The Little Mermaid
You have 24 hours, little girl. 24 hours to accomplish your task, lest you return to whence you came.
Ochako emerged from the water sputtering, gasping desperately for a gulp of air. In her disorientation, she almost cut her palms on the jagged rocks jutting out of the waves before realizing her toes could just barely brush the seafloor.
Now knowing she wasn't in danger of being swept out by the ocean, she gripped the closest ledge to her and took stock of her strange situation.
The sun cast its rays freely onto the empty beach, unobstructed by clouds. And although the shore was a short distance away, she'd trained in longer pools, Ochako found herself not wanting to cross the 10 feet of water onto the beach.
Because she was naked.
There was no explanation for it. No stray garments floating among the stringy kelp, no idents pressed into her skin as evidence of what once was. She was just naked with only the salty, undulating waves to cover her body.
She would've stayed in the water, the temperature wasn't a problem and there was no immediate need to get onto land, but then she saw him.
Bakugo.
Pacing the sandbar with a scowl so deep it could only come from him, Ochako almost cried at how overwhelming the whole scene was. He was dressed in form-fitting blue pants and a white shirt with the top few buttons undone. Looking so beautiful and alive, it physically pained her to put her hands on him and confirm what her eyes were seeing.
The last time she saw him human, he was rapidly turning a frightful white from blood loss due to the bullet he took for her. And now, he was a mere 20 feet away, scanning the beach with narrowed eyes, looking for something.
For her.
"Bakugo!" Ochako called out.
Or, she tried to, but nothing came out of her mouth.
"Hey!" She tried again, her lips moving in utter silence.
A freezing panic washed over her, dulling her senses to anything other than the fact that she was naked, with no voice, and a stone's throw away from the man she previously thought dead and was now getting farther from her.
Refusing to let him get away, Ochako dove down to gather as many objects from the seafloor as she could hold. Now armed with a handful of smooth stones, she resurfaced with a frantic shake of her head to track down her target. Locating Bakugo without much difficulty, she threw the first one, hoping to hit that sweet spot of catching his attention without fracturing something.
Much to her frustration, her first attempt, and then the next one and the one after that, were all under shot. They landed muffled, burrowing in the soft mounds of sand a few footsteps behind.
Not willing to let him get away so easily, Ochako lobbed the next one with all her strength. She figured his instincts and all that training would be good enough to avoid a flying projectile hurtling towards him.
"What the FUCK?" She could hear Bakugo yell as he rubbed the spot on his shoulder where her rock struck.
Hiding as much of her bare body as possible, Ochako waved with the whole length of her arm to alert the fuming blonde that she wasn't an enemy.
When he finally saw her, he visibly relaxed. His limbs released the tightly wound tension forcing his muscles taut and the crease between his eyebrows softened. And though his words were accusatory, it didn't hold the typical bite.
"What're you throwing shit at me for?" Bakugo yelled over the waves, marching back to the tide closest to her.
She smiled sheepishly in response. And too caught up in the success of her scheme and the relief of seeing Bakugo as himself again, she didn't have enough time to conjure up a new plan to account for the next steps that came after catching his attention.
"Oi! Get over here! I know you know how to swim!" A frown came over his face. "You stuck?"
Bakugo had already dove into the water by the time Ochako's brain realized what was about to happen. Despite her frantic head shaking to warn him of coming closer, he swam up to her with ease.
He popped out of the waves, slicking his hair back as it flopped over his forehead heavy with saltwater. "Where's the problem?"
Ochako hunched behind the rock and pointed to her throat while silently mouthing words.
"You can't talk." She nodded at his deduction. "Ok? What does that have to do with you staying in the fucking freezing wate-"
Goosebumps prickled all over Ochako's body, originating from her waist where Bakugo's hand connected with her bare skin in an attempt to pull her out from behind her hiding spot. And she was actually glad her voice didn't work because she would've let out an embarrassingly loud scream at how his fingers slid down to her naked hip in confirmation of what was happening.
Once it fully registered in his eyes, he immediately retracted his hand.
"Are you-? I mean- was that-" He turned about 40 different shades of red and then promptly turned around. "Fuck! Sorry!"
God, how she wished her voice would work so that she could tell him how he didn't have to apologize. She actually didn't mind him touching her.
… No, wait. She couldn't tell him that!
Maybe this 'not talking' thing was a blessing in disguise.
Suddenly, without warning, Bakugo started to strip. Or, not all the way, but his shirt was coming off. Ochako's mouth dropped open, observing his back muscles ripple and the drops of water cascade down the ridges of his shoulders.
What was he doing?
Did he think he had to join her?
"Here." Bakugo said, almost squeakily, and tossed the piece of clothing back towards her.
With the shirt in her hands, Ochako finally understood what he was doing. He was giving it to her to wear so she wouldn't have to stay stuck in the ocean to protect her modesty.
She pulled it on gratefully, wrapping the bottom hem between her thighs so it wouldn't float up and expose her. It wasn't the best material, sticking onto her like a second skin and turning transparent in the water, but it was certainly better than what she had. Which was, you know, nothing.
Now clothed, she tapped Bakugo's arm to let him know it was ok to look.
He turned around and gaped like he was the one left speechless. Then, with trembling fingers, he buttoned up the front of the shirt, knuckles brushing against Ochako's sternum and making her breath catch.
"That's… better." Bakugo said with a strangled voice once he secured the last clasp.
Ochako nodded and only managed to remember how to breathe when he turned away to swim back to shore. She followed wordlessly, and not because she had no voice.
It didn't take long for them to reach land. Bakugo marched onto the sand, letting the fine grains stick to his bare feet. "I don't see anyone coming after us so far. But we should get out of the open to plan our- Oi. You ok?"
No.
She was not ok.
Immediately upon exiting the water, Ochako collapsed to the ground from the hot pain shooting up her legs. The slightest pressure seemed to pry her bones apart to inject fresh magma directly into the marrow. Her feet, though smooth and unmarred, felt as though they had been sliced raw by a thousand shards of razor-sharp glass.
If she could scream, she'd still be going. There was no way she could walk.
"Shit. Is it your legs?" Bakugo crouched by her, evidently alarmed by the tears streaming freely down her cheeks and flinging off her chin from the force of her nod.
No longer standing, the pain had dulled just enough for Ochako to register that she was being picked up. Not wanting to risk having to set her feet back down for any reason, she threw her arms around Bakugo's neck and shamelessly tightened her hold.
If it weren't for the burning sensation still radiating off her lower body, she might've noticed the gritty sand being the singular layer between Bakugo's palms and the underside of her thighs, but she didn't. She couldn't.
Not until the heartbeat thumping directly against her ear became loud enough to root her back into an existence other than pain.
Returning to a state capable of opening her eyes, Ochako only then realized she had been nuzzling into Bakugo's bare chest. He was carrying her bridal style, shirtless, and muttering to himself about where the safest place would be for them to hide out.
Which was smart because the last couple of times they were out together, they ended up getting shot.
That's what she should've been doing. Not cozying up against his pecs.
Blaming the exhaustion of recovering from such a painful experience, Ochako didn't lift her head from the comfortable position. Eventually, the two came across a statue of Bakugo with the words "Prince of Atlantica" inscribed under his bronze likeness. Taking that as a clue, they headed for the castle.
It was a good thing it was close because his heartbeat was startlingly fast and he was turning really red. Ochako felt sorry that he had to exert so much energy carrying her around.
The guards gave them a strange look as they approached the entrance, but didn't make a move to stop them from advancing. Having confirmed that this was indeed Bakugo's castle, the pair made it up the steps and entered with a bang.
Multiple servants came rushing forward at the sound of Bakugo's foot kicking open the double doors.
"Sir! We have been anxiously awaiting your return!"
"Y-your Royal Highness! I must advise you to put down that girl. It's indecent!"
"Yes, quite!"
"We shall take her off your hands-"
"Everybody FUCK OFF! Nobody touch her!"
Bakugo growled and stomped in a defensive stance, glowering at anyone who dared to come near. Which turned out to be no one. "Good. Now. Take me to my room."
A cowering servant guided them to a large room atop another flight of stairs. It opened up into a bedroom spacious enough to have its own lounge area, complete with a 5-piece seating set and fireplace. The patterned seashells and sparkling flecks of gold that made up the floor were polished over with a smooth varnish and the tall ceiling was decorated just as brilliantly with swirls of colors reminiscent of a burgeoning storm.
What was most exciting was the giant bathroom connected to the side. Not because of its layout or its features, though it did seem quite impressive, but because it had water.
Before Bakugo could set her down on the humongous bed big enough to fit an entire family, Ochako tapped his shoulder and pointed towards the bathroom.
"Uhhhh. Ok. Just throw something against the door when you're done with your business, I guess." Bakugo said as he dutifully took her in her desired direction.
Ochako shook her head and pointed at the bathtub before making a wave motion with her hand.
"The water?" She nodded excitedly and untangled her arms from his neck to sit on the counter in wait as Bakugo checked the temperature of the water and plugged the drain to let the tub fill up.
In her eagerness to ease her legs of their torment, Ochako didn't realize Bakugo had left the room until he returned with a blanket. He wrapped it around her with a furious blush extending past his neck. Far from a gentle act, he bundled it hastily, tightly, like he was hiding her body from view.
Only then did she remember that the shirt he gave her was over-sized on her petite frame and completely see-through.
Oh god, no wonder the servants thought her an indecent sight. They just witnessed their esteemed prince practically cupping her bare ass.
Unable to blame him for wanting to avoid a repeat of inappropriate touching, Ochako wiggled her arms out of the haphazard bind and held on once more as he lowered her into the sweet, sweet water.
She sank into it gratefully, soaking in its healing properties and wiggling her toes with delight.
"You good now?" Bakugo asked with palpable relief in his voice.
Ochako looked up and nodded with a grin, though it dimmed slightly at his deep sigh and the return of his familiar scowl.
"What the hell is happening? Why do we keep getting thrown into these fucked up situations?"
There was really no other way of looking at it. On top of dealing with surprising physical changes, they kept having to put their lives on the line. Literally dying for each other.
"I mean, do we have to just keep fucking dying to get out of this? Fuck!" He echoed her thoughts.
Though, not quite exactly. After the last time when Bakugo sacrificed himself for her and almost stopped her own heart in the process, it made Ochako think that maybe this whole thing was conjured up to make her confess. That maybe the book operated on her intense feelings for him and kicked off the whole thing.
But even if she were ready to reveal her feelings for him, how was she supposed to do that without a voice?
Did… Did that mean one of them would have to die in this world too so that they could move on?
"You stay here, cheeks. Not that you can go anywhere on your own anyway. I'll go see if there's anything else about this place we should know."
Afraid that he'd get killed out there without her being able to do anything about it, she sprang up against the blinding pain and grabbed Bakugo by the wrist as he stepped towards the bathroom door.
"Shit! What're you doing?" Ochako stumbled with bright bursts taking over her vision. Her legs crumpled underneath her like pathetic paper straws and almost caused her to bang her head against the corner of the sink.
Bakugo quickly resubmerged her in the now-lukewarm water and slid onto the floor next to her, his hand still at the mercy of her death grip. "I get it. You don't want to be left behind. But I can't just carry your ass around everywhere."
Revitalized by the water, Ochako shifted her body to lean towards Bakugo and touch the spot where the bullet from the hunter hit. She frowned up at him, hoping he'd understand what she was trying to say.
I will not let you die again.
Instead of a verbal answer, he pursed his lips into a stern line and used his free hand to touch the middle of her back, where she had been shot first.
It seemed he did understand.
But then where did that leave them? Stuck in this strange world where she was made mute and crippled?
They retracted their fingers simultaneously, wordlessly agreeing that there was no good solution in sight.
More confused than ever, Ochako was incredibly susceptible to the exhaustion taking over her body. With hardly any strength left in her, she closed her eyes and welcomes sleep. But not without squeezing Bakugo's hand one last time to make sure he knew that he was not allowed to leave.
She was back in the sea. No, not in.
Under.
She was deep enough that she could pinpoint exactly where the sun rays ended their reach. But even without the light, she could see everything clearly. Each passing fish, each ripple in the current.
Every glittering scale in her tail.
In place of her useless pair of legs, Ochako had a finned tail covered in rows of green and silver scales. They started right under her bellybutton, which was available for the whole ocean to see because, apparently, there was no such thing as clothes here. Just a smattering of strategically placed scales, gills, and fins.
"You love him, don't you?"
Ochako stopped the examination of her new appearance to meet eyes with a purple-hued woman with wriggling tentacles sprouting from her body.
"I-" She was startled by the fact that she could speak here.
"Let me help you, child. I will give you what you most want." The cephalopod-esque woman swam around her, using her multiple appendages to caress Ochako's face and arms.
"What I most want?" Ochako resisted wincing at the woman's touch, not wanting to aggravate her without an unnecessary movement.
"That's right. A chance."
"A chance? I-I don't understand."
"I shall grant you a day to roam the land as he does. 24 hours to make him fall in love with you."
24 hours? 24 hours to accomplish something she'd spent the better part of a year trying to do?
"... And if I can't?"
"Then you shall return to the sea as the foam that graces the waves, that which exists for but a moment before succumbing to an eternity of oblivion."
That didn't sound much like a deal at all. Make Bakugo fall in love with her or be turned to sea foam? Ochako opened her mouth to argue, but was interrupted by a malicious grin.
"Or." The woman produced a knife with sharp, unrefined edges that protruded irregularly. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the white material as coral. "You kill him. And you will be spared."
She didn't even have to contemplate the choice.
"No. No way! I would never!"
"The choice is yours."
The knife was shoved into her hands at the same time one of the tentacles wrapped around her throat. She didn't even have time to utter a last word before that awfully familiar feeling of emptiness took over the space within her vocal cords.
Ochako woke up with a sharp inhale and a weight in each of her hands.
In her left was a sleeping Bakugo. He was slumped over the edge of the tub, cheek pressed into their still-clasped fingers. She didn't know how long they were out, but she was now wide awake and beyond pruney.
Really, that was the least of her worries. Because in her right hand was the same coral dagger that was forcibly gifted to her in her dream. A reminder of the impossible mission assigned to her.
She wasn't going to use it. That was never an option.
But did that mean she loved him? While she could try to convince herself that turning to seafoam was the only way to "die" and escape this realm with the least amount of damage inflicted, she didn't actually know it would work. The only thing she knew for sure was that she'd be admitting that her feelings for Bakugo went past the territory of merely 'liking' him.
Was that worth it?
Ochako admired the softly snoring face of the boy who would rather explode himself than show vulnerability. And recognizing that the only reason why he was even still there on the hard floor of the bathroom was because she asked him to be, she decided that yes.
It was.
Something lodged in her throat and a violent shiver ran through her body. There wasn't any apparent change in temperature or sensation to trigger it. She was just changing. Her time was up.
"Bye, Bakugo." She whispered, resigning herself to her fate with a peaceful accepta-
Did she just say that outloud?
An audible gasp rang out and seemed to echo off the tiled walls, almost amplified by the sudden presence of the golden glow overtaking the pair. It swirled around them as the world outside rearranged itself. Ochako knew what this light meant.
What she didn't know was what she had done to break the sea witch's spell.