, and inhales deeply. Salt. Orange. Lavender. It made his head spin. He holds it closer to his chest. He’ll be brave tomorrow, maybe.
Tomorrow.
-
You make your way down to the beach, a little earlier than normal, the golden sunlight making everything look like it was touched by Midas. You stopped in your tracks.
Where you normally sat in the sand, your colorful headscarf lay neatly on the white grains. It was folded into a tidy little square, the edges still damp from the lingering humidity of the storms, weighted by a smooth riverstone.
You crouch down, fingers brushing over the soft silk of your scarf, then the smooth, cool stone. You decided to sit down, scattering sand with your movement and you held the two objects in your hands.
“What the hell…” You breathed out, lips parted in awe. You hear a splash. Your head snaps up.
A black tail just barely slips under the waves, but you catch it, along with bright purple eyes.
“Hello?” you called out, wrapping your scarf around your head to brush your hair back from your forehead. “Thank you for bringing back my scarf. It’s my favorite.”
The waves are still; no sign of the black tail or purple eyes.
But you were a stubborn one, so you kept talking.
“I really liked the pearl too. It was so beautiful, I’ve never seen anything like that before. Only human-made pearls. They are nothing like the real things,” you said, leaning back on your arms as you talk to the sea–and whoever was listening.
“I loved the seashell, though. It’s perfect. I have it sitting next to my bed when I sleep,” you smiled softly, absent-mindedly rubbing your thumb over the smooth riverstone.
A head peeks out of the water, long, black hair dancing behind him as his purple eyes stare intently at you.
Your lips part. “Hi,” you breathed out, frozen as you kept your eyes on him. From what little you could see, he was gorgeous.
He had pale, almost milky-white, opalescent skin, black webbed fins by his ears that twitched and moved at the sound of my voice, his bright purple eyes, and long black hair. His fins fluttered as he swam closer–slowly. Very slowly.
He didn’t speak, just watched you intently–like he was going to bolt or afraid that you would.
“Have you been leaving me gifts?” you asked, tilting your head curiously at him. His eyes blinked, a low hum vibrating from his mouth and causing the water to ripple outward.
“I was quite surprised–in a good way, I promise,” you shot him a soft smile. He swam a little closer. You caught a flash of his tail.
It was as dark as his hair, his scales glittering like obsidian in the golden light. He had the tail of a crowntail betta fish–similar to the ones you used to have when you were growing up.
“You understand me,” you murmur—more a statement than a question. His fins twitched.
You don’t move. Neither does he.
Slowly, you extend the hand holding the riverstone and place it gently down on the sand in front of you. An offering.
His head tilts, fins flicking as he watches. Then, like a whisper across the water, you hear another hum, not threatening, just… curious.
He reaches a hand from the water, long, clawed fingers webbed and shimmering, and sets something small beside the stone. A seaglass. The same color as your eyes.
Your breath catches.
And with a flick of his black tail, he’s gone beneath the waves.
That night, you dream of violet eyes and the flick of a black betta’s tail in the dark blue water.
-
As Suguru swims away, he can feel his heart pounding in his chest. He did it. He did it. He saw you–actually saw you. And you saw him. You didn’t run.
His fins flared in excitement as he swam to his cave, his tail giving a little flourish.
Maybe he’ll talk to you tomorrow. Or he’ll listen to you talk more. He likes listening to the sound of your voice.
He wonders what he should bring you next.
-
It was a clear, sunny day–the first in several days. You had spent the day helping your grandmother trim back her hydrangea bushes, mulch her flower beds, and harvest the vegetable garden.
Your skin was salty from sweating in the sun, the edges of your hair curling from the humidity in the air, and dirt caked under your nails. You were tired from being out in the sun all day, your skin tinted red from a light sunburn.
After a well-deserved dinner and a long, hot shower, you padded barefoot down to the beach, tugging an old hoodie over your shoulders as the evening breeze cooled. The sand still held a trace of warmth from the sun, and you let it sift between your toes as you walked to your usual spot.
You stopped.
Right where you always sat, nestled in the sand like it had been waiting for you, was a shark tooth.
A real one—not one of those dull gray castoffs you could find in tourist shops. This one was large, triangular, and slightly serrated, its edges worn smooth by the ocean.
Your eyes widened as you picked it up, turning it over in your fingers with a grin.
“No way,” you breathed. “This is a bull shark tooth. You can tell by the width of the root and the serrations—they’re shorter than a tiger shark’s, but thicker. Did you know bull sharks can survive in freshwater? They’ve been found in rivers, even hundreds of miles inland.”
You kept talking, excitement bubbling out of you before you even realized it, slipping easily into that familiar rhythm of sharing facts with someone who might care. You didn’t even notice the way the water shifted in the shallows, not at first.
But then—movement. Something pale and glinting, just beneath the surface. Your breath caught.
A shadow drifted closer, slowly, carefully.
And then you saw him. Really saw him.
A graceful shape in the water, his arms resting on the sand as he half-floated, half-lay in the shallows, purple eyes locked on you.
He was silent, still, almost reverent in the way he watched you. His dark hair floated around his face in the gentle tide, the gills at his neck pulsing softly as he breathed, fins twitching as he listened to you.
You blinked. He didn’t vanish this time.
“I—hi,” you said, blinking, heart pounding.
He blinked slowly–like he was thinking about responding. Then he spoke, he finally spoke, his voice a little rough from disuse, like waves over gravel.
“You like sharks,” he said.
You let out a startled laugh. “I do.”
“I found that after a storm,” he said, nodding to the tooth in your hand. “Thought you’d like it.”
You sat down without thinking, still cradling the tooth like it was something sacred. “Thank you,” you whispered.
He shifted forward just a little, the fine sand drifting around him like stirred fog. “Tell me more.”
And so you did.
You told him that your favorite sharks were hammerhead sharks because your grandfather gave you a stuffed animal when you were a little girl. Told him how you didn’t know what you wanted to do with your life after college. Told him about your love of the ocean.
He didn’t speak much. But he listened. And he didn’t leave.
His fins fluttered when he heard you talk about your grandmother, when you talked about the ocean, and when you mentioned that your favorite animal is a jellyfish.
“Jellyfish?” He repeated, tilting his head thoughtfully.
You nodded eagerly, “Yes, jellyfish. They are super old and are really cool.”
He hummed. “They suit you,” he murmured. Your heart jumped in your chest. You would’ve thought that he just said he was giving you a million dollars.
“You mean that?” you asked softly, a smile tugging on your lips. He simply hummed again, the water rippling from the vibrations.
You leaned forward slightly, shifting your weight onto your elbows as you sat cross-legged in the sand. “Do you have a name?” you asked, voice low, like asking too loudly might scare the moment away.
He paused.
Really paused.
His eyes—those impossible, violet eyes—held yours in a way that made your breath catch. The water lapped gently at your ankles, and you could see the subtle movement of his gills flaring. His fins twitched once, twice, like he was considering something. Then:
Silence.
He blinked slowly, tilted his head again like a curious animal, and for a heartbeat, you thought he might answer.
But then, with a flick of his tail, he was gone—just a shimmer in the shallows, and the soft ripple left in his wake.
You let out a quiet breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, watching the fading sunlight dance on the disturbed water. "Okay," you whispered, smiling just a little. "Maybe next time."
When you go to bed that night, your shark tooth sits on the windowsill, right next to the pearl and seashell, glinting under the full moon as you dream of violet eyes and sharp teeth.
-
Suguru was going to tell you his name. He swears he was going to, but…he got scared. You made him nervous, especially when you got that look in your eye and that stupidly cute smile when you talked about something you were passionate about. It made his heart pound a little louder in his chest.
Satoru was making fun of him for being such a coward with you, but he just couldn’t help it. He was just happy that he was able to speak. Even if it wasn’t much.
He thinks he’ll try to bring a jellyfish next time. He doesn’t know how he’ll manage it, but he wants to see your face light up.
Satoru was going to laugh at him again.
-
He was excited to see you. Not that he wasn’t excited to see you normally, but this time was special. Suguru hoped you liked it.
-
When you went down to the beach, there wasn’t any gift waiting for you, but he was. He was already there, black hair dancing in the rippling waves as his tail floated behind him.
“Hi,” you smiled, taking a seat on the sun-warmed sand. Your skin was still pink from yesterday’s sun, his shark tooth resting on your chest. Your grandmother helped you drill a small enough hole into the bone to slip a piece of yarn through it. It was now your new favorite necklace.
His purple eyes linger on the shark tooth. “You’re wearing it,” he said, sitting up slightly more in the shallows, like he was puffing out his chest in pride. You could see the water rivulets dripping down his neck before disappearing back into the water, the muscles of his neck and chest strong and corded–you looked away before your eyes could wander more.
“I am,” you smiled, stretching your feet out in front of you, leaning back on your arms.
He hums, dipping back into the water. He paused for a moment, his fins fluttering as he thought intently before nodding to himself.
“Here,” he murmured, lifting his arm out of the water, holding something in webbed, clawed fingers.
You lean forward, your fingers brushing against his wet skin as you take it from him. It was a piece of shale, a smooth, thin stone, with a carving.
Your lips part in surprise as you look closer. It was a carving of a jellyfish. You smiled, running your finger over the indentation in the rock. It looked like a moon jellyfish, one of the most plentiful types of jellyfish in the ocean.
“Did you do this?” you asked softly, your face soft from the thoughtfulness of the gesture. Maybe he did really listen to you when you talked to him.
He hummed in agreement, watching your face intently, taking note of each change of your facial expressions–the way your eyebrows furrowed slightly, the glint of excitement in your eyes, your lips quirked up in an unconscious smile.
“It’s amazing, I love it. Thank you,” You finally caught his gaze, your lips pressed in a happy, slightly shy smile as your cheeks warmed.
He blinked a couple of times at your expression, feeling his heart pound faster in his chest as his blood rushed in his ears. He liked that look on your face. He really liked it.
And he wanted to see it again.
“Suguru.”
You blinked. “Hm?”
“That’s my name.”
He didn’t look at you when he said it—he was watching the waves. But his fins were fluttering, and his cheeks were pinker than the sunset.
He disappeared after that, but not without taking one final glance at you, a small smile on his lips as he swam under the waves.
You hadn’t told your grandmother about him–not that you needed to anyway. She knew, just like how she always did.
“Did the sea leave that for you?” she asked, her eyes lingering on the stone as you gently set it on the table.
“Something like that,” you hummed, gently feeling the smooth rock before turning to help her prepare tea, grabbing two mugs from the cabinet.
She turned her gaze from it, taking a mug and pouring hot water into it. “Bring her a gift next time,” she said after a long moment, her worn hands pausing. “But a thoughtful one. Choose wisely.”
You nodded, putting a tea bag in her cup. Your eyes glance out the window, watching a black tail splash under a wave.
That night, you spend the rest of the evening braiding a bracelet. It was threads of black, white, and the same purple as his eyes. You felt nervous, your eyes kept glancing over the moonlit waves as you weaved pieces of shells you had collected from the beach, and even a piece of purple sea glass.
The ocean was calm, like she was trying to calm your nerves.
You dreamed of moon jellyfish and webbed fingers.
-
Suguru was resting on his moss bed, Satoru snoring in the corner of their shared cave. He looked up to the surface, the ocean dark with the light of the moon barely filtering in.
Your face was tattooed into his eyes, a small, proud smile on his lips. He gave you the carving. You liked it. He told you his name.
He curled up on the soft moss, his long hair fanning out as he closed his eyes to sleep.
He wondered what you were doing.
-
As you walked down to the beach, you were buzzing with nervous energy. You crouched just before the waves, heart pounding as the tide kissed the sand around your toes.
“I have something for you,” you murmured, holding out your hand.
The bracelet sat there, cradled in your palm—woven with thread and tiny shells, knotted where your fingers had hesitated.
He tilted his head, fins fluttering with curiosity, but didn’t move. Not at first.
Then, he moves. He blinks as he gently takes the bracelet, his claws brushing against your skin and brings it close to his face.
You said your name in a soft murmur, your eyes watching his facial expression intently–the same way he often observed you.
He doesn’t say anything, just cups it in his hands like it’s fragile, and then slips it onto his wrist and keeps it there like armor. His fins flutter wildly and his gills flare–like he’s surprised. And he hesitates.
Then…he’s gone with a quiet splash. You blink, a water droplet landing on your cheek as you wipe it away. You sit on the sand with a soft sigh, feeling your shoulders slouch in disappointment.
Maybe you messed up? You didn’t mean to, if you did. You just wanted to return the gifts, to give him something thoughtful and meaningful.
You don’t linger on the beach; you head back to the house with your shoulders curled in and dragging your feet. You touch the damp spot on your palm where his claw had brushed against your skin.
You wonder if you’ll see him tomorrow.
-
Suguru was freaking out, spiraling beyond recognition. He immediately swam for his cave, searching for Satoru.
He almost runs into the white merman.
“Whoa, Sugu. What’s wrong? You look like you just saw a giant squid,” Satoru teased, his blue eyes boring into Suguru’s.
“She gave me something, a gift. And told me her name,” Suguru stumbled over his words, trying to calm the frantic beating of his heart.
Satoru furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Yes? And? You have been leaving her gifts for ages. I was wondering when she was going to pick up that you were courting her.”
Suguru stilled. “Courting…courting her?” He blinked in confusion. “Was…was that what I was doing?”
Satoru gave him a deadpan look. “Yes? Do you have krill in your brain right now? What else were you doing?”
“I…I don’t know. I just was…doing something,” Suguru mumbled, his eyes downcast.
Satoru groans, “You’re hopeless. My best friend has turned into a mindless jellyfish.”
Suguru shoots him a look, “I don’t know, man! I was just listening to that pull.”
“Yeah, mating instincts, fish-brain,” Satoru rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “She gave you a gift and you ran away like an idiot. She probably feels like shit right now.”
Suguru groans in frustration, hiding his face behind clawed hands. “Fuck. You’re right. I ran away like a frightened fish. I’m such an asshole.”
“You can say that again,” Satoru huffs. “You have instincts–you’re half fish and mating season is during the next full moon, which is next week. You were courting her, Suguru.”
“Fuck,” Suguru sighs out, running a hand through his long hair. “Okay, but she’s human. I don’t think humans have courting behavior.”
Satoru makes a face, “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t they? She gave you a gift back, that’s what mermaids do when they accept your courting!”
“She’s a human, not a mermaid, shrimp-head,” Suguru retorted, fiddling with the bracelet on his wrist.
“Same thing,” Satoru rolled his eyes, turning to head back into his cave. “Talk to her, at the very least. She might not want to see you tomorrow.” Then, he slips into the shadows, his white tail gone in a ripple of water.
Suguru slumps against the wall of his own cave, feeling like a complete idiot.
He hoped he didn’t scare her off. For good.
-
It was raining all day, like a torrential downpour, to the point you were worried about flash floods. You couldn’t go outside, even if you wanted to.
You sat curled up on the corner of the couch, your grandma’s favorite blanket over your lap as you tried to read the book in your lap. You were distracted, your hand coming up to touch the shark necklace now and then, glancing out towards the angry waves.
Your grandmother hummed as she prepared soup for dinner in the kitchen, her gray hair brushed back with a headscarf.
“What’s wrong, dear?” she asked softly, stirring the pot of chicken stock on the stove. “You keep glancing out at the water.”
You sighed, closing the book that you weren’t really reading anyway. “The ocean kept giving me gifts,” you began, not wanting to give everything away–not that it mattered, your grandmother knew.
“Yes,” she said, pausing to adjust the scarf on her head. “You were making a bracelet last night to give, right?”
You nodded, which she couldn’t see but knew just the same. “I…I gave it, but…”
Your grandmother paused, lifting her head up, her back still turned to you. “Did they not want it?”
You didn’t comment on the change of pronouns. “I think I scared them off,”
Her back relaxed, “Sweetheart, I think you took them by surprise, that’s all,”
“Really?” you breathed out, feeling the tension relaxing from your shoulders.
She nods, back to stirring the broth. “They were courting you,” she murmured after a long moment.
You freeze. “Courting…me?”
Your grandmother finally turns to you, wiping her hands off on a dish towel as she leans against the counter. “Yes, courting you. The summer equinox is next week and the ocean can get…rowdy. Very strong. Prime time for marine life to breed and find mates.”
You blinked. You should’ve known this. The ocean and everything in it were heavily tied to the lunar cycle and the equinoxes. With the next full moon, next week and combine that with the summer equinox, everything makes sense.
“Oh,” you breathed out, feeling the blood rush to your cheeks.
“It seems like you must’ve caught someone’s attention,” your grandmother, shooting you a wink before turning around. “Just be careful, dear. Most mate for life.”
Your blush deepens as you nod, feeling a bit dazed and shy.
You dream of violet eyes and clawed hands holding your hips gently, reverently, with a certain bracelet on one wrist.
-
The waves crashed against the nearby rocks, almost thrashing Suguru against the strong waves. He shouldn’t be out here; hell, he hoped you wouldn’t come out here in this storm, but he couldn’t help it. He should be in his cave, Satoru annoying him while Suguru pretends to sleep on his moss bed.
If there was a chance to see you, he was going to take it.
His eyes squint against the onslaught of rain, barely able to see the beach, even with his increased vision. He waited for a while, banging up against the rocks now and then while the water continued to rage around him.
He gave up, wincing as his pale skin was split open by a sharp rock. Through gritted teeth, he swims back down to the cave, holding the cut with his hand as he prepares to be lectured by his white-haired roommate.
Suguru hopes the storm will let up tomorrow.
-
You were already at the beach. The sand was damp, the sun just peaking over the calm waves as you walked through the cold sand.
The beach was quiet, almost like the air was hanging, waiting for the ball to drop. It was littered with remnants of the storm, pieces of seaweed, crab claws, and even beached jellies. You gently cup the bell in your hands and slip it back into the ocean.
Normally, you weren’t at the beach this early, let alone up to watch the sun rise. But, you just had to. You had to see him.
And you did. Almost like he knew, or rather, he needed to see you too.
You saw his head peek out of the water before it reappeared in the shallows. You could see the fins by his ears fluttering nervously, his tail fin swaying behind him with anxious energy.
“You’re here early,” you murmured softly, continuing to help the jellyfish. Suguru watched you with intense eyes, flicking his tail to follow you as you walked down the beach.
“I wanted to see you,” he said, swallowing thickly. “I’m…I’m sorry about the other day. I didn’t mean to run off on you.”
You smiled, “I think a better term would be ‘swim’.” That makes Suguru return your smile.
He pauses, fins twitching, “Thank you for the bracelet. I…I really like it.” He shows you his wrist, where it was wrapped around his pale skin.
“You’re welcome,” you nodded, stopping with your back to him. “Can…can I swim with you?”
Suguru’s breath hitches, but he nods. “Yes,”
You turned to him and took off your clothes, now in your swimsuit, as you wade into the cold waters. A shiver runs up your spine, goosebumps erupting on your skin from the freezing temperature. Purple eyes watch you intently, swimming backward as you come closer to him.
This was the closest you had ever been to him. You could see his sharp teeth, a scar crossing over his chest, and just how big he was.
His tail was massive, at least 6 feet long, and incredibly powerful, made to be an apex predator that could rival the Tiger sharks that ruled in these waters. His chest subconsciously puffs out in pride as you observe him closely.
He knew he was attractive–at least in merpeople’s standards– but feeling your eyes on him made him feel like a preening cat.
His gills flared as he observed you– the way your curves looked in the water, the way the edges of your hair curled, and the freckles that dot your skin from the sun.
You were even more stunning up close.
Purple eyes land on the shark tooth resting in the dip of your collarbone. Without thinking, he reaches up with his webbed, clawed fingers to touch the bone. Your heart stutters in your chest, not of fear, but with anticipation.
He lets out a soft hum, his chest vibrating with the sound and making the water ripple.
“Your tail is so pretty,” you murmured, watching the way the black scales glitter under the water. It was almost hypnotizing. He smirks, just slightly.
“Thank you,” he said, letting go of your necklace and letting his fingers brush against your skin.
You were both content to just watch each other, fascinated by everything about one another.
At some point, you reach out. Very slowly, giving him every chance to pull away as you reach for his hand.
He lets you--lets you touch his webbed fingers, feeling the membrane against your fingertips, touch his sharp claws before trailing your hand up his muscular forearms. His cut from yesterday was still healing, and you linger on it before continuing up his bicep to rest your hand on his shoulder.
His eyes felt like they were boring into you, watching your every move like a predator and you were his prey. But you didn’t feel scared. Not one bit.
He does the same, touching your skin, starting at your wrist, following the path of your muscles, tracing the lines of your tattoos.
It felt like the waves seemed to stop, like the ocean was holding its breath.
He rests his hand over your heart, feeling it flutter under your skin, his claws brushing against the shark tooth. You smile softly, tucking your chin like you were shy of the intimate touch.
You were glowing under the rising sun, Suguru felt his breath hitch as you were bathed in gold.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, the word slipping from his lips. Your heart stutters in your chest. He feels it.
You meet his gaze, searching his violet eyes intently, like you could read the lines of his soul. And he would let you.
You head back to the house, your hair wet from your swim and your heart still fluttering beneath your chest.
Suguru watches as you leave, staying until he sees you disappear into the comfort of your home. He swims back to his den, vibrating in excitement. He can’t wait to tell Satoru.
You both can’t wait to see each other tomorrow.
-
The sun was warm on your back, the waves gentle and quiet for once. The storm had passed days ago, and the ocean seemed to be resting, content and sighing under a soft breeze.
You were floating in the shallows, arms stretched wide as your body drifted, half-suspended in the salt and sun. Your eyes were closed, the sounds of the waves your lullaby.
Then something brushed your ankle.
You cracked one eye open. “Suguru?”
A splash answered you. Not a threatening one, just… mischievous.
You turned just in time to see a flash of black tail disappear into the deeper water.
“Oh, so that’s how we’re playing today?” you laughed.
He surfaced only a few feet away, grinning boyishly, hair slicked back and violet eyes full of mischief. “You looked too peaceful,” he teased.
“I was peaceful!”
“You looked like you were going to float off to sleep,” he said, swimming in slow, lazy circles around you. “Can’t have that. You might drift away and never come back.”
You rolled your eyes, but you were smiling. “You worry too much.”
“I do,” he agreed easily, inching closer. “But only about you.”
His tail swished just beneath the surface, and the ripple nudged you playfully. He was so… different now. Softer around you. Open. Comfortable. His usual caution had melted into something brighter.
“You’re in a good mood today,” you murmured, turning to float on your stomach and tread beside him. “Almost like a puppy.”
He barked a laugh, startled by the comparison. “A very large, very dangerous puppy.”
“Still a puppy.”
He nudged your side with the edge of his tail again, earning a splash from you. He blinked in surprise at the water droplets hitting his face.
“Oh, you’re brave today,” he murmured, eyes narrowing with mock danger.
“I’m always brave.”
A full-on splash war began. He had the upper hand, clearly, with that powerful tail, but you were determined—and creative. The sound of your laughter echoed off the waves.
Eventually, both of you were tired. You ended up back near the rocks, half-submerged with your arms resting on a smooth boulder, your legs floating behind you in the current.
Suguru was beside you, perched in the water with his arms folded on the same rock, his hair clinging to his cheeks, a tiny smile tugging at his lips.
You were close. Closer than before. Your shoulders nearly touched.
And for a while, neither of you said anything.
Then, softly, he said, “This is what it feels like.”
You glanced at him. “What does?”
“To be happy.”
Your breath caught.
He didn’t look at you when he said it, like the words were too fragile to survive direct eye contact. But you saw the truth in his face. The ease in his body. The way his fins fluttered gently in the water.
You reached out and took his hand under the water, your fingers sliding between his. The webbing was soft. His claws didn’t scare you.
He squeezed once, just enough for you to know he felt the same.
“I want to know everything about you,” you said after a moment.
His smile deepened, slow and full of meaning. “Then I’ll tell you.”
He tucked a strand of wet hair behind your ear, his claws careful not to scratch your skin. The sun caught in his eyes.
“Tomorrow,” he said, voice a low murmur, “I’ll take you somewhere. Somewhere important to me.”
You nodded. “Okay.”
The water lapped quietly around you, and the bracelet on his wrist gleamed in the sunlight and your shark tooth necklace glistened.
-
The next day, he took you out to sea, where the water was colder, darker, more ominous.
Suguru had guided you farther than you’d ever swam—never too fast, never beyond your reach, always doubling back if you hesitated. His fingers laced with yours most of the way, his tail moving with powerful ease beneath the surface. Every time you paused to take in the blue around you, he just smiled and waited.
Now, you were here.
It was a cove hidden behind a jut of jagged rocks and draped in thick kelp like a curtain. You would’ve never found it without him.
The water was clearer here. The sun pierced through from above in glittering shafts, casting everything in shifting gold. Rock walls rose on every side, soft moss growing between cracks, dotted with sea anemones and tiny swaying creatures.
And everywhere—everywhere—there were carvings. Marks etched into the stone walls. Spirals. Lines. Swirls. Some were ancient and worn smooth by time. Others were crisp and new.
You turned in a slow circle, breath catching in your throat. “What… is this place?”
Suguru hovered beside you in the water, his long tail brushing the sand below. “It’s… like a memory vault,” he murmured. “Our kind doesn’t write things down the way humans do. We remember through the ocean. Through these.”
He gestured to the carvings. “Every family, every pod… we leave something behind. Names. Stories. Marks of love. Of loss. This is one of the oldest ones still intact.”
You reached out to brush a curling swirl carved into a mossy stone. “It’s beautiful.”
“I used to come here with my parents,” he said quietly. “They’re gone now. This… is where I talk to them.”
Your heart ached, but he didn’t sound sad. He sounded reverent. Like the weight of them still lingered in this place.
“Do you have a mark here?” you asked.
He nodded and guided you to the far wall, where the rock jutted out in a jagged edge. There, nestled between two older markings, was a familiar shape: a jellyfish carved carefully into the stone, its tendrils curling downward.
It was the same carving he had given to you.
Your lips parted. “That’s…”
He gave a small smile. “The first carving I ever made for someone else.”
You felt warmth bloom in your chest. “It’s perfect.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d ever bring you here,” he admitted, swimming a little closer. “It’s… sacred. To my kind. But I wanted you to know where I come from. What I remember. What I want to remember.”
You looked up at him, watching the way the sun painted his pale skin in gold and blue. “You’re telling me I’m a part of your story now.”
Suguru didn’t hesitate. “You’ve always been part of it. I think… I was just waiting to catch up to it.”
You stared at him for a long moment, your fingers brushing over the jellyfish again.
Then a faint splash echoed from the edge of the cove.
“Ah, there you are,” came a familiar, amused voice.
Suguru groaned, turning to the entrance. “Satoru.”
A flash of white, a swirl of movement—and there he was. A sleek white-tailed merman with gleaming blue eyes and the most obnoxiously smug grin you’d ever seen.
“I knew it. You brought her to the spot,” he said, clearly delighted. “Did you confess your eternal love yet, or are you still fumbling around like a shrimp with a concussion?”
Suguru scowled. “Go away, Satoru.”
“I live here.”
“Not here-here.”
Satoru just floated upside-down with his arms crossed, grinning at you. “Hi, human. Thanks for not running away screaming. He’s soft for you, you know. He gets all pink in the face and weird when he talks about you.”
“Do you mind?” Suguru said through gritted teeth, visibly flustered as his fins flared.
You just laughed, hand over your mouth. “It’s okay. I think it’s sweet.”
Satoru turned to his best friend. “Mate-claiming ritual’s next week, yeah? You should probably tell her.”
“Satoru—”
“Oh, relax, she’s already halfway mated to you. Look at her. She swam all the way out here.”
Suguru looked at you then, really looked, and whatever snarky comeback he had died on his tongue.
Because it was true.
You were here. With him. In a place sacred to his heart. You had touched his world, and you had stayed.
And Suguru suddenly wanted nothing more than to ask you the one question that had been echoing in his chest since he first heard your voice. Since he first saw you looking out at the ocean like it was the most perfect thing in the world. Like it was the only thing in the world.
But not yet.
But soon.
-
The night of the full moon arrives quietly.
No storm, no crashing waves. Just soft currents, a silver-bright sky, and the gentle hush of the ocean breathing against the shore.
You wait for him on the sand, a delicate piece of driftwood in your hands that you carved with your grandmother’s help. It’s not perfect, but it’s yours—a shape resembling a jellyfish, etched with swirling lines, wrapped in a thin strip of purple fabric from your old scarf. Your offering. Your answer.
The moon is high when he comes.
Suguru rises from the water in silence, his black tail glinting like obsidian, his eyes glowing violet in the moonlight. He looks nervous, which makes your heart swell.
In his hands, cupped like he’s holding something sacred, is a string of woven kelp and coral. In the center rests a curved pearl—larger than the one he gave you before. It glimmers with pale purple and opal blue.
When he reaches you, he doesn’t speak right away. He just looks at you. Takes you in.
“You came,” he murmurs.
You smile softly. “Of course I did.”
There’s a beat of quiet before Suguru inhales deeply.
“In my culture,” he says, voice steady but warm, “when we want to claim a mate, we bring them to sacred water. We offer them something we made—something born of the sea and our own hands. We show them who we are. We ask them to choose us back.”
You hold your carving out to him. His lips part in quiet surprise.
“I carved it myself,” you say softly. “It’s not as good as yours. But I wanted you to have it.”
He accepts it reverently, holding it like he might hold your heart.
“I choose you,” you say.
His eyes shimmer.
Then he offers you the pearl necklace. “And I choose you.”
You let him fasten it around your neck, the pearl resting above the shark tooth you always wear. His fingers brush your skin.
“Is that… is that it?” you whisper.
He laughs, low and tender. “Not quite.”
Then he slips beneath the water—and in a blink, circles you in a blur of motion, his tail sweeping through the shallows like liquid shadow. You spin, laughing as his movement stirs up silver-tipped waves.
He’s showing off. You realize that.
This is part of the ritual too—displaying himself, his strength, his power, his joy. He swims in fast, graceful loops, fins spread wide, glowing beneath the moon. He’s so beautiful, it makes your heart pound and your smile widen.
He’s radiant. Wild. Yours.
He breaches the surface, sending up a burst of spray, and when he dives again, he doesn’t go far. He comes to rest just in front of you, his chest rising and falling.
You step into the water without fear, letting the waves reach your hips, and reach for him.
Your hands meet. Then your foreheads.
You stand there, touching—human and merman, woman and sea, two hearts tied together by tide and time.
And the ocean wraps around you both like she’s giving you her blessing.
“Thank you for choosing me,” he murmurs, his clawed fingers resting on the dip of your waist.
You smile, “Always,”
-
Your grandmother knew, just like how she always did.
“You’re glowing, sweetheart,” she said, giving you a knowing smile. “Is that a new necklace?”
You laugh softly, a pink blush dusting your cheeks. “You like it?”
She stares at you for a long moment and nods. “It’s beautiful.”
You hum in agreement, your fingers brushing against the pearl. You glance outside, watching as a certain black tail dives under the waves and you don’t notice the smile on your lips.
-
Satoru was grinning like an idiot, whooping and hollaring once Suguru finally swam back into their shared den. “Look what the tide dragged in. You’re a mated man now, Sugu!” He wraps an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in.
Suguru groans but lets the white-tailed man do as he wishes, knowing it was better not to struggle. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m a mated man now.”
Satoru leans in, a mischievous smile on his lips, “So, when are you two having pups?”
Suguru blushes immediately, spluttering like a brainless squid as he tries to come up with an answer. As Satoru continues to make out-of-pocket comments, Suguru couldn’t help the urge to smile.
He wouldn’t trade anything for the world; between you and his best friend, he had everything he needed.
Suguru was home.
-
“So, what about pups?”
“Suguru!”
“I was kidding…Only a little bit, anyway.”
“You’re half fish.”
“And? We’ll figure it out.”
“...I’m speechless.”
“We have time.”
“Suguru!”