Disclaimer: I do not own Servamp or any of the characters

"Kuro, is that you?" At the sound of his name, Kuro looked up from his netting. A brunette was waving to him on the dock. He looked a little familiar but he couldn't place where he seen him before. Kuro grabbed the rope tethering him to the dock and pulled his small sailboat closer to the edge. The man had a camera around his neck and Kuro hoped he wasn't a reporter.

Kuro spoke in English and prayed that the reporter would leave. After he won an award, reporters would bother him for an interview. He enjoyed his privacy and avoided reporters. Kuro was surprised and confused by the man's response. He laughed. "C'mon, Kuro, you know English is my worst subject. We haven't seen each other since high school but my English hasn't improved much since then."

Once he heard his warm laugh, Kuro recognized him. "Mahiru?"

"It's been a long time. How have you been?" Mahiru asked. It felt awkward to stand over him so he knelt on the dock. In high school, Kuro was an exchange student and Mahiru volunteered to show him around. They had been friends ever since but Kuro returned to America once they graduated. He didn't expect to see him again so he was beyond happy.

"I moved back to Japan a month ago and I've been super busy. I built this sailboat but I barely had time to go fishing. Can't deal." Kuro held up his half-finished net to show him. As they talked, he made another loop in his fishing net. Mahiru watched his deft fingers and smiled to himself. There were scars on his fingers but he knew that they could be very gentle.

"I can help you finish that net if you want. Thinking simply, we'll finish it quicker if we do it together. But I have to work first. I booked a boat ride so I could take photos of the sea." Mahiru held up his camera with a wide smile. He glanced around the dock and said, "The fisherman I hired was supposed to be here but I don't see him. I wonder if he's late."

"Was his name Enra?" He asked. Kuro swore beneath his breath when Mahiru nodded. The fisherman was a drifter who would offer rides on his boat to tourists for money. Unfortunately, he would merely take their money and leave. He knew how trusting Mahiru was and guessed he easily fell for the scam. "I know the guy and…"

"He's not coming, is he?" He finished for him. He had to question if Mahiru had the amazing ability to read his mind. A sad smile appeared on his face as he looked down at his camera. "At least I only paid him twenty dollars so it's not much. I was hoping to take some nice pictures though. There's an art contest I wanted to join and the theme is nature."

The disappointment on his face tugged at Kuro's heart. He held out his hand to Mahiru and said, "Jump in and I'll give you a boat ride for free."

"Thank you, Kuro! Meeting you again already made my day but this is even better." Mahiru placed his hand in Kuro's. He stepped into the boat and his hand helped him stay balanced. He was happy to have the opportunity to spend more time with Kuro and catch up. It seemed like he hadn't changed much because he was as kind as he remembered.

Kuro looked over the rigging on his sail before he positioned his boat in the direction of the wind. He hoisted the sail into position and secured the line with a tight knot. He kept Mahiru in the corner of his eyes so he wouldn't accidentally knock him off the small boat. The boat moved forward with the wind and they sailed into the open sea.

The water was calm but Kuro knew how the tides could change suddenly. He had to be cautious of the sea. In contrast, Mahiru walked to the bow of the ship to enjoy the cool breeze. The fresh air and the light spray of water was refreshing. He admired the beautiful landscapes they passed and then stared at the blue horizon. He could only imagine how beautiful the sunset would be in a few hours.

"If you find your picture perfect moment, just tell me. I'll drop down the anchor so you can take a photograph." Kuro said behind him and slowed the boat. He watched the wind play through Mahiru's hair and he wondered if it was as soft as it looked. He didn't want to be caught staring so he pulled his gaze away. "You loved to take pictures in high school too. It's nice to see you make a career out of something you love."

"A picture can capture a million emotions. Can you stop the boat so I can take a picture?" He let go of the safety bar to walk back to Kuro. He wasn't accustomed to the constant rocking of the ocean and he stumbled over his own feet. Luckily, Kuro was able to grab his hands and he helped him regain his balance. Mahiru smiled up at him and thanked him. Then, he laughed softly, "Great catch, Kuro."

"When I said I wanted to go fishing, I didn't expect to catch a person." Kuro only let go of him once he was certain that Mahiru wouldn't trip again. He adjusted the sail so it wouldn't catch the wind. Then he went to lower the anchor into the water. Mahiru stood next to him and leaned over the edge so he could look into the water. The clear water reflected Mahiru's smile similar to how it would with the sun.

Mahiru viewed the world through his camera and captured the beauty he saw. The soft colours of the sea complimented the vivid green islands lining the horizon. He leaned closer to Kuro so he could show him the picture he took. "What do you think?"

"It's nice and simple." Other artists would think Kuro was insulting their work but Mahiru considered it a compliment. His words brought a proud smile to his lips and he continued to take more pictures from different angles. With every new picture he took, Mahiru would have a thoughtful expression.

Kuro didn't want to bother him while he worked so he busied himself with the net he was making earlier. He would glance back to Mahiru occasionally. He had to admit that Mahiru had become more attractive and his eyes were very expressive. His laughter hadn't changed though. Mahiru's sincere personality was what drew Kuro to him when they first met as teenagers.

"Are you daydreaming, Kuro? Your fingers are getting tangled up in the string." Mahiru sat across from him and helped him untie the string from his fingers. He threaded the string through the net like he saw Kuro do earlier. "Is this how you braid the net? I promised to help you finish this. This is my way to thank you for taking me out here."

"You still like to volunteer to help everyone, no matter how tedious the job." Kuro could already predict his response. He showed him how to make the net with slow motions. They talked idly and Kuro's dry jokes made Mahiru giggle. It was surprisingly easy to talk with him even though they've been apart for years now. Most would say that Kuro was a distant person but Mahiru enjoyed his company.

Mahiru asked, "Did you move to Japan permanently?"

"I live just down the street." He pointed towards the city. "Lily helped me find a job designing boats for rich people. It pays well. I like to come down here and fish as a hobby. I mostly let the ocean rock me to sleep though."

"Wait, I think I read an article about you!" Mahiru pulled out a newspaper he was reading earlier. He flipped through the pages until he found a photo of a sailboat. "Your design won an award earlier this month. Congratulations! You used Sleepy Ash as your pseudonym. I can't believe I didn't recognize it sooner since I was the one who gave you the nickname."

"You called me Sleepy Ash whenever you caught me napping in class." The memory made Kuro chuckle. "The name just stuck."

"That's because you slept through so many classes. How does this look?" Mahiru completed another row of the fishing net and he held it up to show Kuro. When he did, he noticed the long shadow the net cast. He turned around and saw the sun setting. The water appeared to be gold but night was starting to settle over the sky as well. He immediately stood to take a picture of the sunset.

Kuro had lost track of time while they talked. He put away the net and went to stand next to Mahiru. He looked over his shoulder to look at the picture he took. While he wasn't a photographer, he was a designer and noticed the subtly in the photo. "You have an eye for balance."

"Thank you but I only take pictures of things I find beautiful. Sunset has the most stunning shadows." He hugged the camera to his chest. Kuro knew how much he loved photography and his passion shined in his eyes. "You're lucky to have this boat. You can sail anywhere you want and see beautiful scenes like this."

"Anytime you want to sail out to sea, just call me." Kuro took out his phone and Mahiru rushed to do the same. They exchanged numbers and Mahiru immediately sent him a text. "Can we go sailing tomorrow at noon? Yeah, I'm free. But we need to head back to shore right now before it gets dark. Sailing at night is troublesome since the wind is hard to read."

He started to pull up the anchor so they could sail back to the dock. He dropped the chain when water was splashed in his face. Kuro looked up and saw Mahiru chuckling not too far from him. He could easily guess that it was Mahiru who splashed him. "If you weren't wearing an expensive camera around your neck, I would splash you back."

"I won't bring my camera tomorrow so you can get your revenge then." He winked at Kuro. He pushed away from the boat and sat in a chair. Mahiru scrolled through his camera roll and tried to pick which he should submit to the art contest. "Since we're meeting at noon tomorrow, I can pack us a lunch. Do you still like—"

He became flustered when Kuro slipped off his shirt and used it dry his wet hair. He had become more handsome and toned since high school. Mahiru's cheeks became a deep shade of red and he hoped Kuro wouldn't notice his blush. Kuro was distracted with the sail though. As a photographer, Mahiru's first instinct was to take a picture of him.

But Kuro held him mesmerized as they sailed back to the dock.