Notes: Totally inspired by my friend Ro (shintetsukado on Tumblr)'s FuTsu aquarium musings and my other friend zazpi's Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan snaps. Also, due to formatting restrictions I couldn't include an image in the FFN mirror of this fic. You should probably go to the Archive Of Our Own mirror of this fic for the full experience (I am also vanerz on AO3). I really mean it.

Ineffable

Part 1

Fudou didn't know why he had agreed to go to the aquarium with Tsunami Jousuke.

But well, to be fair, if you'd asked right after Inazuma Japan whether he'd still be hanging out with Tsunami Jousuke now, he'd have laughed at you.

But things change. Circumstances change. Fudou was no stranger to that.

Tsunami had moved to Tokyo for high school a year ago. Fudou had immediately taken him up on his text asking to hang out. Having moved from Ehime the year prior, he knew better than the native Tokyo-ites what moving to the big city was really like.

For the first few months, they all met up every week or so, playing a bit of ball before breaking up for food. But gradually their scrimmages became shorter and smaller. The end of middle school loomed, and Kidou and the other Raimon players started focusing on impressing prospective high schools. And for Sakuma and Genda, Teikoku's legacy became less a source of pride and more a curse. The Teikoku high school advancement exam was no joke, and as the weeks passed they spent more and more time within the walls of cram school. Eventually, getting the whole gang together became something for special occasions. Their weekly meetings became just the two of them.

Fudou didn't think he was particularly good company, but Tsunami kept showing up, always happy to regale Fudou with whatever shenanigans he had got up to in high school the week before. Fudou didn't really mind the change either. Practice with one person was different, but it was also just as useful as practice with a whole group. And more practice would only help him. He, too, had a scholarship to retain.

The rest of the school year passed. Everyone in Fudou's year graduated and scattered off to their respective high schools. Sakuma, Genda, and, surprisingly (or maybe not), Kidou enrolled into Teikoku's high school division.

Fudou also retained his scholarship and joined them. But restructuring meant that his scholarship no longer covered his living costs. He could no longer afford the luxury of Teikoku's dorms. They gave him a grace period of a month to move out.

His Teikoku friends caught wind of it, of course. Fudou's suspicions were triggered when Sakuma asked him one day how he was doing. They were outright confirmed when Kidou nonchalantly offered him a spare room free of charge. When Kidou wanted something, he went hard, but of course Fudou had already known that for years.

It was too much. Fudou didn't speak to all three of them for a week.

Tsunami was the one who eventually found him a place. It was two streets behind his own, a bit too close to the marsh for comfort and priced accordingly. In other words: perfect. Fudou moved in the next day.

The flat was a shithole, of course. As the weeks passed, Fudou found himself grabbing any excuse he could to prolong the time he spent outside of home. He'd stay for extra practice. And after that, he'd occasionally hang out with Sakuma and the others. But while they were nice enough, sometimes he needed a break. Tsunami was always up for a good time and didn't ask too many questions, so Fudou found himself looking forward to Saturdays more and more.

And then he pulled his hamstring.

That Saturday, Fudou had breakfast and hobbled around his room to find some presentable clothes he could throw on. By reflex, he scooped up his football, then scoffed. As if he'd get any of that done today.

When he got to the field, Tsunami (waving way too enthusiastically, as always) was already there.

"I got your text," he said once Fudou was within earshot. "Sucks about your leg. You okay?"

"Yeah," Fudou answered. "Doctor says I gotta rest for a week." (She had actually said two.)

Tsunami cracked a crooked smile, clearly not fooled. But he didn't mention it. Instead, he said, "I know the perfect thing to get your mind off it."

So did Fudou. At least, he knew what Tsunami's idea of the perfect thing would be. "The fish again?" he scoffed.

"Hey," Tsunami said. "You're only saying that because you've never been to the aquarium. You won't regret it. I promise."

The side of Fudou's mouth curled up despite himself. How many times had Tsunami said that?

But then again, it wasn't like they had many other options right now.

He matched Tsunami's grin with his own.

"You got me," he said. "Well, what are we waiting for, then? Aren't you lucky I got hurt?"