Kaiba bent over the dead rat and gently pried its skin off the bone with tweezers, wrinkling his nose when he saw that the rat had died from a rupture in its bowels.

His blood ran cold as he wondered if ingesting the scales would do the same to his own bowels. He was a bigger specimen and had been ingesting the scales for the same amount of time this rat had been alive, which was…three and a half years.

The rupture in the bowels could also be a natural cause of death, because this rat was from the control group, and rats only lived for about three years anyway.

But, just in case this was going to cause internal bleeding or bowel irritation, Kaiba took this as a personal warning and decided he would inject the scales directly into his own bloodstream from now on.

The rats and guinea pigs from the injection group were totally fine. In fact, they showed no signs of aging.

The injection group also complained a lot less.

The water feeder group always complained about feeling unwell, and he could hear them whining, even now.

"I hate how I feel right now…"

"Do you feel like dying? You haven't died yet…"

"No, but when I eat food, it does weird things inside my stomach…"

"That's why I've stopped eating…see? I've lost weight."

Rats and guinea pigs didn't have a vomit reflex, so Kaiba silently thanked his stars that he could understand the animals when they spoke. It was actually extremely helpful, and the injection group had gotten oddly complacent.

They were eating too much, talking too much, sleeping too much…basically living their best life, and Kaiba was growing slightly envious of them.

He had personally managed to curb the nausea through sheer power of will and forced himself to grow accustomed to being nauseous in the mornings and evenings, right before he took a dose of scales.

He also adjusted his eating schedule to make sure his stomach was empty before he vomited, and he was aware that this was the unhealthy beginnings of a trained eating disorder.

Time to start injecting.

No time like the present.

Grabbing a fresh syringe from the plastic packet, Kaiba rolled his sleeve back quickly, steeling himself to do it before he changed his mind out of fear.

Atem. Think of Atem.

He stuck the tip of the needle into the vial of scales and drew the liquid into the syringe, hating that only half of the contents filled the needle. This meant to get the regular amount he had been used to consuming for the past few years, he needed two injections, or a bigger needle, to get the entire vial inside himself.

Growling angrily, Kaiba patted his arm with two fingers and felt his skin sting and swell. A blue vein showed faintly through his skin, so he wasted no time gently inserting the needlepoint into it, gritting his teeth through the pain and slowly pushing the liquid into his veins.

Nothing happened.

There was no icy cold or any physical change he could immediately feel.

Slightly curious, Kaiba stabbed the needle back into the vial to draw out the remaining portion of liquified scales and hastily injected it into his other arm with ease.

What was the point in being so nervous? This couldn't be any worse than, say, heroine or meth…could it?

Standing up slowly, Kaiba eyed the clock, knowing it was late-night, and was expecting nausea around 11PM.

To his great relief, he felt fine, and it was 10:30PM.

This was great. He decided to add this into the log and inject himself twice every night at this time.

Stretching lightly, Kaiba suppressed a yawn and decided he would finally get a good night's sleep, while hopefully dreaming of Atem.

Atem was dreaming.

He was lying on a soft, sandy beach while Seto Kaiba lay beside him, gently caressing his face with his pale hand, looking deep into his eyes, his mouth moving as he spoke, but his voice was drowned out by the crashing waves.

"What is it?" Atem asked, frowning and nuzzling his nose against the human's cheek, longing for a kiss. "I can't hear you."

Kaiba mouth moved again, and his brows furrowed in frustration.

"Atem."

The merking smiled warmly. "Why are you just saying my name?"

"Atem!"

Mana's voice was coming out of Kaiba's mouth, and Atem jerked awake furiously, glaring at his friend who was hovering at his bedside in the dark, her eyes wide with excitement.

"What, Mana. What? I was having such a nice dream."

"Moon bathing!" Mana whispered happily, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze. "The court voted 5 out of 7. You can come moon bathing with me, unsupervised!"

"Oh let me guess, the two disapproving votes are from Solomon and Shadi," Atem said dryly, his mood falling instantly, but Mana shook her head.

"Actually, it was Isis and Solomon. They're afraid you might sneak away to see the human, but we're going to be on an opposite shore."

"An opposite shore?" Atem wondered, letting Mana pull him out of bed and through the hallways of the palace. "Where?"

"Cathedral Beach," Mana replied happily, pulling the king past the palace gates and nodding at the two sleepy guards standing by the pillared entryway.

"I've never been there…" Atem said anxiously, trying to recall where he had heard the name before. "Wasn't a mermaid Sighted there last century? That shore was banned for the following five decades. I remember father issued the decree."

"The ban has been lifted for the past two decades," Mana said mildly, waving at a couple of mermaids who were several yards above them in the water. "Friends!"

Atem felt Mana let go of his hand and she zoomed towards her friends above him.

Glancing around fervently, he checked for any guards that could be following him, but he saw no one.

Perhaps now he could sneak away….

The, out of the corner of his eye, he saw two Stealthswomen flanking two mermaids who appeared to be queens from another colony, and Atem's heart sank.

If news of his punishment had spread far and wide, it was possible that other guards would be looking his way.

"Atem! Come up here!" Mana's voice echoed in his thoughts. "Stay with us or you'll get lost! I promised Mahad…"

Sighing, Atem kept his arms tight at his sides as he swam upwards quickly, ignoring the whispering from other mermaids around him.

A trip to the surface was already a welcome relief.
He could think about jeopardizing his own future again with Seto Kaiba, later, when he popped his head up for air.

Kaiba trudged through the sand with his shoes in one hand, and phone in the other, his heart heavy with anxiety and sorrow.

The sand here was different. It was finer, and a bit firmer, sporting a beautiful white sheen. It somehow wasn't sticking to his skin even though his legs were still slightly damp from accidentally stepping in a shallow pool earlier, causing him to almost twist his ankle.

Mokuba wasn't with him because he had wanted to take his girlfriend downtown to enjoy the city nightlife, so Kaiba found himself alone on a beach again, but this time, on another continent.

Pausing mid-step, Kaiba closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again.

He threw his head back to gaze up at the violet sky, which was slowly melting into a deep indigo, sprinkled with sparkling stars and a glowing full moon.

The view here was almost heavenly. Large rock formations curved magnificently up from the sand, creating little caves and deep curving cavities.

I'm in the right place, Kaiba thought faintly, continuing to trudge along.

It was warm here this time of year, and in his fervid research, he'd discovered an avid mermaid-sighting blog, listing this location as a mystical starting point for any human who wanted a chance of a lifetime.

It was this beach—Praia Das Catedrais…or Playa de las Catedrales, whatever the people called it here.

He didn't speak Spanish and had been relying on his phone translator to get by, although it was pretty obvious to the locals that he was a tourist anyway.

Kaiba snapped out of his inner musings and stopped mid-step once more to appreciate the view again.

Breathtaking. The water was clear, and even the air tasted different.

The roaring of the waves echoed magnificently every time they washed into a narrow grotto, and Kaiba felt truly alone.

He had passed a warning sign a few yards back, depicting slippery rocks and sudden deep water, but he didn't care.

He needed to be here.

The blogger had claimed she'd spoken with a mermaid in cavern here, and Kaiba was sure if he could hold a conversation with a mermaid, she could tell him where Atem was. After all, he was a king, wasn't he? How big was the ocean and how big was Atem's reach?

He didn't know.
The blogger could've been making it up for all he knew.

Sighing, Kaiba sidestepped another shallow puddle and weaved through another series of towering curved rocks. It really was like walking into a cathedral on the ocean….

Closing his eyes, Kaiba swayed slightly on the spot, feeling an odd rush of nausea which quickly passed, and he leaned against the multi-colored rocks, pulling himself together.

He ran his hand down the grooved crevice, marveling at the natural steps in the stone and the beautiful colors. Mermaids loved this shit, right?

Kaiba gazed apprehensively into the sandy trail before him. There was no water in sight. He needed to turn around.

The waves crashing against the rock were deafening, but Kaiba swore he heard a human voice whispering underneath the sound of the waves, and he froze in place, listening intently.

"Let's gather here…"

"Yes, this is a good spot. I don't see or hear anyone…"

"It's mealtime for humans. All the sightseers are on the far end."

"There was a sign…I couldn't read it…"

They weren't speaking English or Japanese, but Kaiba realized he could understand them somehow…in his mind.

Feeling a rush of heated excitement, Kaiba dropped his shoes and left his phone buried beside them in the sand. His hearing had improved so much in the past few months, he could detect the audible electronic whine from his phone, which had proven to be quite useful whenever he misplaced it somewhere in his lab.

Climbing through the narrow rocks, Kaiba tried his best to remain quiet. If merpeople could hear as well as he could, this meant he needed to be even quieter.

Reaching the end of the winding rock pathway, Kaiba let his feet sink into the shallow pool of warm water.

He stopped breathing when he heard more voices.
There were quiet whispers…coming from somewhere to his left.

"I feel bad. Should I go check on him…?"

"No, don't. He'll be fine. Men don't care that much about moon bathing anyway…."

Kaiba's heart sank rapidly when he heard this. So, "moon bathing" was a mermaid-exclusive activity? No mermen liked to moon bathe?

"No, I guess not, dammit," he growled to himself before he clapped a hand over his mouth, cursing his own stupidity.

Shit. Shit. Shit. He had been heard.

There were simultaneous gasps of surprise from behind the rock.

Panic and adrenaline rushed through his blood. Thinking quickly, Kaiba stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside while he sank to his knees in the shallow pool, rapidly raking sand over his legs to hide them.

The mermaids sounded close, and if they were nearby—

"A man!" a voice gasped, and Kaiba jerked his head up, seeing an eerily beautiful face gazing at him through the crevice in the rock on his left.

Oh….fuck. They had been on the other side the entire time. Fuck. Fuck.
How fucking terrible and embarrassing….

"No, no need to be embarrassed!" she cried, moving aside and letting her friend peek through the crevice too, and the women giggled pleasantly.

"This area is for us women, merman," the second mermaid said bossily, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulders. "You can go join the only other male who is ten pools away. We won't look, and give you dignity while you crawl away."

Kaiba grit his teeth, feeling a rush of resentment towards them. Wow, okay, fine.

"Good, he agrees. He's so embarrassed, he can't even speak!" The women laughed, and Kaiba glared furiously at the crevice.

He made violent splashing noises with his hands while standing up and shaking the sand from his pants.

He was being kicked out by the women here, and apparently the men were ten pools away. How far was that?

"Just get to the beach and swim there," another mermaid answered him, her voice echoing pleasantly in the curved grotto. "You and him can enjoy each other's company as the only men who moon bathe!"

Yeah, whatever, Kaiba growled a response in his mind as he hastily climbed back over the slippery rock. Ten pools. Great directions, very helpful.

Mana peered into the crevice again, surprised to see that the man had disappeared.

"That was quick," she commented, and her two friends gave her lazy smiles.

"Indeed. Did you hear his thoughts? He was so angry and embarrassed."

Mana nodded stiffly and sank lower into the pool, her stomach churning with a strange feeling.

That man was beautiful, more beautiful than any merman she had ever seen.

"Oh, stop hankering after him," her friend nudged her playfully. "Pretty mermen are all Pure and stuck up, like King Atem."

"Atem does not act Pure and he is not stuck up!" Mana cried, rushing to Atem's defense, but her friends had already changed the topic, chatting happily amongst themselves about their kelp dyes.

Kaiba threw his wet shirt around his neck and weaved through the towering rocks, listening intently for more voices, but all he could hear was the steady drip and echo of water rushing in from the ocean.

He passed two wide tide pools and his heart raced with excitement.

Picking up his pace, Kaiba took steady, leaping strides over the sand and slowed to a halt. He had passed seven pools. Where were the other three?

Now furious, Kaiba scanned the rocky caves and ventured into the closest one.

It was a shallow dead end, and the water came up to his thighs.

Turning around, Kaiba walked several paces more until the rock made a sharp turn. He followed the narrow crevice only to find another dead end, and the water only reached his ankles.

This was nine "pools" now, so if Atem or another merman wasn't going to appear, he was marching back to the mermaids and giving them the scare of a lifetime.

Stalking through the wet sand and making as much noise as he could, Kaiba entered another dark grotto, his eyes adjusting very quickly. The rocks were slanted in on either side, and the water in this shallow pool came up to his stomach.

Sighing, Kaiba leaned tiredly against the rock and cursed his own bad luck.

This was ten pools. Did he want to go further and keep checking?

His calves were aching from his long treks through the sand, and the hot water was very calming against his skin.

I'll take a fucking break before I kill myself, he thought grumpily, sitting ungracefully in the water and making a large splash around himself.

He gazed out of the tiny cave, seeing miles of ocean before him, obscured slightly by other walls of rock while another warm wave came washing in.

Kaiba settled into the sand and draped his shirt behind his back to keep his skin from scraping on the rough surface, allowing himself to relax just a tiny bit.

He could see why mermaids enjoyed this.
It was very spa-like.
The wind was fresh and warm…the water was clean, and the perfect temperature….

Every time a new wave came rushing into the grotto, the sand was disturbed around his legs, causing him to sink deeper and deeper into it.

Warm and content, Kaiba began to feel drowsy as his eyelids grew heavy. This was nice. Now if only Atem was here.

Atem was swimming frantic laps up and down the beach, feeling extremely pent up and frustrated. He had briefly contemplated swimming to Kaiba's private shore but realized the distance would kill him if he swam without pause. His fins would fall off from exhaustion and his punishment would be lengthened because he had clearly tried to violate a rule.

Curling his fists at his sides and feeling his claws dig into his skin, the mer-king decided to swim back to his pool.

It was pointless trying to escape. It was smarter to just bide his time and find the perfect opportunity to sneak out…with the help of Joey and his warrior friends.

Beating his tail heavily through the water, Atem tried to appreciate the change of scenery. It was nice here. The water tasted wonderful, and the moon was full, casting its dreamy glow on the wet rocks.

Popping his head up for air, Atem swam slowly through the shallow water, pausing at the entrance of the cave when he saw another merman napping in his ideal spot.

Extremely annoyed, Atem dove forward quietly, thinking he hadn't seen another man travel with them…so perhaps this was a stranger from a nearby colony.

"Hey!" Atem called, hovering at the entrance of the cave, fanning water towards the sleeping merman. "Get out of my spot! Go find your own."

Kaiba's heart skipped a beat, and he opened his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating, because there was a spiky-haired figure hovering angrily at the front of the cave, bobbing gently up and down against the waves.

"….Atem!" Kaiba cried hoarsely, so stunned, he couldn't move. He had let the waves bury him with sand up to his waist and digging himself out was going to be a chore.

"King Atem to you," Atem said coldly, inching closer to inspect the intruder, and his heart nearly stopped in his chest when he thought he recognized the familiar face.

The merman had pale glowing skin, with a crop of silky light brown hair, paired with high, slanted cheekbones, a strong jaw, and almond eyes…the color which he couldn't discern. It was too dark to see properly, but he could see enough.
This merman looked like…Seto Kaiba!

Kaiba blinked rapidly, hearing Atem's rapid stream of thoughts and wondered if he ought to feel flattered or offended. Atem thought he was a fish!

"Well, you look…attractive enough," Atem sniffed arrogantly, swishing his tail and leaning against the curve of the rock, an arm's reach away from the mysterious merman. "You may stay."

"Seriously?" Kaiba said, growing numb all over as he slowly began to brush the sand off his legs. "Are you blind?"
He was going to jump on Atem, and never let go.
The mer-king looked so beautiful in the moonlight, it was almost eerie. His dark skin seemed to glow, and gold jewelry was sitting perfectly in his tri-colored hair.

Atem heard this thought, and inched away nervously, eyeing the cave's exit, "I'm not interested in mating with you. Please don't come near me."

Kaiba's mouth grew terribly dry, and his stomach wrenched painfully with anger and lust. "What the fuck! After three years of not showing your face, that's what you want to say to me?"

Atem nodded weakly, giving the handsome merman a small smile, "Have we met before in a procession somewhere? You look like…a human I know from another shore. I'm sorry, I don't remember you."

Kaiba's mouth dropped open in disbelief. He listened to the rapid pounding of his heart in his ears before he let out a snarl and rose out of the sand to lunge at Atem, claws extended, and his arms outstretched.

Caught off guard by the sudden movement, the wind was knocked out of Atem the second he was pinned to the wall of the cave, his back scraping painfully against the stone while the handsome merman's face hovered above him, nose-to-nose, his lips curved upwards in a deranged sneer.

"Human from another shore?" Kaiba repeated venomously, baring his teeth and curling his fingertips around Atem's gold-adorned shoulders, shaking with rage and disbelief. "I am that human."
This was real, right? Was this really happening?
There was no way he had been forgotten, right?
Because he had spent every waking moment chasing knowledge, clues, and information pertaining to mer-things, and here was Atem, sitting underneath him with a startled look on his face.

"Seto…Kaiba?" Atem breathed, his chest constricting with pain as he raked his gaze up and down Kaiba's face, and he felt a pair of knees give his hips a painful squeeze.

"Yes. Who the fuck else?" Kaiba growled, his hand sliding up the king's arm, past all the golden armbands, up his neck and stopping to cup his cheeks tightly. "Fuck you." And he pressed his lips down across Atem's slightly parted ones for a passionately furious kiss, enjoying the way his stomach clenched and dipped with happiness when the merman reciprocated joyfully by throwing his arms around his body and pulling him close, his tongue sliding warmly over his teeth and swirling happily at the roof of his mouth.

Oh, I've missed this! Atem cried ecstatically to himself, thrashing his tail energetically between Kaiba's legs, wanting to feel ankles locked around his back once more. I want him around me! Closer! Harder than before! How is he here?
Is this a dream? Am I seeing things?
Did I eat a bad sea urchin? It's causing me to see visions, but I don't care.
I know Seto Kaiba is supposed to be on another shore.
This can't be right…

Kaiba pulled breathlessly out of the kiss and gazed down into Atem's half-lidded angular eyes, now understanding why Atem hated his thoughts the first few times they had sex.

"You don't believe me." Kaiba said plainly, hovering his lips over Atem's forehead as the merman ran his hands rapidly up and down his toned chest and torso, touching him all over with an odd sense of desperation.

"You're real? Are you real?" Atem whispered, his head spinning with a mixture of arousal and incredulity. "You feel real. This isn't a dream! This can't be—"

"I flew here," Kaiba said seriously, not wanting to talk anymore. "Airplanes and shit. Now shut up and give me three years worth of sex, right the fuck now."

Stunned speechless, Atem nodded happily and pointed at the back of the cave. "We can't be seen…or heard. The mermaids—"

"They're ten pools away, they won't hear anything," Kaiba insisted, grinding his hips forwards energetically and enjoying the thickness of Atem's heated tail between his thighs. "Come on. Now. Less talking. How long can you stay?"

"Forever. I'm staying with you here, forever." Atem grinned.

Kaiba stood suddenly and dragged the mer-king heavily by the arm towards the back of the water-logged cave.

"I'm a prisoner in my own home! I'm miserable!" Atem whispered hoarsely, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he gazed lovingly up at Kaiba.

Perhaps this was a hallucination from a bad sea urchin.
This Kaiba spoke like a merperson. Ten pools? What human used words like that?

"I'm miserable because you left me," Kaiba said robotically, pushing Atem against the rock and sitting firmly back down on his tail. He draped his arms over the merman's tanned shoulders and pressed his forehead tightly against Atem's spiky blond bangs, unable to contain himself.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes." Atem replied instantly, without hesitation, and his heart swelled with happiness as he threw himself forward into Kaiba's strong embrace, relishing in the warmth of Kaiba's lips, and the softness of Kaiba's hands as they gave his upper arms slow, loving squeezes while their tongues danced together in a happy greeting. Kaiba tasted…wonderfully fresh. His breath was light, and there was a sinful tang in his breath that was bitter at the end.

Breathless with ecstasy, Kaiba gently dragged open mouthed kisses down Atem's neck and felt the merman sigh happily beneath him.

He listened intently to Atem's thoughts, understanding that the merman liked even the tiniest details about him, and that was extremely flattering to hear.

Atem rested his hands on the edge of Kaiba's belt, and gave it a solid tug before feeling cold hands fumble above his, and the belt came free.

"Can I…have it?" Atem asked breathlessly between the shower of lustful kisses, and Kaiba's voice in his mind was oddly clear.

Yes, take whatever you want.

Nodding happily, Atem wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck and sighed contentedly, melting under Kaiba's touch.

Kaiba ran his palms eagerly up and down Atem's length, shivering with excitement. He then hastily kicked his own pants off, intent on sitting directly onto Atem, but to his frustration, tanned hands pressed against his thighs, and the merman blinked prettily at him.

"Slow down!" Atem cried. He was trying to savor every moment, but Kaiba wanted to rush, and rush, to a point where everything became a blur. "Let me touch you…"

Kaiba stiffened, but nodded reluctantly, unable to stop himself from trembling with a mixture of happiness and anticipation. His mind had gone numb and his body was hot. His chest was tight, and his ears were ringing with a strange noise as Atem wrapped both his hands around his arousal and gave it a tentative squeeze, sending an electric jolt of heated pleasure running up and down his legs.

Will it fit inside me? Atem wondered faintly, and Kaiba froze, feeling a rush of anger when he heard this. He wasn't in the mood to be a giver. He wanted to be fucked…hard. Was that seriously too much to ask for?

"Very well, very well," Atem said hastily, gently nudging Kaiba off his tail and throwing the human an amused smile. "I hear you. Fucked hard."

Kaiba grit his teeth and suppressed another shiver. Yeah. Damn straight.

Atem surged forward and pushed Kaiba down onto the sandy floor of the watery cave, nudging the human's legs apart with his hand and flashing him a fanged grin. "Let me have a taste…so I can know it's really you."

"It is me!" Kaiba hissed, but before he could protest further, Atem dipped his head down underwater between his legs, and Kaiba threw his head back when a wonderful, searing heat engulfed his core and a playful tongue slid suggestively up along his shaft, giving his head a firm suck before consuming him fully once more, sending rapid waves of pleasure reverberating up his spine.

Streams of bubbles and spiky red hair were barely visible underneath the water between his legs, and Kaiba could barely keep his eyes open to watch and save this moment in his mind.

This was…heavenly.

Finally. How many fucking years had he waited for this?

A hot tongue traveled boldly lower, and Atem frowned when his chin hit the sand. Kaiba was sitting too much at an upward angle. Perhaps he needed to be lower?

Hearing this thought, Kaiba obediently inched himself down, scooting forward and gently spreading his legs wider, not caring that the back of his head was scraping painfully against the rock. If Atem was going to lick his asshole, he'd happily die ten times over to relish in the feeling over and over again.

Smirking to himself, Atem buried his nose underneath Kaiba's soft balls, flicking his tongue out over the curved entrance, feeling it clench and tense deliciously every time the tip of his tongue passed over it, very pleased to hear Kaiba's frenzied thoughts.

Oh fuck! Please…lower please! Holy fucking shit, yes…!

Grabbing Kaiba's thighs, Atem pulled them closer to his shoulders and continued in earnest, his own arousal throbbing uncomfortably as the human's knees tightened over his ears almost painfully, and another stream of ecstatic thoughts filled his consciousness.

Shove your tongue in there. Do it. Now, do it now!

Without hesitating, Atem obeyed mindlessly and thrust his tongue forward into Kaiba's heat, growing numb all over with ecstasy when Kaiba's legs tightened around his head once more. He pulled Kaiba closer to himself and lovingly continued, even going as far as licking the soft divide between Kaiba's balls, hearing another delirious shout in his mind.

F-Fuck! His mouth feels better than his…

Kaiba couldn't breathe. The tide had risen, and the water which had been at his chest was now past his neck. Every time Atem pulled him upwards, his head slid lower against the rock, and a wave would rush over his face, almost drowning him, but he didn't care. Atem's hands were hot on his thighs, and his tongue was ramming stiffly inside of him, each thrust causing a violent curl of pleasure in his stomach.

Itching with lust, Atem couldn't hold back anymore, and quickly lowered Kaiba's legs, pressing his stomach tightly against the back of the CEO's ass, barely managing to say, "I'm putting myself here…" before he shoved himself forward and thrust his arousal into Kaiba's tightness, dimly registering that the human's head had disappeared underneath the water. Atem shivered happily and savored the way Kaiba clenched repeatedly around his length as he curled himself forward, trying to hold off an orgasm when Kaiba's hands grabbed at his waist and pulled him forward so strongly, he almost lost his balance in the sand.

Enjoying the thick, burning heat curling inside of him, Kaiba didn't care that his head was fully submerged and that he couldn't breathe anymore.
Atem's lips were everywhere on his body.
First, softly grazing his neck, then they traveled across each of his nipples.

There was a sharp sting as Atem grazed his fangs over each peak, and Kaiba spasmed happily, holding his breath until his lungs couldn't take it before opening his mouth to gasp for air, fully prepared to swallow a lungful of water, but to his extreme surprise, all he got was another gulp of air.

Panicking slightly, Kaiba held his breath again and reached up to grab ahold of Atem's forearms, giving them a powerful squeeze, but the merman didn't let him up. Instead, he surged forward and pulled Kaiba into a fiery kiss, his silky tongue curling inside his mouth sensually while his heated tentacle continued to drive him over the edge.

Unable to protest, Kaiba let wave after wave of overwhelming bliss wash over him as he wrapped his arms around Atem's neck to pull him closer, and letting himself sink deeper downwards, feeling the back of his head hitting the sandy bottom with a soft thunk while Atem's overjoyed thoughts filled his mind.

This is better than all of my dreams! He is beneath me! His legs are around me! I'll never forget this!

Kaiba instinctively tightened his legs around the king's hips and bucked himself upwards playfully, his eyes stinging from the sand floating around his head, and he kept his eyes shut, his lungs bursting for air again.

I need to breathe soon… Kaiba thought faintly, digging his nails into Atem's skin, wondering why the merman was ignoring his requests for air. Let me up!

Please, hold on a moment longer…like this! Atem insisted selfishly, pressing Kaiba's shoulders down into the sand and curling protectively over his body while he gave Kaiba several more furious thrusts, enjoying Kaiba's body moving steadily underneath him with every one of his movements.

The human's face was beautiful underwater in the dim moonlight. His eyes were closed, and his silky light brown hair floated angelically around his face every time the water was disturbed around them.

Gently caressing Kaiba's cheek, Atem bent down to press his lips against Kaiba's slightly parted ones, intent on letting him up for air after this kiss, but to his surprise, strong arms locked around his neck, and their soft kiss lasted an eternity.

Atem sighed contently and felt himself melting. Warm hands roamed up and down his sides, and Kaiba's legs loosened around his waist.

Kaiba took another tentative inhale, and felt sediment go up his nose, but aside from that, he could breathe normally.
This discovery filled him to the brim with happiness, and he wasted no time, arching himself higher against Atem's muscular body and demanded in his mind, "Do it harder. Grab my legs and fuck me against this rock. I can take it."

Tense with worry, Atem shook his head and began to withdraw. He had not planned on orgasming inside of Kaiba, because of what he had read about mer-semen in the books.

What the fuck have you been reading? JUST FUCK ME! Kaiba yelled angrily, sitting up in a flash and attempting to push Atem down, but an oncoming wave rushed into the cave and his hand slipped off Atem's shoulders.

"Mer-semen poisonous to you! It'll kill you!" Atem said anxiously, and his chest constricted with a strange feeling when a strong hand suddenly wrapped around the base of his arousal and gave it a stifling squeeze, followed by several rapid upward pumps while Kaiba expertly bucked his hips down onto Atem's tip with practiced precision.

Kaiba snickered playfully and pushed back against the rock for support as he felt Atem shiver reluctantly between his legs, and cum. He enjoyed the rush of heat streaming upwards inside him and Kaiba released the merman's tentacle with a triumphant smile.

There.

Horrified, Atem stayed rooted in the sand, swaying as an oncoming wave washed into the cave again. Wh-What…had just happened?!

That's what you get, for holding back the entire time. Kaiba thought spitefully, thumping his heels impatiently against Atem's lower back, addressing him directly. You already did it once. What's ten more? Come on!

Slowly composing himself, Atem threw caution to the wind and began to fuck Kaiba in earnest. Kaiba threw his head back and lost himself completely, keeping his arms above his head as a barrier to keep his head from repeatedly hitting the rock every time Atem thrust into him. He was being filled to the brim, again and again. He had orgasmed already but was now lost in an anguishing limbo between too much sensitivity and pleasure.

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba accidentally opened his eyes in the sandy water when he felt Atem convulse involuntarily, and another hot rush of fluids shot up inside him.

There seemed to be no end in sight.
Atem would drag his hands down his chest, before surging forward for a kiss, before bucking upwards and cumming passionately into his hole, and Kaiba let out a strangled gasp, tightening his legs around Atem's waist, encouraging him to continue.

Atem shut his eyes and his mind hummed wonderfully with joy.
Kaiba's arms around his body was all he needed.
Sometimes, after a particularly loving thrust, Kaiba would rake his hands down his sides and grip his hips, his mind begging for him to hold the position until he couldn't anymore; he would cum thickly, his head spinning and his vision turning white, and after composing himself, he would do it all over again.

H-How many fucking times can he cum?! Kaiba reeled privately, beginning to feel sore. This was strange, uncharted territory, but Kaiba was enjoying himself too much to keep count.

Atem's arms were aching, and he slowed his pace, curling his tentacle out of Kaiba's hole and draping himself lightly over Kaiba's half-erect dick, contenting himself with stroking Kaiba's length with his own, enjoying the way Kaiba's hands kept his cheek pressed against his chest, his heartbeat thundering wildly in his ear.

Amazing.
Kaiba had stayed submerged for him, and they had finally made love in a comfortable position.

Kaiba shuddered pleasurably as Atem's dick curled around the tip of his arousal and gave it a tortuous squeeze.

That fucking hurts, Kaiba hissed, locking his ankles around the base of Atem's tail and turning himself onto his side, feeling extremely worn out, but content.

The merman was still stroking his dick teasingly, and Kaiba found that he could barely remain conscious while Atem showered the side of his face with gentle kisses as each coming wave brought a rush of warmth around them.

Atem slowly withdrew and nuzzled his nose into the crook of Kaiba's pale neck, planting a soft kiss on his collarbone, feeling very satisfied while he also began to drift off.

Another wave brought fresh water into the cave and Atem sighed happily, thinking this was the most heavenly experience he'd ever had in his entire life.
Lovemaking under the full moon, after a nice bath, and the warm water had finally filled the cave…

Atem's eyes shot open and fear stabbed through his core like a cold knife when he realized…. They were fully submerged!

"Kaiba! You need air!" He cried, untangling himself from the human's grasp and shooting up to the surface, attempting to pull Kaiba up with him, but to his horror, his fingertips touched the jagged roof of the cave when he got to the very top.

There was no more air. Water had completely filled the cave.

"Kaiba—!"

Shut up! Let me sleep, Kaiba growled, yanking his arm out of Atem's grasp and sinking slowly to the bottom again. The sand was so fucking soft, it was like laying on a wool blanket.

"You can't sleep in the water! You'll die!" Atem shouted, giving Kaiba's shoulder a vigorous shake, and he contemplated carrying Kaiba to shore in his arms. He would have to wedge the CEO's limp body through the rocks surrounding this cave…

Kaiba opened his eyes tiredly and managed to throw his legs around the base of Atem's tail again, dragging the merman to the bottom with him with effort, before leaning up to land a playful bite on Atem's neck, hearing him yelp frantically in response.

Look, I'm fine, Kaiba said lazily in his thoughts, making himself comfortable in the sand and turning onto his side again, keeping Atem trapped beside him. I guess it worked after all.

Still mildly frightened, Atem curled his claws against Kaiba's bare chest, gazing up at his sleeping face in the dim moonlight, asking desperately, "What worked? ...What worked? Kaiba?! Kaiba!"

He was soundly ignored, and Atem stared at the small stream of bubbles emerging from between Kaiba's lips with rising wonderment. This couldn't be real, could it? Bubbles were coming out of his mouth the way they would with any sleeping merperson!

"Kaiba…please wake up. Let's get you to shore," Atem begged, giving the human's arm a rough shake, but he received an annoyed hiss in response as Kaiba turned over angrily, this time with his back facing him in the water.

Atem stared mutely at Kaiba's sleeping form in the sand beside him for a long moment before he accepted defeat and laid down. He tucked his chin over Kaiba's shoulder, listening intently to Kaiba's steady heartbeats, letting the calming sound lull him to sleep.

This ought to be fine. Kaiba's heartbeats were steady. If there was any stutter at all, he would drag the human back to shore.

Author's note:

Woot woot. Moon bathing is a smashing success, haha get it, smashing. Succ…

Kaiba +1 levels up.
atem is shook.