Riptide [Bakugou x Reader Mermaid AU]

FIVE

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     The journey down to the pools was an arduous one, or at least it was for (Y/N). It wasn't long before she realized that the mermaid had actually fallen asleep and was snoring gently right next to her ear. It would have been cute, but she was bored senseless watching the spotlights above her roll past one after the other. She was also tired, confused, uncomfortable, overwhelmed, in a lot of pain, squashed and she seriously needed to pee. 

    She couldn't quite get her head around the creature's damn mood swings. One moment he was angry and jerking around violently, and then next he was barely conscious. She wondered if it was to do with his injuries. Mermaids were fast healers, they had to be in order to not attract unwanted attention by bleeding everywhere underwater, and from what she could see of the gash down the creatures chest it was doing a pretty good job of closing itself up.

But Shinso's words rattled around her head:

'Don't leave him on his own for too long.'

     She knew mermaids needed their mates like lifelines. If they were a part for too long, they would slowly wilt away. If one of them was injured, they needed to other to help them heal. It was like two halves becoming whole, and once that happens, splitting back up was near impossible.

     It would make sense as to why the mermaid was near unconscious when she found him, but then perked right back up again once they were close. He was probably sleeping now out of exhaustion from the whole emotional rollercoaster.

     Either way, (Y/N) was totally convinced that this was some sort of mistake. There was absolutely no way she was some mermaids mate, let alone this Alpha's mate. That was surely impossible, and like Mina and Hitoshi both recognized: totally unheard of. But then again..hadn't Kek claimed Sero as their own mate? But why her? It wasn't understandable, and now she really understood Sero's confusion.

     But yet, here she was, being used as a pillow and mattress for a 250-pound, 13 foot sea creature.

     She felt suffocated, physically and mentally.

     She also really needed to fucking pee, and the mermaid was squishing her damn bladder.

     She let out a yelp in surprise when the trolley banged into something, smacking her head in the process and she glared up at Mina when her smug face popped into her field of vision.

"Oops, sorry!" She didn't sound very sorry, "But we're here, my little love birds!"

     It was then (Y/N) realized she had been gently stroking the sleeping mermaids back and she quickly stopped.

     She knew what the nursery pool looked like. It was like the crustacean pool at the aquarium; the deepest part was only about 4-foot deep and was surrounded by a slopping, sandy bank. The water was warmer in here than it usually would be in other areas of the center and although it could be changed, it generally stayed heated to near bathwater-like temperatures to help rehabilitate UA's more sensitive inhabitants that would generally stay in the pool.

     On the far side there was a large shutter that lead through to the main pool of UA, which even without looking (Y/N) knew would be closed up. The water ran all the way up to the shutter, so when open humans and mermaids could come and go freely.

     The room wasn't very big, as it was designed for younger mermaids, quarantining or for private resting. If a mer was badly injured, they would most likely be sent here for a few days to rest up before being released in the bigger tanks with the other mer.