Chapter Text
Ivo squinted against the sunlight streaming through the calm waters above him. He allowed the current to carry him further away from the shore, his attention focused on the shiny new piece of metal in his hands. It had been entirely too easy for him to use his weight to nearly capsize a fishing boat. The humans on board had scrambled to hold onto something and didn’t notice when their belongings went overboard into the waiting hands of the Mer lurking below.
Turning the contraption in his hands, Ivo ran a claw across the seams and smirked when something jutted out. Soon enough, several little tools slid out of place, each of them unique. Bringing the tool closer to his face, Ivo trilled in happiness at the find. He didn’t have to carry around so many tools now!
He reached down to his belt and slid the new tool into a small pouch. When he settled for the night, he could reconfigure his setup to include the tool. Squaring his shoulders, Ivo used his tail to launch himself against the current. There was still enough daylight for him to find another boat.
Below him, he could feel the rush of large schools of fish fleeing from his imposing figure.
Any sensible being would turn tail when they saw his impressive figure blotting out the sun above, his black and white tail an indicator of his nature. Every fish in the ocean could identify a Killer Whale when they saw one. The pattern of black and white continued up his hips before bleeding into pale, freckled skin while his hands were pitch black with deadly claws. His upper body had a few scars, but it was obvious from his large belly that he was a mighty hunter that nobody would want to tussle with. Even with light bouncing off his shaved head, none would dare try to approach him without fear.
Especially not with the myriad of strange, human items he had strapped to his body.
Around his waist was a belt made of wide, human rope with items tied to float alongside him or in small, leather pouches. Slung across his back was a large pack; inside, it contained weapons that he had repurposed for his own needs.
His nose twitched as he felt the current rush through his bushy mustache, the scent of human stink leading him back towards the shore. Since the area was infested with boats, he knew no other Mer would venture close, allowing him peace and quiet.
If there was one thing he found more irritating than humans, it was other Mers. Hence why he would never be found with a pod.
Not since his own pod had turned their backs on him so long ago.
Ivo only had himself to rely on. He had done so for decades and would continue to until the day he died.
The other boats weren’t as easily spooked as the first one, leaving Ivo empty-handed for his troubles. At least he had scared off the fishermen’s catch; if he couldn’t have his prize, they shouldn’t have theirs. With the light slipping away, Ivo dipped below the surface of the water, going deeper than earlier. His tail moved in precise, steady movements as he went deeper and deeper, his body slipping into the darkness. He pulled up his goggles from where they had been resting around his neck. They didn’t do much for his vision, but he enjoyed how the red glass spooked smaller fish and Mers.
He had taken over a small cavern not too far from the shore. It was connected to a series of caves, some of which even came with a few human corpses. To his delight, much of their equipment had been left alone by any scavengers, allowing him to use their materials. The cavern itself was falling apart, the stalactites having grown too large and bringing the ceiling in on itself. Natural light was able to fill the cavern and shine off his many trinkets and treasures.
Behind his goggles, Ivo’s eyes scanned the ocean for dinner.
His hands went to his belt, his fingers wrapping around the net gun he had crafted. After hours of watching human whalers, he had been able to create his own design for a similar gun. It was a hassle to reload, but it would catch him dinner that could last him for a few days. What a pod of Mers needed two or three members to do, Ivo could do with one shot of his gun.
Raising his gun, he saw a mid-sized figure below him. Based on the shape, it had to be a swordfish. Perfect!
“Hold still,” Ivo murmured to himself as a finger curled around the trigger.
Chomp!
“Ah!”
Pain raced up Ivo’s tail and spine, leaving his fingers spasming. He could feel sharp teeth digging deeper into his flesh, near the base of his tail. Flicking his tail on instinct, it did nothing to dislodge whatever was biting him, instead it only encouraged claws to join the flesh-tearing teeth. Grunting, Ivo blinked back tears as his body locked up in pain. He could slowly feel his skin being torn away by needle like claws as the teeth tore into the muscles of his tail.
“Let go, you bottom feeder!” Ivo roared, his upper body twisting to identify his attacker.
The red from his goggles did nothing to hide the wide eyes of the Shark Mer biting his tail, close to the end, the fluke. Ivo didn’t allow himself a moment to think; instead, his hands brought the net gun around to point at the other Mer’s chest. The shark’s eyes followed the motion, its jaw still clamped tightly on Ivo’s tail.
Ivo pulled the trigger.
A sharp yelp was covered up by Ivo’s bellow of pain as the Mer’s teeth were forcibly yanked from his tail. Grimacing, Ivo watched as the net wrapped securely around the Mer, pulling it down towards the bottom of the ocean. Its body thrashed and twisted, but the force from the gun’s propulsion was too strong, dragging it down. Ivo had used gases from volcanic vents to shoot the net at incredible speeds. Attached at the ends of the net were heavy metal weights, while the net itself had been stolen from humans hunting dolphins and other large game.
The longer Ivo watched the other Mer plummet towards the ocean floor, his own curiosity spiked.
“That’s not possible…” he mumbled.
Ivo had never seen a Mer with bioluminescence before.
So shiny…
His tail throbbed in pain as water rushed over his wounds, but he couldn’t care less as his eyes zeroed in on the thick cloud of silt swallowing up his latest catch. Slowing himself down, he was able to grab onto the Mer’s tail, right at the base before he forcibly pulled it out of the silt it had stirred up in its struggling.
Face to face, Ivo stared down at the shark.
A small shark to be sure. The other Mer was only half of Ivo’s size.
From the anatomy and neat facial hair, he had to guess the shark was male, or whatever constituted as male for Shark Mers. His chest was heaving from his struggles as he stared wide-eyed up at Ivo. The net was wrapped tightly around his torso, one arm trapped at his side while the other was crossed diagonally across his chest to rest on the opposite shoulder. A part of the net had wrapped around his neck and was sawing at the delicate skin.
In the darkness, the Mer’s belly and chest were glowing teal, however, it stopped abruptly at his neck, which was as dark as the rest of the ocean around them. It was as if his head was detached from the rest of his body. Ivo hovered over the other Mer, simply observing him when he saw the other licking his lips. Even in the extremely low light, Ivo could see his own blood staining the Mer’s lips.
“You’ll pay for that,” Ivo growled. The other Mer blinked at him owlishly before snapping his teeth in response. He wiggled his lower half, his tail slapping against the sandy floor and disturbing it once more. No you don’t!
Ivo’s hand shot out to wrap around the Mer’s throat, his claws prickling at the skin. Instantly, the shark went limp in his hold, once defiant eyes going glassy with submission. That was not what Ivo had been expecting.
His eyes looked over the Mer’s body once more. From his glowing belly to the black collar underneath Ivo’s hand to the way the Mer’s mouth hung open as if gulping for air he didn’t need.
All of this required further investigation.
However, he would need to do something about those teeth.
Keeping his hand on the shark’s throat, Ivo reached into one of his pouches and pulled out a bundle of cloth. He had been intending to use it for bandages, but it could be used for other purposes. Moving his hand from the Mer’s throat, he gripped under his chin to pinch the hinges of his jaw. The shark began to thrash once more, but with the pressure on his jaw, eventually, his mouth opened wide.
Ivo couldn’t believe just how sharp those teeth truly were.
It was a wonder the Mer hadn’t gone for his throat. He would have surely killed Ivo in seconds if he had gone for a main artery. Instead, he had gone for a chunk of his tail. So strange.
Shaking himself, Ivo stuffed the cloth into the Mer’s mouth, satisfied he couldn’t bite down anymore. This only made the shark struggle even harder.
“Give it up,” Ivo let a cruel smirk spread across his face, revealing his own impressive teeth. “You’re mine now.”
The shark let out a noise behind his gag, the arm pinned to his side flexing. Elated at what he assumed was fear in the shark’s eyes, Ivo repositioned himself. He could feel the Mer’s eyes boring into him as his tail was now near the other’s face as Ivo analyzed the much smaller tail in front of him. With this position, the difference in size between them was clear. While their upper torsos were roughly the same length, Ivo’s tail was much bigger with more muscle than the shark’s simpler body and fins.
Even his dorsal fin was much, much smaller than Ivo’s.
What species was the other?
Ivo’s hand wrapped around the base of the other Mer’s tail, his hand easily closing around it completely. A strong pull had the Mer trailing behind Ivo, just how Ivo carried all of his catches.
Even in this position, the shark continued to wiggle in his bindings, occasionally smacking into Ivo’s side. However, with his arms trapped and mouth full, Ivo wasn’t worried in the least. He ignored the way the shark purposely shoved his face near Ivo’s wound, no doubt wanting another taste. The deep cut stung horribly, and the other Mer nudging at it did nothing to soothe it.
The journey to his current nest was uneventful; mostly in part that no other being in the ocean wanted to get between an angry orca and his catch.
Groups of fish swam as soon as they caught sight of them, darting away into the depths of the ocean as Ivo snapped his teeth in irritation. Not only had he lost his dinner, but he had been injured by a Mer half his size. Who was not struggling as much as Ivo would have expected. Curiously, Ivo angled his arm to look over his shoulder at his captive; instead of frantic movements, the shark appeared calm as he watched the ocean move past them. He must have sensed Ivo’s eyes on him as he looked back at him, not an ounce of concern on his face. For some odd reason, Ivo suspected that if the Mer weren’t gagged, he would have smiled.
Quickly jerking his head back around, Ivo growled under his breath. The sooner they got back to his cavern, the better.
However, that thought made him pause. What was he going to do with the other Mer?
Yes, the Mer was bioluminescent, but that didn’t mean Ivo could put him on a shelf with the rest of his trinkets and admire the enchanting glow on the Mer’s belly whenever he wanted. Deciding to deal with that issue later, Ivo flicked his tail harder to shove them closer to their destination.
Soon enough, a different glow altogether came into view as they neared Ivo’s cavern. Since the entire thing was slowly crumbling away, Ivo had to reinforce parts of the entrance so he could actually slip through unimpeded. Iron spikes he had salvaged from sunken ships—some he might have had a hand in—were skillfully interwoven into the natural entrance. Slipped into the cracks were crystals of all colors, all of them softly emitting a glow that instantly soothed Ivo’s nerves. The sight of the crystals had Ivo’s shoulders relaxing as he brought them closer.
He could feel the Mer twisting in his grasp as they swam through the entrance.
“Settle down,” Ivo barked. Instantly, the other did so. Frowning at the obedience, Ivo weaved through the tunnel, more crystals lining the walls, each and every one of them carefully picked out and arranged to give him the best amount of light.
Many would wonder why he didn’t migrate like any other Orca Mer, but Ivo would simply ignore them. His past pod had made it quite clear he was not a true Orca and he never would be.
Finally, the tunnel opened up into the cavern.
The shark let out a noise of surprise.
Ivo had meticulously carved out the cavern, removing towering stalagmites and chipping away at the walls until he was able to make shelves for all of his treasures. Bits of metal, crystals, and human made items lined the walls. On one side of the cavern he had set up long boards from ships to act as a workbench while canasters of toxic gases from ocean vents were tightly boxed up and sitting on the table. Parts of the ceiling had caved in, revealing the open ocean above them, small moonbeams falling inside to mix with the crystal light.
At the very center of the cavern, directly underneath a natural skylight, was a bed of seaweed Ivo had constructed. Long strips of seaweed were woven together to act as a lining for a shallow pit, the sides raised to create a large nest. Small stalagmites sat around the nest, too small for Ivo to bother with removing, however, at the moment, they were quite useful.
Pulling another piece of rope from his belt, Ivo wrapped it firmly around the base of the Mer’s tail. He was expecting resistance, but when none came, Ivo tied the other end of the rope to one of the stalagmites before tossing the shark into his nest.
The Mer grunted as his back hit the seaweed and he looked up at Ivo with wide eyes. Meeting them, Ivo blinked. The shark’s body was relaxed as he settled into the nest, his head cocked to the side as he waited for Ivo’s next move. His tail flicked as it tested the rope anchoring him, but there was no other resistance to his bonds. It was as if he wanted to be there.
Why isn’t he scared?
“Stay there, you annoying barnacle,” Ivo huffed as he turned away.
Even as he moved away, he could feel the shark’s gaze boring holes into his back. However, even in the dim light created by the crystals, he could still see the shark’s own glow from the corner of his eyes. Purposely turning his back to the other Mer, Ivo went about organizing his new treasure.
Scrap metal found its way into a pile in the corner while he grabbed bits of leather to craft a small strap for his newest tool. With all of its different capabilities, Ivo was excited to test it out. If his hypothesis was correct, one of the extensions on the tool matched the indent of the small pieces of metal he found tying panels of metal and wood together on boats. Perhaps he wouldn’t have to rip them asunder like he had done in the past. He could instead go for a more subtle approach.
Lost in his future plans, Ivo nearly forgot about the Mer tied up in his nest when he turned back around to deal with his injury. Laying perfectly still, the Mer stared at him with an unblinking gaze.
“What!?” Ivo snarled, his tail flicking behind him in anger. The motion propelled him towards the nest as he settled above the shark. Pulling up his goggles, Ivo finally took the shark in.
His lower half was a dark brown, his tail was simple as it ended in a less than impressive tail fin. There was a smattering of scars across his body, some still looking angry and red as they healed. Ivo swore the one running from his hip to his back should have been life-threatening. His bottom half bled into his torso nearly seamlessly as his softer skin was only a few shades lighter than his shark half. Even there, the shark had far too many scars. Ivo was most definitely not the first Mer the shark had gone after looking for a quick meal.
Overall, the shark’s coloring was nothing of note, however, his belly was spectacular.
From where his shark half bled into his upper body, his skin glowed teal. The glow traveled up his stomach and his chest, only stopping at his neck. It was unfortunate that his arm was trapped against his chest—Ivo would have loved to admire every inch of the shimmering skin.
The net was still securely wrapped around the Mer’s torso, the rope having dug into his skin and leaving bruises. For some reason, Ivo felt oddly proud for creating those marks on the shark. Part of the net had wrapped around the shark’s throat, the black material blending into the black collar underneath. Peering closer, Ivo saw that the entirety of the Mer’s neck was as black as squid’s ink. Reaching out, he swiped his thumb against smooth skin, feeling a small shiver run through the shark’s body as he did so.
No paint came away with the motion, indicating that the black collar was his natural coloring.
Almost as if he wanted to be owned.
Shoving that thought away, Ivo analyzed the shark’s face.
If he had to make a comparison, the shark was staring at him like a newborn calf who hadn’t lost their innocence to the cruelties a pod of Orcas could produce. How a grown Mer could have such large eyes was beyond him, but they did nothing to diminish how threatening his teeth were.
Ivo’s hand moved upwards from the Mer’s throat to run his fingers through the his short beard. Both his hair and beard were carefully manicured, kept purposely shorter than other Mer’s preferred it. Most Mers kept their hair long as it was a hassle to continuously cut it in fast moving currents.
The Mer underneath him was still while Ivo pulled the cloth from his mouth. Instantly, the shark’s tongue darted out to pass over his lips and then his teeth. Ivo was mildly shocked the Mer didn’t cut himself on his own teeth.
Tensing, Ivo waited for the Mer to demand to be released.
“What’s your name?”
That…wasn’t what he was expecting.
“Why?” Ivo asked slowly. Why wasn’t the shark threatening him, or asking why he had been captured?
“I want to know it,” the shark smiled brightly. The lights from the crystals bounced off his razor sharp teeth, reminding Ivo of his forgotten wound. However, the longer Ivo stared at the shark, the more he felt the other was genuine in his request.
“Ro—” he cut himself off. He had denounced his pod’s name, but it was still a habit to introduce himself as such. “Ivo.”
“Ivo,” the shark hummed, tasting the name in his mouth. “I’m Stone.”
Ivo snorted.
“What kind of name is that?”
“One that I picked,” Stone shrugged as much as he could in his bindings. His smile was still strong as his gaze washed over Ivo. “Sharks don’t give their young names. We choose our own.”
Shaking his head at the absurd name, Ivo narrowed his eyes.
“Why did you attack me?”
A soft blush sprang to life on Stone’s face as he glanced away and wiggled in his bonds.
“I didn’t know you were a Mer…” he mumbled. “I thought you were a normal orca.”
“Why would you go after an orca?” Ivo blurted out. He himself was much smaller than an orca, and then here was Stone, who was smaller than him. Why would he go after something vastly larger than himself?
“They’re so big, it’s easy for me to swim by and grab a bite,” Stone’s smile grew sharper as his lips curled sinisterly.
“You’re not trying to take them down?”
“No. Too much risk, not enough reward. It’s much easier to bite and move on to another.”
“Then how’d you get the scars?”
“Some didn’t appreciate being bitten,” Stone smirked as he continued. “They didn’t live to regret attacking me.”
Ivo raised an eyebrow. He wouldn’t have guessed the smaller Mer laying in front of him was an efficient killer. His claws and teeth were indeed threatening, but he seemed far too tiny to take down a killer whale.
Once more, his eyes swept over Stone’s body. This time, he saw that Stone did in fact have strong muscles in his arms and in his tail. His claws were longer than Ivo’s, the tips tapping against the bits of the net they could touch. The longer Ivo watched Stone, the more the shark squirmed.
“What?” Ivo huffed.
“I’ve never seen a Mer with human weapons.”
Head snapping up, Ivo was about to defend himself, but instead of scrutiny, he was met with raw admiration. Suddenly, Ivo felt his face heat up at the sincerity in Stone’s eyes.
“Yes, well,” Ivo cleared his throat. “No other Mer has my genius. I doubt even your shrimp-sized brain could understand the complexities behind my creations.”
“Explain it to me?”
Ivo reared back as if he was slapped.
Stone simply smiled at him, his face revealing only pure innocence.
“Why should I?” Suspicion seeped into his voice. There was no way any other Mer would want to know about—let alone understand—his creations. Not only had his pod thrown him out because of his interest in humans, all other Mers had shunned him as well.
Now he had this little shark staring up at him as if he had offered him the biggest pearl in all the oceans.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Stone’s eyes sparkled in fascination. “I’d love to learn more. Especially since you caught me.”
Ivo paused.
“What do you mean?”
“You caught me,” Stone repeated, his smile slowly fading. “You have the right to make me your mate. And as your mate, I want to know more about you.”
“Make you—!?”
The world began to spin around Ivo as he jerked away from the still bound Mer. Putting as much distance between them and swimming to the other side of the cavern, Ivo clutched at his chest; he was sure his heart was about to leap out if he didn’t stop it.
A mate!?
He wasn’t suppose to ever take a mate!
The day he was banished from his pod, he knew he had lost everything. From his chance to have a mate to fathering children. He could no longer follow behind other pods to migrate, nor could he interact with any other Orca Mer. It was as if he ceased to exist to them. The elders had deemed him a threat and unworthy of having any family. No other Mer would even interact with him—a lone Orca Mer—let alone think to mate with him.
So why was Stone?
All because he captured him?
Talk about romance…
A clawed hand landed on his shoulder.
“Ivo?”
“What the—!” Ivo swirled around, convinced his heart had gone from beating out of his chest to stopping completely. Stone pulled his hand back as if he was bit, his eyes sad as he stared back at Ivo. He floated away from Ivo to give him space.
That’s when Ivo realized Stone was completely free.
The rope that bound him laid uselessly in the nest, still mostly intact after Stone had cut himself free. Ivo clenched his jaw harshly.
“You could get out this whole time!?” He hissed.
“Yes,” Stone nodded, either not picking up on Ivo’s anger or simply ignoring it. “It’s rude to escape a suitor’s trap before the mating is done, but you looked upset.”
“I’m not a suitor!” Ivo snapped.
“Then why did you capture me?”
“I—” He didn’t want to admit that he wanted to keep Stone’s glow to himself. Even now, the other’s bioluminescent belly kept drawing Ivo’s eyes to it. “You bit me!”
“You put me in your nest,” Stone frowned, his head tilting to the side as his lips formed a pout.
“It was the easiest place to interrogate you!”
“So you don’t want to mate me?”
Ivo’s mouth opened and shut several times as he tried to answer. He wanted to reject Stone outright, but the devastation in the other’s eyes was too much for him. Even he couldn’t be that cruel.
Maybe I do want a mate…
“What idiot decided that capturing another entitled them to becoming mates!?” He demanded instead.
“It’s how Shark Mers court each other,” Stone explained.
“What happens if the Mer doesn’t want to mate? Are they taken by force?”
“Typically they would free themselves. If the other pushes it, then the pursed Mer has the right to kill them.”
Ivo grimaced. Would Stone have tried to kill him if he didn’t want to be mated? He had already shown he could have escaped at any moment. Meaning, he could have slit Ivo’s throat at any moment he wasn’t paying attention to Stone—which had happened several times.
“Have you ever killed a suitor?” He wasn’t sure why he asked. Maybe out of some kind of morbid curiosity.
“A few,” Stone answered, completely unbothered.
“You sharks are vicious.”
“We have to be to survive.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ivo pushed bubbles out his nose. How did he end up in this situation? He had been minding his own business harassing humans and now he had a lunatic in his home talking about mating.
“How does your species court each other?”
Ivo raised an eyebrow at the innocent question.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t?” Stone’s eyebrows knit together.
“I was kicked out of my pod before I was old enough to learn the process.”
Perhaps Ivo should be more bitter about that fact, but in all honesty, why would he need that information if he never intended to take a mate? It wasn’t as if any Mer would find him attractive anyway.
“I’m—”
“Save your sympathy,” Ivo snapped. “I don’t need anyone’s pity! I’m better off alone than being dragged down by those moronic assholes.”
“I was going to say that I still want to know about your creations,” Stone smiled in return, not bothered by Ivo’s harsh words.
“You’re not right in the head, are you?”
“Most Shark Mers aren’t.”
“Certainly explains your courtship behaviors,” Ivo muttered before addressing Stone. “If you touch anything, I will shoot you with a more lethal gun.”
Stone flashed him a far too toothy grin.
Ivo didn’t know the last time he had spoken to another Mer for so long. It must have been when he had still been part of his pod. Afterwards, the only way he communicated with other Mers was in scathing insults and threatening them with a gruesome death. On top of that, it wasn’t as if he wished to talk to another Mer; they were all so dull to talk to.
Stone though, he was different.
Surprisingly, the Shark Mer wasn’t a complete idiot.
His questions were inciteful while he listened patiently to Ivo’s explanations without interrupting and complaining that Ivo kept calling him a moron. No, Stone kept a grin plastered on his face as he drifted behind Ivo, his eyes lighting up with each new item Ivo presented to him. The entire time, he kept his hands firmly behind his back, not daring to touch anything Ivo didn’t explicitly invite him to.
Time lost all meaning as Ivo darted around his home, Stone trailing after him dutifully as he kept talking and Stone continued listening. It wasn’t until both their stomachs began to ache did Ivo reluctantly agree they would need to eat.
“Stay here,” Stone insisted. “I’ll catch us something.”
“I thought you only went for bites?”
“I can still hunt.”
Watching him go, Ivo decided that if Stone didn’t return in an hour, he would catch his own dinner.
With Stone gone, Ivo ventured towards his nest and picked up the net. His fingers brushed against the clean cuts Stone had made to escape; his claws were incredible if they left almost no fraying on the rope. Collecting the now useless net, Ivo couldn’t stop thinking of the shark.
Did Stone actually want to mate with him?
He still couldn’t comprehend how someone would accept being caught by a random Mer and becoming their mate. Stone might say that was the normal courtship for sharks, but it didn’t sit well with Ivo.
There was simply no way another Mer would want to be his mate. Captured or not.
Once he had bandaged his wound, Ivo found himself cleaning up his home. Trinkets were rearranged to appear less cluttered, his tools organized, and he added more seaweed to his nest. Why he doing all this escaped him, but it felt necessary.
The light from the crystals began to lessen as sunlight streamed into the cavern from the broken ceiling. Had he and Stone truly spent most of the night talking?
“I’m back!”
Jumping slightly, Ivo twirled around. He would never get used to how quietly Stone could swim. His mouth dropped open to berate the other, but the words died on his tongue as he saw Stone hauling a giant tuna behind him.
A tuna that had several bites already taken out of it.
“Eating without me?” Ivo quirked an eyebrow.
“It’s how I hunt,” Stone flashed him a grin. He pulled the tuna towards the workbench Ivo had cleared off before using a claw to start cutting off bits of the tuna. Intrigued, Ivo ventured closer and could see a ring of bloody holes around the tuna’s neck. Stone had used his teeth to slow the fish down before his claws dug into the main arteries.
“Impressive.”
Stone’s smile was blinding.
“Here.”
Ivo took the large piece of fish from Stone, admiring the clean cut. It felt as if an eternity had passed since anyone had offered him food. Perhaps he should keep Stone around to hunt for him, freeing Ivo up to work on his projects and learn more about the human contraptions he had acquired.
On the other hand, that meant allowing Stone to stay.
He couldn’t fathom having another being living in his space and disturbing him. Not to mention, how long would it take for Stone to figure out why Ivo’s pod had abandoned him? How long until Stone realized how dangerous Ivo’s obsession with humans truly was?
It was better to get rid of the shark before he grew too attached.
The first thing Ivo noticed as he awoke was the warmth pressed against his front. His arms curled tighter around the heat, pulling it closer to his chest. A soft hum came from the warmth, causing Ivo to slowly open his eyes.
He was in his nest, seaweed nestled underneath him while radiant sunbeams shined through the holes in the ceiling. Yawning, Ivo finally glanced down to what was in his arms.
“What the—!”
Ivo’s shout of surprise was cut off as he took in Stone’s lax face as the shark shoved his face firmly into Ivo’s chest. His beard rubbed at Ivo’s skin, making him shiver. He could feel Stone’s arms wrapped around him, but falling short before they could fully enclose Ivo’s figure. Sharp claws pricked at Ivo’s back, but there wasn’t a moment Ivo feared them piercing or scratching him. In fact, Ivo hadn’t slept that peacefully in years.
Moving slowly so as not to wake Stone, Ivo pulled his arm away from the shark and rested his hand on Stone’s hip. A small push was all he needed to expose Stone’s stomach. With the sun streaming inside, his natural glow had disappeared, revealing a smooth belly and a few scars. Slightly dejected, Ivo let his thumb caress Stone’s hip, his claws ghosting along where the two ends of Stone met.
They had talked long after they had devoured the tuna until Stone had nearly fallen asleep upright. Apparently he was nocturnal and staying up past sunrise had tired him out, leaving him to fall against Ivo as he tried to usher the shark out of his home.
“Can I stay? Please?”
Ivo hadn’t had the heart to refuse his gentle request. So, he had ended up laying Stone out in his nest once more. However, this time, he joined Stone as he felt exhaustion pulling at his own eyelids.
Thus how they had ended up cuddling.
What am I going to do with him? Ivo thought to himself.
He could threaten the little shark; turn one of his weapons on Stone and tell him never to return. The shark knew exactly how lethal his creations could be—Ivo had explained how each one worked after all. Or he could simply command Stone to leave. With how obedient Stone behaved around Ivo, he didn’t doubt Stone would follow the order and he would never see him again.
But, is that what he truly wanted?
Glancing down at Stone’s sleeping face, Ivo didn’t know if he wanted the shark to stay or not. However, one thing he was certain of was he desperately wanted to see Stone’s belly glow once more.
“Brilliant, Ivo!”
Ivo preened under Stone’s praise as he yanked another small board away from the lobster trap. The multi-tool he had found the day he had captured Stone was extremely useful in ways he hadn’t predicted. He was able to pry the small bits of metal connecting the wooden boards apart, adding to his own collection of them along with his growing materials to use. Handing Stone the bits of metal to store in his own pouch, Ivo grabbed up one of the fleeing lobsters.
“Quite simple,” Ivo said nonchalantly as he twisted the lobster’s head off and tore a claw off. Biting into it, he tossed the rest of the lobster Stone’s way. “There’s still a few more that way.”
He heard the crunch of the lobster’s shell breaking open under sharp teeth behind him as he turned away, fully confident Stone was following him. It didn’t matter how quickly Ivo swam or how far, Stone would catch up with a kind of speed Ivo hadn’t expected. A few days after he had allowed the shark to stay the night, Ivo had foolishly accepted a race between them.
Stone had left him in a wake of bubbles.
So, of course, Ivo had to use Stone’s speed for his own schemes.
The last two week found them terrorizing the small army of fishing boats that lined the shore. If anyone accused Ivo of being a menace, then Stone was doubly so. The shark was quick to cut the nets and fishing rods of the fishermen, taunting them all the while. He would poke his out of the water, and use his limited knowledge of the local human language to throw insults at them, distracting them further from Ivo’s thievery.
For Stone’s efforts, Ivo had allowed him to stay.
“What are you hoping to build with the wood?” Stone asked, sliding up next to Ivo’s side. He was sucking on the lobster shell, enjoying the treat.
“I wanted to fill some of the holes in the cavern,” Ivo answered as he swept his eyes across the ocean floor. Spotting another lobster trap, he dived towards it. “Keep up, Stone! I want us back home before sunset.”
More like he wanted to keep Stone’s natural glow to himself.
It was true that he found Stone useful, but he was even more enthralled with the time they spent in his nest, simply basking in each other’s presence. Stone seemed infinitely content to lay next to him and have Ivo stroke his belly. Ivo could barely tear his eyes away from the glow for more than a moment. His fingers would draw invisible patterns across Stone’s belly and chest until they always ended up caressing the black band around Stone’s throat.
Ivo desperately wanted to add color to the inkiness circling that slim neck.
They finished as the sun was going down, the last of the dying rays shining off Stone’s tanned body, only making Ivo more excited to see the teal become exposed once the sun dipped further into the waves.
“Your genius really knows no bounds,” Stone trilled as he darted in front of Ivo. He was swimming backwards as he grinned broadly, expression open and genuine. Like Ivo, he had a belt made out of human rope that had a few leather pouches to carry anything Ivo couldn’t. “The humans were clueless as to who they were messing with!”
“Their species might have access to more resources, but that means nothing when they are up against my intelligence,” Ivo chuckled darkly. There were times he wondered how his life would have gone if he had been born human rather than a Mer. Would he have been accepted by his family, not left alone and exiled as he had been? Or would he have encountered a similar fate?
Either way, he hoped he would have Stone by his side. Especially since the shark was the one to go on late night hunts to feed Ivo when he was in the middle of meddling with his latest treasures.
“Maybe we should go after larger prey next time.”
“You might enjoy taking down predators larger than yourself,” Ivo rolled his eyes. “But I don’t have a death wish like you. Until we have the right tools, we will stick with the smaller boats.”
He ignored the pout on Stone’s lips as he brushed past the shark and swam towards the faint glow of their cavern in the distance.
Just like Ivo, Stone had fallen in love with the crystals, especially the purple ones. At first, Ivo didn’t notice that he had swiped a few, not until he saw a purple glow coming from behind a large column of rock. Like a scolded guppy, Stone had pleaded with him to let him keep a couple, even if they were small.
Ivo berated him for stealing, but acquiesced to Stone’s pleas. Only because he wanted the other Mer to stop staring at him like he had shucked his favorite clam.
Since then, Stone carved the crystals into different shapes, fitting them into spare pieces of leather to create bracelets. He was now sporting one with a shining, purple seahorse on his wrist, and a larger band around the end of his tail with a carved shark. The tiny dots of purple added to Stone’s beauty, especially at night when his belly lit up.
Before they had left for the day, he had started carving a red crystal but was experiencing more difficulty with this next piece. Ivo was predicting an octopus, however, Stone refused to tell him what he was creating.
“What do you want to eat tonight?” Stone asked as they began to put away their haul from the day of raiding human boats.
“Surprise me.”
Ivo heard Stone hum in acceptance as he left the cavern, a stream of bubbles trailing behind him in his haste. Quickly checking over his shoulder that Stone was indeed gone, Ivo darted towards the other side of the cavern. His claws dug into the dirt underneath his workbench until a wooden box was unearthed. It was vastly different from the boxes and crates littering his home; this one was decorated ornately and completely made by humans.
Cracking the lid carefully, Ivo peeked inside, not letting anything float out of it.
Inside, gold and gemstones shone brightly against the backdrop of glowing crystals. Poking a claw inside, Ivo shifted through the human jewelry until he found what he was looking for. Hooking his claw through the delicate, silver chain, he pulled it out into the light.
The necklace was unblemished from its time underwater while the tear-drop amethyst pendant sparkled as if it had just been polished.
He had found the jewelry box in an ancient shipwreck deep in the ocean. Even though it had sunk a couple centuries ago, the ship was still regularly searched by Mers and other scavengers for anything of importance. Ivo had been quite lucky to have found the box half buried under rubble and untouched. While the jewelry was beautiful, he had found no purpose for it and so had added the box to his collection of treasures.
Now, however, he had a perfect reason to retrieve it.
The jewelry box was returned to its hiding spot—if Stone liked this piece, then perhaps the others would make useful presents at a later date. Tucking the necklace into a pouch on his belt, Ivo executed the second part of his plan.
Next to the entrance to the cavern was a large pillar where a stalagmite and stalactite had touched and become one. It was wide enough for him to hide behind with ease. Slipping out of sight from the entrance, Ivo waited with bated breath for Stone’s swift return.
He didn’t have to wait for long.
“Ivo!” Stone called out before he fully made it into the cavern. “I caught a—”
His words were cut off as Ivo pounced from his position, one arm coming up to wrap around Stone’s chest and pinning his arms to his sides. The sizable squid Stone had brought back floated away from them as Stone squirmed in his hold, his tail smacking against Ivo with so much force, Ivo feared he would end up bruised. With surprise on his side, Ivo slammed his hand over Stone’s mouth—not to stop him from yelling, but to make sure the shark didn’t end up biting him.
Stone tried to open his mouth behind Ivo’s hand only for Ivo to change the angle to hold Stone’s jaw shut. The Shark Mer was pulled tightly against Ivo’s chest and his head tilted back to rest on his shoulder, completely immobile. His arms twitched as he tried to struggle, his claws trying to scratch at his attacker, but Ivo spoke before those talons could mark him.
“Caught you,” Ivo whispered into Stone’s ear.
Instantly, Stone’s body went limp in his hold as he realized who had grabbed him. A small, excited trill came behind Ivo’s hand as he felt Stone push back against him. Chuckling, Ivo nuzzled his nose behind Stone’s ear.
“Someone once told me that if I caught a little shark, I could make them my mate,” he nipped at the shell of Stone’s ear, urged on by the way Stone desperately tried to nod his head. “Do you want to be my mate, little shark?”
This time, Stone wasn’t struggling to break free, but in excitement at Ivo’s question. He was letting out a much longer, higher pitched trill as Ivo held him tight. Smirking, Ivo kept his hold on Stone as he gently propelled them across the cavern and towards his nest. Their dinner had floated off to some corner, but he couldn’t have cared less in that moment. Not when he could feel the way Stone pressed himself against his chest, sharp claws tapped against his hips in impatience.
“I can’t wait to make you mine,” Ivo growled, his hands tightening briefly on Stone’s body, who was trembling. “Everyone will know who you belong to.”
Even with Ivo’s hand still holding his jaw shut, Stone tried to mumble in agreement. Chuckling, Ivo brought them to his nest before he loosened his hold on the smaller Mer. Stone allowed himself to be maneuvered so he was laid out gently onto the bed of seaweed.
His mouth dropped open slightly as he stared up at Ivo with half-lidded eyes, his pupils blown wide. The glow of his belly was alluring as he squirmed in place at the way Ivo stared intensely at him. Both of his hands fell next to his head, his clawed fingers lax as he laid there willingly. Waiting to be to marked and taken.
“Please?” Stone gasped. He tipped his head back, the black collar of skin on clear display.
“Mine.”
Ivo pulled out the silver chain from its pouch and held it up in the glow of the cavern and Stone’s own belly. The purple gemstone glinted in the light, immediately drawing Stone’s attention. His tail twitched as Ivo brought the chain closer and closer to his neck, sharp teeth poking out to bite his lip as he watched every little movement Ivo made.
The silver chain fit perfectly around Stone’s neck. It fell to sit at the bottom of his natural collar, the teardrop amethyst resting above where the teal glow of his chest stopped.
Stone whined as one of his fingers came up to trace over the chain, his claw careful not to nick it.
“You’re stuck with me now, you know?” Ivo murmured as his hand came up to cup Stone’s cheek. A goofy smile spread across his face, pure adoration in his eyes.
“I want to be at your side, nobody else’s,” Stone breathed out. “There is no one else in this ocean who could compare to your genius. I am honored to be your mate.”
Ivo still couldn’t believe those words, but the conviction in Stone’s voice came close to convincing him. Perhaps one day he would truly understand what Stone saw in him that made him stay and become his mate.
Slowly, Ivo leaned down, his eyes locked with Stone’s, who simply kept staring at Ivo as if he was Neptune himself. Sentimental fool…
Their lips brushed, sending sparks through Ivo’s body as he tried to register what was happening to his body. Before his brain could catch up with the new sensations, Stone’s hand shot out to clutch at the back of his head. Ivo knew he should be fearful of those talons, but he trusted Stone implicitly as the shark drew him closer.
“My mate…”
Shivering at the Stone’s husky voice, Ivo nodded as Stone sealed their lips.
The kiss was nothing Ivo could have ever imagined; passionate, slow, exploring, and a myriad more emotions he couldn’t not identify in that moment. But, it didn’t matter. Not when he felt Stone’s other arm wrap around his waist and the end of his tail rubbing against his own. Ivo didn’t know when his own arms had grabbed ahold of Stone, but the shark let out a sigh of contentment as their bodies pressed against each other.
Eventually, Ivo had to pull back, feeling lightheaded.
Stone’s fingers stroked the nape of his neck.
“Why me?” Ivo mumbled, forehead resting against Stone’s.
“You caught me.”
“There’s more to it than that.”
“You kept me.”
Staring deep into Stone’s eyes, Ivo smirked.
“I don’t believe in catch and release.”
Stone’s laughter was music to his ears as he leaned in for another kiss, his hand dipping down to pet Stone’s belly.
Ivo couldn’t store Stone with his other trinkets or radiant crystals, but he could certainly keep him at his side. Forever.