I hopped out of the pool and stared at the Aquarius who was sitting on the bench. Said Aquarius never went in the pool, if he could avoid it. If he did, he had a t-shirt on. I couldn't imagine why. I never saw much movement of the shirt, even though Eridan's gills were on his sides. Eridan had to come up for air, albeit not as much, but still. Feferi could swim laps around the pool and never once come up for air. She and Meenah would have conversations while they were lapping, and get out of the pool laughing about something nobody heard.
But that's not what we're focused on.
Eridan looked at his dad, the swim coach. His dad was giving him the "get the fuck in the goddamn pool" look. Eridan swore to himself and stood up. He walked into the locker rooms and walked back out in his swim trunks. His dad nodded at him and he dove into the pool. I swam over to him and watched him freestyle over to the shallower end like he always did. I followed him.
"No fucking shirt today?"
Eridan crossed his arms. "I didn't think you'd be swwimmin' this mornin', Vantas."
It was then I noticed. Eridan's gills didn't look like Meenah's or Feferi's. Eridan had long lines going down his sides that looked like where his skin was stretched out. His gills had the lines in them too, but where the lines were, instead of looking stretched, his gills were closed. I understood why he had to go up for air. I understood why his shirt almost never moved when he was swimming. I understood why he hung out in the shallow end. His gills weren't right. He got out of the pool and walked over to his dad. He opened his mouth to say something. Eridan's dad grabbed him by his sides and launched him into the deep end. I saw bubbles come flying up and then nothing. I also saw a huge cloud of purple come up through the water. I swore and launched myself over to the deep end. I opened my eyes underwater, not caring if my colored contacts came out. I saw Eridan holding his sides, coughing and choking. Blood was coming out of his gills, along with bubbles. I hooked my arms around him and pulled him toward the surface. He kicked me and got away. His sides had stopped bleeding and there was an unsteady stream of bubbles coming from him.
"It always happens when he does that." Eridan's voice came out garbled slightly by the lack of air he and I both had.
We kicked up to the surface. Eridan gasped and spluttered when we got to the surface. He sounded like he was choking. I looked at him. He just shook his head and got out of the pool. His father walked over to where he was and grabbed his wrist so hard Eridan winced. There was a steady stream of purple coming from his malformed gills. His dad turned his wrist over and got in his face to whisper something to Eridan. Eridan shook his head and said something back. His dad viciously jabbed two fingers into Eridan's side and he hissed. He probably would have collapsed sideways but his dad was holding him up by his wrist.
"Disgraceful, mutated, idiotic child. Get in the pool and swim before I get back." His dad said, spitting on Eridan before launching him into the pool and walking out.
Eridan hit the water with a loud splashing sound and slowly floated, face-up, to the surface of the pool. His gills weren't moving, but his chest was heaving in an attempt to get air. His eyes were shut and his mouth was slightly open. His gills were sealed shut. I pulled him to the side of the pool and pushed him up on the wall. His gills unsealed and his eyes opened. He retched sideways, coughing and spluttering. The properly formed gills on the sides of his neck were fluttering furiously, trying to get more air. I hopped out of the pool and put my hands on his shoulders.
"Can't… Breathe…" Eridan wheezed.
Fuck. Fuck shit goddamn fuck. Eridan had his hands on his throat, trying to close his gills.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"Gills… water… normal lungs…. Land."
I didn't understand but put my hands on his sides. If he was closing his gills, he was going to need four hands. My finger accidently skimmed the inside of his gills and he yelped.
"Sorry! It was an fucking accident, I didn't fucking mean to-"
"Shut up…" Eridan's face was slowly turning purple.
I pressed gently with the palms of my hands and I felt his gills flutter and start sealing shut beneath my hands. Once his gills were totally sealed, Eridan fell backward. His eyes were shut and his face was slowly turning gray again. His chest was heaving. Fuckass sea dweller… I shook his shoulders and his eyes opened. He pushed me away and sat up. He looked exhausted, and we still had a full day of school ahead of us.
"Thanks, Kar…"
"Why does that fuckass do that? He's your dad for fuck's sake!"
Eridan's face fell and the look in his eyes could only be described as abandoned. "He w-wanted a son w-who could live his dream of being an Olympic sw-swimmer for him. W-When my mom had me, he thought I w-would be able to."
"What the hell happened to your fucking gills?"
"W-When I w-was little, my mom and I got into a car crash. My mom died and I ended up in the hospital. Pieces of the w-windshield w-went through my sides and they had to seal my gills partially."
"So your dad fucking hates you for something you couldn't fucking control?"
"No. He hates me because I don't let him w-walk all ov-ver me like he thinks he should."
