Yuri is a natare. A mermaid. He knows how to follow the rules that keep his kind safe. So why does a human dancer named Victor makes him feel like breaking all of them?
He'd been hiding from his fingerling class in the storage cave after they had asked him about what happened to his family and Yuri couldn't answer.
It was unusual for natare to have pictures of humans. Not only because they didn't last long in the water, but because the elders had placed a rule the forbid keeping the images of humans unless they were for educational purposes.
Yuri had found the image hidden in the back of the cave. Tucked between other things that had been deemed useless.
In the picture, a male and female human pressed their lips together. He remembered looking at it for a long time for some reason. To the point where he had confided in Yuko that he had seen it and wondered if she knew what it meant. She just gave him a stern warning about looking for things that were not allowed, and reassured him that humans just had weird human customs.
Yuri had always wondered about those weird customs, and the image had never really left his memory.
So when Victor's lips touched his, he didn't know what it meant. He only felt the pleasant warmth intensify, as if the fire consumed him from the inside out. It was merely a brush, a lingering touch, but Yuri felt like his world was in that moment.
Victor broke apart and swam up, leading the natare along with him, not letting go of Yuri's hands. He took a deep gasp when he broke the surface, then leaned on Yuri for support as he tried to catch his breath. "That was my limit," he murmured. "Too bad."
Yuri watched him in silence, still feeling the burn on his lips, wondering what type of human custom was this? Because he wanted to do it again. He wanted to do it many more times.
Yuri didn't realized he'd been closing the space between them again until Victor turned to look at him and placed a finger on his lips. "This is dangerous," he whispered to the water.
Yuri pressed his lips against the finger. "Dangerous?"
Victor smiled ruefully. "Your lips are warm now." He ignored the question. "They were cold in the water."
"Natare are cold."
"They got warmer after I touch you."
"Yes," Yuri breathe and leaned forward again.
Victor pulled back, placing his hands on Yuri's shoulders pushing slightly away. "I shouldn't have kissed you."
Kiss... Yuri thought. That's what the custom was called.
"Why not?"
"Because," Victor started, but no more words left his lips. He sighed, stopped touching the natare, and started swimming towards the rocky shore.
Yuri followed silently by his side, yearning to touch again. After a minute Victor reached a rock bed below the arch that was a foot under water and sat on it. Yuri didn't even ask before pushing his body atop the rock next to him. "Why not?" he asked again. His finger ran over Victor's hand under the water. "Why is it dangerous?"
Victor eyes turned towards the open water. "I heard a boat."
Yuri glanced sideways to see what Victor was looking at, but here was nothing there, just the endless blue. "I don't see it," Yuri said.
"It's gone or I imagined it." The feeling of Victor's fingers on his cheek claimed Yuri's attention back to the human. "Either way it made me realize that this is just a brief moment. Sooner or later a boat will appear and I will get on it."
Victor's words felt like a cut. Yuri didn't want to imagine Victor gone, but he understood. Deep down he understood and knew it was true. That this was indeed just a moment between them. A moment that would come and that would end. He couldn't stay here forever either, this wasn't his home... Fingertips gently rubbed his cheek, so the natare leaned into the touch, kissing Victor's fingers. "Even if it's just for a moment," Yuri felt like his voice had a will of its own. "I want another one," he said unabashed. "Another kiss." He tried closing the distance between them. Victor moved back, avoiding the connection.
Yuri pressed his lips against Victor's shoulder, the spot he could reach. His fin swayed in the water.
"Yuriiii," Victor half whined. "I'm only human."
Human. Yes. Yuri thought, pressing his palm against Victor's chest, feeling the heartbeat underneath. Hand sliding up following the pulse to his neck. My human.
Yuri closed in and nuzzled his nose against Victor's collar bone. "I still want another one," he insisted.
"You are..." Victor's hand fell on Yuri's shoulder. "I'm human," he heard Victor whispered, but it sounded far away like it didn't matter. Yuri nibbled up Victor's neck. His thoughts all over the place.
Warm... warm...
What am I doing?
Mine. Yours.
If a human ever discovers us...
Human. Human.
Natare.
Yuri whimpered as he closed the gap and pressed a kiss on Victor's cheek. His fingers tracing down until they touched firm hips. He felt soft fingers run through his wet hair.
Victor took a deep breath. "Fuck it," he said, and grabbed Yuri's face kissing him hard.
The warmth became fire. Yuri let the thoughts drift away from his mind. Not wanting to think. This kiss was like nothing he'd ever felt and he'd felt many things. Love, loss, loneliness, fear, confusion, want, joy. Most of the things he remembered feeling where things he'd rather forget. But not this. No matter what happened he knew that he would never forget this. That Victor would forever steal a part of him. Be a part of his memories. A part of his heart.
He would never regret saving Victor.
Victor made a noise deep down his throat and Yuri opened his mouth allowing for more.
They broke apart when the need for air became a burden. "Wow," Victor murmured against Yuri's lips.
Yuri had a second to clear his head. "What happened?"
"Something amazing," Victor spoke softly. Yuri could feel the hints of bliss underneath and smiled.
They kissed again and again, until Yuri forgot why they shouldn't in the first place.
They kissed until the natare's skin was dry and he felt the warmth all over his body.
They kissed until the sun had shifted and Victor's stomach rumbled with hunger.
"I'll get some more fish," Yuri said when they next broke apart. Victor laughed. Yuri echoed the noise, rubbing his nose against the human's before moving to leave.
Victor snatched his arm before he could go. "Wait," the human glanced around as if relocating himself. "Come. I want to show you something," he nodded towards the shore before diving in the water.
Yuri followed without hesitation.
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