Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

        Crimson scribbled down notes on his clipboard as he walked around the aquarium section of the facility. The results were not looking good as he passed by the last display and erased another check mark. There were many problems but that was what he was sent here to address.

        The supervisor, Blanc, walked behind him as he did his assessment. She stopped when he did and looked into the final tank. “This one used to be my favourite. Gorgeous bleu mer but he’s lost his colour and keeps declining,” She began as she peered into the clear water. “His health is fine, but he hurts himself. I don’t understand what happened.”

        Crimson stared at her for a moment, trying to see if she was serious. She appeared to be. “He has no enrichment.” He stated.

        She turned to glare at him before gesturing towards the assortment of plants floating in the water. “He does, he just keeps tearing them up.”

        “Those are decorations for the guests.” Crimson continued, making more notes before putting down the clipboard. He caught sight of the mer in question but the creature didn’t even spare him a glance, instead tearing apart another plant and further proving his point.

        Blanc pounded on the glass and yelled at the being inside. “Arrêt!”

        “Here.” Crimson pulled out a dry erase marker from his bag and held it up to the glass. The mer only looked at the marker briefly before returning to the destruction. Far from dissuaded, Crimson drew a circle on the glass, this brought attention to his presence. So, he continued, drawing a fish as well. He was no artist, but he made different shapes, each new doodle brought the mer closer to the glass. He took the chance to inspect the condition of Blue.

        Blue was large, probably around 6 feet or more and definitely a fighter based on his body type. His colours were dull but no doubt blue in tone and his scales were littered with old scars and fresh claw marks. Self-inflicted as Blanc had stated. There was a ring of yellow bioluminescent spots around his head and they trailed a path down his arms and tail. Even more interesting, he had cephalopod like limbs skirting where his tail and torso connected. There was no doubt he was interesting looking and probably beautiful when in peak health.

        “That better come off, we don’t have the funds to replace the glass.” Blanc complained with an unamused expression as she watched the man continue to draw.

        “Speaking of, I will need to work with whoever is in charge of finances to figure out an affordable enrichment plan for the facility.” Crimson spoke, but he didn’t look at her as he got the mer to follow a squiggled line before erasing it. The creature tried to copy the action but was unsuccessful and got frustrated, smacking the glass before swimming away.

        “Good luck finding ‘enrichment’ for that one. He destroys anything that goes into his tank.” Blanc scoffed, but a pleased smirk had visibly curled on her lips at the perceived rejection.

        Crimson wasn’t bothered and wiped away the rest of the drawings before turning back to her. “I want to see the laboratory and medical section now.”

        Her expression dropped and returned to her neutral scowl. Taking the lead, she ushered him through a doorway and up a long staircase. “There isn’t much to see.” She said.

        Regardless he looked at the open area, counting about ten tanks. There were a few workers mulling about but they didn’t acknowledge him as he walked past empty tanks. “How many mer do you have here?”

        “Five. We have another coming in later this week.”

        He hummed in acknowledgement before approaching one of the occupied enclosures. “Whatever tank the new one is going into needs to be properly set up. I’ll make that one my priority since there’s no mer to move yet. Then we’ll work on the others.” He stated, looking down at the water below. He noticed the railings were fairly short and the walls of this tank were a lot higher than the water level. “This seems like a safety hazard. Someone could easily fall in and it looks unnecessarily difficult to get back out of.”

        She laughed and stood beside him before turning and shouting to one of her employees. “Why is this wall so high, Oscar?”

        “It makes it harder for the mer to get out. And that’s especially important in Blue’s enclosure. He has determination and tentacles.” A man in an orange uniform replied, before tossing some food into another tank.

        “And the short railings?” Crimson asked.

        “Easier to grab in case someone does fall in. If they can even scale the wall that is.” Oscar continued before glaring when Blanc waved a dismissive hand at him, signalling her disinterest in any further input from him.

        Crimson could already feel a migraine forming at the backwards logic and complete lack of care this place seemed to have. Regardless, there was a ray of hope as a large man approached him with some of his equipment.

        “Here.” Pink said, placing everything down before turning and walking over to Oscar.

        Crimson didn’t bother thanking the man and instead rummaged around in a bag. “I still need to find out the budget I’m working with, but for now I have some small activities.” 

        Pulling out a ball, he bounced it on the ground before dropping it down into Blue’s tank. The ball disrupted the water with a light splash before beginning to float on the surface. It went undisturbed for a moment, but eventually he came up to investigate.

        Crimson and Blanc watched as the mer stared at the ball before grabbing it and biting down. It gave a loud pop before deflating with a sad whoosh of air. Once again she cast a smug look to the man but he was unfazed as he turned back to his things. He pulled out another ball, but this one was made with a thick layer of plastic and had a handle.

        Once more he tossed it into the water below, watching it float and spin around for a moment before the mer launched and attempted to bite into it as well. The harder surface put up far more resistance than its predecessor but Blue gave it a few more bites anyway then stopped. He spun it around in the water a few times but all it did was bob around. Eventually he grabbed the handle and picked it up.

        Crimson took more notes before his attention was pulled from the sheet of paper by sudden movement. The plastic ball was whipped towards him, aimed right for his face. He managed to catch it just in time, taking a hold of the handle and stopping it. The mer almost looked disappointed it hadn’t hit him. He dismissed the thought and tossed the ball back, significantly closer to the mer than he had been aiming before and it splashed the creature.

        He tried not to show amusement at the miffed looking expression directed at him, and instead turned to Blanc. “I think I can work out an activity routine that should keep him occupied until we can get his enclosure properly set up.”

        Blanc crossed her arms and frowned. She opened her mouth to argue but was promptly cut off by the plastic ball nailing the side of her head. Her hands flew up in a delayed attempt to defend herself, but the ball was at her feet before she even reached her hair. Recovering quickly, she rubbed the side of her head before twisting it to glare at the mer. “Espèce de putain de poisson stupide! Je vais te hacher et te faire frire, connard!!” She yelled before throwing the ball back at the creature as hard as she could. "I don't even like calamari, but I'll make an exception for you!"

        Crimson tried to fight down the smile attempting to rise, but he failed horribly and avoided looking at her lest he start laughing. His eyes connected briefly with the mer’s before he managed to school his expression once again and cleared his throat to further dismiss his mirth.

        “Anyway. Let’s move on and figure out finances.”

        Blue watched the humans walk away before sinking down into the water. That was the most entertainment he had gotten in weeks. His boredom would eventually reach him again, but replaying the look on Blanc's face when the ball had hit her could bring him joy for at least an hour or so. Hitting both humans would have been better, but he had made the new one laugh with his antics, which was different. Even those who had started with good intentions usually avoided him or got mad at him, for good reason too. It probably wouldn't last.

        Somebody else walked by the top of his tank and he prepared his attack again but stopped. Throwing the ball at Umber would be funny, but Blue knew the man wouldn't throw it back in a blind fit of rage. There would be no getting the ball back and that human would return a real punishment instead. It wasn't worth the risk.

        Blue sighed, blowing annoyed bubbles. The ball bobbed around on the surface and he watched it a bit before spinning it. There wasn't much he could do with it, unless he attempted to destroy it, but weirdly, he didn't want to. It was blue and hard to break, just like him. And it was fun to throw at people. So, he would accept the gift for now.

Chapter Text

        Blair rushed out of their office with a file held securely in their hands. They manoeuvred around workers to the best of their ability while searching for one particular man. In their distraction, they missed the puddle in their path and yelped as their feet slid out from under them. They braced themself for impact, but it never came as large hands grabbed their shoulders and pulled them back up.

        "Careful." Pink said, helping them to their feet again.

        Their face exploded with warmth and they brushed a coil of hair behind their ear. "Thank you. Sorry about that." They apologized, looking away from him shyly.

        He gave them a smile and patted their shoulder before turning and grabbing a nearby wet floor sign. "Watch your step."

        "I will, sorry. Thank you again!" They responded as they brought the file up to their face, covering their fluster as they stepped around the puddle and continued on their path. Thankfully they spotted the man they were looking for as soon as they managed to lower the file. "Crimson!"

        The aforementioned man turned, giving them a nod once he spotted them and meeting them halfway. "Blair, did you get the enrichment budget?"

        They cringed before handing him the file. "I tried my best to scrape together as many funds as possible, but finances are a mess right now. We're losing money we shouldn't be losing and I'm still trying to figure out where it's going."

        Crimson sighed as he looked at what he was working with, before giving them a small smile. "I understand, thank you. I can work with this."

        "Sorry, again. I'm going to try to start a fundraiser to help out, but I'm still figuring out the details." They explained, fidgeting guiltily.

        "If you need any help, I'd be happy to pitch ideas." He replied, setting the file down.

        They went to reply, but somebody else beat them to it. "I'm also down to help with the fundraiser!" A worker in a cyan wet suit approached the two of them.

        "Oh, that would be great, thank you!" Blair said, hugging the other person before nodding to Crimson. "I should get back to work, but I'll start making plans for the fundraiser!"

        "Bye, Blair!" The worker waved as Blair walked away, before turning to Crimson. "So, you're the narc."

        Crimson spluttered. "Excuse me?"

        His reaction earned a loud laugh. "Sorry, that's what Umber is calling you after you reported him. Crimson, right? I'm Cyan." 'Cyan' stuck out their hand to shake his.

        "Umber. Right." Crimson's face curled into contempt at the reminder of the man. "He made some inappropriate comments to me and when I told him I wasn't interested, he got more pushy."

        Cyan cringed, but nodded in sympathy. "Yeah, he does that a lot unfortunately. He has the school bully mentality. If he can get away with it, he will, and he usually does, but if you can get some allies, he'll leave you alone for an easier target." They explained, before pausing and looking at him. "Hey, I'm going for a swim. Do you want to join me? I can give you all the workplace details you can't get from just observing."

        Crimson inspected his uniform before shrugging. "If you can find a suit that fits me, sure."

        "Great!"

        They led him over to a bench and instructed him to sit while they went to grab a spare suit. Briefly looking around, there wasn't much he hadn't already seen but he still made some mental notes. A little less than a week into the new job and he was still learning the layout, but this place wasn't physically much different from other marine centres he had been to.

        "This one should fit. We aren't diving anyway, so it doesn't need to be perfect." Cyan spoke up once they returned.

        He thanked them before walking into a nearby changing stall and trying it on. Once he exited, he noticed there was a camera directed right where the stalls were. Its position wouldn't help it see inside, but it was still a strange placement. He had also noted the lack of cameras in the rest of the facility. "Why are the cameras placed so sporadically?"

        "The cameras here suck and Blanc is too cheap to get more. Which is why Umber can get away with so much shit. There's no cameras in most of the facility and as long as he avoids managers, no one can really do anything since Blanc doesn't take reports seriously." Cyan said, motioning for him to follow them.

        "I'm still making a report about this. That is a hostile work environment. No one should have to deal with that." Crimson sighed, casting a weary glare to the man in question as the two of them passed by.

        "I support that, but be careful. Most of us hate him and want him out of here, but you don't want to piss him off too much. He's done some shit that made people quit in the past," Cyan continued quietly until they were away from the aforementioned man again. Crimson shook his head in disbelief, prompting them to continue, "He harasses me sometimes, but not too bad since I have a lot of friends. He tries harassing Blair, but they have Pink and Oscar watching their back. Oscar is probably the shortest man here, so he has gotten targeted before, but I can't lie, he would probably shank Umber given the chance. I think the mer get the worst of it honestly, because most of his other victims have abandoned ship."

        Crimson frowned at the information, but was thankful for it regardless. "I will have to keep an eye on him. That's very counterproductive to my job."

        Cyan sighed in agreement, before smiling again. "And it's depressing as shit to talk about, so, how about that swim? You can get up close and personal with a mer." They said opening up a gate, which was almost comically larger than the poor excuse for a railing and stepped through. "I usually keep this open, but Blanc gives me shit for it."

        He watched as they climbed down some steps leading to a platform close to the water. "Are you sure that's safe? I thought we were going in an empty tank."

        They turned to look at him and quirked a brow. "That's boring, why would we do that?"

        "I don't usually physically interact with the wildlife unless it's absolutely necessary. Then again, all other precautions are ignored here, so I shouldn't be that surprised."

        They laughed again before motioning him into the water. "It's okay, this one is really friendly. Most of the mer here are fine, if not a little skittish. Blue is the one you want to avoid."

        "So I've heard." Crimson replied, climbing down to the platform but still hesitating at the water.

        "I thought maybe he just needed some extra compassion and attention, so I tried to give it to him. He gave me this in return." They continued, before unzipping part of their suit and pulling it past their shoulder. Their upper arm had a massive scar, rows of indents in their skin signified teeth had caused it. "So many stitches. I don't doubt he would have done worse if I wasn't nice to him, but full disclosure, he will fuck you up."

        He watched them fix their suit and look down into the water they were treading. "It's good to see you're still passionate about mer, even after that."

        "I love my job." They shrugged, before pausing at the sight of movement beneath them. Their eyes went wide and they looked up at him as he began to dip his feet in. "This is the wrong tank."

        Before he could properly react, they were suddenly pulled down, disappearing into the depths. "Cyan!" He yelled, getting out of the water and standing on the platform, trying to catch a glimpse of them. "I knew this was a bad idea. Shit!" There was still no sign of them and he began to frantically look around for a pole or anything he could use to retrieve them.

        About to call for help, his shout was cut off by them bobbing back up to the surface, coughing and spluttering. "Cyan!" He called again, racing to the edge of the platform and extending his hand, "Take my hand!"

        They wiped at their eyes, continuing to cough before swimming closer and grabbing his hand. "Thanks." They said, tugging him forward and into the water.

        "What the fuck!" He exclaimed before hitting the surface with a splash.

        His body didn't sink far, but he still struggled back up, breaching the water and glaring at them. They laughed in response, almost doubled over in their mirth. "Sorry, sorry, I had to. We always have to do it to the newbies." They responded, wiping a tear from their eye before lightly smacking the water. "You can come up, Lime."

        Crimson pulled back as a bright green mer swam up beside them, grinning at the man and embracing Cyan. "What is happening?"

        "You're not the only one trying to keep these mer entertained and enriched. Lime and I have been working together for a long time. He really likes socializing, and that includes pranking people." They explained, hugging the mer back as they fought down another laugh. "This is the right tank, and as I said, he's super friendly. Unlike some mer, he behaves to get things to cure his boredom."

        "You shouldn't be training the mer to do dangerous stunts like that." Crimson crossed his arms and continued to tread water.

        "I'm not training him to do anything. The mer are smarter than most people give them credit for, they might even be more like us than we think." They responded, but kept their attention on the mer, the two of them sticking their tongues out at each other.

        "Dolphins and cephalopods are also incredibly intelligent, but that doesn't mean we should personify them." He argued, climbing back out of the water

        Cyan looked like they wanted to say something, but they shook their head and sighed. "I still think you should get to know who and what you're working with. Especially if you're the one tasked with bettering their lives."

        "I think I've had enough interaction for one day. Thank you." He replied, trying to push his soaked curls back into his hair tie with little success.

        "Whatever you say. I still have more mer tips when you want them!" They called as he began to walk away.

        "I'll consider it."

        Ascending the stairs, he left the gate open so Cyan could get out once they were finished. They were nice enough and did provide some great information. Still, he doubted he would be attempting to swim with mers again anytime soon.

        His clothes were where he had left them and he promptly got changed, casting a few suspicious glances towards the camera. He would need to map out where there were cameras and then figure out what sections actually needed them. The list of things he needed to fix and address in this place was rapidly growing.

        Even worse, he approached the bench he had left the file on and saw it was missing. Thankfully he had memorized the amount and there was no real money in it, just a financial statement, but that wasn't the problem. Someone was stealing things.

        "I don't know if I can turn this place around." He muttered, leaning against a railing. Movement caught his eye and he moved out of the way as a blue plastic ball came hurtling towards him. Catching it with both hands, he once again stopped it from hitting him and shot an unamused look to the mer below. "That trick is going to get old very fast-" He was cut off by a spray of water being spit directly in his face. Coughing and spluttering, he backed away from the top of the tank and wiped his face with the bottom of his shirt.

        Blue only watched with an amused grin, but it faltered when the human put his ball down instead of throwing it at him. He didn't have much, but that was one thing he was gradually growing attached to.

        Crimson coughed again before composing himself the best he could. "Maybe if you weren't such an asshole people would actually want to play with you." He said as he glared at the creature. He wasn't expecting a response and he never got one.

        Cyan continued to care about their job despite what the mer had done to them, and he refused to let the same mer stop him from doing his. His shift was over anyway. So he picked up the ball and dropped it back into the tank before turning and leaving.

Chapter Text

       “Roll him on his side and make sure you hold the tail down.” Teal instructed to his partner as he helped secure the restraints.

        Chartreuse fought against the mer’s wild strength and avoided shards of glass the best he could. “He fights well for such a small thing.”

        “Let me help,” Cyan spoke up as they entered the room, already securing a glove over their hand, “This is the new arrival? What happened?” They asked, wincing as the bright red mer shrieked and thrashed even harder as the sedation needle was pushed in.

        “Delivery driver fucked up, somehow managed to roll the whole truck over and smash the tank inside. They’re on their way to the hospital right now while we do damage control.” Teal explained, pulling out the needle and continuing to hold down the squirming body with one hand as the medication took affect.

        “Poor baby, that had to have been terrifying,” Cyan cooed, grabbing a chair and sitting down by the mer’s head, “What’s their name?”

        “The facility chose the name Red.” Chartreuse answered, gradually letting go to instead help his partner remove the glass and clean wounds.

        “Red,” They repeated, keeping their gaze soft as they looked down at the mer, who’s terrified noises were reduced to squeaks as grogginess set in. “It’s alright, sweetheart. We’re going to get you patched up and then you can explore your new tank,” They explained calmly, reaching out to lightly run their thumb along the mer’s twitching palm, “That’s right, it’s okay. There’s a pretty pescado.” They mumbled soothing words and took the opportunity to inspect the new mer while the two men talked.

        From what they could tell, Red seemed like a tropical mer with an average sized build. Just as the name suggested, the mer had bright red scales and a beautiful red fin running from head to tail. The only difference in colour was on the mer’s face, which had an orange pattern across the nose and mouth area. The terrified but unfocused eyes were a very light blue and they locked on Cyan as much as possible.

        “Alright, this side is done. Help us flip him over, Cyan.” Teal said, undoing the wrist restraints and beginning to turn the mer with the help of his partner.

        Cyan let go of the mer’s hand to assist, but Red began crying again, showing the medication wasn’t the only contribution to the aquatic being settling down. “Okay. You’re okay. I’m here.” They continued to soothe, following the motion and walking around the table to remain in the frightened mer’s line of sight.

        “Looks like someone’s popular with the mer. Think you’ll be assigned this one’s care?” Teal teased, but the easy smile he shot them showed he was thankful for their assistance.

        They huffed a laugh and shrugged. “There’s plenty of capable handlers here, and I have my hands full with Lime.”

        Chartreuse’s radio beeped, catching everyone’s attention as he stepped away to take the call. It didn’t take him long to return with an unimpressed expression on his face. “Speaking of handfuls, Blue hurt himself again and will be moved here once they can get him sedated.”

        “Fantastic,” Teal replied flatly before looking over to them, “Wanna hold Blue’s hand when he comes in?”

        “Absolutely not. I wouldn’t have a hand anymore if I even tried,” They scoffed, before looking down and seeing Red had fallen asleep, “I might sneak off before he gets here actually.”

        “Suit yourself.” Teal said, tuning back into his work as they walked out of the room.

        “So much for your enrichment plan. Blue hurt himself again.” Blanc sneered as Crimson rushed into the facility.

        “First of all, it’s a work in progress, not an instant cure all. Second, why did I find his ball in the change room? He has a good throw but he’s not that accurate.” Crimson questioned as he raised the well used toy.

        She went quiet at the confrontation and grimaced further. “I wasn’t aware.”

        “You don’t seem to be aware of a lot of things, so how about you stop making my job harder. I am here to help, but keep pushing it and I will send a report to have this place shut down.” He stepped around her and continued walking, heading directly for the blue mer’s enclosure. Blanc didn’t follow him and he hoped it would stay that way as he approached and looked down into the water.

        He was anticipating the mer would be more capricious after being wounded and having surgery, but surprisingly the mer swam to the surface and looked up at him. “How are you feeling?” He asked, though he didn’t expect an answer as he inspected the wounds from a distance. It was hard to see them, but some looked...difficult to self-inflict.

        His attention was barely snapped away in time as the mer spit water at him. He raised his clipboard and managed to deflect it, before twisting around and pulling out a water gun, spraying the mer right back. He laughed despite himself as the mer gave him an openly bewildered look. “Wasn’t expecting that, we’re you? Glad to see you’re still the same asshole even while hurt and drugged,” He commented, managing to collect himself and lifting the ball. “Here, I found your ball,” Tossing it in, Blue launched for it and held it possessively. “You’re welcome!” Crimson called, smiling down as he watched the mer bite and spin the ball around, “If you can manage not to throw that at anyone for the rest of the day, I’ll bring you some extra food tomorrow.”

        With that, Crimson turned away to go check on other mer. He had successfully enriched the new mer’s tank and he wanted to check how that one was settling in before shifting his focus to fixing up the others.

        Cyan leaned over the edge of the tank and slipped their hand beneath the railing. They kept a firm grip on the speaker as they secured it to the wall.

        “I noticed you’re really nervous, so I want to try playing music since it calms me down. If you don’t like it, just give me a sign.” They said as they double checked the stability and pulled back.

        They had an abundance of music on their devices, they had multiple to contain their expansive library, but they weren’t sure what to play. Lime was particularly fond of upbeat and love songs, but those could be too overwhelming for the new mer. They decided on one of their calming playlists and set the volume low before playing a song. Resting their chin on their interlaced hands, they looked down into the water for any changes.

        Within about thirty seconds, Red launched out of the water and smacked the speaker down, splashing Cyan and attempting to drown the speaker.

        “Hey! You just had to ask me to turn it off or change it. You’re lucky that’s water proof.” They said with a frown, watching their speaker sink further down into the water, causing them to huff.

        Red paused at the slightly chastising tone. It was unexpected coming from the seemingly soft-spoken human and made guilt begin to bubble up in the mer.

        “Oh, thank you.” Cyan smiled again as Red floated up and shyly pushed the speaker back towards them.

        “What are you doing?” Crimson asked as he looked at them splayed out on their stomach on the floor, his presence causing the mer to swim away again.

        They looked up at him and grinned before standing up to brush themself off. “Trying to help the other newbie settle in.”

        Crimson rolled his eyes but didn’t comment. “Have you noticed if Red is using the enrichment I provided?”

        “Well the hides are getting good use. That’s about it so far.”

        "That's definitely the point, but if that's all he's using it's going to make my case about these being better a lot harder to present to Blanc." He sighed, watching the mer swim into one of the hides, "Speaking of. I know you don't like Blue, but can you keep an eye on him when I'm not here? Some things I'm being told aren't adding up and I'm worried Blanc might be sabotaging my enrichment plan."

        Cyan grimaced but nodded. "I can do my best. You might also want to ask some of the night shift people. You and I typically come in around the same days, so I won't be as useful as they could be."

        He patted them on the shoulder. "Thanks, Cyan."

Chapter Text

        Umber watched as the last afternoon shift employee walked out of the building. There were only four other people inside, and Blanc was heading out.

        “Everyone else called in sick. It’s going to be a quiet night.” She said as she handed him the keys to lock up.

        “Understood.” He took them from her and watched her turn to switch off the main lights. 

        The facility was washed in an eerie blue glow as the tanks supplied the main source of illumination now. The creepy atmosphere was his least favourite part of night shift, as footsteps seemed to echo forever, and water gently lapped against the edges of each enclosure, but it was the best time for him to get his work done.

        Locking the doors behind Blanc, he whirled around and headed deeper into the facility to check the roster. The only other people here were Green and Banana, neither who bothered to leave their designated rooms most nights. He was in the clear then.

        Heading into the medical wing, he entered the laboratory and began riffling through the cabinets. Briefly looking at his list, he began filling his backpack with various items, anything he could get away with without gaining too much attention. Chartreuse would probably get mad at his partner in literal crime for stealing from his turf, but Umber didn’t particularly care.

        Once he had grabbed enough to check off the list, he left the room and headed back to the aquarium section. Ignoring most of the tanks, he made a beeline for Blue’s. He seemed ready for the human, already at the surface and fixing the man with a steely glare.

        Umber’s eyes immediately locked on the ball floating in the water and he scowled. “I told you, you couldn’t have that back until you win all your fights,” He stated, but didn’t dare attempt to grab the toy while the mer was completely aware and baring teeth at him, “How did you get that back? I know you didn’t get it yourself,” He continued, waiting for an answer and quickly growing impatient, “It was the narc, wasn’t it?”

        Blue still refused to respond and watched the man’s every move, wanting desperately to tear the human apart but he was unable to do so.

        “I’m leaving you alone tonight because you got too fucked up by yesterday’s fight to be useful, but don’t think you’re off the hook,” Umber muttered, trying to think of what other leverage he had besides pain, and the ball. He wasn’t sure if he was on the right track, but the toy the mer was so attached to hadn’t come from nowhere, “If you don't smarten up, I might have to screw your little loud mouth boyfriend right in front of you.”

        “Fuck you!” Blue hissed, raising out of the water despite knowing the threatening display meant nothing when he was so far away.

        “Ah, it does speak!” Umber exclaimed sarcastically, “Now, watch how you talk to me. I’m up here with him, and you’re down there swimming in your own shit and blood.”

        “You better hope you never fall in here. I guarantee I’d win a fight against you.” Blue growled, his tentacles and tail thrashing in agitation.

        “How about you just focus on your next one and making me some money,” Umber scoffed, turning away from the angry mer, “Enjoy your night off. I’m going to see if Lavender is available.”

        The conversation ended, but the silence didn’t resume as his statement echoed throughout the room. Every mer in the facility began circling their tanks in anger and anxiety. Non-human sounds rose as he passed by each one, water lapping over the edges of most of the filled tanks as various mer cut through the water in their own version of pacing. They knew what he was going to do, but they were powerless to stop it.

        Crimson tilted his head as he passed by a door he didn’t recognize. He had been at the facility for a few weeks but there were still some places he hadn’t explored yet. Pressing his badge to the sensor, he frowned as he was denied access.

        “Oh, that’s Tracy’s section. She locked it because she thinks someone has been tampering with HalfnHalf’s enclosure.” Cyan piped up as they stood behind him, making him jump.

        “Who is that?” He asked as they used their badge to open the door.

        “You’re going to love Tracy. She takes her job seriously and is filled with rage. Just like you.” They answered as they ushered him inside.

        He went to respond but was blasted with cold air, making him shiver. “It’s freezing!”

        “Yup. Half is an arctic mer, so he gets his own section. It’s closed off cause he was deemed ‘too scary looking for the public’.” They explained before pausing.

        “And I know no one will save me, I just need someone to kiss, give me one good honest kiss and I’ll be alright.” Someone sang the closer the two workers got.

        Cyan wiggled excitedly before running ahead and bursting into the main room to sing loudly and off key, “Nobody! Nobody! Nobody! Nobody! Nobody! Oooooh!”

        “Cyan, you bitch!” A woman in a pink winter wetsuit whirled around to glare at them, but the expression had an air of playfulness. At least until it fell on Crimson, “Who is that?”

        “Your new best friend~” The aforementioned person joked, “No. He hasn’t seen HalfnHalf yet so I wanted to see if we could scare the shit out of the newbie with the big guy.”

        “You can’t pull the same joke twice.” Crimson said flatly.

        “Who said anything about the same joke?”

        Tracy rolled her eyes at their antics, but she never got a chance to agree to or deny the game as a large shadow cast over her. “Not again,” She sighed before yelping as big, cold arms wrapped around her and pulled her backwards, “Not in the water! Not in the water!” She shouted as she was instead pulled into a warm and plush belly.

        Crimson stared wide eyed at the giant mer. He thought Blue was massive, but this mer was bigger.

        The mer’s upper half was covered in white...feathers, surprisingly. However the bottom half looked like a seal and was almost silver in colour. HalfnHalf was certainly a fitting name. Two bright red eyes bore into the man and inspected Crimson right back. An albino mer then.

        Half's general features were actually pretty cute and unique, aside from the creepy red eyes, but the true ‘too scary’ part came from the multitude of scars littering his body. Especially his neck which looked like it had nearly been torn out in the past. Intimidating features aside, Crimson’s instinctual fear dissipated as he watched the whale of a mer rub against Tracy, who only looked vaguely annoyed at the antics.

        “I’ll take the snuggles over being dragged into ice water.” She stated, leaning into the affection despite her expression. At least until Half licked up the side of her face, “Eugh! Fish breath! Stop that you goofball. Gross.” She pushed his face away and rubbed at her own.

        “You shouldn’t be letting him pull you into the water. You don’t want to encourage bad behaviour.” Crimson pointed out, once again he shouldn’t have had his hopes up for proper protocol following, but alas.

        “‘Encourage bad behaviour’. What is he, a dog? And as if I could stop this big boy from getting his cuddle time,” Tracy responded, giving the big mer an audible pat, “He may not be much of a talker cause of his injuries, but he still gets his point across.”

        Cyan made a sharp sound and a cutting motion with their hand, bringing attention on to them. “Ixnay, on the talksay.”

        Tracy stared at them for a moment, blinking very slowly before shifting her deep brown eyes towards the man in the room. “What? I assumed he’s in the know if you brought him around me.”

        “In the know about what?” Crimson questioned, crossing his arms and shooting a suspicious glare towards Cyan.

        Tracy was the one to answer, “Mers can talk. Maybe not all of them, but those who have spent enough time around humans can.”

        He laughed loudly, shaking his head as the sound formed into a scoff. “Alright, I get it. Prank on the new guy, haha. I have worked at many aquariums and have never heard a mer talk. So, thanks but I call bullshit. They’re animals.”

        Everyone else grimaced at his reply, but Tracy caught Cyan’s look and decided to drop the topic. He picked up on the shifted demeanour and sighed, realizing he had upset them both with what he said, no matter how true it was. Regardless, he looked around for a topic change and spotted a symbol on Tracy’s uniform. “Oh, you’re trans?”

        Tracy glared at him before eyeing Cyan as if they had brought her a pile of shit to talk to.

        Crimson raised his hands in a complacent gesture, “Sorry, I saw the badge. I’m not trying to get personal, just recognized it. My best friend is non-binary.”

        “Aw, I’m your best friend?” Cyan asked.

        “No-“

        “Oof.”

        “Ouch.”

        “-My friend Maroon. They are fixing up another facility right now.” He continued, growing flustered as the conversation continued to descend.

        “Cyan better be your second non-binary best friend. Cause they’re the only one who can get you out of this room. I’m not going to.” Tracy said, crossing her arms as well.

        "Well, he can suffer in here a little bit longer, just for that," Cyan replied, mirroring the position their other two compatriots were taking and prompting HalfnHalf to do the same to not feel left out. They shot him a smile before looking back at Tracy. "Did you notice the mer have been really antsy today? I still have to ask Lime about it, but I wasn't sure if you head anything."

        "I've only interacted with Half today, sorry." She answered, pulling over a bucket of fish and feeding the aforementioned mer.

        Crimson didn't bother paying attention to Cyan's response as he remembered the promise he made yesterday. "Cyan, can you let me out of the room? I forgot, I have to feed Blue today."

        They gave him an odd look, but stood up regardless, letting him out of the room. They didn't follow as they continued to converse with Tracy.

        Crimson didn't mind as he walked back into the warmth the rest of the facility seemed to permeate. He gave himself a few minutes to warm up before heading over to the feeding station.

        "Did Blue eat yet?" He asked the incredibly tall man in a lime uniform standing by the station.

        "No. I was just about to feed him, but you are more than welcome to do so," The man stepped aside and directed him to the correct bucket, "Good luck getting him to eat. He can be a particularly finicky eater."

        "Thanks for the warning...?"

        "Chartreuse."

        "Hi, I'm-"

        "The narc. Yes, I have been made aware." Chartreuse responded, before turning back to his work.

        "Alright. That nickname caught on fast." Crimson sighed, pushing the bucket which thankfully had wheels, towards the blue mer's tank.

        There had been no reports of people being hit with a plastic ball today as far as he was aware, so he unlocked the gate leading deeper into Blue's enclosure. Closing it behind himself, Crimson secured the bolt as per protocol, but left it unlocked in case of an emergency.

        All of the tanks had a slight overpass, which were used for feeding purposes. Most of them almost touched the water, but the water level in Blue's tank was kept low to stop him from climbing out to attack people.

        Crimson was thankful for the safety guards running along the platform, despite how short they were, as he looked down at the drop which was at least a few meters. Dangerous mer aside, it didn't seem like a fun place to fall.

        "I brought you food." He announced as he sat down on the overpass, feeling confident enough with the water distance to let his feet dangle as he brought the bucket over to his side.

        At the sound of the man's voice, Blue swam up to the surface and looked up as the platform. The human was still so far, but had never been so physically close. This was a perfect opportunity to throw the ball and possibly make the man fall, but he decided against doing so as his body protested the lack of food. At least he could be sure this wouldn't be drugged.

        Crimson looked down at the mer, but made sure his position was secure and had no risk of falling, before grabbing a fish to toss down. Despite what Chartreuse had warned, the blue mer instantly snapped up the fish and seemed to be waiting for another. Crimson was pleasantly surprised and tossed down more, one at a time to ensure they were being eaten first.

        "Would you look at that," He murmured as he reached the end of the bucket. The comments from earlier sprung up in his mind, prompting him to look down at the mer with a contemplative look, "I don't suppose you'd speak for me and let me know if you want more..."

        As usual, he wasn't expecting a response and he never received a verbal one. However, he watched as Blue suddenly dived down into the water before turning and rocketing back up to the surface, breaking through the water and grasping for one of the man's dangling feet.

        "Whoa!" Cyan shouted, making Crimson jump as they appeared behind him and pulled him back. The mer was a few feet off of the mark, but the intention was still worrying.

        "Fuck. Thank you. I don't know what set him off." Crimson uttered as he climbed to his feet with their help.

        They grabbed the bucket and walked back towards the gate with their hand on his arm. Their eyes remained locked on the mer below even as they passed through it and locked the gate for the both of them. "Next time, just sit down with your legs crossed. That mer is unpredictable and it may seem like a large distance, but I wouldn't want to be that close to him if I were you. He usually doesn't strike out at feeders, so I don't know what he was doing, but he seemed like he was intent on catching you and I don't think he'd ever let you go."

        Crimson looked down at the mer in question, who was circling the tank and acting 'agitated' as Cyan had mentioned the other mer had been. "Thanks..."

Chapter Text

        Cyan clapped excitedly as Crimson walked into the room. He shot them an odd look, making them laugh.

        “I’m not excited you’re here,” They clarified, “It’s bring your kids to work day. Lime’s boyfriend is coming and he’s bringing the kids!”

        Crimson only stared at them in confusion, “Another mer?”

        “No, he’s just a part-time worker, but Lime has the biggest crush on him. It’s so cute!” They explained, giving another excited clap before looking down into the aforementioned mer’s tank, “Did you hear that? Black’s coming in today and so are the kiddos!”

        Crimson looked down as well and watched the mer do a few happy laps in the water and spin around. It had been a while since he first saw Lime, prompting Crimson to take a moment to study the mer without the fear for his or Cyan’s life plaguing him.

        He was still working on his classifications, but Lime looked like a river mer. He was a light green, with some patches of black and brown running along his arms and sides. His eyes were also brown and he had black appendages that almost looked like hair or tentacles on his head, but they didn’t seem to move on their own. He was definitely an interesting looking mer, but then again they were all unique looking.

        Mer were still relatively new to humanity. Their existence had been at least somewhat normalized by now, but not enough to dilute the fascination in them.

        Lime suddenly launched himself out of the water, doing an excited flip and splashing the two humans with water.

        “Nice to see you too, Lime.” A voice chuckled behind them, making Crimson whirl around.

        A tall, muscular man in a black uniform approached the railing and looked down at the excited mer. Three small children stood by his side and waved enthusiastically at the aquatic being.

        “How was your vacation, Black?” Cyan asked the man as they smiled, watching their friend twirl around in the water a few more times.

        “Not long enough.” Black responded, turning his attention to them.

        “Kiddos driving you crazy?”

        “Mm, not quite. Just tiring.” He continued, shrugging a bit.

        “Well, you know Lime would be more than happy to help babysit.” They laughed, eyeing the mer who nodded vehemently at their suggestion.

        “Thanks but I don’t want child services being called on me for letting a fish watch the kids.”

        “I’m going to have to try to convince you to swim with him someday and actually meet him physically.”

        Again Lime seemed enthused by the suggestion, and Crimson almost thought he saw the mer mouth “thank you” to Cyan, but he dismissed the thought. He refused to believe that a species of marine life, no matter how humanoid, could speak and communicate with humans. No matter how much Cyan insisted it.

        While he was distracted, the conversation had shifted to the new mers Black had not yet seen. Crimson followed behind the two talking employees wanting to gain any information he could. He had seen Blue, Lime, and HalfnHalf, but had never gotten to see Red, who surprisingly came up as Cyan approached.

        “Beautiful, isn’t he?” They asked Black, before smiling down at the mer.

        “This one came in last week?”

        “Yeah. Driver bumped him around a little, but he’s tougher than he looks.”

        “And the other new one?”

        “Lavender. He’s been here for about two months now, but don’t expect to see him. Poor guy hides the whole time.” They continued, catching Crimson’s attention. 

        He knew there were at least five mer here, but he was still gradually learning about them all, “Aren’t there six now, with Red’s arrival? I haven’t seen all of them.”

        Cyan got quiet for a second, “...Uh...About that. Don’t tell Blanc I told you, but Aqua ended up stealing Noir. We haven’t been able to find them. That’s why she’s been extra pissed lately.”

        “She’s always pissed, so I didn’t notice a difference, but I will have to make a report to my superiors about this.” Crimson replied, getting an understanding nod in response.

        “He’s really on top of regulations.” Black pointed out, but he sounded vaguely impressed as he inspected the shorter man.

        Crimson went to say something, but was interrupted by a scream and a splash. All three adults whipped around at the sound, spotting two of the children standing by a tank and looking through the railing.

        “Sable! Ebony! Where is your brother?” Black demanded as he ran over to his children, his coworkers right behind him.

        “I told Blanc we need better railings.” Crimson muttered as the children pointed down into the tank.

        “Onyx!” Black shouted, already fighting to open the gate to get in.

        Cyan opened the door for him as his panicked hands fumbled with the lock. “It’s Lime’s tank. Onyx will be okay.” They tried to settle the man as the three of them ran onto the platform.

        “I don’t know if I trust your judgment after the Blue incident.” Black snapped, gesturing to their hidden scar.

        Crimson couldn’t help silently agreeing, but he sighed with relief as he looked down into the water and saw the smallest child being held above the surface by the mer.

        Lime released a gurgled purr as he supported the human pup, swimming for the both of them. The young one finished coughing out the inhaled water, before settling in his arms and running tiny fingers along his scales.

        “Told you.” Cyan said, earning a glare from Black.

        “So he didn’t drown my kid. Let’s see if he’ll actually give me my son back.” He replied angrily, crouching down and sticking his hand in the water, “Lime, give Onyx to me. Please.”

        The aforementioned mer pouted, but eventually swam over to him. His son was given one more quick cuddle, before his child was back in his arms.

        “Thank you.” He sighed with relief, hugging his youngest son, who reached out for the mer again.

        “Can we play with Lime too? Please!” Ebony called down from the railing.

        Cyan gave the father a look, “Come on, Black. He just proved he won’t eat the kiddos. Let them visit.”

        “You better get those railings fixed,” Black muttered as he pointed at Crimson, before turning to look at the mer, “Fine.” He sighed out his agreement and waved his other two children over.

        Lime did a flip, making the children giggle as he made grabby hands at them. Ebony was the first to reach out, holding his hand in her’s as she stared in utter fascination.

        "He's so pretty, dad! And cold!" She declared to her father before turning back to his hand and inspecting the webbing between his fingers.

        "I want to see..." Sable mumbled as he cautiously approached the edge of the platform. He looked down into the water nervously, deciding to take a seat on the ledge to feel more secure. He gasped in shock as the mer's tail raised out of the water and was placed in his lap. "Wow!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide as he gently stroked over the smooth scales.

        Cyan caught Lime grinning at them, causing them to smile widely at his happiness. He really did love the attention, and maybe one of these days they could convince Black to give the mer some.

        Despite the thankfully anti-climactic aftermath of the incident, Crimson made a report about the railings, again. Once he was done, he brought the subject up to Blanc. Again.

        "And how much are new railings going to cost?" She questioned, crossing her arms.

        "A lot less than a lawsuit. I can tell you that much."

        Her eyes narrowed at the remark, "This is my business."

        "And it's failing. That's why I'm here, Blanc. I'm trying to help." Crimson sighed, shaking his head at her stubbornness.

        "Help? Pardon moi, but we're losing even more money because your stupide 'enrichment' is stopping the guests from seeing the new mer."

        "Are we really? Because this place barely gets enough traction as is. You don't advertise, hold any events or activities, you just expect the guests to come to you and then blame every inconvenience on everyone else," He said, crossing his arms as well, "You have a mostly fantastic staff who are passionate about the mer they're working with. Blair is trying to start up a fundraiser to get this place back on its feet. And I want you all to succeed," He continued, seeing she clearly wasn't listening, but trying to reach her regardless, "You don't seem to care about the mer, so fine. Let's talk money then. You're putting as little effort in as possible, just to save money, but in the long run you're only losing more than you're gaining. And the enrichment that you think is so stupid could actually save your business. All it takes is one influencer or activist showing how shitty this place's conditions are and then boom. You're shut down. I'm trying to stop that from happening. I'm not your enemy here."

        "Talk money? Don't speak to me as if I am une michtos. All you have spoken about since you arrived has been money and budgeting."

        Crimson pinched the bridge of his nose and huffed in aggravation. "That's all you got from that."

        "I am done. Do what you like, just don't touch my money," She aggressively waved a dismissive hand and continued to do so until he finally turned and left her office. She glared after him, before pressing a button on her radio. "Umber, come to my office."

        “Please stop following me.” Crimson muttered as he walked around the top of Blue’s tank, attempting to write out notes. He kept trying to get the paper wet by splashing the human, who was getting increasingly annoyed, “You’re such an asshole.”

        “Who are you calling an asshole?”

        Crimson spun around, opening his mouth to apologize before recognizing Umber and scowling. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

        “Well you should start. I have friends in high places too.”

        “I doubt that and I already told you I’m not interested. Back off.”

        Umber didn’t seem to care about the man’s cold tone as he began to block the shorter form in, forcing his coworker’s back up against the railing. “You should be flattered. You stuffy suit types put up such a front, but I bet you have a secret wild side. I just need to find it.” His hands shifted down and pressed to the other man’s stomach, his fingers sliding beneath the man’s shirt and beginning to pull it up.

        Crimson tried to fight off and pull away from the invasive hands, but the railing was digging into his back. It felt like it was going to give at any second. There was no escape as his attacker pushed up against him more, forcing him back even further. “Get the fuck off of me!” He shouted, slamming the heel of his palm up into the taller man’s nose.

        Umber yelled out in pain, his hands flying up to his face as blood began to drip down his face. “You bitch!” He shoved the other man hard.

        Crimson’s eyes widened and he tried to grab a hold of the railing as he flipped over it. The metal slipped from his grasp and he fell back. Umber said something else but Crimson couldn’t hear it as the distance of the water made its impact hurt, the force knocking the wind out of him for a moment as he was submerged into the depths. He automatically tried to breath, sucking in water and choking on it as the panic set in and he fought back up to the surface. Coughing, his lungs, nose, and throat burned as he spit up everything he inhaled.

        He still hadn’t fully gained his bearings, but as air reached his lungs again, he realized where he was and his heart froze. This was Blue’s tank.

        Dread seeped into his bones, making his limbs feel heavy as he looked at the mostly still surface. “Stop panicking.” He whispered to himself, fighting the urge to swim as fast as he can to instead slowly bringing himself towards the wall. It felt so far away and the pace was not helping at all, but the less he disturbed the water, the better. He didn't want to provoke the mer by splashing around.

        His heart raced and he tried to fight back more coughs and anxiety. His brain screamed at him the entire time, unhelpfully informing him he was going to die. His hand eventually touched the wall, somehow he was unscathed, but he didn’t let himself feel relief yet. He still had to climb out of here somehow.

        The wall had some texture to it, which provided some grip, but not much. His fingers had just enough purchase for him to pull himself up. However his feet couldn’t get the same and his foot continuously slipped out from under him. He looked up and saw his attacker was gone, most likely expecting him to be dead by now or at least unable to escape. Good, he didn't want the other man making this harder than it already was.

        “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” He repeated, holding onto the wall as tightly as he could before pulling his shoe off with one hand. He threw it as far as he could without dislodging himself, and watched it splash in the water, “Go chew on that instead of me.” He muttered, finally managing to get his foot against the wall, pulling himself out of the water. “Come on, please...” His other hand reached up and helped him pull himself up higher. He was only a few inches from the water surface and there was still a fair distance up the wall, but he tried desperately to hold onto both the wall and a sense of hope.

        At least until a cold, wet hand wrapped around his ankle, reigniting his panic full force. “No, no, no, no, no.” He chanted, refusing to look back and trying to raise his caught foot. His mantra only got louder as he was slowly pulled down, the wall’s texture providing no help whatsoever as it dragged along his fingers.

        His foot was only released once he was back in the water, and he felt chills run up his spine, his heart almost ready to burst under his panic. He stared at the traitorous wall as water rippled around him, feeling the presence behind him and sucking in a sharp breath as a large shadow cast over him.

        “Fuck me.” He muttered.

        “Gladly.”

        The voice was unfamiliar but unmistakably came from right behind him. 

        He startled and turned around despite his fear. Opening his mouth to respond, he was cut off by water being spit in his face.

        “Wha-You! You can talk! Fuck m-what the fuck,” He spluttered, coughing again and wiping water out of his eyes, before the reply finally registered, “That’s, not that I meant! It’s just an expression! What the fuck.”

        “You keep saying fuck. I’m down if you are.” Blue grinned, watching the human cower further at the sight of his teeth while he leered down at the short man.

        “No! What! You-no! You’re not even human!”

        “And you’re not mer.”

        “What?” Crimson’s mind struggled to process everything. It was still convinced he was going to die, he was once again boxed in by a larger body. Cyan was telling a truth that was hard to believe but impossible to deny now, and a fish was flirting with him.

        “I thought we were stating the obvious.” Blue said, watching the human’s eyes search his face, seeming to have so many questions and looking for answers. The confused expression was absolutely adorable.

        “Y-...You’re sapient. Not only can you talk, but you understand enough to respond and make remarks. What the fuck...” The man uttered, coming to terms with it, “You’re intelligent.”

        He preened at the comment, “I’m not usually complimented on my brains, so I’ll take it.”

        Crimson released a disbelieving laugh. Regardless the reply reminded him of the mer’s intimidating reputation and inclination to bite, “I need to get out of here.”

        “Good luck with that. I’m not letting you leave so soon.” The mer responded, making his blood run cold.

        “Please, Blue, let me go.” He begged, trying to look for a way out, but there was nothing he could do to escape.

        “Why should I? What’s in it for me?” Blue asked, blocking the man even further, watching in amusement as the human squirmed, “...I’m just teasing,” He continued, eventually backing off, “Stay for just a bit longer, then I’ll help you out. You have no idea how lonely it is down here.”

        Crimson settled down just a margin. Coming to terms with the mer’s ability to communicate made everything slightly easier to handle. There was a chance he could reason with the mer if needed, “Fine, but I have questions for you.”

        “Ask away.” Blue replied, his smile becoming softer and less predatory as he accepted the conversation.

        “First of all, people might be more inclined to socialize with you if you stopped biting them,” Crimson began, crossing his arms as he looked up at the aquatic being, “So, why did you bite Cyan?”

        Blue grimaced at the question and sighed, “Blanc told me to. She promised to release me if I did, but as you can see, she didn’t hold up her end of the deal.”

        “Why would she want to hurt Cyan?” Crimson furrowed his brows at the answer.

        “Same reason she wants you gone. You both get in her way.”

        He made a disgruntled sound but shifted topics, “Your wounds aren’t actually self-inflicted, are they?”

        “Some of them are,” Blue admitted, inspecting his scars, “Most of them are from mer fights, but I hurt myself sometimes to get Umber to leave me alone. He can’t steal me for them if I’m not in fighting condition.”

        “That is so unbelievably illegal, how is Blanc letting him get away with so much?”

        “I don’t think she knows about the fights. There’s plenty of things he does that she wouldn’t be okay with, but I’ll definitely take the fights over what he does to Lavender. I at least have a chance of dying and escaping.”

        Crimson wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask what was being done to the defenceless mer, but he was curious all the same.

        Blue could see the hesitant question, so he gave a vague answer, “Lavender doesn’t have a railing to interrupt Umber,” The human looked absolutely sick at the response, “You need to get rid of him.”

        “Believe me, I’m trying. And after this whole incident, regardless of the surprising outcome, this was attempted assault and murder. I’m not shutting up about this.”

        “Good.” Blue replied, before looking up at the climbing rungs. He was unable to reach them due to the water level and they were usually supposed to be submerged for trainers, but he obviously didn’t have one, “Well, you have work to do. Drop in anytime,” He smirked, before whispering to himself, “Come back soon...Please.”

        Crimson didn't get a chance to respond. He was left gasping in shock and shuddering as cold, wet skin, and hot breath brushed along the crook of his neck. The mer nuzzled into him one more time before he was hoisted up out of the water. 

        “Make sure to grab the ladder.”

        He only had a few seconds to spot it before he was being thrown into the air. His heart dropped, but he managed to catch a hold of the ladder. The sudden strain and previous impact made his back twinge with pain, but he suppressed his wince and pulled himself up, getting his foot onto one of the rungs. Escaping was easy after that.

        Blue watched the man climb up and out of his tank, wishing he could follow, but he knew he would have to be satisfied with what he got. The human stood at the railing, looking down at him for just a moment before turning and walking away.

Chapter Text

      “What are you doing?!” Blanc shrieked as she ran over to Blue’s tank.

        Crimson crouched by the water pump and finished adjusting the settings, “I read over his file. He’s classified as a deep sea mer. His water conditions aren’t even close to what his species needs so I’m giving him more water at the very least.”

        “Stop that!” She tried to grab the man, but he raised his clipboard to block her.

        “I’m not filling it all the way. He needs to earn that trust.” He responded, his tone calm but the look he shot her was warning enough. If she even tried to put her hands on him again.

        She didn’t try again, but she was far from done, “You can’t do that!”

        “Actually, I can. I reached out to my superiors. I have authority over you, so, I’m raising Blue’s water level, we’re getting new railings, I’m setting up a proper camera system, and you’re firing Umber right now, or I send a lengthy report about every incident, every unaddressed safety matter, every code violation, and get this place shut down right now.” He snapped his fingers, causing her to scowl at him.

        “You can’t have this much say! Non!”

        “I can call my superiors and you can ask them,“ He pulled his phone out of his pocket, “If you don’t like it, take it up with the board.”

        “I’ll go private then.” She responded, crossing her arms.

        “So you’re making this an illegal operation now? Go ahead, I can shut you down even faster,” He said, trying to keep the smirk from his voice and his expression schooled as she slowly realized he had all the cards, “You can’t go private when you have a mer in your aquarium. It helps to stop illegal activities like over breeding and mer fighting,” His stomach churned with the new realization that mer were sapient and the discomfort it added to those already sad situations, but he continued regardless, “By the way, Blue’s wounds aren’t self-inflicted. He’s been in a mer fight recently and I can prove it with photographic evidence as well as his medical file. So, I suggest you fire Umber quickly.” He twisted the truth a little, but he felt no guilt doing it towards her.

        Blanc’s jaw clenched and her hands balled into fists before she grabbed her radio, “Umber, you’re fired.” She muttered into the speaker, before glaring at him and storming away.

        With her presence gone, Crimson realized he let the water run a little bit higher than he meant to, so he shut it off.

        Blue could reach the first ladder rung, but he didn’t attempt to get out, instead resting his chin on it and admiring the closer view. It was so much fun getting to see Blanc’s take down personally, “That was hot.”

        Crimson jumped, before reminding himself that the mer could talk. That would definitely take some time to get used to. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.”

        “I bet I’ve wanted it even longer.”

        Crimson couldn’t help chuckling, “Fair point.”

        He was startled again by a squeal, causing him to turn and get an armful of Cyan.

        “You got rid of him!” They cheered, hugging the man tightly before pulling back, “Forgot to ask permission for the hug, sorry, I’m just so excited!! I heard bits and pieces but I need details at some point.”

        “The gist is I’m making some changes around here and I’m not waiting on her to get them done anymore.”

        They clapped their hands before pausing, “Uh, by the way. About the cameras. Can I help you out with the placement? I know some spots that definitely need them, but...I kind of take Lime out of his tank without permission sometimes? Just to socialize with other mer! I can only do it because of the lack of cameras, and I know that might sound sketchy, but mer are social and I don’t think we can afford a properly connected socialization tank.”

        “I’ll think about it.” Crimson replied, though the logic made sense, he didn’t want to get wrapped up into his own rule violating mess, “But speaking of socialization,” He looked down at the mer looking up at him, “Blue, you should apologize to Cyan.”

        Cyan shot a surprised glance to the man and his nonchalant tone, before also peering down at the mer. Unease skittered across their nerves at the reminder of what happened, but they had never heard Blue talk...and if Crimson finally believed them.

        “I’m sorry for biting you. I tried not to hurt you too much.” Blue said, dipping his head down in shame.

        Cyan still had too much trauma from the incident to happily accept the apology, but they nodded and acknowledged it, “Thank you.”

        ‘I got fired :(‘ -Dickhead Coworker

        Chartreuse rolled his eyes as he looked down at the text message.

        ‘And what do you want me to do about that?’ He sent back, throwing a fish into the nearest tank and not even noticing as it landed right on top of Red’s head.

        ‘Can you fill out the client orders tonight? Blanc should find a workaround soon.’ -Dickhead Coworker

        He huffed an aggravated sigh, ‘Fine, but send it to me /after/ my shift is done.’

        He didn’t wait for a reply as he shut off his phone and threw it into the next tank. Taking a pause, he looked down at the hand holding a fish and then the hand previously holding his phone. He heaved another sigh.

        “I suppose I won’t be getting that back.” He muttered as he approached the railing and looked down, watching his phone sink further.

        He spotted movement in the water and watched as a purple form grabbed his phone. Expecting that to solidify it being gone for good, he was caught by surprise when the mer hesitantly rose to the surface.

        Lavender kept himself mostly hidden and submerged, but he cautiously swam to the edge of the tank. The tall man crouched down, watching him intently as he slowly nudged the phone onto the ledge.

        “Thanks.” Chartreuse said, genuinely shocked to see the nervous mer.

        Male, purple and lime tropical mer. Small frame, with large fins, minimally damaged, meaning captive raised. Worth half a million dollars at the least on the underground market.

        “Here.” He offered out the fish he was holding as payment for the deed. Bright blue eyes stared at him, full of fear and hesitation, but there were still hints of curiosity. “I’ll just drop this in as well then.” He stated, understanding the mer wouldn’t take it from his hand.

        Looking at the mer for a moment longer, he shook his head and stood up. As soon as he turned away, the aquatic being sunk below the surface again to begin hiding once more.

        Chartreuse wiped his phone off on his pants. Thankfully it was water proof but he turned it on just to double check. His screen lit up with another message from Umber. It was the list of things to steal that Chartreuse had specifically asked to receive once his shift was over.

        “Idiot.”

Chapter Text

        Cyan walked around the facility with a big bin sitting on their hip. They passed by tanks and took a pause at Blue’s, looking down into the water. He wasn’t immediately visible as he had finally gotten some proper enrichment in his tank. Regardless, they looked at their bin before rummaging around in it.

        “Here you go.” They said, dropping a few rubber ducks into the water, then moving on.

        They had already given some to Lime, so their next destination was Red’s tank. They set the container down just outside of it and opened the gate. Pushing the bin onto the platform, they leaned down and slapped the surface of the water in warning.

        “I brought you something!” They announced, waiting for a response, and smiling when the red mer swam up to greet them, “Mind if I come in?”

        Red moved back as an answer, giving them space to slide down into the water. They dumped most of the container out first, before getting in as well. He looked at the various toys floating around him and tilted his head.

        “They’re bath toys for you to play with.” Cyan explained, pushing a little boat towards him.

        He only watched it float by with very little interest. “Okay, so not that one. What about a rubber duck? It squeaks!” They said as they squeezed the duck, the resulting sound startled the mer. They frowned and tossed all of the ducks that made sound back into the bin. “Something soft?” They continued, grabbing a waterproof plushie.

        Red looked at the toy before hesitantly taking it. It didn’t squeal when he squeezed it and was actually quite soft. He slowly brought it to his chest and held it.

        “Success!” Cyan cheered, making a mental note to get more soft, silent toys.

        Crimson had his nose buried in a file, reading through all of Blair’s fundraiser proposals. They had given a lot of good suggestions and he circled all of the best ones to try to narrow down the perfect event, but he was certainly open to doing all of the pitches at some point.

        His planning was interrupted by something hitting his shoulder. It didn’t hurt, but he furrowed his brows in confusion and looked at the rubber duck sitting at his feet.

        “What the...?” Looking in the direction it came from, he was suddenly pelted by even more rubber ducks, “Blue! Where did you even get those?!”

        Blue smirked, holding another bath toy in his hand and pointed towards the person walking by. The human followed and spotted the culprit.

        “Cyan!” Crimson exclaimed, picking up a duck and throwing it at them.

        “Ah! What?!” They replied, smacking the toy away before it could hit them, “It’s enrichment!” They shouted as they registered what was happening, pulling another duck out of the bin they were carrying and throwing it at him.

        “Hey!” He got hit in the chest by their duck, and then his back was hit with three more from the mer. He crouched down and hid behind a bench, picking up as many rubber ducks as he could to throw back at his two attackers.

        Cyan had the upper hand as they carried the most toys, and they had fun throwing a seemingly endless amount at the man. They yelped in surprise as they were hit from a different angle, bringing their attention to Blue, “You’re supposed to be on my side!”

        Blue only grinned at them and threw another, prompting them to try to hit him as well and only giving him more ammo. His attack provided enough of a distraction for the man to grab more ducks.

        “Cyan.” Crimson said as he stood with an armful of ammo.

        “Oh shit!” They looked down and realized their container was empty before dropping it and making a mad dash in an attempt to get away from the impending attack.

        Crimson chased after them, slowing down on occasion to avoid slipping. He got delayed even further when they ran by Lime’s tank, who proceeded to throw even more toys at the man chasing them.

        They managed to slip away and opened the door to HalfnHalf’s enclosure. Bracing themself for the cold, they gave a brief shudder before stopping at the top of the large mer’s tank.

        “I’m playing a game with Crimson, Half,” They made sure to clarify to avoid stressing out the mer, “Can you hide me?”

        HalfnHalf pulled himself out of the water and nodded, making sure the man hadn’t gotten into the room yet, before laying right on top of them.

        “Perfect!” They muffled out, his massive form completely covering them. His softness and layers of fat made the hiding place far more comfortable than it should have been and he was mindful not to put his whole weight on them.

        Crimson opened the door after some struggle and ran into the room. He had upgraded his pass to be able to access all the rooms but that door still gave him trouble, “Where is Cyan?” He asked the mer, who only shrugged, “I know mer can talk. Where are they?”

        “Gone.” HalfnHalf rasped out through his damaged throat before pointing in a different direction.

        Crimson didn’t believe it for a second but Tracy walked into the room and paused before glaring at him.

        “Stop harassing my mer. Get out of here.”

        He raised his hands and backed away, not wanting to make her dislike him more than she already did, “Alright, but if you see Cyan, tell them I will get revenge.”

        Tracy watched him leave before turning to Half and motioning for him to sit up, “Let them out.”

        Cyan protested as the mer pulled away, running their hands through his feathers and fur, “He’s so comfy!”

        Crimson dropped the ducks he was holding into Blue’s tank, who looked up and patted the water.

        “Come swim.” The mer requested, looking around briefly to make sure no one was nearby.

        Crimson did the same before sighing. “Alright, but don’t hit me with anything and don’t try to drown or bite me.”

        Blue put a hand on his chest, dramatically giving the human an offended look, “I would never!”

        “Mhm.” Crimson hummed disbelievingly, but opened the gate regardless.

        Walking onto the platform, he didn’t go to the end of it as the water level was still too low to comfortably get in. Instead he grabbed the ladder rungs and climbed down to the mer’s level. His foot reached the last one and he felt hands grab his hips, causing him to startle as he was pulled down into the water.

        “You said nothing about pulling you in.” Blue said, holding the man close with a cheeky smile on his face.

        “You are such a touchy mer.” Crimson responded, not quite annoyed, but far from thrilled as the mer continued to embrace him and nuzzle the top of his head.

        "It's been years since I've been able to touch another living thing." Blue admitted, rolling over onto his back and bringing the human with him. He floated in the water while the man was forced to straddle his torso, his tentacles curling around the astride legs to support his companion.

        "Maybe if you behave, I can convince Cyan to let you in on their 'undercover' mer socialization events."

        "Maybe." He echoed, humming in thought as one of his tentacles curled further around Crimson, brushing along his lower stomach.

        "Stop that," He slapped the invading appendage away, but the mer didn't retaliate and instead loosened the hold on him. "I know you're sapient now, but I could lose my job if you go around doing that."

        Despite the irked tone, Blue perked up. "So, you aren't uninterested."

        Crimson's face flushed and he looked away, crossing his arms. "Doesn't matter what I am. Until mer are publicly known as sapient beings, it's technically illegal, and if Blanc catches even a compromising position, she will use it to her advantage."

        "Rules," Blue pouted and sighed, but relented, letting the man go to slip off of his body back into the water. He still didn't let the human get far, but he kept his questing limbs to himself. "I could eat her."

        His companion huffed a laugh, swimming around him, "I might consider it."

        He dived under the water and partially resurfaced right below the human, bringing them face to face. "And once she's gone?" His tail brushed along the man's leg.

        "In a none-murder-way, if she's gone, we'll see what happens."

Chapter Text

        Teal got off of the phone and huffed, turning to his partner, "Forte needs me to go pick them up. Do you mind covering my shift?"

        Chartreuse looked up from the paperwork he was rifling through and frowned, "Why did they not ask me? They're aware I'm available."

        "Was available," Teal corrected, giving his boyfriend a pitying look, "You know why they didn't call you. You did kind of abandon the kid."

        "That was long ago, and they would not have found you if I had kept them," The taller man sighed, clearly trying not to get annoyed at the reminder, "I have been trying to make amends, but they never showed to 'bring your child to work day'."

        "I'm just saying. You have mommy issues. They have 'the guy who briefly adopted me kind of abandoned me' issues," He said, kissing his partner's cheek, "They called me this time, but maybe we'll eventually get there. I need to go."

        Chartreuse waved and watched the other man leave. Once his boyfriend was out of sight, he huffed in annoyance, running his tongue along his teeth and tapping his index finger against his temple to try to distract himself from his irritation. His phone buzzed and he grabbed it, checking over the message on the screen.

        'Guess who found a workaround? 🥖🤍🤘' -Dickhead Co-worker.

        Umber slipped into the facility using the spare key Blanc had given him. It had taken a far bit of 'persuasion', but she eventually let him back in. He was under strict orders to only stick to nightshift to avoid the narc and anyone else who had any contact with that pain in the ass. Not that he really minded.

        Looking at the roster, he saw the same usual workers were here. The only difference being Teal, but he was known to stay in his office to finish paperwork during night shifts. Perfect.

        Umber had practically the entire facility to himself and he smirked as he thought of the perfect way to celebrate his return. He pulled his stun baton out of his backpack and made a beeline for a specific mer's tank.

        "Honey, I'm home~" He announced as he opened the gate and stepped onto the platform.

        Lavender froze at the sound of the human's voice before swimming even deeper into his tank. One of the nicer humans was still adding stuff to his enclosure, so he had a cave to hide in at least. He slipped through the small opening and stuffed himself into the farthest corner, covering his mouth and closing his gills to stifle his panicked breaths. The bubbles would give him away, and even if it were a long shot, he hoped desperately the man could be convinced he was taken out of his tank in the human's far too brief absence.

        "I know you have nowhere to go, Lavender. Get up here," Umber's playful tone turned demanding as he tapped the water's surface with the prod, "You don't want me to lose my patience. I'm already in a very bad mood, and you know what that means."

        Lavender covered his head and attempted to drown out the threats. He knew what would happen if he didn't obey, but he wanted so desperately to hold onto the hope of normalcy he had been holding onto while the man had been fired.

        "Lavender." Umber repeated, the single word uttered sharply and signaling the end of his tolerance for the disobedience. Turning the baton to a low setting, he pushed it into the water, mindful not to touch it as it was electrified. Bubbles rose, prompting him to pull back and set the baton aside to instead grab a sedation needle from his bag. "There's a good fish." He muttered, watching the mer cautiously rise to the surface to avoid getting shocked again.

        Lavender wanted nothing more than to sink back into the depths and hide, but he knew if he did, the human would continue and only turn up the charge the longer he delayed the inevitable. It didn't stop him from thrashing and attempting to pull away as the man grabbed his arm and dragged him onto the platform to sedate him. He stopped struggling as he felt the sharp pain, not wanting to break the metal tip off into his skin again.

        "Settle down now and I'll go easy on you this time."

        That was a lie. It was always a lie.

        "Stop fighting me!"

        Chartreuse paused at the voice and the distinct sound of a struggle. He had been in enough to immediately recognize it, prompting him to pause outside of the medical wing. Coral and Banana were supposed to be the only other people working tonight, and he wasn't on the schedule himself, but he was covering for Teal.

        Hesitating for another moment, Chartreuse slowly opened the door to peer inside. "Umber?" He questioned, spotting the other man, before his eyes went down to the strapped down mer, "What are you doing?"

        Umber startled and looked over at his co-worker, "You're not on the work schedule."

        "Neither are you." The taller man replied, stepping fully into the room to assess the situation.

        "Don't bother yourself with this. I have everything under control." He said, trying to keep the other man's calculating eyes focused on him.

        'Under control'.

        Chartreuse's focus turned to the mer, who he immediately recognized. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening. This particular mer was nothing but nervous and gentle, far from something that needed to be restrained. Umber had his hands in some far from innocent places, and it was abundantly clear what his intentions were, yet still Chartreuse repeated himself, "What are you doing?"

        Umber saw the disgusted look on his co-worker's face and tried to think of what to say, "It isn't what it looks like," He started with, until his brain caught up with his words and he realized his partner in crime was far from stupid, "Well, it is, but I'm not gross."

        "No," Chartreuse said, fixing the offending man with a cold look as he approached the situation, "You are revolting."

        Umber glared at the insult and raised one of his hands to stop the other man from getting closer, "Seriously, it's not what you think. The mer can talk."

        "And now you are delusional."

        "I am not-" He shouted before composing himself with a sigh, directing his anger towards the mer, "Start talking."

        Lavender looked between the two humans, his eyes wide with fear and his mind fuzzy, but his mouth remained shut, trying desperately not to escalate the situation. Who knew what the newcomer would do if he spoke. Would it remove that 'revolting' barrier and cause the tall man to join? He didn't want to find out.

        Chartreuse shot the other man another disgusted look and motioned for his soon to be ex-co-worker to step away from the mer.

        Umber didn't budge, instead getting angrier. "I'm not crazy. Speak. Now." He growled at the terrified mer, who continued to disobey him.

        The other man once again took a step to intervene as he directed the electrical baton at the mer's belly, before bringing it lower and pushing it forward. The mer tried to pull away, releasing a shrill sound and trying to slap him away with the partially restrained tail.

        "Don't make me turn it on."

        Chartreuse opened his mouth to tell the man off, but was interrupted by the mer.

        "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry, please! Please, stop hurting me!" Lavender cried, trying to pull his wrists from their bindings and dislodge his attacker.

        Chartreuse jolted in surprise, missing the satisfied expression from the other man as he gawked at the mer. Another pained sound brought his mind back into focus as the man turned the prod on anyway and he composed himself, finally stepping in and pushing Umber away. "Enough."

        "I told you!" Umber responded, uncaring as he was shoved back, "It's not gross. The mer are sapient."

        "That makes it worse," Chartreuse fumed, putting himself between the mer and the man, "You know this being is capable of giving consent and yet you purposefully ignore it."

        Umber became annoyed again, "Who cares? Why do you?"

        "You have a multitude of options! What about Blanc? Or the internet? You have money if you're really that desperate."

        "I can do whatever the hell I want. Don't act like you're all high and mighty. You've done shit too. And if you really want to stand in my way, I can tell Teal all about the shit you do and are still doing." He said, smirking as the other man stiffened at the threat.

        "You speak as if you have nothing to lose," Chartreuse responded, wiping the self-satisfied look from the man's face, "How do you suppose Blanc would feel, if she were to find out you do this and then go do her? You are on thin enough ice as it is. You're running out of jobs, Umber."

        "Like she'd believe you!" The aforementioned man snapped.

        "She trusts me, as I actually do my job. You only get away with what you like because you are Blanc's side piece. Now how long do you think that will last?"

        Umber knew he was losing and sneered at the taller man, "Fine, but you can't be here all the time," He then turned to the mer, "And we aren't finished." With that, he turned and left the room, knowing tonight had been ruined.

        Chartreuse watched the man leave and waited a few moments, before finally turning his back. He looked down at the mer and reached out.

        Lavender flinched violently, but the human didn't touch him. Instead his wrist restraints were loosened until he could tug his hands free. His head spun causing him to clutch onto the table, trying to settle the fog in his head and the sickness in his stomach.

        "Are you alright, Lavender?" Chartreuse asked, kneeling down to try to lessen his imposing height as he addressed the mer, who didn't verbally respond, but pointed towards a nearby table.

        The wobbly gesture brought his attention to the sedation needles and he made an understanding noise. He directed his gaze back to the mer and frowned, trying to figure out what to do. He couldn't just leave Lavender here. Returning him to his tank in this state was completely out of the question as he could be too drugged to swim and end up drowning.

        "Come with me." He spoke, giving the mer some time to register his movement and intent as he slowly hooked his arms beneath the much smaller form, lifting it up.

        Lavender whimpered as his head swam, his instincts screaming at him that he was still in danger and he didn't want to be touched, but he was far too drowsy to protest. All he could do was try to hold on and hope that the human wasn't carrying him to a worse fate.

        Chartreuse brought them out of the medical wing and towards the main part of the facility. He passed by tanks with a contemplative look on his face. The mer were all swimming around, seeming agitated, bringing him some understanding. This was why the mer would be riled up with seemingly no prompting. It also explained why Lavender was particularly feisty during his medical visits.

        "You will be okay." He tried to reassure the terrified mer as he looked around.

        Red was a questionable option. He was almost as nervous as the purple mer and would be of little help if Umber came back. HalfnHalf was completely out of the question, despite his intimidating form and soft personality, his arctic temperature requirements would kill Lavender. Chartreuse had no personal issues with Blue, but it still didn't mean he could be trusted to take care of another mer in a state such as this. Which left them with one final option.

        "Cyan says you are kind. I hope I can believe them in this situation." Chartreuse said as he readjusted the mer in his arms before opening up the gate and walking out onto the platform.

        Lime stopped his pacing and swam over to the man holding the dazed mer. He reached out, welcoming the frightened and wounded podmate into his territory.

        "Don't hurt him. He has been through enough." Chartreuse warned as he crouched down. He tried to hand the smaller form over, but the purple mer clutched onto him as tightly as possible in such a weakened state.

        Lime released some soft, reassuring sounds in their own language, trying to settle the other mer who eventually looked over at him. It was clear to see his podmate was confused, looking between the two lime coloured beings and attempting to figure out what was going on with a spacing out mind.

        "Lime will keep you safe." Chartreuse promised, finally managing to get the mer to let go of him.

        "Thank you." Lavender whispered, trying to keep his eyes focused on the man as he was lowered into the water and another mer's arms.

        Chartreuse watched the two mers for a few minutes, trying to ensure Lavender was in safe hands before walking away.

        "I've got him." Lime said, holding the other mer close and swimming for the both of them. The human hesitantly nodded, before turning away.

        Once the man was gone, he quietly cooed and warbled, calming the other mer who he embraced protectively. Finally able to intervene, he silently promised Umber would die if he so much as attempted to touch Lavender while he was in here.

Chapter Text

        Chartreuse paused when he spotted the commotion around Lime’s tank. Blanc was barking orders at workers while Crimson and Cyan argued with her.

        “What is happening?” Chartreuse asked as he cautiously approached.

        “Someone put two mer together and Blanc is losing her mind,” Cyan explained.

        “Lime is putting up a fight and the other one isn’t making this any easier.” Crimson sighed, shaking his head as both mer sunk to the bottom of the tank to avoid the pole Oscar was using.

        Oh, right. Chartreuse forgot to put Lavender back.

        “Perhaps I can help.” Chartreuse gestured for the struggling worker to step aside.

        “I want to know who did this! We can’t afford accident pups, or they could have attacked each other. Lime is the only friendly and active mer we have! Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas avec vous, idiots!” Blanc snapped, but didn’t protest as he walked past her and into the enclosure.

        “Wow, it almost sounds like you care, Blanc.” Cyan commented, riling the woman up even further.

        Chartreuse rolled his eyes and ignored the ensuing bickering as he crouched down on the platform looking over the water.

        Without things smacking at the water in attempts to catch them, and with his familiar shape, both mer slowly swam closer to the surface. Most of the other workers were too busy yelling at each other to notice as the mer came to him.

        “I must return Lavender to his enclosure,” He explained quietly, causing the aforementioned mer to shake in protest, “Umber can’t get you on day and afternoon shift. You should be safe for now.”

        “What about tonight? You don’t know when he will come back.” Lime whispered, keeping an eye on Blanc. She wasn’t paying attention, but Crimson was. He knew about the mer now at least. It didn’t matter if he saw them speaking.

        “I can take over Teal’s nightshifts, and I will speak to Blanc about permanently letting Umber go,” Chartreuse said, trying to reassure the lime mer, “Thank you for protecting him.”

        “Thanks for giving me the chance to.” Lime responded, gently coaxing the other mer over to the man.

        “I don’t want to go.” Lavender mumbled but reached out for Chartreuse regardless.

        “I will figure out a permanent solution soon.” He scooped up the purple mer, mindful to support the smaller frame as he lifted it from the water.

        Lavender wrapped his arms around the tall man and clutched on tighter as he was carried through the group, which parted for them.

        “Take him to his tank. I still need to find out what happened.” Blanc said crossly, glaring at the other workers as Chartreuse kept walking without acknowledging her.

        He felt the mer tense and flinch with her presence so close, so he secured his hold more, silently reassuring the frightened being.

        Lavender grew more nervous the closer he got to his tank. His grip tightened until his claws were digging into the man's uniform. He only realized when the human grunted in discomfort, prompting him to loosen his grip.

        "Sorry..." He whispered, hiding his face in the man's chest.

        "I will be here for another two hours if you need me." Chartreuse promised as he returned the mer to the water. His suit was gripped onto in protest, so he took the mer's hand, holding it for just a moment, and waited until Lavender was ready to let go.

        Lavender looked up at the man, not wanting to let go, but knowing he needed to. The human didn't push him off or yell at him for stalling, the grip on his hand was light and patient. He would be kept safe so long as Chartreuse was here. 

        Lavender let go and slipped back into the water.

        "You want my nightshift again? I barely see you anymore," Teal stretched before turning to his boyfriend, "Since when are you such a night owl?" 

        "It stops you from overworking yourself, does it not?" Chartreuse replied, dismissing the question as he made his rounds feeding all the mer.

        "I appreciate it, but I miss you." Teal sighed, doing his best to drape himself over the much taller man.

        "We see each other on weekends and between shifts." His partner didn't hug back, but didn't pull away from the half-hearted embrace either.

        "Is this because of that comment I made about your mom?" He asked, being the one to pull back as he eyed the man critically.

        "No," Chartreuse cringed regardless, hastening his pace as he retrieved more food for the next tank, "My time is just better spent during the nightshift." 

        "Whatever you say. Go ahead and take it then." Teal shrugged, following his boyfriend in the meantime.

        "Have I angered you?" Chartreuse inquired, giving his partner his full attention now.

        "Doesn't matter to me. So long as you're helping pay the bills, I'll take what I can get." The shorter man continued, stepping around him to walk ahead of him.

        "I will not be on nightshift forever, Teal. I need more time, then I am all yours again." He tried to assure his partner, though he wasn't sure just how long it would take for him to sort the situation out. Blanc was not in a mood to lose any allies.

        Teal didn't respond and didn't bother hiding his annoyed look as he leaned against the railing around one of the tanks. They were sturdier now that the narc had taken control and actually implemented some proper safety measures. He had to admit the guy was doing a good job of cleaning this place up, now if only it would fix his relationship too.

        "We are both free Saturday. Perhaps we could have a date night?" Chartreuse continued to try to ease his partner, who still didn't reply.

        However, Teal's expression had changed as he raised a brow, looking into the water, "That's mating behaviour."

        Chartreuse paused, trying to process the response, before he shifted his gaze to his boyfriend's line of sight. "What?"

        Teal nodded to the purple mer who was floating around on the surface, dipping under the water before swimming back up to where his partner was standing. "Exposed belly, fins flared out and showing off, dance-like swimming. He's either very excited about that food you have, or he's really happy to see you."

        Chartreuse tried to school his expression as he saw the blatant display as well, "...Strange..."

        Teal smirked and tried not to laugh at the other man's alarmed reaction. "He's very pretty, I'm almost jealous. Should I be worried?"

        "No!" Chartreuse exclaimed, before turning to the mer and giving a firmer, "No."

        The humour in Teal's posture shifted just the slightest bit into genuine concern. He looked between the man and the mer, but shook his head. It was just a joke. That's all.

Chapter Text

        "Crimson, I thought we were supposed to be comparing facility notes? You haven't stopped talking about Blue for the last," Maroon checked their watch, "Hour and forty five minutes. You cannot fuck the fish."

        "I don't want to fuck the fish, the fish wants to fuck me." Crimson said, pausing as his friend choked on their coffee.

        "What?"

        "Trust me, the mer are full of personality. But anyway-"

        Maroon coughed a few more times and held their finger up to stop him, "First of all, we are supposed to be hands off, so I wouldn't know. I don't interact with them. Secondly, you can't just 'anyway' that."

        "The facility you're working with had what, like two health code violations, and a handful of employees quit? I got the shit end of the stick. I have a list of health violations longer than my fucking arm, and I'd have to turn people into numbers just to be able to count the amount of people who have quit this place."

        Maroon grimaced into their drink, "Sounds like you'd be better off just shutting it down."

        "I would, but most of the staff are good people who care about their work, and where exactly am I going to relocate that many mer?" Crimson asked, but didn't wait for a response, "Most aquariums won't take more than two because of the cost. Releasing them also isn't an option at this point because the facility hasn't actually rehabilitated them. Maybe one or two could survive in the wild, but the rest of them still need care."

        "I guess you'd also have to worry about the black market getting their hands on them," They sighed but nodded their head in agreement, "Don't you have that fundraiser tomorrow? I could come in and try to see what I can do to help."

        "That would be amazing, Maroon, thank you," Crimson said, finishing off his own coffee, "That way I can also introduce you to Blue."

        Maroon stared at him for a moment to see if he was serious. Upon concluding he was, they rolled their eyes and huffed in amusement, "Right."

        "Cyan and Blair, you greet the guests and manage the tickets and baking counter. Make sure Blanc doesn't get her hands on a cent of those sales," Crimson instructed, receiving an affirmative before turning his attention towards Tracy, "Tracy you handle the tours in the Arctic section. Oscar and Pink will do rotating tours around the main tanks," He continued, once again getting nods as he began dismissing people. Then he caught sight of another worker and waved them over, "Chartreuse can you handle tours for Lavender and Red's exhibits?"

        Chartreuse paused, he hadn't agreed to participating in the fundraiser but he couldn't help his pique in interest, "I suppose."

        "Awesome, thank you," Crimson acknowledged and dismissed the other man as well.

        He double checked all stations were covered before making notes and final preparations for once guests arrived. Maroon had promised to come around late afternoon which gave him a few hours to make sure everything was in order for them.

        Blue gave a flirty wave as the man walked by his tank. Crimson huffed a laugh and waved back.

        “Be on your best behaviour!” He called, before rolling his eyes as the mer responded with a stuck out tongue.

        The rest of the mer were all accounted for and in their tanks. Perfect.

        He headed back down to the main level to check on the guest booth and get a mental estimation of how many people to expect. 

        Surprisingly the doorway was packed as people began to filter in. He had seen busier facilities, but the amount of people coming in were probably the highest this place had ever seen. All it took was a little advertising and some actual events to look forward to. Suck it Blanc.

        Cyan greeted people with a bright smile, handing out tickets and snacks as Blair took the money. Blair kept track of everything coming in and monitored the exchanges, while Cyan brought the charm.

        Even with the standard customer friendly demeanour, Cyan lit up as they recognized the next person in line.

        “Black, hi! Coming to support the event?” They asked as they gave him and his kids the tickets.

        “Yes, and the children wanted to see Lime.” He replied, watching as his two youngest kids eyed some cupcakes.

        “A cupcake for a kid is a fish for Lime.” Blair commented as they noticed the children’s interest as well.

        Black rolled his eyes and put more money on the table before his children could beg him to do so. Ebony gave a little excited squeal, bouncing on the spot as she took a cupcake which had a mermaid tail on top of it. Her two brothers took some as well before they all hugged their dad.

        He ruffled each child’s hair before indicating for them to walk into the facility. He nodded to Blair and Cyan, then followed after his children.

        “Feel free to visit Lime, just make sure you don’t distract him too much!” Cyan called after him, prompting his three children to turn to him expectantly.

        "Alright, we will visit Lime now." He sighed, taking his youngest's hand and leading them all to the second level. He spotted the schedule on a board as they passed it and checked over the event times. Thankfully it seemed they wouldn't be interrupting anything yet.

        Ebony and Onyx both ran over to the top of Lime's tank, too hyped up on sugar and the excitement of seeing the mer. While Sable stayed by his father's side, the two taking a calmer stroll over to the tank.

        "Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime!" The waiting children chanted, jumping up and down as they waited for their dad.

        Lime had already rose to the surface at the commotion, but he joined in on the excitement as he swam circles around his tank. He stopped long enough to smile at the man and beckon the small family closer.

        “We shouldn’t stay long.” Black said, but he accepted the invitation regardless and opened up the gate to the mer’s enclosure.

        His children ran in as soon as it was open, the two youngest talking over each other as they tried to speak to the mer. He watched Lime swim over to the platform and rest his head and arms on it, listening to the incomprehensible nonsense. He smiled and nodded along as if he could understand the two different conversations going on at once.

        Black tried to view the interaction with a casual glance, but he couldn’t help his eyes from wandering. Many of the mer were beautiful in their own ways and he could appreciate the various designs. However, he couldn’t help his preference to the lime mer’s more subtle looks.

        Instead of flashy colours, Lime had a softer green colour with brown and black markings adding to his more muted colouring. No doubt camouflage in his natural habitat, but his scales contrasted nicely to the aquarium blue water.

        “Dad, you’re staring.” Sable elbowed his dad, startling the man.

        Black shook his head and blinked, now noticing the mer was staring back at him, smiling softly before pushing back a hair-like appendage. He coughed awkwardly and averted his gaze.

        “Dad has a crush~!” Ebony teased and giggled as the mer flipped around in the water in response.

        “We should stop distracting Lime.” Black replied instead of acknowledging the comment. His children groaned in protest.

        “Wait!” Ebony exclaimed before patting her pockets, “I have something to give him.” She found the right pocket and pulled out a folded up book.

        Lime swam back and looked at the gift curiously. He outstretched his hands and she handed it over.

        “It’s a waterproof book. The Little Mermaid!” She said proudly as she watched him inspect her gift. 

        He hugged it close to his chest and grinned at her, she clapped excitedly at the approval.

        “He likes it!” She beamed as her dad took her hand.

        “I’m glad,” Black acknowledged before looking to the mer and nodding, “I will bring the kids another day.”

        Lime couldn’t help deflating a little, but he kept a smile on his face regardless. It grew a fraction when the youngest pup toddled over to him and demanded hugs. He happily obliged, raising out of the water a bit as he embraced the small human.

        “It’s time to go Onyx.” Black called, but Ebony pulled away from him to run over to the mer as well.

        “I want a hug too!” She opened her arms and the mer welcomed her in, purring happily and causing her to giggle.

        Sable looked up at his dad, who only sighed before he also walked over to get in on the group hug.

        “You smell like fish.” Ebony pointed out as she sniffed the mer.

        “That’s cause he is one.” Sable replied, poking her until she made room for him.

        Black watched as Lime made happy chirps and rubbed his chin against each child’s head, seeming reluctant to let them go. Black didn’t want to take the kids away, but he also didn’t want to cause trouble. This event was meant to fund the aquarium, the mer’s home. He couldn’t jeopardize that for hugs.

        “Okay, we must go. We should not distract Lime longer than we have.” He repeated, watching his children sigh and quietly protest but inevitably begin to return to him.

        “Lime still needs a hug from you dad.” Ebony said as she reluctantly stepped away from the mer but still didn’t approach him.

        Black opened his mouth to argue but his children and the mer were all looking at him expectantly. He wasn’t completely opposed to the idea but he felt odd, like he would be adding confirmation if he had physical contact with Lime.

        “Then we will go?” Black pressed, huffing quietly when his children grinned at him and nodded, “Fine...”

        He couldn’t help an amused roll of his eyes as his children bounced excitedly, watching him approach the mer, who seemed equally enthused. “You’re getting a kick out of this.” He commented as the mer wiggled in anticipation, splashing water up onto the platform.

        Lime couldn’t contain his giddiness as he raised out of the water as high as he could, nearly slipping back into it but the man caught him, pulling him into a hug. He briefly wondered if the human could feel his hearts hammering inside of him but quickly dismissed it as he buried his face in the crook of the man’s neck. The children had commented on how he smelled like fish but he happily basked in the strange cologne the human wore. It would dissipate once he was back in the water, but he memorized it as he held the man back.

        He was certainly opposed to letting go, but he was surprised as Black hesitated before eventually releasing him. Not even a moment had passed and he already missed the contact, but he tried to hold onto the feeling and appreciate what he had gotten.

        Black cleared his throat awkwardly as he stepped away, watching the mer slowly slide back into the water, “Have a good day.” He said before turning around and walking back to his children. His two youngest took his hands and he began to lead them away.

        “So is Lime your boyfriend now?” Ebony asked as they walked, causing him to audibly choke.

Chapter Text

        Tracy was one more bad comment away from closing down the whole Arctic section. She knew this was supposed to help pay for the facility, but the assholes coming in to mock and scream at her 'scary' mer were driving her up the wall.

        At first it had just been one or two she could easily chase away, but then they brought their friends, who brought even more. Older siblings were bringing their younger ones over just to make them cry at the sight of her mer.

        Half was trying not to express it, but she could see the harassment was getting to him. Most of the fuckers had thankfully filtered out by now, but she was about ready to pop the next person who started pointing and making comments.

        "Holy shit, look at that!"

        Her anger reached a boiling point as she turned to look at the man in an orange shirt who was pointing at Half. She opened her mouth to shout at the man, but wasn't given a chance as a woman joined and the two of them approached the mer's enclosure.

        "He's so big and fluffy! He looks so snuggly." The man continued to fawn over Half who looked up excitedly at the praise.

        "Oh no, his face! Poor baby." The woman looked genuinely sad rather than horrified at his scars.

        "What happened to him?" The man in the orange shirt asked, turning to Tracy.

        She hesitated for a moment as she tried to parse if the question was genuine, but the couple did seem curious. With a sigh, she decided to answer honestly.

        "He was used in mer fighting rings. They thought he would be a star because he's so big and intimidating, but he didn't fare well in there. He's too much of a softy." She said as she gazed at the mer in question with a look of affection, but she caught herself and shook her head, "But that doesn't mean he can't be dangerous. All mer should be treated with respect regardless of size or temperament." 

        The man in the orange shirt frowned and released a frustrated huff, "I hate that shit. These are amazing living creatures and they don't deserve that. I swear if I ever came across something like that..." The man began punching the air and mimicking boxing moves, while the woman reached over and tried to settle him.

        "You're a big softie too, calm down."

        "I know, but still," The man frowned more and crossed his arms, before shaking himself out of it and turning to Tracy, "Anyway, thanks for the info. What's your name?"

        She gave him a small smile and shook his hand when he offered it out, "Tracy."

        "Thanks for the info, Tracy. I'm Thomas and this is-" 'Thomas' introduced himself and went to introduce his girlfriend but she pulled away before he could.

        "I just got a text that your brother is being a shit. I'm getting cold anyway, so I'll go find him and explore some of the other exhibits." She said before nodding to Tracy. "Nice meeting you."

        Tracy nodded as well and watched the woman leave before looking back to Thomas. "Are you going with her?"

        "Nah, I want to learn more about the big guy." He said as he leaned against the railing and watched the large mer swim around. "Is he soft? He looks so fluffy."

        "He is, but guests aren't allowed to touch him."

        "Totally understandable, but he's such a cutie." He continued to praise, smiling and laughing to himself as Half spun around in the water and bobbed back up. "Yeah, I think you're my favourite."

        Tracy couldn't help her own small smile at the man and Half's interaction. This was exactly the confidence boost he needed.

        Thomas continued to lean against the railing as he watched the mer swim around. His stomach grumbled and he pulled out a sandwich he had gotten from the front. Unwrapping it, he took a bite as he idled.

        Tracy caught sight of it and began to protest, "You really shouldn't eat around the mer-"

        The man jumped back as Half launched out of the water and stole the sandwich. He stuffed it into his mouth and it was gone before he even hit the water.

        "Are you okay? I'm sorry, he's not used to visitors so his manners aren't that great." Tracy tried to explain, her anxiety rising as she waited for the man to get angry.

        "I should've seen that coming. My bad." Thomas laughed loudly and shook his head, "You're still my favourite, but now you owe me a sandwich."

        She tried not to release an audible exhale as he continued to laugh it off. Regardless, she needed to keep a closer eye on her mer and maybe keep the guests a bit farther away from the railing.

        Thomas jolted as his phone buzzed prompting him to look down at it.

        "Shit, I have to go, but I'm definitely going to come back another time. The big guy's pretty neat." He said, waving to the mer before turning back to her and shaking her hand, "Thanks, Tracy. See you around."

        "Yeah, nice meeting you, Thomas." She acknowledged, watching the man text as he walked away.

        He bumped into the door before looking up from his phone and managing to find it. He gave another little wave and exited the room.

        She gave an amused huff before turning back to her mer and giving him a scolding look. "You mister are a troublemaker!"

        Half peaked above the water and gave her a mischievous grin before sinking back below the surface.

        "What am I going to do with you?" She scoffed and shook her head, but her smile returned as she rested her back against the railing to wait for more guests.

        Chartreuse was unamused as he watched people shuffle about. He was supposed to be giving tours but he really didn't want to. Oscar and Pink seemed to be covering it pretty well, but people kept coming to Chartreuse anyway and asking questions he didn't have answers to.

        Sometimes he would give responses to ones he had some idea about, but for the most part he tried to look as unapproachable as possible. He could leave, but he didn't want to get in trouble with the narc and there wasn't much else for him to do until feeding time. Briefly he had played with the idea of talking to his boyfriend, but Teal wasn't answering any texts, probably still upset about their conflicting schedules, and he wasn't in today either.

        Chartreuse had initially felt guilty for not spending as much time with his boyfriend, but he felt a sense of duty and a need to protect the mer here. Now, the longer he was away from his partner the more he began to feel...better. He expected relationships to come with some stress, he never experienced one that didn't, but he hadn't realized just how stressed he was until he got some space. Even if the lack of responses and frustrated looks caused some worry, it still wasn't enough to drop the nightshift or his protection of Lavender.

        Speaking of Lavender, he had been respecting the boundary the man had set. There were no more flirty dances or gestures, which was especially relieving during this event. However, they still caught each other's eye on occasion and Chartreuse tried his hardest not to make a thing of it, but his attention continued to return to the purple mer's enclosure.

        "Wow, he's so lovely." A man in a peach coloured shirt looked up at the aforementioned mer who was swimming around and people watching.

        "Not as lovely as you, darling." Another man in a brown shirt commented, earning a snort and a push from his partner.

        "Stop it you." The peach shirted man snickered and leaned against his boyfriend's shoulder.

        "I mean it. You are the prettiest thing here. I could stare at you for hours." His boyfriend continued to flirt and began kissing his cheeks.

        "Settle down before you hurt yourself." He chastised lightly, swatting the other man with the rolled up tour sheet.

        The man in the brown shirt chuckled, holding a hand over his chest as he heeded his partner's advice. The two of them returned to watching the mer swim.

        "He's definitely got some gorgeous colours." He agreed before turning to Chartreuse, "He, right?"

        Chartreuse's attention was completely grabbed by the question and he took a moment before nodding. "Yes, however he is one who usually hides."

        "Well, he's out and about now, that's nice." The man in the brown shirt continued before waving at the mer.

        He watched Lavender, who didn't wave back but did swim around a bit as an acknowledgement to the small audience. He had been hiding earlier and frequently returned to his cave when too many people crowded around his tank, but he seemed more confident when Chartreuse was present.

        He tried to dismiss the correlation, even though he knew it was true. The mer was still interested in him and it was getting gradually harder to deny his own interest.

        Their eyes locked again and he felt his breath hitch as they continued to watch each other. Lavender swam over to the section closest to the man and touched the glass.

        Chartreuse looked up at the mer who floated above him and felt the crowd fade away into blurred white noise as he watched Lavender move. His long fins were fanned out, his colours accentuated and seemingly brightened by the display as the aquarium's lighting illuminated his petite form. He really was gorgeous.

        Chartreuse closed his gaping mouth and swallowed thickly as he quietly muttered to himself.

        "I'm in trouble."

        Afternoon rolled around and Crimson rushed down to the facility entrance as he received a text from Maroon. They were here to help and he was incredibly relieved to get some support from his best friend.

        Avoiding guests, he made his way through the growing crowd and stopped at the greeting booth.

        "If one more person misgenders me I am going to snap," He heard Cyan mutter to Blair as the two of them shook their heads. "How hard is it to just say 'hi' or 'good afternoon’ or ‘how are you?' full stop. No adding pointless gendered shit to the end of it."

        He didn't have time to reprimand them for their language as he saw Maroon step up to the booth.

        "Good afternoon." They said cheekily as they looked at the two greeters.

        Cyan covered their mouth, realizing they had been heard. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's been a rough morning."

        Maroon waved a dismissive hand and tapped the non-binary pin on their shirt, "I get it. I'm here to get a ticket and go see Crimson."

        Crimson took that as his cue to step in and he quickly greeted his friend, "Thanks for coming, Maroon. You don't have to worry about a ticket." He said as he welcomed them in.

        They dropped some money in the jar regardless, "I came here to support you and that's what I'm going to do." They replied, stepping through and shooting the two employees a quick smile as they passed, "Good luck out there."

        Cyan made a peace sign while Blair nodded and smiled in acknowledgement.

        "Nice people." Maroon commented as they followed Crimson through the main floor and up to the top of the facility.

        They briefly looked around and made a vague expression between impressed and uncomfortable. "This place is decent, all things considered. I still see a lot of code violations, but I got the before photos you sent me and this is definitely an improvement."

        "Thanks, it's been a struggle," Crimson huffed a laugh as he looked around as well, "It was like pulling teeth trying to get anything done. I literally had to pull rank on the owner to get this far and even then she still fights me every step of the way."

        "Youch, well you're literally saving her business, so she better smarten up. I would have shut this place down so fast."

        Crimson gave a little shrug, half in agreement, but he wasn't bothered by the choice he had made to try to save the place.

        Maroon scribbled down a few notes for areas of improvement and the funding needed before they closed up their book and turned their full attention to him. They clapped their hands and rubbed them together.

        "So, when do I get to meet your boyfriend?"

        He made a sound between a scoff and a laugh as he rolled his eyes at them, "Oh, so now you're cool with it?"

        "Never said I was cool with it, but as your best friend it is important that I screen everyone and everything that has stolen your heart." They replied, bumping their hip against his playfully. "My love life is non-existent and I like it that way, so I have to compensate by being nosy about yours."

        "Stealing all my dating life details to feed to your parents?"

        They clutched their chest dramatically and looked away, "Such is the life of an aroace with overbearing parents."

        "My offer to tell them to 'fuck off' is still there." He offered, keeping his tone mirthful.

        "Maybe one of these days, but first! Time to see the fish." They took his hand and began to pull him along despite not knowing where they were actually going. They didn't ask for clarification either as they instead briefly peered into each tank until they guessed the right one.

        "You got it." He chuckled as they stopped at the top of Blue's tank.

        Crimson checked a clock on the wall and noted the time. There would be a lunch break in just a minute, which gave them time to talk to the mer.

        "Blue!" He called, waiting for the mer to respond.

        Blue did almost instantly, rising out of the water with little prompting and looking up at the man. He didn't hide his excitement, but he did pause when he saw the stranger, and tilted his head curiously.

        "This is my friend Maroon. They're here to help with the facility." He explained, trying to keep his tone even as he was struck by how adorable the mer looked when confused.

        "Crimson, I don't think he can understand you." Maroon said, trying to hold down their laughter as they watched him talk to Blue.

        "Right." Crimson sighed as he looked at them and then down to the mer, "I'm going to need a favour from you, Blue. Would you mind talking to Maroon so they don't think I'm weird?"

        "I'm always going to think you're weird." They replied, crossing their arms as they smirked at their friend.

        Blue wasn't being any less patronizing as he stayed silent, watching the human squirm and grow frustrated. All he did was shoot the man a cheeky smile in response.

        "I'll hang out with you after hours if you speak for me." Crimson bargained, knowing the mer well enough at this point to guarantee that would put a stop to the game.

        Blue still hesitated a moment, pretending to deliberate the offer when really he was thinking of all the things he would like to do if he could get the human alone and all to himself.

        Maroon's air of amused indifference shifted as they saw him swim closer to the side of the tank and grin at their friend.

        "Deal~"

Chapter Text

        The last of the guests were finally gone and Pink sighed with relief as he finished cleaning up the garbage left behind. He welcomed the peace and quiet, only briefly disrupting it to throw out the trash bags, before returning to the viewing area. It had been a busy day and his shift was nearly over, so he took the chance to finally relax.

        Sitting down on a bench, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. The smell of an artificial ocean filled his lungs, but he didn't mind, he was used to it. It was nothing compared to the smell of death, something he was even more familiar with.

        Images briefly flashed behind his eyelids and he was quick to open them, shaking his head to dismiss the memories.

        He came here to relax, not to recall his past. The crimes that he had done were ages ago, and he had been keeping himself clean ever since. Skeevy things were happening here, it was impossible to overlook especially when familiar with such situations, but he had managed. He was just here for honest work, as was Oscar. Blair was especially good at keeping the two of them out of trouble.

        Pink couldn't help missing his partners. He had seen both earlier, but there was still some work to be done, so he was by himself for now. Which prompted him to lean back on the bench he sat on and look around at the tanks surrounding him.

        Most of the visible mer were hiding away in their tanks for some privacy. He could understand and wasn't particularly bothered, but it turned his attention to the other 'attractions'. The mer were the biggest source of interest, but this was still a typical aquarium, and there were some displays with various fish swimming around.

        He particularly liked watching the eels as their bodies wiggled while swimming around. Sometimes they would come over to the glass, but he wasn't in the mood to get up from his seat and approach them. Instead, he simply relaxed and watched the animals go about their night, swimming around and chasing each other.

        "Hey, I brought you some coffee." A soft voice spoke up, startling him as he turned to regard the intruder.

        Blair gave him a soft smile and slowly approached once he settled at the sight of them. They handed him a cup and sat down beside him as they quietly drank from their own.

        "Thanks." He said, taking a sip and wrapping his arm around their shoulder as they leaned into his side.

        The two of them lapsed into silence after that, just enjoying the peace and each other's company as they watched the fish together. A soft hum permeated the room from the filters and the occasional splash could be heard, but otherwise, the ambience was soothing.

        As much as Pink enjoyed watching the fish, he couldn't help looking down at his partner. They were completely transfixed as they continued to look in the tanks, which gave off a faint glow. The soft, blue light reflected beautifully across their freckled, black skin and he couldn't help raising his hand to lightly brush against their cheek. They leaned into the touch and smiled at him warmly.

        "Wow, I'm doing all the work while you two are slacking off." Oscar huffed, grabbing his partners' attention as he put his hands on his hips and shook his head at the both of them.

        "There's always room for you." Blair replied, bypassing the feigned sarcasm to instead pat the spot beside them.

        Pink also lifted his arm and beckoned the much smaller man over.

        "Ah-ah, don't wrap me up in your mushy-gushy shit." Oscar continued even as he approached the two of them and sat down.

        Blair snorted into their coffee and quickly covered it up by nursing the drink. They almost spilled their cup when he shouldered them, but they managed to hold onto it and stuck their tongue out at him.

        They were still a little too nervous to retaliate, but Pink wasn't nearly so bothered as he reached past them and cupped the other man's chin. He stroked his thumb along his boyfriend's lightly tanned skin and leaned in closer.

        "Beautiful."

        Oscar pulled away with an amused snort and rolled his eyes. "Gross."

        Blair laughed lightly and shook their head at their boyfriends' antics. "You're ruining the peace."

        "What peace? You two were staring at the same shit we see every day and then each other." Oscar scoffed, even as he intertwined his fingers with theirs while Pink did the same with their other hand.

        "Grumpy. Need a nap." He commented, but he was pleased by the small show of affection. It was rare to receive it the man in orange, but that made the moments all the more meaningful.

        "Yeah, yeah. This is why I'm not holding your hand."

        No other remarks could be delivered as the light mutual teasing was interrupted by some faint music. All three of them turned to look, needing to lean back a bit on the bench to see down the 'hallway'. The structuring on the building sucked, it was technically all a connected thing, but the curve of a tank obstructed some of the view further down, thus making it a 'hallway'.

        Cyan was barely visible, but they were dancing along to the music, twirling and skipping around one particular tank. Even more fascinating, the mer in the tank swam up to the glass and watched them. Red was known to be shy, even if he had taken a shine to Cyan, so seeing him responding to them was interesting on its own.

        However, Red was also known to have a dislike for music. Maybe he couldn't hear it or maybe he didn't care, but he wasn't swimming away from them and he followed their movement with his own instead, spinning around in the water and touching the glass as they did.

        "Ih-...Is that? They realize they're basically doing a courting dance, right? And the fact that he's dancing back means he's accepted...?" Oscar stammered as the three of them watched the person and mer in question.

        "This is Cyan we're talking about." Blair replied before sipping on their coffee, a vague expression of amusement seeped through their exhaustion.

        "Yeah, it's Cyan, of course. You're right, of course they know what they're doing." Oscar huffed a laugh as he placed his hand on his forehead, shaking it. "Has anyone kept tabs on how many of our co-workers aren't trying to get some tail?"

        "Good for them." Pink commented idly as he gradually returned his attention to the aquarium fish.

        Blair only shrugged and smiled at their miffed boyfriend, before leaning against their larger partner to watch the other tanks as well. The music eventually faded and the three of them welcomed the silence again.

        It had taken a few minutes to get Maroon to calm down after Blue’s reveal. They weren’t particularly freaked out, just full of questions, and their brain had stalled a few times. But eventually they managed to process everything, then it got a whole lot easier to get them on the same page. Thankfully they believed Crimson now and they had a better grasp on the scale of the situation. They also stayed an extra hour to discuss things, but now they were gone and he had a deal to uphold.

        Crimson couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy with the night shift atmosphere. He never stayed past closing time. Regardless, the creepiness only made him approach Blue’s tank faster, who was certainly excited to see the man.

        “Don’t pull me in this time.” Crimson huffed as he finished zipping up his wetsuit.

        Grabbing the first ladder rung, he began to climb down into the water, only pausing long enough to hang up his bag on a hook overlooking the platform. Once he was sure his things would stay dry, he let himself slip fully into the water. 

        Even if the mer respected his request, it wasn’t long before he felt arms wrap around him and a face nuzzling into his. He couldn’t blame the poor touch-starved being as he hugged right back.

        Blue warbled and held the man even closer. “Hi.”

        “Hi.” The human chuckled, rubbing his back. “Thanks for telling Maroon.”

        He hummed in response and tried to rest his chin on Crimson’s head but his bun was in the way. He quickly realized and reached up to undo it, letting his hair down.

        Blue returned to the attempted position and raised his hand to gently run it through the man’s brunet curls. He watched them bounce back into place as he idly played with the strands.

        Crimson slowly tilted his head to look up at the mer, mindful not to disrupt the chin resting on him. Reaching up, he lightly stroked along the mer’s head, brushing along scales and tracing the yellow bio-lights haloing it. He briefly thought about leaning in for a kiss, but partially dismissed the thought.

        “Hold on.” He said softly, pulling back so he could reach his bag and pull something out of it.

        Blue was disappointed by the lack of contact but watched the man pull out some gum. He had seen the workers chew it enough times to know what it was.

        “No offence, but your breath smells like rotting fish and I doubt Blanc is handing out toothbrushes to the mer.”

        “Thanks.” He replied flatly as he accepted it and put the strip in his mouth. It was fair enough though. “Teal does help with dental stuff during checkups and patch-ups.”

        “Good to know, but still.” Crimson shrugged, but he paused to make sure he didn’t really upset the mer.

        “I actually wanted to give you something too, but I hope my present is better.” Blue said as he was the one to back off this time, only to dive under the water.

        Crimson raised a brow as he watched and waited for the mer to resurface. He was curious, but a bit of trepidation sunk in as he thought about what it could be. It was probably going to be something like a dead fish, or a hidden rubber duck to throw at him, maybe the mer was just going to spit water at him. If he was particularly hopeful, it could be that shoe he never got back.

        Blue resurfaced and excitedly extended his cupped hands out to the man, who shot him a suspicious look.

        "It's nothing bad. I just thought it was cool..." He explained, smiling softly as the human cautiously reached out.

        "If it's something gross I am going to be pissed." Crimson warned, giving the mer one more critical look before opening his hands for the gift.

        At first, he received a mischievous grin, which made him second-guess the generosity, but then he saw what he was being given. Thankfully, it was not something gross.

        "Oh." He released a small sound of shock as he brought the shell closer.

        It was obviously wet, but not slimy, and he couldn't help running his thumb along the bumpy outside. The shell was bright red and he enjoyed the texture of it even as he realized it probably came from the enrichment he had paid for.

        "This is beautiful. Thank you." He said as he stared at it before looking back up at the mer who beamed at him. Feeling the texture one more time, he thought to put it in his bag for safekeeping but paused. "Wait, this isn't like a courting gift or something, right?" He made sure to clarify before completely accepting the shell.

        Blue's grin got wider as he looked down at the human. "It could be," He began, leaning down to nuzzle the man's chin before pulling back, "But no. I would have given you a much better gift if that was my intention. Then again, you technically made the first move."

        Crimson's brow quirked in confusion until he saw the mer pointedly push the floating blue ball towards him. His face grew warm at the implication. "That's enrichment!"

        "Really?" Blue tilted his head innocently before smirking at the flustered man. "Who else got one then?"

        "You, shut up." Crimson huffed, turning around to grab a ladder rung and pulling himself up to slip the shell into his bag.

        He felt hands grab his hips once he was done and pull him back into the water.

        "Make me." Blue purred, as the human turned around to face him.

        "Spit the gum out and I will."

        "I already swallowed it."

        "Wha-no! You're not supposed to swallow it!"

        He only shrugged in response.

        "What am I going to do with you?" Crimson huffed and shook his head, but there was an air of amusement around the gesture as he wrapped his arms around the mer's shoulders.

        "I have a few ideas..." Blue murmured, his eyes half-lidded as he stared at the man, whose face was only a few inches from his own. Leaning forward, he was stopped by something floating between them, prompting him to growl and look down. "Stop cock-blocking me, ball." He pushed the toy away and pulled the human closer.

        Crimson chuckled but looked around briefly to ensure no people and no cameras were around. The coast was clear, and he had been teasing the mer long enough. Fuck it.

        Pulling the mer down to his level, he connected their lips, feeling the frame before him purr and hold him tighter. Blue's lips were cold, but it certainly wasn't the worst kiss in existence, and he was more than eager to kiss back. Crimson happily met the enthusiasm, deepening the kiss until he needed to pull back for air.

        "You still taste like fish." He stated. The gum definitely helped though.

        "Well, I am a fish. I don't know what you were expecting." Blue grinned, bumping his face against his human's chin.

        Fair enough.

        Crimson kissed the mer again instead of responding. He closed his eyes as he felt claws slip through his hair, holding his head and pressing them closer together. Reaching up, he stroked along one of the mer's own hair-like appendages, lightly wrapping it around his finger.

        They both froze as they heard footsteps, prompting them to back away from each other and look in the direction of the noise.

        "Blue! Where the hell are you?" Umber snapped, causing Crimson to look at the mer in shock.

        Blue quickly covered his partner's mouth, pushing the man against the wall and as far out of view as possible. The platform thankfully obscured their location, and neither of them moved as they heard Umber stomp around above them.

        "Umber, you need to leave." Another voice spoke up.

        "Could you get out of my ass? Why are you here every fucking night? Piss off!"

        The slight argument at least caught his attention and he audibly walked away from the tank to continue yelling at the other man.

        Blue sighed with relief and backed off a bit, uncovering his human's mouth once he was sure the hostile worker had left. "Sorry."

        "He was supposed to be fired!" Crimson whispered sharply, staying pressed against the wall as he looked up. The mer still had a firm grip on him, keeping him from going anywhere. "Why didn't you tell me he was still here?"

        Blue rubbed his thumb idly along the man's arm as he looked down. "I didn't want you confronting him and getting hurt again."

        "You realize I have to do something about this, right?"

        He shook his head, boxing his companion in further with his other arm. "No. I'm keeping you safe."

        "Blue," Crimson cupped the mer's cheek, the gesture instantly being leaned into, "I'm trying to keep you safe."

        "Just stay here until he's gone. You can figure something out later."

        He huffed but nodded his head in acceptance as he was pulled into a hug.

        "Alright."

        Chartreuse sighed heavily and took a seat on a bench beside one of the tanks. This was exhausting. The constant nightshifts were taking a toll, and he tried talking to Blanc about getting rid of Umber, but she wouldn't hear it. With an enemy so close to overthrowing her, she needed to hold onto any allies she had left.

        Chartreuse understood, but it didn't make him any happier about the situation. At least the mer were much calmer with him keeping watch, and they didn't give him any trouble.

        "Hey." Lime piped up, prompting the man to turn and regard him. "Why don't you take a break?"

        "I have work to do." Chartreuse replied, but he still didn't get up from his seat.

        "I'm sure we won't starve to death if you take five." The mer continued with an amused snort before extending something out to him. "Here. I finished reading this, so, why don't you go and read this to Ender? No one taught him how to read, but I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

        He reached out and took the book, raising a brow as he read the title. It was a children's story about a mermaid, but then again he didn't have much reading material to choose from right now, and there were worse ways to occupy his time.

        "Thank you." He nodded to the mer before standing up to make his way over to Lavender's tank.

        Lavender had grown more confident under the man's diligent protection, and he wasted little time rising to the surface to greet his approacher. He tried to keep his excitement to himself, which only grew harder as the human sat down at the edge of his tank and smiled softly at him.

        Chartreuse took off his shoes and let his feet hang in the water as he looked down at the purple mer. The obvious enthusiasm towards his presence helped to lighten his mood, reminding him why he was doing this.

        "Hi." Lavender greeted shyly, swimming over to the man.

        "Hello." Chartreuse acknowledged, only turning away for a moment to grab the book. "Lime thought you could use some company and that you would enjoy a book." However, he paused as the mer's chin rested on his knee, big blue eyes looking up at him. It wasn't fair.

        He cleared his throat, but he didn't dislodge the mer as he tried to bring his focus onto the book. It only partially worked, so, he began to read aloud to ensure neither his mind nor eyes could wander. It was far from an invigorating story, but it kept him distracted all the same.

        So much so, that he didn't hear the door open or register someone else was in the room with him. That was until he heard footsteps pass behind him and he was roughly shoved forward. He nearly landed directly into the water, but he managed to grab a hold of the railing, and the mer had reacted as well, pushing against his chest to keep him from falling over.

        Whipping his head in the direction of his attacker, he glared up at Umber as he continued walking and sneered.

        "Dickhead." Chartreuse commented, before pulling himself back onto the ledge with the help of the mer, who was surprisingly shooting the offending man a haughty look as well.

        He shook his head and dismissed the petty action, but he didn't return to the book. Instead, he rested his hands against the ones still pressing against his chest, startling the mer for just a moment.

        "Thank you." He said, stroking a thumb along the back of one of Lavender's hands.

        He looked down shyly and let go of the man to instead return his chin to its resting place. Regardless, there was far less relaxation in the atmosphere as the two of them continued to keep their eyes on Umber in case he became aggressive again.

        It didn't take long for him to find a new target to take out his frustration on, but both mer and man were surprised to see Crimson at this hour as he stood in front of Umber's path.

        Chartreuse pulled his feet out of the water and slipped his shoes back on as he watched the confrontation. The narc was pulling out a sheet of paper, possibly a restraining order, but all it received was a loud laugh.

        "You think the law is going to stop me? You have no idea what I'm capable of." Umber said, his voice echoing as he shoved the much shorter man against a tank railing.

        Lavender reached out and held Chartreuse's ankle, silently pleading for him not to intervene. He didn't pull away, but he did keep his attention on the scene.

        Crimson was struggling against the larger man, but he didn't need to struggle for long as Blue launched himself out of his tank and slapped the man's attacker away with his tail. Umber fell back and grabbed his face, the blow dizzying, and nearly knocking him out.

        Crimson pulled away from the railing and ran to Blue's side, helping him get back into the water, before jumping in as well, the two of them slipping out of sight to avoid Umber.

        He was beginning to stand again, prompting Chartreuse to look down at the mer trying to hold him back. He knew what that man was capable of, and he pulled away from the light grip.

        Umber held up his prod, stalking over to the blue mer's tank as he glared into it.

        "I've had enough of everyone's bullshit."

        "If you prod the water you could kill me!" Crimson shouted, making Chartreuse pick up his pace.

        "Yeah? I sure hope so." Umber replied, leaning down to shove the electrified end into the water, but it never made contact as a hand wrapped around his arm, pulling it back. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

        "What are you doing? Have you forgotten your training?" Chartreuse questioned as the other man ripped away from his grip.

        "Have you?" Umber shot back.

        "He has far too much presence at this facility. You cannot simply dispose of him and wash your hands of it. His absence will be noticed." Chartreuse tried to talk some sense into his ex-coworker.

        "I don't care! He's been a pain in my ass for months and you're next on my list if you don't leave me alone right fucking now."

        "Don't be stupid, Umber." He warned, seeing the look in the man's eyes and the tightened grip on the prod.

        "You keep bossing me around, but what are you actually going to do about it, huh?" Umber goaded, taking a step toward the taller man.

        Chartreuse took a step forward, testing Umber's willingness to fight. He certainly looked ready to as he raised the prod, but he hesitated as Crimson climbed out of the water to stand beside Chartreuse. Blue wasn't far behind, pulling himself out of the water again and rising to his full height in a threatening display.

        Umber faltered, but he gave the three of them a hateful glare as he backed up. "Fuck you all."

        None of them moved, even as he backed off and stomped his way to the exit. Once he was out the door, they were able to relax a margin.

        Blue took a hold of Crimson's shoulders and turned him around to inspect him for any damages. "I told you not to confront him."

        "You knew I would." He replied, doing the same and pausing when he noticed a burn mark along the mer's side.

        Chartreuse spotted it as well and heaved a light sigh. "Let's get him to the medical wing."

        Blanc leaned back against the headboard of her bed and sighed deeply. Umber sat up and rested his chin on her stomach as he looked up at her.

        "Chartreuse is becoming a problem. You have to let me get rid of him." He said, disrupting her pleasant haze.

        She groaned in aggravation and looked down at him. "Chartreuse has been a valuable ally. I don't care for your petty rivalité."

        He frowned as she pushed him away and rolled over to climb out of her bed. Watching her walk away, he didn't bother getting up and instead rolled on his side. "But he isn't our ally anymore. He's on Crimson's side."

        She paused, the cigarette in her hand snapping in half and releasing a sprinkle of its contents. Flicking it away, she turned just enough to look at him. "Do you have proof?"

        "Would I lie to you?" He asked, his sweet tone receiving nothing but a suspicious glare. "Okay, well, I don't have anything solid to tell you, but he keeps getting in my way when I try to do my job."

        Blanc rolled her eyes and turned away from him to occupy herself with something more important. Wiping the cigarette residue from her hands, she reached into a drawer and pulled out some fish food.

        "He had said the same about you."

        She could hear him sit up, but paid him no mind as she opened up the tank and dropped the food inside. Leaning forward, she watched her little cephalopod snatch up the dinner she had provided, and she allowed a small smile to grace her face.

        "You don't cause problèmes, do you, Cipher?" She cooed affectionately at the creature, before jumping as arms wrapped around her waist.

        "I'll do whatever you want me to do. I can make all our problems disappear if you just let me." He whispered in her ear, holding her much tighter than she was comfortable with.

        Digging her nails into his wrists, she pulled his hands off of her and turned around to push him back onto the bed. "I make the decisions."

        He didn't argue, but she could still see the defiant expression he was attempting to hide. "I know." He gritted out, but his annoyance smoothed out as she climbed on top of him, straddling him.

        She stared at him for a long moment without saying a word before reaching out and gripping his chin. "You're lucky you are handsome."

        The comment made him smirk, but she didn't acknowledge it as she rolled off of him and laid back on her bed again. Reaching over, she pulled open another drawer and grabbed a new cigarette. Slipping it in her mouth, she lit it this time and took a deep inhale.

        "So?" He pressed, earning an annoyed look as he leaned against her.

        "I will think about it." She replied, grabbing his head and pushing it back down again. "But your job is far from fini."

Chapter Text

        Teal finished cleaning up the medical wing before checking over the schedule. It appeared to be one of those rare nights when he didn't have to work it and his boyfriend didn't either. He thought he would be more excited, but he really wasn't. By this point, they were just living like roommates despite Chartreuse's attempts to reconnect on the weekends.

        If Teal was being honest, he didn't want to reconnect. The two of them had been together for six months and it was clear that they were both bored with each other. At least that was true on his end. At first, he was frustrated with the schedule change, but maybe it was just a blessing in disguise.

        Despite his apathy towards the situation, he couldn't help shooting a look of contempt towards the purple mer's tank as he passed by it. He wouldn't say he was jealous, but it felt like a stupid reason to ruin his relationship.

        Fiddling with his keys, he made his way over to the exit and paused at the door. It was pouring outside, making everything dark and foggy as street lights struggled to illuminate the parking lot. 

        With a sigh, he pulled the door open and stepped out into the rain. Nightshift people would be coming in soon, so he didn't bother locking it behind himself to avoid standing in the rain longer than necessary, and headed straight towards his car.

        Ducking his head to try to protect his paperwork, he didn't initially realize someone was standing by the driver's door until he spotted the figure. Slowing down, he tried to identify the person, but he was only able to once they raised the umbrella they held.

        "Umber. I thought you were fired." He spoke up, stopping in his tracks even as water soaked through his clothes.

        "I was, but I have some important information." Umber replied as he smirked, stepping aside to allow the other man to approach the car.

        Teal looked between the ex-employee and his car, gradually moving towards it. "Alright. Spill it."

        "Your boyfriend, Chartreuse, isn't what he seems." Umber began, adjusting his umbrella to fish a file out of his jacket. "I've been investigating the issues surrounding this place and I have proof that not only was he a gang member, but he's also been stealing from here."

        Teal hesitated at the sudden accusations. He knew his boyfriend had a past, but that was a long time ago. Sure things had been going missing from the medical wing, but he chalked it up to bad inventory, or maybe a small-scale thief. The facility was far from a squeaky clean place.

        Regardless, he looked at the file extended out to him and he cautiously reached out to take it. The other man offered some space under the umbrella to keep the pages from getting wet, and he used it to skim through the file. Inside were various case reports from years ago. There were also photos of Chartreuse grabbing things from the medical wing. Some of them were security camera footage, but others seemed to be taken from close up by a phone.

        "How did you get these?" Teal questioned, shooting the other man a critical look.

        "Classified, sorry. I'm not even supposed to show these to you, but I thought you should know." Umber replied, giving a little shrug as he backed up, drenching the vet with rainwater.

        Teal shivered and covered up the file to protect it from the water. He made no further comment as he opened the door to his car and tossed the file into the passenger seat before climbing in. Briefly glancing in Umber's direction, it was clear he was finished talking as well as he turned around and walked to his own vehicle.

        Teal watched the man go, before shifting his attention back toward the file.

        Chartreuse put the last dish away in the cupboard and gave a little stretch. It was his night off and now that he was done with chores, he just wanted to sit down and relax. Maybe read a book before his boyfriend got home.

        However, he didn't make it two steps towards the couch before he heard a car screech into the driveway. Pausing, he watched the lights flick off and heard a door slam. Within moments keys were jammed into the lock and the door was shoved open roughly.

        He opened his mouth to question his boyfriend, but he wasn't given a chance as a sopping wet file was thrown in his face.

        "You're really a piece of work, you know that? I knew you had problems, but you're fucked." Teal sneered, not even phased as he soaked the carpet beneath him.

        "What is this?" Chartreuse asked, trying to open up the stuck-together pages, before catching a glimpse of some of the photos inside. "Who gave this to you?"

        "Umber did, and don't even try to talk your way out of it. All you've got are your pretty words, but he already showed me the fucking proof."

        He didn't doubt that at least some of it was true, but knowing Umber, he had falsified and stretched the truth wherever possible. It didn't matter anyway, as Teal was clearly past the point of listening.

        "Umber is an incredibly dangerous individual. You should not trust him so blindly." Still, Chartreuse tried.

        "I don't give a shit what he is, he isn't in my house, and you are! I want you out!" Teal shouted, pointing towards the open door, "Get the fuck out of my house, now!"

        "Teal, think about this."

        He shook his head and walked towards the door himself. "You know what, no. I'm going to go for a drive because I can't look at you right now. When I get home you better be fucking gone, or else I'm calling the police, so start packing your shit!"

        Chartreuse wasn't given another chance to protest as the other man slammed the door and started up the car again. Well then.

        Umber was not to be underestimated, and he wasn't. However, the fact that he was bold enough to pull a move like this meant that Blanc had given him permission. Further meaning that Chartreuse was essentially fired, and now he was on limited time to not only get his things out of the house, but he had a short window to sort some things out at the facility.

        Chartreuse wasted no time as he grabbed some empty boxes from the closet and began walking around the house to collect his possessions. There was no point trying to argue, honestly, he didn't actually want to. He was used to needing to start fresh and he was growing unhappy with his current life anyway.

        However, in his rush, he didn't hear another door open. Making his way up the stairs, he stopped when he spotted Forte peering out from their room. They frowned when they saw him and crossed their arms when they glanced at the box in his arms.

        "So, that's it then. You're just going to abandon me again?" They asked, shifting their expression into something more unreadable.

        "I wasn't aware you were home. I thought you were supposed to be visiting your friend?" He responded with his own question, making them glare at him.

        "Teal wouldn't drive me and the buses don't run this late." They replied, turning away from him. "You're really going to leave me with him?"

        "I cannot take you with me. You need stability and I will be on the move." Chartreuse explained, stepping around them to head towards his bedroom.

        They followed after him. "I'm a teenager now, I can handle it! It wasn't enough that you left me at that orphanage, now you're leaving me with a guy who neglects me. Don't act like you don't notice. He works all the time to avoid taking care of me, and you work all the time to avoid him. I know he's shit to you too and I think you deserve it honestly."

        He sighed heavily as he rummaged through drawers and threw his things inside of a suitcase. "I am not equipped to take care of you. However, I acknowledge Teal is not suitable either, so I can offer to drive you to your friend's house or I can leave you with Anya."

        "Fine. Just drop me off wherever, but don't come back." They muttered before grabbing their suitcase as well.

        The two of them finished packing around the same time, making them both realize they really didn't have that much here. Neither of them had settled as much as they originally believed.

        "Let's go." Forte exhaled sharply, grabbing their things and loading everything up in his car.

        He quickly checked the house over again to ensure they hadn't missed anything, taking special care to take the file with him so it could not be used against him further. Then he got into the car and they drove off without looking back.

        Chartreuse stopped at the house belonging to Forte's friend. They didn't speak the entire trip, only really acknowledging their surroundings once they spotted the place and grabbed their things.

        "I can call Anya tomorrow to ensure you have proper support and somewhere to stay if your friend cannot keep you." Chartreuse offered as they opened up the car door and began to climb out.

        "I fucking hate you." They replied before slamming the car door and walking off.

        He didn't comment as he waited for them to be let into the house. Once they were inside, he started the car again and headed towards the facility.

        Driving in silence, he paid only enough attention to drive safely but didn't register anything else beyond that. Even if he did not enjoy the life he had, it was always hard to lose regardless. 

        However, he didn't have time to sulk as he pulled up to the facility and got out. The nightshift workers were far from competent, but he worked quickly regardless as he ran over to the garage and opened it up. Grabbing one of the trailers, he pulled it over and hooked it up to the back of his vehicle.

        Ensuring it had everything he needed inside, he nodded to himself before opening the facility door and walking in. He didn't have much he needed, but there were two things he had to do.

        Making his way over to the lockers, he kept his eyes out for any cameras as he opened up his. There wasn't much inside, but he grabbed the important things before pulling out a hidden folder.

        He didn't bother closing his locker as he reached for another one, picking the lock on it to get it open. With a click, he pulled it open and placed the folder inside. His ex-coworker may have screwed him over by collecting proof of his crimes, but they had been raised in the same group, and he had done the exact same.

        Initially, he was going to just leave the proof, but he spotted Crimson's notepad and decided to leave a little warning while the opportunity was there.

        Leaving the note with the folder, he shut the narc's locker, and strode over to his workstation. He filled up some buckets with live food and sealed them up before rushing them outside to the trailer he hooked up.

        Rainwater and sweat soaked his collar, but he simply wiped it away as he kept up his pace. He just needed enough to get across state lines, then he could always find somewhere to fill the buckets up again.

        Running back into the facility, he grabbed a decent-sized transportation tank and a siphon before making his way over to a tank. There wasn't enough time for him to save them all, but the least he could do was save Umber's main target.

        Lavender rose to the surface and watched the human with a look of confusion as the man pulled water from his tank and filled up another.

        "What's going on?" He asked lightly, swimming over to the side.

        "I'm afraid we are no longer safe. I need to get you out of here before Umber returns." Chartreuse explained, scooping up some water with a bucket in an attempt to fill the transportation tank faster. "We don't have much time."

        "Can I say goodbye to Lime?" The mer asked, anticipating a 'no'.

        The siphon was doing most of the work anyway and it would give them something to do as they waited, so he agreed. "Alright, come here." He supported Lavender's tail while he wrapped his arms around the human's shoulders, keeping him secure as he was lifted out of the water.

        Holding on tightly, he was carried over to the lime mer's tank, who rose to the surface and offered a look of understanding.

        "I have to go, but thank you for helping me." He explained, nodding in acknowledgement.

        "I wish I could do more, but I'm glad you're escaping." Lime said as he reached out and briefly took the other mer's hand before looking to the human. "Keep him safe."

        "I will." Chartreuse replied, shifting the mer in his arms so he could return the borrowed book.

        "Thank you, and good luck!" Lime called as he watched them turn and leave.

        Lavender waved until he could no longer see the other mer, then he secured his grip around the human again. "And thank you for protecting me." He spoke softly, cuddling into the man's chest.

        Despite everything going on, Chartreuse couldn't help smiling softly and he held the mer closer. "Of course."

        The transportation tank was mostly filled, so he reached down and turned off the siphon. Hopefully, it would be enough, but Lavender didn't seem to mind as he was lowered into the smaller tank.

        He hesitated and held onto the man as he was released, prompting them both to pause. "I know you don't want me courting you, but...can I kiss you?"

        "I was bothered by the courting because I was already in a relationship. However, I no longer am. So, yes, you may kiss me."

        He didn't bother questioning the details in the explanation as he pulled the man down to his level and connected their lips. The kiss was brief and chaste, but he pulled back with a shy smile as the human looked down at him fondly.

        Chartreuse reached up and lightly stroked the back of his hand along Lavender's cheek. He really was beautiful.

        Regardless, Chartreuse cleared his throat and placed the mer farther into the tank, who released him this time. "We must go, but perhaps we can return to this later."

        Lavender raised his head above the water enough to respond, "I would like that." before sinking back down as the man began to push the transportation tank. They began to hear footsteps but promptly ignored the sound in favour of picking up the pace.

        He was loaded into the trailer and properly secured before the human jumped out and got into the car, the two of them escaping into the night.

Chapter Text

        Crimson stared at his clipboard with his brows furrowed. Then he read over the note again, and again, looking between it and the mysterious folder in his locker. He definitely didn't write this, but he was conflicted between feeling concerned about the note, the contents along with it, or the fact that someone had broken into his locker without him noticing. Maybe he didn't have to choose. All three were cause for concern.

                'Crimson,

                Should you choose the legal route, I have provided all of the evidence you need to take them both down.

                Should you choose the permanent route, don’t die, and good luck.’

        Crimson hesitantly lowered his clipboard and reached out for the folder. Opening it up, he looked through it before slamming it shut with a shaky exhale.

        “What the fuck.”

        “Crimson! Crimson!” Blair shouted as they ran toward him, prompting him to close his locker to regard them.

        “What’s going on?” He asked, already feeling a migraine coming on.

        “The fundraiser money, it’s gone!” They exclaimed, leaning against a locker to catch their breath.

        “All of it?” He questioned, his eyes widening.

        “All of it! I put it in the safe, you saw me put it in the safe. No one could have gotten to it.” They continued, wringing their shirt nervously.

        His attention briefly turned back to his locker, but he shook his head. The two of them were the only ones with the code, and of course...

        “Blanc.”

        “Why would she do that? We made the money to help her business.”

        He knew her to be prone to sabotage, so it wasn’t out of the question in his mind. Even if she didn’t do it herself, she might have given the code to someone else.

        “I’ll find out. In the meantime keep looking around and get Cyan to check over the cameras.”

        Blair nodded firmly and ran off to start helping.

        He watched them go before pinching the bridge of his nose and releasing a long-suffering sigh. Time to confront Blanc.

        Taking a moment to make sure his locker was secure, he squeezed the lock before stepping out of the locker room and heading towards her office. The door was closed, but he didn’t care as he pulled out a key and opened it.

        Blanc had her feet up on her desk, cigarette in hand as she lounged around. Her demeanour quickly shifted when he barged in, causing her to scowl at him.

        “What do you want?” She snapped, rolling back her chair to place her feet back on the floor.

        “Where is the fundraiser money?” He demanded, crossing his arms as he stared her down before briefly looking around the room.

        “Excusez-moi?”

        “You know what I’m talking about. Only three people have the code.”

        “Oui, trois. Why am I the one being interrogated? You and Blair also have the code. You both fit the profile for such a crime.” Blanc placed her hand over her chest as if she were offended by the accusation.

        He was offended by something else. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

        She let a little smirk slip before schooling her expression and shrugging innocently. “I am simply saying I wouldn’t sabotage my own business. That would be absurd.”

        “No. You don’t get to say some racist bullshit and act all cocky. You have done more than sabotage your business, Blanc. You killed it.” He uncrossed his arms and took a step back as he pulled out his phone. “I’m shutting it down. Collect your shit and get out of here. This place is closed.”

        Her barely suppressed smarmy look was quickly shadowed by something much darker. He didn’t react to the threatening stare, meeting it with a glare of his own instead as he backed out of the room. Slamming the door shut, he left her to stew in rage.

        Blanc looked at the closed door before sitting back in her seat, placing her feet back up on the desk. She clicked her tongue before sucking it against her teeth as she grabbed her phone from her desk. Dialing a number, she placed it to her ear and waited for the other line to pick up.

        “It’s time to hold up your end of the deal. He’s all yours.”

        Crimson made sure all of the tasks for the day had been completed. He let everyone know of the situation and was surprised most of them were still willing to finish out the day, but he still wanted to be sure all of the mer were cared for. Thankfully, that seemed to be the case.

        "I'm going to make sure you all get paid for the week, I might keep a small circulation of people just to ensure sure the mer are taken care of until we figure out what to do with them, and I can connect everyone to new job opportunities at other aquariums if you're struggling to find something else. This is a great team and it's been a pleasure working with you all. I'm sorry your boss is shit." He addressed all of the still present employees. Night shift had already been informed of the situation, so once the afternoon shift left, that would be it.

        "I can stay back a bit longer to help you get things in order." Cyan said, hugging him. "You did the best you could, so it's the least I can do."

        "We'll help with clean up." Oscar piped up as well, receiving nods of confirmation from Blair and Pink.

        Tracy gave a small shrug, "You're better than Blanc at least." before heading back towards Half's enclosure.

        Crimson clapped and rubbed his hands together. "Awesome, great team meeting." 

        They had an hour before official closing time, so he watched the crew disperse before turning his attention to the mer. Lime seemed a bit off, potentially sad, but he still rose out of the water and waved as the man passed. Red was surprisingly out and about, but it likely had to do with Cyan as they sat by his tank and talked to him. Meanwhile, HalfnHalf was mentally off-limits, but Crimson trusted if there was a problem over there Tracy would raise a fuss about it.

        "Hey, Cyan. Have you seen Lavender?" He asked as he looked into the other tropical mer tank.

        Cyan cringed, catching his full attention as they kept their sight focused on their mer. "Uh, well. Teal texted me this morning that he got into a fight with Chartreuse, which is why neither of them are here. Chartreuse got kicked out, so, I'm just going to assume we have another Aqua and Noir situation here."

        Their response had him heaving a loud and aggravated sigh. Another stolen mer. Even shut down this place still managed to cause him trouble.

        "Why didn't you tell me?"

        They shrugged and rubbed Red's head. "What are you going to do about it? None of us know where they went and by the time I learned anything, it was like...I don't even know. A lot of hours."

        "That explains the stuff in my locker. I guess." Crimson sighed again, shaking his head. "If you get any more updates, let me know as soon as possible. Please." He had enough on his plate right now, he couldn't deal with the new situation.

        "Of course." Cyan gave him a look of sympathy and concern.

        He nodded in appreciation and continued walking.

        There were still so many things to get in order, but with all the stress going on, taking it one step at a time seemed the best course of action. Bringing his attention to his list as he browsed through it and checked off everything he had accomplished so far.

        Looking up from his clipboard, he found his feet had carried him to the viewing section of the aquarium where Blue's tank was. He spotted the man and swam up to the class, cocking his head quizzically.

        Crimson couldn't help smiling gently as he waved at the mer, approaching the glass as well to greet his...companion. The details of their exact relationship still needed to be sorted out and the current situation made it all the more complicated. It wasn't as if he could ethically keep Blue all to himself.

        Then again, if all of the mer were going to go to a different facility there may be a chance he could come along. He really hated to separate everyone but he could try to keep certain people and mer together. Maroon would be best to reach out to about that sort of thing; there was a possibility they had some connections he didn't.

        There were so many moving pieces he could worry about later, but for now, he took a moment to just relax.

        Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a marker and showed his mer, who grinned at him. He smiled back and uncapped it before beginning to draw random things on the glass.

        Blue watched and followed the random lines, playing along despite the lack of desperation for stimulation. So many things had changed. The first time they had interacted, he was under-stimulated to the point of madness and jumped at any chance for entertainment. Now he had proper enrichment, people who genuinely cared for his well-being, things to play with, and Crimson.

        Crimson erased the random doodles and paused, looking up at his mer for just a moment, before drawing a heart on the glass.

        Blue perked up and swam closer, tracing the shape in his own mimicry of drawing it. His human smiled at him again, and he wanted desperately to reach through the glass, grab Crimson, and hold him tightly. The feeling only increased tenfold as he looked at the bandaging on the mer's side and frowned slightly, clearly concerned. So caring. So worth it.

        Movement reflected in the glass, making Blue hesitate as he looked up and spotted an approaching figure. It only took a moment for the man to notice as well, turning around and freezing as the two of them simultaneously recognized Umber.

        "How did you get in here?" Crimson demanded, taking a step back and bumping into the tank.

        Umber smirked and twirled a keychain around his finger. "I have a key." He replied, before pulling out his prod and turning it on.

        Crimson eyed the closed door behind the other man, but it was probably locked, effectively trapping him down here. The only option available to him was to fight, at least until help could get here. Prompting him to briefly glance at Blue, who nodded and swam out of sight, to the top of his tank to call for help.

        Even if Crimson knew it was the smartest option, he still felt dread rise in him at the mer's absence. Now he was officially alone with someone intent on hurting him.

        "He can't help you, and there's no one standing between us now." Umber said, beginning to walk towards the trapped man.

        There wasn't anywhere to go, but Crimson took a few steps away from the tank, getting himself out of the corner he was backed into as much as possible.

        "You're going to get caught if you don't leave right now. Someone will notice I'm missing." He tried to reason as the other man continued to close the distance between them.

        "You think I care? I'm here to get rid of you and I'm going to enjoy every second of it."

        He raised his hands, knowing they were the only weapon he had available as he tried to think of a way out of this. Talking clearly wasn't going to help, but the longer he could hold off the inevitable, the better for him.

        "I'm serious, you don't want to do this."

        Umber chuckled and made a grab for the other man, who dodged around him, but he didn't care as he pursued regardless. "I definitely do. You've been a pain in my ass and now I'm going to be a pain in yours."

        Crimson felt even more adrenaline course through him at the threat, realizing this wasn't just going to be a murder attempt. Not that he was looking forward to that either.

        He was nearly grabbed again, but he pulled away in time and slapped the offending hand away. The two of them circled each other more, putting him in a position closer to the door. It was going to be locked, he already knew this, but still he tried the handle anyway as he kept his eyes focused on his attacker. He couldn't get it to twist, confirming his suspicions, and prompting him to turn his attention to the door as he slammed his body against it. It protested, but otherwise didn't budge.

        Umber took the chance and gripped the back of the smaller man's suit, pulling his victim back. Crimson flailed and tried to punch, but the angle gave him no leverage. Bracing himself against the door, he kicked at his attacker's leg as hard as he could, narrowly missing the knee.

        "Fuck!" Umber shouted, stumbling back as he nearly lost his balance. He rubbed his leg with one hand and grabbed a fistful of the man's hair. "I've had enough of you." He growled out, pulling his victim to the ground and pinning the struggling body beneath him.

        "I'll fucking kill you!" Crimson threatened, fighting back even as the other man gained the upper hand.

        Umber didn't respond as he focused on subduing his victim. It would be too difficult to grab the rope he had brought, so he used his prod, using a low-level charge to weaken the smaller man.

        Crimson yelped in pain as his arm went limp and unresponsive even as the shock ended. He attempted to raise it again regardless, but his limb only stung and tingled. Then it was grabbed and lifted above his head, keeping him pinned down with great ease this time.

        Digging his nails into the other man's hand with his free one, he felt the grip loosen, but he was shocked again.

        "You bastard." He gritted out, trying to push through the pain and forced numbness.

        "Should have just kept your stupid mouth shut." Umber replied, squeezing the smaller man's wrists harder and pushing them roughly into the ground.

        A dull thud caught their attention simultaneously, halting the assault for just a moment as they both looked over and saw Blue had returned. He smacked his hands against the glass again, pushing against it despite the futility.

        Umber grinned at the mer and forced the body beneath him flush to the ground. "I told you I'd screw him right in front of you."

        Blue couldn't hear what the man said, but he could read the intention and slammed his body against the glass, ignoring his injuries. It vibrated and the edges shifted just the smallest bit, prompting him to do it again.

        Umber scoffed and turned his attention back to his victim, putting down his prod to instead grab a knife out of his pocket. He directed it at the smaller man's throat for just a moment, "Keep fighting me and I'll make it hurt more." he promised before directing the blade to the front of the man's shirt.

        Crimson glared daggers at his attacker but didn't move even as his clothing was cut away. He could hear the mer desperately trying to break through the barrier.

        "I knew I could break you." Umber said, pressing the blade down harder than necessary, just to see the other man flinch.

        Crimson opened his mouth to retaliate, but it was drowned out by the sound of voices and the doorknob jiggling. The voices turned to shouts and bodies began slamming against the door nearly as fiercely as the mer ramming into the glass.

        The new commotion distracted his attacker as well, giving him an opening as attention was no longer fully on him. His body still struggled to function, but he tensed his arms and jerked them to one side suddenly. The grip on his wrists was firm and not so easy to dislodge, but the slight position shift made it possible for him to lean up and bite the other man's arm as hard as he could. Blood began to fill his mouth, but he blocked out the metallic taste and bit down harder.

        Umber shouted in pain and cursed loudly, trying to pull away. He dropped his knife but reached for his prod with his free hand. The smaller man spotted it and released his arm, spitting his blood out onto the floor. The pain only made him angrier and he turned up the setting on the prod.

        Blue spotted it and prepared his aching body before slamming into the glass once again as hard as he possibly could. It didn't shatter, but the repeated force dislodged the weakened edges, causing water to begin to spray out around the edges.

        The water distracted Umber further, and he quickly shut off the prod, realizing it would become dangerous for him if it touched the liquid.

        Blue took the chance and rammed into the barrier one final time, making the tank finally give. Water poured out as the glass fell away in one solid piece.

        Crimson tensed and took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the impact. The water was past his head in no time, but the glass didn't hit him as the body above him took the blow, knocking his attack off of him. Then the barrier hit the bench and instantly shattered, scattering glass all over the floor.

        A few pieces cut him, but he didn't care as he managed to sit up, keeping his head above the water and trying to look around. He spotted the knife and lunged for it, grabbing it tightly before looking around for his attacker.

        Umber screamed as the angry mer launched at him, finishing off his wounded arm with a single bite. He tried to keep the mer back and fumbled for a weapon, but he knew this wasn't a fight he could win. His heart leapt into his throat as his fingers found a large shard of glass, instinctively wrapping around it. Feeling the edges dig into his palm, he ignored the pain and raised his fist, plunging it into the mer’s side.

        "Blue!" Crimson cried, sloshing sluggishly through the water as he tried to crawl towards his mer. Another gush of water spilled from the tank, unbalancing his unsteady limbs further and forcing him back to the ground.

        Blue growled fiercely, rearing back and tossing the offending man against a wall. Smaller glass pieces sank into his scales as he moved, but he didn't care as he pulled the human back towards him, clawing into the man's legs.

        The water level drained away as the doors were finally forced open by the workers behind them. The newcomers stumbled to a halt, taking in the scene for just a moment before jumping into action as well.

        Cyan and Blair ran to Crimson's side, helping him to his feet and picking glass shards out of his limbs. Oscar and Pink closed in on Umber, who was bleeding out and struggling to get away from the attacking mer.

        "Help me!" He croaked out, reaching towards the other two men.

        Staring down at him, Oscar looked at the mer before back down to the struggling man as he patted his pocket. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out a little knife and proceeded to shank his ex-coworker.

        "That's for all the harassment, dickhead."

        Umber clutched at the wounds with his remaining hand and struggled to his feet, trying to back away from the mob. The mer growled at him, beginning to pursue him, but stopped. He didn't bother questioning it as he tried to stumble away, but he didn't get far as he was blocked by Crimson.

        He didn't say a word as he clutched the knife tighter in his hand and stabbed his attacker through the abdomen. More blood covered him and dripped into the water pooling at his feet, but he didn't care as he watched Umber stumble back before collapsing with a splash.

        Crimson held the knife for another moment before he began to shake and he dropped it as well. He raised his hands and looked at the blood covering them.

        "I just killed him. What the fuck."

        "Hey, don't take all the credit. Blue bit him, I shanked him, you stabbed him. It was a team effort." Oscar said, shaking his head as he retrieved his knife and wiped the blood from it.

        "What the fuck are we going to do about the body?" Crimson asked, gesturing to the corpse on the floor before pausing.

        "What body?" Oscar questioned, already picking it up along with Pink, the two of them beginning to drag it away. "There was never a body here. Hell, none of us have seen Umber since he was fired from this place...what? Months ago? Real shame."

        Crimson opened his mouth before closing it again and just watched as the two ex-criminals worked. At least Umber wasn't a problem anymore.

        "Crimson, we have other things to worry about anyway. Blanc is gone and Blue is bleeding out." Cyan spoke up, snapping the man back into focus.

        Crimson ran over to the mer's side, crouching down even as blood and saltwater soaked his pants. Glass littered the floor, but he didn't pay it any mind as he began applying pressure to some of the bleeding wounds. The mer flinched but didn't pull away, instead moving closer to rest in his lap. He briefly freed one of his hands to stroke along his companion's cheek comfortingly, before returning it to where it was needed.

        "You're going to be okay. It's okay, Blue." He whispered, his voice wavering as blood continued to soak through his fingers.

        Looking at the large shard embedded in his mer's side, he ripped off a piece of his ruined shirt and wrapped it around the shard to keep it secured. The fabric was soaked through, but he continued to hold pressure regardless.

        Cyan briefly turned and spoke into their comm unit, but he didn't hear what they said as he shifted his attention to the mer's face. His heart clenched at the pained expression on it.

        "Just hold on. I've got you. Hold on." He said softly, his voice tight as he pressed his forehead to his companion's.

        Blue settled as his human's presence and words assured him that everything was okay. His eyes began to grow heavy and it became harder to fight the exhaustion as relief washed through him. They won, they were safe, and he had protected his mate.

       He settled in the man's lap and let the abyss consume him.

Chapter Text

        The familiar sound of trickling water was the first thing Blue recognized as he began to regain consciousness. Then he felt something brush against his cheek, making him twitch as his weakened body attempted to tense. Within moments he felt the gentle touch again, anticipating it this time, and trying to sort through the fog in his mind. What was touching him and why?

        “Blue?” Someone spoke, making his head turn in the direction of the sound as he tried to open his eyes.

        He struggled to find the strength, but he sensed the hand pulling away and mustered the ability to raise his hand, catching a human wrist. He gripped it only firmly enough to keep it there before forcing his eyes open and blearily looking up at the man lying along the edge beside him.

        “Hey, Blue. How are you feeling?” Crimson asked, keeping his tone light as the mer looked around in confusion.

        “Mm. Gross.” His companion muttered out groggily, pulling his hand back down and cuddling into his palm.

        “You’re on a lot of medication right now, so I can only imagine.” He responded, rubbing his thumb along the mer’s cheek, receiving a quiet, gurgling purr. He didn’t say anything else as he let the mer recoup and adjust to their surroundings.

        “...What happened?” Blue eventually asked as he glanced around the unfamiliar room.

        “A lot. Right now you’re in a clinic Maroon found. You’re all patched up, but I’ve been monitoring and taking care of you for a few weeks now.” Crimson answered, using his other arm as a pillow as he watched the mer cuddle deeper into his other one. 

        A sling was keeping Blue’s body submerged in the water while also stopping him from sinking while unconscious. Still, parts of him were raised and the man would reach into the water on occasion and push it towards those areas to keep them hydrated.

        Crimson leaned up to repeat the process again before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the seashell he had been gifted. He rubbed his thumb over the ridges before passing it over to the mer, who watched him and accepted the gift.

        “You kept it.” Blue mumbled as he placed it on his chest with his free hand, seeing his human lay back down in his periphery.

        “Of course I did. I still have your ball as well. Also, I found my lost shoe. Were you planning on keeping that?” 

        He shrank back and hid his face in the palm of his partner’s hand before grumbling. “Maybe.”

        His response earned a chuckle and he released a soft sigh as he closed his eyes again, feeling fatigue still attempting to claim him.

        Regardless, the silence didn't last long as his mind was still filled with questions. "Where is everyone?"

        "Blanc ended up going on the run to avoid legal repercussions, so the old facility was torn down. Oscar and Pink are trying to hunt her down, while Blair is still working with them to try to open a new facility so we can all come back. Cyan, Red, and Lime are together at another aquarium for now. Same with Tracy and HalfnHalf. No one has heard anything from Chartreuse or Lavender, unfortunately." Crimson explained, knowing more had happened, but he didn't want to overwhelm the mer with everything that had been missed.

        Even with the summarization, Blue still whined with discomfort as his groggy mind attempted to process all of the information. His hairless brows crinkled in agitation, but a soothing touch quickly smoothed them over as the human gently rubbed his head.

        "It's okay. Doesn't matter what's going on. You're safe and you should rest." Crimson said, seeing the mer fight to stay awake despite his words. "I'm staying right here. I'm not going anywhere." He promised, leaning over the edge to lightly kiss his companion's forehead.

        Blue sighed louder than he intended, but his exhausted body sank into the fatigue under the continued reassurance. Maybe just a small nap.

        Crimson smiled and nodded as he spotted Cyan through the glass door. They waved at him through it before letting him in.

        “Crimson! Welcome to Tan’s Aquatic Facility!” They greeted as they stepped aside for him.

        “Is that actually what it’s called?” He asked as he followed them around. Once again they were the one familiarizing him with a new facility.

        “Eh, it’s self-explanatory enough and I like this place a lot better than Blanc’s.” They replied as they opened another set of doors.

        His mouth dropped open at the sight of it. Signs leading you in the right direction, cameras actually in agreeable places, safety railings and precautions everywhere. Best of all, huge, expensive tanks; properly labeled, sectioned, and enriched.

        “Trust me, this place is like an ethical wet dream for you. You should see the massive socialization tank.” Cyan leaned over to whisper to him, before taking his hand to drag him over to their mer.

        "Do you have a filter or do you just let your thoughts reach your mouth?" He pulled a face but followed along regardless.

        "It's called talking. I do a lot of it." They replied, checking signs and going towards where the river and tropical sections connected. 

        "Besides, I speak the truth. Blanc just kinda crammed everything together as much as she could to save cost, but look at this! Divided up sections with proper husbandry! Lime's a river mer and he's been forced to adapt to different water because of her. Tan put his tank right beside the tropical tank so everyone remembers to gradually switch him back to freshwater." They explained as they stopped at the railing leading to the aforementioned mer's tank.

        "How does the socialization tank work between the different sections?" Crimson asked as he looked down into the slightly murkier water. The mer was still visibly swimming around and playing with enrichment, but the water wasn't the artificial crystal-clear blue he was used to seeing at the old facility,

        "Oh, the water quality in the socialization tank is kept at a fairly even level, so almost all of them are able to comfortably hang out in it for at least a few hours. Also, there's different levels to it! Again, it's massive! I'll have to show you sometime when it's in use."

        Crimson listened and nodded his head, but he couldn't help looking around. The place was so big and open but still filled with things to look at.

        “Really nice place, right? I told Black about most of the situation and it turns out his dad owns this place. I guess this is his full-time job, which explains why he only visited our shit-hole facility once in a blue moon.” Cyan spoke, their smile reaching their tone as they watched Lime rise to the surface, summoned by the name of his crush. “Lime’s definitely happy to be here. And hey, I told Tracy about it and she’s moving Half over here tomorrow.”

        “Are you planning to work here permanently or are we still going to build a new facility?” Crimson asked, shooting them a surprised look.

        “I like it here, and so do my boys.” They replied with a shrug before they sent a flirty little wave in Red’s direction. His tank was right beside Lime’s but situated in the tropical section.

        Crimson watched as the red mer waved back, swimming over to the edge and looking over at them. “How do you make it work? It has to be hard dodging the new owner to spend time with your mer.”

        “Not really. I qualify for the same job I was doing before. Unless you mean...” They trailed off and looked at him critically for a moment before their expression broke out into a wry grin. “If you’re wondering about getting your boyfriend in here, maybe you should go talk to the big man.”

        He felt his cheeks warm at their knowing look, but he shrugged it off and looked away. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to speak with him. Especially if the rest of you are planning to get established here.”

        “It just seems smarter than trying to build something new. This place is legit and easier to renovate. I doubt Tan will say no to extra help and money.”

        He hummed idly in agreement though a small frown had made its way to his face. Then again, it would be better to actually meet the man before making any assumptions about what could happen.

        Cyan’s phone vibrated and they jumped as they fumbled to check it. They read the message quickly before bouncing as they extended the phone out to him. “It’s Oscar!”

        ‘Ding dong 🏳💀’

        Crimson raised a brow and looked at the text in confusion.

        “‘Ding dong, the witch is dead’. They got Blanc!” They explained excitedly before texting back a thumbs up and shutting off their phone.

        He couldn’t help the relieved sigh he released as he leaned back against a railing. That was one less problem to worry about then. So, maybe settling somewhere could be an option.

        “Actually, I will speak with Tan. Do you know where he is?”

        “Yup, he’s in his office right up there.” Cyan turned his head and he caught sight of the ‘office’ which looked more like a small building overlooking the facility. “Good luck!”

        He wasn’t sure what to say in response, prompting him to give them a small smile and nod. They turned their attention back to their mer, filling the two in on the news as he shifted his attention towards the office and made his way towards it.

        The signs really did wonders for navigating the massive place as, despite the tour, he had no clue where he was going. Regardless, he followed the directions around him and eventually found himself standing in front of the door to the owner's office.

        He couldn't help hesitating as he raised his fist to the door. The last time he had talked to someone like this, things had not gone well for him. However, Cyan seemed to trust the man, which gave him enough confidence to quietly knock.

        "Come in."

        Lowering his hand, he released a soft exhale before opening up the door and stepping into the office. He paused and his brows furrowed as soon as he caught sight of the other man in the room.

        Tan was incredibly tall and wide, his overall form intimidating in size. He wore a tan coloured dress shirt, some of the buttons were undone in an unprofessional manner. It almost gave him the appearance of a casual boss, if it wasn't for the two mer sitting in his lap, an arm wrapped around each as they leaned into him.

        "Oh, pardon me." He cleared his throat as he instantly saw the confused stare. The maroon mer on his left side visibly pouted as he began to adjust his shirt and disrupted their comfortable positions.

        "No, no, excuse me, sorry. I didn't mean to...intrude." Crimson coughed awkwardly and clasped his hands behind his back as he looked away respectfully.

        Well, that was an interesting predicament to walk in on, but then again it could potentially be a good sign. As long as the mer were willingly in that arrangement, this place may be more welcoming than he had initially thought.

        "Don't worry about it. I was expecting one of my employees, otherwise, I would have attempted to appear more professional." Tan chuckled lightly as he rose from his seat, supporting both mer under their tails as he walked towards the massive tank circling the back wall of his office.

        Crimson couldn't hear what was said to the maroon mer, but he watched as the man easily lifted the decently sized beings and released one of them.

        "I'm not bothered. I was just surprised." He said, watching as the other mer stayed in the large man's embrace. "Cyan told me to talk to you."

        Tan turned to look at the nervous man and nodded his head. "You must be Crimson then. I've heard about you."

        Securing Coral to his side, he sat back down in his seat and let her reposition herself to her comfort. At least he could rely on her to focus during a meeting and not let her hands wander. Mar would likely be upset for being excluded, but business came first.

        “Good things, I hope.” Crimson muttered, watching the dark red mer pout for a moment longer before swimming into a tube that led out of sight.

        “Certainly. My son and Cyan think highly of you. I have also had the displeasure of meeting Blanc, and I commend you for putting up with her for so long.” Tan replied before pausing as Coral whispered into his ear. “Yes. Your work ethic is one matter, but your treatment towards mer is another. Tell me about Blue.”

        Crimson felt his face heat up again at the thought of his mer, but he cleared his throat and answered. “He is a beautiful deep sea mer currently in rehabilitation for mer fights and general socialization issues. I made a lot of progress with him at the old facility but I feel he will heal much better here.”

        Tan turned to the mer in his lap and rolled his eyes at her, causing her to smirk and barely conceal the chuckle threatening to escape. “Is that all you know? How is your relationship with him?”

        “Professional.”

        He couldn’t help scoffing at the answer. “Crimson. What kind of boss do I look like to you?” He asked, gesturing to his still disheveled appearance and his companion. “We are not looking for scripted interview answers. We want the truth.”

        Coral purred and nuzzled under his chin to further emphasize the point they were trying to get across. She wasn't nearly as handsy as Mar, which could have actually helped in this specific circumstance, but her openly affectionate gesture did seem to settle Crimson a bit.

        “I...want him to have a better shot at life. He’s been through so much shit, but he still does everything he can to show he loves me...and I love him too.” He admitted nervously, looking off to the side and missing the warm smile on the other man’s face.

        Tan opened his mouth to respond but any further conversation was drowned out by the sound of the PA system turning on. He paused and raised a brow as he looked at the speaker overhead. 

        “Feeding time in five minutes. I repeat, feeding time in five minutes.” The announcer spoke over the system, their voice sounding distorted.

        Tan released an audible exhale and slowly leaned towards his own mic, activating it before speaking. “You are not getting lunch early, Tech. Would you like your announcement privileges revoked again?”

        There was a pause and he lifted his finger from the button as he sat back.

        “No.” Eventually came a huffed out reply before the announcement was corrected, “Feeding time in an hour.”

        He pressed the button again and spoke into the mic, “Thank you, Tech.” Then his attention was returned to the other man. “Now, where were we?”

        “I was arguing my case to transfer Blue and I here.” Crimson answered, receiving a nod in response.

        “Yes. Please continue.”

        Crimson put down his book for a moment to check the time and sighed with relief when he saw he still had five minutes before the end of his break. Sitting up from his chair, he closed the book and tucked it away to ensure it wouldn't get damaged. Right on cue, he was splashed with water, bringing his attention to the tank his bench resided beside.

        "I know, I know, I'm packing up." He shook his head with a barely concealed smile.

        "You're taking too long." Blue whined, pulling himself up over the edge and closer to the human.

        "Well, you are lucky you didn't ruin my book again, because next time I'm going to go sit somewhere else for my break." Crimson replied, pushing his bag out of the way as he approached the railing.

        Leaning over it, he smiled more as his mer rose further out of the water to meet his lips. The kiss was brief and quickly broken as multiple mer whistled or shouted, making them laugh.

        "I'm glad I can finally kiss you, but there's really no privacy here." Blue complained lightly, bumping his head against his partner's chin.

        "Let them look." Crimson shrugged, kissing his mer again before pulling back and smiling. "I have to get back to work, but I'll see you tonight."

        Blue grinned and pulled the man back for one more kiss. 

        "Tonight." He echoed, letting Crimson go, confident he would return soon.

Chapter Text

        The engine rumbled idly as gravel crunched beneath tires. Electrical poles passed by, beginning to spread out and diminish the further the road led into country.

        Chartreuse checked the gas gauge before deciding to push it a few more miles just to put more distance between them and the last city. Crossing the border would be ideal, but he would need to stop soon to feed the mer in the trailer behind him.

        Speaking of, maybe it would be better to pull over while they were rural side and nearly guaranteed not to come across anyone. At least compared to pushing a few more towns.

        Catching sight of a side road, it settled the debate as he pulled onto it. He followed it until he found a clearing blocked by trees on one side and a field on the other. It was a good spot as any, so he pulled over and turned the car off.

        Getting out, he made his way around the trailer and opened the door before hopping in. The mer’s tank was still secure and he walked over to it.

        “I assumed you would be hungry.” He said, opening up the top of the tank.

        Lavender nodded and poked his head up out of the water with a shiver. “I’m cold too.”

        The man hesitated at his admittance and looked under the tank before cursing. “I forgot to grab a heater. I will have to buy one in the next town.”

        He cringed, not wanting to cause more stress to the human than he already had, but he didn’t hide it well as the man took a hold of his hand.

        “It was my own oversight. If I had not been in such a rush I could have ensured we met all of your needs before leaving.”

        “I’ll survive. It’s just not very comfortable.” He replied, trying to ease some of the burden as he curled into himself further. The weather was at a moderate temperature anyway, it just wouldn't be ideal for a tropical mer like him.

        “Hm, I suppose since we are already stopped, I will try my best to rectify that for the time being.” Chartreuse said as he reached into the tank, smiling slightly when the mer allowed him to do as he pleased. Still, he was careful and deliberate as he lifted the aquatic body out of the water and into his lap.

        Lavender was far from complaining as he rested his head on the human’s shoulder. A blanket was grabbed before being draped over his shoulders and warm arms slid beneath it to wrap around him. It wasn’t a conventional means for his species to warm up, but he wasn’t going to argue as the larger form held him close.

        “Is this better?” Chartreuse asked, unbuttoning his shirt to allow the mer direct access to his body heat. Despite his intention, he couldn’t help tensing momentarily as cold scales pressed against his heated flesh, but he relaxed himself quickly enough.

        “Yes. Thank you.” Lavender mumbled, nuzzling his cheek into the crook of the human’s neck as he settled into the warm embrace. "And thank you for saving me."

        The man hummed dismissively before responding. "It was about time I had a change of scenery. I have been idle for too long."

        "I mean it." He said as he raised his head before reaching up and cupping the human's face, ensuring his firm expression was seen. "You saved my life when no one else would step in."

        Chartreuse fixed the mer with an equally serious look. "Do you understand I have killed and hurt innocent people? There is little to no justification for my past actions and although I am trying to be better, I will not ignore violence when the option is available. I am not a good man."

        "I know," Lavender replied softly, but his gaze didn't faulter as he wrapped his arms around the man, "But you're good enough for me." He shifted in the human's lap, sitting up straighter, "Besides, I like kissing you too much to care."

        Chartreuse smirked at the blatant invitation and without further reason to hesitate, he captured the mer's lips. His spontaneity was reciprocated as they mutually deepened the kiss and he felt serrated teeth graze his lower lip. His partner instantly jerked back to apologize, but he wasn't dissuaded by blood when he had become accustomed to the taste of Teal's bitter coffee mixed with cigarettes or Umber's cheap alcohol and vomit.

        However, he didn't want to dwell on former mistakes and quickly rectified this by kissing down the mer's neck. He couldn't help chuckling at the warbling gurgle he received in response as the smaller form clutched at his unbuttoned shirt, pulling him closer.

        Lavender didn't stifle himself as he leaned into the contact, his tail thumping audibly against the floor while he squirmed. He untangled his claws from the clothing and grabbed the man's free hand, brushing rounded fingers over his waist then down his scales. They both stiffened when the idle digits made contact with his cloaca.

        Chartreuse paused, intending to pull back, until the mer nuzzled into him again and kept a steady grip on his wrist. His hesitation lasted a little longer to ensure he was reading all the right signals before he carefully stroked his middle and ring fingers up the heated slit. With his other hand, he tilted the mer's chin up to face him, finding no visible discomfort at his touch. Encouraged, he continued to rub his fingers across the slickening flesh, feeling it slowly spread welcomingly.

        Lavender placed his hand over the one exploring him, inhaling sharply as he pressed down until the fingers eased into him. They moved shallowly at first, giving him time to get used to the penetration as it dipped in and out of him. He shuddered, looking down and watching as they sunk in past the second knuckle, earning more sounds of pleasure from him. Feeling them curl inside of him, he stiffened and chirped loudly, a tight warmth coiling in his belly.

        Stopping for a moment, Chartreuse removed his fingers and turned the mer's attention back to him. "May I change our positions? I would like to try something that will allow you to see everything I'm doing and for me to see your reactions."

        The mer nodded, completely compliant as he shifted them until he could remove his jacket and place it on the floor. Then he laid the smaller being onto it, mindful not to crush any fins while they got comfortable. His hands settled on the hips of the mer's tail to reinitiate contact before he leaned forward and started his lips on his partner's soft tummy.

        Wasting little time, he kissed a trail down from flesh to scales, his focus on his path as he felt the mer rise further with anticipation the closer he got to the source of their shared desire. Hovering over the engorged cloaca, he shifted his gaze up to his partner, who held it with a lustful look as he lowered before sliding his tongue over the pulsing slit.

        The mer chirped and cooed, writhing as he licked into the slick warmth, feeling it part around him eagerly. Sinking in deeper, the strong muscles held onto him, beckoning him deeper as his skilled tongue sought and found hot spots that made the mer's fins flare. He licked and sucked, rolling over a bundle that had his partner clawing at the ground while another hand tangled in his hair.

        His ego was fed by the sight of the mer falling apart beneath him, wriggling and warbling in pleasure. It was a welcomed view, but he would not be satisfied until he made Lavender cum.

        Chartreuse had only ever slept with humans before, but he wasn't completely unknowledgeable when it came to mer anatomy, prompting him to exploit a likely underappreciated feature. He shifted one of his hands over, catching the mer's full focus again as he slid a finger in alongside his tongue. He thrusted and curled both of them, but his finger felt around until he found what he was looking for. Rubbing over a protruding section of muscle, his partner looked at him with pleased surprise as he worked it, gradually coaxing out the mer's neglected hemipenes, earning a gush of fluid and chirps that steadily rose in pitch. Once they were fully emerged, he took one in hand, stroking over it while he continued to eat the mer out.

        Lavender tensed up, scrambling for purchase as his tail slapped against the floor, his insides tightening as the man guided him into the first orgasm he had experienced in a long time. The human stroked him through it, plunging into his quivering flesh and wringing out every last build up of pleasure until he flopped back, breathing heavily.

        Chartreuse pulled away once he was able to, licking his lips and smirking at the smaller being with a satisfied look. The mer was certainly feeling much warmer now.

        However, he overestimated the satiation as he felt something brush against his lower stomach. He looked down, watching the tailfin teasingly flirt across his bare skin, shamelessly bringing attention to his straining erection.

        "Are we going to do something about that?" Lavender asked breathlessly, combing his fingers through the human's hair and running the tip of his tail along the waistband.

        "If you are searching for a second round already, I clearly need to improve my skill."

        He laughed and tugged the larger body closer, giving him access to undress the man more. "I've been wanting to have you to myself for months now. You think I'm going to tap out this early?"

        "Mm, I'd hate to disappoint." Chartreuse replied, wrapping his arms around the mer enough to lift before flipping their positions and laying down on his damp jacket.

        The smaller frame rested against his chest, purring approvingly at the view and far from dissuaded when it came to taking off his pants. With their bodies so close together, it was impossible to completely remove the clothing, but the mer managed to free his erection. He took it in hand, rubbing the tip through his partner's slick and grinding against the smaller form.

        Lavender pushed himself up to create some space between them, encouraging the man to press into him. He shuddered and rolled his body at the gradual penetration, watching the organ disappear inside of him, reigniting the throbbing heat as fluid dripped down his hemipenes.

        Chartreuse gave his partner time to adjust as he fully sheathed himself before he moved his hands to hold the mer's hips. He guided them into a thrust, knowing the aquatic being's movements would be limited on land, especially in this position.

        Regardless, Lavender participated the best he could, digging his claws into the man's shoulders as he undulated his body. With his hemipenes trapped between their bellies and his cloaca still sensitive from his last orgasm, he could already feel another building. He chased the pleasure, refusing to deny himself anymore enjoyment out of life and intending to make up for lost time.

        Chirping and moaning, he felt the human's quickening breaths beneath his palms and he leaned into each roll. Experimentally, he tightened his muscles, earning a low groan and stuttering thrust from the man. The sound went straight to the pooling pleasure in his gut and a readjusted thrust hit all the right spots, tipping him over the edge.

        Chartreuse swore as the mer squeezed around him, dragging him to the cusp of his own climax and each rhythmic clench threatened to be his undoing. Holding his partner close, his name was cried out and he came on the final waves of the mer's pleasure.

        They breathed heavily together, processing their shared impulsiveness in the afterglow.

        "We need to get back on the road." Chartreuse broke the silence first, but his statement was just that, as his tone carried no real sense of rush.

        "Stay with me a little longer?" His partner requested softly. "I don't like being alone."

        He hummed half in agreement, half in thought as he looked down at the mer, who appeared content to cuddle, near falling asleep if it weren't for the anxiety at the thought of him leaving.

        "I suppose you could join me in the front for a little while, but I must put you back before we reach the border." He said, receiving a nod in response, prompting him to scoop up the smaller form as he made his way to his feet.

        One of the benefits of stealing a vehicle from a shady organization was the tinted windows feature. He didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him with the mer, who he carried to the back of the truck. 

Stopping long enough to grab a fish before he forgot, he handed it to his partner, whose stomach rumbled.

        Lavender nibbled on the food as they briefly left the truck and his tired eyes roved around the unfamiliar surroundings. He had a much better view from the man's arms and he snuggled into them as he was hoisted up into the front seat. He shifted enough to make room for the human to get in and put a seatbelt on before he quickly returned himself to Chartreuse's lap.

        Chartreuse secured his arms around the mer once again and started up the vehicle, listening to it rumble to life. His partner cuddled deeper into his embrace, idly eating and falling asleep to the sight of trees beginning to roll past the window, signaling the return to their long journey on the road.