I'm done with the pre-entrance exam I was doing! 99th percentile party up in here! I'm taking a break before I study for the next pre-entrance exam for another nursing school. I just wanna be proud of my results and enjoy myself ;)

To my reviewers:

Ahikodoesstuff: In Midoriya's case, it's like curiosity mixed with flattery. He's the type of person who would probably blush for days if he knew someone liked him. And since Todoroki doesn't hide it, it feels overwhelming.

Kichou: Yep they have candy. Sexy eye candy.

GUEST00197: No pressure at all! I don't like waiting long for chapters of stories I like either, so I hate to be the author who takes a while to update. I try to make up for it in long chapters. Tsuyu had some unfair cards to deal with, but which was the safer route to take? I honestly don't know without having one side mad at her.

memeutin1: ( ^ / ^ )

AnimeWolf2000: I'm glad you are! I want to get back to writing a chap for 'No Name' again, but it's hard to make my ideas sound right on the paper right now. Little bits and pieces will come together soon.

SpiritofLove961: Thanks! It started out pretty strong, so I hope it continues to please you.

hana koikogoro: I have guilty pleasure for Mer!Todoroki and Yandere!Todoroki. Thanks so much!

Yaoi Rosa-chan: The wait is over!...Until the end of the chapter…

silentmoon45: I'm excited that you like it! I love me some Obsessed Shouto with cute ass Midoriya!

After several uncomfortable minutes, Iida felt like something was seriously wrong. His gut told him over and over not to let Midoriya out of his sight, but he knew how much the prince needed some space from time to time. Midoriya was never unreasonable or overstepped boundaries. They should have been back at least twenty minutes ago.

His instincts took control, his body shooting up to stand. When his chair screeched back, everyone stared up at him.

"We need to go to the shoreside bar. Now!" he ordered his fellow knights. Without hesitating, Tokoyami and Kirishima got up to follow him. Bakugou finally realized Deku wasn't here.

"The nerd left?! You let him, four-eyes?!" he shouted to him. Iida had no time to argue.

"Enough! Get up!" he ordered, the tavern quieting at his words. A quick wave from the owner had everyone turning their backs to keep their privacy. But he turned to one of his staff and whispered something to them. The man quickly nodded and left the tavern.

Bakugou had gotten up when Kaminari turned to the others.

"Should we all go?" he asked, flinching when Uraraka got up with a fire in her eyes.

"No one's stopping me!" And neither were they. They all followed Iida out of the tavern, Iida, Bakugou and Uraraka the most heated.

Midoriya finally noticed the small details to the mer that he hadn't seen that night out at sea. There were patches of scales on his shoulders and down his arms in icy silver and passionate red. His muscles were well-defined and thicker than an average male their age. With these arms, he could easily carry Midoriya if he could walk on land. Midoriya was wearing clothes, but he could still feel how strong and hard his body was with a hand against his chest. Strength and handsome combined were a great weakness to Midoriya's confidence.

Midoriya stared into Shouto's eyes.

"M-mate? H-how do you know? We never met besides on the boat." Shouto exuded confidence.

"I know. It's in my nature. And now I can properly court you." Midoriya did a double take.

"C-court me?!" The mer nodded, reaching into the pouch he brought with him. Opening the bag, he grabbed the first gift he had brought his mate.

Todoroki held out his hand, a beautiful mauve pearl resting on his palm. It was so large that it looked like a stone at first. The pearl was larger than ones Midoriya had seen harvested from the coast. The color was richer and more lustrous than the ones most nobles had.

"A pearl?" he whispered, unable to take something of such value. Shouto smiled proudly.

"It's a pearl that only mers can harvest from the ocean. Not all merfolk can acquire it either. The only ones capable of reaching it have to overcome a maelstrom first." When his parents' anniversary came about months ago, Enji asked Rei what she wanted. She simply answered that he continue to love her, which Enji found ridiculous because he had no intention of stopping.

So he decided to gift her a pearl. The pearl farms near the city had minuscule gems and getting her one from there was an insult to her worth. The ones beyond the Musutafu maelstrom were undisturbed and grew bountifully. The advisors begged him not to go because of the danger, but Enji saw it as another challenge. He dragged Shouto with him to train, Dabi and Hawks accompanying them to find pearls for their mates as well. The maelstrom was one of the toughest days he ever faced, but after being tossed around like a rag doll in the ocean until finally reaching the tranquil coast where the oysters laid, he and his family got the pearls they needed. Fuck going through that maelstrom again. Shouto made an ice bridge for them over the ocean until the water stopped being turbulent.

At the time, getting a pearl was a trophy of what he accomplished. Before he left, he grabbed it with full intentions on giving it to his mate. He had more to give. This pearl was just one of many treasures he would give him.

Midoriya stared at the pearl in disbelief. If he got it after crossing a massive whirlpool, then it meant that he was impeccably strong. And he thought Midoriya was worthy of such a gift. Todoroki grinned.

"Thank you. You're worth more than this pearl." Izuku's jaw dropped. Had he said that out loud?

"I-I-I di-didn't-" The mer cut him off with a smile, nudging his open hand closer.

"Take it." It didn't seem like saying no was a good idea. Midoriya reached out and gently took it, admiring the round gem in his palm. But did that mean that he was accepting the courtship? He was still on the fence about that and it wasn't wise to send a mer mixed signals.

Todoroki was beside himself. His mate took the pearl and he thought himself unworthy of a stone. He would be more than happy to adorn him in the jewels of the sea below and make him a queen. With Midoriya being the prince of the land, it would be difficult to convince him to come to his kingdom without him feeling like he was abandoning his own. He understood, he truly did, but he was desperate to take him as his mate. They could be happy for the rest of their lives. He felt empty just thinking about leaving Izuku here rather than take him to his castle. His tail curled just a touch tighter around Midoriya's body, sighing at the comfortable warmth his mate gave out.

"Do you want to come with me to see my world below?" he offered, hoping to entice the curiosity of his future bride.

The doubt surfaced, the human gently pressing his teeth to his thumb. He was naturally curious about the world and thirsted to learn more about the unknown. All Might often joked that Midoriya would sleep in the library if he was allowed. He wasn't allowed to venture too far from the kingdom since his crowning as prince and he lived quietly with his mother before that. Now he was getting an offer to explore the depths of the sea with a seductive merman.

This was the time he was supposed to say no.

"I-I'm the prince of Yuuei," he squeaked, hoping that would deter him. Shouto smiled patiently.

"And I'm the prince of Endeavor. It only seems right that a prince escorts another in their home territory. It would be my pleasure to show you my kingdom."

'Soon to be yours too,' he wanted to add. Izuku's jaw dropped. He was also a prince? King Endeavor had three boys and a girl. Who would've thought that out of all mers he could attract, he attracted the Crown Prince?

Before Midoriya could reply, a familiar shout broke him away from the mer. On instinct, Shouto hissed sharply when his mate's attention diverged from him. Out of the corner of his eye, the crowd he was with was rushing to the shore. Front and center was Bakugou, using his quirk to blast himself forward ahead of everyone.

"Fucking Deku!" His yelling frightened Midoriya, who suddenly remembered the blonde's proposition. He was gonna murder him for not obeying.

"Kacchan!" he shouted. He winced when the tail around him tensed. Midoriya's heart dropped to his stomach, suddenly too scared to look up at the merman.

Good thing. Todoroki was none too pleased to hear the little nickname that came out of his mate's mouth. There was no way in hell an intense psycho like that would be named 'Kacchan.' He hissed when Bakugou came closer, throwing himself and Izuku back so he could swim away from him. Midoriya was kept above water, riding on top of Todoroki while he swam a dozen feet away. Sero shouted for Bakugou and shot tape out to grab him from going too far into the water and be at a disadvantage against a mer.

As Bakugou was being reeled back like he was a fish, he shouted at the top of his lungs to make sure Deku heard him.

"I said 'fuck the water,' Deku! NOT GET FUCKED BY WHAT'S INSIDE!" Behind him, the others were desperately trying to figure out how to reach the prince. The mer was inching further away and and attempts to swim would make them vulnerable. Satou beamed like he had the best plan ever.

"Mineta!" The grape haired boy didn't have time to think before he was suddenly snatched up by the brawny teen. He was grinning from ear-to-ear while holding him over his head.

"Use your sticky balls to keep outta the water!" A constant scream was echoed as he was thrown out to sea. In a panic, he threw as many balls as he could toward the water, but none towards the area he would land in. He fell into the water in an instant.

"HELP!" he screamed, his legs feeling like lead and fearing the merman who could kill him just by pulling him a couple inches under water. Sero had to save him with his tape.

"Tokoyami, use Dark Shadow!" Shouji suggested, finding his quirk useless in their situation. The raven shook his head.

"I can't. He can get out of control in this darkness and hurt Midoriya-ouji in the process. If the mer goes underwater, there won't be much light and Dark Shadow will run amok." They cursed and Kirishima quickly turned to Kouda.

"Kouda! Call a dolphin to save Midoriya!" The larger teen became frantic when everyone looked up at him hopefully.

"I-I did! But-" he pointed towards the mer, "it's not doing anything."

Todoroki was a little surprised when a dolphin swam up to him and Midoriya, the land prince shocked at seeing a dolphin so close up. Todoroki held up a hand to stop it, which it followed obediently. Mers naturally had a kinship with many marine animals.

"You can reach out to pet it," he murmured encouragingly in Midoriya's ear. Feeling the warm breath on his skin had him tingling in pleasure. The dolphin happily swum to the princes and cuddled under Midoriya's outstretched hand. Despite the tense situation, he smiled and giggled a little.

Bakugou wanted to rip his scalp out. "THIS ISN'T A FUCKING PETTING ZOO!"

He turned to Tokoyami and Uraraka. "Use Dark Shadow! Witch bitch, can you use fire spells?!"

She nodded fiercely and clutched her staff tightly.

"Tokoyami-kun! I'll use a fire spell for light if Dark Shadow goes too far!" Without hesitation now that he had backup, Tokoyami shot Dark Shadow out towards the mer, aiming to separate him from the prince. Dark Shadow was larger and more sinister than Midoriya had ever seen him. Todoroki clutched Midoriya to his chest, eyeing the assailing shadow as it neared. Ice might not be a strong enough shield. His left hand raised out of the water, basking in the free oxygen in the air before flames speared out and struck Dark Shadow. His form quickly reverted back until he was quivering, retreating back into Tokoyami so fast that it knocked him off his feet. His eyes went wide as he sat up hurriedly in the sand.

"Those flames! It's the Todoroki!" Around him, everyone froze. One wrong move and they could accidentally send their kingdoms to war.

After several breaths, Midoriya was suddenly fished out of the water and away from Todoroki, who hissed at the loss of his mate. Before he could charge back towards the shore for him, he was suddenly pushed back by a massive echo of someone's voice enhanced by a quirk. The group was surrounded by older soldiers they quickly recognized as the king's elite force. Aizawa, their former trainer, was at the front and using his quirk to cancel out Todoroki's. Yamada Hizashi was currently keeping him at bay and stopped once Midoriya was out of the water thanks to Hakamata Tsunagu. The prince landed softly on the sand and was hastily surrounded by his friends screaming his name.

A blue flame erupted out of the water to jolt Yamada out of focus, succeeding and forcing the blonde to scramble back from the scalding heat. Todoroki saw Touya rise out of the water close by, jerking his head for Shouto to follow him towards the shore.

Aizawa relinquished his quirk. They wouldn't try anything stupid with his group protecting the prince. He nodded in acknowledgement.

"Your Highnesses of Endeavor." Anyone higher up in the kingdom was known by the Todoroki and vice versa.

"Aizawa," Dabi greeted, tapping Shouto's tail underwater to bow his head in greeting. Aizawa sighed and glanced at his students.

"What's going on with you all? Our relations with the kingdom have been well." Dabi smirked and clapped a hand on Shouto's shoulder, much to the younger's displeasure.

"My kid brother here is mates with your beloved prince." The elite kept still, forcing themselves not to react in any way to offend the mers. But they all felt the same way. Their prince could be in trouble.

"..." Aizawa kept his stoic expression, narrowing his eyes just a bit that Dabi noticed.

"Are we at odds?" the older prince asked airily, keeping his blue eyes sharp against the human's. Aizawa simply shrugged.

"We'll leave that decision to our king. Have a safe trip back." He was giving them the chance to retreat and tell King Enji. They couldn't take the boys into questioning without sparking a reaction from the hotheaded king. Dabi nodded and turned towards the sea, but was quickly grabbed by Shouto.

"Touya-nii-!" he started to snap, but his brother clenched his shoulder, nodding to him.

"I know, Shouto. But we're outnumbered here. We gotta go back." The idea of leaving his mate brought a heartbroken mien to the younger prince.

"But my mate..." It sounded too similar to a whine, but Dabi couldn't tease him about it without having Shouto bite at him.

"We'll get him eventually. I prefer now, but we can't mess with the king's elite." He grabbed onto Shouto and dove into the water, the last sight the prince had of his mate being the confused, innocent stare on his face.

They were quickly joined by Natsuo and Momo, who looked dismayed at being unable to make contact with her mate. Natsuo had grabbed her a while back when he and Dabi came to the surface to check on them. Hearing from the humans that the elite was needed by the shoreside, they acted quickly to intervene and pull them out. Momo had been in the middle of making a glass bottle to toss into the sand for her mate to find, but wasn't able to get the bottle to where her mate usually stood once Natsuo found her and forced her to come with him.

Dabi said nothing and gestured for them to return to the castle. Enji was going to have a rude awakening.

"This is why I said 'fuck the water!' That mer could've dragged you to the ocean and you would've died down there!" shouted Bakugou as the group was being led back to the castle with the elite force.

The force consisted of many top soldiers deemed to be heroes of the kingdom, banding together under the king to serve as his and the civilians' protectors. The group had hundreds spread close by to the castle. It was Aizawa, Yamada, Hakamata and Ishiyama that were on patrol when a worker from the tavern ran up to them with a rumor that something was going to happen by the shoreside that involved the prince.

Hakamata, named Best Jeanist, scoffed.

"What sort of plan is that, Bakugou-kun?" he questioned firmly.

"A better plan than what he ended up doing!" Bakugou shot back. Midoriya hung his head, embarrassed by earlier. But he didn't regret speaking to the mer. The pearl he gave him was still tightly grasped in his hand. He had managed to keep it with him despite the commotion. It was a treasure he intended to keep to remind him of the handsome mer prince who looked at him lovingly. Aizawa glanced over at him, sighing tiredly.

"Luckily Midoriya didn't seem to be in any danger. Merfolk are crazy and obsessive, but not stupid. Not once did he try to dive underwater with him because he knew Midoriya couldn't breathe. We should be lucky that he didn't think to kiss and kidnap him. A mer's kiss grants humans the ability to breathe underwater." Midoriya blushed brightly as he imagined the mer kissing him, hiding his face in his hands. Aizawa caught his blush, narrowing his eyes at his former student.

"Look, Midoriya. You're the prince now. You gotta think about the kingdom first. We need you on land, not down the ocean with the prince who you think is cute. It's dangerous to be mated to a mer. We can't even be around you to protect you like this because mers see it as obstructions. He won't ever hurt you, that's true and that's probably why you'd have a crush on him. Their behavior isn't compatible with humans." Midoriya visibly deflated. Everything Aizawa said was true. Todoroki would probably give him the world, but he would gladly take him from the human one if it meant being together.

Yet his heart was burning at the thought of not being with him. Merfolk mate for life and were emotionally connected to their partners. He didn't think it could affect the rare human partners that they had.

Tsuyu had joined them just moments ago, lagging close behind Aizawa as she listened to what had happened. She guiltily watched as everyone was excitedly chattering about the strong mers they faced. Before they reached the king, she had to tell Aizawa about what she had done. It could be spun as treason.

As they approached the castle, Aizawa waved over a guard to run ahead and alert the king for an emergency meeting to discuss what had gone down tonight.

In minutes, the elite, Midoriya and his knights were brought into the throne room while the rest of Midoriya's friends were escorted to a sitting room to talk amongst each other and worry.

All Might's face didn't have his usual smile. This time he was deep in thought when he heard everything from Iida and Aizawa.

"So the princes of Endeavor surfaced. Todoroki-shounen said he was Midoriya-shounen's mate. I have met the young prince before when I met Endeavor for an impromptu meeting on the water. A good boy with plenty of potential as the next king. He seems indifferent, but has good intentions. To think he has fallen for our own prince is a little unsettling. He is a mer to the core and with King Enji being a prideful and traditional mer, he would want our prince to become the mate of theirs. Mers don't like rejection. This has become quite complicated." The king sighed. Had it been a common mer, it would've been easy to overwhelm the creature into backing down. Now knowing he was of royal blood, it could spark a potential battle.

His trusted advisor, Nighteye, was immediately apprehensive.

"Midoriya-ouji has been entrusted with the power of One for All as you have, King All Might. His duty as prince is to ensure that the fires of humanity continue to burn bright. We can't allow King Enji and his son to take him. We need to have a summit and negotiate. And we should probably replace the prince's current protection to the three knights who are about to advance to elites." He was talking about Mirio, Tamaki and Nejiro. The three upperclassmen were the brightest students of the academy currently training to become part of the king's elite force. They were really nice and Mirio was a huge supporter of Midoriya's future as king, promising to protect him even before his coronation.

Iida and his friends took offense.

"Nighteye-san! With all due respect, we are certainly capable of protecting the prince! Today was a mistake that will not be repeated!" Iida promised with Kirishima and Tokoyami agreeing behind him. Bakugou was practically on fire.

"I'M NOT ABOUT TO BE REPLACED! FUCKING DEKU JUST NEEDS TO BE BETTER AT LISTENING!" Midoriya sheepishly bowed his head. Nighteye rolled his eyes.

"Nonetheless, we need to amp up security and prepare. Our relations with the sea kingdom have been respectful because of admiration for the king. Midoriya-ouji should not be expended. He needs to stand his ground here as prince and stay." As he spoke, All Might noticed how his eyes kept shifting to Midoriya with a slight hint of worry. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. All Might nodded.

"We will take better measures to protect Midoriya-shounen. Prepare a statement for Selkie-kun to deliver to Endeavor. Iida-shounen, you and your knights are still primary protection and I will not allow you to fail again. Take better measures and consult with any of the elite to bolster defenses. You're all dismissed, except for the elites who saved the prince. You as well, Nighteye-kun." As everyone filed out of the throne room, Aizawa approached the king.

"Asui Tsuyu admitted to me that she may have had a hand in getting the princes to meet. I don't think she anticipated a fight to break out, but she had some idealistic thoughts. Any thoughts?" All Might sighed. She was a favorite of Aizawa's, but the teacher was always fair in punishments.

"Reprimand her appropriately. She will not be allowed to work with Selkie-kun's crew for the next three weeks. She doesn't have an evilness to her spirit, but she should've known better." Aizawa nodded, making a note to do so after All Might was finished speaking to them. Asui was a good kid, but she knew mers and the dangers since she swam in their waters often. Maybe she had some more info to help them know more about the water-dwelling neighbors below.

All Might glanced over at Nighteye, who seemed a little troubled. Knowing the younger man, he figured the meaning.

"What did you foresee?" At once, the other elites exchanged looks with one another, remaining quiet to gauge Nighteye's response. The bespectacled advisor frowned deeply.

"It was difficult to see myself with the murkiness. I saw the two princes, but I couldn't tell if both were humans or mers. For the sake of our kingdom, I hope they were humans."

The guards immediately alerted their king of the princes' return. The brothers and Momo knelt down before the king and waited to be spoken to. Endeavor massaged his temple.

"I'm assuming you ran into some trouble after finding your mate?" Enji had very little patience so late at night. Because Enji wasn't in bed, Rei woke up too and was by his side. Shouto frowned.

"A bit. I also found out that he's the heir to the throne of Yuuei." Enji's brows rose, but slowly settled as he growled.

"All Might's protégé? Of course you fall for someone in a complicated position. Now I have to speak to that smiling bastard. Touya, when do you expect Yuuei to send their men down and deliver a negotiation message?" Dabi chuckled.

"His elite were countering us. Chances are, it'll be soon." Endeavor groaned, his flames wavering just a bit before they flared up again. He turned to one of the guards on standby.

"You. Get the palace sea witches. I want a dozen potions that will turn us human and another dozen to change us back. Probably more. Before you come back, I want several of them now." The soldier saluted.

"Hai!" He headed off to the witches' sleeping quarters. Rei smiled gently.

"Am I going to the surface as well? I would like to meet this little prince. And I do like going to the surface." Enji wanted to say no at first. Rei was going to attract so much attention with her beauty that it might tempt him to char gawkers where they stood. But whatever Rei wanted, she often got and she rarely asked for much. Most her gifts from Enji were what he deemed worthy for her. He reluctantly nodded and winced when she smiled brightly and swam back to their bedroom to sleep.

Enji turned to Momo. "I'm assuming you want to come as well, but you know that asking another sea witch for a potion targets your pride. If you become human, you stay a human until you can make a potion on land. Either stay in the ocean to make your own, make one as a human or look weak to your fellow witches."

She bit her bottom lip, bowing her head. She didn't want to have such a reputation with her growth. However, imagining herself on that very shore with her mate by her side was so tempting. She had to speak to her mother about it. She bowed her head and swam to her home where her parents were waiting to hear about her adventure.

The guard came back with several potions in hand, kneeling and holding them out to the king. Endeavor turned to his boys.

"Get used to legs. We're not going on land and stumbling like baby deer in front of All Might. I won't allow it. Learn now or don't come to land. Even you, Shouto. If you don't learn how to walk as well as a human and fight with your quirk, you can't see your human. Don't you think he'll be embarrassed being next to a mate who becomes crippled after leaving the water?"

"…" That was meant as a warning against his pride. Shouto glared heatedly at his father and said nothing. His father smirked.

"Think of it as motivation. Now go." He grabbed the potions and pushed them towards his sons.

Hawks and the Todoroki brothers swam to the surface the next morning towards a small island that was property of the Todoroki clan. Because they negotiated with humans for decades, kings and their bodyguards would train to walk on land before they reached the humans. It was an insult to be vulnerable and show weakness when even human children were running around without difficulty.

Shouto drank the potion Hawks gave him, making a face at the taste before his tail suddenly ceased to obey him. His tail flopped on the wet sand, losing its vibrant colors and fading into Todoroki's skin tone. A crease ran between his legs and the scales dried and flaked off in the sun to reveal muscular legs. He was as naked as the humans he read in the books from their school. It felt exposing now that his scales and tail were gone and replaced with smooth skin and legs. He lifted one leg slowly, noting the heaviness of gravity. Grunting, he forced himself to try and stand, only to buckle and hit the ground like a baby calf.

Dabi was already standing, having practiced before when Endeavor made him come along for a trip to the surface months ago. He was wearing a long coat he brought with the clothes they would wear once they became human. He smirked at his brother.

"Welcome to the human world. You're gonna learn today. Start crawling until you can walk. Then we can try running once you get those two mastered. We've got all day." He burst out laughing when Natsuo face planted into the sand. Gritting his teeth, Shouto forced himself to get up again. He needed to master this soon so he could stand by his mate proudly. On land, in water, it didn't matter. He was going to have his mate by his side. Now to get his fucking legs to work.

Selkie arrived to the sea kingdom the next afternoon with the summons for Endeavor. The king took the summons without a word and scanned it. All Might asked for a summit in five days. That was expected. Too soon would be rude as a host. It gave Shouto plenty of time to practice. As impatient as Endeavor could be, he found the time needed and nodded to Selkie in agreement. In five days, his family would surface proudly as if they maneuvered on land just as well as the water.

On the day of the summit, King Enji surfaced with his wife, children and several of his soldiers to land. Momo joined them with her own potion in hand. Just the one that can turn her human. The nearest beach had to be cleared with the king and his elite waiting on the shore.

The mers all broke out of the water into the sunlight. With the lower half of their bodies still submerged, they drank their potions and waited for their tails to shed into legs. Acting quickly, they swam towards the shore with Enji forming a massive fire wall to block the human's view of them. He barked at his people to change quickly into the clothes they brought or risk looking foolish in front of hundreds. He also made time to threaten anyone who dared to peek over at Rei's body as she changed into an elegant blue dress. Shouto's clothes were on quickly and dried by his father's heat before the flames went away. King All Might didn't even break a sweat while some of his soldiers seemed uneasy by the sudden onslaught of heat.

"Welcome to Musutafu City again, King Enji." He nodded to the Sea King, who regarded him coolly.

"King All Might." 'He managed to keep the disdain to a minimum,' Aizawa noted sarcastically. All Might took Rei's hand and kissed it lightly. He saw that she was wearing an ice blue pearl necklace that was looped with platinum.

"Queen Rei, for a moment, I thought you were a sea goddess. Your pearl is beautiful, but pales in comparison to your beauty." She smiled politely and nodded to him. It was always nice to see the Hero King. Endeavor puffed out his chest in pride.

"I retrieved it personally from the coast passed the Musutafu Maelstrom. A dangerous feat to accomplish." All Might nodded.

"Of course, I know of it." He reached into his collar and lifted out a white titanium necklace with a large golden pearl shining in the sunlight. "I got my own during a swim there."

Endeavor deflated, growling lowly.

"He insulted me…" he grumbled for Dabi to hear. His eldest snickered.

"I don't think so, old man. His smile's too nice." All Might and his brilliant smile shifted to Shouto, who was tugging at the collar of the fancy shirt he was wearing.

"Todoroki-shounen. What a surprise to see you with human legs." He said it with enough fondness that Shouto couldn't be too dismissive. He made a face.

"It's still strange to me. I learned that gravity apparently hates standing." All Might laughed, standing proudly.

"I'm glad you've noticed. Come, let us talk in the castle. We have much to discuss." He motioned for the mers to follow him and his men to the palace. Shouto couldn't help but look up wistfully at the Hero King.

"And will the prince be there?" His look was full of hope and love. Mer behavior when thinking about mates. For a moment, All Might was happy that his protégé was wanted deeply.

"He will be."

End of this chapter! The next one will be a ton of fun. I haven't done next chapter previews in a while…

Next chapter preview:

"Courtship is important, is it not? Since you have such an issue with your prince being vulnerable in the sea, then Shouto will court him on land. I propose that he stay here and court Midoriya-ouji in both human and mer ways."

…

"THAT FUCKING FISH JUST MOCKED ME! BRING IT ON, FUCKING FISH STICKS!"

…

"Want to join me for a swim? You can hold onto me if we get too deep."