#tbg

Esmeralda walked into her apartment, it was a small one that isn't in the best condition but it's the only place she could afford (buck thunders doesn't pay his employees well). She sat on her bed, changing out of her work clothes into a hoodie and some sweatpants, it's clothing she found in a thrift store. Then she proceeded to take out an amulet that was given to esme by a friend of hers before she became a land dweller, it's to make sure she will still be able to shapeshift back into her true form.

She opened the amulet and it glowed, it slowly yet surely transformed her from a deer to a purple lobster. Esmeralda sighed while staring at herself, she looked absolutely pathetic in a way that only a sad dog in a shelter looks. But at least nobody else other than shaard knows about her secret, and as long as it stays that way she'll be safe. But then she heard knocking at the door, panic and fear started to set in as Esmeralda realized she couldn't transform back to her land dweller form quickly to answer the door.

“Oh dear god, please leave… I can't let anyone see me like this…”

“esme, can I please come in? I forgot my coat and it looks like it's about to storm,” Sonia asked.

The lobster just laid there contemplating how Sonia is gonna react to her true form. Would she be disgusted by the sheer fact she wasn't originally an land dweller, would she dump and abandon her, would she kill her, would she tell buck thunders-

“Esmeralda?” the bee interrupted, stopping Esmeralda's train of thought. Esme sighed, grabbed Sonia's coat & walked to the door to open it. Sonia was about to say thanks but she was startled by the sight that appeared when the door opened.

A purple lobster with antennae that is styled to cover half of her head, two claws for hands, and pupil-less grey eyes that looked both sad and scared. Sonia blushed at the sight of Esmeralda's true form, while she did love the deer form she took, there was just something so beautiful about the mermaid she was staring at. Esmeralda noticed Sonia wasn't saying anything and started to panic, she ran back into her bedroom sobbing.

Sonia got worried and walked into esme's apartment and went straight into her room. Esmeralda was sobbing, she thought her life was over and she was about to die. “I should've just stayed in that disgusting flesh bag. How could Sonia even like a sea monster like me,” she thought, hot tears falling off of her face. Sonia's heart broke at the sight, she quietly asked Esmeralda if she could sit next to her. The mermaid nodded, and the bee sat next to her.

They sat together in uncomfortable silence, neither one really knew how to try to talk about the situation. Eventually after several minutes, Sonia broke the silence.

“You know I'm not upset or disappointed in you being a mermaid in disguise…”

“Wait what,” Esmeralda responded, her eyes widened in confusion, was she hearing that right?

“I just wished I knew this earlier, I would've been more than willing to let you stay at my place… I have a spare bathtub there you could use as a tank of sorts,”

“S-Sonia you don't have t-to do t-that, especially for somebody who straight up lied about being a land dweller…” esme quietly said while sobbing. Sonia just softly chuckled while getting close to Esmeralda to wipe her tears, both blushing heavily.

“Oh esme, I love you in every form and I would do anything to make sure you're safe…” Sonia whispered before kissing Esmeralda, softly buzzing and wings flapping out of happiness. Both pulled out of the kiss to breathe, Esmeralda had lovestrucked look on her face.

“You'll always be my little sweetheart~” Sonia said to Esmeralda.

Sonia and Esmeralda quickly packed up her stuff, it was mostly just clothes, her house plants, the few pieces of horror merchandise she owned, and her amulet. Esmeralda took one last look at her apartment before leaving along with Sonia, they then went to Sonia's house. Esmeralda took out her house plants and put them in the kitchen, she then proceeded to walk to Sonia's room. She was incredibly tired after all that happened today, she laid in bed and started to snuggle Sonia. Sonia kissed Esmeralda's head before the two fell asleep while in each other's arms.