Archive of Our Own ^beta

II walks into the tank enclosure, a platter of mussels and clams in his hands. 

It’s quiet, the aquarium part of the building is closed for the day. 

But, one very happy creature is whizzing around his tank, chirping and singing happily as his long, grey tail projects him through the water. 

III . 

II smiles at his big fish. Mers can’t talk like humans, but III’s learned sign language to speak with II. “Hey, bud,” II says as he climbs the ladder to the mers platform over his enclosure. 

III chirps happily, swimming in even tighter little circles. It’s his II! II is the best human! 

II loves this mer. He is such a lovely creature. III was found at a young age, hurt and barely alive out in the ocean. He was brought into the institute and raised in an enclosure, but the worry of him returning to the wild is too high, as he has grown in this space.

II doesn’t want him to feel trapped, but he can’t bear something happening to III out there. 

“Good boy,” II praises as he has the bucket of ice water, filled with small fish. III chirps and swims in a happy circle before swimming up and opening his mouth for his treats. His big eyes are trained on II, and the biologist reaches down to scratch at III’s sopping wet hair. 

“Sup II and Fish boy.” 

II glances up as their diver, Keegan, comes over to sit on the platform with them. He waves at III and signs Good morning.  

III bops Keegan as a hello before swimming around his enclosure, humming and blowing bubbles to give him something to poke at. 

This isn’t his usual tank. It’s being cleaned, he can see it from the other side. He swims up to the glass, pressing his face against the temporary space, and clicks his tongue in disappointment. He doesn’t like this spot. 

But, across the plane of glass on the other side of the aquarium, III sees his enclosure being worked on, draped in fabric to keep it from view. 

“III, I have something to tell you…” II says, and the mer immediately swims up, curious. 

Words can get lost sometimes in III’s brain so sign language can be easier. II frowns, and begins signing. “Now, III– we’re getting new mers.” 

III looks horrified . New mers?! 

The only ones he remembers from his time in the wild were violent aggressive and terrifying. No no, they can't do this! 

II continues, trying to calm him. *They’re injured, just like you, III. One was on a fishing boat as a prize…they’ll need help adjusting. We’re going to have your tank defined so you can get used to each other, you’ll still have all of your things. Your rocks and hiding holes and little cave…*

III whines unhappily, swimming in frantic circles. 

No! New mers means sharing II! He won’t do it! 

“This is going well…” Keegan winces. 

“III… please be nice to Vessel and IV. We’re going to be swimming with them tomorrow in the same tank. I’ll be on the divide with you, and then on the other side. We have to try III,” II signs optimistically. 

III looks horrified. 

What!? 

No! He doesn’t want to swim with these two! 

Keegan chuckles and signs. “Sorry, big guy. It’s happening.”

III slaps his tail so hard, that Keegan is splashed in the face with a wave of water that nearly knocks him off the platform. 

Keegan sputters as he crashes down on the platform and II quickly frowns. “Hey! No splashing!” II reminds him. 

III is already swimming down to the little cave in the enclosure, pouting already, as he hides himself in the artificial enclosure. 

Keegan sits up, spitting water out at II, and shakes his head like a dog. “You might want to hang out with him tonight. Your sleeping bag is in the cabinet. I’m going to check on the other two,” he tells II and leaves. 

II sighs and agrees. The aquarium is closing soon anyway, and II has been known to frequent and just sleep there if III is in a mood and needs extra attention. 

II sighs and walks to wash up in the bathroom, giving III some space before he comes back. He really thinks this will be a good thing for III, to socialize with the other mers they rescued. 

II brushes his teeth and washes his face quickly, before changing into his big, oversized shirt and boxers. He waves at the security guards leaving, before he gets back up to the platform, setting up on the metal grate. It’s not comfy, but he loves to sleep close to III. 

He lays down with a sigh, scrolling his phone for a while, until he hears the sloshing of water. When he turns, he sees two angry little eyes staring at him. 

“Hey, buddy,” he says to III. 

III slides over to III, holding a hand out, to see if III wants to take it. For a second, III just stares at it angrily. Huh, maybe III is still angry at him… he should give him space. 

II smiles. “It’s okay,” he tells III before beginning to slide away. But III whines when II tries to get up. Then, two, strong arms are wrapped around him before he can protest. III buries his face against II’s belly and nuzzles into it. 

II wiggles until he can shove his arms between their chests, just enough so he can cup III’s face in his palms. The mer trills at the touch, immediately residing the weight of his head in II’s tender hold. 

II is always soft with III. It’s not… it doesn’t mean anything. Not like II could have feelings for a mer… it’s just he loves his III. 

III’s tongue flicks out to lick at the heel of II’s hand, dipping low to brush against the raised veins and skin of his wrist. “Forgive me?”’ II chuckles as III then judges at his thighs. II immediately unfurls his legs. The space is immediately taken up by III. III always likes sitting like this with II.

When they’re close like this, II can sense how tiny he is next to the mer. II is small anyway, he always has been, even by human standards. But next to III, he’s very, very tiny. 

III leans in and taps the tip of his nose to II’s. The mer’s eyelids droop. He whines a bit, as if he’s upset he put himself in timeout and didn’t spend every chance with II that he could.  

‘ Kiss…’ III signs against II’s chest. The biologist has to pull back enough to see him sign it again, before III presses his palm into the soft cotton of II’s shirt, and balls up the fabric.

II feels a bit of a crisis of consciousness since he really… really shouldn’t do that. 

But III spent so long isolated, never having any positive touch, that II sometimes kisses him when they’re hidden from public view. 

II softly presses his lips against III’s, stroking the mers wet hair fondly. 

“Okay, only one.” He reminds III. 

III trills happily and seems much happier with his bedtime kiss, and goes back to his little cave to sleep. 

Ooo

When II awakes tomorrow, it’s to a loud noise. 

Keegan has returned to the other side of the aquarium, where he grins at II who pouts with his puffy little face and bedhead. 

“Morning. Look who I moved in today,” he says before tugging the sheet off the glass tank. III has also swum out from his little nest, eyes big as he stares at the new tank mates. 

It’s two beautiful mers. One is huge , with a long black tail, green, sparkly scales, and dark hair. He has a big cut stitched up on the side of his tail, and he smiles happily at III, trilling and chirping. 

The other is smaller, rounder, with a blue sparkly tail and big blue eyes, just like III’s. His face is scarred, like he was caught in the propeller of a boat, but is healing. 

Both mers swim in happy circles at III, clearly wanting to socialize and meet him. 

II smiles down at his big fish, who is finally swimming up and doesn’t seem quite as scared as before. 

This is going to work out, he thinks. 

An hour later, II and Keegan are changed into their diving gear, and III is being led through the underground tunnels into his familiar tank. Still separated by a plane of glass, III quickly swims up, hands on it while the other two quickly swim over. 

II dives into III’s side, gently petting his head as the excited mer swims in circles. Keegan is on the other side, blowing bubbles through his regulator for IV and Vessel to play with, while they wait to be introduced to III. 

II taps III’s head in the water, before pointing at the big mer. “ That’s Vessel.” He tells III, then points at the little one. “And that’s IV.”

III happily puts his hand on the glass, and Vessel quickly swims up, putting his hand on the other side of the glass. Vessel even rubs his forehead against the glass, like he is touching III’s forehead. 

IV comes up behind him, whining impatiently. He seems to want to be with III already. Unlike III who is scared of his own kind, IV and Vessel seem to be far more instinctual drawn to III, which is definitely rubbing off on III already. 

Once the mers are more acclimatized to the water, spending more time together without any fighting, the glass plane is lifted.  

Vessel swims under the opening right away, already swimming up to finally greet III in real life. They swim around each other, chirping happily to each other, even blowing bubbles. A little pack already.  

IV is more hesitant, but with some coaxing from Keegan and II, he swims right up to III like a little puppy. III pets him right away, before swimming down to get them some seashells. 

II smiles at the sight. 

He knew this would work out.

And now, he has a very happy big mer.