He had seen Steve with his waking eyes before, only once.

He’d been fifteen and after endless bugging, Wayne had agreed to let Eddie assist him on the fishing boat. One night, a giant wave had swept Eddie from the deck, and the icy waters gobbled him deep.

He flailed, attempted to pull for the surface. Too late. His lungs burned. Panic blindsided him. In the inky darkness, the bubbles of his breath seeped from him, white light strobed before his eyes, and then…

…the kiss.

Okay, it was a kiss of life. Eddie was in no position to find it hot.

Still, after the first injection of lifesaving air, he noticed the softness of his rescuers’ lips. Then he saw a guy around his age with a floaty lion’s mane of hair, who wrapped a solid arm around him, and pulled for the surface.

The other boy appeared to have a fishtail.

Lack of oxygen sent you loopy, right?

They’d emerged among the choppy waves, yards from where Wayne leaned over the side of the boat, holding a lifebuoy and yelling his head off.

The mer-boy shoved Eddie forward. Wayne grabbed Eddie’s hand, hauling him to safety, while those other arms around him slipped away. “H-help the other k-kid,” gasped Eddie, flopping onto the deck.

Wayne gave him a look. The one that, in his kind-natured uncle, stood in for calling Eddie out for being dumb. From the corner of his eye, Eddie glimpsed a flicker of that fishtail between the foamy white horses, silvered and glittering with all the colors of the rainbow.  “Don’t worry, Eddie. He’ll be okay.”

Wayne believed in mermaids. Merfolk? Whatever the heck they were called. As for Eddie, he wanted to believe. Didn’t stop him wondering if they were both crazy.

A couple of years later, he presented Alpha and dated a few Omegas. None of them rocked his world, until Steve the mermaid—oozing adorable Omega vibes and bitchy as fuck—began starring in Eddie’s dreams. Which were as hot and horny as they were wet and sticky.

Also, heart-achingly real, which was… Yup, crazy.  In his dreams, he was fucking Steve, who for sure seemed to possess some kind of snug Alpha-dick lovin’ hole. But how could he fuck somebody who literally had a fishtail?

And who other than a crazy guy, not only banged mermaids in their dreams, but also snuggled and exchanged pillow talk after? One of Steve’s favorite topics was the songs that Eddie blasted from the boat while he and Wayne worked. He wanted to know everything about them, from the names of the groups to the kinds of instruments they played.

Apparently, Steve really liked Queen: “Don’t get me wrong, Eddie, I dig the thrash metal shouty shit—and ACDC hit some awesome resonances that send the whales cuckoo—but that Freddie dude can really sing.”

Finally, and maybe craziest of all, what kind of mermaid introduced themselves as Steve? Eddie wasn’t sure what sorts of names mermaids should have. It would be nothing as ordinary as Steve, right? Steve also explained that he was a mermaid— “Yeah, a mermaid, like is that a problem, you stupid mouth-breathing land-hugger?” 

He was also an Omega.

Eddie was fine with all of that and had never harbored any doubts about the latter.

At least, in his dreams.

During the day, Eddie had been pretty damn sure he was either going cuckoo as those metal-loving whales… or that his mermaid was totally stalking him.  He regularly caught a wisp of that caramel and sea-grass scent and was damn sure it was Steve, because it usually gave him a semi. There’d also been the mysterious gifts turning up randomly on deck—including a solid silver skull and crossbones ring that must’ve belonged to a pirate boss. Finally, there’d been that time his ghetto blaster skidded overboard. It’d been slid back beneath the ship rail, soggy, useless and with his Black Sabbath cassette ruined.

Hey, it was the thought that counted.

Now, here he was, carrying the guy of his dreams—a limp and senseless mermaid—home to Wayne. Who stood at the door of the cottage and ushered them in with a mumble of, “Ah yeah, makes sense. What a damn shame. I’ll get extra blankets, throw a log on the fire.”

Eddie lay Steve down on his own bed and stared.

Jesus freakin’ Christ!  Was he real? He was real! Steve whimpered desolately, and Eddie snapped his gaping mouth shut to lie down and gently wrap his body around Steve’s.

The mermaid’s torso was somehow soft and Omega and muscular and sturdy—all that swimming, Eddie supposed. Steve whimpered and rolled closer, and Eddie gently enveloped him the best he could, rubbing his cheek against Steve’s ridiculously soft fluffy hair, dropping kisses. Steve’s tail nestled into Eddie’s legs and their bodies notched together as if they were born to snuggle this way.

Eddie’s heart ached and he gulped back totally un-Alpha tears. Had he found Steve only to lose him.

No. He point blank refused that.

Wayne returned with the blankets, and also a first-aid kit and bandages, which he used to carefully clean up and tend to Steve’s tail. When Steve hissed and moaned in his sleep, Eddie pressed the mermaid’s head to his chest and rocked and stroked him.

Eventually, Steve’s trembling subsided. He sighed a few times, snuffling against Eddie’s throat, as if Eddie’s scent might revive him.

Then he slipped into a deep sleep.

“Eddie,” Wayne whispered from the doorway, a short while later. “C’mon, son, you can leave him for a moment. You gotta eat. I saved your breakfast.”

Eddie bit back a snarl. He didn’t want to leave Steve, not for a second, tho’ Wayne talked sense. He reluctantly unwound himself and joined Wayne in the kitchen.

Wayne’s worry was etched deep in every line on his brow.

“What is it?” asked Eddie.

“Listen, his injuries are infected. We need to act fast. I know the right herbs to cure him—thryssil, a sharp leaved water-plant with healing saliva, and blunova, dark blue berries that grow deep in cool sea-water caves. They’re rare and getting rarer. Hard to find these days.”

“We can’t buy something at the chemist?”

Wayne gave him another of those placid looks. “Mermaids are magical, Eddie—he’s a sprite of the ocean’s deepest magic, and the modern world has polluted him. We must find those natural medicines then… Look, you know better than I that he’s an Omega. The herbs alone won’t cut it unless an Alpha nurses him through the worst. And when you save his life, you’ll be bound to him. While he lives, you’ll never be able to mate another Omega. He would perish of rejection and grief.”

Eddie let the bombshell blast through him.

He got it. It should scare the bejesus out of him. What would happen when he went into rut? Did Steve have heats? Would they ever be able to have pups?

What would be the point of a mate if they couldn’t actually mate?

Yeah, the bombshell blasted through him. In its aftermath Eddie found he was totally ready to take the plunge with Steve, whatever their future may bring.

Screw being ‘bound’ to each other, as if it was something unwanted. He knew in that moment that Steve was his soulmate.

“I get it,” he told Wayne, with a shrug. “I honestly do, and it’s all fine. Where do we look for these herbs?”

They took turns sweeping the shoreline and every cave they knew. Wayne searched for longer. Steve slept more easily when Eddie snuggled him, than when Wayne sat with him, mopping his burning brow and holding his too-pale hand. The Omega’s fever grew worse, and he sniffled weakly, sweating and shuddering. Then the fever broke, and he settled, horribly quiet.

Two days passed, and he still hadn’t woken. His pulse grew thready and faint, his breaths horribly shallow.

When Eddie stroked his face, and begged him to wake, his lashes barely flickered.

His fishtail turned a bruise-like purple, spreading upward from the bandages he kept bleeding through.

“Stay with me, Baby,” whispered Eddie, “Please, Stevie, please?”

A putrid fishy scent began drowning the last shreds of his Omega sweetness, and Eddie sobbed shamelessly.

If Steve died, Eddie would be free to find an Omega he could have pups with. Apart from he wouldn’t. In his heart of hearts, he knew he could never take another mate, and that he’d only ever be happy with Steve. Then, as his tears disintegrated into snarls of vengeance against whoever dumped that nylon net, Wayne burst into the cottage:

“Eddie, I got them.”

Eddie unwound himself from Steve, reluctant but also dead keen to aid his uncle, who looked dog-tired, his wiry frame drooping. They mixed the blunova berries with the thryssil saliva and applied them in a poultice to Steve’s tail. The leftovers went into a cordial for him to sip when he awoke.

Wayne said ‘when,’ not ‘if.’  Eddie clung to that quiet optimism, as he slid back beneath the blankets to snuggle Steve.

The next few hours proved truly magical. Color returned to Steve’s face, and his breathing grew deeper and even. Eddie slid a hand beneath his head and lifted it, trying to coax him into sipping the cordial. At first, Steve barely opened his eyes, but hitched his lip and muttered, “too sleepy, get lost.”

Yeah, that was Eddie’s snarky little mermaid.

When he finally tasted the blunova, tho’, he sucked his lower lip, and whispered, “Yum.”

Soon, Eddie caught a hint of Steve’s sweetness returning. It mingled with the fruity medicines and Eddie’s own Alpha scent, which pumped madly as if trying to form a protective cloud around his Omega.

Finally, Eddie’s tension melted away, and he too drifted off into a deep sleep. When he gradually wandered toward wakefulness, something that felt like warm trickly honey was gliding down his chest.

His eyes flew wide and locked with Steve’s. Who was tucked cosily under his arm, and… Ooookay, yup, taking advantage of that position to lick Eddie’s chest, which was inked with many nautical and totally metal tattoos.

“Hey,” said Steve, jerking back, startled.

“Someone’s feeling better, huh?” Eddie beamed down at Steve, who’d retreated toward Eddie’s armpit, plying Eddie with large curious hazel-brown eyes and a surprisingly bashful smile. “How do I taste?”

“Not gonna lie. Could lick the salt off your skin forever.”  Eddie worshipped Steve’s playful smirk, then the way he swiped his tongue around his soft and super-kissable lips. Steve in turn flitted his attention to Eddie’s mouth. “There’s somewhere I’d like to taste more.”

“I reckon we can arrange that, Babe.”

Eddie hoisted his helplessly beached mermaid up a little, then leaned down for a tinglingly sweet and chaste kiss. Soon, Steve was parting his lips, whining for more. Eddie indulged him, offering a bit of tongue and working the kiss tenderly. As it lingered, he carefully blanketed himself around his Omega.

Eddie already needed Steve, like the air he breathed. They’d make this work. They had to. He ran his hand down Steve’s spine, kneading gently at the seam between his torso and his fishier parts, while Steve’s arm crawled tentatively up around Eddie’s neck.

They settled down beneath the covers for a lengthy sleep-in. Eddie left Steve only to fetch the food Wayne had left. He felt bad that Wayne had gone out fishing alone, and they’d lost several days earnings caring for Steve. His worry for his uncle and how they’d make ends meet, was one of the few things that clouded his happiness.

When Steve awoke, he asked Eddie to take him down to the sea. He was pretty sure it would make him feel better. Eddie wrapped him in fuzzy blankets and carried him to the softest sandiest dunes, where they settled to watch a stellar orange-pink sunset.

Eddie blasted a mixtape out of his new second-hand ghetto blaster, and they chatted like they’d known each other forever. Steve discovered he liked Bowie nearly as much as Freddie. All the same, they both knew they had to talk about serious stuff.

“So, yeah, I’m an Omega,” said Steve.

“I’m super aware of that.” Eddie’s whole body vibrated with Steve’s adorable and very Omega purrs, while Eddie’s hand wandered lower than before to caress the rounded curves of Steve’s hips and mermaid butt. The Omega purred harder for a moment then stopped altogether: “Now you’ve saved my life, you’re bound to me. Like I’ve been bound to you, since I performed those totally awesome heroics and saved yours.”

“Huh?” A sea breeze whistled around them. Eddie made sure no cold air leaked between, while the Omega’s tale made his chest pang.  Since Steve saved Eddie’s life, Steve had been ‘totally, idiotically obsessed’ with him:

“I followed your boat pretty much every day. Then my pack moved on, while I was chasing after you, and I never found them again. I presented Omega a few moons ago. It was scary at first, and I was going out of my mind with loneliness. Till I found I could get into your dreams. Being magical is pretty freakin’ cool, huh?”

“Pretty freakin’ hot. Why didn’t you pop up and say hi?” Eddie stroked the Omega’s hair from where it kept blowing across his face. Then he grinned and crossed his own eyes. “I mean, I kinda knew I had a creepy obsessed fan following the boat.”

Steve curled his lip. “I’m not creepy.”

“You’re creepy-cute?” Eddie cackled and Steve pouted. Damn, that was adorable.

“Look, it’s complicated!” Steve flipped his hand, giggling anyhow. “It’s not like I totally hid but I had to be careful! I mean, you seemed nice, I loved your vibes and the music, and your scent sent me loopy, but I heard stories about you leggy morons. You can be complete a-holes, tho’ after I’d managed to get in your head—”

“Clearly, not a creepy thing to do,” snarked Eddie, rewarded with that pout again.

“After I visited your dreams for a chat—oh, and literally got you off, you’re welcome, a-hole—I was pretty sure we were soulmates. I was psyching myself up to say hello, okay?”

“Okay,” said Eddie, grinning dopily. “Seriously, can you read what I’m thinking now?”

“Only works when we’re apart and you’re asleep, I think. I can guess, tho’.” He rolled his eyes then narrowed them. “Something Alpha-ish, like… you’re conflicted about what to do when you go into rut. You don’t want to ditch me. You also want pups badly. Listen, so do I. Mermaids and humans have been mating for centuries. I think we’ll be okay.”

“Okay.” Eddie could live with that. “Any idea how exactly?”

“No! When they taught sex ed to all the other little mermaids, I was probably off mooning over your sorry ass. When the right time comes, the magic of mother nature will show us a way, I guess. Anyhow, as much as I’d luuurve you to bang my fishy bones for real… I’m, ya know, getting over nearly being dead. My tail’s still kinda numb.”

Eddie could definitely live with waiting. They curled together into a cosy ball of purrs and growls, while night crept slowly across the beach.

Steve grew strong again quickly. After a few days, he came out to sea with Eddie and Wayne and swum alongside their boat. Eddie totally loved watching Steve swim, the swish of that magical tail, and those sexy shoulders and solid biceps, though he was already worrying about Steve getting tangled in their relatively eco-friendly net.

“Do I have to turn vegetarian?” asked Eddie, grimacing at their wriggling haul. “I’m mean, you’re kinda fishy, and now it seems—”

“Don’t sweat it,” said Steve. “It’s only the same as you eating other mammals.”

“I guess.” Eddie still felt uneasy, though fishing was his and Wayne’s livelihood.

“Oh! Almost forgot,” called Steve. “I know where there’s a ton of that sparkly shiny crap you humans get all wet and bothered over.”

After chugging their little boat along a white-water channel between some sabre-tooth rocks, Eddie and Wayne followed Steve into a hidden cave. Wayne streaked his flashlight across a glittering array of gold and silver treasure, literally spilling from a dozen old wooden tea-chests.

“See?” Steve bobbed between the boat and the treasure and tossed up his hands with a splash. “It’s where I found your ring. Figured you might have a use for the rest.”

“Yeah,” said Wayne, sounding choked. “Yeah, I think we might.”

Eddie was choked too—with a profound relief that the uncle he loved might be able to take life easy for the first time ever. For him and Steve, too, the future now seemed limitless, family or not.

The same night, as a full moon rose, Eddie felt it—that stir of heat in his blood that meant he was going into rut. Wayne had gone out to treat his girlfriend to a meal, and Eddie had just carried Steve back to their bed. He’d been looking forward to snuggles, and now…  Ugh!  He was gonna have to sleep by the hearth.  Or not sleep, more likely. By midnight he was gonna be humping the furniture, and he was troubled about what he might do if he totally lost it.

He was soooo hungry for Steve, and also mighty curious about how they were going to procreate. If it was rubbing against Steve’s tail or something, or fertilising eggs? Damn, they’d make it work, but Steve was still slightly fragile.  What if his inner beast took over and he rutted too hard while his Omega still healed?

With his heavy dick aching beneath a pair of loose jogging pants, he peeped around the door to see Steve tucked up in bed. Far from asleep. He was sitting up against the pillows, arms folded, and his head tilted, smirking.

Eddie was in too much of a hurry to ask why. He squeezed tight words from between his clenched teeth. “Listen, Babe, I reckon it’s best if I go spend the night on the beach.”

“It’s cold outside, numbnuts. Also, you reek of sex, and I dig it. You’re gonna come straight over here and get into bed with me.”

There was something in Steve’s wide, hopeful, giggly eyes that Eddie simply couldn’t refuse. Seconds later, he was sliding under the covers, vowing to himself he’d give Steve a quick squeeze and go.

Then he froze.

Steve rolled toward him and hitched the knee of what felt like a pretty darn human leg onto Eddie’s thigh. And between? Steve was already very wet, and a wave of his sweet perfume accompanied a fresh gush of slick. A loud rumble escaped Eddie before he could help himself—a groan of relief mingled with a hungry growl.

“Told you mother nature would provide,” whispered Steve.

Eddie slid a hand down to lightly finger absolutely everything required to satisfy an Alpha in rut. Steve smiled, kinda smug, and wrapped all four of his limbs around Eddie, nuzzling Eddie’s scent gland.

“Is this because of the full moon?” breathed Eddie, nudging his already epic boner between Steve’s spread thighs. If this was only once a month, he’d take it.

“Nope. It’s because I’m ready and you’re ready. I got an idea it’s gonna happen a lot.” Then he turned deadly serious, cupping Eddie’s face. “I love you, Alpha. Please, fill me with our mer-pups?”

“Don’t beg, Sweetheart. I’ve waited my whole life for this. Gonna fill you with our mer-pups and gonna love you all. Love you so much.”

They melded then, like ripples on the water, and as Eddie’s waves crashed into Steve, Steve surged back against him. And they fucked and fucked and fucked.

Eddie and Steve moved to a glittering pink castle by the sea. They raised their pups with the help of Great-uncle Wayne, and they all lived happily ever after.

💕💕💕💕💕

"Jesus Christ!" Forgetting the paddles, Wayne launches at him, almost toppling the boat over. He grabs at his soaking clothes, pulling him into the boat and wraps his in his arms. "Where have you been, boy?! I was losing my mind!" He plants a kiss on Eddie's head, not minding the cold seeping through to his own clothes. "We have to get you warm, kid I got the police searching for you!" He laughs for no other reason than the worry leaving him with debilitating violence, leaving only light-headed relief. "Where have you been?"

"I was with Steve," Eddie answers, gripping him back just as tightly, though he can tell he doesn't feel the same distress. Fucking kid will kill him one of these days.

"Who's Steve?" Wayne frowns in confusion, finally pulling away. 

"Hi," a new voice pipes up. 

Behind Eddie, in the dark water, there's a man. A young beautiful thing, just as soaked as the kid. Wayne only stares, slowly, very slowly registering the webbing between the man's fingers, his hand raised in a wave. He gathers Eddie back to his chest.

"What do you want?" he asks, narrowing his eyes. Sea creatures don't just help you out of the goodness of their heart, they always want something. At his age, Wayne hoped he'll never have to face one, and if he did, that he'll be smart enough not to fall for their tricks. But ne never thought his Eddie would be at stake. 

Warily, he observes the merman swim closer to the edge of the boat, his fingers grasping the edge to peek over the hull. He grips this kid tighter, but he squirms around to be able to look too. 

"Touch my lips?" asks Steve the merman. It's not a demand, he sounds like a kid that's not sure what he's asking for, describing a toy only seen in passing or heard of. 

And yet, Wayne feels dread flood his old bones. 

"You want a kiss?" he asks, ignoring Eddie's childish giggle. Nothing good ever comes from kissing a non-human. (And sometimes, bad things come from kissing humans, too.) 

Belatedly, the mer nods, probably only assuming that what they have in mind is the same. 

"I saw humans do it on the piers," he says, cheek leaning on his palms. "As they part and as they greet. They seem happy. I want to try," Steve explains, but Wayne doesn't buy the innocent act for even a second. He knows the huge, dreamy eyes are just an act to trick him.

But he nods, clearing his throat, calculating. 

"Can I take him home first?" he asks. At least, when he gets sucked under the surface and drowned, Eddie will be safe on dry land, and soon, Hopped will come and find him.

"Of course!" Steve grins wide, showing off his sharp teeth. "You must have been worried sick! I'll be right behind you!" He waves to Eddie, who waves back before Wayne can stop him, and ducks under the surface. 

He can only stare at the rippling water left in his wake.

==

Wayne tucks Eddie under the thick blanket at the top floor of their house. He has half a mind to just lead him all the way to the top of the lighthouse, as far from the water ad possible, but he knows this is enough, and if mermaids could walk on land, no amount of stairs would stop them.

"If I don't come back soon, uncle Hop should come here later to check on you. Tell him I went to thank the mer that saved you." Hopper will know it means he's never coming back. 

Eddie nods. 

"Okay. Can you say thanks from me too?" he asks. 

Wayne smiles despite himself, wrapping the boy's wet curls into a towel. 

"Sure."

Suddenly, Eddie gasps, pulling out from under his grip. 

"Is this a date?!" he exclaims with excitement. "Can I have a mer uncle?!" 

He's already had a headache from a whole day of worrying, and now his nephews hyper-speed brain was trying to make it worse. He sighs.

"Explain?" he asks, having found out long ago it's way easier than trying to decipher Eddie's thought process by himself. And the kid is always more than happy to tell him.

"Steve wants to kiss you," Eddie explains giddily. "So it's a date, and if it's a date, then one day you could marry, and then I would have a mer uncle!"

Wayne blinks at him, stunned. 

"I don't think humans and mers can marry," he points out.

Eddie rolls his eyes so hard it looks painful.

"Since when do we care about law?"

"Since we have a kid to keep safe," Wayne points out, rubbing his hair hard and making him yelp. As Eddie untangles himself from the towel, his eyes soften. "I love you, kid."

"Yeah, yeah, love you too," Eddie rolls his eyes again. "Now go get me that mer uncle!" he demands, pushing him away.

"Get you?" Wayne raises his eyebrows, slowly letting the little boy push him towards the door. "How about you go and kiss him, then?" he jokes, one last time. 

Eddie hums in consideration. 

"Steve is pretty," he says, his cheeks flushing pink, and Wayne aches knowing he won't see this boy grow up and fall in love. He can only hope that after finding out what happened to him, he won't go seducing mers left and right. That could end up way worse than falling for a human boy. 

"I'm going, before you steal him from me. Wish me luck." Wayne steps over the threshold of the room. 

Grinning, Eddie gives him a thumbs up, then crosses his fingers for luck.

"Go get him!" he says, and Wayne commits his happy face to memory. 

Somberly, he walks down the long stairwell until he reaches the adjacent boathouse. An old, cobweb-covered light bulb is still lighting in the corner, deepening the shadows around him. As soon as his feet reach the edge of the pier, the mers head pops out of the water. 

If he didn't know any better, he'd think his smile is charming. 

"What's your name?" the mer asks, resting his chin against the pier.

Wayne scoffs.

"I didn't agree to give you my name. I think we're about to get close enough."

"Yeah," Steve smiles, excited despite Wayne's attitude.

"I know I'm in no position to ask for more," he grits trough his teeth as he forces his knees to bend so he can kneel closer to the mer. "But I'd prefer my boy not to hear or see anything."

"Oh." Steve's face turns ruby red. "Uh." He chuckles nervously. "Just the kiss is fine, really," he mumbles awkwardly, running his webbed fingers through his hair.

"Sure." It takes everything in Wayne not to roll his eyes at the blatant lies of a magical creature. "Let's get this over with."

He has no gods to pray to, so without dwelling on his sad life, he closes his eyes, leaning forward. Doesn't pucker his lips, knowing it's not really a kiss, and whatever the mer wants he'll just take from him anyway.

There's a splash of water and he braces himself to meet his fate.

Something wet and soft brushes briefly against his lips. The water splashes again. He waits, not wanting to give the creature the satisfaction of opening his eyes to see the monstrous form the creature might have turned into. Or find out he's surrounded by the blankness of death, though he doubts he'd be let go so painlessly.

It feels like an eternity has passed and he's almost about to open his eyes anyway, when his lips get touched the second time, the mer growing impatient.

Wayne's shoulders fall in resignation. He did say he would kiss him, so he reluctantly moves his lips, hoping it will speed up whatever the mer has in mind for him.

He kisses back. He's kissing a sea creature that will undoubtedly open its jaw wide any moment to bite his head off, or suck his vocal cords out.

It's hardly a kiss, Steve barely copying Wayne's minuscule movements, though with an eager enthusiasm. He pushes harder, hoping to stir him on, push his luck and speed up his own demise.

Why is it toying with him? Does it want to humiliate him first? Will he taste better like this?

He parts his lips and presses with his tongue and suddenly, there is no one to press against. He's falling into the water, finally.

It's arms and scales and fins wrapping around him, pulling him close to a solid chest. Wayne coughs out the salty water he barely had the chance to inhale.

"I'm sorry! Are you alright?" Steve's face is right in front of him, looking distressed. Up lose he looks less human, the hue of his skin all wrong, the scales shimmering in the dim light.

"Fucking kill me already!" Wayne trashes in his hold, his calm demeanor finally breaking. "Ya like playing with your food so much?!"

And finally, the mer breaks the facade, his eyes turning stormy for once and teeth baring in anger.

"You think I would eat you?! Like some low level barbarian?! I brought your kid back so he wouldn't get eaten and you think I would dig into an old man instead?!"

Wayne isn't so sure it's a ploy anymore.

"Just…" the mer huffs, angry and resigned. "Go back to your kid." He propels them back to the pier, rearranging his grip to help Wayne up on the deck instead of just holding him up.

As the anger on mer's—Steve's—pretty face turns to disappointment and hurt, Wayne decides to do something stupid.

"Wait." He turns his head with his hand, feels the contradicting textures of scales and hair under his palm, and leans in.

Steve doesn't startle when he licks his lips this time, but parts them, hesitantly but trusting, once again mirroring Wayne. Who now kisses him properly, not like he's expecting to be swallowed up at any second.

Except for the teeth, his mouth feels like any other humans, and as long as he doesn't press on the sharp canines, they don't seem to be a problem. He moves and explores with his tongue and Steve quickly gets the hang of it, kissing him back. His hands tighten on Wayne's waist too, something he hasn't had in a while. It's really been too long for him if he's enjoying making out with a merman.

For someone without kissing experience, Steve is very nice to have under his palms. Alas, he has to push him away when he starts getting lightheaded.

"I need to breathe, boy," he says, gasping for air. "Not all of us have swimmer lungs." Humans don't have swimmer lungs, he reminds himself.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I kind of forgot." Steve's face goes red with embarrassment, but his eyes are blown wide, licking Wayne's ego.

"I'm sure you did," he chuckles, thumb stroking his collarbone, the side of his neck. "Bet you could go forever, huh?"

Steve bites his lip, his sharp teeth not so scary now that he knows how they feel under his tongue.

"Hmm, probably," he admits coyly, his eyes falling half shut, gaze zeroing back on Wayne's lips.

He indulges the mer with lingering, wet kisses that make him writhe against his body. Suddenly, he feels curious about mers mating rituals, and how different they bodies might be.

But he doesn't get to find out as Steve startles away from him, looking behind.

"A boat is coming," he says, and when Wayne follows his gaze, he recognizes the shape of a police boat turned their way. Hopper, coming to check in on him. Sure to chew him out for not radioing in that he's found Eddie.

Before he can react, Steve is putting him up on the pier and then ducking down so only his eyes peek out from under the water. Ready to flee, yet waiting.

"Thank you for saving my boy," he says first, pulling his legs up on the damp boards. "My name is Wayne," he finally admits, sure giving out his name will be a lesser of reckless things he's done tonight.

Steve swims up so his wide smile can be seen.

"Can I see you again, Wayne?" he asks.

He should say no.

"If you're ready for a nephew, come anytime."

The confused look he gets makes him chuckle, but the boat is getting closer, so he leans down for one last kiss which Steve eagerly leans up to catch.

"I'll explain next time."

Then Steve is gone, Wayne is left wet, shivering and confused, and has maybe ten minutes to get himself together before facing the chief of police.

@wheneverfeasible @blasvemous