With Lungs Like Gills (Merman!Brothers x Reader)

Chapter 13

The merman that had tried to kill me twice only a few days ago was laying limply on the shoreline. I looked around for any sort of stick that I could use to see if he was still alive, but didn't see any lengthy flotsam nearby, slowly making my way closer to Ichimatsu.

"Ichimatsu...?" I kept my left hand on the rock outcropping for some sort of security, reaching out with my right hand to lightly touch his head. I didn't see any kind of movement from him, only watching his back rise and fall with his breath. Ichimatsu was laying face down in the sand, claw marks all around him as if he was trying to escape the water. The cloud cover unveiled more of the moon and I realized that he was wounded.

Blood trailed from several scratches and bite marks, staining the sand underneath him a dark red. I looked towards his tail and saw the wounds continue, practically covering his whole body. There were several puncture wounds on his back, the skin slightly swelling.

Lionfish stings...Osomatsu!

"Don't do anything funny, Ichimatsu. I'm going to bring you back to my apartment. You need to be treated immediately," I called out to the seemingly unconscious merman, grabbing underneath both of his arms and dragging him away from the water. I'd seen him talk above the water before, but I had no idea how much truth there was to the mermaid mythos of the creatures breathing air. I put both of his arms over my shoulders and tried to lift him onto my back.

He was heavy.

Groaning, I walked as quickly as I could along the softest path so I didn't damage the tail that inevitably trailed behind me, the damn thing nearly doubling his length. I struggled to open my door, but was able to maneuver the merman into my tub, filling it with hot water as I went back to close the front door. I brought my laptop from underneath my bed to the laundry room, waiting patiently for the bath to fill up as I looked for mermaid lore. I didn't think I'd need to take care of one, but here I was -- my smart self bringing the merman that tried to kill me twice into my own home.

Turning the water off as the surface began to lap at the top of the bathwell, I kept an eye on Ichimatsu's face as I reached down to circulate the water underneath his back. His eyes slowly opened and locked onto my face only a few feet from his.

"...what the hell?!" His eyes cleared from a foggy look to a sharp glare, pushing away from me and nearly landing outside of the bath, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"Keeping you from losing the skin on your back..." I backed away instantly, not wanting to fight an angry merman, "I found you on the beach shoreline close to home. I didn't want you to suffer--"

"So now you're acting like a fake hero? Careful to not ruin your reputation as a fake that 'cares about nature'," He scoffed, his top lip curling upwards in disgust, "No one asked for your help, and I certainly don't need it."

"You may not have asked for it, but I didn't want you dying...as twisted as that is. Besides, you're probably gonna be stuck in that tub until you're better. I'm nowhere close enough for you to get back to the sea on your own," I crossed my arms and held his gaze, "You're just gonna have to deal with it for now."

"...you bitch..."

"Oh, shut up. Just get back in the tub and sit for a little while," I began to leave the bathroom, reaching out for my laptop when I heard water being splashed. I turned towards the sound as a glob of water splattered against me, completely soaking my clothes. I opened my eyes to see a sneering Ichimatsu.

"You're welcome..." I growled before grabbing a clean towel and a change of clothes, stomping out of the room with laptop in hand.