#btdatdbs

It was common knowledge among most nereids that decorating someone’s shell was saved only for those they trusted most, and, more often than not, it was a milestone in romantic relationships for people to decorate each other’s shells.  The difference here was Yugi was the only one with a shell and Atem and Seto were sirens who may have no idea about the custom.  A hint of relief washed over Yugi as their eyes widened, pupils dilated, and their ear fins perked up.  He didn’t think his nerves could take having to explain the intimate nature of the request.

“Yugi, are...are you sure?”  Atem spoke like Yugi had asked them to make mad, passionate love to him right there on the beach.  “I mean, this is…”

“We’ve only been together for a little while,” Seto continued, finishing Atem’s thought.  “Are you sure we’re ready for this?”

Yugi nodded slowly and smiled up at his partners.  “I’m sure.  I gave it a lot of thought and I know I want this.  I trust both of you with my life...and my shell.  But if you don’t feel ready…?”

Atem and Seto looked at each other, gauging how the other felt, then turned back to Yugi with determination shining in their eyes.  They were ready.

With everyone in agreement, Yugi folded into his shell for the final preparatory step.  The transformation wasn’t the most pleasant thing in the world, but it was necessary for him to be able to reach more than just the front half of his shell.  After a few minutes of shuffling and twisting, he crawled back out, now appearing almost completely human save for his gills, which were hidden under his shirt.  He’d thankfully had the forethought to bring a pair of shorts to wear as well.  This was already a personal experience, he didn’t want to make it more personal by walking around with his genitals exposed.

Yugi started by explaining some of the basics to Seto and Atem, both of whom had never decorated a shell before.  He pointed out the different colors of dye, the colored clay that could be used on top of darker dyes, the adhesive for rocks and shells, and drew some of the typical patterns people liked in the sand.  Not that everyone did patterns.  Some preferred to paint landscapes, animals, or even pictures of family members and loved ones.  Yugi had decided to start simple for their sake, though.

Then it was down to Seto and Atem.  As much as this was a show of trust for Yugi, it was also a test of how much his boyfriends respected his choices, opinions, and boundaries during the decorating process.  It warmed Yugi’s heart to find both of them being extremely careful about making sure Yugi approved of each of their decisions, constantly checking in before putting on anything that couldn’t be removed.

They settled on making the base violet to match Yugi’s eyes, with a smooth grade into deep magenta at the tip of the cone shell.  When it came to decor, Seto was a minimalist by nature, so he decided to focus on making the patterns cohesive, simple, yet eye-catching.  Atem, on the other hand, was much more interested in things that were flashy and promptly got to work on the accessories.  He sat with his back against the cliff while Seto painted, tying together strands of colorful rocks and shells to be added on once the dye had dried.  He also set aside some of the larger shells to be glued on individually later.

Seto’s pattern consisted of black stripes that followed the shell’s natural spiral, outlined in silver with matching silver dots aligned in a row through the center.  This left Atem plenty of room to add on without it looking too crowded.  He added a flat shell every few dots or so, making it look like part of the pattern, and started filling in some of the empty space with the strands he had made.  With a little maneuvering and some adhesive, they were able to keep everything where they wanted it to be.  However, Atem was deterred from adding some of the shells he had picked out because of how the colors clashed.  He conceded but not without insisting they hang on to the shells for possible future use.

A couple of hours later found the three seafolk resting in the shallows, having packed up the remaining art supplies, while the shell sat in the sun to finish drying.  Yugi had made his approval of the finished product well known with plenty of kisses and praises of their work.  Now, they could take some time to relax and wash off the artistic substances that covered their hands and arms.

“Is something wrong, Atem?” Yugi asked.  He had noticed Atem’s furrowed brow and thoughtful expression while he was scrubbing the adhesive off his hands.

Atem’s head shot up at the sound of his name.  “Hm?  Oh, no, no, I’m alright, I was just wondering how often you change shells.”

“Oh, uh, once every year or two.”

“What do you do with the old ones?”

“I usually donate them, but I’m pretty sure Grandpa kept some of my shells from when I was little.  Why?”

He shrugged.  “Just curious.  I’ve never been with anyone who sheds anything before.”

“Well, now you’re with two.”

“Really?”  Atem turned to the other siren.  “Seto, you shed?”

“Of course I shed,” Seto snarked, rolling his eyes.  “I just wish it was as easy as Yugi’s.  I have to spend over an hour in the bathroom scrubbing my tail like a madman every few weeks.  The fact my arms aren’t more muscular is astonishing if you ask me.”

The next few hours were spent laughing and telling stories about anything that came to mind, going on tangent after tangent until they would somehow circle back to a topic that had been left behind a while ago.  They only noticed how much they had lost track of time when the sun began to close in on the horizon and the sky turned a pale shade of orange.

Once they were all back on the beach, Atem and Seto waited with bated breath as Yugi disappeared inside his newly decorated shell.  Atem took Seto’s hand, and Seto gave it a slight squeeze.  This was the moment of truth.  If something was wrong with the shell, they would have to find a new one and start all over again.  It would break their hearts if all of the work and trust put into this one was all for naught.

Yugi reemerged as he usually would, his six black crab legs stretching out underneath him.  Both sirens felt their hearts soar at the bright smile on his face.

“It’s perfect.”

They let out a shared sigh of relief and pulled Yugi into a hug, which Yugi gladly reciprocated.

Seto kissed the top of Yugi’s head.  “We’re happy you like it.  Thank you for trusting us.”

“Of course, thank you for being open to it.”  Yugi pressed as close as he could to them.  “I love you both so much.”

“We love you too,” Atem mumbled.  A smirk teased the corner of his lips.  “Now let’s go show off your new look to everyone we know.”