it's such a pain to transfer this over like why wont my italics transfer lol orz
The first time Izuku ever saw a human was when he was eight years old. Since he was able to swim by himself, his mother tells him, he'd been an adventurous little child. More often than not, she'd lose track of him
Today was one of those days
Izuku isn't sure why he leaves his home so late at night or why he feels a pull towards the surface but he follows it, excited. His mother has told him countless times never to go out there, that there are humans. Terrible creatures that resemble them but that want to hurt them for fun. He finds it hard to believe such a creature exists
On the day he goes to the surface, he forgets all about the stories he's heard. Instead, he pokes his head out of the water and looks around, wondering what is calling him. It's eerily quiet and the beach is empty. He's close enough to the human town he's heard his father talk about but everyone must be asleep too because he doesn't see anyone and nothing but the quiet laps of the water moves.
He looks up at the sky and falls in love with the view. It's not the first time he's seen it but from above the water, it's clearer. Brighter. And he giggles, looks like the freckles on his body his mother likes to count. Except lots and lots more, everywhere he looks! He wants to stay out there and just stare at the stars and the moon, which is full that night, but the wind nips at his face and shoulders. He sinks a bit more into the water so that only his shoulders are under. The tug he felt is still there and he wonders if it was just curiosity that made him want to come
That's when he sees the creature out and away from the beach. He's not sure what it is but it's over in the direction where he came from. It's too dark to see what it is and suddenly he's curious, is that what his magic wanted him to see? He squints, trying to make sense of it but it just looks like a giant shadow. He's about to go back, take a closer look, when he hears a soft pitter patter
Unconsciously, he moves to hide under the dock
The patter becomes louder until the surface Izuku is hiding under rattles with the weight. His heart is in his throat. What if his mother had been right? What if the humans were going to come get him? He didn't want to get eaten! His body wants to submerge itself, hide in the water, but his curiosity is too much. Izuku compromises, leaving only his eyes above and staying completely still
It's quiet again and Izuku wonders if it's safe to move when all of a sudden someone screams, "Ha! I knew they would be back before dawn. As if that old hag could trick me."
The volume of the voice startles Izuku and he splashes
"Who's there?" the voice shouts, weary, and Izuku is not prepared for the boy's face that hangs from the docks before he can even move, "Who are you? Why are you in the water? Did you fall? You do know it's dangerous to be in the water at night, right?"
Izuku feels his brain malfunction, "Ah...uh...No, I mean yes," he's backing up and then hits one of the dock's legs
The other boy snickers, "What's your name?"
Izuku can't help the blush that settles on his face. Was this what his magic wanted him to see? "I...Izuku!"
The boy makes a noise and then his head disappears. He quickly relocates so that he's by Izuku and surely this human can't eat him! They look to be about the same size, or maybe Izuku is a little bigger but only because his tail is long.
The boy is sprawled on his stomach and grins at him from the edge, "My name's Katsuki. Why are you in the water?"
"I...fell?" he's not sure what to say but he knows he can't tell Katsuki the real reason he's in the water. He might not believe Katsuki will eat him but everyone at home knows not to tell humans what they are
The boy laughs again, "You don't sound sure, come on. The sea can be mean and it'll eat you!"
Izuku frowns at the hand that's stretched out towards him, "No it won't."
"It will! Especially at night!" Izuku is about to deny it but finds the other boy grinning and he smiles too.
"Why are you here? Are you waiting for it?" Izuku asks, pointing at the creature that has gotten bigger in the short time they've spoken
"Uh-huh! My dad is on there. He's coming back from work," Katsuki answers, letting his hand fall into the water, "Is it deep in there? That old hag never lets me come out this far."
"Old hag?" Izuku asks, blinking.
Katsuki rolls his eyes, "My mother. But she's like really old."
Izuku laughs and Katsuki just stares at him, "You're really cute. Hey, do you live in town?"
The compliment makes Izuku flush and he's about to change the subject again when he feels the water lapping against his shoulders. The calm from before is gone and the waves are starting to come in stronger. Katsuki sits up, frowning at the water and yells, "Izuku! You have to get out!"
He offers his hand again but the water gets even more violent, splashing into the dock and soaking Katsuki. Izuku feels something tugging him back into the water. This time the magic pull is different. It doesn't come from Izuku but from...home? He's not entirely sure but he listens and lets himself be submerged. He hears Katsuki call out his name and he hopes the other boy heads back to the shore
Katsuki's heart is beating too quickly and he's usually not scared but right now he is. The boy, where did Izuku go?! He calls out again but the boy doesn't surface and like Katsuki warned him, the water was dangerous. It's getting really bad, bad enough where Katsuki needs to keep wiping off his face to see. He feels some water get into his mouth and he starts crawling back to the beach. If he falls in too, who would get help? He's being careful but also going as quickly as he can. He's sure his mother is already up and trying to find him. She's sure to figure out where he went
When he makes it to the beach he turns to the water and feels his stomach plummet. The water is dark, the waves are splashing violently, and there's even lightning starting to strike. It's not just Izuku he's worried about now but his father. But he shakes his head, there are talented people with him, they won't let him get hurt!
He tries to run back home but finds it hard to run. The air has gotten strong and there's even sand getting into his eyes and mouth, sticking to his clothes. He spits and right when he thinks he's about to be blown away, someone lifts him up and he's moving again. He knows who it is immediately and circles her neck and waist, "He's still out there! You have to help!"
His mother crushes his face to her shoulder and runs up the stone steps that lead to the shops in town, but Katsuki doesn't let up, "Izuku fell in the water!"
He can hear his mother curse and she lets him down once they reach the top, "Stay here! I want to find you in this very spot when I come back, okay?" Katsuki doesn't even have time to nod when his mother starts heading back down, this time with some of the guards from home.
Many of the villagers have come outside to see the commotion the sea is making while others peer curiously and with fear from their windows. One old man stands next to Katsuki almost unperturbed and with a sigh he says, "The merking is angry, I tell ya, Angry."
And just as quickly as the sea became violent, it stopped and calmed. One of the guards from home comes up to him and hands him a bottled water, which Katsuki all but rips into. He cleans out his mouth and then drinks the rest. There's a lot of whispering, worries about Lady Mitsuki having gone back to the storm, about Lord Masaru still at sea. Katsuki wants to shout at them all to shut up, they're strong, they'll be back soon but his father has told him many times that the sea is unpredictable. Instead he scowls. They wait a bit longer and the storm doesn't come back. Instead, one of the guards that went with his mother comes back and Katsuki feels his stomach drop. Where is his mother?
The guard waves and the one who handed Katsuki the water waves back, "Let's go Prince," the man says right before picking him up. Katsuki wants to shout that he doesn't need help but he's still afraid. Why did the guard come back by himself?
They head back to the beach and when he sees his mother over by the dock where he'd been talking with Izuku he squirms in the guard's hold. The man lets him down and Katsuki runs over to his mother and he knows he nearly knocks her down but he can't help the tears and trembles
His mother sighs but rubs his shoulder and head, "Shhh, come on Katsuki. It's okay, come on, chin up twerp."
Katsuki's face is lifted and his mother cleans his face on her shirt, "How ugly, are you really going to show your dad this face? They're almost home, see?"
Katsuki sniffles and calms, his mother is right. He turns to the sea and the lump in his throat comes back, "Did you find Izuku?"
His mother's smile fades, "Honey, there was nobody else here."
Katsuki shakes his head, "He was here! We talked! He was over there, he said he fell!"
His mother looks over to the end of the dock and her eyes widen. If the boy had been that far in, and with this storm…She looks to her Captain and the man has the same look. She crouches down to look Katsuki in the eye, "Katsuki. We're going to keep looking but if he was down that far…you know the sea is dangerous, right?"
Katsuki feels his lip tremble and he bites down in it. He knows what she's trying to say but if only he'd pulled him out the first time, if only he'd been more insistent, if only…
His mother hugs him and he realizes he's crying
The days following the storm Katsuki is relentless in his search. His mother and the palace guards had the place searched once the sun came up but nothing could be found. Masaru had been confused but Mitsuki had pulled him aside, explaining the situation, and Katsuki hated the comforting rub on his shoulder.
But that wasn't the only thing on his mind. He thought someone would have contacted the guards, would have demanded to speak with his parents about the disappeared boy. Nobody except Katsuki demanded he be found. Was Izuku an orphan? Is that why Katsuki had never seen him before? Or why nobody asked about the boy? Part of him couldn't believe it. Yes the boy had been shirtless, something he only realized after, but he had also looked healthy. His face nice and round and his eyes sparkling. He'd seen the orphan kids and they didn't have those sparks in their eyes
After three days his mother stopped the search for the boy. They'd checked the whole beach to see if maybe Izuku had washed up somewhere further out. No lost boy, no footprints, no clothes, nothing. Katsuki frowned. He knew he hadn't imagined Izuku!
"I'm going out!" Katsuki yelled out as he ran outside. He could hear his mother yelling but he ignored her. He continued to run until he was out by the docks again, heading to the one all the way at the end where Izuku and he spoke.
He sat by the edge, frowning at the calm water as if it hadn't tried to destroy everything in its path just a few days ago
Water was untamed and unpredictable, his father had told him. That stormy night had been sudden, his father confessed. The sailors on deck had all been frantic, yelling about how clear the night had been only seconds ago, and trying to keep the ship from going under. Masaru had even been tied up, don't want ya flyin off deck m'lord. That had made Katsuki laugh and Masaru smiled at finally getting something other than tears from his son. He had tucked the boy in and before he left he'd confessed, "But I think what saved us was All Might's grace."
"All Might?" Katsuki had frowned, his eyes itchy from all the (he scowled) crying he'd done
Masaru nodded, "Yes. They say he's the ruler of the sea."
Katsuki hadn't thought much about that until now, remembering the old man that had walked over and stood next to him. Merking is what he'd mumbled. He tried the word out and found he didn't like it. It felt so childish
"Whatever," he scoffed and walked out onto the dock, looking at the water, willing those green eyes and freckles to come out. The water was clear and void of anyone
The next day Katsuki tries something different. He woke up before dawn and only barely escaped his house to try and find Izuku. He wanted to punch himself for not thinking about this sooner! They had met at night, so why hadn't he tried to go out there then? He felt excitement run through his veins and wasn't sure where it came from. Merking
He shook his head. No, that was just a tale sailors liked to gossip about. But if it were true…then Izuku is okay!
The sea is calm again, the waves light, the town void of noise. This time he came prepared, his swimming shorts tight on his hips. He takes off his shirt and starts walking into the water. He knows how to swim so he's not afraid.
"…you know the sea is dangerous, right?"
"The sea can be mean and it'll eat you!"
"No it won't."
Katsuki isn't sure why but he believes Izuku's calm words. He'd been so certain. Only someone who truly believed that could speak that way. He wasn't even halfway down the dock's length when he starts to feel the water lapping at his collar. He takes a few more steps and then finds he's nearly on his toes. Izuku had made it look so simple!
He takes a couple deep breaths and then continues forward, close enough to the dock where he could just swim to one of the legs and climb it.
It takes him awhile but he finally makes it to where Izuku had fallen. Katsuki needs to keep his hands and feet moving slightly to stay above and he wonders how Izuku, who looked like he'd just been standing there (which wasn't possible unless he had mile-long legs!), had stayed afloat. Katsuki leans against the dock's leg to steady the water around him in hopes of getting some clue
And that's when he sees something shiny in the water. He blinks at it and then he's grinning. Oh, he was going to rub this in his mother's face for sure! And maybe the Captain's. Katsuki takes a deep breath and then swims to the bottom, realizing that what had caught his attention wasn't one item but three scattered around. He picked them all up and then breaks the surface, gasping for breath
He's about to investigate the clue when hands roughly grab him from under his arms and pull him out of the water. He screams, not just because of the rough treatment but because he'd almost dropped the items back into the water
"You shitty ungrateful little fucker!" his mother yells furiously and Katsuki's first thought is well that took longer than expected
"Do you know how dangerous this little stunt is?! Well?" she smacks him on the head and he yells back
"That hurt ya old hag!" he places the items in his pockets and rubs his head, tears stinging his eyes because ok, his mother hits hard
They both glare at each other for a second before his mother's eyes soften and Katsuki finds himself in his mother's embrace, "Please Katsuki, anything but this. You know the sea is dangerous, I can't lose you."
Katsuki starts to feel bad and grabs his mother's sleeping clothes. He mirrors Izuku's words, "No it won't."
They sit there for awhile, his mother rubbing his hair, his face, his arms, checking his eyes, and he lets her fuss over him. But when she pinches his cheek he draws the line and swats her arm away. They both stand up to head back and Katsuki finally notices his father standing there with Katsuki's shirt and a blanket in his hands, a smile on his face
Once morning came, Mitsuki found herself slightly worried. The physician had looked over Katsuki as soon as they'd returned and everything looked to be fine. He hadn't swallowed any water, no scrapes or bruises, and he hadn't been out in the cold long enough to warrant a cold. She'd made sure to keep an eye on him as he slept, in case he got a fever but he was nice and healthy
Which is why she didn't understand why he still hadn't left his room
Since the storm, Katsuki had been out of the palace nonstop. His personal guard had reported his frequent visits into town, twice to the orphanage, and every day to the docks where she'd found him a few hours ago. Where, she felt bile rise to her mouth, a little boy had disappeared. It wasn't unheard of for people to drown or disappear into the sea but this was the first time it had happened to someone her son's age
When she'd seen Katsuki submerge she'd panicked and ran over to him, afraid the same would happen to him
She sighed and rubbed her head, "He's going to give me premature wrinkles!"
Heading over to his room, she was surprised to find Katsuki transfixed by some…shells? "You planning to get out of bed today?"
Katsuki looks over to her and then sighs, sitting up, "They're the same color" is all he says
Mitsuki sits on his bed, "What are you talking about?"
Katsuki places the shells he was looking at on the white of his bed and Mitsuki frowns. These weren't shells. She picks one up and is surprised by how smooth the surface of this…scale was. It looked like a scale and it was much bigger than any she'd ever seen. It was almost as big as her thumb. She picked up another and found that one to be slightly more translucent but just as beautiful
"They're the same color as Izuku's eyes," Katsuki answered absent-minded, picking up another and just staring
Each scale was a different shade of green and each time he decided one looked like the correct green of Izuku's eyes, something would make him hesitate. Like when the light shone on them and the greens changed and he was reminded of Izuku's laugh. Or when he first looked at them and they were deep greens, almost bordering on black
Mitsuki paused and just stared at her son. Was he "…smitten?"
Katsuki snapped out of it and glared at his mother, "The hell?"
And then Mitsuki had the biggest grin on her face and amusement danced in her eyes, "Really, I thought I'd have to wait until I was an actual hag before you fell in love. Is my little boy already growing into a man?"
A blush colored Katsuki's face, "I'm not a kid! And what the fuck are you talking about?! Go away!"
After a bit of teasing and a pillow thrown her way, Mitsuki finally left her son's room. She was happy her son was so lively again but she was afraid of his optimism. She knew Katsuki wasn't a liar, so this Izuku kid must have been out there. But if so, then he was surely gone.