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Sapnap was 16 when he learned that fictional beings were not fictional. It was meant to be a pleasant family vacation to Florida with scuba diving amongst marine life. Sapnap had swam off to a random coral reef, leaving his family and the diving team closer to the boat. Sapnap had wanted to see a shark, or something cool. He didn’t care about the rainbow fish or the random sea plants.
“What?” Sapnap asked himself, watching bubbles flow up to the surface of the water as he mumbled. Sapnap was face-to-face with a boy not much older than himself, who had a fishtail.
The boy swam in a circle around Sapnap, smiling a wide grin. Sapnap waved timidly once the creature was across from him and just staring. The creature waved back then swam off as quickly as he could, a catfish that was quite literally part cat and part fish followed him. Sapnap just blinked in confusion at how a person had a fishtail and gills. Mermaids were not real. Neither were mermen.
But if that were true, then what the hell had he just interacted with?
~
“You!” Sapnap said, walking over to a taller male. “I saw you.” The man shook his head and led Sapnap away from the smoothie bar and to a private seating area. Sapnap had seen the man when he was scuba diving 3 days before, though the man now had human features. “What are you?”
“My name is Clay.” The man, Clay, said. Sapnap nodded. “You must have confused me for someone else.”
“No.” Sapnap crossed his arms over his chest, “I know that I saw you. You had a green tail. You had gills on your neck and ribs. You’re like a- a fucking merman or something.”
Clay sighed, “Who are you?”
Sapnap extended his hand, “I am Nick. Human.” Clay connected their hands. “Do you have a phone? Or anyway I can contact you?”
“Why would you want to? You aren’t even supposed to know about me.” Clay bent down to pick up the calico cat - in a pink cat sweater - circling his feet. “Or Patches. But you saw us both and yet you want to be friends? Did you not have enough air down at the reef?” Patches was always in sweaters if she was not in the water.
Sapnap looked offended. “Of course I did, nimrod. I just- I feel like we were destined to meet or something.”
Clay handed his phone over, unlocked and with a blank contact. Sapnap filled his information into the phone and texted himself before handing it back. Clay looked at the sunset and set Patches down on the ground. “Talk later, Nick.” Clay said before walking off.
~
Dream sat on a towel on the lawn as George and Sapnap jumped into the pool to swim. They were all in swim trunks but Dream was far enough away to avoid getting splashed. “You aren’t coming in? It’s like a million outside.” George said, looking at Dream while Sapnap was getting himself situated with a floaty.
“I told you, G, Dream doesn’t swim. It’s just how he is.” Sapnap said, pushing a floaty towards George.
“But why? You’re not afraid of water. I know the things you’re afraid of and water is not one of them. You talk about swimming all the time.” George held the floaty with one hand and pretended he was going to splash Dream with water.
“Dude.” Sapnap warned, quiet enough that Dream couldn’t hear it. Dream was still resting on his forearms with his face tilted up towards the sky. He had sunglasses on and just wasn’t paying mind to George or seeing him even threatening to splash Dream.
“What, Sap? He swims in secret. It’s weird as fuck. What is he so scared of?” George splashed water towards Dream and some of it landed on his leg. Dream frowned and stood up, pushing his sunglasses to his forehead. “Are you getting in?” George asked, getting on the floaty. Sapnap only grumbled under his breath.
“No.” Dream said and walked into the house without another word. Dream walked into his bathroom and locked the door, sitting in his bathtub full of lukewarm water. Dream’s legs quickly turned into his icy green tail. Dream felt the gills piercing his skin and turned the water on. It had been very hot out, it was summer in Florida, Dream wouldn’t pass up the chance to cool down in cold water.
After a half an hour, he heard the lock opening. Sapnap walked in with a towel and locked the door behind himself. “I told him I had to shit. He’ll give me 10 minutes before he comes looking for me because he got bored of swimming alone.” Dream laughed and drained the water, letting Sapnap help drag him onto the floor. Sapnap helped him dry his tail with a towel. Dream set the towel on his pelvic region as his tail turned back into a set of legs. Dream reached and grabbed the boxers off his shelf and put them on when Sapnap turned around.
“Alright, you can go. I’ll be back out. Just make him stop trying to expose my secret.” Dream said and Sapnap nodded, leaving.
Dream went back outside with swim trunks on and a new towel around his shoulders. Dream set the new, dry towel down and sat on it, going back to what he was doing before. Sapnap and George resumed their swimming session and Dream enjoyed laying in the sun.
Once George decided to go to bed that night, Dream and Sapnap met up at the back patio door with Patches who didn’t have a sweater on. Both were wearing their swimwear and had towels, even one for Patches. The three of them made their ways outside and jumped into the pool. Patches’ back legs turned into a fishtail as her gills formed at the missing patches of fur. Dream’s legs turned into his green fishtail and his gills formed on his ribs and neck. His ears were shaped to have fins and he also had fins on the back of his forearm. Dream’s tail held massive white scars where the purple scars sat on his human form skin. Sapnap was just swimming with his human legs.
~
“Mo-“ Dream started as he and his mom entered the house.
“The pod needs to see you, Cl- oh, hey Nick!” Bea smiled and walked over to hug Sapnap, who stood to hug her. “I was just telling Clay that he needs to spend time with the pod. He hasn’t been out at all in over a year, and even before that it was rare that we saw him. Only on full moons. All because he doesn’t have the balls to tell George about his tail.” Bea frowned and looked at Dream, before crouching down to pet Patches. “She needs to spend time in the ocean as well. It’s not just because I miss you.. look how thin her fur is. She needs to go out.”
“Bea is right, Clay.” Sapnap said, sitting back down. “You need to do what is good for you both.”
Dream let out a breath. “Okay. I know. I will get us both out there soon, okay? Just- I have a reason and- I just, I’ll be out there. Both of us will.”
“You better.” Bea said and kissed his cheek before leaving the house. They had gone out to lunch together.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t stand up for you but I know you said that you don’t want her knowing about what happened.” Sapnap pet Patches as she climbed onto his lap. Dream smiled softly.
“You did good. I’m gonna go stream or something.” Dream walked off and Sapnap sighed. He knew that Dream and Patches would get sick the longer they go without properly being in their Mer forms within the salt water. Being with the pod helps in ways Sapnap doesn’t understand fully. But he knows they both need it and have a reason for not being there. Sapnap just wishes things were easy again.
~
“Hello, I am James Wood. I am a representative of the Orlando Marine Life Conservation Group.” The man said, handing his ID to George.
George read the words before him and sighed, leaning in the door frame. “Okay? Why are you here?”
“There has been a report that you are harboring a dangerous wildlife specimen… of the marine variety.” James said and George laughed.
“We have three cats, Mr Wood. I assure you that there is no dangerous marine life in my home. You have the wrong house.” George explained and James didn’t seem to believe him. George turned to face into the house. “Clay! Some marine guy is here and won’t leave!”
Dream approached the pair a moment later, Sapnap at his side. Sapnap looked pissed off, Dream appeared calm. George was confused. “James, you have been asked not to return to my home.” Dream said, arm wrapped protectively around George. George didn’t mind, he loved when his boyfriend was protective of him. But this James guy was with some marine life group, why did George need to be protected from him? It made no sense.
“Clay, you and Nick have been harboring a dangerous specimen for years.” James said and Sapnap stepped forward.
“Come back when you have a warrant to check. If not, then don’t come back again.” Sapnap spit, slamming the door in James’ face. Sapnap watched from the window to make sure he was gone before turning to Dream. “I’ll go call Bea, you need to pack a bag.” Sapnap pulled his phone out and looked at George, “Can you get some of Patches’ stuff around. She needs to go with him.”
“What is going on?” George asked as Dream kissed his head and ran up the stairs, 3 at a time. “Sap?”
Sapnap sighed as he looked down at his phone with Bea’s contact open, “He is going to spend the weekend with Bea to ensure the marine conservation group doesn’t go after her next.”
“What? Why?” Sapnap shook his head. “Nick, why?”
“It’s Clay. He’s the dangerous marine specimen that we are harboring.” Sapnap explained, “He will explain everything when he gets back. I promise. Just for now, please get stuff for Patches.” George nodded and walked off to allow Sapnap to call Bea.
~
“Charlie, you cannot just go for a swim. Did you not listen to anything I just said?” Dream asked his younger sister who rolled her eyes.
“You’re keeping me from my only time to swim at night and won’t let me stream from your account again. And since we can be doxxed by the dangerous merfolk Hunter if we stream then I’m swimming. Because he’s only taking one thing from me, not two.” Charlie grabbed her towel and started walking towards the door.
“He won’t just take one or two things, Char.” Their brother, Cole, said. “He’ll take your life.” Charlie paused in her tracks and took a few deep breaths.
Charlie turned and set her towel on the kitchen island before pushing past Cole and going upstairs to her room. “You’re doing your best to keep us all alive. It’s okay for you to take a moment to breathe, Clay.”
Dream shook his head, “it’s all good, Cole. Let’s just go sleep.” Cole nodded and they walked up the stairs together before going to their rooms to sleep.
~
“Okay, start talking.” George said, looking between Dream and Sapnap who were sitting on the couch. George was standing in front of them with his arms crossed. “How is Dream a ‘dangerous marine wildlife creature’ or whatever the fuck that guy said.”
Dream looked at Sapnap before nodding. Sapnap reached forward and grabbed a glass of water off the table before dumping it all over Dream. “Nick- no- why would you- he always leaves when water splashes on him- oh. my. god. You- Clay- you-“ George stepped closer to the merman sitting on the floor in front of him. George looked at his scars and gills and tail. George kissed his forehead and Dream smiled. Sapnap stood up and left the room.
“You’re gorgeous.” George whispered with their foreheads pressed together. “I didn’t think you could get any more gorgeous and then you show me this.. it’s breathtaking, Love. Truly breathtaking.”
Dream smiled and pulled George into a real kiss. They parted ways when George realized that Dream’s ears were a lot like translucent webbed duck feet and made out of fin material. Sapnap walked back into the room with a towel and shorts. Dream transformed back into his human form in just his boxers. No one was sure how only the undergarments stay when the other clothes rip if you keep them on during a transformation. Dream thought it was neat.
Dream put the shorts on and sat back on the couch, George curled into his side and Sapnap put a movie on before pausing it. “I’m gonna put popcorn in the microwave and light up while it cooks.”
“Outside.” Dream said and Sapnap mumbled under his breath as he walked off. George laughed and put a blanket on them.
“One day you gotta let him smoke in his office. We both know you don’t care if he does or not.”
Dream shrugged, “maybe one day.”
“The scars?” George looked up at Dream and Dream met his eyes.
“The guy who showed up.. when I was a teenager, he had attacked me. He doesn’t know I’m the same person, since he assumed I had died from his tail cutting attempt. He just thinks I adopted Patches and have no idea she’s part fish. He had put a tracker on her when he attacked me and connected her to human me when I brought her home after I healed. I got rid of the tracker but he managed to hunt me down here, I guess.”
“That’s okay, we will make this work out. We will get through this.”
<~>
“Cole!” Charlie, aka Drista, yelled as she got off the patch of grass near Dream’s pool and dove into the pool, revealing her amethyst-like tail and lavender ear fins. Cole’s tail resembled Charlie’s, but his ear fins were more bluish in color. Charlie swam up to her brother and splashed him in the face. “You dick, I was tanning.”
“Skin cancer is a real thing, Char.” Cole said and George snorted, floating on a pool lounge chair with his merman boyfriend, who was sleeping with his face tucked into George’s neck and George’s leg was placed over Dream’s tail. Sapnap was at the beach with Patches and Bea.
Charlie and Cole froze when they heard a knock at the front door echo around the house. George woke up Dream and got the merfolk out of the water, dried off and changed when a voice followed, “This is James Wood, I have a search warrant.”