Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ryuji wasn’t a guy who particularly liked loitering around bars, waiting to pick up any lousy gig that came his way. He’s piled up with plenty of other too-eager pirates, some who’ve never once journeyed out to sea and others who are years past their prime. He fits in here. His peg leg and his attitude haven’t net him any favors, but amidst the drinks and clatter, there’s at least comradery. They’re all scraping by, living off whatever they can find at the bottom of the barrel.

A particularly drunk man saunters over towards the bench Ryuji’s at, banging his too-full tankard of grog on the table. “Come on, lads. Let's share some horrors of the sea. Liven up the mood.” The mass of pirates piles around the drunk man, a seafarer of some age and class. He’s probably crossed the seas twice over, seen his fair share. Ryuji’s no greenhorn, but he’s not that well-sailed, and just as curious to hear whatever slips off the man’s tongue.

“Have any of you lot encountered a mermaid?”

The clamoring only grows louder. The man laughs, then shushes the lot of them. Ryuji’s never heard any pirate so eager to shut up and listen, but hey. It’s not every day someone brings up a mermaid.

“I’ve seen one, a genuine lady with a tail. She was the most gorgeous thing I’d ever laid eyes on, fair and exposed in the twinkling sea like nothing else.” The man sighs, leans back. “I fell in love with her right there and then, and my heart’s never been mine to give to another.”

Ryuji scoffs. “No way, man. It’s one tall tale alright, I don’t believe a word of it.”

A different voice, one too pressed and smooth to fit among this rabble, cuts through it effortlessly. “I’ve seen one. That old bag isn’t lying, he’s just regaling you morons with a tale from what’s between his legs.”

An unsuspecting drunk is dragged out of his seat, replaced by someone that Ryuji would know anywhere. His wanted poster is strung up in half the portside towns, the familiar smug expression sending a shiver down his spine. Known as Crow, this pirate has made a name for himself as one of the most remorseless killers of the sea. There are rumors he’s after something out there, but few survive an encounter with him to be able to share any specific details.

“Not only have I encountered one, I almost killed it.”

Ryuji, a bit too tipsy to bite his own tongue, throws out a too-loud, “Dude, what?”

Crow’s grin grows wider. It feels less like a grin than an animal preparing to feast. “A more formidable prey than I’d anticipated, certainly. But only that. Prey.”

“You encountered a genuine mermaid, and your first thought was to kill her? I know you were a heartless bastard, but come on, man…” Ryuji groans, shaking his head. If he met a genuine mermaid, the last thing he’d do is try to hurt such a magnificent creature. Maybe he’s also thinking with what’s between his legs, but damn.

“Wise men don’t call them mermaids. We call them sirens, and we treat them as anything else that emerges from the sea—a threat that must be destroyed.”

The old man interjects. “Don’t you dare speak that way, my lady was real and she never would’ve hurt me!”

Faster than the eye can follow, Crow positions a dagger at the old man’s throat. The room goes silent.

“He’s not doin’ anything, man. Drop the knife.” Cold eyes turn to meet Ryuji’s, and he swallows. He would’ve preferred to have gotten a few good meals in him before he got killed. Haven’t had a good bowl of ramen in too long. He doesn’t want to die like this, though he probably is going to.

“Are you volunteering?”

“If ya put down the knife, we can take this outside.” Make it a fight. Ryuji could have half a chance there, not too bad with his fists. Better if he found something he could swing. That’s gotten him out of a few scrapes before.

“Outside? I’m not sure if this is a proposition or a suicide attempt.” Crow examines him, really sizing him up with a gaze that only means he’s royally ‘effed. Can’t dig his grave any deeper, now, can he?

“What’s someone like you doin’ in a washed-up place like this, anyhow?”

Crow has the audacity to look pleased at the question. He snaps the knife shut, leaving the man to stagger away. “I’m looking to hire a few deck hands for a small, pleasant voyage.” He says it with a sneer, if daring anyone to inquire further about what destruction he’s planning.

Ryuji stands up at that, his peg sliding across the ground. “What makes ya think any of us would wanna get on a death trap with someone like you?”

Crow reaches out, grabbing at the fabric of Ryuji’s shirt and dragging him close, too close. He probably wasn’t kidding about the proposition, but the small knife that’s flat against his cheek is a different matter.

“I can take your life now, or you can surrender it to me willingly as a member of my crew. Seems like a worthwhile trade.”

Ryuij shoves him back, the knife nicking his skin in the gesture. He wipes the blood away, scowling. “Ain’t about to hand over my life to anyone that easy.”

“I admire your confidence. It’s foolish, but it might be useful.” Crow tucked his knife away, offering his hand. “What do you say? Nine gold a week. Help man my ship, and if you survive the journey, I’ll give you a bonus.”

Ryuij had standards, but he also had empty pockets and a growling stomach. He spat on his palm and grabbed the pirate’s hand, shaking firmly. If he held on a bit longer, just to relish in the disgust on Crow’s face, that was his business.

“Deal’s a deal, then. Come with me.”

“What? No food first? Man, I’m starving!”

Crow sneers at him. “We leave before dawn. I can get you fitted to be a proper pirate, or I can leave you penniless. Don’t waste my time.”

Ryuji dutifully followed the so-called ‘proper’ pirate, only pausing a half-second as the full meaning of his words caught up to him. “Wait, fitted?”

“You’re wearing rags.”

Ryuji glanced down at his clothing, a loose-fitting pair of trousers and an uncomfortably off-yellow shirt he’d gotten off a corpse. At the time, he was glad to have something, but under Crow’s gaze he felt painfully aware of the time since he’d last worn anything else.

“Lead the way.”

Crow seemed satisfied with that.

The clothes were the nicest Ryuji’s ever been given, which should’ve been the first clue. But he was too taken aback by the quality, by how Crow so effortlessly directed the tailor in how he should be fitted. Hell, if wasn’t standing next to Crow, Ryuji’d feel like a proper captain in his own right.

A hat with his very own feather, one likely designed to match the pirate named Crow, was only the tip of the iceberg. His coat stretched down to his ankles, sharp and heavy against his shoulders. He’d never worn anything with bangles, with buttons and fitted shirts underneath—it was unheard of.

Crow only fussed over the specifics, bickering with the tailor who managed to forget the circumstances of why he agreed to work pro-bono for such a wanted pirate. It’s amusing, almost, if it didn’t involve Ryuji getting pinched and prodded by a stranger and his new boss.

Really, that first night was foreshadowing for everything Ryuji would have to deal with.

The first two weeks are a living hell. Crow wasn’t kidding about a small crew, though he should’ve clarified that Ryuji was the only sorry sod he bothered to hire. He’s been doing all the real shit, and since Crow’s a total ass, Ryuji doesn’t even have a position worth a damn. Two men on a boat and Ryuji’s still the glorified deck hand.

He’s good at his shit, though. Even Crow is forced to begrudgingly concede as much. They only have each other to keep themselves entertained, and Ryuji knows he makes damn good company. Crow might not always agree, but he still shows up to eat whatever terrible meal Ryuji scraped together that night. He’s at his most human there, a rare thing for the guy, but worthwhile enough that Ryuji softens a bit.

After roughly a month at sea, Crow stops insulting him quite so vigorously. Still often, but it’s got less bite. Ryuji’s not one to take any of that crap lying down either, so they develop a nasty commodore. Bucketloads of insults, but Ryuji gets Crow to laugh at one, and that’s the highlight of his first quarter year onboard.

Eventually, Crow shares his ultimate plan. He postures the typical amount, threatening Ryuji’s life if he ever blabs, but he’s got no reason to. He’s a loyal guy, and the dude who’s employed him and shared meals with is the only man who has his loyalty. Ryuji hadn’t expected the reveal to be a one man death trip against Shido, but he’s game. It catches Crow off guard.

“It’s a suicide mission, Skull. I don’t plan to survive it, and you shouldn’t either. I wouldn’t fault you for wanting to take the easy way out.”

“No effin’ way, dude. I don’t know the details of your beef with Shido, but I’ve put up with your sorry ass for too long to walk away from it.”

“You’re a fool.”

“I’m the fool you hired. So I’m stuck with ya, like it or not.”

Crow only scowls and leaves, but Ryuji takes it as a win.

The next few weeks go by slow, and outside of Crow’s usual moodiness and long stints locked in his cabin, things are good. Ryuji wishes he had a bit more company, but he appreciates the time he does get with Crow, even if he’s the worst.

Ryuji’s the one who ends up spotting Shido’s ship. He informs Crow after they eat, not quite ready to spoil the limited mood that’s present. The guy stiffens up immediately, and Ryuji waits out his whole deal.

They settle on three days to prepare, with Crow being more present than he’s been in a while. Outside of the whole suicide mission, it’s nice. They’re the closest they’ve ever been, and Ryuji might even be ready to acknowledge that Crow’s a pretty tolerable guy. A good friend, even if he’ll never admit any such thing.

He hopes they pull this off, despite all the odds. Maybe after all that revenge, Crow would be interested in helming a bigger crew, maybe Ryuji’s proven himself enough to be at Crow’s side for some time to come.

The preparation was mostly Crow reviewing the ship layout with him, describing in detail both of their paths through it, the exit points available, and the threats they might face. He even forced Ryuji to run through a few more combat drills, which involved just barely dodging Crow’s punches. It felt good, got his adrenaline up, but it didn’t do much to help Crow’s temperament.

The day had arrived. Well, it hadn’t as much arrived as Crow had shown up to his bed and shaken Ryuji awake, a strange look on his face being much more effective at keeping Ryuji conscious than the aggressive action.

“Dude, wassup?”

“He’s here. I’ve spotted the ship.”

Seemingly realizing his hands are still fixed on Ryuji’s shoulders, Crow snatches them away, glaring at the other man.

Ryuji reaches out for his peg leg, and Crow hands it to him, watching blankly as he twists the thing on and yawns. “Dude. Are you okay?”

Crow’s gaze had found some mysterious point of interest at the far wall of the cabin.

“Hello?”

“It’s not too late.”

“Eh?”

“There’s a lifeboat off the side of his ship. We board as planned, and then you get out before I cripple his vessel.”

Ryuji, more awake and a lot more frustrated, snaps back. “I’m not leaving you behind, man!”

“That’s not the point!” Crow growls. “You were hired as an expendable idiot I could use for my bidding, but I’m–I’m not him. I won’t let you take the fall for my revenge.”

“Who says it’s yours anymore? Why can’t you trust me to be part of all this? Sure, maybe you hired me as your expendable thug—real vote of confidence there, man—but this is more than that. You’re more than that.”

“Which is why we’re having this conversation.”

“I’ve got nothing else out here. Either both of us get outta this alive, or neither of us do.” Ryuji said.

“You–” Crow’s anger slips into the only thing worse, the uncanny smile and smooth talking combo he brings out when he’s tryin’ to pretend he’s got control over his emotions. “You’ll be compensated for your time. A fresh start. Only a fool would let an opportunity like that pass.”

“You’re still callin’ me a fool, but I don’t buy it anymore. I think you just care about me, plain and simple.”

“Shut up.”

“Come on, man. Let's do the thing and get out. I trust you.”

Crow scoffs, storms out of the room. Ryuji takes a second to gather himself before following, grabbing the last few things he might need for their big moment. He finds Crow at the rear of their little ship, staring down into the waves.

“What’s the plan, leader?”

Crow’s head snaps up, glaring at Ryuji. “The plan is to die. Try not to get in the way.”

Ryuji pats him on the shoulder, not taking Crow’s negativity too seriously. “Sure, man. Lets give this guy hell.”

It should be easy. Shido’s a formidable pirate, but he won’t be expecting this. They’ve both been preparing for long enough, they’re going to give the guy hell. And then Ryuji’ll get his bonus, it’s going to be epic.

Chapter Text

One second Ryuji’s clutching the rigging, successful in sabotaging one of the sails, and the next everything’s on fire. It’s not that simple, it can’t be, but he’s surrounded. Everything’s hot, the hairs on the back of his neck are scalding, and even as he tries to scramble up higher, he can only do so much. His damn leg’s wood, and he lets out a yelp a moment too late as something hot creeps up his upper thigh.

Ryuji can’t get around to taking his peg leg off, or much else, because a sudden explosion sends him flying from the boat. For a moment that’s all he can see, the burning ship flying out of view, the blurry figure of his captain collapsed amidst the flame, and the next everything goes black.

He comes to completely submerged, taking a big gulp of the stuff straight into his lungs. Choking isn’t a pleasant experience, and with his peg burnt and heavy, Ryuji’s just about resigned to his fate. Drowning in the aftermath of a terrible fire, not even eligible for his extra pay.

It’s hard to truly resign to dying such a way, and Ryuji’s still desperately thrashing around when two firm arms slide under his armpits, wrenching him up from the depths and dragging his struggling body to the surface.

He emerges, and whatever had grabbed him is gone, leaving Ryuji splashing frantically at nothing. He’s too busy coughing out water to truly breathe, and his peg is prepared to drag him all the way down again. He glances around in a panic, hoping to somehow spot whoever plucked him from the depths.

An unmanned lifeboat comes into view, sailing entirely of its own volition. Ryuji reaches out, not questioning the circumstance of how it’s there, clinging to the damp wood and trying to get inside. A mysterious force reaches out again, lifting him out and depositing him into the boat.

Ryuji tumbles to the base of the boat, ungrateful as hell. He takes a moment to cough out a bit more water, dragging air into his lungs. Then, finally, he reaches out and up to the edge of the boat, leaning over to try and catch a glimpse of what strange force saved him.

Two cold hands catch Ryuji's head, holding him still. He finds himself face-to-face with the most beautiful man he’s ever seen, sparkling grey eyes that glisten with the light of the moon. One hand drops down, slipping into the water and fishing out his stupid hat. The man places it on his head with a satisfied flourish. Ryuji gasps, and the man takes the opportunity to reach his hands further down his neck, leaving the tips of his thumbs pressed against his chin.

He bumps his head against Ryuji’s forehead, pressed there effortlessly. Ryuji’s speechless, all the air in the world couldn’t offer him any salvation. The beautiful man has yet to speak, almost content to watch Ryuji struggle. He’s never struggled so much in his life. Ryuji swallows again, thick and nervous, and finally manages to unhinge his jaw.

“D’dya want to get in?”

The man makes a clicking noise deep in his throat, and Ryuji’s eyes widen. The stories, the creatures from beneath the sea. The strength to pull him out of the depths, to float steady below him. What Crow was always on about, staring down at the murky sea like it held unfathomable secrets, now in the flesh, right in front of his eyes.

“Y’aren’t human, are ya...”

The man only leans closer, brushing their noses together. Ryuji’s hand curls tightly around the side of the boat, fighting every instinct that begs him to close the space between their mouths, to kiss this strange man who saved his life.

“Fuck.” It’s a desperate whisper, one that begs for more, and the man obliges him. He leans in and presses a cold, wet kiss against Ryuji’s lips. He holds it there, Ryuji’s eyes fluttering closed, and before he can even return it properly, the man slips away.

By the time Ryuji forces his eyes back open, the man is gone, and he’s lost his balance in the boat. By some miracle he doesn’t tumble out, just managing to catch himself and steady himself inside.

Unsurprisingly, considering what he heard about Shido, there’s nothing in the lifeboat. At least the two rows are still attached on the sides. After the disaster of that whole operation, he’s looking forward to a fresh start. First step of that? He needs to get out of there.

He tugs off his coat, leaving it crumpled in the corner and vowing to properly dry it out as soon as he gets to land. Ryuji glances back at Shido’s vessel, a distant pile of flames, and he hopes that Crow’s death was as painless as possible. He didn’t deserve that. But Ryuji now understands this was always the plan—he never was going to get off that damn ship.

He doesn’t see any movements in the glossy waves, no sign of his savior. Doesn’t leave Ryuji much choice left but to row, and row he does–pushing farther away from the burning boat until he finally succumbs to sleep.

When Ryuji wakes, it’s to the feeling of land, his boat grounded on a dusty beach. He groans his way up into a seated position, noting that the coat he’d discarded has been placed over his chest, a meager protection from the elements. He can’t recall doing it himself, and begins glancing around the deserted beach to see if there’s any signs of life.

There’s not a good enough vantage point from inside the boat. Ryuji stretches, pushing his coat aside and pausing to inspect his peg leg. The streaks of ash where the fire ate away at are the first bad omen, even if the water got in the way of any real structural damage. It’s really not supposed to get wet, and a hesitant tap concerns his worst suspicions. The thing’s soaked through, still damp, and it won’t be long until the whole leg collapses under him. Only worse thing than a waterlogged peg leg is the lack of one, and Ryuji’s not going to stand for that. He gropes at the boot of his remaining leg, grateful that the ocean hadn’t taken it, and extracts his trusty pocket knife.

He needs to set about carving himself a new, temporary cane or stump to replace this one, and get the thing off before it splinters under him. Also, hopefully, he’ll find someone else out here. He’s got a weapon, he’s got a winning personality—nothing could go wrong.

Ryuji crosses the entirety of the island, a small patch of forest, in no more than eighty strides. The thick patch of trees block the other half, which leads to a sharp cliff dropping down into the sea.

The first tendril of concern snakes through him. He’s a fine pirate, but survival’s never been his strong suit. The odds are already pretty stacked against him, and a place so small and barren isn’t going to offer much in terms of long-term survival. Hell, he’s got no clue what his next meal’s gonna be.

First thing, though, is dealing with his leg. And there’s enough trees around that Ryuji doesn’t feel bad about finding the nicest one and going at the base with his knife. It’s tedious work, the tools certainly don’t match the job, but he gets what he needs and manages to lug it back to his boat. He collects as many branches as he can, splitting them between the beginnings of a crude shelter and a fire.

He drags his boat farther inland and flips it over, wedged half against a nearby outcropping of rocks to give himself just enough room to squeeze in. Ryuji’s not sure how cold it’s going to get at night, but he’s not taking any chances. The hole’s away from the sea, and he’ll just have to hope high tide doesn’t wash it all away. Fire doesn’t seem to be in the cards for the night, but his coat makes for a manageable enough blanket.

The next morning, he wakes to incessant tapping. Ryuji eases his way out of the boat to find a beached mer, sand coating his tail as he crowds Ryuji’s face with an intense clicking noise.

He scoots the rest of the way out of the boat slowly, ignoring the voice that wants him to crawl back under the boat and trap himself under there. The mer watches him, still half draped across his upturned boat, waiting for Ryuji to stop moving before pouncing again. He’s not sure how heavy mermen are supposed to be, but the full weight of the fish tail is enough to make his good leg go numb in seconds. .

Ryuji exhales shaky. “You want somethin’?”

The mer clicks again, brushing their noses together. Ryuji squirms his good leg out from under the sandy fish tail, letting it drop against the sand between his legs with a dull thump. The mers hands are resting lightly on either side of him, not trapping him as much as covering him like a damp, sandy blanket.

“Kinda feel like you’re about to eat me.”

The mer clicks again, it almost looks like he’s pouting. Ryuji’s eyes slip to his lips unconsciously. The kiss on the boat was life changing, there’s no way he’s still gonna be this lucky. The merman is definitely going to eat him. It’s the only explanation.

Turns out, he wasn’t wrong. But nibbling at Ryuji’s lip during another heated make out session doesn’t feel quite like being consumed for brunch. Ravaged, certainly, but only that.

The kissing goes until he begins feeling light headed, pulling away to pant softly. The mer seems disappointed. Ryuji huffs, and the mer mimics the noise.

“Come on now, don’t effin’ pout about it! We can do more of that shit later, I just gotta figure out where the hell I am.”

The mer grins at him, all sharp shark-like teeth, and before Ryuji can react to that revelation or the absurdity of missing it after having his tongue in the mer’s mouth, he flops off Ryuji and rolls right back into the sea.

It’s one of the most perplexing things he’s ever seen, but it’s fast. Maybe that’s enough? Maybe the fact he’s still totally down bad for this mysterious rolling fish creature is bad, but Ryuji feels too dazed and kiss-drunk to coherently dig into his taste in fish men.

He’s certainly not coherent enough to piece together the fact that the fish man chose here of all places to bring him, but the thought dawns on him as he begins his investigation of the island. It seems roughly a few ships long, which is just enough for one end to stretch off into the horizon when standing on the other. But when Ryuji stands at the centerpoint of the island, the scale is a reality check that he’s got a lot of nothing all around him.

His peg is aching too much to allow a proper freak out, and Ryuji sets to work whittling down one of the five trees that are growing. It’s a relief to get the waterlogged stump off his leg, even if it’ll require him to scoot back to the boat instead of walking. He’s not going to be able to finish any replacement in a day, but sitting down under the shade of the other trees and getting a chance to rest his leg is much needed.

The merman reemerges then, and Ryuji watches him drag his way out of the water and spend a good minute looking around the beach and the upturned boat. He starts to feel bad for the poor thing, choosing to yell out and wave the merman over.

The fish man perks up at the sight of him, determinedly marching his upper half and dragging his lower half into the shade. He must not skip arm day. Maybe Ryuji can ask him for his go-to workout regime sometime. Though on second thought, it’s probably mer-exclusive.

“Hey man. Haven’t abandoned me yet?”

The mer makes a series of sharp clicks, his face resembling some form of indignation. Ryuji laughs. “Nah, I’m just givin’ you a hard time. Glad to see ya.”

He watches the mer fuss with a strap on his shoulder, pulling it off and handing Ryuji a slimy pouch. He almost drops it at the texture alone, but he manages to keep a firm grip on the thing long enough to get it open and reveal the two fish inside. They’re both still twitching in the bag.

“These for me?” The mer nods. Ryuji grins at him. “Thanks, man! If I can just start a fire…”

He’s already made a lot of small wood files in the earliest stages of whittling his new peg leg, so it’s not hard to bunch all that up and get some sparks off his knife. He feeds it the rest of the excess wood, and then catches the merman’s hand before he sticks it directly into the fire.

“Woah there! Dude, have you never seen a fire before?”

The mer clicks, shaking his head. Ryuji’s about to start trying to explain, when the mer’s other hand speeds into the fire faster than his eyes can follow. He shouts out, and the noise dies out as he watches Akira’s hand fizzle slightly, but show no signs of burn or damage.

“Holy shit. Is that a fish thing?”

The mer removes his hand from the fire, returning it to Ryuji’s outstretched one. His hand is warm, but it’s still wet, like he just got out of a hot spring. Ryuji never wants to let go. The oversized fish is smirking at him now, like he knows just what he’s thinking, just how enamored Ryuji is with him.

“Guess it is… do you want one?” He holds up the slimy bag again, wincing slightly at the perpetual wetness of the thing.

Instead of more clicks, the merman reaches into the bag and grabs one of the two fish, consuming it right then and there. It’s only once the fish is gone that Ryuji realizes that the mer hadn’t removed the bones, removed anything. He practically inhaled the thing.

“Dude…. It tastes way better cooked!”

The merman clicks again, one that sounds decidedly unconvinced.

“Try it?”

The mer only blinks at Ryuji, so he takes it on himself to start cooking his own fish. By the time he’s done, Ryuji’s space has been thoroughly invaded by a very shirtless, very attractive upper half of a man. He’s starting to think it’s not the fish that’s being eyed here, and outside of a rumbling stomach, Ryuji’s not complaining.

Satisfied with his cooking, Ryuji pulls the fish out of the fire and blows on it, hoping it’ll cool before the merman breathing on his face pounces.

It seems the creature is willing to be patient, all up until Ryuji chews and swallows his first bite of his meal. With the firm press of damp lips to his own unrelatedly fishy ones, Ryuji finds himself with a mouth of fish as opposed to food. The merman seems much more concerned with tasting the flavor directly off Ryuji’s tongue than bothering to sample any.

If anything, it’s considerate. Making sure he’s got enough to eat. And Ryuji’ll certainly offer to cook a fish for his new mer friend sometime, though he suspects he’ll be too distracted for the next few hours to actually remember that until the opportunity presents itself.

He’s able to tap out long enough to snarf down the rest of the fish, but only while fighting off the eager mouth of the mer who seems to be drowning in the lack of Ryuji’s mouth against his own. And look, he gets it. He really does. Ryuji’s whole body feels hotter than the fire, but his stomach comes first. He’s determined to fuel up and be ready for any occasion, and being on a deserted island with the sexiest half man he’s ever seen is still that occasion.

The mer is the one who grabs the stick and tosses it away, finally having complete access to every inch of Ryuji’s head. For his part, he’s more than willing to slide back onto the grass next to his fire and allow the mer to situate himself between his legs.

He’s struck suddenly with the urge to hear the half man speak, getting more than just clicking noises and facial expressions. Their bodies communicate alarmingly well, better than any other person Ryuji’s ever been with, that’s for sure. It’s not the right time to ask, the merman’s already having his way with him and the best Ryuji can do is enjoy the ride and hope it’ll never end.

Maybe he did die on Shido’s boat, and this is heaven.

It’d certainly explain how Crow couldn’t be there.

But he can’t think about Crow, or much else, on account of all the blood rushing out of his head. His merman clicks excitedly and Ryuji’s eyes slip shut, and he lets the sea take him.

><> ><>

Ryuji wakes up the next morning in complete darkness. A precursory, panicked hand upwards jams against the familiar wood floor of the lifeboat. He pushes the boat off to find that it had covered him overnight, and his fishy partner had vanished along with it.

He scours around for his old peg, only to find the once-waterlogged wood proudly stuck into the remains of the fire he’d started the night before. He’s able to scoot over and pull the leg out, but there’s not much to save. Most of the outside is charred, and when he digs his thumb into it, the wood’s still damp. It’s a good tool to poke back into the fire with, find the remaining embers to reignite the flame.

He gets the fire back up, and casts around for wherever his clothes went. Ryuji’s not against hanging around in his birthday suit, but Crow would come back from the dead if he found out that Ryuji’s custom-fitted pirate outfit had been damaged or destroyed, it’s the least he can do to try to protect the thing.

He finds it underneath the upturned boat, once neatly folded but now a bit sandy from being pushed into the beach. He’ll probably need to wash it, wash himself sooner than later–but he’s got a bit too much pride to butt scoot down to the shore. Better to finish his replacement stump first.

Ryuji gets to work, and it’s not long before he’s got something that is roughly the right size. It takes a bit of finessing to get slotted in, and it definitely needs a lot more work, but it’ll do the trick for the day.

He decides to stretch his legs, take a proper walk around the island. Walking reveals that the island is a bit bigger, but only by stretches of beach, not much else. The back half extends upwards, leading to a short cliff face and a rising tide.

Ryuji sits down over the cliff, letting his flesh leg hang down while he positions his stump against the side of the ground. It’s not the most comfortable looking way to sit, but he’s used to it. The position helps stretch his thigh and helps trick him, if even just for a moment, that he’s got normal legs to do what he pleases with.

He sits there and reflects on what’s happened, on Crow’s death and his own inability to do more. On the mysterious merman who’s been his personal hero, who’s something straight out of his wildest dreams. The tide gradually rises, teasing at his toes and raising up until his ankle is submerged. The water is nice, warmer than Ryuji had expected. Maybe when the tide’s a little higher, he’ll clean himself off right here.

A sharp tug against his foot snaps him out of his reprieve, and when he yanks his foot up, the motion’s swiftly followed by his very own merman emerging from the waves. He holds himself up on the cliffside with his arms alone, tail sparkling against the waves in all its glory.

Ryuji can’t pay much attention to it, on account of the merman staring him in the face.

The mer clicks at him happily, and Ryuji offers a stupid grin in return. He leans in, and the merman beats him to the punch by pressing their foreheads together. Whatever this is, it’s nice, so nice he almost doesn’t notice a damp hand tugging at his own, pulling him dangerously close to slipping into the water.

Ryuji yelps out, pushing against the too-cold body trying to drag him down.

“Ya dumb, oversized fish! I can’t swim!”

The oversized fish in question tilts their head, staring deep into Ryuji’s soul. As human as the top half of his new friend appears, the eyes are a captivating reminder of exactly how fish-like his new partner is. The mer’s expression is expectant, which is human enough for Ryuji to continue.

He gestures at his leg. “See this? It’s wood, it’s not really supposed ‘ta go in the water. I know it’s damn silly, on account of my trade an’ all that, but I don’t make the effin’ rules…”

His explanation hasn’t seemed to sway the merman. With a huff, Ryuji reaches down. He doesn’t like doing this in front of anyone, even someone who’s spent that much time with his tongue in Ryuji’s mouth, but there doesn’t seem to be another alternative. His fingers skim across the rough wood, seeking out the seam between wood and skin. Ryuji gives the thing a hard yank, twisting it loose and gently pulling the peg off. He discards the limb carelessly, still not comfortable looking at the empty space where his leg used to be.

There’s a splashing noise, and he glances up to see that the merman has retreated several feet, all the way back in the water. The poor thing looks scandalized, and Ryuji lets out a quiet chuckle.

“There’s nothin’ to be freaked out by, dude. My leg just does that now. I do it every night, piece of cake.” He offers his best grin. “I can swim now! Just, don’t expect too much, alright?”

The merman clicks in the tone that Ryuji’s decided means something closer to happy, or at least interested. He swims closer and holds out a hand, and Ryuji takes it, letting the much stronger fish creature tug him into the water. He lands with an ungrateful splash, but firm hands on his sides pull him up to the surface.

Ryuji takes a moment to try to adjust. With the merman’s help, he’s not fighting to stay afloat, though it’s still an uncomfortable feeling to tread with only one leg. He used to be a fine swimmer, but the last time he had to swim doesn’t bring many good memories. Here’s hoping the sexy fish guy will change that story.

Ryuji’s not really sure why the merman wanted him in the water so bad, but he keeps making content noises, not doing much else besides holding Ryuji above the water and staring into his eyes. The whole thing is intense, but he’s no expert on how merfolk work. Maybe this is the way they bond. Maybe he can read Ryuji’s mind.

He tries thinking really hard about having the merman to kiss him, but all he gets is a poke on the nose and a head tilt, accompanied by a confused clicking noise.

“Was I makin’ a face?”

The mer nods, mimicking an expression Ryuji was definitely not making. No way.

He splashes at the merman, taking advantage of the fact that he’s the only one of the two not using their hands. That doesn’t actually stop a creature whose half fish, he quickly follows back with a splash from a tail that sneaks up right to Ryuji’s face. He sputters out water. The merman is grinning the whole time, what a jerk. Ryuji’s definitely falling totally head over heels for the guy.

“Can you speak?”

The fish man makes another of his clicking noises. Ryuji shakes his head, repeats the question. “Nah, not the click. Like I am, with words. Movin’ your mouth an’ stuff.”

He gets another series of clicks, these more rapid fire. Ryuji sighs, points to his mouth. Over-enunciates his words. “Can you do this?”

The fish man reaches over, grabs Ryuji’s jaw and tugs him in for another kiss. Ryuji splutters into it, pushing away half-heartedly. His fish man pouts, and Ryuji regrets the mixed messaging. “Nah, not that. I like that, but I wanna be able to talk to you. Like, I don’t even know what to call ya.”

The mer regards him for a long moment, then says, “Akira.”

“Eh?”

The mer tilts his head, making more clicking noises. Then he repeats the name, “Akira.” His voice is deep, deeper than Ryuji assumed it’d be, firm and slightly stiff, like he’s not sure how the words are supposed to be formed. Still, he’s stoked he got anything out of the fish.

“Akira, huh? Nice ta properly meet ya, then!”

Akira points at him, clicking again. “Oh, me? I’m Ryuji! Folks ‘round here usually call me Skull, that’s m’pirate name. But you can call me Ryuji, man.”

The merman smiles, leaning out of the water to kiss him again. Ryuji lets him, more than content to bask in the affection.

Chapter Text

He wakes up to the feeling of his cheeks being pinched, viciously. Ryuji bats away the intruder’s hand, grumbling. When he doesn’t open his eyes, his cheeks are attacked again, forcing him to face his attacker.

He had expected to see his mer, so it’s a surprise to be faced by an old friend, long blonde hair hanging in front of his face, as the notorious pirate known as Panther gives him her most powerful stink eye.

“What on earth is scum like you doing out here, huh?”

Ryuji scoots from under her, reaching out behind him to where he’s sure he put his knife the night before. Unsurprisingly, it’s nowhere to be seen. Panther sneers at him.

“How’d’ya find me? I’m in the middle of nowhere.”

“We spotted your S.O.S flag, were planning to stretch our legs regardless. A cute little island like this is a ripe treasure trove. Not that you’re much of a treasure.”

Ryuji frowns at her. Her sneer shifts into a pout, and she offers a hand. He grabs it, and she yanks him up. They both size each up for a moment, Ryuji taking in her new outfit, much tighter than it was before. Unsurprising for Panther. She’s digging into him too, and she freezes at his peg leg. For a moment, she crumbles.

“Ryuji… your leg.”

He shifts awkwardly. “It got badly infected, there was no savin’ the thing. Good riddance, honestly.”

She swallows, and Ryuji notices a new scar tracing down her cheek. He reaches out, and she smacks his hand away. “Good riddance,” Ann echoes, and Ryuji nods.

The remaining tension melts away, and she pulls him in for a hug. “It’s been too long, asshole.”

He holds the hug tightly. “No kiddin’. Whatcha up to these days? Got a ship of your own yet?”

Ann laughs, shakes her head into his shoulder. “I’m a first mate, actually. Got me and Shiho a gig with a real no-nonsense lady, and we rose up in the ranks in no time. Shiho’s a killer cartographer.”

“Huh. Wouldn’t have guessed.”

Ann pulls back, punches him lightly on the shoulder. “She’d love to see you, I bet.”

Ryuji smiles wide. “That’d be real nice. How is she?”

“Better.”

Ryuji nods. Better’s something. He’ll never fully forgive himself for abandoning those two, even if it was for circumstances he couldn’t really control. That scumbag got what was coming, that’s for sure.

“So… how have you survived out here?”

“A friend.”

Ann’s eyes widen into saucers. “You ate someone?”

“Eh?! No! Someone’s been bringin’ me fish.”

“Someone?”

“A mer–”

Ann’s sword’s already out, on high alert. “A siren, here?”

“That’s not–”

Ann wheels on Ryuji, grabbing him and checking his eyes. He’s not sure what she’s looking for, but she drops his head with a dismayed noise.

“You’re such an idiot, Ryuji.”

“Huh?”

“We gotta get you out of here, fast. I’m shocked you’ve lasted this long. Your siren must love playing with her food.” Ryuji’s quick to protest, but Ann turns back to him with a pity in her eyes that genuinely unsettles him. “I’m sorry, Ryuji. This is harder for you than it is for me.”

Before he can respond, a sharp right hook greets his face, and everything goes black.

><> ><>

Ryuji awakens to the familiar feeling of the sea, to the slow sway of a cot and the taste of salt on his lips. He hadn’t realized quite how much he missed being at sea, and there’s a part of him that can finally relax.

A fleeting memory of Akira’s face, dazzling in the sunbathed water at high tide, rushes into his head. He doubles over in the cot, head pounding something fierce.

“Eff me…” He forces himself up, taking an embarrassing long moment to find his sea legs. It’s always been longer, ever since the peg leg. It’s still with him, that’s something—though his leg aches from having to sleep with the thing on. Someone must’ve dumped him in here unceremoniously.

He makes his way to the door, trying to ease some of the pressure away from his peg leg. Opening it invites him to a view that’s been far overdue, a crew working together in unison to keep things working. It makes his heart twist a bit, a reminder of what he’s never had himself. The boat is less manned than he thought for the size of the ship, but a welcome change from Crow’s one man skeleton crew. He counts a total of six ladies just working the deck, who knows how many are stationed up in the rigging or below deck. Ryuji doesn’t see anyone he recognizes, but he can't help getting lost in the sight of it. So many strong, toned women in one place? It’s a dream come true.

He’s debating if he should attempt to approach one of them and ask exactly where he is, what’s going on, when someone bonks him on the head. Ryuji turns, annoyed, to find Ann wielding a rolled up map and a peeved expression.

“Already gawking?”

“You–you’re one to talk! All I’m doin’ is getting’ used to my surroundings, and you’re going around hitting me!”

“This is a map, silly.” Ann bonks him on the head again. Ryuji yelps, batting at the offensive item. Ann keeps it firmly out of his reach. “I’m taking this to the captain, and you’re coming with me.”

“Can ya at least explain why you kidnapped me first?”

“I didn’t kidnap you. Hurry up.” Ryuji does, rubbing at the back of his head. The map didn’t actually hurt, but it’s the intent that does! Ryuji’s emotions are extremely bruised.

When they get to the captain’s quarters, tucked at the far end of the lower level of the ship, Ann wheels around and fixes him with her sternest glare. “I’m already pushing it by having brought you here, so try not to make a fool of yourself, okay?”

Ryuji matches her glare. “Hard to care much about that when you still won’t explain why you dragged me here.”

“I was doing you a favor!”

“I don’t feel particularly favored right now!”

“I was saving your life!” Ann shouts, catching herself and biting at her lip. Always her go-to nervous habit. Ryuji shifts on the ball of his foot, still annoyed, but the wind’s out of his sales. He doesn’t really want to pick a fight with her, he just wants to know what the eff is goin’ on.

The door swings open, and a no-nonsense woman with a serious bob and an even more serious expression greets the two. She has her hands clasped behind her back, a regal touch he wasn’t expecting from someone who made Ann of all people their first mate. The thing that really catches Ryuji off guard is her eyes, the same fiery red that had plagued him during his time with Crow.

“Ack, I’m sorry, Captain! Didn’t mean to disturb you.” Ann looks flustered, which is funny. She hands over the map to the captain, who collects it and steps inside, rolling it open on her desk. Ann goes with her, and after a moment of hesitation, Ryuji follows the two in.

He watches as she goes over the map in hushed tones, highlighting specific points on the map and walking through them with Ann. It’s so different then how he and Crow got anything done, he can’t help being a little envious. Maps were always too many squiggly lines and tiny symbols for his taste. He was the type of guy who was content to pick a direction and see what happened.

“Are you going to introduce me to your new companion, Panther?”

Ann recoils slightly, glancing over at Ryuji with an expression that confirmed she completely forgot he was still there. “Oh! You’re still here?”

“Where the ‘eff else would I be?”

Ann clears her throat. “Captain, this is Ryuji, a pirate I knew when we were both still getting our sea legs. He was the one we found enchanted on the island. Thought it was critical to save his sorry ass. I know we’re on a tight crew, but I was hoping he could stay with us until our next port? He’s good at something, I’m sure.”

She gestures at Ryuji, who mouths “something” at her. Ann only shrugs. He can’t stand her. “Uh, yeah. I’m Skull, not half bad at most things, whatever I can do. I have no idea why I’m here, on account of being kidnapped, but I’ll do my part so I’m not a burden or nothin’.”

“You can call me Captain Niijima, or Queen.” She surveys Ryuji for a long moment, and then turns back to Ann. “You didn’t specify the nature of the enchantment.”

“It was a siren, Captain. He had the ring around his eyes.”

“Were you able to discern a particular color?”

“It looked to be a light grey.”

Queen frowns. “We haven’t received any recent reports matching that color profile. I’ll have to check my records.”

“What about my eyes?” Ryuji feels defensive on principal.

Queen sits down at her desk, pulling out a bunch of old yellowed papers from a drawer. She gestures for Ryuji to come closer, and he does, shooting a few more annoyed looks at Ann. She plops down on the desk itself, leaning over her Captain’s shoulder in a move that’s a bit too intimate for folks who are strictly co-workers.

“The siren is a formidable threat to anyone who spends too much time out at sea. They’re characterized by a half human, half fish-like form. Known for songs that compel sailors to cast themselves into the sea and into a watery grave, these creatures can’t be trusted.”

Something in Ryuji’s stomach twisted painfully. Crow’s words on their first meeting, the way his head pounds now, the memory of the merman who kept him company those long two months, bringing him fish and dragging him into the water to kiss and tease.

Captain Niijima continues, “When faced in a direct encounter, finding a way to block the ears is the only sure-fire defense. Sailors enchanted by the creatures can be spotted by a ring around their pupils, usually the same color as the siren in question. Enchanted sailors are a threat to themselves and others, with certain sirens possessing an ability to control their target to an exceptional degree. It’s unknown the complete extent of any given siren’s ability, with much about them shrouded in mystery. Exercise caution in any direct encounter.”

Ryuji chooses to finally sit down, collapsing more than sitting. His head feels all heavy, and he has the sudden feeling that he’s effed up majorly, even if he’s not quite sure how.

Captain Niijima watches him with something close to concern. She’s so damn put together, it makes him feel even more wrong-footed than usual.

“He wasn’t hurtin’ me or nothin’. We were friends.”

Ann blinks. “He?”

“Yeah, the merman, siren, whatever. He saved my life!”

Ann seems surprised. “But how could you be enchanted if he wasn’t—“ Her eyes widened. “Ooh. Ryuji! You never told me!”

“Told you what?” Ryuji asks, more defensive than he should be. “And, so what if I was enchanted? Ya didn’t even give me a chance to explain myself, all I got is a lump on my head as a result.”

Ann has nothing to say to that.

“In Panther’s defense, siren attacks have increased in the past year. Unexplained mental shutdowns, much more extreme than simply luring sailors into the sea, have been occuring more and more frequently.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“There was a recent attack on a pirate ship, where the crew was found dead, all of them collapsed with no indication of the cause. None were attacked, and an autopsy showed that their bodies simply ceased to function.”

Ann shifts uncomfortably, looking between her Captain and Ryuji. “Look, maybe it wasn’t whoever you were with. But I couldn’t be sure, not when you were in that state!”

“Am I still enchanted? How does any of this work?”

The captain sighed. “We’re not fully sure. The ring is still present, but as far as Panther can recall, you aren’t acting any differently.”

Ryuji reaches to his face, prodding below his eye like it could explain anything. “So, the crew attacks. Did they have rings, too?”

Ann answers this one. “Yes. They were red.”

“So it’s not my guy, then?” Ryuji peers at the captain’s own red eyes, and she narrows them at him. He gulps and looks away.

“We can’t be sure, much of our information is outdated.”

“But—“

“Can you tell us more about your interactions with him? Maybe that can help.” Ann says.

“This is startin’ to feel more like an interrogation than a meet an’ greet.” Ryuji glances between the two women, a sense of discomfort creeping up his spine.

The captain sighs. “Escort him to the brig for now, Panther. We’ll need to keep a close eye on him.”

“Eh!?” Ryuji jumps back, the chair clattering behind him. “I’m not goin’ to the brig! What happened to us bein’ all chummy?”

Queen draws her sword lazily, aiming it in the general direction of Ryuji’s throat. “We were hoping you’d share more with us, but I’m content with waiting. Let’s not force my hand just yet, alright?”

He feels Ann’s hands wrap around his wrists. He tries to yank them away, but she kicks at his good leg, destabilizing him long enough for her to get a rope around his wrists. He curses softly.

“No hard feelings, ‘kay? It’s just protocol.”

He protests the whole way to the brig, but with no response from Ann, he eventually tapers out. Once he’s situated in the brig, Ann shoots him a sad look before firmly locking him in. Ryuji would die for her, he knows that much, but he’s gonna hold a grudge about this one for a long minute.

“Whatcha waitin’ for? Get out of here, stop poutin’ at me.”

Ann huffs at him, obliging his request. Ryuji regrets it as soon as the emptiness sets in. He’s been in worse places, but a brig’s a brig. Outside of a little porthole window, there’s only himself for company. All that time alone on the island should’ve prepared him more for this, but he wasn’t really alone there. Akira was always around, bringing food and smiles and salty kisses. Hell, even Crow’s grouchy ass made for better company than the brig.

Ryuji rubs his hand against his lip. Was he really enchanted? He looks through the porthole, trying to get anything from his murky reflection in the glass. He gets closer, wedging his eyelids apart with his fingers, trying in vain to make out the ring in his eye. Sure enough, there’s a thin circle in the middle, a contrast amidst the dark brown.

“For real…..?” He’s got no idea how long it’s been there, or if Akira had been controlling him. He’s not even against that thought, but he’s not sure why the merman would have bothered. Why go into all that trouble to save him and feed him? Yeah, he was stuck on the island, but Ryuji hadn’t felt trapped or nothin’. He feels more trapped now.

The sound of footsteps break up the noise of his thoughts, and he watches as Shiho emerges from the shadows of the boat, holding a small platter loaded with more meat than he’s seen in months. He has to fight back the urge to drool, trying to focus instead on the sight of his childhood friend.

She’s so much steadier than how she was when he last saw her, best way he can describe it. Like she’s found a second pair of sea legs. Shiho looks strong, too, always the athletic type–why they hit it off so well as kids. They both had their dreams set on the sea. The biggest change is the eyepatch, pairing nicely with her tied-back dark hair. He can see the edge of a scar peeking out at the bottom, and his hand tightens around the bars of his cell, unable to stop the momentary rage that courses through him.

Shiho speaks first, “Ann warned me, but it’s different to see it in person…” Ryuji assumes it’s his eyes, and is about to hastily explain he’s not a threat when he realizes she’s looking at his leg. He winces.

“It’s no big deal, honest.”

“It is a big deal, Ryuji. I’m so sorry.” Shiho’s steady tone makes his throat clench up, and he blinks too-fast as he tries to figure out any proper response. She always had a knack for cutting to the core of him, mastered it when they were kids and kept him honest ever since. Ryuji’s missed her far more than his leg, that’s for damn sure.

“Your, uh. Your eyepatch looks effin’ cool.”

Shiho brushes against the patch lightly. “That’s what Ann always says.” She gives him a genuine smile. Ryuji’s heart just about bursts. Hilarious Ann was worryin’ about him getting messed around with by sirens, when Shiho’s plenty human far as he can tell.

“She’s got a good sense of that shit.”

Shiho giggles. “She does. And, I convinced her to let me bring you dinner. It’s been so long, I have so many questions! But first,” She pushes the platter of meat through the space on the floor, and Ryuji scoops it up as soon as she’s standing again. He feels a tiny bit embarrassed for scarfing it all down right in front of her, but Shiho’s already seen him at his worst. This is only a minor inconvenience.

When he’s chowing down on the last chicken leg, Shiho starts. “So, a little birdie told me that your current situation is because of a male siren.”

Ryuji finishes chewing, chewing some more, and swallowing. “He’s a merman. Saved my life.”

Shiho gasps softly. “What happened?”

It feels weird even trying to talk about it, but he tries. He explains how he met Crow, their time together, growing closer despite how effin’ weird the guy was, and then the day shit hit the fan. Shiho reacts to every little detail of the story, rapt attention that only his merman could rival. When he gets to the details of the explosion, she covers her mouth in horror.

“I thought I was dead for sure, but a mysterious creature pulled me from the depths. Went and found me a lifeboat, and then once I was inside, he…” Ryuji trails off. His lips tingle just at the thought, but he’s not sure if this is shit that he should be telling Shiho. It might just make him more suspicious.

“What happened? What did he do?”

Ryuji can’t hide the soft look, the way his head slips down into his palm as he revisits the moment. How improbable everything was, how nothing made sense until the merman did. “He kissed me.”

Shiho squeals, covering her mouth with her handle to stifle the noise. She recovers, enough to shake her head. “No wonder everyone’s so worked up.”

Ryuji eyes her. “You ain’t suspicious?”

“Of what?”

“Of me.”

Shiho scoffs. “I think everyone’s much too worked up about the sirens. They’re creatures just like us, and I’m sure your merman is a darling. He has good taste, after all.”

“Don’t say that, I’ll blush.”

Shiho giggles. “Well, I’ve known you long enough to trust in your judgment, and if you think your merman is good, I’ll believe you.”

Ryuji takes a moment to consider. The whole eye stuff had really unnerved him, but for an apparently evil and vengeful creature, Akira sure spent a lot of time watching him eat fish. Dude had a knack for preening over his delivered meals, and was a total weirdo. Ryuji adored that about him, adored everything about him.

He rubbed at his eye again. “D’ya have any idea how long I’ll be here?”

Shiho sighs. “I don’t know. I don’t like it, I told Ann as much, but folks are on edge. It’s for your best interests as much as ours that we wait out your current… ailment. Even if it’s genuine.”

“Genuine?”

“Their control stems from making humans fall for them. Maybe you fell for him naturally, and that’s just the effect. We don’t fully understand sirens. Can you really say?”

It’s a nice thought. Ryuji’s not sure he entirely buys it, but he prefers Shiho giving him the benefit of the doubt than being unnerved around him.

A voice calls from outside, “Shiho! What’s the hold up? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine! Just catching up.”

Ann steps into view a few seconds later, narrowing her eyes at Ryuji as she slides an arm around Shiho’s back. “Still under a siren’s control?”

“Still holdin’ me prisoner?”

Shiho leans into Ann, poking the other woman slightly. “Thanks for bringing Ryuji here, it was nice getting to see him again.”

Ann preens. “Of course, Shiho. Anything for you.”

“Not anything. Maybe less than that,” Ryuji says. He’s ignored by Shiho leaning in and kissing Ann, clearly some messed up thanks for kidnapping him.

He’s happy for them, or whatever, but there’s a time. Ryuji clears his throat, which prompts Ann to glare at him. He quickly moves his eyes elsewhere, resigned to let them make out in front of his cell as long as they please.

The memories of the salt soaked lips against his own slides back into place, pushing a cold wave through his heart. He’s a guy who falls fast and hard, but he doesn’t know what to do with the thought of manipulated emotions. Ryuji knows he should be angry, that if everything he’s been told is true, he should be downright furious.

But he can’t be.

Maybe that’s the mind control.

Ann and Shiho are long gone by the time he reassesses his surroundings, and he doesn’t suspect they’ll be back any time soon, so he curls up against the stiff wooden plank pretending to be a bench, and forces his eyes shut.

Chapter Text

Ryuji’s awoken from his cot by an upbeat and much-too-loud voice. “All hands on deck! Captain’s calling a meeting!” 

Ryuji grunts in acknowledgment. He reaches out and grabs for his peg, finding it and twisting it securely on his stump. He flops out of the cot, stumbling a little as he grabs his coat and makes his way to the door.

The meeting is at the center of the ship, and by the time Ryuji’s stumbled amidst the sea of sailors, the Captain has already begun her speech. 

“Thank you everyone, for gathering here in such a timely manner. Our first order of business is a re-evaluation of our previous research of the sirens.”

Ryuji feels a spark of hope in his chest, wondering if his unnecessary rescue was enough already to have Queen reconsider. As she continues, that spark fades. 

“I received a report of another attack this morning. Kaneshiro and his entire crew have been killed. While we were in active conflict with them, it can’t be considered a victory with the lives of everyone out at sea at risk.” 

Queen gestures to Shiho, who steps up and unfolds a small map. “I’ve been tracking the path of the siren’s attacks since the first documented one, and there’s a clear pattern.” 

Ryuji can’t make out the details of the map clearly, but the line is unmistakable. The attacks make out a clear line, barely making any drastic turns or redirections. Whoever this is, whoever’s doing it, they’re clearly on a warpath. 

Before he can process it, hell, before he can breathe, Ann steps up. Queen seems surprised, but nods curtly, allowing her first mate to speak.

“We picked up a survivor a few days ago, as many of you know. The island we found him on was on the direct path of these attacks, and our navigator has confirmed it.” 

Oh, this is it. Either he’s going to walk the plank, or the crew’s going to lock him back up and throw away the key. Many have already turned around to search for him amongst the rest, and he pushes past the searching gazes to lock eyes with his old friend. Ann sighs. 

“Yet, bizarrely, the pirate Skull is an outlier to this siren’s known attack pattern. Not only did we find him alive, he shows no overt indication of mind control. I don’t say this to attempt to reassure anyone, but we can’t discount this as a new, alarming factor.” Ann’s eyes lock onto Ryuji’s own, and she smiles. “Over the next few days, the Captain and I will be keeping a close eye on our captive, figuring out exactly what he knows and coming one step closer to stopping this monster once and for all!” 

The crew’s cheers drown out the ringing in Ryuji’s ears. He shoves forward, before he can think, before he can stop, he’s in front of everyone. Ryuji’s never been someone who avoids sticking his foot in his mouth, and today is no exception. 

“He didn’t do it! I don’t care what the maps say. The merman I met would never hurt anyone!”

The press of steel against his neck shuts Ryuji up quick. He glances over to see the Captain, unamused as she holds her sword up against his chin. Ryuji swallows. Behind Queen, Ann is holding Shiho back. 

“Are you finished?”

Ryuji tries to nod, and the blade removes itself. A strong grasp replaces it, tight around his forearm. 

“That will be all! The prisoner will be interrogated, and we will decide what to do with him from here.” 

When Queen pushes Ryuji into her office, the first thing she does is shut and lock the door. Ryuji retreats until his back hits her desk, and he stops, bracing himself for whatever’s about to happen. 

“I’d like to formally apologize, Ryuji. I should not have threatened your life in front of my crew.” The captain has removed her sword, placing it to the side and fixing Ryuji to the spot with her stare alone. “It was a crude rallying tactic, and only served to motivate them. None of that factors in your own feelings about the matter, and for that I am sorry.”

Ryuji takes a moment. “Huh?”

“Ann vouched for you, as soon as she brought you aboard. She was concerned about you, as I was, but after our prior conversation it was clear that you are a glaring contradiction.”

“Is this the interrogation?” 

Queen sighs. “In a manner of speaking, yes. But I don’t plan to force any information out of you, Skull. I want to talk properly this time. No violence or threats.” 

“An’ you believe me? That it wasn’t him?”

Her voice hardens. “I can’t decide that yet.” Queen approaches him, and Ryuji helpfully scoots to the side as she rounds her desk and pulls out a file. “We have all the evidence gathered here, with a copy in a secure location.” She flips it open, pulling out a few drawings. Ryuji's looking at people, those who’ve drowned, with one shared trait. They all have a red ring around their eyes. 

“This is..”

“These are artistic renditions of the scenes of the crime. A renowned artist has taken an interest in the case, and he has his pupils draw them as reference. When I got wind of this, I was able to procure multiple replicas from one of his apprentices.”

“I don’t actually care ‘bout the drawing.”

The Captain clears her throat. “Of course. All three of these drownings happened in the past month. They were in these waters, and we were hoping to catch the siren in the act. All we ended up catching was… you.”

“I had rings on my eyes. You saw them, I know ya both did. But they weren’t red!”

“No.” Queen says. “Not only that, any indication of them has already faded. That wasn’t the case with these sailors. The ring of death remained until they were buried.”

“So it can’t be the mer I know.”

“He’s not the one killing the sailors. But he is a suspect, nonetheless.”

“For what? How?”

“Merpeople are part of a different species, a different world. We can not expect any of them to fundamentally be on our side over one of their own kind, and your merman very well could be working with the enemy here.”

“So?”

“This is why I’m going to need your help, Skull.”

“Help? No offense, but you’re the one who’s been threatenin’ me ever since I got here. I’m glad we’re all civil now, but who says I’m gonna help?”

“Can’t you see the big picture, here? If this continues, merpeople will no longer be the stuff of legends, they’re going to be seen as threats. There’ll be increased conflict, and we will dominate.” Queen shakes her head. “We need to stop this siren, for the good of both of our species. If your merman has any sense to him, he’ll see the necessity.”

 “So I’m supposed to, what, get back in contact with him and get you two to exchange carrier pigeons?”

“Not quite. You’re going back to the island, and I’m coming with you.”

“I–” Ryuji wants to go back more than anything, but he’s not sure. He doesn’t want to put Akira at risk or make things any worse. “Is that really a good idea?”

“Panther will oversee the crew for a few days, and our navigator has already charted out a path that will parallel but not intersect with the path of attack–it has worked previously, I have complete confidence that this will work.”

“Alright. Just, promise me you won’t hurt him?”

Queen smiled at Ryuji. “I will not make the first move. That, I guarantee.”

It’s not quite the reassurance he was hoping for, but it’s the best he can ask for, considering. 

Queen insists on waiting until nightfall, leaving Ryuji in her office as she attends to some captain duties in the meantime. He goes and tries for the door, finds it unlocked, but he doesn’t take the risk to leave. Ryuji’s a good sailor, but he’s not much of a navigator. He doesn’t think he could get back to the island by himself. 

She returns, as promised, and Ryuji follows her out to the lifeboat. This one is stocked to the brim with supplies, a fact that brings him relief and a strange sense of guilt. No one’s asked how he got stranded on that island, and it doesn’t serve much point to the active goals of everyone on the ship. Ryuji doesn’t want to link himself with Crow, even if the pirate is dead. 

If it mattered, one of them would’ve known it happened, right? An attack against Shido wasn’t anything to sneeze at. There’s something about all of this, it feels like the pieces aren’t matching up properly. But Ryuji’s not the deductive type, either. It’s not in his best interests right now anyways. He’s got to make sure not to screw this up, not hurt Akira or make the situation more effed.

Though, considering how much his life’s been threatened in the last week, he’s not sure it can get worse.

Queen lowers the lifeboat, cutting them off from her ship. She hands Ryuji a lamp and a box of matches, and waits as he fumbles around to light the thing. As soon as the light illuminates the small boat, Ryuji catches sight of the small map Queen’s examining. It’s a new one, charting the path from a small blob that Ryuji can only assume was the island they rescued him from. 

Queen’s examining it carefully, and the intensity keeps Ryuji silent for a good while. As if remembering he’s there at all, she glances up. “Oh, Skull. Apologies. It’s been a while since I’ve set a course at night, I just don’t want to make any errors.”

“Can I help with anythin’?’

Queen passes him the map. “We need to head east, and as long as we stay true in that direction, it should only take a fortnight.”

“A– wait, hold up. For real?”

“We’ve made a lot of progress since then, Johanna is one of the fastest ships on the sea.”

“You’re really plannin’ to be cooped up with me for that long?”

Queen fixes him with a stern look. “You’ve struck me as a resourceful pirate, and with my first mate’s recommendation, yes. Being ‘cooped up’ with you is an adequate tradeoff for the chance to get answers from a first-hand account.”

“...Alright.” Ryuji’s not sure his poor leg’s up to the trip, but the rest of him has nothing better to do. 

As the next few days go by, it turns out that Queen isn’t half bad company. She’s less hostile than Crow ever was, and while she can be a bit blunt, she’s never coy with him. Always says exactly what’s on her mind. It’s refreshing, he doesn’t feel like he’s playing some effed up game of chess no one ever told him the rules for. 

Queen tells him more about her ship, about how she acquired it a few years prior. Her previous captain had been using the vessel as a pawn for another pirate, one with substantial blackmail on him. Queen had been tasked to do much of the dirty work, which included spying on crewmates and reporting any disloyal or underperforming pirates. 

She admits she did it diligently, something that takes Ryuji by surprise. The story’s familiar, though, a playbook his first Captain used with glee. Something must show on his face, because Makoto reaches out and squeezes his good leg.

“Ann told me. I didn’t have a name for the face at the time, but your story was unforgettable. It’s what propelled her to act.”

Ryuji doesn’t have much to say in response, and Queen respects it. She doesn’t bring up the topic again, which he’s grateful for, even if the whole thing has left a strange pit in his stomach.

On their tenth day out at sea, he’s finally taken off his peg in front of her, hanging his stump off the side of the boat as the two of them discuss their favorite position on-board. Ryuji’s quick to boast he was one of the best frontline pirates, loving the thrill and rush of boarding another ship and throwing it all into chaos. 

Queen echoes his own excitement with her own stories of prior boardings, revealing her own history of being the first line of attack. She’s bashful about it, a side of Queen he’s not really seen before, but it underlines a no-nonsense side that Ryuji’s in awe of. He would not want to be on the opposite side of her, that’s for sure. 

Queen’s launching into the story of how her first attack with Ann as her first mate went, when a sudden wave bursts across the boat and tosses them both from the side. Queen regains herself quickly, but it takes Ryuji a moment to reset. He’s groping around for his peg leg when another wave washes over them. Ryuji loses his grip on the peg and watches in horror as it flies off into the sea, alongside a weeks worth of supplies. 

Queen coughs, pushing her bangs out of her face and assessing the boat. There’s no structural damage, but another wave is going to risk it. She grabs Ryuji’s shoulder, getting his attention off the sea. 

“Skull, is this–”

He freezes, looking back out at sea. His peg leg reemerges from the waves, held by a shadowy figure he’d recognize anywhere. 

“Yo! That you, Akira?”

The shadowy figure dips back under the waves, and Queen’s grasp on his shoulder tightens to something painful. It doesn’t help that Ryuji’s wound up tighter than ship rigging. When a loud splash sounds behind them, both jump towards the other side of the boat, almost capsizing them. 

When two hands steady the boat, Akira’s mop of hair appears only to catch sight of Ryuji and Queen clutching each other in terror. The mer makes a slow clicking noise, and starts to shift away. Ryuji detaches himself from Queen at a speed he didn’t know he had, just about lunging towards Akira. 

It catches the mer off guard, and Ryuji ends up colliding into Akira and tossing them both out of the boat into the water. Ryuji resurfaces only moments later, a firm grip holding him up. 

“Akira.” Ryuji’s breathless, he usually is around the merman. The fact that he’s soaking wet notwithstanding. The merman only watches him, waiting as he tries to catch his breath. In lieu of that, Ryuji reaches out, hand brushing against the merman’s cheek. He grins as Akira preens into the gesture, slowly relaxing. His tail is still wrapped tight around Ryuji’s legs, but he’s not complaining. 

Their moment is broken by Queen, unsurprisingly. She clears her throat loudly, prompting Ryuji to glance back towards her. She manages to light the lantern, holding it up as she wipes some stray wet hair out of her face. Queen is watching the two with a mix between trepidation and understanding. 

Akira, for his part, lets out a low series of clicks and puts himself between Ryuji and Queen. It takes Ryuji a minute to realize what’s happening there, something that everyone but Akira seems bewildered by. 

“Wait, are you jealous?”

Akira clicks again, more sharply. 

“Dude. Can you talk this out? I don’t know what’s wrong.” Ryuji says. Akira side eyes Queen instead of talking, and Ryuji groans. “She’s a friend.”

He gets an even faster series of clicks in reply to that. Alright, his merman’s mad. That’s great. 

“Akira, is it? Skull’s told me about you. I’m the Captain of the Johanna, you can call me Queen. My crew rescued Skull from the deserted island, believing it was in his best interests. I came back out here with him in hopes of getting a chance to meet you, discuss the recent siren attacks that’ve been plaguing these waters.” Queen says.

Ryuji searches the merman’s face for the reaction to that, struggling in the low light. Akira’s always been open with him, but he seems strangely removed, not giving anything away, but not actively expressing his usual array of emotions. 

“Bro?”

Akira turns from Queen to him, wrapping a cold hand around Ryuji’s nape and pulling him in, pressing their foreheads together. He whispers then, voice rusty from disuse, “Did she hurt you?”

Ryuji, the world’s worst whisperer, returns the question with a strangled, “Not really?”

Akira hisses. Genuinely bares his teeth and snarls. There’s a strange dropping feeling in Ryuji’s stomach, he doesn’t know if he’s scared shitless or hopelessly smitten. It’s probably a mix of both. His tongue feels heavy as he continues, “But…But we’re good. I trust her.” 

“Skull, you should get back in the boat. It’s too cold out there.” Queen calls. 

He feels Akira tense up again, but Ryuji’s able to reassure the merman with a kiss. It’s a cheap reply, and the slight frustration in Akira’s response makes sure it’s clear that he finds it as such. But it does the trick, and before Ryuji can say anything else to the mer, he’s pushed against the boat. Queen helps pull him in, with Akira stabilizing their vessel. 

Once he’s inside, Akira drops his freshly-waterlogged leg inside. Ryuji’s got no idea where Akira was holding it that whole while, but he’s glad it’s back. Relieved his merman understands. 

Akira stares at both of them for a long moment. “I’ll be back.” And just like that, he’s gone under the waves. 

Queen releases a loud breath, like she’s been holding it in for who knows how long. Ryuji reaches out, but she shakes her head. “I’m fine, I’m fine. That’s just–” She runs a hand over her face. 

“He’s incredible, huh?”

“I’d use a few more words than that, myself.” Queen chuckles awkwardly. “But yes, he is.” 

“Hopefully I can explain all this better tomorrow.”

“Do you think he hates me?” Her tone is more delicate than Ryuji’s ever heard from her, and it stops his train of thought in his tracks. 

“Eh?”

“He… he was trying to protect you. From me. And I have put you in harm's way, he’s in his right to see me as a threat.” 

“Nah, no effin’ way. He’s just confused. The guy’s a real sweetheart, I promise.”

“You are… with him. I’m not sure if that will extend to other humans.”

“Queen.” Ryuji reaches out, grabs at the hand that’s clenched into a tight fist. “You’re great. My first impression was that of a badass, no-nonsense captain, and since I’ve gotten to know you, I’ve only admired you more. He’s going to see that too.”

She sniffs, pulling away so she can wipe at her eyes. “Thank you, Skull. My apologies for the outburst, that was… not my intention. I think we both need a good night’s sleep.”

“Definitely.”

“But, before you do that, you need to get into some dry clothes. I won’t have your partner coming back to find you sick.” Queen says, and Ryuji hastens to follow her command. 

The next morning, they catalog the supplies they have left. Very little was lost, which is a relief, even with Ryuji’s assurance that Akira’ll be looking out for them moving forward. Queen’s receptive, but she’s not hiding her skepticism, and Ryuji can’t help but mentally stick on the why. 

She still doesn’t believe their relationship is genuine, even if she’s trying to respect it. Probably in her best interests to not rock that boat, not without what she’s after. Really, Ryuji’s not sure what possesses him to be so sure that they are genuine. He just knows it is to him, and he’s focused on that more than anything. 

They’re both digging into a small breakfast when the boat seems to stop moving with the water, hovering for a moment before shooting forward. Ryuji manages to shove the rest of the food in his mouth and hold on before the speed kicks in, but Makoto’s not so lucky. She gets thrown to the side again, clinging onto the boat seats as their little lifeboat barrels forward. 

It takes them a few high speed minutes to reach the merman’s destination, a small landmass that’s much less lucious than the island that Ryuji was trapped on. Still, land is land, and it’ll be good to stretch his legs. His leg. From Queen’s expression, it’s easy to see she feels the same. 

His peg leg is still waterlogged, and it’s definitely the final reminder to find some kinda better material. Ryuji’s spent more time in the water in the last month than he has in his entire life. 

Queen focuses on anchoring their ship as he grips over his peg leg, and they both take a moment to stretch their legs. Queen helps Ryuji out of the boat, and it takes him a moment to regain his land legs. Akira hasn’t shown his face yet, but they both know it’s only a matter of time. At least, Ryuji does. Queen keeps shooting him concerned looks. 

“He’s shy.”

The comment catches Queen off guard, and she smiles awkwardly. “Ah, yes. He’ll show up soon, though. Right?”

“Think so.” Ryuji says. He’s massaging his leg, eyes on the sea. 

Queen pulls out her map and begins trying to triangulate their current location with the ship and their current location. All that shit is way over his head, but after Ryuji’s leg is sufficiently stretched out, he wanders back over and peers over her shoulder to watch her progress.

Queen has her compass and map spread out on the side of the boat, using another tool Ryuji’s seen before but can’t name to map out the different locations. 

Before he can ask her what it’s called, a wet splash hits the back of his neck. Ryuji glances around to greet his merman, who’s floating a few yards offshore. He waves Akira over, and the floppy mop of hair vanishes and re-emerges from the shore. Ryuji’ll have to tell him to get new material sometime, the vanish and reappear thing is only endearing. 

As soon as Akira successfully crowds his personal space, he begins checking Ryuji for any signs of injury. No hello, no nothin’.

“Hey, come on now—“ Ryuji says, or tries to, because Akira silences him with a kiss. He melts into it, only pulling back because he does want to talk to the merman. 

“Sorry about vanishin’ like that, man.”

“Yeah.” Akira says, kissing him again. Ryuji snickers into the kiss. The merman pulls back, looking bewildered at his reply. 

“You’re clingy. It’s cute.” Ryuji says. Akira only clicks at him in response. 

Ryuji gestures at where Makoto’s still working on the map, pretending badly to not be paying attention to the two of them. Akira gives her a long look, then gives Ryuji a skeptical one. 

“She’s pretty.”

“Oh? Ya think so, huh? Should I be jealous?” Ryuji teases, only for the merman to pout. 

“I’m jealous.”

“Of her? Nah, no way. Queen’s cool, but she scares the shit outta me first and foremost. Ya don’t have anythin’ to be worried about. Promise.”

“Hmphf.” Akira blinks at him. “We need to talk after this.” 

“Oh. Okay. Yeah, man, Of course!” That wasn’t the worst thing he’s ever heard. He’s a tough guy! He was the one asking last night, and this is what he wanted. Really. 

Akira finally pulls back from Ryuji, and manages to look extremely cool as he scoots his way across the beach to where Makoto is still feigning her focus on the map.

“I hope you have a good reason for kidnapping my human.”

“Yes. Well, it was never our intent, we were rescuing him. From you.” 

Akira sits down next to her, the volume of his tail keeping him roughly at eye level. Seeing his tail completely out of the water isn’t new, but it still catches Ryuji off guard. Hard not to stare. 

“Can we start fresh?” Queen holds out a hand. “You can call me Makoto. I’m not your captain, and I’m not sure how much pirate names matter to you. Might as well talk human to… merman.” 

Akira examines the hand for a long moment and then takes it. “Call me Akira.”

Akira holds Makoto’s hand for a long moment before she realizes they haven’t actually shaken hands. At that point, there’s no real point to try, so she retracts hers awkwardly. The merman seems unperturbed. 

“I…I’ve been following a series of siren attacks for the last year. My ship has been following the trail of bodies left behind. We assumed Skull was another victim, but his story was a contradiction to the previous incidents. I need to know what you know, if you’ve encountered the creature doing this.”

“No.”

“No?”

Akira nods. Doesn’t say anything else. Queen seems to struggle for a moment to find her next angle.

“We’ve not had any proper contact with other aquatic life. This could make a huge difference in our investigation, in saving lives. You’re the only lead we’ve had.”

Akira turns and catches Ryuji’s eyes. Ryuji smiles at him, bashful at the piercing gaze. They linger there, a moment where Ryuji’s swooning and Akira’s searching for something he can’t begin to understand, but he seems to find it.

Akira turns back to Makoto. “I’ll help you. But we’re going back to your ship.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”

“That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.” 

Queen frowns. “I need there to be a sense of trust between us. I’m not going to tolerate putting my crew at risk.”

“I don’t sing.”

“Sing? I don’t follow.”

“I won’t drown your crew.”

Makoto glances at Ryuji. The merman huffs, and she returns his gaze. 

“When we found him, Skull had rings around his eyes. Much like the victims.” 

“A side effect of proximity.” Akira smirks. “Moaning and singing have similar properties.”

“Oh.” Queen’s face heats up, no longer maintaining eye contact with the merman. 

“How long to get to your ship?’

“Er…” 

Akira pulls the map from her, examining it himself. Ryuji, who’s face had heated up to supernova and still hasn’t cooled off, finally drags himself back into vicinity between his two companions. He finally has an answer to the rings on his eyes, and he’s not sure that’s the way he wanted to learn. 

He can at least distract from that, turning to Queen with a shit eating grin. “Makoto, huh?”

“Don’t push it.”

Akira interrupts, “We’re close. I can get you there by nightfall.”

“Really? That’s wonderful, I–”

“One day. Then we’re leaving.”

“We?” Makoto glances over at Ryuji, like she’s expecting him to advocate for more time. 

“His call to make.” Ryuji shrugs, then, “Wait, does that mean I’m comin’ with ya?”

Akira nods, like it’s obvious. Maybe it was to him. Ryuji’s feeling all flustered and bashful. 

“Alright then. Is it… possible for you to stay on land for an extended period of time?”

Akira clicks once, nudging Ryuji. He looks between Makoto and the merman, the silent request taking a good bit to dawn on him. 

“Oh! Yeah, yeah he definitely can. Uh, yeah.” Ryuji scratches his head, ignoring Makoto’s look. 

They plan to stay the night on the little sliver of land, then head out the following morning. Akira seems convinced that he can get the boat to its destination in a day, and while Makoto’s skeptical, Ryuji’s sure he’s not messing around. 

Makoto camps out in the boat, leaving the two with a warning to keep things above board overnight. Akira seems more than willing to ignore her request, but Ryuji isn’t ready to rock the boat that hard. 

He’s not technically Makoto’s prisoner anymore, but he still doesn’t want to be on her bad side. 

Akira wraps himself around Ryuji for the night. Ryuji has to wonder if a guy really needs a blanket or anythin’ when his merman is a huge, damp substitute for any source of heat.

The following morning, after everyone gets back in the boat and holds on for dear life, it turns out that Akira is right in his estimate. Makoto’s ship comes into view before the sun starts its crawl into the sea.  

Akira’s resting on the side of the boat, his tail submerged, as the three wait for the ladder to be lowered. When it’s tossed down, Akira ducks underwater, only reemerging after Ryuji reaches off the side of the boat and urges him to come back up. 

He does, greeting Ryuji with a small burst of water directly from his mouth. Ryuji splutters, trying to wipe himself off. Of course, that’s when Ann decides to lean over, jaw dropping at the sight of the shirtless man in the water. 

Well. If she hadn’t bought it before. Ryuji waves at her, still trying to wipe off his outfit. Makoto launches right into action, climbing up the ladder and leaving the two in the boat. 

Akira takes the opportunity to clamber into it, crowding Ryuji’s space and kissing him stupid. Ryuji melts into it, fully forgetting where he is and who’s around as he digs his hands into Akira’s dripping wet hair. He’s left far more wet than he had been earlier, but it’s worth it. 

“Hey! Ryuji! Get off the boat!” 

Ryuji pulls away to find Ann banging against the ship’s railing, frowning at him. They’ve amassed a small audience of other members of Makoto’s crew, all of whom are quickly shooed away.

Akira flops back into the water, leaving the boat rocking. Ryuji grabs at the ladder, pulling himself up and coming face to face with Ann. She’s unamused, but she pats him on the shoulder as he climbs aboard. 

“Never thought you had it in you, Skull.”

“Shuddup!”

Ann cackles. Once she’s done teasing him, she leans back overboard. “Is he coming back?”

“That’s the deal. Think he’s gotta get onboard another way.”

“We could haul him up.”

“What? In the boat?”

“Worried you’ll drop him?” Ann asks. 

“No effin’ way! I just don’t wanna freak him out.”

Ann shrugs, leans over the side of the boat. “Hey! Fish guy! Can you get back in the boat so we can pull you up?”

Akira reemerges, looking up at the two. Ryuji shrugs at him, and Akira slides back into the boat. Ann seems to be taken aback by the sight of a genuine merman, but diligently puts it aside to help Ryuji start dragging him up. 

It takes some serious heavy lifting between the two of them, but they manage to hoist up the boat and get Akira aboard. After that, everything’s a rush. Akira scoots off with Ann to go talk to Makoto by himself, promising to be on his best behavior. 

Ann directs Akira to Ryuji’s room once they’re done, having been kind enough to repurpose the cell to be less cell-like when Ryuji had been away. 

“How was that?” Ryuji asks. Akira has a strange look in his eyes. He slides his way in, perching himself on the slab of wood that could generously be classified as a bed. With this being their first moment alone in a long while, it’s concerning that Akira’s not all over Ryuji already.

“Hey? You okay, man?”

“I can end this.”

“End it? Ya know somethin’ about what’s going on out there?”

“Yes. Who’s doing it.”

Ryuji grabs at Akira’s shoulder’s, shaking the mer slightly in his excitement. “That’s great news!”

Akira looks away. It staggers Ryuji for a moment, searching the merman for his reaction. He likes him a ton, but there’s still so much about both of them, about their lives, that’s still out of reach. Ryuji desperately wishes that he could read all the details on Akira’s face, for now, he can only map them in his mind.

Ryuji sits next to him, trying to process the situation and give his mer a moment to articulate. Then, “What’s our plan?”

“Two things we have to do. Stop the siren, finish his goal.”

“His goal? But he’s killing people, right? Does that mean we have to work with him? Or—”

“The siren can be stopped. But I need to negotiate.” Akira says.

“So you know him? The siren’s a him?”

Akira nods. Ryuji pauses, mouth open, not sure what he can begin to add. He knows it’s not his merman, but it’s hard not to wonder it anyways, despite himself. He refocuses, turning to Akira. “What’s our plan?”

“Our?”

“I’m in this with you, man. If you’re putting your neck out for this whole thing, I’m gonna be at your side. Your right hand man, so to speak.” 

Akira gives him a big smile. It stuns Ryuji momentarily, and he can’t even bother to try to recover. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Ryuji says. He leans in, plants a kiss on his merman’s lips. 

Akira turns away from the kiss, eyes fixed on the cabin door. Shiho’s loitering, a small smile on her face. 

“Sorry. I was hoping to meet you.” She says. 

Akira blinks slowly at her. “I’m Akira.”

She waves. “I’m Shiho! Ryuji’s friend since we were kids. You two make a cute couple.”

“I agree.” 

“Hey!” Ryuji says. “We are, but hey.” He’s blushing. He’s blushing so hard.

It’s good, though. They invite her in, and Shiho manages to coax a whole load of words out of Akira that Ryuji didn't even know he had. She’s one of the kind that way. 

Eventually, Ann pokes her head in, looking to collect her girlfriend for the night. Shiho’s able to convince her to stick around for a few extra minutes, winning her over with an unofficial date night. Ann and Akira seem a little stiff around each other at first, but the combined earnestness of Shiho and Ryuji manages to mellow the two out. 

By the end of it, Akira’s practically preening with all the human’s attention. 

The next few days are similar;  Akira’s fawned and ogled by much of the crew, and despite Makoto and Ryuji’s best attempts to keep things focused, it’s easy for everyone to get sidelined. 

Ryuji’s concerned that a good portion of the crew’s a little in love with his merman by the end of the week. 

Still, they make good progress, even if Akira seems a bit cagey about specifics. He’s given them what matters: the name of the siren’s ultimate target. He’s someone everyone onboard had already heard of, especially Ryuji. 

The pirate king Shido. 

When the name’s first dropped, it gives Ryuji a nasty sense of deja vu, but he’s not sure what to do with it. Akira saved him, and this is the way the whole thing comes back. That’s all there is to it. 

Akira isn’t willing to divulge more than that, but he makes the guarantee that if they take down Shido, the siren can be dealt with too. Apparently it took some convincing, but Makoto eventually comes onboard with the plan. 

Ryuji’s quick to volunteer for anything and everything, not liking how the whole thing seems to be squarely resting on Akira’s shoulders. But Akira silences him of the notion, typically with affection and moments where they sneak off somewhere with better access to sea water. 

Akira can handle hanging around the boat, but he’s infinitely more comfortable when he’s submerged, and Ryuji tries to make sure they have those moments whenever they can. It’s a double edged sword though, because Akira allowing Ryuji to fuss over him also means he’s able to sidestep the actual finer details about the overall mission. 

On Ryuji’s end, he’s been trying to figure out a way to bring up Crow. The guy was such a big part of him for so long, and it feels like there’s unfinished business there with him and Shido, too. Ryuji feels responsible for it. Akira won’t tell him his side of things, not yet, so the least he can do is vow to do his part for Crow’s memory, and his mer boyfriend’s wellbeing. 

All Ryuji wants to do is get this shit dealt with, so he and Akira can get on to the real important stuff. 

Once this is over, he’s going to get a boat of his own. Ryuji wants to explore the seas with Akira. Maybe they'll even find some nice place by the coast to settle down, but that’s getting ahead of himself. What matters is their relationship, and making sure he can be there for Akira however he can. 

He almost drowned in the sea, but instead, Ryuji ended up drowning in Akira’s eyes. 

Chapter Text

Ryuji’s sitting on the beach. The sand is a warm blanket against his legs. His two real, flesh-and-bone legs are tangled in anothers. His eyes follow up the body of the man beside him, one with tousled black curls, grey eyes, and a small smile teasing at his lips, one that Ryuji is desperate to capture with his own.

The man turns towards him, looking into Ryuji’s soul with his gaze alone, filling his chest with an emotion that’s too strong, too overwhelming, it’s the wave washing over them and dragging the two out to sea, forcing Ryuji to choke on salt water.

And the same man’s holding him, but he’s not a man anymore. He’s a fish, half fish, and he’s struggling to hold Ryuji’s body out of the water. Ryuji’s body’s limp, he can’t move it and it feels like every limb is wooden. He can only watch, stare helplessly as another wave crashes over both of them.

Ryuji resurfaces, his wooden body now buoyant. He’s surrounded by sea foam.

He wakes up.

His body is stiff, he left his peg leg on overnight and the point between wood and leg is a cold ache. He stretches out his arms, prodding at the dream fading fast into his subconscious.

It’s not the first time he’s had that particular dream, and he knows that as long as they’re involved in this manhunt, it won’t be the last.

Akira’s been out scouting, but he shows up every day at least one, to check in and to steal a kiss from Ryuji’s lips. It’s his favorite part of the day, much better than the slow process of reshaping a replacement peg leg for himself. Plus, the best thing is, he doesn’t even need a peg leg when Akira stops by. They’re not spending any time standing up.

His task load is relatively light, there’s no storms on the horizon and they’re making good progress–folks on the ship have taken the day to rest and relax. Ryuji usually positions himself at the rear of the boat, staring out to sea, a little too eager to see his boyfriend.

They don’t really get time to themselves anymore. The stakes are too big, the pressure to take out Shido once and for all has left the mer always busy, always doing something. He’s not one to share any details. Ryuji knows that they’re a team, he’s promised again and again that he’ll have his mer’s back, no matter what happens. But sometimes it feels like Akira’s still determined to do all this by himself, to keep Ryuji out of the messy bits.

Makoto’s ship is still on-route, but they’re reinforcements. Akira has positioned himself as the front-line attack.

A hand finds his shoulder, and Ryuji stiffens, turning to find Shiho next to him. Her presence relaxes him, but not enough, nothing’s enough right now.

“You’re worried about him.”

“Can’t help it.” Ryuji chuckles, “He’s risking so effin’ much, I don’t even know what he’s dealin’ with down there. Scares the crap outta me.”

“Most important thing is that you’re there for him. He can count on you.”

“Yea, but man… It’s not fair. I wish I could be down there helping him. Not stuck up here.”

Shiho sighs. “Every morning I wake up and am reminded that Ann’s not here with us, that her and the Captain are out there in the thick of it.”

“Shiho…”

She gasps quietly. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make light of your own pain, Ryuji.”

“Nah, ‘eff that. We’re both dealin’ with crap. I’m glad we’re talking about it, y’know?”

Ryuji holds out his arms, and Shiho accepts the hug. They still have each other, and that’s something. He’s not going to let any of his friends slip away from him again.

When she pulls away, Shiho seems in better spirits. Ryuji knows she’s great at putting on a happy face and toughing it out, but he can see the weight off her shoulders. They’ve got each other, after all.

Shiho’s been left in charge of Queen’s ship while she and Ann are away; and while she’s the best one for the job, hands down, it’s been a lot of pressure. Ryuji’s been doing what he can to help. All that time with Crow really paid off, but it’s still not enough to stop Shiho from worrying.

And they’re in the final stretch. Ann’s latest correspondence included the news of an infiltration route, and closure is so close Ryuji can taste it. Still, time goes by, and they’re left as the getaway vessel, hoping to hear something soon and dreading the increasing likelihood of bad news.

It couldn’t escape them forever.

Ryuji is manning the wheel of the ship, hands tight around the wheel, trying not to dwell on the situation, on the fact that Akira hasn’t been in contact. He’s trying to focus on their mission, but his mind is churning through everything that’s happened.

Two hands appear on the stern of the boat, and a ghost rises from the water. The very tangible looking ghost of Crow appears, soaking wet and extremely naked. He catches Ryuji’s eye, smirks, and Ryuji loses it.

Well, that’s not the correct statement. He faints. Right there, on the spot, crashing back from the steering wheel.

He’s woken up by a concerned Shiho, and a much less concerned but much wetter glimpse into his past. He shouts and tries to scoot away, ramming his head into Shiho’s hip.

“What the hell?!”

“Hello, Skull. Been a while.”

“You’re dead. I watched the ship go down in flames, there’s no way–”

“There is. It’s quite a boring explanation. I’ll spare you the confusion, I’m half-mer.”

“What.”

“You’re half-mer? Do you know Akira?” Shiho asks.

That’s fine. She can ask reasonable questions. This whole time he thought Crow was dead, was fighting for his memory, and the bastard was alive!?

“I do know Akira.” Crow sighs. “That is, unfortunately, why I am here.”

Well, his old crewmates’ mysterious survival no longer matters all that much. Ryuji shoots up, grabbing at Crow’s chest, his shirt—thank god someone gave him a shirt-–and drags him uncomfortably close. “What happened?”

Crow’s expression sends his stomach rolling into the pits. There’s no way, Akira should’ve said something, brought Ryuji along, he never should’ve been out there by himself.

“Come with me.”

They ready a lifeboat. Shiho grabs the first aid they have and shoves it in after Ryuji, grabbing his hand and whispering, “Just in case.” He nods, a lump in his throat making it impossible to articulate any response fast enough. Crow hasn’t offered any more detail, standing around on deck like he’s an impatient customer waiting for his food. The ache of his chest is about ready to destroy him, and that’s the kicker. Ryuji doesn’t know if Akira’s dead, what went wrong, anything.

“Is he–”

“You’ll see soon enough. Get a move on,” Crow snaps. Shiho, for her part, isn’t having any of his bullshit. She lowers the lifeboat down into the water, expression morphing from frustration to worry as soon as she catches Ryuji’s eye.

“Come back safe and sound. Both of you.”

He nods again, swallows. “Yeah. We will.”

There’s a splash a short while away from the lifeboat, and Crow surfaces, the lended shirt plastered against his chest. “This way, Skull.”

He seems bored, almost, and Ryuji’s grip on the rows is as white-knucked as it is furious.

They’ve made it just out of sight of the boat when he reemerges. “This is taking too long.” Crow says. Ryuji can see his tail flash against the water, white and red and deadly.

“Have a better idea?”

“Don’t get snappy with me. I’ll push the boat.” He doesn’t wait for a response, vanishing under the waves. Ryuji drops the oar and grabs the side of the boat, just in time for the thing to ricochet forward.

His heart is in his throat as a small island comes into view, familiar jagged rocks and sandy shores. It’s where he and Akira first met. Who else could’ve known about this place? Did Akira escape here?

The boat slows down just enough to knock against one of the less sharp rocks, and Ryuji turns to see where Crow went. The guy’s nowhere to be seen, the waves calm and peaceful. Ryuji doesn’t wait to clamber to the shore, not exactly caring where Crow effed off too.

As soon as he’s over the rocks, he can see a body. One that he recognizes instantly, the dread weighing down his limbs and gutting his emotions out onto the shore. The black tail and curly mop would be visible anywhere, but Ryuji never wanted to see the other man floating in the water like that. The waves rock Akira’s limp body, yanking him back and forth.

Ryuji scrambles down the rocks, his peg scraping against the smooth surfaces as he tries to keep his footing. He almost eats shit once he hits the beach, but Ryuji manages to keep his balance long enough to break into a dead sprint towards Akira. He wades into the water, scooping the merman out of the water and cradling him in his arms.

Akira’s still breathing. He’s not conscious, but Ryuji watches the motion of his chest rise and fall like it’s his lifeline, comforted in the steadiness, the solid form in his arms. He carries Akira to shore, lowering his body slowly until he’s eased Akira into a more stable position. Ryuji takes the moment to catch his breath, examining his merman carefully for injuries.

There’s a jagged cut on his side, one that starts bleeding again out of the water. He doesn’t even want to think of how much blood the merman has already lost. His arm’s been scraped up too, there’s scratches all over his body. A fishing net’s wrapped tightly around his tail, digging into the scales and weighing the limb down completely. It looks like someone tried to trap him. Even if he escaped, it wasn’t enough to get him to safety.

Ryuji pushes forward, determinedly dragging himself back on two feet and carrying Akira bridal style until he reaches the grass. As carefully as he can, Ryuji eases the merman down, making sure his head is protected. His hand reaches out into Akira’s hair, running his fingers through the wet curls.

It’s not effin’ fair. Akira doesn’t deserve this shit. He’s the best guy Ryuji’s ever met, and he shouldn’t be the one who has to go through all this. Ryuji should’ve never let him go off by himself. The best he can do is cover the wound, try to stop the bleeding, and hope Crow gets there soon.

Crow returns to shore a few minutes later, Ryuji can see him walk up in his peripheral vision but barely pays the man any mind. He squats down next to Ryuji and holds out a small parcel. Ryuji looks at it, at Crow.

“It’ll help with the surface injuries.” Crow opens the package, which to Ryuji’s eye looks like a bunch of seaweed. He’s not about to question Crow, letting him grab the strange slimy things and lay them over Akira’s wounds. It seems to stop the blood, and that’s a relief in itself.

“What happened to him?”

Crow doesn’t say anything for a long moment. Ryuji’s got a frustrated retort building up, but Crow manages to find his voice before he loses his patience.

“He was set up. We thought we were two steps ahead, but we were wrong. They were waiting for us, and the moron reacted before I could” Crow’s eyes flash, and he catches himself. “It was unfortunate circumstances.”

“Wait, you were workin’ with Akira?”

“I have been involved with him for years now.”

“Involved? Like…romantically?”

Crow gags. “Please. Do not think me so lacking in taste.”

“Hey!” Ryuji protectively covers Akira’s ears, not wanting him to hear such mean things.

“We were working towards taking down Shido for years before you entered the picture, Skull. I had more unconventional methods, and he was embarrassing, so we kept our alliance on the down low.”

“But… wait, so that’s why he couldn’t tell me what he was doing?”

“There’s a strategy involved when faking your own death, and I hadn’t planned on broadcasting my survival.”

“Faking your own death? That was staged?”

Crow exhales air loudly out his nose. “Yes, it was staged. I wanted Shido to think me dead. And you were supposed to get into the lifeboat.”

“I was gonna, but–”

“Akira was keeping an eye out for you per my request, and then had the gall to fall in love with you. It’s been extremely inconveniencing. Especially since he showed up and demanded I stop killing Shido’s men.”

Ryuji’s mouth is hanging open, any words he could’ve strung together into coherency vanishing into the distant sea. Crow was the siren. It all made sense: Crow’s staged death, Akira’s arrival into Ryuji’s life, and Shido involved through it all.

“Shut your mouth. How about, instead of interrogating me, we try to save your boyfriend?”

Ryuji shuts his mouth. Then, a second later, “How do we do that?”

“He’s been cursed. The wounds will heal, I’m not sure if he will.”

“What can I do? You brought me all the way out here… There has to be something, right?”

Crow pinches the bridge of his nose. “There’s not a lot of options. The curse is a powerful one, and it’s my fault that Shido had it to begin with.”

“You did this?”

“That doesn’t matter now,” Crow snaps. As frustrating as it is, as much as Ryuji wants to yell at him for ever doing anything to endanger Akira, he’s right. There’s only one thing that matters.

“Tell me what we need to do.”

Crow sighs. “Any merfolk curse worth its salt requires a sacrifice of equal or greater value to restore the balance of removal. He’s been forced into a perpetual unconscious, which means that without intervention his body will consume itself and revert into sea foam.”

Ryuji clutches Akira’s body tighter. “Can’t… can’t we break the curse? True love’s kiss?”

Crow snorts at that. “You think that highly of yourself?”

Ryuji stubbornly stares him down. Crow pauses, eyeing him over carefully. “Seriously?”

“You didn’t say it wouldn’t work. Would that save him?”

The siren takes a moment to gather his thoughts. He looks like he’s swallowed a particularly sour fruit, just contemplating Ryuji’s query. “It could.”

“Like… true love? For real?”

“Do you love him?”

“Of course I do. He’s–”

“Nope, don’t want to hear it.” Crow says.

“So, should I kiss him now?”

“You’re welcome to it.”

Ryuji hovers over Akira for a moment, not sure exactly how he should approach this. Despite everything, he almost seems content. Ryuji hopes that if he’s been dreaming at all, they’ve been nice. Peaceful. The guy deserves it, after everything.

He leans down, but hesitates. The angle’s wrong, the circumstances are all wrong. Ryuji glances back up at Crow, who hasn’t moved an inch.

“Can you give us some space?”

Crow stands up, a helpful reminder that a soaked-through shirt is not enough to hide the rest of his naked form. Ryuji covers Akira’s closed eyes, waits for Crow to stalk off.

Once the siren’s out of sight, Ryuji turns back to Akira. He lays down next to the unconscious mer, pulling his hand into his own. Ryuji squeezes it, whispering, “I’m gonna bring you back, alright? I love you.”

There’s no response. Still, he had to say it. Ryuji knows it’s real, but he has to really make it stick. Make sure that his true love’s kiss is properly acknowledged, all that. He can almost hear Crow muttering something about how that’s pointless, but he pushes all of that out of his mind.

Ryuji props himself up, leaning over the merman. Gently, he slides his hand to Akira’s cheek. He cradles it as he leans in and brushes their lips together.

At first the kiss is cold and stiff. Akira’s unresponsive, and despite Ryuji’s unwillingness to pull away, nothing’s happened. Not yet. Ryuji’s so intensely focused on the kiss he doesn’t even notice the change at first.

A sliver of heat blossoms from their lips, at first barely a whisper, increasing into a burning inferno. Ryuji’s eyes tear open to meet the white-hot gaze of his merman. It’s then he realizes he can’t move, he’s being sucked into some energy he can’t control. Akira’s there, moving with the heat and pulling Ryuji upright, closer and closer until it feels like they’re one.

His hand is seared onto Akira’s cheek, his whole body white-hot and overpowered, all Ryuji can do is hold on. It feels incredible, an indescribable rush, knowing that Akira has him completely.

The heat fades, and continues to drop. Ryuji’s own temperature plummets. He clings onto his still-warm mer, but Ryuji’s own skin feels like ice. The last thing he sees before he slips unconscious is Akira’s own worried eyes, normal and grey and perfect.

><> ><>

Ryuji wakes up sleepier than he’s ever been in his life. Even his eyelids feel heavy, if that’s even possible. He doesn’t want to open them.

There’s a hand holding his wrist tightly, and then another starts to pull him into a sitting position. He still hasn’t opened his eyes, doing his best to mumble out some nonsense noises at the intrusion.

Something’s pressed against his mouth, and he parts his lips enough for a spoon to be forced inside, depositing warm liquid into his mouth. The spoon leaves, and he sits there a long moment, drifting, before someone snaps, “Swallow!” in his ear.

He swallows. The spoon returns, and the process repeats.

The hand on his wrist is starting to hurt, and he weekly tries to tug against it. The hand finally loosens, opting instead to run fingers across his knuckles.

The spoon stops its relentless attack. He misses it, the warmth was nice. It prompts him to finally, finally open his eyes, dragging his eyelids apart like they were anchors being pulled out of the sea.

He comes face to face with the most beautiful person in the world.

His jaw feels too heavy to speak, so he tries to wink. Ryuji’s not sure it works, and opening his eyes up again is too much of a hassle, so he opts to stare at the man in front of him instead. Take all that beauty in.

The man, for his part, seems very amenable to this exchange. He reaches a hand out and ruffles at Ryuji’s hair.

The man pulls back, much to Ryuji’s dismay, but the spoon returns. He’s okay with the spoon. But he’s tired, and he lets his eyes close again.

He feels the hand move from his wrist to his shoulder, and he’s glad it’s there. He’s not alone anymore.

><> ><>

The next time Ryuji wakes up, he’s much more coherent. Everything feels less heavy, and when he does open his eyes, the world doesn’t feel like a dream he doesn’t understand anymore.

He’s laying in a bed in a strange room, with walls entirely out of what looks like old sailcloth. Curled up on the side of his bed, he sees Akira, lying next to him with his tail extended underneath the sail. The bed itself is lacking a frame, only a mattress resting on the floor.

Ryuji tries to sit up, his motion snapping Akira awake. The merman whirls around, and before Ryuji can even get a thought in, he’s thrown back onto the bed by the giant mass of fish and guy that now is flopped on top of him.

“Oof…”

The mer has the decency to toss his tail off the bed, leaving the human half pressed against Ryuji. He squishes his face with his hands, pressing their foreheads together and clicking.

Ryuji’s never seen him like that before, never heard such frantic noises from his merman. He lets his hand fall into the other’s hair, and Akira just about melts into his arms.

“Ryuji.”

“Yeah, man? I’m here.”

Akira peers into his eyes, searching deep and long for something. Ryuji only blinks at him, happy to get the attention. His brain still feels a little fuzzy.

“Did I hit my head or somethin’? I feel funny…”

Akira is still running his clammy hands all across his face. It’s a little intense. Ryuji smiles anyways, he can’t help it around such a cutie.

“Not a head injury.” Akira says, and Ryuji lets the answer slide. Makes sense enough, really.

His stomach rumbles, loud enough for both of them to hear it. Akira tenses up, Ryuji chuckles.

“Oh man, sorry about that. Guess I’m famished.”

Akira frowns, reaching off to the side and offering him a small cup. Ryuji takes a sip, almost spitting it back out when he tastes it, cold broth.

“Nah, dude. Food food.”

Akira clicks, shakes his head, and pushes the cup back towards Ryuji. He frowns, but dutifully chugs the remaining cold broth. As soon as he’s pulled the cup from his lips, Akira replaces them, kissing him soft and desperate.

Ryuji taps out after a good minute, giving his merman a confused look.

“Am I missing something here?”

“Not anymore.” Akira sneaks one more kiss.

Ryuji doesn’t feel satisfied by that, but he’s more hungry and more sleepy than he knows what to do with. Akira must be able to read his mind, because the mer finally detaches himself and promises to return with food.

“Stay awake. I’ll be fast.”

Ryuji nods, but as soon as Akira’s gone, his eyelids are too heavy to ignore. He’s fast asleep when Akira does return, piping hot broth in hand. He misses Akira putting the bowl down, sliding back into the bed and wrapping himself around Ryuji.

><> ><>

The next time Ryuji wakes up, Shiho is sitting at the base of the bed. She notices him stirring, dropping her book and promising to be right back.

Ryuji’s too bleary to do anything but nod, but she’s back in seconds with a bowl to press into his hands. He accepts it gratefully, and the first sip of warm soup does wonders to perk him up.

“Hey, Shiho.”

She smiles. “Hey yourself.”

“Have I been sleepin’ more than usual?”

Her smile fades. “What do you remember?”

“Akira said he’d get me more food. But I fell asleep.”

“He’ll be back soon.”

Ryuji grins at her between gulpfuls of soup. The cup is empty before he knows it. Shiho reached for it, replacing the bowl with another steaming serving of soup.

“Eat up, alright?” Shiho pats his leg, watching a little too intently as he tentatively continues to eat the soup. He wipes off his mouth, catching her gaze.

“What happened to me?”

“You were asleep for three days.”

He stares at her blankly for a long moment, then bursts into laughter.

“Come on, Shiho. I only got one leg to pull, that ain’t fair.”

“It’s true.” Shiho says, “Akira was cursed, and you sacrificed yourself to bring him back. He drained your energy in the kiss, apparently. But you’re back with us now.’

The memories drop back, heavy stones weighing him down. Shiho must read it in his expression, letting him take a moment to just… process everything. Akira’s injury, the suggestion Crow had on how to solve it, Ryuji throwing himself head first into it like he always does.

“Three whole days?”

“It was terrifying, Ryuji, I–” Shiho cuts herself off, moving forward to wrap Ryuji in a tight hug. “I was sure we’d lose you.”

“I’m here. I’m here.”

Shiho pulls back. “You have to promise me that you’ll never do that again, okay? Not over a man, nott over anything. It wasn’t worth your life, Ryuji.”

Ryuji shakes his head, knowing one truth stronger than anything. “It was.”

Shiho is silent for a long moment, finally collecting up the empty cups and standing up. “I’m going to get some more food, let everyone know you’re awake. I’ll be back.”

When Shiho returns, he’s rewarded with some more substantial food, and he snarfs it down, even with Shiho’s warning to take things slow. She can’t really even get a word in, he’s just that hungry.

Once the bowl’s been fully scraped clean, Shiho clears her throat to get his attention.

“Yeah?”

“You’ve got some visitors.”

First in is Crow, fully clothed, to Ryuji’s relief. Seriously, he’s scared after what he’s seen.

The man stands stiffly in front of him, projecting as loud as possible that he doesn’t want to be there, but a hand sneaking into view long enough to shove him the rest of the way through the door is proof enough to why Crow’s there at all.

“Hey Crow.”

“You’re an idiot, Skull.”

“What can I say, you hired me.”

“Yes.” Crow shifts uncomfortably. “I wanted to offer you a similar position. On my new ship.”

“Oh, you still need someone to be your boatswain again?

“Not quite. I’m in the market for a first mate.”

Ryuji gapes at him. “For real?!”

“Oh, cut the crap. I don’t like anyone, at least you already know that. Saves me time having to put up with more new faces than I absolutely need.”

“I’d be honored, Crow. Captain.”

“Your awful boyfriend is allowed to tag along too, as long as he doesn’t stir up too much trouble.”

Akira takes the opportunity to reveal himself, poking his head in the door. “I wasn’t the one killing everyone in my path, thinking no one would notice.”

“No one did, though. To your point. At least, not until Captain Nijima threw a fuss about the whole thing and managed to get you involved.” Crow says. He turns back to Ryuji. “She won’t be pleased you’re coming with me, I suspect she wanted to bring you permanently aboard her ship. But I wasn’t going to let someone actually useful go to waste like that.”

“Man. You really know how to flatter a guy.” Ryuji scratches his head, contemplating. “Still. I missed ya.”

“Gross. Alright, I'm done. Knock yourself out.” Crow takes his leave, not bothering to even glance back on the way out. He misses out on Ryuji’s shit eating grin. A shame.

Shiho peeks back in. “I know it’s not much, but I’m sure Makoto would find a position aboard so you could stick around here, with us. You don’t have to go with him.”

Ryuji shakes his head. “He gave me a chance when I needed it most, I’m going to stick with him for now.”

“If you’re sure.” She’s disappointed, but Shiho’s always been good at respecting Ryuji’s less rational choices.

“I’m sure.”

“Well then. If you ever change your mind, you'll always have a place here.” Shiho stands up, glancing at the entrance. “It looks like you’ve got another eager visitor. I’ll give you two some privacy.”

“You’re the best, Shiho!”

She winks at him, heading off to do something far more useful than fuss after him.

As soon as she’s gone, Akira scoots in. He dives back on the bed, wrapping Ryuji up tight.

“Ah! Be careful man, I just ate so much food.”

Akira loosens his grip, but doesn’t make any attempt to detangle them.

“Were you going to tell me I was asleep for three days?”

“Once you were awake.” Akira kisses his nose. “By the way, you were asleep for three and a half days.”

“What happened?”

“I woke up with your unconscious body on top of me. I was completely healed, but it took energy out of you. Akechi thinks it’s because we weren’t really my ‘true love’, but he’s just jealous.”

“Akechi? Do you mean–”

“Crow, yeah.”

“I agreed to be his first mate.”

“I heard.” Akira’s tail wraps around Ryuji’s calf, shifting so he can properly wedge himself between Ryuji’s legs. “Just don’t forget I’m your actual mate.”

“Dude, no, don’t tell me that’s some mer shit ya never mentioned until now—”

Akira shushes him with a kiss. “Only if you want it to be.”

“I don’t know if that’s better or way worse.”

Akira smiles and traces one of his fingers down Ryuji’s face, pausing to press it gently against his lips. Ryuji leans into his palm. Akira makes it all so easy, he’ll never understand. Even with everything he’s learned. Maybe that’s the mysterious power of the siren at work. But maybe it’s just him.

“I feel free when I’m with you.”

Akira pulls away for a moment, searching his eyes. “Huh?”

Ryuji’s face is bright red, and he barely knows why. Just that what he said was true. “Yeah, man. Free.”

“I don’t understand.”

Ryuji laughs, “Are we on repeat here or somethin’? I don’t know what else to say.”

Akira’s hand dives into his hair and ruffles it. Ryuji squawks, shaking his head out of the mer’s grip.

A year ago, he barely had a coin to his name. Now he’s got a wonderful boyfriend, and a place out at sea. He even got his old boss back…though Ryuji wasn’t exactly yearning for that.

Still. He’s the luckiest pirate in the world.