Work Text:
“Binghe, did you check the tank temperature this morning?” Asked Shen Yuan as he walked up to the edge, notes in hand as he observed their mermaid. While he would not admit it, he had grown fond of their test subject and wished to make it as comfortable for them as possible. Though– Shen Yuan flushed– the experiment from the other day was still stuck in his mind.
Who knew Liu Qingge could make sounds like that while looking so debauched?. The markings on the mermaid's cheeks had stood out so lovely against his flushed body, sans tail. Shen Yuan was embarrassed to admit, but he had reacted to the display Liu Qingge made as he got fucke– penetrated by his own tentacles. The wet lewd sounds still rang in Shen Yuan’s ears. Every garble and chirp engraved itself in Shen Yuan’s mind and made a small vacation house there. A few of the chirps he had understood, like “Yuan” and “stop” but the rest had been lost in translation.
He had, of course, inquired with Luo Binghe later, but his assistant denied him the information, claiming he did not know either. Shen Yuan had a feeling the other man was lying, especially when Luo Binghe abruptly tried to change the topic, but there was nothing to do but take his word for it.
The static of the intercom sounded. “I did that first thing when I arrived, Dr. Shen."
“Good.”
Still, Shen Yuan lowered his hand to feel for himself. While he trusted Luo Binghe’s work ethic, he had learned from his former assistants to always double check. The water was cool at first, but the longer Shen Yuan waited, the more he adapted to the temperature. It was on the cooler side of lukewarm, almost perfect to dip his feet into.
Liu Qingge laid at the bottom of the tank, half-hidden behind kelp and corals. Different plushies surrounded him and a green cat plushie was nestled in the crook of his arm. Shen Yuan squinted, hoping to see clearer. It seemed like Liu Qingge was snuggling the cat.
A warm feeling spread in Shen Yuan’s chest at the affectionate scene. The green cat was actually the one plushie he had picked out, the rest being random ones Luo Binghe found and just dumped in. While Shen Yuan could have done the same, he still felt bad for the incident and so he had handed it over gingerly to Liu Qingge. Shen Yuan clicked his pen.
The subject has surrounded himself with the replacement toys after the egg bound incident. While we do not know if this is normal behavior for mermaids in the wild, it tells us that mermaids also feel maternal loss. Will ask Dr. Qinghua to replicate the experiment and share their findings with me at a later date.
Shen Yuan nodded to himself before stilling, an idea springing to mind.
“Binghe, I would like to conduct an experiment. Go and pick a plush toy especially for Liu Qingge.”
The intercom scratched again. “Why, Dr. Shen?”
It sounded like his assistant was pouting.
“It’s an experiment! Would a gift of affection be better received when picked with care compared to something haphazardly gifted? And if so, what are the factors for this choice? Color? Weight? Smell? Or is it the giftee that matters?”
“...”
“Binghe?”
“On it, Dr. Shen.”
The intercom clicked off.
Shen Yuan grinned, seeing his chance to relax and do what he had in mind. He placed the clipboard to the side, along with his shoes and socks and rolled his pant legs up. The water beckoned him to take a quick dip, but that would not do, so the second best thing to do was to dip his feet.
Hopefully Liu Qingge wouldn’t take this the wrong way.
The cold sent goosebumps all the way up his arms, but it felt good against his aching muscles. He splashed a bit, feeling a child-like gidiness fill him. Was this what it felt like going to the beach? Maybe he should plan a trip someday. Maybe he could examine the environment to better the tank’s living conditions.
Would Luo Binghe go with him? Shen Yuan was sure he could rope Shang Qinghua to go with him. They could buy a watermelon and have it lay in the water to cool down before cracking it open like in the beach episodes he watched in anime.
A yawn made its escape, and his eyes dropped as fatigue seeped into his bones. He had been unable to sleep the night before –The image of Liu Qingge had burned itself onto his retinas– and spent most of the night hunched over his phone reading the latest installment in his not so favorite online series: Proud Immortal Demon Way.
If he knew Luo Binghe well, which he was sure he did by now, he would be nose deep in researching the best materials for a new plush to be made. He wouldn’t be back for a while. Plenty of time for Shen Yuan to catch some Z’s before going back to work.
He would just…
Rest his eyes…
For a…
Moment…
The muffled sound belonging to Shen Yuan stilled until only the sounds from the cleaning machine could be heard in the tank. Curiously, Liu Qingge glanced up from cuddling his green toy that Shen Yuan had gifted him. The other plushies were nice of course, filling the gaping hole his eggs had left, but it was not the same. Liu Qingge hugged the cat– Shen Yuan had somehow learned how to say the word in his language– closer and took a deep whiff. It was by far one of his favorites, the scent of Shen Yuan still clung to the wooly fabric.
The silence still disturbed Liu Qingge. Usually by now they would be doing some kind of experiments on him. Shen Yuan usually focused on the more normal things like the growth of his nails or the length of his teeth. Wait, was it another day of Luo Binghe leading the experiment? Liu Qingge flushed and buried his face deeper into the plushie.
If Shen Yuan was the one doing those experiments then he would probably not have anything against it. The way Luo Binghe did the mating was completely wrong. Unnatural.
Another such experiment had been done the day before, but one thing had been different. Shen Yuan had entered. Liu Qingge could not get rid of the image Shen Yuan had made. He had looked shocked at first but after a beat he had changed his demeanor; his eyes were dazed and his lips parted as his eyes had roved down Liu Qingge’s figure.
The thoughts of those eyes made his slit slowly spread open, lubrication slowly forming. How would it feel if Shen Yuan had been doing the tests? His hands would probably be gentle as his fingers would curl into the opening slowly widening, whispering to him.
The silence continued, but Liu Qingge still turned so his back would face Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe if they were to peek. While it did feel wrong to touch himself like this, and not as good, he couldn’t stop his fingers from trailing down his body and to the slit, rubbing a finger over the edge and towards the base of his curled tentacle–
Something splashed into the water, startling Liu Qingge out of his daydreaming. Liu Qingge gazed up. Two feet were dangling at the edge of the tank, nonchalantly kicking back and forth before that too slowed to a stop.
In the end curiosity won and he carefully placed the cat shaped toy down before swimming closer to the surface.
Shen Yuan had rolled the fabric covering his legs up and was laying down, one arm over his stomach and one over his eyes. Shen Yuan’s glasses were folded and placed to his right. Was he sleeping?
With a grunt Liu Qingge braced himself against the ledge and heaved his upper body up so he was in between Shen Yuan’s legs. The human being looked so small beneath Liu Qingge like this, his guard down and drool trailing from the corner of his mouth.
A quick glance around revealed Luo Binghe was nowhere to be seen. He had this one chance. With his chest supported against the edge he leaned closer and buried his head in the professor's crotch, taking a deep inhale until it filled his lungs before letting it go with a sigh. A series of chirps of pleasure began vibrating from his chest. While his gift had the scent, it was too light and almost gone and nothing compared so close to the man himself.
Shen Yuan had not reacted at all as Liu Qingge took a whiff. Emboldened by this Liu Qingge softly gripped the metallic strip and pulled it down. Maybe Shen Yuan would keep sleeping and Liu Qingge could for once be the one to explore and experiment.
The languid splashing of water hitting the shore filled Shen Yuan’s entire being. He laid back and enjoyed the rays of the sun warming his skin. It had been a long time since he had last relaxed like this. No experiments. No deadlines. Just pure enjoyment of the present moment. The foliage above gave Shen Yuan the perfect shade from the sun
“Hey Shen Yuan, check this out!” A voice called out, familiar and yet Shen Yuan could not remember who through the haze of relaxation. He sat up, grains of sands sticking to his back, to see who might be calling for him.
Shang Qinghua popped his head over Shen Yuan’s shoulder, surprising Shen Yuan enough to flail about and landing on his hands. His fellow professor bellowed with laughter before squatting down to where Shen Yuan elegantly laid sprawled.
“Duuuude.” he continued laughing, tears forming in the corner of his eyes from mirth, “didn’t you hear me?”
Shen Yuan scowled as he got up, pushing Shang Qinghua back with his foot before dusting what sand he had on him off. He didn’t want to bring the whole beach with him when returning home.
“What did you want to show me?”
“Oh yeah! Have you ever seen one of these before? Pretty cool right?”
“... A random stone?” Shen Yuan asked incredulously.
“C’mon bro! Look a bit closer!”
Shen Yuan took another gander at the rock Shang Qinghua held out to him. It looked like any other rock you could find. It was not a pumice stone, the color was much darker and not porous enough. A banded rhyolite? Close but still not right. Maybe it contained some flint and that was what resulted in the darker color–
“I can see smoke steaming from your ears bro. Chill, It’s a hag stone!”
“A… hag stone?”
“Yeah. Hag stone, adder stones, witch stones whatever you want to call it. Didn’t you notice the hole going through the middle of it?”
Shen Yuan would have to admit he was more interested in figuring out what kind of stone it was than some meaningless hole going through it.
“Dude, we’re surrounded by rocks like this. I could grab a handful of stones with a dumb hole just like this one and give it to you.” Shen Yuan said, exasperated as he motioned to the rocky terrain under their feet. “Or you can give me a drill and I’ll make you a whole necklace.”
“Bro, you could try but it’s actually pretty hard to find stones with holes naturally formed like this.” Shang Qinghua lifted the stone, holding it so the hole faced the sea. He closed an eye and peeked through it. “I’ve heard that if you find a stone with a naturally made hole from the ocean, you can look through it and see into the world of fae. Filled with mermaids and fairies. Doesn’t that sound awesome?”
“Pfft.” Shen Yuan scoffed while taking a look around. A lot of movies had shown skipping stones as an easy endeavor. He would just need a round, flat stone, preferably one smooth enough so he could get enough skips. “Are you still childish enough to believe old folklore like that?” A stone stood out, flat while still long enough that he should get at least five skips or more.
Shen Yuan readied his arms, trying to eye the right angle before letting the stone fly and—
Plop!
—Watch it sink with nary a single bounce.
“Dude?”
“Shut it.”
“You fucking suck.”
Shen Yuan glowered at Shang Qinghua as he felt his ears burning in embarrassment. Shang Qinghua kept grinning while holding the stone in such an irritating manner, it was grating on his nerves. With a glare he grabbed the fucking hag stone and lifted it up high. The urge to just chug it into the water filled him but still he held the rock up to look through it, grumbling about fucking shits for brains coworkers.
The hole through the stone was not perfect but was wide enough that he could squint through it without straining his eyes. The stone was smooth to the touch from the years underwater. The horizon was slowly turning shades of orange and pink as the sun went down, but no matter which way he turned with the stone nothing changed. It was still the same sunset, the same ocean and same fucking ugly Shang Qinghua. He lowered his hand with a splash, the water to his hips as he turned to Shang Qinghua in irritation. The water was getting warmer and felt nice against his hips.
“See, the hag stone is just a myth, it ain’t working!”
Mobei-Jun grunted from beside Shang Qinghua, towering over his friend with the sunset reflecting its colorful rays on the blue skinned male. A stray strand of hair fluttered in the cooling breeze before he tucked it behind his fin. Blue markings overtaking the black as the sun dipped below the sea. “Try again.”
The same scenario greeted Shen Yuan when he held the hag stone up to eye level again. The last ray of the sun was slowly fading, reflecting off from navy blue hair. Shen Yuan lowered his hand containing the stone to wave with excitement.
“Liu Qingge!”
“Mmh… Liu… Qingge…” Shen Yuan huffed as he felt his dream fade and his consciousness slowly resurfaced. The air was cold and a shiver raced down his back, goosebumps rising across his arms. Even as the cold seeped into his skin he also felt an odd warmth heating his body. The wisps of his dreams teased his consciousness, but the more he tried to remember it the more it slipped away, like sand between his fingers.
What time was it? Was Luo Binghe done with his assignment yet? It didn’t feel like he had been asleep for too long, probably only 1-2 hours, but Shen Yuan knew time could pass by fast when napping. The heat surrounding him got more intense, his toes curling in the now warm water.
With a start Shen Yuan woke up fully, a drop of sweat tickling as it slid down the side of his neck. While he had never experienced it himself, he had read a lot and even he wasn’t that delusional to think it was anything else but what it was. His eyes slammed shut, not yet wanting to open his eyes and make sure, even as his heart rate accelerated and his hips stuttered. Shen Yuan threw an arm over his eyes to try and hide, nails digging into the soft skin of his palm.
Could he act as if he was still sleeping? Would they notice? A gasp escaped his bitten lips as the surrounding warmth tightened before relaxing again, prompting Shen Yuan to lift his arm a bit to peek downwards, his stomach swooping at the sight.
Liu Qingge looked zoned out. A flush covered his cheeks and made the blue markings stand out, his eyes glazed over. His arms were extended and with a slight turn of his head, Shen Yuan could see they were gripping the edge of the platform of where he was laying.
While Shen Yuan knew he should feel intimidated being surrounded by the much larger mermaid, he didn’t. Instead he felt safe and cared for.
But the important thing– The most important thing!– was the fact the mermaid had wrapped his lips around Shen Yuan’s dick. Liu Qingge just laid there, sprawled on top of Shen Yuan’s lap, eyes half lidded. The pupils of his eyes were dilated until only a faint ring of cornflower blue could be seen. Long eyelashes cast shadows on fair cheeks.
Shen Yuan shifted into a sitting position and watched as unfocused eyes followed him, but otherwise the mermaid did not move. Instead Liu Qingge swallowed, his throat constricting nicely around Shen Yuan’s dick before he slowly pulled away.
The display was almost straight out of a porno video– Not that Shen Yuan watched those!-- as plump red lips revealed more of Shen Yuan’s engorged shaft. He wanted to hide, to take a moment to process what was happening but the system in his brain was still processing the fact that somehow Liu Qingge was sucking his dick! The mermaid pulled away all the way to the head, swirling his tongue around the slit.
“Li-Liu Qingge!” Shen Yuan gasped. He reached out towards the mermaid, whether to stop him or pull him closer he himself did not know. In the end one hand cupped Liu Qingge’s cheek while his other hand carefully touched the mermaid’s facial fins and long wispies, rubbing the thin protruding appendage, marveling at how thin and soft it felt, like a butterfly’s wings. They were not slimy like a normal fish but instead had a satin feel.
Liu Qingge seemed to enjoy this as he leaned into Shen Yuan’s hands, a series of chirps, trills, and clicks getting louder. He seemed to want something, but Shen Yuan did not know enough about the mertongue to be able to understand. Or was he just purring like a cat? For a brief second Shen Yuan wished for Luo Binghe to be there, to interpret between them, but he shot the idea down immediately. No way would he let Luo Binghe, his assistant, see him balls deep in the mermaid! Liu Qingge continued undeterred, nuzzling the dick. A glob of precum dripping from the slit and languidly trailing down the markings on the mermaid and making Shen Yuan’s gut lurch with arousal.
He should not be feeling like this towards the mermaid, his text subject. He was only meant to do ethical experiments! Was this Luo Binghe’s influence? Was Shen Yuan feeling this way after witnessing the experiment from the day before?!
Back then, Luo Binghe had seemed unaffected, more surprised at having been caught than what he had been doing. Shen Yuan knew he was doing the tests, having assigned them to Luo Binghe because he was unable to do them himself. But knowing and seeing were two completely different things.
“Liu Qingge nnngh… Pl-please stop…” Shen Yuan tried to order but ended up begging instead. The mermaid did not seem to understand and instead enveloped Shen Yuan in his mouth again as he went down, nosing Shen Yuan’s pubes. “Don’t–mmhaaaa.”
Shen Yuan knew he wasn’t big per say, but seeing Liu Qingge able to take all of him so easily hurt his pride.
The language barrier was more apparent now than ever at this moment. The tight heat constricted around him in regular intervals sending lightning through every nerve as the mermaid swallowed. It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t feeling horny with the gorgeous mermaid wrapped around him, but it was a low rolling heat that spiked each time. It didn’t seem like Liu Qingge was intent on giving him a blowjob, but more like he was feeling content and cozy wrapped around Shen Yuan, eyes half lid as if he was sleepy.
While Shen Yuan didn’t know a lot of words, he had learned Liu Qingge’s name and a scarce few words in mertongue. If he tried to imitate some of the words Liu Qingge had chirped, maybe it would work?
Shen Yuan took a deep breath, feeling it stutter in his chest as Liu Qingge moved his tongue around his erection. God, he was trying to stay strong but he could feel his will wavering. It should be a sin for it to feel this good. The view Liu Qingge made was gorgeous, eyes droopy and blinking slowly, as if he was on the edge of sleep. Shen Yuan closed his eyes and curled around Liu Qingge, trying to focus on anything else but the wet heat around his erection, rubbing the wispies between his fingers. Maybe if he distracted himself he could kill his boner.
Shang Qinghua bent over a rapport? Nope, nothing changed. The deadlines he had to fill? Nada. Luo Binghe rubbing cobolt tentacles back into Liu Qingge’s slit–
Shen Yuan’s hips bucked, a weak spurt leaving him at the mental image. Liu Qingge seemed unbothered, just following along. Shen Yuan should not go down that road, not now with so many thoughts whirling in his mind. He leaned back and steeled himself.
Better to just rip the bandage off, nice and easy and most of all, quickly.
The first trilling noise was weak, barely audible. Liu Qingge only blinked but, otherwise staying still. Shen Yuan cleared his throat and tried again, stronger this time, letting his tongue roll with the chirps and trying to imitate the rumbling in the chest.
Liu Qingge’s eyes cleared, constricting as they snapped up. Water splashed around as a strong tail breached the surface, catching Shen Yuan’s attention.
Sure that his intent came through, Shen Yuan smiled unsteadily, trilling the one word he knew. Liu Qingge’s name. When Liu Qingge did not pull away he tried another word, sure this one meant ‘please stop’.
Cold water surrounded him suddenly as he was pulled into the tank, air leaving him as, without thinking, he gasped underwater.
A strong hand grabbed the back of his head, fingers threading through his short hair, and pushed his face to the side of Liu Qingge’s neck. Shen Yuan gasped but immediately shut his mouth again, his arms and legs flailing about as panic took its hold on him. Had Liu Qingge just been waiting for his chance to drown him? Did Shen Yuan accidentally insult him?!
No matter how hard he tried hitting and kicking, Liu Qingge did not let go. Shen Yuan could no longer fight his bodily urge and gasped, waiting for water to fill his mouth but felt nothing other than air. He took a few more breaths but the result stayed the same. His lips tickled with the fluttering of Liu Qingge’s gills being pressed so close to him, making him hesitantly blink his eyes open to see Liu Qingge’s hair languidly float around in the tank.
A rumbling cooing slowly made its presence known, chasing the panic away with the comfort. Shen Yuan closed his eyes and leaned closer to the mermaid as he wrapped his lips around their neck, breathing deeply. The language barrier was in the way, but he chose to trust the mermaid with his well being. Liu Qingge could easily have pulled him down under the water while Shen Yuan was napping, but he did not do so.
Coos, trills and chirps warbled in the water and sounded so melodious. With one final deep inhale Shen Yuan held his breath and pulled back, wrapping his legs tightly around the mermaid's tail. His lab coat was weighing him down and uncomfortable, so he shrugged it off and let it slowly sink to the bottom of the tank. He would ask for it back later, maybe tell Luo Binghe he had accidentally left it at the edge of the tank and it somehow just went over. Luo Binghe could tell Liu Qingge
The salty water stung Shen Yuan’s eyes, set to imitate Liu Qingge’s original habitat, as he stared at the mermaid.
Dark hair, shining blue, floated like a halo around Liu Qingge, held together by a kelp like hairband. The scales on his cheek, neck and body shone iridescent in the shades of the rainbow, reflecting light back to the surface. Blue eyes watched him back, a flush coloring his cheeks and spreading from his neck and chest, making his blue nipples stand out in the flickering light overhead. The mermaid always looked good while outside of the water, but in the water and so close Shen Yuan saw him— really saw him. Even the mole under his right eye and scattered on his body seemed to stand out, like stars in the night sky.
Lungs burning from the lack of air made Shen Yuan lean against the mermaid anew, inhaling the salty air. The gills quivered, their purplish insides expanding to help Shen Yuan more, or maybe that was just Shen Yuan assuming so.
Liu Qingge gave a whine, followed by the same chirping noise that sounded kind of familiar. When Liu Qingge didn’t get the reaction he was after, he tried again. “Sh-Shen Yuan,” the name was accompanied with clicks and warbles, almost as if straining against his vocal cords, but in the end it was unmistakably his own name.
Big, strong arms wrapped around Shen Yuan and pulled him closer. The hands were like a vice, holding him down firmly. The motion reminded Shen Yuan of the situation he had been in before getting pulled down, as something wrapped around his flagged erection. It was long and slick, moving easily over the skin of his cock.
Liu Qingge’s tentacles.
Shen Yuan bucked into them, the feeling of multiple appendages on his dick sending electricity through every nerve ending. With how much this was happening Shen Yuan was surprised he wasn’t glowing like bioluminescent algae.
Liu Qingge’s purring rose in intensity, vibrating against Shen Yuan’s chest and making his lips tingle around the mermaid’s neck. It seemed like Liu Qingge was getting just as desperate as Shen Yuan was, the tentacles wrapping around anything and everything. The slippery limbs pulling on his belt loops and pushing his shirt up, feeling so good on his heated skin. Moan after moan left his lips as they moved in tandem, the feeling more intense compared to when, well, when Liu Qingge had just been cockwarming him.
Before he had been able to ignore the want, the need, coursing through his body but he could deny it no longer. Shen Yuan wanted to feel good, he wanted to just give in and let the mermaid do whatever he wanted. Masturbating by himself had never felt like this before, his whole body engaging as he thrust against the much bigger mermaid. Liu Qingge’s slit hugged him like a glove, slick making it much more pleasurable and the tentacles trying to pull him inside were not helping him hold back. The inflated bulb of the main tentacle kept rubbing at the head of his dick, giving direct stimulation. If this felt good, how would it feel to actually fuck into the mermaid’s slit? To penetrate the purple-ish slit.
Shen Yuan was not proud to admit, but after so many years of living like a virgin he wanted to try being with someone intimately like in the series he read. So what if it was with a four meter, 280kg mermaid? At this rate Shen Yuan risked dying an old maiden, so what if he fucked a mermaid?!
Shang Qinghua had done it with his! So why couldn’t he?
No one could see them so deep in the tank, no one had to know what went down.
Large hands wrapped around his wrist and pulled him closer, if that was possible, the mermaid whined in need.
What had Luo Binghe’s notes said?
When denied direct stimulation, the subject's genitalia seeks it out involuntarily. Multiple appendages make it possible for self-stimulation with only genitalia, but does not seem satisfactory to the subject.
So if Liu Qingge didn’t get penetrated, he wouldn’t feel as good as Shen Yuan did at that moment? Shen Yuan shifted his hips, the strain in his muscles apparent as they quivered. The tentacles tightening around him as they more insistently dragged at his skin, trying to push his hips to penetrate the puffed slit.
The tight heat surrounding him was so much better than Liu Qingge’s mouth, stars sparking in front of Shen Yuan’s eyes. His pulse quickened as he felt his orgasm nearing like a tidal wave, threatening to pull him under if he did not reign in control. But how could he? His mind was hazy, not a single coherent thought being able to form as he thrust into the mermaid, that ever present purr kick-starting his own heart.
The tsunami engulfed him, rocking him hard around as wave after wave left him, leaving him drained and sagging against the mermaid. Should he have used a condom? Shen Yuan closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath, lips still suckling on Liu Qingge’s gills. He could ignore the burning no more.
He wanted to say he was sweaty from the event, but being surrounded by water was making it hard to tell. When his breathing evened out and his thighs stopped shaking he took a deep breath and pulled away.
Liu Qingge looked happy, his hair waving calmly around him and his mole by his eye looking so pretty.
Every muscle in Shen Yuan’s body was screaming, which surprised Shen Yuan when he normally could swim long distances without losing his breath. Shen Yuan pointed up before pulling away, watching the milky liquid float like smoke, diluting until it could no longer be seen. He tucked his dick back into his pants before swimming up, only to feel hands under his armpits before Merliu appeared by his back, helping him out.
The words for thanks in mertongue didn’t register, he just nodded his gratitude before hurrying away awkwardly.
“Dude, what’s up? Why did you suddenly text me that you were coming over? Don’t you have experiments to do together with your assistant, Luo Binghe?” Shang Qinghua questioned as he entered his small office, shouldering the door open with a hip while holding a cup of coffee in both hands. “You’re fucking lucky getting such an amazing assistant. I’ve tried contacting headquarters for an assistant for months now but no luck.”
Compared to Shen Yuan’s own office, this room was filled to the brim with paperwork covering every surface, precariously wobbling if Shen Yuan moved the wrong way. He had needed to take a pile and move it to the floor to be able to sit anywhere, along with carefully pushing test objects aside from the table so he could mope pitifully.
Shen Yuan buried his face into his own hands, feeling his face warm as he thought of what had happened not even 30 minutes ago. A quick shower, a fresh set of clothes and then here he sat, hair still dripping. A blue dotted mug with a cat mermaid motif was placed to his right. Was that-? “Bro, really? Pusheen?”
“Hey, it’s cute and it fits our line of work! Now, spit it out.” The usually nervous professor’s own mug was another cat with a fish tail, the text ‘Purrrmaid’ over its head.
With a sigh Shen Yuan took the mugs and took a sip, only to grimace as the bitter taste of coffee hit his tongue. A glare got directed to his fellow researcher, prompting Shang Qinghua to roll his eyes as he moved to the mini fridge in the corner of the office. The contents of the fridge mostly consisted of Monster energy drinks, all different flavors, and a small pitcher of milk for when Shen Yuan visited him. How Shang Qinghua almost survived off of energy drinks alone still surprised Shen Yuan to this day.
“Dude, can’t you just learn to drink your coffee black like the rest of us?” Shang Qinghua placed the pitcher on the table, along with a small sugar container.
“Naah, too bitter. I prefer it this way.” Shen Yuan poured a generous amount of milk into his coffee, along with 2 heaping scoops of sugar. After a quick stir Shen Yuan sighed blissfully after he took a sip. Perfect, just the way he liked it.
“You’re gonna get diabetes one day from all that sugar.”
“Not before you get brain damage from all those energy drinks.”
Shang Qinghua huffed as he leaned back in his chair, taking a gulp of his own black coffee. “The only way for me to survive all of those late nights is for me to drink those. Anyways, quit stalling and tell me what you wanted to talk about. Did you fuck a fish or what?” He joked, unknowingly hitting the hammer spot-on on the nail.
The burning feeling of coffee entering the wrong pipe overwhelmed Shen Yuan, making him cough hard.
Shang Qinghua stared incredulous, the chair thudding as all four wooden legs were resting against the floor again. “Dude. Bro. Are you for real? Did you fuck your mermaid?!”
“N-No! I didn’t fu– have intercourse with Liu Qingge!” That had technically not been sex! Sex was supposed to last longer and no way would he ever admit to busting a nut almost right after entering.
“Then what? You jacked off to it?”
Shen Yuan whined as he again lowered his face into his palms, knowing the blush had reached his ears from the burning sensation. If only there was a way for him to just bury himself. “Not jacked off per say. He just…” he mumbled.
“He what? Speak louder dude!”
“He..” Shen Yuan let out a muffled scream. “He fucking sucked my dick!” Amongst other things.
The silence in the office hit Shen Yuan hard. He waited a heart beat and then another, feeling every thud as a sledgehammer against his chest, until he could bear the quiet no more. He peeked through fingers to see Shang Qinghua’s reaction, sure that the other would be staring at him with disgust, only to be greeted by the sight of Shang Qinghua barely containing his laughter.
The other professor had smacked a hand over his mouth to try and muffle his reaction, cheeks puffed up, but that didn’t last long before he burst out laughing so hard he toppled over his chair.
“Dude! It’s not that funny!”
“Hahahahaha! Omg dude, for real?! I knew I should have gotten you that t-shirt, but I didn’t think you would actually do it!” Shang Qinghua roared with laughter as he gripped his side, barely breathing from how hard he was cackling from amusement.
Curiosity reared its ugly head as Shen Yuan glared. “Which t-shirt?”
“So good with my rod-” Shang Qinghua burst into a new round of laughter, “I make my fish CUM!”
“Broooo-” Shen Yuan groaned as he buried his face in his hand again, but unbiddenly he smiled. “You’re so fucking dumb, why are we still friends.”
“‘Cause you fucking love me, that’s why!”
“Fuck you.”
“You wish.” Shang Qinghua blew a raspberry as he took his seat again. Shen Yuan kicked his shin halfheartedly.
The darkness of the office fit Luo Binghe’s mood as he sat by the computer, the only light illuminating him and his surroundings. He had seen no need to turn on the lights, only meant to quickly look through the footage since his departure before making his way to the tank containing their subject, Liu Qingge.
The task given to him by Dr. Shen sat beside him on the table, its beady eyes staring at him with its tongue out as his mood soured more and more as the recordings proceeded.
It started innocently enough; Dr Shen removing his footwear and rolling up his pants before dipping his feet in the water. Not long passed before the professor laid still, blissfully asleep. Luo Binghe felt a smile tug at his lips at the adorable view.
Blue haired slowly broke the surface of the water, watching the professor before braving closer and hoisting himself up. The blue head took a gander at his surroundings before planting his face in Dr. Shen’s crotch. When that did not seem to be enough the mermaid got braver and unzipped the pants, lowering them. He seemed to be curious, turning the dick this way and that, before taking a tentative lick at the tip. When Dr. Shen still did not wake, he took more in and seemed to just stay there. Content.
Luo Binghe tapped a few keys and zoomed ahead in the video, irritation rising before stilling when new actions happened: Dr. Shen woke in a panic,
“I need you.” Shen Yuan chirped in the mertongue, fumbling the ending. Liu Qingge reacted to this, staring at Dr. Shen. “Liu Qingge. Fuck me.” This got a rise from the mermaid, as he pulled the professor down into the depth of the tank in the blink of an eye.
A furrow in Luo Binghe’s brows formed as the view disappeared. None of the other cameras showed what was happening in the depths. Luo Binghe needed to set a new camera up so he could keep an eye on the insides of the tank from now on, if this were to happen again. The black puppy toy stared back at him, its beady black eyes judging him for letting Dr. Shen learn such naughty words. Why did he not utter words of compassion to Luo Binghe? Was he not worthy?
Getting the mermaid had helped them in their studies, but if he kept trying acts like this it would seem they had no other choice than to replace the mermaid, however loath he was to do so. He still had connections to get more mermaids from poachers, thanks to his dad, but Dr. Shen did not need to know this.
An accident could be arranged. But for some reason this made his heart ache.
Dr. Shen rose from the water and hurried to leave the location without his coat. Probably to take a shower and dry off. Luo Binghe wanted to follow along and make sure the mermaid hadn’t damaged the professor in any ways, but he had to be patient.
The work day was over. His pursuit of a present had taken longer than expected because of his need to impress Dr. Shen.
The following day Luo Binghe followed Dr. Shen as they entered the lab containing the mermaid. The professor spoke very animatedly as he explained the experiments they would do that day, of measuring his fin span and tail strength.
“I’m so glad you found a proper gift, Luo Binghe! I didn’t know you were into Proud Immortal Demon Way. I’m sure Liu Qingge will love the present, since it kinda looks like you?” Dr. Shen mused as they stepped up on the edge of the tank.
Luo Binghe beamed at the praise, filing the knowledge away mentally. So Dr. Shen knew of PIDW. “Dr. Shen gave me a task and of course I would do my best to accomplish it to your utmost satisfaction.” His smile strained slightly. “By the way, Dr. Shen? What happened to your usual coat? This one seems to be a tad old.”
Dr. Shen laughed awkwardly as he squatted by the edge. “I— um, I accidentally forgot it here while I took a nap— Don’t look at me like that Binghe! I didn’t mean for it to happen— and it must have fallen. Can you ask Liu Qingge to get it for me some time?”
”Of course. Dr. Shen.”
“And while you’re at it, you can give the puppy plushie you got him! He really seemed to like the one I got him, and you have interacted with him more than I have, so he would probably love it to bits.” Shen Yuan inserted his hand into the water and splashed it around slowly, calling for the blue scaled mermaid. “Huh?”
”What is it professor?”
”Has this stone always been here?” A small rock, its surface uneven, rested on the edge of the platform. It was unremarkable, looking a lot like any rock you could find on a beach sans the hole going through the middle of it. Shen Yuan squinted at it, vaguely feeling as if he had seen it before.
”Just throw it back into the water, Professor. Maybe Liu Qingge threw it up here for unknown reasons.” Luo Binghe stated.
It did not take long after before a dark shadow appeared in between little lion grass they had planted, lurking. Dr. Shen’s cheeks reddened at the sight of the mermaid, making Luo Binghe’s mouth sour with the taste of vinegar. Shen Yuan hurried to hide the rock away in one of his pockets.
“C’mon Luo Binghe, hand over the gift.”
Luo Binghe smiled before turning to the mermaid, his eyes narrowing. The mermaid mimicked the expression as he got closer, hands reaching for the plushie, scaly arms reflecting the light. Liu Qingge gave a tug and when Luo Binghe did not let go he looked up in confusion.
“Let g—“
“Try a stunt like that again, and we’ll be having sushi for dinner.” Luo Binghe interrupted, adding the lower pops associated with danger. He held the stare for a moment longer, Liu Qingge’s own eyes glaring back, before Luo Binghe let go of the dog toy.
The iridescent blue tale splashed water at Luo Binghe before disappearing again.
“What did you tell him?” Dr. Shen asked curiously as he lowered the clipboard, eyes wide with curiosity. The professor seemed to have the wrong idea and thought they were bonding and not see it for what it was: Rivalry. “Luo Binghe should teach me mertongue, I have a feeling it would be useful for… situations.”
“I just told him he had kelp between his teeth.” Luo Binghe said innocently, smirking down at where the mermaid had disappeared off to.
“Oh, I see. So it was pronounced like: we’ll be having sushi for dinner?”
“It sounds better if you say; we’ll eat you as sushi.” The change were only the pronunciation, but it made a world of difference
Dr. Shen repeated the sentence, gaining confidence as he got the change to repeat the chirps and thrills, but without the pops used for threats.
“Perfect.”