Blood [m/m]

"He's gone, y'know. So quit pining over him already."

Evir'yn pushed past, angry footsteps taking him back to the water. His webbed toes sank into the sand, cool water lapping at them. Tik'ara, predictably, followed him, before unexpectedly grabbing his arm and pulling him around. Evi let out a surprised grunt when he was shoved against the wall of rock that jutted out into the lake, sharp edges scraping against his bright green scales. 

"Don't, Tika," he said quietly, voice edging on a growl. "Just because he's gone doesn't mean I'm yours."

Tika slid his leg between Evi's. "Why not?" He pressed harder, making Evi bite his lip. "Got someone else in mind?"

For a second, just a brief second, Evi considered just giving up, but then reason took hold and he shoved Tika back, feeling the warmth of satisfaction when Tika hit the ground.

"Don't touch me." His foot dug into the sand as he turned and ran the rest of the way to the water. As soon as he was submerged, his body rippled, legs fusing into a tail and gills flaring. The lake was cool, dark, and a welcome reprieve from the hot sun. How could Sereysh'n stand living on land with that...that human?

He barely dodged a school of bass, snagging one in his temper and tearing into its wriggling body with his sharp teeth. Watery blood filled his mouth, and he dove into the thick weeds. Fuck Ser and fuck Tika.

Evi eventually reached a dark tunnel along the shoreline and squirmed through, coming up in a shallow cave. He folded his arms on the ledge and buried his face against his fists. He was not going to be forced into a mating, no matter how Tika pushed.

***

Evi lay on his back in the shallow water, squinting up at the cloudy sky. He was waiting for the rain.

"This is getting unhealthy, Evi."

He closed his eyes. "What would you know about unhealthy?"

"This is different."

Evi hummed, but said nothing. He heard Tika sigh, and then there was splashing and hands slid up his torso to rest on his chest. Evi opened his eyes, staring up into Tika's sharply angled face. His brown hair was plastered to his neck, lighter above water.

"Get off me," Evi muttered. He twisted around to his stomach and raised himself up on his elbows, but a hand pressed in the middle of his back. His webbed fingers dug into the sand as he was pushed back down.

Sharp teeth nipped the back of his neck, and a soft voice repeated, "This is different."

Evi didn't think so, a thought which was quickly verified when Tika sank his teeth into Evi's shoulder. Letting out a furious yell, Evi twisted and threw him off, before lunging into deeper water. He shot down into the thick weeds and headed for his cave. The fucker had tried to mark him!

Schools of fish scattered before him as he shot through the water, weaving around logs and rotting boats. The opening to the tunnel was just up ahead -

A hand wrapped around his arm and yanked him back. He was slammed against a boulder, a pained cry escaping him, before his chin was roughly grabbed. Tika pressed close, one bent arm pressing against the rock next to Evi's head.

"Stop running away," Tika hissed, tightening his grip on Evi's chin. "Just because Sereysh'n doesn't love you, you're gonna ignore everyone else? Live the rest of your life without a mate?"

"And what's wrong with that?" Evi snarled, baring his sharp teeth. 

Tika's mouth thinned, and Evi thought he might have looked worried for a moment. "So you'll just spend the rest of your life being miserable?"

"Yes."

Tika stared at him, and this time, he knew he recognised the disbelief. Then Tika shook his head, and disbelief was replaced with anger. However, instead of saying anything, he moved his grip to the back of Evi's neck and kissed him. His lips forced Evi's to part, teeth catching skin, and then his tongue was in Evi's mouth, dominating. 

Evi had always been weak against Tika.

There were no illusions of intimacy to their meeting. Breaking off the kiss, Tika grabbed Evi's arm and spun him around to pin him face-first to the boulder. Gills flaring from adrenaline (excitement), Evi bit his lip and pressed his forehead against his folded arms.

Tika pushed into him with a low growl. The sudden stretch was uncomfortable, but Evi was too used to it to feel much pain. And although he'd never admit it to Tika, Evi loved the feeling of having him inside.

As Tika slid in slow and deep, Evi pressed back against him with a low moan. His tail cut through the water, writhing where his body could not, before twisting around Tika's. Tika made a happy sound at that, but Evi didn't care if Tika misinterpreted his actions.

And then Tika's teeth were biting into his neck, deeper than they had in his shoulder, and Evi let out a hoarse, angry cry.

"You bastard!" Evi screamed, thrashing against him, but Tika grabbed his wrists and merely thrust in harder.

Evi whimpered when he felt skin tear, but then pleasure flooded him and warped the sound into a moan. His body jerked and squirmed beneath Tika's, and as Tika's teeth ripped through muscle, Evi came with a stuttered curse.

Evi clung to the slippery boulder, shivering and twitching, because Tika was still rending through each layer of muscle, the cloud of blood growing and growing - 

With a strangled yell, Evi drove his elbow into Tika's ribs and twisted away. He shoved himself away from the boulder and awkwardly swam through the murky water, ignoring Tika's shouts. More than once, he got tangled in the weeds and went crashing into logs, earning confused looks from passing mer. The terrifying thought that he was being followed put through his addled brain, but when he finally managed to struggle through the tunnel into his secret cave, he was alone.

Breaking the surface of the water, Evi panted and grabbed the stone ledge, wide eyes fixed on the cave wall in front of him - and abruptly started sobbing.

Just like that, Tika had claimed him.

***

The constant tug of the connection was an annoyance, but Evi quickly learned to ignore it. It proved useful for avoiding Tika, due to a more insistent tugging whenever they were close. At least, it worked well for a little while.

Evi had started frequenting another beach where mers rarely visited, but he always returned to his secret cave. Tika had never been able to find it before, but with their new connection, it was only a matter of time.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

Breathing in the air of the cave, Evi shoved back his wet hair and glared. Tika was leaning against the wall with his elbows propped on the ledge, everything below his lean chest still below water. Evi briefly considered swimming away, but he was tired of the avoidance. Instead, he sighed and put as much distance between them as possible - a difficult task, considering the small size of the cave.

"Why do you think, Tika?" Evi moved his hair out of the way and pointed an accusing finger at the scars on his throat - scars that should not have been there. 

"Really?" Tika pushed away from the wall. "Evi, it was only a matter of time before someone else wanted you for a mate." He had the audacity to look as though he'd done nothing wrong. 

Which made Evi's already thin patience snap.

"Are you fucking with me?!" Evi shot toward him and slammed him against the wall. Tika yelped. "That is not how this works, Tika! Just because you think we should be mates doesn't mean you force it!"

Tika's nostrils flared as he glowered at Evi through his hair, but he didn't try to push him away. "I didn't force anything. Before Sereysh'n, you said we'd - "

"We were kids, Tika! No one keeps promises they made as a kid!" 

"I do!" Tika yelled, face contorting. "I made that promise because I meant it! Just because you're a lying bastard doesn't - " He broke off with a gasp when Evi fisted a hand in his hair.

"Don't," Evi hissed. "I grew up and moved on to someone better."

For a moment, Tika looked shocked - and then his face twisted into something ugly. "Better? Someone who never loved you? Someone who left you?" Suddenly, his eyes watered, and he screamed, "He never wanted you, Evi'ryn!"

His voice echoed around the cave, and Evi stared for a long time, speechless. Tika never broke eye contact, even as tears started slipping down his face, and Evi found he couldn't look away. Anger and bitterness twisted his stomach and stung his throat. Of course Sereysh'n had never wanted him. 

Evi swallowed hard and bared his sharp teeth in mirthless grin. "And you're different, right, Ti'kara? You'll make everything perfect? I'll never be unhappy again?" He tightened his grip on Tika's hair, earning another gasp. "Because there's a great deal you don't know about me."

Before Tika could reply, Evi crushed their mouths together. Tika jerked in surprise, but Evi used his body to hold Tika's still. Their tails twisted around each other, scales sliding and catching. Tika opened his mouth with a shudder, and Evi released his hair - but grabbed and pinned Tika's wrists to the wall above his head before he could take control. 

Tika whimpered and arched against him, making the water splash against the ledge. Evi was already getting hard, and now he wanted blood. Mouth watering, he closed his eyes and bit down. Tika made a pained sound, but then moaned when Evi drew his tongue into his mouth and sucked. The taste of blood made Evi's erection - and sudden desperation - grow. Without a second thought, he grabbed Tika by the waist with one hand and pressed their hips close enough for a long, hard rut.

Tika suddenly twisted his head away, and begged, "Evi, please."

Evi ignored him.

Next were Tika's lips, left bleeding and swollen, and then his throat. Remembering the feeling of his own skin being torn away, Evi was tempted to return the favour while his teeth were on Tika's throat - but something better lay ahead. 
Evi quickly replaced his mouth with his hand and stretched Tika's arm out to the side - and sank his teeth into Tika's shoulder. 

"Ah, fuck!" Tika groaned and writhed against him, fighting against Evi's grip. Scales crunched and were torn away to reveal creamy fat, which Evi sucked up, before digging deeper into glistening muscle. Blood dripped into the water. "E-Evi..."

Evi slid his hand from Tika's throat to his cock, nails tracing it teasingly. Tika bucked into his hand, and Evi tore away a mouthful of muscle, groaning as it practically melted on his tongue. He swallowed and went for more, thumb circling the head of Tika's cock. He stroked and ate, listening to Tika pant and groan and repeat his name. 

It was intoxicating.

With a quick move back and a yank around, Tika was facing the wall, ribs digging in to the ledge - not that he seemed to mind. Evi took a moment to nuzzle the back of his neck, nipping at the small scales there, before sliding that bloody mouth down to the ravaged shoulder. Tika jerked when more scales, fat, muscle were torn away, and ground back against Evi as it was all swallowed and savoured.

Clinging to him, Evi scratched his nails up and down Tika's stomach. He wanted him so badly. Had it ever been like this before? Was it because they were now mated?

Evi bit his lip in an attempt to get control of himself - but he could smell the blood, could hear Tika begging him to just please keep going PLEASE, and -

Unable to stop himself, Evi hoisted Tika higher and thrust in.

Tika gasped, body bowing as much as it could against the wall, and tried to find purchase on the slippery rock with his fingers. Too overwhelmed by everything, Evi remained still, before finally, slowly, rocking his hips. He nuzzled the bleeding edges of Tika's wound, slurping up stray fat, and then opened his mouth wide and closed it around Tika's shoulder capsule. Tendons snapped between his teeth, as he wrapped his hand around Tika's upper arm and pulled.

Tika came with a scream when the bone popped out of its socket, muscles tightening enough to make it difficult for Evi not to follow. Blood sprayed, coating Evi's face and chest, before slowing to a gush that dyed the already tainted water. Evi licked his lips, before sealing his mouth against the wound and letting the blood slip down his throat instead.

It tasted so much better than before. 

Tika slumped against the wall, already growing hard again, as Evi slowly ate the meat from one white bone. 

"E-Evi..." With a harsh breath, Tika pushed back against him. But when Evi didn't move, Tika growled and balanced himself against the wall, before snapping his hips forward, then back, again and again.

Choking on a surprised moan, Evi swallowed another bit of muscle, and then wrapped his arm tightly around Tika's waist, allowing him to keep control. Before long, Evi was digging his nails into Tika's hard stomach as he came, voice muffled against what remained of Tika's shoulder.

Evi blinked hard and pulled out, earning an annoyed growl from Tika. "I'm still hard, you bastard!"

Licking his lips, Evi glanced at the limp, partly stripped arm in his hand - and smiled. "I know."

Evi suddenly released Tika's waist and sank lower in the water, slapping a hand in the middle of Tika's back to keep him pinned. The arm collided with the wall hard enough to snap useless fingers, before being positioned at Tika's hole. The bone was bright through the stained water.

Evi pushed.

It was a tight fit, achieved with careful hooking and twisting. Tika screamed and bucked, and Evi was no longer sure if it was pain or pleasure, but he didn't stop. The bone sank deeper and deeper, until shredded muscle pressed against amber-brown scale. 

Twisting his tail tighter around Tika's, Evi slid the bone out, and then shoved it back in. Tika yelled.

The limp hand slapped against their tails with every thrust of the bone, and Evi's nails dug through the flesh of the arm. Tika, noisier than usual, clung to the ledge and rolled his hips as much as he could, but Evi kept him pinned.

The bone continued to slide in and out of Tika, the rest of the arm swinging through the water. Evi pressed himself against Tika and twisted the bone, adjusted the angle -

Tika's voice cracked on a long whine as he came again.

Only when Tika's muscles relaxed did Evi carefully remove the arm. He contemplated it for a moment, the broken fingers and torn tissue, before letting it sink to the bottom of the cave. He was tired, calmer - even though his heart would not stop pounding in his ears. Sliding his hand down Tika's trembling back, Evi moved back to let him slide deeper into the water. Tika twisted around and stared at Evi with glazed eyes. Evi stared back, unsure what to do.

And then Tika grinned and grabbed Evi with his remaining arm. They clung to each other, the scent of blood heavy and intoxicating. Evi traced the scales along Tika's spine and closed his eyes.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.