Hello~ This is an AkaKuro mermaid fanfic and I hope you enjoy c: (*THIS A BOYxBOY STORY* If you don't like it please don't read it.) I have only seen the anime and read volume 1 of the manga and a few bits later in it out of interest. It is taking me longer to read since I am buying them and reading them in Japanese to help with my reading skill. So please forgive me if there is OOC-ness and just let me know c:

I don't own KnB and its characters. Just the plot and any OC characters mentioned in the story if there are any.

Please Enjoy~
Reviews are much appreciated :D

Of the Sea and Surface

Kuroko loved to swim outside of the castle grounds where he could swim in peace and alone. Inside the castle he felt suffocated by the duties of a prince. He's at the age where his father is pushing inheriting the kingdom on him, but Kuroko didn't want that. He wasn't sure what he wanted. But what he did know was that he didn't want to be in charge of ruling the huge city in the sea and ruling over thousands of other mer-people. He was more of a 'work out of the spotlight' kind of guy and being the king would put him right in the center of it.

Kuroko was proud of being a merman and a prince. But he always held curiosity about the ones who dwelled on the surface. His father had always drilled it in his head that the surface was a horrible place that no one should ever go to. But Kuroko couldn't think that way about something he's never experienced himself. It was like a whole new world up there. A place where they didn't swim and some didn't even know how to swim. He wanted to go to the surface and see that world that was 'so dangerous' and see what exactly made his father think that way.

As he was along the current relaxing and just looking up to the surface he saw the shadow of a ship not too far away and heading closer for the shore. It was a huge ship from what Kuroko could tell as he continued to stare. If his father knew what he was about to do, he would never be let out of the castle again. Kuroko stopped swimming, took a glance around to make sure he was alone, and then started to swim to the ship. Kuroko swam to a distance that wasn't too close to where he was in danger and swam to the surface. He poked his head out of the water just a little so his eyes and light blue hair stuck out so he could see the ship. It was a nice ship and very good condition. Huge masts with sails hanging down in the wind.

Kuroko could hear voices from on the ship yelling and giving orders. He couldn't understand them very well from the sound of the waves and wind clashing in his hearing. Another reason he couldn't understand very well was because those on shore spoke a different language than those of the sea. Kuroko was taught a little bit of it in the castle as he grew up but he never put the information to the test since he had never encountered a human before. Hearing it in real life rather than a textbook was a huge difference. Kuroko swam to some rocks ahead and to the side of the ship to wait for it to approach. At the rocks he lifted himself up so he could see a little over the sides and onto the deck of the oncoming ship. He saw humans bustling around doing different jobs to prepare the ship to enter the port. One man on the ship stuck out among all of them, even at this distance. He had bright red hair that contrasted greatly with the blues and browns of the scene. He stood on the higher part of the deck and watched as the others went about their jobs. Kuroko stared at the man from the rock, intrigued by the brightness of the hair. As he stared the man suddenly looked up and straight at the sky blue eyes of Kuroko without hesitating. Kuroko locked eyes with the man and immediately ducked behind the rocks hoping the man didn't see him.

Kuroko waited and listened as the ship reached the rocks and began to pass. Wanting to get another look, Kuroko looked out from behind the rocks to watch the ship. As his eyes scanned up the sides of the ship became locked with mix-matched eyes boring into his. Kuroko leapt back from the rock a little in surprise but was unable to take his gaze away. Those eyes, one of a bright crimson and a golden yellow belonged to the same with the red hair from earlier. They stared at each other taking, each other in from fascination, unable to look away.

The man on the ship looked the merman up and down and a smirk grew on his face. He knew merpeople existed but he never had seen one up close. But now he's had the chance of seeing a beautiful creature with sky blue hair and they eyes to match and he wanted to see him all. No one else on the ship noticed the boy in the sea, only himself. But he was glad. The boy was beautiful to Akashi and he wanted it all to himself.

"Captain!" A voice cut through the air on the ship. The voice brought Akashi and Kuroko from their staring and back to the real world. Kuroko became aware of everything and hurriedly ducked into the water and swam off. But not before Akashi could catch a glimpse of the end of his tail. From what he could see it was light blue like his hair and eyes and had some pinks and light purples mixed in. Akashi drew himself from the rail of the ship to attend to his crew now that his little merman was gone.

Kuroko quickly swam through the water and to the castle. His heart was racing as a set of mixed eyes wouldn't leave his brain. That was the first time he's seen a human so clearly and it was more than he expected. Kuroko couldn't get enough of just looking at him and observing. What had surprised him the most was that the man noticed him so easily. No one had ever noticed him so easily, even when they were right next to him. Seeing the human made Kuroko all excited as he swam into the castle and to his room.

'Cap-tain?' Kuroko repeated to himself remembering the voice he heard. He wanted to know that word of the humans and knew just the man to ask. Kuroko swam off looking for a certain red-headed friend in the castle.

"Kagami-kun" Kuroko said softly as he swam up next to the man. Kagami yelped in surprised and turned to the prince.

"What's up Kuroko?" Kagami asked as he placed down some papers. Kagami was an assistant of the king who usually watched after Kuroko and was in charge of dealings with those on the surface. He was much bigger than Kuroko in build but was only a few years older. He always protected Kuroko and guided him like he was his own little brother.

"What's "cap-tain"?" Kuroko asked, trying his best to repeat the word from earlier. Kagami looked at him a little confused at first but then understood.

"Captain? That's a human word- it means the person in charge of the ship and crew. Where did you hear that? One of the books in the library?" Kagami asked as he began getting a bag together.

Kuroko hesitated a little in his response. He wanted to tell Kagami what happened so badly but he knew Kagami would get mad. He might have to go to surface and interact with humans but Kuroko knew Kagami didn't like them very well.

"Yeah." Kuroko lied as he watched Kagami finish packing his bag. "Where are you going?" he questioned.

"Gotta head up to the shore for a few dealings with the humans. They seem to be fishing in a spot where the kids of the kingdom love to play and the kings worried about the ships being around the area. Shouldn't take too long." Kagami explained as he put his bag across his body and grabbed a little vial and took a quick sip from it. "Gotta hurry. See yah later Kuroko!" Kagami called as he quickly swam from the room. Kuroko followed his friend slowly as he watched him swim to the surface. Kagami's red tail began to glow but it quickly faded. Legs replaced his tail as he reached the surface. Kuroko watched in wonder at his friend who had just became human in seconds. He knew Kagami managed it somehow but didn't know it was so easy or how it happened. He read that humans needed to breather air in order to live so he thought that was why Kagami rushed to the surface.

Kuroko watched his friend swim away and onto the shore. Kuroko envied this part of Kagami's job since he had always wanted to have a taste of the human world. Kuroko entered the room Kagami had left from and eyed the little bottle he had drank from. It seemed like a normal bottle with nothing important in it. There was a purple liquid that filled half of the bottle inside.

'It won't hurt for a few hours, right?' Kuroko asked himself as he eyed the bottle. He swam up to it and grabbed it in his hands. 'Here goes noting….' He thought as he quickly took sip and swam to the surface, clutching the bottle in his hands, not leaving it. He swam quicker as he felt his tail begin to tingle and his breathing became harder. The tingling grew and his swimming became slower and slower. His breath was running out but thankfully he was almost at the surface. As soon as his head broke through the water he took a big breath in like he read in the books. Humans breathed through their mouth and nose so he focused on letting air in and out while keeping his head up. He continuously moved his arms and legs from fear of sinking under and not being able to come up.

After a few minutes of getting the hang of swimming and having his breathing calm down he began slowly swimming for shore. It was sunset so Kuroko could see the lights of the town ahead. The port was full and the town seemed busy. He swam for a secluded part of the shore covered with huge rocks and a cliff near it. As he swam closer he reached to where his feet would hit the sand and his body was big enough to constantly be out of the water. He tried to stand on his feet like he learned in the books but when he tried he wobbled and fell down into the water. Kuroko wiped the water from his face and drug himself out of the water, using the waves to help him. When he got his body mostly out of the water he sat with his legs extended as they still reached the little waves of the shore. He took in the sight of his new legs where his tail had been minutes earlier. They were the same length of his tail and pale just like his skin was. Kuroko ran his hands over them and down to his toes.

'Five on each just like the books said' He thought as he continued to feel his skin. He put his legs back out straight and tried standing again but in a slower pace. Kuroko first got himself on his knees with a little struggle and lifted one knee and then the other to stand. He wobbled at first but used his arms on a big rock next to him to steady himself. He kept his grip on the rock as he tried to take a step. When he put his foot down in front of him and went to take another he fell over and onto his side. He quickly got up again over and over until he spent a while getting comfortable with walking without holding onto rocks so much. It was completely different than swimming to him. You needed to be steady and balanced unlike swimming where you could be loose and free.

The sky had darkened in the time Kuroko took to learn to walk. The shore was a nice blue from the moon as he walked along. He didn't know what he was going to do now but took his time looking about the shore and at the town from where he was. Kuroko sat on top of a rock to rest and out to the sea.

'Dad is going to kill me.' He thought as he watched the waves. He could hear the noises of the town behind him. He was blocked from view of anyone since he was along the side of a cliff with part hanging over him. He scanned out into the ocean wondering if Kagami had gone back yet. He clutched onto the jar harder making sure he still had it. He knew now a way to become human but he didn't know how to turn back. Not that he wanted to yet, he hasn't even done anything besides learn to walk and breathe. As he was staring at the bottle In his hands he didn't pay attention to the figure nearing him.

"Ooh~ Who's this?"