Devour

Once upon a time, there was a wealthy merchant who lived with his wife and two daughters and son. Though his eldest daughter was often credited with being the most beautiful maiden in all the land, with hair like weaved golden-fire, eyes like the bluest violets, skin as pale and as freshly fallen snow, and a sweet and kind temperament, the younger daughter was a beauty as well. However, her physical beauty, her dark hair, pale skin, and bright green eyes, were almost secondary to her precocious nature, and sharp, quick wit which took the forefront in almost any and all conversation. Many were worried her nature would get her in trouble, that if only she would be quiet, stop living in the clouds, and act like a proper lady she would be married with ease. But the younger daughter was never too concerned with something like that. All she ever wished for in life, was not a mansion or riches or jewels, but simply happiness for her dear ones.

One day, the wealthy merchant received an invitation from his brother. A wealthy Duke on the neighboring continent for his family to attend a ball. So, the wealthy merchant and his family took one of his ships, and began to sail to the Duke's home when disaster struck. A tempest caused not only the ship to sink, but for the youngest daughter to disappear upon the waves. The wealthy merchant and the family was devastated by the loss.

However, what they didn't know was that the youngest daughter had been taken captive by a gluttonous prince. And this is the story of the beast and the beauty he fell in love with.

Humans, to Finnick, were rather vain creatures. Or at least they had to be. It wasn't as if Finnick had ever met a totally alive human before that fateful day, but he could ponder a few things about them.

By no means were they meant for the ocean. They could swim well enough, by stroking their arms and legs in terribly awkward and wasteful movements. They could hold their breath for minute spans of time, but not long enough to avoid drowning. They could fashion weapons like his people could, yet most of the time couldn't even use them correctly. And of course the funniest thing about them was that they had no fur or scale to keep them warm, but instead strange garments that only seemed to hasten their demise.

But still they tried to rule the sea. They built monstrosities of wood and stone, things that looked like they should be too heavy and should sink like a stone, yet somehow stayed afloat and traversed the seas. In that regard Finnick had to admire their ingenuity, their creativeness. That was what enchanted him so, how they could harvest what they found around them and create such marvelous things. Yet sometimes it seemed their ingenuity was wasted upon them, they didn't respect the turns and the tides, nor did they attempt to understand the ways of the sea goddess. Even if omens read of terrible storms, humans in their selfishness would attempt to continue to sail, as if to prove themselves better than the ways of nature. To try to conquer it.

This excessive pride of theirs was their downfall on most occasions. Merfolk never boasted to be the masters of the waves and the tides. They were far more cunning then the humans. After all, if the humans wished to offer themselves up to merfolk on a platter of wood and stone, who were they to complain?

It was on one of those nights when the tempest struck a ship that was sailing in the middle of their territory. The sea was merciless, ripping holes through wood, shattering stone, rippling the sails, flooding the ship until like a giant whale it crested the water and capsized on its side, disassembling the human's invention with a cold and gleeful nature. The humans took to small slivers of boats to try to survive, but the ocean swallowed them as well, and after that the mermaids followed in its lead. Mermaids hunted humans, because they looked so much more human than mermen did. Though Finnick watched in fascination as one of his sisters grabbed the leg of a man, who struggled and tried to kick her away but it was no good. Nadia pulled the human down to the dark depths, as in a frenzy the male punched and wailed at the cold, thick water around it, though far too weak to escape, before its screams left its lungs and it began to suck in gulps of water as the male entered its death throes and then stillness.

Nadia gave the man to Finnick, and so Finnick broke the man's leg in his hand, bone sticking out of skin and began ripping out chunks of its flesh. It was tense and tough and yellowish, and its blood was cloyingly saccharine. Finnick cursed his poor luck. He had chosen a sailor showing obvious signs of sailor sickness. If he tore open the human's belly he would surely find an unhealthy liver. A meal was a meal however, and Finnick wasn't picky. He continued to devour with relish, tearing out the man's throat, tearing meat from bone and then cracking it to suck out the precious marrow, and then finally chewing the empty husk that was left. He picked out the man's eyes and tongue, but found them both too soured by disease to be appetizing and threw them to the bottom feeders to feast on.

He had just about finished when his sister Cordelia pulled down her own human, currently in the process of ripping open the female's dress as it weakly fought against her for the last few moments of its life. Finnick swam over, grasping the female's arms and holding it down so his sister could begin to feed. Cordelia smiled at him through the murky water, as above the heaven roared and screamed with wind and thunder, her teeth shining like moonlight through the darkness.

The feast had begun.

Now feeding and filling his belly wasn't the only reason Finnick liked it when ships sank. He also adored the things he could find in the wreckage. The interesting doohickeys and thingamabobs that made his endlessly boring and bland days meaningful. He marveled at the craftsmanship and wondered what all of them did, what sort of purpose they had once served upon the surface, who had crafted them and what sort of life they had lived. It was those things that had made his life worth living, because Finnick was insatiably curious and none of his family even bothered to entertain him anymore, but instead left him to his own devices. Ships became treasure troves, and the things he found made their way to his cave to be admired.

That's why he had left the feast to swim up to the surface. He easily tracked the scent of humans back to the original spot of the wreckage so he could poke around and see what sort of interesting things he could scavenge. And certainly he found something much more interesting that day.

The human, who Finnick smelt before he saw.

Firstly, with much surprise and delight, he realized it was alive. He could smell health permeating into the water, not the cold, stuffy scent of death. The perfume of life swirled over the waves like fog, saturating the air. The heady scent enticing him close like a lover, like a fertile mermaid to lay in the warm shallows with, to caress, and hold, and to press underneath him and mate with.

He paused for a moment. Lover? Mate? How strange. Why had those sorts of things popped into his head?

He realized the thought wasn't as strange as he had previously thought when he got a closer whiff of the scent. Female. A human female. He had never seen one alive before, Finnick thought with glee. And beyond that, he preferred the succulent flesh of a human female over male. Like the female that his sister let him devour with her the night before. He was close enough at that point that he could hear its heartbeat, racing inside its chest, pumping that molten hot incur through its veins that made himrun his tongue over his teeth. The female human's panic seeped through its skin, exiting its lungs in short nervous breaths and hitched sobs that made him prickle with excitement.

Hopefully it fought back, he thought, barely containing his eagerness because food tasted so much better after exertion. He was positively stuffed from the previous night, but he was sure he could fit in another meal, and whatever he didn't finish could be savored later. After all, he had never drowned a healthy human before, though a female certainly wouldn't be much of a fight. Or maybe it would be. How would he know? He was just going to have to find out.

His sisters had taught him a bit of human-hunting. The key to drowning a healthy human, they said, was to be gentle. To coax them forward as one would a timid mate, speak to them to spark their longing, let them come to you and out of their comfort zone and at their moment of ultimate weakness strike. Seduction was something that Finnick was well-versed in. After all, he was the son of the Chieftain, and could easily tempt mermaids to mate with him. A human female wouldn't be different, probably easier. They were prideful after all, and Finnick could easily trick it into thinking he wanted it like that.

He had a plan, and was just about to execute it when the human spoke.

His sisters had told him that human's voices were rough and unattractive. However the female's voice was clear and sweet and honest. And it was effortlessly beautiful in nature, like birdsong or the waves washing into the shore. It took him aback how much like a mermaid it sounded that he barely caught what it was actually saying,

"I doubt drowning would be too bad. I mean it's faster than dying of thirst and of hunger and besides, I'll go crazy! If anyone rescues me, by that time I'll be raving mad. I couldn't even row over there for fear of drowning."

At this point Finnick could barely contain his own laughter. He hadn't known humans could be funny, nor self-depreciative in nature. If this female was this entertaining just talking to itself, how much enjoyment could he derive by engaging in conversation? Besides, he needed something to kill some time. He was very full after all. In a few days, this human would make the perfect meal.

"I'm going to die anyways, for the God's sake! But no, all I am is a girl, worse yet, a noble girl whose like that wretched maid Linda said, 'Good f'r naught but to be waited on and married.' Good-for-naught, that's me." The human said as Finnick rose to the surface, laughing as he did so out of sheer irony.

"Well, I do believe you're good for something."

He had told her to entertain him, yet it became so much more than that. It got to the point where he would wait with bated breath as she opened those delicious lips and spun the most magnificent tales for him. Tales of far off places, of great deeds, of magic so pure that it could break any spell. Magic spun with a simple kiss. As she told those tales, her eyes that were so green, like algae that nourished so many creatures, lit up with such warmth that it made his heart stutter.

He knew that was ridiculous. Finnick had made a habit of capturing those lips with his, resisting the urge to bite down and tug and release a torrent of her sweet, hot blood into his mouth. Finnick unnecessarily teased himself, only to see if magic would be spun and she would join him in the water with a tail and gills. But that sort of thing was ridiculous because no matter how much she spun tales of true love, Finnick wasn't even sure that love existed or what it was. He knew the loose bonds of familial life, and the lust of a mermaid during mating season. But love? It was a silly, weak thing that humans had made up certainly to make themselves feel better in a world that only devoured the weak.

Still, he continued to kiss her because he liked the feeling of kissing her. He brought her things, shiny things like pearls or seashells because he found he liked the way she smiled. He teasingly purred outrageously scandalous things only to see her cloud-pale skin flush like the morning sunrise upon her cheeks. And he told her of his life, because then she would knit her brows and tug at her hair which was as dark and thick as the summer night sky and then empathize with him.

But then he realized the store of those boxes humans kept to survive, what had been keeping the girl alive, was dwindling in his collections, and if the girl kept upon the course she was drifting she would meet a ship within the next day or two. He could no longer play games. That night, he would finally satisfy the longing in his gut. He would devour her and continue living on as before.

Before he ate her, he decided it was fine to feast his eyes upon her. So beautiful and lovely was she that it made him long for her even more. As he pressed her underneath him, his mouth watered at the tantalizing sight. Her heartbeat quickened, wafting her sweet scent from her pale skin as he squeezed her delectably soft thighs, feeling layers of muscle and fat that would certainly melt in his mouth and nourish him as he stripped them away from her bone. Her perfect blue veins thrumming in her slender neck, and Finnick imagined himself opening his jaw and taking it in his mouth and gnawing on it, pricking her neck with the love bites he would give to his mate as he pressed deep inside of her, but no-because this girl wasn't his mate and could never be his mate because she was a human and his meal!

Annabel. Grace and beauty. She was the essence of both. And he fought back against his instincts because he just couldn't do it. He couldn't do it because, even though he lusted after her flesh so much, he had fallen in love with her voice, the light in her eyes, her laughter and smile that made everything seem wonderful and beautiful in this dull, annoying world he lived in.

And so because Finnick loved her, he let her go.

During the months when they met upon the shore, Finnick very much came to the conclusion that indeed, their love was made up of very different parts.

Annie's love was sweet and gentle, like the warm rays of light that felt so good against his scales as he sunbathed. It was pure and full of unbridled affection.

His love was made up of longing and lust. He needed her, craved her affection and laughter like he needed water to survive. Finnick would do nearly anything to keep her with him, and to make her happy. And above all else, he desired to make her feel pleasure.

He tried to be gentle, because she would certainly break. But he couldn't help the frenzy of desire that struck him every time he gazed at her elegant form underneath him. The way her bosom strained against those silly dresses he wished to tear off her skin. He wanted to grab and spread those legs of hers, watch in fascination as purples and blues blossomed across her skin as her fragile veins burst in a mirage of colors under her nearly transparent skin, before driving himself in her in a swift thrust, taking her to a place of ultimate pleasure as he filled her womb with his seed. But he and she were different species. Different creatures entirely. He couldn't give her a child because that was impossible. It was a beautiful dream spun of stars whispers and sea foam, spoken within the tales of impossible love that only Annie could make seem real.

Once he nearly lost all his control. Annie was sitting with him upon her blanket, and had reached into her basket to retrieve something, only to yelp and pull her hand back quickly.

"Drat it all. I grasped the knife." She explained quickly, and the dizzying scent of her blood suddenly hit him with such force that it made his vision go cloudy with want, as a sliver of red appeared upon her finger and beads of red welled up so strikingly against white. Before he realized what he was doing, he grasped her hand with his, and brought her bleeding finger to his mouth.

The flavor was beyond anything he could imagine. It was sweet and hot and pure, flowing over his tongue, bursting with flavor, enticing him deeper into his hunger. He ran his tongue over the cut, coaxing more blood out with a press of his tongue, before nibbling upon the flesh just a tiny bit because he needed more, it wasn't enough-

"That hurts!"

Annie's cry of pain was what brought him back as she snatched her hand away, pressing a handkerchief to it. Tears had welled up in her eyes, leaving them glassy, and her expression was wounded and it hurt Finnick because he hadn't meant for that at all.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, shrinking back. He was shaking because what if Annie's voice hadn't brought him back? It certainly wouldn't have just been her finger she would be missing. Would he have killed her, to satisfy his unquenchable desire?

"It's okay. I know you can't help it." Annie said gently, but Finnick couldn't forgive himself.

For the millionth time he wished he could have been born a human. But such things were silly, for being a merman was all he knew how to be.

The human body the sea goddess had bestowed upon him when he became the Sea King was all sorts of useful. He had legs and feet he could walk with, his scales no longer got caught on Annie's dresses, he didn't succumb to the desperate need of water, he didn't have to worry about his teeth scraping and cutting her, and of course there was mating with her.

It had been a two long weeks for Finnick since he had last seen Annie. As Sea King he had many responsibilities to the many clans to mediate conflicts and have the final word upon disputes. The week long council had left him completely drained and in desperate need of relaxation. So he returned to the shore during the night, putting on the clothes he kept stored in a small cove before walking to the castle that Annie lived in.

Annie was in the middle of reading by the candlelight when he found her. She had taught him how to read, though most of the things she liked were far too complicated for him to understand. Wanting nothing more than to tease her, he snuck up behind her and put his arms around her, causing her to jump but then relax as she realized it was him who was pressing his face into her hair, taking in her gorgeous scent. It was still as sweet and appetizing as always, but there was a far more warm and calming and full aspect to it. It had been like that for a little while at that point. He could have recognized it from a mile away, literally.

"Mm, Finnick. Not here." Annie murmured as he pressed kisses to her neck. Oh that neck, which led to the elegant slope of her shoulder which was pale and flawless. He could imagine marking that neck with his teeth later that night as he thrusted inside of her, feeling her exquisite heat and wetness because he could hardly contain his desire. He wanted her in every way possible.

"Then where do you want it? I haven't seen you in so long." He purred, before admitting, "I've missed you."

"Still haven't lost that charm of yours I see." Annie said with a content hum, "Still as insufferable as usual."

"It's just because I love you." Finnick laughed and she gave him that pretty smile that made his gut twist into knots.

"And I love you, my husband. Though I would love it more if you put on shoes." Annie cooed and Finnick laughed as he propped one of his legs (Imagine! He could do that now without falling over) and wriggled his toes.

"Why? Wearing shoes is just so confining."

"You act like my little brother!" Annie said pinching his cheek. "Don't go filling his head with ideas, please. Next thing I know he'll be walking around without shoes as well."

"Anything you desire, my dear wife." Finnick said, taking down his foot and instead reaching for Annie's hand. Her fingers, which as always were soft and small intertwined with his.

She led him up to her bedroom, and giggled as Finnick closed the door behind him and pressed his lips down to touch hers. He ran his tongue along her lips, and she opened her mouth so Finnick could get even a better taste. He traced his tongue along the inside of her mouth, over her teeth and gums, intertwining with her tongue and suckling on it. Annie's soft moans fueled the desperate desire in him even more as he sealed his lips against hers more firmly and he grasped her breast-

She yelped and Finnick jumped back, not having expected that reaction. She gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Finnick…I just, I'm not feeling well." Annie murmured, "I've been ill for the past two weeks or so. Can we just go to bed?"

"Is it because of the baby?" Finnick asked, tipping his head to the side and hoping she couldn't tell how disappointed he was at the prospect of just going to bed.

Annie stared at him as if he had grown another head.

"Baby?" She asked, brows knitted and face drawn into a look of confusion, "What baby?"

"You know…our baby." Finnick said slowly.

"Our baby?" She asked incredulously, "What do you mean our baby?"

"You don't know you're pregnant?" Finnick asked, equally incredulous.

"I think the important question is how do you know I'm pregnant?" Annie demanded, face flushed, with rage or embarrassment, Finnick couldn't really tell, though he wasn't sure why she would feel either of those in this situations. Humans really were silly.

"I can smell it on you." Finnick said with a shrug, "I can always smell what part of your fertility cycle you're in."

Human females were much different than mermaids in that regard. Mermaids went into mating season once a year at the end of autumn and birthed in the spring. That of course didn't mean that mermaids couldn't mate at any other time, but it just meant that they couldn't get pregnant at any other time then mating season. As far as Finnick could tell humans went through the fertility cycle on a monthly basis, or at least that's what Finnick thought due to the subtle changes in Annie's scent, and then the week where she wouldn't let him see her every month.

The previous month, Finnick had bedded her at her most fertile. Not on purpose, obviously, but he had of course been aware. No matter how much perfume Annie wore, it was kind of hard to hide from a nose like his. He nearly salivated at the memory of how willing she had been underneath him, how insatiable. That night she become impossible to satisfy, having mated four times before she was too tired to continue.

"I-I'm pregnant?" Annie asked shocked. "Pregnant?"

"Yes…?" Finnick said cautiously as Annie sat down on the bed, hand over her belly. This was not what he was expecting at all. "We mated. Is it that surprising?"

"Finnick, I'm pregnant!" Annie said, her voice rising before she jumped up to grasp him in a hug. "With your baby! Oh Finnick…Finnick, I'm so happy."

"Oh Annie, I'm happy too." Finnick said, holding her close to him. And he was happy, so very happy because he had always wanted children with her because she was so gentle and kind and sweet and would be a perfect mother.

"I need to tell my mother and Cora, oh they're going to be so thrilled!" Annie cried, before running out of the room, leaving Finnick there laughing.

It was hard sometimes, being with a human. Even in this form he danced the boundaries between love and lust far too often. Annie understood this, though he spared her the gruesome details. Those were his secret. And sometimes it was still never enough for him, because no matter what he did he would never be able to quench his desire to devour every part of her until Annie was truly his and she knew it. However, holding himself back was worth it, because she was worth the struggle in every way.

Finnick could always gorge himself on his love for her, because not only was that unlimited, but it was also far safer and involved much less teeth.

Write a Valentine's Day fic they said.

IT WILL BE FUN THEY SAID.

Firstly, this is for all of you who kept requesting more from Adriftverse. Secondly, for all of you folks who wanted a Valentine's Day chapter on Reaching You when I've already written one. And thirdly because I wanted too. I bet this wasn't exactly what you were expecting from me as your fluffy Valentine's day treat. Or maybe you do know me well enough to expect this from me. But it kind of put a whole new disturbing spin on "I could just eat you up".

PSA: Sexy cannibalism. DO NOT TRY IT AT HOME.

If you were a little confused on what was going on, I would recommend reading my fic Adrift, which, as you can tell, is a fantasy Odesta AU involving a merman and a human.

In other news, hope you all enjoyed! Until next time~OMGitsgreen