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The reef was teeming with life, merfolk and fish alike arriving in large swaths as the breeding season quickly kicked into full swing. Felix swam through the edges of it all, carefully avoiding the couples already locked together and the wandering eyes of hopeful suitors. The blonde merman's tail was a silvery blue that reflected the bent rays of light filtering through the ocean's surface helping him to blend in to his surroundings, which was nice since, as a young mer of only twenty two cycles, he was reluctant to be swarmed by the first suitors who caught site of him. Noting a dark tail in the distance, he let out a happy trill and emerged from his hiding spot, hoping to catch his intended partner's eye. He was quickly interrupted by a handsome bullshark mer.
"Hello, beautiful. I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you looking for a partner?" The shark circled him carefully, muscles flexing as he swam in a shallow roll. His movements were languid and practiced as he smiled politely at the younger boy. Felix stopped moving forward, watching the potential mate.
"Felix." He replied cautiously, eyes glancing above the other’s form in search of someone else.
"Chan," the shark glanced over his shoulder to see where the pretty blonde was looking. "Are you looking for someone in particular? If they're already taken, I'd be more than happy to spawn with you." Felix smiled shyly.
"I... didn't catch his name. I met him at the end of the spawning last cycle and haven't been able to get him out of my head since." He blushed a pretty blue color as his eyes drifted back to his current partner.
"That's a shame, but I'd be happy to point you in the right direction." Chan stopped his dance (no point in wasting energy to entice a mate that didn't want him).
"He has beautiful blackish red scales and a bright yellow caudal fin," Chan warbled appreciatively.
"Haven't seen one like that, but if I did, I might just fight you for him," he chuckled at his joke and the low growl that rang from Felix's throat.
"Mine," Felix grumbled unhappily. He hadn't found the mer, no way he was losing him to someone who hadn't even seen him yet.
"Relax, young one. I don't intend to compete with you, plenty of fish around here to find one someone hasn't already claimed," the shark laid a gentle hand on Felix's shoulder as he spoke. "I'll be moving on now, I hope you find who you were looking for." Felix watched him swim off with a small frown (hopeful to meet the other again after the season was over). He seemed like such a nice man. The blue tailed beauty swam further into the reef where he'd last caught sight of the mer he was after. He made it a few more feet before being accosted once more.
"Have you partnered already?" A fantail ray merman asked as he too started to circle Felix. "Name's Changbin, and you look like you'd make a beautiful dam." Felix was transfixed as he watched the other man's muscles ripple like the waves. As the ray danced, he made gestures to display his arms and abdomen.
"N-no. I don't have one yet," Felix trailed off as the other moved closer to him sensually. "B-b...But!" He snapped out of his daze and swam backwards a little distance. "I-I have my eye on someone else already." The ray stopped his movements in disappointment.
"Someone as gorgeous as you has your eye on someone, and they haven't made a move yet? Are you sure they're worthy to spawn with you?" Felix flinched at the implications that his chosen mate didn't like him and had decided on someone else entirely.
"I only saw him at a distance last spawning, he may not know I'm looking for him." Felix defended, shoulders hunched as a trickle of self-doubt washed over him. "You haven't seen a-"
"Sorry, sweets, but I'm not gonna help you look for him." Changbin gave a half-hearted smile. "If you find him, I wish you the best, otherwise, I'll be in the area. If you aren't already paired up by the end of today, come find me. I'll help you forget about him." Felix frowned again at the words and gave a small wave as the other mer drifted off (a look of defeat on his face). Letting out a warbled croon, the blonde fought back the tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He'd completely lost sight of the dark-finned man he'd been chasing earlier. He'd gotten to the reef as early as he could this year, hoping beyond hope that he'd be able to find the one that he'd been unable to forget after all these moons. Maybe he should just settle and match with one of the gentlefish who'd tried courting him already. At least they'd shown interest, at least he wouldn't be left empty again this year.
"What's an angel like you looking so down for?" A soothing voice broke the pity party Felix had found himself in, the blonde glancing over his shoulder. He gasped a bit at the man behind him, a beautiful, bright face. Pouty lips. A black and red tail with beautiful golden trim.
"It's you," Felix breathed out quietly as he turned completely. Unable to help the smile on his face. The surgeonfish merman was exactly who he'd been looking for. The stranger from last cycle who wouldn't leave his mind.
"It's you," the other repeated softly. They began to move in circles around each other, tails lightly brushing and fins flaring as they danced. "I've been looking all over for you. Haven't been able to get you out of my mind since I saw you leaving last cycle." The redhead's hands drifted up to carefully caress the blonde's face.
"Me either. You're all I could think about. I was crushed when I imagined you'd already found someone else," Felix felt the tears return as he spoke before his partner carefully kissed his eyelids, chasing the stray water away.
"My name is Hyunjin, little angel, what's yours?" They twisted together in a tango, tails getting ever more intertwined.
"Felix," the blonde beamed up at his partner as they drifted further from the gathering towards a more secluded spawning area. The larger mer leaned backwards, allowing his tail to rotate as he spun in place (his pectoral and abdominals flexing to show off smooth, hard muscle). He flared his long caudal fin out, allowing it to drape like fabric through the water as he danced for his mate. Felix reciprocated in earnest, rolling like a dolphin and spinning until he was dizzy. Finally, they floated down into a heap on the seabed, tails a tangled mess and faces mere inches from one another. Breathing heavily, Hyunjin moved some stray hairs out of his intended's face. Leaning down, he kissed the dotted pattern across Felix's cheeks before finally their mouths met in a warm embrace. Their tongues caress each other softly for a moment, exploring new spaces as Hyunjin started to slowly pet the seam of Felix's vent. Felix moaned lightly at the touch as he felt himself opening for his partner. He glanced down to see that the other male's clasper was starting to peek out as well.
"Please," Felix moaned gently, body writhing closer to Hyunjin as the petting intensified. "Please, I need..."
"Tell me," Hyunjin whispered huskily as he teased his erection closer to his mate, but not yet penetrating him. "Tell me what you want, Angel."
"I need you!" Felix wailed softly, letting little chatters into the waves around them as he was stimulated but not fulfilled.
"You have me, little one. What more do you want?" Hyunjin smirked as Felix's face broke into a pout. They remained at a stalemate, Hyunjin rubbing deliciously against Felix's most sensitive areas and Felix twitching and gasping for more. Finally, Felix broke.
"Breed me! Please, I want to be full! I need you inside me, I can't take it anymore! I feel so-" Hyunjin thrust in in one fell swoop and Felix finished his sentence in an airy-keen, "-empty." A moan broke through both of their chests as Hyunjin ground his hips closer and closer to Felix's core. They gyrated on each other in bliss, chittering and trilling to each other as they got closer to their finish. Felix moaned as he crested over the wave of pleasure, ecstasy coursing through his veins as he let out little chirps of rapture. Hyunjin followed soon after, his clasper enlarging to lock them together as he released inside his mate, cooing and moaning as shockwaves rippled through him (each one coming with a roll of his hips as he pumped more seed into his mate).
After a while, they both managed to calm down, glancing shyly at one another as they stayed locked in place.
"So... Where do you call home?" Felix broke the ice carefully.
"The East Sea. My pod was raised there."
"What made you decide to come to the Barrier Reef for spawning?" Hyunjin shrugged at the question.
"Was traveling, didn't really have a direction in mind. Ended up here towards the end of the last spawning cycle and managed to catch sight of the most beautiful angelfish merman I'd ever seen. I had to migrate back to check on my sire, since my dam passed a few cycles back, but I knew I had to be back here if I ever wanted to find you again." Hyunjin smiled down at him as he gently tugged a lock of Felix's hair. "How bout you? You a local or...?"
"Sorta. My pod is from here, but I've been staying around the East China Sea with my clutch mate because that's where his pair is from."
"Damn, we've probably passed right by one another and not even known it," Hyunjin proclaimed as they finally separated (each groaning at the loss). They watched with lidded eyes as tendrils of spend drifted into the water around them before Felix managed to clench his vent shut.
"I..." Felix started, whole body flushed blue in embarrassment at the question on his tongue.
"Yes, Angel?" Hyunjin hummed as he gathered Felix into his arms and started to slowly swim them towards the caves adorning the other side of the reef. They'd stay there, mating, for a few more days before parting ways.
"I was wondering... If you'd like to form a pair with me? A real one, I mean," Felix bit his lip as he let the question hang quietly between them. Sure, merfolk paired up for the spawning season, but generally they stayed in their own pods. They didn't stay with mates outside of cycles unless they were serious about one another. The bond that eventually formed over moons and seasons linked their souls together so heavily that when one perished, the other would soon follow. It didn't happen often.
"I..." Hyunjin stared down at Felix, quietly mulling over the question as he lowered them to the cave floor and started arranging seaweed around them in a protective nest. "I would love to." Felix let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and beamed up at his pair with a smile that would put the sun to shame.
"Really? You'll stay with me and our spawn? We'll really have our own pod?" Hyunjin laughed at the other's enthusiasm.
"I'll have to take you to meet my sire when we're done here, but after that? I'll follow you anywhere," Hyunjin meant it with his whole being. There had to be a reason that they'd both been so caught up in each other. A reason neither of them had been able to forget the other, even after such a brief glimpse.
"I want you to meet my clutch mate, Minho, and his pair, Han. They have the most beautiful little guppies that spawned last cycle." Felix chattered happily as he spoke of his pod, wondering if Hyunjin would join his pod or vice versa. It sounded like Hyunjin would be okay staying with Felix's, but if he asked Felix to join his own instead, he wouldn't be against it (so long as he got to visit).
"Yeah? I can't wait," Hyunjin smirked before a hand drifted down between them to start teasing his mate's entrance again. "But I'll bet our guppies will be cuter." Felix shivered in delight as Hyunjin stimulated him, excited and happy to be starting this new journey with the mer of his dreams.
*Tail inspiration*
