Title: Early Mornings
Theme: Merman
Artist/Author: melonmachinery (my tumblr)
Adult Content: Y/(No)
Warnings: None
Summary:

Early mornings are always cold, and being young means not doing things without permission, but that doesn't stop Makoto when he has someone important to meet.

Pairings: Makoto/Haruka

Early Mornings

"Haru-chan!" Makoto whispered out into the early morning air. "Haru-chan! Are you there?"

Makoto bounced on his feet, impatiently looking back at the empty beach, before he slipped off his shoes and socks. The sand was wet and cold on his feet, chilly to touch, but he couldn't get to the cove without taking them off since the water was still high. He stuffed his socks into his shoes and glanced once more out back towards the buildings.

It was just late enough that all of the early birds of the town, the fishers, were already gone, but early enough that normal people wouldn't be up. His parents would not be awake for another two hours since it was a weekend, and it was just the perfect chance to slip away. Still, he felt guiltiness swirl in his stomach when he'd leave. After all, eleven year olds should not be out on their own without permission.

But he couldn't ignore the beck and call of Haru's eyes every time he'd leave him. Even though he promised it would be the last time he'd deceive his parents, he'd still come running back to meet with his best friend. Life would be easier if the old woman who introduced them was still around, then he'd get to visit Haru whenever he liked.

Time was wasted on folding pant legs so Makoto rarely wore any to visit. He just had his shorts on, despite the chill in the air, and waded through the shin deep water around the rocks until he got inside the small cove. It wasn't a cove really, it was just a small enclosure with rather shallow water because of all the sand. The overhang of the rocks near the back kept out the light in the morning, like a small cave, but even on dark days Makoto wasn't scared of entering there.

When he reached the back wall he sat his shoes down on a ledge where the rocks had formed a natural shelf. He made sure they were wedged in enough that they would not drop before he got up onto the large rock that had been moved there as a seat. It was rather smooth, unlike the porous rocks around him. Makoto had been told that it had been a rock that was along the shore before the granny had moved it there when she was younger. It was her sitting rock, and now it was his sitting rock.

The older woman said she used to sit on it when she met with mermaids there, but Makoto had only met one, and he was his best friend.

Makoto's eyes began to droop as he waited patiently for his friend. He checked the time on his wristwatch, waterproof since the last three got submerged in what his parents thought were unfortunate accidents, and saw that it had already been forty minutes since he had arrived. His foot dropped into the water and it shocked him back into awareness, it felt like ice against his feet which were finally starting to warm up.

When the gentle waves were disturbed on their course to the back of the enclosure Makoto's eyes darted along the water's edge. He searched for a body moving underneath the surface and waited with baited breath when he caught glimpse of a darkness moving closer. The mass only got half way before a head peaked up and two arms propelled a torso out of the water.

"Haru-chan!" Makoto sighed with a smile. Haru used his arms and tail to push him up the sand more and he made his way next to Makoto. When he finally reached his destination he laid his head in his arms on the small dry spot of sand.

"I thought you weren't going to come," Haru said and Makoto chuckled.

"You always say that Haru," Makoto said with a grin. Haru's tail swayed back and forth in the shallow water, creating large ripples that'd hit against the walls. Makoto smiled as he watched the scales glistening and reflecting light in the same manner that the water did. They trembled and wavered.

"Are you tired Haru-chan?" Makoto asked, turning to his friend. He pulled up his knees so he could rest his face between them, hands covering his cold toes. "You look sleepy."

Haru's eyes slipped closed and there was silence between them. The sound of the water lapping against the rocks and the distant crashes of waves against the beach were the only things Makoto could hear.

"Went hunting," Haru answered before he flipped onto his back and reached out a hand that barely reached Makoto's toes. "No mackerel."

"Aw," Makoto sighed and he let his leg slip down so Haru could reach. Haru always had a strange fascination with his toes, though he felt that he could relate. Touching Haru's tail was something amazing, even though he wasn't allowed to very often.

"Other fish aren't as good," Haru mumbled as he dipped his fingers between the gap of Makoto's big toe and his second toe. He wormed his wet fingers in between the rest and Makoto giggled, twitching as it tickled, like always. Haru's hands were as cold as the water.

"Next time you'll find some," Makoto reassured. "Maybe next time I can bring you some."

Haru's nose flared just the slightest, and Makoto knew he thought it was funny. He grinned into his other knee and laughed when Haru's free hand came up to grab onto his foot to hold it firmly in place. Once or twice Makoto had accidentally kicked Haru because it tickled so much.

"Not like live ones, but cooked ones! I could buy you a can of it, maybe you'll like it," he explained. Haru looked up at him and then to the side instead of back at his foot. He got permission to try, at the very least.

Makoto started talking about little things, like how he visited the granny's grave and if Haru wanted he'd take a gift from him there. He also told him about his younger siblings and how they were doing. Haru would sometimes ask questions, like what kind of things he did at school. Makoto would always have to explain in lengths about some things since Haru couldn't understand their purpose. Drawing was something he was particularly interested in since permanent images weren't found below the sea.

They were silent for a while after Makoto finished recounting the week, Haru just playing with Makoto's toes, pulling them and running his fingers between them. A long time ago when he was smaller Haru would lick his feet, it was weird at first but the granny said it was fine as long as it didn't bother Makoto. Haru had once joked about eating his toes because they looked like small fish and actually bit at them.

It didn't hurt, it actually tickled, but Makoto was always a little worried that Haru would actually bite his toes after that so he was strictly band from touching his feet like that again. He always thought it was kind of gross anyways, but he accepted it because he didn't understand mermaid costumes. He also thought that maybe they weren't costumes at all but instead just Haru being weird, but he never bothered to ask.

When the sky started to brighten considerably Makoto looked down at the time and sighed. It was almost time for his parents to get up. Haru withdrew his hands as Makoto made to slide off the rock and into the damp sand.

"Leaving already?" Haru asked and Makoto gave a pathetic nod.

"Haru came so late this time," Makoto sighed, "I have to go now."

"Will you come tonight too?" Haru asked, grabbing his ankle before he could leave. Makoto looked down at him and then away, cheeks flushing.

"I, I'll try," he stuttered. "But my parents sometimes check on me at night so I don't know."

"Okay," Haru said, and he put his arms up. Makoto grabbed Haru just above his elbows and Haru did the same. He carefully pulled Haru around and down into the water where it was deep enough for him to move on his own, the water having receded some as the morning went on.

"Is here good?" Makoto asked and Haru nodded. They both let go and Haru used his arms and tail to whip himself out into the water. At the very entrance he stopped and waited for Makoto to grab his shoes.

He hurried over back to where he put them and grabbed the backs of his shoes tight in one hand before walking out to the entrance to meet Haru. Right before the turn out onto the beach Makoto stopped and squatted down on the sand. Haru pushed himself over to Makoto, just enough to keep his tail in the deeper section.

"Bye Haru-chan," Makoto whispered and Haru got up onto his hands and leaned up, waiting patiently with his eyes closed. Makoto gave him a quick goodbye kiss, something he had, admittedly, tricked Haru into giving him as of late. The kisses were always wet and cold, but they still made his heart stutter and his cheeks warm. "I'll try to come out, but it might be very late. How will I know when you'll come?"

"I'll watch," Haru answered and Makoto nodded.

"I'll see if I can get you some canned mackerel," he hummed before standing up and walking the last bit out of the cove. As he glanced back he saw Haru's head dipped under the water, a tiny wake left behind as he swam away and down into the ocean.