Chapter Text
Jungkook paced around Jimin’s bedroom. Nerves and anxiety crackled under his skin like an itch and the more he tried to refocus his attention onto his equally as nervous husband, the more his own anxieties grew.
Spring had come.
The pink of Jimin’s scales had shifted into a striking orange and when he had pointed it out to him a few nights prior, Jimin had ducked his head and quietly confessed that it meant his body was entering its fertile period.
Jimin was clearly a bit embarrassed to have that knowledge on display for everyone in the palace. Jungkook had even taken to hovering around him constantly, sending death glares to gossiping attendants and prying eyes.
Once their fathers had noticed, however, they insistently hounded them to leave for the mating grounds at the furthest end of the reef.
He could tell Jimin was trying his best to change their minds, even he himself wasn’t overly fond of the idea of disturbing and putting their gups in danger before they were even born.
They had only officially started courting each other about a month ago and had yet to be intimate with each other besides kissing and the occasional heavy petting; Jungkook just couldn’t stop himself from overthinking.
Despite the origins of their species being closely related, Sharks and Mers had slightly different reproductive anatomy.
He remembered when his father and the Great White King had met with him to tell him he would be marrying the Mer Prince, he had been entirely confused: What good would a marriage-based alliance between two males do ?
It was later that night when his father had talked to him in private and explained that, unlike Sharks, all Mers possessed the reproductive anatomy of both base genders.
He figured he’d know what to do when the time came and he wasn’t worried about actually being able to reproduce with Jimin, but rather if he would be able to make Jimin feel good.
“Kookie, stop pacing, you’re making me nervous,” Jimin’s voice echoed in the quiet room.
Jungkook immediately stopped and swam over to his husband, cupping his cheeks to give him a chaste kiss, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t think too much about it. When we get there our instincts will tell us what to do,” Jimin soothed.
He sank into Jimin’s touch, skin tingling when Jimin rubbed his hands up and down his back in an attempt to soothe him.
“You’re so precious to me,” Jungkook said, laying kisses down Jimin’s neck.
“As you are to me.”
∘･⁙･ • ･⁙･∘
He hadn’t really put any thought into what the mating grounds might look like. He knew they were still within the reef, and he should have expected them to be somewhat secluded to protect the unborn gups, but what he didn't expect was for Jimin to lead him into an enclosed alcove inside the reef.
Bioluminescent algae illuminated the waters that would have been pitch black. Jungkook took everything in with wonder, his hand running along the walls and coming away glowing a beautiful green that reflected in hues across Jimin’s tail.
The alcove was empty save for a few stray coral patches and stone towers that released a steady stream of bubbles.
“For some reason, I didn’t expect for us to be the only ones here,” Jimin said. He turned around to face Jungkook, holding a hand out to beckon him over.
Jungkook happily obliged, intertwining their fingers and pulling Jimin in close. “I won’t complain. I’m not too fond of someone looking at my mate while we have sex.”
Jimin giggled, “I can’t believe you used to act so bashfully whenever I would mention sex, but now that I let you sleep in my bed you’re suddenly all confident.”
His cheeks heated and he pursed his lips into a pout.
Jimin laughed again, “yes, exactly like that,” then leaned up to kiss away his pout.
And just like that, Jimin swam away, making sure his tail bumped into Jungkook’s playfully on the way.
Jungkook swam after him lazily, keeping an eye on Jimin as he explored the alcove before finally picking out a bed of fluffy algae and sea sponge near the back corner. He watched Jimin shuffle around a bit, rearranging the algae until he was comfortable, before lying down on his back. His eyes searched over the alcove, glinting when he found Jungkook circling the water above him. Jungkook hadn't even realized what he was doing, had just let his instincts take over as his gut started to coil with heat at the thought of finally being able to ravish Jimin like he had been craving.
He darted through the water, startling a gasp out of Jimin when he was suddenly caged in, Jungkook’s strong arms on either side of his head as he let the weight of his tail push Jimin down into the makeshift bed.
He gave in to his instinct then, smashing their lips together and pulling a low mewl from Jimin’s lips. Nails raked down his back as he pushed his tongue into Jimin’s mouth, coaxing Jimin’s tongue back into his own mouth only to let it run against the sharp points of his teeth.
The shivers it pulled from Jimin were like an aphrodisiac.
“Please…” Jimin whined, his tail squirming beneath Jungkook’s weight.
Jungkook didn’t hesitate like he thought he would, to pull out Jimin’s cock, squeezing his fingers around the base before sliding his hand up and down.
Jimin let out the most delicious moans at the feeling, ones Jungkook swallowed like he had been starving for days. Jimin’s fingers fumbled against his waist, one hand gripping tight onto Jungkook’s waist while the other struggled, too distracted to be able to find his cock without Jungkook guiding it down.
Jungkook’s back arched when Jimin finally moved his hand against him, bringing their lengths together so he could wrap his hand around both of them, thumb flicking at the end before his hand slid down.
“Fuck, Jimin,” Jungkook stuttered, his head falling onto Jimin’s shoulder as he pushed their hands to move faster.
He rocked his hips up into their joined hands, yearning to hear Jimin’s voice moaning in pleasure over and over again.
An annoyed sound rumbled in his chest at the sudden loss of Jimin's hand from around his length, Jimin shakily hushing him as he grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand away to guide it towards his slit instead.
He pushed a finger inside, curious, and was amazed at the warmth that engulfed him. His body burned feverishly and his cock ached from how badly he wanted to fuck Jimin into the makeshift bed and hear him call out his name in pleasure.
“Kookie, please... I need you.” Jimin said in between moans as Jungkook added another finger, roughly thrusting into Jimin’s hole.
He couldn't wait. He pressed one last heedy kiss to Jimin’s reddened lips before pulling away to line up his cock with Jimin’s entrance. He pushed in slowly, groaning at the sharp pleasure that shot up his spine. Jimin keened under him, head thrown back into the green algae, pink hair splayed around his head like a soft coral crown.
His hips jerked once he was fully inside, encouraged on by Jimin begging for him to make him feel good.
He thrusted into him viciously, his fingers lacing into Jimin’s hair to pull his head back so his lips could cascade down his throat, sucking and biting, the urge to leave marks for everyone to know that Jimin was his.
The small sounds spilling from Jimin egged him on, his thrusts became more and more erratic as the heat coursing under his skin felt sizzling.
“Kookie… Kookie…” His name floated from Jimin’s lips like a prayer. Hard nails dug into Jungkook’s skin as he attempted to find a way to anchor himself.
“Feel so good.” Jungkook’s words came out slurred between kisses. He could feel the steady build of pleasure in his stomach and knew he wouldn’t last much longer.
He got a hand between their bodies, wrapping around Jimin’s cock in unison with his thrusts, wanting, no, needing, Jimin to finish with him.
“S-so close,” Jimin tugged Jungkook’s neck down, begging for a kiss, sighing gratefully into his mouth when Jungkook obliged.
His hips stuttered as he finished, arms growing weak when they kept his weight from completely crushing Jimin into the bottom of the cave. Jimin followed soon after, soft, pleasured cries filling the alcove as Jungkook filled him to the brim.
“I love you,” Jimin whispered, delicate and affectionate as he gathered his bearings.
Jungkook sighed, letting himself slump into Jimin, careful not to put too much weight onto his precious mate, “I love you too,” he left a kiss on Jimin’s tired lips, “I didn’t think it was possible to love someone this much,” and another.
Jimin’s laughed weakly. They lay in silence, basking in each other's affections and tender touches.
Jimin found one of Jungkook’s hands, guiding it to rest on his swollen belly and Jungkook nearly pulled away in shock.
Jimin giggled again, eyes soft. “These will be our gups one day,” he explained slowly, pushing Jungkook off of him gently. “Push down gently, you can feel them..”
And so he did. He could clearly make out the shape of small round bumps in Jimin’s stomach. Fertilized eggs.
He shared a look with Jimin, a mutual look of wonder in their eyes.
“Would you...” Jimin started, nervous, “would it be okay if you closed your eyes? It’s just a bit..”
Jungkook nodded, gathering up Jimin’s hands in his to lay reassuring kisses over his knuckles.
He closed his eyes and he felt Jimin shift around. Quiet, slick noises echoed throughout the alcove, and Jungkook’s heart thrummed with anticipation.
“O-okay.” With Jimin’s permission, he opened his eyes to see Jimin with his tail curled around him, six small, pastel orange eggs nestled in his arms. Jimin looked at him shyly, eyes shining with unbridled joy.
He swam forward, hand reaching out for the eggs, hesitating at the last second.
Jimin smiled, shifting himself closer to Jungkook, “go on, they’re yours too.”
He reached forward gently, cupping the smallest egg into his palm and gasping at the warmth it held.
It was beautiful, and it pulled forth a love in Jungkook so strong that he knew he would do anything to protect his gups and his mate.
He stared at the small thing, entranced and overwhelmed with the thought that one day, it’d hatch and reveal a beautiful young gup, one that would grow up to rival the looks of both it’s fathers.
“They’re lovely aren’t they.” Jimin said, adoration lacing every word and Jungkook couldn’t agree more.
He held the egg to himself, a deep rumble reverberating within his chest, something he didn’t even realize he was doing until Jimin pointed it out with curiosity. The low sound a Shark made to comfort its young - something he hadn’t heard since he lost his mother.
His thoughts suddenly drifted to his father. The Kings expected them to arrive back with their eggs in tow, a cargo much too precious for them to let their father's use them as pawns in their game.
“What if we don’t go back?” he said, the words tasted sour on his tongue and his expression twisted at the thought of the unknown.
“…What?”
“We could leave, take the gups and keep them far away from our fathers.” Jungkook was speaking quickly, a surge of new possibilities running through his mind.
“Where would we go?” Jimin asked, looking down at the small things in his arms.
“I know a place just past the other side of my territory. Yoongi knows it too. He’ll know to bring Taehyung and check there for us when we don’t come back.”
Jimin paused, truly thinking, lips turned into a deep frown before he turned back to Jungkook and nodded shakily.
Gently passing the egg back into Jimin’s arms, Jungkook searched for the small bag they had brought with them. He found it snagged onto a nearby branch of coral and he quickly made his way back over to Jimin.
Jimin’s body was trembling and Jungkook knew it was out of fear for their trip into something unknown.
“We should find something to wrap them in, to cushion them,” Jungkook said, his eyes wandering around the alcove.
“The algae.” Jimin said simply.
And Jungkook got to work stuffing the bag, taking the eggs, one by one, from Jimin to carefully wrap them in a weak layer of protection. When he was done he handed the bag to Jimin, both of them with fear in their eyes.
He pressed forward then, careful of the precious cargo in his mates arms, and kissed him.
He’d protect them until the end of time.