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echantedtoon · 6 months ago

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Ocean Deep Ch15 Mers And Ladies P2

(Warnings: Mentioning of Yn's wounds and getting stabbed, blood mention, kidnapping mentions, etc.

This was the emotional turmoil I warned you about.

Also important info: Mermaid partners will play chase when courting. Why? Because I said so and it's cute.)

taglist: @six-eyed-samurai @lavenderdrxp @jjamsbangtan @camilo-uwu @hopefulworld1

@shadyd3ar @amypop122 @azuredragonstrike

@mimisweetz @chaoticoperatorduckhairdo @staarflowerr @aleee-386 @summrwalkr

@nicora04

Remember if you want to be added to the tag list lemme know.

The wounds that cut the deepest were never physically.

Even as warm flesh met in a timid embrace. Lips molding in desperation and ferocity. Molding and meshing together as if this were their last moments on earth.

The sounds of weeping was never a good sign but oh- Oh how beautiful those cries were as he buried himself into the sweet honey taste of the glossy lips. The cries like a beautiful lullaby finally lulling his heart- No. His very soul to ease at last. A little hug going through the chest and shushing the throbbing pain like a wee babe trilling out. Loud sobs echoed throughout the destruction of the night. Passing over waves and bouncing off floating shreds of wood planks.

The warmth of the water feeling nothing but cold.

Sounds. Noises. Tones. Pitches. Frequencies. He knew them all.

So why did it take him so long to realize that the only one sobbing here was him? Why didn't he notice the way he was letting his eyes talk for him? Why didn't he feel the way he had placed himself against her flesh? Forehead to collar bone. Hands and arms tightly clutching onto the pale wet flesh as the eyes shown down brightest in the moonlight.

"Tengen... What have you done?"

Stung. Worse than a manta Ray's jab. Still stinging.

Sobbing. Crying. No stopping the tears that caught the moonlight. Like little stars twinkling down his face and joining the sparkling of the waves.

Worlds collided and evaporated. Taking all rational thoughts with it. Pleas of echoing lingering self resentment clouding judgement, pride be damned.

"Dont leave me again don't leave again!! Please I beg of you do not leave me again! I can't lose you!"

Lungs burnt in panic beyond comprehension. He couldn't think clearly. He felt like he was burning in a fire while also frozen so numb in ice he lost all feeling. Sobbing wracking the heavy frame as it clung onto the smaller form like a lifeline. If he let go he would tumble and spiral out of control with nothing to stop him. Nothing to cushion his fall.

"I have nothing else. I don't want to lose this. I can't lose you all again! PLEASE! You're the only good thing I have!!"

They were the only thing he could love. He didn't want to lose the light that had finally arrived back into his heart. They must hate him. Hate, hate, HATE HIM for everything he put them through. Everything he let happen. He was worthless. Unworthy. Useless. Horrible.

"I only wanted you safe! I swear...I'm sorry. Imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry! Forgive me. Please don't leave me!"

Please don't leave him. Please don't hate him. Please let him make up for everything. As long as they stayed.

"I LOVE YOU! I love you, I love you, I love you so much you don't understand!"

Stay. Please. Say they'll stay now. Please don't let his mind be playing tricks on him. Please don't let him wake up and find out this was nothing but a sick nightmare to mock him for his sins.

"I promise I'll be better! I'm sorry I'm sorry! I'll be a better husband I swear! Just don't go! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry-"

'Im sorry.' A mantra repeated like a prayer over and over in his broken voice. Broken up into pieces like shattered glass in chokes and sobbing.

"Tengen..."

He wasn't even aware of who he had grabbed in the un-clarity. He just remembers two hands, so tiny but much stronger than his broken miserable body all together, grabbing the glistening sides of his head. Weakened by the force of a thousand failures. He didn't want to let her go. He had enough clarity to realize that whoever she was wasn't Kyojuro. He sobbed. He's sobbing he hadn't stopped. He couldn't stop. Not even when sweet lips met his swallowing up the next sob that dropped from his throat. Scooping it up and turning it into muffled chokes and whines. It's been so long. Too long since he felt a loving touch.

A most intimate touch only shared by lovers.

One he didn't deserve. Shouldn't be given. Yet he accepted like a drowning man desperate for a taste of the sweet oxygen.

All that could be heard was the muffled chokes. Like he was trying to gasp for that air but his throat was clogged beyond saving. He couldn't stop. The dam had burst and there was nothing to save himself. The screams from the past still echoed. Haunting him back to the visions of them disappearing and unable to do anything. So helpless. So worthless.

Unworthy.

He couldn't stop the choke that forced him to pry himself away from the saving grace that was her embrace. A hiccup, messy and loud, not helping his feelings. Eyes stinging in fear for what he'll see. Afraid it'll be nothing but air and he had just been imagining the whole thing. Gone insane with grief or worse- It'll be nothing but a desperate dream by a man who's failures costed him everything. Coasted them all everything!

Through the staining tears-

Through the haze-

In the dark-

Lit up by nothing but the moonlight-

Barely visible-

Blue eyes shown up at him big and bright.

"O-Oh my God..Oh my go-ha-haaad. Suma! SUMA!!"

Blue eyes, MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ANY SAPPHIRE, and a face more welcome than his own father was there.

She was here.

She was ok.

SHE WAS ALIVE!

Her name felt like a holy prayer for the tongue. He couldn't stop the voice from yelling despite the closeness. If the voice hurt her ears she didn't show. Only proceeding to tear up with tears more meaningful than any other time than she's ever cried before.

"No, Tengen. D-Don't cry! If you start t-t-then I'm go-gonnaaa- Ahhahahaaaaaa!!" Beautiful. Her crying was always beautiful but now it was more beautiful than any dammed song or instrument in the world.

He choked again. He couldn't say anything but choke on his own stupid breathing as she wailed and hung onto his face. Someone joined them. The most beautiful gold orbs ever that was more valuable to him than all the gold in the world.

"Ma..Mak-k-"

He couldn't finish. Both literally as the chokes claimed him and because he was not worthy to say her name let alone be in her presence. Gold and Sapphire. Sobbing and tearing up. He felt his flesh burn in shame and guilt as multiple arms surrounded his weak failure of a body, keeping him aloft as he lost himself once more sobbing uncontrollably and feeling a fist smashed into his heart only to creep up through his skin and clench around his throat from the inside as a perfect little Ruby joined the Gold and Sapphire. A gutteral, and absolutely pathetic noise left him. Somehow sounding more pathetic by how tight the fist clutched his throat. He tried to talk. He wanted to declare his apologies for his sins so badly-

"Tengen." A soft small hand pushed the quivering bottom lip back up to meet the upper even more quivering lip. "Baby, don't. It's alright now. Shh."

Choking. Hiccuping as the arms wrapped around him fully. Tightly and making sure to NOT let him go. To NOT let him leave. They were saying 'youre ours and you're going to stay right here whether you like it or not.' He couldn't break away even if he wanted to.

"You're alright. You're ok now. We got you."

He held on tightly. All one, two, three of them were here. Safe. Alive. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't his mind playing cruel games! Rocking back and forth and burying himself into their warmth. So soft. Smelt of fresh air and flowers. Beautiful. They were his. He was theirs. And he wanted nothing more than to allow them to reclaim him and keep him eternally.

"Tengen?"

Time froze still. His rocking ceased. The waters fell deathly silent once again. And then puffy, bloodshot red eyes snapped on a swivel towards the one who frowned at him with fiery eyes.

"You...WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?!" A voice, loud and very on edge reverberated throughout the night. Puffing with unrestrained nights of stressful sleep and rising paranoia from the mind.

"I understand you must be very angry with me-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE FELT!!" Kyojuro said nothing in defense in the brief silence after the declaration. A full minute of angry gasping and heaving. Edging closer to falling over the hold their wives had on him. A shaking hand raised accusingly and rightfully so. "HOW THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I FELT?! YOU WERE ALL I HAD LEFT AND YOU DECIDED TO DO WHAT I EXPLICITLY TOLD YOU NOT TO DO! YOU LEFT ME ALONE AND I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO PROCESS THIS!!..." The choking returned. Voice loosing whatever bitter bite the tongue tasted and devolving into nothing but sobs. "Dammit, Kyo...Do you know what you made me think?! W-What I felt when you left me?!.."

Whatever might've been said was lost. A warm cheek pressing into his shaking hand had him choking on whatever he might've said next. Red eyes, sorrowful, guilty, regretful, and on the verge of collapsing into tears too gazed hard into his.

"I'm so sorry, my love."

"DON'T YOU DO THAT AGAIN!! DON'T YOU EVER FUCKING DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!! DO YOU HEAR ME!? YOU COULD'VE DIED! YOU COULD'VE DIED A-AND I WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN KNOWN!! I SHOULD'VE BEEN THERE!! IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME W-WHO'D-.."

He couldn't finish. It should've been him from the very beginning to take their fate. At least then he would've done what he should've done as a good husband. There was a pure moment of relieving bliss surrounded by warmth and love. Crying too yes but he didn't care for him or how he looked in that moment..

Until the smell of thick copper finally registered in his nose.

B L O O D

Bloodshot eyes shot back open. No. NO. EVERYTHING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OK NOW!! SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT! The blinking eyes shot around the abyssal horrid darkness searching for the source quickly and panicked-

Until they fell upon Kyojuro.

And the red splattering his body. The red staining his hands and arms.

AND THE UNCONSCIOUS HUMAN THAT SLUMPED AGAINST HIS CHEST.

There was nothing but silent stares until the others in mixed reactions found out quickly the reason for his sudden stoic face.

"W h a t t h e f u c k i s t h i s?"

Kyojuro for once looked almost panicked. "Tengen, we can explain." He choked out quickly under the intensity of the face he gave her.

"I think I'd like that actually." A hand, still shaking uncontrollably, pointed at the way Kyojuro's hand bunched up and tightly held the pretty yellow fabric of a once nice dress stained by red. Most likely the source of the blood the Kyojuro was trying to prevent from leaking out. "Why the hell are you holding that human?!"

"Tengen, I promise we will explain everything to you but right now she needs attention! We must get her to the doctors now!"

A sneer. "Leave her on the beach! Someone will find her or she'll wake up and go home herself!"

"We can't just abandon her! She's wounded!" His husband's look was panicked. Extremely afraid. "LOOK FOR YOURSELF!" As if to convince him, he turned to nudge up the obvious bleeding gash in the unconscious woman. "She won't make it if we don't do something."

Tengen said nothing. Nothing but stare at the pitiful and weak girl in his arms....He admitted Kyojuro was right. The wound wasn't deep and the bleeding wasn't bad but she'd most likely not survive the night if left to herself or perhaps a wild creature would be attracted to the blood and easy prey. She was more pitiful than the man who threatened them.

He knew that man's face.

His voice.

He was the one who mocked him from the shoreline and thrived on his pain when his cursed bloodline stole his lovers from him.

He was not going to survive to do it again.

However...

He didn't recognize this woman. He leaned forward giving a deep inhale. He smelt blood obviously, and salt and water on her drenched body. Some cotton from her fabric, and then finally her own unique scent. One whiff and he was able to conclude that she was never any of the people that he took out or who wronged him before. A total stranger. A third smell got him confused.

There was a plethora of all kinds of different smells on her body. Blood, salt, water, cotton- But also the faint scent of flowers, and other plants, and strangely enough the scents of his lovers. Mostly Makio on her arms and hands and Kyojuro as he held her, but there was also softer traces of both Suma and Hinatsuru too.

....How odd.

However he fully stopped. The scent of THAT MAN was there too. On one place. Under the blood and Kyojuro's hand desperately trying to save her. Did-..

Was he responsible for this?

"Tengen, please."

"....Press down on the wound tightly. It's a long trip and if she's going to make it then she'll need all the blood she can keep in her body."

He hoped he didn't regret this kindness.

"WHAT?!"

You stared at Tengen as he continued to casually stare at you before shrugging again. You sputtered opening and closing your mouth before shaking your head and just looking out again at the blue horizon. Still no signs of land anywhere. This-..It-

"T-There's gotta be some kind of mistake." You looked back to him wet hair clinging to your face and shoulders. "Did you say that I'm on an island?"

His smile widened. "THE biggest out of the three I own!" He huffed proudly before a single finger pointed up. "I own the entire west beach where you first came from. It became mine after I drove all those humans away and claimed it for myself. I also own these three islands off it and at least five miles of ocean in all directions you see! It's a perfectly plentiful hunting ground for my pod and partners!" He hummed again and rubbed his chin. "In fact- Kyojuro's family just moved into the coral reef connected to my second island. Kyo wanted a safer place for his little brother to grow up and technically they're my in-laws-" He lit up perfectly happy again. "So my home is their home!"

"How the heck did you even manage to build a house on the beach when you can't walk on land?!" That's what confused you most.

"Oh that? Eh. This island used to be inhabited by people who fished like your town did." He waved a hand disregarding anything in concern with a bored look. "The guy who had this place before me ran them out and then I ran HIM out. I guess a few houses are still standing up."

Ok. Kinda creepy to know that you were really staying in what Used to be someone's house but that really the main concern here. Your main concern was why three girls who ended up disappearing, one girl who was Said to be carried off by a Naga, and a girl who was supposedly drowned two towns over were all stuck in a house way out in the middle of no where!

"Tengen." He hummed again glancing boredly at you from examining those sharp strangely Mitch matched claws of his. You hesitated a second before gesturing to the way you had walked from. "Why are those girls on your island?"

"Oh! Well besides this island being the biggest, there's a few houses left standing they can live in, it has a fresh water source for drinking, plenty of food-"

"That's not what I meant." Your waving hands caused him to pause in his island bragging again. "I meant WHY are they here?"....He blankly stared at you. "Why are they on your island and not home?"

He blinked. "They are home. What are you talking about?"

You wanted to facepalm yourself. "No. Why aren't they with their families?" He opened his mouth- "Their human families, Tengen!" You frowned harder. "Everyone's been worried sick about them since they disappeared last year!" Your stomach felt tied in knots remembering the way you've seen Mr. and Mrs. Kocho cry over loosing all three of their children in one day.

Tengen stared at you silently before he just shrugged making you gawk to the nonchalant reaction to the situation. "I dunno really. It's not my business."

"What do you mean? They're living on YOUR island aren't they?!"

He stretched his arms placing them behind his head. "I mean yeah. Can't exactly make them live in the water with their puny lungs." Your eyes narrowed but he wasn't affected by this. "*sigh* Look. They're not my mates so I have no say in their relationships other than letting them stay where they won't get killed."

Wait... Relationships? He must've seen the expression your puzzled face was making because he groaned again before rolling his eyes.

"My pod mates. They're the ones who brought 'em here. Look. I dunno about humans where you come from, but here we don't really stick our noses into others' relationships."

"Wait. What do you mean that they were brought here?"

He shrugs with his arms still behind his head. "Just as I said. That Akaza fellow traded me a whole chest of jewels just to let that suck girl live here. Uh.. What's-Her-Name. Koko? Yuki? Something like that." He looked off to the side seemingly bored again. "She kept getting sick so Giyuu and Sanemi thought it'd be a good idea to kidnap some doctors but then they stayed- Then my problem started. Obanai said he'd go look for em on land!" He tutteted and made a sour frown. "But instead of being back my women, he ends up bringing back a pink haired girl who wound up beating my ass in a suplex!"

"*SNORT!*"

His head snapped to you narrow eyed and frowning as you turned away covering your face. "And what the hell is so funny?!"

What was so funny was the mental image of a petite woman like Mitsuri beating the scales of a giant merman supposedly strong enough to sink ships whole. But you only shook your head despite the smile on your face.

"N-Nothing. Nothing at all," you said between giggles at his obvious frown.

"It's not funny!" He shouted before quickly lowering his arms to ..Cross them and-

"Are you pouting like a child?" Some kind of sputtering noise escaped his throat making you laugh harder than before and his face turned red out of embarrassment.

"I am not pouting! Tengen Uzui does not pout like a pint sized minnow! You got that?!" Despite his annoyed face and look you couldn't help but end up laughing more, hugging your sides and trying not to jostle the hurt shoulder. "I MEAN IT! STOP! STOP YOUR LAUGHING!! IM THE MOST FLASHY AND TERRIFYING SEA CREATURE OF THE WEST SEAS!! IF I WANTED TO, I COULD SCARE YOU SO BAD YOU COULDN'T EVEN TAKE A BATH WITHOUT BEING SCARED OF ME!"

You wheezed for air not being able to breath. "Y-Yes. T-Tengen U-Uzui. *Snort* Lord of pouts A-And god of- Hahaha! Blushing-"

"I'M NOT INTO YOU!!" He sounded..panicked almost. His face a sudden ten shades redder. And he squawked out half stuttering. "LET'S GET THAT STRAIGHT! I MIGHT BE GRATEFUL BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE SEDUCING ME! GET REAL! IF ANYTHING YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN AWE OF ME!!"

"Aw. You came all the way here to seduce me?", you teased not taking him seriously at all.

"I-... THAT'S NOT-"

"Or do you want a 'medical kiss' too?" You teased again. Feeling a little better that you can get back at him in some way after all you went through. "I think I can arrange that.~"

Tengen absolutely froze solid. Big lashes on sparkling f/c orbs batting up at him as the soft face leaned in closer. The water droplets against her skin shown in the sunlight like a thousand tiny diamonds clung onto her. Her nightgown clinging to her showing off her figure as soft hands reached out to grabbed his burning cheeks. He couldn't move. Couldn't speak as she inched forever closer. Beautiful orbs going half lidded before closing and warm breath ghosting over him. His face reddened to a shade that rivaled that of an apple, he leaned forward enough to kiss your lips, eyes slowly closing as well- Before her head changed direction and she completely leaned away startling him into opening his as. Blinking as she stood in in giggles.

"Consider that payback for your teasing. Now.."

You walked away from his frozen form stopping halfway back down the rock to cross your arms and look around. There was the matter with getting off this island...Maybe the old town here, or what was left of it, had a leftover row boat or something. Or maybe Tengen or one of your friends could give you a ride back to shore? If not you were sure you could make a raft out of-

GROWL-

You jumped at the sound of sudden rumbling. What THE- What was that? The skies were still clear so not thunder. Was that your stomach? You know you didn't have breakfast yet but you didn't think you were THAT hungry.

"So..THAT'S how you want to initiate courtship huh?~ How flashy.~"

What?

You looked behind you but froze as you met wine red eyes. His pupils quickly switching between completely dialated and completely all black and round. His mouth in a playful EAGER smirk that nearly split his face. His body was in a pounce position similar to a cat's. Speaking of cat's his shoulders rolled like a cat about to pounce on prey. Face still blushing a mad red.

"Two can play at this game, Little Gem.~"

You squealed out as a large merman suddenly and without warning pounced towards you-

Scrraaaaappe. Scrraaaaappe.

The soft sounds of a bristled broom swept across the floors and outside of the home. Sending the dust and dirt flying outside into the air in a small cloud of dust before it disappated into thin air. The waves softly rolling off the sand in rolls as the wind gently blew through. Sending pretty long black hair into her face. Her gentle voice giggled as it tickled her skin and she brushed it away-

"Kanae!"

Pink eyes blinked-

"KANAE!"

Pretty pink eyes turned towards the source of the one calling out to her. A white head of hair bobbing amongst the water. The face of bloodshot black pupils scars staring intensely at her form in the doorway before-

The face stretched an unsure smile across his face as if he wasn't sure how to smile showing off nothing but fangs. A splash sending droplets over himself sounded off as a hand pushed into the air. In his grasp sparkled pretty strings of pearls and gem necklaces.

"Look! I traded one of Uzui's girls for them! They're f-for you! Aren't they beautiful?!," he called desperately.

...A sad frown settled on her features as she turned-

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!! L-LOOK!! I-I got something for your little sister too! Kanao likes butterflies right?!" He desperately fumbled as she watched with the same sad, silence she always gave him. Shaking claws desperately picking out a small oddly shaped greenish gem. "Look! This kinda looks like one! I have six little brothers and sisters so I know how you must feel about them! I-I can be good to your family too! LOOK!!' The oddly shaped thing was held up with a frown from him. "Just-... Please don't ignore me anymore. I-I can give you anything you want! Just name whatever the hell you want and I'll get the dam thing!"

She didn't respond. Only looking back forward, and slowly walking back through the doorway. His heart felt like it broke into a million pieces as the noise of the door once again closing echoed in his mind.

"Rejected again, Shinazugawa?"

A growl echoed over the waves before dangerously slit eyes snapped in the direction of the voice. "Fuck off, Obanai!"

Above the shore and gliding across the dry beach was a much longer but less powerful sea snake. The seemingly endless coils from where he had been wrapped up, sunbathing no doubt, uncoiled just enough to allow his torso to raise and look at him.

He looked unfazed by his friend's anger as usual. "You think you would've learnt by now. That girl is never going to acknowledge you."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, VENOM BREATH!! IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE MAKING ANY PROGRESS WITH YOUR PINK HAIRED CUPID ARE YA?!"

A hiss in place of a growl left narrowed slit eyes. "That'ssss none of your business."

"THEN DON'T GO POKING YOUR FANGED FACE INTO MINE!!"

"It'sss hard not too when you're so loud it wakes up fish all the way in fucking Antarctica!"

"Yeah?!" He pointed out a hand still clutching precious jewels. "At least I'm not as shitting as Lonerfish when it comes to-" He looked over and choked on his words. "OH WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Said snake turned and both comically felt their eyes bug out at the sight before them. A familiar looking blue and black tailed merman sat there looking bored out of his mind and silent as usual which wasn't really out of the ordinary. But what WAS our of the ordinary was the smiling lavender eyed woman squishing his cheeks over and over again as he did nothing to stop her from doing so. He seemed entirely unfazed by any of her poking and prodding of him. Until she said something to him...He mouthed something back which must've been the right thing to say because the girl smiled closed eyed and pleased with herself.

....

They both continued to stare.

"...Well...This day can't get any worse I suppose."

Obanai had spoken too soon.

A BLOOD CURDLING SHRIEK FILLED THE AIR!!

Both men looked towards the left. Giyuu looked up startled and the girl snapped around startled. ..And all of them watched as a woman drenched to the bone and holding up the end of her nightgown running down the beach with a lovestruck koi tailed merman behind her.

"YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE THIS FAST ON LAND?!"

You voice was cut short when Uzui somehow used his arms to leap in front of you and skid to a stop making sand fly as he slid to a stop. You stopped nearly tripping over forward as he stared at you with such an intense look that was like a man falling in love after a hundred years of loneliness. Somewhere behind you a door slammed open hearing the screams, pink eyes blinked widely.

"What the hell has gotten into you people?!," you squealed out as he gave a sound between a deep chuckle and a loud purr.

His muscles tensed as he smiled wider and again his shoulders did that rolling motion. "I did say I was flashier than anyone else didn't I?~"

He leapt. You squealed. And a moment later you found yourself wrapped up in big burly arms. Pulled against a rippled chest and looked up into the wine red eyes of a playfully blushing merman.

He smiled brightly at his catch giving a pleased growl that had you freezing. Before he puckered his lips and leaned forward to kiss you-

"TENGEN UZUI!!" He paused still puckered, blinked, and looked over his shoulder at an angry pinked eyed woman. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Just a minute there-"

You opened your mouth only to freeze as a head of white hair snapped back to you and suddenly there was a warmth upon your lips-

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