Thanks to Matt for helping me along with the idea and for Resolute for doing the sex bits for me, allowing me to edit and streamline them to work with the story. I know there's some errors, sorry guys. Wanted to get it up as soon as possible. If you see them, please let me know! Thanks!



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Whose idea was this again?



It wasn't mine, that much I knew. Chris', maybe, or Steve's. Those two would go to Lavender Town on Friday the 13th if it'd meant they'd get some beer. I should have thought about that before accepting their offer to join them but, come on, how often did you get a chance to go to a Halloween party on a boat?



What I'd thought was going to be a houseboat had turned out to be a small yacht. Dark violet and pumpkin orange lights wrapped around the railings and mast, a blowup Gengar illuminating the roof with black lights inside it and glowing red eyes leering at those on the deck. Mickel Jackson's Spooker was playing on the yacht's speakers, struggling to surface over the laughter and conversations of people trying to compete with it. Whoever had invited the guests had either not bothered to do a head count or hadn't expected it to multiply like a Zubat flock on Viagra. Like a Ditto, the party had transformed into a sprawling, wiggling mass of flesh, pooling off the boat and onto the dock.



"Maybe if I got another beer, I'd have fun."



The words barely reached my ears, much less the redhead in the low cut, high raised dress that bore flimsy comparison (and wings) to that of a Charizard or the guy to my left, who had gone for the last minute classic of toilet paper mummy.



Setting the plastic red cup on a table with varying cups of similar design, I decided to abandon the remainder of my diluted beverage and this party. My house was only thirty minutes away, a faster walk than what I'd spend hunting down a driver whose blood level actually contained blood and not alcohol.



There was no easy way to move through the crowd. Most were standing, having failed attempts at conversation while the music punctured their thoughts. The rest were a mix of drunks or bad dancers, the flailing equal in both cases. A simple "excuse me" accomplished as much as a Cleffa attempting to halt a Snorlax from an all you can eat buffet and waiting for a shift in the tide of party goers didn't do much either. That left me with diving for tiny gaps in the crowd, wedging my body through like a determined Skitty after tuna juice* or pushing people aside with a far gentler touch than a Hariyama would have.



By the time I got to the dock, I was impressed that I hadn't shoved anyone into the ocean.



There was more weaving to be done, once I was on the docks, but the people here were sitting on coolers or off to the side talking. I met an obstacle midway, where a guy dressed as a Jynx was stumbling to grab people in an embrace and kiss them, but a quick dodge to the right left him laughing onto the lap of some guy dressed as a half man, half Arbok who was hissing and spitting his annoyance as he tried to shove the other guy off.



Unscathed, finally to shore, I took one last look back. From here, I could only make out shadows and the bright lights of the yacht reflecting off the water, waves distorting the reflection like oil in a puddle as it faded into a pitch as dark as a Houndoom's hide. The sky itself wasn't as dark, sparse snowflakes of light drifting eons away, just now reaching us. The moon's slender smile hid portions of itself demurely behind drifts of clouds, its light shining steadily behind it in hues of grey. Rather than music and chatter, the whisper of waves grazing the shore and pulling shyly away was all I could hear.



Maybe... I wouldn't go home just yet.



Leaving the brick path, I let my shoes sink into the sand. When I got home, I'd probably have a beach of my own within them but I hated walking barefoot when I couldn't see what I'd be stepping on. There could be broken shells, sticks, or a Krabby who would be crabby after being trod upon.



No thank you.



The wind tugged along my jacket and hood, causing the Umbreon ears and tail I'd sewn in for the party to sway. There was a hint of winter in the air, ushering out what was probably the last warm day we'd have till the spring. I could still make out the lights on the yacht from here, the sole source of light save for the stars and moon, when I found something.



Where the beach curved, at the pinnacle of what I thought would extend outward into more beach, was a sandbar extending like a proud Xatu into the ocean. I could just make out the contrast of white sand against black waves though I couldn't see how far it stretched.



How far out did it go?



Following the pull of my curiosity like a Mewoth after something shiny, the sand of the peninsula felt no different than that of the beach. Firm under my feet, it was maybe three times my width, leaving the waves to reach eagerly for my shoes.



At least I didn't have to worry about stepping on forgotten cans or cups or having beer sloshed on them.



Spreading my arms, giving a spin while walking, I almost laughed at how it felt to be able to do so without knocking off someone's fake wings or getting some kind of nasty, fake hair-dye all over my back when a soft sound brushed by my ear. I thought it was music from the yacht, carried by the wind, but it wasn't coming from that direction. Instead, the further out I walked the more volume it gained to the point where I could make out the female voice singing:



Are you going to Pokemon Square?

Ocean, pond, hydration and brine

Remember me to one who's near there

He was once a true love of mine.



Each word hung in the air, streaming into the next so that the song flowed without pause. A white form, which I thought had been a continuation of the sandbar, shifted, looking more like someone sitting with their legs dipped into the water. As I moved closer, I could see her arms reaching to the air as she sang, her body swaying to the melody she created. Hair whiter than sea foam cascaded in curls past her shoulders, her skin also a fine, pale shade that illuminated her against the night. Her song went on, her eyes closed as she let her voice carry to the sea.



Tell him to pick up a cattail stalk

on the side of a swamp where the small Mudkip dance

Ocean, pond, hydration and brine

Racing a Ponyta on beach sanded ground

Without bridle nor seasoned jock

Across and around the sea foaming shore

Then he'll be a true love of mine.**



She was in costume herself (another abandoner?), more complex than my own glowing gold rings on black jeans and jacket which I'd blown most of my money on to get the mix that had real moonstone fragments in it (seriously, I could probably hug a Clefairy into a Clefable) and the rest on the custom fangs fitted around my canines. I think she was suppose to be a Dewgong of sorts, what with the white horn on her forehead, the lower half looking like a fin, and the upper half...



The upper half...



...



Were those Ds? Naked Ds?



"I must have drank more than I thought." I closed my eyes, shaking my head hard enough that my ears slapped against my cheeks before opening them again.



I thought she might have heard my voice, her singing faltering before a loud bang made both of us jump, turning to stare at the fading blue light in the sky as a whistle and another bang made gold sparkle and sprinkle down like light rain. The shadows couldn't hide either of us now, not with the flares of light brightening the sky like tufts of Ho-oh's feathers.



"They look nice," I offered, gesturing towards the fireworks. Her reaction was too much like my mine for her to be a hallucination of alcohol, even though I thought my eyes were playing tricks about her breasts being so large and not covered. "Did you come from the party too?"



Her head turned slowly to look away from the lights, her hair cupping her face as she shifted on the sand, her tail stirring as her body leaned, as if she might actually jump inside the water.



"They do it every year." I almost missed her words, having been focused on how I could stop her from diving in the water and probably drowning in her costume. "I... watch."



"You don't go to the party?" It wasn't like you needed an invitation but if she wanted someone to ask her there were plenty of guys who'd have brought her if they'd known. "Why not?"



Running her hand through her hair, combing it out with the other, she bit her lower lip before answering, her gaze turned towards the distant lights of the boat and the continuing pops of the fireworks.



"Watching is better than... being there." It was a simple answer, but one I thought I understood until she continued talking. "I do not understand the..." She paused, her lips forming a slender from as her fingers touched them. "The being a, trying to be a, not human. Pokemon. Or other." The frown deepened, causing a dark groove on her face as her brown scrunched, her eyes finally turning to look at me, asking me silently to provide her with the answer.



Was she playing some sort of game with me?



There was a hint of an accent to her words, enough that maybe this custom wasn't one she was familiar with, though that didn't explain why she was dressed up as she was now. Game or not, I figured she was cute enough and this was probably the best conversation I was going to get all night.



"It's a ritual, of sorts. Older days used to have shamans dress like Pokemon because they thought it helped them communicate better. After that, people started doing it just as a way to connect with their Pokemon friends." I thought of the weak attempts on the boat and gave a snort. "Nowadays people just use this week to dress up and act like Pokemon for the fun of it or as an excuse to do something different."



Her head turned slowly to gaze back at the yacht, the lights twinkling as the fireworks dispersed, leaving only smoke shadows in their passing.



"Are you cold?" I thought the question might help me figure out where my eyes were going wrong because, as far as I could tell, other than her horn, tail, and what looked to be slender fins that went from her wrist to her elbow she was naked. Which couldn't be right... she must have a skin suit on or something, I just couldn't make it out because her breasts were covering where it-



Better stop staring before she thought I'd meant her breasts were nice and not the fireworks.



"Not cold." She shook her head, her tail flicking and splashing water out towards the boat in the distance. "I..." Her voice stuttered to a stop as her arms moved to wrap around her body, as if she were cold after all. "I always look like this."



While I was trying to understand what she meant by that, her storm grey eyes looked back at me, her lower lip puffed out as she tilted her head.



"Don't you?"



Did someone spike my beer with a roofie or maybe something stronger like vodka? It was cool but no means warm, how could she not be cold at all? And what was with her joke? That she looked like this all the time? Like it wasn't a costume?



No way.



She was just some foreign girl hiding out of sight, too shy to go to the party (but not really because she wore a costume) and had a high tolerance for cold and a high enough budget to buy a convincing fin that didn't move like a weighed down piece of cloth when wet or looked like a piece of rubber and had enough knowledge to move it like it was a real Dewgong's tail...



Right?



"That's... not a costume?" I asked, making sure I understood her correctly.



Her eyebrows furrowed, as if the word confused her before she nodded slowly.



"Prove it." Leaning forward, I extended my hand. "Let me touch your horn, to see if it's real."



Her head jerked back, her eyes flying up towards mine. I could see her throat move as she swallowed, her tail stirring the water with an erratic swish.



"Just... don't touch the tip." Her tone had changed, her words almost masked by the sound of the waves. Was she really that afraid of me discovering her secret? It didn't make any sense, it was just a costume. Why did she want to drag this out so much?



My hand crept forward, her eyelids fluttering once before closing, her body shaking slightly before she stilled. The "pads" I had cut into the gloves on my hands did their job, allowing my fingertips to touch the smoothness of her horn. It was small, two, maybe three inches. A perfect cone.



A cone that I couldn't find a seam for where it touched her skin.



No sticky glue. No string around her head. No suction cup. Even the delicate claws at the tips of my gloves couldn't find anything.



Pulling my hand back, I could feel my pulse beating against my temples like a Politoad drumming on his belly, as it had when I'd seen the tall grass rustling for the first time.



"It's real." Her eyes opened, her head giving a slow nod, as if she didn't see how I could have thought otherwise. "The tail too?"



"Y-yes." Her head shook, her lips turning downward. "Aren't your claws and tail too?" Her words shook like an unsteady Spinda, ready to topple over at any moment. "I can feel... your energy. The night." Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips before she spoke again. "The moon."



The paint.



Lifting my hands slowly in front of me, I kept my voice low.



"Don't... don't run, okay?" Her tail froze in mid-swirl, her hands moving from her tight hug around her body to rest against the sand, as if she'd shove off and vanish into the dark sea like a sinking pearl. Still, I had to trust her not to flee just as she'd trusted me enough to allow me to touch her.



Like a Slowpoke, I reached one hand for my hood, leaving the other where she could see it. Pulling it back, I could see her take a breath, her breasts swelling outward as her face grew paler than snow.



"I'm not going to hurt you!" My words rushed out, belaying my bodies desire to lunge and grab her. "Please." Her eyes darted from me to the ocean before I whispered again. "Please."



Her body remained tensed, poised like a Skarmory about to take to the sky but she stayed.



"My name is Andrew... do you have a name?"



Her tail curled and twisted in the water but she answered. "Neva."



"Neva." She nodded her head slowly as I repeated her name, her eyes not leaving me, very focused on my hands. "Neva, I don't have any Pokemon on me, no pokeballs." I very, very cautiously reached for the edges of my jacket, unzipping it to show her the insides (consisting of just my black tee-shirt). "I wouldn't catch you, even if I did, okay?"



She leaned forward, a hand reaching out before she pulled it back sharply, looking away from what I thought was my jacket to my face.



"Your..." Her hand circled the direction of my body. "The coverings. Why wear them?" Her head shook, some of the tenseness leaving her body as she continued. "Isn't it... trapping?"



"My..." I reached a hand and felt only my tee-shirt under it. "My clothes?" I tugged my jeans and jacket, just to clarify. She gave a nod. "It's not restrictive, if that's what your asking. I, well, I don't have fur like you." I assumed that was fur on her tail, if she really was identical to a Dewgong. "I get cold much easier than Pokemon do. I don't mind the cold too much but it's also easier to put the Umbreon rings on my clothes than my skin."



It seemed like an obvious thing which lead me to ask:



"Am I... the first human you've ever spoken to?"



"First human..." she repeated the words, her gaze turning up to the moon. "Like you, yes." Her gaze turned back down, her fingers brushing along the upper part of her tail. "Like me but not? No."



I was going to ask what she meant by that but she beat me to it.



"Could I try... your c-cloth-es?" She gave a soft snort, her mouth twisting before she tried again, putting more emphasis on her words. "Your clo-thes?"



"You want to try my clothes?" She gave a nod, her spine straightening as she watched me tug my jacket off, leaving me only in the shirt under it. I thought about taking that off too, if she wanted to try it, but it was tight on me. Getting it around her ample tits was either going to stretch it out or leave it stuck around her so it was better not to try it.



"Turn around a little." I spun one of my fingers to show what I wanted. "And hold your arms out, I'll help you put it on."



She twisted as I'd asked, her tail pulling all but the bottom of the fin out of the water. Sliding the first arm through, I pulled that half across her chest, my naked arm brushing one of her breasts. A sharp breath cut against my teeth but she did nothing more than tilt her head, as if wondering why I'd stopped putting the jacket on. Settling her other arm in, mindful of the fin along her arm, I moved both arms around her waist to secure the zipper and slide it up, stopping when the size of her breasts made the zipper protest and balk at going further.



"I think that's as far as I can go, Neva. How does it feel?"



She lifted her arms, looking at the sleeves dangling past her hands, leaving on the tips of her fingers showing. When she waved them, they flapped loosely and she made a soft sound like a Seel's bark.



A laugh.



"Not a net." She turned, smiling at me. "Different." She gave a little bounce on what would have been her bum had she legs.



"Yeah, it's not like a net at all." It was an odd thought, that clothing was some kind of net or trapping like she thought. Did she think all people were tangled like a fly in a Spinarak web? Unable to get out whenever we wanted?



"Where are you from, Neva?" I continued to watch as she lifted one arm, watching the material pull along her shoulder. "Near here?"



"The ocean," she answered simply, her focus still on the jacket.



The ocean. Of course. That was as specific as saying "I came from somewhere on the planet." Maybe there was another way I could ask...



"Cold?"



Her question made me smile and shake my head. "No, I'm fine for right now."



"But you wear clothes always." The skin around her horn wrinkled in thought. "Does that not mean you are always cold?"



"We don't always wear clothes," I corrected, lowering myself to sit next to her, keeping my shoes as far away from the water as possible. She glanced at me before going back to playing with the jacket, her fingers working the zipper up and down as she gave a series of little barks. "I don't wear anything when I'm sleeping in my room." I corrected the last word, thinking it might not be one she understood. "My den," I tried instead, seeing if that might be better.



Her fingers still tugged on the zipper but her eyes had lifted to look at me, confusion puckering her lips as if she'd bit a lemon. I thought she was going to ask me why I wasn't cold in my room but everywhere else, if I had to wear clothes, but her free hand pointed to my legs instead.



"Can you swim well? With your tail split like that?"



"Yeah, I mean, not as good as you can, obviously." I didn't want her thinking anyone could go out swimming a Dewgong, after all. "Our legs are better for travel on land than water."



She made a low crooning sound from within her throat, not a growl but not a purr either. Her lips pulled upward in a smile, her tail flicking.



"Would you like to swim with me?"



There was an eager sway to her body, her hands having stopped their playing with my jacket altogether as she watched me, waiting for my answer. Truthfully, I wasn't sure how much I wanted to swim. Just because it was warmer today than the rest of the month had been it was still late October...



But what if I never got this chance again?



Before answering her, I moved my hand to touch one of the waves as it licked its way along the sandbar, tensed for what I was sure would be melted ice biting my skin. Instead, I found the water cool but if I kept moving, I should be fine.



I think...



"Alright." Her happy clap made me laugh a little, reminding me of a Seel pup who was excited at the promise of a fish.



Standing back up, it didn't take long for me to find a spot where my clothes should be relatively dry. Slipping one shoe off, standing on one leg, I balled up the sock from my shoeless foot before putting my foot on the smooth sand I'd been sitting on. I did the same for my other leg before balling up my socks and shoving them into my shoes, then slipped my shirt off. Neva had tugged the zipper all the way down, pulling off my jacket as she either figured from my actions that clothes shouldn't go in the water or she didn't want to wear it any more. Accepting it from her, I used it to put my shoes and shirt in before shucking off my jeans, shivering a little as a trace of wind tickled against my skin.



That was when I realized, despite the lingering warm weather, not many people would be out for a casual swim. I hadn't planned on being one of them and a long ago dare had given me the sadistic choice of wet briefs or rough denim, neither of which appealed to me at the moment.



Then again, I wasn't exactly a skinny-dipper either.



"Cold?" Neva asked again, this time with a touch more worry at the edges of her words. "You do not have to swim."



I could hear the soft, bruised petals of disappointment in her voice and shook my head, smiling to reassure her.



"It's not that bad, I just don't want to get my underwear wet." I gave a quick gesture to the white briefs I had clinging to my body, trying not to think too much about what I was showing her.



"Then...remove it?"



"Clothing is for covering nudity too, Neva. It's..." I trailed off. I guess from her perspective, it would be confusing. Why could the human remove every piece of clothing but the last one? I really didn't feel qualified to explain a cultural taboo to her but I didn't want her thinking I was backing out either. "It's a thing," I ended, realizing how weak it was. "We don't usually go around naked."



A slight frown creased her forehead.



"If... the coverings are displeasing... why not remove them?" She stared at me, as if the answer was written on my skin and she couldn't read it. A warm heat was moving along the back of my neck by the time she shook her head. "They would not serve well in the water. I would..." She paused, her mouth opened slightly as her teeth grazed her lower lip. "I would not welcome such... such cling?" She shook her head again. "Not while swimming."



She had a point. I was still trying to avoid staring but I could see well enough that she wasn't wearing anything other than her fur. I really couldn't make out anything...telling about her anatomy. I mean, were we talking half-human, half-dewgong? Mergong? Dewmaid? I guess it would be something like a Dewgong's and not, for instance, a Goldeen but it was still very confusing to think of how that worked.



But back to the topic at hand... She was technically naked and didn't appear to find it unusual. It was also dark and we'd be in the water. Besides, she was a living mermaid (whatever technical Dewmaid name she might have). Was I really going to let a piece of cloth and social upbringing's dictate that I couldn't go swimming with her?



No. No I would not.



Decision made, I slipped off the white material and tucked it in my shirt with the others before wading into the water, my body stiffening at the initial chill. She slipped in after me, following me till the water was close to our shoulders. I wondered what it said of me, that I missed being able to look at her tail rather than her tits... Still, I tried to focus on treading water, thankful there didn't appear to be any drop-offs or riptides along this stretch. Even if there were, I doubted Neva would leave me to drown.



Unless... those myths about mermaids leading sailors to their death were true...



"Not so bad if I keep moving," I said, mainly distracting myself from my thoughts. "So, now what?"



"We swim."



Her tone suggested nothing else needed to be explained, just as her answer on where she lived had been.



"Anywhere in particular?"

Neva drifted around me in a lazy circle, half on her side as she rolled to her back to smile up at me. "Around," she replied, flicking her tail against my side before pushing out further into the water, laughing. "Come!"



I couldn't help but smile myself, setting off after her in casual breaststroke. The barest movement of her tail was enough to propel her at a challenging pace. She stayed fairly well ahead of me, even after visibly slowing, and I couldn't help but wish to swim even half as well. Still, I didn't falter, stopping to tread again for a few minutes as she circled back around.



"You do swim well, for your being." I assumed she meant my lack of fluke or fin. "And for one with a split tail. Legs," she corrected, before I could.



"Yeah, well, we do pretty good with what we have." The initial chill of the water was gone now, the steady strokes from trying to keep up with her having warmed me quite well. I was pleased that I wasn't out of breath either, but that feeling sank at the reminder that she was swimming slowly so I could keep up."I'm starting wish I had a tail," I said, letting envy speak for me for a moment.



"But then you could not walk on land," she pointed out, a smile spreading on her lips like a sunrise, with faint pink touching on her cheeks. "Though... I do wonder over how you swim so well without one. May I see?"



Thinking she wanted a demonstration, I was about to start swimming again when her horn started emitting some kind of light. A moment later, she ducked underwater, the soft glow following her into the darker water, hovering just below me.



She was watching me tread water.



I could feel my own cheeks warming against the cool air as most of my arguments for skinny dipping just sank like a Golem into the sea. There was still mutual nudity, though perhaps her gaze was taking in more than just the movement of my legs. I certainly had done my share of looking at her chest and tail so I really couldn't say anything if she was. Still, I could feel the skin around my back tightening, my eyes trying to peer into the water to see where her gaze might be lingering.



Before I could make out anything from the water, the light began to rise. Neva surfaced a moment later without the loud, greedy gasp for air I might have done if I had been underwater for as long as her. In fact, she appeared to exhale instead, even after having stayed under for over a minute.



I mentally added "superhuman lung capacity" to the possible differences between us.



"It seems strange that you can swim at all," she murmured, her eyes widening suddenly as she realized the thought hadn't been aloud. Thanks to the light from her horn, I could see her cheeks darkening from the pale pink to an autumn red. "Not in a bad way!" Her words came out in a rush, her head dipping partially beneath the water before she lifted it, speaking again as she tugged a curl of her snowy hair, speaking softly though her words still came out quickly. "I... I am glad that you could swim with me."



The tint of color to her cheeks rather than the pale, delicate coloring her skin bore made her look more like one of the girls in my school rather than some otherworldly creature. With a smile, I spoke quietly as well.



"It's alright, I know what you mean." A thought entered my head and I rubbed the back of my neck with one hand while the other remained along the surface of the water. "Would you mind keeping the, uh, light on and swimming yourself a bit? I'm... curious too."



Her lips pulled into a wide grin, her head bobbing in a quick nod as she propelled herself backwards, diving into the water below. Pulling in as much air as I could into my lungs, I pushed myself downwards, reluctantly opening my eyes into the dark water. Blinking, I tried to clear as much of my vision as I could, treating myself to the sight of Neva in her natural habitat.



The glow from her horn made it easy to find her, her body still till my gaze caught her. A few slight ripples of her tail sent her skimming through the water, twisting and twirling almost faster than I could keep up with her. Her turns were done with the fins on her arms, tucked mainly by her side but a quick flick could extend the fin and cause her to suddenly change directions, done so skillfully I couldn't tell where she was going till she was already turning to do it. My swimming must have looked like a horrible flailing of limbs that somehow kept me afloat in comparison.



My lungs pressed out against my chest, sending the frantic message to my brain that if we didn't want to drown now we needed to get to the surface NOW... which it had given me a few seconds ago but I really didn't want to stop watching Neva swim. As my lungs attempted to spasm and breathe in sea water, I decided it would be better to kick my way to the surface than to find out what Neva knew about CPR.



My abrupt surfacing had the loud gasp that Neva's lacked, followed by several frantic breaths. When I'd finally lost the sense of "too little air," I gave a smile to Neva who'd surfaced quietly beside me.



"That... was cool." I leaned my head back, my hair dipping in the water as I gave a soft laugh. "I wish I could swim half that good."



"Th-thank you." I felt the water shift around me and lifted my head to see Neva trying to hide a smile against the water, her cheeks once more a faint scarlet. "We could... swim together." Her hand reached out, still half in the water as her fingers waited for mine." If you'd like?"



Did I ever!



My hand touched hers, our fingers interlacing as the warmth from her skin made the rest of the water seem like a slushy in comparison.



"What did you want me to do?"



As an answer, she drew my arm around her shoulder, still keeping my hand with hers but leaving her far arm free. Giving a light flick with her tail, she glided forward a few feet, making sure I was secure, before giving several faster swipes that sent us propelling forward along the surface. I didn't want to kick and accidently hit her so I kept as still as I could, feeling the fur from her waist bump against my hip from time to time as her light lit the area around us and reflected only empty water. Before long, we were moving faster than my best attempts at freestyle and probably equally as fast as a medal winner's.



"This is great!" I tried to raise my voice loud enough she could hear over the splashes of the waves against us and the wind blowing back without shouting.



Her head turned to grin at me. "Take a breath."



Doing as she asked, trying to take in more than I had before, she dived, tail pumping at the water behind us. Squinting, holding tight as we picked up speed, her horn illuminated only a small portion of the area around us. The light didn't reach the bottom, nor did it expand outward past a small radius. I could no longer see the stars or the moon if I tried to look where I thought was up, leaving me with only Neva in a sea so black that even the darkest night was merely "grey" in comparison.



Her fingers squeezed against mine and I realized that I was clinging against her.



The moment couldn't last, however. My lungs and my brain were both screaming in unison about lack of air as well as the contained panic of not knowing which way was up. Squeezing her fingers in small bursts, her head turned back and she seemed to sense what I needed. Her direction changed suddenly, her speed picking up to the point I had to close my eyes against the sting of the water. A moment later, cool air and the light buffering of waves greeted me and encouraged me to open my eyes again.



While I coughed and blinked the remaining water from my eyes, Neva remained by my side, allowing me to rest against her as she kept us up with a mere flick of her tail. I was starting to wonder if her huge rack had something to do with floatation when she spoke.



"Was that better?"



"Was it ever!" I took another lungful of air before grinning so wide I could feel my dimples straining. "How long can you hold your breath anyway?"



"Longer." She laughed softly, making me wonder if she'd even bothered to count before. "Again?"



"Yes, please!" I shifted my weight a little before frowning. "Are you sure this is comfortable for you? Anyway I can make it easier?"



Her head tilted and her eyes lifted, looking into her thoughts rather than at me. "Perhaps... if you hold like this?" She adjusted my arms and our bodies so that I was behind her, one hand on her shoulder and the other on her waist. "Let us try this."



With a nod, she tried swimming a few strokes again and I was able to hold on pretty well until she started again with the Dodrio sprint along the surface. Turns out, wet shoulder isn't the best place to hold from and, one slip and rescue later, we were laughing and ready to try again.



"Here, try this." Through her remaining laughter, she worked to adjust our positions one more time, switching us so I was in front and she was behind. It was much easier for her to hold me like this, her arms under mine... and the other benefits of this position were the two soft, plump mounds pressed against my back.



I was glad she couldn't see my face from this position, the burning of my cheeks almost stinging as much as the water hitting my skin from the waves. It didn't help that I could feel the sleek fur of her tail against my lower back and bare ass, knowing that if she was human what would be right there, under that fur of hers...



I took a breath, hoping the coming dive would keep my thoughts from swimming away with me.



It did... barely.



After the sixth submersion, my body was starting to protest. While I wasn't doing much (okay, any) of the work anymore, my limbs were starting to feel an odd mix of rubbery, like a Wigglybuff, and stiff, like a Tauros bracing its legs for a charge. Neva had either picked up on it or had decided on a break herself since she started heading back for shore once I'd caught my breath again. She continued to carry me and I let her, whether for the warmth I could feel enveloping me from her form, the silent company as she swam, or certain guiltier reasons, I wasn't sure. It helped that her human nature was rather evident. She could talk, reason, had a voice that made it sound like she was a breath away from singing, and I could stare for far too long at her...



We reached the shallows not too far from where we'd started. Despite the lingering rush of the dives, it felt good to have solid, albeit still wet, ground under my feet again. I could feel her tail move to along the bottom and figured she must be "standing" or something close on it, since the water here was just under my shoulders and didn't give her a lot of room to float. This time, I offered her my support, turning in her embrace so that we were now side by side and she could rest her weight against my shoulder.



"Thank you," she said softly, her arm resting along my back as she leaned closer against me, her smile brightening even as her horn slowly dimmed to a light akin to a sleepy Volbeat's, just enough to illuminate the two of us. "I enjoyed the swim."



I shook my head, letting a small wheeze of air through my nose, finding it funny that she was thanking me when all I did was get lugged around.



"I should be thanking you," I told her. "That was... what I imagine seeing a legendary Pokemon would be like though..." I faltered, my brain only now telling me how stupid it was to say it after my mouth was already moving. Not wanting to look like an idiot, I mumbled the rest out, figuring she might not hear and I could make something else up if she asked what I said. "Not as... beautiful."



"Beautiful?" I could still see her lips forming a soft smile, even with the dimmer lighting. "Even though I am..." Her free hand gestured down towards her tail.



"Yes." I felt pressure along my cheekbones from the embarrassment tugging at my skin. "I... really like your tail, actually." Hesitating for a second, I offered, with a warm laugh to my voice. "The rest of you is not so bad looking either."



Her face was turning almost as red as a Swellow's crest, the light of her horn flaring brighter before dimming again, as if she had to will it to do so.



"Your..." She broke off, leaving me to wonder if she was going to tell me I was teasing her, kind, or if she just didn't have the words for what she wanted to say. When she spoke again, it was about something else all together. "Is it... common... for humans to find others like me... beautiful?"



"It... depends, I guess." I tried to give her an honest answer but, really, she was the first I'd seen and I didn't know what others would think. "The only other species we know of are Pokemon and there are others who find them attractive but-" I was going to go into why others felt it wrong when I realized that, for all I knew, her parents could have been a human and a Dewgong. "But that's a whole other matter." I felt my jaw aching as I clenched it, forcing myself to think before speaking again. "There are myths and stories about... those kind of like you." I felt a chuckle emerge from my chest. "I don't think there's too many girls who don't think about being a mermaid or boys who want to see one when they're little... they're always depicted as being beautiful," I said finally, omitting tactfully the Sirens from my definition, thinking she was as far from them as possible. "Are there more... of your kind?" I made a sweeping motion of her body, including her tail, not sure still if she even went by the title of mermaid or dewmaid or something else entirely.



Her head turned slowly, looking out towards the far horizon of the sea.



Just as I thought I might have said something offensive without knowing it, she answered quietly, her head still turned away.



"Others like me, as you say, I do not know. There are... others," her words were stumbling, as if she had to weigh what she was telling me before saying them. "Others who are different from human and different from Pokemon but not like me... like..." She shook her head suddenly, her words rising in pitch and coming out in a rush. "I say too much. Outsiders... should not know." Her head turned to look at me and I could see the rising panic in her eyes, like a wave reaching out to capsize a ship. "Our meeting... should have not happened." Her head was shaking, her arm pulling away from me. "It... I should have left... when I saw..."



She pushed against me, as if to swim away but my arm was still around her, supporting her. When I pulled her to me, she didn't fight it but buried half her face in my shoulder, watching so her horn didn't puncture my skin.



"It's not your fault." I made sure my arm had her snug to me before moving my free hand to tilt her chin up, making her look at me. "I'm sorry... that my costume made you think I was something... different." I could see her swallowing, water clinging to her lashes that could have been tears or residual ocean spray. "But I'm not sorry I met you... or got to spend this time with you."



I let my fingers move from her chin to trace along her jaw, cupping her face gently as she closed her eyes and leaned into my touch rather than pulling away.



"You and your friends... don't interact with humans at all then?" I asked softly, hoping to not upset her by asking but wondering why she felt the need to try and swim away from me now.



"Some do," she whispered softly, her body gradually leaning into mine again. "It's..." Her eyes shut and I could see frustration creasing her skin as her mouth opened and closed, seeking the word.



"Rare?" I offered, feeling my chest warm as she opened her eyes to smile at me, the anxiety slowly departing like a rainy day mist.



"Yes," she nodded, repeating, "Rare. It is rare to find those who are kind..." Her hand touched the one I still had stroking her cheek, trailing down along my arm and up to brush against my temple and jaw. "Good." The warmth within me expanded further as her head lowered and she looked up at me through pale wisps of her hair. "I am... glad to have met you too."



The building pressure of heat curling around my body made me ask quietly, "May I hug you, Neva?" Her confusion was expected but still made me hide a laugh. "It's a way humans show support and gratitude. Affection, too."



Her head tilted and I think she nodded out of a desire to see what a hug was rather than to experience it but I would take it.



Guiding her close to me, I felt her growing tenser as she grew used to the unfamiliar gesture. "It's okay, Neva... it's like when you held me in your arms except the two of us are facing each other now." I could feel her body growing more supple with that explanation, her chest to mine as I slid my hand from her cheek to her lower back, letting my fingers graze the skin there.



I was going to let her go after a few moments, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable, but when I eased my grip she moved her arms around my neck and shoulders, keeping herself against me as her tail curled partially around my legs.



"I... like this hug," she answered, when I looked to her for an explanation. She wasn't fully meeting my gaze again, her eyes darting to me than away like a Joltic buzzing from a fresh feed. "Different... but I like it." Her tongue moved to touch her top lip before she slipped it back into her mouth. "Can we... do it more?"



"Sure," I answered, thinking to myself that perhaps a hug was something everyone could like.



We stood like that, the waves brushing against us as we shared heat and silence, each touching the other lightly where our fingers could reach. She struggled a little with her tail, trying to balance with it, so I moved my arms a little lower to provide better support. As her head leaned to rest against my shoulder again, my thoughts decided to oh-so-politely question what part of her anatomy I'd be holding if she were human. Coupled with the slight wiggles she'd make to correct her balance, which pushed her tail against my thighs, it was getting harder for me to think. When one particular wave pushed against her, pressing her tighter to me, I could almost count every hair of her tail that touched my dick.



"Sorry," she whispered, trying to rebalance herself.



Counting myself down with Mareep did little when she was practically grinding against me thanks to our position.



"You alright?" I asked, hoping that she might not be able to see the flame along my cheeks I was sure was as bright as any Cyndaquil's flames.



She nodded, still clinging tight to me with no intention of letting go. "I think so. Sorry, so sorry," she mumbled. "It is difficult to stay like this."



"Do you want to stop?" I felt compelled to ask, even though I felt sure of her answer.



"I... no." She shook her head gently against my shoulder, her hair almost as soft as her tail. Was it just really long fur, rather than hair? Like an Arcanine's mane? "It feels good, you holding me. Safe. Close."



I had to cough a little to get my voice to come out. "Glad to hear it, as long as you're comfortable."



I made sure I was, in fact, holding her safely. That she was enjoying my company enough to trust me like this wasn't lost on me. There was also a slight mix of excitement and dread, as her statement wasn't helping a certain other battle for balance. She was pliable and warm and, thanks to the waves and her own movements, her underside was slowly rubbing against my thighs and crotch. The softness of her fur only made it worse and there was really no way to move her away without dumping her into the water.



Feeling the stirrings of a very awkward situation, I decided to speak up before she started wondering about other differences between the two of us.



"Neva..." I started, completely at a loss on how to explain and keep any shred of my dignity. "There might be a, well, a little problem." Her body gave a small jerk in my hands and she leaned her head back suddenly, her eyes darting to the water first as if a Sharpedo might be lurking out there. Hasty to correct her misconceptions, I went on. "We're very close, like you said..." Her head slowly turned to look at me, a frown forming. "I don't know how you... or your friends work. But... for humans, sometimes, when there's a lot of closeness like this... it can lead to..." I balked at the last moment. "Certain circumstances."



"Am I making you unhappy?" she asked, worry darkening her eyes.



"No!" I shook my head, adding softer. "No, quite the opposite, actually." I would have been burying my hand in my hair by now but both my hands were already full of her fur. I gave a weak chuckle, trying to dispel some of the anxiety prickling along the inside of my chest. "It's just, as a guy, sometimes closeness and moving, even just a hug like this, can mean parts of me thing maybe something more is going on... even if it's not."



Her frown grew more pronounced before it dropped into an, "Oh!" Her eyes widened a little. "You mean... your 'parts' are preparing for...?"



I wasn't sure if she didn't know the word or just figured it was implied but I felt myself nodding anyway, feeling I should make sure she understood.



"Relations? Yeah... you know, when a guy and a girl get-"



Thankfully, she shut me up with a light, barking laugh. "I have knowledge of the act, if not the words."



"It's not entirely conscious," I added, the words almost blended together. I was sure my face was as stained as a Pansear's fur. "Sometimes, it just happens, even if I don't want it to. Not that I don't find you attractive!" I hastily went on, even though my brain was telling me to shut up. "You're gorgeous! I don't mean that I don't want to do it at all, not that I'm implying we sho-"



Her finger pressed against my lips silenced me but I could hear myself groaning in the back of my head.



"I understand your meaning, Andrew." Her tone was kind, even through the mirth. "You find me attractive and the closeness stirs desires in you but.... you do not wish to swim where not invited, yes?"



I sighed and nodded against the finger she kept to my lips. When she pulled it away, the Gigalith sized ball of anxiety prompted me into adding,



"I'm sorry... if it makes you uncomfortable at all."



Her weight shifted against me, her silence leading me to believe I had made her feel awkward after all when she said so softly I almost missed it over the sound of the waves,



"What if..." There was another pause and I thought I saw a pale hue of color kissing her cheeks. "What if you are not making me uncomfortable?"



I should have expected that as an answer but I still found myself reaching helplessly for the right words to respond.



"I... don't know," I finally replied, needing to say something.



Her smile as she lay her head back on my shoulder reassured me though I could still feel the ache of my flushed cheeks. My hands were still on the "bottom area" of her tail and I tried to shift, finding a way to hold her but not keep us so close. The grinding of her fur and the insistent push the waves gave as they bumped into our bodies would only give me a few more moments of sanity if it continued. I was finally able to settle on a hold that could allow her to be held but pull away, rather than be forced to be so firmly cushioned against my body.



Neva moved closer, leaving no inch between us.



I lifted my head up, forcing myself to keep breathing. It was definitely not my imagination. I'd thought naked close contact and accidental arousal weren't a big deal to her, that she considered it normal, but now I wondered if she meant something else.



My fingers slipped along the fur of her tail, the texture similar to the feathers of a baby Farfatche'd I'd once held. Any hope that the sensation would distract my thoughts was doomed to fail, however, as the same sleek fur was brushing against my slowly growing shaft.



Her head moved against my chest as she looked up at me. "You like the feel?"



I was pretty sure she meant my hand, if my hand liked the feel of her fur, and not something else. "Yes," I answered, hoping my voice wasn't squeaking like a Pikachu that had its tail stepped on or cracking in some weird way. "It's..." I coughed slightly, trying to get rid of the awkward sound I could hear in my voice. "It's very soft."



She smiled, letting her fingers touch lightly against my chin. "Take me to shallower water... and you can feel better."



I tried not to let my thoughts run away with her words.



As I moved closer to shore, the water level descending, I had to bend my knees to carry her better (certainly not to keep certain parts of me out of sight, though I was thankful for it because she was definitely looking in that direction). I took her to where the water was just below my waist, thinking it should be comfortable enough for the both of us. When she gave a nod, I started to release her but she guided me to kneel, my knees on either side of the lower portion of her tail.



Her fingers reached to brush the top of my now free hand while her other hand remained loosely around my neck, keeping me in place.



"Here," she whispered, leading my hand to touch her but stopping just before my fingers could graze her fur. "What do you wish to touch?"



"What..." As I swallowed, I could hear my heartbeat against the rhythm of the waves. "What do you want to show me?"



Her upper teeth bit gently into her lower lip, making it flush a deeper hue. Releasing it, her tongue moving to caress the fading indentations, she brought her hand first to her stomach, allowing me to feel skin like mine but toned from a lifetime of swimming. From there, she took my hand lower, crossing the border from human to Dewgong, my fingers able to bask in the wet velvet of her tail. She took my hand back and forth, skin to fur, fur to skin, when I noticed my fingers touching a strange spot along the middle of her tail. About a foot from her belly, the fur shortened unexpectedly, my thumb glancing against a slight, vertical part...



Oh.



"I am curious too. Might I..." Her fingers moved mine in a uncertain circle along her tail as she looked up at me and then away, as if worried by my response. "Might I look at your legs?"



I gave a nod, thinking it was only fair.



Her hand left mine and the arm she kept around my neck glided down my shoulder to my side, stopping just at the junction of my waist where, if I was a... a Mergong or whatever she was, I would have the same blending of skin and fur. Her fingers went on from there, following the curve of my hip, tracing dangerously close to my cock as she grazed along my inner thigh, stopping where my knee rested against the sand.



"Hang on." I moved her hand away for a second, standing so she could get a better view, as self-conscious as it made me feel. "Okay."



Her fingers went back to my knee, feeling along the knee cap and sides for several minutes, her hands barely moving as she traced the bone under my skin. I didn't think there was anything else I had that could fascinate her more than the joints of my legs (the ankle was another spot where she touched for several minutes) but those experiences paled in comparison to her discovery of toes.



"What purpose do they serve?" Her fingers worked between each of them, almost tickling the undersides of my feet when I lifted it up for her to see better. "They seem too short for holding."



"Balance, mostly. Though some people can pick things up with them. Small things," I decided to amend, not wanting her to think we had skills anywhere close to a Mankey.



"They are quite different," she giggled, continuing to play with them till my leg grew tired and I had to set it back down.



From there, she worked her way back up along the underside of my calf. I tried to keep my thoughts centered as her hand trailed under my thigh now, towards my rear. I was about to say something when her arm bumped lightly into my balls, the contact making me jerk forward and groan before I could recall myself.



"Sorry," I murmured, fighting to keep myself from blushing again, feeling like I was making it worse by even trying. "Still... a little excited."



She giggled again, giving a bob of her head in understanding. Her hand lifted from my inner thigh and went back to touch along my knee, as if nothing had happened, but it wasn't long until she was trailing back up along my inner thigh. My cock jumped when her fingers neared the top, stopping just shy of touching my groin again.



My mouth was open in a slight pant, my mind racing to figure out if I had ever been this desperate for a girl to touch me or even if, when one did, it felt anywhere near as good as I suspected her touch would be. When her hand didn't move, I let my head bow, finding her looking up at me.



"I hope... I am not making you uncomfortable?" Her statement trailed into a lilting tone of worry, turning it into more of a question.



"No." She was just intrigued, that was all. Like a Aipom who found a ball and would grow bored with its discovery after playing with it for so long. I knew that... "That part's still... just excited from the touching." My voice reminded me of a tattered sail, one who'd had to weather a particularly treacherous storm and didn't quite survive. "It's okay."



She kept hold of my gaze, her hand still not moving. I thought I might have made her nervous after all when she spoke slowly,



"It is... different. I am curious. May I..." Her eyes lowered, no longer looking directly at mine as her fingers stayed in place but now stroked the skin they touched with soft indecision before she went on. "May I know what it is like? To feel? I will be gentle." Her head lifted, her hair curling around her face like a pale cloud. "I promise."



There was a tightening sensation along my cock, one that actually hurt with want. Here was a mermaid, a living mermaid, asking if she could touch my shaft. Something in her voice, her eyes, suggested it was more than just curiosity. She had already felt it.



Now, she wanted to feel more.



Despite being half immersed in the sea, my mouth felt strangely dry. Swallowing did not alleviate the feeling, if anything it made it more pronounced. Her stormy eyes gazed into mine, her hair shimmering from the light of her horn as she waited for my answer. She was myth and lore, somehow present and existing when science and logic said she should not. She had shared herself with me when she could have left me behind, thinking her only a pretty hallucination that the ocean and beer had thought to show me. She was stunningly beautiful, beyond her tail and her breasts, and whatever part of me that insisted she wasn't human had been shut away long ago.



"Go ahead," I breathed, feeling my body almost tremble with bridled anticipation.



She gave a quick flash of a smile before her fingers moved, briefly exploring the wiry bush of hair that covered my sack before touching along the base of my cock. She made a noise in her throat, that same crooning sound from before, but didn't say anything. Her fingers stroked along it, as if mapping it out in her mind, before moving to slide and cup my balls. She held me in her hands, squeezing lightly as if somehow knowing they were sensitive, before her other hand moved to wrap fully around my painfully hard dick.



I didn't realize I'd made a sound till her head jerked up, her face suddenly pale.



"Have I hurt you?"



"No," I barely gasped out, trying to keep my hips from thrusting into the warmth of her hand. "It feels... good."



A slender smile brought relief to her features. "Then I will keep feeling."



I didn't trust myself to say anything in reply. Her thumb slowly circled around the underside of my cock and I wondered how her fingers were so soft and smooth despite living in the ocean. My thoughts were cut off as she grazed the tip of my shaft, my body giving a quick jerk before her hand moved to stroke me twice. When I shuddered, she gave me another look.



"You are enjoying?" At my nod, she smiled. "I am glad."



Her hands left my cock, leaving it to grow cold in the water while she glided her body against mine, pulling herself up so that she could press her lips softly to mine. They were as warm as her hands, parting easily as her tongue moved to touch my own. There was a sting of salt that dissipated quickly as her fingers wove into my hair, nails grazing my scalp, and I let my hands grip back along her backside while my cock once again was tormented by the sleek warmth of her fur.



After a moment, her lips pulled away from mine, leaving my mouth feeling empty without the presence of her tongue. Her cheek grazed mine as she leaned to whisper into my ear, her breasts pushing tighter against my chest,



"I would like to see, too."



With that, she slipped down along my body like water down a pipe, wriggling till she was between my knees. There was a soft inhalation of air, a sound more like a sigh than my noisy gasps, before her head dipped under the water and her horn brightened the area surrounding us, allowing me to see her.



Her hands moved on either side of my hips, tugging me gently so that I had to kneel on my own or fall into the water. Once my knees were rested on the sand, she lowered herself further, resting on her elbows as her fingers left a trail of warmth from my ass along my thighs and back to my cock. Her fingers moved to stroke the skin of my shaft, letting her view the full length while seeing my sack behind it. I thought that was enough for her, to get an idea of how my body worked like how I knew hers did...



Then, she touched her lips to my cock.



It was too deliberate for an accident. Yet, she stayed. Her mouth engulfed the head of my shaft in wet warmth, her tongue brushing the tip and curling around as if to cleanse the ocean from my taste. She slowly worked more and more of me into her mouth until she was halfway down, the heat warring with the cool ocean I could feel on the remaining half. Her hand went to cover that forsaken skin, giving it a weak comparison of what the other side was blessed with, before her head started to bob. My hips twitched every time her warmth overtook the cold, having to fight the maddening urge to thrust my whole dick in her mouth and take the tight heat she was offering.



My hand moved to stroke her hair, ready to move if she needed to come up for air but she gave no sign of discomfort. Her lips stayed locked around me even as her tongue worked my length, evidently not wanting to let any water in.



I was getting sucked off by a mermaid. A live, actual mermaid! Still, I tapped her shoulder when I felt my balls squeezing, my pleasure ready to burn its way from my cock to her throat. Her lips slid off, the ocean's cold hand stifling the reaction only slightly as she gave her gentle exhale, her eyes blinking away the droplets of water clinging to her lashes as her horn once again dimmed to a faint light.



"Did I... do something wrong?" she wondered, a frown marring her features.



"Not at all." Her breasts rubbed against my stomach and chest as she reached up to place a soft kiss along the corner of my lips. "You're... amazing."



"Then... why was I stopped?"



Her tail brushed against my legs as she planted another soft kiss at my cheek.



"I want to give you pleasure, too," I replied, my hand moving to graze the outer edge of her left breast, causing her to give a sweet, strangled gasp. "May I?"



Her arms moved around my neck allowing her to lean back, her horn dipping in such a way that light cascaded over her pale mounds as she whispered, "Yes."



Now that I could stare without guilt, I could better see her round, dark nipples. Inspired by example, I leaned forward and closed my lips around one, licking the salty ocean off in a slow circle. With her soft, breathy moans as my reward, I nibbled and suckled, squeezing with one hand while supporting her with the other. I wanted to give her more but there was a particular problem that could very well sink my plans.



Pulling back, kissing her parted lips as she panted quietly into the air, I let one hand drift to spread my fingers along her belly.



"This is... kind of awkward to ask... but how do your lower parts... you know... work?" I tried not to look directly at her, in case she was laughing at me. I mean, she had mine pretty well figured out. "Can you... show me?"



I saw her light bob, interpreting it to be a nod. Her body pushed away from mine, trying to scoot back to the shallower waters. With a little of my help she was able to move almost right onto the beach, the small waves lapping at the elbows she had resting on the sand while the rest of her body remained only an inch or so within the water.



She reached her hands out to me and I gave her mine. "Here," she murmured, her eyes shining like a silver mist as she guided my hand to the spot I had felt earlier. "This is what you seek, yes?"



It was easier to see the vertical slit in her fur with the top of her tail above the water. Tracing my finger along three or four inches of it I felt her tail tense and flick, a slight gasp coming from her. Apparently, this was it. I had no idea how much different her anatomy was but there was one way to find out.



Slowly, ready to stop should she ask me, I slipped the tip of my finger between the soft folds, watching her reaction in case I hit a sensitive spot. When she raised her "hips" instead, urging me on, I complied.



I could feel her tight passage inside, gripping my finger and bathing it in sauna like heat. The texture was slightly different from what I'd experienced in the past, perhaps a little smoother in places, slight ripples in others. I could feel the familiar nub at the top that caused her to mewl softly and thrash the bottom of her tail, leaving her to whimper softly as I withdrew my finger, rubbing her juices between it and my thumb. Bringing my hand to my face, I found a surprising lack of odor. Perhaps being emerged in the water had something to do with it? Either way, she didn't seem to hold any unpleasant surprises if things continued to get more heated.



Honestly, part of me hoped they would.



"Let me try something," I said.



It was easy enough to part her folds with my fingers, giving me a good view of her blushing entrance. Bending down, I drew my tongue along her slit, letting the tip invite itself in. The taste was salty, naturally, with a slightly musky flavor underneath. It was far from off-putting and my tongue wiggled its way deeper in the next lick.



"You-oooh!" She shivered, unable to finish what she'd been about to say.



I couldn't help but chuckle, giving her a couple light kisses before plunging my tongue fully within her. Her walls seemed to pull at the intruder, the muscles rippling slightly around my tongue and I could only imagine how it would feel around my cock. Her hand had moved to the back of my head, her nails pressed against my scalp as her body urged me to continue. From the soft moans washing over my ears like the waves around us, she wasn't disappointed.



After stroking and suckling her insides, I felt her tugging my hair, pulling my head away from her. I thought I might have done something wrong till I realized she was doing exactly what I had done to her, her half-lidded gaze of barely restrained heat confirming this. I moved up, both of us pulling the other into a kiss; which started out as tame as the previous one but once our tongues met they twined and twisted, our heads tilting as our free hands roamed the other's body.



All too soon, we parted and locked gazes again.



"I want very much to be closer with you," she whispered, kissing my lips gently as her fingers roamed through my damp hair. "I-if that pleases you."



I wasn't sure if the stammer was from nervousness or excitement or both. I felt the same, with my heart hammering like a Conkeldurr with a new cement pillar. This was... better than any daydream my eight year old mind could have come up with when it came to mermaids or any half fantasized masturbation session I'd played with in my twelve year old head or even the last year when I was sixteen and Courtney had finally let me go all the way with her...



"Absolutely," I replied, a grin spreading on my face, knowing that Neva was nothing even close to any of those experiences. Straddling her tail, her breasts pressed against me, our lips meeting one more time before I moved my fingers to brush against my shaft. "Are you ready, Neva?"



"Yes." Her lips pressed harder to mine, her tail twitching as she gasped softly against my face. "I want us... joined."



Steadying myself on the sand with one hand, I used the other to guide my straining cock before her slit. I could feel her heat even before our skin touched, her wet folds parting eagerly and pulling me in. A groan pulled itself from my throat as my cock reached halfway, her own throaty moan rising to join me. There was no resistance as I plunged deeper within her, confirming my suspicion that she had at least some experience, like myself. Any curiosity about who may have coupled with her, if I was the first human she'd been with, was discarded like a broken seashell as her inner walls squeezed around me for the first time.



Still keeping one arm to brace me, I moved the other back up towards her breasts, both orbs swaying gently with my thrusts. Cupping her left breast, my fingers played along the outer edges, moving inward to graze her hard, tiny nub and make her thrash upwards as I gave it a light pinch.



"Yes," she breathed, her hands slowly roaming along my back, nails grazing my skin as if she were barely restraining herself from digging them in. "More," she encouraged, rolling the lower half of her tail to lift up against me again. "Please."



Letting my hand continue its alteration of massaging, caressing, and squeezing on her breast, I focused on rocking my hips back and forth, thoroughly coating my cock in her slick juices. Experience had taught me the wonders of lubrication and I didn't want Neva to experience any discomfort.



Once satisfied, I drew back, the light breeze cooling the exposed wetness as I let my cock rest at her entrance, bending my head to meet her frantic kiss before thrusting back in, grunting at the sudden surge of heat. Her walls tightened around me, a shudder running from her chest to her tail, kicking up droplets of water to splash along my back. Sliding in and out a few more times, fighting against her nails now puncturing my back, trying to drag me closer, I made sure she was ready before digging my feet into the sand.



Thrusting harder, my hips moved in smooth strokes. She was moving with me now, her tail smacking the water and sand, changing the sensations inside her to that of an internal massage. Her moans were broken by quickly drawn breaths or startled gasps, making her pleasure known as she worked to give back as good as she got.



One hand still remained gripping my back while the other moved its way to my ass, her fingers squeezing it and pulling me into my thrusts. Her soft furred tail shifted, brushing against my balls as her muscles gripped and coaxed me deeper. It was a blur of the familiar and the exotic, the allure of a fantasy becoming flesh.



If this was a dream, I'd rather stay in a coma than wake.



My feet were slipping as the waves shifted the wet sand. Each time I stepped forward it felt like I could thrust deeper, go faster than before. Her lips left heated kisses along my neck, my shoulder. Squeezing her breast, tugging on her dusky nipple, I soaked in the sounds of her noises like an Oddish drank in the sun. The only chill I felt now was the air on my cock whenever I drew back, driving me to bury it into her again and again, never wanting to leave but unable to stop moving.



"M-more, oh!" Her teeth suddenly bit into my chest, just grazing my nipple as she gave a mix of a moan and a sob. "Please!"



I nearly lost myself to her voice, that sweet, melodic voice that had drawn me to her. I wanted to hear her sing again, to sing to me and for me. To sit along the sand bar and talk, to go swimming again when I could get gear to let me stay under as long as she did. To learn what she ate, to meet her friends, to see her every day...



Bringing my hips up to grind against her furry equivalent, I went back to kissing her, matching her need with my own, loving how she writhed against me. Her eyes were hazy with lust as she met my thrusts, moving with me, pulling me in ways I never thought any woman could. My lips found her ear, nibbling her lobe, her movements growing more frantic as I did.



The waves of pleasure were starting to take an edge. I could feel the familiar tension gathering in my loins except it was far stronger than I'd ever known. She was shivering, her tail meeting my hips in faster, less controlled motions, holding tight to my upper body eve as she pleaded me for more.



Anchoring my feet deeper into the sand, I fucked her with everything I had, knowing I couldn't last much longer. The slap of my balls against her tail, mingling with the wetter sounds of our joining grew louder to my ears as she bit my shoulder, latching on so hard I shouted. Her muscles tightened around me and I could only give a few more frantic, desperate thrusts before a wave of aching tension spread from my loins out through my stomach, legs, and chest.



"N-Neva!" I was just barely able to get out before plunging as far in as I could.



She was saying or screaming something, her arms squeezing me tighter than a Krabby's claw. My achingly hard cock throbbed in time with my balls, releasing my seed into her waiting, eager depths like an ancient geyser. Twisting, trembling together, there was no division between us.



We were one.



Her muscles milked me for everything I could offer and offer I did, my balls clenching as I offered her my thick, heated cum. When our muscles slowed into spasms, allowing us to catch our breath, we touched each other lightly... her hands roaming my back, stroking the small crescents left behind in her fervor, and I lightly placing kisses along her cheeks and neck.



She spoke first, her voice barely rising above her pants.



"That was... remarkable."



"You're remarkable," I answered back, brushing a curl of her hair off her cheek.



Concerned that I might be too heavy for her, I adjusted my weight to my knees, sharing a smile with her and a quick kiss. Her fingers moved to touch the side of my neck, working their way to brush against my jaw.



"You are a beautiful spirit, Andrew." The tide was rolling in, the waves lapping more insistently at our bodies. We'd have to move soon but I didn't want to let her go, feeling certain that she'd be gone with a flick of her tail, leaving me only with this memory.



"I must ask..." I watched her throat move as she swallowed, her hands moving from my back to hug her own waist. "Does my form... am I not strange to you?" Her eyebrows frowned, nearly kissing each other. "I know we... we joined but..."



Her voice faded as I bent down to touch my lips to hers, lingering to suck her lower lip into my mouth and caress it once with my tongue before letting it slip free.



"You are gorgeous, Neva," I whispered, kissing her softly as her fingers slid past my ear and into my hair. "Everything about you is wonderful." Resting my cheek to hers, I continued speaking softly to her. "There are a lot of stupid people who judge by appearances. They never turn out happy." I paused for a moment, clearing my head from the lingering past regrets I had come to learn from. My free hand went to touch above her breast, where her heart resided. "This is what really matters to me."



The light from her horn danced for a moment, brightening and dimming a few times in quick succession before remaining dim.



"I am glad. It is... it is what we fear from your ki-" She broke off suddenly, clumsily correcting, "from humans." A mulish frown formed, leading me to suspect this was part of what she wasn't telling me earlier. Or, at least, the reason for it.



Allowing my hand to drift through her hair, combing it with my fingers, she sighed at the gentle touches and smiled up at me.



"We are similar... in looks and in spirit. But we are also different. I have heard stories... of how humans do not accept their own kind." Her hands moved to touch mine, her face turning to kiss my palm. "I'm glad they are not true."



An Eelektrik sized feeling discomfort wiggled inside of me, forcing me to speak.



"I wouldn't say it's not true... there are some people still who are like that, backwards people who would miss out on seeing the beauty of a mermaid." Letting my hand stroke her side, touching the joining of fur and skin, I kissed her again. "Personally, I like your tail."



Her eyes turned a richer, deeper shade of grey as she gave a slow yet heated smile. "So, you find my tail attractive, yes?" Her hips pushed upwards against mine, my cock having already withdrawn and softened in the afterglow but I knew it wouldn't take much to get me started again. "And what do your tales tell of these mermaids?"



"That their appearance was so enchanting men would stare into the waters as they sailed, desperate for even the glimpse of their tail." My fingers stroked the fur of her own. "Their singing was considered to be so haunting and sweet that many claimed they could bewitch mortals to do whatever they wanted."



"Like what?" she asked, her hands tracing along my back and thighs, my cock stirring hopefully at her touches.



"Like take the men to sea with them, never to return to land again," I answered, kissing her lips again.



"Such interesting stories," Neva murmured, her voice light with a hint of laughter to it. "What if I were like the ones in the stories and took Andrew away?"



Meeting her gaze, she grew still, only her chest moving slightly as she breathed. Touching my lips above her chest, right where her heart was, I whispered, "I think you already have, Neva."



Her hands pulled my head to hers, her lips seeking mine, softly claiming them again and again in a series of frantic, fluttering kisses.



"Maybe I will not take you away just yet," she said, her voice softer than a Jumpluff's cotton. "But, if we go a little deeper, I can move better and will take you in a different way..."



Helping her back into the deeper water, my mind could hardly stay focused as we both worked to clean the sand from her hair and back. Choosing a spot where the water was about to the middle of my thighs, I kneeled at her request and found I still had amble room to keep my head above the water, the waves just reaching my collarbone.



Neva was the definition of grace once more, swimming in a tight circle around me before coming up in front. Her hand wrapped around my shaft, stroking up and down, coaxing it to its full-masted glory. It didn't take long and her smile indicated just how pleased she was that I could respond so readily to her touch.



Two could play at this game.



Reaching out, my fingers grazing her fur, I was able to find her slit within minutes, slipping two within and eliciting a whisper like gasp from her. Her muscles still tried to work my probing digits, her insides slicker than before.



I wonder how much of it was hers and how much of it was mine...



Neva twisted in the water, forcing my finger to slip out before she drew closer, once more stroking my cock. Raising a brow, I returned her smile with my own, understanding that she wanted to be in charge this time. Still, I let my hands move to hold her hold her mid-back, keeping her close to me and allowing both of us to support her, which she seemed to allow.



Her nipples grazed my chest as she kissed just under my jaw, moving her body so that her slit teased my cock with the promise of her warm tunnel. Her fur stroked my inner thighs and waist, my dick suddenly becoming so hard pain pierced just behind my left eyeball.



We'd been together once and now her fur could make me that desperate?



I was about to make a comment when she suddenly sank down onto my cock, her arms braced on my shoulders to give her the leverage she needed. I almost fell back, having not expected it, especially when her tail hadn't touched me to give me a warning. She must have bent it backwards, the change in angle making it feel like I was even deeper than last time. I could feel her tail stirring to keep her balance except, unlike last time, every movement caused a teasing, pulsing squeeze around my dick.



Our hormones and urges were muted. Rather than rush, we kissed slowly, deeply, our bodies locked together in just about every way. With a soft breath against my lips she moved first, drawing back an inch or so before hilting me again. I moved at her pace, slowly picking up speed despite the drag of the water. I'd heard from a friend that water getting in could be problematic for a woman but I trusted Neva to know what was best. It did feel like she had a tighter grip on my shaft and she wasn't letting me go out more than halfway.



We barely broke the kiss for air, more for myself than her, though I noticed she was drawing fast, deep little breaths. Kneading the toned muscles just below her midback, where her tail started to extend out, she made a deep, groaning sound from within her throat. Claiming that noise with my lips, I teased her tongue with mine for a brief moment before leaning my head down to suckle at her breasts. I could feel the shiver run through her body, a full moan following as I used my teeth to lightly grasp her nipple, the resulting tight squeeze making me grunt.



She held me tighter as she shifted her position, giving me an easier angle for my gentle thrusts. Something else had changed though, her muscles tightening and relaxing around me with more control and rhythm than a climax. It felt like something between skilled fingers and a good blowjob rippling along my length, occasionally squeezing at my base and head. I was rolling my hips within moments, trying to stay focused on my attention to her breasts, my breath coming faster as ecstasy raced from my cock to my spine.



"Oh, w-wow." I wondered if this was a water thing or if she'd been holding back the last time. I wanted to experience this all night! "It's... fucking-tastic."



She laughed, actually throwing her head back and letting out a sound more like chimes of icicles ringing all at once rather than the small barking sounds from before. Stunned still for a moment by the pure, clear sound I almost missed a stride in thrusting in her.



As her laugh trailed into giggles, I kissed from along her breast to her shoulder, hoping to coax the sound from her again. An experimental nibble drew a promised gasp and I put my lips and teeth to work playing with her neck, eager to give as much as I was getting in whatever way I could. I needed to because between whatever inner massage she was giving me and our mutual thrusts, I wasn't sure how much longer I would last.



Neva must have picked up on my uncertainty because she arched to give me more room to move. I thrust at an angle, seeking out that inner, sweet spot and was rewarded with a low moan. With a little adjustment, I was able to keep hitting that spot, her words of encouragement into my ear becoming disjointed even as her movements became more erratic. That squeezing of her walls was like a strong milking motion, the rest of her body growing tense and I knew that she was as close to the edge as I was.



One last thrust pushed us both over at the same time. Our cries filled the air for the second time that night, our bodies grasping for the other, trying to get as close as we could to each other. Even through the pleasure I could feel her inner muscles working a now familiar rhythm, each rippling spasm pulling a new load of seed into her waiting depths. Holding her to me, her head rested on my shoulder as she panted, our bodies riding out the mutual pleasure we'd shared.



There were no words for a while, Neva wrapping her tail around my legs as I continued to cradle her against me, the bliss from our joining warming us against any chill the water might have. It was just the two of us, bobbing gently up and down in the waves, with nothing else daring to intrude on our world.



Still, I knew I had things to ask her before she swam away, even though I felt like a Gengar was standing in my shadow.



"Neva," I said softly, watching as she lifted her head, her hazy grey eyes half closed as she made a quiet sound of inquiry. "I don't think I could meet anyone half as beautiful or wonderful as you but..." I fought to keep talking, feeling like I was going to ruin everything we'd had but needing her answer. "I know that our meeting was an accident, something that shouldn't have happened but-" My voice almost broke as I held her tighter to me, squeezing her close before loosening my grip as I whispered against her hair. "I want to see you again."



Her eyes had opened, the sleepy look fading as concern and thought caused small crinkles around the corners of her eyes. She remained within my arms but turned to gaze at the sea, as if the answer she was going to give would come surfacing from its depths like a the rare and elusive Lapras.



"It would not be my decision alone," she finally replied, her fingers curling against my chest as she turned to look back at me. "If we are to share our lives, remained joined, the few I know like me but different... we must talk. I must tell them so they know..." I could feel her hesitating, picking for words. "They know of you." Her fingers mimicked the motion I'd given her earlier, touching the spot of my chest where my heart lay, beating faster as she spoke. "That you are not a danger."



"And if they think I am?" I pressed her, hating the way her eyes grew dark with worry but needing her answer. "If they think I'm a danger to you and to them? Would you see me?"



Neva tensed and I thought that was my answer, that this had just been a onetime fling, something for her to tell her friends about until I realized she was hugging me closer.



"Even if the worst comes to pass," she replied, resting her cheek back against my chest. "Even if they feel you are a danger and advise me against it, I will return to you. On the purity of Lugia, I swear it."



"And I'll be there," I answered. "I wouldn't tell anyone about you, Neva. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you or take you away from me."



We kissed slowly, gently cementing our vow to one another.



As she shifted closer, her lips pulling away from mine, her voice touched against my skin. "I must ask, now, does it bother you that we are of different worlds? That it is a challenge to be in world unlike your own?"



"We can work around the difficulties," I told her, keeping her against me as I kissed the spot just next to her horn, the faint light still present after everything. "It'll be different, yeah, but I can't think of anything more important to me."



Her smile glowed nearly as much as her horn as she returned my kiss on my chest. "I look forward to many more meetings with you, Andrew. Though..." Her eyes looked out towards the horizon, the sky having changed from its Houdoom black to a dark Muk purple. "I must leave soon."



"I'll stay as long as you will, Neva... just don't forget to tell me when you'll be back."



She made that soft, barking laugh again as we remained in each other's arms. Her tail remained twined around my legs, her chest still against mine, but the contact was soothing and intimate rather than arousing. It was a testament to her skill and ability that I was fairly well spent after two times, though perhaps I'd recover enough for a third round before she left. Either way, I would take whatever time I had with her and treasure it.



In our warm embrace, where two worlds joined without fear, I thought I heard a new song begin to play.