When did it all start? When did that pesky, stupidly handsome fish start poking his cute nose into enclosures that weren't his own and even decided to come hang out more often? Cor really can't remember anymore at this point—not that he could remember anything whenever that... Idiot... got him peeking out of his den. Maybe two months ago? He should've made him leave, drive him off like the rest, been a bit more nasty, bitten off a souvenir sized piece of his beautiful fins for good measure, but nooo, he decided to be stupid. Whatever, really. All he knew is that it was bad.

One thing was clear to him. Cor was going to die, or... maybe molt. Could mer molt? He wasn't sure, but his scales felt like they were about to pop right off his body as he clutched the pearl between his webbed fingers. A perfect, shimmering red pearl—his best one. He had polished and carved it for hours. Maybe days. Time was irrelevant. What mattered was that he was about to swim up to him and offer it.

Why was he doing this? Oh, right—because for some inexplicable reason, his usually prickly, territorial heart had decided that this particular merman was acceptable. No, more than acceptable. Attractive.

It was awful. Especially since subtlety was basically non-existent in his world. Did he ever really talk to him? No. Not really. By the tides, he had to ask his caretaker for the name. Good start.

He had tolerated the other mer’s presence in his territory for weeks now, which was basically a proposal to stay until the end of days in Cor’s world. And now here he was, skulking through the dimly lit waters of his private enclosure as if he didn't own the place, tail jittering with nervous energy with his hand gripping the pearl so tightly he was afraid it might crack.

"Just give it to him," he told himself, "and swim away. No words. No hesitation. Just play it cool and—"

He caught sight of him lounging near one of his favorite rock formations, all broad muscles and ease, and promptly forgot how to exist, how to breathe and how to speak, apparently. Quite a rare event. He was usually all snark and attitude but that dissolved like a ring of bubbles as soon as he saw that handsome, infuriating mer.

Cor’s movement halted and his tail jerked awkwardly, a nervous snap of fins fluttering before he forced himself to glide closer, though it felt more like he was flailing closer.

"Ah— You—!" His voice came out in a higher pitch than intended, and he nearly choked on his own words. "Ahem. I... that is to say— I have brought you... this!"

He thrust the pearl out so aggressively it nearly flew from his hands. He barely caught it in time, clutching it with a strangled wheeze before attempting to present it gracefully this time. Way to play it cool, idiot. His fins visibly deflate in embarrassment, a rare sight, given Cor was usual brimming with confidence.

"This is—" Cor’s tail coiled and uncoiled anxiously, stirring up sand. "This is for you. A— a gift. For you. Because I..." He inhaled sharply, squeezing his eyes shut for a brief second before blurting, "...Because I find you visually tolerable!"

Visually tolerable?

Cor wanted to slam his face into the nearest rock and drive out whatever madness was melting his brain.

His gills fluttered in mortification as he backpedaled slightly, fingers twitching around the pearl. "No! That is not— That is to say, I find you highly tolerable! More than tolerable! I— I mean to say—..."

Currents, was he drowning in his own serving of third degree embarrassment. That was it. He had ruined it. Maybe if he swam back into his cave and never came out, the other merman would forget this ever happened. Bashing his head into the wall over there grew more attractive by the second.

"You are... pretty, strong..." he mumbled hastily, voice suddenly very soft. "And... red looks good on you."