"Look at those arms. I bet he could swim across the sea in a day." Viktor hummed, his head just above the water enough that his nose bobbed above the surface. His silver hair sparkled in the sun and floated behind him, caught in the surface currents.

Yuri made a noise somewhere between disgust and apathy. "He looks like any other human on a boat, taking our food."

"Mmm. He could swim around me any day." Viktor pressed a hand to his chest, swooning.

They saw this boat more and more often during the summer months. Unlike other boats from the port, this was a small wooden one, piloted by a handsome dark-haired human. He came out in the morning and was gone for sunset, taking ten to twenty fish with him. He was humble, and Viktor liked that. More importantly, he was hot. He didn't have leathery skin and didn't throw cigarettes into the water like other sailors.

In fact, the first time he saw him, the human was singing.

He wasn't a good singer, but it warmed Viktor's heart. And since he was alone, and so polite, it didn't really hurt to watch. Viktor was protecting him… and if they were found out… well, no one would believe a man who sung to himself on the sea.

No matter how handsome he was.

"Humans don't swim." Yuri said flatly, sinking lower into the water. He wasn't here by choice- as a younger member of the court, he was under Viktor's watch. Even though Viktor wasn't watching him at all.

"Wrong." Viktor grinned. "They just don't swim well. No gills or fins. Just… what do you call em? Feet."

"They're hideous."

"I think they're beautiful." Viktor sighed, watching as the man sat down and opened a metal box. Instead of treasure, he pulled out a fluffy white ball, taking a bite out of it. Viktor rose higher out of the water, his interest peaked. He'd seen the man peel the skin off of fish and fling it back into the water. But he'd never seen something quite as peculiar as this.

"Shit. Get down, Viktor." Yuuri dipped under water as soon as he saw the mans eyes focus onto them.

Viktor stayed, enthralled. The human moved over to the edge of the boat.

"I'm sorry- am I in a swimming area?" He bowed his head. Humans never liked to look into each others eyes, did they?

"What's that?" Viktor pointed to the (presumed) food in the mans hand.

"Oh, just my mom's onigiri." The man laughed nervously, reaching back into the metal box and handing over a fresh rice ball. "Here."

Viktor took it, pausing to sniff it. He had seen the barges that the humans laid seaweed onto, but never understood why they took the water out of it. Here, it worked as some kind of wrapper. The gorgeous sailor just blinked at him, offering a shy smile. His hair was short- something he'd only seen above the surface. His eyes lacked the metallic sheen that all of Viktor's people possessed. But he'd never seen such depth and warmth in the human's color.

"It's good, I promise."

Viktor realized that he was taking too long, sinking his teeth into the 'onigiri'. His eyes lit up- there was nothing like this back home. It was salty and sour and soft- but not the salt from the blood flowing from a fish or the softness of blubber. He devoured the entire onigiri, even when it fell apart in his fingers. The sailor was quiet.

"Thank you-" Viktor stopped short. Calling him human was suspicious. He was already pressing boundaries by talking to them. Even if the man was clueless, he had to be careful.

"Yuuri."

Viktor looked back, but his adopted brother was no where to be seen. His eyes fluttered up to the sailors. Oh. Yuuri.

"They call me Viktor." Did humans have titles? Or did they all go around with short, gutteral names? Except Yuuri. Yuuri was beautiful.

"You're welcome… Viktor?" Yuuri leaned over the side of the boat as Viktor dissapeared under the surface, struck with sudden inspiration. He charmed the fish swimming underneath them, only feeling a sliver guilty as he willed them to jump onto the boat.

"For you." Viktor turned on his most charming smile as Yuuri gaped at the pile of fish flapping around the bottom of his boat.

"Oh.. oh wow." His own mouth gaped and flapped like a fish. Viktor marveled- his teeth were so smooth and blunt and beautifully white. Every rule said that he shouldn't do this, but the human was so exotic and exciting and not...normal.

"Thank you." Yuuri stuttered.

The image of his face did not leave Viktor's mind for days.