Pawnshipping Awaiting Love

-1-

As a mermaid, your eighteenth birthday was a huge milestone in your life. You were seen as an adult, granted your pendant and you are allowed to wonder on land (should you wish). Today for Yuri, he was to be given his pendant by his farther. The purple, pink haired teen sat leant over the arch in his room, allowing him to look out the city before him. Everyone was going alone with their daily lives and on such a joyous day, Yuri couldn't feel happy. As fully classified adult he would now be allowed to take part in the community, doing his bit to keep the growth of their people steady was meant to make him feel happy but it didn't. All Yuri knew as this city and nothing more. He had friends, very few, but he had them.

Along with his birthday, mating season was around the corner and being of age meant Yuri could look for a mate himself this year. Every year he saw newly mated couples create a life together while he watched from the side lines. It wasn't as if Yuri was desperate to mate, he just felt a bit jealous. He always admired his parent's relationship and wanted one of his own, however when it came to the others around him, he didn't feel a connection strong enough to want to mate. "Yuri," Yuri turned, seeing his father, Zane, at the entrance to his room. "Happy birthday my child."

Yuri swam to him, hugging his father tightly. "I wish mother was here," He whispered. He pulled away, seeing a sincere smile on his father's face. Yuri watched as his farther opened his hand, revealing his mother's pendant. "But dad-"

"Your mother would want you to have this," He assured his son, wrapping the pendant around Yuri's wrist. "Are you going to the mating display today?"

"I considered it," Yuri blushed.

"Doesn't anyone take your liking?" Zane sat next to his son, holding arm around his shoulders. "You know, sometimes it may take time." Yuri sighed, knowing it was true, sometimes finding a mate can take time but for no one to take his interest in his community seemed unusually, even to him. "Perhaps you need to go out in the world. Your mate might be waiting for you to show up."

Yuri was shocked at his father's suggestion. Since his mother's passing, he remained close to his father, not wanting to leave his side, knowing mermaids without a mate are fragile. "But dad, I can't just simply leave you," Yuri almost panicked at the thought of his father alone. "What will you do?"

"I'm a grown merman Yuri," Zane laughed. "Don't worry. Perhaps you can go on shore for a while, I never did do that much myself."

"I-I'll think about it," Yuri advised, not sure if it was something he truly wanted to do.

Later in the day, Yuri found himself at the mating display. Some young mermaids already leaving with one another. Sighing Yuri found a nearby boulder, taking a seat and simply continued to observe. He was so focused on the events ahead, he didn't notice someone sitting next to him, that was until this person waved a hand in front his face. He snapped back to reality, looking to see the owner of the hand. "Oh, hi Aster."

The silver haired merman smiled, happy to finally have Yuri's attention. "Happy birthday Yuri," He congratulated, looking down at Yuri's wrist. "I see you father gave you your pendant."

Yuri looked back down at his wrist. "Yeah," He confirmed. "Dad was excited this morning. This was mothers. I was a bit taken back that he would give me this but he said it's what she would want."

"So, have you come looking for a mate today?" Aster was blunt in his question.

"I don't think I know why I came here today," Yuri sighed. "Perhaps I was hoping to find a mate, but – hey what are you doing?"

Yuri was confused as Aster wrapped on arm around him, bringing their faces close together. Yuri suddenly felt something delicate, like another pair of lips, against his own. Blush deeply, Yuri noticed Aster was kissing him, while a hand travelled the curves of his tail. He always imagined his first kiss would feel wonderous, like he would be lifted out the ocean and into heaven. But this felt dirty almost disgusting. Yuri used his strength pushing Aster off him. He panted heavily, trying to avoid Aster's gaze. "Yuri," Aster started. "Surely you came here looking for a mate. I could be that mate Yuri. I promise to look after you."

It was a few moments of silence before Yuri got the courage to move and move fast. He swam away, leaving a bewildered Aster at the boulder as he continued to swim home.  Only that's what he thought he'd done. Looking around he recognised the area. It was close by a rock pool area, swimming upwards he hesitantly came above the surface. He hadn't noticed night had fallen and stared at the beach before him. He was in awe at how the moon shone on the water and even of the sands on the beach. He jumped hearing chatter coming from the beach, quickly he hid behind a rock, still trying to observe the beach. He looked over as a human girl walked along the sand. Alongside her were, who Yuri believed, to be friends. They were laughing, enjoying a joke and casually just having fun. Yuri was jealous, jealous to see people having such fun. 

He wasn't sure how long he watched them for. He assumed they must have only been teenagers from the way they acted. The set up a fire and brought out food then one girl, the one with purple hair and a yellow band, began to strip. "Going for a midnight dip, huh, Selena?" Another girl laughed.

"Nothing beats a late-night swim," Selena laughed running into the water.  Yuri gulped, mocing to the other side of the rock, hoping she wouldn't see him. "Cool!" Yuri looked behind, seeing Selena already opposite. "A real mermaid."

Now he was in trouble.

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a/n - and there we have it – the first official chapter of the prequel (sort of). For those of you who don't know this is the prequel to Perfect Catch – my counterpartshipping story so if you haven't checked that out please do (shameless self-promotion!)