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"Have you ever lost one of your scales?"
"Hmm?" Allison asks, lifting her head from Malia's shoulder and rubbing her thumb against the back of Malia's neck, which is slightly damp from the spray of the ocean. They've been wrapped up in a hug in the shoulder deep water for what feels like hours and until Malia spoke, Allison had been already ready to fall asleep.
"Your scales. Have you ever lost one of them?" Malia repeats. Underneath the water, one of her toes brushes against the bottom of Allison's tail and Allison can't suppress the shiver that goes straight up her spine.
"Yes," Allison sighs. "More than one." It's been over a decade since she lost one but she still knows exactly where the bare patches are on her tail, the gaps in her otherwise brilliantly incandescent turquoise scales. Just thinking about it makes the spots throb slightly.
"What happened? The last time, I mean," Malia asks. A wave laps against the bottom of her neck, sending water spraying over her mouth and Allison absently leans in to kiss it away.
"A fisherman caught me in his net," Allison murmurs. She remembers the horrible feeling of panic that had slammed into her as she'd twisted against the net, flailed helplessly, remembers the pain as her tail dried out underneath the hot sun.
"He was looking for dolphins," she continues. "He managed to take a souvenir before I escaped." Malia growls quietly and wraps her arms even tighter around Allison's waist, right above where her flesh bleeds into her scales.
"If I ever see him, I'll kill him," she says, ferocity imbuing each word.
"I already took care of that," Allison replies. She can't help but take a moment to smile and recall that bloodsoaked memory.
"Good," Malia mutters, rubbing her cheek against the top of Allison's head. The wind has picked up a little, making the waves crest higher. It's making Allison's lungs a little sore so, after a moment, she loosens her arms from around Malia's neck and lets herself sink below the waves. She reaches up to tug on Malia's hand and, on cue, Malia comes as well. There's not a hint of panic or fear on her face; she simply smiles slightly, eyes open and hair gently floating around her, as she cranes forward and presses her lips against Allison's.
Allison returns the favor, lets her lips ghost along Malia's cheek and neck. She can't resist the urge to trail her fingertips along the inside of Malia's thigh, right up to the edge of her bathing suit shorts. A rush of bubbles hit Allison in the face as Malia pops back above the water and Allison follows her, grinning slightly.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to make you swallow water."
"It's okay," Malia says, coughing into the crook of her arm. "But maybe you should let me get my breath back before you do that again."
"I can do that," Allison says with a smile, slipping back into Malia's arms. Just thinking about hearing Malia moaning in her ear makes her shiver but until her girlfriend gets her breath back, she's more than content to simply feel Malia's skin against hers and stare up at the huge, bright moon illuminating the sea around them.