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currentfandomkick · 4 years ago

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Marinette did not sign up for this pt2

forgot to post this before i passed out last night. part one here ao3 here

It was almost four years into being Ladybug when the Justice League made contact.

In that time, she and Chat had built the miraculous team and they both knew each members identities, but swore them all to not seek out one another’s identity. (Though Alya was Alya and had Carapaced figured out on his first outing… convincing her not to reveal that to him took a bit. The girl was determined, but Marinette follows Fu’s rules to the letter (as much as she can) and that meant Secrets Stay Secret damnit.)

Not contacting the JL themselves was partially due to some fallout the Mayor and Parisian government with a (dissolved) Justice League’s branch. It was well before her team’s time. Something about collateral damage and if her miraculous could fix damage dealt by JL members or not playing some role in that too.

She decided it was a good thing when two years later she found a fucking dagger with a large bouquet on her balcony. It became a regular occurrence for special occasions—birthday, winter holidays and on Easter (she didn’t even know why on that one. Her parents aren’t Catholic. Maybe Murder Robin was, or thought she was?). She would just find some weapon with flowers somewhere in her room. She had no fucking clue what Murder Robin (Alya found articles where the ‘new’ Robin was cited as likely having killed multiple people in Gotham and just, yikes) or his friends or even her father (Fucking Batman, the Ghost of Gotham) might have meant by leaving it, but it was clear they had her address, knew which room was hers, and could do a lot of damage if she toed the line. She wasn’t testing any of those ‘no contact rules’ after that.

Hiding a dagger and various other weapons (so many knives and throwing stars) from Maman by giving it to Fu and later passing it off as an eccentric gift from him to her for always helping him out was… an adventure when Fu was still Master Fu. She hopes Murder Robin doesn’t find out about that bit. She has no clue how he or his family (not hers, hers are in Paris with her. Hers at least tried to talk to her, tried to listen and did make time for her. His family? Complete strangers she may share DNA with.)

She (logically) should be terrified that Murder Robin knows her alias and secret identity are the same person; if he’s really one of the world’s greatest detectives’ kids, why wouldn’t he know? Batman must have known for years—why else would Murder Robin be able to find her? the DNA scan was in a closed match system to just Paris. And she knew there was no way Goddamn Batman, Ghost of Gotham, would hang around Paris long enough to get dragged into the system for him to have a ping.

He just did not want anything to do with her or her city’s trouble since it wasn’t his. She wasn’t his. Wasn’t wanted by him. That was fine—he has enough to worry about in his hell city.

Sending Murder Robin out to do his dirty work?

Not fine.

Her team and her were… managing the Hawkmoth situation. Keeping it from spilling out of Paris since Startrain. Goo-guy managed to give them a break—people can grab akuma that aren’t meant for them and become much weaker akuma than if the akuma reached its target. Same with the few that could grab an akuma in the air. It meant when akuma went out, some citizens were willing to bear Hawkmoth’s wrath for a bit—even groups taking turns sometimes—to prevent someone from getting akumatized until Ladybug could purify the akuma or Chat Noir could destroy it.

And for akuma battles, well, she has more than just her and Chat, Luck (Creation) and Destruction. Viperion gave them multiple chances to change costly choices in battle. Bunnix fixed the ones that Viperion couldn’t. All oversized opponents fell to Ryuko and her mastery of the elements, even if she can’t always make it thanks to different schools and tight schedules. Miss Sting was chosen by Marinette—Aurore was easy to lean on for news team reports and media appearances that Ladybug and Chat Noir don’t have the time or energy for. Plus, Aurored needed the anger management, so win-win. Don’t even get her started on Pegasus or King Monkey always being ready at a moment’s notice and how they both started joining Nino and Alya’s parkour dates that have morphed into group hangouts in last two years. Seriously—if she knew where she needed to be, Max was ready to answer her call. If she knew more chaos would work as a distraction, long live King Monkey, the Great Distractor.

Then there’s her emotional support in the field (besides her chaton), Carapace. He’s a great shield in battle, good with civilians and quick to defend. He’s also big on mental health (something their team sorely needed). How Nino managed to get turtle headphones, Marinette doesn’t know. She does know she nicks them from him regularly as Ladybug for team hangouts and when she needs to clam down on patrol.

Then there is her civilian bestie, the one who convinced her to stay as Ladybug, Alya Cesaire, aka Rena Rogue and the Ladyblogger. Rena Rouge is by and far one of her favorites to talk about potential Hawkmoths with, and work out akuma prevention techniques with. In the battlefield she was one of the first to strike (even if that’s not how she should be using the flute, Marinette has no room for judgment given how she uses all of her Lucky Charms.) Alya always posted and circulated anti-akuma tips and altered the Ladyblog to have each icon for known miraculous mean something.

Marinette was nothing but supportive of her friend, even if the blog is a behemoth to maintain and resulted in Alya retiring as her Deputy (Rose took over gleefully as Deputy). She liked that the Ladybug was for news, and the Cat for if an attack is ongoing. The Butterfly tracks akuma sightings before an attack, and was a bit on the nose in her opinion, but it’s effectively mapped out areas where Hawkmoth’s lair is or has an opening, giving them an area to investigate and patrol more heavily. The Turtle offered guided meditation videos and yoga sessions (somehow always on-going), while the Fox was for group chats and various akuma-related support groups. The Peacock offered mental health resources, and was constantly growing. The Bee was for self defense videos and sat next to Dragon for akuma survival tips. The Snake was one of her personal favorites, advice on calming down with guided breathing if someone feels close to being akumatized, and she’d used it herself more than once. The Horse was the one she’s the least familiar with, for shelter routes that she never used. The Monkey held a number of fun distractions, videos and memes uploaded by her followers with art and songs, and was overall very light hearted.

Marinette is proud of her team.

Though it doesn’t mean there aren’t days she’s waiting for it all to unravel, or for an Older Bunnix to appear again and tell her they have to undo the day Marinette’s identities were compromised. But that is a always an apocalypse event option only. Chat Blanc still haunts Marinette’s nightmares, and Alix’s too. the Princess Justice timeline haunts Alix since she lived it in real time, but it’s Adiren’s nightmare come to life in multiple other akuma attacks. Apparently if Marinette is akumatized, she brings about a second Reign of Terror so encompassing, it made Robespierre’s look like a child’s drawing of what a reign

It was during another Syren event when things went from workable to a slow boiling unbearable. All but Alix were transformed and fighting minions to clear a path for Ladybug to get to the main akuma.

Imagine her frustration when Aquaman and Aqualad appeared behind her while she was scouting on the outskirts, and both refused to make any eye contact, practically kneeling in water to her and making themselves a target. When they should be able to read the room and see that the battlefield isn’t the place for this.

“Oh Great Paschalítsa” Aquaman began, “I understand your hesitance in this matter, given the Miraculous and Atlantis’ history,” Aquaman continued as she dodged yet another minion further ahead and kept working her way to where the akuma was, ignoring his speech. “But I ask that you do not sink—”

Marinette gave up on her current task to ensure there wasn��t some international incident of Ladybug letting Aquaman be captured by akumas or something. She’d never head the end of it if she didn’t.

But now they were surrounded. Aqualad at least kept his attention on the task at hand (re: keeping minions from spotting her) as they all worked out a way to escape, even if he wasn’t looking anywhere near her. Apparently Aquaman got the message (finally) and did the same as his sidekick(?) after Aqualad made a few gestures she wasn’t paying attention to. She does have an akuma item to break and akuma to catch and purify.

The pair did manage to act as decent bodyguards and distractions while she worked out the kid’s item and how it connected to their fixation—no swimming until their grades up meant all of their gear but a whistle was taken away. One Lucky Charm and convoluted plot that merged fighting in 3-D, a pair of scissors and a lot off kicking off underwater buildings later, and Paris was back to normal.

She managed it without talking to Aquaman once. She could give quick directions to Aqualad without toeing the line—he wasn’t part of the Justice League and was known to operate in the ocean alone when Aquaman wasn’t there.

“Great Paschalítsa,” Aquaman began and Marinette wanted him to go off and leave her alone. Him and Aqualad. “As king of Atalntis, I humbly offer my aide in whatever has caused you and the great Mávri Gáta to show yourselves to the world.”

What was with all this formal speech? Marinette thought they knew French, or well, Alya mentioned it said they did in their bio, but it clearly wasn’t the kind her class used for projects. And Marinette was exhausted, frustrated, and now did not have a good and convenient target for her rage (re: akuma that drowned Paris) and well…

Well, she blew up. A bit. But can you blame her?

They wouldn’t take the hint. (Silence means Fuck Off).

“Look,” Marinette whirled on them, ignoring her team’s shock and not even going in for the celebratory ‘Pound it’. “I told Murder Robin—“ the pair winces at the that wording. Good. They knew who she meant then.

“—that I won’t get involved with anything involving our dad.”

She didn’t miss the sharp intakes from her team. Chat knew, only due to a freak out over being left a freaking sword one time and she panicked, okay?

“And I meant it. Just because Batman felt guilty or something,” She doubted it. Ghost of Gotham doesn’t feel anything and can apparently take out entire buildings on occasion. (Even if she was pretty sure that was someone filling in for him, she wouldn’t discount it either.) “That Doesn’t mean I’m going to change my mind on the matter—My team has got this. And we don’t need a handout four years too late.”

They had to. Fu was gone (For three months now. Three months Marinette held the weight of being The Guardian on her shoulders alone. She had to have this. She wouldn’t trust random elements sent by Mr. ‘I accept my murderous son and ignore the one in constant peril that blew herself up twice to save Paris.’

“Bug out.”

She knew her team would have questions, but Chat could answer them for now and Miss Sting would be able to handle any questions if any the media tried anything. Bright side of having the main Miraculous Team journalist as Rena with a determined hacker Pegasus; if it was personal to the team, the pair made sure it was never there.

Later at JL HQ

Aquaman walked up to Batman once the meeting was over. Batman knew the man had something on his mind and that it was related to himself—why else would he keep looking at him during the meeting? Whatever was troubling the Atlantian, Bruce could only hope it wasn’t emotions. That was really, really not his department… Jonn was much better with issues like that.

“Batman, may I have a word?”

Batman nodded, quick to follow the other out into a more private room.

“It has come to my attention that your daughter and you have a, uh, tricky relationship.”

Batman raised an eyebrow, as his relationship with Cass was doing well… he thought. Maybe he should visit her more? She was doing fine on her own and was always warm to him when he visited her in China on her missions against the Triad. Perhaps he should see if she was open to working with him on a case on that, or see if she wanted to come to Gotham again.

“And I don’t mean to judge here,” Aqua man continued, obviously nervous. “But uh, apparently your current Robin is well aware of her existence.”

Batman raised an eyebrow under the cowl. “Black Bat and Robin are close.”

The way Aquaman’s face contorted indicated nothing good. “Your other daughter.” The man paused, waiting for Batman to understand. “Ladybug.”

Bruce… Bruce froze. “I don’t have another daughter.” Not to his knowledge.

Aquaman ran a hand through his hair. “Well apparently ‘Murder Robin’ has met her,” Aquaman said with air quotes of all things. “Years ago.”

Bruce felt his heart stop. Damian’s… adjustment into the family had not been easy. And a few years ago Damian was much more… willing to do things against the Batcode, things that had him thriving in the League of Assassins. Things that changed a person. Things he’d need to ask this Ladybug—his daughter, another surprise child—about.

“And given that a Ladybug being active has always been a sign of a potential apocalypse—“

Batman’s red flags began flashing. Hard. His child was in danger and fighting a potential apocalypse event. Without his help. Without Batman’s resources.

“I assume Ladybug is a mantel.” Bruce hoped she had a mentor, someone to ease her into hero-work.

“Yes.” Aquaman looked… hesitant then. “Were it not for one Ladybug’s mercy, my people would have died when Atlantis was sunk by her equal, the Black Cat’s user. It seems this time they’re allies this time, against the Butterfly—I, Batman, are you alright?”

Bruce was not okay, at all. There is an ongoing apocalypse event, a daughter he never met stopping it (how old was she? Was she Damian’s age or older? Younger? He didn’t want her to have to live with this life, but she was and was doing so without him, without his help, without someone he knew she could lean on for support) and apparently his youngest son was well aware of this and did nothing to help. Did not even tell him.

He was going to have words with Damian.

“Excuse me.” Batman turned to leave. He has a son to interrogate, research to do, and a daughter to find (beg forgiveness for not getting to her sooner, and help her) on top of the usual workload. A Bat’s work is never done.

Wonder Woman who stopped him while he was reeling with this information, her grip too solid on his arm, and unlikely to break.

“It is not wise to rush in.” She began, appealing to reason in the hopes of keeping a panicked “Batdad” from making the situation worse. “From what Aquaman has told us, she does not welcome your involvement,” she said slowly, hoping it would sink in. “The Ladybug Miraculous has always been an agent of creation, of healing.” Diana hoped that would set her friend’s mind at ease. Ladybugs were notorious for their battle prowess and strategies, yes, but first and foremost their duty was to undo damage. “Ladybug herself will have much on her shoulders if her role is anything like my mother’s when she was among the Chosen, and adding yourself to the equation before her adversary is defeated will only serve to distract her from her goal.”

Batman remained tense, but didn’t struggle against Wonder Woman’s grasp. Good.

Green Lantern was the next to approach, as planned. “So why don’t you focus on your family in Gotham before rushing into meeting this kid,” Green Lantern—no, Hal suggested. “We’ll work on finding out what’s causing this possible apocalypse. You get your house in order.”

Bruce heard the words that weren’t said. Find out what your ex-assassin son did your demi-god daughter and make sure he doesn’t screw up anything further.

“That is not—“

“Batman.” Wonder Woman squeezed his arm. “This is not a suggestion.”

Cold curled in Bruce's stomach. His daughter was in danger, fighting against a potential apocalypse, and he was told to sit this one out. When it was personal. (His daughter who he needed to meet, to learn about, to see what made her tick and work out how to help her wherever she might need it. His daughter who he had lost years with.)

(They were ordering him to lose more time with her.)

“You are benched from League activities until this is sorted out.” Wonder Woman continued, as though she hadn’t just gutted Bruce. “I will take lead on Ladybug’s case. My people have much experience with her and the Black Cat as allies.” It was Diana that was smiling then. “Perhaps Mother’s connection will convince her to allow our aide.”

Green Lantern nodded along. “And when I’m not with you guys, well, GL core is in charge of keeping things not-apocalypse-y across the universe and keeping it from spiraling. And Miraculous tend to like the whole Balance thing, so it shouldn’t be too much for me to help out every now and then with them too.”

Bruce twitched where he was. He wasn’t going to win this. Not by a long shot.

But they were taking Aquaman and a Green Lantern. Granted, at least it wasn’t Guy. But a Lantern. Over him. When it involves his family.

He had to get his house in order quickly.

Damian would say he was quite pleased with himself that day. He managed to decide the type of weapon that would help his sister defend herself against others best, given her profession as a seamstress, he was annoyed he hadn’t thought of it sooner. Selecting the type of needle to give her, and to ensure they could be used for fabrics to give her a reason to carry them on her person, was crucial however.

She had rejected his other offerings thus far, though he could hardly blame her. This would be his seventh attempt. He did hear it was a lucky number from somewhere… and he had gotten better since his last attempts at understanding the type of person she showed herself to be and the type of person she wished to be seen as.

The Swiss dagger on his first attempt was too bulky and not hidden enough for a style of fighting she should strive to cultivate. His second attempt was an ear dagger which were easier to use and she could add additional force with her thumb. He thought it was better protection for her, and it was small enough this time to be kept in her purse. Much better than his first attempt. Only from her pictures he knew it wasn’t ever in her purse.

He had failed to find her an acceptable apology gift that offered her the protection she needed. The third was when he moved to a larger blade, hoping the thin rapier could be hidden well enough as decorative or as a fancier fencing tool than standard. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility given her closeness to an Olympic level fencer and this ‘Adrien Agreste’ who often partnered with Tsurugi. He was glad she had taken to displaying it at the least, though Adrien claiming to have given it to her left a bad taste in his mouth.

His sister wished to not have it known she had her own weapons then, he could handle that. His fourth attempt was going to be a butterfly knife but given legal restrictions that he had come to realize she would follow (as idiotic as they were) he changed it to a classic Swiss knife. He did see this carried on her person on occasion, but not often. He looked into more easily concealed knives and gifted her a ballpoint pen knife—it looked like a pen and he made sure to customize it to resemble the pens in her room (he took a sample for reference) and did see her often carrying that one, though by active attempt or chance he couldn’t gather. He decided she would need a long range item next, and gifted her a small variety of throwing stars (and a knife or two, she seemed to favor possible close combat weapons of those he gave her). He noticed that none of these were carried on her person (he may have bugged them with trackers to figure out her preference) and they rarely left her room.

That was why he concluded that this time needles that she could use for sewing or battle were his best bet. Finding a way to walk that line was proving challenging.

Father came in while he was making his selection. He did find it odd Father hadn’t mentioned her to the rest of the family, but it could be that he wished her a more peaceful life. Damian would not disrespect his father’s wishes by bringing her up.

“Damian, we need to talk.”

Damian furrowed his brow, running over what could warrant that tone. He came up empty.

Father did move closer and see he was looking at needles this time. And showed surprised.

“For Okhti Al Kobra,” Damian stated, hoping his father wouldn’t be upset at him recognizing her. He knew now it was better for her to be apart from them, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do what he could to help her protect herself. His older sister deserved better.

Father did freeze at that.

Had Damian displeased him? (He wouldn’t… wouldn’t send him to back. Damian knew that. But that look… it brought back the boy that wondered when he’d be tossed aside by the Great Batman for no longer being a good solider.)

“Father? I know you don’t like to speak of her but.”

“You, you’re getting her needles?” it was a question. He didn’t get why.

“Yes, my last presents seemed inadequate. She has taken to the penknife, but only sometimes. She keeps the Swiss on her sometimes too—haven’t you been keeping an eye on her social media? She posts a disgusting amount. I figured given the boutique it wouldn’t be unacceptable for her to carry needles on her as a weapon and tool in the future, should anyone else discover our connection.”

Bruce stared Damian, waiting for him to finish.

“She does keep the flowers I left her, though she does react oddly. The first time she was very pale.” Looking back, it was likely fear. She was a civilian after all… “However I believe she has come to accept that even with distance, she is still a Bat by blood and as such, should remain vigilant.” Damian hoped his report was adequate.

“She… how old is she?” Father’s tone was softer then. but the question didn’t make any sense.

“Father, you should know how old she is.” Damian waited for the man to respond.

He didn’t.

Damian furrowed his brow. “Father, you do know who she is, right?”

“Ladybug.”

Damian blinked at that. He had no idea who that was, but he knew an alias when he heard one. “She’s a civilian—when did she—”

“Damian.” He stilled at that. “How old is she?”

Damian straightened then. “She was twelve and a half when we first met. She will be sixteen in two weeks.” Damian glanced at his abandoned screen. “She enjoys design.”

“Her, her name.” His father looked… lost.

“I, we don’t revel secret identities?” Damian was a bit lost. Father should know of his sister. They were only two years apart. She was from before his father’s training became serious. He should know of her, at least. And if he didn’t, wasn’t it a betrayal to her if he revealed who she was without her permission? Whenever he tried to visit, she was always elsewhere, and he couldn’t very well show up as Damian Wayne. That would reveal the family and she didn’t need to know that. Didn’t need that burden.

“She knows she’s my daughter.” Father sounded…desperate.

“She knows she is Batman’s. I didn’t reveal your identity, or the family’s.”

“I…”

Damian took a deep breath. He didn’t want to betray his family. Or further hurt his older sister. “I believe that we should speak to her before discussing her identity. It… it should be her choice.”

Father looked pained at that.

“I assume you don’t…” No, father would not know how the first meeting went… right?

Father said nothing before leaving.

Damian wondered if he should visit her sooner. He eyed his cart and got her a set of weaponry needles, knitting, and a set made for seamstresses with small hands. He hoped these were to her liking. Perhaps he should add white heather (Protection) and purple hyacinth (I’m sorry) in addition to the zinnias…. Or just give her two with the zinnias mixed between them, as Damian reasoned the heather and hyacinth wouldn’t looks the best together. Yellow (daily remembrance) and scarlet (constancy) zinnias with heather (protection) and some greenery should be fine, and purple hyacinth (I’m sorry) mixed with magenta (lasting affection) white (goodness) and perhaps a white daffodil (stay as sweet as you are) with a filler of some sort would work well. She accepted his apologies (albeit in flowers) before, and he hoped he had proven he was paying enough attention to her for her to see that he meant it.

He was glad he hadn’t killed her that day.

Now he had research to do to help his sister.

He missed Brown as she slipped out. And completely missed finding out she was messaging Todd, Drake and Cassandra the news: there was a missing Bat into design, goes by Ladybug, and Bruce has no clue what her identity is.

Cass didn’t send anything in response.

Jason stated he would find her before Tim.

Stephanie was just excited for another girl in the group. Little sister in need of help? Count her in—being Spoiler versus being Batgirl was a world of difference. Having a team made it easier, and it shouldn’t be too hard to convince the girl to give it a shot, right?

Thanks for waiting. part three here

tags: @heldtogetherbysafetypins @laurcad123 @raisuke06

debating which bat will find her first (in person), so feel free to state any preferences, and thanks for the comments and kudos--it really does help with working this idea out.

#maribat #my writing #my fic #marinette did not sign up for this #how do i tag #long post #bio!dad bruce #sugar not salt #angst #misunderstanding time

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thosekidswhohuntmonsters · 5 years ago

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Can’t Loose You

Summary: The avengers are calling in anyone who has experience with Thanos, and that includes the guardians of the galaxy. However, when a conference call with Tony Stark goes badly that’s when Peter realizes how much he has to loose. How there’s just certain things, maybe even certain people, that he just can’t live without. Suddenly Peter realizes that he just can't loose you.

Word Count: 3829

Rating: v spicy, deff 18+

Song Pairing: Fooled Around and Fell in Love

Author’s note: god this is something I wrote a long, long, time ago. still, I think you guys are going to really like it! I think after this I am officially caught up on all my marvel fics!!

♡if you enjoy this fic you’re welcome to leave a reblog/like/comment! feedback is not only welcomed but encouraged!♡

Peter getting genuinely mad was not something that normally happened. Sure he got into fights with Rocket or even the occasional fight with Gamora, but nothing super serious. They would be solved within an hour or so, and soon replaced with “We’ve been married for forty years” bickering.

Not today though, Peter was truly mad. He slammed the door shut as he left his room, “Have I ever told you that Tony Stark is a huge dickwad”. The Avengers were calling in anyone who had experience with Thanos, which meant he had to video chat with them.

Raising an eyebrow you said, “What happened did he say his gun was bigger than yours?”. Peter laughed dryly and gave you a bitch face, letting you know he was truly angry.

Raising his hands up in anger he said, “No he didn’t (y/n), but he insulted us all!”. You’d placed down the book you’d been reading, giving Peter your full attention. Trying to ease his anger you asked, “Have you talked with Steve he’s much more-”.

Peter cut you off, “He said we were inexperienced, that I don’t care enough about you guys and put your lives in danger!”. You had expected something like that to annoy Peter, but not make him fuming.

You walked over to him, “Why did he say that Peter?”. His anger only grew, and he avoided your gaze. He punched the wall, “Doesn’t matter, the asshole said it! I care about you guys so much!! We’re family and-”.

This time Peter was cut off by Rocket, “ I think we all know who you care about Quill”. You felt yourself blushing as Rocket tried to subtly hint at you but failed. The rest of the team had walked in, done running errands for the day.

Peter pointed a finger at Rocket, “Don’t start with me right now I’ve seconds away from calling you the “r” word!”. Rocket just rolled his eyes, and took Groot to go sit down with him.

Gamora asked, “Maybe Tony was referencing your trip to Morag with (y/n)”. That was one of the missions that the team could never forget.

Drax added, “Oh yes, that was the time where Peter made a huge mistake and got (y/n) seriously injured”. Gamora turned sending daggers at Drax while he looked confused. That mission was something Peter hated talking about.

You and Peter had been sent to Morag to retrieve an ancient script that the Nova Corps needed. It was supposed to be the classic run of the mill mission which is why only you and Peter went.

Morag was an oceanic planet, and only housed various species of animals. The script was located in a sea cavern, but you had a map telling you directly where it was.

Rocket had given you and Peter special equipment to breath underwater. The mission couldn’t get any simpler.

You and Peter easily found the cavern, and it was amazing to be underwater but have everything be clear as day. Peter smirked watching you take it in, “Guess swimming with the fishes ain’t so bad in this case huh (y/n)”.

Smiling back you said, “As long as either of us don’t go belly up”. This caused the both of you to laugh, you were the only one who was able to share Peter’s sense of humor.

Being from Earth helped greatly, Peter had first found you on Xandar. You’d been a shield agent sent to help handle intergalactic communications.

It had been love at first Footloose reference, except both of you hid your true feelings from each other. Settling for friendship in order to not lose everything. Peter knew he needed to keep you in his life no matter what.

Peter swam ahead of you, entering the cavern. The script was right in front of him, “Uh houston have a problem...this was too easy”. He turned around expecting to see you roll your eyes or try not to smile at his joke.

Peter grabbed the script and shoved it into it’s waterproof case, slinging it around his back. Quickly he jumped back into the water, wanting to make sure you were okay.

His eyes widened when he saw you being dragged down deeper by a huge shark like creature. As he sprung into action Peter said, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat”.

He wondered why you hadn’t yelled for help but then saw the various scratches all over your helmet, the bastard had cut the communication cord.

The creature was thrashing around, going behind and infront of you. Peter noticed you motioning to your suit, and he realized the air tank had been punctured by the creature's teeth.

He had to do something quickly before your air supply ran out and the creature dragged you out of range. It was a risky shot but he took it anyway, firing an underwater gun the Nova had given him.

At last second the creature had moved, but Peter still hit it. He swam over to you watching the creature sink to the ground. Blood clouded the water around you, turning it from a light blue to a dark red.

Peter’s smile faded when he saw you clench your side, realizing although he’d hit the creature he’d also hit you. Things got worse when he saw your eyes begin to close, your mouth opening.

With all of his strength Peter carried you to the surface, swimming as fast as he could. The entire time he talked to you, “We’re gonna get out of this and you’re gonna wake up and give me that classic smirk”.

As he dragged you out of the water he continued, “That look where you pretend to be mad at me but we both know you find me irresistibly charming and when you think I’m not looking you finally smile”.

He quickly placed his breathing peace into your mouth while with the other hand he applied pressure to where you’d been bleeding.

Peter shook his head, “Come on (y/n) you can’t quit on me yet, you still owe me that drink from when I beat you in pacman!”. His smile returned when he watched you open your eyes and begin to cough.

With all your strength you said, “We both know I let you win Quill”. Somehow he found himself smiling, god you were just as stupid as him.

Peter was scared you’d heard everything he’d said, but maybe you’d be too out of it to even remember. He called for Rocket to come meet you with the Milano, and he carried you aboard.

That had been one of the worst memories of Peter’s life, the moment where he almost lost you. In that moment he realized how he didn’t love you like a friend, he loved you loved you.

That had been the exact moment Stark had brought up on the phone, and it made Peter furious. Speaking up you said, “We all know that wasn’t Peter’s fault, we had thought the water was clear”.

Peter shook his head, “I should’ve checked thoroughly, I was too cocky”. You could’ve checked the water more thoroughly too. Peter lowered his head, “I should’ve known something was up when you weren’t right behind me..I thought you were just enjoying yourself”.

Softly you asked, “So Tony did bring that up? Peter he’s made countless mistakes himself...we’ve all come close to losing someone!”.

Peter looked at you, “But I can’t lose you (y/n)!”. Gamora patted Drax on the shoulder, signaling for them to both leave the room. Loudly he asked, “But Gamora we were about to see if Peter would finally adm-”.

Gamora shut him up by pushing him forward, thankful he hadn’t finished his sentence. Peter’s anger had finally left him, but he was now filled with guilt. You took a step closer to him, “And you won’t Peter”.

He shook his head, “But what if-”. Walking over to him you took your hands in his, trying to stop your dirty mind when you realized how huge they were.

You looked into his eyes, “Peter you’ll never lose me, I’m like the terminator-”.

Peter smiled softly finishing your sentence, “You’ll be back”.

You could always make each other laugh at the most fucked up times. Peter still held onto one of your hands, and you blushed when you realized it.

With his other hand he picked your chin up to meet his gaze. Peter’s eyes looked deeply into yours, “You’re so beautiful (y/n)...”. You bit your lip with all the attention he was giving you, feeling your own feelings for him start to surface.

Smirking you said, “Peter Quill, are you trying to seduce me?”. Peter also found himself smirking as he pulled a remote out of his jacket pocket. Before pressing the button he said, “If I were trying to seduce you, there’d be music playing”.

His face lit up when , “Fooled around and fell in love” blared through the ship's speakers. He pulled you into his arms whispering in your ear, “Peter Quill doesn’t try to seduce women, he does seduce women”.

I must have been through about a million girls

I'd love 'em then I'd leave 'em alone

You rolled your eyes, smiling when you thought he wasn’t looking at you. One hand rested on the small of your back while the other held your hand in his.

Teasingly you said, “You don’t seem to be able to seduce any women lately”. You’d been happy that lately Peter hadn’t brought any women back to the ship because every time he did it broke your heart.

I didn't care how much they cried, no sir

Their tears left me cold as a stone

Sarcastically he said, “Bit of a dry spell lately” the both of you knew that wasn’t it. Playing along you replied with, “ I thought Starlord never had dry spells”.

Peter’s heart raced hearing you call him that, it was a huge turn on, but it felt more intense coming from you. Together your bodies swayed to the beat, “Been awhile since you’ve brought anyone back”.

You laughed, “Since when do you keep track?”. Peter was happy you weren’t looking at him, that way you couldn’t see his blush. Trying to play it cool he said, “I just want to make sure you don’t beat me”.

That was a lie. Peter noticed every time you brought someone back to the ship because it just confirmed his own insecurities. He pushed down his feelings by distracting himself with women, but it just made it worse...they weren’t you.

But then I fooled around and fell in love

I fooled around and fell in love, yes I did

You rested your head against his chest, causing his breath to hitch. He couldn’t explain it but every time you touched him it was like the first time anyone had. Things just felt right with you.

Softly you said, “I don’t think that’s a contest either of us would win”. Peter heard the hurt in your voice and thought that maybe you’d felt the way he did. Slowly Peter spun you out, but instantly missed the feeling of having you so close.

Ah, but since I met you baby, love's got a hold on me

It's got a hold on me now, I can't let go of you baby

Peter dipped you, feeling his own desire growing looking down at you. You just smiled up at him, your eyes so inviting. Feeling nervous for the first time in his life, he quickly brought you back upright.

When Peter saw the happiness leave your face he realized that he just had to go for it. He found himself laughing, realizing what Drax had said earlier was right. There are two types of beings in the universe; those who dance, and those who do not.

Confused you looked up at Peter and asked, “What are you giggling about?”. Peter looked down at you with love in his eyes. He moved his hands to your hips, “You and I both dance”.

You were even more confused, “And? We both eat and drink-”. Peter’s smile grew, “That’s not what I’m saying...I’m trying to say that…”. Peter knew that once he told you he loved you everything would be out on the line, but he couldn’t pretend anymore.

Peter moved one hand to cup your face, “I love you (y/n)”. You stood there for a moment, unsure of how to react. This was something that had played out in your head almost a hundred times, but now it was happening.

When you saw how happy he looked any doubt you had vanished. Smiling you said, “I love you too Peter”. Peter just smirked, and you knew something fun was about to happen.

He picked you up into his arms and yelled, “If the ship is a rockin’ don’t come a knockin’”. You threw your head back in laughter along with Peter.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity Rocket yelled back, “Finally!! Groot you owe me 10 units!”. Rolling your eyes you realized they’d been betting on how long it would take you and Peter to finally tell the other how you felt.

You didn’t care though, you were in Peter’s arms. He closed the door to his room with his foot and smiled smugly, obviously proud of himself. Joking you said, “Real sexy Quill”.

Peter crashed down onto his bed, you on top of him. Once again his hands found your hips as he kissed you passionately. Peter couldn’t help himself, as the kiss continued he moved his hands to cup you ass.

You shook your head, “Someone’s eager”. Peter only gripped your ass tighter causing you to squeal. Smirking he teased, “Someone likes it”. The man wasn’t wrong, you did like it.

You loved his big hands running up and down your body. Leaning back you pulled your dress over your head, and Peter watched you while licking his lips.

Eyeing you up and down he repeated, “So beautiful..so fucking beautiful”. Feeling daring you put your hands behind your back and slowly took off your bra.

Peter’s mouth feel agape, and he felt himself getting harder. Before he knew what he was doing he brought his hands up to cup your breasts. You threw your head back and moaned, loving the way his calloused hands felt against your skin.

As Peter began to suck on your nipples you bucked your hips, it felt so good. He moaned, “You’re going to be the death of me (y/n)”. Peter only stopped sucking to take off his shirt and pants, needing this just as badly as you.

You ran your hands up his chest slowly, marveling at how toned he was. Raising an eyebrow he smirked, “Like what you see?”. You started to slide down his boxers, “Something tells me I’ll like the full package better”.

He didn’t know how but you caused him to swallow hard, stunned for a moment. Peter was experienced, this wasn’t his first rodeo...but just something about you did it to him. Made him feel like up until this point he didn’t even know what pleasure felt like.

You slid your body down so you face now rested above his extremely hard member. Peter just looked down at you, feeling the desire in his stomach grow like hunger.

Slowly you slid down his boxers, watching his member spring forward. You bit your lip, “Fuck Peter”. It felt so good to hear you say his name like that, and it made his member pulse.

Slowly you licked up his shaft, watching his eyes widen. When you got to the tip you sucked the precum off of it, moaning. You kept eye contact the whole time, “You taste so good”.

Peter moaned loudly, everything you did made him feel like he was going to explode. You kissed your way back down his shaft, knowing what you did next would drive him wild.

You began to suck on his balls, one of his more sensitive areas. He threw his head back, “Oh fuck”. No other girl had ever done that, it was like you were made for him.

Before taking him in your mouth again you said, “I want you to look me in the eyes baby..it turns me on”. Peter nodded his head, watching you intently.

You took as much of him in your mouth as you could while your free hand massaged his balls. Peter had never been more turned on in his life, especially knowing that you were enjoying this too.

You started bobbing your head up and down, obscene sounds leaving your mouth. Small moans and groans kept escaping Peter’s mouth, this had never felt this good before.

Finally you took him out of your mouth with a “pop” of your lips. Peter brought your head back up, kissing you once again. You smiled knowing that he didn’t care about tasting himself.

While kissing you Peter turned you on your back. With a devilish smile he said, “My turn”. Peter pulled you towards his face by the backs of your knees. He teased you through your panties, running a finger up and down your slit.

Your breath hitched and he noticed, “So wet for me already”. Your panties were practically soaked, and he loved it. He loved knowing you felt as good as he did, needed this just as badly.

Slowly he took your panties off, you were fully exposed to him. His hot breath teased you further as he whispered, “I wonder if you taste as good as you look”. With one hand he spread your folds, exposing your clit fully.

He sucked on it as he groaned, “You taste even better”. The way he moaned against you sent vibrations all over your most sensitive area. You threw your head to the side, damn he was good at this.

With his tongue Peter traced patterns around your clit, occasionally taking it between his lips and sucking deeply. The amount of pleasure you were feeling was insane, no one had ever made this feel this good before.

Peter would dart his tongue into your entrance, loving the way it made you moan. Instinctively you ran your hands through his hair, tugging at it. This caused Peter to moan making your clit vibrate.

Gasping you said, “Oh Star-” but then you caught yourself. Peter brought his head up, “What did you just call me?”. You were scared it might’ve turned him off, but you’d always thought about calling him Star lord during sex.

A devilish smirk returned to his face, “You’re an awful liar”. You found yourself smiling taking in how blissfully happy Peter looked. You waited until his face was buried between your thighs again, “Star lord”.

Peter moaned loudly, feeling his hard member twitch. He moved his body back up and hovered over you, “You’re such a tease (y/n)”. He tried to look angry but failed miserably, the boy was head over heels in love with you.

Smirking you asked, “Am I not supposed to call my commander Star lord?”. He closed his eyes as a moan escaped his lips, maybe heaven was real. You found yourself smiling, he was such an idiot.

Slowly Peter ran a hand down your body, spreading your legs once again. He kissed you passionately on the lips before kissing down your jaw and neck. Peter massaged your clit with his fingers, “Say my name again”.

As you moaned, “Star Lord” he finally inserted a finger inside of you. You moved your hips up towards him, needing more. Peter was leaving obvious marks all over your skin, wanting everyone to know how good he’d made you feel.

He started to pump his fingers in and out of you slowly, driving you wild. Begging you asked, “Star Lord..I need more”. Reluctantly, Peter took his fingers out of you, but not before bringing them to his lips.

Peter licked his fingers clean as you watched with eyes wide open. Holding your gaze he said, “I could taste you all day”. You couldn’t contain yourself anymore, you needed him so badly.

Letting go of his hair you said, “I need you inside of me”. Peter didn’t need to be told twice, he brought his body up to hover over you. You pushed him onto his back, “I have a feeling you’ll enjoy the view”.

You turned around, slowly sinking down onto his member. Peter closed his eyes and moaned loudly, feeling you stretch around his walls. You arched your back as you began to ride him, bouncing up and down.

Peter spanked your ass, “Fuck this is perfect”. His back rested against the headboard of his bed. With his hands gripping your hips he started thrusting inside of you. The room was filled with the sounds of your loud moans.

You loved the feeling of Peter filling you up, “Oh god”. Grabbing a fistful of your hair he pulled your body back, your head resting in the crook of his neck.

With this new angel Peter went even deeper inside of you, hitting your g-spot. Peter loved looking down at you and see you coming undone. Holding his gaze you said, “I’m so close”.

Peter was holding on by a damn thread, just as close to the edge as you. To your surprise he moved his hand to rub your clit, “Cum for me (y/n)..cum right now”.

Between Peter rubbing your clit and his words, you were sent over the edge. A tsunami of pleasure washed over your entire body, wave after wave of pleasure hitting you. Peter only rubbed your clit faster.

As he looked down at you and how beautiful you looked, Peter felt his own orgasm shake throughout his entire body. It was like a bomb had gone off inside of him, every nerve in his body exploding with ecstasy.

Together you rode out your orgasms, yelling out each others names. It was one of the most intense moments the both of you had ever felt. It redefined what pleasure meant.

Finally when he caught his breath Peter moved you so you were now cuddling his side as he laid down on his back. He looked so blissfully happy, a look you mirrored. Peter giggled, his happiness overflowing, “That was awesome”.

You rolled your eyes, but found yourself smiling. Nuzzling into his side you said, “It’s never felt that good before”. His expression softened, his eyes now filled with love.

Looking down at you he smiled, “I think this is what love is”. Love was something Peter Quill thought he’d never be able to feel, but you changed all that.

If this was love...he could get used to love...hell he never wanted to feel anything else. Peter kissed you on the forehead, and just enjoyed being blissfully happy with the love of his life.

♡ thank you for taking the time to read this, you’re a babe♡

Forever tags: aka some amazing people: @moonlessnight14 @sexyvixen7 @angieptt @painkiller80 @becca-dolan @team-heichou @thatpeachybandgirl @allthesesonsobitches @buckybarneshairpullingkink @couldabeenamermaid @taeeemin @littleredstarfish @nali67 @only4wakingup @mcenziehughes

*if there is a line through your name that means that for some reason it won’t allow me to tag you*

*forever tags are always open*

#Peter quill #peter quill x reader #peter quill smut #peter quill imagine #peter quill one shot #Chris Pratt

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queerchoicesblog · 5 years ago

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A Secret Unveiled (SC Titanic, Zetta x Adele Series, Ch.9)

It took me ages -sorry folks!- but here’s the continuation of Zetta x Adele Series. I am also happy to announce that for a lucky coincidence the next chapter about the party will be released a week from now on April 14, that is...on Zetta’s birthday!

Little disclaimer-favor: if you do enjoy it, please consider supporting the author & sharing this. A little gesture that means a lot!

Word Count: 3000+

Zetta x Adele Tag: @storyscaped @storyscapefanficarchive @marmolady @animus-and-anima @hayley-carter19 @escako @everlastingchoices @andrxrneda @aestheticsayeed @indescribablechoices @ahrielstuff @bornonawdnsday @nazario-sayeed @h-doodles @adele-serda @marlcasters @brightpinkpeppercorn @nightwhite13 @ramenwithaspoon @michelleconnoly @charliejane-blog @ghost-of-yuri @choicesgremlin @shadeofangelus @mistressofspiesxenia @orange-elephants

Zetta x Adele Series Tag: @eternal-langdon @nydeiri

➡️ Ch. 1, Ch. 2/1, Ch. 2/2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch. 7, Ch. 8/1, Ch. 8/2

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I wake up thinking of Adele. With my eyes closed, I can trick my mind into believing we never parted since last night. She could be sleeping in my arms, her curls gently tickling my skin and her breath soft and calming against the crook of my neck. Her calloused fingers entwined with mine as I hold her close, afraid she might fly away like a dream or a fantasy. I know there is no sense in pretending things are different than they are. I'm perfectly and painfully aware that my love is not here with me but you can't breathe if you're constantly underwater, right? Adele is my safe harbour, a gentle hand preventing me from drowning in my own sorrows and troubles. I can hear Sabine setting up the table in the adjacent room. My little Napoleon...she never forgets to arrange a private breakfast on my birthday morning. My favorite treats, good coffee, my books or some company if I feel like to have a chat. And well, today is the day, my day. Time to say goodbye to Adele's ghost for now: luckily enough I'll be reunited with my love later today.

Despite the weight of my birthday and the decision I made in the middle of a sleepless night, I am in a good mood. I ask Sabine to join me at the breakfast table and we chat and gossip like old friends. It's nice to be reminded I have friends even if we never pronounced that word aloud. When she leaves to add the finishing touches to the venue of tonight's party, I sigh contently, taking one last sip of coffee. My eyes accidentally fall on one the boxes piled up on the couch. I reach for it: it's my pearl necklace with my initials engraved on it. A foolish thought crosses my mind. I decide to indulge in it for once and before I can think twice I take my leave and hand it to the first stewardess I come across, asking to deliver it to Miss Carrem. As I head to the first class deck to catch some fresh air, a smile lingers on my lips. I try to picture Adele's reaction to my necklace. Will she blush, understanding its true meaning? Will she wear my token of affection tonight? The thought distracts me from the more urgent matter I need to discuss with her. A gust of wind greets me as I stand at the railing, the Ship of Dreams gently vibrating underneath my fingertips. Yes, I made up my mind. I know what I have to do, what I want to do. Jamie dear will never take that from me. Yet it makes this no easier. I won't back down though. I sigh and stare out to the vast azure ocean in front of me. It's so calm today: gentle waves stroke the side of the ship as the salty breeze makes a kite waltz into the late morning sky. The little owner is standing a few steps away. Well, standing is a strong word: he's jumping up and down, his chubby cheeks red with excitement, and I'm pretty sure he's not hearing a single word his father -I wager- squatted down by his side is saying to him to help him manoeuvre his colourful device. So sweet and pure. Only kids can experience that absolute unconditioned happiness, I consider, smiling at the kite taking a gracious turn up there, far away from us. A gleeful squeal of the little boy soon follows. I hear steps approaching behind me. I don't even need to turn, I perfectly know who's there. I bumped into Matteo on my way to the first class promenade and sent him to look for Adele. It took him more than I would have expected but for once I don't care. I won't give him a scolding. Not for this, at least: his complicity with James's scheme will get him one when time comes. One he will remember, I'm pretty sure of that. "Leave us, Matteo" I say, still looking out to the sea. He quietly steps away. As soft taps approach I wonder if he bowed before leaving, it would be typical of him. Adele joins me at the railing, standing by my side. I turn my head slightly to look at her. The soft features of her visage never left my mind since our encounter but she's radiant. Her skin is glowing in the late morning sun and I can't help but notice that her delicate curls are now graciously fastened with a cloth. Is my love dressing up for my birthday party tonight? A sudden urge to caress her rosy cheek and untie that lovely cloth to gently run my fingers through her hair takes hold of me but I suppress it. I must. We're in public, people would stare. People would murmur and disapprove. The loving father nearby would probably drag the little kite runner away to prevent him the sight of us. That is why I lower my voice as I say: "Our fun last night must have done you some good. You're glowing" My love turns and a soft smile forms on her lips, mirroring mine, as she beams at the warmth behind my words. She opens her mouth to say something but...nothing comes. Too soon a shadow crosses her face and she diverts her eyes. Was I too straightforward? Or is the thought of the people around us accidentally catching our veiled words of love? "Me? I'm the same as always. Ready to carry out my duties" she says, clearing her throat in a professional tone that doesn't fool me for a second. "Oh Lord. 'Same as always', she says" I roll my eye, barely refraining myself from groaning. "We can play it like that, if you want" "Like what?" Adele turns towards me again, visibly taken aback. "Like last night didn't happen" My voice may still be low but the meaning of my words is unmistakable. Sweet Adele, haven't I told you that I don't beat around the bush? You should know it. And I have no intention to pretend a thing like that! Adele looks at loss of words: I start wondering if I'm seriously too direct for my British love. She searches my eyes staring back at her before lowering them as a flush of red color her cheeks. "I'm very...aware last night happened I just thought you'd want-" she whispers but without ending the sentence. Oh, honey, you thought I wanted you or both of us to bury our sweet time at the Turkish Baths deep inside our mind and forget about that? Never speak about it ever again as if it was a dirty secret between the two of us? It is a secret, but not half as dirty as most people would claim or want us to believe. I don't think you share that sentiment too: you weren't afraid to show your true feelings last night and you're too rebellious and free to let anyone tell you who to love, despite all the insults or threats. Or both. Have you ever gotten in trouble because of that, my love? Adele, were you trying to...protect me and my reputation? I'm hiding my true self but I'm tired of pretending. I don't want to, not with you. When I speak again, my voice is softer. I can only hope it will convey how I wish I could take her into my arms and cradle her, easing her mind. "Darling, I'm forty today, I don't have time to pretend." Then I sigh as I remind myself why I sent Teo to call her. The weight of the unpleasantries to come washes over me and I barely hold back a wince. Why there must be always nasty hurtful things to discuss with her when all I want is her happiness, to see her gorgeous smile light up my whole world? "Which brings me to my point..." I continue, my voice shifting to a more somber tone. "I told you I'd think about your little deal with James." I sigh, holding a bit tighter to the railing as if I were to lose balance. "You brought me proof. You brought me...trust. And now I know what I have to do. What I want to do." I sense Adele tensing up at my side, taking in the gravity of the moment. "I'm here. I'm listening. My life is in your hands" she notes grimly, bracing herself for whatever I have to say. "I certainly hope so, considering I've become a sleep-deprived wreck because of it" I snap, but my angry witticism is not meant for Adele. No, how could it be? I turn to face her: I want to look at her when I uncover my decision. A decision I took not only out of fairness, to correct the wrongs of James but also for you, my love. "So here it is. The 'dirt', I suppose they call it, that James is seeking. I was already married once. Long ago. And, in fact...I'm still married." I pause and let my confession sink. It takes a moment to Adele to realise the full implications of my words. When she does, she frantically searches my eyes and gapes. "Zetta, no! I want your help with James, not to give him what he-" she starts, trying to stop me but I interrupt her. "Shut your mouth and listen, Adele. I heard you out before - now you'll hear me" I should have known better that she would have tried to oppose my decision out of ethics and for the sake of the bond we share now. But no, I'm sorry, my sweet chivalrous love, you can't stop me this time. I made a decision. I can tell Adele is running all the options to protect my secret in her head -running away, covering her ears like a child maybe or even arguing with me- but in the end she grimaces and nod sombrely. I can continue. "I was very young. He was my manager. Plucked me right out of Tristan and Isolde at the Vienna Playhouse. He had this way about him, this confidence. Confidence which I lacked, if you'll believe it" I close my eyes as I turn to look out to the sea again and I can still see him. Myself, leaving the theatre late at night exhausted and frowning. Herr Direktor was kind enough to gave me my start but he certainly wasn't a kind man: never a praise, only harsh 'constructive' criticism. He always wanted more and more, your best was never enough, just 'tolerable' if you were lucky. It was no secret that he made an effort to be twice as hard with me to test my motivation and see if I had "what it takes". "Is that all you've got, fraulein? Oh good Lord", "you said you had talent, please introduce it to all of us because so far I can't see none", "Wolfgang, do you have an understudy for fraulein Zetta's role? I don't want to jeopardise the whole play". I was barely sixteen and his shoutings and scoldings got to me somehow. He didn't seem to notice how the press was pleasantly impressed by my performance of Isolde's maid: Theresa saved for me a copy of a newspaper where a famous critic noted that "we might also be witnessing the rise of a new talent, raw but vivid as it suits the young age of its beholder. A new star is born on the stage of Vienna Playhouse? Only time will tell". I can see now why Herr Direktor was so demanding and harsh with me but back then it only made me feel miserable and angry. I took an hazard pursuing that career when my family was struggling in a poorhouse and I started second guessing myself, doubting myself. He must have sensed it too when he approached me that night. He introduced himself as an admirer simply wishing to praise my performance and soon started flattering me with all the words he knew I wanted or needed to hear. When he had stroked my ego just enough for me to accept an invitation for a private meeting at one of the most exclusive cafè in town, he straightened his dashing tuxedo and leaned to kiss my hand like a romantic hero of a cheap novel. I wasn't smitten with him but it stupidly drew a smile on my face. That's how I met Franz. "Anyway, he's dropping names of directors and theatres over tea at Zum Roten Igel..." He performed with great flair the role of artistic entrepreneur he claimed to be. He knew everyone, treated me with the finest treats I had ever tasted and repeated how impressed, no touched -he said- by the talent he could see burning inside me. He confessed to have great plans in store for me, us: "dear Zetta, allow me the honor to join you in this adventure as your manager. Let us show the world what bright light shines inside you". He squeezed my hand with a practised display of deep affection and enthusiasm when he whispered "let us take on the world, sweetheart!". "...and next thing you know, we're married and on a train to the nearest port" I add, grazing my fingers over my old wedding ring at my ring hand, a testament of my foolish naivety. It wasn't love what I felt for him and what led me to accept his proposal. Maybe I thought it was, for a moment, being so young and clueless about this yet unknown feeling. But it was soon clear it wasn't love: I didn't shiver underneath his kisses nor feel the urge to hold his hand or be held in his strong arms. None of those gestures so very often described in novels and plays came natural. He just fed my hunger for more, my ambition. I soon regretted dearly leaving my family and Vienna with him but it was too late. "I would have twenty offers for twenty shows by the time we hit New York, he told me. Of course, there were no parts. We were turned away at every stage door in Manhattan" It was humiliating. His bundle of lies uncovered and our fights in the streets followed. We accused each other of our failures but I knew I was right. Such awareness did little to soothe my heartbreak: I was young, an ocean away from my family and my only mentor, and tied by law to a miserable liar. I'd never felt so lonely and lost in my whole life. "I let his lies go on a year, then I left him. I couldn't divorce him, even if I wanted to. I didn't know how." I wince as I see my younger self summoning up every ounce of courage and dropping a letter on our kitchen table with too many glasses of whiskey and unpaid bills. Then she would walk out of the door without a second glance, a lump in her throat and a suitcase filled with hope and her few belongings spared from the pawn shop down the street. She had nowhere to go and knew no one who could help her get out of that marriage, a young foreign girl in the big city. Even if she had known, she couldn't have afforded the price. So she focused on starting a new life where she could be victorious. But just like now, when she thought she was done with my past, her past wasn't done with her. "Then there I was, years later, my name on marquees, and he's cornering me outside of the Algonquin Hotel" I remember that day. I'd made it: I'd crawled back from my own ashes and now I was the next big thing. Producers were fighting over me, to get me in their pictures and please crowds of adoring fans. They started calling me "American Aphrodite" after one of my first main role and worshipping me like a goddess. I was walking in on my way back from a stroll down Central Park when I heard a way too familiar voice behind my back. "Can I have a moment, Miss Zetta?". Blood ran cold in my veins as I froze. "Please, fraulein, I'm just an humble admirer" he continued in German, repeating the words of our first encounter. When I turned, he looked so different from the charming prince who spoiled me in Vienna and blinded me with empty promises. His hair showed the first signs of silver and his overall look was messy, a hint of dust over his coat. What never changed was the wolfish twinkle in his eyes when he flashed me a sarcastic smirk, running his fingers over our ring. "You seem surprised to see me. Why don't we take a seat and have a lovely chat, my love?". Honeyed words in a foreign language, the premise of a vile threat. "I didn't need the scandal. I've been paying him to stay quiet ever since" I conclude and silence falls between us. Adele speaks again after a moment. "It couldn't have been all bad, if you agreed to marry him. Was there...love?" she asks, her voice flickering between encouragement and grief or sympathy for my sorrow. "No" I answers sharply, without hesitation. "But he promised me he'd help me act. He swore it!" "He was a liar" When I meet her gaze again, Adele is wincing at the simple hurtful truth. "All men are liars. Just some of them are useful. My husband wasn't. Isn't" Husband...what a curious and cursed word. "Isn't the whole thing absurd? I forget I'm a married woman most of the time" I mock myself but Adele doesn't laugh. No, there's little humor in it, you're right. "But Richard would hardly have me if it got out. I can't imagine what the press would do" I add. Actually I know. They would feast above my ruin like vultures. The thought makes me shrug but Adele's voice bring me back to her. "With all due respect - why are you trusting me?" I chuckle deep in my throat: to be honest, it's quite absurd. I'm handing the key to my downfall to the person hired to destroy me. Ironically, she's also the only person I would ever trust with my secret. My love. I face my secretary and, uncaring of prying eyes, I reach for her hand. "I don't have an answer to this trouble with James" I frown before searching her gorgeous eyes again. "But I'm not going to let him pit us against each other, and besides...when you confessed about jumping bail and the rest, you told me everything I'd need to destroy your life" You foolish, brave love of mine... My gaze softens as well as my voice as a I say, gently squeezing her hand: "If we're going to handle what's coming, I want us to be equals" I take a deep breath and look her right in the eye before adding: "You trust me with your life, I trust you with mine" I feel Adele's hand squeezing mine back and warmth spreads through my veins. "I'm...I'm honoured, Zetta. Truly" "There's not much honor in it, but I appreciate the sympathetic ear all the same" I smile grimly. She mirrors my smile. The salty breeze from the ocean plays with our hair as we keep quiet. "Where do we go from here?" she asks after a moment. I can't tell if she refers to the final decision she needs to make in a few hours or if she's talking about us. I don't realise immediately how wickedly connected the two issues are. I decide to give her an honest answer: she deserves nothing less. "I don't know exactly. I hate to say it, but it's on you as much as me. I can give you support. I can give you lawyers. And I'll give it thought...but when it comes to the party tonight - well, do what your heart tells you" I know I'm probably out of my mind for exposing myself to this hazard, but I want to give you what James stripped away from you, my love: choice, freedom. I want you to be my equal, and God knows more than that. I squeeze her hand one last time and give my love a look filled with all the tenderness and affection I feel for her and can't express here before walking away. It's almost lunchtime, she needs space now and I have a lovely family reunion to attend.

#titanic storyscape #zetta serda #adele carrem #zetta x adele #zetta x adele series

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nuttersascend · 4 years ago

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Fishy Tales

After being called mackerel one too many times by Chuuya, Dazai felt himself shrinking down as his skin started turning scale-ly and somehow, breathing became a chore. The world started becoming far too big for him as the skies moved farther and farther.

The two were near the mooring, where one sad sap had to become fish bait for her treachery. The ginger had chosen to look away from his partner, having been fed up of his shenanigans- but that moment of distraction had proven to be fatal.

Dazai chose to abandon ship when he realized what he was turning into. Hearing a splash behind him, Chuuya turned around in irritation at what would be yet another of his partner’s suicide attempts and found nothing but clothes and bandages pooled next to him.

“Seriously?! You had to go skinny dipping into the sea?! What, you wanted to personally see how that guy would turn into fish bait?! You damned control freak-” and dived in to fetch a drowning mackerel, ignoring the obvious contradiction.

But there was no lanky, insufferable idiot in those waters, only davy jones finding himself at the bottom of the sea.

“Where did that idiot go?! Cut it out already, Dazai. Har-dee-har-har, I’m a wet sheep dog. Mori wants a report and you’re not getting out of it this easily.”

Then a mackerel swept towards him and gave him a slap with its tail. In his increasingly irritable mood, he felt the familiar feeling of wanting to murder something in that fish. For a mackerel, that thing was huge.

Feeling like he might have lost it to think this, but he spit out a bubbly diffused “Dazai?”

“It took you being slapped to know that it was me? Well, unfortunately, it seems like drowning to death is forever crossed out from my plans.”

“We’ve got to go back to the headquarters. Why can you talk in the first place? You’re a fish.”

“I don’t know Chuuya, am I talking human to you or can you talk fish to me?”

“Stop it with your bullshit, Turn back. I don’t have a fish bowl or a water bottle with me right now.”

“No, I’m making perfect sense. You’re the one talking inside water- air won’t vibrate to create sounds here. Your voice wouldn’t reach me.”

“When has it ever?! I’m the voice of reason in us two, you idiot! But why are you the brains of the operation, I’ll never understand.”

“Chuuya, if you bring me back as a mackerel and interpret my messages to the boss, he’s going to think that your muscles finally won and took over as the true control tower of your body. In simple words, he’d think you’d need to go to the looney bin and then he would make me sushi for Elise. Then she would eat me and then get dispelled. But since she ‘ate’ me, I’ll always be inside her and then your respected boss would no longer have an ability.”

His partner looked at him like he was an abomination worse than the puffer fish and he said,

“Well, how do you turn back?”

“This is your fault, slug. You always go on and on about how I’m a mackerel and look, all that suggestion finally worked. And you say that I’m manipulating minds and hypnotizing people.”

“This is not how that works. You just want to skip work. There was the show Elise watched, right? Little mermaid or something. She changed to human with a potion and later reverted back to a fish lady with time… so if we wait, you’d turn back into …human…?”

“I’ve become a fish now. I must join my kind and enact revenge upon the humans who fished us and hooked into our bodies to catch us for a prize. I will go and poison the sushi factory. If you stop me, I’ll go into your mouth and then we would be Soukoku in the most undesirable form- your stupidity and shortness coupled with my utter lack of brawn. Then I will neuter you from ever controlling gravity and the boss will wonder why did you do something this useless.”

“Why did the boss assign us to be in the same team? Why can’t I just tell him that you’ve gotten yourself into another fishy situation?”

“I think we’re a bit too closely aligned. I’ve become a mackerel and yet I can still communicate with you. You’re underwater, but you’re not drowning. I was hoping that all you hear would be blub blub, but you even got that I turned into a fish on the first try- aren’t you the one with the fishy attitude? You set me up, didn’t you?!”

“I’m not the one who spends every living moment in their live scheming to make someone else’s life miserable. In fact, if I let you slink away, I’m the one the boss would order to get your ass back to the headquarters. Like hell I’m going to let you make me have even more quality time with you. ”

When he made a grab for the huge fish, it slithered and escaped right through him.

“I see that you’re still a slippery little bastard.”

“You should rejoice, Chuuya. This is the only time I’ll be smaller than you.”

“Don’t you ever get tired about making a dig at my height? I’m tired of repeating myself. I’m going to be growing from now on!”

“The only thing you’ve been growing is your attitude.”

Chuuya stopped himself from retorting when he noticed something very strange.

“…You… for a fish, you swim strangely. Rather than calling it strange, it’s like you can’t swim at all.”

“That would make sense, since I’ve never learnt to swim. Why would I? Then I’d never be able to drown!”

“But… you’re a fish now.” And then he proceeded to give the fish a look of utter confusion.

“Yes. Did you know, Chuuya? When fishes swim, the dissolved oxygen brushes past their gills as opposed to our respiratory function.”

“Wait! You mean to say you can’t breathe right now?!”

“Wow, you’re unusually sharp today. You must have ceased being a hatrack the moment it floated to the surface.”

“I can’t believe I have to consider giving you a CPR and chest compressions to get you back to breathing! Why are you a fish?! How are you a fish?!”

“I should ask you the same question. Why are you a slug?”

“Wha-” then Chuuya looked at his reflection in those dead fisheyes and saw a four eyed slimy creature and all of a sudden, Dazai looked slightly bigger than him- like the status quo was restored.

Then he woke up with a gasp.

“It… It was a dream? … That shitty Dazai must have added a heck lotta hallucinogens and whatnot in my wine last night.”

He wondered briefly if this version of him was something his ‘slug’-self had dreamed up- a version of him that was human. Maybe soukoku had always been a mackerel and a slug. After all, that fish was oddly intelligent for a fish…

When he found Dazai on his quest to drag him alongside for soukoku’s latest mission, he briefly pondered giving the other a reason to wrap up both of his eyes in those mummifying bandages. Those eyes reflected like a mirror. And he would not trust anything that could show up in the murky, twisted eyes of the boss’s favorite pupil, the demon prodigy.

Especially if it shows a slug peering back. Maybe it was time the idiot got a new nickname instead…

#bsd fanfic #bsd fanfiction #soukoku #skk #crack treated seriously #crack fic #didn't quite cut it #so it's here now lol

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aliceslantern · 4 years ago

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Heartlines, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic, chapter 25-- Deconstruction/Reconstruction

Twelve years ago, Xemnas betrayed the royal court of Radiant Garden to his father, Xehanort. Prince Ienzo flees to another city and begins university in the aftermath, hoping the anonymity will protect him from eager eyes with ill intent. The darkness spilling across the country, as well as an individual from his past, cut short Ienzo's new beginning and bring new conflicts to light. Strained between the desires of his magic and his heart, Ienzo's choice will change him forever.

Modern Fantasy AU, Soulmates, Zemyx. Updates Fridays until it's done.

Chapter summary: With Radiant Garden under control of the resistance, it's time to rebuild. Ienzo tries to repair the damage done to his family.

Read it on FF.net/on AO3

---

White sheets. Cool air. Color and light. He felt so heavy, and it took him a moment of grappling into consciousness to realize it was because he could barely move his legs.

“Ienzo? Love?”

Ienzo turned his head as much as he was able. He seemed to have motion in his upper body, but even that was difficult, like tugging on puppet strings. “Ev-even?” He swallowed.

“Would you like some water? I’ll get some. Don’t move.”

As if he could help it. Blurrily, he saw Even retreat to a corner of this room--the castle infirmary?--and pour water from a pitcher. He knew he should be grateful to still be sighted at all, after using so much magic. He squinted. Even handed him the cup; he could barely close his hand around it, but he managed it at last. Despite IV fluids, he was so thirsty .

“Are you in any pain? I can get you some medication if--”

“No. I’m not. But I can’t… it’s hard to move.”

“...I know.” Even smoothed some of the hair from Ienzo’s face. His own face was pale, pinched, a large bruise along his throat yellowing. “From the magic use. Breaking down a limiter of that strength… then triggering what you did… frankly, it’s a miracle you’re still alive.”

“Will I be like this… always?”

“I’m optimistic you’ll recover yet, but… there may be some lingering effects.”

“What’s happened? How long have I been out? Where’s Amalia? Where’s--?”

“One thing at a time, child. It’s imperative you remain calm.”

Ienzo tried to center himself, tried to take deep breaths. Even took his hand and rubbed it, gently.

“Amalia is safe and well. I suspect Ansem is enjoying having time with her. Once he received some blood replacement, Demyx was fine too. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled you’re awake. It was all rather… dramatic, how it went down. You’ve been unconscious close to three weeks.”

“Aeleus? ...Isa? What of… everything else? Xehanort’s forces? The son who called himself Ansem? He wasn’t in the throne room that day--”

Even’s eyes went blank, and he turned towards the window. “I’m afraid when I… felt your burst of magic--it was felt everywhere, Ienzo, I don’t think you understand--I assumed the worst and I--I did something reckless. He was our jailer, in my old labs, something he no doubt had great pleasure in. For the first time in my life… I acted on impulse.” He looked at his free hand, which was trembling. “I knew you were in trouble, and I--”

Ienzo had never heard Even sound so shaky. He choked down guilt. “You killed him.”

“...He was the gatekeeper.” He’d turned faintly green.

“Was that the first time you took a life?”

“It does not matter. It needed to happen either way.” He swallowed. “I made my way there, with ease. You killed every Heartless in the vicinity. Those that were human were knocked unconscious, or fled.”

“I… I did?”

“...Quite. The initial scouting indicates that… you may have slain every one in the city.”

“It was not conscious,” he admitted. “All I saw was that Demyx was bleeding out and the soulbinding reacted to all that--”

“--and the rush of emotions triggered magic. Of course it did.”

Ienzo lay back a little. “So without the three of them… and no Heartless…”

“The capital city’s under the control of the resistance.” But there was no happiness in his expression.

“Shouldn’t we be… glad? This is among the best case scenarios--”

“The sudden death of Xehanort and two of his sons has caused something like a power vacuum. The people don’t know how to react. There’s still darkness and various devotees of it spread throughout the country. Some states have turned over towards us, but others are… hesitant. Waiting to see might happen. And there are those who are outright fighting. Aeleus and Isa are among the front line, trying to see what can be done to restore order without worsening things. Meanwhile your father is trying to pursue international aid… and research better ways to defeat the darkness.”

“And of you?”

A pause. “I’ve been taking care of you.”

“I’m sure you’ll be relieved to go back to research, then.”

Even reached forward to smooth Ienzo’s hair. “To be truthful, it has been nice, to have this space to think. To consider.”

Ienzo understood. “...It’s alright if you’re upset, Even.”

“It is so silly , that I feel such guilt for killing one who’s killed thousands with his actions--but my feelings are not important.”

“I’m sure that’s not the case.” Ienzo struggled to sit up; Even adjusted the pillows under him. “So much for fighting back.”

“I think you’ve done enough. You must recover for what comes next.”

“Amalia. I need to see her.”

He hesitated.

“Please, Even.”

“...Quite.” He seemed to go a little deeper into himself. “Perhaps there will be one day when I’m not constantly in fear of your life.”

“I sincerely hope so.”

Ienzo watched him leave the room. He’d never seen Even so scattered before, so almost… unsure . Had something else happened he was not telling Ienzo, about the man calling himself Ansem? That bruise…

He hadn’t been conscious long, but he was already exhausted. He could still feel his legs, but moving was the problem. Perhaps he could get a wheelchair, and get around that way? He couldn’t seriously sit around and do nothing while all this fighting happened--

The door opened. In came Demyx, carrying their daughter. She’d gotten even bigger since Ienzo last saw her--another month he’d missed--and she was chewing on a teething ring. “Hey,” he said, softly. Like Even, his eyes were closed off.

“How do you feel?” Ienzo asked.

“Me? Oh, I’m fine. Ugly scar, but oh well, right? How are… you?” Amalia was staring at him, not with fear like before, but perhaps curiosity. Ienzo tried to reach out to her with his magic, but it was like swatting wet laundry; it didn’t come instantly to his call. So instead he reached out one trembling hand. She smiled and handed him the slimy teething ring. “Oh, sweetie, I’m sure daddy doesn’t want that.”

“Could I…” He wasn’t sure he was physically strong enough to hold her.

“Ah… sure.” Demyx pulled the chair closer to the bed and plopped her onto the mattress. “I’ve been… bringing her in here for a while every day. While daddy takes his long nap, right?”

She made a sound like “boo.”

“She talks.” Tears rose to his eyes.

“Well. Vocalizes.”

She clapped her hands together.

“And she can hold herself up.”

“She crawls, too. Ah--like that.” She had dragged herself almost across Ienzo’s lap. “I have a feeling she’ll be running before long.”

Amalia looked up at him and made a noise that could only be expressed as “?”

“Daddy,” Demyx said to her helpfully. “You remember now, yeah.”

“Baba.”

“Daddy. Good.” He smoothed the curls off her forehead.

Ienzo felt a rush of affection which was almost painful. “Look at you, big girl.” He wasn’t sure what else to say. She tugged at the sleeve of his robe. “Can you help me?” he asked Demyx.

“Sure.” He eased her into his lap. Amalia pressed her cheek against his chest. “See? Crisis averted.”

“I’m guessing the curls came from you.”

“The only time my hair was long enough to tell was when I was underwater, so.” He shrugged. Amalia gave him a toothless smile. “Look at you, happy girl.”

Ienzo noticed the difference in his voice when he spoke to the two of them. “Are you comfortable? Here?”

“Oh, yeah. Ansem set us up nice in your old room. If you don’t mind.”

“Why would I mind?”

Another shrug. “Oof, drool patrol.” He grabbed a tissue and dabbed at it. “She’s teething something wicked.”

“Maybe the next time you come you could bring me a book, so I could read to her.”

“She’d probably like that.”

Ienzo wrapped his arms loosely around her, and she let him. Feeling the warmth and weight of her--the subtle twitch of her limbs-- and hearing her little babbling eased this awful ache he’d had for so long. “I missed you,” he said to her. He kissed her head. “I missed you so much. I just… hope we can be a family now.”

“That would be nice,” he said softly. “Wouldn’t it?” The last part he repeated in a goofy voice, and Amalia laughed. “You think you’ll be okay?”

“Even’s optimistic. And I trust him.”

“He’s been up here almost constantly.”

“But the castle is… safe, for you two?”

“Oh, yeah. Magic users crawling out of the woodwork to help. I've still got some fight in me."

“I hope that soon I can be back on my feet, and start being a bigger part of her life.”

“One thing at a time.” Ienzo wondered if he was imagining the flatness in his eyes. “Isn’t that right, Li-li?”

---

It took Ienzo weeks to start feeling something resembling “normal.” For several nights the pain of his healing nerves kept him awake, but at least once it was through with he could limp around a little. He could play with Amalia a little more actively. Physical therapy made him somewhat stronger, and while he had to use a cane to walk more than a few steps, Even believed it would be gone before long.

Members of his family and the resistance ducked in and out. Ansem brought him books, briefed him on the situation as it developed. “Almost feels as though my skills to rule have grown rusty,” he admitted. “It is difficult to tell… which members of parliament left are lying, when they say they did not hold any allegiance towards Xehanort. I’m tempted to dissolve the whole thing and hold elections, but we simply can’t do so at the moment. Making sure our people are fed and safe and cared for is more important than politics at the moment. Thankfully the bordering nations have been kind enough to send along resources and medics.”

“I wish I could help,” Ienzo said. “Being here, waylaid and helpless --”

Ansem just patted his hand. “You jumpstarted a revolution, Ienzo,” he said.

“So I’m told, but I wonder if you all are exaggerating to salve my ego.”

The pat became more of a squeeze. “Control of Radiant Garden was crucial,” he said. “And you achieved that.”

“Only because Xehanort mortally wounded Demyx, and I reacted instinctively--were it not for that my whole plan would’ve collapsed--”

“Ienzo. Why are you being hard on yourself?”

He felt tears in his eyes. “These past six months… I’ve been sitting here in luxury playing silly mind games while my daughter grew up without me, while the rest of you suffered. ”

“You did the best you could with what you had--and you did pretty damn well. This guilt is pointless, Ienzo.”

“I… I know.”

“We are together now. We will rebuild. And I hope things will be better than they were before.”

He sniffled. “Is it over? Can it just be over?”

Ansem drew him into an embrace.

---

Spring began in earnest. Ienzo realized one morning as he woke in the infirmary that the lingering smell of darkness that had hung over Radiant Garden was gone, and a fresh rain brought in the sea air. He no longer needed the cane, but he tired easily, and his legs still ached tremendously. Once he was well enough, he insisted that he be more involved in the reconstruction, insofar as he could.

There was the reality of Xehanort’s youngest son’s experiments. Ienzo had purged the Heartless, but the poor people who had not been transformed were instead traumatized and in some cases catatonic. While there were doctors and psychologists willing to help them, it was hard to tell if they could be helped. Ansem organized national days of mourning for those who had been lost, and released the lists of names so families could have closure. The youngest son had kept meticulous records.

He asked community leaders to come forward with ideas as to help their nation move on. Darkness still existed; but now that people had hope, they were more willing to fight. That, and with the darkness easing, they were getting early signs that the planet could still heal. Ienzo swore he could feel its pulse, its life reaching up to his magic. He wished he did not feel so powerless.

“We don’t want things to go back to the way they were,” Ansem said in a broadcast. “Clearly, “normal” meant “suffering” for some. Darkness… only made that pain more obvious. If we wish to maintain the light, we must heal one another.”

Finally, Ienzo was well enough to go back to his rooms, and begin repairing his family… because it was going to take a lot of work. Amalia was more familiar with him, more comfortable, but still she always looked towards Demyx when she needed something.

And there was the matter of… Demyx.

At first Ienzo thought the distance between them was all paranoia on his part, but it became clear in the way Demyx spoke to him, especially when it came to their daughter. “You dressed her in that? She hates that one, it’s itchy against her scales.” “Sure. You can do that. I guess.” “Look, I know you’re trying, but strawberries give her gas .” “You let her nap too long. Now she’s not going to sleep through the night.” That, and the flatness in his eyes. It wasn’t openly unfriendly, but it lacked the warmth that they’d had before.

More straining than this, in some ways, was sharing a bed. Ienzo had honestly been looking forward to reconnecting on a physical level--he hoped it would help him sleep the deep way he had when they lived together--but that first night Demyx just rolled onto his side and fell asleep. He let it go a few nights, wondering if it were just a pain of readjustment, if he were just used to sleeping alone. Finally, he just got fed up and crawled over to spoon him, jerking him out of his sleep. “What are you--?”

“Trying to touch you?”

“Well could you please not?”

For a moment there was just silence.

Demyx exhaled heavily and ran his hand through his hair. “Look, I… I’m sorry for snapping. But I… I’m not comfortable .”

Ienzo swallowed and felt a lump in his throat. “Would you prefer I slept elsewhere?”

“No, it’s… it’s fine.”

Ienzo eased back to his side of the bed. He knew he would not be able to sleep. As it was, he was struggling not to cry.

The next day they behaved as normally as they could in front of their daughter, but when Ansem came and asked if he could spend some time with her, Ienzo agreed before Demyx could get a word in edgewise. “We need to talk,” Ienzo said.

Demyx wrinkled his nose. “Do we have to?”

“Yes. We do.” Ienzo was surprised to feel his temper flare, but he kept it in check. “Look, we’re… we’re parents, and we’re soulmates . A lot has happened, and you have a right to feel the way you do. But that can’t begin to heal if we keep ignoring it.”

He seemed to not know what to say.

“How do you feel, Demyx?” Ienzo asked.

He rubbed at his arm. “I feel like… I feel…” He swallowed. “Something’s just wrong ? With me?”

“You’re processing.”

“Not that. I don’t know. For a long time I just missed you so much it hurt, and I didn’t know how I was going to do any of it, be her dad, or…” He trailed off, a flush darkening his face. “And then I saw you again, and you were alive, and I was so happy and so relieved and I don’t know what happened since then. Something’s wrong.”

A suspicion slid into place, and Ienzo’s voice shook when he asked, “wrong how ?”

Tears flooded his eyes. “I don’t feel anything. When I look at you. You’re the father of my child. But it’s just… I feel like… I was meant to be her dad, but… I don’t know if I’m meant to be with you?” His voice quivered and broke. “I want to. I want to be in love with you again. But I…”

“I think I understand,” Ienzo said woodenly.

Demyx hesitated. He stared at Ienzo for a moment, and then he took a few steps forward and kissed him, hard.

And it was different.

Physically, it felt the same, the way they moved together. But it was just a nice kiss, without the heavy reassurance that yes , this is part of you, everything is safe, everything is okay.

In his mind’s eye, Ienzo saw Xehanort gouging him below the heart. “Oh,” he said softly.

“What’s wrong with me, Ienzo? Am I just depressed?”

“No,” he said. Numbly, he pulled away.

“...What?”

And then he started laughing.

“ What ?”

Once he began, he couldn’t stop, until tears were running down his face, and he couldn’t breathe, and somewhere the gasps of laughter became sobs, and he was curled in a ball on the floor. He felt Demyx’s hand on his back, warm but the touch was so wrong .

“Ienzo. What is it?”

He looked up. “Xehanort broke the soulbound.”

#heartlines #ienzo #demyx #zemyx #even (kingdom hearts)#ansem the wise #child oc - amalia

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hoodoo12 · 5 years ago

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Chapter 5 NSFW

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4

@turtlepated, @anyamercury, @beetlewise-and-pennyjuice

Beetlejuice fled the bathroom. Although he’d been imbued with some fine additional pluck when Lisette managed to blurt out the wrong part of his name over a week ago, he was still weak enough that he didn’t physically slam into the door or wall as he scrambled out. Still, something--a faint, errant puff of a air, a shadow moving by itself--must have alerted the woman in the bathtub, because she stopped what she was doing and sat up more fully.

Beetlejuice had seen more than enough to know she’d finished anyway.

Earlier, while he drifted in his favorite corner of her bedroom, she’d been writing in her stupid journal again. He’d been dozing, still trying to think how to slip his name onto her tongue. He was a bio-exorcist, damn it, and it was his nature to drive breathers out of a residence! But even with the extra vigor he’d been granted, he couldn’t actually do much of anything. He’d moved her things. He’d opened closed doors, and vice versa. Food was easy to spoil. But that was all child’s play, poltergeist bullshit. He needed something more than that, because he swore her dull presence and her lack of reaction to the babyish haunting he’d managed was making his lethargy worse.

Was she stupid or something? He’d have thought from her reaction when she touched him that she was at least slightly sensitive to otherworldly phenomenon, but she never grew upset, frustrated or confused by the little things he’d done to try and indicate his presence. She closed the doors he’d opened. She sighed at finding moldy bread and threw it away. She searched for her pens and didn’t seem alarmed when she found them in a closet, or under the sink, or in the tea kettle.

She’d found the crumpled, stained business card her journal. He knew she did, because it was on her bedside table now instead of where he’d left it. Not even its appearance gave her pause. What was with her? It was just his luck to have the dumbest, least aware person on the planet rent this fucking house.

Lost in his thoughts, Beetlejuice almost missed seeing Lisette get up, strip naked, and drop her clothes in a messy heap on the floor. When he realized what she’d done, it surprised him enough that she had time to walk out of the bedroom, nude, and down the hall to the bathroom before he caught up with her again.

She was bent over the claw foot bathtub, fiddling with the tap for some time to get the correct water temperature. Beetlejuice admired the view from behind, and seriously considered stepping up against her, taking her hips and giving her a little groin on ass thrust . . . just to see if he’d be noticed. What better way to introduce a tenant to the idea the house was haunted than being humped by an invisible entity?

But before he could attempt the maneuver, Lisette let the faucet run and left the room. Curious, Beetlejuice followed her down to the kitchen. Since she was still naked, he scurried past her on the stairs to get a better look at her front. Not that he hadn’t seen her nude before; he’d watched her bedtime routine and in the shower! People were always less shy when they thought they were alone! But he’d not seen the way her tits bounced as she took each step. Nor had he really seen how her thighs brushed together as she walked, which drew his attention to the thatch of hair at their junction--

Beetlejuice grinned and licked his teeth as he ogled, voyeuristically, at her.

She made her way into the kitchen. He watched her pick and choose from the little vials lined up on the counter--oh jesus, they were essential oils, weren’t they? Some kind of homeopathic, quackery horseshit, Beetlejuice thought, rolling his eyes--select two, grab the filled gallon jug that always sat on the counter plus another empty one, and head back upstairs.

Curious, and frankly a little aroused by her stark nudity, he continued to trail her. Watching her ass as she walked up the stairs was just as nice as seeing her from the front.

Once back in the bathroom, Lisette slowed the flow into the tub. She let a few drops from the tiny vials fall under the spray, filling the air with the scent of lavender and rose. She stuck a hand in the water already there, testing its depth and temperature, and then did some odd pouring and filling the water jugs: one to another, then topping it off with water from the tap, before pouring it into the tub. She repeated this convoluted process multiple times.

Beetlejuice couldn’t fathom the reasoning behind it. Maybe it had something to do with diluting the oils? It grew so repetitious he actually yawned and considered leaving the room. Just as he made his decision, however, Lisette finished, turned off the tap, and set the jugs down beside the tub.

Without the water running, it was suddenly quiet in the room. Steamy now, too. Lisette grabbed two towels, dropped them beside the tub, and stepped into it. She let out a sigh as she submerged herself in the warm water.

She relaxed in the bath, sighing again. Beetlejuice wandered closer to the bathtub, eager for an eyeful of the soaking wet woman.

Out of nowhere, Lisette exclaimed, “Oh shit!” and sat straight up in the tub, sloshing water out.

It startled him and Beetlejuice jumped backward. What was going on? Did she see him?!

“I forgot my book!” Lisette chided herself, clucking her tongue.

Beetlejuice felt the anticipatory hope that he’d affected her fade away. The water she splashed onto the floor would have drenched his legs if he’d had a physical form. As it was, he felt minor dampness and some warmth from it; that was a good sign that he was continuing to gain some strength, but it wasn’t enough.

Disappointed, he sat down in the pooled water that had been sloshed onto the floor.

Despite her obvious frustration she had nothing to read, Lisette didn’t climb back out of the bathtub. She hummed a little, and repeated those mostly mouthed prayers to herself with her eyes closed.

That caught Beetlejuice’s attention; there may be the possibility she’d slip and say shoggoth again. Or even--dare he hope?!--his name! She’d found the crumpled, stained card in her journal, hadn’t she? He didn’t remember it looking so ratty or singed around the edges, but it’d been through a lot and that didn’t matter anyway; the words were still legible.

Her lack of reaction to the card was vexing and curious. He’d watched her with bated breath as she sounded out the syllables in his name, but she had no voice at all while she did it; it was even quieter than her prayers. She hadn’t said his name yet, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t!

But he didn’t hear his name from her lips or feel the pull of it either; the rare times a breather had uttered his name it was like a harpoon driven into his gut. The word latched onto his spine like a hook and dragged him into the land of the living. It was a glorious mix of pain and pleasure, that feeling, made sweeter by the final destination he craved so much. He lost himself in the memory of it for a moment.

A tiny cry, just a decibel louder than her prayers, made him open his eyes again.

From his vantage point near the floor, he couldn’t see anything but the top of her head. She’d sunk deeper into the bath.

The same noise came from Lisette again, and Beetlejuice stood up to see what she had to be crying about.

The sight that greeted him made his jaw come unhinged.

She wasn’t crying. At least, not because she was upset.

Lisette had a hand between her legs. The other cupped her own breast, pinching her nipple to a hard peak. The fingers at her groin moved in circles, and she gave the same little cry every now and then.

Getting over his surprise, Beetlejuice put his hands on the edge of the tub to lean over it a bit. Lisette didn’t react, of course, except to move her hand a little faster, which he didn’t think was for his benefit, even if he liked it. The water in the bath sloshed with her movements, and that plus the position of her leg obscured his vision of the action. With no hesitation, Beetlejuice left the floor to hover over the bathtub for a less obstructed view.

Now he could see her entire body, laid out in the confines of the cast iron tub. She hadn’t dunked her head, but the hair underwater floated around her shoulders. Her eyelids fluttered and her gaze was vacant; she was more focused on her body than her surroundings. Both nipples were tightened and occasionally broke the surface of the water as her movements became less restricted. The hand between her legs moved further down, and she opened her legs and braced her knees against the sides of the tub as her fingers explored more.

Above her, the front of his trousers were suddenly too tight. Beetlejuice popped the button and unzipped them, freeing his cock, pulling on it leisurely.

Lisette had no clue he was watching her in this private moment, nor that he was stroking himself as he did. She was lost in the pleasure of her own making. Beetlejuice could tell when she breached herself with her own fingers; she gasped more loudly and lifted her hips at the same time. Her hand moved with greater intent then, and her moans matched it.

Beetlejuice’s own hand did too. The fabric of his clothing was annoying, but there also something wicked about jerking off with all his clothes still on and just his dick out. He supposed moral breathers would consider it perverted or dirty, but he couldn’t care less. They’d obviously never tried it.

Lisette’s other hand released her nipple and snaked down to her groin as well. The first still thrust into her; the second found the spot that made her cry out. Her voice was fuller now as she stimulated herself both ways. She continued to keep the tension in her legs so they were open but tight against the sides of the bathtub to support herself, and that gave Beetlejuice a much better view than if she’d closed her thighs over her hand.

His hand gripped and released his cock. It was hard to match her movements now, as fast as they were, so he focused on the head, giving it a twist every now and then interspersed with a stroke. He imagined being between her legs, her pussy engulfing his cock, so warm against his cold skin it would almost feel like putting his cock in fire. It would be so fucking amazing to sink balls’ deep into her cunt--

Lisette tensed entirely with a prolonged cry. Before she relaxed, Beetlejuice came too, with a groan she didn’t hear, spilling his release into his hand. It’d been so long since he’d jerked off with a live woman present it felt like his balls emptied. In the tub, Lisette let all the tension she’d been holding go, savoring the last of her orgasm. Everything below him became still.

As his cock pulsed through the last of its ejaculation, a drop of semen fell from his hand and ‘plopped!’ right into the water between her knees.

It was audible, and because his ejaculate was more viscous than water, it twisted and made a trail as it sank.

Lisette lifted her head with a startled expression. She stared at the now dissipating drop, then looked up.

She didn’t see him. She couldn’t see him! Beetlejuice thought with a mix of frustration and disappointment. There was actual physical proof of him! She stared right at him, floating above her, exposed with his dick in his hand, then her eyes continued upward passed him to the ceiling before dropping them back down to the water with her eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement.

With an annoyed growl, Beetlejuice went back to the floor. It seemed so close! She had to have seen something! He shoved himself back into his trousers, wiped his hand peevishly on one of the towels she’d dropped on the floor and left the bathroom. Still overcome with frustration, he barely heard Lisette lift herself higher out of the tub.

He definitely did not see her looking at the doorway after him.

tbc

#beetlejuice #betelguese #writing #fanfiction #movie beetlejuice #musical beetlejuice

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farcryfuckmeup · 5 years ago

Note

What are the odds that Jake has a distaste for thunder storm? Not so much the storm but the trigger it is to his memory .-. What if Jake has an episode and Dep helps him through it??

A Crack of Lightning and a Gentle Storm

TW: PTSD, ANXIETY

wc: 1,621

here’s my MASTERLIST of all my other stuff!

When the rain started to fall, you hadn't thought much of it. Storms rolled through Hope County every now and then, it was just a matter of waiting it out. You weren't irked because of the rain, but rather because of what it had interrupted.

He'd been tracking you through the Whitetails, as rumor had started to spread that you were up to something especially no good today, and he had to be honest with himself...he didn't want to lose anymore Chosen on a task as small as hunting you down.

It wasn't until a bright light cause his arm to cover his face and his body to jerk away, followed by a loud crack and the creaking of a falling tree, that he realized it wasn't going to be worth his time to track you in this weather.

"Fucking Deputy." He mumbled to himself as he took in his surroundings, his heart starting to pound a little harder in his chest. Jacob knew he needed to find some shelter, that or head back to the Veteran's Center. There was no way in hell he was going to give you a head start by retreating, so he wandered through the pouring rain until he came upon an abandoned cabin.

There were plenty of those these days it seemed, sitting empty either with or without the owners' possessions left behind. Jacob mumbled angrily to himself as he made his way up to the door, quietly ranting about you and all the shit you'd caused for the Project. All the stress you caused Joseph, the anger you fueled in John, the hurt you put upon Faith. To Jacob, you were a nuisance, someone whose goal was to hurt his family. He briefly thought of their father, inflicting pain upon Joseph for reading comics, whipping Jacob for each word he talked back with, refusing to let John have snack despite how skinny he'd looked.

Jacob approached the cabin slowly, listening for any signs that someone could, in fact, be squatting there. It wasn't an uncommon thing to find Resistance members or even Project members taking shelter in abandoned or donated homes.

He pushed open the door and poked his head in almost simultaneously with you doing the same to the back door directly across from him.

Both of you quickly raised your handguns, aiming it at each other as you stepped into the house. Eyes were narrowed, fingers resting on you triggers.

"Well, well fancy seeing you here Wolf Boy." Jacob felt his eye twitch at your voice, but he didn't dare look away to roll his eyes and show his distaste at your remark.

"Is that really the best you can do? Or has all that time spent underwater in an attempt to baptize you left you braindead?" Jacob sneered back, his entire body flinching ever so slightly as another crack of thunder shook the cabin.

An unreadable emotion crossed the eldest Seed’s features as his grip tightened around his handgun.

“Can we not do this when there’s the possibility of you accidentally shooting me? That or accurately shoot me so that I die properly.” Your words were insensitive and snarky but it was tight with worry. You could see the quick rise and fall of Jacob’s chest. The pupils of his eyes shrunken with…could it be anxiety?

Did Jacob Seed experience anxiety? He had been to war, obviously had a hefty amount of PTSD. Of course, he did. Despite how terrible of a person he was, Jacob was still human.

“I don’t miss.” Jacob barked at the Deputy, his temper flaring as he watched you holster their gun. He didn't want you to back down. Despite chasing each other and his siblings all over Hope County, you had mutual respect and understanding for each other. You never fought unfairly. You were equals. Even if Jacob did view you as a tool in the grand scheme of things.

“I know you don’t, okay? Just…put that thing away before you do somethin’ you’ll regret.” You very slowly and carefully raised your hands away from your gun belt and towards the big bad man that stood on the opposite end of the cabin. You didn't totally understand why you were doing this. Maybe it was because since you'd stepped foot in Hope County, nightmares had plagued you as well. Everything that had happened in this middle-of-nowhere Montana area had started changing you into someone you didn't recognize. Someone harder, more violent, less and more feeling at the same time.

Jacob's expression was guarded and cautious. He was just as puzzled as you that you had put your weapon away. Normally you never let your guard down like this. It was something Jacob admired you for. You were constantly watching your back and others', always had some sort of witty comeback for the Seeds, and never let yourself be vulnerable. At least not around any members of the Project. Certainly not around himself or his siblings.

You were slowly inching towards Jacob with your hands still held up in surrender, but you lunged for him as another boom of thunder split both of your ears, the flash of lightning illuminating the fear on both your faces with dark shadows. You lunged for the older Seed as his fingers tightened around his gun. A round fired into the wooden floor as you wrangled for the weapon.

"Jacob stop! Give me the gun!" Your voice was nearly drowned out by the storm raging outside, but you were in a close enough proximity for him to hear you. His fingers wouldn't budge and when his shoulder collided with your sternum, you realized they had to act before either one of you got seriously hurt.

"Sorry Jake." You mumbled before bringing your knee up to his crotch, causing him to sink to his knees with a groan. His grip slackened just long enough for you to yank the red and black pistol from his hands and toss it halfway across the cabin. You knelt down next to Jacob, who was still clearly feeling the blow you'd given him. You felt a little bad that it had been such a cheap shot, but at the same time, he was still a villainous ass.

You touched his shoulder gently, noticing how his entire body tensed up at the contact. You fought back the urge to recoil and move a safe distance away from Jacob, and instead shifted your hand down to his bicep and wrapped your fingers around it.

"Come on. Let's get off the floor before we cause the foundation to sink in." Your voice was loud over the rain, yet it was gentle at the same time. Your heart was pounding in your chest and you could tell Jacob's was too. A vein in his neck pulsed erratically, the apples of his cheeks slightly flushed underneath the scarred tissue.

He let you help him up nevertheless, both of you dragging each other to the nearby sofa. You sunk into the cushions together, groaning at the fact that you were finally off your feet. It had been a long day of running, chasing, hiding, and fighting. Just another day in the life of the Rookie of Hope County.

When Jacob leaned against you, your body froze. His big stature wasn't as heavy as you thought it would be with his shoulder leaning into yours the way it was. You could feel his body shift with each breath he inhaled and exhaled.

"Do you have any idea how fucked up this is?" You muttered softly as Jacob's body slowly began to relax against yours, but you found yourself sinking into the couch with him.

"The world is even more fucked if you want to argue for it." Jacob spoke up, his chest rumbling with a chuckle. His head was shaking though as he did so. He knew it was a bad thing that you were so comfortable with each other in private, and so did you. There was only a handful of ways this whole war played out in the end, and very few of those were considered good.

"And if I want to argue against it?" Jacob turned his head to look at you as he shifted on the sofa. His arm slipped behind your back and around your shoulders, angling your body towards him as he scooted you over. You rested your head against his chest and took a deep breath.

"Don't." You couldn't help but laugh a few notes at Jacob's simple answer. But with one word, he said many. You understood what he meant. Don't talk about what needs to be. Just enjoy the privacy they have right now. Revel in the blissful ignorance that there is a war going on outside these walls.

"Then I won't." You replied before huffing and closing your eyes, the warmth of Jacob's body seeping into your rain-soaked clothes. His were dripping too, clinging to his skin, but his body heat still managed to offer you some measure of comfort.

When you woke, the first thing you realized was how warm it was. The second was that there was no longer a comfortable human being underneath you. You opened your eyes, rubbing them as you felt your heart squeeze in your chest.

You started to roll over but found your legs trapped by something. Your first thought was that the dickhead had tied you up to get a headstart (not that he'd need one). Instead, you found his signature camo shirt draped over you like a blanket.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" You mumbled to yourself as you sat up, but pulled the shirt on nevertheless.

#thunderstorm ask #jacob seed ask #anon ask #ask farcryfuckmeup #requests #headcanons #match-ups #far cry 5 fanfiction #jacob seed x deputy #gender neutral deputy #jacob seed x reader #tw: ptsd #tw: anxiety

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ask-elementalhermitcraft · 6 years ago

Text

O V E R C L O C K

Hello! Mod Seagrass here, posting another story for your viewing pleasure. Hope you enjoy! OVERCLOCK ( 2.9k ; hurt/comfort) In the former fic, I explored the details of the interaction between redstone and electricity/lightning. In Overclock, that power is taken to an extreme--with devastating consequences. TW: injury, electrocution, rather graphic description of pain

They’re all fighting their best. It’s just a skirmish battle, nothing special, but who would they be if they didn’t put 100% into each and every fight? Habituality is the enemy of creativity, Joe’s said, and they’re inclined to stick by what he says even if they are on different sides. He’s always been a smart man.

Speaking of Joe, the other’s hunched over someone’s body trying to heal the nasty after effects of electrocution. He’s sorry, he thinks. But in the words of Joe himself, All’s fair in love and war.

—

Doc had called Mumbo over, with a glint in his eyes, and for a second he panics: had he been found out? Had he been discovered, as the mole he was? It’s an entirely logical path to take, he thinks. After all, Doc’s a pretty scary guy when he’s mad; wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of that.

He can’t hurt Mumbo directly with his element, seeing as how Mumbo would just get powered up by the charge, but he’s got plenty of other teammates that could do whatever damage they wanted without repercussions—and considering the loyalty that they’ve got to their leader (not you not you not you), it wouldn’t be a fun time.

There’s a gentle shk-shk sound, and Mumbo picks his way over to see a stack of papers spread out on the table and a small stack of fireworks. “So, what’s all this for?” He’s relieved out of his mind that those are not his personal papers that somehow Doc had discovered.

“We’ve received intel that they’re going to hit on our southern border at around 20 ticks this night. Not too bad, from what I’ve heard, but still—a loss of a pet bird stings the same as the loss of a loved one.”

Mumbo had known that already, had been warned to stay out of this fight if he could. They didn’t want him getting accidentally hurt in a struggle, and risk outing himself. He’d been very, very careful to avoid taking pain medicine in any way when around team STAR, for fear of his mouth blabbering something the rest of him resolutely did not want to say, but accidents did happen—better to stay on the safe side.

“And we’re going to…?”

“We’re going to fight back, of course. Don’t want to get into another fight, but that’s how it is,” he says with a shrug. “Ready?”

Ah. Damn. “Where’s the others?”

“Don’t need ‘em, I think. I wouldn’t want to bother them, it’s better for them to get their sleep. And just between you and me, we both know you weren’t sleeping tonight anyways.”

His blood runs ice-cold. He couldn’t have, he was so careful—

“Lighten up, man. Meant nothing by it, just wanted to say that I’ve noticed you’re a light sleeper. Now, are we ready or not?”

He nods. Better get this over with. “Yeah, let me just grab my gear. I’ll be ready in a few.”

Tucking a notebook into his suit, Mumbo rushes to grab whatever he can. Emergency supplies, healing items, the like. Hopefully they wouldn’t hit as hard, since they knew him…

—

The moon’s rising high over the swamp, and all that she hears is the sound of crackling thunder striking down again and again. It’s just him and Doc, and he’s fallen easily into his role: provide defense to match Doc’s offense.

He knows that G-Team would have most likely more members than they did, but he couldn’t quite manage to see them, is all. Joe’s here, he knows; wouldn’t want to leave their main healer behind. Iskall’s here, obviously—of course they’d bring him to a damned swamp biome. He suspects Stress is here, he can hear a quiet shattering sound echoing every now and then. And Grian’s here too, giving him a panicked glance before taking off again to try to channel some power towards Mumbo to knock him off his feet.

A powerful group, to be sure. He was almost hoping that he and Doc would be beat quickly and they could go back to the base. Luck, it seemed, had other plans.

—

The tide of battle changes rapidly when Doc realizes the swamp water conducts electricity. So far he’s been directing it at various hermits, most often Grian (he whispers in an aside to Mumbo, take out the leader and you take the whole team out) but it’s been doing minimal damage and Doc’s not willing to use their trump card quite yet.

It’s understandable, then, how his eyes light up upon the crackle that rises from the earth when he slams his trident down in frustration. Eyes darting to the side, he asks a silent question: Do you see? Can you see the potential? Mumbo nods, torn. His team or victory.

Doc’s either too absorbed to notice the conflict, or just doesn’t care. He yells silent victory to the moon, and buries the trident into the earth with a shout: “Have fun!”

It takes a while for it to sink in, but Doc is steadfast. He’s clutching the trident between his hands so tight his knuckles are whitening, supercharging it up with thousands of volts at once and dear lord it’s terrifying to watch. It’s quickly becoming a beacon in the middle of the swamp, and G-Team draws out of the shadows, attracted by the light as moths to a flame.

He almost cries out a warning then, cries out that this will hurt bad. It’s fine for him, he thinks. It’s fine for him to get thousands of volts running through his body—it just recharges him, tips him over his natural limit and grants him a rush of almost unlimited power. For his team? It’ll be bad. Doc won’t hurt them seriously enough to be out of commission forever (for all his power, he’s not a harsh or cruel man), and he sees Joe as a silent sparrow perched in a birch tree, but the experience is still quite harrowing—and he’d prefer to spare his team that pain.

He pushes it down. Pushes down the cry on his lips, and taps Doc on the shoulder—should he take to the trees? Doc responds with a nod. Hit Grian while he’s down, he says in his eyes. Remember. It’s like a house of cards—one falls and they all fall with it. He doesn’t want to, but. They should understand.

He flees.

—

He’s sitting next to Joe, who’s checking him for any injuries and quietly tsk’ing over scratches from months ago. He misses him, he thinks. They’ll be “enemies” again in a second, but it’s nice to snatch moments like this where he can.

Mumbo knows what moment he’s waiting for. Could see it in Doc’s eyes as clear as anything. He’s waiting for Grian to land, to come face Doc in the swamp. Grian’s flight is limited, free as though he might seem, and it must run out eventually.

When Grian lands, knees bent, a picture of perfect poise, several things happen in rapid succession.

Joe tenses up next to him.

The rest of G-Team floods out of the relative safety of the boggy swampland, joining Grian in the water.

A ripple runs along the riverbank, heading for Doc. (Iskall’s a smart one, he thinks. Good man.)

Doc notices the ripple, bares his teeth in some semblance of a grin, and twists the trident.

And then.

And then, electricity lights up the night sky brighter than day.

It arcs and sweeps across the water, jumping and twisting and weaving around like it was almost eager to free itself.

It runs through the water, through the millions of particles of water, and strikes G-Team like star come down from the heavens.

It hits Iskall first. It hits him as he’s attempting to manipulate this biome further into their favor, it hits him underwater and hits him hard. When he comes back up (after a long time, too long, he thinks) he’s gasping and his body is sparking all over like he’s about to explode. The pain’s clear in his eyes, and he flees from the water, dragging himself out with a pained grimace and clenched teeth. One down.

The electricity snakes towards Stress next. She’s got a little more warning, not quite the brutal direct hit Iskall took, but she’s equally ineffective in the face of the combination of devastating power and the perfect medium to deliver it. Ice forms under her feet as she tries to freeze the water fast enough to stop the electricity and fast enough for her to get away, but the speed at which the electricity arrives—it shatters under her like glass. It frames her face in a strange halo for half a second before slamming her to the ground under its force, and she manages to gather her wits enough to stumble off the swamp, thin snow-melt ice under her; hands trembling and voice shaking as she calls a warning to Stay out of the water, for the love of god, (watch yourself watch yourself and maybe you won’t get hurt the way we did).

Joe’s watching, horrified, for half a second before he snaps out of his trance and sprints to them to do what he can. They’re healing up, slowly, and would probably try to get back into battle later—but that doesn’t matter now. What matters is Grian, and Doc standing across from him with the same grin carved into his face.

He’s in shock, Mumbo thinks. At how fast his team was taken out, at how they knew of the attack. It’s the split second of hesitation before he unfurls his wings to try to take off again that seals his fate.

Grian crouches down, ready to leap up, and a single tip of his wings skim the water. Doc twists the trident again, forcefully, and then. Blue lightning leaps up, eagerly waiting to consume and twist and burn whatever it can find. And it happens to find Grian’s wings dipped ever-so-slightly into the water.

There’s a charred scent in the air, and Grian’s eyes are blown wide open. He can see the moon. There’s a little sound, and then. He tips over, falling into the water. Doc hurriedly shuts off the power (that much all over his body would hurt him more than was necessary or recoverable, he thinks) and gestures, searching the trees with his eyes.

Joe’s got his hands tied with the other two, and Grian’s just lying there. Not able to get up, not able to take off, essentially dead in the water, he thinks in some sort of morbid humor. He doesn’t want to hurt Grian. Neither does Doc, he knows, but Mumbo’s got the barrier of his mole status to fight through every single time he looks to injure with intent. He takes a deep breath (sorry sorry sorry) and steps out behind Grian, about to thrust his hand forward and bring him down even further, when.

Stress shouts, “Go! Get up!” and sends a wave of ice through her scream to lift Grian in the air. It boosts him up, launches him into the air, and Grian shakes out his waterlogged, heavily injured wings in the brief time Stress bought him enough to gain a few feet into the air.

No! If he fights, they all fight, and I can’t have the battle continuing. I can’t risk it. (They can’t get hurt further by me and Doc.)

He justifies it that way in his head, justifies leaping up behind his figure silhouetted in the moonlight to deliver a blow with redstone he has ready to Grian’s head—hopefully enough to knock him out.

It’s at that moment Doc lets out a cry of anger, and sends a bolt streaking through the air above Grian’s head to force him to flinch out of the air. It’s at that moment he slams his trident in frustration into the water again. And it’s at that moment that Mumbo accidentally takes the strike meant for Grian, and slams into the water. The still charged water. The water which is currently overflowing with raw elemental power, and looking for an outlet.

He thinks he’s fine for the brief half second he sinks into the water, thinks he’ll be able to stand it as he’s done before and maybe even receive some sort of boost. Those thoughts are dispelled in the next instant.

—

Energy’s flowing through his body and out, circling and cycling through with no regard for the mortal vessel it’s being held in, and he thinks he understands what death is.

he feels the moon

the stars

the water, the sky, the universe, he thinks he tastes blood on his lips.

he can’t taste much of anything now, he thinks. he’s raw power, unfiltered, screaming to be let free to be let out to be uncaged

He thinks he forgot his name. Did he have one?

He’s the universe. He’s the starry night blinking out a message. He’s a signal, a beacon, every single message sent out in the universe, desperately seeking a response, it hurtsithurtsithurts

He’s just a mass of carbon of raw spacedust crumbling as the sky turns and the earth turns or maybe they’re one and the same and he’s just a dot in the universe

He’s falling apart the longer it goes on, he thinks. Or maybe he doesn’t. He can’t tell anymore, the difference between him and the ground and the water he can’t remember what he was doing

He thinks he hears screaming, from far beyond. From the edge of the world, maybe.

There’s too much power arcing through him, too much for him to handle, there’s no way to direct it because how can you direct the ocean? Without direction it’s unhinged, just passing through, using him as a train station, leaving pain and pain and pain in its wake.

Hey, something shouts. Hey, no, wake up, you’re not dying on my watch, d’you hear me? Wake up! Wake up! You have to wake up!

He wants to. Maybe. It’d hurt more if he opened his eyes, right? It’d be a lot easier to just give himself over to the raw power clearly looking to burn and consume anything in its wake. He can’t tell what he wants anymore.

I don’t care if it hurts! Wake UP! Joe, work faster, please, I swear I’m not trying to rush you but do you hear it? The stuff he’s saying?

He doesn’t know what’s happening. Should he be awake? He tries to pry his eyes (eyes?) open, and is immediately greeted with overwhelming pain. Everything is too much, too bright too dark too cold too hot and he can’t stand it, he thinks that the overload that had been streaming through his body would almost be preferable. “Oh, thank God, you’re finally awake.” Who…?

Joe looks up from his work to glare at Mumbo. He gives a small, tight-lipped shake of the head, speaking a thousand words in a gesture. Had G-Team lost then?

“Hey. Hey. Look at me. How many fingers am I holding up.” He’s starting to recognize faces and shapes again, which means he unfortunately has the displeasure of seeing Doc’s face looming over him. “I won’t hesitate to slap you awake again.”

He opens his mouth, hoping he hasn’t forgotten how to talk, and croaks out, “Four.”

“Good. You’re awake and coherent, that’s gotta count for something—right?” Doc’s voice lilts up in worry on the last phrase, and Mumbo wonders: what exactly…happened? “You don’t know?” Oh. He’d said it aloud.

Doc’s face tightens. “To put it in short terms, you took the bolt I aimed above Grian. I was supercharged, already had been from the power I took earlier, and when that combined with you, that hit hard. Hard enough to knock you out of the air. Normally, it would’ve been fine, I like to think.” Oh. Then what— “When you fell down into the water, you took the full force of the power I’d discharged into it. Remember, I slammed my trident into the water earlier? That had kept the water sparking, electricity looking for an outlet. And, well. You happened to be there when you did.”

“Why aren’t I dead, Doc?” He thought he had been, maybe. He didn’t know.

“I think you responded that way to my powers because of the unique way our elements interact. I don’t know. Don’t care, really,” he said. His voice was tight with some emotion—anger? It seemed they’d either lost or reached some sort of draw, seeing as how Joe was currently over at his side.

“Listen, I’m really very sorry for what happened, it was a simple mistake. I’ll work in the future to avoid clashing like that, sorry—” Mumbo gets cut off by Joe standing up.

“You should be stable. Take care of yourself, Mumbo,” he says, giving him another look. “No deaths on my watch.” Joe walks over to G-Team, where Stress and Iskall are supporting a limping Grian, and starts to take the trek back to their base.

Mumbo looks to break the awkward silence settling between them. “Anyways, yeah, like I said, sorry about all that—”

Doc leans over and grabs him in an even more awkward hug, then lets go in an instant.

“I, uh, —”

“Listen. I wasn't mad because we didn’t win the battle or whatever. I was worried, understand?”

Mumbo sits in silence.

“A good leader looks out for their team. Remember that. And, for what it’s worth? I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

“Let’s go back to base. Recuperate before the next battle.”

117 notes · View notes

bards-witcher · 6 years ago

Text

Shipwrecked - Ohmtoonz

Basically all the guys are pirates and Ohm’s a merman. Thanks to @rainstorm67 for the inspiration.

As always I hope you enjoy :D and if you like this you can find all my fics here to wonder through.

[Luke POV]

“I can’t wait to get off this goddamn boat”

He heard Delirious muffle his laugh next to him, the both of them currently on their hands and knees scrubbing the top deck, he was starving, the captain having decided that neither of them should be fed alongside their punishment. Normally he hated the looks of pity the crew would throw his way at his predicament, but he had no mind to complain when every now and then they’d chuck them the odd vegetable scrap whilst the Captain had his back turned.

“You love it really” He couldn’t help but snort at Delirious’ comment, they’d been in some shitty situations in the past but nothing like this.

“Only when we’re with a captain who actually knows what the fuck he’s doin’, if we weren’t a couple days from land I’d fuckin’ mutiny” The way his friend paled at his comment showed how he took the statement a lot more seriously, worry making its way onto his face.

“Not so loud, you don’t know who’s listenin’. Just keep your mouth shut until we reach land, I don’t wanna die cause of your big mouth”

“I don’ give a fuck, nobody ‘ere like him either, I could snap my fingers and have everyone on my side in a second” Even as he said those words he felt the weight of them get heavier, barely registering the sound of footsteps approaching him until they stopped right in front of him, at which he could only mutter a swear and pray to every god he knew.

“Is that so Cartoonz?” The malice in those words sent a shiver down his spine and he hated how weak he felt in this moment, helpless but to look up at the man now looming over him.

“Is that what, sir?”

The Captain huffed a laugh above him “You’ve got balls I’ll give you that. Now, what’s this about a mutiny?” An onslaught of curses sounded in his head and in the corner of his eye he could see Delirious reach for the knife he kept in his boot.

“Think you may need to go back inside sir, sun’s clearly gotten to your head, no word of a mutiny here” In the background, he could hear a couple of the crew members try to muffle their laughter, but he knew with those words he’d sealed his fate. He cast one more apologetic glance towards Delirious before Gorilla blocked his view.

He let out the breath he’d been holding, he knew Gorilla would stop Delirious from doing anything stupid meaning that his friend wouldn’t follow the same fate he did.

“I’m going to miss your jokes Cartoonz, but all good things must come to an end. Seize him” He felt strong hands grab his arms and pull them behind his back, he didn’t bother struggling, knew it wouldn’t make a difference, he only made sure to spit at the captain as he was pushed past, getting a sick sense of satisfaction when it hit him in the eye.

“Nice shot” He heard the words whispered to him, the thick accent telling him that it was Brian who would be taking him to the chopping block. He felt rope being tied around his wrists before he felt his ankles also being bound together, in the back of his mind he noted how Brian had given him a bit of wiggle room in his binds, silently thanking the Irishman before he finished. “For what it’s worth, I would ‘a sided wit’ ya” He felt a final pat on his shoulder before he was lifted and left to stand on the plank that would signal his doom.

“Any final words Cartoonz?”

He gave one final glance around the crew, people he’d come to appreciate and respect over their time together and he’s sure that under the right circumstances they could’ve dominated the seven seas, but that was for another lifetime.

“I think fuck you sums it up pretty well”

“Very well, Wildcat, if you will” The fact that the captain didn’t have the balls to push him over himself, was just salt in the wound. He noticed the brief hat tip Tyler gave him before picking up the stick that would send him over, and it was only a second later that he felt himself being pushed into the waters below him.

The cold water hit him like a train, instantly taking any air out of him upon impact and he was quick to start struggling in an effort to escape his binds. Despite Brian having made them loose, no matter how much he tried he couldn’t get his hands free, and with every second he descended further into the cold unforgiving depths, his lungs screaming for air.

It’s when he has no energy left to fight when he swears that he can feel his body start to shut down, that he sees a figure approach him. It’s when dots start to color his vision and he feels on the cusp of unconsciousness that he feels a hot searing pain on his right eye and even with no air left he manages to scream in the water until the salty water hit the back of his throat.

Before he knows it he’s coughing water out of his mouth and throat before taking deep breaths of air, paying no mind to his surroundings as he tries to get air back into his lungs. When he’s finally got some semblance of control back again he looks at his surrounding, realising that he is both still bound and underwater.

Before he could question what was happening he felt his arms be cut free and in the next moment his legs as well before a figure swam up in front of him and it took all semblance of control not to react.

He could only describe the creature in front of him as some form of merman, he could make out a large green tail from the waist down, almost camouflaged in the water, only able to see it due to the few rays of sunshine that reached far enough to glitter off of their scales. The upper half looked like any other person, broad chest, two arms and a thick head of hair that despite its short length still managed to flow with the water. He noticed the scars that littered not only his chest but his tail as well, showing how he was no stranger to battle.

“I hope we are well met, Luke Patterson”

A multitude of questions ran through his head and he was struggling with which one should take precedence, but when no answer was forthcoming the creature in front of him continued.

“We’ve been watching your ship for a while now, my kin and I. Your Captain has something of great value to us, our King, and we’d like him returned to us”

The sentence did little to answer his questions, instead adding another ten on top of that until he felt like his brain was going to explode.

“I am a merman of the Atlantic clan, normally we don’t venture so close to land or the surface, but this is of great importance. The reason you can breathe under the water is because I branded your eye, however, only in the presence in one of my kind will you be able to use this gift. So, will you help us?”

“So, let me get this straight, first you stalked me, then branded me a like a bit of cattle and now you want me to help your asses out? I’d rather die thanks” He felt confident in his words, confidence that quickly diminished at the malicious grin that spread across the merman’s face.

“Well I wouldn’t have put it so crudely, but yes, and it wasn’t a request. If you’d prefer we’d quite happily leave you to drown again before we start poking holes in that ship and picking off the people on it like fish in a barrel.” He felt a sickening feeling rise up in his throat, but the merman hadn’t finished yet. “A fun game we used to play would be how far could we drag a person underwater before the pressure causes their lungs to collapse, I hear it can be quite painful” The last part was whispered to him and even though he was in the water he felt an even colder shiver run down his spine, the merman moving behind him to place two hands on his shoulders. “I wonder how long Jonathon would last? 100 feet? 200? Maybe you could keep track for us?”

“I’ll do it”

“Wonderful” the merman then swam back in front of him, a bright smile on its face that did very little to reassure him “I would’ve hated to see such a waste of a fine specimen like yourself”

“Can we just get this over with please?”

“Eager aren’t we, first we must wait for nightfall and then another of my kin will join us to get you onboard, after that it’s up to you. Try not to let us down, we’re not known for our generosity”

All he could do was nod before he felt long arms wrap around him, not having a chance to protest before they were moving, the merman carrying them both surprisingly fast through the water until they caught up with the boat he’d been thrown off of not 15 minutes earlier.

It wasn’t too hard to keep pace with it after that, waiting for what felt like hours below the water's surface until he could finally return to the ship he’d called home for the last few months.

********************************************************************

He carefully walked across the top deck, maneuvering himself best he could to avoid the areas he knew would creak a little too loudly, before quietly making his way below the deck to see the person he cared for most.

It had been relatively easy getting onto the ship, he was surprised to see the merman shift their tails into legs, but he had little time to question them before he was hauled over one of their shoulders and they began to scale up the side of the large ship, letting him climb up and over the edge before descending back into the water.

He stopped in front of the door he knew his friends were behind, briefly listening to the sounds of Delirious’s’ muffled talking occasionally mixed with someone else in the crew, with a deep breath he gently pushed the door open, taking a step inside only to be met with the blank stares of the crew.

“Evening gentlemen, did I miss much?” He whispered the words, not wanting to alert the captain of his presence but he was only met with confused stares and whispers between one another. It was Delirious who came up to him first, he thought that this would be one of the handful of times that they’d hug it out but instead, he was met by anger in his friends’ gaze.

“If the Captain weren’t in his chambers right now I’d punch the fuck outta you, what the hell were you thinking?” He didn’t have time to answer, as despite his words Delirious leaned forward and pulled him into a tight hug which he was happy to reciprocate, the two of them just holding one another until they heard a cough come from somewhere in the room. “How the fuck are you even here? How’d you get that scar?”

“Gimme a moment to get my bearings and I’ll tell you everythin’” He then gave a final pat to Delirious’s’ shoulder before he made his way around the crew giving each of them a small greeting before he was once again by Delirious’s’ side.

“Brian get the Rum, you guys are gonna need it to believe a word I’m gonna tell ya”

Once glasses were distributed and everyone was seated he told them what happened, about the bitterly cold water and the searing hot pain, the mission he had been assigned almost as if he had made a deal with the devil.

Despite the outlandish nature of his tale, everyone seemed sullen and serious like they fully understood the gravity of the situation they were now in, that if they didn’t rescue the merman from this ship they were dead men.

Over the course of the night, they made their plans, silently thanking his luck that the majority of people on this ship hated the captain as much as he did. Their plan wasn’t foolproof, it was haphazard at best but it’s all they could manage in the short time they had, not realizing how long it had taken before Moo came down to tell them that it was almost sun up. It was almost showtime.

It’s when they’re rushing around the cabin gathering their supplies that they’re caught, the captain stood in the doorway sword aimed at his throat with a sick grin on his face.

“What a surprise to see you here Cartoonz, it appears you’ve had quite the adventure since we last met” He motioned towards his eye with his sword, barely flinching away in time to stop the sword grazing against his face. “Now, whilst I’d love to hear all about it we’re making landfall tomorrow and there’s a lot to be done, we can’t be having a traitor around here spreading lies amongst my crew now can we”

He refused to answer, instead hoping the sheer fury in his eyes would be enough to convey his hatred for the man in front of him.

“Nothing to say? Fine, makes my life easier. Satt, take him up top and tie him up, with chains this time. See if you can find something to weigh him down with as well, there’s a good lad” He saw the young man in the doorway simply give a nod before scurrying off to who knows where. “As for you lot, you’re lucky I don’t throw you over with him, but I can’t go losing half my crew can I? See I’m not that cruel am I?”

He just about heard the snort come from Delirious, even in the face of adversity he still stuck true to himself.

“What are you still standing around for? Up top NOW” He watched his friends come to life around him, picking up the last of their belongings before making their way out and onto the top deck of the ship, leaving just him and the captain still stood in the room. “I had such high hopes in you Cartoonz”

Again, he didn’t answer, instead, he spat in his eye much as he’d done yesterday, earning him a hard slap across the face which caused him to lose balance for a moment. Before he could recover the Captain grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him out of the room and out onto the deck where he was met with the sight of his friends standing in a line ready to watch him die…again.

The captain shoved him towards the direction of the plank, and he would’ve fallen flat on his face had it not been for Satt quickly grabbing hold of him. He quietly thanked the man who only gave him a half-apologetic smile before binding him in his chains, and it wasn’t too long before he found himself on the edge of the plank again, watching the water churn below him.

“Any last words Cartoonz? I hope you don’t make a habit out of this”

He briefly glanced back, noticing some of the crew with their hands on their weapons, giving him a brief nod showing that they were ready and waiting for when he came back.

“See ya tomorrow” He then jumped of his own accord into the cold waters below and once again he found himself struggling futilely against the chains.

It wasn’t too long before the same merman from yesterday returned, only this time he lacked any sort of friendly manner, his slightly scaled hand reaching up and around his throat, choking him even as water was forcibly making its way down his throat.

When he thought that this was it, that he’d actually die this time the merman released him and similar to yesterday he found that he could breathe under the water.

“We spared your life on the condition that you release our King. You failed and now must pay with your life”

He just about caught the arm that once again came darting towards him, using all his strength in an effort to hold it back.

“Wait, just lemme explain. You send me back now and we can get him for you”

He felt the arm he was holding waver slightly, knowing he’d gotten through to the merman he continued his explanation

“Me and the crew got a plan ready, all they’re waiting for is the signal, you get me up there and we’ll get your King back, I swear” The merman looked him over, as if determining whether he was telling the truth or not but apparently he was satisfied with whatever he saw, quickly moving behind him to snap the chains that still bound his arms and legs.

“You have one hour before we tear this ship apart” Before he could answer he was once again grabbed and they made their way quickly through the water, it didn’t take long until they were side by side with the boat and barely a moment later he felt the both of them breach the surface where he was then thrown.

He flailed in the air, tried to get any semblance of control before he landed face first onto the deck of the ship, causing any and all movement onboard to cease as they watched him pick himself up.

He shook his hair slightly to get rid of some of the water, devilish grin on his face as he stared towards the captain. “Boys, I think it’s about time we had a mutiny don’t you?”

Barely a second later and carnage broke out, he managed to duck to avoid the sword that had just been where he was stood, quickly sidestepping so he could analyze the scene in front of him.

All he saw was fighting around him, he briefly noted how his crew outnumbered the captains, if only slightly, before a shout caught his attention, just turning in time to catch the sword Delirious threw at him before he jumped into the fray of the fight.

He managed to pull Satt out of the way from a sword that was where his throat was not a second earlier, he managed to slice someone from naval to throat before they could flank Wildcat and threw his sword towards Jiggly who caught it in time to block the sword that had just tried to slash him in two.

He could see that they were winning, most of the captain’s crew were now dead whilst most of his remained relatively unharmed, that was until he noticed Delirious in a fight with the Captain, and he could tell from the sloppy movements with his sword that Delirious was tired.

He ran towards them, only speeding up when he heard a shout from Delirious as the captain’s sword cut along his thigh, causing him to falter, allowing time for the captain to once again bring his sword up for the killing blow.

He barrelled into the captain, knocking them both off of their feet and the sword to go flying out of his hand. He was quick to land the first punch, ignoring the man struggling under him, he threw punch after punch until the captain was nothing but a bloody pulp below him.

He made sure to keep the man conscious, standing up from his motionless body whilst he gave Delirious a hand up off of the floor, his friend wincing in pain at the pressure he put on his leg. It wasn’t long before Jiggly and Mini came, putting one of Delirious’s’ arms over each of their shoulders before practically dragging him away to tend to his leg.

It was then that Tyler approached him, rope in hand which he graciously accepted, thanking him for his help before tying up the captain and carrying him, only to drop him in the middle of the deck, telling his friends to do whatever they wanted to him whilst he took care of business.

It was on his walk to the captain’s chambers that he felt fatigue hit him, the last 24 hours hitting him like a freight train as he stopped outside the captain’s door. He wasn’t surprised to find that it was locked, only after several attempts was he able to kick it open. A brief glance around the room told him that the merman supposedly here wasn’t in fact here.

He felt the deathly grip of panic in his mind, the thought of the merman waiting for him just outside these wooden walls sent a cold chill down his spine, so much so that he almost missed the faint sound of singing that was within the room.

He walked around the room in an effort to locate it, stopping in front of some kind of bookshelf where the song was loudest, it didn’t take too much effort to knock the shelf down, eliciting a secret room where he saw the merman in question within some kind of tank.

“Was that really necessary?” He looked towards the owner of the voice, he looked similar to the one he’d met except he was different, ethereal almost. There seemed almost to be a faint glow about him even in the dim of the cabin, that there hadn’t been with the others he’d met, and he could feel himself entranced. “I’m sure you tore that bookshelf down for a reason other than staring longingly at me?”

He shook his head slightly, coming back to himself as he stayed looking at the creature in front of him, he wasn’t as toned as the one he’d met or as scarred, but he still showed signs of battle, of calloused hands and shoulders that carried the weight of the world.

“You Ohm?”

“Congratulations, you win a prize”

Any enthrallment he’d had over the creature was now gone, not one to take someone else’s sarcasm so lightly he quickly made his way towards the tank, so he was face to face with him.

“Quit the sarcasm, I’m here to break your ass out”

“Break my ass out? I would’ve at least thought we’d have dinner first, I mean you’re a fine-looking man, but I have some standards” He heard the merman chuckle at his own joke, a sound that made him feel lighter than air for a moment until he remembered the urgency of their situation.

“Look I don’t have time for this, you’re friends out there want you back and if we don’t hurry they’re gonna break through the ship.”

Even through the water, he could see the creature in front of him pale at his words, the confidence he’d had not a minute before was completely replaced with fear. “I can’t go, they’ll kill me”

“Well that sounds like an issue for you to deal with, I ain’t lettin’ this ship go down”

“So that’s it then? You’re just gonna throw me to the sharks” He hummed in response before going back to the captain’s quarters, rifling through his chest for a pair of trousers before heading back towards the merman. “I’m your best bet for survival, do you honestly think they’re gonna let you guys go?”

“They swore to me, I was told that their word is their bond, so yeah they have to let us go but only if you go join them”

“You know that’s only true provided one of our laws aren’t broken in said bond”

“And? We ain’t breakin’ no laws”

“No, you’re not, but my race have kept themselves hidden for thousands of years, do you know why?”

“I dunno, you get sunburn otherwise” He was surprised to hear the small giggle from the merman again, the sound alleviating some of the tension he didn’t know he had.

“Our number one law is that land dwellers can’t know of our existence, and here’s a whole ship of people who have not only seen us but also been branded. This ship was doomed the moment you saw one of us” He was stood frozen, he had no reason to believe the creature in front of him, it could all just be a ploy to keep him alive but yet some part of him just knew he was telling the truth, that their fates were sealed regardless. “So, I reiterate, are you gonna give them what they want? Or are you gonna let me help you?”

“Shit” he whispered, rubbing a hand down his face before staring at the merman in front of him, and his decision was made. “We need all the help we can get”

Despite the sense of dread that filled him about the situation, watching the bright smile on the merman in front of him caused a flicker of hope to ignite inside him.

“Excellent” He stood there transfixed as he watched Ohm pull himself up and out of the tank, his tail shifting to a pair of reasonably toned legs and try as he might he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the man striding towards. “Like what you see?”

He snapped out of his trance, immediately looking away from the creature in front of him as he held out the trousers for him to put on.

“Don’t tell me you’re shy” despite not looking at him he could hear the smile painted across the merman’s face as he spoke.

“Just put the trousers on will you”

He heard a sigh before he felt the trousers being tugged out of his grasp “Spoilsport”

“If we make it outta here alive I’ll show you just how shy I am” He doesn’t know why he flirted back, let alone at another species, but it sent a thrill down his spine, one he hadn’t felt with either man or woman he’d come across. He shot a smile and a wink towards the now smug looking merman before heading out and towards the top deck, knowing that Ohm wasn’t too far behind him.

On the top deck, his crew were mostly milling about, there was no sign of the captain but the trail of blood heading towards the edge of the boat told him what fate had befallen him. He whistled his friends to attention, all of them gathering around him in an instant.

“Everyone this is Ohm, this is who the mermen want but now we have to come up with a plan to save him and escape the bloodthirsty fuckers below us”

“What happened to giving him up? They’ll leave us alone if we give him up” There were a few shouts of agreement from the rest of his friends and at the sight of hands reaching forward to grab a hold of Ohm he quickly moved to intercept them.

“Cartoonz what the fuck. Don’t tell me you value this…thing over us?” He ignored Ohms shout of protest at the remark before facing his crew.

“They’re gonna kill us regardless if we give him up or not, you guys ain’t dumb you know it to be true, and our best shot is with Ohm fightin’ alongside us. You don’t like it you may as well jump overboard now and let the fuckers tear you apart” The silence that followed his statement told him that his friends had no objections to the change in plans, instead he moved from in front of Ohm to look at him in anticipation. “So, what’s the plan?”

“We have to go into the water” The sighs and grumbles he heard from his crew were almost comical and he was half tempted to join them.

“So, you want us to kill ourselves, right, well fat lot of use you were”

“I can only help you in the water, my powers are limited out of it, so yeah, if you want to survive we need to go into the water.”

******************************************************************

He doesn’t know how long they took making their plan, only that it wasn’t much longer before all of his friends were branded similarly to him, except not on their eye, Ohm had told him that whoever had done it must have been pretty sadistic.

Before they could do much else however the whole boat shook, everyone stumbling in an effort to balance themselves, he only stayed up because Ohm had grabbed a hold of him, pulling him up and making sure he was steady but his hands didn’t leave his body.

“Time’s up Luke, get your people to safety”

“How do you know-“

“No time now, I’ll explain later when you’re showing me just how not shy you are” Before he could say another word Ohm ran from his side, leaping over the edge of the ship and he could see his legs transform back into a tail before disappearing behind the boat ledge, the sound of a splash of water showing he’d made it.

Before he could do anything another jolt was sent through the ship and it was he who saved Delirious from falling before pushing him towards the other side of the boat that Ohm had gone.

“C’mon everyone, get your asses outta here” He made sure that everyone had left the ship, the creaking and cracking of the wood telling him it wasn’t a moment too soon before he jumped into the cold depths.

The moment he was in the water he heard a deafening shriek in the water, he tried to cover his ears in an effort to block it out, but it was futile, he’s sure his head would explode before the sound ceased entirely.

He wasn’t the only one, he turned to see Mini also removing his hands from his ears before they all started to swim in the direction Ohm had told them to go.

It was long and tiring, it had barely been a minute before he saw a merman grab hold of Vanoss, the man tried swinging his sword in vain, but the merman was quick to evade the slow strikes in the water whilst he started pulling the man downwards.

He tried to swim down to help when a blur of something passed him and he was met with the sight of Vanoss being thrown through the water towards him whilst the merman who had taken him was surrounded by a deep blue cloud, blood. He just managed to grab onto Evan when he was close enough to reach and, making sure he was okay, they headed off once again.

Ahead of him, he saw several of the guys in an outward circle trying to sluggishly fend off the merman with their weapons, every now and then one of the creatures would swipe at them, catching some part of their skin and causing them to bleed.

In the background he could see Ohm darting about in the water, he seemed to always have at least four pursuers on him, every now and then he’d dart past one of the mermen surrounding his friends, blood quickly appearing showing that Ohm had managed to injure said merman in some way.

Eventually, all of them made it into a group together, some of the more injured people, Delirious, Vanoss, Wildcat, were kept closer within the ring whilst the rest of them took the brunt of the attack. Despite somewhat keeping them at bay he knew it was just a game to them, they could easily overpower them and yet were content to play with their food.

He doesn’t know how long they were like that, all he knew was that he was tired, his swings having become even slower due to fatigue and the same was similar for his friends, he silently prayed for a miracle to save them as they still tried to keep the creatures at bay.

Eventually one of them got bored and he saw the mermen dip below their huddled mass, and from the shriek, he heard from Jiggly he could tell he’d been grabbed. After that it became chaos, all of them reaching out to try and get a hold on the man sinking ever lower, only causing them to expose themselves and making it too easy for the remaining merman to grab them and make the slow descent down.

Although underwater he could still hear the screams his friends gave, just as clearly as if they were on land, as they were forced further and further down. He briefly noted he was the only one that had been spared and tried as best he could to try and free his friends nearest to him.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you” He turned to see the merman who he’d first spoken to calmly floating beside him, he was quick to turn and raise his sword which didn’t garner any form of reaction from the creature. “Put that kids toy away, it’s no use down here” Despite his words he still tried to slash at the creature in front of him which was easily dodged. “Want to bet on your life on which of your friends die first? My money is on the Irishman down there”

He could still hear the screams of his friends and was helpless but to watch them descend further into the depths, although futile he tried once again to swing his sword, only for the merman to easily evade it before smacking it out of his hand. The creature's hand came to swipe at him and once again he caught it, barely holding it back before another high-pitched shriek rang through the water.

He saw Ohm swim by in a blur, seemingly unaffected by the noise whilst all of them, even the merman, seemed to be affected by it, causing the arm he was holding back to falter.

As soon as the sound was gone a series of large tentacles seemingly came out of nowhere, tearing the mermen off and away from his friends, catching one of the creatures and crushing it into two.

It was then that he saw a giant creature emerge from the depths below him, and if he didn’t know any better he’d say the myths about there being a Kraken were true. He didn’t have time to process that thought before even more tentacles reached out to the mermen still surrounding them, and while they were diverted his friends made the quick move upwards, a brief check for injuries showed nothing major, before they carried on their journey.

Ohm was quick to join them, a pod of dolphins following him, who were quick to grab a hold of members of the crew before dragging them off to some location only they knew. As he was traveling he looked at Ohm who was swimming beside him, despite the injuries and fatigue that seemed to be affecting the creature he was once again entranced by the way he moved through the water.

He quickly looked away when Ohm caught him staring, despite being in the water he heard the creature's voice crystal clear beside him. “You did well back there, not many people can hold out against one of us”

He let out a scoff at the comment “They were only playing with us, lucky that thing came when it did”

“Hey! Don’t be rude, Tiny saved your life remember” He didn’t know what to laugh at more, the defensive tone of the creature next to him or the name of the ginormous tentacled being he’d witnessed earlier.

“Tiny?”

“I didn’t think he’d grow that big” They both laughed together, before the sound dissipating with the water that passed by them as they made their way to safety.

**********************************************************************

When they got close enough to land the dolphins stopped to allow them to swim the rest of the way, having somewhat rested a little he made short work of the journey, noting how much slower Ohm was now traveling and how he seemed to physically be in pain.

Once stood in the shallows he helped his friends up and out of the water, where they made the short walk onto the sandy beach before collapsing again. Ohm was the last to come out, his tail having shifted to human legs again and he could see the struggle it took the creature to travel the small distance up the beach.

He strode into the deeper water, ignoring Ohm’s questions when he picked him up bridal style before carrying him back towards the beach and laying him gently onto the sand.

“How long can you stay on land?”

“Couple of days” It was then Ohm tried to shift himself and he could almost hear the wince of pain he gave, ignoring Ohms protests he started to push the creature around to find the source of the pain.

The most prominent injury he saw was a long, somewhat deep gash traveling down his thigh, whilst not immediately serious blue blood continued to ooze out of it and he could see Ohm getting paler by the minute.

“Why didn’t you say anythin’ you fucker?”

“I have advanced healing, nothing to worry about really” He didn’t believe the falsetto tone in the merman’s voice, and instead took off his shirt in order to press it down hard onto the wound to try and slow the bleeding.

“Mini?” The somewhat faint grunt he got in response was somewhat reassuring to him “You still got those med supplies?”

He waited what felt like forever until he heard back from the other man “Yeah but everything’s soaking wet, might just salvage some of the bandages if we leave ‘em out to dry”

“You got a needle and stitch?”

“Yeah, but-“

“Bring ‘em here, and get those bandages out, I’m sure some of the guys are gonna need ‘em soon”

Without another word, Mini passed him a needle and some thread, and without a second thought, he put the thread through the needle, tying the end before removing his shirt from the wound and pressing the two sides of the wound together. He cast a final look towards Ohm, fear evident in his eyes and he felt his heart sink in worry about the creature in front of him.

“You ever been stitched before?” He knew the answer before he asked, the shake of Ohm’s head only reaffirming that. With the promise to be back in a second he left Ohm and headed towards the small tree cover not too far away, it took kicking around the ground for a little while but he eventually found a stick large enough for his purpose.

He quickly returned to Ohms side before holding the stick towards Ohms' mouth.

“You can’t be serious”

“It’s gonna sting like a bitch, it’s this or ya’ tongue” He almost laughed at the look of disdain that crossed Ohm’s face before he grabbed the stick from him.

“Fine, but I thought you’d take me to dinner before gagging and touching me up” This time he did laugh a little, and the sound of Ohms laugh joining his once again made him feel light as a feather. “Just so you know my safe word is Tuna” with that he put the stick in his mouth and tried to relax as much as possible for what was to come.

He could only stare at the creature dumbfounded, a part of him wanted to laugh again but the other half was stunned into silence, he felt Ohm move impatiently under him and he was brought back to attention. “I ain’t even gonna ask”

Ohm only winked at him in response, he cast one final look before he once again held the cut together. He made short work of stitching the cut together, given his limited resources and his squirming patient it most definitely wasn’t his best work, but it’ll serve its purpose.

He grabbed his now ruined shirt that had been previously discarded and washed it in the seawater before walking back to Ohm and washing the wound with it. Once done Ohm was quick to remove the stick from his mouth, throwing it far into the distance whilst he made gagging noises.

“Don’t be such a baby”

Ohm glared at him briefly before moving his leg around a little to gauge how much he could move it, he didn’t manage to get it very far before he winced in pain again, letting the leg fall back onto the ground.

“Hurts like a bitch, you definitely owe me dinner after that” He chuckled at Ohm’s predicament, the creatures glare at him only lasting a moment before he started giggling as well. He offered a hand to Ohm who gratefully accepted it, and hauled him to his feet before carefully lifting him up again and carrying him to the tree cover.

“You saved our lives, you can have whatever you want”

The merman seemed to ponder on that for a moment before leaning up closer against him, leaning in to almost whisper in his ear. “What if I want to climb you like a tree?”

He took a moment to study Ohm to try and discern whether it was a joke or not, but by the devilish grin on his face he’d meant every word, and once again he felt that thrill of excitement again.

“What happened to dinner first?”

“I’m willing to make an exception this one-time”

“Oh, thank you, I must be pretty damn special for you to abandon your morals like that” They had now reached the cover of the trees, but he made no effort to move, instead content to just stand there holding onto Ohm who was just as happy to hold onto him.

“Something like that yeah” He tried not to think too hard about those words once they left Ohm’s mouth, not sure if he wanted to tackle the implications they held, instead they carried on standing there, staring at one another until the sound of people approaching broke their moment, he quickly dropped Ohm down on the ground before heading towards his friends and bringing those most injured under the shade with the merman.

Despite the fact that he’d barely had time to rest and truly process everything that had happened since he was first cast off of the ship, adrenaline still kept him moving. Assembling teams to go search nearby for resources whilst he tended to those who needed it, mostly it was just small scratches, but Tyler had a particularly nasty gash on his temple and Evan on his right arm where the merman had grabbed him, both of them needing stitches.

The small search had yielded little in the way of food or fresh water, but they did come back with dry brush and sticks that could be used for a fire, however, at least for their first night, he wasn’t comfortable in lighting one, not knowing what eyes were watching them.

As the sun began to set below the horizon everyone settled themselves down somewhere and made the effort to try to fall asleep. He doesn’t know how long he spent trying to sleep, only that the moon was high up in the sky until he heard a gentle voice barely discernible over the sound of the waves crashing on the beach behind them.

He instantly knew it was Ohm who was singing, the gentle lilt of his voice in a language he didn’t know helped settle him down, and for the first time in months, he felt truly at ease, happy to let the soft voice lull him into a peaceful sleep.

**********************************************************************

He woke to find a hand gently stroking through his hair, he wasn’t going to deny how nice the touch felt so simply pushed back into the touch before relaxing again, feeling the hand pause briefly before working through his hair again.

“Most of the guys have gone out looking for water” He wasn’t surprised to hear that it was Ohm next to him.

He could only hum in response, too tired to actually contribute to the conversation, which only earned a small chuckle from Ohm. “You always this grouchy in the morning, well afternoon now.” He simply hummed again, eliciting another small giggle from Ohm before they fell into a comfortable silence for a while.

“Can you take me to the water?”

“You’ve got legs, take yourself” He grumbled which only earnt a slight tug on his hair.

“But, I’m injured. Just imagine poor little old me hobbling slowly across the sand, maybe I’ll slip halfway and-“

“You’re such a little bitch” He didn’t need to see Ohm to know that there was a shit-eating grin spread across his face. He rubbed his eyes briefly before slowly rolling himself up into a seated position whilst he stretched his arms up high above him and let out a long yawn.

He noticed Ohm’s gaze travel down his still exposed abdomen before he stood up, holding a hand out to help lift Ohm up, where similar to yesterday he carried the merman into the shallow water.

Once deep enough Ohm was quick to escape his grasp, although not shifting into his tail he was still pretty fast in the water and it was a challenge to keep track of him until he eventually gave up, instead content to watch the waves far into the distance.

He was broken out of his train of thought due to water being splashed at him and he was met with the sight of Ohm holding a couple of fish in one arm whilst the other was preparing to splash him again.

“Here, take these to shore, I’m gonna try and catch a few more” Without another word he took the already dead fish from Ohm and lay them on a small rock nearby, leaving Ohm to the water before collecting the firewood collected yesterday.

It was surprisingly easy to start the fire, the leaves and twigs so dry that it didn’t take much to set them alight. Pulling the knife from his boot he made quick work of gutting the fish, using one of the longer sticks to hold it above the fire as it cooked.

It wasn’t too much later that Ohm joined him, five more fish in his arms before taking a seat next to him, both participating in light chatter as they waited for the fish to cook.

Just as the first two fish were done, some of the guys returned back, sullen looks on their faces, their search for water had so far been unsuccessful, some of the guys having decided to try and venture a bit further before making the journey back.

Despite their thirst they gratefully accepted the food that was offered them, they ate in complete silence, not wanting to address how they were going to survive here and instead making the most of what they had whilst they still could.

Darkness was starting to descend fast, they’d started going around the group and telling some of the more funnier stories they’d experienced during their years on the sea, Moo talking about a rookie who had gone to use the head only to be hit by a boon and cast overboard. After which Jiggly mentioned about how the chef on his last voyage had made a giant plate of fresh dried meats, with bread and fruits, only to trip and drop it onto the Captain, and finally, he regaled the tale about how Delirious had managed to somehow tip a galley over as they were headed to shore, needless to say, the other crewmembers weren’t impressed but he almost drowned due to the stitch he got from laughing.

As he’d finished his story and the others around the fire were laughing the rest of the crew returned, judging by the sour looks on their faces their search hadn’t gone too well either.

“There’s no fucking water anywhere on this goddamn Island” The booming voice of Wildcat caused them to turn, however he seemed to only get angrier at the sight of them, before angrily heading directly towards him “So our ‘captain’ gets to sit on his arse and be waited on hand and foot by this...thing” He waved a hand towards Ohm letting everyone know who he meant before continuing “whilst the rest of us actually try to find a way to survive. It’s a fucking joke, you’re not any better than the last guy”

He couldn’t stop his own rage rearing its ugly head at his words “I fuckin’ saved you, he fuckin’ saved you, you’d do well to show us some respect” He was now toe to toe with Tyler, the both of them staring each other down.

“There it is again, you’re fucking taking that things side again. Do we mean nothing to you, huh? The first thing that offers its ass to you and you’re willing to shove our faces in the dirt”

He couldn’t stop himself from pulling his arm back, but just as he was about to punch Tyler he felt someone grab hold of his arm, turning he saw Delirious holding his arm back and shaking his head in lieu of telling him to stop. At that he felt the energy and anger he’d felt drain out of him, his arm going lax in his friends' grip and he felt Delirious let him go.

“I get that you’re thirsty and hungry and tired, we all are, but fightin’ amongst ourselves ain’t gonna help us. I’m not askin’ for you all to like me, or Ohm, but the truth is he’s our best bet outta here” Silence followed his statement and he unconsciously let out a breath when Tyler stepped back from him. “I’m not askin’ ya to follow me to the ends of the earth, just off of this island and then you can all go and do whatever the fuck you were doin’ before we all met”

Everybody was looking at Tyler now, waiting to see what he did, and it seemed that they all collectively let out a breath of relief when he nodded and took a seat by the fire, taking one of the fish that had been cooked before sharing it with some of the guys.

He then turned to see Delirious and Ohm talking quietly amongst one another, at the sight of him Delirious stood and waited as he approached, once in front of him he put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently in thanks.

“Thanks for holding me back there Del, the two of us brawling would’ve just made things worse” He heard a small chuckle come from Delirious who put his own hand on his shoulder before speaking.

“Yeah, well someone’s gotta watch out for your ass.” He was surprised to feel Delirious tug him closer but leaned down slightly when his friend leaned to whisper in his ear. “He’s quite the catch ain’t he” He looked up over Dels’ shoulder to where Ohm was sat, staring out at the Ocean.

“Del we’re not-“

“Sure, you’re not” He then heard that infamous chuckle come from his friend and internally groaned at the rumors that would be spreading around the camp. “Just be thankful I ain’t making fish jokes or anythin’…yet” His friend started laughing again before giving him a final pat on his shoulder and making his way back to the campfire.

He stood there contemplating every decision that had kept Delirious in his life before a soft voice singing brought him back to attention and he looked down, not even realizing the small smile that graced his face as he moved to sit down next to Ohm.

“It’s a beautiful song, what’s it about?”

“It’s about a merman who was forced to wed a human to keep the peace between our people, and it lasted for many years until one morning the human woke up and realized she was in bed with a monster. In her hysteria, she stabbed the merman to death and then their children before finally killing herself to amend for the crimes she committed against her race. After that there was a war between the species, it was long and relentless, but the mermen didn’t have the numbers to keep fighting lest they face extinction, so they hid in the darkest depths of the ocean and that’s where they remain, too few to carry on the fight.”

“Alright not such a beautiful song then” He heard Ohm huff a laugh beside him, the both of them staring out at the horizon in front of them

“Nobody lives who remembers it, for all I know it’s a cautionary tale meant to scare young merman from venturing too close to the surface”

“Didn’t stop you” This time Ohm chuckled, and he turned his head to peek a glance at Ohm only to be met with hazel eyes staring back at him.

“What’s life without a bit of adventure though” He hummed in response, despite the intensity in Ohms gaze he couldn’t look away. “I’ve always admired you pirates, traveling across the world whenever you want, doing whatever you want. It’s just always seemed so free”

He sarcastically laughed before he turned back out towards the sea “It ain’t as glamorous as you make out”

“Well I know that now”

“How did you get to be in a pirate Captains cabin by the way”

He heard Ohm heave a sigh beside and he thought that he wouldn’t get an answer, but just as that thought crossed his mind Ohm started to speak. “I’ve been ‘captured’ for years, he just paid the highest price for me”

“I saw you jump out that tank yesterday like you were gettin’ out of bed, why didn’t you ever escape”

“I was scared” He could hear the vulnerability in Ohms’ voice, despite his human nature he was surprised that the merman could have such deep feelings. “I’ve been hunted down my entire life and being in that tank, I felt…safe. It was only a matter of time before they caught up to me”

“Why are they after you?”

“Power, not just ruling over the merman but actual physical power only bestowed amongst royalty. Whoever kills me becomes king and the power passes to them. With it, they could cause destruction not only in the oceans but on land as well”

“So, you killed the last king?”

“I did what I had to do, I don’t see the need to hold this petty hatred for humans like my kin has, without me your kind would have been destroyed long ago”

“Thank you”

As he said that Ohms' head darted to look at him, and in the darkness, he swears he can see tears forming in the merman’s eyes. “You’re the first person to say thank you to me you know?”

He didn’t have an answer for Ohm, instead he rubbed his hand gently up and down the merman’s thigh beside him as he stared back out at the horizon and that’s how he fell asleep, putting up no protest when he felt Ohm manhandle him until his head was in his lap and he felt fingers once again brushing through his hair.

“Goodnight Luke”

*********************************************************************

He woke up just before the sun rose, the rest of the crew were littered across the beach, some had fallen asleep by the fire and others under the cover of trees whilst some had taken to curling up on the sand halfway between the two.

He felt the burning in the back of his throat that demanded water he didn’t have, the oncoming’s of a headache making itself known, quietly hoping that they’d find some form of water otherwise tensions will only grow higher between the group of them.

He gently got up off of Ohm in an effort not to wake him before making his way towards the trees to start the search for water.

He walked around for hours, every now and then he’d knick a tree with his knife so he wouldn’t retrace his steps but as of yet, there was no luck. There was now a pounding in his head and the heat from the sun did little to alleviate it.

Just after noon he made his way back to the camp and was surprised to see everybody stood and surrounding Ohm, even from far away he could hear their shouts.

“What the fuck is goin’ on here?” His voice sounded across the beach and the voices were quick to settle down, they were quick to break away from Ohm as he approached, guilty looks on their faces.

“Cartoonz, please tell your friends I didn’t carry into the Ocean and consume you”

“The fuck?” Everybody turned to look towards Craig, Evan and Delirious, their faces red with embarrassment as they refused to look at anyone.

“What, it was a possibility” He barely heard Craig’s murmur and only rolled his eyes when he did before he turned back to everyone else.

“So, what I leave camp for a few hours and you’re having a witch hunt against Ohm? I thought we were past this guys”

“You were gone for ages, we had no idea where you were” Delirious spoke out and he felt a flare of guilt rise up in him.

“I was looking for some water, didn’t find any” Most of them let out a groan whilst others let out a curse.

It was then that Ohm stormed off towards the Sea, he heard some of them mumble about how he was abandoning them to their fate, he couldn’t help but feel his own flare of rejection at the sight of Ohm walking away but was quick to run after him.

He was quick to catch up with Ohm, the merman slowly wading through the water allowing him time to grab his arm to stop him.

“Ohm, what’re doing? Where are you going?”

“I ain’t going anywhere, I’m just saving your dumbasses again” He cast a brief smile towards him before pulling his arm out of his hold and walking out just a bit further until the water reached his waist.

He walked out to join him, intrigued at what the merman could possibly do to save them at this moment. First Ohm raised his arms up towards the sky before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. The merman was stood like that for a while, and he was wondering whether whatever he was doing was actually working until he saw Ohm start to shake and sweat where he stood.

Just then a clap of lightning sounded, and he quickly looked up and towards the horizon to see a series of dark storm clouds heading directly towards them. He could make out the lightning in the dark clouds, the sound between each set of thunder getting shorter and shorter, his trance at the storm heading towards them was only broken when he heard a pained groan beside him.

Turning to look at the merman, he was shocked at what he saw, he looked deathly white and visibly shaking that he looked on the point of collapse.

“Ohm, you can stop now, the storms almost here” Still there was no response, and he was quick to catch the merman who suddenly collapsed, but still Ohm didn’t relent from his task. “Ohm, stop it now, you’ve done enough” Ohm let out a pained shout, he was finding it ever more difficult to keep the almost convulsing man from collapsing “Ohm stop this shit right now or so help me I’ll fuck you up even more”

Just as the storm clouds started to pass over them Ohm fell limp in his hold, he was quick to lift him up and over his shoulder, making his way as fast as he could towards shore as cold, heavy rain started to fall over them.

When he got to shore he stopped briefly to allow Craig to determine whether Ohm was still alive and upon hearing he was he quickly headed up to the treeline to lay Ohm down under some form of shelter.

“You said you’d fuck me?” He let out the breath he’d been holding at the sound of Ohms’ voice but couldn’t help the chuckle that came with the statement.

“You outdid yourself this time Ohm” He felt Ohm once again fall limp in his arms and he felt panic surge through him “Ohm?” He shook him a little but still got no response “Ohm you better not fucking die” Again he shook Ohm and again there was no response “OHM!”

He ignored the circle his friends had created around the two of them, too intent on trying to get some sign of life from the creature in front of him.

“Wha?” The whispered word from the man in front of him almost reduced him to tears as he leaned down to rest his head on Ohms' shoulder, feeling the life under him. “I bust my ass to get this rain for you to drink…and you ain’t even drinking it. Go, 'm fine” He looked up to see Ohm give him a reassuring smile before trying with his weakened strength to shoo him away.

He cast one final look to Ohm who had settled himself into a more comfortable position to rest in before he turned to his friends “Well you heard him, drink up”

It was almost comical the way they stood in the rain, mouths open to try and catch as much as possible until eventually they got bored and started to cup their hands before drinking as much water as they could stomach. Even when they were full and on the verge of throwing up at how much they’d drank, they drank more and more until eventually, the rain stopped and even then they lay on the beach, too sluggish to make a move.

It was to all their surprise then that they saw Ohm stumble his way past them, he practically launched himself to his feet in order to intercept him, narrowly avoiding throwing up as he did so.

“Ohm, what the fuck are you doing, you need to rest”

“m’gonna save you guys”

“You already did, please Ohm, come back with me” He tried to plead with the merman, to physically block him but even in his tired state the merman still managed to slip by him until he was in the water.

“That waters gonna last you a couple of days and I don’t have the energy to do that again. Please, let me do this”

He’s now standing in front of Ohm, hands on his shoulders as he tries to plead with him to stay “Other mermen are still out there, they’ll kill you, I can’t-“

“You can think of them Luke, this is what’s best” He felt tears burn at his eyes and it’s almost like a vice in his chest, he knows that this is the only way for them to survive but it didn’t make it any easier.

“Can’t Tiny come and get you? He seems to handle things pretty well” Ohm’s answering smile did little to comfort him.

“He’s far too big to get anywhere close, and he’ll be followed, I’d be dead before I even got close to him”

“Ohm” There was so much he wanted to say and yet he didn’t know where to even begin.

“I’ll be back, I promise, you still owe me dinner” He huffed a laugh even as his tears began to fall down his face, closing his eyes when he felt Ohms' hands come up to caress his face. He felt the gentlest caress of lips against his own, so gentle it could almost be mistaken for a brush of wind. “Farewell Luke”

He opened his eyes as he felt Ohms’ hands leave his face, watching the merman dive below the water’s surface, his legs having turned back into a tail and he stayed there long after Ohms’ shadow had gone beyond his sight.

“He’ll be alright” Delirious’s voice startled him and he turned to see his friend beside him before his friend offered him a comforting pat, which turned into a hug. Normally not one for affection he craved it now at this moment as his whole being filled with dread at the thought of what could happen to Ohm on his journey.

With a final pat on his back Delirious let him go, offering him a final smile before heading back to land, he cast one last look on the horizon, praying to whatever God was listening to watch out for Ohm before he headed back to wait out his fate on the beach.

***********************************************************************

It’s four days until there’s any sign of life, besides them, near the island. Having finished the fish that Ohm had caught them two days ago they were not just hungry but were thirsty as well, having not drunk anything since the storm before Ohm left.

The didn’t notice it at first, the heat coupled with fatigue meant that they paid little attention to much else besides their own needs, but it was Mark that called out the ship first, frantically pointing to somewhere on the horizon until they too saw it.

It then became a mad dash of people, him and Tyler were busy trying to get a fire going, whilst everyone bar Mark and Evan who kept watch of the ship, went to retrieve leaves and twigs that would easily cause smoke when lit.

In their urgency it took them longer than normal to get the fire started, hands slipping and dropping wood before a fire could start when it should be second nature to them. Luckily it appeared that the ship was heading towards their direction, regardless the fire would make a good weapon should the people that came with it be hostile.

Once the fire was finally lit they quickly piled the dead brush on top, willing to suffer through the smoke in favor of watching it climb ever higher signaling their presence. It felt like hours before the ship seemed to be in any vicinity close to them, but there they stood eagerly waiting and watching it approach them.

When they deemed it close enough they started shouting, expecting to see members of the crew peer over to look at them, but no such thing happened. When there was no answering shout or sign of life on the ship he got an impending sense of dread.

He called everyone to arms, their swords were out only seconds later as they watched the ship lay down its anchor and slowly come to a stop just off of the shore.

“Friend or Foe?” He shouted, adrenaline surging through him and ready to unleash at a moment’s notice.

“Here I thought we were friends Toonzy” He stood there stunned as he saw Ohm standing up on the bow of the ship, even at this distance he could see the bright smile on his face.

“Ohm?”

“The one and only” His friends seemed just as shocked as he did, all still in fighting stances but with mouths agape at the scene in front of them. “Are you gonna come aboard or just stand there gaping like fish?”

It was then a mad dash towards the ship, all of them eager to get off of the island and onto some semblance of normal. He was the first to climb the ladder up onto the top deck, as soon as his feet landed on the wood he raced over to Ohm before wrapping him up in a tight hug.

“Told you I’d be back didn’t I?”

“Don’t you fuckin’ do that to me again you hear?”

“Eh…I suppose-“ Before Ohm could finish his sentence, clearly meant to taunt him, he leaned forward and pressed their lips together, made better when he felt Ohm kissing him back.

“Ugh, seriously guys. It hasn’t even been five minutes.” Delirious’s voice caused them to break apart and turn to look at him. “Keep your gross kissing to yourself, we don’t need to see that shit”

Ignoring him completely they turned back to each and once more pressed their lips together, he couldn’t care less what Del or any of his other friends thought about his relationship with Ohm, hell he didn’t even have an explanation for it, just knew there was nothing he wanted more than to keep the merman in his arms.

“Tyler, can you come sort them out, they’re bein’ disgustin’” He saw Tyler's head peer over the side of the ship as he reached the top of the ladder before climbing over the edge.

Tyler gave one look at them before shrugging his shoulders and turning to get a better look around the ship “Just remember we got kids on board”. At Tylers’ words, they pulled away, taking one last look at one another before he turned to look at the ship, wrapping an arm around Ohms’ waist.

“Where the hell you’d get this?”

“The Oceans a big place and I could have only the best for Captain Toonzy”

He snorted at the nickname but was also trying to play off the thrill that the title of Captain gave him.

“The crew?”

“On a ship somewhere” He turned to look at Ohm, shocked look on his face whilst the other man just laughed and gave a shrug “Tiny will watch over them”

He frowned at that statement, giving a final squeeze around Ohms’ side before heading back to the ladder and helping everyone else up onto the ship. Tylers’ shout of water had them all quickly heading below deck to get their fill before finally making a move to leave.

With Ohms’ help forming a little wind, they were quick to set off, feeling lighter with every mile they put between them and the Island that had almost become a graveyard.

That night they celebrated, they had the luxury of perishable food which they were quick to gorge on, he had Ohm by his side and by the way said mans hand was currently climbing higher and higher up his leg under the table, he wouldn’t be leaving for a while.

The next morning when everyone had some semblance of being themselves again he gave them the option of staying with him or offering them the chance to leave at the nearest port. He was surprised to hear them all choose to stay with him, that Wildcat had voiced his choice even before Delirious could.

********************************************************************

From then on their crew became one of the most notorious group of pirates on the seas, any who went against them didn’t tend to last long, rumors were quick to spread about threats in the water that followed their ship and would attack any who opposed them. Not that anybody survived long enough to be able to report the truth.

Most of the time Ohm was happy to travel with them, he enjoyed the company, and everyone had now accepted him as part of the crew. If he had it his way Ohm would be spending almost all of his time on the ship however the merman would always state that he still had duties to fulfill below the surface and for him to stop sounding like a pining woman.

When they were particularly unlucky they’d run into a group of merman eager to hunt Ohm down, whenever this happened he’d get his crew to bear arms, most of them with bows and arrows along the sides of the ship waiting for Ohm to bait the creatures up closer to the surface so that they could take their shot.

Normally him, Tyler, Brian, and Delirious would descend into the water in an attempt to help Ohm, whilst still not as fast as the creatures they were hunting, they were much improved from their first encounter with them. They’d even managed to save Ohm a few times when he was in a particularly tight spot, the creatures too focused on their goal meant that they were easily ignored, making it that much easier to sneak up behind one of them whilst they wrestled against Ohm to put a sword through their chest.

The last Captain he’d sailed under had been a disgraceful example of a human but as he stood at the bow of his ship, leaning forward into Ohms back as he let the wind whip at his face, he sent a quick thanks to him, for without him he never would have formed his crew, nor he never would have met Ohm.

He pressed Ohm closer against him, the merman happy to keep as much contact between them as possible whilst they watched the sun sink slowly behind the sea, content to stay there in each other’s arms until the moon was high in the sky.

#ohmtoonz #ohmwrecker #cartoonz #pirate au #loves when tumblr keeps giving me issues XD #anyway hope you all enjoy it #it was fun to make :D

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stories-in-the-stars · 6 years ago

Text

That Which Belongs to the Sea

Ao3 links in the reblogs!

Chapter 2

Of Walking, Running, and Dancing Around the Truth

Lance kicked his legs once, then twice, splashing in the water as he did. This was real! He was really human! He was immediately taken up by a fit of silent but elated giggles. He continued kicking his legs, marvelling at the sensation of having them at all. Nearby, Hunk and Allura watched him with less than enthused expressions.

“He’s really done it, hasn’t he?” Allura breathed. “He’s…”

“Human,” Hunk finished. “Allura, you don’t really think he’ll turn into seafoam, do you?”

“I don’t know, but I’m inclined to believe Lotor, much as I dislike it,” Allura huffed.

Lance’s eyes found their frowning faces, and his smile slid off his face in an instant. He tilted his head slightly, starting to move his lips in a question but stopping as soon as he remembered why that wouldn’t work. His question, however, was plain enough.

“We’re just worried, Lance,” Allura told him.

Beside her, Hunk nodded. “Yeah, I mean, if you don’t get this guy to fall in love with you and kiss you, you’ll turn to seafoam—that is, you’ll die.”

Lance waved a hand at them, gesturing at his face and smiling in what he probably thought was a suave manner. It wasn’t particularly reassuring.

“Lance, do you even know where this guy lives?” Hunk pressed.

Lance froze for an instant, but quickly recovered, waving his hands around airily and mouthing the words he was trying to say again. Suffice to say, he did not seem nearly as concerned as the other two. Allura scowled.

“This is ridiculous!” She exclaimed. “You should never have made a deal with a sea witch in the first place! I’m going to find a way to reverse this immediately, and so help me—don’t shake your head at me! This is your life we’re talking about, how can you be so careless about it?!”

Lance gaped like a fish out of water. He shook his head again, his blue eyes going wide and seeming to plead with Allura. Allura recoiled at the pang of guilt that zipped through her, from her heart all the way down to her delicate tail fins. Certainly with her tenacity she could probably find a way to reverse this. Her kingdom had the best kept records of all underwater magic, after all. But then, Lance’s eyes seemed to say, what good would that do? Lance would return to a life he was discontent with, doomed to wonder about a chance he hadn’t been allowed to take. Maybe Allura thought it foolhardy and far too risky, but it meant something far more to Lance, something that Allura might never comprehend, especially if she took this away from him.

Allura sighed. “Alright, alright, I’ll—I won’t undo this immediately. But Lance, please understand, you’re one of my dearest friends, and I can’t bear the thought of losing you forever. Please, at least let me look for a way… just in case? I won’t tell anyone what’s happening this time, I promise. My honor as a princess.”

Lance looked away for a moment, deliberating carefully. When he finally looked back at her, it was with a small but resolute nod. Allura sighed again, this time smiling.

“Thank you, Lance. I promise I’ll be back as soon as possible. Hunk, you’ll stay with him, won’t you?”

Hunk blinked. “How is that even a question? Of course I’ll stay with him!”

“And so will I!” piped a new voice.

The three of them whipped around in alarm, afraid they’d been caught by some human or other. Thankfully it wasn’t just any old human; it was Pidge! Perched on a rock and peering very curiously at Lance, they looked only marginally surprised, but also mildly mischievous. They seemed proud to have snuck up on the merfolk.

“So, you managed to get yourself a pair of legs,” they started slowly.

Lance nodded eagerly, mouth moving leagues ahead of the fastest human ship before he could stop himself. Pidge blinked.

“And… you can’t talk? Wow, two upgrades in one day, I’m impressed.” At Lance’s resulting scowl, they laughed and continued, “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. But seriously, what on earth is going on?”

Much to everyone’s surprise, it was Allura who explained the situation to Pidge. “He traded his voice to a sea witch for legs. He has to get a human, that human he rescued the other day, to fall in love with him—“

“And kiss him!” Hunk added.

“And kiss him,” Allura amended with a nod. “In three days. Otherwise he’ll turn to seafoam.”

Pidge sputtered. “What?! Lance, what were you thinking?!”

Lance made as though to blow bubbles, only to end up huffing indignantly. He crossed his arms and turned away from Pidge.

“I think he’s done having this conversation,” Hunk translated.

“Fine, fine,” Pidge said. “You guys are lucky I know Keith.”

That got Lance’s attention again. He whirled around with a huge grin on his face. His wide eyes were pleading once more, and Pidge pointedly looked away from him. There was something about his ocean eyes that was decidedly still merm-ish, something that was easy to pass over when he still had a tail, but that seemed startling in the face of a human.

“You don’t have to ask! Of course I’m going to help you!” they insisted. “First thing’s first: you need clothes.”

~*~

To any casual onlooker, the younger prince looked completely recovered from the disastrous shipwreck that had almost claimed his life. How resilient, they praised, how strong. Not that he heard any of these praises of course. No, Keith was deaf to a great many things in the days following the incident, as was apparent to those particular few that were close to him. His thoughts were far more pleasantly occupied.

A gentle touch to his cheek.

Words of longing, spoken so softly Keith could hardly hear them over the waves.

And when he had opened his eyes to the harsh morning light, the bluest eyes he had ever seen were looking at him, sparkling as the ocean might on a clear, sunny day.

Suffice to say, Keith had been dazzled and enraptured, only for those eyes to disappear a moment after he’d seen them. Part of him wanted to believe it had been a dream, if only so he could move on with his life. The rest of his mind, however, was all too convinced it had been real. Someone had rescued him that night. Far from the shore, where the ship had gone down in a violent conflagration, someone had plucked him from the waters and brought him to safety.

At the very least, Keith would’ve liked to have thanked them.

Yet no one had seen anyone on the beach where Keith supposedly washed up. Occasionally Keith caught a knowing gleam in Pidge’s eye, but as soon as he blinked it was gone. Shiro insisted that Keith’s head was just a little addled, what with the explosion and then however much salt water Keith might’ve accidentally swallowed.

So for all that Keith had his suspicions, he kept quiet in the days following the incident. If he took more walks along the shore at odd hours of the day, no one made any mention of it. One gray morning, just as the sky was touched with the barest hint of light, Keith thought he heard something behind the rocks. It was a small thing, almost like a sob, but when he called out, no one answered. He turned to his dog, his constant companion in these days, and sighed.

“I must be losing my mind, Kosmo,” he said.

The dog tilted his head, as if to ask, “Are you so certain?”

Keith was not at all certain, but he was definitely not accomplishing anything by moping about on the beach. He hadn’t gotten but an hour or two of sleep. Some decent sleep might do him some good. He trudged back to the castle, almost having to drag Kosmo back at first--the silly dog was insistent on tramping about in the shallow waters they’d been walking by, for whatever reason.

Keith managed only a few solid hours of sleep before someone was knocking at his door. Something about Shiro wanting him present for the citizen petitions of the day. Kosmo was all energy with springs in his paws, as though he hadn’t stayed up the entire night with Keith. His bright energy got Keith to smile, so Keith couldn’t find it in himself to be annoyed in the slightest.

His first thought had been to head down to the kitchens to grab a quick bite to eat. Petitioning hours usually ran long, and it was one of the dullest duties Keith had to attend to as a prince. A few snacks would go a long way in helping him make it through the day. Keith was quite set in his path, stomach already growling, until he spotted Pidge acting quite suspiciously.

Pidge was the youngest child of one of the court diplomats (their other parent also worked for the royal family, as an herbalist), only a couple years younger than Keith himself. The two of them got on quite well, but Keith always got the impression that Pidge knew things he didn’t. More than once he wondered if they were in training to become a royal spy or something of the sort. They would often disappear for hours at a time, returning with a knowing look and sometimes flipping some incredibly old, incredibly rare coin or other. Not once had Keith ever been able to wrangle an explanation regarding where the coins had come from out of them (at least, not an explanation he believed).

As such, when Keith spotted Pidge ducked behind a corner clutching a bundle of cloth, glancing this way and that to make sure they weren’t being followed, Keith decided there and then to follow them. Perhaps part of him hoped that whatever grand secret they were keeping had something to do with his mysterious rescuer. Either way, his curiosity had reached its limit. Whatever Pidge was hiding, Keith was going to find it.

Unfortunately, Pidge apparently had much practice in the art of not being followed. Keith’s status as a prince didn’t help him much either. Once or twice people stopped to stare at his odd behavior, careful as he was being to not be noticed by Pidge. Kosmo behaved himself all the while, staying just behind Keith as they stole after Pidge on their mystery errand. Keith thought he’d have an easier time of it once they left the castle, but on the contrary, he lost Pidge almost immediately. He’d followed them down the path towards the shore when they’d simply vanished.

Keith huffed. “They must be able to turn invisible or something.”

He turned to make his way back to the castle, calling for Kosmo to follow. His dear companion, however, had other ideas. Kosmo’s head perked up just as Keith made to return, his entire body freezing as he sniffed something in the air. Keith knew what was going to happen an instant before it did.

“Don’t--”

Kosmo did anyways. He took off like a bullet down the beach, leaving Keith to shout and straggle far behind him. Every few seconds he would pause to look back at Keith, as though considering whether he should listen to him or not. Every time he decided against it, and just before Keith could catch up to him, he’d sprint away again, tail wagging in huge circles all the while.

“Well,” Keith wheezed as he tramped through the sand. “At least one of us is having fun.”

~*~

Pidge returned red-faced and panting. Allura had already left, leaving Hunk to watch as Lance attempted to take his first shaky steps on his human legs. It hadn’t been going well.

“Almost got caught,” they gasped. “By Keith of all people.”

Lance perked up at that, eyebrows shooting up as he gestured with his hands towards himself repeatedly. Pidge took a moment to catch their breath.

“Much as I know you’d like to see Keith as soon as possible, and as much as I’d like to get you two together sooner rather than later, I don’t think you’d make a very good impression like this,” they explained.

Lance repeated the motion he’d been making with more energy.

“Yeah, I’m a little confused too,” Hunk said. “What exactly is the reason you couldn’t bring Keith sooner rather than later?”

Pidge rolled their eyes. “Well, humans cover their entire bodies with clothes, first of all. It’s considered pretty rude and shocking to run around naked. Not to mention, Lance can’t even walk right yet. You want to make a good first impression, don’t you?”

Lance exhaled sharply through his nose, and then nodded.

“Good, then let’s get you dressed.”

A few moments later found Lance dressed in plain pants and a loose, flowing shirt. He marvelled at the sensation of cloth against his skin, pulling at the clothing here and there at places where it sat a little less comfortably. He was seated on a rock, not yet able to stand on his own two legs.

“Alright,” Pidge sighed. “Now that that ordeal is out of the way, let’s get you walking--”

They stopped abruptly. A dog could be heard barking not too far off, accompanied by the shouting of a very familiar voice. Pidge looked down the beach, then back at Lance. His eyes were wide and curious, and just a tad concerned. Pidge looked for Hunk, but he had already hidden himself. Panicking, Pidge ended up diving behind another rock, just as Kosmo barrelled around the bend and made a beeline for Lance.

Lance had no idea how to respond. The last time he’d met Kosmo, he’d been nowhere near this rambunctious. It was a little overwhelming, if Lance was honest. It didn’t help that Pidge had decided to hide themself, in Lance’s greatest moment of need. Kosmo jumped excitedly at Lance. Lance’s hands fluttered nervously, trying to pet the beast, but Kosmo just wouldn’t stay still! The silly creature clawed at the rock, desperately trying to get up to greet Lance as he had the first time they’d met.

“Kosmo! Come here, you--!”

Lance felt his breath leave him as Keith rounded the bend and froze, eyes locking with Lance’s. Everything around them screeched to a halt. The waves seemed to hold themselves just before crashing against the shore, suspended in the moment as the two of them were. Even the gulls overhead did not dare cry out.

“Oh,” Keith gasped quietly, setting time to it’s natural course once more.

Kosmo bounded back to Keith, shaking him from his silent reverie. He’d been staring, he realized.

“Uh, sorry about my dog, he’s a little excitable,” Keith apologized to the young man who had yet to say a word.

He thought perhaps he was also a little excitable, but something seemed familiar about the man seated on the rock, especially as Keith stepped towards him. Especially familiar was a pair of startling blue eyes that seemed to draw him in like a riptide. Keith was utterly helpless against them. The young man leaned forward, grinning all the while.

“Do I… know you?”

The young man nodded eagerly, and Keith’s heart leapt into his throat. He instinctively took the man’s hands in his, hardly able to speak for excitement.

“I—it’s you! You’re the one! The one that saved me! I knew you were real! What’s your name?!”

The young man moved his mouth, but no sound came out. Both Keith and him deflated considerably. A whisper of words carried over the waves and brushed past Keith’s cheek, the barest memory of a touch reminding him of what he’d seen. Keith looked away, and let the young man’s hands slip out of his.

“Oh,” he sighed. “Then, you can’t be who I’m looking for.”

The young man huffed, and Keith looked back up at him. His eyebrows were knit together in consternation, arms crossed in such a way that made it look like he was hugging himself. It made him look small and vulnerable, and Keith noticed other things—the mess of wind-whipped curls atop his head, the bags underneath his eyes, and the redness of his lower lip (as though he’d been biting at it).

Keith was about to ask the young man if he was alright, when his eyes snapped up again like a crack of lightning, and he began gesturing wildly with his hands, first to his legs in a wiggling motion, then tapping against his throat and then waving his hand away. Keith was completely lost. The man exhaled sharply and began moving his hands with more energy, pointing agitatedly towards the ocean, such that he nearly fell off the rock he was seated on.

Instead of falling to the ground, however, the man fell right into Keith’s waiting arms. Keith had held them out without thinking, and held tighter when the young man struggled to stand on his own. Their eyes met again, and once more Keith was taken by how the entirety of the ocean seemed to be encapsulated within this stranger’s eyes. He blinked out of his stupor before he was staring for too long.

“You’ve--you must’ve really been through something,” Keith commented. The young man nodded slowly, not once breaking eye contact. “Why don’t you come back with me? We can help you out, get you back on your feet again?”

Here the stranger averted his eyes with a coy smile, and nodded again. Keith held tight around the stranger’s waist, while the young man put an arm across Keith’s shoulders. This would definitely raise some eyebrows, Keith considered, but what else was he supposed to do? No, this mysterious (beautiful) stranger needed help, and Keith was more than able (and willing).

In the meantime, whatever Pidge had been up to had been completely driven from Keith’s mind.

From behind the rocks, Pidge and Hunk watched the fated first meeting go surprisingly well, considering. They exchanged gleeful looks with Lance when he looked back at them with an elated smile.

“Why’d you hide from Keith? I thought you knew him?” Hunk asked as soon as Lance and Keith were out of earshot.

“I panicked,” they said honestly.

Hunk hummed. “That’s fair. And anyways, I suppose if you ended up introducing them, you might have to do more explaining than you want.”

“No kidding,” Pidge replied with a nod. “Keith’s been onto me off and on for years. Always thinks I’m up to something. I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m in training to be a court spy or something. Not that that’d be a bad idea.”

“Speaking of bad ideas, do you think it’d be a bad idea to tell Keith about all this anyways?”

Pidge blinked. “What, about mermaids and everything?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“Pidge, if Lance doesn’t get Keith to fall in love with him in three days, he turns to seafoam! He’d essentially… you know…” Hunk trailed off, a heavy silence settling over him.

“Much as I want to,” Pidge began slowly. “And as much as I think that Keith would be willing to help, I don’t think it’d do us any good. He has to fall in love with Lance, right? Something like that… I don’t know if it can be forced, no matter how much you want it.”

Hunk said nothing in reply, and Pidge felt their heart twist painfully. Lance was a good friend of theirs, but Hunk had known Lance far longer and far more intimately than Pidge. To only be able to stand by (or float by, part of Pidge’s mind considered), while his dearest friend put his life on the line for love… Pidge didn’t even want to imagine. Pidge stood from where they’d been hiding, their expression set.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t help them along though.”

~*~

To say that Allura’s return was met calmly and with a reasonable level of poise would be a bold-faced lie.

In fact, she was swarmed by Lance’s entire family before she’d even crossed the threshold of their palace. They were beside themselves with worry, and his niece and nephew in particular were in hysterics. Most concerning of all was Veronica, who looked as though she hadn’t slept for days, though it had hardly been one since Lance left. Once the delegation that had accompanied Allura was assured of her safety, she was ushered into a private sitting room with Veronica.

There was silence between them at first. Veronica slumped into a seat, exhaustion weighing as heavy as the ocean at the bottom of a trench on her. Her position was not so different from Allura’s, being first in line to rule their respective kingdoms, but unlike Allura, she had already taken over many of the responsibilities that would be expected of her as queen. Add that to ensuring that her siblings attended to their duties as well, and her position was most assuredly more stressful than Allura’s.

“I messed up, didn’t I?”

Allura was taken aback by the question, but quickly moved to reassure the other princess. “No! Well, perhaps you were a bit harsh. After all, as far as I understand it took him years to build his collection, and to simply get rid of it all--”

Allura stopped when a perplexed expression crossed Veronica’s face.

“What are you talking about?”

“His collection. In the cove. It’s all gone,” Allura said. Veronica still looked confused. “It wasn’t you?”

“No, of course not! Collecting human items, that’s harmless, although he does have a tendency to let it get in the way of his duties as a prince… I would never do that to him. He’s my brother.”

“I see,” Allura mused, her mind alight with suspicion.

A beat of silence rippled through the waters.

“Do you know where Lance is?”

Allura nearly choked on some bubbles. “No, I--Hunk and I, when we went looking for him, we thought we might find him faster if we split up. I searched as long as I could, and then I decided to check back here to see if he’d returned on his own.”

Veronica hummed, slouching back into her seat and looking utterly defeated. Allura did not envy the pressure Veronica was under, and wished more than anything that she could assure her that her baby brother was well and alive. But she’d promised Lance.

“As it is,” Allura continued with a little more confidence. “A pressing matter has arisen that I must attend to as soon as possible. I hate to leave you during such a time--”

“Please, don’t worry yourself over it,” Veronica insisted. “We’ll send word as soon as we find Lance and Hunk.”

She rose from her seat and embraced Allura tightly. Allura could practically feel the stress in her tense form. She didn’t want to leave Veronica and the rest of Lance’s family like this. But then, would they be any less worried if they knew the truth.

“Is there anything I can do before I leave?” Allura asked.

Veronica considered the offer with tired eyes. Though they were the same color as Lance’s, they were quite different. Even when she wasn’t under the weight of the entire ocean, Veronica’s eyes had a sort of sharpness to them that was leagues away from the rolling liveliness of Lance’s. Now she seemed dull at the edges.

“Do you know the humans Lance knows?” she asked suddenly.

Allura recoiled, but answered honestly, “No!--that is, not as well as him.”

A slight pause.

“But I think Lance may be right,” she added.

Veronica blinked, clearly surprised. “What do you mean?”

“I think… there may be humans who are not as dangerous as we might think. Humans that can be negotiated with,” Allura elaborated.

“And the poachers of the past? You think they don’t exist anymore?”

Allura shook her head. “It may be that humans are not so different from merfolk. After all, there are plenty of creatures under the sea, merfolk included, that would do us harm without even the slightest provocation.”

Veronica did not reply. Instead she straightened, trying to once more look the part of crown princess of her kingdom. Allura knew firsthand just how exhausting that could be.

“Well, don’t let me keep you. You said you had an urgent matter to attend to?” Veronica reminded her.

“Yes, thank you,” Allura replied with an appropriate bow of her head. Then, just before she opened the door, “I wish you the best of luck. I hope everything is resolved soon.”

“You hope, or you know?”

Allura froze, trying to keep herself composed. She met Veronica’s eyes, sharp and decisive once more, with as much confidence as she could muster.

“There are a great many things I do not know,” she said. “But that I intend to find out.”

Veronica eyed Allura suspiciously. Allura remained resolute.

Finally, Veronica sighed. “Very well. Have a safe journey home.”

With that, Allura swiftly took her leave. The longer she stayed around Veronica the more likely it was that Veronica would wrangle the truth out of her. That would not do at all. As it was, Allura thought, she would likely find out in three day’s time anyways.

Three days, she contemplated on her way home. To Lance’s family, it would no doubt feel like an eternity. To Allura, it was not nearly enough time at all.

~*~

“So,” Pidge mused, sliding beside Keith as he stood gazing out a window. “I hear you made a new friend.”

Keith snorted. “You could say that.”

“I also hear he’s incredibly attractive.”

Keith broke from his brooding to give Pidge a puzzled look. “Since when do you care about whether people are attractive or not?”

“I don’t, that’s just what I heard,” Pidge said with a shrug. “Word travels fast, and there’s nothing servants love more than some juicy gossip.”

“And there’s nothing you love more than talking to people,” Keith drawled.

“No, but people can be really careless. They just want to talk, nevermind who’s listening. What no one seems to agree on is why you decided to bring him home.”

Keith groaned, bumping his head lightly against the glass. “I already told Shiro, I just felt like he needed some help, and I was right there, so I figured, why not?”

“Fair enough.”

Keith scowled. “That’s what Shiro said, and I know neither of you mean it.”

Pidge shrugged again. “It’s not everyday a prince brings home a beautiful man, but the last time that happened there was a marriage not long after.”

“That--that’s different! Adam was a visiting noble from the more inland part of the kingdom and--!”

“And then I never left,” a third voice piped.

Keith didn’t even bother to look. “You here to interrogate me too?”

“No, as much as I’d like to. Takashi won’t shut up about it,” Adam said, sidling up to Keith’s other side. “Dinner is going to be ready soon. Will you be joining us, Pidge?”

“If I’m invited.”

Keith prayed that Adam said no. He was already surrounded as it was, he didn’t need Shiro added to the mix. And they already had one guest as it was, and they generally liked to keep dinner a private affair.

“Of course, you’re always invited, Pidge.”

Keith groaned. Usually he could count on Adam being on his side for a lot of things, but for all that he said he wasn’t interested, Adam was clearly burning with just as much curiosity as everyone in the palace. As they all shuffled off to dinner, Keith idly wondered how long it would be before the entire kingdom was circulating rumors of an engagement.

Shiro was already seated when they entered the private dining room, delighted to see that Pidge would be joining them. Adam took his place beside his husband, and they exchanged a look that to Keith seemed to say that Adam had been as successful as Shiro in wrangling any interesting information from him. Not that there was anything “interesting” to be found out. Sure, maybe he’d thought that at first this perfect stranger had been the one that had rescued Keith not so long ago, and maybe Keith was still thinking longingly of a lingering touch against his cheek, but that had nothing to do with--

There was a shuffling at the door. It was ajar, and just outside a servant stood, speaking in an encouraging tone to someone just out of Keith’s sight. Then, a tentative figure stepped through the door.

Keith had to remind himself to breathe. It was the stranger, freshly washed and dressed in one of Keith’s own deep red coats (he had told the servants to fit the stranger with some of his own clothes, and hadn’t thought anything of it at the time). The vivid scarlet that Keith favored was a striking contrast to the young man’s eyes, and made them seem more prominent than ever. For a second time, Keith reminded himself to breathe, and to not stare.

“Uh, you look--you look great,” Keith stammered, for all that he’d been trying his hardest to remain composed.

The young man smiled bashfully, and Keith led him to the table, pointedly not looking at anyone else as he did. He didn’t need to look to know that Shiro and Pidge were struggling to contain their grinning, and Adam, far more composed than either of them, was simply staring intently.

Pidge caught Lance’s eye and offered him a subtle wave. Lance smiled at them, feeling as though he were floating amidst the most amiable current. His steps were far more steady now than they had been only a few hours ago, and most importantly, he was here, with Keith! Lance was certain that if he still had his voice he’d be giggling out of sheer elation.

“So, I know you can’t speak, but is there any way you can give us your name?” Shiro asked politely of Lance.

Lance considered for a moment, glancing at Pidge in what he hoped was a subtle fashion. They made no indication that they would say anything. It seemed he was on his own for this one. He mimed thrusting forward with a lance, hoping that humans had them too, but no one at the table seemed to get it (“Pike?” Keith guessed. Lance shook his head vigorously). Pidge remained conspicuously silent all the while.

“I’m… sure we’ll figure it out sooner or later,” Shiro assured him. “It just feels rude to not be able to refer to you by name.”

“Speaking of which, we haven’t told him ours,” Adam pointed out.

“Oh!” Shiro gasped. “Of course.”

Introductions were made quickly. Lance nodded at every name, even Pidge’s, in what he hoped was a polite manner. It irked him that he couldn’t return the pleasantries; indeed, if he still had his voice he might’ve laughed at how important it all suddenly seemed to him, to be courteous and princely. He wondered distantly if Veronica would laugh too.

Idle chatter descended upon their small party as they waited for food. Lance, with no voice, was left to take in every little thing that surrounded him. Everything was so very different from his underwater home. On the table there was already an assortment of items he only half recognized.

Directly in front of him was a fork, which he knew, and in the middle of the table, a very curious item that he only half-recognized. He had a feeling that Pidge wasn’t going to explain what it was in front of everyone else, but that was alright. With three prongs to the elegantly crafted item, with sockets in each prong, Lance was certain he could guess what it was for. He picked up the fork in front of him first, and with unshakeable certainty placed it right in the center socket. That’s what he did with the one he’d had in his collection, anyways.

He was very quickly aware of the silence that had descended upon the room. Everyone was staring at him. His face was burning as he quickly removed the fork from where he’d put it, placing it carefully where it had been. Lance was just wishing he could disappear until a sudden peal of laughter shattered the silence. Across from him, Keith was hiding his face in his hands, shoulders shaking.

From the end of the table, Shiro grinned. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen him laugh this hard since… when was the last time he laughed this hard?”

“Sorry, sorry, I don’t mean to laugh at you,” Keith assured Lance. “I just--that was--”

He wasn’t able to finish his sentence, but that was perfectly fine with Lance. He beamed, proud to be the reason that Keith was laughing so freely for the first time in too long. In the meantime, he hoped that Pidge would tell remind him what the item was for later. Funny as it was in retrospect, Lance didn’t want to spend the next few days making a fool of himself. He had more important things to do, after all.

“I don’t think he’s from around here,” Pidge mentioned lightly as dinner was brought out to them. “Hey, Keith, maybe you should show him around town tomorrow.”

“What--”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Adam said before Keith could protest.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been anywhere but around the castle and on the beach,” Shiro agreed. At Keith’s scathing look, he added, “You really thought I wouldn’t notice?”

Keith ignored his brother and turned to Lance. “What do you say? Would you like a tour of the capital town tomorrow? It’s not anything spectacular, but it’s home.”

Lance nodded eagerly, certain that what Keith referred to as home would be nothing short of marvelous. Keith smiled, a sight that made Lance feel warmer than he thought possible. If only, he thought, the deal had been for Lance to fall in love with Keith, then his humanity would be assured.

As it was, Lance insisted to himself that there was no point in lingering on “what-ifs”. Not when there was some very intriguing human cuisine before him, anyways.

~*~

Pidge didn’t linger after dinner. They weren’t sure how much more of Lance and Keith mooning over each other they could handle, and anyways, they had important information to relay. As soon as they were able (and making sure that Keith was lost in Lance’s eyes beforehand), they slipped out with only a quiet word of thanks to the elder prince and his husband.

With the sun going down, activity around the castle was winding down amongst the upper classes. For the servants the work was as steady as always. Stoking up fires to keep away the chill of the coming night, clearing away dinner messes or bringing fresh dinners for those who kept later hours, and cleaning away the mess of the day. None of them had a thought to spare for Pidge as they snuck into the kitchens for a sack of food and then made their way out of the castle.

They took a smaller, side exit that led to a quaint garden that had a marvelous view of the ocean. They made a mental note to suggest to Keith that he ought to take Lance here. In the meantime, they pushed through the meticulously trimmed hedges to find a small trail that they would’ve missed if they hadn’t been looking for it. It led down the steep hill that the castle was settled on, treacherous and overgrown and dangerous to take in low light. Pidge followed it resolutely as it turned sharply to parallel the shore. It led them to a shady cove where the castle was hanging over the shore, where the ocean had eroded the land over time.

They glanced around, ever suspicious.

“Hunk?”

A moment or two passed. The only sound was the constant roll of ocean waves. Pidge sat themself on a rock, and waited. A light breeze swept through the secret cove that had long been Pidge’s personal hideaway. They breathed it in gratefully, tasting the salt and revelling in the cool air against their skin.

“Pidge!” a harsh whisper called.

They opened their eyes. Hunk’s face was just barely peeking out of the water, but his golden tail could be seen behind him. The water was too shallow for him to be completely submerged.

“How’d it go?” he asked.

Pidge grinned. “They were all over the idea. Keith and Lance will be spending the majority of the day together tomorrow. As it is, Keith is already smitten. He’s already half in love with Lance and he doesn’t even know it.”

“Good,” Hunk breathed. “I was worried.”

“So was I, but looking at them, I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” Pidge assured him.

“Oh no, I’ll be worrying every single moment until they kiss,” Hunk insisted, his tail jerking sharply behind him. “Part of me is wondering if Lotor lied to Lance. Or if maybe Lance can only stay human as long as Keith loves him. What if they kiss but it’s not true love? What if it’s just passionate infatuation? What if--”

“Hunk,” Pidge cut in gently. “We could go around in circles all night with what-if’s. Things are going well so far.”

“I know,” Hunk whined, blowing bubbles in the water.

“In the meantime, let’s think of a plan for the third day,” Pidge suggested, brandishing the sack of food they’d brought with them.

~*~

The sun had long since set on Allura’s home, but she was still awake and elbow deep in the archives of her home castle, poring over tablet after tablet. Reading the tablets was delicate and tedious work. That which was merfolk of the past had wanted to record was carved into sturdy stone that was known to withstand the constant whims of the water for many ages. The tablets Allura held, however, were ancient. She made a note to have some of the archivists re-carve the tablets.

For now, however, she felt with careful fingers along the tablets that were supposedly records of lost magic. She’d been through several such tablets already. None of them had anything she was looking for, only tales of mermaids who had sung humans to their death in retaliation for their violent poaching practices. Fascinating as that had been, it was not what Allura needed.

“Our most revered Princess Elanil is thus revealed to have been blessed with the silvertongue gift,” the current tablet read. It wasn’t the first time she’d come across a mention of one of her own ancestors having the silvertongue gift.

Allura continued reading. “But even before she could use it, it was taken from her by the wretched hands of Man. Having taken to the surface in search of vengeance for her most beloved People, our Princess sought to drown Men with her own hands. Those very same Men caught her with their hands before she had uttered a word and cut out her tongue, silencing our dear Princess forevermore.”

Allura recoiled, and almost set the tablet down. Her hands, however, unconsciously moved down to the next line.

“Robbed though she was, our Princess was determined to seek her vengeance tenfold. Her eyes gleamed with the force of a storm at sea and her strength was double that. With her sheer tenacity alone, Princess Elanil drowned a count of Men that shall be directly recorded…”

Allura set the tablet aside and held her head in her hands. She didn’t even know why she was bothering with anything about the silvertongue, unless it was to discern what Lotor could possibly want with it. As it was, mentions of the silvertongue were vague at best, and grossly exaggerated at worst. One account had it that the silvertongue the truest expression of the ocean itself, and those who possessed such a gift could do more than sway people to their will. Poetic as such accounts were, they were utterly useless to Allura.

She was just reaching for the next tablet when, through the silence, a voice spoke, “Allura?”

She whipped her head up, and saw in the dim light of a single bioluminescent lamp her father, King Alfor. His forehead was creased with worry.

“I had heard you had returned, but I wasn’t sure I should believe it,” he commented airily. “After all, why should my dear daughter return without even saying hello to her parents?”

Allura shrugged sheepishly, and then swam over to hug her father tightly, a soft apology on her lips. Alfor smiled kindly as he returned the embrace.

“Your mother is worried. We heard what’s happening with our neighbors,” he said. “She thinks you distraught.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to worry you or mother,” she replied.

“Tell me then, what are you up to?” he asked abruptly. He glanced at the tablets scattered on the table Allura had been sitting at. “The silvertongue gift?”

Allura sought to keep her posture natural. Not too composed, but not too relaxed. “Well, you see—it’s just that—the reason Lance was so upset as to leave in the first place was because of the pressure put on him as one in possession of the silvertongue gift. I thought that if I could help him understand it, he might be able to control it, and then perhaps he might not feel so overburdened, is all.”

Alfor raised an eyebrow. Allura knew he suspected there was something more than what she was saying, and she knew he knew. Thankfully, he seemed to sense that she couldn’t and wouldn’t come forward with the truth so easily. All the same, Allura wasn’t sure if she was grateful for the fact that he didn’t press for the truth or not.

“And what have you found?” he asked instead.

Allura huffed. “Nothing of use. It’s all tales of those who supposedly possessed the gift themselves, never anything about what exactly it is or how one uses it.”

“Really?” Alfor inquired. “I thought for sure there was something about the nature of the silvertongue gift in here somewhere…”

He moved to looked through the tablets Allura had collected while Allura stared, wide-eyed. “You’ve read about the silvertongue?”

“My dear, I must’ve read everything in this library at least twice. Surely your mother has told you before.”

Allura cracked a wry smile as several memories resurfaced. “She may have mentioned it once or twice.”

Alfor chuckled as he continued his search for that particular tablet. He found it after only a moment, holding it up as he read it aloud.

“To call it the silvertongue is something of a misnomer,” he read. “For it is not in the tongue that the gift resides, though that seems to be where it makes itself most apparent. Indeed the silvertongue gift is believed by a few to be a physical manifestation of the ocean itself—“

“I read that already,” Allura interrupted with a sigh. “But that’s the only source that claims that. It’s a romantic view of the magic, certainly, but without evidence—“

“Who’s to say there isn’t evidence?” Alfor asked with a knowing smile.

Allura frowned. “I’ve read all of these tablets, this claim is just a story!”

“If you insist,” Alfor relented, setting down the tablet. “But remember my dear, while many stories regarding magic have their roots in misunderstanding, a special few are rooted in truth. It’s just a matter of finding where that truth is.”

With that he pressed a kiss to her forehead, reminding her not to stay up too late. She assured him that she wouldn’t, although they both seemed to know that was a lie. Allura simply didn’t have time. Realistically she knew she couldn’t stay awake for three days straight, but neither could she waste too much time on sleep. She had to find an answer, and she was certain by then that it didn’t lie in any stories about the silvertongue. But if it wasn’t in stories about magic, then where could it possibly be?

Once her father left, Allura turned back to the tablets on the table, and spied one she didn’t remember taking down from the shelves. Curious she took it in her hands.

“Magic and Alchemy,” it read. “Differences, similarities, and why they both became likened to myth.”

~*~

The dawn of the second day broke bright and beautiful over the ocean. The stranger was already awake when Keith peeked in the room he was staying in, on the balcony admiring the sunrise. It was different, seeing this handsome stranger in such a peaceful moment. Normally he was brimming with energy and unable to sit still. Keith found it charming, but this, too, was endearing. From just the right angle, Keith could see the stranger’s eyes, settled like the sea before them.

“Good morning,” Keith finally greeted, startling the stranger from his reverie. Keith chuckled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

The young man waved a hand at him, and then gestured for Keith to join him. Keith did so gladly.

“Sleep well?” Keith asked. The stranger nodded, even as he yawned. “Good. We’ve got a bit of a day ahead of us, although I will have to be present for petitioning for at least an hour this morning, since I wasn’t present yesterday. I hope that’s alright.”

The man nodded once more, and then tapped his chest as he tilted his head. Keith raised his eyebrows.

“You want to sit through petitions?”

Another fervent nod.

“Are you sure? They’re pretty boring, I can hardly stand them myself…”

The stranger was resolute. He wanted to join Keith. Keith, for his part, had no complaints, he just didn’t want his surprise guest to be bored to death before they went out to the town. As eager as he seemed about everything in the castle, Keith was looking forward to seeing how he reacted to seeing the charming town just beyond the castle gates. In the meantime, however--

“Any other hints towards your name?” Keith inquired.

The stranger once more made that thrusting motion he’d made the night before, calling to mind a sort of polearm weapon. Keith had already tried Pike, which had apparently been wrong, but he was certain that “spear” or “halberd” couldn’t be his name. If there were any other possibilities, they escaped Keith. The stranger huffed. Apparently that was the only hint he had, and Keith just wasn’t getting it.

“Sorry, I’m sure I’ll get it eventually,” Keith apologized. “Maybe there’s something I can call you in the meantime?”

The stranger shrugged, but did not seem wholly opposed to the idea. Keith hummed and tapped his chin thoughtfully.

“How about… Blue?” he suggested, reaching out the brush away an errant strand of hair from the stranger’s face. “For your eyes.”

Said eyes widened, then looked away. The stranger smiled, nodding demurely.

“Alright then, Blue,” Keith said. “Let’s get going. Those petitioners aren’t going to listen to themselves, after all.”

Half an hour later, Keith walked into the throne room, Blue not far behind. Tittering nobles peered curiously at the handsome stranger, gossiping behind their delicate silk fans so rapidly that it sound like the ocean wind had made it inside. Keith paid them no heed, and hoped that Blue did the same. A quick glance told him there was no need to worry. Dressed in a well-fitted, deep blue vest over a flowing white shirt, Blue held himself like a prince, looking forward as though the nobles that lined the walls simply didn’t exist.

Thusly reassured, Keith swiftly took his seat beside Shiro. Blue, without even a single questioning glance, stood to the side. He stood tall and kept his hands clasped behind his back. Were his appearance not so sudden, no one would’ve questioned that he belonged. It was immensely intriguing to Keith. Just who was Blue?

Keith had no time to ponder the question as the first petitioner stepped forward. By his looks, he seemed to be a fisherman, his aged face wind-weathered and sun-kissed. He gripped his hat nervously as he paid the proper respects to the royals. Behind him were several more fishermen, looking just as anxious as the one that spoke on their behalf.

“Your Highnesses,” he began in a tremulous voice. “I’ve always been a reasonable man, a man of logic. Never set much store by superstition, anyone’ll tell you.”

Behind him, several of his companions nodded.

“But?” Shiro prompted.

The fisherman seemed reluctant to continue. “But… As of late, the waters, thereabouts on the eastern side of the peninsula, they’ve become dangerous for us.”

Shiro leaned forward. “How so?”

“That’s just the thing your Highness, is that no one can say for certain,” the fisherman explained. “Our folks go out for the day, and their boats come back, but they don’t. And if they do, it’s by the grace of the currents, because they’ll come back dead.”

A hush fell over the room, followed by the insistent rush of chatter as the nobles appraised this dramatic turn of events. The sound was not unlike the crash of waves just outside. Keith, too, found his interest piqued. His first thought was that raiding parties might be coming over from the neighboring kingdom, and then he considered the possibility of pirates. But the fisherman had said that the ships had returned.

“Of the ships that returned,” Keith began. “How many were stripped of their valuables?”

“None, your Highness,” the fisherman answered.

“So then likely not pirates or raiding parties,” Shiro muttered so that only Keith could hear.

“If I may, your Highnesses,” the fisherman pressed at the insistence of his companions. “Us folk think we may know that what’s killing us, though I fear you’ll think me daft for it.”

“I don’t like to discount any possibility, no matter how slim. Let’s hear it,” Shiro commanded.

The fisherman gripped his hat like a lifeline. “Merfolk, your Highness.”

Several nobles laughed loudly. Keith glanced at Blue, thinking he might laugh too. On the contrary, Blue’s face was suddenly ashen, his eyes wide and his lips pressed tightly together. Keith only had time enough to consider that perhaps Blue was the superstitious type before Shiro spoke again.

“What makes you so certain?” he asked of the fisherman.

“The bodies we’ve found, none of them was stabbed or shot or anything of the sort. They were drowned, your Highness, grabbed by the throat and dragged down ‘til the breath left their lungs for good. The bruises round their necks are proof enough. And ain’t nary a soul in our parts that can’t swim, we teach our children and they teach theirs--and what with how many times it’s happened, these can’t be no accidents, least as far as we can tell,” the fisherman explained.

Still some nobles deigned to laugh at the fisherman’s plight. Keith scowled at those whose eyes he caught. As the younger prince, it was not generally up to him to answer the petitions, so instead he took on the responsibility of keeping peace in the court. It was a job he was good at; the nobles silenced themselves promptly. Certainly he didn’t believe the idea that merfolk had come to drown humans as they did in stories, but it was clear that something was going on.

From his expression, Keith could tell that Shiro thought much the same.

“We’ll send some ships from our navy to patrol your waters,” Shiro decided. “In the meantime, you and your people should arm yourselves in whatever way you can. Make certain that anyone who goes out onto open waters has the means to defend themselves.”

The fisherman looked reluctant, but bowed all the same. So too did his companions.

“Thank you, your Highness.”

And just like that, they were escorted from the room, and petitioning continued without any further excitement. Keith glanced at Blue again. His brows were knit together in consternation, his posture more rigid than confident. Keith wanted to take him away right then, to escape into town and make him smile again. Alas, petitions lasted at least another hour before they could get away. By the time they did, Blue looked at ease once more, so Keith decided not to bring the issue up again.

Unfortunately, before he could grab Blue and escape the throne room, they were both accosted by nosy nobles. Keith hated that he couldn’t simply tell them to go away. Didn’t they have anything better to do than get into the business of other people?!

“Your Highness,” the first lady, a one Lady Vernetria of Lucely, greeted with a deep curtsy. Her companions followed suit.

Keith responded with a curt bow of his own. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

The ladies giggled demurely behind their fans. Lady Vernetria was the one to speak again. She’d always been the leader of some clique or other. She was fine company for the most part, but her penchant for gossip made her exhausting at times. Keith knew exactly what she wanted to know.

“We were wondering,” she began in a lilting tone. “Just who your handsome friend is, and if you would be so gracious as to introduce us.”

Keith glanced at Blue, who didn’t seem averse. “This is Blue. He’s here as my guest. Blue, this is Lady Vernetria, Lady Katarin, and Lady Nolette.”

Blue bowed swiftly and smiled in such a way that immediately charmed the ladies. They were on him like sharks to a fresh piece of meat.

“Where are you from?”

“How long will you be staying?”

“Are you single?”

Keith cut in quickly. “Ladies, please, he doesn’t speak. Even so, I can’t speak for him, but he is welcome to stay as long as he likes.”

“Oh, the poor dear!” Lady Katarin simpered. Lady Vernetria gave her a light smack with her closed fan.

“So, your Highness, what did you think of the first petition?” Lady Nolette inquired, smirking slightly. The other two ladies had to restrain her giggles.

“I think people dying is a matter that should be taken seriously,” Keith replied with a twitch of annoyance.

The ladies recoiled slightly, but pressed forward all the same. “In that case it doesn’t seem as though the fishermen aren’t taking it very seriously, don’t you think?”

“I think they’re scared,” Keith told them honestly. “They’re clinging onto whatever explanation they can in the absence of a rational one. That happens to people who spend a lot of time out at sea.”

“Still,” Lady Katarin giggled. “Merfolk?”

“I know! I’m surprised they didn’t say they were hearing irresistible singing from the depths!” Lady Nolette shrieked. Lady Vernetria couldn’t help but laugh as well.

“Oh, Mister Blue, are you alright?” Lady Katarin asked suddenly.

Keith glanced at him, and indeed Blue was looking uncomfortable again. More than that, his eyes flashed like a storm at sea. Keith had to get him out of here, but prying himself from the clutches of court ladies was always a difficult task.

“Mister Blue, do you believe in merfolk?” Lady Vernetria questioned with a sharp flick of her fan.

Blue shook his head, but it was a sharp and jerky motion. Not entirely convincing.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, dear,” Lady Nolette tittered. “Merfolk aren’t real.”

“And even if they were, we’d do them just as people do in the stories,” Lady Vernetria added with a grin. “We’d spear them from top to tail, just like any other fish--”

Before Keith could do anything to get her to stop, she stopped on her own, mouth agape and eyes suddenly unfocused. Her friends tapped her shoulder urgently, concerned by this alarming state of her’s. Keith, too, was troubled. What on earth…?

She snapped out of it before too long. She shook her head and said, “Dear me, my apologies. Anyways, I’m sure you have things you’d like to be getting to, your Highness. We shouldn’t hold up you and your guest any longer. Mister Blue, I do hope we see you around for some time to come.”

Keith blinked. “Thank you, I--have a good day, ladies.”

They curtsied and took their leaves, Lady Vernetria looking utterly perplexed with her friends much in the same way. Keith was confused too. Still, it was just as well that she seemed to change her mind so suddenly. He and Blue were finally free. He looked at Blue, who looked a little confused as well. He merely shrugged. His eyes seemed more settled now than they had only a moment earlier.

“Well, that was… something. I hope they didn’t bother you too much. They’re good people, just a bit tactless at times,” Keith said as he shucked off his outer coat and passed it off to a servant. Then he smiled. “So, you ready to see what the town has to offer?”

Blue nodded earnestly, and Keith’s smile widened. They hurried outside, where a horse drawn carriage was waiting for them. Keith paused as he caught sight of the ocean. He still heard those whispers, still felt that tender touch, but they were fainter now, more distant. They were elusive as the horizon, it seemed. And yet Keith still longed for them. He climbed into the carriage after helping Blue up. Keith never liked to sit on such things for too long, and if there was nothing he could do about it, then, well…

Keith laughed as Blue studied the horses with intense fascination. Today, he decided, would be a good day.

Lance was of the same opinion, though he wasn’t able to say as much. He’d been rightly distressed at the idea of merfolk drowning humans, and more so when the ladies had interrogated him about merfolk. Of all the people they could’ve asked! In the meantime, his mind was furiously trying to discern the truth of the situation. It was possible that it was the acts of a few rogue mermaids, as the waters in that direction, as far as Lance could remember, did not belong to any particular kingdom. There was also the distinct possibility that it wasn’t merfolk at all, but the idea that merfolk were suspect at all was alarming to say the least.

Thankfully Keith made no more mention of it as they made their way out into town, and Lance was able to throw himself entirely into every new curiosity he came across. First were the four legged the beasts that looked nothing like dogs pulling the box-like object he and Keith were seated in. Lance leaned over the edge, trying to see how it all worked, only to be pulled right back in by a frantic Keith.

It wasn’t a far ride into town. There were more humans in one place than Lance had ever seen before, and that was including the castle he’d just been in! Everyone was buzzing with activity, bustling this way and that, talking to one another, bargaining, working, and all manner of amazing things.

Keith smiled at Lance’s enthusiasm.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Keith assured him.

The vehicle they were in stopped by a peculiar structure that spouted water. A few people were gathered around it. Some were merely chatting with each other, while others took water from it. At the bottom, Lance noticed something glittering. He tapped Keith urgently on the arm and pointed it out.

“Oh, that?” Keith said. “It’s just the fountain, nothing special. People get fresh water from it, and supposedly if you throw a coin in you can make a wish.”

Lance considered that for a moment. So, humans had their own sort of magic after all. If he ever got his voice back, he decided, he was going to rub that in Pidge’s face so hard. In the meantime, he had no coins to exchange for wishes, and so was about to take to his next fancy when Keith offered a coin to him, a coin quite unlike the ones Lance used to scrounge up from sunken ships for Pidge.

“Want to make a wish?” Keith asked.

Lance nodded and took the coin from Keith. He watched intently as Keith took another coin and flipped it neatly into the water, not saying a single word. His confusion must’ve shown on his face, because Keith was smiling again.

“What? If you say your wish out loud it won’t come true.”

Well then, Lance thought as he tried to imitate Keith’s motions, his wish was sure to come true. Twice he dropped his coin to the ground, finally electing to just hurl it into the water. Keith snorted, and they moved on.

There were so many things to see, so many things to do, Lance could hardly keep track of all of them. Once they passed by a cart of strange birds, which Lance knew to be birds only by the feathers that trailed after the cart. They made a strange sound that Lance didn’t even know was possible for birds to make. He thought they all screeched, like seagulls.

Keith tried his very best to show his guest the more interesting parts of town. His blue-eyed friend, however, seemed interested in just about everything, and Keith was helpless to resist as Blue dragged him to and fro, his zeal for even the smallest things seeming to know no limits. To most it might’ve seemed child-like, what with how easily Blue was distracted and how he seemed to have a blatant disregard for how things worked (Keith had to apologize profusely when Blue walked right up to a small booth where puppeteers were performing, and yanked a puppet right off the hand of some poor actor), but to Keith, it was impossibly endearing.

It was a little hard to keep up with Blue though. Where only yesterday he’d initially been unsteady on his feet as a fish out of water, Blue now hopped around effortlessly after everything that moved. Just as Keith was wondering how he was going to make it through the day, he spotted something that he was certain Blue would love.

“Hey, Blue!” he called as the young man was admiring a stall that offered a brilliant array of flowers.

Blue skipped over to Keith with a grin as bright as sunlight on the sea. Keith held out his hand. Blue took it without question, and Keith led him towards a pavillion lined with flowers, where a band had struck up a lively tune and several people had taken to dancing. As Keith suspected, Blue was immediately taken by the sight. He jumped on the spot, gesturing first between himself and the dancers, and then between him and Keith.

The question was clear as day.

“You want to dance?” Keith asked anyways.

Blue nodded.

Without another word, Keith led him out onto the pavillion. Blue’s steps were uncertain at first, as though he’d never danced before. Keith whispered gentle reassurances, the hand on Blue’s waist strong and steady. Slowly but surely, Blue learned how to not trip over his own feet, and perhaps more importantly, how to not step on Keith’s.

Soon enough they were twirling around the pavillion with fervor. Blue’s eyes were alight with mirth, his cheeks flushed. Keith found it impossible to avert his eyes from the sight.

Suddenly, Keith got an idea. He pulled Blue close, and asked, “You ready for a lift?”

Blue tilted his head. Keith grinned.

“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Keith said, more to himself than to Blue.

He placed both of his hands securely on Blue’s waist and held tight. Blue’s eyes widened.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you, okay?”

Blue nodded.

In time with the music, Keith lifted Blue as high as he could and twirled him around. Blue was surprised at first, and then tossed his head back in silent, rapturous laughter. Keith thought he could almost hear it, like like wind whisking over the waves. When he set Blue back on the ground, they held each other just a little closer.

Lance was breathless by the time the sun started to sink in the sky. Not only had he seen more things than his head could manage to remember, but he’d learned to dance! With Keith! And the lift! It wasn’t until Lance caught sight of the setting sun, a reminder of his limited time, that he paused for long enough to catch his breath once more.

They’d returned to the strange vehicle they’d arrived in, supposedly getting ready to return to the castle. Lance didn’t want to go. Going back meant ending the day, and ending the day just meant that much less time spent with Keith. Not that he could say that. It seemed he would just have to be content with what he’d been given.

They had just started on their way when Keith said, “Do you mind if we take a little detour? There’s one last place I want to take you.”

Lance nodded, feeling dizzy from how many times he’d repeated the motion that day. Keith sighed, seeming almost relieved that Lance was willing.

“Great,” he said with a smile. “I think you’ll really like this place.”

~*~

Allura woke with a violent start in the middle of the second day. Her cheek had been pressed into the rough texture of the last tablet she’d been reading. She tried to rub the sleep from her eyes, to no avail. She had no idea when she’d fallen asleep, but she did know that the sun had already been up, so she couldn’t have been asleep for that long. Instead of retiring to her room, she picked up the tablet she’d been using as a pillow and continued reading.

“Oftentimes practitioners of alchemy saw fit to masquerade themselves as other creatures, including humans,” the tablet read. “Through the art of alchemy, as they learned it from the sea itself, alchemists were able to change their forms as it suited them. However, these forms were temporary and unstable. If they shifted their forms to mimic other creatures of the sea as they were, they would simply revert to their original form after some number of days.”

Allura pressed her lips tightly together as she continued to read, “However, should creatures of the sea choose to mimic the form of creatures of the land, such as humans, there were severe consequences. Being creatures of the sea, those who mimicked the visage of humans took on even more unstable forms, which invariably collapsed into sea foam after some number of days. For this reason, few creatures chose to appear as humans.”

Allura sighed heavily. So Lotor hadn’t been lying. She pressed on, hoping for a way to reverse this inevitable end.

“There was, for those who changed their forms, only a few known ways to lend some permanence to their borrowed forms. The first, and most desirable, was for the changed creature to give their heart to someone who belonged to those creatures the changed was imitating. Oftentimes this exchange was already done before one would change to match the other. This method tends towards the more metaphysical aspect of alchemy, and signifies the willingness of both creatures to accept the worlds of one another (in spite of the contradictory nature of the action of one changing to belong to the other’s world).”

“The second method tended towards the more scientific and physical aspect of alchemy, the part that allowed for the change in the first place. It was far less desirable than the first method, and often made the changed an outcast before they could make a place for themselves in the aimed for society. This method involved the murder of one who already belonged to the aimed for society, effectively taking their place. Specifically, it was a literal version of the first method, as the changed was required to carve out their heart and hold it with them for some number of days, or until they were assured of the permanence of their form.”

Allura set the tablet aside and put her face in her hands. The first method was the one that Lotor had told Lance, only with a more specific deadline. By the way this record put it, there was a chance that Lance had a bit more time, but to the same end should he fail to secure Keith’s heart. There was no way she could convince Lance to try the second method, no matter how desperate things became. Even if presented with a human who might deserve such an end, Lance was not a killer. Allura couldn’t and more importantly wouldn’t ask that of him.

“Allura, dear?” a voice called just as Allura was nodding off again.

She whirled around, only a little startled, but then relaxed. “Oh, mother! Uh—hello.”

Queen Melenor raised an eyebrow. “I was wondering why my only daughter didn’t come to greet me when she returned so suddenly. Now I see. She’s becoming more like her father every day.”

Allura laughed, and swam into her mother’s outstretched arms. She let herself stay there a moment, let herself feel like a child overwhelmed by the vastness of the ocean, of the entire world. The world was not so large in her mother’s arms. Much as she wanted to, Allura could not linger.

“I’m sorry, mother, I didn’t mean to neglect you, it’s just that some very important things came up and our library has the best kept records,” Allura explained.

Melenor brushed a thumb across Allura’s cheek. “I can see that. Do these records also make good pillows?”

“It’s that important mother,” Allura insisted. “But I’m afraid I’ve hit another dead end.”

Melenor hummed. “Perhaps a break is in order?”

“Much as I’d love to--”

“Wonderful! Come along, dear!” Melenor trilled, promptly dragging her daughter away.

“Mother!”

“Allura!” Melenor teased. “It’s just a small break for food. Surely you don’t intend to starve yourself?”

Allura sighed. She had in fact neglected to eat anything since she buried herself in the archives.

“I suppose some food would do me some good.”

“Good!” Melenor said with a smile. “I’m afraid your father won’t be joining us, but we should have a meal together sometime, it’s been far too long.”

“What’s father up to that you can’t drag him away?” Allura inquired, now swimming beside her mother.

Her mother’s expression fell slightly. “Negotiations with the cecaelia, I’m afraid.”

“Again?!” Allura all but shrieked. She made a quick apology for her outburst before continuing. “But we just met with them before I left. What else could they want?”

They settled in a small dining room before Melenor answered. “A great many things, I’m afraid. They’ve always been rather demanding, and what with no clear heir to the throne and an ailing emperor, several factions have approached us for assistance.”

“Whatever did happen to the heir? I could’ve sworn there was one at some point,” Allura commented.

“There was, but his father banished him, I hear,” Melenor said. “They tried to keep it hush, but with that being the only heir, it was difficult to keep it so.”

“Banished his only heir? What in the seven seas happened?” Allura asked as she began to pick at the food in front of her.

“I never heard anything but rumors, but most people agree that the emperor’s son was practicing some terrifying witchcraft,” Melenor informed her in a low voice.

Allura nearly choked on her food. “Witchcraft?!”

Melenor nodded, hardly noticing her daughter’s distress. “Indeed, though everyone knows it was more likely alchemy. Your father says that their kingdom has a history of alchemy that runs just as deep as ours, but as with us it fell into disuse. I can only imagine what sort of awful things the lad must’ve done with the art to have gotten himself banished.”

“What awful things indeed,” Allura mused to herself. She pushed herself away from the table and began to swim away with a sense of urgency.

“Allura, where are you off to now?!” Melenor demanded.

“I’m sorry, mother, I’ve just had a thought that might help me break through this dead end of mine! I promise we’ll all have a meal together soon!” Allura assured her.

Instead of returning to the library, however, Allura swam to where she knew her father was talking with the cecaelian dignitaries. She had a visit to make.

~*~

“Are you alright?” Hunk asked as he peeked out of the water below the bridge that led to the castle.

Pidge was red-faced and wheezing. “Lance—spent the entire day—running around—hardly a break—“

“How are things going between him and Keith?” Hunk pressed.

“Good,” Pidge huffed as they struggled to catch their breath. “Really good. Like, I think Keith is taking Lance somewhere romantic kind of good.”

Hunk’s eyes widened. “Where is he taking him?!”

“Probably to the lagoon. Keith likes to go there on occasion, but I don’t think he really brings people there,” Pidge explained, grinning.

“Where is it? I’ll keep an eye on them so you can take a break!”

~*~

“I like to come here a lot,” Keith explained as they exited the carriage. “It’s quiet, especially once the sun starts to go down, and then the fireflies come out and it’s beautiful. The ocean is great and all, but this is something else entirely.

Perhaps it was because Blue was mute, but Keith felt as though he could talk a lot more freely around him. At the very least, he felt like he was filling up a lot of the conversational space between them. Blue didn’t seem to mind. He watched Keith with a sort of earnestness that Keith wasn’t quite used to, but that he found he didn’t mind. Sometimes he would try to tell Keith something (usually his name), but Keith could usually only guess what he was saying about half the time. He hoped he could get better.

Keith led Blue by the hand down towards the water, where a well-kept dinghy was hidden in the reeds.

“I like to swim around here a lot too, so we could do that instead if you want,” Keith suggested. “It’s a nice enough night for it.”

Blue looked hesitant, but curious.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Keith assured him.

Blue shook his head and then gestured between himself and the water. He made a paddling motion, and then tapped a finger to his temple. He shook his head again.

“You don’t want to? No, you want to…” Keith followed along. “But you… you’re swimming—oh! You don’t know how to swim!”

Blue nodded with a grin, delighted that Keith had guessed what he’d been saying.

“That’s alright, I can teach you!” Keith said eagerly. “That is, if you want to, anyways…”

Blue nodded.

Keith stripped off his shoes and shirt, and Blue copied him with rapt attention. Blue grasped Keith’s hand tightly as they waded into lavender waters. Keith never took his eyes off of him, watching as he gasped silently at the chill of the water. Around them, crickets were already humming their nightly serenade. The wind swept through the reeds with a soft shushing sound. They were wading deeper, the water creeping up their waists, when Blue slipped and pitched forward, splashing about in alarm. Keith pulled him closer.

“Don’t worry,” Keith said quietly as he wrapped an arm around Blue’s waist. “I’ve got you.”

Blue nodded. He trusted Keith, his eyes seemed to say. Carefully, Keith brought them both out to deeper waters. Blue’s eyes widened as the water started to lap at his chin, and Keith paused.

“Can you still touch the bottom?” Keith asked. Blue nodded. “Good. I’m going to let go for a bit, just so I can show you what to do, okay?”

Blue was more hesitant at that, but nodded all the same. Keith did not go more than an arm’s reach away as he began to move his arms in slow, wide circles.

“See the way I’m moving my arms? I’m also kicking my legs just enough to keep my head above the water. This is how you tread water. It doesn’t take up much energy, but it won’t get you anywhere either. Give it a try,” Keith encouraged.

Blue began to move his arms, trying to mimic just how Keith was doing it.

“You have to kick your legs too,” Keith reminded him.

With a resolved expression, Blue hopped in the water and then dropped right under the surface. His arms flailed wildly and Keith rushed to pull him right back up. Blue sputtered and snorted and looked very confused. He clung to Keith with a silent desperation, his eyes seeming to say, “Please don’t let me go.”

“It takes a little getting used to,” Keith chuckled once he was sure Blue was okay. “Most people around here know how to swim as soon as they can walk, some even sooner. I suppose it goes with living right on the coast.”

Keith took to spinning them slowly in the water, almost like a dance. Blue did not object in the slightest. Neither of them moved to let go of the other.

“I was actually older than most when I first learned to swim,” Keith admitted. “I suppose that goes along with being a prince. Everyone wants to protect you. Shiro was really bad about that when I was little, but I eventually convinced him that it would be safer for me if I knew how to swim. So he got someone to teach me. It was actually here that I learned to swim. The water is calm, much more so than the ocean, so it’s a good place to learn.”

Blue pushed at Keith’s shoulder gently as though pushing away.

Keith raised his eyebrows. “You want to try again?”

Blue nodded.

“Alright then.”

There was no telling how much time passed as Keith and Blue splashed about in the lagoon. Keith laughed often and loudly, accompanied by Blue’s silent giggles. Blue was clumsy but eager. Once he moved his legs in such a way that Keith thought of a mermaid. When he teased as much, however, Blue only offered a tight smile in return. Keith, reminded of the petition from that very morning, wanted to ask what had Blue so bothered about it, but they were having a good time. He didn’t want to upset Blue if he didn’t have to. Besides, Keith could always ask later.

The stars above were already shining brightly by the time Blue could swim on his own, much to the delight of both of them. Keith led him through the waters of the lagoon, leading him towards a large, drooping willow that had always been Keith’s favorite place. Once or twice they heard some loud splashing that hadn’t come from either of them, that Keith brushed off as being some overzealous fish or other. By the look of it, Blue didn’t quite agree with him, but made no motion of protest.

Keith pulled aside the branches of the willow like a curtain, and was delighted to find the fireflies out in full force within. Blue, too, seemed overwhelmingly in awe of them, tapping Keith urgently on his shoulder and pointing excitedly. The water under the willow was shallow enough that Blue took to chasing after the bright bugs. He pouted when they slipped right through his fingers, and Keith couldn’t help but chuckle. With practiced poise, Keith scooped a few out of the air while Blue wasn’t looking. He called out to Blue, and when he came close enough, Keith released them, lighting up Blue’s already bright face.

Blue’s entire body shook with silent laughter. Keith smiled fondly. Then Blue went to try to catch some again. Keith was just about to show him how to do it when, just as Blue was staring with intense concentration at the bright bugs, when several of them flew straight into his cupped hands. Delighted, Blue moved over to Keith and released them just in front of him, a mimic of what Keith had done for him.

Keith laughed, the warmth in his chest a gentle contrast to the slight chill of the water. Blue was smiling, eyes shining. They were standing close now, just enough room to breathe. Keith didn’t move away. Neither did Blue.

“I wish I knew your name,” he whispered in the space between them. He laughed when Blue repeated that motion again, the one he always used to mime his name. “I’m sorry I’m so bad at this.”

A harsh, whisper-like sound made Keith whip his head around. It had sounded like someone was there, but Keith couldn’t see anyone. There was no one there but him and Blue. Looks could be deceiving sometimes, however.

“Did you hear something?”

Blue shrugged. He mimed his name again.

“Okay, okay. It’s a type of weapon, right?” Blue nodded. “And it’s not a pike, or a spear, or a halberd… Probably not a staff, but then, you don’t normally jab with a staff anyways…”

Blue rolled his eyes. Keith thought he heard that whisper again, closer and more insistent. It almost sounded like someone saying--

“Lance?” Keith mumbled, eyes suspiciously roving their surroundings.

Excited splashing from Blue caught his attention again. He was nodding, pointing at Keith, and grinning widely. He mimed his name a third time.

“What? I said--oh! Lance! Your name is Lance!” Keith exclaimed.

Blue--or rather, Lance, grabbed Keith’s hand, jumping in what could only be described as sheer elation. Keith didn’t blame him. He’d probably be excited too if no one had been calling him by his name for almost two whole days.

“Lance,” Keith repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue. Lance settled down, still smiling. “I don’t know how I didn’t guess that before… it suits you.”

Lance’s eyes locked with his, and Keith once more found himself entranced by how they seemed to be filled to the brim with the ocean itself. Keith had no doubt he could easily drown in them. He found he wouldn’t mind if he did. It was like a rip current pulling him out to sea. There was no swimming against it. Lance’s eyelashes fluttered, but it did little to deter Keith as the distance between them shrank. He could hear the soft rush of Lance’s breath as it went past his lips, like the rush of waves along the beach. It carried away the memory of a whisper, and let it sink to the ocean floor where all forgotten things went. Keith let his eyes close. There was no swimming against this current.

“Lance!”

Lance and Keith sprang apart from one another. Lance was frozen in place, equal parts horrified and furious. Just as quickly as the emotions came over him, however, they left, replaced by heavy dread. Hunk wouldn’t call out to him for no reason, not when Lance had been so close. Something was wrong.

Keith meanwhile was searching with his eyes and completely on guard. There would be no playing it off this time. He turned to Lance, eyes full of distrust.

“Who was—“

Before he could finish his question, Keith was dragged underneath the water with little more than a gasp. Lance plunged in after him unthinkingly. The water here was not like the water of the ocean, and so didn’t sting too much when Lance tried to open his eyes. There, just ahead, Keith was struggling against the hands of a very familiar mermaid with the tail of a shark. She had him from behind, her clawed hands clasped tightly around his throat. He kicked and thrashed wildly, but to no avail. The mermaid noticed Lance and said something, but all Lance could hear was a bubbly noise.

Lance tried to move towards them, but his human limbs were still awkward and unsure in the water. His lungs were already burning. He would have to resurface for air. But how far would this mermaid be able to get with Keith before Lance made it back down? How much longer could Keith last? Already his struggling was becoming sluggish. Lance pressed forward, his own need for air be damned. If Keith died here Lance was as good as dead anyways.

Only before he could even get close, strong arms wrapped around Lance and set to squeezing the life out of him. The pressure against his throat was enough to make him cough and sputter. Water began to flood him, betraying him where it had once been his friend. It burned like nothing Lance had ever experienced. He flailed as hard as he could, trying to get some leeway, but to no avail. Everything hurt. No matter what he did, Lance couldn’t stop the stuttering of his lungs, couldn’t stop taking in more water.

Lance locked eyes with the mermaid choking the life out of Keith, silently pleading for her to let him go, for something to make her let go, to go away and not bother them again! His thoughts were screaming as loud as his lungs, and in his fading consciousness he thought he saw the mermaid falter, thought he saw her hands loosen slightly…

And then Lance could breathe again. He didn’t know how or why, but he was coughing and retching and very much alive. Distantly he thought there’d been a golden flash before his eyes; Lance had thought he was well and truly dying. Now he wasn’t. Had Keith rescued him? Lance blinked the water out of his eyes, instinctively moving his mouth to call out. Keith was nowhere to be seen. He was still in danger.

Lance was getting ready to dive back into the water when Hunk surfaced dramatically, hauling an unconscious Keith along with him. He had a fierce air about him, one that Lance wasn’t quite sure he’d ever seen before. Hunk spotted Lance gaping.

“What are you doing?! Get out of the water!” he commanded.

Lance didn’t dare dally at that tone. He went as fast as his human body would take him. It was markedly slower than what he was used to, slower even than Hunk, who was encumbered by Keith’s weight. All the while he worried that one of the mermaids would return to finish off Keith, or himself, or perhaps Hunk for having gotten in the way. Despite his worries, they made it to shore safely, Lance taking Keith where Hunk could no longer go.

Immediately Lance pressed his ear to Keith’s chest. His heart was still beating, but his breath was coming in short, staccatoed gasps as though he were still drowning. Perhaps he was. There were bruises and scratches all along his neck, and a stark cut running down his cheek where the mermaid had evidently slipped when trying to get a hold of Keith. It was bleeding sluggishly. Lance looked to Hunk, who could offer nothing but a worried expression.

“I don’t know, bud,” Hunk said quietly.

Lance’s thoughts were racing faster than he could keep up with them. He’d started to breath as soon as he’d left the water, although he’d also had to cough up a substantial amount of water. He also hadn’t lost consciousness. Would Keith be alright if Lance let him be? Would he deteriorate? Lance checked to make sure Keith’s heart was still beating. It was. How much longer would that last?

Lance looked at Hunk again. Hunk was looking out towards the lagoon, occasionally ducking underwater to keep watch for those mermaids.

“I spotted them lurking around not too long after you guys got in the water,” Hunk explained. “I thought maybe they were just keeping an eye on you for Lotor, but then I started to wonder why he would need to do that. That’s why I was trying to get your attention.”

Lance frowned as guilt washed over him like the coming tide. It seemed Lance was as careless as usual. He looked down at Keith, who was still unconscious, still struggling to breathe properly. Perhaps it would’ve been better if he’d never become human at all, Lance considered.

“Lance, I know what you’re thinking. This isn’t your fault,” Hunk assured him.

Lance shook his head and began to move his hands, gesturing to himself, then to Hunk, and finally to Keith. It was hardly clear, and not nearly enough to express what he was trying to say. So instead, Lance turned away from Hunk and hugged himself tightly. He felt like he was drowning all over again.

“Lance,” Hunk called gently. “Lance, listen to me, this isn’t your fault. Whatever Lotor is up to is on him, not you.”

Turning back to Hunk, Lance gestured vaguely. Thankfully, Hunk seemed to understand.

“We knew from the beginning that Lotor might not be trustworthy. Maybe I don’t get why he’d want to drown you and Keith, but that just means that there’s something bigger going on that we just don’t know,” Hunk insisted.

Despite still being convinced that if he hadn’t been so reckless this would’ve never happened, Hunk’s words did spark something in Lance’s mind. It was something that Lance knew he couldn’t communicate with vague hand gestures, however, no matter how well Hunk knew him. So Lance took to drawing crudely in the sand that met the shallow water. Hunk squinted at the lines, trying to decipher their meaning.

“Okay, uhm… That’s the sun… And it’s rising… Wow, water, very specific… an arrow? Oh! You mean water in the direction the sun rises in, got it! Okay, okay, now we’ve got humans on boats, got it, and… merfolk? Wait, hold on, are they--?”

Hunk stopped short, his expression distraught.

“You’re not saying that there’s merfolk drowning humans again, are you?” Hunk asked.

Lance shook his head as he pointed to himself.

“But humans think so?”

Lance pointed at Keith and shook his head again.

“Not all humans, but some. How are they even sure it’s merfolk at all?”

Lance shrugged and then pointed out towards the lagoon.

Hunk blinked. “Lotor. What in the seven seas is he up to?”

Lance shrugged again and turned back towards Keith. Still breathing, if only just.

“Lance, I think I need to tell Allura what’s happening,” Hunk said slowly. “The last thing I want to do is leave you, but something is going on here and while I was able to take those two mermaids on my own this time, I only think that’s because they didn’t expect me to be here. They swam away as soon as they realized I was here. I don’t think we’ll be so lucky next time.”

Reluctantly, Lance nodded. As long as he and Keith remained on land, they were safe from Lotor’s reach. And he’d have Pidge, and to some extent Keith and Shiro and Adam. But what of Hunk and Allura and anyone else that got involved? Would they be safe from Lotor? Just what was Lotor trying to accomplish anyways?

As if reading Lance’s mind, Hunk said, “We’ll be fine. It’s not like Lotor is killing off merfolk, aside from you, anyways. I mean, look at what just happened! They turned tail as soon as I showed up! And you know Allura’s no pushover either.”

Lance nodded again, a little more certain this time. As if on cue, Keith began to cough violently, trying to expel all the water he’d inhaled. Hunk left with a silent nod to Lance. Keith rolled over onto his side, and Lance, not knowing what else to do, rubbed soothing circles on his back. Eventually Keith managed to take a huge gulp of air and flopped back onto his back, breathing hard.

He opened his eyes when Lance traced the edge of the cut on his cheek. Lance worried that those eyes would be full of distrust once more, as they had been when he heard Hunk call out for Lance. Keith’s eyes widened for a split second; Lance’s breath caught in his throat. Then he softened entirely, smiling as he took Lance’s hand with his.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he rasped.

Lance couldn’t take it anymore. Every nerve in his body seemed to snap with the force of his silent sobs. His breath came quickly, and just when Lance thought it couldn’t get any worse, his face suddenly felt hot and wet. He recoiled, realizing that there was something spilling out of his eyes. He pressed his hands to his eyes. Now was not the time to start leaking! He didn’t even know that this was a thing that happened to humans!

“Hey, hey,” Keith hushed, sitting up and taking Lance’s hands from him. “It’s okay, we’re okay.”

Lance shook his head, trying to tug his hands back. Things were most certainly not okay! Lotor was up to something devious and there was no telling what, humans were being drowned and they were blaming merfolk for it, Lance had managed to drag Keith into all of it, and now, on top of everything else, his face was leaking! Why had he ever thought becoming human would be a good idea?!

Keith wiped the wetness from his face, apparently not as concerned about it as Lance was.

“Hey, Lance, listen to me,” Keith said, as gentle as could be. “Everything’s going to be alright. We’re alive, we’re okay.”

Lance touched the cut on Keith’s face.

Keith shrugged, saying, “It could be worse.”

With some gentle coaxing, Keith helped Lance back into the vehicle they’d arrived in. The ride back to the castle was silent, punctuated only by Lance’s sniffles. Once in a while Keith would reach over and offer some gentle touch or other. Sometimes he would rub circles on Lance’s back, other times he would brush Lance’s hair back (although it was short enough that it was never in Lance’s face). Lance welcomed the contact, leaning into it every time.

The hour was late, and no one else was on the road. They made their return swiftly. Where before Lance had been reluctant to return to the castle, he now welcomed it. The castle meant safety. As long as they were here, they were safe. Lance glanced at the ocean just before they went inside. Was this to be part of his life as a human, should he make it past tomorrow?

Keith led Lance back to the room he’d stayed in the night before, clasping his hands tightly all the while.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” he told Lance. “Change into something warm and dry.”

He turned to leave, but Lance held tight to his hand with a questioning expression.

“I have to talk to Shiro,” Keith explained.

When Lance still looked confused, Keith elaborated, “Whatever attacked us in the water wasn’t any ordinary fish. And it’s no coincidence that this happened the same day we got a petition from supposedly superstitious sailors.”

Lance’s eyes widened.

“There’s merfolk in the waters. And they’re trying to kill us.”

#klance #voltron #voltron legendary defender #fanfic #fan fiction #fic #creesh.txt #that which belongs to the sea #twbtts #chapter 2 #text #long post

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