A Siren in the Bath and Other Stories

(Mostly) unrelated one-shots from Ace of Diamond.

Chapter 1: Don't bathe at the same time as Sawamura during the full moon. Confusion over who's responsible for warning the first years results in hilarity, awkwardness and everyone questioning their sexuality.

Seto wanders into the dorm dining room after his bath for a snack, still toweling off his wet hair. A bunch of teammates, mostly second and third years, are watching a game recording on someone's laptop.

'Look, someone's dog ran out onto the field!'

'Evening,' says Kanemaru.

'Evening, Senpai.'

A few minutes pass quietly, then,

'Where's Sawamura?' Kuramochi's voice rises above the chatter. 'He wanted to watch this.'

'I passed him on my here, Kuramochi-Senpai,' says Seto.

'You did?'

The older boy looks worried for moment.

'Don't worry,' says Miyuki. 'Zono's in charge of warning the first years.'

Seeing Seto's confusion, Miyuki explains.

'Hey, Seto, have you ever seen Sawamura's bare feet?'

'Can't say I have, Captain.' Where is this going?

'They're webbed.'

'Webbed? Oh! Do you mean he's -'

'Yup. Sawamura's a merboy. Actually, if you look closely at his hands they're a bit webbed too, and his nails are almost like claws.'

Wow. Seto's never met a merperson before, they usually live by the coast. They don't have proper fish tails and gills, but they swim like fish anyway.

'So, what do we need to be warned about?' he asks.

'You must have missed Zono then. Don't bathe at the same time as Sawamura during the full moon. Merpeople have some kind of power that attracts humans if they're in water during the full moon.'

'Whoa, for real? Like sirens?'

The other kids all wince.

'I think we've all been put under his spell at some point,' Miyuki grins awkwardly, cheeks red. 'It's just the charm power -'

'Yeah, keep telling yourself that!'

'- The moron doesn't even realise - hey, Zono! - he's doing it. Wait, Zono? I thought you were going around warning the first years about Sawamura?'

Maezono closes the door behind himself, Kominato and Furuya, frowning.

'Wasn't that your job, Miyuki? The full moon's tomorrow.'

'It's tonight.'

Kuramochi turns to Seto.

'Where did you see Sawamura again?'

'Oh no,' murmurs Kominato.

'On my way here from the bathroom, he was going to-'

He's cut off by a loud, ear-piercing shriek, followed by a horrified, strangled shout.

'Too late.'

'Oh shit,' Kuramochi mutters before he bolts out.

Kanemaru facepalms.

Seto watches in amazement and concern as Okumura storms past the dining room windows half-dressed, his pale face turned flaming red.

A couple of minutes later, Kuramochi returns with an equally red-faced Sawamura.

Kuramochi sits him down at an empty table and barks,

'Dry your hair!'

Pouting, he does so.

Seto glances over at him, curiousity aroused. What's different about him during the full moon?

Sawamura's dark hair is shiney and weighed down by water. It drips down his face and neck. Seto's eyes follow a drop down Sawamura's throat til it dips under his jacket and - oh.

OK. Poor Okumura.

'I can't believe you just waltzed in and started singing!'

Miyuki laughs.

'He was singing? Oh man, those kids didn't stand a chance.'

'They were all about to get in the tub with him. Okumura got in with his clothes still on! Did you even think about the danger you were in, Bakamura?' Kuramochi glares at Miyuki.

Seto thought Kuramochi was the type to find this funny, like Miyuki. But then again, he was Sawamura's roommate. Maybe he felt responsible for his safety.

'They're only first years!'

'Don't underestimate the brats or one of them is gonna get your a-'

'Senpai!'

'Oh my god, Senpai!'

Sawamura and Kominato turn red again. The others burst into laughter. When they stop, Sawamura says thoughtfully,

'Well, actually, I guess you do have a point about danger, Senpai.'

'Eh?'

'There's no way wolf brat would be like that normally... and I...'

'Did he do something to you?' asks Furuya.

'No! He just - well, he was really close, and, I er, I felt kind of hungry.'

'Eijun-Kun!'

'Ew.'

Kuramochi shudders. Miyuki's eyes pop open with disbelief.

'Not that kind of hungry! I mean, like I wanted to take a bite out of him... And he would let me.'

Seto looks at Sawamura's hands, long-fingered with claw-like nails and shivers. Like a siren, huh?

A few minutes earlier in the bathroom...

A familiar, annoying voice singing a pop song reached Okumura as he entered bathroom changing area. He nearly walked right out again but decided to not to let it get to him.

Yeah. He'd just ignore Sawamura and have a quick bath.

'I'm pushing up these feelings of CLOUD NINE in the summer! We're always at the STARTING LINE~'

Maybe just a quick shower.

'Sawamura's got a good singing voice,' said Yui, sounding surprised.

'Hmm,' agreed Asada.

Okumura huffed and took off his shirt. He looked over to see if the shower furthest from the bath was free when he caught a glimpse of Sawamura sitting in the bath, facing him, and froze.

The pitcher had his eyes closed as he sang, face relaxed and pink from the heat of the water. Water dripped from his hair, slowly trickling down his nose, then over rosy parted lips.

'Okumura? You OK?'

'I'm... fine.'

Sawamura's eyes opened as he finished the song. They were huge and dark, staring into Okumura's.

Forgetting his undone fly, he wandered over to the bath and climbed in. His pant legs became soaked and clung to his calves.

Sawamura stood up. Water streamed down his body and dropped back into the tub. His skin was tanned unevenly and nearly hairless.

Okumura's gaze traced the water up until he was looking into the other boy's eyes again. Sawamura licked his lips hungrily, eyes fixed on Okumura, fierce, like he was about to throw a game-changing pitch.

Okumura suddenly felt weak. He wanted to sink down into the bath and never get out again. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Sawamura's neck for support.

'Senpai... I-'

What did he want? For Sawamura to hold him up? Lower him into the water?

The bathroom door opened.

'I want to see that video after ba - uh...'

'Why'd you stop right there?' Shirasu peered over Kawakami's shoulder. 'Oh. Oh geeze.' He sighed.

Several first years, in varying states of undress were standing frozen on their way to join Sawamura in the bath. One had already gotten in and was pressed up against him, looking like he was either gonna kiss him or faint.

'Wasn't Miyuki supposed to warn them?' whispered Kawakami, being careful not to look at Sawamura.

'I thought Zono was,' said Shirasu.

The sound of their voices broke the first years out of their trances. Okumura and Sawamura blinked at each other in shock, turning red.

Shirasu and Kawakami quickly blocked their ears.

Fifteen minutes later...

'Hey, are you OK?' Seto asks, opening the door to room 203.

Okumura doesn't answer from under his pillow, but Seto can still see a blush spreading down his neck. He's probably not so OK.

Seto explains the merpeople thing and Okumura slowly emerges.

'OK. It was just his freaky merboy power. Thank god.'

What did you do? Seto wants to ask but doesn't. He's bound to hear it from someone tomorrow.

'Apparently it's happened to everyone. Even I was taken in a bit. It's just a merboy thing.'

Everyone's probably questioning themselves right now anyway.

Okumura sits up and puts his pillow down.

'I think I'll go finish my shower now. He's not still in there is he?'

'Nah, Kuramochi-Senpai got him out... Um, by the way man, your fly is undone.'

Notes and translations:

Kun - a way of addressing someone the same age or younger. Most often used on boys.

Senpai - a way of addressing an older/more experienced student/colleague.

Ace of Diamond belongs to Terjima Yuji. This fanfiction is non-profit and just-for-fun.

Even when he's dry, everyone finds it hard to say no to Sawamura during the full moon. When he discovers this, to their horror, he abuses the crap out of it.

I will change the title when I think or something better.

From the Ace of Diamond wiki:

Seidou receives talented players from all prefectures and therefore players have the option to stay in the dorms, or to commute to school. This dorm is only for baseball club members, when the 3rd years retire from baseball, they would move into the unoccupied rooms on the 2nd floor of the dorm and would remain there till their graduation. Within the dorm there is a large dining room, where all the club members have their three meals a day together, and is considered as a place of relaxation for those who live in the dorm. The dining room is used to check videos of rivals and to have reflection and strategy meetings.