(Rate: T)

Its pure ecstasy, this whole experience so far has been amazing; why hasn't Lance tried to escape the water sooner? It's been a whole night since he's been here and he got to stare at the avian's cute face all night. He ended up sleeping on the bed he woke up on while mullet slept soundly on the floor. God it looked like he was so comfortable, Lance was so tempted to crawl down there and snuggle into his chest. Obviously avian customs were merely different from some merfolk ones, so randomly snuggling up to him could be considered as 'creepy' and 'uncomfortable'.

His hair was a mess, more than it looked earlier, and it looked so fluffy Lance could almost feel the strands of hair under his fingertips. One of the wings on his back was curled up around his body, as the other laid folded. It was a weird design of wings, the outside was brown, like the dirt on the beach, but strips of black painted it in a random pattern of horizontal lines on the feathers. The inside was similar, only instead of the warm brown, it was a sea foam white. Feathers weren't just on the wings though, they strayed some places, like from what Lance noticed small ones were on his shoulders.

Lance wished to be able to examine the beautiful man all day, but the thought faded when his face twitched and he stirred. His eyes blinked open but squinted at the exposed lighting, and the moment Lance caught a glimpse of purple it felt as if he been longing to see it the whole time. He couldn't help but sigh with the overwhelming affection he was feeling. Purple met his eyes, and he realized he must have startled him, so he gave his best smile in return.

"Sleep well?" He asked, but all he got in response was a hand waving him off. Not much of a talker from what Lance could see. He was up and out of the room without a word spoken to the mermaid, what did he have to do that was so important anyways? Lance could hear footsteps fade through the open door, and all he could do now was wait for the avian to come back.

He shifted to his back and stared at the ceiling, hoping to pass time as his eyes traveled across the design of wood. It wasn't until the clanking of pots and pans waking him up did he realize he fell asleep in the first place. He couldn't have been unconscious for long, as he had no dreams to accompany him with deep sleep.

More sounds of metal being moved around echoed into the room from outside the doorway. Lance was tempted to tip of the bed, but he probably couldn't take any more pain right now. He let his hand move to hang of the ledge instead, twirling and swinging it back and forth for a bit to entertain himself for the time being.

Footsteps sounded towards the room, making Lance advert his eyes to the doorway as he sat up. The avian soon showed, holding a white disk to the front of him. He placed the object onto Lance's lap, the warmth radiating from the bottom. On the disk what smelled to be a fish that was cut in half and with no head, or skeleton from what it seemed. The fish also was oddly colored; there was browns and reds on top of white flesh.

"I don't know what you eat, but I had to get rid of this somehow," The avian spoke suddenly, startling Lance, he had been too focused on the meat in front of him. Lance stared at the disk once more, trying to figure out why he was given this. The avian seemed to pick up on his confusion quickly. "You eat it." Eat it? This fish was infected with something brown and he didn't want to get poisoned by it too. The avian sighed next to him, running a head through his hair. "God I swear sometimes," he started for the door and left quickly.

He was back just as fast, holding two metal sticks. They were shaped differently, but Lance didn't have enough time to analyze them because they both were stabbed into the fish. Black hair threaten to suffocate him as the Avian crouched down to rip the meat to pieces with his metal weapons. The temptation was almost too much to bear as Lance reached out to feel those beautiful black locks.

Mullet moved away with a huff, stabbing into a singular piece and shoving it towards the mermaid's face, muttering a single, "Eat." The warmth of the fishy meat heated near Lance's lips, and he could distinctively smell the ocean on it, but it was very faint, as if rubbed away. The metal weapon poked at his lip, pressing the fish to his mouth. "Eat," the avian said it slowly as if it couldn't get through Lances head, it did, he just refused to eat poisoned food, he wasn't that stupid.

"Look watch," the metal weapon was removed from Lance and instead aimed towards the other, who put the poisoned fish into his mouth. Lance watched him chew and swallow, and whew-we, did he have an Adams apple, like wow, it was much more defined than mermaids. If he could he would trace his hand over it, maybe it would feel different, who knows.

"Now you," the metal was brought back to Lance with a new slice of fish. Seeing as the Avian didn't just drop dead from consuming the piece of meat, maybe it might be ok. He opened his mouth slightly and without warning the avian plopped the fish right into his mouth. The moment it touch Lance's tongue he felt it burn, it was really hot, he wanted to spit it out so bad. But he couldn't do that, that would be rude and that disgusting so he sucked it up and ate the fish.

Once it was gone from his mouth he sighed, feeling his tongue calm down. He looked down at the pieces of fish on the disk, and gave a mental rating of the food. The avian stabbed another piece and offered it once more, but Lance only stared at the metal weapon. Something came to him as he looked at the metal, a small thought. If the metal had been in the other's mouth, and his too, wouldn't that mean an indirect kiss?! He's never had an indirect kiss before, he just shared it with the love of his life. His lips aren't virgin anymore!

"Do you not like it?" the words popped his mind bubble, drawing his attention to mullet. Like what? What didn't he like? Lance looked around and saw the hot food, realizing what he meant. He shook his head a quick no and the avian sighed, obviously annoyed. "Then what do you like man?! Like seriously," Lance seemed to have irritated him in some way, and this was his way of fighting back. The food he did like was in the ocean, so he didn't know how to respond to such question.

He said the only answer he could think of that could possibly be land food as well, "Clams?" The avian looked at him dumbfounded for a moment, adverting his eyes even. "Where would I even find clams?" the question was more so to himself, but seeing as he said it out loud, it invited Lance to speak as well. "A shop?" he knew land people had shops, so why wouldn't they be there, a shop has everything.

"Obviously at a shop, where else?" the Avian slouched and leaned onto his arm that was rested behind him. His head leaned back and Lance got front row seats to the view of his pale neck. Small feathers and dark spots laid neatly at the sides near the base of his throat, seemingly wrapped around from the back, getting thinner as it came to the front. There was a mole placed right where his chin met his neck, which was the perfect kissing spot.

Kissing his neck, a new thought that filled Lance with happiness. He couldn't help but giggle to himself thinking about it, but he catches eyes with the Avian that makes him stop. "What?" the Avian's face was scrunched up as he asked, and Lance found it adorable. "Were you just laughing at me?" His voice raised a little, and the mermaid could sense his mood starting to change. "No, I thought of something funny," the avian's face told him that he wasn't buying it.

"What's so funny then, huh?" He was getting defensive, his body language told Lance that completely. "You wouldn't get it, it's a merfolk thing," the quickest excuse he could come up with. Mullet didn't respond admittedly, but he relaxed after a few minutes. Sighing, the avian stood up. "I'll be out of the house for an hour or two, if I can't find the clams, you'll have to just eat what I have to give," he left the doorway open on his way out.

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Clams. Where the fuck is he going to find clams. The mermaid never specified what kind of clam either, just 'a clam'. The walk to the market alone was thirty-five minutes, and he can't spend too much time there, or the other was going to starve, or at least he would think he would. Avians eat more in general than most creatures, and can starve easier, but Keith didn't know enough to know how long a mermaid could go without food. For now, he'll guess for a few hours, so he doesn't have to worry the whole time while shopping.

The only store he really goes to is the one his brother works at, which technically is an ocean based market, but he's never there long enough to know if it has anything other than fish. Shiro probably wasn't even working today, meaning he would have to talk to Adam or Curtis, which wasn't always the most pleasant of experiences.

The journey to the shop ended when Keith was met with an old wooden door that would open to his brother's shop. The creak of the door alerted whoever was behind the counter as Keith heard a polite, "Welcome in." He recognized it as Adam, he felt himself relax knowing it was the better of the two. Adam gave him a smile as he walks over to the counter. "Is Shiro here today?" Keith asks, looking to the back door, more of the red paint has been chipped off. "He's on break with Curtis, I'd recommend not interrupting them" Adam glances to the door and lets his smile soften. Keith rolls his eyes at the obvious affection and moves on, "Do you guys sell clams?" The other gives him a look of confusion, but thankfully doesn't dote on it. "They're in the bucket behind the salmon freezer, we only have three types," Adam gestures towards the right of the room, and the other heads over to look at three different buckets displaying not so different clams in them. Keith hadn't even think about the idea of there being different types of clams, was there a certain type Lance liked? He'll just take a random one and hope for the best.

He fills a bag he got from the counter with the middle bucket clams, feeling uncertain about his choice but it was too late now to change his mind. He heads back to the counter but stops in his track when he sees Adam has been replaced with a smiley Curtis, who was waving towards him. Keith pushes down all his thoughts as he continues to step to the counter, hoping he doesn't have another 'ice-cream incident', as Shiro would call it.

"He buddy, how've you been?" his smile was blinding. Keith forces a small smile back, handing him his plastic bag. "Giant clams? Who are you planning to feed? Last time I checked you didn't like seafood," Keith can tell he's trying to make small talk, but he keeps his mouth shut and just shrugs. The avian watches as Curtis weighs the clams, keeping his patience as he takes his time to make up the price. "$15.75," Curtis says, placing the bag back onto the counter. Keith gives him a $20 bill and grabs the bag. "Keep the tip," he walks away before he can get a response.

The extra weight one the walk back home bothered him as he switched the bag from hand to hand. He ended up just carrying it in both of his arms so it was less of a distraction. He steadily kept in in one arm when opening his door, not bothering to close it as he shoved the bag onto the counter. A shiver went down his spine at the gust of wind that blew in, telling him that he should in fact shut the door.

Keith glances towards the cold breakfast he made just an hour and half ago, he feels himself sigh as he cleans it up. What a waste of food, at least it wasn't something he bought, just a gift from Shiro from a week ago. He grabs the bag on his way to his room, the door still wide open so he could glance right in. The mermaid had made himself comfortable on the bed, curled up like a cat as he picked at his scales.

"Here." He plops the plastic on the bed in front of the other, startling the other. Keith watches as the mermaid glances at him as he opens the bag carefully. His face lights up and worry slips from the avian's mind instantly. "Giant clam! I haven't had this in forever, it's so hard to get some from where I live," the mermaid picks up a clam and admires it. He opens the clam and Keith grimaces as he grabs and eats some of the fat. "Thank you," Lance says, having the decency to speak after he swallowed the raw clam meat.

His smile felt weird to look at, it made Keith absentmindedly smile back. The smile didn't last long enough though, as the mermaid to continue to eat the clam. The picture of it alone made Keith feel sick, so he excused himself for a moment. He sat at his table to cool down, staring towards his wall as the image of the others smile filled his mind.