XXX
You laid on you back to look up at the shinning sky of the ocean as you wait for the young merman. On your hip you wore a belt with a sheath dagger tied to it. Your younger sister refused to let you leave home with out it. She also made you take bladed staff but that was stuck in a patch of kelp by the back of the boat. Yugi didn't seem like someone you needed to use a weapon against, but if you were wrong the dagger would be enough.
In your hair you wove in strings of pearls left to you by your mother and your sister showed up early to help with your makeup. She even brought a top from her collection for you to wear on your 'date'. You usually wear a simple cloth made into a halter when you went treasure hunting by the pier but otherwise you didn't bother with covering your breast. Sister also dressed you in a small hip skirt made from netting and decorated in color shells and stones. She wanted to put more jewelry on you but you felt over dressed already. You wondered for a moment where she swam off to after helping you get ready. She had also dressed up but when you asked about it she waved you off. "Maybe she found a male too? I wonder..."
The waters of sea around you was cool and quiet. A few smaller fish glided by in little groups and perhaps there were other creatures around, but their presence was not felt by you. The solitude comforted you as you closed your eyes and started to hum to pass the time. Thoughts of the merman passed through your mind but that seem to happen whenever your thoughts quieted.
The tone of your song trickled out as Yugi's face filled your mind. The tone turned sweeter when you remember the courting dance, he did for you and how the two of you played a game of chase. A group of tiny fish swimming near your tentacles moved away as they swayed to the rhythm of your song. The song in your heart swelled needing to escape and out came your voice echoing in the water. It was not often that you sang but the feelings that came when you thought of the merman were too much to keep inside.
You laid on the roof of the boat singing till another voice joined yours. Eyes flew open and above you the merman from the other day looked down singing back to you. You rose up on to your hands as you listened to him. Your face heated as a smile broke onto your face at his song till it was too much not to joined in. The song of merfolk needed no words to have meaning. What was felt in the heart combine with the intent of the song is what gave it meaning. It was in your melody that Yugi first heard how flatter you were by his courtship and the joy you felt at seeing him again.
Yugi's heart became enraptured by the depths your emotion and by how beautiful you looked with the pearls glowing in your hair that he replied to your song. To you he sang his longing for you and the desire he had to know you. He watched as you smiled up at him and sang along with you. Your voices blended together reaching out like hands seeking to intertwine with each other. You fell back on the ship singing your song and raised your arms up to him to invite him into your body. Yugi swam down unable to resist your invitation. Your song stopped. Cut off by giggles and a kiss that was worth of a song of its own.
Yugi body slowly came down to you as he kissed you heatedly. Your tentacles moved to him closer to your body and he let out a light moan at the way they squeezed him. Sweeping away a drooping fringe of gold with your fingers you peck his cheek.
"Hello, I'm y/n."
Yugi blinked at you and realized that nether of you knew each other's name.
"I'm Yugi. Sorry for making you wait."
You smiled up at him shaking your head. "I didn't mind and you're here now."
The two of your gazed at each other unsure on what comes next. Mating did feel like the next step but then what? The two of you would go off your separate ways and if successful you would carry his child. After that what next? Well, maybe, if the mating was pleasant, the two of you will meet again. But was that what you wanted? Yugi knew he didn't, but would you understand?
"Y/n," he began try to think of a way to stall that first step, "why do you collect human things as a hobby?"
"That's not an easy question for me to answer." You said running your hand in his hair. You went to kiss his lips but he pulled back to ask,"Then why do you live alone?"
"It's something my father's kind practiced." The hair in your hands felt so soft and you massage your fingers at the back of his head and watched as he relaxed into you. "But doesn't it get lonely?" He asked as he sighed. His eyes closed as part of his mind screamed at him to quit stalling and to just take you before you change your mind!
You had no intention of changing your mind about being with him and figured that he was merely nervous but it didn't bother you. Just having him in your arms was enough for now. "Some of us don't mind living in colonies with others kinds of merfolk but we mainly live alone." You kissed at his neck with soft little pecks as two of your tentacles rub at his back and another two slid around his tail.
Yugi moaned and huffed trying not to get lost in your touch. There was more he wanted to know. More he wanted to have with you then just a fast heated fling. But maybe just another kiss wouldn't hurt, he thought as he found his way to your soft lips and pressed his mouth to them. Yugi's hands rubbed at your back till one made its way up into your locks. Yugi pressed against your mouth till you opened it to him and his tongue slipped to rub along yours. Another hand went to undo the top that held your firm breast.
You moaned and twisted seductively in his hold as he kissed with a deeper passion. You had him in your grasp but he also had you trapped under his gentle passion. Your hips moved up to his to let him know you were ready, but that woke Yugi from his lust filled state. He broke the kiss and looked into you eye's with flushed cheeks and a heavy breathe asking, "And what about your mother? Did she live alone too?"
"Yugi,"
Yugi gulped since he knew he was talking to much and worried what you would think.
"What are you doing?" You asked loosening your hold on him. "Do you not want to mate with me?"
"No, that's not it." He said shaking his head. Panic filled his eyes as you look at him confused. "I do want to mate you! I really do! I just...it's my first! No! That's not it either. I..."
Tentacles fell away from him as you sat up forcing Yugi to move back. "Y/n, I sorry! I really like you and I want this, but-"
"Shh." He eyes widen as your hands cupped his face. You had a few memories of your mother and father sitting together and chatting. You could always tell when it was after coupling since it was the only time your mother would share a drink with your father. Something in the way he talked to you reminded you of those times. The merman wanted you, that you could tell but there was something else. Whatever it was you would give it to him, if it was in your power. Yugi's purple blue eyes shone at you as you said kindly, "Tell me what it is you want."
"What I want?" he repeated. Could he really tell you without thinking he was strange? The look in your eyes told him he could. His chest ached with fear, but he opened his mouth and found the words leaving him.
"I want my own family with a wife I can speed my lifetime with. I'm the youngest of seven brothers; five of which are half-brothers. I'm only close to my one of my brothers because we share the same parents and all but one of them hated us for that, but their mothers encourage them to hate us. I'm forced to call my father's lovers 'mother' but not a signal one of them were ever motherly to me. I don't want the same to happen to any offspring I might have."
The answer surprised you. For a moment you thought he was going to ask for a favor or a spell, but not this. You smiled to yourself as you tested him. "But it's how we merfolk procreate. By having many lovers. If we are lucky we may find one true love among them."
You watched as Yugi's shoulders dropped and glanced away from you with his head down. "My mother died never finding her true love. Her wish was to have a husband of her own, to spend the rest of her days with, but my father took that wish away from her by adding her to a harem. I want what I see the humans have. One mate and several offspring together."
The water seem still with the silence that fell between the two of you. What rare thinking he had. Mother would have liked him. Father too. One lover, to have and to hold till death. What a romantic idea. You wouldn't mind volunteering for this role but as you thought this you could see his dilemma.
"We don't know enough about each other to enter such a relationship." You said thoughtfully. Yugi turned to you wanting to say something but his throat felt too tight to speak. You then smiled at him then grabbed his hand and pulled him up into the water. "Come, I'll show you my home."
"Your home?"
"Yes. I want to be this person you seek so I will learn more about you and you will learn more about me." Yugi feezed as his heart skip a beat at your words. He swam next to you holding your hand and together the two of you glided away from the ship chatting and asking each other questions. When he left he agreed to see you as often as he could.
Together the two of you would surface and watch the humans play on the shore or enjoy the sun and wind. Yugi was impressed with how much you knew of the human world and merely thought it was because you lived so close to them. You show Yugi the best spot at night to get near the pier so he could get a better view of the people playing carnival games and the food stands. A bag of cotton candy happened to blow away and you went after it. Yugi looked at the weird pink cloud in the bag.
"Taste it Yugi! It's very sweet!"
"Is it safe?" Has asked when he felt how sticky it was in his fingers.
"Yes! Humans melt sugar in a special pot and they catch the stringed sugar to make this. Look!" You took a small piece and popped it in your mouth. Yugi watched me worriedly then put a small piece in his mouth too. His eyes widen as a smile spread on his face. You laughed as he took a bigger piece from the bag.
"It's really good but so sticky." He said licking at his fingers. A bit of dark pink sugar stuck to the corner of his mouth so you leaned in to lick the piece away. Yugi smiled at your act and offered a piece of the fluffy treat to your lips. With your eyes on his you leaned in again at ate the treat then licked lightly at his fingers. Yugi stared down at you as you tease him with your lips and tongue till he had enough and bent to kiss you. Together you both moaned as the taste of the sugar coating your breaths.
Kisses and long embraces were common between you two, but you both knew when to stop. Yugi was finding it hard each time but believed it would be worth it in the end when he could finally make you his. As for you, you loved seeing how riled up he could get with his kisses and the way he would sometimes stare at you when he didn't think you were watching. There was just something about him being hot and bothered that made you excited. He may seem sweet and innocent but there was something primal lurking behind those purple eyes of his whenever you lightly teased him with your wilds.
To thank you for sharing your human knowledge, Yugi would take you out further into the sea to see grand corral gardens, jelly fish blooms and even a old sunken pirate ship. You never traveled beyond the fisher boat and your father warned you to never wonder too far into the sea, but with Yugi at your side you were sure you would be safe. Yugi would play games with you and bring you gifts. He liked seeing trinkets in your hair so he would bring you strings of color pearls, shells and jewels, but his favorite thing were sea flowers.
During a swim in around a corral garden he got you into a game of hide and sneak. Yugi had just found you so you were dashing around to find him. You check around plants and corral but then saw a small stream of bubbles. Was he trying to give you a clue? You carefully swam to the bubbles to see two streams. Curious you went over the hill and looked down to see Yugi laying on his back.
He smiled and reached up to you. "I've been waiting for you."
"I thought you were making it too easy for me." You said swimming down to him and Yugi pulled you close to him. He kissed your cheek then reached behind him and pulled out a small crown. It was made up of dried pale blue sea flowers, pearls, white shells and starfish.
"Yugi," you said looking at it, "it's beautiful but you already given me so much."
"But I want you to have this" He said placing it on your head. Your hair was in a long braid but the hand band still looked pretty in your hair. "My mother," Yugi said as he ran his fingers through your bangs, "liked to make jewelry and hair pieces to pass the time. My brother would always bring her shells and stones he found when he sneaked out of the city. Since I was too young, I would pick flowers for her. This one was the last crown she made before she passed."
What he didn't tell you that when his mother knew she was going to died she made two crowns. One for each of her sons to give to their true loves. Yugi knew that he loved you deeply but he was unsure if the two of you were ready for that next step. Still he knew that the crown was meant for you and there was no need to rush the relationship.
"So," you said, "how do I look?" You smiled at him but the look he gave you made your heart stop. His eyes shone at you making it hard to breath. How did you look? Like a bride. His bride.
"Lovely. You look lovely, Y/N."
"Thank you Yugi."
Every date brought the two of you closer, but there were still sercets that you kepted from each other. You didn't yet know that he was a prince but as the days turned into weeks you suspected that he was not an ordinary merman. You were proven right when he came to you one day frantic about his home life.
"Y/N, can we go to your hiding place! We have to go before they get here!" Yugi said looking over worriedly over his shoulder.
"Of course, but tell me what-"
"Please, Y/n there is no time! I'll tell you everything when we get there."
The two of you swam off, hiding low in the seaweed. You wanted to look over your shoulder to see if you were being followed and by what but you kept forward. If Yugi said he would tell you everything then he would. You grabbed onto his hand and lend him into a tunnel that you had yet to show him. At the other end the two of arrived at the back of your hid out in a cave with seaweed growing round the main entrance to hide the opening. The hideout was full of human objects but remained tidy. In the middle of the cave was a round resting area filled with pillows made from sponges. Here you motioned for Yugi to rest while you went to get something sweet to drink.
He thanked you when you handed the cup and took a small sip. The drink seem to relax him but he still look tense so you sat beside him and ran a hand into his hair to massage the back of his head. Yugi closed his eyes at your touch then set down his cup and turned to nuzzle into your embrace. The steady beat of your heat stuttered for a second as his breath tickled your neck.
"Y/n, there is something I haven't told you about myself." He said griping your hand and pulling away to look at you.
"What is it?"
"Y/N, my father is the king of the colony where I live."
"Oh," You said, "so that would make you a Prince."
"Yes, but I'm the youngest so I thought I would be safe from my father's court. As it turns out I'm not."
"Why, what has happen Yugi?"
Yugi sighed as he looked away from you. Parts of his mind was still reeling from the chaos that erupted at home just after Atem had left to visit the human he was courting. They decide to split the time they ran off so not to draw attention to themselves. Atem had left early in the morning before Solomon announced that the king had fallen ill. The crown prince was still sick, so Prince Zev over saw the court meeting for part of the day. The old merman demanded to know were Atem was but Yugi would not say. Had he knew what Zev was planning to suggest he would have seek out his older brother sooner.
"Yugi?" One of your tentacles wrapped itself loosely around his tail the way you saw your father do when your mother was upset. Yugi didn't pull away since he was used to being held and touched by them. He breathed in calming his mind. You didn't like seeing Yugi upset so you pulled him down into your lap. Yugi didn't struggled but he blushed as he looked up at you. What a beauty you were in his eyes. So calm and mysterious with your treasures and secluded life. There was still a lot he didn't know about you but your kindness spoke volumes to him.
You smiled down at him as you giggled in your mind at how cute he suddenly look. Your hand smoothed back his colored locks as a song flowed from you. With Yugi around you found yourself singing more often. Even your sister caught you in the middle of one the other day. You sang to soothed him. To let him know that he was safe here. To forget his troubles.
Yugi closed his eyes as his body relaxed at your sweet song. In your song you decide to share a secret only your sister knew. A small tiny secret that made Yugi peer up at you but he said nothing so not to interrupt your singing. A small nap sounded good right now and he closed his eyes to drifted off when you got carried away and told him something else without meaning too. The merman sat up from your lap starring into your face and you stopped singing.
"You love me?"
You blinked at him not understanding how he knew. "Your song just now, you sang about loving me and giving me the family I want." Yugi explained. You glanced away to hide the blushing in your face as you cursed in your mind for getting carried away. "Y/N?"
"Well, yes. We been spending a lot of time together and it sort of just happened." You bit your lip not ready to face him when you felt his fingers at your chin. Slowly he turned your face back to his but your eyes looked away. Yugi licked his lip that suddenly went dry at your confession. You loved him. Not just as a worthy candidate for mating with again over time. You loved him.
His brother Zev confronted Yugi outside the meeting room and told him that he was chosen to marry the princess from the north colony. Zev tried to recommend Atem but Solomon got the court to change their sights on Yugi instead. As he sat here staring into your face, the palace guards were searching to bring him back. The father of his 'bride to be' wanted Yugi to travel to them right away, so Zev planned to send him the next day. Yugi swam off before Mahad could tell him that the council wanted to wait till the king gave his blessing. Yugi didn't need a blessing. He wasn't going to marry this mermaid. He found the one he wanted and now he know she loved him.
"Y/n, please look at me." His voice was steady and calm that you slid your eyes meekly to him. You thought it was silly to feel so shy around him when weeks ago your were ready to mate with him. But that was before your cared who he was or what his thoughts were. "Y/N, you understand that though I am a prince, I am the youngest so, there is little I have to offer when it comes to the crown ."
"I don't care about that. I want you and I already have a crown." You said touching the ornaments in your hair that he gave you. The words come out before you realized you said them and Yugi gave a small laugh at your bluntness.
"You wouldn't be living by yourself anymore."
"I already miss not having you around but will I have to live in your colony?"
Yugi again laughed at your displeasure and shook his head saying, "No, but I not sure if we should stay here forever either." You looked around at you humble home and nodded.
"You're right. It'll be too crowded in here when the children arrive." Yugi gulped at your comment then remembered a part of your song. "Do you really wish to have that many with me?" He asked as his tail fin started to wagged.
"Too many or too little?" You asked turning to him.
Yugi flushed and shook his head. "I think it's just right."
The two of you stared at each other as the thought of offspring excited you both. Yugi took your hands and said with a steady voice, "Y/n, there is no other I can imagine speading my life with. I fell in love with you during our first courting dance but I wanted more then a night of mating. Y/N, will you be my wife?
"Oh Yugi, yes." You said trying not to cry, "I'll gladly be your wife."
Yugi pushed you back onto the round bed with his arms thrown around you and kissing you deeply. He kissed at your tears and talked sweetly into your ear as your tentacles wrapped around him. There in the cave, the two of you kissed and embraced each other as two guard outside the small hide out swam by to head back to the palace to get help to search for the young prince.
Prince Yugi was reported missing after two days and Atem was put under house arrest after being made second in line to his father's kingdom.
Xxx
This ends the side story with Yugi.💕The side lemon story will be posted soon in the book, My Little Book of Fluff and Smutt. Hope you enjoyed your romance with Yugi. More of this romance will be mentioned in the main story with Atem and final ending. Atem option will be up later.