A/N: I can't believe I actually caved and wrote a mermaid AU for Touken Ranbu… The pairing is MitsuKuri (or KuriMitsu, whatever it doesn't even matter) and the last half is basically nothing but smut. Enjoy?

Quite a Catch

For all of the chaos and drama of earlier, the end result was something almost comical. Thankfully they had managed to avoid the neighbors that lived next to Ookurikara's small house by the beach, but with nowhere else to put the mermaid in his arms, he ended up in the tub. And now, with his long black tail dripping awkwardly over the side, and water spilling out from the sides of the tub, Mitsutada looked up at his "savior" with something of sheepishness and a slight bit of embarrassment.

"It seems that I don't quite fit."

A snort escaped the tired fisherman, and all of the exhaustion of the day's events came crashing down suddenly. He had saved this strange fish-man temporarily. They were safe and... together. He let the weight of that thought drag him slowly down to the floor, and he slumped on the wet tiles next to the tub, clothes and all. His back was against the tub and all he had to do to get closer to the merman in his bathtub was lean his head back so that their faces would be nose to nose. So he did.

"...Kuri-Chan...?" The embarrassment about how uncool this whole affair was shifted to a soft worry for his companion. Mouth parting slightly, he leaned down to bring their faces a little closer.

Ookurikara wasn't the type to smile, but his eyes softened a bit regardless. Making their lips meet was effortless.

They had kissed before, but from the slightly awkward angle to the new environment, everything felt new. Mitsutada still tasted of fish and seaweed-salty. His hair still managed to be bafflingly soft, especially as it had the chance to dry out on the way over. His lips were still soft and the inhuman bumps and ridges on his tongue still made the fisherman shiver. Something new pounded in his chest though, and he shifted his awkward grip on the back of the other's head. Ookurikara wanted more.

Mitsutada gasped a bit at the new pressure before running his tongue along the line of the other's gums with renewed fervor. His left hand slipped out of the tub. It didn't take long for him to drag his wet gloved hand down the human's neck before slipping it under the neck line if his white T-shirt and across the skin of his chest. The motion was answered by a soft groan from Ookurikara, who shifted a bit to push his tongue against Mitsutada's. The mermaid could feel heat building in his chest and abdomen. He sucked softly on the other's tongue without even thinking about it. Were they going to move to the next step? Was Ookurikara finally accepting all of his advances? Was this something that would be okay in this space? The questions kept coming but the movement of Ookurikara's lips against his wasn't making it any easier to think.

Gravity took this moment to finally pull the straw hat off of Ookurikara's head, and it landed the short distance to the tub water with only a small splash.

Whatever spell they had been under was broken just like that. Mitsutada was laughing and picking the hat up and out of the water and Ookurikara cracked his neck and stretched out his shoulders. He stood up without difficulty and accepted his hat back from the grinning merman. After deeming that it wasn't /that/ wet, he replaced it on his head.

"You hungry?" There wasn't really a logical next step in the whole "hiding a mermaid in the bathroom" plan, so Ookurikara figured he might as well at least attend to the needs of their bodies first. The needs he felt comfortable dealing with, that was. Of course the merman perked up happily at the sound of food, though some of enthusiasm fell when he was told that he would not be allowed to go into the kitchen. The frowning human didn't even know what he /had/ in the refrigerator anyway.

In the end, he had to walk to the nearby convenience store. Of course when he got there the realization that he wasn't sure what he should feed to his mermaid companion set in. He stared at the boxed lunches for a few minutes before finally settling on a pack of sushi. The clerk didn't bother commenting on his wet clothes-the ocean was only a few minutes' walk away after all.

The sushi was devoured with gusto, though Mitsutada still managed to slip in a few comments about how he intended to catch fresher and more delicious fish for Ookurikara in the future. He had pulled himself out of the bath by the time his human caretaker had returned, having already figured out the tap and the different temperatures of the water. It was easy enough to use the shower head to wet down his tail every so often, and the shower room floor had more space than the tub, making it easier to work with his long tail. It was obvious that he wanted to see the rest of Ookurikara's small house, but accepted himself as constrained to the shower room for the time being. His eye met a pair of similar yellow ones, and the human settled on the floor next to him with a soft sigh. He placed his hat in the hallway outside as he did so, leaning against the shower wall with a soft thump.

"You were really cool back there. I cannot thank you enough for assisting me." Ookurikara didn't even have to look over at his companion to tell that his eye was practically sparkling.

"Not really," he responded non-committedly, not wanting to encourage the other and not really sure how to deal with the praise.

"You told them off without hesitation! They had guns and harpoons and you didn't even back down!"

Ookurikara could remember the loud motor of the boat and the stench of oil and dead fish. They were a group of hunters called the "Keibishi." Everyone in this area had heard stories about how they chased down rare game and fish. The rumors hung heavy with added whispers about what they did to get those animals, and how they treated the people who tried to stop them. They were probably wanted criminals. He hadn't care about any of that. They had driven their loud boat down to his isolated wooden pier, scaring all his fish away. Their boat had most definitely polluting the clean water of the bay he fished in almost every day. But most importantly, they had been after Mitsutada.

The mermaid had shown up almost a year prior. The sight of his long black tail (though it definitely seemed blue in some lights), and webbed ears should have started Ookurikara, but as soon as he confirmed that the creature wasn't driving any of his fish away, he had stopped paying attention. The mermaid was relentless though, and seemed quite determined to get the other to interact with him. When he was unable to sustain conversation for a long period of time, he started bringing gifts instead-elaborate shells, doodads from sunken ships. Then one Sunday Ookurikara forgot to bring himself a lunch. The sound of his stomach grumbling seemed to give the merman an idea, and he came back with a healthy looking mackerel and a stone that looked like it had been intentionally sharpened. The thin slices of fish that he produced would have melted anyone's heart, though Ookurikara did his best to not let his enjoyment show on his face. Still, Mitsutada seemed to figure it out anyway, and he started regularly bringing Ookurikara all sorts of different nice fish.

Whether it was the fish or simply the weeks of smiles, with time Ookurikara had found himself softening to the other. It was obvious that he was being courted by the merman, whatever /that/ entailed, but he couldn't bring himself to hate that stupid grin that also somehow managed to ne suave. They would talk about which fish were about that day and Mitsutada would tell him stories of his various adventures or the other human he knew. "Sada-chan is the best!" He declared with a grin after the story of how the former human had given him a pair of gloves for whatever reason. The fisherman's stomach formed into something of a knot, and he couldn't keep the scowl off his face. He /wasn't/ pouting and he /wasn't/ jealous. He gripped his fishing rod a bit tighter and tried not to think about Mitsutada bringing shells and smiles to someone else.

"Kuri-Chan?" There was a gloved hand in his thigh now, and the mermaid was looking over with worry from where he had himself half perched on the pier. When the one in question just looked away, he only seemed to fret more. "Kuri-Chan?" No response again, and he decided that it was time to do something.

The sound of a soft splash made the disgruntled fisherman look over to the now empty spot where the mermaid had just been. His frown only deepened, and he took a moment to sigh and place his rod down on the pier, frustrated with himself and the stupid merman he was spending far too much time with recently. He didn't have a chance to think of what to do next though; Mitsutada was suddenly between his legs. Water dripping off him, the mermaid had managed to somewhat jump back on the pier, balancing somewhat precariously on the edge of the wood with his hips. Hands on either side of Ookurikara's thighs held him somewhat steady on the wood planks. His face was directly in front of the other's.

"Sada-Chan is my friend, but I do not think about him the same way I think about you, Kuri-Chan." And if that wasn't enough, he added. "You're special. You're the one I want."

That was the first time they kissed.

The unlikely pair only grew closer from that point on, though Ookurikara's smiles were still few, and Mitsutada still brought fish every time they met. They made something comfortable between them. The docks were something of their romantic getaway after that, though the two never went much further than kissing. The human was more than content with whatever was going on between them, and the mermaid seemed hesitant to push any harder. He always received a greeting (and often a kiss) and they chatted without any tension. It was peaceful. It was good.

Of course, the news that there was a mermaid hanging about the West Bay was doomed to spread sooner or later, and it was a surprise that the two made it to the year mark before the Keibishi showed up. He hadn't meant to lead them to the pier where Ookurikara always did his fishing. If he had been thinking straight, he would have fled into the depths or perhaps back to the underwater cave that he called home. But a harpoon has grazed his arm, and suddenly he was swimming towards the human he had been courting for so many months. He had been intending to protect his man, but he wound up being protected instead.

"Keep your hands off him!" His rod lay discarded on the planks and his fingers were curled into fists. Even the straw hat seemed to radiate anger as he stood off against the Keibishi on their foul boat. "He will never be yours!"

Mitsutada, who had been attempting to get between the two groups of humans despite how he was clutching his slowly bleeding arm, was startled when Ookurikara reached down to him. He only had the chance to make a slightly undignified squeak before two human hands were under him and pulling him out of the water. With some effort, the fisherman shifted the mermaid in his arms, so he was holding him princess-style. His arms trembled slightly at the weight of the long half-fish in his arms, but the rest of him did not. His voice was absolute. "Mitsutada belongs to me. I won't hand him over to anyone."

And with that, he simply walked away. Mitsutada was too stunned to object or point out that he had left both his tackle box and fishing rod behind. Ookurikara had been too focused on getting Mitsutada away from the hunters and bandaging up his arm to even think deeply about what he had said. But now, as they both lounged on the tiles in his bathroom floor, safe and sound, he wasn't sure how to proceed.

A gloved hand slowly reached out for his. He took it subconsciously and their fingers entwined. He opened his mouth but the mermaid started talking first.

"You said I belonged to you." If those words didn't have any effect, nothing would. The human could feel the blush rushing to his ears and his cheeks and he frowned as hard as he possibly could. He wasn't going to look over at what he knew was a small smirk, but then a set of fingertips brushed his cheek. They made eye contact. "Would you become mine as well?"

And that's all it took to make the other lose his cool. His mouth was on Mitsutada's roughly, as is he could make up for his lack of words that way. Their moans were loud and fingers were needy and he was straddling the mermaid before long. The fabric of his wet capris was too tight, but he was in love with the feeling of Mitsutada's thick shining tail shifting between his thighs. Those gloved hands were all over his back, grabbing him desperately as a wet chest was pushed up against his thin T-shirt. There was something amazing about the feeling of the merman's erect nipples, and Ookurikara couldn't resist tweaking one experimentally. The resulting moan was so sultry that the human's couldn't keep the grin off his face. Their kisses deepened, and he brought a second hand to squeeze Mitsutada's pecs, all the while grinding roughly up against him.

The merman wasn't about to be lost to the haze of pleasure though, and he wrestled Ookurikara's t-shirt off so that their bare chests could meet. He loved the dark color of the other's tanned skin and was determined to have more of it as he ran his hands all over the other's back and arms. They paused their kisses for a moment to lock eyelash hooded eyes. In the lull, Mitsutada slowly traced the dragon tattoo up his partner's arm it until he arrived at its head on his shoulder blade.

"I'm yours." The little grin was enough to drive him crazy.

"Mitsutada," he all but growled in response. The kisses were more of nips this time, as teeth clashed and fingers dragged harsh red lines along backs and hips. Ookurikara changed targets and planted rough kisses on the white skin of Mitsutada's neck. The other was already gasping and rolling his hips and tail up against the human's groin even though he had only started licking the soft spot under his jaw. His lips pulled back and he breathed heavily on that spot, somewhat cooling the saliva. And then without any warning, he bit down hard. Mitsutada moaned and thrashed beneath him, and Ookurikara took this as a sign to unlock his teeth so that he could instead suck on the fragile skin. Nothing was more rewarding than the desperate moans he was eliciting from his mermaid.

He might have moved lower to a spot closer to Mitsutada's pale collar bone if not for a sudden new pressure on his groin. The gasp from the man under him was of a very different type this time. Those same gloves hands that had been clinging to him were now pushing him away.

"Wait, stop- Kuri-Chan- that's my-"

The fisherman instinctively looked downward, despite Mitsutada's objections. He shouldn't have been surprised, considering the way things had been going and the state of his own body, but he couldn't help but swallow nervously. Some of the scales on Mitsutada's groin-area had slid back to reveal what was very definitely a dick. It was a much darker color than his-dark pink to the point it was almost purple. And despite being roughly the same shape, the merman's most definitely had a few ridges and bumps that were unique to his species. It was swelling and erect and most definitely ready for business.

Mitsutada was completely scandalized. He kept trying to make excuses or push Ookurikara away, but the human was unbothered. Reaching out experimentally, he ran his fingers from tip to base. His eyes flicked up quickly to check on Mitsutada's face. The other bad his eye squeezed shut and was biting down on his lip. Ookurikara frowned slightly and wrapped his whole hand around the cock, just below the tip. Squeezing it gently, he began to pump up and down and was immediately rewarded by a gasp from the merman. He wasn't about to let the other bite his lips again though and began kissing him softly with rhythm of his hand, aware how much the other was melting for him.

"K-kuri-chan!" The slight plea caught him when there was a gap between their lips. Of course the human was desperate for whatever sounds the merman had to offer him, but the look on that lone yellow eye is really what made him shiver. "Let me mate with you."

The words stuck him in a very terrifying way. This wasn't just fooling about or some feigned interest. From the beginning, the merman had been looking for a life partner. This wasn't just lust, it was devotion-he intended to make the two a permanent unit. What a scary thought. He wasn't someone who liked relying on other people. He preferred solitude above all else. But he would be lying if he said he didn't want Mitsutada to stick around. Later he would blame it on the heat of the moment, but right then, the only thing he could think do was look Mitsutada dead in the eye and say: "Take me."

He blinked and suddenly he was on his back, the mermaid all over him. Teeth that were a bit sharper than his own nibbled at his neck while gloved hands made fast work of his capris and boxers. This fish out of water was amazingly agile for some reason-Ookurikara's barely had his hands in that soft dark blue hair before the other's lips moved from his neck down to his collar bone and steadily down his chest. Each pause was only to suck gently and nip at other's dark skin. There would be marks in the morning, but for now all the could think about was the feeling of a swift tongue and soft lips on the patch on skin below his hip.

If the sounds he has been making before were bad, they were nothing compared to the sound when Mitsutada bit his inner thigh. The mermaid seemed fascinated with the human's legs, lavishing them both with quite a deal of attention. He probably would have kept going to other places too if Ookurikara hadn't stopped them there.

He wasn't about to let Mitsutada have absolute control.

It only took one smooth motion to flip their positions so that he was straddling his new lover. Not bothering to waste any time though, he brought their members together in his hand, quickly switching the mermaid's look of surprise to one of absolute need. He shifted his hips upward, trying to increase the pressure even though Ookurikara's hand was already making quick work of them. One gloved hand gripped a sharp hip while the other dug the skin near the dragon tattoo. Even as drunk as he was on the new sensations, he still seemed desperate for more, and he pushed his head forward with half closed eyes to meet the other in a kiss.

Their motions were getting a bit frantic, and small moans escaped the mermaid's mouth in between kisses. But no, this was too soon. Grimacing slightly, the fisherman pulled back, letting go of their cocks, and the other's lips. He wasn't about to let the other complain though, and hastily slipped two fingers into his open mouth. Though Mitsutada raised an eyebrow, he sucked the fingers obediently and perhaps a bit too skillfully. Ookurikara had to pause and steel himself to not get absorbed in the feeling. Just as quickly as the fingers had gone in, they were out again. With a face that was only getting redder, the fisherman had to look away for this next part.

Propping himself up a bit higher, he slid a saliva dripping finger into his ass slowly. The sharp intake of breath and the look of pain on his face earned him quite a bit of concern from his companion, who put hands on his shoulders.

"K-Kuri-Chan! What are you doing?" The shock was apparently in his voice—Ookurikara was reminded for the umpteenth time that his partner wasn't human. Cheeks reddening even more, the fisherman wondered if they could get through this without an explanation. His shoulders were shaken slightly by a worried merman, and he realized that that would unfortunately not be the case. Gritting his teeth, he managed a response:

"I need to do this so I can have you." That was as good as it was going to get. Talking through his feelings and giving explanations was the last thing Ookurikara wanted to do, especially as he slid the second finger into himself.

"But Kuri-Chan, I'm right here?!" There was a bit of distress now in the other's voice and the human sighed deeply. He couldn't handle this. He wanted the other so desperately right now. Chalk it up to lust or finally caving into the desire for human contact, but he wanted nothing more than to have sex right at this moment. He needed Mitsutada. Having to explain just /how/ though took away some of the magic and also left him a bit exasperated. This was too fucking embarrassing. His whole body sagged as he rested his forehead on the other's shoulder.

"I want to have you… inside me…" It was almost a whisper. But thankfully the proximity somewhat made up for it and there was no way that the mermaid had missed what he just said. When no response came, he lifted his head just a bit.

The mermaid's stupid eyes were huge and his face was bright red and goddamnit could he just stop already?! "I can do that?"

Fed up and horny as hell, Ookurikara forewent the rest of the preparation so he could slam his ass down on the waiting mermaid cock. In that split second, the mood changed completely. Both sets of eyes were wide as the human slowly slid down, taking ridge by ridge until he was resting at the base. Everything ached and also felt indescribably amazing. Gritting his teeth, the human gripped the mermaid's shoulders and prepared himself to start moving. Mitsutada was one step ahead of him though. As if to make up for his lack of knowledge of the human body earlier, he suddenly took complete control of the situation. He thrust up with his hips so hard that Ookurikara saw stars.

Everything moved quickly after that. He started thrusting upward at a steady pace, bouncing the human up and down on his dick. The ridges and bumps traced the inside of his ass and the fisherman couldn't hold back his moans. Each thrust was accompanied by the slap of the fish's tail on the tile floor and the squelch of the hard cock slamming in and out of him. He was disoriented and overwhelmed and everything felt disgustingly good. He wanted all of it. Managing to grip his hands on Mitsutada's pale shoulders, he steadied himself long enough to shift his legs forward and wrap them tightly around the edge between the fish scales and the human skin. Mitsutada immediately caught on and shifted their bodies so that their chests were parallel. The new angle let the purple cock even deeper into him than before—his own dick rubbed up against the mermaid abs. His head was thrown back and each thrust yanked a new desperate moan out of him.

Everything seemed to slow down a bit and the human couldn't help but wonder if he was going numb. He wasn't sure if it was possible to feel anything else. But before he could continue that train of thought, the gloved hands that had been gripping his hips were at his shoulders and he was being picked up. There was no time to object because suddenly he was in the luke-warm water of the bath. He gripped the edges of the tub and could only look up from where he was lying on his back with confusion.

"Mitsutada?"

The mermaid just smirked at him and slowly lifted his entire body over the edge of the tub and onto the waiting human. It was a bit awkward like this, with his tail hitting the wall and curling up slightly, but he seemed happy enough to settle down between the human's legs, pressing their members together with much less force and more gentleness. Instead of penetrating Ookurikara again immediately, he rolled his hips at a steady but slow pace, and focused his efforts instead on the other's mouth. They were kissing tentatively, more lips than anything.

"Ookurikara," the mermaid hummed against the human's soft lips. Each movement was slower than before, but with more purpose. One hand traced the line of his hip while the other gently cupped his face. The change in pace threw the human off, but not as much as when the other paused their kissing in favor of resting their foreheads together. He frowned at the other's contented sigh. His displeasure didn't go long unnoticed though, and soon enough the mermaid met his eyes.

"Kuri-Chan. You're finally mine." With a smile that was nothing but genuine, Mitsutada looked down at the man he had been chasing after for the last year. That stupid smile overwhelmed him, and Ookurikara had to look away, fighting the red on his cheeks. When he didn't respond, the other kissed his face with a great deal of fondness. "I want to treasure you."

The comments were getting stupider and stupider and Ookurikara did /not/ find them endearing. Nope. Not at all. What kind of idiot stopped the sex half way because he wanted to talk about feelings? The fisherman buried his face in the crook of his companion's neck as he wrapped his arms about the other's back. This idiot was too much for him. Too make things worse, the grinding that they were doing was definitely not enough after earlier. Each small kiss only made him more desperate. But Mitsutada kept saying sweet things that made his ears red and goddamn it, could they just get on with it? Of course, there was no way he was about to say this out loud. The stupid mermaid chuckled and he responded by biting the other's neck.

This got him a response, and he started moving his hips at a much faster pace.

He wasn't going to say it, but he needed the other to know.

He wanted Mitsutada inside him again.

The bruises he was biting into the other's neck resulted in a variety of moans and gasps from the mermaid, who was doing his best not to thrash about in the tub. Water splashed around them. His hands shifted down the pale back, pulling, dragging. Even with their skin flush, it wasn't enough. Fingers slid over the scales that divided the man half from the fish half and he groped at what would have been an ass if the other was human. The feeling of the smooth scales distracted him for just long enough that Mitsutada was able to shake his head free. He chuckled again, but this time it was dark and deep. It sent shivers through Ookurikara's spine.

"Do you want something?"

The other pulled back, propping himself up with one hand as he created a space between their bodies. His eye was narrowed and his mouth pulled into a vicious smirk. With his free hand, he traced a slow line down Ookurikara's jaw and over his adam's apple. He descended slowly, down a collar bone, circling a nipple, dipping down abs and around a belly button. And then he diverted. His hand slipped around the fisherman's tan hips and along his ass before parting his cheeks with a finger.

"I'd be happy to help you if I can," he hummed with that same evil smile. Ookurikara wanted to deck him. The scowl only made him laugh again, and some of the teasing faded into a softer smile. "This is what you want, right?" Leave it to Mitsutada to double check even after they had already technically done it once. Of course Mitsutada would be worrying about hurting him or pressuring him into something he didn't want. Teasing or no, Mitsutada treated him far too gently.

"You're an idiot."

His response was blunt but exactly what they both needed. The merman shifted himself back down, guided by the fisherman's hands to the place he was wanted. They moved slower and in sync this time, the human shifting his ass down as his lover pushed into him slowly. He took in a shaky breath when he felt the smooth scales of Mitsutada's dark tail against his exposed ass; he was being penetrated completely. The mermaid was completely inside him again. He gripped the other a little tighter.

Reaching lips caught his in a thoughtful caress. Apparently this wholeness was just as mind blowing to the merman as well. He heard his name murmured and let his eyes flutter open. Waiting there for him with care as always was Mitsutada, who smiled softly before kissing his nose and humming his name again. Ookurikara had never before realized that they had the same color eyes.

As with earlier, they started moving together. Slowly at first, but steadily picking up pace in a way that made the water slap the sides of the tub and splash over. It only made sense that the merman would have more control in the water. Each movement was steady, and the thrusts hit him all the way to the core. His nails dug deep into the pale skin of the other's back, and he couldn't help but lean his head against the tub as he let out a low groan. Even the splashing of the water couldn't drown out the sound of the now very wet dick sliding in and out of him. All those ridges and bumps felt so good and he hoped that he was doing something of the same to his partner.

Opening his eyes for a moment, Ookurikara couldn't help but grin at Mitsutada's expression. His eye was closed in concentration, but the red on his cheeks and the way he was panting betrayed how much he was losing himself. He had never imagined that this sort of feeling was possible with another male. Fellow mermaids had talked about experiencing something like this when mating with their female partners, but Mitsutada had never imagined that would be something for him. To touch another so intimately, and at the same time, be swallowed up by them—it was enthralling. He wanted to send shivers through his partner's entire body. He wanted to make him whimper. But god, Ookurikara was so /tight/ and so /wet/ that Mitsutada couldn't focus on just pleasing him. Ookurikara shifted and squeezed him a bit tighter, and the mermaid feared he would lose it right then. The mermaid had of course always been fascinated by the other's legs, and now, having them wrapped tightly around his tail, squeezing him, was far too much. He heard his name called quietly and his eye snapped open.

His single eye met the pair that were looking at him fondly. And everything came falling down on him at once. Ookurikara had not only saved him, but also brought him to /his/ house. They had both agreed to belong to each other. And here they were, making love in the water. Ookurikara was his mate. All of this swelled in his chest and spread across his face in the brightest smile he had maybe ever made. The fisherman snorted and kissed him. Letting his feelings flow through his body, I knew what he needed to do.

"And now I will mate with you properly!"

The human's snort and "About god damn time" was cut short by a moan as Mitsutada pierced him.

They were both short on breath and close by this point, but the mermaid would be damned if he wasn't going to make this the most amazing thing the human had ever felt. Hips moving furiously and tail flipping erratically, he brought the speed up to a breakneck one. One hand steadied them on the edge of the tub while the other gripped his hips so he could fuck him at just the right angle. He wanted to fill his lover up to the very brim.

With each movement, Ookurikara's mind was wiped clean—all he could think was "Mitsutada! Mitsutada! Mitsu- fuck, god!" He needed every thrust. He needed to feel the way that sturdy back flexed beneath his gripping fingers. He needed the sliding of those smooth scales against his legs, the tail squirming and flailing as the merman desperately tried to make them one. He needed the deep moans. It was all too much and yet not enough at once.

And when his vision went white and Mitsutada's name was wrenched from his throat. And everything was perfect.

Sometime later, when the bathwater had been changed with something cleaner and they were both cuddled up on the floor of the shower, he couldn't help but wonder if it had even happened. But then Mitsutada brought his scaled tail up flush with the fisherman's tan legs. A content sigh was shared between the two of them, and Ookurikara could only chuckle. He never would have imagined that a merman would be his best catch.

END