With Lungs Like Gills (Merman!Brothers x Reader)

Chapter 1

I've lived by the sea my entire life, and take it with me within a small glass vial necklace that had a red stone within the contained salty water. I was a semi-professional freediver with a large lung capacity and a licensed scuba diver -- so why was I losing the battle to hold my breath, and why was the surface of the water moving so far away from my reach?

The pressure on my left ankle was harsh, as if something was trying to pull me towards wherever it considered to be safe further down, and I held onto whatever air remained in my lungs as I frantically grabbed for the diving knife tucked away underneath my swim shorts. With the button clasp undone, I gripped the hilt tightly in my shaking hands and drove it from the sheath by my hip straight into whatever was holding onto my ankle. With the sound of rushing water thundering at my ears, I stabbed downwards over and over until the force let go, a monstrous shriek pierced the water as my lungs started to beg for fresh air. Driving whatever energy I could muster into kicking myself upwards through the dark water, I could barely see the sunset that was so bright only a few moments ago on the surface.

How far down am I?

Shoving the diving knife back into its sheath, I focused on moving upward as quickly as possible, refusing to let panic steal what little air I had left. I couldn't pay attention to anything else, or I'd get dragged back down again.

I grabbed onto the coral rock face that overhung the deep dropoff I was pulled into, pushing down on it to propel myself up further. I felt the coral cut into my bare hand, clenching my teeth in pain and continuing to focus on moving up towards the water's surface as adrenaline surged through my nerves.

Only five more meters...come on, (y/n), you can do this!

My legs ached, my arms were becoming numb, and my lungs had clearly reached their limit a while ago. I pushed another kick out before my vision darkened and my body became completely numb.

----

The convulsion in my chest caused me to spit out whatever water I had inhaled, and I felt someone hurriedly roll me onto my left side, their hand on my right shoulder and back to stabilize my position. I coughed out what felt like several litres of water before I was able to breathe freely again, wincing at the salty taste in my mouth that the ocean always left.

"You feeling better?" A male voice asked from close behind me, more than likely the same person that was keeping me on my side. I was grateful that someone came across my body when I was washed ashore, before I suddenly realized that I shouldn't have come ashore at all.

Wasn't I still five meters underwater? The current should've taken me out to sea.

"Yeah," I coughed a final time before sitting up on my own. I felt the cool water underneath me as it washed across the rocky tide pool barrier, and I turned to see a man that was mostly submerged in the evening waters. His dark-colored hair was soaked completely through and he wore a very lavish-looking headpiece, complete with bleached seashells and red fins near where his ears were. Around his neck, he had a pearled necklace that had bits of red coral, which somehow weren't irritating his bare skin.

"Ah, thanks for finding me," I gave a grateful nod, not wanting to ask why he was still in the water.

"No problem," He laughed a little before pausing a bit, "Are you gonna give me a kiss in return?"

"What?!" My brow instantly furrowed in disgust as I moved away from him a little, "No way! I don't know you, and we've only just met."

"You're no fun. I save you from drowning and I don't get anything in return," He held his arms behind his head and pouted, treading water without making much of a splash.

"If you want a reward, it can't be anything like that off the bat," I crossed my legs and noticed the hand-sized bruise beginning to darken around my ankle, "I...uh, I mean, if you want to actually get a reward from me, you have to start out small."

"Then have sex with me!" The pout on his face instantly turned into a wide and understanding smirk.

"No!" I shouted in surprise, starting to get frustrated with the man, "No, sex is not smaller than a kiss! I meant like a ice cream, or something else that we could both enjoy without physical contact!"

Silence settled between us, the sound of waves crashing against the nearby sandy shores serving as ambient noise. I took a few silent deep breaths to calm myself down before I heard the man starting to laugh -- softly at first, eventually growing to be so loud that I thought he would draw the attention of the nearby fishermen on the rocky outcrops. After he laughed himself out, the man looked at me with a serious grin.

"All right. Then I choose ice cream, or something else that's simple and can be enjoyed right here on the shoreline."

"Very well then," I pushed myself up slowly, letting my limbs stretch out, "I'll head down to the local creamery shop and get us something to eat," I gave a soft smile to the man and reached down to him, intending to help him out of the water.

"Ah...no, I still need to do my laps. My brother will be furious if I skip out on lessons," He shook his head and jabbed a thumb back out towards the open water, "I'll wait for you here...uh..."

"(L/n). (L/n) (Y/n)," I stood up straight and looked expectantly back at him.

"Uh...Yamano."

"All right, Yamano. I'll be back in about ten minutes. Think you'll have your laps finished by then?"

"If not, then soon after. I'm pretty fast," Yamano gave me a 'V' with his index and middle finger before waving me off as I turned around and headed towards my favorite little hole-in-the-wall ice cream shop, double checking that I had all of my gear on me. About halfway to the shop, I slapped my forehead lightly as I grimaced.

I should've asked Yamano what flavor he wanted...