Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

  For as long as he could remember, Langa loved sailing. He enjoyed the familiar tang of salt on his tongue and the cold ocean spray on his face. The way his father’s boat would rock and bob underneath his feet as waves crashed into the polished wood. His mother, Nanako, was always somewhere near him, hair tied into a high ponytail as she looked over a map in her hands to ensure they were going the right way. His father, Oliver, although an amazing captain for their small family, wasn’t as good with directions as he should be. He could always be found at the wheel calling out to Langa with silly jokes about a fish he saw in the water or quizzing him on his knowledge.

  But at night, when the stars were out and the sea was an unusual level of quiet, Langa would pull up a stool next to his father’s post after his mother had gone to sleep. Oliver would be sitting as well, tired from standing and keeping to Nanako’s course all day but still having enough energy to make time for his son. They would make quiet conversation with each other, softly laughing with one another in the moonlight to jokes only the two of them would understand. 

  More often than not, their nights would be filled with Oliver telling Langa stories of creatures living deep down beneath the ocean, hidden from the naked eye. Creatures that resembled humans, but appeared to be of neither land nor sea. Magical beings like in the mermaid stories told back at home. Humanoid fish people who would drag you underwater for food if they so pleased and tear your flesh apart with venomous claws and paralyzing stingers. 

  But no, the creatures his father spoke about were different to those old mermaid tales.

  These creatures, named Temptationem from the Latin word of ‘temptation’, were beautiful. In Oliver’s words, they were otherworldly . They always appeared different from one another, not one Temp resembling any other. Their scales would glitter and shine in the sunlight and darken under the moon. The fins on their tails were so soft that it almost felt as if there was nothing there. 

  “But,” Oliver had said. “There’s a reason why their name is temptation, son.”

  Langa, who had been about 11 years old at the time, looked up from his sketchbook to face his father. He had been trying to envision the Temp in his mind and put the image to paper, but he had come up blank.

  “How come?” Langa asked him, leaning forward on his stool with his icy blue eyes wide and twinkling with curiosity. His father chuckled and ruffled his hair enough for the small boy to start whining about it before he answered.

  “The Temptationem are known to lure in sailors with their mystical beauty over the edge of their boats and drag their bodies below the surface.”

  “Like the mermaids do?” Langa questioned, face twisting into a grimace at the thought. His father laughed and shook his head.

  “Not exactly. You see, the Temptationem are compassionate and empathetic creatures, but they don’t quite understand what we as humans see as morally wrong or right. They’re drawn to sailors with broken hearts or deep rooted sadnesses and their instincts are to help them or…fix them in a way.” Oliver explained, resting his hand on the wheel. 

  “How do they fix it, Dad? The sadness,” Langa inquired, lips pursed in contemplation. Oliver only shrugged.

  “Well, there’s been many theories on what they do over the years, but what most people seem to agree on is a kiss.”

  “A kiss?”

  “That’s right, a kiss,” Oliver couldn’t help but chuckle at the look of disgust on his son’s face. “A Temptationem could kiss a sailor and transform them into one of their own kind. It’s said that the magic behind the kiss heals the sadness and allows the sailor to start their life anew in the sea. And others…well, they believe the Temptationem exchanged their hearts for the sailors’ and die with the sadness so the sailor wouldn’t have to. And yet, either way you look at it, the sailor would still wind up becoming one of them.”

  Langa had hummed at that, putting a hand to his chin as he thought over what his father had told him. The whole idea of this species’ existence was faulty and mythical at best, but the exhilaration he felt at possibly being able to see one in his life was real.

  “Wait but…” Langa started, remembering the warning. “If they give the sailor happiness, why is it a problem?”

  “The Temptationem might make the sadness disappear, son, but they’re ultimately giving the sailor no choice but to become an entirely different species that can’t ever go back to shore and be with their loved ones. It’s an extremely heavy transition that can alter their lives forever.”

  Langa thought about that fact, eyes aimlessly wandering up to the stars in the sky. 

  He wouldn’t want to be taken away from his mother and father like that, never to be with them again. Even if he was his saddest, he’d want to stay on land and live his life out as a human.

  “Dad,” Langa called gently, getting his father’s eyes on him again from where they drifted out to sea.

  “Yes?” Oliver questioned, raising a brow at his son’s sudden determination.

  “I promise I won’t ever go with a Temp.”

  Oliver only smiled.

———————

  Langa leaned over the splintering rail of his mother’s new boat, watching as Nanako exchanged a few parting words with the merchant who sold it to her. There were two sacks by her feet that Langa assumed were given to her by said merchant, judging by the awkwardly gracious smile his mother was giving. 

  The sight twisted an ugly feeling in the boy’s stomach. It was obvious that the guy was trying to come on sweetly to his mother, but Nanako was nothing if not nice. She pretended not to notice and accepted the extra free supplies with a laugh, but now it seemed she was struggling to make an escape.

  “Mom!” Langa called out to her, standing up straighter so his voice could carry over the waves crashing into the dock. “We need to head out soon!”

  Both Nanako and the merchant turned their heads to look his way, the latter shooting him a knowing glare while Langa stared pointedly back. The man switched his expression up quickly when Nanako brought her attention back to him, politely thanking him for his help and bidding him a farewell. The merchant made to help with the sacks in a last ditch effort to keep her attention, but if there was one thing men should understand about Langa’s mother, it’s that she will never need someone else to do the heavy lifting.

  The merchant watched with wide eyes as Nanako easily carried both sacks up on her shoulders and turned towards the ramp. Langa sent an innocent smile towards the man when he turned to glare at him, simply walking over to his mother when she walked up on deck and pulling up the ramp with practiced ease. Nanako gave her son an amused smile as she set the sacks down.

  “Thanks for the help,” She laughed, watching the boy go about untying the rope from the dock and raising their anchor. 

  “I didn’t do much,” Langa shrugged, walking over to the boat’s wheel and beginning their course away from the small town they had been staying at for the past year. His mother leaned over the rail and waved to a few people who stopped to wish them a safe journey. 

  “You still got his attention off of me long enough to make my escape,” Nanako grinned, turning around to lean her back against the rail and face her son. 

  “It was sad to watch,” Langa made a face as he remembered the merchant’s previous attempts at flirting with his mother in the days leading up to their departure. Nanako laughed once more before she pushed herself away from the edge and reached into one of the sacks. 

  A comfortable silence settled over the two as the boat made it further out to sea. Nanako busied herself with taking inventory of all the supplies they had and ensuring their new boat didn’t have any damage they didn’t see before. Langa had his mother’s map pinned to a small table beside the wheel, much better at directions than his father ever was. The waves ebbed against the boat gently, although the boy wondered if they were only gentle to him because he was used to it. 

  To Langa, the ocean used to always feel like home to him. The stories his father would tell him always made it seem like an entirely different world even if he could never see them for himself. 

   A world full of magic and fun.

   At least, that’s what his father would say. 

  The day his father died had been a tragedy. The world Langa had admired so much had taken him away in a vicious storm that completely obliterated their boat.

  His dad’s boat. 

  The town he and his mother wound up stranded on took them both in and helped them get back on his feet, but his mother could tell that he wasn’t happy. He couldn’t bring himself to do so much as look at a boat let alone get on one.

  But thankfully, half a year after the accident, Nanako started easing Langa into sailing. Figuring it would probably do him some good, Langa complied and, very slowly, started sailing again. It was small at first, simply sailing around the town’s borders, but eventually he started to crave the open sea. 

  Nanako had been ecstatic when he told her he wanted to move on. To travel the world as they used to. And, a full year after being stranded, the two have finally set off again.

  However, even if Langa’s love of sailing had been reinvigorated, the love of the world his father spent years instilling in him had gone almost quiet. His mother had tried her best before, but they both knew it just wasn’t the same. There was something about the way his father had spoken that made everything he was saying feel real . 

 But now, admittedly, Langa couldn’t help but blame the ocean for taking his dad away.

  “Langa, you doing okay?” Nanako’s voice broke Langa from his thoughts, not having noticed that she has come up next to him. 

  “Ah? Sorry, mom, were you saying something?” Langa’s voice came out quieter than he would’ve liked, his mother’s already furrowed brows creasing even more at the tone.

  “Not originally, no. I came to ask you if you wanted something to eat…” Nanako raised her hands and called attention to the tuna sandwich she was holding.

  Langa didn’t like tuna, but his stomach was begging for him to eat something. 

  “Oh, yeah I could eat,” Langa nodded, gratefully taking the sandwich and taking the smallest bite he possibly could so he wouldn’t be blasted with the taste. Nanako offered a sympathetic smile.

  “Sorry about the tuna. There was some flounder down there but we both know that’s better off cooked,” She apologized, both of them sharing a shiver as they recalled the seafood poisoning they had gotten the last time they ate raw flounder.

  Langa didn’t eat fish for months. 

  “It’s fine,” Langa smiled softly, biting back a grimace at the texture on his tongue. 

  Nanako looked at him for a few seconds too long before she opened her mouth to say something. However it looked as though she decided against it at the last moment and pursed her lips instead. Langa knew she was worried about him, but he didn’t have the energy to talk about it with her at the moment.

  “The sun is going down soon. You should head inside and rest,” The boy suggested quietly, turning his gaze back to the open sea so he wouldn’t have to see the pitiful frown on his mother’s face. 

  It was quiet for a beat. 

  “Alright,” Nanako sighed, gently squeezing her son’s shoulder before she turned towards the stairs leading down inside the interior of the boat. “Don’t be afraid to wake me up if anything happens.”

  Langa nodded and bid his mother a good night, watching her disappear below the deck.

   It was just him and the ocean. 

———————

  Later that evening, Langa caught himself looking up at the stars instead of the course ahead. He wondered, not for the first time, what his father would say about them. What stories would he come up with to share with him on a night like this?

  He wasn’t able to dwell on it for too long before a change in the tides caught his attention.

  Langa’s eyes shot towards the darkened sea, noticing small cuts in the waves under the boat. Almost as if there was something swimming just near the surface at a rapid pace. He followed the lines with alert curiosity, halting the wheel to keep the boat on course before he cautiously made his way over to the rail. 

  There in the water, Langa could see dark shapes speeding back and forth, up and down, this way and that. There were two—no, three of them down there swimming around the boat faster than Langa could keep track of them. Ripples surrounded their presence, distracting the sailor long enough for him to lose sight of the shapes.

  “We aren’t supposed to be up here, idiot!” Langa jolted at the sound of a poorly concealed whisper from the other side of the boat. 

  “Yes yes I know. I’m just curious!” Another just as loud whisper filtered into the night. Langa turned to face the other end of the boat, icy blue eyes widened to take in as much as possible yet not identifying the origin of the voices. 

  “Your curiosity got us in trouble with Cherry last time,” A deeper voice spoke up this time, startling Langa enough to jump considering this person completely disregarded the whispering tactic the other two were on. 

  Carefully, Langa started to quietly step towards the other end of the boat. He made sure to avoid any of the creaky boards he could see sticking up out of place, but the closer he got the shakier his steps became. 

  “Well—Cherry isn’t here so can you just keep it down and—” The voice stopped speaking the second Langa peered his head over the end of the rail, caught with their mouth open in the middle of their rebuttal.

  All at once, the world went silent.

  Langa could only focus on the familiar brightness of sunset saturated irises and the shock of blood red hair sticking up from the sea.

  “….Reki?” The sailor croaked, his throat swelling up as he became overwhelmed with emotions.

  “Langa?” Reki didn’t sound much different, his bottom lip getting caught beneath his pointed fangs as he tried to stop it from quivering. Langa had to physically stop himself from crying out at the sound of his name coming from the other’s lips. 

  Reki, his Reki, had gone missing almost 8 years ago. He had been his best friend when he was just a kid. A boy he’d met in a village somewhere in the southwest. His parents would bring him there every summer and he and Reki would lose track of time playing by the docks or the shore, sneaking into the old bakery down the street from the tavern and pretending to run the place. Langa would show him everything he knew about sailing and, in return, Reki would teach him how to fish using the best methods.

  But, one summer, Reki’s mother had tearfully broken the news to them that the year before, Reki had gone missing. He’d gone out one night in a fit, something about an argument he and his father had gotten into, and never came back. 

  “You know each other?” Langa jolted again at the same loud voice from before, turning his attention to the larger figure beside his long lost friend. 

  It was a bulky man with wild orange hair and a face full of chalky paint. Langa wondered how it hadn’t washed off in all the salt water, but then his attention was immediately taken in by the large gills on the man’s neck. In fact, there were sharp fins on his elbows from where he was crossing his arms over his chest, a darker shade of orange than his hair. Yellow stripes marked his shoulders and biceps, golden scales filling the colored space. 

  This man…he was a creature of the sea.

  “Since when were you friends with a human? ” The other stranger questioned, pulling Langa’s attention to him.

  This one looked like a young boy, much smaller than the other two. He had two long whiskers and gills on his neck as well, although much smaller compared to the ginger’s. There were black splotches of color on his arms and chest, almost as if someone had spilled ink on his skin. His hair was dark and nearly blended into the sea below him. Another sea creature.

  But if they were here then that means…

  “I…” Reki’s near silent voice finally drew Langa back to him, the sailor now taking in his full appearance.

  Reki’s face was just like he remembered it, even if it was much more mature now, and held less baby fat. His eyes still held the beautiful sunset Langa had once grown to dream about, his hair the same wild mess of crimson curls. But, there were very noticeable things that were different about him, too. Like the gills he, too, sported on his neck. Surrounded by small patches of dark red, shimmering scales. His shoulders looked to be dusted in red ash, just light enough to glint visibly in the moonlight. His teeth, which Langa could see clearly now that Reki had opened his mouth, were sharp and appeared deadly, two larger fangs drawing attention to two smaller ones on the bottom of his mouth. On his face were dark freckles that scattered across his cheeks like sun kisses.

  “Reki you…you’re…” Langa couldn’t find the words, feeling breathless at the sight of him yet too choked up to do anything with his feelings.

  A creak from the boat startled all four of them, Langa swiveling his head around to make sure his mother hadn’t gotten up without him realizing it. Fortunately, there was no one there and when he turned back around, the three creatures had lowered themselves down into the water just a bit more to conceal themselves. Langa turned to see the ladder on the side of the boat, pointing over to it for the others before he quickly made his way over to it.

  He heard the gentle sway of the water as the three creatures followed his direction and swam to the bottom of the ladder. Langa climbed down on the steps, gripping tightly to the wood as he slowly lowered himself down close to the surface of the ocean. Once he got to the second step he sat down, coming near face to face with Reki.

  “Reki…” Langa breathed, unable to take his eyes away as the redhead’s tears finally fell. It seemed like all he could do was say his name at this point.

  “Langa I—“ Reki shook his head briefly before he launched himself at the sailor, arms coming up to wrap around Langa’s neck and nearly dragging him into the water. “I missed you so much!” 

  Langa shakily brought one arm to wrap clumsily around the other, his head so fuzzy he could hardly fathom the glistening red tail sticking up out of the water, silky fins raised above the surface. There were soft fins on his elbows that tickled Langa’s neck and caused him to shiver. Water was dripping into his clothes and rolling down his skin, cold in temperature. 

  “How did this—where did you go I—” Langa’s own tears were falling, emotions hindering his ability to string coherent sentences together. He choked. “ I thought you died. ”

  Reki pulled away and sunk down into the water, a wobbly smile aimed up at the sailor.

  “Almost but not quite,” He chuckled. Before Langa could ask what he meant by that, the large man cleared his throat. “Oh! Right! Langa, these are my friends!” He pointed at the man. “This is Hiromi, but we know him better as Shadow.”

  Hiromi— Shadow— grinned at Langa in what could only be described as an overconfident fashion.

  “Cool to see this shrimp here has other friends!” He guffawed, easily dodging a splash that Reki sent his way.

  “Don’t mind him. He’s a dumbass,” Reki snorted, completely ignoring Shadow’s noise of indignance. “And this—” He gestures to the small boy on his other side. The one who kept shooting Langa disapproving looks. “Is Miya. He’s kinda like a kid brother to me.”

  “You say as if I’m not the one who bails your ass from stupid situations you get yourself into,” Miya scoffed, rolling his eyes in a way that Langa would almost call fond. Reki pouted and grabbed Miya by the shoulders, shaking him back and forth and whining.

  “Dude! Uncool!” He cried dramatically, eyes squeezed shut in his theatrics.

  Langa stared at him, a nauseatingly bitter sensation bubbling in his chest at the idea that Reki had long since moved on from him. Replaced him with other people and turned into…

  “You’re…a Temp? ” He couldn’t help but whisper, all three creatures turning their undivided attention on him. Reki raised a brow at him while the other two’s gazes hardened into something unreadable. 

  “A what?” Reki questioned, genuinely looking confused.

  “A Temp. Temptationem,” Langa reiterated. He couldn’t help the heavy pit in his stomach churning him inside out.

  All this time, he’d thought Reki had up and left him behind without a trace. Not even a letter telling Langa he was okay and that he hadn’t forgotten about him. He even considered the impossible possibility that Reki, at the young age of 11, had died. Never to be seen or heard from again. 

  But here he was alive and well, introducing Langa to his friends casually as if he hadn’t implied he almost had died mere seconds ago. 

  “Is that what you guys call it up there?” Reki tilted his head, blissfully unaware of the rage of emotions spiraling inside Langa.

   ’Up there.’

  As if Reki had never been part of life on land. 

  As if he was never human .

  Not trusting his voice in the moment, Langa simply nodded, refusing to look away as Reki hummed and seemed to understand the language barrier.

  “We call ourselves—” Langa couldn’t repeat Reki’s words if he tried. To him, it sounded like garbled syllables rolled into a mouthful. “It’s a really old language, so I don’t expect you to be able to say it. If saying ‘Temp’ is easier for you, I don’t mind.”

  Again, Langa nodded, feeling as though his mouth had gone into shock. 

  Both Miya and Shadow looked visibly upset at Reki’s words, but the redhead remained oblivious as he proceeded talking.

 “How’s your parents? Does your dad still get scolded by your mom for taking the wrong courses? Man! I can imagine just how many times you guys must’ve gotten lost since the last time I’ve seen you!” Reki laughed, the sound ringing beautifully in the night and yet the words somehow muddling the sound.

  Langa took a deep breath to calm his emotions, figuring he could talk to Reki about it at a later date. 

  “My dad he…he died…last year,” The sailor confessed, his grip on the ladder so tight it was almost splintering. “It was in a really bad storm we couldn’t stay afloat in and…my mother and I wound up stranded in a small town east of here…we only just set out this morning…”

  Reki’s expression fell the longer Langa spoke, his eyes replicating the pity Langa and his mother had been subjected to over the last year. 

  “Oh Langa…” He whispered, clear pain lacing his tone. “I’m so sorry…I—I didn’t know.”

   ‘How could you?’

    Langa bit back his words before he nodded in acknowledgement. 

  “It’s…fine,” He deflected, ignoring the concerning looks from all three that signaled it was very much not fine. “I’ve gotten used to not having him around.”

  “That’s why you…” Reki trailed off, realization settling on his face as something seemed to click in his head. Langa waited for him to finish his thought, but he’d gone quiet.

  “Still…” Shadow spoke up. “Losing a parent like that can take a toll on anyone,” His brows were furrowed, signaling how serious he was.

  “How do you feel about it right now?” Miya questioned next, earning a shocked look from both Shadow and Reki.

  Langa jolted back as if he’d been slapped, not prepared for that kind of question let alone from some strange sea creature he just met. 

  He…wasn’t sure how he felt about his father’s death anymore. There was this underlying feeling of emptiness that he got whenever he sat alone at night with no one to tell him stories or myths or pass the time with silly jokes. A full buzz without a tune. It certainly didn’t affect him as much as Reki’s reappearance was at the moment.

  Which…was a scary thought. 

  “Langa you don’t have to answer,” Reki said firmly, glaring down at Miya as the young boy shrugged and looked away. Langa felt grateful, but ultimately the whole situation was starting to take a toll on him. “We’ll let you get back now,” The redhead added, seeming to pick up on Langa’s mood.

  Although appreciative, Langa couldn’t help but feel as though if he turned around and went back up the ladder, he would look back over the rail and see that the whole encounter had been a dream. His hesitance must’ve not gone unnoticed because Reki swam up closer to him and carefully put a hand on his shoulder. 

  Langa tried not to glance at his webbed hands and sharp nails.

  “Don’t worry,” Reki murmured, almost as if he were telling a secret. The tone sent warm chills rolling down Langa’s back. “I won’t disappear again.”

  The two stared at each other for what was probably a moment too long, Langa taking the extra seconds he had to take in all he could from Reki’s earnest eyes and convince himself this was real. 

  “Okay…” The young sailor whispered, jumping when Reki put a hand to the back of his head and pressed his forehead against his.

  The contact was brief, a goodbye, but the motion has Langa sitting stone still as his heart rate picked up considerably. When Reki pulled away, his face was flaming red all the way down to below his gills. He wouldn’t look directly at Langa but he rushed to explain.

  “I-it’s a custom of ours! A really— really old one. Only a few of us do it really and I’m normally not one who initiates it unless it’s with Miya you know because like I said he’s like a kid brother to me but some of my older friends do it like Joe and Shadow but not so much Cherry even though he does do it sometimes when he’s like proud of us or something—”

  “Reki,” Langa called, unable to push down his smile as he reached forward and held Reki’s hand. He couldn’t help it when the creature was acting exactly as he remembered him when they were kids. “It’s okay.”

  Reki glanced down at their hands briefly before he smiled shyly and pulled away, dipping down deeper into the water. 

  “I’ll see you again, Langa…” He repeated. Only then did Langa realize the other two were already gone. 

  “…okay,” Langa conceded, not really knowing what else to say in the situation. With that, Reki disappeared underwater.

  Leaving Langa on the ladder to sift through everything he was feeling.

———————

  True to his word, Reki continued to visit Langa’s boat throughout their course. Sometimes he would be accompanied by Shadow or Miya (it was usually both), but the majority of the time he came alone just to catch Langa in the middle of the night and talk to him about whatever adventures or shenanigans he and the others would get up to.

  Reki spoke about these other friends of his called Cherry and Joe who, according to him, were totally together and only engaged in dramatics in public. From what Langa has heard, they sounded like an old married couple who took both Reki and Miya under their wings.

  And, as much as Langa wanted to be angry and hateful towards the creatures who took Reki away, he couldn’t help but feel his negative emotions ebb the more Reki spoke of them. 

  It was clear, excruciatingly so, that Reki adored everyone he spoke about (aside from this one guy named Adam who he refused to go into detail about). The more he spoke, the harder it became for Langa to hate them. Especially if Reki saw them as family. 

  It was hard to hate the ones Reki loved.

  But even so, Langa’s anger and jealousy quickly became overpowered by an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

  He remembered going through that emotion in the first months of his dad’s death when even his mother’s presence couldn’t quell the feeling. But, it was different with Reki. The loneliness he felt wasn’t completely tied to a loss even if he felt as though he’d lost him in some way. Instead, it was more like Langa felt replaced. Like he was losing.

  Reki had people he cared about and who cared about him in return. People he’s able to see everyday because he shares their world. A world Langa could never fully understand no matter how many times he fell back on his father’s stories. 

  One night, Langa decided to finally bring it up.

  “Reki…” He softly interjected one of Reki’s stories about a squabble Cherry and Miya had gotten into, leaning a little self consciously on the back of the ladder. Reki, who had been floating on his back with his tail in full view, dipped down upright to give Langa his attention.

  “What’s up?” Reki questioned, his voice just as soft to match Langa’s tone. It seemed that a lot of their conversations between just the two of them consisted mostly of whispered words, even when Reki was enthusiastically sharing one of his stories.

  In a way, the moments reminded Langa of those with his father.

  “What happened?  You know, the day you disappeared,” Langa watched Reki’s reactions carefully, noticing the tenseness in his shoulders and the way his fangs tucked his bottom lip between them. It was a habit Langa had noticed he did a lot. “You don’t have to answer!” He rushed to say when he fully took in how uncomfortable Reki was. The ugly feeling in his stomach urged him to push, but he couldn’t do that to Reki when not so long ago he had given Langa the option to opt out.

  “No no, I do…you deserve to know…” Reki sighed, his arms curling around himself in a weak show of protection. Langa didn’t say anything, instead reaching forward to take Reki’s hand in his. It was a show of gentle security that they had grown accustomed to, seeking each other’s hand whenever it was just the two of them a lull came into the conversation. 

  Reki squeezed, his reddened face clearly illuminated by the moonlight. He kept his eyes downcast but ultimately swam just a little closer to the ladder near Langa’s feet.

  “This…isn’t how I thought I’d be telling you…” Reki put his other hand over his face to cover his embarrassment as he spoke. “But…when we were kids…I had like—the biggest crush on you…”

  All of a sudden, Langa’s face was competing with Reki’s in the blood department. 

  “You did?!” He exclaimed, unintentionally pulling Reki in closer by his hand. Reki let himself get dragged through the water but still refused to look directly at Langa.

  “Lower your voice, idiot,” Reki grumbled, but his words held no real bite to them. Langa swallowed and nodded his head. “But yeah I…I did…” Taking a deep breath, Reki continued. “The last day I saw you, you were heading back out on another trip with your parents. I remember thinking about how badly I would miss you while you were away and how lonely it would feel until you came back…After you left and I couldn’t see your boat anymore, I went back home sulking.” Reki let his head fall against the bottom of Langa’s leg, eyes falling down to their clasped hands. 

  “I remember your mother saying you and your dad got into a fight. Is that true?” Langa couldn’t help but ask, suppressing a shiver at the physical contact. Reki’s hair tickled his bare skin as he nodded his head.

  “Yeah, that’s true. As a kid, I couldn’t really understand what was wrong with what I had been saying, but I kind of get it now…” Reki’s voice was quiet, almost shameful as he played with Langa’s fingers. 

  “What did you say?” The sailor pushed again. Reki flinched, his cheeks flushing again as he relived the memory.

  “I uh…I said I wanted to marry you so that you wouldn’t have to leave me behind anymore…” The silence stretched on for a moment too long. “Agh!! I know it sounds stupid and lame!!” Reki exclaimed, snatching his hand away from Langa’s to knot both his hands in his hair. Langa rushed to take his hand back, nearly falling off the ladder in his haste. 

  “No no! It’s not stupid at all, Reki!” He reassured the creature, squeezing Reki’s hand tightly. “I’m sure if you would’ve asked me, I would’ve said yes!” 

  They both froze, Reki’s eyes shooting up to Langa’s as the sailor realized what he confessed.

  “You…” Reki’s lips pulled into a shy smile. “You really would’ve said yes?” 

  Langa swallowed and softly ran his thumb over Reki’s knuckles.

  “Y-yeah…” He admitted. Reki’s eyes seemed to shine brighter under the night sky, deep emotions swimming in them.

  “Well, it’s a shame I didn’t ask then,” He laughed lightly, scratching at his cheek in a nervous habit. Langa watched the action a little too closely. “But ah, my dad didn’t like it when I said that…” Reki’s smile fell. “He started saying all these…really nasty things and throwing stuff at me. My mother tried to get him to stop but he just—wouldn’t listen. I got angry and frustrated and I ended up running out towards the shore by where the docks were. I hid under them crying to myself and…and wishing that you had stayed just a little bit longer to be with me and tell me it’s okay….” Langa held his hand tighter. “I…I didn’t realize that the tide had been coming in…I got trapped under the dock and the water kept rising…”

  “Reki…” Langa whispered, horrified at what he was hearing. He couldn’t imagine the fear his best friend must’ve had in that moment all by himself. Reki wiped at his eyes.

  “I-It was…pretty scary. I got taken in underwater and suddenly it was hard to breathe. But then, I saw something in the water move.”

  “A Temp,” Langa guessed.

  “I guess so,” Reki chuckled. “He came up from the water and told me I would be okay. His smile had felt…sad. Like he knew what he was going to do. He told me his name was Oka and that he’d save me. The next thing I knew was that a hole in his chest opened up and I could see his heart but—it looked so…bright, I guess. Like a beacon.”

  “He gave you his heart…” Langa remembered his father’s words about the old theories, but he hadn’t guessed that they would be true. 

  “He did…and it was like—all of the sorrow I had felt just disappeared, man. One second I was bawling my eyes out as this fish guy took me into his arms, and the next I was opening my eyes underwater looking like this ,” Reki raised his tail for emphasis, sloshing it around gently.

  “Was it…were you scared?” Langa asked, watching closely.

  “Hm, at first I was, yeah. But then I realized that I could maybe find you, you know?” Reki smiled sheepishly up at Langa. “The ocean didn’t seem as big as it is when you’re a small child who’s never left home before. I traveled aimlessly for a few years before I was discovered by Joe and Cherry. They took me in and introduced me to Miya and Shadow. Since then, we’ve all been traveling together as a group!” Reki beamed up at Langa, fangs glinting under the stars. 

  Langa felt his throat close up, his previous toxic feelings completely falling away to something so much deeper and kinder in his chest.

  “So…” Langa’s voice broke, tears he didn’t know he had falling from his eyes. Reki lifted himself up higher out of the water in shock, hands flying to Langa’s shoulders to look him in the eyes. 

  “Langa?” Reki questioned, another spoken whisper in the night. 

  “So you—you’d didn’t…forget about me?” The young sailor choked on a sob. “You didn’t—didn’t replace me?” 

  Reki caught him when he crumbled, Langa’s head falling forward onto his wet shoulder as he sobbed and held on to Reki with one arm to keep himself from falling off the ladder completely. 

  “Oh Langa,” Reki gasped, holding him tightly. “No of course not. God—is that what you thought this whole time? That I abandoned you?” Langa didn’t answer. “I could never!” 

  Langa nodded to show he heard him, shaking lightly with his cries. Reki didn’t say anything about it, softly rubbing at his shoulders. It took a bit before Langa calmed down, and when he did the two sat in comfortable silence.

  Langa could see Reki’s tail swaying below the surface, his father’s stories coming to the forefront of his mind.

  “Reki…?” He started, his voice hoarse.

  “Yeah?” 

  “Are you able to…uhm…” Langa’s face burned. “Kiss…me?” Reki held him tighter, a quiet gasp escaping his lips before he chuckled. 

  “As much as I want to, I can’t…” He answered. Langa felt a bit ashamed as he physically wilted in Reki’s hold. Reki laughed and nuzzled his nose against Langa’s cheek, leaning in closely to his ear. “But…that doesn’t mean you can’t kiss me…”  

  Whether or not it was because Reki’s whisper felt heavier than usual or Langa was just that easy to move, a warm shiver rolled down his back at the implication. He could feel the slight change in Reki’s breathing as he waited for Langa to react. Their heartbeats ran in tandem as Langa gently picked his head up and leaned his forehead against Reki’s. 

  Reki’s eyes were closed in anticipation, giving Langa the opportunity to take in how beautiful he looked here like this. Gills and all. 

  Carefully, he raised his hand to lightly hold Reki’s chin between his thumb and forefinger. Reki breathed out shakily, unable to control the urge to open his eyes and locking them on to Langa’s. 

  “Are you sure…? It won’t…” Langa couldn’t help but ask quietly, eyes briefly dropping down to Reki’s lips. Reki lightly shook his head, subconsciously licking them.

  “It won’t work because I’m not initiating it…the magic can’t activate itself…” He explained, shifting a bit in the water with his impatience.

  “Okay…” Langa murmured, voice shaky.

  “It would work right away otherwise…Langa, you’re sad…really sad…” Reki said. “I felt it that night…when we found each other again. I can feel it now, too….” Langa hummed his acknowledgement. “Is it because of your dad…?”

  “I miss him, yeah…”

  “I’m sorry…”

  “But…” Langa leaned in. “I missed you too…”

  Langa closed their distance, his lips crashing almost clumsily into Reki’s from their position. Reki sighed into the kiss, mouth falling open almost immediately and meeting Langa’s desperate movements with his own. Langa could feel Reki’s fangs and couldn’t help but run his tongue over them, delighting in the way Reki shivered and pulled him in deeper. Reki’s tail fin raised from the water and brushed against Langa’s cheek, pleasantly surprising him with how soft it was.

  His father’s description had been right. 

  The two kissed deeply under the moonlight, holding tightly to one another and getting lost in the sensation. Langa felt drunk with the taste of Reki, pushing his tongue deeper and exploring every inch of his mouth that he could. Reki whimpered and let out a soft noise that had Langa losing his composure, pulling away just enough for a breath before he dived back in.

  “Langa…” Reki whined breathlessly against the sailor’s lips. The hand Langa had on the ladder shook.

  “Shit…” He groaned, leaning forward to chance the sweet sound of his name on Reki’s lips. 

  But, as luck would have it, he had leaned too far forward. They both gasped as Langa fell from the ladder, Reki startling too much to be able to catch him and allowing them to both crash beneath the sea. 

  Langa frantically pushed himself above the water, gasping in air while Reki laughed beside him. He held Langa above the surface with his tail as tears fell from his eyes in his boisterous fit.

  “It’s not funny!” Langa cried, face red with embarrassment.

  “D-Dude!” Reki cackled. “That’s what you get for being greedy!” 

  Langa pouted while Reki continued to laugh, helping Langa swim back over to the ladder so the boat wouldn’t leave him behind. They lingered by the bottom as Langa faced Reki with a serious expression.

  “What is it?” Reki asked, raising a brow while he smiled curiously. 

  “Can you ask me? You know, what you wanted to when we were kids?” Langa questioned back, watching Reki’s face darken with a red hue.

  “Ah, come on man. That’s embarrassing…” Reki laughed lightly, rubbing at his cheeks. 

  “But can you?” 

  Reki eyed him shyly before huffing and crossing his arms.

  “Alright, fine! Uh, Langa Hasegawa! Will you—erm, marry me…someday…?” Reki’s voice lowered just a bit in his hesitance, endearing Langa to no end.

  “I will.” 

  The no hesitation on his end caused Reki to look up at him in shock, eyes wide before they crinkled into crescents with his smile.

  “Then it’s a promise.”

———————

Chapter Text

The morning after their promise, Langa found himself smiling to himself at the wheel. His heart was pounding away in his chest, threatening to fly out and show the sea who it beats for. 

  The promise was small, somewhat naive considering both their situations, but Langa couldn’t help but be excited for a future he couldn’t yet see. A future with Reki just as he’d always dreamed of having when they were kids.

  ‘I promise I won’t ever go with a Temp.’ 

  Langa’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as his own words echoed in his head. Another promise he had made years ago to someone who was also very important to him. 

  Someone else he had lost.

  “No that’s…” The sailor shook his head, biting the inside of his cheek. He wanted to convince himself that it was different. He wouldn’t be breaking his promise to his father if he married Reki. It was Reki. 

   And he hadn’t lost Reki.

  Langa jolted at his own thought, a bitter taste settling in his mouth.

  Did he just…dishonor his promise with his father just because he’s gone…?

  “Langa?” His mother’s voice drew his attention from where he had begun staring absently at the ocean’s waves. Nanako gasped when she saw his face and Langa could only imagine how he must’ve looked. 

  “M-om…” Langa’s voice broke on him, only then alerting to the fact that he was crying. 

  “Oh baby…” Nanako was quick to take her son into her arms, holding his head gently to her chest even if he was taller than her. Langa gripped tightly to the back of her shirt, his body shaking with his quiet cries. “What happened?”

  Her soft tone made Langa want to cry harder, a heavy pit settling in his stomach as he tried to find his voice.

  “I’m so…confused…” Langa swallowed, pulling away from his mother to wipe at his eyes. Nanako smiled encouragingly.

  “It wouldn’t have anything to do with why you’re never at your post at night would it?” Langa’s eyes widened at his mother’s words, unable to help the blush that spread across his cheeks. “What? You think I wouldn’t notice?” 

  Langa wiped at his face one last time as he averted his eyes away.

  “You were supposed to be asleep…” The young boy mumbled, feeling only slightly better when his mother gently cradled his face in her hands. 

  “You think I wouldn’t be checking up on you to make sure you’re okay?” Nanako moved a strand of Langa’s hair from his face. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t too in your own head now that…well, now that you aren’t spending nights with your father…”

  Langa winced, realizing she hit the nail on the head. 

  “Mom, ah…” The young sailor tried not to get too choked up as he thought over what he was trying to say. “You know those…old stories Dad used to talk about? About magic creatures living in the ocean?” Nanako nodded, a curious expression on her face. “Well…uh, turns out they're kinda…true?” 

  “What do you mean?” His mother pressed, not quite understanding where he was coming from. 

  Langa took a deep breath.

  “Mom…you need to see something…”

———————

  Langa was pacing beside his mother that night, Nanako offering to steer for them considering his nerves. He had tried his best to explain the situation to his mother, but she didn’t quite get it. 

  So he figured she would need to see it for herself.

  “Langa…” Nanako started for the umpteenth time that day. “I know you miss your father and…and Reki…but I just don’t think—“

  “Mom I’m telling the truth,” The boy insisted, stopping in his pacing to turn to her. He knew it sounded crazy, even he didn’t believe it the first night, but it was true. Nanako opened her mouth to say something before a different voice spoke up. 

  “Hey, Langa! I’m here!” Reki’s voice carried through the night. He had long since given up on whispering, so his tone wound up startling Nanako.

  Langa wasted no time in jogging over to the side of the boat, peering over the rail and catching on to the bright red hair sticking up from the sea. Seeing Reki made all of Langa’s worries wash away for the time being. 

  “Reki!” Langa responded, relieved that he’d shown up just in time. Nanako’s eyes widened from behind him, halting the wheel and slowly making her way over. Reki’s smile was beyond wide, his cheeks flushed as if he had been swimming as fast as he could to catch up. 

  “Langa! I—” Reki paused once Nanako’s head was over the side, bright eyes widening to meet her stare.

  “Reki…? So then—” She looked to Langa. “It’s true…”

  “Mrs. Hasegawa?” Reki’s smile turned sheepish, swimming over to the ladder as Langa lead his mother over. He waited patiently below as Nanako descended the steps ahead of Langa. She stopped at the very bottom, her legs in the water while Langa took his spot on the second step as usual. 

  Reki pouted just the tiniest bit, cheeks puffed almost expectantly before he caught Langa looking at him. He turned his eyes down immediately, fangs biting down on his lip as he shook his head and looked back up. His eyes were glinting with something inviting yet hesitant, trying and failing to focus on Nanako.

  Catching the meaning behind the look, Langa’s face heated. His throat closed up on itself and yet, selfishly, he couldn’t help but indulge in Reki’s silent request.

  With a deep breath, Langa pushed himself off of the ladder over his mother, plunging into the water. The shock felt cold, but he instantly felt Reki’s tail balance him as he pushed himself above water. The boy gasped for air when he could feel it, Reki wading him closer to his chest to keep him afloat so he wouldn’t get tired from treading. The water felt like ice, unsurprisingly so, but Reki’s hands on his waist felt warm.

  Which was surprising considering the touch was underwater.

  Nanako watched the interaction with glistening eyes, quiet as she took in what she was seeing. 

  “Thanks,” Langa murmured, wiping salt from his eyes to see. Reki beamed, eyes practically glimmering. 

  “In all my years, I never thought something like this would…would ever happen,” Nanako whispered, reaching her hand up. Reki gently pushed himself and Langa closer to the ladder, a webbed hand reaching up and pressing itself flat against hers. His nails were much sharper than Nanako’s, so Reki made sure to flex his fingers out to avoid cutting her. 

  “You and Langa both I guess, haha,” Reki laughed, his nerves causing his voice to wobble just the tiniest bit. “Then again, I wouldn’t have believed it either if I were you.

  Nanako laughed and pulled her hand away, tears slipping down her cheeks

  “Well, Oliver did always pride himself in believing the stories he told. I guess I should’ve known that belief came from somewhere,” Nanako sighed, wiping at her tears. Despite it all, she was still smiling.

  Reki’s tail swished happily with his satisfaction, suddenly bobbing Langa who lost his balance and threw his arms out around Reki’s shoulders to keep from falling backwards into the water. 

  “Sorry Langa!” Reki apologized, his hands going back down to firmly hold Langa in place by his waist again. Nanako laughed at her son, grinning at the two. 

  “It’s—fine,” Langa breathed, flustered at the fact his mother was witnessing all of this. 

  Reki gave him a small nudge with his head, unable to control how wide his smile was becoming, fangs glinting and seeming to draw Langa in. 

  “Mrs. Hasegawa?” Reki suddenly started, turning his head to Langa’s mother as Langa bit down on his tongue to control the urge to kiss the creature in front of his mom. 

  That would be embarrassing.

  “Yes?” Nanako questioned, leaning ever so slightly forward from the ladder. Langa half wondered if she would fall off.

  “Would it be okay if I took Langa for tonight?” The sea creature’s face was dark red, his freckles disappearing behind the color. Langa couldn’t help but react the same way, Reki’s phrasing throwing him off.

  “ Took him?” Nanako echoed, not understanding the question.

  “Not like— take him take him,” Reki rushed to say, his bravery faltering. “I just mean uh, I wanted to show him something tonight so it’s actually pretty good that you’re here since I wouldn’t wanna just take him away for a bit without you knowing so I guess this is the perfect opportunity to ask for your permission—to take him out for the night! Not for anything else even though I’m sure I would need your permission for—a-actually it doesn’t matter because that’s not what I’m asking I just—”

  “ Reki! ” Both sailors called simultaneously, getting the redhead to stop in his verbal tirade. Reki glanced between the two before realizing what he was doing.

  “Ah, sorry,” Reki apologized, lowering his gaze a bit. Nanako smiled at him.

  “Don’t be. I missed your little rants, Reki,” The woman laughed lightly. “You would always take Langa by the hand and run up to Oliver and I, words flying out of your mouth faster than we could keep up. Before we knew it, you were already whisking him away with you on another crazy adventure that Langa would talk about for days after,” Nanako leaned her back against the boat, smiling up at the stars as she reminisced. “Oliver adored you, Reki. He always said you were…” She shook her head and looked back at the two boys. Both of them were staring at her wide eyed, matching blushes on their faces.

  “Mom…” Langa whispered, not having known about his father’s opinion of Reki. He desperately wished for her to continue, to give him some semblance of his father’s views to see if he would be okay with him marrying Reki.

  Marrying a Temp.

  “I would say you can take Langa out tonight, but I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that…” Nanako furrowed her brows as Reki’s confidence seemed to return. 

  “There’s a way to let him breathe underwater!” Reki answered enthusiastically. “One of my caretakers was able to make this really cool pendant Langa can wear so he can come with me!” Both Langa and Nanako stared at him in shock. 

  “Really?” Langa questioned, watching Reki bob his head up and down.

  “Yeah! I’ve been asking Cherry about it for a while now. Since the day we reconnected, actually. He finally decided to make one with this really old magic talisman and said it would be able to work for you!”

  “ Cherry did that?” The sailor raised a brow. From what he’s heard, it didn’t sound like something the elder creature would do. Yet, Reki nodded.

  “He did! Joe should be here soon to give it to you,” The redhead grinned. Langa gaped.

  “Who’s Cherry? And Joe for that matter,” Nanako questioned, still not caught up. Langa figured it was his fault for omitting any other details outside of Reki.

  “Who’s askin’?” A voice that didn’t belong to any of the three spoke up, buttery smooth and deep. Both sailors jolted and turned their heads to see the newcomer. 

  There in the water a mere few feet away from the trio was the bulky top of a large man, almost as big as Shadow had been when Langa first met him. He had curly green hair that stopped by his nape, a single braid tied behind his ear. The right side of his neck was covered in lime scales while the right of his torso showed dark green splotches similar to Miya’s. His gills were wide as Shadow’s were, but a few of them were closed shut with scars. In fact, he seemed to have quite a few all over his body. As he swam over, Langa could see the back of his tail. It was a gorgeous emerald color with large scales that gave off what looked like rainbow reflections from the moonlight. His tail fin was wide and resembled that of a verdant cloud.

  “Oh!” Nanako gasped, hitting her back against the boat in her shock. 

  “Joe! You made it!” Reki exclaimed, his excitement rocking Langa in the water. 

  “Hey kid, how’s it going up here?” Joe greeted, leaning up against the ladder and sending Nanako a flirtatious wink. Langa frowned, not enjoying the gesture one bit. Although Reki assured him Joe and Cherry were together, he still found it extremely uncomfortable to watch Joe give that look to his mom.

  “I can take him! She said yes!” Reki practically cheered, his hold on Langa’s waist tightening just a little bit. Langa’s arms around his neck brought him in just a bit closer, fighting the urge to lay his head on Reki’s shoulder. 

  “Well that’s great! It would’ve been considered kidnapping either way and I doubt Kaoru would approve of that,” Joe held up the pendant. 

  “And you would?” Langa interjected. Joe shrugged.

  “I can hardly say no to the kid when he’s so in lo—”

  “Anyways! Is that it?” Reki interrupted hastily, surging forward to grab the pendant hastily. Langa held onto him tightly so he wouldn’t fall, Reki’s hand keeping him steady. Joe chuckled.

  “Yeah this is it,” Joe dropped the pendant into Reki’s hand. “Be careful with it. Kaoru would have my head if you broke or lost it.”

  “I take it you’re Reki’s caretaker?” Nanako inquired, looking at Joe wearily. She didn’t care for his flirting, but it was obvious she was less inclined to let Langa go if it was a stranger instead of Reki. 

  “You’re right about that miss,” Joe turned his attention to Nanako. “I can assure you that in the past years since we’ve found each other, Kaoru and I have taken great care of him. Our care extends to your son as well. We don’t take things like this lightly,” His words were spoken genuinely, seeming to do the trick and persuading Nanako. 

  “Well…as much as it worries me, I guess if Reki’s there then…” The woman sighed, a small smile on her lips.

  “Thank you mom!” Langa exclaimed, unable to contain his own excitement as Reki laughed. 

  “Just promise me you’ll be safe, okay Langa?” Nanako warned, watching Reki slip the pendant over her son’s head.

  “You don’t have to worry, Mrs. Hasegawa. I’ll stay up here with you until the boys get back. They’ll be meeting up with Kaoru and he’ll be sure to keep them safe,” Joe reassured. Nanako smiled weakly, still very obviously worried but a little more inclined to let her son go.

  “I’ll try not to keep him too late!” Reki added, his hands still by Langa’s neck and holding onto the sash of the pendant.

  “Then…have fun…” Nanako’s smile turned somewhat wistful.

  “Not too much fun~!” Joe’s voice was teasing as he waved to the boys. Reki’s face was bright red as he waved back half heartedly. 

  “Okay okay let’s go!” Reki’s tail was sloshing around impatiently. “Langa! Are you ready?” His eyes turned to Langa excitedly. Langa nodded with just as excitement.

  “Reki! Let’s go!” The sailor beamed.

  With a splash, the two were gone.

———————

  “Langa! Open your eyes!” Reki’s echoey voice advised, the sailor squinting before finally opening his eyes all the way. Surprisingly, it didn’t burn him as he thought it would. In front of him, he saw Reki fully for the first time. 

  His tail was beyond beautiful. It was much longer than Langa initially thought it was, being mixed between red and pinkish scales. Whereas he always saw Reki’s scales on his skin to be dark in the moonlight just as his father described, underwater it was as though Reki were a beacon of light. Shining just as brightly as the sun would if humans were able to stare directly at it. His tail fin was much wider than he thought, and yet still looked just as soft as it swayed in the water. 

  “Earth to Langa!” Reki was tugging on his hand, willing him to pay attention. Langa blinked.

  “Sorry, were you saying something?” Langa asked, watching Reki grin.

  “Yeah I was dude,” The creature chuckled. His grin was mischievous if Langa could tell. “I was saying that Joe covered for us!”

  “He did?” Langa thought over the conversation they’d just had with his mom, not knowing exactly what Reki was talking about.

  “Cherry and Shadow took Miya to find some rare seashell he’d heard about. It’s just us tonight…” Reki’s words trailed off, looking a bit bashful as he played with Langa’s fingers. Langa kicked his feet back and forth to keep himself level with Reki. 

  “So…it’s really just us?” Langa watched bubbles drift up from his mouth, startling him briefly before his other hand flew up to the pendant floating around his neck. 

  Thank the gods it was working.

  “Yeah I uh, actually it’s pretty stupid now—“ Reki backtracked, his tail swaying erratically underneath him.

  “Tell me!” Langa reached forward, a bit harshly considering he was fighting with the water pressure, and grabbed Reki’s hand. “I want to know!” 

  Reki worried at his lip before finally speaking up, head turned away yet his sunset eyes focused on Langa. 

  “You remember…what we used to do during full moons…?” He started, Langa’s heart thrumming as he slowly started to put pieces together. “Well, tonight’s a full moon so…” He maneuvered their hands so he could hold Langa at arms length. “Will you…dance with me?” 

  Langa’s heart leapt into his throat, memories of he and Reki dancing on the shore as kids under a full moon flooding his head. They were clumsy and all over the place with each other, but their squeaky laughter was always the real fun of it all.

  “Reki…” Langa murmured, cheeks red as he tightly held onto Reki’s hands. “I would love to…but…” He kicked his legs a little harder. “I don’t exactly have the leverage…” Reki laughed.

  “I can take care of that!” Letting go of one hand, the creature used the other to help Langa swim down. Langa did his best to keep up, kicking his legs as hard as he could and using his now free hand to push himself forward. 

  The two swam down until Langa could see light. Upon getting closer, he could see what looked to be bioluminescent algae growing on the sea floor. Plants of the same nature sprouted around in patches, displaying a wondrous atmosphere of purple, greens, and blues.

  Once at the bottom, Langa floated upright, Reki helping his feet to land on the ground. The algae tickled his feet, but nothing made him shiver as much as Reki’s determination right now.

  “Reki…” Langa moved his hands to Reki’s waist, feeling the smooth texture of his scales, beneath his fingertips. “May I have this dance?” Reki beamed, his fangs glowing.

  “You may.”

  With no music, the two began to sway. A little unbalanced considering Langa didn’t have a tail to help him, but it didn’t stop them from laughing with each other as they used to. Black sand got kicked up from under the algae as they twirled, Reki’s joyful laughter sending pins and needles through Langa’s heart. The glow from the vegetation reflected off of Reki’s own light, making him glow with various different colors. Langa let go of his waist and held one of Reki’s hands, spinning the creature around him as Reki used his tail to spin himself faster. 

  Langa let go and watched as Reki propelled himself up from where he’d been released, gleefully letting out a whooping sound as he arched his back to turn the fly into a backflip, winding up right back in front of Langa. However instead of stopping, he pushed forward and wrapped his arms back around Langa’s neck, lifting him up and spinning them both around. The two shared in their boisterous laughter, slowing to a pause above the algae and catching their breaths. Bubbles and sand swirled below them, illuminated by the glowing around them.

  Softly, Reki leaned his forehead against Langa’s. Unlike usual, it wasn’t a goodbye. In fact, it felt much deeper than that. Langa could tell it meant more to the both of them. 

  A permanent hello. 

  “I can’t wait to marry you,” Reki whispered, a smile on his lips. Langa looked down at them briefly before back up at Reki’s eyes. 

  His freckles were glowing, he noticed.

  “Me neither…” Langa answered. And when he said it, he knew it was true. Deep down, he knew that’s what he truly wanted.

  “Langa?” Reki’s voice sounded quiet but worried.

  Tiny bubbles were rising from the corners of Langa’s eyes. Was he crying underwater? He didn’t think that was possible. But, then again, he could still feel the sting.

  “Sorry I just…” Langa’s face crumbled, but he still held Reki close. “I-I just realized something…something that’ll take me far… far away from my father….”

  This was the moment where Langa would have to break his promise to his father. Regardless of what his father would say. He wouldn’t be able to go through with the promise.

   ‘ I promise I won’t ever go with a Temp.’

  Oliver only smiled.

  Is that why he had smiled? Had Langa’s father somehow known he couldn’t keep his promise? Or maybe…

  Maybe he knew Langa would break it if it meant he was choosing to be happy instead of succumbing to sadness.

  Because Reki…Reki made him so happy…

  Instead of answering him, Reki wrapped Langa up in a hug. The pendant felt too weirdly solid between them, but it didn’t stop Langa from pressing in closer. 

  As close as he possibly could. 

———————

  They spent a few more hours together before Langa figured he had to get back. He wanted to talk to his mom about the promise and he would rather do it now over later. 

  Reki helped him swim back up and towards the boat, the boys watching as Joe tried to calm Nanako’s sobbing down with reassuring back rubs.

  “Mom?!” Langa called, Reki wading them over to the ladder. Nanako caught them before they got there, launching herself off the ladder.

  “Oh my boys my boys!” She cried, Reki and Joe holding both humans up with their tails. Reki and Langa shared a look.

  “Eh, mom, are you okay?”  Langa asked cautiously. He glanced at Joe who just smiled.

  “I’m more than okay! I just can’t believe how old you’ve gotten! The both of you!” Nanako sobbed.

  “I may have filled her in on your plans, boys…” Joe confessed, Reki openly gaping at his father figure.

  “Dude!” The redhead exclaimed.

  “Kid she was going to get the answer out of someone eventually. She’s just very scary when she wants information,” The elder creature sighed and crossed his large arms over his chest. 

  Langa knew he was right. His mother wasn’t scary in the fear way, but she could definitely guilt trip the answer out of someone if she wanted to with her innocent kindness.

  “Plans?” The young sailor parratoed, looking at his mother as she pulled away, Joe still holding her up.

  “I didn’t know you two wanted to get married! Although, I should’ve guessed from your childhood. Oliver did always say Reki was your soulmate and I should know by now that his intuition will always be better than mine!”

 Langa’s mouth dropped open.

  “Dad said that? Is that what you were talking about earlier?” He questioned. His mother chuckled and nodded.

  “He always knew you two would stay attached at the hip!” Nanako’s enthusiasm was beginning to overwhelm Langa. She had to know what this meant, marrying Reki.

  He’d have to become a Temp.

  Which was starting to become increasingly, and worryingly, more okay with him.

  Before he knew it, Langa was gasping out a sob, his hands flying up to catch the tears as they fell.

  “A-are you really…okay with this mom?” He choked out, all three of the others leaning forward to see if he was alright.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” Nanako questioned back. Reki’s hand gently rested on Langa’s back in silent support. 

  “I’d have to leave you a-and…and I’ll be with Reki! I can’t stay with you anymore and I’ll break my promise to dad!” Langa practically wailed, his chest constricting tightly and making him nauseas. “I can’t even say sorry to h-him! I can’t apologize! I don’t want him to be hurt because of me!” He hiccuped, pressing his palms into his eyes. “But I love Reki, mom! I love him so much it hurts! And I love dad too but—but I just can’t keep our promise!” The young sailor cried loudly. Nanako took his face in her hands as Joe put a firm one on his shoulder. Reki’s hand remained on his back.

  “Langa, honey…” Nanako whispered gently, her own voice choking up. “Your father will always, always want you to be happy. First and foremost. He would never hold you, as an adult, to a promise you made when you were a child. Langa, if marrying Reki means happiness for you, then your father would be more than happy to give you his blessing.”

  And that, Langa realized, is probably what he needed to hear. That his father wouldn’t be disappointed with him. That it was okay to love Reki and still keep his father’s memory.

  He cried harder.

———————

  “Langa, are you ready?” Reki asked him. The two of them were on the shore of Reki’s old home in the southwest. Langa on the sand in the beach and Reki half in the water, laying in the shallows. 

  Reki had white seashells in his hair, beaded pearls decorating it to pop out. Langa wore black shorts and suspenders over a plain white button up his mother saved up for. In the cover of darkness save for the moonlight, Joe, Cherry, Shadow, and Miya all waited in the deeper waters. It took some real convincing, but Cherry had finally agreed to go above the surface for only a limited time.

  Nanako and Reki’s mother, Masae stood with Langa on the beach, both women in tears. Masae had reconnected with Reki some time last week, apologizing for what had happened years ago. Reki’s father had left shortly after the incident, but the redhead didn’t mind too much.

  He missed his mother more. 

  “I’m ready, Reki,” Langa answered confidently. He kneeled down onto his knees in the water, lifting one of Reki’s hands gently. “Reki, with this ring, I promise to always love you and be by your side,” carefully, he lifted a simple ring made from the strong vines that grow beneath the docks now. Instead of a gemstone, there was a small seashell painted blue with the bioluminescence of the algae from that night. Reki had a matching red one for Langa. Gently, he slipped it onto Reki’s ring finger. “Until death do us part and even everything after.”

  “Langa…” Reki breathed, face aflame as he eyed the ring. He quickly wiped at his tears before holding up the other ring. “I, too, promise to love you always and forever. And be by your side no matter what, man,” He chuckled as he slid the ring onto Langa’s finger. “Until death do us part and long after. You’ve been the one for me for as long as I could remember, and that’s never going to change.”

  The two boys beamed at each other.

  “You may now kiss the groom, shrimp!” Shadow shouted from afar. Miya rolled his eyes although they looked to be a bit misty. Joe didn’t even bother hiding his tears, slumped over Cherry who was trying to push him away. 

  “I’m so happy for you two!” Masae cried, leaning on Nanako who was sobbing too much to say a word.

  Reki laughed.

  “I guess this time it’s my turn, huh?” He chuckled. Langa nodded and shuffled closer into the water. 

  There were no more words exchanged. Reki gently reached up and slid his fingers into Langa’s hair. Langa leaned into the gesture, eyes briefly fluttering shut before he looked at Reki again. His freckles were dark against the light blush on his cheeks. With a deep breath, he finally leaned in and pressed his lips firmly against Langa’s.

  The sailor reciprocated immediately, feeling a sharp stab of heat shoot down his throat. It traveled throughout his body, and caused him to gasp, but Reki held him firmly by the back of his neck to keep kissing him, his fangs lightly nipping against his lips. The transformation was lost on Langa as he focused solely on the way Reki tasted. He could hear their families cheering for them, but even that was drowned out by the sound of his own heartbeat. When they finally pulled away, Langa found himself in the water, being able to breathe without the pendant.

  And beside him, Reki was beaming at him with the brightest smile he’d ever seen.

  Reki.

   His Reki.

  Reki Kyan.

   His husband .

   ‘Dad.’ Langa thought, giving his new tail an experimental flick. ‘I’m sorry about breaking my promise but…’ He reached up his now webbed and clawed hand to caress Reki’s cheek. 

  Reki leaned into it with a smile. 

   ‘I hope you’re happy for me.’

The End.