Tobo glanced self-consciously around the beach. It was a great idea to take a vacation — he hadn't argued with that at all — but going somewhere so... open while in this condition?

The rest of the group didn't seem to care. Malus and Teshia were happily batting a volleyball back and forth over a net, their tails fluidly carving paths in the sand with impressive speed even though both looked like they had swallowed volleyballs, themselves. Nearby, Sarin and Amoreth were sunbathing. One was getting tan, the other... a darker green? Both were visibly showing.

Tobo swished his tail shyly, thinking of his own growing belly covered by a stretchy pair of swim shorts and an out-of-place baggy shirt. His litter of raccoon kits were developing quickly and it still felt... foreign to him. When the group arrived at the seashore, he used hunger as an excuse to hide in the beach house. He really was hungry, as he often tended to be nowadays, and picked at some of the food inside, but the incredible weather called to him more intently.

No worries, though. Instead of hiding indoors, he'd hide in the water. He fitted the mask and snorkel he was carrying over his face and, with a few final glances, moved quickly into the sea. He gave a high-pitched gasp as soon as the cold-feeling water reached his more sensitive middle, his shirt clinging to him and broadcasting his roundness as it lapped up the waves. He hurried in farther, fully submerging, and gave a sigh of relief as the shirt let go and billowed out around him.

The raccoon boy looked beneath the water, enjoy the buoyancy. He hadn't realized how much weight his back and feet have been bearing until they felt this much relief. He began feeling a little happier as he peered around: rock... seaweed... starfish... GYAH!!

A small, gray, scaly-looking creature suddenly popped up in front of Tobo's mask, dodging the small torrent of bubbles he released in his underwater yelp. The raccoon surfaced for more air, then carefully submerged again. The creature was still there, waiting.

In his calmness, Tobo realized it was a seahorse. And not just any seahorse. With its visibly distended middle, it had to be an expecting male.

Tobo gave a small smile behind his back. Guess I'm not the only preggo guy in the sea... he thought.

The seahorse seemed to tilt his head curiously, then flitted around the larger creature, as if inspecting it from different angles. It descended down near the raccoon's stomach, paused...

And zipped up his shirt.

Tobo's eyes grew wide as he began to thrash in the water, releasing bubbles of shortened chuckles and yelps as tiny, fluttering fins tickled against his sensitive belly. He tried to guide the little creature out, but it wouldn't follow his shaking hands. He soon realized there was only one way to release it before he literally drowned in laughter...

“OK!” Malus called. “Match point!” He tossed the volleyball in the air, drew his hand back to serve, and gave a muffled shout of surprise as a flying wet shirt wrapped itself around his head with a wet “splack.” The volleyball bounced off his head.

Teshia gasped, then gave a bemused giggle. “My point!”

Tobo blushed as he covertly sank beneath the water again, hoping the nagas hadn't spotted him. He hadn't meant to throw the shirt that far, and now he was exposed, his stretched swim trunks only seeming to emphasize his swollen stomach.

I guess I'm not alone here, though, he thought, and looked for the seahorse again. He found him — or at least he thought he had. Where he had first found the pregnant creature, there was now two of them!

A friend? Tobo laughed inwardly, then saw another come into view. Then another, and another... Soon there was a dozen swollen seahorses surrounding him!

What the... Did I stumble upon a support group or something? He watched, mesmerized as the creatures began circling him, bobbing up and down like horses in a carousel. He instinctively placed his hands over his curved middle protectively, but they weaved through his arms.

What is this? Like some sort of dance, or... Three of the seahorses broke out of the circle and disappeared briefly into the murky distance, before returning, their little bodies supporting—

A crown?? The raccoon's mouth hung open in shock. The piece was made of golden coral, adorned with pearls, and the small creatures lifted it up and set it upon his head. They flitted in front of him and titled their snouts in tiny bows.

You think... You want me to be... Your king...? Tobo's head reeled. He was finally feeling comfortable in his pregnancy. Out in the middle of the ocean. Among his... subjects!

I accept! The seahorses, as if reading his thoughts, whipped up into a happy frenzy around him. Bubbles swirled into lovely shapes. Steel drum music began to play! The seahorses bobbed to the beat, flicking on and off in different, brilliant colors! Colors that began to fade... as the music slowed... and the bubbles shrank...

And then Tobo felt a tug on his tail.

“I must say, he has gotten somewhat heavy...” Amoreth said as she dragged the prone raccoon boy onto the beach, his wet tail picking up sand like a striped Swiffer.

Sarin removed the mask and snorkel, giving Tobo's face a few light slaps. “Hey, you okay? What were you thinking out there!?”

Tobo looked back with a vacant grin. “Made me king... Got a crown...” he said lightly, finishing with an idiotic giggle.

“A crown. I... see...” the dragoness said awkwardly, removing the nested mass of seaweed from the top of Tobo's head. She looked at Sarin, who simply shrugged.

“Hey!” Mei poked her head out of the beach house. “Who got into the cookies already?!”