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Aren Kuboyasu had not expected to find a dead body washed up on the beach after narrowly escaping the wrath of one of his old rival gangs on a motorcycle, but that wasn’t even the most surprising part. When Aren had taken a closer look at the body, he found that it was a very alive boy, probably around his age.
Also, he had a shiny fishtail.
Huh.
Mostly, Aren noticed the massive cut across the merboy’s chest. It looked pretty bad, though he had just come from an ocean that contained massive amounts of saltwater.
Shit, Aren thought, it better not be infected. Can mermaid’s, or, well, merpeople's wounds get infected?
It was that, if anything, that made Aren scoop him up and attempt to get him onto the motorbike. (The merman’s arms ended up around Aren’s shoulders, which wasn’t as romantic as it sounded. Especially when the merman really smelled like dead fish.) After quitting his gang, it had become some sort of instinct of his to save anything in danger: cats stuck in trees, baby birds that had fallen from their nests, little kids who had tripped and scraped their knees, and (now apparently) washed-up merfolk who had wounds that needed to be cleaned.
“Aren, what’s up?”
“Hey, Shun, can you bring some bandages and shit over to my house? I ran out.”
“Huh? Didn’t you say you stopped getting into fights?”
“Um, this is unrelated to that.”
“Sure… Sorry, bro, I don’t have any right now. I’m going grocery shop- I mean, I’m gathering supplies to take down the Dark Reunion.”
“Don’t lie to me. I know your mom makes you bring a first aid kit everywhere you go.”
“...” There was a pause then a sigh. “Fine. I’ll be over in, like, ten minutes.”
Call ended.
Aren cleaned up what he could of the cut while waiting for Shun, which thankfully didn’t look too bad, though it was large.
Now that Aren could relax a bit, he finally took a good look at the fishy figure. There, lying face up in his bathtub with his eyes closed, was possibly the most beautiful person Aren had ever seen in his life. He had a short, silver undercut and, god, his skin looked smooth (probably from all that time in the water). Aren spotted the man’s shimmering, gold tail once more.
Eh, I can live with that, Aren shrugged. He could see it already; they’d live in a semi-aquatic Atlantis-style temple with their adopted twins, Kin and Gin, and an old English sheepdog named Max.
Wait, maybe I’m thinking a bit fast, Aren thought, stopping his train of thought. I mean, I haven’t even thought about what gemstone to use for our engagement rings.
Suddenly, the merman’s long, pretty eyelashes fluttered open.
Emeralds, Aren concluded, staring into the merman’s bright green eyes. It was then he noticed the shell-shaped (actually, it was probably a real shell) earring on his left ear. It was a light shade of green-blue that complimented his eyes. Definitely emeralds.
Then, the gentlemer’s calm, sleepy expression turned into a harsh glare. He opened his mouth. “Who the hell are you, plebe?”
Suddenly, the merman couldn’t be less attractive to Aren. So much for the spring wedding.
“Hah?!” Aren snapped. Then, he remembered that he was supposed to be speaking less delinquent-like. Then, he remembered that merpeople probably didn’t know what the hell delinquents were. “Who am I? Who are you ?”
The silver-haired merman pushed himself up so he was sitting up against the edge of the tub. (Can merpeople sit? Aren wondered.) He scoffed. “Are you blind? Well, you do have those awful things in front of your eyes. Oh, I’m just Saiko Metori. You know, the amazing, rich, beautiful, wealthy, and, did I mention, rich prince?”
“No, I don’t know. If you haven’t noticed, you’re not where you’re supposed to be.”
Saiko wrinkled his nose and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Aren just slowly glanced down at the bathtub.
Saiko’s eyes followed his line of sight.
“Oh,” he muttered. His face looks better when he’s speechless, Aren noted. “Wait, you have those bottom arms. You’re a landplebe?”
Aren resisted their urge to punch him in his pretty face right then. “Yes. A... landplebe. But my name’s Kuboyasu Aren in case you were wondering, which I doubt. And, wait, do you mean my legs?”
“Yes, those disgusting limbs. Why am I in this confinement, by the way? A prince doesn’t deserve to be restricted like this.”
“Welcome to my bathtub, ya punk. I found you on the beach and then I plopped you in there.”
“Hmph.” Saiko pouted a bit. “So that’s what happened.”
“How did you wash up here anyhow? And where’d ya get that nasty cut.”
Saiko’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, glancing between Aren and the cut on his torso before he grinned again. “As if I’d tell a landplebe like you that kind of information. You’d have to beg for it. Go on. Beg.”
Aren gave his best look of disgust. “I think I’d rather die, thanks. Plus, I bet you don’t even know how you got here.”
“How rude. Is that any way to treat royalty?”
“Well, you’re way out of your depth here. Literally. You’re not royalty here, so I don’t have to treat you like shit.”
“Poseidon, what an excuse. Just admit you’re being impolite.”
“Just admit you’re being whiny. How are you even breathing right now? If you’re a fish shouldn’t you be drowning, or suffocating, I guess?”
“I have lungs along with gills, you fool. As long as I don’t stay apart from water too long, I won’t die. Tell me, are all humans as small-minded as you?”
“I think I kind of hate you.”
“Trust me, you’re not making the best impression on me, either.”
“Right, I’m just the landplebe who happened to save your ass before someone else took you away and tried to sell you on the black market or something.”
Saiko rolled his (very, very pretty) green eyes crossed his arms, careful to avoid his injury. He sighed. “...Thank you. I guess.”
Aren really couldn’t stop his own smile.
“Shut up,” Saiko snapped.
“I didn’t say anything,” Aren remarked, still grinning victoriously.
“WHY IS THERE A MERMAID IN YOUR BATHTUB?”
“Shun! Calm down a little!”
“What? No, no, sorry, I’m totally calm, hahA. I-in fact, I’ve already seen creatures m-much more amazing than a mermaid! Like the dragon I slayed at Mount Hellonious. I’m Kaidou Shun, after all! I mean, the Jet Black Wings! HAHAHAHA!”
Aren quirked his eyebrow. “You can see him if you want.”
“R-really?! I mean, um, of course! Anyone would be honored to meet t-the Jet Black Wings!”
“Yo, sea urchin. My friend brought some bandages.” Aren dragged in two chairs and placed them next to the bathtub. He twisted one around and sat on it, crossed arms resting on the back of the chair. Shun stayed behind a half-closed door, looking like a shy chihuahua.
“A friend? I’m shocked you have one of those.”
“Shut up.”
“By the way, calling me a sea urchin isn’t an insult. That’s just calling me the wrong species.”
“Whatever, ya fried calamari.”
“That’s just the equivalent of what humans call ‘dead meat’. It doesn’t make sense in this context.”
“Quit acting all smart, asshole.”
“That’s better. Except for the fact I don’t have a-”
The door swung wide open very suddenly as a shaky Shun stepped onto the tiled floor.
“H-h-hello,” Shun stuttered. “N-nice to meet you, m-mermaid- MAN! M-manmer- s-sir! Mersir!”
Saiko looked at him up and down. “Who’s the weird monkey?”
“Monkey isn’t even an insult,” Aren said. “It’s just a species.”
“Hypocrite.”
“Shut it.” Saiko stuck out his tongue like a five-year-old. “Shun, this is Saiko, the prick I found on the beach.”
“I’ll assume you meant the wonderful, lovely, rich prince you found on the beach.”
Aren resisted the urge to roll his eyes but did so anyway. “Saiko, this is Sh- Kaidou Shun, my best friend. He likes fantastical creatures like you.”
“I’m very real, thank you very much.”
“Yes!” Shun said, a bit too loudly. “You I’m real! Glad to meet you’re! Wait, um, I mean-”
Saiko gave him a bored look. “You have bandages?”
“Yes!” Shun held his hands out. In them were three rolls of body bandages. Aren took one.
“Shun, can you drain the tub?” Aren asked. “I’ll dry the area around the wound.”
“Yes, sir!”
“When did I become a sir, too?”
Shun unplugged the drain while Aren dabbed at the wet skin around Saiko’s wound. Then, he moved on to the rubbing alcohol.
“This is gonna hurt a bit,” Aren said.
Saiko turned his head to stare at the wall. Aren sighed.
Saiko just laid there, wordlessly staring at the wall. He barely flinched when the alcohol came in contact with the wound, but Aren could see his eyebrows creasing.
Aren waited for a bit and then started applying ointment onto the cut. Shun fidgeted in his seat. “Um, your tail is very shiny.”
“I know,” Saiko said, not moving but shifting his eyes to look at him. Shun looked even more nervous under his glare.
“I-I mean, it’s pretty cool but not as cool as my wings in my angel form.”
“Pardon… your what?”
Shun, ruby eyes sparkling, seemed to take Saiko’s confusion as interest. He then proceeded to rant about the deep lore behind his reincarnation and reawakening as the Jet Black Wings and how in a recent battle against the Dark Reunion he had accidentally activated his angel form by first having a near-death experience. (Aren tried not to laugh as he recalled the drawing Shun had shown him of the Jet Black Wings’ angel form, which Aren had called a burnt chicken. Shun had scolded him.)
Aren finished wrapping up Saiko’s wound around the time that Saiko’s soul began to leave his body.
Shun has just wrapped up explaining the battle tournament arc of his third book when Aren said, “Alright, I’m done.”
“Oh thank Poseidon,” Saiko groaned.
Shun looked disappointed for a moment but then smiled again. “I have to head back home anyway. My mom will probably murder me when she finds out I went somewhere else besides the grocery store.”
“You mean, if she finds out,” Saiko said with a smug grin.
Aren slowly shook his head at him. Saiko looked at him in confusion.
“Nope,” Shun sighed, “when. She knows all. See you at school, dude. And, uh, see you, merdude. Thanks for listening to me!”
Shun left with his groceries but without his first aid kit.
“I think my ears are broken from being talked off for hours,” Saiko whined.
“I didn’t expect you to get along so well with Shun.”
“Get along? Please! That was the most one-sided conversation I’ve ever had.”
“You could have just asked him to stop talking anytime, you know. You’ve done it so frequently with me.”
“Shut up, plebe.”
“See? Just like that.”
“If I didn’t know better I’d say you’re complimenting me. But you said you hated me.”
“I said I think I hate you. I’m still on the fence about that. You deserve credit where it’s due though.”
Saiko looked strangely… offended by his statement. (Offended wasn’t the best word, but Aren didn’t have the most extensive vocabulary.)
“You’re weird,” Saiko said, softly.
“And you’re part-fish.”
“Shut up.”
Aren let out a short laugh.
Saiko clapped his hands twice. “Landplebe!”
“Kuboyasu. I’m not your butler.”
“Yes, yes, landplebeian. I’m hungry. Bring me some food.”
“Shit, that’s right. You have to feed pets.”
“First of all, I am not your pet, I am the prince of Saiko. Second of all, you would make a terrible pet owner.”
“Wait, the place you live in is actually called Saiko? What are you, some godly descendent? They name a kingdom after your ancestor?”
“Pfft, I may have godly looks but the beauty is all-natural. No otherworldly influence. And of course, the land isn’t actually called Saiko. That’s what my father renamed it after he bought it.”
“Oh, there’s a Saiko-san now?”
Saiko seemed panicked for a split second, but instead of saying anything, he slunk down so his head was fully submerged.
“What, daddy issues?” he teased.
“Shut up,” Saiko’s mouth said, the only part not in bathwater.
“Okay.” Aren knew when not to push things, at least. He stood up. “I’ll bring you whatever I find first.”
Saiko narrowed his eyes. He glared at the cup of instant noodles. “And what is this piece of trash?”
“It’s food, idiot. I don’t feel like cooking so eat up.” Aren took a sip of his own noodle cup.
“You want me to eat… a plastic container. Haha, very funny. Humans pollute the ocean so much that merpeople probably have plastic diets, right?”
“Why don’t you try opening up the container?” Aren said between chews.
Saiko peeled open the lid. “Oh. You know, this makes a lot more sense. Do you have chopsticks?”
“Merpeople use chopsticks?”
“We’re not savages, landplebe.”
Aren stood up, put his cup on the chair he had sat on, and left for a moment to grab another pair of chopsticks.
“Here.” He handed them to Saiko.
“Wood ones, hm?”
“I’m sorry I don’t have the solid gold chopsticks you’re used to having.”
“They’re stainless silver, actually. Also, wooden chopsticks wouldn’t last long in the water. That’s just logic.”
“You cut me deep, Saiko.”
“I’m the one with the cut, remember?”
“Please, you don’t want to see how many scars I have from cuts like those.”
“You didn’t strike me for the easily injured type, landplebe. Well, actually, you do look like a nerd. Were you bullied or something?”
“Nah, if anything, the guys who attacked me had it way worse.”
Saiko slurped his noodles in piqued interest. “Really?”
“What? You want to see the proof?” Aren started to lift his shirt up.
“No, no, no, stop, stop!” Saiko pleaded, face tinted red. (Which was odd because Saiko was always shirtless. What was the big deal?) “That’s not what I meant. I mean, how… do you get them?”
“I used to get injured a lot, I guess.”
“Ooo, a dark backstory. Very edgy.”
“Oi, you want to hear about it or not.”
“I never asked to hear about it, landplebe. Get your ears checked.”
“Riiight… well, you’re hearing about it now anyway. I used to be in a gang. I was the leader, actually. Motorcycles, baseball bats, amazing hair, all that. I got into a lot of fights. Too many. I ended up coming home real beaten up every time. My parents didn’t really notice the first few times around, but when they noticed they started getting really worried.
“I guess that did it for me. I was already tired from being on edge all the time since random guys would attack me at any given time, but my parents had given up a lot just so I could live a gang-free life and I’d thrown it all away. I felt really shitty about it, so I talked to them about moving and getting a fresh start.”
“Wow,” Saiko said. “That was a lot to digest.”
“Eh, sorry. You’re gonna have to live with having your ear talked off now, I guess.”
“I’m talking about the noodles, you fool. I finished them.”
Aren laughed.
“I’m glad a measly cup o’ noodles is good enough for your royally refined palette. I don’t know what merpeople normally eat. Probably, like, fish or something, right? And you’re a rich kid, so you probably eat caviar every day.”
“Ew! What in Poseidon’s name do you think we are? Fish make up almost all of Saiko’s population. Why would I eat my neighbors? No, I’m practically part fish too. That’s basically cannibalism.”
“Yeesh, okay, princey. I’m not super up to date on merfolk knowledge. That’s Shun’s specialty.”
“It’s just common sense! I mean, I know landplebians don’t consume monkeys on a daily basis.”
“Are monkeys the only land animal you know?”
“...Shut up, landplebe. But, your parents, huh? Why haven’t I seen them yet?”
“They’re on a much-needed vacation, actually. It took a lot of convincing them that I can take care of myself to get them to do it. Which is ridiculous because I can cook a damn good soufflé while theirs’ is barely edible. Sometimes, not even edible. I got food poisoning when I was four because of some burnt shit they cooked up.” Aren breathed out his nose. “My dad started crying because he had made it and my mom got all angry at him.”
“That’s… actually really considerate of you.”
“I mean, it’s the least I can do when they’ve been so good to me for my entire life.”
“Must be nice,” Saiko muttered. Before Aren could say anything, Saiko stuck out an arm. He waved the empty plastic cup in front of Aren. “Now, I’d appreciate it if you’d take this off my hands and dispose of it.”
Aren begrudgingly took the cup. “Why am I even doing this room service for you? I’m not gaining anything from this.”
“Oh, please! You’ll be rewarded handsomely for your trouble. Maybe a few hundred gold coins? Or are you leaning more towards a thousand?”
“Your stupid currency doesn’t do anything for me here, so I guess I’m just doing this out of the kindness of my heart.”
“Right, right… but no, seriously. How much? I don’t want to be in your debt after this. Money isn’t an issue.”
“Yeah, it’s not an issue because it isn’t the issue. I don’t want your gold coins.”
“You know you could easily just exchange the coins for actual currency, right? So-”
“That’s not the problem, idiot.”
“Well, if you don’t want gold or your currency or anything a reasonable person wants, then why did you pick me up on the beach that day?”
“Huh? Well, I couldn’t just leave you there.”
“Sure you could have. You could have just walked away. So, what do you want from me? Oh, I know, it was my dashing good looks, wasn’t it?”
“Hell no.” Maybe a little.
“Admit it, you’ve fallen for me. Oh, what a tragic tale! The common landman falls for the beautiful, pristine, rich demigod that is Prince Metori.”
“Only an idiot would fall for you.”
“Oh, sure, sure. Then, why did you save me?”
“I…” Aren thought about it. (He really did.) “...don’t know?”
“That’s stupid.”
“You’re stupid.”
“Shut up, that’s you, you fool.”
Shun came over once in a while after school. He would usually run straight to the first bathroom to tell Saiko about his adventures and accomplishments of the day, complete with illustrations that were doodled in the margins of his math notes. Most of the time, Saiko would stare at the very intriguing ceiling as Shun droned on, but there were some moments when Aren had caught him stifling a laugh or sinking into the water to hide a smile. (Aren liked it when he smiled. It assured him that Saiko had a range of emotions beyond the ignorant rich kid persona he usually held. And when he smiled, Aren often found himself smiling too.) When Aren asked about it, Saiko gracefully sputtered some excuse about how he got terribly bored being stuck in the house all day and how any kind of entertainment was good for him, even entertainment he enjoyed ironically. Though Aren knew it was at least part of the reason, he knew that the bigger portion was that Saiko genuinely enjoyed Shun’s company. Shun definitely returned the sentiment, grinning ear to ear each time Saiko commented about anything in his tales, regardless if it was positive or negative.
“Look at you, making friends,” Aren lightheartedly teased when Shun had just left on one occasion.
“No, no,” Saiko denied, “you’ve got it all wrong, landplebe. We’re not friends.”
“I think Shun would beg to differ.”
“But we can’t possibly be friends. I’d never pay someone to be so obnoxious.”
“...What? Why would you pay him?”
“Well, I pay all my friends. Why do you think they would be friends with me otherwise?”
Uh. What.
“Dude, that sounds horrible.”
“Huh? You don’t know what you’re talking about, landplebe.”
“Okay, maybe I’m not familiar with merculture, but that’s just plain wrong. Your friends aren’t people you pay for their company, they’re the people who refuse to be paid for their company.”
“Please. No one actually wants me around. They might act like they enjoy my company, but they only tolerate my personality so they can get something out of it in the end. If everyone’s putting up an act anyway, then I’d rather just pay them upfront so we can get it out of the way.”
“Do… you actually think that?”
“Yeah? It’s true, why wouldn’t I believe it?”
“Well, not everything can be bought. Especially things like friendship.”
“Looks like you’re wrong because I’ve made it possible. That’s just how rich I am, I suppose. I have that kind of influence.”
“Wow, you really don’t know what friends are.”
“And you’re stepping out of line, commoner.”
“Hm, I don’t give a shit about your royal status. Plus, I’m just trying to help you out here, even though you’re being so difficult.”
“Help me out?”
“I’ll show you what friends are really like. Only to prove you wrong, of course.”
“And you’ll do that how, exactly?”
“I’ll — ugh, I can’t believe I’m saying this right now — be your… friend. Ew, okay, I said it.”
“Haven’t we established that I don’t have my riches in me right now, peon?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Oh, wow. Okay, so, I’ll just spell it out for you. I do not have any muh-nay–“
“I get it, idiot. I mean, you’re not paying me. I’m proving that friends aren’t bought.”
“But friends are forced upon, yes?”
“Well, no, but you’re a special exception since you’re such a stubborn prick.”
“So if I get you to stop being my friend, I win?”
“What? That doesn’t–“
“You agree? Great. I should be moving out in a week at this rate.”
“I hate you.”
“Really? I was under the assumption we were friends, landplebe.”
Aren covered his face with his hands and groaned. “Shut up,” he said, smiling behind his hands. His voice betrayed him though, because his smile leaked through his words, and Saiko’s dumb, beautiful face shot a smug grin in return.
In all honesty, Aren wasn’t super sure how to be a good friend. He was still pretty new to the concept as well, after all. (He just had enough common sense to know that you don’t buy friends. The world wasn’t a vending machine where you could scan through a selection of people, say “I want that one”, and pay for that person. Right?)
He decided to ponder the subject in class instead of listening to whatever the teacher was saying. ( Sorry, Takumi-sensei. ) He could just ask Shun for notes later.
What do friends even do? Save each other from old enemies? Go out for ramen? ...Not beat each other up?
Aren started to realize that he probably wasn’t the best person to have as a very-first friend. (Assuming he was Saiko’s very-first friend. He hoped not.) He wasn’t very friendly (at least not to Saiko) and probably wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice for anything.
Aren decided that the best course of action would be to ask more experienced people. So, naturally, when he, Shun, Saiki, Hairo, and Nendo went out for ramen he decided to bring up the topic of how to be a good friend.
“You’ve got to impress them, of course,” Shun said, dramatically running his hand through his hair. “Like me. I must keep my true identity a secret, of course, but I’m just naturally very amazing because of the power I was born with.”
(Aren had also called Shun that morning to ask him about friendship. The call had gone something like:
“Shun, am I a bad friend?”
There was a groan. “It’s 2 AM, so right now, yeah.”
“Oops.”
“Bye.”
Call ended. )
“PASSION!” Hairo proclaimed. “The key to maintaining good interpersonal relationships is by being very PASSIONATE! Perhaps become workout buddies! That’s made me very close to many of my friends!”
“Dunno. Just ask them out for ramen,” Nendo very helpful suggested, taking a loud slurp of the ramen he had ordered at the ramen store he had invited them to as friends.
Do nothing. I did nothing and a bunch of idiots flocked to me, Saiki “said”. (Aren could never actually tell if Saiki was talking. He certainly heard a voice, but he’d never seen Saiki open his mouth to talk. Weird.) Aren assumed he was joking.
Aren found that his friends didn’t know how to make friends either. (And also suddenly became aware of how fond he was of his friends, but that’s a heartfelt story for another day.)
I guess I should just be myself, Aren thought. That’s what they say is always best, right? And our… friendship doesn’t have to be conventional. Nothing about us is conventional.
God, this is not gonna go well.
“Twenty questions?”
“Yeah. Basically, we just ask each other 20 questions.”
“That sounds boring. If this is how commoners spend their free time, I want no part in it.”
“Shut up, it’s not and we’re doing it.”
“Fine, I’ll play along with your commoner games for now.”
“I’ll go first then. Uh, what’s your favorite color?”
“Okay, I’m done.”
“Hey! You said you’d play along!”
“Not if you’re going to ask stupid questions like that.”
“Would you rather have me ask ‘what’s the meaning of life’?”
“No, but there are plenty other decent questions besides ‘what’s your favorite color?’. That’s the lamest question in the book.”
“Fine, you go first.”
“Ugh. Fine. Who was your first girlfriend? Or boyfriend, I guess.”
“Your question is worse.”
“What? How? How is it worse than yours?”
“It’s just stupid.”
“Isn’t this the type of stuff friends talk about?”
“I don’t know. Not my friends.” Then again, he, Nendo, and Shun had very slim chances of ever dating anyone — him because of his past, Nendo because he was Nendo, and Shun because he was delusional (and also combusted at the idea of doing something like holding hands), while Saiki and Hairo had never shown interest in anyone. (At least out of the people Aren knew.)
“You’re, what, 18? You probably have a good answer for something like that.”
“17. And, for your information, I’ve never … dated anyone. Ever.”
“Oh, same age. Wait. Wow, really? No one?”
“What, surprised?”
Saiko coughed. “Not really.”
“You have a really shitty personality, you know.”
“So do you, seeing as you can’t get anyone.”
“Right, like you’re any better.”
“Please, there are hundreds of mermen and merwomen who would love to be my partner.”
“You’re the prince.”
“And? That’s only part of the charm.”
“That’s all of the charm.”
“Pfft, right, right. Your turn. You better ask a not crappy question this time.”
“Hmm, where’d you get that earring?” Aren pointed to Saiko’s left ear.
“Oh. It’s a family heirloom of sorts. Everyone in the royal family gets one, as a symbol that we are superior to you commoners.”
“Uh-huh. Your turn.”
“Okay. Are all humans as dumb as you?”
“Different question.”
“You’re no fun.” Saiko let out an airy laugh. “Uh, what do you wear those for?” Saiko moved his torso out of the tub so he could reach out and boop the bridge of Aren’s nose.
“What, my glasses?” When he pulled his hand away, Aren pushed up said glasses.
“Your what.”
“I guess it makes sense you guys wouldn’t use glasses, since… you know. Ocean. They help people have better vision.”
Saiko leaned in closer, glaring at his eyes. “So you have terrible vision? Commoners really are inferior.”
“Actually, my vision isn’t bad.”
“...Then why do you wear the glasses?”
Aren crossed his arms. “Reasons.”
“What, you think they look cool or something?”
“Sort of. It’s supposed to be a disguise, I guess. So people don’t figure out my history.”
“That’s stupid. What kind of disguise is that? It really pulls together your loser look though, if that is what you were going for.”
“Shut up, you’re the loser.”
Saiko’s smile looked stupidly pretty up close too.
Aren flopped himself onto his bed. Okay, that was weird, he said to himself like he needed a reminder. Did hearts usually do a flip-flop thingy when they talk to someone they hated? Or when that very super duper hated person smiled? Well, they were friends now so that might be part of the 'having a new friend' thing. But, then again, he had never really felt that way with Shun and they were best friends. But, Saiko is different.
That’s what it always came down to. Saiko is different.
But in what way?
Well, he’s ignorant, a rich prick, dumb, handsome, stupid, handsome, and an ass.
But those were all half-truths at most. It’s not like the only redeemable quality Saiko had was being stupidly attractive.
No, he’s special… somehow. Talking to him is easy. Maybe because we don’t have much reason to hide anything from each other since we’re from different worlds or whatever.
What kind of feelings were his feelings, exactly? They weren’t even simple enough to be labeled as positive or negative and he definitely couldn’t put them into words.
Then, Aren suddenly felt like he’d heard about emotions like these before. Caring about someone a lot, wanting to see them smile more and feeling satisfied when you do, remembering every conversation you’ve had, looking forward to seeing them again. They were all sappy, sappy thoughts and made Aren want to throw up since they were about someone like Saiko. But, those thoughts could all be summed up to that word that Aren then remembered.
Love.
But he didn’t love Saiko, not in the least. He hated him, obviously.
But they were friends now and he’s shown he wasn’t too bad, so he liked him a little.
But Saiko was more than that. And Aren found himself holding back laughter around him rather than holding back the urge to punch him square in the jaw.
But Saiko made him feel better. Not whole, but like an improved version of his already complete self.
But that meant that he wanted to spend as much time as possible with him and cherish every moment they had together. Maybe even be together forever?
Oh.
“Oh.”
“Shun, I think I’m in love with Saiko.”
“Dude. That’s great and you’re my best friend and you know I love you and support you no matter what, but what have I said about 2 am calls?”
“To… not do them. Um, sorry, bro.”
“Night, man. We can talk tomorrow… Or later today.”
Call ended.
Aren faced Saiko again for the first time after realizing he’s in love and shit. He could handle it. Right? (He wasn’t just some dumb kid with a crush, after all. He was a second-year in high school. He had at least a few more years of experience than a kid. Maybe not in the romance department, but whatever.)
“Hey, do you ever miss the ocean?” Aren asked one day, tilting his chair back a teensy bit and lowering back to the floor repeatedly.
Saiko had probably been freeloading off him for at least a month at that point. (And Aren had probably been lingering too long on the way he would brush his wet hair to the side with his hand after it stuck to his face right after his head emerged from under the bathwater for at least a week at that point.)
“Where’d that come from, landplebe?” Saiko queried, doing that (cute) hair thing.
I know you have to go back home eventually but I’d miss you. A lot, Aren admitted to himself.
“I don’t know,” he offered instead. Then, he grinned. “I was just wondering if merfolk got seasick too.”
Aren laughed at his own joke while Saiko groaned.
“Oh Poseidon, you’re horrible.”
“What? Can’t handle my masterful comedy? My exquisite dad jokes?”
“That was terrible. A disgrace to all fathers.”
“Nah, my dad would be proud.”
“Ha, must be nice.”
“Huh?”
“To have a dad who’s proud of you.”
“Um.” That went south real quick. “Are you okay?”
Saiko sighed. “Uh, I don’t know. It’s fine.”
“Hey, you know, friends tell each other stuff. But, uh, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to? I don’t know.”
“Gross, you sound so sincere.”
“I try to be nice and this is the thanks–“
“I’m joking, I’m joking!” Saiko took a deep breath. Aren stopped rocking his chair. “My dad may have… kind of… probably accidentally… given me this cut?”
“What?”
“But it’s not like it was too bad anyway. I mean, it’s okay now, right? Or, well, the bandages are gone now, at least. And that counts for something, right?”
Aren could practically feel his veins popping. “I’m gonna hunt a merman. Just one.”
Saiko did not appreciate his comment. “No! Stupid landplebe, it’s not his fault!”
“You just said he hurt you.”
“I mean, I kind of egged him on, so it’s really my fault.” Saiko looked so unsure and uncomfortable and… not Saiko. Aren wanted to hold his head in his arms and kiss his forehead and–
No, asshole! Don’t think romantic shit about someone who’s vulnerable right now. Bad brain.
“‘Egged him on’?”
“We… got in a fight. Which is, like, really rare. It’s rare we even talk at all, honestly. He’s always busy… you know, ruling and being the richest man in the ocean and stuff.”
That doesn’t sound good, Aren wanted to say but motioned for Saiko to continue.
“And he’s always told me that I’ll be the heir to his empire. And, duh, I’m his only child. But I don’t really want to end up like him. The richest man in the entire sea, and he’s still lonely and pushes everyone away. And for what? Just to become even richer. Like, I’ve never known my mom because she hated what my dad became when he made it so much that she left and never came back.
“And, yeah, I get it. Boohoo, the privileged rich kid has feelings. I guess being babysat by butlers that get replaced every month your whole life instead of actually being raised by the only actual parent you’ve ever known does that to you.
“And, I’m not a coward so I told him about it and… he just got defensive. That’s when I should have stopped talking about it, but I kept pushing and then…” Saiko flinched. “He just grabbed the nearest object not bolted to the walls, which just so happened to be one of his tridents. Sharp, you know? And I swam away but I guess I ended up passing out at some point because, well…” He motioned around him. “I’ve been trying to avoid it, but I know I have to go back eventually.”
Aren realized he had his hand in his hair and brought it down to interlock with his other hand. He squeezed. “Oh god. That’s horrible.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m horrible for even disturbing him.”
“No. What the hell? No. I mean, neglecting your child like that. And… attacking him because you’re a little angry.”
Saiko let out a short fake laugh. “I think he’s got gold fever or something.”
“Shit, I want to go hunting even more. Where did you say Saiko was located?”
While Aren contemplated the best method for beating up a merman without harming them too much, he heard the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard in his life and he could swear his heart skipped a damn beat. (Oh god, he was a dumb kid with a crush.)
Saiko’s genuine laugh was loud and he snorted a lot in between breaths and it was kinda ugly but also still beautiful.
What?
I’ve never been more confused in my entire life, Aren cried internally.
“Why are you laughing?” Aren cried externally. Why am I attracted to you right now? He really wanted to ask.
Saiko just seemed to laugh harder at that, tail starting to splash the water and hands gripping the edges of the tub to keep him from accidentally sinking.
“What?!” Aren asked desperately. Saiko seemed to have run out of breath. His laughs were way too airy and became barely audible.
“You’re…” Saiko went back into a fit of audible giggles again. “You’re... so…” He choked back a laugh. “...Stupid!” He lost his grip and his head slipped under the water.
Aren could still hear Saiko’s water-muffled hysteria and could feel the drops of water that jumped onto his face whenever Saiko’s tail flipped.
It took Saiko a solid 30 seconds to settle down.
“I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard in my life,” Saiko announced.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been laughed at for a dumber reason in my life,” Aren snarked. “What were you laughing at anyway? What did I say?”
“I don’t really know. Maybe it was just the concept that someone cares about me?” Oh. I like him. I really like him. “Poseidon, I sound like a loser commoner.” Say something. “Oh, wait, I don’t say stuff like that anymore.” Stop staring like an idiot. You’re having a moment.
“Shun cares about you too.” Why would you bring up Shun while you’re having a moment, idiot?
“Well, I suppose. And I… acknowledge his existence to some extent.” Liar. “But you’re different somehow? Like, you’re easy to talk to. And you listen. And you don’t let me get away with everything.” Holy shit. “So, um… t-thhh… ank… y-yooou? Ick, that hurt to say. I can’t believe I’m talking as if I’m on the same level as– I mean, uh, all creatures are of equal monetary value. Or something.”
Aren really, really wanted to kiss him right there, but he settled for squeezing his shoulder a bit and saying, “you’re getting better at this friend thing, huh?”
“Shut up, Aren.”
“Bro. He called me Aren.”
“Bro, I call you Aren.”
“Okay, but his Aren is more of an Aren than an Aren, you know?”
“...No.”
“Should I start calling him Metori now too? But he hasn’t said my given name since that one time.”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh, have I told you about his laugh yet–”
“Yes, multiple times.”
“How about–”
“Yes, you’ve talked about his hair when it’s wet and when it’s fluffy and his eyes and his, quote, attractively stupid and not stupidly attractive, unquote, eyebrows. Now, I gotta go to cram sc- I mean, a super-secret Dark Reunion secret meeting that I have to secretly infiltrate. Secretly. See ya.”
“Alright, see ya.” Aren paused for a moment. “Wait. Wait a minute. Shun, what if he was really trying to sa–”
Call ended.
One day, Saiko seemed unresponsive when Aren talked about his other friends and their dumb antics for the day. Aren tilted his head and frowned.
“What’s wrong, Saiko?”
Saiko jumped a little at that, the bathtub water rocking a little. “What do you mean, landplebe?”
“You’re… less… sassy than usual?”
“Since when has that been any of your concern?”
“Since we became friends and then had a nice chat about how you should open up to people more so they don’t all think you’re a stuck-up, rich brat. I mean, you are, but there are other facets to your personality. Maybe.”
Saiko took his arm out of the water and laid it on the side of the tub that Aren was close to. “You’re… wearing a shirt with no sleeves.”
“Huh?” Aren looked down at his arms. No sleeves, indeed. “And?”
“I don’t know. You don’t usually do that. It looks… weird!”
Is he a preschooler or something? “Why does it look weird?”
“I can see those cut scars you talked about this way, I guess. Isn’t it weird to expose them so much?”
“Eh, it’s not like anyone is really around to care. And I certainly don’t, at least not anymore. Oh, did you want to see them?”
“Um.”
Aren didn’t take off his shirt immediately this time, remembering that people (even merpeople, apparently) thought it was weird to go spontaneously shirtless. He just looked at Saiko for an answer. “Is that a no? Or-”
“Sure,” Saiko muttered, to Aren’s surprise.
“Oh. Okay.” Aren lifted off his tank top, trying to ignore the fact that Saiko was staring real hard at him and he thought he had a hole in his chest from it.
“Woah.”
“W-what?”
“There’s a lot.”
“There were a lot of guys who attacked me”
“Oh.”
Aren sat back down. Saiko was still glaring him down. (Or rather, his chest.)
“You, uh, can touch them if you want. They’re all healed.”
“O-oh.” Saiko slowly reached his hand out and put his pointer finger to Aren’s chest. He kept it there. This isn’t awkward at all, Aren groaned internally.
“I mean, like, you can feel it.”
“I know! It’s just- isn’t this weird?”
“No? Maybe? Does it matter?”
“There are so many.” It was a fact, but Saiko said it like it wasn’t. “Do you even remember how you got any of these?”
“Duh. I remember all of them.”
“Really? Then, what’s this one from?” Saiko touches a small scar near Aren’s elbow.
“Bike crash. Seventh grade. Or, um, when I was 12. I raced against some kids in the neighborhood but got carried away.”
“These ones?” He pointed to the thin scar right below his chest.
“Top surgery. Just last year, actually.”
Saiko’s eyebrows furrowed. “This?” Saiko firmly planted his pointer finger on the right side of Aren’s forehead. Aren let out a tiny grunt of surprise.
“Two years ago. Some dude tried to hit me with a bat. I hit him with my head.”
Saiko moves his finger to the center of Aren’s forehead. He put a tiny bit more pressure onto it and huffed with a smile. “Poseidon, you’re really an idiot.”
“It’s called using my head.”
Saiko giggled. “I actually hate you.” He moved his hand to the top of Aren’s head and gave his hair a ruffle.
Aren felt the blood rush to his cheeks immediately. “What was that?”
“Felt like it,” Saiko stated, though his face also looked like it was gaining color. He looked off to the side somewhere. “I do what I want.”
“Is that so?”
Saiko looked back at him again, right at him, and Aren felt a sudden something looking at Saiko then. It was a feeling like he had felt when he had first seen him but different somehow. It was something like falling at second sight (even though he’d already seen Saiko way more than two times and also he was technically already stupid-head-over-heels-dumb in love with him but whatever).
Then, Saiko moved his hand down to the side of his face and Aren felt even warmer and Saiko’s hand was kinda soft when it was dry, and his chest was failing him, and his palms were getting kinda sweaty and gross, and, hey, had they always been this close?
Saiko looked at him half in awe and half in confusion, brow furrowed like he was looking for something he’d lost.
No, he was looking for something he had never found in the first place.
“Shit,” Aren whispered. He brought his hands up to Saiko’s face and moved his own towards it. And he kissed him. Hard.
It was short, but only because Saiko was smiling so much that Aren ended up kissing his teeth (ew) and Saiko started giggling instead of kissing. Also Aren forgot how to breathe for a few damn seconds and ended up having to pull away for air. (Listen, the only kissing experience he had was some random classmate he had when he was six, and she ran away crying immediately after pecking him on the lips and telling him he wasn't grape-flavored like she thought he would be.)
Saiko was resting his head on Aren’s shoulder, but he was still giggling directly in Aren’s ear. (Aren wanted to either cry or kiss him stupid. Or both.)
Saiko pulled away and then pressed his (wet) forehead against Aren’s. “Wow, you suck,” Saiko snorted.
Aren smiled. “God, shut up.”
“Make me.”
He did.
“SHUN, HOLY SHIT.”
“At least you called at a reasonable time this time. What’s up?”
“SHUN.”
“...Yeah?”
“He kissed me. Or I kissed him. I don’t really know.”
“Eep! K-k-kissed?”
“Yeah!”
“L-like on the l-lips?”
“Yeah!”
“Weren’t you supposed to tell him that you liked, or loved, or whatever-ed him first?”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter now. Oh my god, I kissed Saiko Metori. Shun, I kissed a billionaire. Wait, no, that’s not the point. I mean, I kissed a beautiful billionaire.”
“Dude, I’m happy for you.”
“I’m happy for me too. Shun! Bro, I love you.”
“Yeah, yeah, love you too. Congrats on k-kissing a fish.”
“He’s a pretty fish.”
“A pretty fish.”
“Yeah.”
“M’kay, just tell Saiko I’ll be over tomorrow. You better not be k-kissing when I get there.”
“Hey!”
Call ended.
Shun did much better at hiding the fact that Aren had told him he had kissed Saiko. (And maybe a few more times after that. Maybe.) That was until he blurted out something along the lines of “y-you know, it’s kinda awkward talking about my very cool, very amazing adventures when you know two of your buddies have b-been s-smooching each other”, which lead to a lot of flustered shouting on Saiko’s — Metori’s, Aren reminded himself, trying not to squeal like a schoolgirl — part, a string of “um”s on Aren’s, and a lot of red faces on Shun’s.
They laughed about it afterward, but it was still a mortifying experience.
Shun left Aren’s house after he got a message from his sister, leaving “the merman and the mermister” (as Shun has put it) alone.
“So,” Metori said, shifting so that he was propped up more and his crossed arms could lay on the side of the tub, “not that I care about what a commoner landplebe like you thinks but… what does this make us?”
“What do you mean?” Aren asked, genuinely not knowing the answer.
“You know what I mean!” No, I don’t. That’s why I asked you, beautiful dumbass. (Aren couldn't really insult him anymore.) “I know you humans love to put labels on things. So, what’s our label?”
“Huh?” Aren stated intelligently.
“Really? Do I have to spell it out?” Apparently, Aren made a dumb enough face for him to know the answer was yes. “We kissed.” Metori looked down at the water, embarrassed and blushing a little. “A lot. So, uh, I don’t think we’re still in ‘friends’ territory, no matter how weird our friendship was already.”
“You’ve got me there.”
“So?”
Aren got an idea. He tried his hardest not to grin. “So what?”
“No. No, no, you’re not making me say it.”
“Say what?”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I despise you.”
“You love me.”
Metori dunked his head down to rest on his arms. “Maybe a little.”
Aren beamed. “And?”
“Mmmmm.”
“C’mon, Metori.”
Metori crossed his arms tighter. “Aaaeeiiiiccck.”
“You’re not even saying words at this point.”
“Ugh, fine.” He released his arms from their crossed position to wave them around dramatically. “Will you, Kuboyasu Aren, be my lawfully wedded annoyance?”
Aren interlaced his fingers with Metori’s. “If that is your way of asking me to be your boyfriend, then sure.”
Saiko looked obnoxiously cute. “Hooray, I’ve disgraced my entire lineage by dating this idiot commoner.” (Emphasis on obnoxiously.)
“The idiot commoner who is also very attractive, kind-hearted, and the one you love dearly.”
“Only one of those is true. Hint, you’re ugly and rude.”
“I’d be offended by that, but I’m glad you agree that you love me.”
“I- well! Shut up.”
Aren supposed this was what people called the honeymoon stage of the relationship. (Except there was no honeymoon because 1. Aren was a broke high school student and 2. Metori was stuck in a bathtub.) That meant it also had to come to an end eventually. Especially with his boyfriend, a prince from a distant land- or sea. (Boyfriend. Oh my god.)
Which is why a week after their sappy sap fest Aren told Metori what was on his mind.
“I think you should go back home,” he said quietly, not even bothering to wait till he was sitting down or even completely through the door.
“What the hell?” Metori snapped. “Where’d that come from, peon?”
Aren ignored his question. “You don’t miss it, not at all?”
“No. I told you there’s nothing for me there.”
“But you have, like, an empire there. You’re the heir.”
“I thought we already discussed the true value of money, or whatever. Are you backtracking on your lesson already?”
“No, I mean, your father is probably worried sick.”
“He doesn’t care about me.”
“I’m sure he feels guilty for what he’s done.”
“Then let him feel guilty.”
“Your friends are probably wondering where you’ve disappeared to.”
“Because they don’t get paid anymore.”
“You’re meant to be in the water. You’re half-fish, after all.”
“I’m half-person too. Why are you telling me all this now? Do you want to get rid of me? I thought we were doing good, but if we need to-“
“It’s your home, isn’t it? You should be home. Not here.”
“Here is my home, you damn idiot. You’re my home. No, ew, that sounds gross. I mean, I like being with you… kind of? And that Kaidou kid too, I guess. And I, maybe, want to meet those other friends of yours you talk about. Maybe. And I want to meet your parents whenever they get back from their trip. Maybe.”
“Oh. That’s sweet.”
“I know, it’s disgusting.”
“Wait, wait, no! I’m not supposed to be touched right now. I’m angry.”
“Why? Why are you even angry? You haven’t gotten to the point yet.”
“You’re avoiding your problems.”
“Pfft, as if a sad peon like you would understand my sophisticated issues.”
“Yeah, I do understand. I understand that your father is horrible and I think about how much I want to punch him in the guts daily, but that’s not the point. You’ve left a whole empire behind. You have to own up to that and take responsibility for disappearing out of the blue. Ha. Out of the bottomless blue. Also, put your dad in fish jail or something.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I know that’s a lie. You whine about your living conditions here all the time. You talk about your gigantic palace constantly. You keep clapping your hands like you expect a butler to come rushing in.”
“Okay! Maybe I miss it a little. Can you blame me? I went from the life of a king to one of poverty.”
“I’m not poor, asshole.”
“That’s what all the commoners say. It’s almost like they really believe it.”
“Metori.”
“What?”
“You’re going.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. I’m kicking you out.”
“What? You can’t do that, stupid.”
“Yes, I can, stupider. I live here. You’re a guest.”
“It’s not like you can make me move.”
“Yes, I can. I’m not weak.”
“Well, you can’t make me move to the ocean.”
Yes, I can. The same way I moved you away from it. Motorcycle.”
“Wait, motorcycle? That’s how you did it.”
“Yeah, thanks for bothering to ask about it beforehand.”
“You know, if you want to get rid of me so bad why don’t you just do it.”
“Maybe I will.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Then do it.”
“Fine!” Instead, Aren slammed the bathroom door real loud.
“That sounds like a dumb argument.”
Aren groaned. “It was.”
“Then… apologize?”
“No.”
“Why are you both so stubborn?”
“It’s the trauma.”
“Apologize.”
“No.”
“You guys are so stupidly in love with each other and it’s awkward coming to your house to see both of you when you aren’t talking and I have to walk between your room and the bathroom.”
“Do it.”
“No.”
“Listen, I’m no relationship counselor, but it doesn’t sound like you got across what you wanted to get across.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Oh, really? Everything? You got every single thing you wanted to say out of the way? Including the part about how you’ll obviously miss him and that he can come back any time and you’re not banishing him because you’re too in love with him for that.”
“You know, you’re making it really hard to not hang up right now.”
“You tell him about facing his problems, but you’re not facing yours. You have to be clear. You need to say you don’t want him to stay but you don’t want him to leave either.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“That’ll just make him want to stay even more.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
“I just… don’t want to.”
“Well, I’m making you. I’m hanging up now, so go shout your gay feelings at him. I know you’ll do great, Aren-dude.”
Call ended.
“Dang it, Shun. Why do you have to be right?”
When Aren cracked the door of Metori’s room open for the first time (for any other reason besides dropping off meals), he wasn’t sure what to expect. (It was weird how it was Metori’s room now like he’d just become part of Aren’s home. Is that what Metori has meant about home? Something that he knew would always be there, a constant, unchanging thing, something he could love unconditionally and without restraint, a source of comfort, something he had taken for granted. Aren had really screwed up, huh?) He half-expected Metori to be gone altogether, too angry at him to ever think about being in the same household as him.
Metori was still there though, looking bored out of his mind and like he might have cried but still pretty as ever. Of course, he couldn’t leave, not even if he wanted to.
“You look like crap,” Aren’s stupid mouth said because that was the best way to start off an apology to someone. It was half-true. (Aren seemed to love telling half-truths.) Aren preferred it much more when he was brimming with confidence and laughing at his bad not-dad jokes. He had less of the shine he had before.
Metori glared at him and gave him a plastered smile. Aren instantly felt guilty. “Wow, thanks.”
“No, that’s- shit.” Nice articulation. “I was trying to lighten the mood. No, that was just stupid. Sorry.”
“Whatever.” (God, apathy was worse than him being outright angry.)
“I, uh…” Aren rubbed the back of his neck. He tried to look at Metori in the eyes, but the other would look at practically anything but him. Aren sported the chair he had left in the bathroom since the day they fought. “Can I sit?”
“What should I care? I’m just a guest here, right?”
Well, he’s real good at guilt-tripping. “That wasn’t what I meant. I, uh, I wasn’t clear about what I meant.”
“Oh? I thought it was pretty clear. You think I’m a coward and you’re so sick of my stupid face that you want me to leave. Did I get that right?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Really? Why don’t you enlighten me then? You seem to love telling me what I need to do.”
“I love you.” Metori tried to hide the look of surprise on his face but failed to do so. (Aren would have teased him about it, but he could read the situation enough not to.) “So, I’m just telling you what I think it’s best for you to do. Obviously, that doesn’t make you obligated to follow my advice and it doesn’t make it correct advice, but I just wanted to get it out there.”
Metori sighed. “I guess I kinda deserve it, huh? Not being able to get away with anything I want for once in my life.”
“Maybe.”
Metori perked himself up and flicked Aren’s forehead. It didn’t hurt at all but Aren still made a noise of acknowledgment. “I’m still mad.” He slunk back. “But that’s mostly a side effect of not talking for two days.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too. Ugh, no more apologizes. I can’t stay mad.”
Aren gave Metori’s forehead a quick peck. “I love you.”
“Oh Poseidon, shut up.”
“So, you’re going back, huh?”
“Well, that’s what you wanted.” Metori paused. “And what we agreed on.”
“Well, yeah but I still want you as a part of my life.”
“You’ll have to get over it eventually.”
“Pfft, like I could forget you that easy. Your annoying face is permanently glued in my head.”
“Well… maybe I could come back.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like, after I sort things out in Saiko. I could come back here.”
“Seriously?!”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that? Quit it.”
“You’d just leave it again?”
“As I said, there’s not much back there for me and I have unfinished business here. It just makes sense.”
“I’m going to kiss you.”
Aren expected Metori to protest but he just replied with an immediate “okay”.
Unfortunately, Aren leaned in way too close at the same time Metori did, so Aren ended up with crooked glasses instead of a kiss and both of them with a sore head.
Metori snorted into a laugh — shit, he’s so cute — and reached his hands to both sides of Aren’s face, slowly pulled his glasses off, and placed them in Aren’s lap.
“There,” he announced. “Stupid glasses are gone.”
Aren was in the middle of snapping that his glasses were stupid, but Metori’s lips were on his and he couldn’t find the will to keep arguing.
When they pulled away, Aren adjusted his glasses back on and smiled at his boyfriend. (Boyfriend. Oh my god.)
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.”
Shun had planned to go with them to the beach, but they talked in Aren’s house much longer than intended, and Shun got an angry phone call from his mom for not coming home an hour after school had ended. He profusely apologized and looked like he was going to cry when he said goodbye, but he didn’t. (Thankfully. Aren might have started crying too.)
It was nicer to have an awake merman on your back than having a napping one. It was less weight in Aren’s shoulders (literally and figuratively) and totally un-awkwardly positioned arms wrapped around his waist. (Aren had made sure to bring two helmets this time.)
Aren drove up to the sand of the beach and decided to bridal carry Metori the rest of the way to the dock, because why the hell not.
“You know this would be way more romantic if you didn’t feel like actual raw fish,” Aren complained.
“It would also be way more romantic if you didn’t say stuff like that and complimented me instead.”
“You… have a face.”
“Thank you kindly.”
Aren gently (bluntly) set down (swung) Metori onto the ocean surface.
Metori flailed for a moment before swimming around a bit and surfacing again. “Oh, seawater!” Metori cheered. “How I have missed the miracle you do on my skin.” He faced Aren. “Look at how radiant I look already.”
“You looked plenty radiant before too, though?” Aren said, confused. His confusion only heightened as Metori turned red.
“Shut up, landplebe.”
Aren just hummed at that.
“Aren,” Saiko called.
“Oh, no more landplebe?”
“Don’t push it.” Metori pushed his arm lightly. “I want to give you this.”
Metori put his fingers on his left ear and slowly detached his seashell earring. He placed it in the palms of his hands and stuck it out. “Here.”
“What?” Aren gasped. “Isn’t this a fancy family heirloom?”
“Well, you're my family now,” Metori said, trying everything he could to not look Aren in the eyes while still sticking out the earring.
“Wait, is this, like, a proposal?”
“No! I’m not lame enough to swim away right after a marriage proposal. It’s like… a promise. A promise I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“Oh.” Aren took the earring. “Thanks.” He looked down at himself frantically.
Aren popped off the second button of his school uniform. He held it out to Metori between his thumb and index finger. “Uh, here. My promise.”
“Wow, trash. I’ve never been happier.”
“Shut up! I didn’t know we were supposed to have fancy shit prepared! And plus, it’s like a human thing. It means you’re important to me and close to my heart and stuff.”
“Sounds fake.”
“It isn’t, you-! Just take it.” He did.
“Well, I can always pay someone to make it into proper jewelry. So, thanks.”
Man, Matsuzaki-sensei is gonna kill me for this, was Aren’s first thought.
Whatever was his second.
As Metori examined the button, he really did look like something out of a painting, his hair wet and shining, green eyes lowered to look at the object in his hands, sunlight bouncing off him, the waves pulling back in behind him, something real radiant, alright.
Aren leaned in to kiss him when Metori looked up. And Metori kissed back.
“I’m going to miss you,” Aren admitted.
“Yeah.”
“I love you.”
“Yeah.”
“If your dad tried anything just ask your fish friend to get me.”
“I don’t speak fish, actually.”
“Then pay the fish to do it.”
Metori laughed. God, why is he amazing. Why do I love him so much? “Shut up, landplebe.”
“Seriously. Let me know. I’ll punch my way through the entire ocean if I have to.”
“You’d drown.”
“I’d drown a hero.”
“You’d drown an idiot, idiot.”
“Your idiot.”
“My idiot.”
Metori kissed Aren’s forehead. Aren placed a hand where he did.
“Off I go!” Metori announced.
“See you soon, sea urchin.”
“Shut up, landplebe.”
And with that, he dove off, one fist tightly grasping the button.
Aren propped an arm upon his crossed leg, laid his head on his hand, and smiled with a sigh.
I’m seriously an idiot, huh?