Chapter Text
Thunder crashed overhead, drowning out the sound of the thrashing waves. The ship was tossed and thrown as though it was merely a child’s toy. Though the sails were tied up, the wind and rain still battered the large boat. Most of the crew was below deck. They grabbed onto anything that they could hold, trying to keep themselves from flying around as the ship was thrown against the waves.
Most people didn’t join a pirate's crew and expected an easy time. Aaron considered himself an opportunistic man and took his chance when it had been presented. Why would he live a life on land where he struggled for even a handful of copper coins when he could roam the seas and find the oceans of treasure waiting for him?
The problem was, there was a lot less treasure and a lot more seasickness.
Aaron yelped as he lost his grip, and he was thrown into a wall. The men around him offered no help or comfort as they battled to get their own grounding. Aaron was flung forward, reaching as he slammed into a support. The storm had gone on for so long, there was nothing left to vomit at this point. There was the sound of the door opening and a large man stumbled inside, grabbing onto the door frame.
“A little bit longer, lads!” he yelled over the wind. “Capin’ believes he can see the end of it. We’re nearly there!”
“Bastards doing us in, that’s what’s happening!” another man yelled from the back. “this ship ain’t going to last!”
“She’ll hold! She always does. We just-“
A wave slammed on the side of the ship, pulling it up and nearly capsizing it. The entire crew yelled as they rolled to the opposite wall, grabbing onto whatever their hands could hold. Aaron was thrown across the room, slamming into the man standing in the open door. Both of them tumbled out onto the deck, helplessly clawing the soaked wood as they tried to find purchase for their hands.
Aaron yelled in pain as he was slammed into the rail of the ship. The other man crashed next to him. Aaron looked down with wide eyes, seeing the massive waves that were trying to swallow the ship and crew whole. He felt his hands slipping from the wet rail and the other man reached for him. They clasped their hands together, Aaron felt like his hand was going to shatter in the grip of the other man. He looked up at him, scared as he felt the hold slip.
“Hold on, lad! Just hold on!” the man yelled; his voice drowned out by the crashing of the ocean. He tried to pull Aaron closer, but a strong wave jerked the both of them. The man was able to keep his grip on the rail, but his hand slipped from Aaron.
Aaron crashed into the water, sucked deeper by a torrent. He looked back in terror as he saw the ship crashing down on him. The ocean current pulled him, spinning him in hundreds of directions. He struggled to grasp his surroundings, kicking his legs and flailing his arms as he tried to reach the surface.
He broke just above the water, gasping loudly as he tried to suck in a breath. Before he could close his mouth, another wave crashed on him, rushing down his throat and flooding his lungs. He coughed under the rough waves, his mind a frenzy of panic. He threw himself above the surface, only to find that he was again pushed down before he could get a breath.
The waves flipped and spun him. His terror made him move desperately. Soon he couldn’t tell what was up and what was down. His lungs strained, the last of the bubbles trailing from his mouth. The current engulfed him like a monster attempting to swallow him. He couldn’t do it any longer. He couldn’t hold his breath.
He gasped, his mouth opening wide as the cold, salty water rushed down his throat. He flailed and kicked, clawing at his neck as though he could stop the rush of liquid. He choked, thrashing as his eyes went wide. The current around him threw him as his body seized. His vision was going black, and he was sure he was dying. Something grabbed his arm just as he lost consciousness.
The sound of water stirred Aaron awake. Waves lapping just at his feet. Panic flared in his dull mind as he fought to awaken. He couldn’t breathe. He needed to just take a breath. He couldn’t draw in air. No. He wasn’t ready to die. Not yet! Not yet!
He threw himself up, suddenly coughing. He couldn’t pull in a breath of air, his lungs completely full. He fell to his side, retching and coughing the water from his chest. He nearly fell back to the ground as he vomited, spewing the salty water from his body.
He continued to weakly cough; his mind dizzy. Where was he? Sunshine? Sand?” He picked his hand up, squinting. He was on land? But how did-
“Hello, my beautiful stranger. You have finally awoken.”
Aaron gasped, throwing himself back in shock. He nearly fell over as he clawed backwards, his whole body shaking with exhaustion and weakness. After a few blinks his vision cleared. He truly was lying on a sandy beach, not a cloud in the sky. Sitting just a few feet in the water was a man. Tan skin and long, black curly hair. He was shirtless, showing off his well-built body. His blue eyes were dancing like the water he was sitting in, and his smile was warm, welcoming.
Aaron blinked a few times, trying to work a sound from his mouth. His voice was raspy, refusing to break from his throat. He tried to swallow. All the sea water that had been inside him made him so desperately thirsty. “Who are you?” He finally wheezed. “Where am I?”
“My name is Kaito, it is a pleasure to finally speak to you. You are a very lucky man. You hardly survived that storm.”
Aaron sat up more, rubbing his face with both hands. He groaned lowly, his head throbbing. Right. He had been thrown from the ship. He had been in those waves, nearly drowning. How did he survive? “Where am I?” He coughed, trying to clear his throat and get his own voice back.
“Welcome to the island of desire,” the man grinned, spreading his arms wide. “Named by me, of course.”
“Island of… what?” Aaron blinked, looking back behind them. The sandy beach led up quite a ways, trees and plants dotting the surface further back. His mind continued to break through the fog and he looked back at the man. He could suddenly tell how wrong his features were. Frilled ears were poking through the long hair. A single large slit was on each of his sides. Golden fins were running down his arms. It was not legs he was sitting on, but a long tail, the same gleaming color as the fins on his arms.
Aaron yelped, throwing himself away and clawing up the bank. “What in the nine hells is going on?” He demanded. “Who are you?!”
“I told you,” the man smiled patiently. “My name is Kaito.”
“What are you?”
“Isn’t that obvious? I am a merman.”
“A merman…?” He blinked. His eyes could see the tail and fins, but his mind refused to accept it.
“Surely you have heard of a mermaid, yes? It is like that but with less breasts and more cock.”
Aarons face flushed, turning a bright red. “What do you want?”
“I want you to know that I am the one that rescued you,” he pressed a webbed hand over his chest. “It is by my grace and goodwill that you now live. So perhaps take a moment to thank me.”
“You rescued me…? Why?”
“I saw you fall from your ship, and I brought you to land.” The two large slits on his side flared open, making Aaron jump back. “Oh, excuse me for a moment,” the merman leaned back, re-hydrating his body in the water before sitting up once more. “Forgive me. I can stay above the water for quite some time, but talking always exhausts my breath. Now, where were we?”
“Where am I? Where is my ship?”
“My, a dull one aren’t you? As I said before, you are on my island of desire. As for your ship, I do not know. It is probably long gone by now.”
Aaron rubbed his face, trying to blink away the image of the ethereal man lounging in the water in front of him. “I’m dead,” he realized. “I died, didn’t I?”
The merman grinned widely, leaning forward in the water on his arms. “What a compliment, you must have assumed that you have awoken in heaven?”
“Oh no, this is some kind of punishment.”
“Ouch, you wound me.”
Aaron pushed his shaky legs under himself, stumbling as they didn’t seem able to support him. He fell back down and crawled to a nearby tree. He used the palm to pull himself up, looking at his surroundings. The island wasn’t large. He could see the other end from where he stood. There were no ships on the horizon, no ports or cities in the distance. He had no idea where he was.
And worse, he had no idea where he was going to go now.
He looked back, seeing the merman still lounging in the water. He was laying on his belly, his elbows propping him up. When the merman noticed Aaron looking at him, he raised his golden tail above the water, using it to wave to him. “Shall you join me once again for a conversation? I unfortunately cannot come to you!”
Aaron hesitated. This had to be some strange dream. This couldn’t have been real. He was still trapped under the waves, his mind creating a fevered vision as it lost its last breath.
Well, what kind of a vision would this be if he just sat back and didn’t interact?
Aaron made his way back to the water, stopping a safe distance from the merman. He was confused but he wasn’t stupid. He carefully sat back in the sand, ready to jump away if the creature got any closer to him. “You saved me?”
“I did,” the merman smiled, still leaning on his hands. His tail flicked back above the water, splashing droplets over Aaron. “I am benevolent and kind. I saw you fall from your ship and came to your rescue. I carried you from the storm and brought you to this island.”
“How did you get me on land?” He asked, suspicious.
“It wasn’t easy, if that is what you are assuming. I did not simply grow legs and gracefully carry you. You have still yet to thank me.”
“Thank you,” he finally forced out. “Do you know where we are? Do you know where the closest ship or landmass is?”
“Ships do not pass here,” he mused. “The only ones that stray close are of an exotic variety. It is not legal trade that passes these waters. Tell me, love, you wouldn’t happen to be a pirate that has fallen off of his pirate ship, would you?”
Aaron became still for a moment, reaching to his hip. His dagger was no longer there. “What of it?” He asked lowly, preparing to jump away.
The merman’s eyes lit with excitement. “Fantastic,” he breathed.
“So do you know of nearby land or not?” Aaron finally demanded, growing impatient.
“Oh, I do,” the merman grinned, inching ever closer to land. “To the north, riding against the current you will find a port. There, you will find a collection of ships and vessels that can get you back to where you need to go. But you will never make it there on your own.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the waves here are too harsh. The waters are unkind to your people. No ships will pass this island and you, my love, are unarguably stranded now. But I can fix that.”
“You will help me?” He asked, suspicious. “What's in it for you?”
“Ah, there it is. The question I so long to hear.” The merman looked up at him with an adorning grin, his blue eyes almost glowing. “You see, darling, I am a mer of exotic tastes. Unlike the rest of my kind who are scared to stray near beaches, I long for them. I enjoy my time on your wonderfully dry land, and I take much thrill of the fun that can be had on it. But I also enjoy being alive, so this is a fetish that I cannot indulge upon on my own.”
“So, every so often, some lucky person falls into my waters and I rescue them and bring them here. In service for my kindness, they provide me with their own rewards. We have a bit of fun, a bit of play, and then I take them across the water and back to their port.”
“What?” Aaron moved back. “You… what is wrong with you?!”
“Oh, many things,” he laughed, amused. “But at this moment? I am desperately and frustratingly aroused and wish for a bit of fun with a young, adventurous pirate.”
“Absolutely not!” He stood to his feet. “Why would I ever agree?”
“You are free to refuse,” he twitched his tail, again covering himself with droplets of water. “But know there is no shelter on this island. There is no food. There is no way to leave without the help of someone with a tailfin. And lucky for you, I am the only one of those around at this moment.”
Aaron nearly growled at him in anger and disgust. He turned and stormed away, charging to the safety of the island. He passed by several small tidal pools, as well as a few plants and grass. He put his hands on his hips as he looked around himself. The merman was right. No matter which way he turned, he was disappointed by the view. No ships, no shelter, no food, and only salt water as far as the eye could see.
This island would be his death.
Aaron sat in the center of the drop of land, staring at the horizon. His mind still fought his exhausted haze as he glanced where the merman once was in the water. This wasn’t real. He was just dreaming. He was still on the ship as his mind wrestled with the experience of surviving the storm. Perhaps there wasn’t even a storm.
But as the minutes turned to hours, it was very clear that this was not just a dream. You didn’t feel hunger like this in a dream. Your body didn’t scream for water or rest in a dream. He was awake, stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean with a lustful merman prowling the waters.
His eyes were heavy, and he found himself fighting off sleep. His exhaustion was winning, and he finally laid under the shade of one of the trees, closing his eyes and trying to find rest. His mind refused to quiet though. He was hungry. He was thirsty. He couldn’t sleep. If he wanted to survive, he would have to act.
But what could he do? He had no equipment, no water, no way to leave. He was not a fool; he knew that swimming was not an option. There truly seemed like no way he was going to get out of this alive. He would die of thirst first, he was sure. His throat was already so painfully dry. He survived falling off a ship in the middle of a storm only to end up with such a slow and uneventful death here?
His eyes opened as he looked at the water ahead of him. He did have options. This didn’t have to be the end. Was an hour of his time really so bad when it meant that he could have his life? He winced, trying to wipe the memory of the merman’s grin from his mind. Perhaps there was something else he could offer, anything else.
His other option was literally lying in the sand and waiting to die.
Aaron groaned, putting his hands under him as he pushed himself up. He looked at the water with a wince, slowly stepping back to the shore. He couldn’t see the merman, but he had a feeling that he was near. He sat on the beach and stared into the water. After several long moments of silence, he grabbed a large shell from the sand and threw it into the ocean.
It hit the water with a loud plop, sending ripples from where it fell. Aaron rested his arm on his knee as he looked at the horizon. Still not a ship to be seen.
“You called, love?”
Aaron jumped, crying out in shock. The merman was suddenly in the water just to the side of him, a pleased look in his eyes. “So, you were just hanging around here,” Aaron snapped, moving a bit more onto the land. “I knew you were still prowling out of view.”
The merman grinned, laying in the shallow water on his belly and propping his head up in his arms. “What kind of rescuer would I be if I strayed too far from someone in need?”
Aaron glared at him, trying to remember his patients. “You would help me off of this island?”
“Only if I get the things I want,” he mused, raising his tail and fanning the water drops off of it.
“Where would you take me and how would we get there?”
“A day’s swim to the north, there is a dock that is very busy with activity. I have my own small boat that I can use to drag you there.”
“How can I trust what you are saying?”
The merman laughed, his voice sounding like a song. “There is only one thing I want in this world, love, and I have learned that this thing can only be gotten through mutual trust. How do you know that I will not harm you? Because I need you alive so you can help me. I have no interest in gore or watching your demise, but nor will I offer any help if there is no benefit to me.”
“Is there…. anything else I can offer?” Aaron winced. “Would you take treasure or some trinket from land?”
“There is nothing more in the world that I desire than to feed my own lust. But know this is not a one-sided agreement! I am not taking anything from you, but giving you a chance to indulge in your own desires!”
“What are you talking about?”
The merman shifted, moving more onto the land. “I want you to use me in the way you wish. I have things to put into places and places to put things in. There is very little that I will say no to! What is your desire, love? What is it that you crave but cannot ask from others?”
“I-I don’t know,” Aaron shuddered. “I don’t want anything from you!”
“Do not be so rash,” the merman insisted. “Think about it! Do you like bondage? Do you like when someone is submissive? Do you fantasize of pain or teasing or suffocation? Do you-“
“I don’t know!” Aaron snapped, his face flushed red. “Enough! Just stop talking.”
The merman looked at him confused for a moment, then his face dropped. He suddenly sat up, sitting on his golden tail fin. “You don’t know? How could you not know?” He paused, looking Aaron over. “Please don’t tell me,” he started, all hint of fun gone from his voice. “Don’t tell me that you are a virgin?”
Aaron swallowed, looking at the sandy beach.
“You are joking!” The merman suddenly snapped, “Tell me you are joking! You have at least laid with another, haven’t you?!”
“Why does it matter?” He muttered, still not looking at him.
“You are a bloody pirate!” The merman yelled. “How in the nine hells are you a virgin!”
“What does being a pirate have to do with that?”
“Rape, pillage, and plunder!” The merman snapped back. “That’s what pirates do! You truly have no experience at all?”
“Will you stop yelling!” Aaron hissed. “I have never had sex. There! I said it! Can we just drop this already?”
He nearly growled in anger, turning back to the ocean. He moved himself into the water, covering his gills. “Eight months!” he bellowed over the current. “Eight months I waited, and you send me a virgin!?”
“Who are you yelling at?!”
“An old ex lover,” he snapped back. The merman wrapped his hands around his head, thrashing his tail in the water. After a moment, his hands moved down to his mouth and his eyes closed. He seemed to calm himself. “We can work with this,” he decided. “This is not the end of the world.”
“Work with this? What are you talking about?”
“Being a virgin doesn’t disqualify you from my attention,” he decided. “You are just meat that has yet to be seasoned. And I am a damn good chef.”
“How do you even know what a chef is?”
“Stop asking boring questions,” he looked over at Aaron. “Because of your gap of experience, it seems I will need to take some lead in this. I recognize that perhaps I have been too forthcoming. It was not my intention to scare you. It has been a while, but I believe the situation calls for a bit of romance.”
Aaron blushed. “Romance? No! I-I just want to go home!”
“Our deal still stands, despite your disability.”
“Being a virgin isn’t a disability.”
“Oh, trust me, it is.” He hummed, thinking for a time. “I will take things slow. I can be patient until you feel ready. But I also want you to think about what you want from this experience. My body is a very exciting toy, and I am happy to show you how to use it.”
Aaron blushed, standing to his feet now. “I could have been found by anyone, and I was saved by a whore.”
“A very beautiful whore,” the merman grinned.