Chapter Text
You sit atop a warm rock as the ocean waves lap against your feet. The salty sea air fills your lungs as you take in the multicolored summer sunset. You were at peace. You could hear people leaving the beach behind you. You were waiting for someone. Well, “something” would be more accurate.
It only came right before the sun set. After everyone had left the beach. You would see the flash of color in the ocean before it appeared, bringing you a small treasure from depths no diver could actually reach. Of course, you would give it a gift in return; either a story, song, or a small trinket from the antiques store down the street.
This time you had gotten it a small clay mermaid trinket that was found in the ocean at one point. It seemed to hold its form. You weren’t sure if it would survive for much longer in the ocean, but you were going to give it to the creature anyway.
A flash of purple and a splash pull you from the sunset. Wet fingers wrap around your ankles gently, as if letting you know that it was here. A large tuft of purple hair breaks the surface of the ocean. You smile as its bored looking face breaks the surface next. Its skin was almost gray, with clusters of purple and black scales decorating its body. Its ears were the shape of fins that reminded you of a Purple Emperor Butterfly’s wing. Its eyes were tired and matched the same purple color as the scales that littered his skin.
You shiver when its sharp claws dig into your calves. Its claws were black, and the tips of its fingers matched. You thought it was a demon the first time you saw him, but once you saw the rich purple and intricate black designs on its tail, you realized it was a different mythical being: a merman.
It eyes you expectantly as you dig through your bag. Its eyes always made you feel weak, almost trapped in place. You were afraid that if you matched its gaze, you’d be hypnotized and follow it into the ocean. You were sure if that happened, no one would see you again. It was a thrilling idea, but you couldn’t give in to the mesmerizing merman.
You pull out the small mermaid trinket you found for it and place it in its outstretched hand. It looks at the trinket with wide eyes and it rolls it between its sharp fingers. At one point, it points to itself while looking at you with a confused, yet exhilarated look.
You nod, and it dunks itself back underwater. You watch as its purple tail flicks excitedly as it swims in circles around the small cove you perched yourself in. Its head pops out of the water not far from the rock you’re on and holds up a finger. You laugh and nod your head as it swims away from you. You taught it that gesture when you wanted it to wait there while you went to grab something, or when you were thinking of a story to tell it. It was a quick learner.
You waited about 10 minutes before you felt claws on your ankles again. You looked down and it was wearing a pout on its face.
“What’s wrong?” You say gently as you lean closer to his face.
It tugs on your legs, attempting to tell you something.
“You want me to come in the water?” A mix of fear and excitement wash over you as it awkwardly nods its head. “Is there something in the water for me?”
It nods its head frantically and tugs harder on your leg, making you slide down the rock. You were hesitant. What if this was the day it took you away? What if this was the day it decided to eat you like the legends depict. You’ve heard the siren song many a times in your dreams, but not once in person. Yet.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Come. Swim.” It calls out in a husky voice.
You’ve heard its voice before, but something about the desperation in it made you feel like you had to. It felt like if you didn’t hop into the ocean to follow it right this second, you’d never see it again.
“Trust.” It gently grabs your hand as it tugs on your leg again.
“Okay. I trust you.”
Its eyes shine and a toothy grin spreads across its face. It backs away from the rock so you can hop in the water. You make sure all of your valuables are in your bag, safe from the water, and you paddle yourself out to it. You noticed a change in the merman as soon as you were within arm’s length of it. Its body language became more predatorial. Its clawed hands hesitantly touched your face.
“Mine?”
“What?” You felt your blood run cold. You wanted to swim back to the rock and head back home to land. To safety.
“Mine.” It says again in a stern tone. It grabs into your shoulders and tries to drag you under the water. “Mine!”
You want to scream, to call for help, but you swallow a mouth full of ocean as you’re dragged under. Your eyes crack open, burning from the salty water, and you see the merman with closed eyes and a calm look on his face. Your lungs are starting to burn from the panic.
You try to wretch your arms free, but the merman begins to sing. His voice is smooth, penetrating deep into your consciousness. You felt the push and pull of the tide, heard the call of the sea dragging you down, down, until you felt the sand of the ocean floor between your toes. You wanted to let the ocean take you. You wanted to let the merman take you wherever he wanted to take you. You were mesmerized.
“Mine.” It repeats, mouthing at your neck.
Purple hair danced around your face as you felt your consciousness and awareness slip from you. You close your eyes as it continued to sing to you. You were blacking out when you feel something sharp clamp onto your neck.
***
You wake up with a start, breathing heavy from waking up from the same nightmare you’ve been having over and over again. Your shirt was sticking to your back from the sheen layer of sweat covering your body. You feel your neck for any bitemarks, and sigh in relief when there aren’t any. You felt sick to your stomach. You take a minute to steady yourself before you check the time. It’s about a half hour before your alarm was supposed to go off.
You slide out of bed and make your way to the kitchen where your roommate is already making breakfast. Bakugou gives you a confused look as you hop up on the counter next to the coffee maker.
“The fuck are you doing up so early?”
“It’s that dream again.”
“The one where you drown?”
You hum in response as you prep the coffee maker. Bakugou’s heard about the dream more than once. The first time he found out about it, he had to wake you up from a screaming session. You’ve been neglecting to tell him about the purple haired merman that’s been haunting and enticing you. You feel like he’d make fun of you. Instead, you tell him that a large fish continues to pull you down into the dark ocean.
“Do you wanna try sleeping on the couch to see if that’ll fix it?”
“I’ll try it, but who knows if it’ll help.” You rub your eyes and lean your head against the cabinets. “I think I’m just anxious about finals week. That’s all.”
“Fuck the finals. You’re already passing all of your classes.” Bakugou hands you a plate of fancy scrambled eggs with veggies and meats, and a slice of toast with jam on it.
“Besides, I’m more concerned about you being able to make it to the shitty group vacation Pinky planned for us.”
“I’ll be fine.” You slurp your coffee and hop off of the counter. “Did she decide where we’re all going?”
Bakugou hesitates. “You know how my family has a beach house?”
“Yeah? What’s that got to do with anything?”
“That’s where we’re going. For two months.”
You put your plate and mug on the counter and sigh. “We’re going to the fucking ocean… for two months?”
“It wasn’t my fucking idea don’t snap at me.”
“Sorry. I’m fine. I just… need a minute.”
Bakugou’s phone goes off. He reads the message and curses. “They want to meet up before classes and talk about the trip. You alright?”
“Fine. I’m fine. I’ll be ready in a minute.”
You quickly dress yourself and scarf down your breakfast. You toss on a pair of jeans, one of Bakugou’s sweatshirts that he said doesn’t fit over his muscles anymore. You weren’t complaining. He hands you a thermos of the coffee you didn’t finish and your backpack.
He was grumbling about you wearing his sweatshirt and making the two of you look like a couple. You tease him about it and remind him that Kirishima would think it’s funny. Bakugou didn’t think it was funny, which made you laugh even harder.
The two of you met up with the gang bright and early at the university cafeteria. Kaminari was half asleep sipping on a drink that looks more like a desert than it does coffee. Kirishima was chatting with Sero about their health final while simultaneously making his protein drink. Ashido was listening to Jirou’s playlist on her phone while they both studied separately. Bakugou plops in a chair next to Kirishima and you sit next to Ashido.
“(Y/n)! Baku!” Ashido says a bit too loudly for 7:30 in the morning. “You made it!”
“Shut the fuck up Pinky.” Bakugou snaps.
“Be nice, Katsuki.” Kirishima kisses him on the temple, making Bakugou pout.
“Anyways, since we’re all here.” Ashido smacks her hands on the table making Kaminari jump. “Let’s talk about the trip. Two months. Bakugou’s family beach house. The entire gang. Sound like a plan?”
The group all nods except for you and Bakugou. He eyes you warily as your grip tightens around your thermos. Kirishima looks between the two of you with furrowed brows and claps his hands together when he realizes what’s going on.
“(Y/n)’s afraid of the ocean.” Kirishima gasps.
“What? No.” You laugh nervously.
“She’s afraid of what’s in it, Shitty Hair.” Bakugou covers Kirishima’s mouth. “If you don’t want to go, then we can pick something else.”
“No. I’m not going to ruin a vacation for the group. I can avoid the ocean. I’m sure there’s plenty to do that doesn’t require being in the water.”
Ashido grabs your hand and tells you how brave you are. You put on a smile and pull out your notes to busy yourself with studying. The song from your nightmare circulates through your brain pulling you into a trance. You didn’t know there were words, but they seemed to change every time you tried to focus on something else. Every time you closed your eyes you saw the purple hair floating around the merman like a halo, deep purple eyes staring into your soul as he repeated the word “Mine” in that smooth voice over and over in your mind.
The merman from your dreams was starting to take over your reality.
***
The salty air was bittersweet when you took your first deep breath after sitting in a car full of men. It was liberating, but it did send a tingle down your spine. Bakugou ended up driving you, Kirishima, and Kaminari, while Sero drove Ashido, and Jirou. You wanted to ride with Sero and the girls, but Sero’s car was a bit too small. Plus, he had extra luggage piled in his car.
The beach house was incredible. It was on a cliff with a path that leads directly to a private beach with a small cove. It looked familiar. You follow the sound of arguing into the house and find Ashido and Kaminari arguing over one of the rooms that looks out over the ocean. Bakugou comes stomping down the steps and threatens them with a room full of bunkbeds if they can’t figure their shit out.
You walk into the room they were arguing over and are taken aback by the view. You could clearly see the entire beach, the cove, and a small group of rocks with waves crashing over them. You feel a pull in your heart when your eyes land on one rock in particular. You could almost feel the heat on the back of your legs. You had to pat your cheeks to bring you back down to Earth when you hear Ashido calling your name.
“What?” You spin around quickly to find a concerned looking Bakugou and a grinning Ashido.
“Kami and I realized that this room would suit you better than us.” Ashido sighs as she looks out the window. “I’ll probably come in here and bother you for the view though.”
“I…” You glance back out at the rocks and frown. “Are you sure?”
“Girl. I’m totally sure!” Ashido wraps her arms around you and plants a smooch on the top of your head. “It felt like the room was calling you.”
“Don’t start with that bullshit.” Bakugou frowns from the doorway. “No one’s used this room since I was a kid. They said something about voices and seeing weird things.” He shrugs. “If you feel weird, then you can move to another room.”
“Alright. Thanks Bakugou.”
Ashido lets you go and sprints through the house to find a room perfect enough for herself. You start to unpack. If you’re going to be staying in this room for two months, you might as well make it feel more like you. You open one of the large show windows to let some of the ocean air in. The house has air conditioning, but it’s not centralized. Each room has their own AC unit, and it felt nice enough to turn yours off.
You were visited by Sero at one point, who really wanted to see the view those two were fighting over. He whistles and declares that your room will be the “zen den.” You laugh as he tries doing a few yoga poses by the window to take in the vibe. Amidst your laughing and carrying on, Kirishima lets everyone know that they’re going out to get groceries if anyone has requests or wants to come. Sero jumps at the chance, but you decline, giving them your special order.
You realize that everyone has left when both Sero and Bakugou’s cars were not in the driveway. Ashido texted you about going to get alcohol with Jiro and Kaminari. You were a little upset that no one stayed behind, but you started to feel like you had to get out and go to the water. You were scared, yes, but some part of you felt safe. Like the ocean wasn’t going to hurt you. At least not today.
You quickly put on your swimsuit and put a sundress on top. You packed a bit of sunscreen, some snacks, and a towel. You were debating if you should bring your phone with you but knew one of them would panic if you left it behind.
The path to the beach was surprisingly well kept. A few bits of greenery poked through the decking, but other than that it was free of sand and debris. You slip out of your sandals as your feet touched the sand. It was midafternoon, so the sun was on the path towards setting, but not to the point where the sky turns into an oil painting.
You felt jittery. It felt like you were reenacting your nightmare. It was always this time of day. It was always a clear beach. And it was always that rock. You felt your stomach drop when you finally made it to the rock you were staring at from the beach house. It looked exactly the same. It felt exactly the same. The smell of the sea was exactly how you imagined it.
The only thing missing was the flash of purple.
You step away from the rock, careful not to slip on the algae covered ones surrounding it. It was eerie. You felt like you needed to sit on the rock like in your dream. Like it was calling out to you. Like the merman’s song was drawing you to this spot from your dreams. You almost felt lost, the rock being your final destination.
Against your better judgement, you place your bag on the beach behind you and climb onto the rock. You perch yourself on it, just like the dream, and let the waves lap at your feet. You felt calm. You felt safe. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes wondering if you’re paranoid for nothing.
Until you hear a song.
Your eyes fly open as you search the water for the purple-haired merman with the same voice. But you see nothing. You hear the voice again and turn towards the opposite end of the beach. Your breath catches in your throat when you see a man with purple hair singing towards the ocean. You stand on shaky legs and watch as he picks a shell up from the beach.
When he looks up, your eyes meet. His eyes were a deep purple. And you felt those purple eyes bore deep into your soul.
You wanted to scream. You wanted to run away. You almost wanted to tell the gang that you needed to go home. But instead, you slip and fall right into the water. Luckily it was shallow so you could sit down and still have most of your body out of the water. You must have swallowed a bunch of it because your throat burns, and you feel like you’re going to be sick.
“Shit, are you okay?” You hear a familiar voice call out to you.
You nod as you hack up a lung trying to get oxygen circulating once again. You felt a course hand brush a few strands of wet hair from your face. His touch sent tingles across your skin. You wiped the water from your face and finally look at him.
He was stunning. His purple hair surrounded him like a halo. His eyes were the deep purple you’ve been seeing in your dreams, and his fingernails were painted black.
“You took quite the fall. Are you sure you’re alright?” He says with a frown.
“Yeah.” You clear your throat. “I didn’t realize the rock would be slippery with wet feet. Sorry you had to see that.” You chuckle nervously, struggling to look away from him.
“It’s not the first time I’ve seen someone fall off of the rocks into the water.” He says with a toothy grin. “I’m Shinsou, by the way.” He extends his hand to help you to your feet.
“(Y/n).” You say, letting him pull you up.
“I take it you’re not from around here?”
“Uh, no, actually. I’m here on a two-month vacation with a few of my friends.” You try to wring out your dress the best you can. “We’re staying at that beach house on the cliff.”
“Ah the Bakugou house?”
“Yeah. The son is one of my best friends, and the rest of our friends decided a beach trip was much needed.”
Shinsou hums. You felt like his voice would invade your mind and command you to do whatever he pleased. You wanted to hear more of his voice. You wanted him to lull you into the depths.
You needed to wake up.
“Do you do that often?” You force out, looking away to find your towel.
“Do what?”
“Come to the beach and sing to the ocean?”
“Oh that.” He gives you a lopsided smile and rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah. Usually I wait until everyone leaves, so I don’t have an audience. It just feels… right. To sing to the ocean.”
“I apologize for interrupting your performance.” You laugh. “It was… nice.”
“Just nice?” He teases.
“I can’t think of any other words to use!” You gasp. You can’t really say it sounded familiar, or that it sounded like a siren’s song. That would be weird.
“I appreciate the comment.” He hands you his phone. “Since you’ll be here for a while, why don’t you come down to the beach and interrupt more of my performances.”
You take it and put your number in. He texts you immediately, making sure you weren’t lying to him. You give him a deadpanned look as he snickers at you. Before you head back to the house, he stops you and gives you the shell he picked up off the beach. It was small, cream-colored conch. You told him that you couldn’t take his little treasure, but he insisted, saying that he had plenty of shells in his collection.
You waved to each other as you walked your separate ways. You rolled the shell around in your fingers looking at the intricate swirls. You heard something jingling around inside. You shake out whatever it is onto your hand and feel bile in the back of your throat.
A purple scale with black on the tip sits neatly in your palm. You feel dizzy when you look back onto the beach and realize that he’s nowhere to be found. You were beginning to panic. You run back into the house, ignoring everyone’s calls and b-line to your bathroom. You splash cold water on your face and squeeze your eyes shut.
It's just your imagination. It’s just your imagination.
“(Y/n)?” Ashido knocks carefully on the bathroom door frame. “Are you alright? Oh wow, that’s such a pretty scale! What kind of fish is purple?”
It’s not just your imagination.