Viktor tapped his chin gently, deep in thought. His eyes had deep shadows under them as if he hadn't gotten good sleep in a long time, and the atmosphere around him was melancholic. Sitting in front of him was a blank canvas, completely white and free of paint. What should he fill that space with? He laughed bitterly under his breath. He already knew. No matter what concept he began with, he ended up with a heart-breakingly familiar merman with long, black hair.

In one, Yuuri was sprawled out on the black and white tile, covered with blue roses. In another, he was atop a rock facing away from the viewer, his hair tangled in the ocean breeze. A particularly stirring one featured a human with silver hair and shining aquamarine eyes kneeling on a sandy beach. The sky was overcast and stormy, but a beam of light shone from a parting in the heavens.

The painting highlighted the merman in the human's arms, his glittering tail curled around his partner; together in the only spot of brightness. Both had serene, peaceful expressions on their faces at first glance. Underlying, however, was a note of desperation. They knew they were running out of time.

Viktor's favorite piece, as well as the one that caused the most gut-wrenching pain, was an acrylic one with soft lines. There was Yuuri, slightly self-conscious and with cheeks tinged pink. His hair was pushed back to reveal that beautiful face, with its expressive eyes and round edges. It caught the merman in a moment of surprise and vulnerability, depicting when Viktor had seen him for the first time without his face obscured by dark locks.

This was the painting that Viktor had been working on the day Yuuri left. He'd hoped to show him, but he'd never gotten a chance. Now, it leaned against his wall as a constant reminder of who he had lost. As usual, he didn't post any pictures of his pieces on social media before they debuted at an art show (he had gotten accepted into several); However, he did text them to Chris to get his opinion.

'Who's this new guy you're so obsessed with? ;)' he'd responded immediately. Viktor had no clue how to reply to that. Should he say the truth? Would Chris even believe him if he did? He kept forgetting to write back, and every time he opened his messaging app he got a guilty sinking feeling.

Viktor delicately picked up a paintbrush and lightly tapped the wooden end against his nose, eyes rolled up at the ceiling. He had a vague idea of what he wanted to paint. After Yuuri had left, there were still reminders of him left everywhere. Nestled in the folds of the red quilt that he'd carried the merman in, he'd discovered a small indigo scale. He had placed the iridescent little plate into a small box for safekeeping; he'd never forgive himself it if was lost.

Sometimes, Viktor found long strands of pitch-black hair stuck to his clothes or tangled in his comb, and he'd remember how much he loved to play with Yuuri's hair. Then there was the "Queen of the Night" painting- he had left it in the upstairs bathroom. It seemed a little cruel to return it to the musty confines of a storage closet. He never went to the second floor unless he had to. It made him sick with grief and guilt.

Another reminder of Yuuri, and perhaps the one that caused Viktor the most agony, was also in a small box, this one resting on his dresser. Inside was a bracelet, carefully wrapped in tissue paper. The pearls were natural and irregular-shaped, shining purpley-black with touches of pink and blue. A silver clasp connected the ends. The jewelry was meant to be a gift for Yuuri. He could see it fitting perfectly at the bottom of his tail, right above his fin. The mer had left before he had a chance to give it to him.

Viktor had kept it on the small flicker of hope that he would see Yuuri again. In the back of his mind, he had the nagging thought that the merman was not going to return. He ignored it, and ventured down to the sea every day without fail, rain or shine or snow, and waited for hours. 'Maybe today's the day that he'll come and visit me,' he would think, desperate yet optimistic. But it never was. He would stare out at the tossing waves, praying to see a shining flash of blue or a pale face poking out of the water.

Anything, anything, just a sign to show that Yuuri still cared. But what if he didn't? He hadn't even said goodbye, and he had treated Viktor so coldly when he left… what if he had never cared in the first place? No. Viktor refused to believe that. Yuuri hadn't been pretending all that time, he was sure of it. The merman liked him, at least a little. So then why? Why had he gone without so much as a word and why hadn't he come to see him?

This was the carouseling thought process that Viktor had been cycling through for weeks. It only served to deepen his confusion and grief. He squeezed blue and purple hued paint out of tubes and onto his palette, then mixed them into a rich indigo. The same color as the the scale that Yuuri had left behind. With a tentative hand, he raised the paintbrush to the canvas.

The title, he decided, would be Être Fleur Bleue. Feeling sentimental.

"Yuuri! Hey Yuuri, where are you?" a friendly voice called. Panic jolted through Yuuri, and he frantically scanned the kelp grove he was resting in for a place to hide. He had no desire to be confronted by him friend. He saw a marble statue that he could duck behind, but it was too late. Phichit was quickly pumping his scarlet tail to propel himself over. "Hey!" he greeted breathlessly.

Yuuri gave a nervous smile.

"Hello," he responded,eyes shifting as they searched for escape. Phichit grinned and pushed his long black hair out of his face to no avail. It floated around him in the water like ink.

"Do you want to come swim with me?" he chirped, but didn't wait for an answer. "Come on, let's go!" He grabbed the other merman's hand and tugged him along. Yuuri had no choice but to follow.

Phichit was floating on his back, lazily flicking his tail. His gold, crescent-shaped caudal fin drifted behind him, gently flicking up and down. Swarms of colorful fish swarmed above them, scales catching the light filtering down like a rainbow. Phichit's scales glimmered like tiny rubies.

"Yuuri," he purred slyly.

"Hm?" Yuuri asked, distracted.

"Something's on your mind," the other mer chimed knowingly. Yuuri sighed sadly and didn't say anything. He'd been thinking about how amazing it would be to swim with Viktor like this, spinning and soaring through the water like dolphins, not a care in the world. It was a foolish dream.

"I've been friends with you your whole life," Phichit continued softly. "I can tell when something's bothering you. What is it?" Yuuri turned away and blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. "I mean, you just disappeared for six months, and now you've come back out of the blue… We were all so worried about you..," he trailed off, concern evident in his voice.

"I-... I really don't want to talk about it," Yuuri replied levelly. It was taking all his strength to keep his voice from wavering.

"Why?" Phichit stopped and turned to face the other mer. "Please tell me. I'm here for you Yuuri, don't shut me out." Yuuri averted his eyes, and felt soft hands clasp his own. "I care about you so much. When you left, I-" Phichit inhaled, tremoring slightly. "I didn't know what I was going to do. I thought you might be- You might be-" He sobbed.

"Please don't cry," Yuuri whispered. It was bad enough that he had hurt Viktor, but since returning he realized how much he'd hurt the people close to him when he'd vanished. The memory of Viktor's anguished face was still fresh in his mind.

Phichit laughed and took in a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry. You've been acting so distant.. I just want my friend back." He gave a small smile. "It pains me to see you so depressed." Yuuri sighed through his gills. Phichit was so loyal, so earnest. He had always been there for him, even through the toughest times. He deserved to know what happened.

"The night that I ran away, I got really drunk," Yuuri mumbled. The other merman perked up and moved closer, listening intently. "I got beached and a human found me." Phichit gasped.

"Did he hurt you?" His tone was full of worry.

"No, never. He was always very sweet to me. He took me to his house, and I lived with him." Yuuri paused. "We grew close." He decided not to divulge his feelings for Viktor.

"Oh Yuuri..," his friend murmured empathetically. Yuuri gulped and quietly added,

"I miss him."

Phichit drew his companion into a tight hug.

"Thanks for trusting me enough to tell me." Through his heartache, Yuuri felt a little relief. It was nice to have told somebody. He pulled away reluctantly. It reminded him too much of how Viktor had embraced him whenever he was feeling sad or anxious to provide comfort. The human had been so warm…

Phichit smiled, and Yuuri returned it gratefully.

"So, have you decided what to do about the marriage arrangement?" his friend asked. Whatever positive feelings that had risen in him drained out in an instant.