Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Eren stomped down the rocky seaside, fuming. He needed his space from time to time — especially after fights. After the intense emotions, high-tension, and unwelcome environment, he desperately needed an escape; a moment to calm himself and reflect on what happened. Hurtful words from either side said in the heat of the moment clung to him like the clouds sticking to the sun’s rays. They were supposed to be on a relaxing vacation! But then Reiner had gone and picked a fight about something stupid and now Eren was left stewing in his anger, kicking rocks as he made his way down the dirt path to the docks.

Why even agree to go to the beach if he was just going to sulk the whole time?!

They’d yelled about it for over an hour. Ending with Reiner declaring that Eren had wasted ‘their money’ on a ‘stupid trip’ and Eren stomping out of their rented cabin.

That was how he found himself sitting at the abandoned dock at a scraggly shoreside while the cool wind nipped at his face and tugged at his hair instead of snuggling up on the couch with said boyfriend. Fine, so he was pouting, sue him. 

It was actually Eren’s money, anyway. Maybe that was suitable grounds for pouting.

He sat on the edge of the old, weathered wood, dangling his toes into the cold water getting lost in his thoughts. 

Reiner hadn’t even wanted to go to the coast with him. He’d wanted to go to some festival in the middle of the desert and get positively smashed every waking hour of the day while sweaty strangers were packed all around him. Eren scowled at the water. When he’d surprised Reiner with the trip, expecting him to react eagerly about spending some quiet time together in a peaceful get-away, Reiner had been less than enthusiastic and subtly complained the whole drive there. He’d done nothing but dampen the mood since they set out that morning.

Leave it to him to single-handedly make the highlight of Eren’s week miserable. Here Eren was, thinking he’d actually done something right for them for once, and Reiner couldn’t even spare the breath to at least pretend to be grateful.

Suddenly, a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, yanking him from his misery. When he looked properly, nothing was there. But he was certain he saw a dark head duck behind the rockpile a few yards out, made visible only by the low tide. Eren frowned, his mind immediately thinking that someone had gotten stuck out there. So, he hastily stood up, trying to get a better view. There wasn’t much to see through the crashing waves and the mist they threw up from slamming against the rocks, but he could faintly make out the torso of a human body submerged underwater. 

He couldn’t tell if they were even alive, based on the movement and the way the person’s dark hair barely peeked above the water. It could just be the waves jostling the body around. Besides that, Eren needed to investigate. If they were alive, they might not be for long. That was a long time to be under and the water past the rocks was brutal.

Perhaps it was an inexperienced swimmer that got pulled out with the tide and took refuge on the rocks? It wasn’t far of a stretch to think that a harsh wave might have shoved them off their little island.

Always having a knack for trouble, or perhaps a general lack of self preservation, Eren leapt into the water without a second thought and swam for the rock pile, uncaring for his own safety. His friends always called him a suicidal bastard for a reason. 

When Eren scrambled onto the rocks pile, soggy and exhausted, the person was gone. The barren water and merciless waves made his heart sink — but then a splash from behind him had him whirling around. He exhaled a harsh sigh in relief.

A man peered out from behind a rock, scrutinizing him through one startling silver eye. Its color was like the scales of a fish and the moonlight that reflected off the water at night. Beautiful. The other one was pale and cloudy, like the storm clouds of a winter rain. A deep, jagged scar ran through it from his hairline to his chin. Whatever had caused that got him good. 

Eren couldn’t help but feel struck that something was off about the man. Whatever it was, he couldn’t seem to put his finger on it.

“Whoa, I didn’t see you there,” Eren exclaimed, “Are you ok? Do you need help getting back to shore?”

The man didn’t answer him, but shied back behind the rock, making Eren lose sight of him again.

“Hey! Wait!” Eren called, stumbling over the slippery rocks after him. He frowned as he tried to focus on where he was stepping. These rocks were really not for walking on….

Just as he thought that, he placed his foot on a loose rock, which immediately slipped out from underneath him and sent him tumbling into the ravaging sea below. Pain shot up his elbow and leg, stinging from where they scraped against rough rocks on his fall in. 

The rocking of the sea rendered him disoriented and he was unable to right himself. On this side of the rocks, the sea was a beast, untamed and violent. Eren flailed in the current. A particular rough wave tossed him back towards the submerged rock, slamming him into it so hard, his teeth rattled. 

His whole body ached and what oxygen had been in his lungs was forced out upon impact.

While he was a decent swimmer in calm water, he was helpless in the face of the sea’s true might. His clothes acted like weights, betraying him and pulling him further in the ocean’s depths. He was running out of oxygen fast and unable to open his eyes from the sting of salt water. Left blind, unable to help himself, and dying a slow, petrifying death.

Oh fuck, he thought distantly. Reiner doesn’t even know where I am right now. No one else was out here. No one will ever find me. Unless….

As if reading his mind, a pair of strong hands grabbed him under his armpits and hauled him up towards the surface. Well, what he hoped was the surface — it could have been down for all he knew. 

It became clear that yes, they were heading to the surface, because the pressure relented on Eren’s ears and his head breached the waves just a moment later. He gulped down deep breaths of air, struggling to help the stranger keep him afloat. Not that it was necessary, though. With ease, he was dragged through the water towards the rock pile once more. 

Dang, the man was a strong swimmer. He was carrying Eren like he weighed nothing. Some delirious part of him wanted to jokingly ask the man if he was part fish, since that was obviously the only logical response to someone just saving you from drowning. 

Well, he would do that, if he weren’t still sucking down air like it was the first taste of oxygen he’d had since the day he’d been born. He wiped his stinging eyes when he was deposited on the slippery rocks once more. He went to help the man climb up, since that was the polite thing to do. The water really was rough out there.

But, when he turned around to do so, he froze. There in front of him, the pale, marble skin of the man trailed into the dark water where it stopped at his waist. Decorative, flowy fins trailed from his hip and pelvic regions, ornately decorating him. Eren’s mouth hung open. The man was not simply wearing dark trunks that hid his lower body while the dark sea obscured his legs. 

No. This was no man. 

Frantically, Eren’s eyes bolted over the creature’s features, taking in all of the inhuman characteristics about him — the sharp, tapered ears, the scaly sheen of the skin, and the slashes of gills. 

His savior shrank back from him, eyes darting nervously to the side like he wanted to bolt, but for some reason… he didn't. As Eren hurriedly yanked his legs up and hugged them to his chest, irrationally fearing that he might be dragged in again and drowned for a snack. The strange creature tilted his head to the side and peered curiously at him through his one good eye, intrigued. That startling piece of silver roved over his bare legs, studying, thinking.

Eren’s breath came in rough pants. Having a sea creature sitting in front of him quite literally took his breath away. These weren’t supposed to exist. This… thing in front of him was not possible. 

They had scoured the oceans for years, trying to document all the different species that lived in the dark, watery depths. Never had something like this even been hinted at. No skeletons. No fossils. Not even some crappy, bootleg found footage. At least, nothing reputable.

Mermaids didn’t exist. 

Yet, here one was, poking its head out of the water and having a rather competitive staring contest with him. Long, pale fingers curled into the grooves of the rock. Between each digit was a thin, delicate webbing and short, stubby claws anchored the mer in place despite the sea’s angry efforts to dislodge him. The mer barely looked bothered. Eren shuddered as he thought about how strong the creature must be to keep himself in place with mere fingertips. It even looked like two of them were missing too. 

“... ok?” 

Eren’s head shot up from where he was looking at those ghostly pale hands, eyes bugging open comically. It had been a mere whisper of a voice, tone unsure as a tongue not used to making words forced the syllables out. 

The thing had just spoken to him! It could speak. 

Eren’s jaw worked stupidly, unable to form words or even a sound as the mer’s eyes narrowed at him, clearly unimpressed. 

“Y-you,” Eren stammered, “You can talk?”

The mer huffed into the water, blowing a few scoffing bubbles. 

“Yes.”

The creature, no, mer…man? looked rather insulted. Eren did what he did best and continued to stupidly gawk at the merman in front of him. 

“You… ok?” The mer tried again, brows furrowing and his mouth working around the strange words. A glint of razor sharp teeth were shown off at the pronunciation of ‘you’, making Eren swallow nervously. 

“Uh, yeah,” he said, “M’okay.” His eyes never left the mer’s bobbing form, scarcely daring to blink from fear.

The mer frowned at him and raised himself slightly out of the water to scrutinize Eren’s shivering form closer, a displeased look taking over his beautiful, chiseled features. 

“No.” He said stubbornly, sinking back into the water once he completed his look over. He jabbed one finger at Eren’s steadily bleeding arm. “Hurt.” He spit with force, like it was an accusation. 

“Oh,” Eren replied dumbly, “yeah, hurt. It’s fine, though.”

Distantly, he hoped merfolk weren’t attracted to blood like sharks. What if this merman was trying to circle the rocks until Eren tired out, ready to pounce once Eren let his guard down?

“I help.” The mer said definitively and disappeared without further explanation. His dark tail flicked up towards the surface and further sprinkled Eren with a shower of water. 

He sat there dumbfounded as the sea lurched around him, no trace of the merman in sight, swallowed up easily in the pitch black water. Should he make a break for it and try to get to shore before the creature came back? He really hoped the shark thing wasn’t true for mermaids….

Just as he got shakily to his feet and mustered up the bravery to take a step to dive in, a dark head of hair popped up right where it left, sending Eren tumbling back down to the rocks in surprise. The mer looked at him incredulously. Eren never felt so judged in his life, and by a half-fish man, nonetheless. He quickly brushed his palms free of grit, trying to play off his jump of fright, but one look from that steely gaze told him the merman wasn’t buying it. 

“Here thing,” the mer garbled, his gills flaring to let foamy water out as he struggled through the words, “for you.” He motioned a small bundle of what looked to be green leaves to Eren. Something in the creature’s gaze told him it would be extremely rude to not accept it. Eren gulped and tentatively held out his bloody arm. Best not to piss off the merman while he was literally surrounded by water. 

The mer gave a sudden heave and pulled himself fully from the water, bringing a slap of water and scales onto the rocks. Now that he could get a proper look at him, he could see the mer’s tail was sleek and slimy, like a true fish. His tail stopped just at his hips — the top half of him mostly man; the bottom, a creature. At first, Eren thought the scales were pitch black to match the sea, but as the creature began to haul himself forward on his hands, they glinted with a deep undertone of blue, reminding Eren of a snake. He plopped down at Eren’s side, his hip and dorsal fins flaring in a mesmerizing pattern.

“So, uh,” Eren stumbled over his words, “d’you have a name?”

The merman nodded and began to unpackage his little bundle. 

“Levi.” He said simply, pulling out a few strange looking aquatic plants. 

Eren watched in amazement as the mer got to work grinding a round berry looking thing between a rock to create a paste. Levi barely spared him a glance as he worked, mixing a different plant in and grinding in some slimy seaweed and what looked to be the skin of a fish. Eren grimaced as he watched, wondering if he should be letting the mer do this. While it may work for Levi, who lived in the sea his whole life and used medicines like this regularly, what said it wouldn’t make Eren’s cut infected? 

“You — name?” Levi prompted gruffly, jarring Eren from his thoughts. 

He flushed in embarrassment. “Eren,” he whispered, eyes only for the merman. 

This was so surreal. He was trading names with a thought to be mythical creature. And an extremely handsome one at that. His features were fine and delicate, effortlessly beautiful. Even with his scarring and rough treatment from the ocean, he looked as if he were carved of marble. Similarly beautiful to the way an old Roman statue had lost a part of its face to time — still breathtaking despite the damage and wear to the art. 

Levi nodded. Eren wasn’t sure if it was in approval or to indicate that he’d heard. Deciding his paste was ready, Levi turned to him and gripped Eren’s wrist firmly in his clawed hand, tugging it to him.

Without warning, Levi’s head dipped down and a hot, slimy tongue dug into Eren's cut. It wiggled and wormed its way through his tender flesh, making it sting fiercely. Levi lapped at the cut, collecting the pooling blood on his tongue and dipping it back in even when there was no more to spill. Eren yelped and yanked his arm back, scrambling away from the blood thirsty beast. 

Levi watched him skitter away, a sour look on his face. He tilted his head as if assessing if Eren were truly worth the effort to save. Eren’s chest heaved as he tried to breathe, overcome with fear. 

“Come back,” Levi said dryly, looking unamused at his patient's wiggling. He also muttered something else under his breath, but Eren couldn’t understand it as it certainly wasn’t English. 

“ Worse than a pup,” he grumbled.

Eren shook his head. “You’re trying to eat me,” he accused, firmly sitting still.

Levi made a face. His gills flared as he sighed and turned to spit a wad of blood and grit into the ocean.

“No. Taste bad.” 

Eren actually felt a little insulted, which was silly — shouldn’t it be a good thing that he tasted bad? So the flesh-eating merman wouldn’t want to devour him? Levi turned back and broke out into a strange clicking noise when he saw Eren’s scowl. The mer’s pale shoulders bounced up and down and his cheeks and neck flushed a hue of light blue. It dawned on him that it was Levi’s way of laughing. 

Eren frowned. “What’s so funny?” He asked defensively. 

Levi raised his head, grinning with all of his sharp teeth. Eren was too annoyed to be scared.

“You —” he pointed, “face mad.” He mimicked Eren’s insulted expression and laughed some more. It only made Eren scowl harder. 

Though Levi clearly enjoyed making fun of him, he motioned Eren back, still wanting to fix up his arm. Eren eyed his clawed hand warily, noting again those two missing fingers. 

“Don’t lick me again,” he growled, begrudgingly returning to the merman’s side.

Levi snapped his teeth lightly as he took Eren’s arm back, more firmly this time, and inspected the wound once more. Eren scoffed. For a creature that couldn’t communicate very well, Levi sure had a lot of sass.

“I clean,” the merman punctuated by pulling the arm back up to his lips, pausing to lock eyes with Eren, his lips just hovering over his cut, warming it with his breath. “Clean or hurt bad.”

Eren’s face felt like it was on fire. Those lips were so close to his skin. Levi’s breath made the hair on his arm stand up and lightning zing up his arm from his wrist. Levi smirked and maintained eye contact as he began licking the cut clean again, a glint in his eye. This time, Eren kept his mouth firmly shut, in case any embarrassing noises escaped. It helped that it still stung like a bitch to have the grit cleaned out. 

Pulling back, Levi spat again into the water, finally deeming the wound free of blood and dirt. With one claw, the mer brought the strange concoction to the now bloodless cut, massaging it in with surprising gentleness. The pair sat in silence listening to the waves crash on shore as Levi patched him up. To finish it off, a bind of a leafy green plant was wrapped around it to hold the paste in place. Levi chittered quietly, his gills flaring proudly as he surveyed his work. 

“Good,” Levi stated proudly. He released Eren’s wrist and allowed the man to pull his arm up for inspection. There was hardly any pain now and the snug wrapping looked durable. 

“Thanks,” Eren replied honestly. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Levi tilted his head to the side in confusion. His tail slapped in a puddle, fins flaring with thought.

“No like?”

“No! No, that’s not it,” Eren rushed to fix his wording, fiddling with the wrapping as he struggled to think up a way that would communicate his meaning to someone who barely spoke his language. “It’s a saying — a human saying. You were kind when you could have left me. You saved me from the sea, then you patched me up, without knowing me.”

Levi hummed low in his throat, the sound a foreign noise to Eren. 

“Kind….” His steelen eyes picked up a distant look. The mer turned and looked over Eren again, taking in every inch of him from his face to his legs, his expression almost apprehensive. His eyes flickered down to the rocks. “No kind there —” he gestured sadly out to the open sea, “you, you ok.” He finished off his broken words with a soft look at Eren. There was warmth in his eyes and a hint of something akin to affection.

Eren swallowed, heat warming his face. Levi was struggling so hard to work with what few English words he seemed to know, but nevertheless he tried to speak with him. Clearly this mer had been through a lot in his life, the scars evident on his skin and probably more hidden away in his mind. The sea, with all its beauty, was just as ruthless as it was nurturing to its inhabitants. Eren didn’t find it hard to believe that Levi didn’t see much kindness out there. And to think that despite all that, he still saved Eren and stopped his bleeding, with no obligation to do so. 

Levi wasn’t as scary as he looked, Eren surmised. Not a bloodthirsty predator, but actually, a lonely mer. Perhaps he had a heart under… whatever strange anatomy mers had. 

“Eren,” He garbled out his name, rolling the letters in his mouth in such a beautiful but strange way, Eren couldn’t help but be captivated, “need kind.”

Slowly, the mer slid towards him again. Eren stayed perfectly still as Levi’s clawed hand came up to rest on his chest, right above his heart. “You hurt.” He stated, staring into Eren’s eyes seriously. His fingers were cold from the water and wind, but with Eren’s clothes still being drenched, it didn’t matter. The gesture warmed his heart. 

The words, however, bit deep. Slight tears welled in his eyes as he remembered why he was down at the shore in the first place. Levi cooed suddenly, gills flaring, his hands shifted so he was cupping Eren’s face delicately. Levi’s coo sounded so comforting, like listening to a cat purr; it eased some of the ache in his heart. Carefully, the mer swiped under his eyes with the pads of his thumbs easing the tears away before they even fell, keeping his claws clear from Eren’s delicate skin. 

Levi smiled at him then, a soft hint of one pulling at the side of his mouth. Eren returned it, true appreciation and happiness buzzing through him. They were close, faces inches from each other. Levi’s warmed breath fanned over Eren’s cheek. Suddenly, they were too close. Eren’s stomach fluttered with excitement he hadn’t felt in a while.

“Eren!”

Eren jolted back from the mer at the call of his name, distant and lost in the wind, but still familiar. His heart sank as reality came snapping back. Reiner. 

Levi blinked and rested his arms back on the rock, beginning to scoot back towards the water. His steel eyes nervously flickered to the rocky shore. Eren bit his lip in frustration. Whatever part of Levi he’d just seen was gone, once more replaced with the nervous, skittish mer from earlier. 

“Levi —” Eren began.

“Eren!” Reiner called again, sounding closer. “Where are you?”

Irritation coursed through him. Eren stood up, looking for his boyfriend. Levi slid fully into the water and for a moment, Eren’s heart seized at the thought of Levi disappearing and never getting to see him again. To his relief, Levi quickly grabbed onto the rocks, once more keeping himself anchored in place, hiding from the shore behind the rock pile. 

“Come back?” The soft question made its way over the rock toward him. Eren spun around and saw the lonely look on the mer’s face. He lay with his pale cheek resting on the rock, staying as low as he could, his eyes searching Eren’s sadly. 

“Of course.”

The promise fell from his lips without thought. Eren’s heart twisted at how wistful the mer looked. It was sad for the both of them to part then. There was so much more for them to know about each other, but Eren understood Levi’s hesitation to be seen by another. 

Levi seemed to shake himself out of whatever stupor he’d slipped into, his eyes narrowing and his face losing that soft look. Once again, he was an ocean predator, made of stone and muscle. He gave a sharp nod.

“I clean,” he grunted, nodding towards Eren’s wrapped arm. He tore his gaze away from Eren and flicked a piece of seaweed into a puddle with an air of indifference, but his teal dusted cheeks gave him away.

Eren smirked and said nothing. If Levi wanted to play it off as wanting to check Eren’s bandage again, then he’d let him keep his pride. 

“Eren!” 

Reiner’s voice made him jump. He turned back towards the shore and saw Reiner standing there, waving his arms. 

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” he hurriedly promised Levi, not waiting for a reply as he jumped into the sea. 

The swim back to shore had his head swirling with thoughts. What would happen tomorrow? He couldn’t wait to see the merman again. Something in his heart fluttered every time he thought of those steelen eyes and dark hair. When he got to shore, Reiner made a face at the state of his clothes. 

****

“Where the hell have you been? You just disappeared on me. Why’d you go swimming in your clothes? You’re going to freeze on the walk back,” Reiner berated him, “And what the hell is on your arm?” Eren bit his tongue at the fact that Reiner had his college sweatshirt on and looked quite warm. 

“I wanted some solitude, but I fell and got a scrape while I was out.” The vague explanation was all he offered up. Shivering slightly in the chilly air, Eren wrapped his arms around himself in a poor attempt to conserve body heat.

Reiner rolled his eyes and started walking back, Eren falling into step beside him. As they made their way back up the shoreline, Reiner began ranting, as he always did when he was displeased with Eren. 

“How could you just leave like that? You were gone for over an hour! Do you have any idea how it will look like when we go out together? Did you do that on purpose, Eren? Huh?” Reiner tore into him, barely sparing the effort to look at him. “Are you trying to make me look like the bad guy?”

All fell on deaf ears as Eren walked silently beside him. Though the barbed comments stung him, it wasn’t like he hadn’t heard anything like this before. Besides, it wasn’t like he would be able to get a word in anyways if he did try to argue. If anything, it would only make things worse to interrupt. They did just get out of a long fight and the last thing he wanted to do was start up another one. Eren was tired — physically and emotionally.

“I mean, how can I even stand to be seen in public with you now?” Reiner continued. “This is what you wanted, wasn’t it? Drag us both out here and then cause a scene and make it look like I beat you. Real fucking mature, Eren. That’s not manipulative at all.”

****

Slowly, Reiner’s poisonous tirade seeped into a dull hum of background noise, getting lost in the distant crashing of waves and endless roar of the wind. 

The whole walk away from the beach, Eren felt a burning, steelen gaze upon his back and found comfort in it.

Chapter Text

That night, Reiner slept on the couch of their little rented cottage. 

It was a dick move, considering Eren had tried to express that he was sorry about the dumb fight and for disappearing, apologizing profusely while he both made dinner for them and then cleaned up, but Reiner held fast. Maybe if he had just let it go sooner, things wouldn’t have blown up to the extent that they had. Or if he had just gone with what Reiner had wanted originally instead of being selfish, this all could have been avoided. But then again, he never would have met Levi if they didn’t take this trip to the coast. The secret discovery of merfolk was just something Eren couldn’t shake, nor be apologetic about.

Almost as if sensing that Eren wasn’t truly sorry for going to the dock after their fight, Reiner had insisted they both needed their space — him more so than anything. 

Eren couldn’t understand it. They’d just had space! It was why Eren had gone to the dock in the first place! He’d needed to cool off and so had Reiner, but it seemed — like always — things had to be done on his boyfriend's terms. 

So, Eren went to bed, cold and alone in the large bed, shivering under the light covers. The coasts were still chilly in this early of spring, but Eren had insisted they go now to avoid the spring break crowds that would flock there in the coming weeks. Clearly, it was a dumb decision; not only because the water was cold and the weather required a light jacket at all times, but because he should have known Reiner wouldn’t appreciate missing out on the party crowds. He really had no one to blame for the situation but himself.

After much tossing and turning, the scrape on his arm itching the whole while, Eren finally fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, after padding out of the room rubbing his eyes, Eren was met with an empty cabin. The spare sheets and throw blanket on the couch were scattered and twisted into disarray. Sighing to himself, he tidied up and folded them over the arm, not daring to put them away in case Reiner still wanted ‘his space’ that night too. Once he was done, he stumbled into the bathroom and was shocked to see a smattering of purple bruising decorating his jaw and arm when he looked in the dingy mirror. Most likely, it was from where he was smashed against the rocks upon falling in. That would explain the outburst from Reiner yesterday. Eren hadn’t even noticed it had been that bad. Nor that visible.

Reiner loathed anytime Eren got hurt. At first, in the beginning of the relationship, it was cute. Reiner had always fretted over him, kissing the marks and expressing how much it pained him to see Eren hurt. Then, it slowly soured, as did all things between them. Now, anytime Eren made a mistake or came back with a bump or a scrape, Reiner would fly into one of his moods, accusing him of doing it on purpose. They wouldn’t speak afterwards. 

As per usual, that was exactly how it had gone last night as well. 

It was always about how it made Reiner look, never about Eren anymore.

Don’t get him wrong — Reiner had never raised a hand to him before. 

…

Or at least, nothing had ever come into contact.

The few times that Reiner had raised his palm above Eren, shouting and towering over him, Eren’s tears and shrieks of, “Sorry! I’m sorry, ok? I’m sorry!” had always brought his boyfriend back to the present. The dark storm in those amber eyes would clear and Reiner would always look so hurt and lost, his arm slowly wilting to his side where he always told Eren, “Look what you almost made me do!”

He would always be so soft and sad after that. It twisted Eren’s heart to see the way the anger just deflated his strong personality. Then, it was always a flurry of tears on both sides while Eren sobbed into his boyfriend’s shoulder about how sorry he was. All the while, Reiner’s strong arms would wrap around his middle so tightly, it would hurt.

****

Eren shook the memories away. Those were just the bad fights. They’d talked about it. Reiner was working on it. Last night seemed almost like a step in the right direction in comparison. 

Eren peeled away the leaf wrapping to reveal the goopy paste. As he poked at it, he noted that it didn’t hurt as bad as it had before. Albeit a bit itchy, all seemed to be well. When he hopped in the shower and rinsed away the dry, cracking paste, the cut itself was still open and red, but it surprisingly looked healthy. Whatever Levi had applied to it must have had quick healing properties. That did bring Eren a bit of relief. Worry about the foreign plants being harmful had plagued his mind for a while, but there was absolutely no way Eren was going to voice his concerns to Reiner. 

Distantly, Eren wondered if Levi would have anything for bruising too…

Eren shook his head, laughing softly to himself. He still couldn’t believe merfolk existed. And here he was, thinking about visiting one again. Would Levi even still be there? 

He must! He even asked specifically for Eren to come back. 

But what if that was just to lure him to the beach again so he could kill and eat him?

Eren bit his lip, hesitating for a second, then dispelled the thought. Levi hardly seemed aggressive. Besides, he had ample opportunity yesterday to drown or eat Eren and he didn't. That had to speak for something. 

Getting dressed quickly and shooting Reiner a text letting him know he was going to walk the beach, Eren left, a bag with towels and some lunch on his shoulder and a soft, warm hoodie hugging his frame. The sea was choppy with whitecaps and foam when Eren got there. Hesitantly, he dropped his bag on the cold, damp sand and shed his comfy hoodie, standing in his trunks as he surveyed the waters. It was a bit too rough for his liking and might not be safe to go in. Then again, it probably hadn’t been safe yesterday, but he hadn’t hesitated at the prospect of someone else being in danger. 

At the thought of Levi, Eren suddenly wondered how he was going to find the mer again. The ocean was so vast, and even though they had met in this secluded little portion of the beach, there was no guarantee where Levi was. He was a creature of the ocean, after all. He could go wherever he wanted to. Levi was entirely free. A pang of envy coursed through Eren at the thought, but he quickly shook it away. Hugging himself against the chill, Eren slowly walked to the lapping waves hitting the shore. The waves slapped against the rock piles dotting the shoreline. Sucking in a hissing breath at the cool wash of water over his feet, he waded into his knees, goosebumps erupting over his skin. 

The rock cluster they had met at wasn't too far out, but with the frothy water swirling around his waist and daring to knock him over at even this depth, Eren chose to remain where he was for the time being. Up in the sky, a few seagulls called out as they flew amongst the gray clouds. Gray like Levi’s eyes, he thought. 

The barest hint of hazy sun was trying to peek through. Though he couldn’t see much of the bottom due to the turbulence and the lack of sun, Eren brushed something hard with his foot. Reaching down, he managed to scoop up a handful of sand before the next wave came and tried to smack him in the face. The salt water stung his cut. 

He pawed through the mess of wet sand and grit before thumbing over the culprit. A pretty shell. He beamed at the sight of it. It was one of his favorites to collect — the kind he used to hunt for with his mother back when his family took their summer vacations. Incredibly common, but still a beautiful find. It’s burgundy and pink stripes shown vibrantly against the egg-white background of the shell. A calico patterned scallop shell in perfect condition. 

Eren tucked the shell safely in his trunk’s pocket before wading a bit more in the surf. It wasn’t too unpleasant of a day. The water actually warmed up some as the biting wind against his wet skin had him hunkering down. Waiting for Levi wasn’t going to be an issue; Eren was having fun diving under the oncoming waves, blindly searching for more ocean treasures along the bottom and hopping with the roll of the ocean. Pretending to be weightless was almost therapeutic. 

Before he knew it, almost an hour had passed. The gray clouds had parted just enough to expose the weakest, sunniest rays. His stomach growled and Eren decided to cut a small break. The sandwiches and sliced fruit in his bag were calling his name. Turning his back to the ocean, Eren started to wade inward. The waves pushed at him, threatening to send him face first into the sand, or drag him back out to sea with them. 

A particularly harsh shove from behind did exactly that. Spluttering, Eren regained his footing, wiping the salt from his eyes. He glared behind himself at the sea, as if that might get it to behave. Satisfied that there were no oncoming monster waves, Eren turned and readied to dart for the beach. 

Then something touched his foot. 

With an undignified squeal, Eren all but ran atop the water to the safety of the beach, panting and shivering in the wind. 

Seagulls squawked above him, as if laughing at his little scare. Amused clicking joined in. Eren immediately straightened up, eyes narrowing at the vaguely familiar sound. 

There Levi was, just a few paces away, lazily floating in the shallows. His body rolled with the waves expertly, strong tail cutting through the water as he smugly grinned at Eren cowering on the beach, all sharp teeth bared.

“You dick!” Eren shouted at him against the wind, scowling, face going red. 

Levi spat water at him. “No,” he warbled. He rolled to his side to expose his porcelain chest and a clawed, webbed hand came up to tap at it — the complete hand, Eren noted — “Levi,” the mer emphasized. 

Caught off guard at the mer’s response, Eren doubled over laughing, anger forgotten. Now, it was Levi’s turn to sulk, only half his face visible above the water as his eyes narrowed at Eren. 

“Why?” He demanded, popping up slightly into the air as he latched onto a stray rock. 

Eren just shook his head. “Yes, I know your name is Levi. You were being a dick for playing a trick on me.”

The mer took a few moments to process the words, his gills flaring with thought before he slapped the water with his tail.

“ Strange words,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. He then pointed at Eren’s arm, his facial expression reflecting his confusion. Eren looked down to where he was pointing, the small bit of scab having turned soggy and weak in the water. 

“Oh,” he guessed. “It’s much better, thank you.”

Levi seemed to want to say more, shaking his head in frustration. His lip was caught between his teeth and his eyes squinted in concentration as he picked through his minimal vocabulary. “Where?” He finally decided on. 

Eren allowed himself to smile. “They got wet,” he explained. “I needed to take them off so I could shower and sleep.”

Levi cocked his head, thinking. Eren quickly analyzed his words to see what it was that was tripping Levi up. It dawned on him.

“Shower —” he gestured to a scrubbing motion. “Clean.”

“Clean,” Levi repeated. He stuck out his tongue and licked at his own arm, the slimy, wriggling thing once again impressing Eren with how creepily long it was. Eren giggled slightly. 

“No, not like that. I can’t do that; my tongue’s too short. Water and soap is better.”

He stuck his own tongue out for Levi to see. The mer inspected it thoroughly, tilting his head at the pink thing. He even gently took it between his fingertips and pulled lightly, like he expected more to be hidden inside Eren’s mouth. Eren jerked back, his hands flying up to protect himself, a small spark of fear running through him. Levi immediately released him, looking guilty. 

“Ok?” He asked worriedly, in a small voice. “No hurt?”

Though it had scared him, Levi hadn’t hurt Eren at all. He took a breath and shook his head.

“No hurt,” Eren promised, giving the mer a reassuring smile. “It’s ok. Just surprised me.”

Eren’s stomach rumbled again. Biting his lip, he gazed forlornly at his bag, then looked back at Levi.

“Hungry?” He asked the mer. Levi cocked his head to the side. Upon retrieving the items inside and holding them up for him to see, the mer slowly nodded in understanding. Thanking himself for packing a big lunch, Eren gathered the food in his arms, then stopped. Should they eat on the beach? What if it was detrimental to Levi’s health to be out of the water? 

The mer watched patiently, the sea lapping at his sides as Eren contemplated what to do. 

“Out?” Levi prompted, pointing a clawed finger behind him at the rocks they had met at, his gaze slightly worried. Eren melted at the careful question. It was clear Levi wanted to stay in the water, but didn’t want to demand anything. 

“Yeah —” he agreed, hurriedly re-packing his things, a tinge embarrassed at not thinking of that sooner, “— out. Out is better.”

As he walked a few steps into the surf, he hesitated. Getting to the rocks with his hands full would be a challenge. Eren was a good swimmer, but he wasn’t that good. His worries were soon forgotten when Levi snaked his way through the water towards him, his body gliding through the water effortlessly. 

“I help?” Levi’s silver eyes blinked innocently at him. Despite his rugged appearance, the mer was so gentle and thoughtful with him.

Eren smiled at him. “Please?”

Levi nodded seriously and rolled onto his front with ease, exposing his back to Eren. His pale, porcelain skin glinted in the low sunlight as the rays bounced off the droplets dotting his back. Finally getting a glimpse of the other side of the merman, Eren noticed the long spanning dorsal fin, equally as flowy as the rest, and the fact that he had shaved the underside of his hair, the strands shorn close to his scalp near his nape. Levi grunted a little with impatience at Eren’s hesitation, so he quickly gathered his things close and waded out to Levi’s idling form. His black, oil-like tail swished lazily in the swirling water. Swallowing hard, Eren carefully swung his leg up and over one side of Levi, settling right at the crest of his lower-back. 

“Ok?” Levi warbled, looking slightly over his shoulder. Eren nodded. Without warning, Levi suddenly shot out in the water, causing Eren to shriek and almost get thrown off the back of the merman. Quickly righting himself, Eren had to lurch forward and cling around Levi’s neck for a handle, effectively plastering himself to the mer’s back. 

The mer chuckled again, the chirping noise making Eren grin as well. 

Levi carried them out to the rock pile fast and easy. Once out on the rock, Eren was finally able to settle in and unpack his beloved lunch. Levi kept a curious gaze on him as Eren unpacked, but never reached for the food. 

“Here,” Eren offered after taking a bite of half his sandwich, presenting the other half to Levi. “Have some.”

The mer narrowed his eyes and cocked his head at the fluffy bread. Eyes darting to Eren’s and then back to the sandwich, he leaned up out of the water and chomped a bite directly from Eren’s hand instead of reaching for it and taking it for himself. Eren busied himself with not going red and laughing as Levi sank back into the water, chewing thoughtfully. Suddenly, he stopped and made a face, looking up at Eren, unimpressed. 

Eren raised an eyebrow. “Well?” He prompted. 

Not breaking eye contact, Levi opened his mouth and Eren watched as that slimy, long tongue dug the soggy bread from where it was suctioned to the roof of the mer’s mouth. The bite of sandwich plopped uneaten into the water where it immediately grew soggy with water and began to disintegrate. The mer swished it away with his tail.

“Really?” Eren said, looking at the mer. Levi just stared back blankly. Eren rolled his eyes. “So dramatic.” 

Levi frowned and dipped his face into the water, filtering water through his mouth and gills.

“It can’t be that bad,” Eren chuckled. The mer just scowled at him.

“Taste bad,” he spat once he resurfaced. 

Eren shrugged. “More for me then,” he stated. As the mer sulked, Eren polished off both halves of the sandwich happily. He then opened the container of fruit and offered it to Levi. The mer looked distrustfully at it.

“C’mon,” Eren egged him on, shaking the container slightly. “There has to be something you’ll like. It’s not like the bread, I promise.”

With a glare that surely meant Levi would drown him if he was lying, the mer begrudgingly reached forward and plucked up a grape. Scrutinizing it with his one good eye, Levi popped it into his mouth. Eren did the same with one of his own, grinning and watching. Levi chewed slowly, then actually swallowed. At least his face didn’t contort with disgust like the first time.

“What do you think?” he asked. Levi shrugged. 

Eren huffed through his nose. 

He held out the container again. “Try another. Here —” he picked out a strawberry and held out the red fruit to the mer, “— this is one of my favorites. I’m sure you’ll like it. It’s very sweet.”

At that, Levi perked up some. His clawed fingers gently took the fruit from Eren and deposited it in his mouth. The mer chewed thoughtfully for a moment before his eyes widened, swallowing and flaring his gills with delight.

“Good?” Eren prompted. Levi nodded eagerly, immediately holding his hand out for another, making Eren laugh. Obliging the merman, Eren gave him two. Both were gone in a matter of seconds, red juice dripping from Levi’s razor sharp teeth. 

“Jeez, chew, will you?” It was said more out of concern than anything. Levi pointedly ignored him, eyes only for the container in Eren’s hand. 

He pointed a clawed finger, clearly itching for another already despite inhaling three in less than half a minute. Eren pulled them away out of reach, though it briefly crossed his mind that Levi could probably be up and out of the water on top of him in less than a second if he truly wanted to. Levi did not leap from the water and drag Eren and the desired fruit in, but rather scowled like a petulant child and sulked in the foamy surf. 

“More.” 

“Hold on,” Eren said, grinning. He held up one. “This is a strawberry,” he explained. “C’mon! Try to say it! —” at Levi’s glare, he quickly added, solemnly, “— I won’t laugh. Promise!” With some encouraging nodding from Eren, Levi hesitated, but rose to twist the word in his mouth.

“Staw- bebby,” he tried, mouth working around the strange syllables, his face screwed up in concentration.

Eren’s face contorted to an almost painful degree as he fought the instinctual urge to smile. 

Must. Not. Laugh.

But it was just so cute! Levi glanced up at him to see him smothering his expression and immediately scowled, huffing and turning away. 

“Wait! Wait!” Eren scrambled after him. “It was a good first try!” He said, the smile sticking to his face like glue. Nothing he thought about would get rid of it. “You’re just missing the ‘r’s! You can do it; you’ve pronounced them before.” Levi didn’t turn back around, sulking, arms crossed.

Eren sighed, pulling out another strawberry. He held it out like a peace offering to the pouting mer. “One more time, ok? I really think you can do it. You’re smart. You just need practice.”

The mer distrustfully eyed the bribe. Sullenly, a clawed hand plucked it up and he ate it, chewing slowly. Success. Sort of. 

“Ok,” Eren said brightly. “Like I said, just missing the ‘r’. You can pronounce ‘there’ and stuff, so that’s already half the battle. ‘Strawberry’ has ‘r’s in two places — the first and second half. Let's start with the first.”

As if pulled in by Eren’s eagerness, Levi begrudgingly hauled himself up onto the rock, blandly looking at the excited human. Together, they sounded out the word, going slow and repeating the syllables until Levi could efficiently roll the word through his mouth with ease. 

“Strawberry,” Levi repeated flatly, looking not at all amused by his impromptu lesson.

“Very good!” Eren cheered, grinning. They both ate some fruit in celebration. 

Together, they relaxed on the rock, watching the slow creep of the tide around them and the perpetual motion of the waves. The rest of Eren’s strawberries were pilfered away by his new scaled friend, but he didn’t mind. It was nice to just be able to sit and chat and relax. Even though Levi didn’t have an expansive vocabulary, he was extremely intelligent and wonderful to talk to. It was also easier to understand what the mer meant the longer they spent together. Occasionally, he taught Levi a new word to make his sentences easier and though the mer put on some dramatics about having to learn, he did always try sincerely to pronounce them and work with Eren. 

Levi’s company was comfortable. Easy. It had been a long time since Eren could relax and be normal around someone.

Reiner never showed, not even after Eren had Levi cart him back to shore so he could put up his things and shoot his boyfriend another text. Radio silence. Eren tried not to let it upset him too much, but it must have shown on his face because Levi wilted a bit at his expression when he returned to the water.

“Ok?” He asked carefully. Eren just smiled plainly and shook his head. 

“My boyfriend,” he said casually, flipping his hand in the air. 

Levi slapped the water with his tail in thought.

“Mate?” he questioned. Eren frowned at the strange, rolling language. 

“Uh, I dunno,” he brushed it off with an awkward laugh. Things went a bit silent, so Eren opted to settle in the sand with a sigh. Levi didn’t push the matter, instead choosing to watch Eren carefully. 

“Here.” 

Eren snapped his head up. “Huh?”

Levi patted the sand in front of him. “Here. Come back.” Without any more explanation, he disappeared with a splash. Eren sat dumbfounded on the shore, once more alone and listening to the sounds of the ocean. Vaguely, he could understand what Levi wanted. With a sigh, he gathered his knees to himself and decided to wait for the mer like instructed. 

While he waited, he allowed his thoughts to drift. 

Where had Reiner been all day? Rarely did his boyfriend let him out of his sight like this. Sure, they had their alone time, but usually, Reiner was always there beside him on any sort of outings or trips they took. To ‘keep him out of trouble’, as he usually joked. It was weird that he hadn’t even gotten a confirmation text from Reiner. In the past, he’d always checked in with Eren at least a few times a day to know where he was or what he was doing. 

Though his stomach was heavy with some emotion he couldn’t identify, Eren decided to push it off to the back burner when Levi re-emerged from the dark waters, looking excited. He dragged himself on his belly more onto the beach, wiggling until he was just near Eren. The mer had an eager look on his face, the sections of his tail flaring wide, as he held out a cupped hand to Eren, all but preening. 

“Here!” Levi chattered excitedly. “Thing! For you!”

Snorting in bewilderment, Eren crept closer to him and allowed Levi to take his hand and tip the contents into his palm. Vibrant pebbles of sea glass tumbled into view, a variety of colors that glittered in the sun. They were larger pieces, clearly sea-worn bits of pottery and brightly colored bottles, but they were magnificent. Eren stared at the palmful of treasure, shocked.

He eagerly began inspecting each bit, looking at the intricate grooves on one piece in particular where it had not yet been completely smoothed out by the ocean’s rocking. There was a purple shard in the shape of a triangle, its edges soft and worn, along with multiple green bits that varied in shades. They were so pretty and Eren let himself get excited at the thought of creating art and jewelry out of them, like he and his mom used to do. 

“Levi—” Eren began, looking up in astonishment. Levi had the proudest look on his face, expectant eyes locked on Eren. He allowed a small smile to creep onto his face, looking back down at his hand and back at the mer. “For me?”

Levi nodded vigorously. An air had picked up around the mer’s form, expectant.

Carefully curling his fingers over the gift, Eren clutched them to his chest. 

“Thank you.”

He put as much honesty into the words as he could. It truly was one of the best gifts he had received in a while. And to think, Levi had gone out of his way to get them for him just because he was sad. It touched Eren’s heart, the genuine kindness Levi possessed. The mer didn’t quite smile, but his eyes crinkled at the sides and his shoulders dropped, as if he were tense waiting to hear Eren’s reaction. 

Plopping back into the sand, Eren continued to poke through his gifted treasures. There was a deep ruby red piece that stood out, looking like a thick cut of the base of a bottle, and the palest blue glass that had turned frosty with age. Eren picked the blue-gray piece out and held it up, admiring it in the low-sunny light, grinning to himself. From the shallows of the surf, Levi watched him silently, seeming content. 

Eren had an idea and looked over at him and held out the piece. “Look! It matches your eyes!”

The mer looked at the piece of glass, then at Eren, then back to the piece of glass. Dark blue bloomed across his cheeks and he turned away, muttering something under his breath in his strange language. For a moment, Eren thought he did something wrong, his hand lowering slowly in defeat until Levi turned around and poked through the handful of glass for himself. 

Eren held his breath as the mer sorted through the shards. Triumphantly, Levi picked up one and held it up, looking straight at Eren while tapping under his unscarred eye for emphasis. 

“You, eye.”

It was one of the jade colored pieces; possibly the most vibrant of them all. It was clear glass, not quite frosted like some others, but a deep, rich color that made it stand out from the others. Now it was Eren’s turn to blush. 

“T–thank you,” he stuttered out. Eren wasn’t going to lie, it had caught him a little off guard and a warm feeling settled in his chest. 

Levi’s dark blue cheeks went rosy with the tint of lilac. His eyes darted nervously to the side as he stumbled on his words. “You —” he started, rolling his sparse vocabulary in his head. “Face. Good.”

There was a beat.

“Strawberry.”

A small snort left him before he could control it. He couldn’t help it! It was just so random in the moment. Levi immediately scowled. Eren held his hands up in a placating gesture, trying and failing to look serious. 

“Hey, that was good. You said it right!” he complimented, then leaned in and said with an amused grin, “Your face is good too.”

The mer rolled his eyes and growled. “Liar. Making fun. I should have known.”

Eren’s smile slipped and he tilted his head. “Hey! What’s that all about? Why are you angry?”

Levi turned half away, curling in on himself and giving him an impressive side-eyed glare.

“Good?!” He scoffed, gesturing at his face with a hand, his pretty blush gone and features darkening like an oncoming storm. As his mood changed, it was like the sun was sucked behind the clouds, everything gray and bland once more. Then, as if remembering, he held up his other hand, motioning at it and its missing fingers. “No good. Bad.” 

Levi spat each of his words, loathing evident in both his expression and tone. Watching the mer look upon himself with such distress and hate shattered Eren’s heart. He could do nothing but watch his friend spiral, getting increasingly angrier.

Eren shook his head sadly. Levi’s chest heaved and his hands shook, his head ducked low, as if held down by the weight of shame — shame of his appearance. 

“Oh Levi,” Eren whispered, voice thick with emotion. “I know you probably won’t understand…” he picked at a loose thread on his shorts as he talked. “I think you’re pretty. Even if you don’t believe it yourself.”

As Eren talked, Levi sullenly stared down into the water, his only movement being where he was jostled by the waves lapping at his ribs.

It was a moment before he spoke again. 

“Yes,” Levi agreed, nodding stiffly. “Pretty.” He trailed two fingers down the deep, jagged scar cutting through his eye.

Confusion clouded Eren’s mind for a moment. It was that easy? But Levi had seemed so passionate and angry…

Oh.

Eren felt stupid again. 

“Oh Levi… no,” he said gently. Sighing to himself, he struggled to find a way to explain. 

How does one explain the word ‘pretty’ to someone who’s never heard it? Especially when that person knows the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’, but doesn’t believe you when you say ‘good’? How was he going to explain to Levi that ‘pretty’ didn’t refer to the traumatic event that happened to give him that scar?

Contemplating, Eren slid his hands in his shorts pockets where his fingertips bumped something. He pulled it out. The calico shell. Eren looked up from it and to where Levi was staring dejectedly into the water. 

He held it up next to Levi’s face. 

“Pretty,” he said simply. 

Startled, the mer jerked his head up. His good eye looked at the seashell and then locked onto Eren’s, taken aback. Those startling silver eyes searched Eren’s face for any trace of deceit.  Upon realizing Eren wasn’t joking, he scowled and looked away again, blushing that lilac hue once more. 

“You have rocks for brains, then,” he muttered in his language. 

Eren just laughed watching the merman grow embarrassed as well as his attempt to remain stoic. Pride was clearly something Levi had a lot of. He figured Levi hadn’t been called pretty before — or at least, not recently — and as much as that saddened him, he was happy that he got to tell Levi at least once. His scars and missing fingers did nothing to deter from his beauty in Eren’s eyes. It pained him to see that Levi thought less of himself because of it. 

That just wouldn’t do.

Promptly, Eren rolled up the leg of his swim trunks to reveal the gnarly, jagged, pinkend flesh of his thigh, the scar still slightly fresh. It was a gruesome sight that he still struggled with seeing to this day. Not only because of the alien sight of his own body part, but also because of the memories tied to it. However, Eren just gritted his teeth at the reminder of it; focused on making his point. Some of the flesh had been patched back together messily with grafts and parts of the skin appeared melted due to the irregular healing. With just a glance, it was glaringly clear the wound was recent and not near as healed as Levi’s. 

Levi’s eyes snapped to it and his face softened.

“Pretty?” Eren prompted him, leaning back on his palm and gesturing to himself with a quirked eyebrow. Levi stayed silent for a few moments before looking back down at Eren’s mangled thigh.

“Pretty…” he whispered, nodding softly to himself.

Eren let his lips twitch up in victory and slid his pant leg down. “Then we understand each other,” he said softly. Levi looked up at him and nodded again. There was a glint in his eye that wasn’t there before, like something was freer inside.

Chapter Text

Evening was falling and the bugs were beginning to come out on his hike back up the seaside. By pure accident, Eren let the screen door slam on his way back inside, too caught up in his upbeat mood from a wonderful day to think twice about it. The cool air conditioning washed over him and soothed his sun-warmed skin. Above head, the lazily spinning fan creaked comfortingly, bringing on a sense of peace. Eren was only able to enjoy it for a split second before the serene calmness was shattered. 

****

“Where the hell were you?”

Eren cringed. Reiner rose from the couch, where he had, evidently, been waiting. Impatiently. 

Walking towards the kitchen, Eren tried to diffuse the simmering, bubbling situation, shrugging off his bag and immediately getting to work on their dinner. As he rifled through the small fridge, he mumbled, “At the beach. I texted you to let you know.”

When he turned back around with ingredients in hand, Reiner was there, arms crossed. Up close like this, he easily eclipsed Eren, who just stared at his chest, unmoving. The tense atmosphere in the kitchen could be cut with a knife. Cutting through the silence was the slow ticking of the kitchen clock and it put Eren on edge.

“For seven hours?” Reiner’s tone didn’t invite any argument. Pursing his lips, Eren nodded. “It’s practically dark out. What the fuck could you have been doing down there for that long?”

An accusing step forward. A matching step backwards.

“Just having fun,” Eren muttered, hugging a bag of salad mix to his chest. 

Obviously, not the correct answer.

“Oh, really?”

Eren didn’t like that tone. It always made him feel childish. And stupid. And small.

“Fun.” Mocking air quotes. Reiner’s golden eyes narrowed at him. “What kind of fun?”

His throat and eyes burned. Why the fuck was he getting upset? He hadn’t done anything wrong! Reiner wasn’t even really yelling at him yet.

“Just…” his voice already threatened to break, his throat going scratchy from the lump in his throat. “Just swimming. And looking for shells.”

“For seven hours,” Reiner repeated. Eren frowned and looked up at him. 

“Yeah,” he answered, unevenly. “I lost track of time. It… it was really good to just relax. We’re on vacation and I just thought —”

Instinctively, he flinched at the hand that came up, but impact never came. Reiner rolled his eyes at him when Eren finally looked back at him. Stupid… he thought. Quit being so dramatic.

Reiner let the grating, unnerving silence stew for a moment, his hand hanging in the air, like a looming threat. When it was up, it wasn’t Eren’s turn to speak. 

“I’m so glad you enjoyed yourself, Eren,” Reiner began. Eren swallowed nervously. “I’m so happy to hear that you had so much fun without me on our trip. Now I understand why you spent all this money to take us to a remote fucking fishing town. Why you just disappeared on me again after yesterday. I enjoyed spending the whole day by myself too, waiting for you to come back here.”

A rock sank in Eren’s stomach. Reiner was waiting for him here, the whole time?

“I didn’t kn—”

A severe look and the hand moving cut him off. Eren quickly swallowed down his words.

“As I was saying —” his eyes flashed, “ —since you clearly seem to need all this alone time for something, I thought I’d give it to you. A chance, if you will.”

The hammering pulse in Eren’s throat stuttered. Confusion fell over him. What?  

That was… rather anticlimactic. Eren expected to be yelled at, especially with what Reiner had been trying to insinuate. 

“Oh,” Eren mumbled, his shoulders dropping. His fingers no longer dug so hard into the salad bag that he thought it might pop. “Ok.”

Reiner smiled pleasantly at him, arms uncrossing. 

“Since I gave you the whole day, I want to see your shells you found,” he said, earnestly. His eyes were so bright.

A bit of hope flared in his chest. Reiner rarely asked him about the silly, nonsensical things Eren liked. Usually, he just wanted to skip over that part and talk about his work or his coworkers, or the parties they were going to. Adult stuff.

Eren dared to let a small smile tug at his mouth. “O-ok!”

Their forgotten dinner ingredients were stashed on the quaint little kitchen table. The sea glass his new mer friend had gifted him was zipped up safely in a small pocket of his tote bag, so he carefully retrieved them, gathering the glittering, precious, rainbow pieces in his palm. He walked back over to Reiner and held them out proudly. Reiner reached out his hand and Eren obediently let him have them, cupping his hands around Reiner’s so none spilled on the ground before pulling back and beginning to talk about the crafts he might do with them. Reiner just looked down at his palm, then back at Eren, staring.

Calmly, Reiner tipped them into the open trash beside him, never breaking his stare.

“That’s trash, Eren. Show me the shells. Go on.” His voice was soft, encouraging, like he was talking to a child.

“But…” Eren trailed off, eyes on the trashcan. His heart thumped in his chest. The tears welled freely in his eyes now and it felt like he couldn’t breathe. Levi’s gift…

“The shells, Eren,” Reiner demanded again, his empty hand out once more. “If you were truly spending the whole day looking for shells, I want to see them. You should have nothing to hide if you have some. Show me, the shells.”

Eren knew better than to argue. Shells. Reiner wanted shells. Not other beach combing finds. He pulled the single scallop shell from his trunk’s pocket with a shaky hand and slowly passed it over. Cruelly, Reiner snatched it from his fingers. With scrutinizing eyes, he turned it over, like he was admiring it. Eren knew better. 

Reiner held it up and smiled bitterly at him. 

“Just this one?

That sinking feeling in Eren’s gut grew. Suspense and dread gnawed like a sickness at his insides. He felt ill. 

“Yeah,” he whispered, averting his eyes to Reiner’s chest once more. “Just that one.”

A small chuckle left Reiner’s mouth, but there was no mirth in it. 

“Okay then.”

With a heartbreaking crack! Reiner pinched it between his hands and split it in half. The delicate shell splintered into pieces in his hold, ruined shards sprinkling to the tile floor like glass. 

“No!” Eren shouted, lurching forward, his hands desperately reaching for the already ruined shell. Hot tears spilled over finally, pouring down Eren’s face. With barely any effort at all, Reiner shoved him back single-handedly, dumping the remnants of the beautiful broken shell into the trash alongside the sea glass. 

He scowled and looked disdainfully down his nose at Eren. “Calm down, it’s just a fucking sea shell. There’s a million more just like it down on the beach.”

Eren just bawled. 

“Stop being so fucking dramatic Eren,” Reiner sighed with exasperation, rolling his eyes again. “I know why you’re really crying. You got caught. It’s just that plain and simple. You want to sneak behind my back and see other people? Fine. You’re loose, as I suspected, and clearly nothing is going to deter you from getting what you want, but don’t you dare lie to me—” he thumped on his chest for emphasis, “— Don’t you dare fucking lie to me!”

The words escalated into screaming. Eren sobbed, covering his ears, trembling.

“No, no! That’s not true!” The words vibrating his jaw were the only indicator he had that he was speaking. Hot tears poured down his face. “You’re the only —,” his breath hitched, “you’re the only one I’ve been with. You know it’s not true!”

“Look at me when I’m talking to you, Eren!” Reiner raged. “Look at me!”

Sniffling, hiccuping, choking on his own breaths, Eren tried to obey. Strong, steelen hands gripped his wrists and ripped Eren’s hands away from his ears. It hurt, like his bones might snap. Reiner was terrifying. That wild look in his eye was back — the one that reminded Eren of a frothing, hunting animal. The cords of his neck bulged out with rage and his mouth was twisted in a cruel snarl, all teeth and malice. 

“How was your day, Eren?!” He screamed in his face. His voice ricocheted across the rafters, encircling Eren. He could feel it in his chest. There was no escape from the onslaught. “Did you enjoy fucking someone else today, huh? Did they take an interest in you and you liked the attention? Are you that starved for attention and drama?”

At his yelling, Eren stood as straight as he could, even though he trembled all over to the point that his legs could just collapse beneath him, lip quivering.

“No! No! No!” He just kept repeating, through the tears and sobs, his quavering, weak voice doing little to deter Reiner’s fury.

“I don’t fucking believe you!” Reiner screamed. “What did you do today, Eren?!”

“I just went to the beach,” Eren wailed. His chest was so tight. He couldn’t fucking breathe. If Reiner weren’t gripping his wrists so, Eren might have just sank to his knees on the floor. “That’s all I did! I promise! I didn’t meet anyone!”

“Then why are you getting so upset?” Reiner challenged. Like the flip of a switch, his voice had gone so unsettling calm. “If you didn’t do anything wrong, why are you crying so hard? Hmm?”

Eren never felt so pitiful in his life, hanging there in Reiner’s grip. He was upset because his things had been thrown away and his boyfriend had screamed at him. But the words wouldn’t come. He could barely contain himself, much less speak normally.

The kitchen continued to be filled with his sobs, now a bit quieter as he tried to smother them. Reiner held his gaze the entire time, unblinking, so composed in comparison to the untethered mess of a storm that was Eren. Gone was the raging, bellowing beast from before. All that remained was Reiner quietly staring unimpressed down at him while Eren sniffled and hiccuped like a scolded child. He looked like a parent waiting for their toddler to tire themself out from a tantrum. 

“Y-you —” Eren sniffed snottily, tears making his skin itchy. Through the tears and hitching breaths, he tried to speak. “You threw my things out — sniff — and you yelled at me,” he whimpered out, trying to take breaths to calm himself, to get to Reiner’s level, but it was so hard. Reiner’s grip remained tight around his wrists, unwavering. The only remnant of the previous side he’d seen. 

“It’s just trash, Eren,” he cooed gently. “There’s so many more shells down there for you to get when we go tomorrow. There’s no need to get so upset over trash.”

More sniffs. A choking inhale.

“It’s replaceable.”

“Did I really yell at you though?” He continued, murmuring so softly Eren almost couldn't hear him. “I lost my temper, baby. I’m sorry. But you know I’m trying to work on that.” A shaky nod. A tear plipped from Eren’s trembling chin. Reiner smiled at him, nodding as well. Then his gaze grew serious. “You see how it looks though, don’t you? You told me one thing… and yet, the evidence doesn’t match up, baby.”

“I-I’m s-sorry.”

“I know, baby,” Reiner whispered. “But we can’t go back and fix our mistakes. I want this with you, Eren. I’m willing to forgive you. Couples work through their tough times and don’t abandon each other. I’m not going to throw away the years we spent together over one mistake, ok? I love you too much for that.”

Eren sniffled, finally controlling his breathing so he wasn’t so hysterical, though his heart was a different story.

“Ok, baby?” Reiner prompted. Wordlessly, Eren nodded.

Reiner sighed and finally gathered him up into his arms, crushing Eren against his chest. Eren tucked himself as close as he could get, burying his face into the solidness of his boyfriend. A tender kiss was placed on the top of his head.

“I love you Eren,” Reiner sighed out, resting his chin on his head. A prompting squeeze.

“I love you too,” Eren repeated, muffled.

“Tomorrow, we’ll go down to the beach together, and spend the whole day there, like you want. Ok?”

A jerky nod. 

“Good,” Reiner pulled away way before Eren was ready to part, holding his shoulders. “I’m glad we cleared the air between us.”

****

They went to bed later that night, snuggled together with the windows open, the cool breeze filtering through to lull them to sleep with the sounds of the crashing waves. For a good portion of the night, Eren lay awake in his boyfriend's arms as Reiner slept soundly behind him, looking out the open window at the moonlight. The events of the evening played over and over again in his head. 

Something deep inside of him was restless. The discarded gifts in the trash buzzed in his brain. 

His heart was breaking and he didn’t know how to stop it. 

Finally, after another hour rolled by of sleep evading him, Eren cautiously wormed his way out of the sleepy hold, sitting on the edge of the bed, shivering in the cool air. Footsteps padding softly, he went to the kitchen. 

Reiner would probably check the trash tomorrow. He had a habit of doing that, especially since Eren was the one who brought the mail in to check it back home, tending to throw away the junk mail out of habit. Reiner always went through their garbage to ensure Eren didn’t “slip up and toss any of their bills”. The habit probably would continue even now. With this in mind, Eren couldn’t help but silently pick through the can, aided only by moonlight, until he found what he was looking for. He might not be able to keep all of them, but maybe Reiner wouldn’t notice a few missing. He hadn’t looked that hard at them before tipping them away, Eren rationalized. 

He slipped the rescued pieces back into his bag in the little pocket before going back to bed. Stormy blue and emerald green nestled together in secret. 

When he climbed back into bed, he found Reiner had rolled over in his sleep while he was gone. For the rest of the night, his boyfriend slept as still as stone, his back to Eren. Feeling alone even with the body right beside him, Eren wrapped his arms around himself in a mock hug.

In the distance, Eren swore he heard the faint, warbling call of Levi, but he wasn’t quite sure over the buzz of crickets, the crashing ocean, and their creaky ceiling fan. Regardless, minutes later, Eren fell into a dreamless sleep.

True to his word, Reiner went down to the beach with him the next day. 

It was even prettier than the day before. The sun shining, the air warmer, the wind more tolerable. That being said, Eren couldn’t find it in himself to enjoy it. He was tired, his head hurt, and he just wanted to curl up in the bed and stare at the wall for eternity.

Reiner, on the other hand, was as perky as could be, wading waist deep in the water and digging random holes in the sand for seemingly no reason at all. No amount of calling from his boyfriend could budge Eren from his spot.

“Eren, c’mon! Stop sulking.” 

“”M not sulking,” he mumbled. Even though his words were definitely not audible from the distance, he still felt a bit of shame and a tinge of fear. Talking back was always something that got him into trouble, but he couldn’t help it. Truth be told, he had a splitting headache. Waking up that morning, his head had been pounding, a pressure throbbing persistently behind his eyes. All he could do to try and keep it at bay was to sip water and hide under his towel, dark sunglasses perched on his nose. 

Thankfully, Reiner didn’t push the issue and merely went on enjoying himself, leaving Eren alone for the most part. 

Another reason Eren couldn’t push past everything and enjoy the day was also the deep rooted fear of Levi’s potential appearance. The merman was such a rare, elusive sight, that Eren was worried about how Reiner might react to his presence. Silently, Eren prayed he didn’t come to the beach that day, as much as he would have loved to see his friend. Their days were running short on the vacation and there wouldn’t be many more chances to see Levi before they had to return inland. For safety reasons, Eren just had to hope that he’d stay away.

And it would seem, Levi decided not to show, much to Eren’s partial disappointment, but overall relief.

As the day rolled on and an hour or so passed, Eren was starting to tire of being miserable. After the horrendous night and what little bit of sleep he managed to get, Eren needed a nap, if only to get rid of the pressure in his head and his swollen, puffy eyes. So, before midday had even arrived, Eren shakily got to his feet and went to the water's edge, his towel still tightly wrapped over his head and shoulders. 

“Reiner!” he called. 

At first, Eren thought his boyfriend would ignore him, but after a few calls, he finally came sloshing back through the water. The air was sticky with humidity and salt. Eren wanted to crawl out of his own skin. There must be a thick layer of salt and sand all over him. He itched.

“What?” Reiner sighed, irritated. 

“‘M gonna go home,” Eren mumbled, kicking at the surf as it rushed past their ankles.

Reiner threw his arms out to the side and scoffed. “Why? You love the beach. I thought we’d spend some time together and actually enjoy our vacation — like a couple should.”

“I just, don’t feel well,” Eren said with a sigh.

“What? Are you sick or something?” 

“A headache.”

“Another one of those?”

“Mhm. I’m going to go back to the cabin and sleep it off.”

Another irritated huff. “Fine. Do whatever you want.”

He got a rough kiss to the forehead and that was it. Eren watched his boyfriend's back as he retreated into the water without another word. Swallowing down a lump in his throat, Eren turned his own back and made his way up the beach. Out of the corner of his eyes, he swore there was a head of dark hair ducking behind the rocky clusters not far off, but when he did a double take, he couldn’t see anything but the spray of crashing waves and jagged rock.

He had his suspicions, but figured it’d be for the best to just walk away. He’d explain to Levi later.

The trudge back to the cabin was heavy. 

The air was heavy, his limbs were heavy, and his mind was murky and strangely blank. There was sand grating against his skin in his shoes and he was uncomfortably sweaty, hair sticking to the back of his neck, his forehead — making his shirt cling to his back like a second skin. 

Once back, he drank a glass of water mechanically, one gulp at a time while he stared vacantly at the wall, then showered on autopilot. He all but fell into bed, not even bothering to get under the covers. 

A pit was opening inside of him. Everything about him had been scooped out and now he felt hollow. 

Eventually, he managed to shut his eyes and nap. When he woke, a blue hue had taken over the room. He sat up and rubbed his eye with a fist. It was fairly late — past sunset. 

A quick inspection of the cabin proved that Reiner wasn’t there, though there were new clothes strewn about the floor and the bathroom was left in disarray. 

That feeling grew. 

As if in a trance, like everything was happening without his control, Eren threw on a cotton t-shirt and some shorts and walked to the beach. Already, he knew Reiner wouldn’t be there. He didn’t bother to bring his phone. 

The walk down to the scraggly dock was much more pleasant than the first time — the air much cooler and the ambiance more comforting. With a sigh, Eren sat on its edge and let his legs dangle. There was no sign of anyone else. The shore was barren and Eren was all alone. 

He wasn’t sure if Levi would show so late, but sure enough, not long after, his friend popped up to the surface and latched onto one of the dilapidated metal ladders. 

Eren didn’t speak at first and they sat in silence for a bit.

“Eren?” Levi’s soft voice carried over the waves. 

“Yeah?” Eren’s voice was equally as soft.

“Ok?”

He sighed heavily through his nose. 

“I don’t know.”

“Miss mate?” Levi quietly questioned. Eren frowned and shrugged, brow furrowing.

“Levi, I don’t know what you’re saying… I’m sorry.”

The mer sighed as well and went silent.

“Levi…” he started, and the mer perked up, “ — do you get lonely out here?”

Levi blinked at him. 

“Where’s your pod? I mean, are there more of you?” Eren asked, gesturing to him. “Why are you so close to shore where anyone can see you?”

Levi looked down, inspecting his webbed hands wrapped around the thin metal rungs. Eren let him think. 

“... lonely,” he muttered, as if speaking only to himself. He looked up and tilted his head. The mournful expression on his face broke Eren’s heart and the pit inside deepened. “Yes. Lonely.”

The mer turned to look out at the dark sea reflecting the moonlight. Eren watched his jaw work as many emotions ran through him. It was clearly a sensitive topic.

“More,” he said, pointing to the ocean. “More, out there. Had… had friends,” he gestured in a little circle near his chest, “life was good. Then…” he touched his scar with his three-fingered hand. Eren felt his stomach drop. 

Levi seemed to mentally shake himself. “Bad. Farlan… Isabel — hurt bad,” he glanced up at Eren, “no help.” He shook his head. “Levi… lonely here.”

The waves filled the silence that followed.

“You’re friends… did they die?”

Levi stared out at the water, then nodded.

“Hurt bad,” he repeated in a whisper. “Eren lonely?”

Now it was Eren’s turn to nod. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“I’m sorry, Levi,” Eren offered softly with a sigh. He mentally kicked himself. He shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.

Levi gave him a weak, small smile and shook his head. “You no hurt me.” He reached up and stroked Eren’s dangling leg, hand resting at his ankle. “Think Eren kind —” he patted him reassuringly.

He smiled at that. “I think you’re kind too, Levi.”

Eren could see Levi’s cheeks dusted light blue, even in the weak moonlight. 

“So… you just hang around here now? What’s your plan? Being so close to humans must be dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Levi pointedly looked away from him, his eyes darting nervously to the water, lilac blooming on his cheeks. He sunk partially back into water so only his eyes were visible, a few bubbles blowing from his nose. The tips of his pointed ears were dark purple.

Eren shrugged. “I just want you to be safe. People can be cruel…”

That made Levi look at him. 

“You mate?” 

Eren rolled his eyes, agitated. “Levi, I still don’t know what you’re trying to say.”

With a glint in his eyes that had Eren’s own eyes narrowing, Levi heaved himself back up and said, “Human with you.”

“Oh,” Eren replied, finally getting it. “Reiner. My boyfriend.”

Levi nodded, lip curling. “Yes. Reiner. Boy–friend” He rolled the new words in his mouth. 

He quirked an eyebrow. “Mate?” He asked, making a lewd gesture. 

Eren’s face burned. “Oh gods!” he exclaimed. “N-not, like that . I mean, I guess, yeah — it is like that. It’s just… He’s just… my… partner. Not my… mate.”

Levi eyed him suspiciously. “No mate?”

Eren quickly shook his head, but apprehension still hung off him. Spending the rest of his life with Reiner…? Well, they had been together since highschool, but… Eren couldn’t imagine it. That couldn’t be the rest of his life. He did care about Reiner! Really! It was just… well… 

Eren wasn’t really sure what had changed, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this wasn’t what he really wanted. This feeling… everyday…

Hollow. Numb. The growing pit.

While Eren was realizing his inner turmoil, Levi suddenly spoke up. 

“Humans, more mates?”

Eren’s brow scrunched up. “Huh?”

“Reiner and Eren more mates?”

“No…” Eren said with a slow shake of his head. Levi suddenly scowled and pulled his lip up in disgust.

“Reiner more mates.”

…

Wait, what?

“Levi, what are you talking about?” He was surprised at how level he was able to keep his voice despite feeling like a brick had just hit him in the chest. The splintering wood of the dock dug into his palms, but he paid it no attention.

Levi simply pointed off down the coast. Following it, Eren looked up, and saw the glow of the light pollution from the town off in the distance. The boardwalk was that way. The party life. Or at least, what little there was this small town had to offer. 

The pit threatened to consume him. It felt like TV static had settled in his limbs and his body hummed and buzzed with a strange energy. 

“Reiner there. More mates.”

Oh. 

Oh…

Eren should have known. 

“Are you sure?” He asked, voice wobbling.

Levi seemed to wilt. He nodded shortly.

“Eren, ok?” He asked almost tentatively. Eren just stared off into the distant lights, tears in his eyes.

He should have fucking known. Now, he only felt very, very stupid. Played for a fool.

Levi’s hand left him. When he looked down, the mer was gone.

Eren let the tears fall, the miniscule, salty drops of water getting lost in the lull of the endless tides. Against his better judgment, he let himself think, which was always dangerous. He stared at the glow on the horizon for a moment, trying to work up the courage to do something. But what could he say? What could he do? He had no proof of anything. But deep down, he knew Levi wouldn’t lie to him.

With the next crash of waves, Levi re-emerged, blinking water from his eyes as he gazed up at Eren, his fist clenched tightly over something. Wordlessly, he held it up in offering. Sniffing a bit, Eren leaned down and let Levi cup his hand and place the cold metal object in his palm. When he straightened back up, he opened his hand and nearly started bawling. 

A single, gold ring. Gods, it had to be real. It was pretty heavy. Who knew how much that thing could be worth? And Levi had handed it over so easily. In just one small gesture, Levi had given him more jewelry than Reiner ever had in their years of being together. He turned it over in his fingers while Levi hung onto the rickety ladder in silence.

“Levi…” he finally said. “I can’t take this.”

The mer wilted once more, looking like a kicked puppy.

“No like?” he asked softly, looking crestfallen. 

Eren gave him a watery smile, a tear tracking the shape of his nose and then falling to the ocean. 

“No Levi, I like it. It’s very pretty. I just can’t take your things. And Reiner will freak out if he sees me wearing a ring…” he trailed off.

Why the hell did it matter what Reiner thought? Clearly, Reiner was the one taking favors from others, and they certainly didn’t seem to be harmless tokens if what Levi was implying was true.

Eren cleared his throat and started over. “It’s a pretty ring, Levi. Thank you for thinking of me and trying to make me feel better, but this is probably worth a lot of money. I want you to keep it for yourself. I have no use for it.”

Levi’s ears seemed to droop. He shook his head, a pleading look in his eye. “No! Not for Levi! For Eren!” He urged. “Thing for Eren — think Eren kind and pretty!”

At that, the lilac blush was back across the mer’s face and he pointedly stared at Eren’s chest. 

Stunned, Eren couldn’t seem to formulate a coherent thought. 

“Eren keep,” Levi continued, murmuring shyly. “Eren need kind. This —” he pointed, “ — kind, Levi give.”

Slowly, Eren pieced it together. Looking back down at the ring, he gave it a few turns, thinking. 

“Ok.”

Levi looked back up at him through his damp bangs, hopeful. 

Eren curled his fingers closed around the gift. 

“Thank you for the gift, Levi.”

Levi smiled, sharp teeth glinting in the weak light. Then, sheepishly asked, “Levi, boyfriend?”

Eren chuckled and shook his head, looking out at the blur of the horizon and the water, stashing the ring in his pocket. “You don’t know what that means.” With a swipe, he cleared his tears. 

“Levi boyfriend. Eren kind, and pretty. Think strawberry with you.” The mer punctuated each word with such assertion and urgency, Eren faltered. Levi had seemed to grow with this new-found fire, gazing up at Eren with this yearning look, hanging onto the metal rungs like it was his only lifeline. 

No one had ever looked at him like that. Like he was there moon and their stars. As if they might simply die if they didn’t get to be near him. A look of such yearning and desire didn’t seem like it could be replicated by nature. Yet here it was. Pure adoration was on Levi’s face and the sky sparkled back at him through his eyes.

The mer took a deep breath, his skin taking on a heavy lavender hue, almost blending in with the night. “Eren mate.”

Slowly, as if moving too fast might scare Eren off, Levi inched over to him, hand over hand on the splintering wood until he was between Eren’s legs, not once breaking eye contact. 

“I will care for you as if you were my very soul, my being. I will not allow myself rest if you were to suffer by my negligence. To mate with you is a hope I have kindled, but if you were to ask me to leave, I would banish myself and roam the deepest of desolate waters so I may never possibly tarnish your path again. Please, my lovely Eren, consider me. I want to live the rest of my life at your side. I have felt the tides pulling me here for eons, before either of our births. I wish to wake to each day with the presence of you in my heart and in my head. I can provide for you, however you may need, just please… think of me and see me.”

Levi’s warbling tongue was like a mesmerizing, beautiful song. His words, while indecipherable to Eren, were spoken with such beauty and poise. Never had Eren thought Levi a simple-minded creature and it was clear now how much he had given up to speak with him. Here, Levi spoke freely in his native language, unhindered by things he didn’t understand. The truth flowed from him seamlessly, like water over stone. 

Eren had no doubt that whatever Levi had said, it had come from a place of love and devotion. The way his eyes had sparkled as he spoke with such reverence, the way his fingers tentatively pressed into his thighs to anchor himself, and the youthful hope that had crept upon his face… It was breathtaking. No one had ever spoken to him like that — looked at him like that. 

Levi held still, the barest hints of their breaths audible over the hum of the ocean, as Eren sat, stunned, and thought. 

“Levi…” he whispered, overcome. Their eyes searched each others. Hopeful hesitation met with firm promise. 

“My Eren, I will cherish you. Please, let me be selfish once before we mate, and allow me to kiss what does not belong to me.”

With those words, Levi gracefully rose up, his yearning, pleading gaze dropping to Eren’s parted lips. Levi tilted his head, offering, looking as if he’d never wanted anything more in his life, as if he might physically hurt if denied his request.

As if pulled together by the tides themselves, Eren leaned down to meet him, not even able to consider denying them both what had been in motion from the start, his eyes slipping shut. 

Softly, their lips brushed together — salty with seawater— but neither cared. It was their first taste of one another. 

Levi did indeed taste of salt, but he also embodied the taste of sun-warmed air and wind and carefree summers. He tasted of the ocean and all the things associated with happiness. Kissing Levi felt like coming home. Like acceptance. A breath of air after drowning for so long.

The kiss itself was chaste — just the gentlest, honest press of their lips together. As sweet as a lover’s caress.

When Levi pulled away, it was all Eren could do not to plead for more. Not surge forward and throw himself into the sea to chase after that feeling.

How? How could he return to his old life after this? How could he leave the salty air and the lively waves, but most important of all, how could he turn his back on Levi? Somewhere in the past few days, a bond had formed between them, stronger than any rock or force known to man. 

Now, Eren felt it, thrumming inside his chest. The steady pulse — like something searching for its match. His body ached and yearned. This deep chasm inside begged to be filled, to be made whole. And now, knowing the antidote to it all was right at his fingertips, it was devastating that they had not been made one yet. Realizing this is how Levi had felt all along, he wanted to weep.

Eren hadn’t realized how incomplete he had felt until he had Levi’s lips upon his. 

His mer patiently waited below him, watching as Eren desperately tried to grasp onto it all, his fingertips soothingly working at Eren’s skin. 

“Mate,” he croaked, voice full of emotion. “My lovely mate, please do not cry anymore. I am here — for as long as you’ll have me.”

“Levi.”

Eren’s whisper was a plea. 

“Levi, I —”

“Eren?”

****

The sudden, accusatory tone made them both flinch. Footsteps thumped on the crumbling wood towards them, sinister.

As if it caused him great pain, Levi pulled away, removing his touch from the stunned human on the dock, and sank back into the ocean to hide.

Registering the jarring change, Eren looked over his shoulder, his heart in his throat. A bulky, shadowy form descended upon him, blocking the way back to shore.

“Reiner?” Eren whispered, left frozen.

“Who the fuck was that? What are you doing out here?” 

Reiner was so clearly intoxicated. Though his words slurred and he looked not as steady as he should, his words still held their bite. Accusation flashed through his features. 

“Who were you just with, Eren?”

Finally, pulling himself out of his shock, Eren let himself get angry. All the years of fear and resentment rose to the surface. The new inner turmoil that howled to be completed only served to fuel that simmering rage.

“Who was I with —?” Eren leapt to his feet, fists curling at his sides. “I should be asking you that!”

At the lack of the usual meekness and complacency he was used to getting, Reiner faltered in his tracks, mouth slightly open.

“Excuse me?” The way his brow furrowed screamed danger. “You should reconsider that tone of yours.”

“No,” Eren replied hotly. “I don’t think I will. I’m done,” he continued, gaining confidence. “I know — I know about tonight.”

Reiner stumbled at first, like a deer caught in headlights, then that iron grip he loved to use rose up to take control once more. The illusion of indifference and control.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he spoke, calmly. “I think you need to go lay down. You’ve been out here all night.”

Eren just shook his head, refusing to bend. “No.”

“No?” One eyebrow arched. 

“No,” he repeated. “This is over. I’m not doing —” he motioned between them, “ — this anymore. I will not stand by as you fuck with other people, Braun. You cannot take everything from me anymore. I will not stand here and let you do that!” 

Against his wishes, his voice rose with emotion the more he spoke. He hated it. It reminded him of the way Reiner would always try to be louder than him. Yelling made him feel dirty and ugly.

“People don’t treat someone they love like this,” Eren continued. The feeling of throwing one of Reiner’s favorite arguments back in his face was refreshing. “Couples don’t scream at each other all the time — not healthy ones!”

Reiner rolled his eyes. “So, I’m the bag guy? Do you even care that I’m trying to work on my anger — for us?! All this work we’ve put into us — that I’ve put into us — and you want to throw it away over some silly notion you’ve gotten into your head.”

He took a step forward, closing in on Eren’s limited space. The shaky dock creaked dangerously underfoot. The relentless waves pounded against the brittle, splintering wood.

“You’re on thin ice, Eren,” He muttered darkly. “Are you sure you’re not the one who has something to hide? Getting so defensive, throwing around accusations. I don’t know what the hell you’ve been up to the past few days, but something stinks to me. Found a little fling down here?”

He tried to peer over Eren’s shoulder, but Eren moved to block him without thinking, his only thought to protect Levi. The cruel, victorious expression that grew on Reiner’s face made his stomach sink. His head cleared a bit, finally realizing how the situation was staged. There was no escaping. Reiner had him pinned.

And Reiner was angry. 

With that thought, some of the anger wilted, as did Eren’s whole form. Like a deflated balloon, he shrank back. His heel wobbled at the edge. When Reiner was angry, things got scary. And Eren had nowhere to go.

Reiner rolled his shoulders, feigning nonchalance. Alcohol hung heavy off of him in a cloud.

“Seems we both got it out of our system, eh?” He joked cruelly, smirking down at where Eren now cowered, tense and nervous. “So, we both let off some steam,” he said with a shrug, “Now we’ll go back up and pack, and we’ll be home first thing tomorrow. Pick back up on a fresh start. We can forget this disastrous trip, though, it might take me a while to completely forgive you, since you’ve been a bit more invested than I was. You know I’d never give up on you though, right baby? I think you’ll see how good you have it.”

Again, he stepped forward. There was no backing up this time. Not if he wanted to go toppling into the pitch black ocean. Nervously, he looked over his shoulder. Levi was nowhere in sight. Panic slowly set in. 

“I love you, baby,” Reiner said, so close, Eren wanted to choke on his hot breath. “You’re the one I’m gonna come back to, at the end of the day. You know that, don’t you?” 

Those arms, which Eren once found strong and protective, circled around him like a cage with no escape. Chapped, searing hot lips were on his, the uncomfortable prickle of newly forming stubble irritating his skin. Desperately, Eren tried to wrench his head away, struggling to free himself from that bruising grip, but Reiner just fisted a hand in his hair and held him in place, grip only tightening more. Eren’s scalp stung. 

No matter how he squirmed, he was trapped. In Reiner’s arms. In this exhausting relationship. In his stagnant, draining life.

Trapped. 

And Eren wanted out.

With a muffled cry, he bit at Reiner’s lip, finally making him pull away with a pained noise. He wriggled like a snake, managing to get his fists up enough to beat at Reiner’s chest. Anything to escape.

“Quit being a brat, Eren!” He snarled, a hand coming up to lock around Eren’s neck. 

The waves crashed against the dock again, violent and dangerous. Wood crumbled away from under Eren’s foot, making him flail and cling to the closest thing out of instinct, which happened to be Reiner. 

“Why do you always have to be so damn difficult!” 

Reiner’s snarl would have made him whimper if he could have made a sound. 

Another hard slam of the waves. It was as if the ocean was growing angrier the longer the two of them were out there. Trespassers in her territory bringing nothing but misery in their wake. And they had overstayed their welcome. The ground beneath their feet jolted and groaned, but Reiner paid it no mind, focused only on Eren in his grasp. 

Grappling with his hold, Eren tried to pry his hands away, wheezing. He slapped at Reiner’s arms, his face, and attempted to claw at him, but Reiner was unfazed.

****

The dock shook. Cold ocean spray drenched his back. 

Eren was scared. He wanted his mom. He wanted Levi to come back and look at him as if he was his moon and his stars. He wanted to kiss someone who actually loved him. 

Reiner’s face blurred, almost as if the glamor was dropping. No longer did he see the face of his lifelong love and partner. All he saw was a stranger — full of rage, misery, and hopelessness — and it was terrifying. To know that the person he’d been hanging on for wasn't there anymore — or perhaps, hadn’t been there to begin with — rocked him. Then, Eren realized he didn’t want to get dragged down into that pit with him any longer. 

With the next crash of the waves, there was a splash and the sound of scrabbling claws and then a sharp, splintering crack!  

In a split second, Eren felt his stomach drop as the rotted, old wood of the dock gave way and he was falling backwards. Reiner’s surprised face as he fell with him was all he could see amongst the twisting sky before it was replaced with black, turbulent water. 

The cold was a shock, knocking his breath from him along with the impact. In the current, Reiner was ripped away from him, leaving him all alone in the vast, murky waters. 

For a moment, Eren thought he was doomed to drown. Again. 

But right as he thought that, arms were around him, hugging him from behind and tugging him effortlessly through the current. Together, they broke the surface and Eren was sputtering out water as Levi gently maneuvered them to their rock pile. Encapsulated in the merman’s arms, Eren felt himself sag with relief. Levi was surprisingly warm against him, solid and strong against the immeasurable temper of the sea. He cradled him close as if he were the most precious thing in his life. Eren just held onto his arms in turn, silent. 

Not a single sound could be heard outside of the pair. No screams, no calling, not even a frantic splash. The silence was deafening. 

Eren swallowed, then winced. His throat stung. All he could taste was salt.

His ragged breathing got louder. Then, he broke. 

Sobbing, Eren went limp against Levi’s chest. Distantly, he could hear Levi murmuring in that soothing, melodic language, pressing comforting words into his hair as they glided along. When they reached the rocks, Levi helped him up first, never once letting his touch rescind, before hauling himself up onto the solid land and gathering Eren against him once more. 

Levi let him cry for a while, just brushing his wet hair back from his face, desperately trying to rub warmth back into him as Eren shivered in his sopping wet clothes. Finally, when Eren feared he’d make himself sick, he managed to take a deep, long, shaky breath and collect himself some. Sniffling, he leaned up and Levi let him go, wordless. 

Looking blindly into the surrounding darkness, he simply asked, “Reiner?”

“Only grab you,” Levi mumbled, looking in what Eren guessed was the direction of the crumbling dock. His ears pinned slightly and a scowl took over his face. He cursed the waves.

“May the sea take his body and make whale shit with it.”

Eren couldn’t take his eyes away from the endless black abyss. His next breath was a broken, gasping sob, forcing itself from his throat as if it were a parasite finally being dispelled from his body. But he had no tears to cry. Just the irregular, ugly, guttural noises ripping from his throat. Alarmed, Levi pressed close to his back, hugging him again and gently rocking him, his cheek pressed to Eren’s shoulder. 

“Shh, my beloved. Peace — peace,” he hummed. “I’m right here. You’re not alone. We’re right here. Together.”

One clawed hand was placed over Eren’s heart as Levi rocked with him. Still choking on his own breath, Eren laced their fingers together, unblinking, and squeezed. Levi made no noises of complaint, continuing his soft reassurances. 

Alone on their little island in the abyss, Levi held him as the stars faded away.

Chapter Text

One month later…

In the other room, the TV softly droned on, the laugh track of an old sitcom floated through the cottage. The sharp, crisp sounds of a knife through fresh vegetables paired well with the whir of the oven’s exhaust. Eren scooped up the rest of his ingredients and carefully deposited them in the pot, stirring and tasting as he went. 

Summer was here, and with it, the melting heat of the outside pressed up against his windows, begging to be let in. His ceiling fans were all going at full blast as well as the corded one rattling away next to the stovetop. The tiny radio on the counter was spitting out some relaxing music. 

Everything was so loud. There was never a moment of reprieve.

Eren smiled, humming along to the radio, as his hands nimbly worked. The noise helped. He’d never been able to have it before. For the past few weeks, his little cottage was never silent. He got to do whatever he wanted, when he wanted. 

When the pasta was done boiling, he wrapped a teacloth around the handle and quickly transferred it to the sink to drain. A quick, ill-timed thought zipped into his head, reminding him of… the incident. The ghost of searing pain down his leg, and an angry, loud voice ringing through his ears. Eren froze for just a moment, a sharp bolt of fear going through him, then snapped out of it just as quickly when another boisterous round of faded laughter came through from the TV. 

The longer he lived on his own, the more he was able to mentally work through the past few years. Slowly, the understanding that what happened to him was not normal, and not ok, was getting easier to accept. Reiner may not have been hitting him, but that didn’t mean things hadn’t been bad. The boiling water incident from a few months ago wasn’t as much of an accident as it had been played off as. That was a hard fact to accept — that someone he used to love so much, and thought had loved him in turn, would so purposefully disfigure him, then pass it off as if Eren was to blame. Eren’s body still bore the scars of his past relationship, physical or not. But at least, things were getting easier. 

Sitting at the little breakfast nook, he happily enjoyed his meal. A tall glass of iced tea was dripping perspiration all over the table, but there was no one there to yell at him about it. Almost every surface and windowsill were decorated with sparkling glass and elegant shells. Some gifts and some finds. Eren admired them as he forked pasta into his mouth. It may not be a glamorous mansion, but… it was beginning to feel like home. 

After discussing it with Levi, Eren had decided to sell the gold ring. The weeks following the dock collapse had been busy… It had been up to Eren to organize things with Reiner’s mother for a service and a splitting of the assets. Funerals were expensive. So was buying a seaside property.

A tragedy, it had been labeled. A promising man, lost to the sea at such a young age. A preventable accident. The horrors of alcohol and poor decisions. Another ‘spring break’ horror story for the media to circulate amongst the incoming college students.

Sure, Eren was interrogated by the police, but after a few rounds and a mostly entirely truthful story about that night, he’d been cleared. The remains of the dock were evident enough that it was a ‘freak accident’ and the events lined up with vendor and civilian reports. Suspicion may have been cleared on the legal side, but that didn’t mean Karina was any less forgiving about it all, nor stop her from throwing all the blame at him. As much as Eren despised her, she had lost her son, her only child. Could he really fault her for that?

Thankfully, Eren would never have to see his ex-future mother-in-law anymore. Not if he could help it. 

Now the proud owner of the little cottage they had previously rented, Eren was slightly broke, job-searching, but… happy. 

Happy was how he felt as he washed his dishes and pots and set them to dry. Happy was the feeling that bubbled in his chest as he gathered up his things. And happy was the emotion that blossomed in his chest when the sun hit his face and sand got in his shoes. 

Down at the beach, there were just a few folks milling around and splashing in the shallows. It wasn’t a private beach, after all — just not as popular of a spot as the beach on the south side of the boardwalk. While they didn’t get the hordes of summer crowds, there were the stragglers that found their way to the rocky coast. But what could Eren say? It had its charms. 

For a majority of the afternoon, he spent it walking the short expanse of sand, toeing for shells in the waterline and occasionally slipping into the waves to cool off. Due to the rocky nature and the more aggressive tides, most of the kids didn’t go out past their waists, maybe up to their shoulders if they were feeling particularly bold before their parents called them back in, gently scolding. 

Idly, he toyed with his necklace — an old Victorian era skeleton key. It was dangling on a cord of rope around his neck and had been Levi’s gift of the week. Since the dock incident, Levi had been presenting him with little trinkets and jewelry from the belly of the sea, chirping proudly anytime Eren took them. So far, he’d gotten the key, a slightly weathered porcelain figurine, some vividly colored shells, a massive shark's tooth, and a handful of pocket change, just to name a few. Every one of them had been incredibly endearing, especially the coins. Levi had always looked so damn proud of himself whenever Eren accepted his offerings. Eren had determined that anything shiny or what Levi deemed impressive, was suitable for a gift. 

They spent nearly every day together. Sharing time with Levi was a dream — one that he hoped to never wake up from. When they were together, he felt whole. Their days consisted of nonsensical, mundane things.

Lunches where Eren always remembered to bring strawberries and where Levi hunted down little minnows and oysters for himself and would try to share, to which Eren would always respectfully decline. Days spent sunbathing together on their rock, their cheeks mushed together as they napped the hours away. Nights consisting of long talks and stargazing, their fingers intertwined as they explored each other’s mouths.

Yesterday, Levi had seemed particularly antsy, uncharacteristically zooming in happy circles when he’d dropped a pair of earrings in Eren’s hand and spied the key around his neck.

As the afternoon rolled on and the beach goers tired and left in search of showers and meals, Eren was left alone, lounging on his elbows as he overlooked the sea with the wind in his hair. Levi should show soon. He always seemed to be watching, even when Eren didn’t see him. Sure enough, once the beach was clear, Eren saw the first slip of a fin in the surf, out by their rocks. Smiling, Eren quickly slipped his shoes off and trotted out into the waterline. 

Levi remained elusive, never coming closer to the sand though. Instead, he opted to twirl in the waves and make a fuss, splashing by slamming his tail against the water, and warbling over the crash of the waves. Rolling his eyes, it was clear to Eren that Levi was in a playful mood, and that meant he was going to have to go to him. 

The swim was not nearly as bad as it previously had been. Living on the coast had forced Eren to practice his swimming skills daily, and he had to say, he had gotten much better at it. 

Out in deeper waters, Levi circled him as he swam hand over hand, guarding him and ensuring Eren’s head never slipped below the surface. The rocks were just as rough and jagged as they usually were, but Eren didn’t mind; he happily scrambled onto them, getting slapped in the face by some salt water as he did so, much to his displeasure. 

All irritation disappeared when he turned to spy Levi darting around the rock below the surface. The mer moved effortlessly, his coloring merging seamlessly with the dark waters, dancing like oil in the waves. Eren could only watch, mesmerized. Seeing Levi in action never got old. The mer was positively breathtaking — his beauty untold by word of man. No sailors' tale could hope to capture a fraction of what it entailed to be in Levi’s presence and see his beauty firsthand. Eren was hopelessly starstruck… and smitten. 

This creature from the depths had stolen his heart somewhere along the way, adding it to the ever-growing treasures in his possession. For what Levi had given him, Eren figured it was a fair trade. Even if Levi didn’t think of him in the same way, Eren was devoted to him for life, and he saw nothing to indicate Levi harbored anything less than affection and grace in return. 

Levi was strong. And admirable. And so, so smart. His quick, silver eyes and his deceiving strength. 

Eren couldn’t get enough. 

Perhaps… Perhaps he didn’t need the complications of relationships. Maybe he could be satisfied with just this. Companionship and useless pining. Just being near Levi was enough. 

…

But the longing would always be there. He wasn’t fooling himself. 

But how could he bridge that topic? He didn’t want to ruin this thing they had. Living at Levi’s side was all he could have ever wanted.

Right at that moment, Levi popped up, disturbing Eren from his thoughts, and situated himself at the edge. Immediately, it was clear something was different. Levi’s skin was tinged a deep blue hue and soft lilac dusted his cheeks. Far different from his normal pale, porcelain complexion. Deep, laborious breaths made his chest rise and fall with what looked like considerable effort, and Eren suspected it wasn’t from all his excited swimming. 

The mer twined his tail around the little island, clinging to the rocks as he looked at Eren from under his lashes, his lips parted slightly. His eyes were uncharacteristically dark and his expression almost… sultry. If Eren didn’t know any better, he’d call the way Levi looked debauched.

Those eyes bore into his sensually, making Eren feel hot all over.

“Hello, Levi,” Eren said hoarsely. The mer blinked slowly at him. Something was so different about this encounter than all their others. There was a tension in the air, like a tether line pulling taunt at a dock, threatening to give and snap.

Levi’s tail flicked through the water, mesmerizing. Eren couldn’t help but stare, especially when the delicate webbing flexed and spread to catch the sun. The mer caught him staring.

Bashfully, Levi asked, “Touch?” inclining with his head. Eren nodded dumbly, mouth open. He actually had never explored Levi’s unfamiliar tail, always remaining respectful of his space. With slow, deliberate movements, Levi crawled out of the water and over the rocks. Gently, Levi reached out and grasped Eren’s wrist, his small, delicate hand like a hot brand around him. Following the pull, Eren shifted closer, like he was in a trance. The sounds of waves were muted and nothing else seemed to exist outside of them and their island. 

Levi guided Eren’s hand to his chest, resting it just below his collar bone. He took the invitation to explore, fingertips tracing over the expanse of skin, feeling its texture and how warm the mer was. It wasn’t like normal human skin. It was tougher, clearly thick to endure the harshness of his home, but not unpleasant. Levi grasped his wrist the whole time, never pulling or moving, but just remaining with him. Keeping eye contact with Levi, he traced the short divot between his two pectorals, watching the blush spread to his nose. Eren could feel his ribcage just below, flexing with each breath. He cupped his palm to Levi’s side, feeling his flank rise and sink, before traveling up to hold the defined muscle at Levi’s chest. 

Levi’s stare poured into his eyes. His one clear, silver eye was bright and glittering, something in them that Eren couldn’t describe, but instinctively knew. Cautiously, he thumbed over his nipple, drinking in the way Levi’s breath hitched.

Slowly, Levi guided his hand lower, and Eren let him. Down the strong core of his stomach, across the valley of his hips and where it tapered into a dark tail. Eren’s hand went lower — to the very base to toy with his hip fins and then run his thumb around the seamless hem where man met fish. It was almost indistinguishable. 

Blood pounded in Eren’s veins; he hoped Levi couldn’t feel the way his pulse jumped at that contact. It was hard to tell by the quickening of the mer’s breath. The fins flared, proudly showcasing their coloration, stretching so thin and delicate, Eren had to wonder how something so beautiful and fragile could exist in such a cruel world. They were iridescent, paper thin and delicate; their beauty accentuated by the sparkling, twinkling water. 

Eren swallowed, nervous, and dared to be bold — to trail his hand lower. His fingertips glided over Levi’s tail, to where his touch so gently hinted over a swollen, prominent seam, at the base of Levi’s tail. The slit hadn’t been nearly as noticeable before. In the past, it was easy to pass over, but now, it was puffy and hot to the touch, practically weeping and begging for attention. Much of Levi was hot in general. All his skin was flushed and warm. 

The touch was a mere accident at first, but the sweet way Levi’s eyes fluttered at the contact, his airy gasp, and his body’s undulation into the slight touch, Eren knew there was no going back. The drop in his stomach was enthralling, sparking like flames. Levi gave his reactions so blatantly.

It must have been a while since he’d felt the soft touch of another — with no outside interaction besides Eren since his old pod mates. 

Eren’s eyes darted up to Levi’s. Wordlessly, a conversation passed between them — Levi looking at him through lidded, trusting eyes. Leaning forward, Eren ghosted their lips together, not quite a kiss, passing their breath together as he dipped his fingers into the parting. Levi let out a sharp, endearing little gasp. Eren’s heart fluttered in response, completely captivated by how Levi responded to even the slightest touch. The mer’s fingers clenched tight around Eren’s wrists as his eyelids fluttered. 

A haze glossed over the both of them. When Eren slid his fingers in deeper, Levi seemed to squeeze tighter around him. Inside of Levi was so warm and creamy, so undeniably soft where he was so tough all over on the outside. Eren panted into his mouth, their glossy eyes on each other, as he continued to fuck his fingers in and out. The pace was gentle, just enough to get a feel for what Levi might like. There was a prominent, sucking sound, like Levi was trying to draw him in deeper. Eren’s groin throbbed with need. 

But, as he continued, he felt something start to protrude beneath his fingertips, fleshy and tipped to a point. The flesh continued to push insistently, forcing Eren’s fingers to retreat until it slid all the way out. 

Withdrawing his fingers with some confusion, Eren finally broke their eye contact long enough to glance down and see a slimy, twitching, tentacle-like dick bulge out from between the slit and arch up into the air, twisting and searching for a warm hole. Eren couldn’t tear his eyes away. It moved and slithered as if it were sentient, shining with some sort of thick, natural lubricant.

It was surreal. Alien. 

Whatever anatomy he thought merfolk might have, it was definitely not… that. 

Suddenly, a wave of self-consciousness washed over him, not unlike a cold douse of the sea. Each limb trembled with nervousness and doubt flooded through him. Seeing that was just another blunt reminder that he and Levi were two very different species. 

There would be no going back if he really did this. 

Could he even fit that? It was like, half the size of his forearm!

Hesitantly, Eren snatched his hand back, a sudden moment of fear overshadowing him. Unable to tear his eyes away, he watched as the long, thick cock twisted and squirmed, slithering over Levi’s own tail and then back into the air.

It then came to his realization that Levi had calmly let him go, the grip slipping from his wrist with no complaint.

Levi relaxed back, scarcely breathing. He was still hazy with arousal and his eyes still lidded, skin flushed and looking utterly debauched, but he watched Eren carefully from under his fringe.

“Ok,” he breathed, not making a single movement.

Eren tried to tear his eyes away from the wriggling, tentacle-dick, but couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. His cheeks felt scorching hot — no doubt very, very red.

“No fear,” Levi told him softly, trying to subtly shift back into the water, his cock remaining out and searching. A miniscule wince passed over his face as he re-submerged in the chilly water. It must be uncomfortable, having his sensitive flesh out in the cold like that. 

Nevertheless, Levi removed his lower half from sight, leaning on his arms and simply opting to watch Eren.

Finally, blinking sharply and then shaking his head, Eren recovered. Suddenly, he realized that he froze up on Levi at the first sight of his dick; he finally looked at him again, embarrassment flooding him. 

Not the best way to react to seeing a partner's cock. 

“I–I’m sorry,” Eren began. “I didn’t mean — It’s not bad,” he tried to explain.

Levi calmly shook his head. “No want, is ok.”

The mer gave him a small, close-lipped smile. It struck Eren that Levi was trying to hide his inhuman features from him to make Eren feel better, but that just made him feel awful. He didn’t want Levi to hide himself. He didn’t want him to feel bad that they looked different. Levi was already so self-conscious about his appearance.

Eren shook his head. “No. It’s not that. I was just surprised. You don’t have to hide from me,” he reassured Levi in a soft voice.

The mer considered him with a thoughtful eye, looking him up and down. “Ok?” he asked tentatively, still not moving as he watched Eren like a hawk, waiting for him to show any indication he was uncomfortable.

This time, without hesitation, Eren nodded. “Yes. Ok,” he said, giving Levi a small smile in return.

The mer watched as Eren slowly scooted towards the water’s edge; Levi held stock still, barely moving a muscle as Eren ventured closer. Both of them felt the tension, the delicate thread between them. Eren looked down. Levi’s cock had wilted some from the temperature change and retreated halfway back into its sheath. The tip still twitched eagerly, searching despite the conditions. He felt hot all over just looking at it. He could only imagine what that would feel like inside of him. A hunger grew deep within.

After getting over his initial shock… it was exhilarating. 

“Let me help you,” he murmured. Without hesitating, he slid into the water next to Levi, settling into the calmer waters of the little outlook. 

Levi made room for him, turning his body towards Eren to expose the front half of himself by hanging onto the rock with one arm. Gulping, Eren reached out once more and caressed the mer’s exploring cock. Levi hissed sharply at the contact when Eren’s palm wrapped around him. The cock immediately hugged into Eren’s warmth, curling around his hand, and trying to wiggle into the crevices between his fingers. It almost tickled.

Eren laughed breathily.

“Are you controlling it?” he asked dumbly. 

Levi just shook his head, the breath stolen from him and unable to bite out what was surely a scathing comment. His eyes were solely trained on where he was being touched so intimately, jaw set tight. Eren could see that he was trying to restrain himself, fingertips digging into the rock as well as his own palm.

“Don’t hold back,” he whispered and tightened his fist, fucking the mer with long, deliberate strokes. His palm slid over the slick flesh, gliding easily. His skin tingled a bit, like his hand had fell asleep, but he paid it no mind, brushing it off.

Levi gave a choked off groan and fucked his hips up into the heat of Eren’s fist. The water swirled around them as the mer’s powerful tail undulated. Eren’s gaze was torn between the rippling muscles of Levi’s stomach and tail, and the slimy, slithering cock that was coaxed further from its sheath. 

It was long. Goddesses, it was so long — and girthy too. Now that it was out to its fullest extent, Eren could see how the base was the thickest and a dark, deep blue, almost black like his tail. As the color continued up the length, it lightened and changed until it was a pinky, light blue at the thin, tapered tip. Now that he had had a proper look at it, it was… pretty. Less scary.

But still intimidating. 

Did he mention it was big? He did, right?

Very big. 

Eren admired him as he stroked him, eyes flicking up on occasion to drink in the debauched, wrecked look on Levi’s face. If there was anything prettier in the world than that cock, it was Levi. And Eren was touching both. The way the mer’s lidded eyes were glued to Eren’s fingers wrapped tightly around his flesh was delicious. It sent shivers down his spine as his fist squelched along the slippery, supple length.

Right then, Eren decided Levi was even more stunningly beautiful than he first thought. Everything about him was unexpected, but never in a bad way. He looked tough as stone, but was as gentle as could be. This was truly a creature that could drag a sailor to their death. Because if Eren were to be grabbed, and held under by this perfect, lovely being, he wouldn’t fight it. Touching Levi, tasting him, was like a drug. He didn’t know if magic existed, but if it did, Levi had him completely under his spell.

Even in this vulnerable moment, Levi was truly a sight. His nipples pebbled from the chill of the water and Eren’s earlier exploration, so tempting and mouthwatering. All his torso and face were flushed that gorgeous deep hue of blue and lilac, the pattern splotchy in a way that resembled scales in some areas. Eren couldn’t help but simply watch him, transfixed. 

Breath abandoned him when Levi’s eyes fluttered shut on a particularly good stroke and the mer’s head tilted back to expose his elegant throat. On either side of his neck, the gills flared violently. That was the little warning Eren got before Levi’s tail jolted and the mer suddenly spilled in jerky spurts over his fist. 

A stuttering moan left Levi’s lips — a sound that caught at the back of his throat and was as sweet as a siren’s song. His head fell back, face upturned towards the painted sky, open-mouthed, and panting. The picture of ecstasy. 

Levi’s cock pulsed in his hand, sweetly wrapping around his thumb as the tip spurted again and again. The mer’s cum was thick and viscous, maintaining its consistency for a moment even in the sloshing water. It dripped heavily down Eren’s hand, so strangely warm, with some weight to it. Finally, after the cock stopped twitching, Eren released him and curiously inspected his coated fist. While Levi watched with dark, hungry eyes, his tongue darted out and tasted a gob of it. 

It wasn’t… bad. It was warm and just as thick as it looked. When he swallowed — Levi watching his throat the whole time — it came to sit heavy in his stomach, nearly burning. It was as if live coals were in his gut. His heart stuttered and the need in his pelvis grew. A fire burned within him, jumping and growing until it seared through his veins, threatening to boil him alive. 

And judging by the look in Levi’s eye, this was far from over.

Despite having just come, Levi looked hungrier than ever. A wild glint to his eye told Eren he was about to be utterly devoured. Quick as a serpent, Levi was on him, clawed fingers at his hips and his lips at Eren’s neck. It tickled as the mer mouthed at his skin. A few harsh nibbles made him keen and turn his head to the side, offering more of his neck. Levi only shoved his face in further, egged on by the response. Idly, the mer ground against his front as he scented at his neck. 

He coaxed Eren around to face the rock and his clawed fingers ripped his swim trunks down to his knees, exposing his ass. The key around his neck clinked against the rock. Nips at his ears and shoulders had him shivering along with the cold tip of Levi’s nose as it traced the knobs of his spine as he trailed wet kisses over his back. The freed head of Eren’s cock brushed against the unforgiving stone, sending a jolt of pleasured pain through him. The rock bit at his soft, exposed skin, but the pounding in his chest and Levi’s mouth on his skin distracted him. There was a massive sea creature at his ass — that took much more of his attention than a few scrapes. Two large and fleshy protrusions probed at his furled hole and immediately, Eren tensed up. 

What the fuck were those?  

Both of Levi’s hands were firmly curled on his waist, holding him still. So what was poking him? Why were there two?

All the nature documentaries he’d watched as a child came flooding back. Specifically, the ones on sharks. 

“You can’t go in without prep,” Eren hurriedly tried to say, squirming slightly. “I need to be stretched! I don’t self lubricate like you,” he shrilly cried. There was no way he could take a cock dry, especially not one like Levi’s. Much less two!

Levi rumbled lowly, the sound vibrating Eren’s own chest. The mer nuzzled at the back of his neck and nosed through his hair affectionately, placatingly saying, “No hurt.” 

“Feel good. Go slow.”

Eren was having none of it, still trying to move away. The mer was solid as a rock wall. “No! Levi, you can’t just shove in like that, wait just a —”

His voice choked off when Levi suddenly bit down on the back of Eren’s neck, pulling the skin gently between his razor sharp teeth. It wasn’t harsh enough to break the skin, but the prick of the points of Levi’s teeth were more than enough warning. Eren had to remind himself that as civil and smart as Levi was, he was wild. Levi purred and rocked his hips against Eren’s ass. The fleshy, slimy, squirming things bumped up against his hole and Eren’s heart seized, fear squeezing it like a vice. As terrifying as this whole situation was, he couldn’t deny how hot it was and that the idea of public sex with a very horny merman didn’t turn him on. His cock remained rock hard, throbbing in the cold ocean waters.

Slowly, as the mer continued to steadily rock into him, hips brushing against the curve of Eren’s backside, it came to Eren’s attention that his hole and the surrounding flesh that made contact with the cocks began to tingle, then go numb. Sort of like the palm of his hand, which had stopped its fuzziness a little while after the waves had washed it clean.

More confused now than scared, Eren’s panic slowly dissipated and he experimentally pushed back into Levi’s next careful roll. The mer moaned in appreciation around his hold and pushed deep against him and held himself there, fully seated up against Eren’s back. There was a pressure against Eren’s hole and he could feel things squirming and straining at his rim, but it didn't hurt. Levi jerked his hips forward, pressing harder.

All of the sudden, his rim gave to one of the searching tentacles and it popped in, slowly easing into Eren’s tight passage and spearing him open. Eren half-screamed, half-moaned as it eased in. 

It wasn’t painful, but it slipped inside so right. He was impossibly full, stretching wide around this wiggling intrusion. As it went deeper, Eren’s rim and insides began to go fully numb — a curious tingling sensation that eased any expected pain. Realizing that this is what Levi meant, Eren tentatively allowed himself to relax, going limp against the rocks and submitting to the mer’s hold on his neck and hips. All he could do was gasp and moan as the mer’s cock cut a path inside of him.

Feeling his mate relax and accept him, the mer released his bite hold and returned to his comforting purring and rubbed his face against Eren’s neck.

“Good mate,” he throatily purred, voice deep and raw. “Feel good,” he slurred as he fucked in deeper. 

Eren could barely make a sound as it slid impossibly deeper. His mouth hung open and his eyes pinched shut. Levi’s cock was so far up inside of him, it felt like he couldn't breathe. The mer seated himself close, draping over Eren’s back before pulling back and lightly thrusting. It forced the air from Eren’s lungs and he squeaked out an embarrassing, high-pitched noise of pleasure. Levi took it as a good sign and purred his praises as he slowly worked himself over Eren’s body.

“Good mate,” he praised again. He pressed soft, fluttering kisses to the side of Eren’s neck, mumbling into his skin, “Pretty, kind mate. Very good for me.”

Even the broken praise made Eren flush. Levi could barely speak English, but he was doing his very best to ensure Eren knew how pleased he was with him. That was more than Reiner ever did. 

At the thought of his ex, Eren choked on a moan. In just the first few minutes, sex with Levi was far more exhilarating than anything else Eren had ever experienced. 

“More,” he babbled incoherently, pushing back against the mer’s gentle thrusts. “More, more, more,” he chanted. He was woozy on pleasure, pinned and fucked full. The weight on his back was heavenly. He wanted everything. He wanted Levi to fuck him good and hard, connecting in a way they never had before. 

Levi chuckled against his back, and slyly grinned. 

“Yes, mate. Give you more. Wait. It come.”

Eren drooled onto the rocks, spit combining with the little puddle of sea water in one of the dips. His fingers dug desperately into the cruel stone, wishing nothing more than to bury them into Levi’s midnight hair and pull on it to encourage the mer to fuck him deeper, harder. Pure bliss coursed through him as the mer’s twisting, curious cock pushed against all the spots inside of him that he never even knew existed. The way it moved and undulated in time with the mer’s tail had his eyes crossing from the pleasure. He could barely keep his head up. Every limb turned to jelly and his legs shook, twisted up in his shorts. 

Levi gently took his scruff back into his mouth to hold his head up, so as to ensure Eren wasn’t scraping his face upon the sharp rock. Eren could barely hold back the debauched, heated noises leaving his mouth. They were unholy and sinful. And loud. Gods, he hoped no one lingered on the beach to hear him screaming like a bitch in heat. 

Levi gleefully fucked him harder, pride evident in his purrs and the forceful slam of his hips. His key rattled against the rock with every thrust.  

As the twisting, squirming thing buried itself even further, Eren lost himself even more. The air was forced out of him with every jolt, Levi fucking into him with vigor, hips slapping into him roughly. He was being mounted like an animal and his cock throbbed hotly at the thought. 

The other protrusion, neglected but not forgotten, squirmed and prodded at his hole. Its desperate attempts to get inside too caused the numbing-tingling goo to be smeared all around Eren’s puffy rim, currently stretched wide on Levi’s first cock. The mer growled lowly, suddenly releasing his hold on Eren’s hips to encircle his mate’s body, holding him close to his chest and effectively leaning all his weight on Eren’s back. His arms caged Eren in, holding him in a tight grip while also taking some of the bite of the rocks off Eren’s chest and onto his own forearms.

The mer’s second cock slowly speared past his rim as the muscle laxed under the properties of the mer’s mating techniques. Slowly, it wormed inside, as equally lively and twisting as the first, but stopped short, reaching its full length just at the right spot to nudge against his prostate. Eren gave an inhuman screech as it teased the spot. The shorter dick played with the most sensitive spot inside of him while the longer one fucked into him to the hilt. Levi was relentless. His body undulated over top of Eren, his cocks reaching deep inside of Eren and ripping mind-numbing pleasure from his body. 

That dark, inky tail curled around one of Eren’s legs, possessively holding onto him further. 

Completely at the mercy of the mer’s hold, Eren’s toes curled and his legs shook as the mer mated him, his neck constantly held delicately between the mer’s teeth. Despite the rough conditions, Levi treated him like the most valuable treasure while also brutalizing his insides in the most magnificent way. The wriggling, shorter dick squirmed and searched, rubbing and jabbing at his nerves deliciously. Eren could not imagine a more perfect thing. Levi’s grunts grew desperate as well, his muffled cries growing higher and his thrusts growing shorter until he hilted himself one final time inside Eren, keeping that delicious, steady pressure on Eren’s prostate until Eren was coming as well, spilling into the water in long, hot spurts. 

The mer ground into him, a rumbling vibration traveling through Eren’s back from Levi’s chest. Then there was pressure. Eren shivered under the mer’s heavy bulk, flattened to the rock with no energy to move himself. The distant pressure grew and grew until Levi was seated firmly inside Eren, just on the cusp of being uncomfortable, rim stretched wide and straining.

It took a moment before Eren could find the words to speak, before finally shifting below Levi and finding himself stuck, mumbling a groggy, “Wha —?”

Levi released his scruff hold and nuzzled into Eren’s cheek, blinking slowly and still rumbling. 

The mer’s voice was raw with lust and completion when he spoke, tone breathy and sated. 

“Good mate,” he rumbled, shallowly humping into Eren’s ass. His breath tickled his ear and ruffled his hair. “Knot. Take knot well.”

Knot?!  

Eren didn’t say anything, just moaned. Goddesses, the mer was stuck inside of him. The image of his own hole stretched wide on two squirming cocks and then plugged up with a swollen gland made him almost lose it a second time. 

“Hah, Levi,” he panted when the mer contorted overtop of him and he felt another hot squirt of cum deep inside of him. Levi rumbled in his ear, then moaned as well.

“Mate,” he said breathlessly, humping into him. “My pretty, kind mate.”

Eren nodded sloppily, their cheeks brushing. “Yes,” he slurred in pleasure, “yours.”

Eren lost track of time, unknowing how long he remained pinned beneath the mer, fucked wide and full on those thick, eager cocks. Even after coming, the twisting appendages remained alive and searching inside of Eren, unintentionally pushing him over the edge again and again, until finally, he could do nothing but jolt and shake as he came with pathetic dribbles into the salty ocean, eyes rolling back into his head and his mouth hanging open.

The mer continuously pumped him full, until his belly started to swell with the sheer amount. Even then, Levi stayed sheathed inside, nuzzling him affectionately and nipping at the tips of his ears, the nape of his neck, and his shoulders. No doubt, he skin would be littered with an array of possessive marks come tomorrow.

Finally, after what seemed to be blissful eternity, the pressure at Eren’s entrance lessened and the mer slithered free, slipping out and off of Eren’s body. The lack of heat against Eren’s back made him shiver and he dazedly remained bent over the rocks, breathing heavily. He glanced behind himself to see Levi blinking lidded, hazy eyes at him, sated and quite pleased with himself. 

“Holy fuck,” Eren croaked, his tongue heavy and his throat raw from screeching and keening like an animal being bred in heat. Perhaps that was exactly what he was to Levi. Cum oozed from his wrecked, abused hole, stretched so wide, it couldn’t possibly hope to keep its contents inside. Levi’s eyes fixated on the dribbling mess, adoration painting his features. He swam up behind Eren and thumbed his hole open further, admiring. Eren squirmed at his wrecked hole being so intimately examined, despite it being Levi that left him like this, blushing furiously. 

He half-heartedly kicked at the mer. “Quit that,” he muttered, shaking the mer off and dropping into the water where he hissed at the cold and the sting of salt against his scrapes. Levi twined around him and lapped at his skin apologetically with his slimy tongue, soothing away the sting of the scrapes. 

“Levi?” He asked tentatively as they bobbed in the water, safe in Levi’s arms.

“Hmm?” The mer responded, eyes closed in bliss as they floated together in the waves, his soothing, lapping tongue continuing. 

“We’re mates?”

Levi hummed, pausing his grooming long enough to nuzzle under Eren’s ear and inhale.

“Yes,” he breathed. “For life. My heart. My mate.” He pressed a soft kiss to Eren’s jaw, then his cheek.

It was daunting — to be mated to a sea creature for the rest of his life — but already, Eren could feel the bond sparking to life inside his chest. A hole he didn’t realize was there, was filling. Levi’s presence clicked into place, two halves of a whole finding each other. That thread of fate going taut as it all fell in line. Perhaps there was a reason for Eren's stubbornness. Maybe there was a reason he fought so hard to have this trip, to go outside of the usual. There was a method to the madness, a reason for the uncertainty. All was leading him here, to Levi. The ocean had called for him, pulling him to this exact spot, and he had answered. The tension of the past few months lifted, as if a massive burden had been removed from his shoulders. 

In the ocean, Eren was weightless and untethered. Nothing held him back anymore. Levi’s arms around him weren’t a cage, but a gentle embrace, a safety net against the raging world around them.

And should the ocean take him from his lover's arms, he knew Levi would find him again: the bond in their chests warming them and connecting them. Home was never far as long as he felt that gentle pull in his chest.

Now, the previous chaos and confusion of his life was gone. It was peaceful now. Life could continue as it should. In a place where he was happy and where he had a bonded mate that adored him, and he, him. Eren snuggled back into his mer, sighing happily. 

“Think strawberry with you,” he whispered.

Levi’s body shook around him with clicking laughter, the sides of his eyes crinkling with affection.

“Yes,” he agreed, nuzzling into him. “You my happiness, my mate.”

“My mate,” Eren repeated. “My heart.”

Levi’s rolling purrs lulled him into a peaceful, weightless state as the drone of the waves continued on.