Evan Hoshigami sat by the table that had been designated as his and Claris’ at Pearlie’s. The man was biting his lower lip, hands crossed, foot jumping about as anxiety ate him up from the inside. One would think he was nervous about the massive raid they’d do three nights from now. Bloody battles didn’t make the Commander of the Akakawan Naval Forces bat an eye though. Having been asked to help his crush did.

“You know, it’s been ages since Claris’ gotten laid.” Opal, the were-rabbit girl that Evan now considered a friend and a very sharp person, had put away her waitress gear so she could sit by his table as a friend. “You’ll need to be really gentle. He likes you but were-mating is a lot more violent for his kind than others, soooo I imagine he’ll be doing his best to repress his urges to tear you to pieces.”

“He shouldn’t worry about that stuff.” Evan placed his ankle on top of his thigh, his foot still moving around impatiently. “I can take damage, our doctor has sown me back together from some pretty nasty things.”

“In the past, Claris wouldn’t have taken a heartbeat to get laid with anyone during heat… but he kinda stopped sleeping around and now I’m sure he’s a total mush about doing intimate things. He may have asked you for help, but considering how much of a ball of insecurity he is when it comes to you, and only you may I add, he’s gonna start freaking out when you touch him.” Opal explained, her eyes fixed on Evan’s face as it lost some color. “Sorry! It was not my intention to make you more nervous.”

“I… I think I understand what you’re saying a lot more than you’ll ever believe.” Evan scratched the back of his head, his eyes staring at the ground.

“Umm, are you guys… talking about me perhaps?” Evan’s eyes now stared at a pair of pale feet in pretty blue sandals. The captain slowly raised his view to meet Claris’ pretty amethyst eyes.

The prince was wearing something rather cute in Evan’s opinion, a baggy blue-gray, capri overall romper with a white, loose shirt. He’d tied his hair in a high pony tail and even used some slight gloss on his lips.

“So cute…” Evan slipped up, making Claris blush as the prince held himself and stared at anything but Evan.

“Thanks, I uh…” Claris turned to fumbling with his fingers, Opal staring at him highly amused. “…it’s uh, hot here…”

“No it’s not, it’s almost sunset and the sea breeze is picking up…” Opal teased as she got up from her chair. “I’ll leave you two alone then. Do have a pleasant evening!”

The were-rabbit girl said her goodbyes and went back indoors. Evan took a deep breath after the girl was gone and took Claris’ hand.

“Your Highness, shall we go?” Evan asked as he stood up, his grip finding itself corresponded as Claris held on to his hand too.

“Y-Yes!” Claris’ voice took a small high pitch when answering. The prince cleared his throat and started up again. “Yeah! You’ll love this place we’re going to. It’s a little hidden place at the edge of the beach.”

The couple walked down Wisteria’s pier all the way to its end, which had a stairway to the city’s golden sanded beach. The moment Claris stepped on the soft sand, he took off his sandals and rushed towards the water. He kicked some of it up and laughed.

“I thought your home was the ocean?” Evan laughed as he was about to take his shoes off when Claris rushed over to his side again and stopped him.

“I don’t get to come to the beach in my human form as much as I’d like to. You can keep your shoes on, we do have to walk all the way over there.” Claris pointed at the other side of the bay where the beach ended and turned into a prominent rock formation. For a second, the prince dozed off, Evan noticed his skin get goosebumps.

“You okay?”

“I’m hot…” Claris replied, he lowered his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s annoying, but not as painful like yesterday.”

“It’s alright, let’s keep it together a little longer.” Evan took Claris’ hand again and pulled him towards the direction the prince had pointed to. “I promise you’ll feel better before you know it.”

“…I…” Claris was kinda trying to figure out what to reply, his brain was too focused on keeping his feet moving… and how nice holding hands with Evan felt like.

Concentrate, concentrate. You can’t be thinking of jumping him before we reach the cove. Oh, shit. You’re thinking about it. No, Claris. Be a good boy.

Evan turned his face to check on Claris, the captain gave him a soft grin before returning his gaze towards their destination.

“You’re doing that face again.”

“What face?”

What face is he talking about? Oh my Goddess, what does he mean by that?!

“Calm down, don’t freak out.” Evan asked, by now he’d figured out when Claris was overthinking things. “If you think you’ll lose it, bite me.”

That statement made the prince’s heart skip a beat, his face showing off how shocked Evan’s offer had made him.

He’s so dreamy…

“Maybe we can talk about something else to get your mind off sex?” Evan’s tone was merry. “Tell me about when you first arrived here at Wisteria. I had been here as a child before and I found the city amazing. How about you, Your Highness?”

“Really? That’s actually nice to know.” Claris giggled imagining a smaller, innocent version of Evan doing captain things. It was not only an adorable image, it was innocent enough to get Claris’ head out of the gutter if only momentarily. “I came here for the first time when I was sixteen. I’d been on land before, but over at the East Lands… so coming here and seeing this huge city for the first time was a big breath-taker for me.”

“Sixteen? Did you come as a visitor like me?” Evan inquired, he was picturing a leaner Claris, looking teenage quirky and possibly wearing an excessive amount of black. Evan figured Claris was one of those people who refused to wear bright colors because it made them look weak, what with having twelve sisters whose majority he clearly disliked for what Evan picked up.

“Nope, I came here on business, introduce myself as Luna’s Head of Trade and such.” Claris huffed, his skin was tingling at this point, his throat feeling dry. “…Larissa helped me get used… to the job… my charm did the rest…”

Claris slowed down a little, his eyesight flickering as air became hard to breathe. He could smell Evan’s musk, it made his teeth ache.

“That’s neat, who did you first meet when you got here?” Evan noticed Claris’ change, he slowed down his pace and tried to perhaps get him to think hard on something else. His question did no such thing.

The prince stopped and clutched at his chest. Evan placed his hands on Claris’ shoulders and waited for the latter to meet his gaze. The mer’s eyes were glowing a dim magenta, traces of scales had appeared over the nose of his bridge and underneath his eyes.

“Mikail, his name was Mikail Faire.” Claris mumbled pressing his forehead against Evan’s chest. “…I don’t…this is really weird…I’m…”

Evan didn’t hesitate to sweep Claris off his feet, the prince instinctively wrapping his arms around the captain’s neck.

“Take a bite off me, it’s okay.”

But Claris didn’t want to eat him. Claris wanted something entirely different. The prince kissed Evan’s chin, the captain lowering his face. At that time, the mer captured the other man’s lips and gave him a tender, slow burning kiss. Claris’ need for more increased, yet at the same time he’d regained most of his rational thought.

“That’ll keep me clear minded for now…” Claris explained, his skin itched. Scale patterns started showing up in patches over his skin.

Evan ran, his feet sinking into the loose sand every time he set them upon the ground. He’d probably feel the burn in his legs tomorrow, but for now he didn’t care. All he knew is he had to shorten the distance, neither of them had foreseen Claris would start shifting that soon.

Claris had realized something was a lot stranger about this heat of his than just how early it’d come. The heat wasn’t something that came and went, it only increased. Claris felt it come in waves, harder when Evan was around. This was the first time he’d experienced this, he’d never heard of it happening like this from anyone else. That was why he’d asked Rikiya, who’d been at Pearlie’s when Claris arrived from meeting Larissa earlier that day, to please tell Evan to meet him for their favor at sunset. He thought he’d still have some time left, usually he’d get a better warning before his body started shifting on its own. He should have known better.

“We’re here.” Evan announced. The captain had darted to their destination in less than ten minutes, just in time for the skin on Claris’ legs to fully shift to azure scales, his feet becoming webbed and sporting sharp nails. “Do we have to climb?”

The cream colored rock formation was rather huge, but provided structures to help climb it and paths to walk on.

“I’ll guide you.” Claris beckoned Evan to put him down. The captain did as asked, the prince taking a deep breath trying to ignore the burning in his veins, the painful pangs on his chest. “This way.”

They didn’t have to go too far. Claris walked carefully about the formation, slowly making his way to an opening some ways from the beach shore. Evan was weirded out when Claris dropped into it, he became awed when he followed and discovered a dark passage underneath the path they’d used.

“This is why it’s our secret cove…” Claris chuckled, pain lingering in his voice. “Earthland magic, hear my request. Please unseal the path.”

The passage remained dark for a few more seconds before Evan heard rumbling. Magic flowed in the air and soon a wall of sandy stone unfurled itself to reveal a small cove, hidden inside a hollow. The darkening sky loomed above them as the upper walls shimmered covered in beautiful light-bearing crystals. The captain couldn’t believe his eyes, once more he beheld stars at arm’s reach. The pool of water looked incredibly blue, the sea’s entrance to the cove hindered by large spikes that would make it impossible for something other than water to come in.

“Augh…” Claris groaned, he’d already taken off his shirt and was taking off his overalls. “…hot…water…”

Evan helped him. By the time he’d gotten him fully naked, Claris’ arms had also turned into webbed claws. With a little bit of effort, Evan took Claris to the water, and let him swim into the cove’s deepest parts. Now all he had to do was wait.

“Evan?” Claris’ voice was a lot clearer now as the blue haired man poked his head out of the water. Evan could see him, he could also see the expression on his face. The mer was freaking out.

The captain smiled at him before he started undoing his own clothes, throwing them as far away from the water as possible. He stood naked on shore, Claris turning beet red at the sight, and asked the mer if he was welcome inside.

“…Y-Yes!” Claris had voiced his response as clear as he could before he submerged his head again. He’d seen his crush walk into the water and walk into deeper waters. Before Evan could reach the point where the water would reach his lower neck, Claris swam and stopped him.

What if he doesn’t like my mer form?

Claris felt his heart beat hard against his chest, the heat in his body reminding him he didn’t have the privilege to care. He rose his head out of the water, the pretty blue scales on his face glowing dimly as his eyes glowed a strong magenta. The mer gently pushed Evan backwards just enough for his scaled collar bone to be seen by the latter.

“Holy Goddesses…” The captain breathed out unable to muster anything else to say. He took his hand to Claris’ face, brushing his thumb against the shimmering, starlight like scales.

A swoosh alerted Evan of something else, his date’s amazingly big, azure blue tail. It was a lot longer than Claris’ human leg lenth, and it reminded Evan of a sailfish’s tail, dorsal fin included and originating below the mer’s nape. Claris’ chest appeared to still have some skin, whereas it was covered in transparent scales and decorated with blue scales in swirly patterns.

“…do you like it?” The prince asked nervous. His were-form wasn’t as cute a werewolf’s or a wererabbit’s, he lacked the soft parts too.

“I love it, Your Highness.” Evan replied, his stomach churning with a thousand butterflies. “Would you like to lead?”

“No, not right now at least.” Claris’ hands rested carefully on Evan’s hips.

“Alright, then do relax. Okay?” Evan chuckled, gently pressing his lips against Claris’. The mer nodded and slightly parted his lips, giving Evan the chance to let his tongue wonder in between Claris’ lips.

Their minds went blank, fireworks flashing behind their eyelids and electricity running down their bodies. Evan took his hand to the mer’s back, feeling the scales next to Claris’ dorsal fin from its origin at the nape to the spot where his more human half merged with a slimier tail. Claris on his end wrapped his arms around Evan’s shoulders, bringing him closer to himself. All he could think of was sharing this now pleasant heat with his dear captain. To have him feel the pulsating euphoria now increasing with every heartbeat and reaching the smallest of scales on his tail.

“Claris…” Evan could feel it, there was foreign magic in him. It circled in his veins, mixed in with his own and now helped him feel what the prince did. A maddening need to have him be one with him, for their hearts to beat in unison if only for a night.

“I know it’s weird, I can’t stop it.” The prince explained, his tail swooshing about, his fingers fiddling with a few strands of Evan’s hair.

“Don’t hold back, Let it all out.” Evan whispered before resuming their kissing, this time with a hungrier tempo.

The prince’s scales started glowing, the blue lights somehow making their way to Evan’s own skin in swirl patterns. Once they’d reached his eyes, they took yet another moment to breathe.

They looked at each other for the first time. Claris Azure, Thirteenth Prince of Luna, looked lovingly into the now glowing green eyes of Evan Hoshigami, Commander of the Akakawan Naval Force whose gaze only corresponded the gushing feelings overflowing the prince’s chest. No words were needed nor would they ever be needed for them to understand each other, for something neither of them would have expected took place in that moment.

A soft kiss later, the couple went into deeper water until they both went under, flashing lights from the pool of water giving life to the cove as the sky grew darker.