Chapter One
Steve didn’t mean to get himself lost.
The ocean is big, massive, a huge place, that’s something you must understand. And he thought he had known what he was up to, he’s not completely idiotic. That’s what he tells himself when he finds himself wandering out further than he expected.
The blonde little sea creature had only decided to go outside of his own pod when his rut hit because well, he had an attraction to other men. It’s not like Steve thought it was a bad thing, hell he liked women too. Steve just didn’t know how his pod would react if they found out about Steve and his tendencies. Then again they probably wouldn’t react badly, but he wasn’t going to risk being isolated from the pod because he guessed wrong.
He’s never gone out alone over the vast void where the reefs stop and the more unknown dangers lie down deep in the darkness. Steve’s still high up enough where the sun still shines down into the water and even makes his seafoam scales shine and shimmer as the light bounces off of them.
His skin feels hot and his stomach is empty. Steve’s already tired and he doesn’t know how long he’s been traveling. As he continues there’s only two things on his mind currently: fuck and eat.
The later option is overriding the first as his stomach growls. He hadn’t eaten before he left, only saying a quick goodbye to his mother and promising he’d be back shortly before leaving abruptly. Of course she had been confused but he briefly explained that no in the pod had sparked interest to him or in him, which was true to a degree.
So from there he had decided to satisfy his hunger, snatching a couple small common fish before devouring them immediately. Steve was still unsatisfied but he continued his search, only stopping on the occasions when his hunger came back, and would grab a quick little snack. He never really stopped for a full meal which was disappointing, but even he knew it was stupid to travel the ocean all by yourself. There were too many predators out there and he didn’t have the safety of the pod either.
The sun was starting to set and with that it meant it was going to get darker. Steve decides that he should eat something more decent before finding a safe spot to rest for the night, his tongue darting out to lick his his lips.
Something that shimmers catches his eye and he turns himself around to see what caught his eye in his prereferral vision. It’s a rather large fish, one he’s never seen before but it’s bigger than anything he’s caught all day long.
Steve approaches it at a slower pace so he won’t scare it away before it faces its brutal fate. It goes smoothly, he’s at a reasonable distance to pounce, so that seems like the best thing to do. And so he does, except the creature speeds away, which is to be expected of course. Only Steve didn’t know it would be that fast, but no worries he can out swim the thing any day.
He himself speeds up, determined for that specific animal to be his last catch of the day. The weird thing about this fish though is that instead of swimming straight ahead it starts to descend, which Steve thinks nothing of at the time. He’s pumping his tail as hard as he can now, and he follows it down deeper until it gets darker and darker.
Another thing Steve hadn't expected was a current that had ripped him away from his prey. And down, down, down he goes as the water drags him into the unknown. Something that is expected is his panic, struggling to remove himself from the current. To which he fails and miserably so at that. When Steve does struggle it’s not some little act of barely pushing back, it’s a down right fight, he is quite vicious actually. He gives every ounce of fight he can possibly muster up, so you can imagine how much he's struggling right then and there.
The light fades away and he can barely see and his chest is filled with fear and panic and his pounding heart, of course. Sirens are shore creatures, their eyes are not meant to be able to see in total and complete darkness. It doesn't help at all that his vision is impared, even without the fact that his eyes are meant to see in the light, he struggles to see into the distance.
One thing he does know is that he needs shelter. It's strange being down there, his nose is filled with scents that he doesn’t recognize. Which place is safe? Is that one dangerous? Steve doesn’t know the answer to either.
The blond can see where areas get slightly darker and he searches for a while until he finds a cave. It takes him a while, he’s not exactly sure how long, he’s more worried about his own safety and in the bag of his mind he’s cursing at himself for leaving so late in the afternoon. Steve’s skeptical before he enters the underwater cavern, he doesn't know what could be in it.
As he darts inside, it does cross his mind to check the area and make sure he is right. That he is not in danger and that he’ll be somewhat safe for the night. Steve scampers around, feeling the walls as some parts are rough and others are smooth and softer, which he assumes to be the stone changing into a different type. He is unfamiliar with this terrain afterall.
Steve’s so very tired and his muscles ache, he can feel them pulling and straining with every swish of his tail. His eyelids feel like they weigh a ton, and his mind just wants to find some cozy little spot where he can nest and get some peace and quiet and drift off and to the welcoming embrace of sleep. Steve’s body on the under hand just wants to drop down onto the ground and eat his entire weight in meat and then fuck someone sensless. Sadly he only really has access to one of those things, which is frankly disappointing considering his entire reason to temporarily leave the pod was to find a mate and do some of his own hunting for once.
In his pod, the women did most of the hunting, while the men did other things like stay near the nests and raise young, weave baskets and make over remedies. Steve thought that was a very admirable thing, but he got enjoyment from catching his own meals which apparently made him the oddball. It makes him feel big and strong, like he’s important. In his own mind he doesn't bring too much to the table, far from enough according to him.
Shockingly to him, there’s just enough sand on the floor of the cave, which is just perfect to make a small nest or even possibly a burrow, which is the only bit of light in this situation and brings a little smile to his face.
And so he does, make himself at home that is.
Steve drifts off into sleep and goes so undisturbed that he finds himself at peace and relaxes. His muscles aren’t as tense any more as he rests, and in the morning he’ll find his way out and go back on his trek. He’s not sure if he’ll move forward or go back home, but that’s an issue for the morning. For tonight he rests.
He sleeps so peacefully and still, until he’s awoken by something brushing up against his tail, and to that he jerks awake only to realize he can move his arms and there’s pressure on his forearms and waist. That’s when even more panic sets in and he jerks in whatever he’s been tangled up in but all that happens is the restraints get tighter. Almost like they’re gripping him, before tugging him closer.
His gills flutter as he tries to suck in oxygen, heart bagging on his sternum. Steve gasps as something slick and utterly slimy starts to wrap around his torso. He can’t see, he doesn’t know what’s going on, and it’s so easy to imagine this to be his final moments. Still, he contains yes to fight relentlessly to get free.
“Don’t struggle, little one.”
In that moment, at that very second, his blood runs cold, his heart even skips a couple beats. Hell, it probably stopped all together. It’s not something, it’s someone who he’s been tangled up with, they set up some sort of trap that Steve’s caught up in.
“Let me go, fucking bastard!” The blond shouts, it’s all his mind could come up with to say to his unknown captor. He flips his tail trying to get away from whatever he’s wrapped in only to feel more trendles wrapping around his tail, restraining him even further.
They open their eyes, and a soft blue glow fills up the cave. Not only radiating from his irises, but coming from the bottom half of his body. with the newly found light Steve can see that what’s encased him is, of all things, tentacles. That just encourages his inner panic to become more expressed in his struggles.
From what the smaller ocean creature can see, the light illuminates his farcical features. Painted upon his face is a pouting expression, with pink lips frowning at him. A sharp jaw and dimpled chin, with chestnut strands floating around his head, longer than what someone would expect. If Steve wasn’t in this situation, he would have thought this person was attractive. It didn’t help that his hormones were all fucked right now, not in the least. It just makes it worse in all actuality.
Their frown and I pleaded expression depends, when Steve realizes he’s staring. Then he’s right back to wearing himself out with all his struggle.
“Well that’s not very nice, now is it?”
The mystery person crosses their arms over their board chest. This person, and by no exaggeration does Steve say this, is fucking massive. He doesn't have much of anything else to compare this person to, other than himself. Then again he is small in comparison to his own kind, but his point still stands nonetheless. The ing is down right humongous, and it's shocking that Steve’s heart hasn't combusted yet.
“What’s a thing like you doing all the way down here? Surely you didn't come down here with a purpose.” He asks and he has genuine concern on his face this time around. It’s puzzling though because the other creature did not move it’s own lips to communicate, but yet Steve could hear them in his head. It’s a very strange and unfamiliar feeling to have a voice in your head that is not your own, wandering about amongst your thoughts.
“Don’t worry. I don’t want to harm you.” This time the siren can honest serenity laced in their tone and the corner of their lips tug up into a soft smile, which eases Steve to a degree. Not totataly because it’s difficult to start relaxing when you have pure and solid muscle wrapped around most of your body. Somehow it’s easier to find his voice this time.
“Kinda hard to believe when you’ve got these wrapped around you.” He tugs on the mass around him to emphasise his point. Almost instantly the tentacles around him unravel, most of them getting away from his body and returning with the others around the other man. Steve gets a quick look and sees that there are many, many more extending into the darkness where the light doesn’t touch. One of his tentacles remains at Steve’s waist, unmoving but it’s not as tight as they were before.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” The man apologies, looking a little sheepish.
A silence hangs between them, and Steve can’t tell if he likes it or not. His eyes roam all over the other in the cave, his left arm coated in heavy scaring. For a brief moment Steve wonders what could have possibly happened to it to result in that condition? He remembers his mother telling him every scar tells a story, when he had asked about someone he saw with what looked like teeth marks on their shoulder.
He snaps out of his own thoughts, he doesn’t know this person's motives, the paranoia he was raised with comes bubbling back up to the surface, making itself known. Steve takes this opportunity to puff himself out, making himself look bigger, more intimidating. He has webbed spikes on his ears and elbow that he puffs out. All it does is elect a laugh from the other, it erupts from his chest and causes the water around them to bubble.
“That’s a cute trick.”
“It’s not a trick!” Steve explaims, that’s very insulting actually. “How the fuck are you doing that anyways?”
“Doing what?” And there it is again, the man's voice ever so prompt in his head like it had been the whole conversation. Confusion is heard when he hears the voice, does he not know what he’s doing?
“Talking in my head! How are you doing that? I don’t like it.” Steve paddles closer to him, borderline getting up in his face, most of his fear has been demolished, he seems non threatening based on the limited amount of time they’ve spent together.
The Other man pauses, looking at Steve before speaking, actually opening up his mouth and talking as another person would. “I’m sorry.” Is all that comes out but no further explanation is given as to why or how he had managed to do that.
“Why are you down here?” Their voice is rough, more gravely than the one Steve had heard before. “Are you lost?” It cocks it’s head to the side, the softer light in their eyes still glowing as he spoke.
Yes Steve is lost, but he’s too stubborn to admit that to someone he’s never met before. The frown he’s been supporting deepens. “I’m not lost, I just don’t know where I am.”
The stranger cocks a brow at that, and Steve lets out a loud sigh at that. “Fine, okay, yes I’m lost are you happy?” The blond snarks. The tentacle that never left his waist pulls him a little closure, now their faces are mere inches apart. “No.” They state.
“No??” Steve inquires, he doesn't understand why he would say no because he did answer his question. “Why would I be happy if you were lost?” This time around he looks sad, almost like he’s been heart broken which makes zero sense. “That’s not something to take joy in.” He finishes solemnly.
He does understand that point of thinking, that is a pretty sick thing to be happy about. Steve realizes this creature might be more literal than one would think. That’s okay though, they arent of the same kin and probably have very different understanding of things. It’s what to be expected of different species anyways, he can’t really blame him.
“Especially when you’re like this.” And at those words Steve is snapped out of his own thoughts.
“Like what?” The siren snaps at the other person, what the hell was that supposed to mean? What’s wrong with him? Was this supposed to be a hit about his size? Or maybe they’re hinting about his method to make himself bigger, which he’ll have them know is not cute, it’s quite frightening thank you very much.
“Well you’re in heat.” He says it in a very matter of factly way, like it was common knowledge and Steve was a fool for not knowing. While he was not in heat, he was in a rut, which he was . Two very different things, mind you.
“It’s not a fucking heat! It’s a rut, I’m not in a stupid heat.” He growls but it comes out with a whine of frustration, he doesn’t like being this small and being seen as frail and fragile. In fact he utterly despises the idea of someone even thinking of him in that way, he’ll gladly tussle with anyone who dares say it to his face.
“But I can smell it all over you!” He protested, his bottom lip jutting out like a child who hadn’t gotten their way. He uncrossed his arms, one falling down to rest on his own hip.
“How would you know what my kins heat smells like, huh? Look I don’t have time for this, who are you anyways?” Steve bites out and waits for an answer, but the other just looks at him confused and hurt, probably by his own harsh tone. They tilt their head to the side, just watching, looking at Steve like they’re waiting on something to happen.
“Well?” He asks expectantly. The more Steve thinks about it, the more similar this stranger looks like a Hydra. They do lack the awful blood red skin and aggressive behavior. Steve’s also pretty sure they have just eight tentacles but more can grow back if one gets cut off. He’s never seen one up close, just stories and myths, that’s all they are. At least he hopes so.
They open their mouth before closing it again, decking on what he needs to say. “My name is… Bucky?” It comes out as if he’s questioning himself, like he’s not really sure if that is really his name.
“Bucky?” Steve repeats. “Yes, that’s my name.” And Bucky grins at him showing off a row of sharp teeth, Ones that look like they’re better than Steve's. “You don’t sound very sure of that.”
“It’s been awhile since… since I had someone to talk to.” Well that sounds very sad, Steve and his kin are very social creatures and to be alone as Bucky had indicated sounds down right devastating. “Oh.” Steve says dumbly, like the fool he is. “I’m Steve.”
“Steeevee.” Bucky drags out the name, testing it out. “I like that.”
Bucky comes close to him and now they’re so close in proximity that their noses could bump together. His eyes scanned over Steve’s face, looking at the pale skin, with the slightest touch of gray.
“I wouldn’t advise going back out there.” Bucky warns, eyes darting to the way Steve had entered the cove. “It’s not the best time to be out and about.”
“Why’s that?” Steve inquires, because he does wonder what could be down here that’s worse than Bucky? Although bucky did seem to be quite friendly and almost non threatening. Who knows, this could be some sort of hunting tactic, but he’s already let his guard down a little but Bucky hasn’t made a move on him yet. Or maybe he’s just concerned for his well being and actually cared about what happened to him, a stranger who he barely knew.
“Well there those who are less kinder than I am.” Bucky’s voice came out with a hint of something Steve couldn’t quite pick up on. Maybe it was fear or remembrance of a past run in, it could be both even.
“And you’re a nice guy, huh?” Yes, yes he is, his brain supplies. It’s just his rut talking, he’ll think anyone is nice enough if he let’s their scent play with his head for too long. But Bucky just smells so nice, almost like sugar and something else behind that, something more salty. It feels familiar to him but Steve doesn’t know if he likes that or not. It’s strange to feel like you know a total outsider.
“I’m much nicer than most.” Bucky pouts.
“And how do you figure that?” Steve taunts him.
Suddenly the tentacles around him are back on his body, grasping him in a firm hold around his tail and torso. It’s not a crushing grip but it's pretty damn close to one. Steve’s gills flutter in panic, trying to reel oxygen back into his lungs. His bought drops and his face almost goes blank, but something darker is still behind his eyes. Another tentacle comes up to tip his chin, tipping his head back. Steve tries to resist but the strength behind it is unyielding.
“You’ve come into my home, disrupted my slumber and have insulted me. I could have eaten you right up, little one. But I choose not to.”
Bucky’s voice is cold and eerie in his skull, not like what it was before and a shiver runs through Steve's whole body. This is the very thing he hates most, being seen as small and what he is to other bigger and stronger species: prey.
“But do you know why I didn’t do that?” The other man’s voice is no longer haunting his mind. His tone is now much kinder, softer than it previously was. The limbs around him loosen and most fall away from his body.
“Not- not exactly, no.” Steve mentally scolds himself for stuttering.
“Because you mean no harm to me. You’re also a fierce little mer, aren’t you?’ Bucky gives him a small little grin.
“I am not a fucking mermaid, never ever refer to me as that again!” The blond lashes at him. This was utterly ridiculous! Mermaids are seen as dainty little creatures who don’t even have half the strength his kin have, and it is an insult to even be thought of as one! They don’t even look that similar. Sirens have a different skin tone, some of them are close to grey while others have the same skin color as the clay underneath the sand. He is rather pale but mermaids have a flesh tone like humans.
They also lack the teeth that make for better accuracy when hunting, and their biology differs quite a bit.
“Well, you’re a lively slip of a thing- whatever you are.” Bucky chuckles a bit as he finishes his statement.
“I’m a siren.” Steve huffs, he glares at the other man and crosses his arm over his chest, narrowing his eyes.
“Oh! Are those the ones that- they sing all pretty? Is that it?” Suddenly Bucky’s very interested in his ability to sing apparently.
Well, yes, they were the ones that could ‘sing all pretty’. More specifically females, they had excellent voices that could be heard for miles away from the source. They used their songs to lure in food for their pods or perhaps a mate, using a different song of course.
Males on the other hand, not so much. It sounded like they were getting brutally murdered, their vocal cords were just not built for that sort of thing!
“Yes.” Steve answers him simply. The remaining libs around him fall away from his body and sink back into the mass of trendles around Bucky instead. Bucky’s quiet for some time, his face contorting in different puzzled looks. Steve began to think that stunt he pulled moments ago was just some big act to make him seem like something he is not. Although He is much larger than Steve, he’s starting to feel less threatened the more time he spends around him.
“Could you maybe- would you-” Bucky pauses in the middle of his thought, trying to reword the sentence so it comes out as something coherent. “Could you sing for me?” He asks the smaller man hesitantly.
Clearly he didn’t know anything about Steve and his nature, although this wouldn’t have been the first clue. The man himself even said he doesn’t get out much! Steve doesn’t have much room to talk, he doesn’t know much about bucky and his kin either.
Steve got a mischievous idea at the question, a wide grin spreading upon his face. “Sure.”
“Really?” Bucky asks him, his features ignited with childlike joy and wonder, clearly excited for the event. Steve only smiled back at him in return. “Well, I don’t see why not. And I mean, you are pretty nice.”
Bucky gives him another smile, waiting for Steve to sing for him. It seemed like the other creature had a certain interest in other species and their ways.
The blonde sucks in a deep breath, gills working to pull in more oxygen into his body. He let it out in a blood hurtling screech, enough to make a human's ears on the verge of bleeding, and oh what a deafening sound it was. Bucky was obviously not expecting such a sound to be forced out of him, a shocked and almost scared facial expression settling onto his features.
In a flash there was an explosion of ink and all the light that was emitted from Bucky's body was gone in an instant, sending both men into complete darkness. Steve could feel Bucky’s extra limbs swiftly move away from his body all together.
Steve hadn’t meant for that to happen, to scare him so badly that he essentially ran from him.
“Oh fuck, it went in my mouth.” He coughs and spits, trying to get the mysterious fluid out of his mouth. The taste was just downright awful, it tasted metallic and unpleasant on his tongue. He got no response to his comment, only the silence was his reply.
“Bucky?” He calls out, squinting into the waters. Again no one calls back out to him. “Bucky?”
Steve feels bad all of a sudden, guilt settling up in his chest and spreading throughout his whole body. He didn’t like the feeling of being alone and he didn’t know what to think about Bucky, He hardly knows him and he’s shown him an array of emotions in the short time that they have interacted with one another. “Come on Buck, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He circles around the area, letting his arm brush against the walls of the cave, feeling for a different texture. Finally he comes across something that's a bit smooth and quickly jerks away from his grasps.
‘He’s not trying to get away from me’ Steve thinks to himself, ‘He’s hiding.’
“Bucky.” He pleads with him softly. “I know you’re there. I didn’t mean to frighten you, honestly.”
It’s quiet for a moment and Steve’s stomach is dropping down further and further or so it feels like it. Then Bucky’s tentacles are lighting back up, illuminating the cavern once more. Now that he can see him more clearly, he can see that Bucky has furled himself into a corner, trying to make himself as small as he can possibly manage.
Slowly, he unculrs himself, his torso and most vital parts being buried at the bottom of the mass of tendrils. He rises up, a pout settling up on his lips and he doesn’t really look Steve in the eyes.
“That was very loud.” The brunette mumbles.
“I know- I was just- it was a joke.” He tries to come up with the right words as he speaks to Bucky, because something about Bucky just makes him feel bad for giving him a fright. Maybe it’s because there is a certain softness to him, a type that Steve’s alway been fond of generally.
“Aren’t jokes supposed to be funny?”
“Well, it was funny to me. For a moment.” Bucky’s frown only sets in deeper at that, clearly not finding the same humor in it that Steve did. “Not anymore. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you afraid.” He apologizes once more.
“I don’t like loud sounds.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You made me ink.”
Oh. So that's what that putrid black mess was. It made sense actually, but it had been in Steve’s mouth for heaven's sake! He did not enjoy digesting other creatures' fluids.
“I didn’t mean to-” He starts but as soon as the words are out of his mouth Buckys is already speaking over him.
“It’s for defense. You scared me is all. Just promise not to do it again and I’ll take you to the light tomorrow.” He finished as he sighs reluctantly. Steve can sense that he isn’t as overjoyed as he was moments ago and guilt makes itself comfortable, the feeling wrapping all round Steve and making him feel slimy and small.
“I can take myself back just fine.” He replies, his stubbornness getting the best of him. He was perfectly capable of being independent.
“You’ll get eaten alive.” Bucky tells him in a matter-of-fact type of voice, “Or worse. Like I said, you are in heat and others won't be so nice about your...predicament.”
“For the last time it’s not- okay, okay fine. You’ll take me back first thing in the morning?”
“If that’s what you wish.”
“It is.” Steve thought about his mother back at home. She’d be worried sick if he wasn't home in at least a couple days. He may be a little shit, as his mother knows, but he’s not a complete asshole.
“Then rest, little one.”