A Kingdom For You and Me

by DatHeetJoella

After not having seen each other for a little while, Makoto gives Haruka the surprise of a lifetime. - MakoHaru Merman fic

A/N: This fic is a gift for sawamura-daichis-thighs for the MakoHaru Gift Exchange 2018. I'm so sorry it took me so incredibly long, it's extremely overdue and I really didn't think it would take me this long to get it out, but this fic kind of ran away from me. Still, I hope you had a fun time with the gift exchange and I really hope you'll enjoy this fic.

Of course, I hope that, despite the length of this fic, everyone else will enjoy it too!

---

The sand was surprisingly warm beneath his toes as Haruka made his way down the beach, like the last rays of the summer sun were clinging to the tiny grains, fighting against the cool yet sharp bite of autumn that was waiting just around the corner. Although Haruka never minded the summer in and of itself, he always welcomed the changing seasons with a relieved smile because it meant that the beach wouldn't be as crowded anymore. And fewer people meant a slimmer chance of someone spotting him or, even worse, a curious child following behind him as he went down the path that he had taken over thousands of times before.

When he reached the stacked rocks that marked the end of the beach, he threw his stuff over them before he started to climb up them with practiced ease, hoisting himself up in a way that would seem dangerous to anyone who wasn't experienced with it; the wall wasn't exactly high, but the rocks looked slippery and jagged, like they could slice open one's palms and soles if attempted to scale them. But this wall could never harm Haruka, because he had been climbing it for years already, knew exactly where to place his hands and feet to get himself to the other side in one piece.

Once he had landed safely on the soft bedding of more rocks, he collected his bag - filled with nothing more than a towel, his keys and a bottle of water - and his shoes and continued to stroll leisurely. His end goal was rapidly coming in sight: a secluded cave at the bottom of a cliff and because there really was no reason to go to a cave right beside the ocean that was only a few meters deep and rather difficult to get to, no one else ever entered it - well, no one except one other person.

Inside the cave he put his stuff down in the usual spot in the far back that was pretty much the only point that was always out of reach of the lapping waves no matter how ferocious the sea got. He pulled off his clothes and took a big gulp of the fresh water that he brought before he sat down at the entrance of the cave with his legs in the ocean. Now there was nothing more he could do but wait.

It wasn't like Makoto and he had agreed to meet up today so he wouldn't be surprised if he didn't show up, but something inside of Haruka had urged him to come here anyway. They hadn't been able to see each other as often lately as they used to because Makoto had been so incredibly busy these past couple of weeks, and though Haruka understood that completely, it still made a tight knot of disappointment and aching form in his stomach.

Makoto's eighteenth birthday was only a few months away and he was being prepared for his crowning, which slurped up the majority of his day. Although he still tried to make as much time free as he could to see his best friend, it honestly wasn't enough for Haruka. It was selfish and he knew it, but after having seen each other almost daily for over a decade, less than an hour per week was nothing and he just missed Makoto so much; he longed for his presence, desired to see that smile that would light up those vibrant green eyes and made his heart flutter without question, wished to swim together and to hold his hand if the current got too strong and let himself be pulled along as they explored the realm together.

Although he tried his best to cheer himself up with the thought that it was only going to be a little while longer until the preparations were over, truth of the matter was that once Makoto officially became the ruler of the seven seas, he would surely have no time left to hang around with a land dweller like himself.

With a deep breath and a shake of his head, he attempted to whisk those melancholic thoughts away. Makoto was his best friend and they cared about each other a lot, and he knew that Makoto wouldn't just forget about him like that. Regardless of Makoto's title or status, they would continue doing what they had always done, perhaps a bit less frequently, but they'd spend time together all the same, like they had been doing since the start.

It was hard to imagine that twelve years had already passed since then, because he remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday.

During a day at the beach right around the official start of the summer, he had sneaked away from his family to discover the seaside area by himself. He had eventually found the stone wall that seemed to be hiding something behind it. Curiosity piqued, he began to climb over it to uncover the secret, a bit clumsily but determined nonetheless. It was then that he found this spot: a little cave tucked away inside a cliff and guarded from the outside world by a natural barrier. Once he set foot onto the rocks, it felt like he entered another dimension; the air seemed fresher, the wind caressed his skin with a gentle spark and the rhythm of his heartbeat spontaneously changed, excited and surprised yet calmer and more serene than ever.

But this magical place was not the only thing he found that day.

Large emeralds beneath a mop of soaked brown hair caught his gaze and they immediately disappeared again. It happened so quickly that Haruka doubted if he had even seen it correctly, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion, and he couldn't help but go over to the entrance of the cave to check out whether there really was a figure there or if his eyes had been playing tricks on him.

When he got closer, he decided to hold his breath and wait. After a few seconds, something popped up from the water; it was a young boy around his age with slightly tanned skin and the biggest, most beautiful eyes Haruka had ever seen, glistening in the sunlight like they were the rarest of gemstones embedded in his head. The moment their eyes locked for the second time, the boy gasped loudly and instantly ducked beneath the water once more.

"Hey," Haruka had scoffed in bewilderment and mild offense, not knowing why this boy was acting so strangely. He didn't think he was even remotely intimidating enough to warrant hiding from like that. Not like he was the grim reaper who had come to collect the boy's soul prematurely. If the boy wanted to be left alone, he should just say so and that would be that, Haruka would leave him be. Acting like he wasn't there was just annoying, and although Haruka usually wasn't one to meddle in other people's business because that was far too troublesome, it was different now since he took the rejection pretty personally.

Upon being called out, the boy emerged again, his gemlike eyes shining in an odd mixture of fear and curiosity. He opened his mouth to talk but no sound left him, looking frantically around himself like he was debating whether he should fight or flee and that only confused Haruka more. He understood that the boy might be shy, but something just seemed off about this whole situation.

Right when Haruka began to wonder if the boy could even speak, he reluctantly mumbled, "I… I'm not supposed to talk with humans."

That was by a landslide the most absurd thing Haruka had ever heard in his six years on this planet.

"What?" he questioned, frowning even harder, but then he suddenly saw something that he hadn't noticed before; on the boy's cheekbones right beneath his eyes, there was a faint hint of green gleaming like illuminated fish scales. For a brief moment Haruka wondered why the boy would have makeup on such a weird part of his face, but when he thoughts about the boy's words again, a realisation dawned upon him and all the annoyance that he felt melted away in a second and was replaced with interest. He peered down into the ocean and although it was too dark to see through, the water was moving around the boy in a weird, unfamiliar swishing pattern, making ripples around him even though his torso seemed to be still. There was only one conclusion Haruka could draw upon witnessing this. "Are you… are you a mermaid?"

"No!" the boy immediately blurted and he nervously tried to put some distance between the shore and himself, like that would somehow protect his body from this stranger's view. When he was forced to recognise the futility of his actions, he sighed reluctantly and whispered under his breath, "I'm a merboy."

The confirmation that the boy before him was a creature that he had been told was mythical, something found only in fairy tales and folklore, should have been a bigger shock than it actually was. But it seemed to fit; this boy had a magical vibe, something mesmerising and special about him that he had never seen or felt from anyone else before, something otherworldly. Besides, who was he to deny the existence of someone who was right in front of him?

"Can I see your tail?" Haruka asked rather bluntly, because he had always had a certain admiration and fascination for merpeople so he wouldn't want to pass up on the opportunity to see one in real life.

The boy seemed hesitant about that question, twiddling with his thumbs in an unsure manner as he mulled over his options. Considering that this human had already spotted him and knew what he was, he figured there would be no additional harm in showing him his tail too. So he hoisted himself up on the rocks and pulled himself onto the land.

When Haruka laid eyes upon the boy's lower half, his jaw dropped. "Wow," he sighed involuntarily at the amazing tail before him because it was far more beautiful than he ever could have imagined.

The tail was green, the same shade as the boy's eyes and the scales glittered in the sunlight, blending seamlessly into his tanned torso. The fins at the end of it were still partially in the ocean, but Haruka could tell they were big and strong, yet flowed through the water with a certain type of elegance and grace that captivated him at first glance. But the most astonishing part of this gorgeous tail was that some odd scales were a rich golden hue and when the rays of sunshine hit them at a specific angle, the gold burst into a rainbow of colour.

Because this boy was the only merperson he had ever seen, there was nothing that he could compare this tail with except for the depictions made by humans. But even then Haruka just knew that it was by far the most beautiful tail out there and that no other tail could come close to matching up with it - and later down the line, these assumptions were confirmed.

"Can I… touch it?" Haruka asked when he finally managed to pull his eyes away from the entrancing scales, only to be captured by the boy's eyes all over again.

The boy's thick eyebrows were raised in shock at this unexpected question and a pink blush lit up his cheeks, right underneath his scales which provided a nice colour-contrast. He averted his eyes again, nervously fiddling his fingers once more in what seemed to be a habit before he muttered, "Okay."

Upon the boy's verbalised consent, Haruka sat down next to him and carefully extended his hand. He gently brushed the tips of his fingers over the scales, starting safely at the green ones but not being able to resist touching a golden-rainbow one too. The scales were as smooth and slippery as he had imagined, but the tail was surprisingly warm, a lot warmer than he expected and he couldn't help but slowly run his fingertips all the way back up to where the boy's tanned skin began.

A soft and sudden giggle abruptly pulled Haruka from his enthrallment and he instantly withdrew his hand.

"Sorry," the boy chuckled lightly as the rosy colour that dusted his chubby face grew a shade darker, "that tickled."

In hindsight, that was probably the moment Haruka first fell in love with him.

"Um… I'm sorry, I just," the boy stuttered, awkwardly scratching at his cheek with his nail, that was equally as green as his glittering scales and gemlike eyes. "I'm really not supposed to talk with humans."

That repeated statement stung, because Haruka was far too interested in this merboy now to just walk away and pretend that they had never met, and he definitely wasn't planning to do that either. "Well, it's already too late now," Haruka said with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, hoping that would somehow persuade the boy to change his mind.

"I guess you're right," the boy giggled again much to Haruka's relief, and his own shoulders seemed to relax at Haruka's dismissal as well.

Satisfied with that answer, Haruka felt some ease settle into his heart at the knowledge that their time together wasn't over yet. There were a bunch more questions he had about the merboy and merfolk in general, so he decided to start with the most important one. "What's your name?"

"Makoto," the boy revealed, meeting Haruka's gaze and his eyes shone with sincerity, which made Haruka think his name was very fitting. "And yours?" Makoto wondered, showing that his curiosity was entirely mutual.

"Haruka… Haru," Haruka replied, deciding that he'd actually preferred to be called by that nickname. But before Makoto could say another word in response, Haruka asked, "Do you want to swim together?"

At the mention of swimming, an excited smile stretched Makoto's lips - that marked the second time Haruka fell in love with him. "Okay!" Makoto agreed, and the rest was history.

From that day forward, they met up almost every single day, gradually getting to know each other more every time and forming a bond stronger than any other. Two boys belonging to completely separate worlds yet growing up alongside each other as one.

Soon, Haruka learned that the myth of merpeople possessing magic abilities was not as much of a myth as he had thought; when he arrived at the cave with an injured knee, Makoto was concerned that the sharks might smell the wound and mistake him for food, so he quickly stroked his finger over the cut. Haruka was going to make a remark on that Makoto should know that there were no sharks around here, but he was so surprised by the fact that his skin was sewn together again like the cut had never been there in the first place and all the pain it had caused was gone that he couldn't utter another word.

A little while later, Haruka learned that unlike his presumptions, not all merpeople possessed those same magic abilities, but that Makoto was actually as special as Haruka had always known he was. It was because Makoto was a member of the royal family, the rulers and guardians of the seven seas and this family had been blessed with magic to protect their world. But even within his large family, Makoto was different from all others; he was the heir to the throne, which meant that he would eventually grow to be the most powerful merman in the entire realm. That prospect was a large source of insecurity for him, but Haruka knew from the start that Makoto would be a great king when the time came and that he just had to believe in himself more.

And now, with just a few more months to go until Makoto would officially be crowned, Haruka was proven right. The timid merboy he had met that day had evolved into a fine young merman, a powerful and righteous leader who would do everything in his might to protect his kingdom and let peace reign above anything else.

Along with this development, Haruka's love for him grew more and more, until it unfolded into a force too strong to contain within himself and it might as well have granted him magic powers too. And if he had them, then he would have turned himself into a merman as well so he could spend the rest of his life by Makoto's side, differences be damned.

But alas, he did not have those powers and he was stuck here on the shore and although their lives had been intertwined since the start, their worlds were only going to be drifting further and further apart as time progressed.

With a groan of annoyance, Haruka pulled himself from his reminiscence and somber thoughts and he wildly kicked his legs in the water, making big splashes and disturbing the ocean. He hated when his mind wandered off like that, especially when it went to the darkest corners of his brain and that made it difficult to pretend that everything was alright. All this negativity only made him long for Makoto more and the need to see him welled up even higher, from his chest up to his head to the point where he could only see bubbles that shimmered like Makoto's scales and gleamed like his pearly teeth whenever he smiled that perfect smile that was reserved for him alone.

Since he wasn't sure if Makoto was going to come or not, Haruka decided that there would be nothing left for him to do but to go to Makoto himself. It wasn't like he had never been to the palace before, but all those times, Makoto was the one who took him there because he was always here at the cave. And under any other circumstances, Haruka wouldn't have gone without an invitation either since that just seemed so rude, but he figured he had no other choice now. He wanted to see Makoto, he needed to see him and this was the only way. If Makoto was busy, then he would just take his leave again without argument or protest.

So he got up and walked back into the cave. Along the edge where the water met the rocks grew a line of enchanted seaweed and he plucked a bit of it. Eating it would grant him the ability to breathe and talk underwater and to see clearly without the saltiness of the ocean stinging his eyes or the change of air pressure bothering his eardrums. It was very potent and worked for well over twenty hours. Makoto had created it especially for him a few years ago so they wouldn't be stuck hanging out in this cave all the time and instead could explore the world together and have fun without any restraints. He even managed to make it taste like salt-grilled mackerel because he knew that was Haruka's favourite. His magic really was something; it never ceased to impress Haruka.

He took another big gulp of his water to wash the seaweed down a little along with the sappy thoughts and then he tucked his stuff further back into the corner before he made a beeline for the water and jumped in.

Fortunately, the waters were always relatively warm here so he could swim with Makoto regardless of the weather outside. Despite his affinity for water and his willingness to submerge himself in whatever type was available, he'd rather not get hypothermia or potentially freeze to death every time he went over to his best friend's place off-season so he was very glad about the pleasant temperature. It was almost like everything here was tailored to accommodate him, but he wouldn't get so far ahead of himself to believe that was true.

The vast and colourful underwater world that spread out before him had progressively become familiar over the time they spent together and he knew the way to the city and the palace of Makoto's family well enough that he could easily swim there with his eyes closed. Admittedly, it took a bit longer to get there when he wasn't pulled along by Makoto, but that didn't mean he couldn't get there on his own at all and he was proving that it was no issue right then.

He remembered the first time he came down here very well; all the panicked faces of the merfolk who lived around here at the sight of a human swimming through their territory so casually, like it was no big deal, but no one dared to approach him or complain. At the time he thought it was because they were scared of him, but he eventually came to the conclusion that it was most likely because of the prince's presence that would be beside him without exception.

Eventually he became a common appearance and everyone got used to the human hanging around in their realm. Even Makoto's family, who were opposed to their friendship at first out of fear of the existence of their people being uncovered to humans and were cautious when they met him, had come to accept and adore him. And Haruka felt great here too; he felt a sense of belonging down here that he hadn't felt in his own world ever since his grandmother passed away. If only he could stay here forevermore.

Haruka didn't need to swim very far before he found who he was looking for. The city wasn't even in sight yet when he saw flashes of green piercing through the water and something rapidly came in view. Haruka easily identified the form as Makoto's. He would recognise that extraordinarily special merman anywhere.

"Makoto!" Haruka called out to him, hoping to catch his attention since Makoto probably wasn't expecting to see him here.

"Haru!" Makoto exclaimed in astonishment and he came to an abrupt halt in front of him, making an abundance of bubbles appear and engulf the water around them with the sudden loss of speed. His brown locks were dancing around his head graciously, his eyes were as vibrant and beautiful as ever and that gorgeous smile etched itself onto his mouth naturally upon seeing his best friend.

It was like he got even more handsome with every passing minute and his stunning and captivating features never failed to make Haruka's hands itch with a fierce desire to eternalise him on a canvas. He was a treasure the world deserved to behold yet that Haruka would selfishly keep to himself, to cherish and admire for as long as he lived.

The smitten trance that always lurked to capture Haruka whenever he let his guard down was forcefully dissolved when the object of all his affections spoke again. "I was just about to go see if you were at the cave," Makoto said, his eyebrows still raised in perplexity but it was obvious that he was pleasantly surprised.

"We haven't seen each other in a couple of days," Haruka tried to explain his sudden appearance underwater as nonchalantly as possible, already feeling embarrassment creep up on him in the form of a cute blush at the knowledge of what the real motive behind his actions was, "and I wasn't sure if you were going to come today, so I just wanted to go see how you were doing." It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either and they both knew it.

"Oh, that's great! I'm doing great!" Makoto stammered somewhat awkwardly in that same way he did when he was hiding something. The hideous, bright orange bag that was slung around his shoulder and floated beside him probably had something to do with it. "How are you, Haru?"

His eyes narrowed in suspicion, eyeing the bag like he would be able to stare through the fabric and see what it contained if he focused hard enough, but alas it was in vain. Having those magic powers really would have come in handy in this situation. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be blessed with them just for convenience's sake, so Haruka decided to quit his attempts at unravelling Makoto's secret for now. Sooner or later, Makoto would crack and tell him anyway since he was the worst at hiding things from his best friend, and the method of just waiting it out cost him the least amount of effort.

"I'm fine," he replied when he remembered that Makoto had asked him a question, attempting to come off as aloof as he could manage.

"Great! That's great! Uh…" Makoto repeated in a strange and even a somewhat uncomfortable manner. Almost like he was nervous. The way he scratched at his cheek paired with the fact that he didn't continue speaking after trailing off supported this hunch.

The source of Makoto's odd behaviour was still unknown to Haruka because he couldn't recall anything happening that would cause for Makoto to feel and act this way, but he wished to find out soon because this was really nothing like him. Seeing Makoto in discomfort for whatever reason made his heart ache so he hoped that whatever it was that was bothering or concerning him, it would be over before long.

"You said you wanted to come see if I was there…?" Haruka questioned in an attempt to get to the point. Even though it wasn't weird for Makoto to want to come see him just for the sake of spending time with him - because that sentiment was entirely mutual - there was something about the way he had phrased his words that made Haruka feel like there was a deeper, underlying meaning behind Makoto wanting to meet up with him.

"That's right!" Makoto affirmed, seeming a bit more cheerful now and he smiled tenderly at him in a way that was supposed to assure him, but Haruka could tell that it was mainly assuring himself. The nerves that he had been emitting slowly ebbed away, and his gemlike eyes conveyed that same sincerity they had held at the very beginning and had never wavered since. "There's something I want to show you," he continued, and he unconsciously clutched at the strap of the orange bag.

"Alright, lead the way," Haruka said softly, knowing that wherever Makoto was planning to take him, it would explain the strange scene from just now. But even if it wouldn't and Makoto hadn't been acting oddly, he would never turn down Makoto's invitations, especially not when his eyes shone with glee and his lips parted to bless him with the sight of that wonderful smile when he offered those invitations. He trusted Makoto completely and would gladly travel to the ends of the underwater world together, because he felt like he could go anywhere as long as Makoto was with him.

Upon Haruka's agreement, Makoto's smile widened and he let go of the bag's strap to grasp Haruka's hand tightly yet ever so gently in his own, sending sparks down Haruka's arm and making butterflies roam through his stomach like they did every time they touched. Then he turned them around to the direction he had originally come from and began to swim again, pulling Haruka along effortlessly.

With Makoto's strong and powerful tail propelling him forward, there was really no need for Haruka to even swim; in fact, he believed it was easier for Makoto if he kept still so he only held on with both hands and revelled in the feeling of the water gliding over his skin as Makoto carved an opening for him to slide through.

Because they were moving about ten times faster when Makoto was swimming seriously than when Haruka was leisurely swimming by himself, the underwater city came insight within a minute, but Makoto didn't take him into it; instead, they swam over it, indicating that whatever Makoto wanted to show him, it was outside of the palace walls. This only fuelled the small flame of interest and anticipation that was burning in Haruka's chest and he wondered where Makoto would take him.

He could tell that wherever they were going, Makoto was very excited about it because Haruka could feel it buzzing through his every fiber. Almost like how one could skip when walking, there was something different about the way Makoto was swimming this time around, rushing to get them there as quickly as he could not because he was in a particular hurry, but so he could show him what he had been hiding sooner. Therefore, despite not knowing what their destination was yet, Haruka was really looking forward to it too. Knowing Makoto, all the build-up that went into it would be more than justified and Makoto's secret would be worth the wait.

But in the meantime, he simply enjoyed the scenery like he always did. No matter how often he came here, the sights of the colourful coral and schools of fish swimming around never stopped astounding him; in that sense, it was like every time was his first all over again. The underwater world was truly magical and he was sure he still would have felt that way if he hadn't known it for a fact.

They swam around for some time together, heading directly towards their destination without any distractions or detours. Usually Makoto would fill up the water with small talk, especially if they hadn't seen each other in a few days or when he had been particularly busy so he could keep Haruka involved in everything that happened in his life even if he wasn't down here to experience it with him and vice versa. But now, a comfortable silence was settled between them, which Haruka never minded because Makoto's presence was all he really needed, but in this specific situation he felt like Makoto's silence was telling and meaningful in a way. While there were loads of questions playing through his head about how the preparations for the ceremonies were going, Haruka couldn't get them past his lips in fear of disturbing whatever conversation Makoto was probably having with himself in his head. So he would keep those inquiries stored away for later when the cat was out of the bag and Makoto's nerve-wracking secret was out.

After a little while, Makoto brought them to a place Haruka didn't recognise and he doubted if he had ever been here before. He was pretty sure that this was all new territory for him, but that made sense; wanting to show him something he had never seen before in a place he had never been to either sounded reasonable enough. But even if it hadn't, his faith in Makoto was very strong and he trusted him more than anyone, so he'd gladly let himself be pulled along to unfamiliar spots anytime if Makoto wished to bring him there.

This time was no different; Makoto took him into a cave inside a large, rocky mass in the ocean that seemed to resemble the cliff above the surface where they first met. But unlike the cave on land, this cave was a lot longer and they swam through the dark tunnel, lit up faintly by Makoto's golden scales. Fortunately the cave wasn't too deep either and soon the darkness was left behind when light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Contrary to what Haruka was expecting, the light didn't mean that they had gotten to the other end of the massive rock and that they had simply swum through it as a shortcut. As soon as they reached the light, Haruka realised that this was where Makoto had planned to take him; this was what he wanted to show him and his heart did a backflip inside his ribcage.

The center of this rock was hollow and it was like a glade in the middle of a forest, allowing the sunlight to shine down very clearly, piercing through the water and illuminating the inner walls that were covered in a beautiful arrangement of flowers, corals and plants. Many of his favourite sights from numerous places beneath the surface were gathered here in one spot, spilling out from between the mossy rocks to paint the ocean with colour. It was so stunning, with so many different types of sea life that Haruka just knew it couldn't have grown like this naturally and that it had been decorated to look like this. A picture perfect scenery designed specifically to suit his tastes; Makoto had done this for him and despite the reason behind it still being unclear to Haruka, it made him feel incredibly special and loved, so much so that he was at loss for words.

With a slightly open mouth, Haruka admired the rocky glade and let his eyes feast upon all the marvelling parts that made up this astonishing whole. A private little getaway from the rest of the ocean for just the two of them.

"Do you like it?"

The somewhat shy tone of Makoto's voice called Haruka back to attention, and he turned his head to look at him, eyes still full of wonder. Makoto was sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, waiting to hear Haruka's honest opinion; it was obvious that he put a lot of time and effort into this and he was afraid that he had either overdone it or hadn't done enough to impress him. But Makoto knew Haruka better than anyone else did so if there was someone who knew just how to surprise him, it was Makoto. Every ounce of fear that Haruka wouldn't like something was completely unnecessary because Haruka appreciated everything Makoto did for him, and this was certainly no exception. On the contrary, this was so much better than anything he could ever dream of and he didn't know what he had done to deserve this.

"I love it," Haruka sighed in earnest, frantically searching his brain for words that would be adequate enough to convey how much this meant to him. "How… why…?"

A sweet and bashful smile stretched Makoto's lips at his speechlessness. "I actually wanted to have a talk with you, Haru," he murmured, and those words would have made Haruka anxious and nervous in any other situation. But now, they made the rhythm of his heart spike with anticipation, like it was trying to break out of his chest and thump away so it could cool down somewhere in far waters. It might be too soon to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help the excitement inside him that made the butterflies that had taken permanent residence inside his stomach flutter like crazy. He tried to collect himself to the best of his ability before he nodded at Makoto to show that he was ready whenever he was.

Makoto's smile only softened before he pulled Haruka along to the middle of this glade where the sunlight poured in through a thick beam, stopping right in the center of it and he took ahold of both of Haruka's hands, gentle yet purposeful. Golden flecks glittered in his emerald eyes because of the way the sunshine hit them and they were focused solely on him, making Haruka feel like he could get lost forever in that endless sea of beauty.

Briefly, Makoto bit his bottom lip as he took a deep breath and then that tender smile stretched his cheeks again. "As you know, I've been very busy lately," he started and Haruka unconsciously nodded his head in agreement, a pang of sadness shooting through him at the thought of how much he had missed Makoto during this time. "The preparations for the crowning ceremony and my birthday have been taking up a lot of my time but… that's not the only thing that I've been preoccupied with."

A relatively long pause followed and Makoto averted his eyes in a sudden loss of courage, but Haruka wouldn't have any of it. He lightly squeezed Makoto's hands with his to make him meet his gaze and when he did, Haruka smiled back at him and gave him a small nod of encouragement, telling him to continue. Whatever it was that he wanted to say, Haruka would always be here to support him, especially now when he knew that he needed to hear what was on Makoto's mind.

Makoto breathed out like he was scoffing at himself, shaking his head ever so slightly before he gently squeezed Haruka's hands back and resumed speaking. "For us merpeople, our eighteenth birthday is a special one. It's when we officially become adults and are regarded as such by other folks, and for me that means that my parents will retire and that I will be crowned as king. But that's not all…" Makoto trailed off, swallowing thickly and closing his eyes for a moment to keep his voice under control. "It's also when we are expected to start looking for our mate; someone who we'll spend the rest of our lives with. Nowadays most people take their time before making their decision, but my family is pretty traditional in that aspect and because I'm the crown prince, everyone is looking at me already, wondering when I'll pick my mate and well…"

The implications of Makoto's words made Haruka's lungs collapse with an abrupt loss of air, like the seaweed had suddenly stopped working and he was drowning in the ocean of unspoken feelings. His hands were quivering in Makoto's hold, who probably didn't even notice it because he was trembling a little too. Although Haruka's heart knew exactly where Makoto would go with this, his mind just couldn't believe it, not until he heard Makoto say it out loud.

He was looking up at Makoto with large, hopeful eyes and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep his emotions at bay. It would be bad if he lost control over them before anything had actually happened to even warrant those emotions.

In response Makoto let go of one of Haruka's hands and reached his up to brush it through Haruka's black locks so he could see his face a bit more clearly and he made sure to direct the currents just so that they wouldn't make his hair flow in front of his eyes again. After all, he wanted to be able to see every little reaction that Haruka would have when he asked him the most important question that would ever leave his lips.

"Knowing that this time would come, I've been thinking about it a lot recently," he said with the unadulterated sincerity that he had been emitting since the very first day as he took Haruka's hand in his once more, "but every time I just end up with the same conclusion. There's only one person out there for me, only one person who I want to spend the rest of my life with, and that person is you, Haru. I've missed you so much these past few weeks and that only proves that my feelings for you are stronger than any other. You mean the world to me and I never want to be apart from you again. Because I love you, Haru. I don't know exactly when I fell in love with you; I've probably loved you forever, but I do know that my love for you will never fade away. I love you so much."

He paused once more to let his words sink in a bit and then he smiled that perfect smile again, the one that was filled with unconditional dedication and devotion to him.

"Haruka, will you be my mate?"

The tears had started to spill from Haruka's eyes without his awareness during Makoto's confession, instantly becoming one with Makoto's realm just like how Haruka's soul was one with Makoto's. The lump of overwhelming happiness that had formed in his throat was making it almost impossible for him to speak, but he knew he had to respond to let Makoto know there was nothing he wanted more than to spend the rest of his life with him too.

"Yes! Of course!" Haruka choked out and he immediately let go of Makoto's hands to wrap his arms around his neck in a tight hug instead. He buried his head in Makoto's shoulder as Makoto returned his embrace, squeezing him gently.

This was certainly not the first hug they had ever shared in their twelve years of friendship, but it was by far the most intimate one, charged with all the feelings they had been bottling up for as long as they could remember that could now finally flow freely. It still wasn't enough for Haruka though and he brought up his legs to encircle Makoto's waist with them and he pulled himself even closer against him, locking his ankles behind his back for leverage.

"Makoto," he sighed dreamily as he nuzzled his face against Makoto's skin. Breathtaking amounts of affection for his beautiful merprince coursed through his veins and droplets of liquified love left his eyes out of immense joy, but it wasn't nearly enough to relieve the pressure in his chest. He didn't mind it though, not at all; how could he when he was feeling happier than he ever had before?

After years of pining after Makoto, of wishing to progress their friendship into more but being held back by the fear that the gap between their worlds would be impossible to bridge, Makoto had reached out to him and made those fears dissolve in the water around them. Although he had been pretty sure that his feelings were mutual, there was something about hearing Makoto confirm it aloud that made him feel like he was on top of the world and nothing could ever harm him again.

Haruka pulled back to look Makoto in the eyes again when he realised that he hadn't said it yet; despite the fact that Makoto had probably known about his feelings all along but had simply waited until he became of age, he deserved to hear it too. Every single day for the rest of their intertwined lives.

It was then that he saw that Makoto was crying as well: crystal bubbles left the corners of his eyes and gleamed in the sunlight like visualised magic. This only proved to Haruka that his suspicions had been right and that Makoto shared this pure happiness at finally taking this inevitable and logical next step in their relationship. In their hearts they had always known that this time would come even if it seemed so impossible, but their minds had written it off as wishful thinking because they hadn't dared to hope, just dream. Turned out dreams could actually come true if you longed for them hard enough.

He disentangled one of his arms to cup Makoto's cheek, caressing his smooth skin and pretty scales with his thumb. "Makoto," he repeated as a soft yet incredibly elated smile stretched his cheeks, "I love you too. More than anything."

An adoring smile graced Makoto's features upon hearing the words that he deep down already knew, but absolutely loved to hear aloud in that silky voice of his. He leaned his forehead against Haruka's, staring straight into his eyes and Haruka could see the same flame of adoration twinkling in Makoto's gorgeous emeralds that he felt burning inside his heart, hot and alive with an intensity that he knew would never smolder.

A light yet warm chuckle escaped Makoto's mouth as he playfully nudged Haruka's nose with his and Haruka knew he could never get enough of this amazing merman who he was so lucky to be allowed to call his. In fact, he already yearned for more and he gently nuzzled back as he let his eyes fall shut and then he finally closed the distance between their lips in the kiss he had been craving for an eternity.

Saltwater had never tasted so sweet before.

Their general lack of experience paired with the smiles that were etched on their faces because of uncontainable fervor didn't make kissing as easy as it should have been. But the feeling of Makoto's luscious lips sliding over his oh so tenderly, driven purely by passion and affection, simply couldn't be anything but perfect and their first kiss was even better than Haruka always hoped it would be. It was dripping with irrevocable love and infinite devotion and he just knew that this had been meant to be since the beginning of time.

Slowly he ran his fingers through Makoto's hair to cup the back of his head and he tightened the grip of his limbs around Makoto's body, feeling like no amount of proximity would be enough when his soul just had to be reunited with its other half. His entire body was tingling, like the magic that made up Makoto's every fiber was blending over into his skin at every part they were connected by touch. Like tiny volts of electric love were being shot through his being and it was the greatest feeling Haruka had ever experienced.

It seemed like Makoto could feel it too as he lovingly stroked his hand over Haruka's back, adding just a bit more pressure to the soft kiss and he tried his best to suppress his overjoyed smile in order for their first kiss to be successful. But regardless of smiles, it already was; anything that they did to show one another how much they loved and cared for each other was automatically a success because the meaning behind it always got conveyed without any trouble.

All the years Haruka spent waiting for this kiss were more than worth it and now that he could finally indulge himself, he wanted to seize every opportunity he got to express his love for Makoto and he could spend the rest of his life doing nothing but kissing him and die happily. But alas, there was an end to everything and this kiss was no exception. Haruka pulled back slightly and rested his forehead against Makoto's once more, keeping his eyes closed as he savoured the afterglow, heart full of love.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't remain that way for long when concern began to creep up on him and he withdrew his head to properly look Makoto in the eyes again.

The sudden change in the water made Makoto frown and his beautiful emeralds were filled with worry when he opened them. "What's wrong?" he mumbled in a voice smaller than Haruka had ever heard coming from him.

It was obvious that Makoto was worried that he had changed his mind or began to second guess his answer, but that wasn't the case at all so Haruka pressed a chaste kiss against his lips as a reassurement. "It's just…" Haruka began, sighing deeply as reality came crashing down to blow the cloud of fuzziness he had been on away. "How are we going to do this? I mean, this?" he questioned as he let go of Makoto and pointed downwards, to Makoto's tail and his legs.

No matter how much they loved each other, they belonged to two different worlds. Makoto was merking-to-be and he was a simple land dweller and although fairytales saw no boundaries when it came to true love, in reality it was a very big problem.

The easiest solution would be if Makoto could use his magic to turn him into a merman as well, but Haruka knew Makoto wasn't capable of doing that. He had asked him once before, back when they were twelve, maybe thirteen. His grandmother had just passed away and he was sickened with grief, which marked the point when he started feeling like there was nothing left for him in the human world. Knowing of the magic powers that his best friend possessed, he had selfishly requested if he could make him change species and if he could come to live in the ocean alongside Makoto. But Makoto had regretfully informed him that changing the species of a living being went beyond his abilities and although Haruka understood that, he still felt a little bummed out about it.

That was when Makoto created the seaweed for him, telling him that that was as close as he could get to inviting Haruka into his world but that he was always welcome nonetheless.

If there was no other option than to continue eating the seaweed every day for the rest of his life then he would gladly do it, but truth of the matter was that living in the ocean in his human form was going to be difficult and he'd rather not be dependent on Makoto for things as simple as moving around.

To Haruka's great surprise, Makoto's expression turned from concerned to relieved and the smile naturally appeared on his mouth again like there was nothing wrong in the universe. Seeing this only made Haruka frown harder.

Did Makoto not realise how much of a burden he would be if he were to live in the sea as a human? He may have not regarded it that way now, with a romanticised idea that he would happily take care of his mate, but Haruka knew that that feeling would last only a little while and then it would just get troublesome and annoying to have him around. He might even come to regret asking him to be his mate and the love that he felt for him would eventually ebb away until nothing remained and he would be forced to spend the rest of his life with him even after the last smoldering embers had finally died out for good.

The spiral of negativity that quickly captured Haruka was halted when Makoto grabbed his hand and the reassuring smile that was adorning his face took the panic inside Haruka away before he could even really feel it. Makoto intertwined their fingers and then he lifted their hands to his lips so he could press a loving kiss against Haruka's knuckles.

"You know, Haru," Makoto began and the gentle melody of his voice was soothing to Haruka's ears and heart. "When we ask someone to be our mate, we're supposed to offer them something. Something meaningful and special."

Haruka furrowed his eyebrows once more, not understanding why Makoto was evading the question he asked him when it was incredibly important in their situation. But curiosity got the better of him and when he saw Makoto reaching for his orange bag, he decided to postpone his worries and wait to see what Makoto was going to do next.

"I'm sorry I didn't offer it to you sooner; I was so nervous that I forgot," Makoto chuckled softly at himself and then he turned Haruka's palm upwards, nodding slightly to his other hand in a silent request to put that one up as well and Haruka did what he had been asked. Within a second Makoto placed something in his hands and Haruka could feel it before he could see it. But when he did see it, he had to take a double look because he wasn't quite sure what he was seeing.

It was a necklace, made up of flowers and tiny pearls and all other types of beautiful things that Haruka couldn't immediately identify, strung together with an eye for detail and yet he could tell that Makoto had made it himself. It was obvious that a lot of time and effort had gone into making this for him and warmth flooded his heart with appreciation and adoration. But he couldn't utter a word of gratitude yet because his eyes had been captivated by the pendant.

At first glance it looked like one of Makoto's scales, golden and twinkling with a rainbow in the sunshine. Shock and fear welled up quickly at the thought that Makoto had ripped out one of his scales just to give him something that was meaningful and special, but upon studying the necklace closer, he saw that despite the similar shape and hues, it was actually a shell. During all the years he had spent exploring the seabed with Makoto, he had not once come across a shell as gorgeous and extraordinary as that one and it took his breath away.

"Makoto," he gasped, rendered speechless once more by Makoto's considerateness and the great lengths he went to in order to express how much he meant to him. "It's beautiful! How… Where did you find this? I've never seen a shell like this before."

The reaction that Haruka gave was exactly what Makoto had been hoping for and his eyes softened in satisfaction. "I made it. I wanted to use the perfect shell so I searched around a little, but I couldn't find any I wanted to use. Don't get me wrong! There were lots of beautiful shells; they're all beautiful in their own way, but I just didn't think they were fitting enough to give to you. So I decided to just make one myself. I hope you like it, if not-"

"I love it," Haruka cut him off before he could start undermining his own work. Judging by the choice of words, he knew that Makoto was already down-playing all the effort he put into finding the components for this stunning piece of jewelry and crafting it to perfection and he didn't need to start ridiculing himself over it too. If Haruka had any tears left to cry, then they surely would have leaked from his eyes at this overwhelmingly thoughtful and significant gift. "But… you used one of your scales for it, didn't you?"

"I did," Makoto confirmed, awkwardly scratching his cheek in a spontaneous wave of doubt. "I'm sorry if that's weird or-"

"Makoto, stop it!" Haruka interrupted his self-deprecation once more and he sternly repeated, "I love it. It's beautiful and you really didn't have to do this but you did, and I really appreciate that. I love it so much, but you didn't have to rip out a scale just to make me this."

"It's alright, it'll grow back. It was about to shed anyway," Makoto mumbled with a shrug and Haruka could easily detect his lie. He had seen some of Makoto's scales shedding before and the old scale wouldn't fall out until the new one had fully grown in place, and the green or gold scale would turn white, almost transparent upon shedding and it was obvious that the scale used for this seashell was still fresh. Although he probably used his magic to heal the wound immediately, pulling it out still must have hurt and the thought of Makoto suffering just so he could have something nice made a pang of nausea shoot through his stomach.

But it had already happened now and there was nothing he could do about it except love and treasure this necklace for the rest of his life, which he had already planned to do either way. "Thank you, Makoto," Haruka murmured sincerely, because he was truly so grateful for this mind-blowingly amazing gift that was simultaneously the most beautiful and attentive thing he had ever received. Though he never wanted Makoto to be in pain, truth of the matter was that he loved his scales and it was an honour to be allowed to carry one with him forever. "Can you please put it on me?"

Haruka waited for Makoto to take the necklace from him so he could turn around and Makoto could lock it in place for him, but Makoto hesitated.

"Wait," he said, seeming quite unsure all of a sudden. "It's… the necklace is not just a necklace."

A confused frown furrowed Haruka's eyebrows. It was obvious that it wasn't just a necklace; it was a hand-crafted mating present given to him as a symbol of Makoto's undying love for him. But that didn't mean that he couldn't just put it on and the way Makoto had phrased his words showed that there was more to it than just that. "What do you mean?"

"I enchanted it."

That took Haruka by surprise and his mouth fell open a little as his eyes returned to the jewelry in his hands. It looked very magical, that was an undeniable fact, but Haruka had thought that it simply did because it was crafted with the use of magic and contained a part of the merprince's body. Not because Makoto actually cast a spell on it.

"What does it do?" Haruka almost didn't dare to ask, afraid of getting his hopes up because he thought he could finally see the correlation between his question and Makoto's gift.

Makoto took a deep breath as he stared down at the pendant and when he looked back up to meet Haruka's gaze, his eyes were full of determination as he stated, "If you wear it, you will turn into a merman."

"…What?" Haruka mumbled, completely dumbfounded because those unexpected words had made his brain short-circuit. After years of believing that his dreams could never come true, Makoto was now claiming that he had made a necklace that would transform him into a merman. This couldn't be. "But… you said that…" he stuttered in disbelief, his mind still not being able to comprehend that this was real.

"I know I said I couldn't make you change species, because I couldn't. Five years ago. But seeing you so crestfallen and disappointed that day made me want to be able to do it, so I tried my best to develop my magic. Honestly, it wasn't easy and it took a lot of time to figure things out, but my magic has finally reached a place where I'm confident enough that I think it will work," Makoto explained with a mature smile that showed that not only his magic had evolved over time, but that Makoto had grown as a merperson too. "I've tried to make something like this multiple times over the past few years and despite not having anyone to try it on, it never felt right so I just knew that it wasn't going to work. Eventually I realised that I was missing something; a guideline of some sort of what I wanted the spell to accomplish, and that's why I used one of my scales. Although I still didn't have anyone to try it out, I feel like it's going to work this time; I know it's going to work."

"So if I wear this, then I'll really turn into a merman?" Haruka questioned once more with undiluted hope coating his voice. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in Makoto's magic, but it still just seemed too good to be true.

"I sure hope so," Makoto giggled softly, "It's still a work-in-progress though. I wanted to make it so that you could switch between merman form and human form if you touched the pendant and wished to change, but I don't think I figured out how to make that work just yet."

"Wait… Once I turn into a merman, I can change back to being a human too?" That just seemed to top it all. For a moment Haruka thought that he had fallen asleep in the cave waiting for Makoto to arrive and that this was all nothing more than a dream, but when he remembered the tender kiss he had shared with Makoto, he knew it was real because there was no way his mind would be able to come up with a sensation so pleasurable.

"Yes, if you take off the necklace then you'll go back to your human form," Makoto affirmed with his gentle smile. "But before you try it out, there's actually something else I want to give you first."

"Something else?" Haruka asked in bewilderment. Makoto had just given him the most astonishingly special and precious gift in the history of the universe and he actually had something else to go along with it?

That was it. Haruka was convinced that his best friend turned mate-to-be was not actually a merman, but an angel disguised as one.

Makoto nodded his head in affirmation to his question - and perhaps to his unspoken remark too - before he dug his hand back into that hideous bag of his like a magician about to pull a rabbit out of a top hat. What he had taken out of it wasn't visible to Haruka yet, effectively shielded from his vision by Makoto's large hand as he began his second speech.

"I actually wanted to give this to you first, but like I said earlier, I got so nervous that I mixed up my own plans." He chuckled lightly at himself and Haruka couldn't help but grin at how adorable Makoto was. He just kept on reminding Haruka why he loved him so much and it wasn't even intentional. Once the giggles had passed, Makoto assumed a more serious demeanour and he continued, "We come from two different worlds, with different customs and traditions. So when I was planning all of this, I was stuck between deciding how I should ask you since I know that humans do things quite a bit differently than merpeople do. I know you really like our culture, but when it came to something as important as this, I didn't know if you would prefer the human way instead. So I figured, why not both?"

Makoto held out his arm and turned his hand so Haruka could see what he was holding. A moderately sized yet beautiful clam laid in his palm, fitting perfectly inside his hand and Haruka's heart skipped another beat at how attentive and considerate and kind this lovely man was. He truly was so incredibly lucky and blessed to know this man was now his.

"During the time I spent observing human relations to figure out how I could best go about this, I noticed that a lot of things are different when it comes to courting a mate and dating another human, but there's one thing that our cultures have in common: when asking the person we love if they want to be our mate - or our partner for life - we offer them something special," Makoto alluded as he stroked his fingers over the clam. "For us merpeople it can be anything as long as it's meaningful, but humans have a very specific object. This."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Makoto opened the clam and although Haruka knew exactly what to expect, he was still blown away and left breathless by the ring that was inside. It was a braided silver band with three blue pearls embedded in the center of it, the middle one being slightly larger than the other two. The hue of the pearls matched the colour of his eyes precisely and it was so easy to tell that this was once again a stunning piece of jewelry that Makoto had sewn together himself. It was good that Haruka had already cried to his maximum capacity because otherwise the mainland would be flooded in a heartbeat.

"I think I've already said all there is to say," Makoto stated with an endearing type of amusement in his voice, pure happiness at already having his answer but getting to ask all the same shining through, "so I guess I'll just be repeating myself, but that's alright. I'll repeat it every single day and I'll always mean it; I love you, Haru, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to hug you and kiss you and laugh with you and swim with you and fall asleep next to you and wake up next to you and I'll never get enough. I want to cherish you forever, support you through every hardship and setback and be there for you no matter what. I love you more than anyone or anything in the entire ocean and I want to give all of myself to you; to devote myself to you and adore you and-"

When he realised that he was not actually repeating what he had said earlier, but rather that he was rambling straight from his heart, Makoto cut himself off and abruptly shut his mouth as a cute pink blush dusted his face. Haruka wouldn't have minded if he had gone on forever, because it was like Makoto was reading the promises that were engraved in his soul out loud and the confirmation that Makoto's half of their shared soul contained the same inscriptions made Haruka inexplicably happy.

After taking a short break to collect his thoughts, Makoto knew there was only one thing left for him to say. "Unfortunately, I can't get down on one knee like I'm supposed to," Makoto joked and neither of them were able to suppress a small giggle at that, painting the water around them with ripples of joy. "So I hope that just this suffices; Haruka, will you marry me?"

"Always," Haruka murmured without hesitation, wide grin stretching his cheeks because of all the giddiness inside him, "I'll always say yes to you."

The smile that might as well have been permanently etched onto Makoto's face softened in a sigh of fondness, and he took the ring out of the clam. With the same gentle elegance that he constantly emitted, he took Haruka's hand in his and Haruka spread his digits apart so Makoto could easily slip the gorgeous ring around his finger. Then Makoto lifted the hand in his towards his head and planted a small kiss right beside the metal band to complete the token of affection, looking up at Haruka through his long eyelashes.

Once the ring was safely secured around his finger - fitting because it was made for him - and Makoto had ended his brief yet infinitely loving gesture, Haruka could no longer suppress the desire to show Makoto how grateful he was in a wave of adoration. Haruka wound his arms around Makoto's neck once more, necklace held in one hand and ring adorning the other, and he leaned in to kiss Makoto sweetly. All of the passion and commitment he felt was conveyed effortlessly as Makoto placed his hands on his waist and tilted his head to match Haruka's pace and shower him in love.

It hadn't been too long since they first kissed each other, but they were already growing accustomed to the tender brush of the other's lips against their own. If there was one thing they knew for sure, it was that they would never get tired of this sensual touch that left them breathless time and time again. When the hunger for each other's lips had been fed once, it became insatiable and they knew they would never stop yearning.

After sharing a few shorter yet nonetheless passionate kisses, Haruka pulled back because the weight of the necklace in his hand was a reminder of what was supposed to happen right then and he simply couldn't wait any longer.

"Can I try the necklace now?"

Makoto chuckled softly at the enthusiasm-induced impatience, stomach tingling with happiness at the fact that Haruka's words from the past weren't just a dream he had because he thought it was unachievable, but that wanting to become part of his world was an actual wish that he still wanted to come true even after all those years. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't excited about this moment either; after all, this was what he had been working towards ever since that dreadful day and he was so glad he had finally reached the finish line.

"Of course," Makoto breathed, voice dyed with endearment but then his tone turned a little more reluctant as he said, "But I have to warn you, I don't know what it's going to feel like. If it hurts I'll try to take the pain away as quickly as I can but-"

"It's alright," Haruka interrupted what he knew would become nervous rambling again, offering Makoto a gentle smile that was meant to put him at ease. "I don't care what it feels like; even if it hurts a lot and you wouldn't be able to take the pain away, I'd still do it. But fortunately you can take the pain away so there's really nothing to be worried about; besides, I don't think your magic is even capable of doing harm even if you wanted it to."

"I guess you're right," Makoto chuckled at Haruka's teasing remark and although his voice had changed so much over the years, it was like Haruka could hear the laughter of the little merboy that he first fell in love with back when he was just a little human boy himself. Makoto's voice wasn't the only thing that had changed overtime, but these changes happened so gradually that things evolved alongside them while their love developed and blossomed too.

But now, for the first time since they met, a change was about to happen that was the opposite of gradual and natural; Haruka would transform into a merman right here and now. Even though his mind still couldn't comprehend it, his heart had longed for this from the moment he discovered that merpeople existed and it was about to burst out of his chest with excitement and anticipation. It might have even been as bold to state that he would finally assume his true form, because the underwater world was so much more fitting for someone like him than the surface world had ever been.

Makoto took the necklace out of Haruka's hand so he could put it on for him. But before he did, he just wanted to make sure that Haruka was prepared for the unbeknown that awaited him. "Are you ready?"

The concern that laced Makoto's voice made Haruka smile as love filled his chest. Even though he had been so steadfast and certain about the powers that his magic bestowed upon the precious piece of jewelry, he was still a bit hesitant now that his years of hard work would finally bear its fruit. It wasn't like Haruka didn't understand it, because admittedly, he was feeling a bit nervous too. But the excitement inside of him triumphed all as he determinedly yet jokingly uttered, "I was born ready."

"Alright then," Makoto agreed with a kind smile to match as he brought the necklace closer to Haruka. "I'll put a protective spell over it so you can't lose it and it can't be taken off unless you want to take it off, just to be sure," he muttered under his breath and then he fastened the necklace at Haruka's nape, drawing his fingers over the pearls and flowers that made up the string to do what he had promised.

Once Makoto withdrew his hands, Haruka immediately grasped them in his own. The water around his body was growing hotter by the second and his heartbeat was accelerating like crazy, and he craved Makoto's touch and support now more than ever.

"I'm here," Makoto murmured as he gave Haruka's hands a gentle squeeze, "How does it feel? Does it hurt?"

"No," Haruka assured instantly, holding on to Makoto's hands even tighter and digging his nails into his flesh for leverage as his skin began to glow, light piercing through the water around them like he was the sun illuminating the land. "It doesn't hurt, but it feels really weird."

His skin was now tingling, like every last fiber of his body was being set on fire except without burning him. Bubbles swiftly enveloped him, starting at his toes and going all the way up to his head and it felt like the water around him was boiling, sizzling like he should have turned the stove off over a minute ago, yet it wasn't scalding. The water was apparently not as hot as it felt to Haruka because Makoto did not let go of his hands even once, showing him that even if they couldn't see each other anymore, his unwavering support was always here without question or exception.

Soon it felt like his legs were being sewn together and his bones and muscles were rearranging themselves inside his skin, ripping his swimsuit apart and tearing it off his body. His feet were stretched thin and even his face and parts of his arms and hands were pulsating because of all of the abrupt changes that were beating him up from the inside out.

When he really thought about it, everything that he could feel should have been excruciatingly painful and while it certainly wasn't a pleasant experience, it was more odd than anything else. It was like there was some sort of narcosis woven through Makoto's magic that only made all of his nerves numb to the pain while his mind remained crystal clear - which was a good thing because he definitely needed to process this absurd situation while it was happening. Briefly, he wondered if magical girls and superheroes felt like this too during their transformation sequence, but he supposed that turning into another species was something else entirely than putting on a costume and equipping all the accessories that came along with it. Then he began to doubt how clear his mind actually was.

All together, Haruka didn't know if his own transformation sequence had lasted for over an hour or less ten seconds, but when the heat dissipated and the bubbles melted away, he was left with an enormous smile stretching his lips and remnants of disbelief shining in his widened eyes.

Swishing beneath him was a magnificent tail that had replaced his lower body at the start of his hips, where it seamlessly blended back into his porcelain skin. It was a bit smaller than Makoto's tail - suggesting that Makoto would be taller than him if he were a human - and unlike Makoto's green ones, his scales were a soft baby blue. When he took a closer look, Haruka discovered that he also had some odd scales, but instead of rich golden ones, his were a sparkling silver yet they still possessed the prism-ability that Makoto's counterparts had as well.

Although he knew that the tail couldn't have been dull when it had been gifted to him by Makoto, created using the power that his own ethereal scales held, it was still far more beautiful and dazzling than Haruka ever could have hoped for.

Despite having been through it all himself and seeing the results of his transformation with his very own eyes, Haruka still couldn't believe it and he released one of Makoto's hands so he could stroke it down his torso. The feeling of skin merging into scales was not a foreign one, yet it was difficult to comprehend that he was feeling it on his own body right now and not Makoto's, especially since he could now not only feel it on his fingertips, but on his belly and tail too. On his tail. He could feel it so clearly yet he still couldn't fully comprehend it. Almost like there was a disconnection between his sight, nerves and brain and he was seeing and feeling things that weren't actually there.

But he didn't have much time to get used to these strange new feelings because when he was running his fingers over his newly acquired tail, something else caught his eye; his neatly trimmed nails were now painted with blue, matching the main colour of his scales. And when his eyes followed the line of his arm, he saw that a faint hint of scales resided on some parts of his arms too and upon noticing it, Haruka lifted his hand towards his face to feel his cheeks and the same smooth yet slippery feeling also greeted his fingertips there.

Slowly but surely the reality of the situation began to sink in. He was a merman. He was a merman, just like Makoto said he would be. After all those years of thinking he could never become a part of Makoto's world, Haruka was now not only a creature of Makoto's realm, but also an official merprince-to-be.

He looked up at Makoto's face and he saw that his jaw had dropped to the seabed. Disbelief was swimming in his gorgeous eyes and when their gazes met each other's, he slapped his free hand over his open mouth. "Haru," he gasped as tears welled up in his eyes once again, "I- You… You really are a merman. I… I can't believe it."

"Makoto!" Haruka only exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Makoto's neck once more, hiding his face in his shoulder as sobs wrecked through his body. Overwhelming amounts of happiness and gratitude washed over his being and Haruka didn't know how to relieve himself of the pressure other than by crying and rambling incohesively. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't believe it either." The rest of his words were drowned out by the loud noises of him sobbing into his love's skin, but Makoto didn't need to hear the words to understand the sentiment that was being expressed with them.

Makoto hugged him back tightly, tail entwining with Haruka's as he buried his wide, teary-eyed smile in the juncture of Haruka's shoulder. "Haru," he sighed again, and it was all he really needed to say.

They held each other just like that for what felt like an eon before Haruka's sobs finally died out when every last droplet had left his body and the water levels had risen a meter.

When he pulled back Haruka cupped Makoto's face into his hands, gently rubbing his fingers over his cheeks. "Thank you so much, Makoto," he murmured before he leaned in to capture his merprince's lips in what was not the first and would definitely not be the last kiss they shared that day.

As always Makoto returned his kiss with just as much fervor, but this time he broke it off prematurely because the excitement inside of him was far too great to contain. "Well, go try it out! Swim," he urged with adorable enthusiasm in his tone, because he couldn't wait to see his beautiful Haruka swim around with the amazing tail that he had created especially for him.

Truthfully, Haruka couldn't wait to try out his brand new tail either and he put some distance between their bodies, drawing his fingers down over Makoto's arms to hold his hands once more. Careful yet purposeful, he moved his tail experimentally, trying to get used to the odd feeling. It honestly wasn't as weird as he was expecting; it sort of felt like doing a regular dolphin kick except with one giant leg instead of two smaller ones.

Keeping a tight grip on Makoto's hands, Haruka began to move his tail faster and faster in an attempt to gain control over his muscles again now that they were designed to function differently. It took a few tries, but he soon realised that it wasn't as difficult as he had been bracing himself for and it was most likely thanks to his affinity for swimming, because of which his bones and muscles were already used to moving through the water.

Once he felt like he had enough control, he let go of Makoto's hands to swim through their little glade independently. Slowly at first, but he was soon growing more confident and he gradually picked up speed until he was swimming circles faster than he ever had before and Haruka had never felt more alive than he did right at that moment. He was now able to connect with the water in a way he never had before and he simply couldn't wait to explore Makoto's realm all over again, looking at it with different eyes now because this was finally going to be the home it had always felt like to him.

Arrows of fireworks were shot around him and exploded into petals of colourful flowers, whirling around him like he was being showered in the ocean's official welcome. His eyes immediately sought out Makoto, who was staring up at him with awe and adoration gleaming in his exquisite emeralds, mouth hanging open in the wake of a gasp. It was obvious that the flowers and fireworks that were painting the water around him were Makoto's doing, but Haruka knew that Makoto hadn't done it on purpose but that he was just so elated and astonished that he simply couldn't keep his magic in check.

Haruka was having the time of his life spinning around, doing backflips like he would often do but was able to at a much faster rate now, but he was halted when fatigue suddenly worn down his body and his tail was starting to ache lightly from strain. Not wanting to ignore the signals because he knew his lower body wasn't accustomed enough yet to swim for hours on end, Haruka decided to return to Makoto. It would be bad to overdo it the very first time so he knew that now he had tried everything out, he had to take things step by step before he could swim excessively like any other merperson could.

"Hey, this is not fair," Makoto giggled when Haruka was in front of him again, "I've had this tail for almost eighteen years and yet you're already faster than me after five minutes."

Haruka chuckled at his joking remark, knowing full-well that it wasn't true. "Yeah well, I definitely don't have your stamina yet."

"It'll come over time," Makoto assured as he raised his hand to brush the tousled locks out of the way to keep them from obscuring Haruka's face, "Once your body gets used to its new form, you'll be able to swim much longer."

"Yeah," Haruka repeated in agreement. "Guess I'm just going to have to practice a lot."

"Yeah," Makoto echoed with a breath of laughter and he opened his mouth to continue speaking when he saw something black floating in the corner of his eye that caught his attention. "Oh Haru, your swimsuit!" he muttered as he grabbed the torn pieces of cloth, studying them closer and running his fingers over the ripped edges.

"It's alright," Haruka dismissed easily, because who in their right mind would be upset about a torn swimsuit when they had just transformed into an actual merperson?

"It's not alright!" Makoto pressed on, "This one's your favourite, right?" When he had found which edges belonged together, he held them against one another as he ran his finger over the fabric to sew it back in place.

"Makoto, it's fine!" Haruka insisted, not wanting him to waste his magic on something unnecessary like this. "It's not like I'm going to need it anymore anyway."

That comment made Makoto frown, looking up from his reparations to meet Haruka's gaze. "What do you mean?"

"I've got my tail now," Haruka explained, confused at Makoto's failure to understand this when he had given him this tail himself.

"Wait!" Makoto yelped in alarm, "You know you can't just turn into a merman wherever, right? Not at a pool or-"

"Of course not," Haruka cut in with furrowed eyebrows because he was now the one who had no clue what was going on. "Why would I go to a pool?"

"To swim…?"

"Why would I go swim at a pool when I'm swimming here?" he questioned, but then something hit him and he finally understood what Makoto was hinting at. "Makoto, I'm not going anywhere. The ocean is my home now." After years of wishing to live here he was now finally able to, so why in the heavens would he go back to the surface when there was nothing left for him up there?

"But you can't just stay here!"

The words were a lot cruder than Makoto had intended and they didn't do a proper job of conveying what he meant. Regret immediately flooded his senses when he saw the shocked and pained expression on Haruka's face, completely misplaced on those lovely features that should only show joy for every day of his life.

"Why not?" His voice was smaller than ever and his eyes were shining with hurt. Wasn't that the whole point of all of this? For him to be a merman so he could live here as Makoto's mate? Did Makoto actually not want to have him down here with him after all?

"Haru, I'm sorry," Makoto murmured sincerely as he shoved the swimsuit in his bag so he could grab Haruka's arms and he gently stroked his thumbs over Haruka's scale-covered skin. "That's not what I meant. I love you with all my heart and I want you to live here with me; I want this to be your home, but there's still so much left for you to do back at home on the surface."

Haruka scoffed at that and he averted his gaze. "There's nothing left for me to do up there."

"Don't be so impulsive now, Haru," Makoto chided, shaking his head in disapproval. "What about your friends, your family, your education? You can't just drop off the face of the earth and disappear without a trace."

He hated to admit it, but Makoto was right. Although his entire world was down here, that didn't mean that there weren't people left on the land who cared about him, and who he honestly cared about too. He was willing to give everything up for Makoto in a heartbeat because Makoto bid him so much more in return, but it wasn't fair to the other people in his life. They'd be worried sick if he suddenly went missing and probably assumed he had drowned once his clothes were eventually found at the cave. He didn't want to put them through that grief knowing he was down here living his best life with Makoto, so he would have to figure out a way to solve all of it.

"You should really think all of this through carefully instead of making rash decisions you might come to regret later," Makoto continued softly because he didn't mean to make Haruka feel attacked by him saying these things, but he just wanted him to do what was best in the long run. "Sorry, I know it's not my place to tell you these things, but I think you should at least let the people closest to you know something so they won't be worried and won't search for you with endless uncertainty."

"Yeah, you're right," Haruka concurred, nodding his head in agreement as he returned Makoto's touch, lightly gripping his forearms. "And don't apologise, you're allowed to share your thoughts and give me advice."

"If you say so then… I think you should finish school before you come live here too. I mean, you never know what might happen in the future, and it's only a couple more months so it would be a waste to throw away all those years of hard work without getting a diploma," Makoto muttered with a hint of uncertainty. "Of course, it's your own choice so you should do what you think is right."

The nuance at the end made Haruka snort because it was so typically Makoto. Even when he knew for sure that what he was saying was the only reasonable option in a situation, he would never want to impose his thoughts and opinions onto anyone and believed that everyone had the right to make their own decisions.

"I'll think about it," Haruka replied, not wanting to make any rash choices on this matter either. After all, he didn't really see the need to stay in school just for a piece of paper that held absolutely no meaning down here, but like Makoto said, he didn't know what might happen that would change that in the future. "Thanks, Makoto."

A relieved smile appeared on Makoto's face, glad that his words hadn't unintentionally hurt or offended Haruka. But then there was a flash of hesitance in his eyes again as he mumbled, "Ah, I probably should have said this sooner but… I want you to live here as soon as possible, but I think we're not allowed to cohabitate until we're officially mated." His smile turned a bit sheepish as he shrugged, "Sorry, I think it's stupid but it's palace protocol."

Knowing the somewhat strict rules that Makoto had to follow when it came to certain aspects of his life, Haruka honestly wasn't surprised. He was sure that it would be different if it were up to Makoto, but unfortunately he didn't make the rules quite yet. "It's alright, it's not like you can help it either."

"If you do want to come live here right away then I'll arrange something for you, but I'm not sure if that would be something you'd like at this point in time," he offered, but Haruka shook his head.

"Thanks, but on second thought I think it's probably for the best if I keep returning to the surface for now, at least until we're mated," Haruka said. Despite having been so adamant earlier about coming here immediately, now that he had let things sink in a little he was able to think about it a bit more rationally. He generally wasn't someone who could easily deal with changes and although he had been coming here for about five years already, visiting a few hours per week wasn't the same as actually living here. Being the person that he was, he'd probably get overwhelmed if he threw himself into the deep end right away, especially since Makoto wouldn't be at his side constantly because he still had important business to take care of. "It's probably better for my body to try to get used to the tail one step at a time."

"Yeah," Makoto sighed softly as he gently ran his pigmented nails over Haruka's arm in a loving gesture, "Besides that, I'm sure it's not easy to just come live in a completely different world from one day to the other. Even though you say that there's nothing left for you on the surface, I think that you'd eventually come to miss things that haven't even crossed your mind now, because you didn't know it was going to be different here or because it was a habit or a hobby that you hadn't even thought about."

Once again, Makoto was right. It was a bit impulsive and immature of him to just claim that when he didn't even know what it was really going to be like to live here. That was why he knew that it was better for him if he gradually integrated in Makoto's realm so he knew what to expect when the time came for him to move here for real. There would surely be things that he would actually miss, but that was alright. He had already decided a long time ago that he would give it all up for the privilege of standing - or swimming - beside Makoto as an equal.

It was like the thoughts were written on his face because Makoto suddenly let go of his arms in favour of cradling his cheeks in his large hands. Their gazes held each other with such intensity that Haruka couldn't break away from it even if he had wanted to. But he didn't want to, because he could feel the significance being conveyed through Makoto's eyes, ever so beautiful and gentle yet holding a type of urgency that captured Haruka's full attention and interest.

"But Haru, I'm not asking you to choose," Makoto murmured, his tone deep and quiet yet the sound resonated so clearly in Haruka's ears that it made goosebumps erupt on the back of his neck and it made his heart beat faster like the whisper of an important secret. "I want you to come live here with me, to be my mate and to eventually rule beside me over the realm, but that doesn't mean that I want you to cut all ties with everyone and everything you love in the human world. On the contrary…"

In an unconscious need to return his touch, Haruka's hand wandered up to his face to cover Makoto's one with it and he folded his fingers over Makoto's palm, holding onto him with a desperate need for him to continue. The affectionate gesture made Makoto's eyes soften with fondness and adoration coated his voice when he resumed speaking.

"I want you to become part of my world, but in return, I want to become part of your world too," he declared solemnly, but then a giggle of joy destroyed his serious demeanour because the images that were dancing around in his head made him far too giddy to contain it. "I want to experience everything in your life, everything that is important to you; I want to see where you live and meet the people you love, I want to see your school and all the shops and the mall, I want to swim with you in the pool and walk along the beach with you- of course, you're going to have to teach me how to walk first but-"

"Makoto," Haruka interrupted with a gasp of disbelief, "Are you saying that…?"

"I made myself a necklace too," Makoto affirmed, face lit up like a Christmas tree, "It's not done yet, I'm still missing some components that are needed to complete it, but once it's finished… I'll have legs. I'll be able to turn into a human."

"Makoto!" Haruka exclaimed in surprise and he couldn't help but wrap his arms around Makoto's neck once again, making Makoto giggle at his excitement. He leaned his forehead against Haruka's, who in response nuzzled their noses together as he sighed, "You really went above and beyond with all of this, huh?"

"I'm glad you like it; anything for you," Makoto whispered sincerely and he couldn't stop himself from stealing a chaste kiss from his fiancé's lips. "Sorry if it's selfish of me to request all of this, though," Makoto said once he pulled away, "but I can't help but want to get to know every last part of you, especially the parts that remained out of my reach up until now."

"Don't apologise, it's not selfish," Haruka assured as he trailed his hand down over Makoto's spine, "I feel the exact same way. I want to show you my world and let you experience everything I hold dear, just like how I got to submerge myself in your life and your world. Our world."

Hearing that verbal affirmation made Makoto smile and Haruka felt like it was his turn to steal a kiss, so he did. The unadulterated love that was poured into even the briefest of contact warmed Haruka from the inside out, and he could feel the cloud of fuzziness manifesting beneath him again, to carry him forevermore as long as Makoto was by his side. It was strange how it only took one incredible angel to prove that there were no limits to the sheer amount of happiness one person was allowed to feel; Haruka had smiled more in the past hour than he had in his previous eighteen years of life, his being overflowing with emotion. But that wasn't too surprising considering Makoto was carving the smile right on his face with every little gesture of kindness and devotion, seeming so unaware of the immense impact that his mere presence had on Haruka.

Therefore, he couldn't help but want to return every droplet of affection that Makoto sent his way and he let his eyes slip shut as the stolen peck transformed into more, a kiss deeper than any of the others they shared before then. Because of the angle his long eyelashes brushed against Makoto's cheek in a ticklish butterfly kiss that would have coaxed a chuckle out of him in the very least if it weren't for the sensuality of Haruka's lips, that was the only thing that he could focus on.

The heat of the somewhat shy yet incredibly tantalising kiss left both of them breathless and ignited a fire in their stomachs that they shouldn't feed did they not wish for it to become uncontrollable. Although the figurative flames that were licking at their skin weren't unpleasant at all - quite the contrary - there was a time and a place for everything and unfortunately, it was not right here and now. So they regretfully broke apart before the fire could consume their consciousness and they lost themselves completely in the other's warmth and love.

Burning inside Makoto's eyes was the flame of love that Haruka could feel in his every touch, and though the embers of fierce heat and desire were still glowing brightly, it was kept alive mainly by the yearning for Haruka's soul, for his very being rather than his physical form. A sentiment that was once again entirely mutual, because no matter how attractive and desirable Makoto's appearance was to him, their love went far beyond just physical attraction - though it was certainly a nice bonus.

Unable to resist, Haruka pressed a playful yet loving kiss against Makoto's nose. The mere thought of showing Makoto his world filled him with delight and his mind already began to formulate a list of things that they couldn't miss out on; he was sure that in addition to things specifically connected to his life, Makoto would love to go to certain places like an amusement park or a cinema where they could watch a movie together, and they could go by train since Makoto had never experienced transportation like that before, and have candle-lit dinners that would cast a warm glow over his handsome features, and maybe afterwards as the sun began to sink into the horizon, they could take a long walk on the beach with their feet in the water and intertwined fingers.

Already planning their possible dates in his head, Haruka had to shake his head to clear his mind of the sappy thoughts. Makoto's necklace wasn't even done yet so this was no time to get ahead of himself and let his consciousness wander off or allow his fantasies to run wild prematurely. He really hoped that Makoto would be able to find his missing components soon though, because just the idea of everything he could show Makoto and the prospect of the beaming smile that would radiate off his gorgeous face made Haruka feel fuzzy inside.

Perhaps there were certain things about the human world that were a lot more special than he had initially taken them for, because they suddenly seemed so much more enjoyable and beautiful if he imagined Makoto by his side to experience those things together with.

"The components that you're missing," Haruka started, actually already knowing the answer to the question that he was about to ask, "Are they 'something human'?"

"Yes," Makoto replied with a small chuckle. "I didn't want to ruin the surprise by asking you for something, because that's so weird that you'd immediately get suspicious. But since you're the only human I know, I couldn't really make any progress until I asked you so it's been on hold for a little while."

"I see," Haruka mumbled, trying to seem like he was in deep contemplation but he couldn't stop the teasing smirk from breaking through his act. "Want me to cut off one of my toes?"

Emerald eyes widened in shock. "What?! No! Of course not!"

"It's alright, it'll grow back," he dismissed with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, biting his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing.

"What? No it won't!" Makoto argued with a large frown displayed on his stunning features, "Toes don't grow back!" Although he had seemed so convinced of that fact prior to this, Haruka's lingering silence made him begin to doubt everything he knew about humans and their bodies. "Wait, do they?"

The adorable look of utter confusion was the final straw and Haruka burst out in laughter.

"Haru!" Makoto complained with a pout, "Don't tease me like that!" Despite his disapproval, he really couldn't help the slight snort that left him because his soon-to-be-mate's laughter was far too endearing to keep it in.

"No, they don't actually grow back," Haruka admitted, amused smirk still playing at his lips, "but can't you make them grow back?"

"I really don't know but I'm definitely not trying it out on you!"

"I trust you enough to try it," he simply shrugged again, thinking that one single toe didn't really matter that much, especially not if it would grant Makoto the ability to change too. Besides, he had a tail now so it was not like he would even really miss it most of the time. "Even if you can't make it grow back, that's fine. I've got my tail now so sacrificing one toe for that is more than worth it. Though I wonder if my fins would look different if I missed a toe," Haruka trailed off, looking down at his flowing tail and wiggling his fins like he would with his toes.

"Haru, you may not care that much about one toe but I do," Makoto pressed on as he put his hand on Haruka's cheek once more in an attempt to get his point across, "I don't want you to sever a body part or maim yourself in any way just so I can have legs. I don't want it like that. We'll find something else… maybe some skin from one of your legs? Your skin sheds too right?"

"Yes," Haruka replied as he lifted his hand and entwined Makoto's fingers with his, "but that's so gradually that I can't exactly just give you some just like that because I don't even notice it. I'd have to scrape some off for that to work."

"Oh," he mumbled in disappointment at the only pain-free option he could think of being impossible, and he grasped his chin with his free hand as he hummed in contemplation.

"Makoto," Haruka called to get his attention again, staring up at him with determination twinkling in his eyes. "Whatever it is you need of me, I'll give it to you. I don't care if it hurts or-"

"But I care!" Makoto objected, his voice raised in concern, "I really want legs but I don't want you to suffer just so I can get them."

"But you suffered for me too, right? You gave me this tail and it caused you a lot of pain and effort, not just by ripping out your scale but also by years of hard work just to be able to do this. My pain would only be there for a second at most, so don't try to tell me that that's even remotely the same as what you went through. And it's going to be so worth it; one second of pain for decades of having legs," Haruka reasoned, not understanding why Makoto was being so stubborn about this.

His pain wouldn't even begin to match up to the pain and hardships that Makoto went through and although the thought of Makoto hurting himself to get him this tail was still a nauseating one, Haruka knew that that one moment of pain was worth all the years they got to spend together as mates. Pain was never fun, but in their situation, sacrifices had to be made and compared to selling your voice to a sea witch and potentially dying within three days, this was nothing. Especially not when he knew for sure that Makoto could take the pain away in an instant like he had before; this would surely be no different than tripping and scraping his knee open on the pavement.

Despite the fact that Haruka's words made a lot of sense, Makoto still didn't look fully convinced, so Haruka let go of his hand in favour of gently grabbing Makoto's face so their eye-contact would be maintained as he spoke the truth that they both already knew, but that Makoto needed to hear anyway.

"Makoto, look at me," he said with a soft sense of urgency, "look at everything you've given me; a ring, a necklace, a tail… a whole world and a life with you. And I have nothing for you in return. Let me give you this."

"But Haru," Makoto sighed lovingly as his hand inevitably found Haruka's again and he pressed a kiss against Haruka's palm, "you've already given me everything I've ever wanted: your heart."

"I haven't given you that," Haruka murmured with a small shake of his head. "You stole it the very first day and it has belonged to you ever since."

When he realised how embarrassing his words actually were, blood rapidly rushed to his cheeks and he averted his eyes. His pulse quickened and as the owner of his heart, Makoto must have felt it too because he let out a frustrated groan and drew Haruka in for a tight hug, circling his tail around Haruka's once more.

How in the heavens was Makoto going to survive actually living together with Haruka? His fiancé was already way too cute as it was, how was he going to handle being around him the entire time when all the little things he said and did never ceased to make Makoto's own heart melt? He was surely going to die sooner or later, and he knew that there wouldn't be a better way to go than at the hand of endearment.

"Alright, you win," Makoto gave in like he pretty much always would eventually. There was simply no way he could reject Haruka when it came to things like this, and the victorious grin that adorned Haruka's face told him that he was fully aware of it too. He truly had Makoto wrapped around his finger. "We'll talk more about the whole leg-situation later."

A sweet kiss was planted on Haruka's forehead and if there was anyone who was going to have a hard time staying alive with these constant gestures of adoration, it was Haruka. Even after Makoto had given him everything his heart desired and more, he just continued adding onto that with his gentle touches and tender kisses. There was no way he could ever repay Makoto, but that didn't mean that he would ever stop trying. So in return he kissed Makoto's cheek before he affectionately nuzzled his nose against the skin his lips just left an invisible yet imprinting mark on.

"Not that I don't love and appreciate it, because I do," Haruka said once he pulled back, not wanting to seem ungrateful when that most certainly wasn't the case, "but why did you make me both a necklace and a ring? If it doesn't matter what merpeople give as long as it's special, just the ring would have sufficed for both the human and the merfolk proposal. You really didn't need to go through all the extra trouble."

"I've thought about it, but I wanted the gift to be special by it enabling you to turn into a merman and I didn't think the ring would be able to hold that much magic. Unless I gave you a massive ring it wouldn't have been big enough, and I didn't think you would like that," Makoto explained, and Haruka nodded because he was right; he wasn't much of a jewelry person to begin with - though that had definitely changed now - so he much preferred a smaller, subtle yet still gorgeous ring over a massive flashy one. Not that he wouldn't have cherished that type of ring if Makoto had given him that, but Makoto knew him well enough that he tailored the ring to suit his tastes. "Besides," Makoto continued, "it's no trouble if it's for you."

The sincerity in both his enchanting emeralds and the mesmerising melody of his voice was very clear and it made Haruka's heart sing with everlasting fondness. "Well, thank you. I really do love and appreciate it." To further show Makoto how thankful he was, he pressed a chaste yet tender kiss against his full lips. "Don't you think your family would mind, though?" he questioned then, because no matter how touched he was by this emotional day with all of these special events and gifts, he'd feel bad if it caused problems for Makoto. When Makoto tilted his head in confusion, he elaborated, "That you used so much magic for me."

"I don't think so," Makoto said, shaking his head a little. "As long as I don't neglect my duties and it doesn't affect my work, I don't think it really matters. Besides, I'm likely not the first and definitely not the last member of royalty to ever use my powers for selfish purposes, and as long as I don't abuse them everything should be fine. If you have them, why not use them?"

"That's a good point," Haruka agreed, smiling gently and thinking to himself that it was probably for the best that he didn't actually have any magic powers, because he might abuse them for personal gain. Not that he wouldn't help others if needed, but he would also surely start fires beneath the surface to get the freshest and most delicious salt-grilled mackerel he'd ever tasted. Perhaps he could convince Makoto to do it for him anyway, but that would be asking for a bit too much right now. "By the way, does your family even know about this?" Haruka asked as he let Makoto go in favour of gesturing around him, to himself and the glade surrounding them, "About all of this?"

"I haven't told them," Makoto muttered with a small snort of reminiscence, "but Ran and Ren swam in on me once when I was making the necklace, and news travels fast down here if the twins have the intel, so by now everyone in the entire realm probably knows that I was making a mating present. And my family knows me well enough to know that it couldn't have been anyone but you, so that's not going to be much of a surprise. But that you're also a merman now will be though, so they're probably going to be really shocked when they see you."

"Can't wait to see their reaction," Haruka mumbled, already visualising the astonished expressions that would be on everyone's faces and he could almost hear the excited yelling of the twins already.

"I really can't wait either. I'm sure they're all going to love it. Although they already expected me to choose you as a mate, I don't think they would have thought we were going to make it work like this so I wonder what they're going to say." The ecstatic grin was radiating off his face, lighting up every part of not only himself, but every part of Haruka as well just from witnessing it. He was so incredibly glad and proud that he could finally introduce Haruka to people as his mate-to-be instead of just his best friend, because truthfully, they had always been more than just best friends. "Shall we go back?"

"Not yet. I don't think I can handle swimming all the way back to the palace just yet," Haruka said, and although his words did hold a point of truth, it wasn't the full reason why he didn't want to go back yet either. Once they returned to the palace and announced their engagement, he knew they would be bombarded with questions and attention and they wouldn't have even a minute alone anymore until he had to leave for the day. And after years of pining and now finally being able to let all his affection flow freely, he yearned for just another moment with his fiancé alone.

An understanding smile graced Makoto's features, easily reading the real reason in Haruka's eyes. "Alright, we'll take it slowly on the way back then," he murmured softly, his words holding an underlying meaning that was no enigma to Haruka either. Their desire to be alone with each other was entirely mutual, because letting one another go seemed like an impossible task at this moment. "Would you like to stay over tonight?" Makoto wondered, desperate to prolong the time they had together, "We're not allowed to cohabitate just yet, but I don't think there's anything in the palace's rules about sleepovers."

"I'd love to," Haruka answered as the wide and excited smile beamed off his face at the thought of getting to fall asleep in Makoto's arms.

Naturally their bodies found each other again, gravitating towards each other like the sea and the shore, never truly apart even when they weren't near. Their lips met again and again in an exchange of passion, promises of commitment and eternal devotion being conveyed through the loving touch as their arms tightened around the other's body, their tails rubbing together in a way that Haruka had never imagined would be so wonderful.

But that wasn't the only thing he had never imagined; just a few hours ago, when he decided to go to their cave despite not having agreed to meet up with Makoto, he never would have thought that Makoto would propose to him and that they would be kissing each other breathless at this very moment, not to mention the fact that he would change species and finally transform into the creature he had always been on the inside.

Although there was still some time until then, Haruka already couldn't wait for these waves of affection and undying love to become constant; he couldn't wait to start the first day of the rest of their lives together as mates, as rulers of the seven seas but mainly as rulers of each other's heart.

---

A/N: Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

As you can clearly see, this fic ran away with me a lot and it got a lot longer than I anticipated. I wanted it to be a cute little fic but instead in turned into this monster. With universes like these, I can't help but want to overexplain everything and I kind of did that here too, even though there are still a bunch of things that I didn't mention (like merpeople in this universe don't have gills, but they have some sort of filter in their lungs that allows them to breathe both in the water and on land and eating the seaweed made Haruka get that filter too.) I think I really overdid it with the sap this time, but I hope that you enjoyed nonetheless and if you did, I'd love to hear it.

As always you can find me on Tumblr and Twitter DatHeetJoella for more MakoHaru content in-between posting and updating.

Thank you once again for reading, I hope to see you around next time too and for now, I wish you all a lovely day!