"W-who, m-me?" Tyler felt his cheeks heat up even more

Josh nodded his head and smiled flashing a glimpse of his sharp teeth. Even though the man reminded Tyler of a shark he was an adorable shark. Josh wrapped his arms around Tyler's neck, the boy had to grab onto something so he wouldn't get dragged into the water. Josh wasn't trying to do that but when the man suddenly put his weight on the boy it sure felt like it. 

"Can I take?" Josh whispered looking Tyler into his eyes

"Take what?" Tyler blinked rapidly, fear started growing in his heart again

Josh grabbed onto Tyler's collar gently and slightly tugged him down closer to the water. Tyler held onto the grass that was not going to hold for much longer if he kept pulling. 

"You." Josh said quietly and slowly backed away into the water pulling Tyler with him

The boy slowly leaned forward without thinking. He looked into the merman's eyes not wanting to move his gaze away. He felt how his body rose from the ground and now Tyler was kneeling on the sand with his palms on the ground. Josh had his palms cupping both sides of Tyler's head. Tyler's lips hung slightly open, he could feel Josh's light breathing against his own mouth. The warm air tickled his skin a little. 

Josh was submerged int the water shoulder deep. Tyler tried as hard as he could not fall into the water because god knows what would've happened to him once he's in the ocean with the merman. Josh's eyes sparkled with hope, they weren't the eyes of someone who might've wanted to drown Tyler but the boy wanted to stay cautious and as beautiful as Josh's eyes were he couldn't keep looking into them. Tyler gently gripped Josh's soft hands and removed them from his face. He held them in his own hands and sighed. Josh's eyebrows curled upwards.

"I can't t-take?" Josh whispered with a slight disappointment in his voice

"No, you can't take me, Josh." Tyler shook his head "I live on land."

"Pretty fish." Josh pointed at the ocean "Pretty like Tyler." 

A weak smile curved the boy's lips. He sighed and looked down at Josh's hands that he was still holding.

"Maybe next time?"

Josh nodded and splashed his tail against the surface of the water excitedly.

"N-Next time! Next time!" Josh grabbed Tyler's upper arm "Next time now!" 

"No, Josh." Tyler backed away from the water and sat on the sand "I can't go with you into the water. It's too cold." 

Josh tilted his head to the side like a curious puppy.

"Human like warm?" 

"Yes. Human's like when it's warm, Josh." Tyler patted his jacket "That's why we wear clothes."

Josh rubbed his chin like he was thinking about something deeply.

"F-far away hu-man no clothes. " Josh furrowed his clothes "Not h-hu-man?" 

"They are human, Josh." Tyler let out  a soft chuckle "Maybe it's really warm there so they don't need clothes." 

Josh nodded.

"Understand." 

Tyler shivered slightly. His knees were wet from kneeling on the sand, Josh had been splashing the water a lot and Tyler feared that he would get sick again. Tyler still felt like he's in a fairytale. Deep inside the boy believed that this is some crazy fever dream because mermaids didn't exist. If they did scientist would've found out by now. 

Josh inched forward trying to reach Tyler but the man couldn't reach him. Tyler grabbed Josh's hand and helped him to pull himself on the sand. He wiggled closer to Tyler. Now the boy saw the merman's tail in all of its glory. He really wanted to touch it. Tyler frowned when he saw the patch of missing scales and skin. It looked better than it did yesterday. The wound had closet completely and a new layer of scales had been growing over the raw area. Tyler guessed magical creatures healed faster than humans. Josh scooted closer to Tyler and tried sitting like him but the man wiggled his bottom uncomfortably and slid off the log. 

"Pointy." Josh frowned 

"Oh, the splinters, right." Tyler chuckled "Well, I guess you'll just have to sit on the sand."

Josh folded his hands over his chest and pouted.

"I w-want to sit where hu-man sit." 

Tyler let out a heavy sigh and straightened his legs. He patted his lap.

"Come her." 

Josh slithered across the sand and climbed onto Tyler's lap. He was heavy but light enough for Tyler to handle. Josh sat across Tyler's lap with his hands around the boy's neck. The merman was smiling and looking at the forest. Tyler gently placed his hand on the small of Josh's back. The scales there were incredibly smooth and soft. Tyler gently tapped his fingers against them making the merman squirm and giggle. Tyler smiled. He found out that mermen can be ticklish too. Josh looked att he trees fascinated, he squinted his eyes as he looked in the distance.

"City?" Josh asked pointing at the houses that were seen from far away

"Yes, I live in the city." Tyler said gently running his fingers across the scales on Josh's tail

The scales changed colour depending on the way the light hit them. Josh gently swayed back and forth humming something. Tyler didn't know how long they've been sitting there but the boy's legs fell asleep from the weight of the merman. Tyler had enough time to examine Josh's tail. It was so incredibly gorgeous that Tyler kinda wished that he had one too. Josh placed his head on Tyler's shoulder and yawned. His wet hair tickled Tyler's neck as he shifted his body. 

Tyler continued running his palm over Josh's tail, it seemed to calm the merman down because he was falling asleep fast. Tyler heard the weird sound that sounded like purring again and Josh let out a sleepy whine. Tyler smiled and accidentally brushed his palm over the scales against the grain making Josh's eyes shot up. 

"You don't like that?" Tyler said softly brushing against the grain

Josh inhaled sharply, Tyler felt the merman tense up in his arms. Tyler smirked and brushed his palm against the grain again wanting to tease Josh thinking that it was just annoying, like cats who hate being pet against the grain but it was different for Josh. It was completely different for the merman. Josh's grip on Tyler tightened, Josh's cheeks started slowly turning pink as Tyler brushed his palm upwards instead of downwards. Josh gasped softly with each graze and Tyler noticed Josh's scales slowly turning pink. His hand froze in mid-air when he realized that he's not teasing the merman like he used to do with his cat.

"Mmmm..." Josh hummed and buried his face in the crook of Tyler's neck when the boy continued going against the grain

"You like it when I do this?" Tyler said in a low voice as he ran his fingers upwards

"Mh..." Josh nodded wrapping his arm tighter around the boy's neck 

A cunning smirk curved Tylers lip as he teasingly brushed his fingers against Josh's scales.

"Is this better than petting?" Tyler asked as his hand moved more aggressively

Josh let out a soft moan and that's when Tyler decided that it's enough because it was getting weird... Well, weirder because mermen experiencing pleasure was weird enough and Tyler didn't want to see what was gonna happen in the end. He... He kinda did but also didn't, the part that didn't want to won and Tyler moved his hand away making Josh squirm on his lap. A large patch on the front of Josh's tail had turned completely pink. Tyler looked at Josh's eyes to see that his left eye had a rosy hue to it. 

"T-Ty-ler..." Josh gasped softly and grabbed Tyler's hand "M-more petting."

"No, Josh." Tyler murmured feeling his own cheeks blaze crimson "That's enough for today."

"T-tomorrow?" Josh asked, his breaths were still shallow and uneven 

"Okay..." Tyler muttered looking somewhere else but Josh's tail

"Tomorrow." Josh murmured shifting slightly on Tyler's lap 

"I have to go." Tyler whispered against Josh's hair.

He really wanted to do that for some reason. Josh's hair softly tickled Tyler's lips making him bite them repeatedly to get rid of the itch but the boy did it again. Josh's hair smelled like fresh cold water even though water didn't really have a smell. Tyler imagined that if cold saltwater did have a smell it would smell just like Josh's hair. It was the same salty aroma that Tyler always hated the most about the ocean but the merman's hair was something different. Almost intoxicating. He was a magical creature after all. 

"No." Josh murmured "Stay here."

"I have to go." Tyler sighed and gently pushed Josh off of his lap.

Josh sat on the sand pouting. Tyler collected all of his strength and picked Josh up. The man squealed as Tyler threw him into the water. Josh rose up from under the water and clapped his hands.

"Again! Again!" Josh laughed 

"No, Josh." Tyler pet Josh's wet hair "I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

"Okay." Josh murmured and disappeared under the water

Tyler stretched his legs for a few minutes because they had become numb. The boy stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and headed back home. It was already getting dark.