The car stopped at the beach property and Mahad helped Seto unload the monstrous boxes full of electronics, setting them on the rock for Seth to pick up before heading back into the house to move a giant portrait of an elderly woman to the rock as well.
He'd never seen Elder Iota, and he couldn't understand why Seto wanted to keep a funeral portrait of the old lady, but he kept the questions to himself. As long as the prince wasn't asking him to help smuggle illegal goods underwater, it was fine.
When the sun set precisely over the silvery buildings of the city, it brought a cool night breeze and heavy traffic in the streets. After much stopping at red lights and crowded crossings, they finally sped down an empty highway to the oceanside.
Mahad watched the horizon darkening and handed the blindfold to Seto tentatively, his arm shaking.
"Please put this on. We will be arriving soon," and Mahad prayed Seto wouldn't fight him. Thankfully, the prince kept his expression pleasant and tied the cloth strip around his eyes, his mind eerily blank.
Shifting uncomfortably, Mahad kept his thoughts to himself too, but he couldn't help but secretly wonder if Seto had obtained his memories and was now hiding the fact that he had.
The car pulled to a stop by a rocky embankment and Kaiba felt himself being led out of the car by a strong hand. Mahad's touch warmed his arm, and he slowly explored the feeling he had previously missed.
It was a protective and comforting warmth.
H-How nice.
Willing his face to remain impassive, Kaiba lowered himself bravely over the edge of the rock, hearing Mahad call out to him predictably, "Careful!" And his foot nearly slipped on the topmost rung of the metal ladder leading down to the Chrysalis.
Hissing in annoyance, Kaiba steadied himself and inched his way down, cursing under his breath. Damn this blindfold. Couldn't they trust him with this information just once?
Rocks crunched underneath his foot the second his shoe landed on the ground, and Kaiba stood to the side, leaning against the cold wall of the chrysalis, feeling Mahad drop down into the space beside him and reach out to whip the blindfold off quickly.
His vision blurred and then brightened. Kaiba blinked and focused on the neat circle of rocks surrounding a shallow pool of water, and he wasted no time getting undressed, his mind filled with his agenda.
There was a long list of errands waiting for him.
Preserve the death portrait of Isono.
Bury routers in the sand.
Regain his status as royalty, officially.
Possibly find time to visit Adina and Atem on land in-between planning a shrine with Seth's architect.
Staring down at his knees knitting together, he watched transparent scales take on a blue-green hue, and he was aware of Mahad's discomfort. The warrior was sitting extremely still beside him, trying not to make a single splash, clearly unnerved by all the silence.
"Seto…" Mahad began nervously, watching the prince ease into the ocean water until he was elbows-deep in the wading pool. "Have you regained your memories?"
He received a cold silence, and the prince sank shoulders deep into the water, flipping his blue-green tail above the water to inspect it with a nonchalant air.
"Maybe," Seto replied vaguely, giving Mahad a long look before sinking underneath the water completely to take a deep breath, and he called back in his mind.
See you at the bottom! I've got shit to do.
Mahad was left sitting uncertainly at the Chrysalis's edge, filled with anxiety as he stared at the rippling water until it grew still. Shaking his head, he stared down at his own fins, wondering if his life would ever return to peaceful times before he'd met Princes Seth and Seto.
Sunlight streamed beautifully down from the surface in gentle rays as Seto powered through the water with his arms flat at his sides, aiming for his hemisphere. He spotted a pod of merpeople swimming in formation, and he slowly floated to a stop, seeing a flash of bright hair that made his stomach twist with a strange feeling.
The only people he knew who swam in formation were the military and hunters.
Daring to swim closer, Seto's mouth went dry when he recognized the merman leading the pod.
It was Dartz, with his pale skin, sharp features, long flowing hair and two-colored eyes. He had a large fish in tow, and several men in his pod were hovering protectively around it, with their spears raised, on high alert.
Seto blinked and willed his face to remain impassive. He recognized the large fish instantly, and his heart soared with joy as he itched to get his hands on it.
It was a fully matured Huso Huso; exactly what Grandpapi had requested!
Was this a gift for Seth? Something to win his heart? Not that it needed winning….
"Prince Seto… A pleasure," Dartz bowed instantly, and Seto didn't bother with a greeting. He eyed the braided seaweed leash hungrily in the hunter's pale hand, his body burning with determination.
"Is that for Seth?" Seto asked brashly, already reaching his hand out for the leash. "I'll take it—"
"Yes, and I won't make the mistake of giving her to the wrong brother," Dartz replied coldly, floating back to let his men hover protectively in front of him, almost blocking him from view.
Ah, fuck this guy, Seto thought irritably, forcing a smile on his face and gesturing for the hunter to follow.
"Right this way," he said as politely as he could manage, and he turned with a swish of his fins, scheming and plotting.
This saved him one enormous task of catching one himself! Now if he could just wheedle this damn fish out of Dartz's grip….
They swam past one of the hemisphere guards who saluted Seto stiffly, and Seto nodded at him absently, still lost in his own thoughts, deciding he would do it now, by pressing slight commands into a clever lie, and win the fish from the Hunter.
Seto turned around quickly and caught Dartz's eye, giving him the most charming smile he could muster and said, "I'll bring the fish into his room. He talked about you but…" He stopped himself intentionally and looked away, pretending to sound thoughtful, making sure to leave a faint thought floating in the water between them to confuse Dartz further.
This fish won't make a difference anyway.
"…Never mind. I'll bring it in. Give her here," Seto insisted, showing off his fangs in a nervous grimace. "She's in safe hands with me."
Predictably, Dartz paled and gripped the seaweed leash harder, his cheeks flushing. "What do you mean? I heard that! Y-You said it wouldn't make a difference!"
"Shut…up!" Seto raged gleefully, pressing a finger to his lips and grabbing Dartz boldly by the arm and dragged him to the half-open door of his dwelling.
"We'll talk in here, and don't think too loudly," Seto hissed, giving the hunter a nudge and grabbing the fish's leash and pulling her into the room with them. He gave Dartz's men a meaningful look and said brashly, "Patrol the Hemisphere. One of you can stay here and guard the door."
The men didn't even blink before they obeyed without objection and scattered. One man stayed behind and squared his shoulders back importantly, floating by the door and gripping his spear with white knuckles.
"Good," Seto snickered, and he slammed the door, whirling around to face Dartz, who was observing the room with a keen eye, his cheeks still dark pink.
"Does his room look like this too?" The hunter asked eagerly, unable to hide his curiosity, and Seto rolled his eyes, snatching the fish's leash from his hand and tying her to the bedpost.
Fish secured.
Now…it was time to do Seth a favor.
"I'll explain it to you, but only once, because repeating it disgusts me," Seto said cleverly, watching the Hunter's face go through a series of transformations, going from fearful, to curious, and then concern in the span of a few seconds.
"…I'm ready to hear it," Dartz said uncertainly, and his gaze shifted to the left. He was clearly afraid of hearing bad news.
"My brother is stringing you along," Seto said bluntly, crossing his arms and nodding. "He likes you enough to mate with you, but he also enjoys being courted, and he's afraid that the courting will stop once you mate."
Dartz blinked rapidly and flushed dark red, lowering his gaze to the sandy floor and nodding.
"We never had this conversation, and you came to this conclusion all on your own," Seto continued casually, turning to examine his reflection in the mirror. "But I guarantee that if you make a move on him, he will respond. He finds you attractive."
"I understand. I will keep up the courting even after we mate," Dartz nodded vigorously, his eyes gleaming with determination. "I'll show him that I'm worthy."
"Please shut up and get out," Seto replied airily, hearing himself sound an awful lot like Adina. "You can surprise him in his room. I give you permission to enter it. Now leave."
Dartz didn't move from his spot for a few heartbeats before he bent himself in a deep bow.
Seto smirked and watched the hunter carefully on the mirror's reflection. Dartz didn't bother making eye contact when he straightened up out of the bow to zoom out of the room, leaving a trail of white bubbles behind him.
Satisfied, Seto eyed his reflection one last time before he turned to address the fish.
"How about I build you a nice new home in a shrine?"
The fish floated lazily around in a circle and replied carelessly, "…If you feed me every day, I'll live wherever you want…"
Perfect, Seto beamed, and he dove for his desk, in search of paper when he heard a loud crash coming from the other side of the wall.
Seth had dropped the vase he was holding when he saw Dartz lounging casually in his reading nook, with his silvery teal hair splayed out over the backrest of the sponge chair.
"Wh-What are you doing here?! I-I mean…greetings… Master Dartz," Seth's shocked cry faded to a nervous mumble, and he averted his gaze quickly, unable to meet the hunter's beautiful two-toned gaze.
One thought churned continuously in his mind: This had to be Seto's doing. Otherwise, why would the hunter enter his room so brashly without permission?!
Ah…of course, he suspects, Dartz balked privately, also looking away anxiously, noting that Seth's room had more personal touches than Seto's room. The prince had set out photographs and hung drawings by the Princess on his walls. Magazines neatly preserved in plastic were stacked on his desk, with a few human gadgets on display as well.
Prince Seto's room was barren in comparison.
The twins were really like night and day.
"Can I help you?" Seth asked, finally managing to compose himself enough to look Dartz in the eye, and his heart skipped a nervous beat.
Dartz hesitated before he decided to be completely honest, and he folded his hands sheepishly over his fins, "I brought you a gift, but I realize now that Seto may have taken it from me in your place."
"Of course he did," Seth growled, feeling a brief flash of anger. Seto was being insufferable as usual. Why was his twin stealing courting gifts from this hunter?!
Couldn't he have this one good thing for himself?
"It was a Great Sturgeon, tamed and caught all the way from the Black Sea," Dartz offered helpfully, feeling the water grow cold with tension, and he silently cursed Prince Seto in his mind, but this was the right thing to say, because Seth relaxed instantly and laughed handsomely.
"I understand," Seth nodded, bravely floating closer to sit on the edge of his bed. "Seto has always been fascinated with those fish ever since we were children. You got him the perfect gift."
"…It…was for you," Dartz said awkwardly, and to his relief, Seth laughed merrily again, so he gazed hungrily into the prince's face, watching him laugh.
Seth beamed and gave Dartz an admiring look. "You did well. Without knowing, you officially won his trust, and this will make your life easier. I assume he gave you something well worth your time in return?"
"No, not at all—" Dartz protested, and his throat tightened when he realized this was indeed true. In return for the fish, he'd gained valuable information that Seto had previously withheld.
"So he did," Seth nodded, waving a hand over his nose, unfazed. "What was it?"
"…Nothing really. It was a gentleman's agreement," Dartz said nervously, his tongue swelling with the lie, and Seth took it in stride.
"How nice," the prince shrugged and glanced briefly at the door, wondering if it was time to leave. "Well, I'm happy you stopped by. I'm quite busy today—"
"Please consider me as a mate!" Dartz interrupted, his ears flushing crimson as he sat up straighter in the sponge chair, his hair swirling around his elbows at the sudden movement.
Stunned, Seth sat very still on the edge of his bed and nodded formally.
"I will. I have considered it," Seth replied, his ears matching Dartz's cheeks in the same shade of red.
There was an awkward silence, and Seth, thinking the conversation was over, rose from the bed, but was caught off guard when the hunter darted forward with surprising speed, his arms outstretched, locking around Seth's slender neck to pull him into a tight embrace. A warm breath grazed Seth's cheek briefly, followed by a pair of soft lips crashing down over his, sending a jolt of electricity raking down his chest, rooting him to the spot.
Dumbstruck and conflicted, Seth sat very still and received the kiss politely, biting back a shiver when he thought he felt a silky tongue darting daringly through the fronts of his teeth to taste him. His stomach twisted with arousal and he jerked his head back to press a hand over his mouth, horrified with himself as Dartz hovered over him, grinning so wide that the sun glinted prettily off of his fangs.
Dartz pointed his clawed hand downwards, and Seth slowly followed his gaze, astounded to see his own arousal sticking solidly upwards from his center. Mortified, Seth shoved his hands down to cover himself, opening his mouth to protest just as the door to his room swung open, and Seto barged in brashly and began talking non-stop, carrying a notepad in one hand, along with a pen stuck behind his ear.
"…So who is that architect you hired to build Atem's room?" Seto began, resolutely ignoring Seth's embarrassment. "Give me her name again, I have something I want to run by her—"
"GET…OUT!" Seth shouted, and Dartz darted back to the safety of the sponge chair, gathering the cushions into his lap to hide his arousal, his body burning with humiliation.
Prince Seto was dangerous in the worst ways!
"Just tell me her name or where to find her," Seto pressed impatiently, seeing the octopus he'd ordered hovering by the door of Seth's room. "Hurry up. Old King Solomon is expecting me back."
There was a frosty silence, and Seto glanced at the hunter sitting awkwardly in the chair with the cushions piled on his lap and then back to Seth, who had his fins tucked under him and his palms flat against the spot just below his navel….
Damn. He'd come in at a bad time.
"You're both disgusting," Seto announced, and he turned hastily to leave, feeling a pillow whizzing by his ear. He dodged it nimbly and shut the door behind him, seeing the pillow follow him out. It lost its momentum the moment it passed the door frame and bobbed up and down in the water before him with Seth's thoughts ringing in his ears.
Seto, I swear on Suijin's Staff, if you don't knock next time, I will murder you on the spot!
I'll knock…the next time he's here, Seto replied airily, biting the inside of his cheek when he felt a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
Fine. He would run the shrine past Seth when he was done fucking.
Most of his work was done here anyway. He'd successfully buried routers in the sand, cast protection pacts on them, and linked them to four phones, also secured with pacts. If Seth was too busy having sex to help him test this, he'd have to find and ask the next merperson he trusted: Mahad.
Almost as if his thoughts had summoned the warrior, Mahad came into view, powering down from above with his long hair streaming behind his ears, his handsome face wrinkled with concern as he floated to a stop above Seto.
"I've been looking for you!" Mahad said angrily, feeling a familiar rush of disdain for the careless prince. "I asked around and people said they spotted you swimming to the outskirts of the hemisphere. Don't disappear like that again!"
"I was looking for you," Seto shot back coolly, edging back to his room and gesturing for the warrior to follow. "Can you help with something?"
"No," Mahad replied stonily, crossing his muscular arms across his chest. "We are heading back to the Kingdom of Muran now."
Seto blinked and waited for a rush of anger to follow Mahad's words, but all he felt was a quiet determination. He could almost see Mahad's resentment emanating from him in large waves, and he grimaced.
Damn.
He had to make it up to Mahad somehow.
He owed this warrior his life after all.
"I want to bring a few things, and this will help you—help us," Seto corrected himself, already swimming into his room to pick up the four phones he'd left on his desk. He kept one in plain view and tore a piece of paper from the notepad he was holding, jotting down a quick note for Seth.
Mahad blinked and watched the prince write with careful fluidity, unable to hide his shock. He was so accustomed to seeing Seto behaving like a human, anytime he did anything remotely mer-related, it was always terrifying.
He read the note over Seto's shoulder without meaning to and felt slightly guilty for prying.
It was a cheeky note to Seth.
"Seth, once you're done xxx-ing that hunter, keep this phone with you. I'll be attempting to contact you with it from Atem's kingdom, and DON'T disturb the sand in my room, got it?
Love you. See you soon."
"Why shouldn't he disturb the sand?" Mahad asked gruffly, automatically reaching his hand out to accept the phone that was handed to him, and he received a sly grin.
"I buried something there that would help boost the signal," Seto replied mysteriously, floating past him and grabbing a seaweed pouch that was hanging off the back of the door, tossing the phones unceremoniously into it.
"I'll ask you for your help again, nicely," Seto continued, aiming to keep his tone casual as he handed Mahad the bag. "Please swim this back down. I'll follow you with the portrait of the Elder. I should only be a few sunlit hours behind you if you head down now, and I head to shore for the portrait."
Mahad accepted the bag with a disgruntled nod and slung it over his shoulder. Fine, fine.
This was part of his duty as a warrior. He would help Prince Seto because he was being asked to.
"Thanks," Seto flashed Mahad a grin and pointed a slender finger at the surface. "I'll make it worth your while. Call me from it once you get back to Muran. If the phones work at your depth, you get to keep one, and I'll make one for all of your pod commanders. Deal?"
"You say you can make this phone work underwater for me and my men?" Mahad scoffed, feeling a laugh climbing up his chest. "Very well, Prince Seto. I would like to see that happen."
"Good, then go now. I'll wait here for your call and swim back the second I get it. If not…" Seto shrugged and grimaced. "I'll come down on my own to face Solomon after 24 hours. Deal?"
Deal, Mahad replied in his mind, turning with a swish of his violet fins and darting straight upwards.
Seto dared to wave, and he saw the merman raise his hand over his head in a formal salute before his shadow disappeared, melting into the wavy streams of sunlight coming from above.
Aw…how nice. He now had a beta tester for his first underwater phones.
This also bought him a solid 24 hours at the surface.
Exhilarated by the thought of surprising Atem at the beach property, Seto darted upwards and enjoyed the way the water streamed past his cheeks and ears as he swam for the bright light above. His heart thundered with joy as his head broke the surface and he took a deep breath, feeling water trickle down his cheeks as the late afternoon sun warmed his shoulders nicely.
Now this was bliss.
Flipping onto his back, Seto floated happily towards shore as he gazed up at the clear blue sky, letting each bobbing wave wash him closer and closer. He didn't need to look.
He could feel where the water was taking him.
He was more connected to everything than he'd ever had in a long time.
Several boats were in the water, but not close enough to matter. Their engines rumbled quietly in the distance, followed by the quiet whispering of several schools of fish passing by underneath him.
Closing his eyes, he let the warm waves carry him closer to shallow water, immensely grateful for all the memories he'd found. They completed him and helped tame the growling beast that reared it's ugly head anytime he was challenged by another person.
He finally understood where he belonged, where he came from, and his purpose, which he was so close to completing.
The one unwavering fact was his stance on humans.
He hated them and would never trust or forgive any of them for attacking the ocean. If Adina made some human friends in school and wanted to keep in contact, he'd have some issues coming to terms with that.
Frowning to himself, Seto floated slowly and rolled over onto his stomach, bobbing up against another shallow wave, wondering if Atem could heal that terrible notion inside of him.
Atem was very accepting of humans, even though he'd experienced the same pain and had lost both his parents to human violence.
"I'll never understand," Seto muttered, resting his cheek against the rock and briefly enjoying the coolness against his skin. He heard a rustle above him and jerked his head up to see Atem hovering on the rock above him, smiling prettily.
His heart leapt into his throat and Seto stared, his mouth going dry as he wondered if Atem had heard his thoughts.
"What don't you understand?" Atem asked instantly, reaching down to tousle Seto's wet hair playfully between his fingers.
Seto swallowed thinly and replied, "…humans."
It seemed Atem hadn't heard him after all.
Atem frowned lightly and gave Seto a funny look. "Now I don't understand," the merking declared, and Seto leaned against the rock to give Atem a stiff smile.
"I despise humans and can't trust them at all," Seto said firmly, seeing Atem's angular eyes widen prettily, and the merking laughed.
"Why would you say that?" Atem prompted, leaning closer to the water as a wave splashed up against the side, spraying his cheek with cold droplets. "I'm human right now, and you trust me, don't you?"
"I don't know. Can I trust you?" Seto shot back teasingly, crossing his arms and deciding to mess with the king. "Humans are cruel, greedy, and all they want to do is raid the ocean for their own selfish reasons. You're probably the same."
Atem blinked and the air left his lungs in a stiff whoosh! as he gazed down into Seto's pale face, staring at the way his almond eyes were narrowed and the way his cheekbones glistened handsomely with water.
What was this? An act?
"Are you feeling ill?" Atem bristled, and he sat down on the rock with his legs crossed, not caring that he was getting his pants wet. "I came all the way here to meet you. The least you could do is say something nice to me. What happened? Someone anger you on the way up here?"
Seto said nothing and dipped his head lower in the water until his chin got drenched from an oncoming wave.
A mild silence grew between them, and Atem waited for Seto to say something. When he didn't, he reached a hand down into the icy water, resting it on Seto's shoulder and feeling him tense.
"Where do you begin to define 'human,' Seto?" Atem asked genuinely, wondering if his partner was having another crisis about accepting life with his fins. "We're all a little human. There are bad humans, and good humans, just like how there are bad merpeople. Ever met the Dungeon Master's twin, Bakura? Now there's a vile merperson—"
"'Not all humans are bad'? That's your reasoning?" Seto scowled shrewdly, suddenly feeling a dark, bubble of rage swirling low in his chest. "Merpeople can be bad, but they're bad in a different way."
"…Or the same way," Atem replied simply, shifting his position on the rock and gazing out over the ocean's horizon, watching the sun begin to set, painting the sky a pretty shade of bright orange. "The way bad merpeople behave is just as damaging to our society compared to the way bad humans behave. Wouldn't you agree?"
Seto grit his teeth and felt his eyes heat up as he nodded. Sure. He could agree to that singular statement without an argument.
"What's gotten into you?" Atem mirrored Seto's deep frown and his heart sank. "Did something happen? You can tell me."
Seto blinked rapidly and squared his shoulders back, deciding to stick to the mermaid act to save his own skin from embarrassment.
"Yeah, something did happen. You're a human that's seen me," Seto replied with a fiendish grin, hoping his voice didn't waver. "It's better you forget about me for the next hundred years. Later, loser."
He ducked his head underwater and heard Atem let out an incredulous shout of laughter above him. Seto breathed a slow sigh of relief, seeing white bubbles emerge from his lips and glide past his cheek, leaning against the rock to secretly listen to Atem's thoughts.
I see! He wants to play, Atem hovered gleefully over the edge of the rock, sticking his hand into the water and waving it energetically.
Staring up at the tanned hand in the water above him, Seto slowly reached his hand up to close his fingers around Atem's hand, slowly rising out of the water to meet his gaze, seeing Atem flush happily.
"Please don't go. I'll show you something fun?" Atem asked hopefully, feeling his hand burn from the coldness of Seto's skin, his chest tightening every time he saw a bead of water curl down Seto's sharp jaw.
"I already know everything there is to know about humans," Seto said cattily, trying to withdraw his hand, but Atem tightened his grip, causing his heart to skip a beat. The sun setting behind him cast a brilliant orange glow across Atem's high cheekbones, and he couldn't help but stare.
"Ever seen a naked human?" Atem winked playfully, and to his dismay Seto responded instantly, looking away with disinterest.
"Yes."
"Ever touched a naked human?" Atem pressed, his eyes widening. "I'll let you do that to me just this once, and I won't struggle."
To his delight, he saw Seto's cheeks flush pink, and he celebrated silently.
"…Fine. But I'll watch from afar first," Seto retorted loftily, and Atem beamed, sitting back on his heels to quickly shrug off his jacket and discard it on the rock beside him, followed quickly by his collared shirt, and the thin, black tank underneath it.
Seto held his breath when he saw Atem shiver, and he bit his tongue to keep the corners of his mouth from curling upwards into a smile. His head rushed with glee when he saw Atem fumble with his belt, and he finally understood why Atem enjoyed watching him strip.
It was cute, and hilarious. Clothes were a human inconvenience, plain and simple.
At last, Atem sat shivering atop the wet rock, gingerly easing himself back down into a sitting position and wincing at the clammy iciness from the rock seeping into his skin. Goosebumps ran up and down his arms when he noticed Seto's cold blue gaze raking intrusively down the front of his chest to stare at his pert nipples.
"Alright. I'm done looking," Seto announced, smirking when he saw Atem flush dark red and visibly tense.
"I'm offering you an experience of a lifetime," Atem replied heatedly, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth. "Swim away then, and many years from now, you can think back on this moment and regret it."
Seto threw his head back and laughed, his heart thundering in his ears as he willed himself to remain composed. This was too good!
A wave rushing from behind pushed him closer to the rock, and he reached up to rest a hand on Atem's thigh, gazing rapturously into Atem's delicate face. He chanced a glance down and was pleasantly shocked to see a solid erection sticking up from between Atem's slender legs, and a tanned hand came for his cheek, cupping his face tenderly.
"Use your mouth," Atem demanded with an impish grin. "…It's a common human mating technique. Try it out for yourself."
Seto tucked his tongue in his cheek to bite back a smile and rested his chin on the inside of Atem's knee, ignoring the boner that was jutting inches from his nose and choosing instead to look into his violet eyes which were narrowed with lust.
"You'll like it," Atem added desperately, curling his fingers in through the locks of Seto's wet hair, his heart thudding in his throat. "Please—" His voice caught when Seto rose up from the water and surged forward without warning, ramming his head down on his arousal with frightening speed, sending a curling jolt of fire streaming down his chest. Breathless and overjoyed, Atem shivered and leaned back to enjoy the view. Seto was really overextending himself by keeping himself half-raised in the water by beating his fins vigorously in the water to keep himself buoyant, and a hint of blue-green scales creeping up around his hips would flash enticingly every time a wave receded.
Atem let his breath out slowly, losing himself in the wonderful swirls of Seto's tongue sliding teasingly in and out through his slit, and he shivered again, trying to shift himself into a more comfortable position on the rock, he was trapped in an odd position. Everything was wet and scratchy around him, and the repeated pleasurable assault from Seto's tongue on his dick made it hard for him to focus.
A hot breath panned down his inner thigh, and he tensed, seeing Seto's clawed hands tightening over his knee, nearly drawing blood. He tried to move leg, but Seto held him down firmly, continuing to bob his head between his legs, intent on making him finish by sending large jolts of electricity down his legs every time his tongue circled his tip and curled around the underside of his shaft, eliciting another happy shiver.
Seto was having a hard time enjoying himself, because Atem kept slipping lower on the rock. Fed up with it, Seto snaked his arms around Atem's waist and pulled him closer to the water's edge, seeing him grimace and raise his feet to avoid an oncoming wave, flashing him his balls in the process when he lifted his legs.
"It's…cold!" Atem hissed, and Seto lifted his head, his lips stinging from the lack of contact as he gazed briefly into Atem's flushed face and nodded.
Cold.
Sure. That could be fixed.
He tightened his arms around Atem's body and pulled him into the water, hearing the king yell and fight back half-heartedly, clinging to him furiously.
"S-Seto!" Atem sputtered, locking his arms around Seto's neck and growing numb when he felt the water heating up around them instantly, and he didn't relax his grip. It seemed Seto had grown accustomed to his mer-body at last….
He was jolted out of his thoughts by a fiery kiss with tongue and fangs grazing his lower lip enticingly, and Atem hungrily leaned in for more, parting his mouth wider and tasting a wonderful, refreshing tang from Seto's breath. It was dramatically different from his usual, heavy, coffee-laden scent, and Atem inhaled deeply, diving in and curling his tongue against the roof of Seto's mouth, his mind spinning with wonder.
Did Seto…forget to drink coffee…on land…yesterday?
Seto heard this thought and his mind buzzed strangely as he realized he had indeed neglected to drink his usual gallon of coffee before leaving the mansion. Perhaps he didn't need it, given how he was so in sync with the moon recently. He was riding a buzz off of a recent waning gibbous—
Atem jerked his head back and stared into his eyes, his lips swelling from the kiss as he panted, "what are you thinking about? I'm hearing some…mermaid nonsense."
A dry laugh wrenched itself out from Seto's throat that turned into a guttural growl as he pressed Atem against the rock and attacked his ears and neck with a flurry of bites and heated kisses, enjoying the way Atem locked his legs around his waist and squirmed delightfully, roughly poking his bare erection against his stomach. Snickering, Seto rocked his hips forward in response and dove forward to capture Atem's lips in another passionate kiss as Atem's hands snuck up the back of his head and gave his hair an impatient yank.
"…Hurry up," Atem breathed, his body burning as he wondered why Seto wasn't touching him with the same urgency as before. "What's wrong? Are you bored?"
"Bored?" Seto echoed incredulously, his heart sinking when he wondered what he could've done to imply that he was bored. He wasn't! This was 'savoring the moment'!
Atem narrowed his eyes and was about to retaliate when he felt something warm and slippery creep up between his legs, brushing against the sensitive crack where his balls met his asshole, and he let out a stifled cry, growing hot and cold all over as Seto's face changed dramatically, and his handsome features darkened into a cold leer.
"I'm so bored," Seto said emotionlessly while his heart fluttered wildly in his chest, threatening to explode with a laugh. "Show me something else."
Atem opened his mouth to speak again, but his voice died. Seto's breath was washing over him like as sweet perfume while the heated tongue underneath his balls kept lapping at the space just beneath them, deliberately avoiding his hole and his arousal, keeping him suspended in an agonizing, pleasurable limbo. His dick throbbed angrily, and he tried to reach his hand around to stroke himself, but Seto was faster. His hand was slapped away, and Seto curled his slender fingers around his hardness with intense languidness while he smirked, the corners of his lips curved upwards prettily.
"What am I doing wrong?" Seto asked heartlessly, enjoying Atem's struggle tenfold as the mer-king kept flushing a darker shade of red while he attempted to speak through the waves of pleasure assaulting his body. Atem's legs kept tightening and loosening around Seto's hips, and after a few teasing strokes up and down along his shaft, Atem tensed and felt an explosive white-hot fire climbing up his stomach, making him cum in a rough heave in the water between them.
"Oh, how disappointing," Seto frowned teasingly, and bent forward to press a kiss on Atem's cheek. "I hear humans can only go once. Is that true?"
Limp and at a loss for words, Atem grit his teeth and shook his head, curling himself tighter up against Seto's bare chest and listening to the thundering of his heart through the ringing of his ears.
When he came down from his orgasm, Atem froze again when he realized Seto's arousal was still prodding around underneath him, searching for his hole, and he let out a nervous shout when the slippery tongue slid playfully around his asscheeks before finding his hole and giving the rim a teasing, circular lick, sending a wave of heat rising up beneath him.
"S-Seto…wait. I already came. You're correct. I can only go once," Atem said as evenly as he could, but his voice shook, and Seto wasn't listening. His blue eyes had gone dark and there was a permanent smirk sitting on his lips.
"No. You can go multiple times…as per our pact," Seto said wickedly, and he only had to wait one heartbeat, seeing Atem's eyes to widen with shock before he shoved himself into Atem's heat in one, steady motion, shivering when he felt Atem clench around him almost too tightly, and his body burned with joy at the expressions Atem was making beneath him.
Atem struggled to keep his eyes open, but they didn't seem to want to stay open. His body was floating, and he aware of every mind-numbing thrust Seto was giving him, but at the same time, he couldn't fathom what was happening—only that he was unraveling, and Seto was showing him decades worth of pleasure in one love-making session, so he kept his eyes shut and relished in every heated thrust that curled higher and higher inside him, touching a point of raw longing inside of him that got drawn out every time Seto withdrew and trailed loving, soft kisses down his face and neck. When Atem did finally manage to crack his eyes open, the silvery stars in the night sky above blurred and spun heavily in his vision. He tightened his legs around Seto's waist with the last of his strength and rode out the waves of ecstasy as Seto leaned into him, tucking his chin over his shoulder to give him achingly slow, passionate thrusts that rocked his body harder than the waves that crashed against the rock around them.
An orgasm was nowhere in sight.
Every time Seto entered him, he would be brought to a mountainous high, his body would shiver and tense, his ears would ring, and a curling heat would spill forth, but never enough to drive him over the pleasurable edge. Seto's handsome face was always inches from his, reading him skillfully and kissing him intermittently between his ragged breaths, giving him time to recover before sending him into a wild frenzy, sometimes even pulling out of his ass to curl lovingly around his dick and give him a few upward strokes.
"I… can't…anymore…" Atem gasped, his chest so tight, he was having trouble breathing.
Every breath was pleasure.
Every movement was a mixture of heavenly bliss, and Seto seemed to know this.
"Hold your breath," Seto commanded, and Atem did as he was told, inhaling as much air as he could into his tight lungs before Seto embraced him tightly and kicked off the rock, throwing them into an oncoming wave that washed them to shore in one powerful rush.
The sand skidded along Atem's shoulder blades, but it didn't hurt, so he didn't mind. He laid back and felt his hair sink into the wetness underneath him as Seto hovered lustfully over him and grabbed his hips, spreading his legs unabashedly and continuing to enjoy himself by ramming his hardness repeatedly into his hole which was clenching with excitement, sending happy jolts up his stomach and chest.
Seto glanced down and burned the image of Atem, limp and wanton, splayed out on the sand before him into his mind, feeling as if he was on top of the world. Yes. This was how it was supposed to be.
Atem heard this thought and smiled weakly, his lips once again smothered with a lewd tongue that roamed every crevice of his mouth, and he shuddered happily when something hot rushed up inside him without warning, and Seto's hand came down on his hardness once more, giving him furious, upward strokes that made his vision go white. Convulsing and twisting with joy, Atem cried out silently as he came in another heated wave, followed by a delicious, floating sensation that overtook him.
Panting and breathless, Seto collapsed in the sand beside Atem and pressed a hand to his forehead that was damp with ocean water and sweat. Holy shit. That had been extremely strange but intense.
"Was that weird?" Seto asked instantly, and he turned his head to the side to discover Atem had passed out from the over-stimulation. His delicate features were relaxed, and his chest was rising and falling with each ebb and flow of the waves.
I'll take that as a 'no'? Seto wondered, tucking his arms behind his head to gaze up at the stars, feeling extremely at peace before he felt a twinge of irritation that felt …like it belonged to Solomon.
Oh great.
This probably meant Mahad hadn't reached the kingdom yet, and Solmon, expecting their return, was irritated that they were taking a while. By his count, it had been three sunlit days, tomorrow being the fourth.
Oh well.
"Shut up, old man, I can feel your resentment," Seto said gruffly, and he turned over to his side to drape an arm protectively around Atem's chest. He'd stay awake and make sure they weren't buried by the high tide when Atem woke up.
Author's note:
wuuwu chapter 80 binnnchhh what is this…I thought I was gonna stop but I guess not?!
kaiba is bringing technology to merpeople! Lol and finally we have an atem x mer-seto scene, yeah? Thank you for requesting that I write it, because it was very touching and fulfilling :D