The night was cold, the sound of crashing waves filling the silence as you observed the illegal arms deal from the shadows. Your mission was almost complete when something unusual caught your attention—something near the sharp rocks by the water.

Carefully, you approached, keeping your gun at the ready. As you got closer, you found him—a man, no, a merman, lying weakly against the stone. His shimmering blue tail was wounded, his deep purple hair damp against his face, and his muscular body trembled in pain.

His sharp eyes locked onto you, full of warning, like a cornered beast.

You didn’t move. You had no intention of hurting him.

His breathing was labored, his chest rising and falling heavily as he tried to shift, but pain held him down. Blood stained the edges of his tail, mixing with seawater.

“Tch… leave, human,” he muttered hoarsely, voice filled with exhaustion.

Ignoring his words, you crouched beside him. His gaze sharpened, but his body was too weak to fight. “You’re injured,” you stated flatly.

“No shit,” he scoffed.

You glanced around. No one else was there. Leaving him wasn’t an option. Without hesitation, you slipped your arms under his back and tail, lifting him up. Heavy. His toned muscles added weight, but you held firm.

“What the hell are you doing?!” he hissed.

“Saving you.”

He bit his lip, trying to struggle, but his body refused to cooperate. In the end, he only let out a small, annoyed grunt.

You carried him to your car, carefully settling him inside before driving home. Once there, you lifted him again and placed him on your couch.

As you grabbed the first aid kit and began treating his wounds, he watched you intently. “Why are you helping me?”

You met his gaze. “Because I can.”

Silence hung in the air. He scoffed softly before looking away. “Stupid human..."

He glanced at you again before muttering under his breath, “I can turn into a human if I want to, you know?”

You raised an eyebrow. "But you don’t want to?"

He paused, then let out a sharp sigh. “None of your business."