Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I really have to thank BNHA/MHA for pulling me back into the writing game. Well, to be more specific, DekuMight. This fic is nothing but a guilty pleasure for me. Enjoy! I would like to thank my beta Kiwi67 on AO3 for doing an amazing job by cleaning this up!

Summary: Just as he was about to give up on ever having a family, Toshinori begins to find mating gifts left outside his new cove. Thrilled and hesitant about his mysterious suitor, he cautiously allows himself to be courted. If only the interested mer would show himself. DekuMight, Mermaid AU, Mpreg, Courting Rituals, Insecure All Might, Confident Izuku, Fluff, Protectiveness

Warnings

AU - Merfolk

Animalistic Behaviour

Mpreg

Belonging

I. Toshinori

Digging the sand floor of the cove with his webbed hands, Toshinori hummed idly as he cleared the area of his new home. He had been swimming for a couple of days, stopping at various caves and crevices for rest, until he came across this particular cove – which was just right. The other places he had tried out along the way, were either too dark, or too cold for him to consider as a personal pod. Most of them didn't even have accessible food nearby. He was looking for a place to nest in deeper waters. Something his coastal merkin did not do, but that would defeat the point of leaving his birth pod in the first place.

Pausing his work for a moment and shifting his attention to himself, Toshinori let out a deep sigh. For a coastal mer, his colouring was considerably darker than his kin. Although his hair was a bright blonde; his tail, fins, frills and scales were of a dark blue. Against his pod mates, who were a riot of bright colours; this made him stand out sombrely amongst the pack. However, the differences didn't end there. Compared to the other carriers in the pod, he was unusually large. More often than not, many of the newer mers would initially mistake him for being a sire. In his younger days, it never bothered him – he was actually quite thrilled at being able to stand toe to toe with the top sires of the coast. Though, as time passed the novelty soon wore off and the uniqueness which initially delighted him turned into something of a burden.

With every mating season that passed, he noticed no sire made an attempt to court him or show any interest in him. Sires that he matched in terms of physiques, chose smaller carrier dams and it would usually end with Toshinori being left behind with the pod's elders. Nana, the elder who had raised him, had often assured him that he was desirable, and would be a wonderful dam; but with every passing season of having no mate or fry of his own to look after, made it harder to believe those words. He initially took comfort in being able to provide protection for his birth pod, but that too was taken away from him after a particularly vicious attack from a shark mer. Running a hand down his side, tracing the large scar on his left flank, Toshinori warbled sadly. The wound had nearly cost him his life and even though he had survived, the strain of the recovery ate at his body, dulling his colouring further and turning him into an emaciated shell of what he used to be.

Whatever chances he had of being courted were now down to nothing. Not wanting to burden the pod further, Toshinori decided to leave the home he had known all his life; in order to find a place for himself. To spend the rest of his life in quiet solitude. Coastal mers were social creatures, but he couldn't stand the looks of pity he was receiving. His friends had tried to convince him to stay, but he argued that he had nothing to offer the nest. He was too old for mating, and too injured for fighting. All he could do was forage for food with the other dams, but that was not something he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Especially, when all of them had mates and fry of their own. He didn't want to be constantly reminded of what he desperately desired.

This was what led him towards swimming in deeper waters in search of a new home. Toshinori knew the risk of running into mer sharks became greater the deeper he went, but he hadn't wanted to be anywhere close to his kins territory. Hence, the reason he had tried to find a location which was deep but also well-lit and warm (a nice middle point between the two territories). After swimming for days on end and trialling potential locations for their suitability; Toshinori was close to reconsidering his options when he came across this particular cove, hidden in a large rock facing. The water was cooler than what he was used to, but didn't possess the biting chill of the greater ocean. Peeking out of the cove, he glanced at the surface, which was a considerable distance away; although sunlight still managed to penetrate through to feed the various flora growing around his new pod.

Returning to his task of cleaning the cove bed, removing various rocks and rubble hidden in the sand; he focused on settling into his new home. It would take some time to become used to the lack of company, and there was so much he had to look into. For instance, he had yet to hide the entrance of the cove with kelp bushes before he slept and he still didn't know what type of predators lurked in the distance. Nonetheless, he was looking forward to his new life. One where he could finally make peace with his yearning for family. Touching his unblemished neck and flat stomach, Toshinori allowed himself a moment of weakness. Warbling and clicking sorrowfully at a dream that would never become a reality.

It was fine, no one was watching anyway.

X.

Someone was watching him.

Being in fights had made him hyper sensitive to his surroundings. It had been a couple of weeks since the move to his new cove and he had begun to notice a presence of another being in the background. When he first felt it, Toshinori immediately swam towards the cove, hiding as he peered through the kelp in order to spot the intruder. However, as time passed, he noted the presence would always keep their distance. He had tried many times, squinting into the darkness of the ocean to catch a glimpse of who was watching him, but found nothing (coastal mers eyes weren't built for the darkness of the deep sea).

After weeks with no change in behaviour, Toshinori had decided to test the waters. If the presence was hostile, they would have attacked him already. He was an old, wounded coastal carrier mer; who lived alone in a partially hidden cove. Unlike shark mers, he didn't have claw-like fingers or sharp teeth. He did have some of his strength and experience, but they were nothing compared to what he had possessed in his prime. Keeping his eyes peeled, he made a series of chirps and clicks. Asking who they were and to show themselves. However, his calls were met with silence. Frustrated with the lack of response, he huffed as he returned to his nest.

The next day, as he was about to leave his cove in search of food, something bright caught his attention at the front entrance. Although it was a couple of feet away from the cove, he could identify that it was a collection of colourful shells and pebbles. Immediately, Toshinori searched the surrounding area for the presence and found it closer than it had been before. He could sense they were watching him so, mindful of the weight of their gaze, he returned his attention towards the items they had left. Cautiously shifting through them, inspecting each shell and pebble individually. Toshinori could tell every single one of them had been carefully selected, the stones were round and smooth and the shells had no scratches or cracks. Each of them was a beautiful, rare colour. He had often seen such items being presented by an interested sire to their chosen dam during courtship.

Toshinori immediately stiffened at the thought.

The strange presence was a mer. A mer interested in courting him. Him. A broken, old and scarred carrier, who was way past his prime. They clearly knew of his condition, as he knew they had been watching him for the past couple of weeks and he had no intention of hiding his form (not that he could have in the first place). They had seen him and yet they had decided to court him. Toshinori flushed at the thought and his fins and frills fluttered with emotion. He couldn't identify what the feeling was, it was a mixture of embarrassment, excitement, hesitation and most dangerously of all – hope. He had just begun making peace with his situation, when this mer had come along to undo all his work. Touching the courting gifts, he once more chirped and clicked towards the darkness, in the direction where he sensed the mer's presence.

The lack of reply and distance of the mer's presence, disappointed Toshinori as he gazed sorrowfully at the colourful gifts. Perhaps the mer thought his lack of reaction to the proposal was him rejecting the courtship. Collecting them into his arms, he made his way to the cove. Clearly distraught due to his hopes being crushed immediately after they were created, Toshinori ignored the pangs of hunger and opted to sleep the rest of the day away.

His mood hadn't improved when he woke up and he felt weak due to skipping his meals. Dragging himself out of the cove for food, he was met with another item outside the entrance. This time placed a few feet away and sensing around, he noticed the presence was even closer than before. Thrilled that the mer was still interested and his assumption of driving the mer away had been proven wrong Toshinori carefully inspected the new courting gift.

It was strips of rich fatty tuna wrapped in coastal seaweed.

Toshinori immediately let out a trill of happiness in the hidden mer's direction. The mer had clearly known his kind and his eating habits. Coastal mers had no claws or teeth to eat bigger and fleshier fish. Their teeth and hands were for foraging seaweed and grinding down the bones of smaller and thinner fish. It had been a challenge eating the bigger fish due to lack of sharp teeth which made it hard to tear into the flesh also the seaweed in the deeper waters was tougher,Not impossible but rather challenging. He had to soften the meat and plants by smashing them with stones before consumption. The mer had known this judging by the thinness of the strips of tuna which made it easier for him to eat.

Munching on the meat and plant, Toshinori let out a series of chirps and clicks to convey his gratitude, satisfaction and happiness with the meal. He had decided he would not force the mer to communicate with him, as there would be a reason for the lack of response. Perhaps the mer was just shy or had an equally problematic form they were insecure about. Glancing at the thinly sliced meat, it was safe to assume the mer had claws. The thought crossed his mind, that the mer could be a shark mer but he quickly dismissed the idea as it seemed ridiculous.

He had heard from the elders in his birth pod, that shark mers placed physical prowess and aggression above anything else. He had heard horror stories, of how violent the mating rituals were and how courtships were aggressive and forceful. The elders had explained that the reason why there weren't many shark mers was due to the low survival rate of their young. Frys (pups as they were referred to by shark mers) that were considered weak were left to die and those that survived had to battle their way to adulthood. With that sort of background and mentality, it was ludicrous to think a shark mer was courting him. A sickly, weak and old carrier dam. He had heard there were other rare deep-water types, so it must have been one of them that approached him.

X.

This courtship continued for many more months and Toshinori could safely say he had been benefiting immensely from it. The emaciated look that clung to him had slowly disappeared, as the quality food the mer had consistently gifted him, helped bring him to a healthier weight. The balanced diet had also returned the lustre to his scales and his hair no longer felt brittle. Overall, he felt stronger and more energetic. Toshinori sent out his usual trill of thanks to the mer, as he ate his daily meal. The mer still hadn't shown themself and despite Toshinori's best efforts to stay awake, the mer only left gifts during his sleep.

It had been frustrating at first, the lack of response to his calls; but Toshinori had taken comfort at the thought of the mer always being there. He knew the mer was close by (he had sometimes seen a shadow move in the darker waters), but they always remained out of sight. Even when Toshinori wanted to explore the surrounding area of his cove, he had felt the mer follow him – always keeping the same distance between them. He had wondered if the mer was simply looking after him in a familial way, but the courting gifts never stopped. He glanced down at the latest gift – a necklace of black pearls.

This baffled Toshinori. In his previous home it was the talk of the pod when a dam received a single pearl as a courting necklace. Due to the problem of finding the right oysters and them being ridiculously difficult to crack open without damaging the gem inside (usually rare coloured stones were given instead. Back when he was still a growing fry, Elder Torino had told him the story behind gifting pearls. The first merfolk sires had used black pearls as courtship necklaces to symbolise their everlasting love towards their chosen mate. Due to their rarity and rather impossible nature to obtain, a black pearl courtship necklace had changed to the whiter variety or rare coloured stones. Even then, Toshinori had seen the most desired dam only receive a single pearl.

And here he was being gifted an entire necklace composed solely of black pearls.

However, he did notice the lack of scales on the necklace. Usually a sire would place their own scales on the courting necklace as pledge to offer the dam protection and lay their claim. His necklace had none of the mer's scales. Toshinori assumed it was possibly due to the lack of scales on the sire (his insecurities whispered that the mer didn't want to lay their claim on him). Shaking his head to dispel those thoughts he studied the necklace, upon closer inspection, he noticed all of them had a hue of deep green. He had heard that black pearls had different colour tints, so Toshinori guessed there was a reason behind all of them having a shade of green.

Finishing his gifted meal, he had yet to wear the necklace. Although he wanted to accept the mer's intention, the lack of communication and not being able to see the sire had made him hesitate. Toshinori chirped in the direction he knew the mer was hiding, as he clicked his explanation of why he was not wearing the necklace. He wanted the sire to place it on his neck, it was how the courtship was done where he was from. Despite the lack of response, he had gotten used to reading his suitor's reactions. How the presence seemed to approach him, but pause after a few moments, clearly considering revealing themselves, but something was holding them back. He had been so engrossed with his suitor; Toshinori completely missed the other rapidly approaching presence; until it was too late.

His body froze as he saw a large bull shark charging at him and all Toshinori could do in that moment was dodge the attack. He was too far away from his cove to seek shelter, neither did he have the strength to fight back. Unfortunately, dodging the initial attack had placed him in line for a sharp whip of the bull shark's tail; and Toshinori braced himself for the pain, but it never came. Opening his eyes, which he had shut due to instinct, he was greeted with the sight of a young mershark fighting the aggressive sea mammal.

The new mershark was far smaller than his opponent, and going by his appearance – much younger than Toshinori. However, seeing how the mer was steadily pushing the intruder back, it was safe to assume the younger mer was extremely proficient in combat. Toshinori could see the strength and speed the smaller mershark threw at his enemy as they fought. One of the hits landed on the bull shark, throwing the creature into some nearby rocks. The young mer then turned to Toshinori letting out a series of rapid clicks – telling him to head to his cove for safety. This made Toshinori place his sole focus on the younger mer, and he felt his body stiffen as he recognised the presence.

This young mershark was his suitor.

X.

Hidden amongst the entrance kelp, he watched the two predators tear each other apart. It was clear the bull shark had the upper hand in strength and endurance. However, the youngster had speed and agility on his side; and the young sire knew how to employ this to his advantage. Being a coastal mer, Toshinori had had a few encounters with bullsharks and none of them were pleasant. They would never confront the creature unless there were at least three strong battle-hardened sires. Most of the time, they would hide in crevices where they knew the shark couldn't reach and wait until the mammal grew tired of trying to reach them.

Regardless of his trepidation towards mersharks, he couldn't help but be amazed by the physical prowess the young sire possessed. He knew sharkmers were built for battle and fighting was in their blood; but seeing how those instincts guided the mer in his fight. Analysing his opponent's weakness and overpowering them was… remarkable. Toshinori had been trained to use tactics and thinking in fights but this mer employed them naturally. Seeing how gradually the mershark overwhelmed their opponent in the encounter, Toshinori frills twitched with pleased embarrassment. Having such a young and powerful sire court him was flattering. If a similar coastal mer had courted him in his birth pod, he would have been the envy of all the dams.

The fight continued for a few more minutes, and Toshinori could see the wounds accumulate on the bull shark as the match progressed. The young mershark had also been injured, but less so when compared to the mammal. After one last and well-placed strike from the young sire, Toshinori watched the bull shark turn tail and retreat back into the depths of the ocean. Both the mershark and himself, waited with bated breath for the bull shark's return; but nothing reappeared from the darkness.

Once a few minutes had passed, Toshinori heard a familiar clicking – this time softer and slower. Looking up he took in the sight of the younger mershark's appearance. He was still bleeding but the swelling of the bruises had yet to fully set in. However, the young sire seemed unconcerned by his condition and was more troubled by Toshinori's wellbeing. The inky green hair, eyes and tail now made sense regarding his ability to blend and hide in the darker waters. Glancing at the pearl necklace, he was still clutching desperately, Toshinori finally understood why the gems with the green hue were chosen.

The mer clicked once more as he approached, but stopped when he noticed Toshinori retreat slightly into the cove – he had been attacked by a mershark after all. Slowly and carefully the sire, seated himself on the floor outside the entrance – a few feet away, where he usually left the courting gifts. Both of them remained as such, assessing one another. Assured the mershark wouldn't attack him, Toshinori let out a hesitant chirp in response. Conveying his gratitude for saving him from the large bullshark. Of all the reactions he had expected, the sheer happiness that appeared on the young sire's face wasn't one of them. Unlike coastal mer's, mershark didn't possess any frills to display their emotions. Their bodies were built for speed and power, so the only way he could read the mers emotions were the expressions on his face – and this mer's face was an open book.

Despite the obvious pleasure of being praised by him, and the daily courting gifts of food and items; Toshinori couldn't understand why the young mershark wanted to court him. He was young, and as anyone could see from the battle, extremely powerful. From what he knew of shark mers, this sire wouldn't have any trouble finding a more appropriate mate. Not that he wasn't flattered or grateful for the attention, Toshinori had been over the moon at the fact he was being courted and considered as a potential mate. He had been surprised by the gentle courtship; from what he had heard the shark mers were rather aggressive and tended to be forceful with the mate of their choosing. Not to mention the rather obvious problem that was his lack of fertility.

So why did this sire go through all the trouble of courting him?

His thoughts were interrupted by the young mer's low chitter, and Toshinori looked in the direction that the green mershark was pointing – the necklace.

The mer wanted to place the necklace on him.

Sinking back into the kelp, Toshinori shook his head. Although the sire had come to his aid and had courted him these past few weeks, the scar on his side made it difficult to trust the mers kind. It pained him immensely to see the fallen expression replace the previous one of elation on the younger sire's face, but the memory of the attack was seared into his mind. Not to mention, he wouldn't be able to handle the aggression of the courtship and mating. Witnessing the ruthlessness, the mer had displayed, had made Toshinori feel extremely weak in comparison.

Leaving the necklace outside his kelp entrance, he watched the mershark pick up the pearl chain. Toshinori hated the idea of rejecting his only suitor (who was ridiculously over qualified even if he was a shark mer) . However, his past trauma with the mer's kin was too deep for him to accept the courtship. Seeing the mer begin to retreat slowly – with a downcast expression, Toshinori let out a low trill. The least he could do for his young suitor was explain why he rejected the courtship… that and learn his name.

Once he regained the attention of the young mer, he gestured at the mershark's claws and then at his side as he hesitantly warbled out the story. Toshinori notices the crushed expression melting away from the sire's face, changing into something more tense. He pondered a bit, trying to gauge the expression (the lack of frills made it difficult to read emotion); but the narrowing of mer's green eyes and pressed lips indicated the sire was not pleased with the new information. After Toshinori finished his explanation, the young mer clicked in response.

Asking if his attacker was still alive. To which Toshinori shook his head – he had managed to kill the mershark.

The mer nodded letting out a short chirp of approval, extracting a blush from him at the praise.

Neither of them made a sound, until he remembered the other reason for declining the proposal. Hesitant and not wanting to offend the mershark's culture; Toshinori slowly began chirping out his inability to properly participate in the shark mer's courtship. He might as well be speaking another language, taking in the look of confusion on the sire's face. Twisting his hands with anxiety, Toshinori elaborated further by explaining the stories he had heard about the mersharks mating rituals and how his body was unable to withstand the aggression and force. There was a brief pause of silence, before he heard an amused trill from the young mer.

Laughter was the last thing Toshinori had expected as a reaction from the sire, but he was relieved he hadn't offended the mershark. When the young mer had calmed himself, he crooned out an explanation that those stories were untrue. That the usual courtship rituals were the same as other merfolk and mating dances of mersharks must have been seen as aggressive, as they focused more on speed and power. Doubtful of the information, Toshinori nodded regardless (he was still stunned by how handsome the mershark became when he laughed).

Approaching a little, but still keeping a respectable distance, Toshinori heard the sire ask for his name. Letting out a series of chirps and whistles, he watched the young mer repeat them slowly. It sounded different coming from the mershark – it sounded nicer. Embarrassed at the thought, Toshinori asked for the young sire's name as well. He wanted to keep the memory of this mershark separate from the one that attacked him. Listening to the sequence of unique clicks, he repeated them hesitantly.

'Izuku.'

X.

Regardless of him declining Izuku's proposal, Toshinori still found the mer leaving food outside his home. Although the sire still kept his distance from him, Izuku now remained in the open – lazily lounging on a nearby rock formation within sight, whilst keeping an eye on him. Toshinori had chirped out the question of why the mer kept providing him with food, despite his rejection; and Izuku merely clicked out a reply about looking after unmated dams in his territory. Suddenly, Toshinori felt like kicking himself at his gross oversight – this location was almost too perfect to not already have an occupant. Immediately chittering his apologies, for building his nest without Izuku's permission; the mer simply waved those concerns away as he cooed out that he didn't mind. That he quite enjoyed having Toshinori here.

Time went by and their relationship grew closer and deeper. The exposure and constant contact he had with Izuku, made him less weary around the mershark. Although they never touched each other; he could see the distance they initially kept, slowly starting to diminish as the weeks rolled by. Toshinori often wondered if Izuku was still trying to court him, for the mer occasionally brought him shells and pebbles from his hunts (he still had the pearl necklace in his possession, Toshinori had seen it wound around the mer's left wrist; but he never asked the sire, due to uncertainty of what the answer would be. Before he hadn't regretted his decision to decline the mershark's proposal, but now he wasn't so sure about it.

Letting out a stream of bubbles as he heaved a deep sigh, Toshinori returned to napping at the entrance of his cove. It was an activity he wouldn't have considered doing, if not for the knowledge of Izuku's protection. Then again, there were many things he wouldn't have been able to do if not for the mershark. Toshinori knew that living alone would have been exceedingly difficult without the sires' help. Although he could have managed the lifestyle, it wouldn't have been as comfortable as it was now. The mer consistently provided him with a rich balanced diet, and he could sleep easy at night knowing Izuku was asleep outside his cove – protecting him from any deep-water predators.

Toshinori had often asked if there was any way for him to thank Izuku, but the mer simply smiled as he shook his head – chirping out that he liked looking after Toshinori and seeing the dam smile everyday was enough. Although he managed to suppress the pleased trill in his throat, Toshinori's frills flickered with happiness at the answer.

Hearing a familiar rhythmic clicking, Toshinori opened his eyes and looked towards the direction it was coming from. Smiling as he spotted Izuku's familiar figure emerging from a darkened water, he chirped out a response of greeting – welcoming the shark mer back from the patrol of his territory. The sire smiled as he began to swim lazily a few feet above the sea bed. Instantly blinking the sleep from his eyes, Toshinori focused his entire attention towards the young mer's form. It was something recent, but occasionally Izuku would perform for him.

Perhaps it was the lack of activities (exploring only did so much) which led to the mershark dance for him, nonetheless it was a welcomed one. Toshinori had seen sires dance for their dams during courtship at his home pod, but none of those dances were like this. The coastal mer dances were always slow and gentle. In order to highlight the fluttering of their colourful fins and frills as they performed. Whilst the movements of mershark dances were nothing like it.

Watching Izuku slice through the water as he twisted and spun, was awe inspiring. Mersharks had no frills to display, and their colours were muted to blend with their surroundings. So Toshinori deduced their dances were designed to showcase their speed, power and control. Seeing the level of finesse, the sire employed as he flew between rocks and crevices; throwing in a couple of complex twirls and loops as well, would always impress Toshinori. Letting out a trill of delight as Izuku executed a series of complicated moves, Toshinori pondered if this was mershark courtship dance. Quickly shaking his head to dispel the idea – he had rejected the male's proposal after all. It made no sense for the sire to still be courting him. Most likely Izuku was simply introducing him to mershark culture.

He was about to ask the young sire about it when he saw a familiar female dam approach Izuku, making Toshinori's frills flutter with irritation. He knew he had no right in demanding Izuku to solely focus on him, especially after declining the courtship. However, after having the mer's entire attention all to himself it was difficult for him to share. Logically, he knew that the mershark would find another more appropriate mate; but it angered him, the dam chose to approach the sire in his territory (they were in direct line of sight from his cove entrance). It was as if she was mocking him, showing how easily she could take him away.

Watching them chitter animatedly to each other, Toshinori bit his lip in frustration and glared at the brown haired mershark; judging by the lack of distance between them, it was safe to assume they were close. Izuku had introduced her to him as 'Ochako', the first time she had visited the sire. However, as her visits became increasingly frequent, Toshinori's dislike of her grew, she seemed to move closer to Izuku with every meeting. He had tried to put away his feelings and converse with her; but she was a constant reminder of what he was not. Young, fertile and uninjured. Warbling dejectedly as he sulked in the recess of his cove, he kept an eye peeled on the mershark duo.

However, seeing her reach out to touch Izuku made him release an involuntary keen.

The reaction was instant, as Izuku immediately swam to his cove opening, clicking worriedly at him – asking what was wrong. Suppressing the pleased feeling of being chosen above her, Toshinori quickly made up an excuse of hunger. Izuku nodded and waved his goodbyes to the other dam as he went to hunt for food. Once the sire left the area, Toshinori allowed the smug look to bleed through to his features as he eyed the female. Who in return, assessed him passively, her eyes narrowing at him with displeasure. If she wanted to approach Izuku, she had to do it outside his area.

Toshinori knew Izuku never left this area, apart from hunting and patrolling, but that was her problem not his.

X.

Waking up feeling extremely sensitive and heated, Toshinori panicked. He knew this feeling through instinct and though he hadn't had it in the years since his injury, he could never forget this sensation.

He was in heat.

Until now, his behaviour had confused him. He had been eating far more than usual in the past few weeks and often had the insistent urge to clean his cove and scales multiple times. Toshinori noticed he had been sleeping more and more the last few days and felt awfully lethargic all the time. Strangely enough, Izuku hadn't asked if he was alright (the mer was tremendously concerned when he had injured his hand on a rock while foraging for food); implying the young sire had known he had been entering his mating period.

Letting out a weak warble of discomfort, Toshinori pondered on the situation. It was confusing, that he had entered into heat. He had been barren for the last few years since the attack and many of the elders of his pod had confirmed his infertility. So, why was he suddenly able to carry again? Glancing at his physique; the scar was still there, only thing different was that he had regained a healthy weight due to consistent supply of rich food from Izuku.

His eyes widened as realisation washed over him. Izuku must have known from the beginning that he wasn't truly infertile for him to initiate courting. The daily supply of food, which was not only rich in nutrients; but tailored to his coastal mer diet, which had made it convenient for him to eat. Meat wasn't common in their diets, as the fish near the coast were small and full of bones. However, here in the deeper waters, there were plenty. Izuku had known Toshinori didn't have the claws or teeth to consume the meat, hence his always slicing the fish into chewable portions. This had made him recover the weight he had lost; thus, regaining his body's ability to go into heat.

Hearing the familiar clicking, Toshinori turned his attention to the entrance of his cove. He could tell that Izuku was right outside the entrance – the closest the mer had ever been. It was obvious the scent of his heat had alerted the shark mer. Thinking back to the gifts Izuku had brought him after the rejection and the many performances he had put on for Toshinori. It was obvious the mer was still courting him. The question was, what he wanted to do about it? He could seal the rejection by chasing the sire away and spending the heat alone. Or he could recant his initial decision and accept the courtship.

Touching his scar, Toshinori contemplated the decision; before letting out an exasperated huff as he made his way to the entrance – it really wasn't fair. Izuku played a sly game, and he had fallen for it.

Hook. Line. And sinker.

Perhaps this was why the elders had cautioned them against sharkmers, because of them being such devious manipulators.

However, parting the kelp and peering at those green eyes; Toshinori couldn't bring himself to be angry. The sharkmer had been nothing but a perfect suitor. Izuku had provided Toshinori with the best food, had respected the distance kept between them and protected him from any attacks. His courting gifts were rare and desirable and his dances had impressed him. The aggression his elders had warned him about was there, but never directed at him. The mersharks' words regarding the misconception of their courtship and mating were starting to hold true.

Languidly moving his tail to remain upright, Izuku chittered lowly at him as he met Toshinori's blue eyes. Asking him the same question as before.

'Do you accept?'

Despite everything, this mer had earned his trust. He had earned his affection. Not breaking the gaze, Toshinori smiled as he chirped out his final answer.

'Yes.'

The blinding smile Toshinori was rewarded with in response was breath-taking; as he watched in silence the sire unravelled the necklace from his wrist. Swimming closer, Izuku held up the pearl band and Toshinori slowy bent forward; allowing the younger mer to place the necklace over his head. The sheer joy and happiness exuded by the mer in his clicks and chirps was infectious, Toshinori soon found himself trilling along as well (although a little more subdued). Once the excitement had passed, Izuku slowly reached out, holding out his hand.

Tentatively, Toshinori placed his much larger hand in Izuku's. Their size difference was ridiculous, he was a good head taller than the sire. Yet, as the mer guided him towards the open sea in front of his cove, he felt entirely captivated and surrounded by Izuku's presence. The shark mer pulled him into a light embrace as they lazily swam through the water. Their chests facing each other, as he locked his arms around the sire's chest. Toshinori let out a sigh as his heated skin made contact with Izuku's much cooler body. Twisting his tail around the mershark's and tucking his head into Izuku's neck, Toshinori inhaled the scent of his soon to be mate; memorising it as they glided through the open ocean.

He had known Izuku was built entirely of muscle, but feeling the hardness of his body against his was something entirely different. Despite the sharpness of his form, and claw like hands – the mer was surprisingly gentle with him. Toshinori had shivered as the talon tips stroke his sides, but the touches were light and controlled. He also noticed that despite his added weight, Izuku still managed to move effortlessly through the water. Sure, the mer's movements were slower and turns were taken with extra care; nonetheless there wasn't any indication of strain on Izuku's face or body. It was as if Toshinori weighed nothing.

They remained like that for a couple more minutes, before Izuku pulled back slightly and crooned lowly in his ear. Toshinori shivered with arousal as the low vibration rippled between them, and keened out a reply. Then Izuku turned his head, and gave a soft lick at Toshinori's lips as a request for permission. Smiling at the gentle behaviour, he relaxed his mouth allowing the mershark's tongue to enter. Feeling an equally slick appendage stroke his tongue as it explored his mouth, Toshinori let out a low moan of pleasure; to which Izuku purred in response.

Ever so careful with his teeth, Izuku suckled on Toshinori's lips before making his way to his throat. As a result of the attention at his throat, he barely felt the sire shift their bodies in order to line up their openings. Through the fog of his heat, Toshinori began to realise that they were about to mate and tensed up due to inexperience and anticipation. Izuku had obviously noticed the sudden rigidity in his body, and began crooning softly in his ear. Chittering lowly about how wonderful Toshinori was, as he tenderly ran his claws through his hair, back and sides.

Once Toshinori relaxed into the position, Izuku pressed a deep kiss on his mouth. If the shark mers were similar to coastal mers in their rituals, their first mating would be for the purpose of claiming and then they would move towards his cove for the remainder of the heat. Feeling the young sire make his way down once more, Toshinori allowed himself to be lulled by his heat and the sensation of the moment. Meeting Izuku's gaze one more time, he smiled as he tilted his head to the side. Silently giving the sire permission. Izuku cooed out promises of protection and love, before sinking his teeth on the exposed side of Toshinori's neck. Allowing a few seconds to pass before Toshinori felt something else pierce him below.

Despite knowing what it was, he still let out a whimper at the strange intrusion. Licking the blood from his neck, Toshinori allowed himself to be soothed by the rumbling sounds of Izuku's chest. As the mer chittered soft praises and dreams in his ear. He warbled at the promises of family, safety and happiness. Toshinori knew they were not empty promises either. For he had the most capable mate in the ocean by his side.

There were many times he had doubted his decisions, but in this moment, being held in Izuku's arms he had never felt more certain in his life.

X.

Toshinori took the entire pregnancy with a mixture of excitement and caution. After years of wishing to have a spawn of his own growing within him, and now having that exact fantasy come true; was at times almost too much for him to bear.

After the mating had finished and he felt his heat recede, Toshinori had waited with bated breath for the first signs of pregnancy. The tenderness of his chest and the softening of his abdomen; it had been unbearable to wait weeks for those symptoms to show – wishing for the mating to be fruitful. He knew age was against him, but Toshinori remained hopeful in having such a virial young mate would even out his chances. He hadn't mentioned any of his worries to Izuku; but he suspected his mate had known about his unease. For a few days after his heat, the mershark happily crooned to inform him the mating had been successful – Toshinori loved the heightened senses of shark mers from that moment.

He had been extremely careful the initial few weeks, ensuring he didn't stress his body too much and almost never leaving his cove. Izuku simply smiled knowingly, taking the overly cautious behaviour in his stride. Toshinori knew his mate had also picked up on his fear of losing his spawn, for Izuku had only left the cove to hunt for food; only occasionally leaving the area to check on his territory. Even then he noticed the sire's usual patrolling time had been drastically cut down. Izuku was now a permanent fixture in his nest; he had noticed the shark mer sleeping with him inside the cove, his body between Toshinori and the entrance. Seeing his mate's obvious display of protective behaviour always made him coo with pleasure – it made him feel wanted and adored.

Though the majority of the pregnancy had been normal, towards the latter end it proved draining for Toshinori. Despite limiting his movement during this period, the few times he had ventured out into the area outside his cove (once he was sure the pregnancy was stable), had tired him out immensely. Toshinori relied heavily on Izuku to keep the cove and its surroundings clean, and the mer had taken up the task with no protest (fulfilling the role perfectly).

Due to the nature of the pregnancy and their lack of distance, Toshinori had come to learn more about his younger mate. With each passing day, the stories and beliefs his elders had held about mersharks slowly being proven false – or at least they were wrong about Izuku. The mer was nothing but kind and patient during the entire pregnancy, not to mention extremely doting on Toshinori; ensuring all his needs were met in full.

There were many instances closer towards his due date, when Izuku surprised him by how dedicated and devoted the sire was. The shark mer had used his claws to carefully clean Toshinori's scales, combing his hair and ensuring the cove was perfectly prepared for their spawn. The final few days, with him being at his limit, Izuku began munching on the meat and seaweed before pressing their lips together – feeding him the already ground up meat, so Toshinori only had to do was swallow. He would have preened at the sheer amount of attention he was receiving if not for constant lack of energy his body was in.

The birth itself wasn't difficult. Toshinori had helped many dams in his birth pod with their deliveries, so he wasn't frightened by the process. Izuku had remained calm by the entrance, keeping guard; but would have one eye on Toshinori's labouring form, ready to involve himself upon request. After hours of contractions, weight and pressure building up at his opening; he sighed as he felt it stretch taunt, pushing his offspring out into the world.

Collapsing on the sea bed and taking a few moments to gather his strength, his excitement to meet his young fueling him; Toshinori glanced down to the tiny life laying within his arms. It was a mershark pup. However, it had Toshinori's colouring. Too young to tell either their gender or role, he simply nuzzled the pup – licking the young one's nose and mouth clean as they began squeaking out for the first time. Trilling and chirping softly at the pup's strong and healthy lungs. After being satisfied with his pup's passageways, Toshinori guided the child to his heavy chest; where they began to suckle earnestly.

Letting out a pleased coo at the sight, Toshinori reached down to his abdomen; trying to feel for the next pup in his belly, but stiffened when his pressing was met with soft flat flesh. He hadn't another child, he didn't have litter. Coastal mers would almost never have a single child, it was only in the case of unfit dams where their body wasn't able to handle carrying multiple offspring (a sign of his inferiority, his mind whispers). His previous mood of joy and delight, quickly fell apart as he was once again reminded of how lacking he was in terms of physique.

Sensing this shift in emotions, Izuku left his position by the entrance and made his way towards Toshinori and the pup. Keeping his distance, not to trigger the protective instincts ingrained into the dam; the mer crooned questioningly at him. Toshinori met his concerned look with a devastated one as he warbled out the reason behind his utter distress. Upon explanation, Izuku cautiously approached the dam and pup. Slowly gathering both into his arms, resting Toshinori on his chest, the mershark began nuzzling his mate. Once he had calmed down, Izuku began to croon soothingly as he informed Toshinori that mersharks usually had one pup at a time. That the deep waters of the ocean were too dangerous, for parents to protect more than a single child.

Shuddering as he was being comforted by his mate's explanation and reassurance that he wasn't in any way inferior or broken, Toshinori allowed the exhaustion of the birth to lull him to sleep. Tightening his hold over their pup, who was still feeding ravenously; Toshinori felt his eyes droop close to the steady rhythm of Izuku's purring. There were many shallow-water mers who misunderstood their deep-water cousins. Not all of them were filled with aggression and brutality – Izuku had smashed every preconceived view and belief, only gracing him with love and care.

Knowing full well his mate was watching them, Toshinori smiled as he finally fell asleep.

At last he had his family.

A/N: I usually write All Might treating Izuku like a princess, so I decided to switch the tables and try my hand at our favourite broccoli boy pampering his sunflower. To be fair the most recent chapters of the manga (seeing how much of a BAMF Deku has become) helped with imagining him in a more assertive position... Was gonna write smut for this, but then realised – I don't know how fish sex works. Research did not help. Hence, the tame rating.

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments about it. Would love to hear it! Would love to hear it! You even can reach out to me on Twitter(MiaVilmarix).