Makoto really shouldn't be here. He felt torn and guilty but he just couldn't help himself. His mother's words echoed through him, increasing the heaviness in his stomach.

"Don't go near the shore, okay? It's dangerous, and you have supper coming soon. It's a surprise! Now swim off and be a good little merboy for me, okay Makoto?"

Makoto was feeling the least bit of a good little merboy. He didn't mean to swim this close to the shore, honest! It was just that he was so caught up trying to chase this fish that he ended up 50 metres away from the beach. Makoto's guilt didn't lessen from his excuses. He could have just swam away and follow his mother's wishes. Yet here he was peering behind a rock towards the human on the shore, transfixed.

Makoto had never seen a human in real life. It was scary yet a little bit exciting to see one this close. They were nothing like the terrifying stories his Dad told him. Stories of ugly creatures with cold black eyes that steal merpeople while they are beaching. Living things that put sticks and barbs into tail fins just for fun. Makoto shivered at the thought, shrinking back further behind the rock, just in case those stories were true. The creature was holding a pole as it sat on a smooth boulder. Although those stories can't be fully true, as he stared at the creature. It looked just like him.

Normal eyes, normal mouth, a nose just like his. Same height with black hair that looked soft to touch. Skin a peachy colour, slightly more pale then his. Makoto thought the human was incredibly pretty. He couldn't quite wrap his head around the second skin covering the creature though, with its odd blues and cream colours. Was it some sort of fabri-

The human was gazing in his direction and Makoto felt a jolt of fear, and he plunged down into the water. The heaviness in his stomach grew twice fold. Had it seen? Makoto took a couple of ragged breathes before he rushed away, hands shaking from the adrenaline rush. Makoto didn't stop swimming until he reached home, where he instantly went to his seabed. Makoto had finally calmed down before a wish rushed through his head.

He wished that the human had seen him. He wished that it had called out. Wished that it came over to him and said hello. Makoto groaned into his bed, the guilty feeling not passing. He was already so transfixed on the pretty black haired creature.

It took all of Makoto's self will and courage to go back to the shore where the human was. His curiosity overrode his overwhelming fear. The human was so foreign and so interesting. Makoto mussed that it must have been a he, as the creature had short hair. Maybe it was wishful thinking on Makoto's part, as having a friend would be nice. His mother and father were spending less and less time with him, as his mother's stomach grew and grew. Somehow his new siblings were meant to come from that stomach? Makoto couldn't really fathom it, did he really just pop out from his mum too?

Makoto suddenly caught sight of the human boy, the wooden rod still in hand. From the safety of the rock, Makoto pondered on humans once again. Makoto wondered if human's had babies like merpeople do. Did they eat only fish as well? He watched the boy place the rod down.

The boy started taking the weird second skin off. Makoto felt his breath hitch, what a display. Underneath the odd colours was a body just like his, lithe and boyish. The legs, a word that his father called the two bottom fleshy bits, were so odd. Makoto leaned further away from the protection of the rock to watch the exhibit. He jolted back when he thought the boy glanced his way. Makoto let a panicked chuckle out. No, the human couldn't have seen him. Makoto counted for a few seconds before peeking behind the rock again.

The boy was calming walking into the water, a strange look on his normally passive face. Joy. A spark of fear rose in Makoto once again, he quickly took to cowering behind the rock. He heard splashing noises and Makoto was startled that the other was swimming. Didn't humans always drown when they are in water? Did their legs turn into tails instead? Makoto was scared stiff, feeling his eyes well up. His tail refused to budge, arms locked in their position on the rock. The boy was going to see Makoto and Makoto was powerless to stop him.

Then by some miracle or curse, the splashes started to go away. Then it stopped. It took a few minutes till Makoto's tail and arms responded. The human could have seen him.

'You wanted him to see you' whispered the treacherous voice in his head. And Makoto couldn't argue against it.

Makoto decided he had the worse of luck. Or he was incredibly silly and stupid. He was all alone and he couldn't call out for help, he was too far away. He was terrified, in pain and he couldn't stop the tears rushing out.

After chasing a fish through the underwater rock pools, right beside the shore, and he must have dislodged a stone that fell on the back of his tail. Makoto whimpered at the mere thought of the moment, a rush of pain and panic. He tried to wench the rock off, but it was too heavy to roll off and any slight movement left an excruciating throb of pain. The crushing knowledge that he could not move was terrifying. Long gone was the fish now, leaving the merboy stranded in rock pool. The tide had moved out, the rocks now scraping along his body and tail. Makoto was miserable and he just couldn't stop sobbing. He wanted his mother. He wanted his father. He wanted his seabed, his crab toy and his special shiny shells.

A noise startled the merboy from his self pity. Makoto desperately tried to blend into the brown rocks as he saw those legs in the distance on the shore. A human was there. That seemed to set Makoto into a new burst of tears. He clutched the rocks, begging for a miracle.

Footsteps then a face entered his vision and Makoto couldn't help the whimper that came out. The boy from all the other times was staring at him, eyes wide. Makoto couldn't help but stare right back. He couldn't believe it. The boy was much prettier up close. Deep blue eyes and his nose wasn't exactly like Makoto's nose as he once thought. His ears were odd too, decorative with all the swirly patterns. Moments passed and he couldn't breathe properly.

"あなた誰?"

Makoto stared blankly at the boy, who was looking expectantly at Makoto. Makoto looked left and right, then back at his hands. What did he say? Does he have to reply with something? Make conversation?

"Ah, I'm stuck…?" What a stupid response, he chided himself. The human just looked as blank as Makoto had. Suddenly he crouched, the legs bending in a weird way. Makoto shrunk back, sniffling. At least his tears had stopped, and the boy hadn't hurt him yet. Makoto's heart exhilarated at that dangerous thought. The human though simply looked at his trapped tail and then at the red scratches Makoto got from the rocks. His face was void of any real expressive emotion. His eyes were still wide though, and Makoto thought his eyes looked like they had seen something amazing but at the same time something terribly sad.

Suddenly the boy straightened up and took hold of the stone. Makoto made a shocked noise and the boy stared at him. He didn't really know how to explain that it hurt to roll it off. He tried to convey it with his eyes, begging that the boy would understand. The human gave him a soft look and Makoto flushed at the attention. All he could do now was trust the boy, and hopefully the human could remove the rock fast as his tail still throbbed with the weight of the stone.

The boy took the stone with both hands, determination on his face and lifted it up. Makoto felt a rush of happiness, quickly wrenching away his tail from the object. Lucky he did that because no sooner as his tail moved the boy dropped the stone. His face was red with exertion. He was free at last. Well, he was still stuck here till high tide.

"Thank you" Makoto crooned, looking at the human who freed him. His tail still hurt though, and he winced as he swayed it side to side. The boy was still looking at him, eyes wide and in awe. The human's hands grazed the rubbery side of his tail, seemingly entranced with such a mundane part of himself. Makoto jolted away from the boy's touch. They simply stared at each other, both shocked at the action.

The merboy couldn't believe it; he was with a real life human. He had to say something. He didn't want this to end with the high tide. He gulped down his fear and pointed to himself.

"Makoto."

The boy nodded slowly. He pointed to himself.

"Haruka."

Hopefully I can stay with this story.

Merman AU's are the bomb.