I’m dead.

I’ve drowned and I’m dead and it was Coby that killed me.

All around Ash was complete and utter silence, deeper than he’d experienced before in his entire life. He could feel his clothes shift around him, his hair tickling the back of his neck and ears…and the unmistakable burning in his chest for lack of air. He needed to breathe, but he couldn’t. The pressure around him was too great, too all consuming. If he breathed, he’d die all over again, he was sure of it.

“Ashley,” Coby’s soft voice, so clear in the silence washed over him, taking the water with it. “Open your eyes.”

Ash shook his head, realizing only then that his face was pressed hard into Coby’s chest, his arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, clinging to him for dear life.

Life…if I’m holding on for my life, then…

Coby chuckled softly. “You’re not dead, my mate. Please, open your eyes.”
I can’t do that…human eyes are not adapted to saltwater, Co-Bieasah.

“But you’re not a normal human anymore, are you?” Coby’s hands were smooth on his skin as they moved over his back around his sides. “Besides, if you don’t breathe soon, you really will drown.”

Ash clung tighter, trying to ignore the burning, the constriction in his throat, the lightheadedness.

If I do breathe, I’ll drown!

“Do you not trust me at all?”

Ash tensed. 

“Why do you think you can hear me so clearly? You’re encased in a thin barrier, a skin similar to my shadow scales.” He tugged at Ash’s arms, willing him to relax his hold. “Take a breath, and open your eyes. Trust me, my Ash, I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Against all human instinct, with every knowledge that breathing in water would kill him, Ash obeyed. He opened his mouth and gasped deeply, his mouth and lungs filling, not with salt and water as he expected, but fresh, clean air. 

What the…

Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking in astonishment. They weren’t burning…he could see as well as if he were on land, maybe even better. Of course, the first thing he saw was Coby’s smooth chest, beautiful and perfect with a slight blue sheen. He pulled away slightly, looking into Coby’s face, those intense blue eyes smiling into his own, his ear fins twitching as they sought out nearby sounds only he could hear.

“See? You’re just fine.”

Ash’s hold relaxed slightly, his eyes still on Coby. He may be alive, he may very well be safe in his mate’s arms, but he was still in the middle of the ocean and he could not, in any capacity, swim.

“Don’t worry so much,” Coby chuckled. “I won’t let you go until you’re confident to be on your own.”

Ash swallowed hard. “That…might not happen any time soon, Coby,” he said, again stunned that he was able to do something he never thought possible.

“You really should trust yourself more,” Coby grinned, his sharp serrated teeth visible. “And me. I promised I wouldn’t let you drown.”

“Oh, I trust you just fine,” Ash said, his legs tightening around Coby’s hips. “It’s the ocean I don’t trust. It’s big and…empty…and…big…”

Coby threw his head back with a laugh, the swish of his tail fin stirring the water beneath Ash, whose arms tightened around the merman’s neck. 

“It’s definitely big,” he nodded. “But far from empty. Take a look.” He nodded to his left, encouraging Ash to see where he was.

With immense hesitation, Ash finally turned his head to the right, and jolted at the sight. Not far off was a giant, colorful coral reef, teeming with life he’d only ever seen at the aquarium or on screen. His hold loosening, one hand sliding down Coby’s chest but his legs still firmly locked in place, Ash took in the wonders that were all around him. When a small school of fish came their way, he couldn’t help but watch them swim under them.

“Oh, gods,” he gasped, jumping in Coby’s arms, unable to see the bottom. He turned an accusing stare on Coby. “You said it was only eight feet deep.”

“Yeah, where we jumped off,” Coby nodded. “I swam us a little further out.”

“How much further?”

Coby shrugged. “About a mile or so.”

“WHAT?!” 

Coby laughed again, beating the water with his tail just hard enough to force Ash’s legs to untangle from around him, leaving him weightless and floating before him, their fingers intertwined. “I’m a fast swimmer,” he winked.

“A-fucking-pparently,” Ash muttered.

“Come on,” Coby said, tugging on his hand as he swam backward. “Let me show you my world.”

With a heavy sigh and a mountain of trust in his boyfriend, Ash forced his legs to move, kicking awkwardly at the water, his arm arching at his side.

Coby’s grin would have been frightening if Ash didn’t know any better. “You really can’t swim, can you?”

“I told you…”

Coby moved smoothly around to his side and wrapped one arm around his waist. “Then I’ll swim for you. Just hold on to me.”

Ash slid his arm around Coby’s waist, his other hand clutched firmly in the merman’s. 

Coby shifted slightly, a look of discomfort on his face. “Could you…move your hand down just a little bit? Please?” 

Ash complied quickly, relaxing his grip on Coby’s side, feeling air and water move over his fingers as they slid over three large overlapping curved flaps of skin just under Coby’s rib cage. His eyes widened as he realized what they were.

Coby’s gills.

“Oh, shit, sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t realize they would be there.”

Coby’s expression eased and he chuckled. “Where did you think they’d be? My neck?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ash replied, feeling foolish. A lot of the books he’d read had illustrations showing just that. 

“Remind me to tell you more about merfolk anatomy later. Right now, let’s just have some fun.”

Ash looked uneasy as he looked around, his grip on Coby’s side tightening again. “Okay, just…don’t let me go…please…”

Coby rested his forehead against Ash’s, smiling tenderly. “Never,” he whispered.

With that, he gave a gentle swish of his tail, and they glided through the water as smoothly as if it were air. Ash was startled at the sudden burst of speed, but acclimated quickly, comforted by the Coby’s muscles moving easily against him, and the strength in his arm as he held him. Coby might be small on land, but here, he was a completely different person. The ocean was his domain, where he could be himself in every way, where he didn’t have to question what he saw, ate, or the creatures around him. This world really was his.

Coby took Ash around the reef, pointing out the different creatures that lived in it, explaining what they were and how they impacted the reef. Ash watched as several tiny crabs skittered along the ground, a tiny octopus backed into an alcove, camouflaging itself against what it perceived as a new threat, even some shrimp darting around lazily among the rest of the fish. Ash was amazed, smiling with wonder at being able to get this close to such natural beauty. Coby held their hands over some of the flora, sliding their hands through, letting Ash feel the soft tickle and brush of each frond and smooth blade of ocean grass.. He stopped every so often so Ash could get closer, reaching out to touch the rough coral, even allowing a few small fish to nip at his hand.

As he relaxed in the peaceful environment, Coby’s hold on him loosened until all he held was Ash’s hand. He’d expected Ash to freak out at some point, cling to Coby even tighter, or demand to be taken back, angry that Coby would break his promise of not letting go. As weak of loophole as it was, not releasing Ash’s hand still counted as holding on. Still, Ash remained calm, lost in his surroundings, his enthusiasm filling Coby’s heart with joy.

Now he understood how Ash felt, and what he saw, at the aquarium.

Ash was overwhelmed by the beauty around him. Not only that, but the size! He’d known reefs could be large, but this was something else. No matter where or how far he looked, all he saw was the immensity and stunning features of coral life.

“How far does this go?”

Coby shrugged. “I’m not sure,” he said. “A few miles, I guess. There are some that are even bigger and closer to shore, but not around here.”

“Why not?”

“Who knows? Every reef is different depending on their environment. At least this one doesn’t have any sharks hanging around.”

Ash froze, his eyes wide. “Sharks?”

“Well, yeah,” Coby said nonchalantly. “Sharks love reefs. They come here to get cleaned, soak up some sun, relax. This is their spa.”

“They don’t hunt?”

“Nope. The coral life will part for them, but they don’t fear them. There’s no reason to.” 

“I’m surprised none of this was impacted by the Reconstruction. I would have thought it would sustain a great deal of damage when the plates moved.”

“They were,” Coby said, leading him closer to the seafloor, pointing out where the reef had cracked and shifted, even causing small cliffs and ravines in certain places. “A lot of reefs were destroyed during the event, many of the coral dying because the life it sustained either left or was killed.” His eyes darkened slightly. “Of course, I wasn’t around when it happened, but the memory was passed down through the generations.”

Ash frowned. “You’d think the Devil Gods would have realized all the harm they were causing when they changed the entire universe.”

Coby nodded, a grim expression taking over his dangerously beautiful features. “They did,” he said solemnly. “Our Lord Toji was angry, blinded by his rage and grief over what his brother had forced him to endure. He blamed his entire family for allowing it to happen. The world he created, the Universal Core he created, was not only an act of rebellion against them, but also a gift to his mate, the one he fought so hard to return to.”

“Devil God Natsu.”

Another nod. “To be honest, I never thought to be angry at what they did, at the destruction that was wrought by their hands. Lord Toji did it all out of love, giving Lord Natsu all of this, and so much more.” He sighed softly. “Of course, there were some consequences they hadn’t foreseen.”

Ash nodded, remembering the stories he’d grown up with. “‘And the seas swallowed it all. Every island, every person, every memory shared through the generations,’” he quoted. “The Devil Gods saw this, and their grief was great.” He glanced at Coby. “They were talking about Japan, Lord Natsu’s ancestral home.”

“Yes,” Coby said. “But after their children were born, Lord Toji rose the country from the seas, giving Lord Natsu his home back.”

Ash chuckled. “It was an anniversary present. In the one hundredth year following the Reconstruction, he gave his family a country of their own.”

Coby laughed. “Something like that.” He smiled brightly. “Did you know one of his daughters created an island just for us?”

Ash shook his head, surprised.

“She fell in love with the merfolk that lived around the area and wanted to give them something as a gift. Umi Island is one of our most sacred places and where many of us make a pilgrimage to honor her.”

“Have you gone there?”

“No, not yet. But I want to. In fact, it’s encouraged among all Poseidon’s Sons and other religious sects for every acolyte and priest to make the journey at least once.”

Ash drew closer. “Maybe I can go with you.”

Coby sighed, giving him an apologetic smile. “Humans are forbidden from Umi Island,” he said. “You couldn’t come with me. Not even as you are now.”

“Oh…” Ash’s gaze fell. “Well, that sucks. How long would you be gone?”

“Um, I guess it all depends,” Coby replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Some go for a few days, others weeks or months. Only a few have ever spent years at a time there. Given my position, I’d probably be there a while. And…” he swallowed hard. “I’d…probably have to close you out of our link.”

Ash flinched. That was a prospect he was not willing to consider. The one time Coby had put his shield up and Ash couldn’t see him, it had absolutely terrified him, and that was only for a few minutes. If Coby had to shut him out for weeks, Ash didn’t know how he could survive it.

Coby leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek, giving him a reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t be there long,” he said softly. “As deep into my devotions as I would be, I would still want nothing more than to get back to you as quickly as I could. I’m sure my deities would understand that.”

Ash relaxed slightly. “I should hope so. They all have mates, too.” He smiled, tightening his grip on Coby’s hand. “I won’t tell you not to go, and I won’t stop you when you decide you will. Just…don’t stay away for too long. Can you at least promise me that?”

“Yes,” Coby smiled, his sharp teeth glistening. “I will swear to you I won’t stay gone for long.” Tugging on Ash’s hand, leading him slightly away from the reef, a gleam in his eye. “Let me show you more,” he said softly, almost seductively. Ash moved with him, curious as to where Coby was taking him now.