AUTHOR'S NOTE:

For those who have made it this far, I seriously can't thank you enough. I started writing this as a means of passing the time at my job so I know it's a bit unrefined in a few (who am I kidding, a lot of places) but I honestly didn't imagine that this story would become what it has. It has made my days working on this seem to pass so much quicker and I have even found out that a few of my friends/coworkers reading over my shoulder. What started out as something I was sure would fade away or be swept under the rug when I reached the end of what I had initially planned has become so much more.

Thank you so much, dear readers, for tagging along to this point and I sincerely hope you enjoy this upload.

. . UNDER 18 BEWARE . .

"Hōseki no yō ni kagayaku umi no yasashi-sa to ai ni tsutsuma rete, watashi wa umaremashita…" Her eyes slowly opened as the sickening pressure that had taken over his form dissipated ever so slightly, the chilling breath that had been wafting her face warming a few degrees as her head slowly turned back in time to see the white recede from his eyes to return to their normal amethyst hue that she adored. Hope rose within her chest as the shadows receded from his features when their gazes met. "Atem?"

The numbing had receded just enough so that he could form a conscious understanding of his surroundings. They were on the beach, his entire being nearly crushing her with his tail preventing the use of her legs with how tight it was wound around them. "An…zu…" His answer came as a gasp upon realizing that he couldn't move away or lessen his hold.

She shook her head, lifting it just enough so that their cheeks could meet again when his deep baritone came. The song's verse had freed his mind but it seemed that the ethereal being was not about to release her hold upon Atem without a fight. That was fine by her. Warmth bloomed across her cheeks as he returned the gesture with the lightest of nuzzles, probably pushing the boundaries allowed to him to do so but she was relieved all the same. "I'm alright. Remember I'm a dancer, so something like this is no worse than a morning stretch."

Amethyst widened. Her voice and being were shaking and there were tear tracks down her dirty cheeks. His head fell to rest upon her shoulder, internally cursing his weak self when her breath caught in a sob as his tail tightened further not under his will but that of the goddess who was attempting to regain control.

"Please look at me."

His head rose so that their gazes met and found her cerulean eyes bright. Atem's eyes widened when she admitted that her search had been interrupted by Bakura and that the explosion of the mansion was the result of her initiating an emergency response system. Did this mean that he couldn't find what she was looking for? Awe filled him when she assured that even though the items might be lost their hope could remain since she had remembered it. The lingering chill within his limbs flared, causing his spine to prickle with strain as he fought to remain at the forefront of his consciousness when the goddess' hold tightened upon him.

Her throat moved as she swallowed the lump of hesitation when he asked what he needed to do to help her, noticing the strain in his voice, but steeled herself. For the first time it appeared as though he was straining to hide just how much the goddess was affecting him, concealing the amount of pain he was in just so she wouldn't worry about him. "I need you to stop holding back."

The shock and confusion that filled his eyes was almost enough to make her laugh. Temporary surprise filled him at her words but then it was replaced by weariness. "I am unsure of what you mean."

"Playing dumb is not becoming of you. You don't have to hide that you're scared or hurting." Her voice softened as his neutral and tight expression wavered. A tear slid down her cheek as her breath caught in a sob, her bangs casting a shadow over her eyes. "I'm feeling the same way right now. I want to help you but I don't know how. It's not like I have a magic wand to wave to make all this go away, I can't even handle my own emotions half the time." All feeling has left her fingers by now yet she managed to make them move, gently stroking his knuckles with her fingertips. "I've gotten to know you better ever since you came up on land and I want to know more about you but I don't understand how I can if you keep that mask on. I want to know what you're feeling; angry, sad, it doesn't matter…I just want to know whatever it is you're feeling so I can try to help and understand you better…"

He was startled by the truth laced within every word she spoke. The responsibilities of being born to the royal family, being pursued by a multitude of merwomen and mermen, even other species had come after he and his brother, but over time it had been difficult to remove himself from the persona that he had adopted to best deal with his duties. Yugi, as far as he could tell, never had this problem. He always spoke his mind no matter the possible repercussions were and many admired him for that. It was the same reason that he admired Anzu so much. She always seemed to have a boundless amount of energy but there had been a few times when it had given way to a sensitive side that drew him more to her. How could he burden her though with his problems, his emotions, when she already had so much to work through?

"I want us to laugh together during the fun times and share tears during the rough patches, Atem, I want to share everything I am with you! No matter what, I want you to speak your mind and be honest when you're with me!"

Those words…the very same ones that he had longed to hear all of his life…surrounded him like the warm blanket that she herself had loaned him. She wanted him, no matter what struggles either of them were going through. A crack formed within that invisible barrier that covered his face. "Is that…"

She gasped. His voice, normally so strong and deep, was quaking as if he were speaking through a screen door or window. That unreadable expression was slowly disappearing, crumbling away as if it were a clay mask that had become too dry while baking in the sun, giving her a glimpse of the hesitation lying beneath.

"…is it…"

Realization washed over her as the cold water reached up the beach, its cooling moisture cascading over their beings as if it were attempting to wash away the tear that slipped from the corner of his eye to trail down his tanned cheek, splattering slightly when it fell onto hers then mixed with a lingering tear that had been slowly making its way down her fair cheek. "Yes, it's okay," she said slowly. "I want to be that person you can fully open yourself to, Atem, because I feel that way about you too. You actually have interest in what I have to say and listen to every word no matter how long it takes for me to say them."

More cracks broke out across the exterior "mask", as she called it, another tear already forming along his lashes as he blinked. What was this feeling creeping through his chest as more droplets of moisture followed? Was it truly alright for him to act as a normal being would?

"Saving me from drowning and that siren hunting party," the shadow over her eyes gave way, revealing the cerulean pools that he adored swimming with so many emotions that he couldn't hope to identify them all. "Do you regret it?"

"Never." His amethyst eyes widened. The truth, though small, caused a ripple of calmness to radiate from his heart as it gave a lighter thump.

"All of the things you have done, every accomplishment no matter how small, could only have been accomplished if it was you, Atem, but you just can't see how special you are. You are the mighty eldest merprince of Atlantis, Atem, but above such a heavy title and burden is that you are the one being in this entire world that I could ever love like this." Those cerulean pools that were her eyes drifted closed as she mustered up the last bit of courage she could find.

His breath caught as their noses brushed in a brief nuzzle as she craned her neck, the luster returning to his amethyst eyes as her feather soft lips met his. It was as if the sun itself was bathing him in its glow as her being pressed further up into his own. The scent of sweet peaches mixed with the sugary marshmallow that he had come to favor wafted his nose as she pulled away for a breath, the warmth within his chest to grow when he spotted the faint blush within her cheeks, his eyes widening when her lips met his once more. Unlike the first her lips now moved without hesitation as they moved against his own, as if attempting to draw a response from his with her patiently slow motions. "…Only you…" they conveyed, her voice filling his ears as if the words themselves had been spoken aloud but they resounded with more warmth than if they had been as her lips softened, becoming velvet as they brushed against his own. "…I love only you…"

Her earlier words echoed within his ears as he recalled their previous methods of showing affections, such as the hand holding and brief kisses to the forehead, but none had filled him with this strange yet invigorating energy as her lips quivered when his remained still. In a way he has always known how much she cared for him, she herself had confessed her heart going with him when they departed the last time them had met before his tail was exchanged for legs, but now she was using actions to portray her feelings instead of words. All thought vanished from his mind as the heat within his chest spread throughout his body, eyes drifting closed as he tilted his head ever so slightly to the right so their mouths could fully meet as blazing passion took over his every cell.

The embarrassment and worry of her actions faded as his lips fully molded against her own. Cinnamon and sandalwood flooded her senses as the chill in the air dissipated, her hands that were pinned above her head finding themselves entwined within the hand that had been confining them drifting downward as the fin that had been nearly crushing the bones in her legs unraveled itself but remained in contact with her skin as its scales pulsated heat. The rigidness of his torso against hers relaxed with each meet of their lips as their breaths combined when they parted, wafting the other's face as they replenished the oxygen in their lungs.

Their gazes were locked together as new emotions flooded their forms, opaque golden threads fanning the flames stirring deep within their abdomens as their hips brushed. A gasp rose from her as his hand slipped from her own to cup her cheek while the other traveled up to comb through her chocolate locks, the intensity of those amethyst gems gazing upon her making the child inside her want to shy away but the woman want to see more of the unknown fire that sparked within their depths.

When they separated for a breath she took the opportunity to bring him farther forward so that her lips could reach his ear. The warmth of her breath caused the fine hairs on the back of his neck to rise but it was as her velvet lips ghosted across the sensitive shell of his ear, a brief moment of relief filling her when the little fins that had grown from behind them also disappeared once she had showed the other the same affection. Please let this work, she prayed, please let my strength be enough.

Behind her closed eyes, she could practically see the near transparent streams that were her strength disappearing into his form. Mahad had said that the scale she was given as an infant may still contain some power that might be of use but the fact remained that she was unable to call it forth on her own. She couldn't force it to manifest no matter how hard she had tried. The times after their brief encounters, she recalled how she would often feel drained and would sleep for nearly ten whole hours after. Anzu had merely chalked it up to not being back to full strength yet or that the stress of the traumatic experiences were taking their toll. Now she knew better and willingly opened up every last gate or lock that she had placed upon herself.

Her hands, now freed, rested against his bare chest, a purr rising within her own when the muscles beneath his tanned skin rippled as her fingertips lightly traced patterns. The heart hammering within his chest could almost be heard when she tentatively wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him back down to her, a rough groan coming from deep within him as one of her hands rose up to his hair and a few of her nails lightly drug across his scalp.

Fire replaced the ice that had been flooding his veins while under the control of the goddess, bringing with it electrifying sensations as her right leg brushed against his tail when she shifted, an unknown yet mouth watering friction beginning to grow between them when he experimentally rolled his hips in a near maddening slow circle. His lips devoured the gaspy moan that slipped up her throat, answering it with low growl when her nails lightly dug into his skin.

Those scales of his against the insides of her thighs nearly sent her writhing upon the wave of pleasure that wracked her being. For a moment she was still, simply relishing the affection he was bestowing, the blush that had started within her cheeks now spreading downward as her eyes clenched shut. The sand against her back shifted as he pressed himself against her with a firm motion but she paid the sticky coarse grains no mind as she spotted a cluster of scales just to the right and behind his ear. They were so small it was no wonder she hadn't noticed and she wasn't about to overlook them.

His being shuddered violently, eyes rolling back into his skull when her lips pressed against a cluster he had never noticed. "Anzu…" Stars flooded his vision when those lips of hers trailed agonizingly downward, her warm breath teasing them when they lifted as they returned to the top, then pressed against them with an open mouthed kiss.

She pulled away slightly as he ground out her name. It hadn't been a warning but recalling how she had learned just how sensitive the scales of merfolk were, she whispered an apology while bringing her lips down upon the cluster more gently this time.

Ecstasy flooded his system like a slow developing poison as she showered that spot with kisses. His spine was arching, causing his chest to nearly flatten her own if not for the cream colored mounds that peeked out from the corset's sweetheart neckline that was decorated with white lace. So driven close to madness was he that his teeth found the pulse point within her slender neck, giving it a nip, then soothed the red mark with a massage of his lips.

One of her hands trailed his spine, fingers lightly teasing the bizarre new dorsal fin that had sprouted, the sensitive appendage receding back into his skin under her careful fingertips and causing electrical pulses throughout his being that further riled him. He still had no idea how he had ended up in between her legs but couldn't fathom the strength to alter it as her legs rose higher to wrap around his waist, causing their hips to meet again in a long slow motion. A new hunger swirled within his being when she gave a soft mewl as his teeth lightly tugged upon her bottom lip, his tail now almost unbearably tense as pressure gathered within his lower abdomen. Pulses of gold illuminated her fair face as their lips met again, their hooded gazes never breaking until he pulled back when the need for air caused their lungs to protest.

It was that moment that he realized how disheveled she appeared. She would always be beautiful to him but the sight of her in this moment, breathless with the moon above illuminating her fair skin in its pale light, it was as if he was gazing upon a being that belonged above the clouds and amongst the stars. Such a strong intelligent person such as Anzu had may skills up her sleeve, always catching him by by surprise with her unpredictability, yet she too was not without weaknesses. Sometimes her temper would get the best of her or those crystalline tears would sneak out to trail down her cheeks when emotions were too great. His lips met hers again, this time softer and with more care than those that came before, as his hands gently cupped her face. "For you I would do anything and give everything," they said, "my heart is forever yours…" They slowly moved against her own as if they were dancing, withdrawing after several seconds so that their gazes could meet.

It was as if he had spoken aloud with how clear she had heard his message. Only under those amethyst gems did she feel like a true woman, only within his embrace did she find a safe haven, with him alone could she allow her heart to unlock those steadfast gates that would otherwise prevent all from entering. Those hypnotizing eyes of his felt as though they could see her very soul and no amount of mental walls could prevent them from seeing everything she was. "Y-you're staring, Atem," she gasped, voice breathy and husky, arms rising as if to shield herself from his burning gaze. The rest of what she was going to say was drowned out by a guttural sound between a groan and sigh as his lips covered her own again, her eyes drifting closed as his body ground against hers. Her chest was heaving as the lack of oxygen made her lightheaded when they parted for air.

It appeared that the transformation had been reversed, causing his appearance to go back to normal, filling her with relief when the golden scales scattered across his upper torso glittered. Their contrast partnered with the deep tan of his skin never ceased to amaze her, the glittering gold matching perfectly with the decorative bands around his toned biceps. There wasn't a hint of white to be found anywhere. A sense of vulnerability came crashing over her the longer his gaze remained upon her. It was as if he was caressing her bare skin with feathers as they traveled across her body. Several times she had caught others looking at her in a hungry predator-like way but not him. He looked upon her with steadfast trust, warm adoration, and now it felt as though she were gazing into a crimson sun before their hooded eyes drifted closed in unison as their lips met again.

His hands gently grasped her own as his lips traveled downward, moving one to rest beside her head as their fingers entwined while the other brought it to his lips. "Do not hide," he whispered, kissing the sensitive skin that was the palm of her hand. Soft gasps filled the air as his lips left a trail of burning kisses across her skin, his hand that was cradling the back of her head tilted it ever so slightly to the left so he could place an open mouthed kiss within the crook of her neck and shoulder. "Please, Anzu, do not hide yourself from me." His breath stalled as the hand he had shown affection upon gave a tug on his hair, eliciting a growl from deep within his throat as his head was forced back, eyes clenching tightly shut when her lips met the pulse point in his neck. The fire within his veins roared when her teeth grazed again his skin and was powerless against its mighty blaze as it caused his being to rock and grind against her own, reclaiming her lips as a cry rose from her throat, the edge of his sanity disappearing amongst the golden flames that were licking his skin as she responded by arching her back.

Her gaze drifted downward when he finally released her from the searing kiss, a faint popping sound occurring when their lips parted for a second, her swollen lips rising to form a smile at the sight of his satisfied smirk. "Yeah, laugh it up, one of these days I'm going to take your breath away." A finger appeared against his lip when he made to steal her lips again, those blazing eyes of his making her question why she had stopped him in the first place and wanted nothing more than to answer his unspoken challenge when his lips caressed her fingertip with those devilsh lips as the dark flame flickering within those darkened amethyst eyes nearly stealing away her logical interruption. He was playing dirty toying with her like this but she took a steadying breath. Hopefully there would be more time for this later. "I bet you feel better now that you can move."

It took a few seconds for the haze of passion to clear from his eyes, every slowly blink causing them to grow clear as she encouraged him to look at himself. The gold of his scales had returned and he was moving freely without hinderance. Atem's amethyst eyes widened for a moment in surprise then closed as his forehead rested against her own when he understood. His strange transformation that had been caused by the Goddess of the Sea's summoning song had been fully reversed. "Once again, I am amazed by you, Anzu," his lips brushed against the bridge of her nose as he retreated enough so that fresh air could come between them. The telltale twitch of the left corner of his mouth portrayed a suppressed smirk when her features became filled with disappointment and loss as the cool night air replaced the near unbearable warmth that had grown between them, his hand rising to cup her cheek as he soothed her with a tender kiss. "You truly are a marvel."

The consuming fire had dimmed during his examination of his restored appearance, becoming an ember that nestled within her heart, flared brilliantly for a second at the sweet kiss he bestowed. "Says the magic wielding merprince. I only distracted you long enough until that weird Ainma Vinculum that Mahad said might allow our strength to combine so you can fight at your full power." Her features softened as she gaze up at him in adoration. "You have the strength to fight that so called goddess but you just couldn't see it. Now look, you've completely broken her hold upon you."

"Might and power do not matter if there is none to protect." His head bent, fondly nuzzling her nose with his own. "It was only until fate had brought us together that my true strength could be realized, Anzu."

"You give me too much credit." Shyness dusted her cheeks as she turned her head to the side. "I'm only a simple girl -mph!" Cerulean eyes drifted closed, words dissolving into a hum as his lips captured hers in a tender kiss.

One of his hands gently cupped her chin, keeping her near even when he leaned back just enough that their lips were still touching as he whispered her name lowly. "I prefer a different choice of words." A soft squeak slipped up her throat when his finger found the ticklish spot just under her chin, his finger lightly teasing the newly discovered weakness as his eyes shone with mischief. "Courageous, kind, steadfast, passionate …there are too many that come to mind."

"Are we talking about the same person here?" Her bright pink tongue peeked out from between her lips as he chuckled, releasing his hold on her chin as she wiggled. "Now what do you say we untangle ourselves and get going?"

His gaze shot downward as she giggled. That blasted tail of his had somehow managed to bury itself into the sand far enough so that each caudal fin could wind around her slim waist.