(A/N - Please excuse the short chapter! I just wanted to get the meeting across separate from anything else... Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story, I've been in love with the idea ever since it first came to me. I hope I do this couple justice! C:

Please review and follow if you enjoy it, I will try to post once a week or more if my workload allows!)

It was a hot, muggy summer, and the parasitic insects of the rather large lake swarmed in great clouds, searching desperately for an animal of some sort to feast upon. The hum of thousands of wings filled the air only occasionally being overpowered by the loud chirp of a cicada or the splash of a hunting fish leaping up to snatch a mosquito or biting fly from the water's surface. The reed-filled shallows served as a breeding ground for many of the insects as well as many of the smaller fish and amphibians. Occasionally a small bird would dive down, their hungry beaks filling with juicy bugs from the greater swarms.

A small, yard wide break in the reeds allowed a splintering and weak wooden dock to run through to the cleaner, more freely flowing water. Once upon a time the dock had been much wider, supporting the many merchants of the nearby town as they sent their goods out to the Caspian sea. However, as the land had gotten hotter, the water had receded from the sea causing the lake to form. It had been nearly seventy years since the dock had been abandoned and the town left to only a small few; the majority moving away to be closer to the sea. The use of modern technology had even further separated the townspeople from the lake, leaving it to be lost to time. Mother Nature had greedily lapped up the open area, destroying the empty nearby buildings and filling the area with young trees and weeds. The forest had gladly taken back the mile that had once been the trek to the dock. Only a small break in the weeds, wide enough for one person to walk through was indicative of any visitors. In fact, this old dock had only one visitor at this time, or really at any time within the past forty years. This was his trail, made from the nearly daily trek he made to the water.

A relatively short man, his midnight black hair shone as he pushed it back against his head in an effort to clear it from his eyes and sweat broke forehead. His tanned skin spoke of his fondness of the outdoors. Slowly, he walked towards the dock, his long, slender legs striding through the weeds. White puffs carrying Kazakh dandelion fruit took flight from the heavy heads of the ready parent flowers as his feet knocked them free. His deep chestnut eyes blinked, shimmering in the afternoon light, shifting occasionally to make sure that he wasn't going to step on any small animals.

His slim, athletic build was clad rather simply; in a black short sleeved shirt and a pair of deeply colored blue jeans that were tucked into a pair of calf-high leather hobnailed boots. Mud had caked itself to the boots, proof of a recent rain to the area. Slung low over his left shoulder was a black messenger bag where he carried his rather modest supplies; a notebook, two pencils, a black zip sweater, a can of bug spray, and his phone. The bag swung and rubbed against his hip as he walked causing a soft swishing noise to join in with the constant buzzing. The young man raised a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh summer sun, smiling fondly as he neared the dock.

This young man, whose name was Otabek Altin, had been coming faithfully to this lake since the age of twelve. He had stumbled upon it at that age while playing in the woods behind his parent's house and had fallen in love. The lake, unlike its heyday, was quiet and peaceful, something the nineteen year old adored. He often came here to work on his studies during secondary school and continued to still with his university work, though the visit today was simply for pleasure.

Booted feet thumped on the old wood as he carefully walked down the dock, wary of the weaker areas on his way to his favorite spot to sit at the very end. The raven-haired male delicately seated himself on the edge of the end of the dock, untangling himself from his backpack and setting it behind him before going to work on untying his boots. Freeing his feet from the leather boots and socks, Otabek sat them beside him. He rolled up his jeans, eager to feel the cool water on his skin. Gently he dipped his feet in, sighing and reclining his head back, eyes closed against the sun.

A sudden splash gained the male's attention moments later, his head raising while his eyes eagerly search for the ripples in the water. Once found, he watched them attentively awaiting the fish to jump again. He always loved watching them.

Minutes passed with no changes to the water, yet the teen awaited patiently. Slowly, so to remain silent, he reached back into his bag, frowning as he noticed that it seemed to feel damp. Shaking his head, Otabek cast the thought aside, blaming it on his imagination. He reached deeper, suddenly finding himself confused as he didn't feel his sweater. This nearly caused him to turn around when a shot of a gold dorsal fin splashing ahead of him caught his eye. He gasped, his hand jerking out of his bag, the sweater momentarily forgotten.

"Whoa…" Otabek muttered, his brow furrowing. Something that big shout not be able to survive in a lake this size and yet he had just seen it with his own eyes. He watched, his focus resharpened as he waited for another sighting to confirm the size. "Gold spiny rays…? What kind of fish could that be?" He thought, leaning forward in anticipation. "I've never read about a fish with gold spiny rays for a dorsal."

A gentle lapping at the rotting wood of the dock sounded and yet still his concentration did not waver. Sea green orbs peered over the edge of the dock at the broad shoulders of the male as a golden-haired head silently rose from the polluted water. Small amounts of seaweed littered the shimmering locks of the being, hanging almost decoratively around his fair face. Slender fingers stretched out, the yellow and pink webbed membranes that held each to another glittered with droplets of water as they reached out once more towards the unattended messenger bag. The creature wore a sly smile, pleased that his quick swimming and splashing had bought him more time behind this man, or more accurately, in his bag. Green eyes held unwaveringly on the Kazakh's form, watching for any movement that would indicate him turning around. His hand returned once more to the bag, this time pulling out the notebook.

The creatures eyes shimmered in wonderment as they finally left the human's back and met the strange object he had found. Would it stretch like that other object? He grinned as he opened the notebook, pulling at the pages, eyes wide with excitement. The sudden tearing noise startled not only him, but also the human that he was trying so hard not to alarm. Prussian green eyes suddenly met with the chestnut brown orbs of his theft victim. Both froze.

Time stood still for nearly a full minute before Otabek broke it, lurching forward in an attempt to grab the remains of his notebook. "What are you doing!?" He shouted at what he presumed was a common thief before him. Otabek, however, was too slow, finding himself with a face full of water as one of the webbed hands splashed at him wildly. What seemed to be a warning hiss from the other hit his ears. "W-What the hell?!"

The blond's tri-pointed ears twitched, the gold and pink hues shimmering as if coated in the finest grain of glitter. Otabek blinked, eyes wide. Those had to be the most realistic prosthetics he had ever seen. The way the light shone through them, Otabek could swear he could see tiny veins. Now that he looked closer he noticed a small amount of scales on the forehead, cheeks, and shoulders of the being; a beautiful gold that was speckled in a pale pink at the tip of each one. A visual standoff began all over again, this time with a squinting and wary merman, and a shocked, dripping, breathless human. Otabek's eyes darted down the man's chest, his heart rate spiking as he noted the lack of navel that was instead covered in more scales, the very tops of low built pectoral fins beating at the surface of the water. The motion of the three slits on each side of the man's ribs next caught his attention. Gills. This man had working gills.

"O-Oh my G-" he began only to get a mouthful of water as he was splashed again by the cautious creature who had been startled by the sudden noise. By the time Otabek wiped the dirtied water from his eyes the creature had vanished, leaving only ripples in his wake. Otabek shot to his feet, whirling this way and that, desperately trying to spot the impossibility that he had just seen.

"No way…" He muttered, hair dripping down his face before he shoved the locks back once more. "Holy… Holy shit!"