a/n: okay so this is based off a rp i'm in with one of my friends ( i've forgotten what her username on here, but she never comes around anyways. ) disclaimer's the same as always and i'm not typing it out, so.

also, side note, hikaru and kaoru are still twins, but there was a war that "killed" hikaru and his mother, which sort of forced them to move onto the surface, thus preventing hikaru and kaoru from growing up together. mermaids in this story can switch between human and mer, but you have to simulate danger to do it. also, they would be princes, given the war hadn't happened. kaoru has been crowned as the rightful heir to the throne, so most of the time while in the court of the mer king (the twin's father) he wears his crown, though he only really saves it for then. just as well, his gills are on his ribs, so that when he changes between mer and human he'll have scars from where they closed. hikaru would have these too, except much less prominent and barely noticeable since they're nearly 17 years old.

I'm In Love With A Fairy Tale

chapter one

He washes up on a beach. The only thing he can remember about the night previous is someone setting fire to the boat, and now he's simply walking around on a deserted beach like it's not driving the Bad Boy Host crazy.

"I'm talking to myself. I'm talking to myself! I need to find shelter. I need to find food, figure out a source of damn water. What the hell!? I'm talking to myself!"

"Yes, it's very obvious that you're talking to yourself," a voice says, head poking out of the water. He's been watching the human fuck around on the island all morning, slightly amused by his muttering. Humans are so - amusing.

Was Hikaru hearing things? He's only been on the island for a few hours, and he's already starting to go crazy. "Hello?"

He smacks himself. Of course no one's going to fucking answer. You. Are. Alone."

"I'm here," the voice says, a loud singsong. It sounds like the voice rolls it's eyes at him, great. "You are not alone."

Okay, now Hikaru is definitely going crazy. Not only did he hear a voice for the second time, but when he looked up and around, he saw a person shape coming out of the water. He's just staring at it, trying to figure out if it's an actual person or not.

The shape moves, and it looks like waving. The shape only seems to have it's head out of the water, but it's probably better that way. "Hello."

Hikaru wipes his eyes, thinking he must be seeing things. After a second, he starts to walk into the water to get a closer look at the shape.

The shape sees this, and starts to float away. He makes sure to keep just his head above water, because anything more would be dangerous to him. His city has rules against interacting with the surface,even more so when it comes to saving it's inhabitants from drowning. "Stop, don't come any closer."

Hikaru stops, tilting his head in confusion. But if the shape is out there, why can't he be? "Why?"

"For safety," the shape replies, "my safety."

"Were you on my ship? Part of the crew?"

"No, I was not a part of your crew. I'm sorry - they didn't survive."

"Oh," Hikaru says, in a sad tone. "Well, come on to the shore. We can help each other."

"I cannot," he says, offering a small smile. "I've helped you already, mon ami."

"Where will you go? Live in the ocean? That's not possible."

"Don't say it's not possible, anything is possible!" Pudge, does the human even have any sense in that brain of his?

"Well, will I see you again?"

"I'm not leaving you yet," the shape says, "I don't have to be back until sunset."

"Cool. Is this your island?"

"Why would I own an island? I don't live on land."

"I didn't know. How do you survive? Can I join you?" Hikaru, what is with all these questions?

"You wouldn't survive!"

"Then how do you!?"

The figure in the water huffs and decides, fuck it, he's going to break every single rule he's ever been told about humans, and gives up the metaphorical jellyfish. He dives under the water, waving his tail for a few seconds before swimming as close to the shore as he dares, still a few feet away from the human but in a relatively comfortable speaking distance.

Hikaru's eyes go wide. He's a mermaid! Well, merman, he guesses. "So that's why..."

The mermaid's eyes roll at him, and when he speaks he can tell that it's the same thing he's done for much of the conversation. "Obviously."

The shipwrecked Host looks over the mermaid for a second, taking in the fact that he has pastel green scales dotting his shoulders and arms. He's pale and definitely a he, his hair a light orange. What's most - shocking, though, is how much they look alike. There's two ideas floating around his head about that, including but not limited to 1. he's his long lost brother who happens to be a mermaid, or 2. that theory about having seven other people in the world who look like you. The first one sounds too - fairytale, though. "Have you ever told another human before?"

"No. There's rules about going to the surface," the mer says, with a shrug, "and even more about talking to them. The King doesn't want us to get captured by the humans."

"Well, I don't know if you can tell, but I have no intention of capturing you."

"I'm glad," a beaming smile. "I'm also Kaoru, by the way."

"Hikaru. It's nice to meet you," Hikaru says, extending his hand.

Kaoru watches the hand with his head tilted, curious. "What are you doing?"

"Right. Under the ocean, doesn't know how people say hello. Okay, how does your civilization say hi?"

He smiles and waves his ear fins. "That's how."

Hikaru looks at Kaoru. "That's lame."

"Your hand thing is lame!" Kaoru says, defensive.

"Not if you let me do it the way a real gentleman does," Hikaru says, with a smile.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Kaoru's being defensive of his hand, holding it to his chest.

"Let me see your hand and I'll show you." Hikaru holds out his hand again, preparing for whatever Kaoru's hand will feel like. "Trust me."

Kaoru holds out his hand warily, slowly. When he touches Hikaru's hand, the texture is weird and he pulls away quickly as if he's been burned.

Hikaru laughs. "I'm not going to hut you."

"I know you're not," he says, smiling, embarrassed. "Your hand just feels weird!"

Look at that dork. He's fucking giggling.

"Yours does too, but I'm going to get over it so I can show you a gentleman's introduction." Hikaru keeps his hand extended, but smiles a bit more. He's almost - exuding confidence. "Please."

Kaoru is still giggling when he stretches his hand back out, taking Hikaru's. "What now?"

"Now, this," Hikaru says as he brings Kaoru's hand up to his lips. The mer's fingertips brush against the human's lips ever so slightly before he full-on kisses his hand, all the while a smile on his face.

Kaoru's face blooms red and he moves to cover it, embarrassed. This is obviously a human courting ritual and it's surprisingly intimate. And yet, he can't find it in himself to pull away or look to the side, because every touch Hikaru leaves on his skin is like fire.

Hikaru laughs, letting go of Kaoru's hand and sitting down in the water. "So tell me about yourself."

The mer is almost sad at the loss of that fire-like touch, but nevertheless settles down next to the human, his tail folded underneath him. He shrugs. "I'm a prince?"

"You're a prince? Lovely," Hikaru says, with a slight smirk. "Does that make me the bad boy Daddy won't like?"

He laughs, covering his mouth with his hands. "Oh my Pudge, no! I already have a mate chosen for me, but Father knows that I prefer to kiss boys. If you could meet him, I don't think he'd mind you. Unless you are actually a bad boy?"

"I can be, if that's what you like," Hikaru says, his smirk widening a bit as he winks.

Kaoru blushes more, glad that he was already covering his face. "I like you, Hikaru."

"Well good, because I'm pretty sure I like you too, Kao," he replies, lowering Kaoru's hands. Kaoru lets him, watching to see what he'll do next. Very observant beings, mermaids.

How? How is it that Hikaru just met this mytical being and he already wants to kiss him. He doesn't understand. "Tell me more about you."

"The King has already chosen a mate for me. I don't like her very much, though, she's very - prissy." Kaoru only has to have kids with her once and then he can continue on with his life.

"Well, maybe you should ditch her."

"I'd like to, but I still need to have children to continue the bloodline." He tilts his head, resting it on Hikaru's shoulder.

Hikaru smiles. "Well that sucks. To be forced to do that. How do you even do that - ? You have a tail."

"I'm part fish. We reproduce like fish." Jeez, Hikaru, use that private school brain of yours.

"Oh yeah. Of course. So... you've never felt pleasure," Hikaru says, with a wink and a smirk spreading across his face.

Kaoru blushes, looking up at Hikaru's face. "No, but that's not to say that I haven't been in a relationship before. I know how to kiss."

"Okay. Hey, if I'm going to live, I have to find food. Come see me tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," he says, before lifting his head and tilting Hikaru's face down into a tentative, chaste kiss.

Hikaru enjoys the kiss for a moment longer before pulling away with a soft smile. After a second, he gives Kaoru one last goodbye before going off in search of food. Kaoru's tail is seen as he dives back into the water, waving a bit at Hikaru, and he can't stop smiling for the whole swim home.