He felt oddly warm, something he wasn't used to when he woke up. Yet, Zeref didn't complain and preferred to snuggle further into the warmth, a smile reaching his lips. For the first time in his life, he didn't want to get out of bed but something in the back of his mind urged him awake.

Instead of the blue sapphire ceiling he always awoke to, the dripping ceiling of seaweed stared down at him.

No wonder, Zeref thought. The rain that had accumulated in the ceiling, dripping coincidently over his body, keeping his skin wet and not allowing him to become a dry husk. He turned, his gaze falling on Dimitri who's blue eyes were hidden behind closed lids.

For a few moments, he watched the sleeping human with curiosity. The way his full lips were parted, the sharp jaw that clenched during his sleep. Zeref let his eyes trailed down, fastening on the dark bruise on his neck, followed by a couple more.

Hickeys, Zeref thought, How did they get there? He frowned and shifted, only to be assaulted by pain at his hips. He groaned and laid back. Why was he in pain? He didn't remember doing anything strenuous the day before. Just a simple picnic he had with Dimitri. Perhaps he had remained on two legs for too long? He sat up, glancing down at his waist, wondering why they were sore.

By gods, what have I done? Zeref thought. Bruises littered his hips, the bruising marks of hands enveloping his narrow waist, the tell tale sign of ejaculation barely visible against his stomach.

"No!" Zeref cried out in fear, waking Dimitri from his slumber.

"What?" Dimitri mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.

Zeref trembled, the drops of water sliding down his skin as he wrapped his arms around himself, "What have a done?"

******

Zeref was crying. It was a sound that made Dimitri's heart twist painfully inside his chest, pulling him out of his sleep. The setting sun illuminated Zeref's trembling form, the silvery tears streaming down his pale cheeks, glowing blue eyes dark with sorrow.

Dimitri frowned and slowly approached the trembling male, "Zeref?" He spoke softly, his fingers gingerly touching Zeref's tattooed shoulder.

"Leave me alone!" Zeref snarled, shoving Dimitri against the sand as his calloused hands wrapped around his throat, but not tight enough to cut his oxygen supply, "How could you do this to me?"

Dimitri blinked through his shock daze. What did he mean? Was he talking about their drunken lovemaking? Zeref had initiated the act and Dimitri had merely consented without much struggle. But why was Zeref angry? His eyes meet the blue orbs, fear marring the sapphire gems.

Oh, Dimtiri thought, was Zeref realizing that he was a homosexual?

"I don't understand," Dimitri said, his vocals moving against the slight pressure against his neck.

Zeref snorted and let his neck go, "Of course not. You're human. Fickle creatures that never truly understand anything and merely look at the surface."

Dimitri rubbed his neck, his brows furrowing in concern as he watched Zeref accumulate the water from the dripping roof in his cupped hands and spasm it against his face, "Then make me," Dimitri said as he sat up, resting an elbow against his bent knee.

He watched Zeref slump in defeat as ran his hand through his dark hair, the royal stance he once carried now gone, the burden on Zeref's shoulders now visible, "How much do you know about me?"

Dimitri frowned, "Not much, really."

Zeref stood, a sigh leaving his lips, "Come with me. What I'm about to tell you can only be showed within the water."

Dimitri stood up, slipping on his underwear before following the naked and alluring creature. He could see his marks through this blue tattoo, the hickeys around Zeref's neck making Dimitri swell with pride for some unknown reason. Nonetheless, the curiosity of what Zeref wished to tell him urged him forward, ignoring the delectable backside.

His attention was quickly taken by the view before him. A small cove the rested on the beach, the inside glowing with hues of greens and blues. Water infiltrated the cove, making the two men wade into the glowing cove, Zeref's lower half turning into a tail, blue scales appearing over Zeref's forearms.

"I've seen your merman form if that's what you're trying to show me," Dimitri murmured, watching the light of the glowing crystals dance over Zeref's scales.

Zeref shook his head, placing his palms over the glowing water, "I'm different than the rest of my species. Men and women look to one another for procreation, the making of merchildren quite similar to that of humans." Dimitri felt his cheeks flush. Was Zeref having the sex talk with him about the birds and the bees? He was pretty sure they both had long gone past that.

"Erm, Zere-" Dimitri began but stopped when he saw Zeref turn to face him. No longer did Zeref have his palms on the water, instead he had pressed them against the lower part of his stomach.

"There is a curse in the Royal Sapphire bloodline. The first male of the crown would bear the next heir by asexual reproduction," Zeref murmured, his sad blues reaching Dimitri's, "But that's only because the heirs always chose females as their companions. When the couple would copulate, the hormones within the body would be unleashed and the procreation of the child is developed within the womb of the man."

Dimitri blinked before throwing his head back in laughed, "What a load of cockshit!"

"It's the truth!" Zeref said, his fists clenching.

Dimitri blinked, realization dawning on him, "You're telling me that you're pregnant? With my kid?"

Zeref narrow his eyes on him, "I'm telling you I reproduce asexually when I have sex for the first time!" He said, clenching his fists.

"Oh," Dimtiri said, his eyes wide. He was speechless, his mind drawing a blank to what Zeref had just revealed to him.

"Yes," Zeref said, curling his lips, "Oh. That's all you petty humans say."

Dimitri still couldn't speak, nor couldn't he stop Zeref from disappearing into the dark waters.

********

"Something is wrong," Castor muttered under his breath as they stood in the throne room, waiting for Zeref's fiancée. Pollux frowned and glanced at his lover. Castor's long blue hair had been pulled away from his face into a ponytail, the braids that started from his temple adorned with blue gems, accompanied by the silver circlet around his head that ended with a sapphire teardrop on his forehead. Silver armbands hugged Castor's biceps, the leather straps across his chest holding Castor's twin blades.

"I see nothing wrong," Pollux teased, winking at his lover, eyeing the particular hickey on his shoulder that was partially hidden beneath the leather strap.

Castor huffed and rolled his eyes, "I'm talking about Zeref." Pollux frowned and let his eyes trail over to his older brother.

Zeref sat on the smaller throne beside Queen Seraphina, the silver crown on his head glinting his dark hair. His face was stoic, void of any emotion, his empty blue eyes staring at the door of the throne room where his fiancée would enter. There was definitely something odd about his older brother. Gone was defiance in his blue gaze, replaced by a man who no longer wished to fight. His skin was far paler than normal, a strange set of bruising marks barely noticed through the tattooed skin.

What had his brother done?

"Announcing Lady Lillian!" A merman said, just as the doors opened, revealing a set of mermaids that served Lady Lillian, followed by the mermaid herself. She was different than what Pollux expected. Dark dreadlocks floated about her form, dark skin visible beneath the white linen the covered her chest. However, it was her purple eyes that were her most striking feature, framed by gold tattoos that was definitely uncommon. An exotic creature that was definitely not from around the Sapphire kingdom. Yet, there was something within the violet orbs that unnerved Pollux.

"Lady Lillian!" Queen Seraphina said, flashing a smile, "How delightful for to accept our request."

More like yours, Mother, Pollux thought.

Lady Lillian smiled, "It was only proper my Queen," she said, giving a slight bow of her head, before rising. Pollux frowned, watching the mermaid's eyes fall on Zeref with a greedy glint.

Pollux definitely didn't like her and he was Castor didn't either.

I'll have to contact Morgan soon, Pollux thought.

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