Roderich attempts to connect with Vash and does his best not to jump to conclusions. So he asks something of his father, and of himself.

...xXx…

It's too early, Roderich thought, yawning. He glided around a tall tree of pink coral, ducking under several branches and he readjusted the fish in his arms. As he emerged from under the coral, the brunet shook out his tail of the sluggishness that still lingered under his scales.

Sneaking away from the rest of his pod was quite the undertaking.

Ever since he'd arrived at the Great Alcazar, his family hadn't let him out of their sight or away from their grasp. The same went for Emma and Killian, though the merboy was enjoying the attention way more than he or their sister. Emma couldn't get a free moment away from either of her close brothers; Abel was always within arms reach, touching her tail and petting her hair, and Klaus kept asking nonstop if he could get her anything, like bringing her food, and he frequently gave her big hugs.

Roderich himself always had one or two of the others around him. Bazil and Evicka tended to hang onto his fins as he went to eat, Elizabeta accompanied him for swims around the haven, Gilbert and Ludwig offered to take him hunting, and at night everyone curled around the three of them so snugly that he thought they would be smothered in their sleep.

Well, the four of them.

It didn't improve his mood any that he was also stuck with looking after all of the pups from both pods. He was never particularly good at pupsitting, even though he and Gilbert had helped their father raise the others of their family. With the two pod leaders absent most days and the others going out to hunt or patrol around the Alcazar, it didn't really leave him much choice.

It's not that he disliked younglings; it's just that the mauve male hardly had the energy to keep up with the, what? Ten, or so, rambunctious pups that insisted on wiggling and squirming and squealing around like little whirlpools of terror. The other pod had two sets of triplets, and Roderich couldn't even imagine taking care of that many younglings all at once on a daily basis. Indeed, the other adults from the Alcazar pod seemed quite grateful to have their fins free while he and Emma were being buried underneath half a dozen new tails to look after.

A breath of fresh water was most certainly needed.

Thankfully, Emma had offered to fully look after the pups with Elizabeta, so Roderich was being freed of his temporary duty as youngling caregiver for the day.

Killian and the twins he was used to. They enjoyed relaxing around the sand with him, stacking stones or singing, and Killian napped around as much as he played. With the addition of the triplets, all of them had been kept busy. Playing, singing, hiding, racing, mock fighting—Roderich could hardly keep up.

Klaus was getting too old to hang around with the other pups, but whenever he peeled away from his sister he would spend time with the white, blind juvenile. Stefano, Roderich knew from his last visit to the coral palace, was close in age to his brother. The two seemed to get along quite well, and the merman mused that Klaus must have been happy to finally have a friend to confide in, aside from his family.

Then, there was Lilli.

Roderich smiled to himself thinking about the spotted mermaid, and he skirted by a school of red fish.

Lilli had remained at his hip throughout the days, no matter where or what he was doing. If he wanted to go eat, she went with him. Same if he went for a swim with Elizabeta, the little one would cling around his shoulders and ask the two of them questions—particularly how Elizabeta braided shells into her hair. Then she was right there with him when he went to bed, and he made sure to hold her close to keep warm.

Not that that was wholly necessary while being coddled by the rest of his pod, but the chillier waters often had the youngling shivering. The brunet found a slip of sea silk on the second day and he pinned it around her shoulders to help keep her comfortable.

Roderich was constantly surprised and honored at just how much the mermaid trusted him. He wanted to keep that trust, and to keep her safe.

Occasionally she would swim over to Emma and spend a few fleeting moments with her, or play a bit with Killian and the twins, but otherwise she stuck to him like a slug on a rock. Her presence soothed him unlike any of the others, with her brightness and shy demeanor, not to mention that her speckles and spots constantly reminded him of a certain someone.

His mind ruminated over the reason he'd awoken too soon in the first place, and he simpered.

Roderich was finally allowed to see Vash.

It had been five days since they'd arrived at the Great Alcazar. Five days since the leopard-tailed male was carted off to have his injuries treated. Five days since he and Emma had been put in charge of seeing after Lilli. Five days of hearing nothing from her brother through their new connection. Five days of no one telling him anything other than, "He's resting, leave him be."

Five excruciating days. It had felt like an eternity.

The fresh bond between him and Vash had burned the entire time. Especially stinging his left side. He'd never experienced anything like it before. It was as if every breath he took filled his lungs with the clearest water, his scales sparking with every subtle movement, his senses heightened. Roderich thought he was going to go mad through the hours as the searing ache kept him awake at night; it pulsed from the tip of his tail, up his spine, budded in the nape of his neck. The sensation prospered in the center of his heart and mind.

No familial bond had ever felt like it before. Of that, he was positive.

The eel-tailed merman slowed his pace as he came up on several tall strands of kelp, curling around them deftly so as not to drop any fish. The sight of a dome shaped red rock a few paces ahead caused his heart to race. As he swam closer, he saw the small mouth of an opening towards the top. He stopped at the base of the rock and sand.

Roderich set down his armful of fish by the threshold of the den.

Okay, here goes nothing, he thought, petting down his pelvic fins. Smoothing his hazel locks of hair back from his face, the male busied himself for a moment to compose his nerves and spruce up his just-rolled-out-of-the-nest look.

He wasn't quite sure what he had to be nervous about, but he couldn't deny the slight shake in his hands as he pawed up the side of the stone. Poking his head into the dark entrance, Roderich listened for any noise. Nothing.

He called out softly, "Vash?"

Nothing.

Glancing down at the fish he'd brought, the purple merman decided to see if the other was even awake first before presenting the food. Dipping into the entrance, the brunet crawled forward into the dimly lit cubby until he could peek into the chamber.

Nothing?

Roderich blinked as his eyes adjusted and he scanned the inside of the den. There seemed to be no trace of his target among the kelp and moss nest. Well, aside from the thick smell of old blood, spent magic, and . . .

The eel-tailed merman picked up a strand of kelp and brought it do his face, closing his eyes. He breathed in deeply, gills flaring, lungs filling, and such a sweet, mouthwatering odor hit his palette. Ah.

A shock of electricity bolted through his mind and he let out a shaky breath. Oh, my. He dropped the strand of kelp.

Where is he?

Pushing himself back out of the tunnel, Roderich turned and immediately started scanning the area. His brain was scorching. Set fire by the lush essence he'd just gotten a whiff—no, a taste of. Creamy and thick; an ambrosial, cloying scent that oozed through his lungs like molten syrup. It was unlike anything he'd smelled before, and yet it was all he'd ever wanted to breathe.

There.

Looking back the way he'd came, Roderich sped off. He scooped up the fish almost as an afterthought. His senses were tingling, leading him towards the main hollow where everyone gathered, where he'd gotten the food. Tail waving in precise, strong strokes, he darted through the water. All semblance of his morning drowsiness was gone, replaced only with the need to see his dear savior.

Upon reaching the coliseum, violet eyes scanned over the menagerie of tails flickering in and out of the stone structure. Roderich glided below some archways leading through to the inside of the granite haven and slowed his pace as seaweed tickled his belly. The buzzing at the back of his skull was stronger now, and he was about to give in and call out through their connection when he found what he was looking for.

Around a dozen tail lengths in front of his nose was an emerald, black-tipped tailfin. His heart beat quickened. The fin was slumped to the side, ebony tip twitching. The rest of the tail was covered with a yellowish quilt of sea silk, obscuring most of the merman against the green grass.

Roderich floated forward, quiet and cautious, until he was resting beside his companion in full.

Vash.

The merman's blond hair curled in the water from his approach, twirling passed a pink, freckled cheek. The mauve-tailed male set down the armful of fish on the edge of the step. The flaring of their fresh connection rippled across his scales as he settled onto the seaweed.

As soon as the brunet reached out to touch the other's shoulder, the smoldering sensation that had kept him awake at night for days on end at last extinguished once his silver fingers brushed against smooth skin.

"Hello, there," Roderich murmured faintly. He didn't quite want to wake the merman just yet. He wanted to look him over first, see how he was faring.

There were dark circles under the male's eyes, and he was extremely pale. Vash was breathing deeply, head lying on his arms, and there was a white wrapping above his left elbow. That tantalizing, rich scent he'd smelled back at the cubbyhole was present all around the male, and it made him sigh, disturbing more golden locks.

The sight and feel of Vash so close to him now after being apart seemed to allow the knot in his lower back to unwind.

A stray thought, unbidden, came to him then of, He's not yours.

The male retracted his fingers.

He won't want you.

Roderich turned his head away for a moment, swallowing.

Why would he ever want you?

The male ran a hand through his hair and huffed. He saw that Emma and Elizabeta had left the area below, probably gone off to wake the younglings. Most of the adults from both pods were gathered, getting breakfast and mingling, deciding the order for hunting parties.

The archway alcove he and Vash rested under hid them in a cool shadow, and they wouldn't be seen unless one of the others looked up from a specific angle.

He returned his gaze to the dozing blond beside him. The blanket covered the leopard-tailed merman from his shoulders down, and the violet male was about to lift it to get a look at his injuries, and distract himself from his self doubt, when a clear voice rang out in his mind.

Roderich.

Amethyst irises flicked up.

Across the arena, he met the eyes of his father. Diedrich was perched atop the granite structure, only his upper half and stern expression visible as he cast his gaze down upon the coliseum. It was the first time he'd seen his father in days. Roderich felt anxiety crawl through his gut, and his scales prickled.

His father inclined his head, another thought echoed, Come here.

Glancing between Vash and Diedrich, the eel-tailed male hesitated as he thought, But I just—

Now.

His body was up and moving from the command before he could even process what he was doing. The violet male made sure not to bump into Vash as he slid off the step, swimming up and over to his father. For some reason, it felt like when he was young and about to receive a scolding for sneaking off. He hoped that whatever the merman had to tell him was quick, that way he could get back to his emerald companion before he woke.

Once he hovered in front of the alpha, Roderich asked, "Yes, Vati?"

Diedrich gestured beside him to the moss covered stone.

So much for being quick.

Roderich did as he was bid and laid down alongside the larger figure of his father. Diedrich held himself up on his elbows and kept watch over the others down below as the violet male settled himself, getting comfortable on the moss. He waited for the black-tailed merman to speak first, eager to hear whatever he had to say so he could return to the other merman.

After a few silent moments, the worry in his stomach was starting to bubble up more and more. Roderich shifted on his arms, looking over to where Vash was still sleeping under the darkened arches. At last, Diedrich spoke.

"You look well."

Roderich's eyebrows rose. He turned back to his father, swirling green-blue eyes meeting his own. The gaze was gentle, his tone kind, and the eel-tailed merman was unused to the male's more tender moments.

"I, ah," he stumbled. "Thank you?"

A rumble sounding similar to a chuckle resonated from Diedrich's throat. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Fine, I'm fine, his mind screamed. Having had to repeat the phrase over and over again to his siblings to ease their nagging. Nervous, another part of his brain whispered, and his eyes betrayed him as he snuck a glance towards Vash again. He looked down at his hands and began cleaning the sand out from underneath his nails, trying his best to seem nonchalant.

"I'm all right," the brunet answered. "Just tired."

Diedrich made a noise, eyes lingering on his son. "It is quite unlike you to be awake at this hour."

"I was hungry," Roderich said, waving his hand. He snuck another glance.

"Hmm." The iridescent male looked up at his father then, and his heart jumped to the back of his tongue when he saw that the elder blond now had his gaze trained right on Vash.

Shit, shit, shit, his mind rushed. He forced himself to pause. Wait. Why am I so worried about him knowing that I brought food for Vash? It's not like I've done anything wrong.

"No, you've done nothing wrong." Roderich nearly sprang out of his scales at the statement. Diedrich was eyeing him once again, his gaze somehow even softer. The blond tapped his son's temple with an obsidian finger. "You're thoughts are too loud. Calm yourself, Roderich," he added, retracting his finger. "I'm not going to bite."

"Oh?" Despite the reassurance, Roderich fought to keep his heart from racing. His mind was a mantra of, Thoughts too loud, thoughts too loud.

Diedrich leaned his tail against his eel-like son, and that seemed to soothe the brunet enough to stop panicking over nothing.

Right, he thought, taking a deep breath. Aloud, he said, "Sorry, it's just . . ." Amethyst irises caressed themselves to a distant emerald.

"What is it?"

"I haven't gotten to see Vash since we arrived," Roderich grumbled.

"Why not?" Diedrich's eyebrows furrowed, and he genuinely sounded confused.

"The others," the violet male began, "were really intent on keeping us apart." He refused to think that he was pouting, even if that's basically what he was doing. "At least, that's what it felt like."

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't been able to see him at all!" Roderich snapped, hands slamming against the granite. He shook his head, surprised at the trembling in his fingers. The eel-tailed merman forced himself to relax, feeling guilty at his outburst. Though, when he looked back up, his father's tranquil expression urged him to let out his frustrations. "Any time I've tried to go and see him, or take Lilli to him, Gilbert has pulled me away. Or suddenly Abel and Elizabeta want me to go hunting. Or there's a problem with the pups. There's never a problem with the pups. They just wanted to keep me where I was."

Diedrich dipped his head, nodding slowly as he stared back down into the amphitheatre. "They mean well."

Roderich grit his teeth. "They mean to suffocate me."

"Is that what you think?"

"It's what I feel." Diedrich grunted and he felt a wave of disapproval radiate from his father. Purple eyes looked away, and he huffed. "Fine. I don't really, but that doesn't change the fact that I haven't had a free moment to myself in nearly a week."

The black-tailed merman brushed his knuckles against Roderich's cheek, and the male slumped, sighing out his vexation. A few silent moments passed between them.

I don't mean to complain, he thought to the alpha. He cleared his throat, looking up at Diedrich when he felt his hair being tucked behind his ear.

"Is there something else bothering you?" the blond asked.

"No." Roderich tangled his fingers together, and he felt his cheeks heat up.

Roderich. A delicate warmth filtered through their bond. The purple merman felt like a youngling again, seeking the comfort of his father whenever he'd woken up from a nightmare.

An idea popped into his head—one that had haunted him in the darkest part of the night, just before he'd fall asleep. A guess that the reason he and Vash had bonded nearly instantly was not for the reason he hoped it was. The thought would snap him awake and make his very bones ache.

Roderich rubbed the back of his neck. "Vati . . ."

"Yes?"

"You've known me my whole life, right? Okay, okay. Yes, I know; you were the one who raised me. I know," his voice softened at that, feeling the black tail stiffen against him. "And you've pretty much known Vash all of his life, yes? Well, most of it, I think. Since he's not really part of our pod, but he has always lived beside us for as long as I know—"

Diedrich cut him off. "What are you getting at?"

Roderich took a deep, steadying breath and decided to just go for it. "Vash and I aren't, you know . . . related, are we?" He looked up to see some sort of reaction from his father, immediately getting discouraged at the alpha's wide-eyes. The brunet hunched his shoulders and curled up his tail to make himself seem smaller as he mumbled out, "I mean, you'd stop in to check on him sometimes, I think, and I don't know who my mother is," he flinched, "Or his for that matter, or if he's related to you because you're sort of similar—"

"Roderich."

At his father's gentle tone the eel-tailed male raised his gaze, and he saw nothing but compassion radiating from the large alpha. After a few seconds, a reassuring hum sounded from Diedrich and he dipped his head to the side, braided blond hair waving through the water. "No. You two aren't related, as far as I know."

The relief nearly had him dashing in circles. Roderich could feel himself visibly brighten, and he relaxed with a satisfied sigh, pressing a hand over his heart.

Thank the moon and stars! His thoughts tumbled in a rush, entangling with each other in his headspace. I was so worried, I thought for sure that that was why we connected to easily. Perhaps I really do have a chance. Perhaps I . . .

Roderich smiled fondly down into the coliseum.

Perhaps I'll be lucky, and he'll want me, too.

Diedrich brushed their tails together, once more a comfort to the younger merman. "Why do you ask?" he said, and the brunet was sure that his father would already suspect the reason. He gave him a look that said as much.

Roderich stared back toward where everyone else was located, where he can feel Vash lounging in the shadows, and his voice sounded a bit far away even to his own ears. "We bonded."

Diedrich kept a straight face even though the shock was clear through their closeness. He opened his mouth to speak, but Roderich continued swiftly to explain himself. "In the ship, on the way here. I don't remember much of that night; I think I blacked out at some point." He purposely left out the true meaning behind those words. "Vash saved me—again—and when I woke up," the mauve male frowned, eyebrows furrowed, "We could speak to each other."

"Are you sure?" the older merman asked cautiously.

"It was as clear as crystal." A silver finger tapped his temple. "Right now, I can sense him sleeping over there above the others." He could feel the other's slow rise and fall of breaths as if they were his own. "I just . . . I want to be sure this is what I think it is before I get my hopes up," Rod finished. He knew he sounded dejected towards the end of his tale, his mood having done a quick flip from his brief bout of hope, and he tried not to get too worked up.

Although, how was he expected to not get excited over the possibility of finding his one true love? His potential soulmate could be the handsomely dappled merman napping across from him. Within his reach, right there.

Roderich startled when his father pulled him into a firm embrace. The iridescent merman blinked, stiff for a moment before he let his nerves go. He curled into the other's arms as Diedrich pet his hazel hair, cradling him under his chin much like he would when he was small. The blond alpha took a deep breath, nuzzling his temple with a low, gravelly purr that emanated deep in his throat.

The violet male let himself be held like that for a long time, enjoying the fingers in his hair and the vibrations against his body. He hadn't realized just how much he missed the simple contentment of being closely held by his father.

"Be mindful of your actions," Diedrich said, his words rumbling straight through his son's chest. "He may not be all that you want him to be."

Roderich found he couldn't speak for the moment, his reply choked. I know.

I am happy for you, Diedrich added earnestly. He gave him a strong squeeze before pulling away.

Aquamarine irises swirled with joy as they met stormy, violaceous ones.

Thank you.

...xXx…

Roderich was left to his own devices soon after that. Only a few more words were spoken between them, then Diedrich perked up and suddenly said he had something to do. As he pushed himself off of their granite resting place, his father patted his cheek with one last kind look before he swam off.

The eel-tailed merman was glad that he'd had the chance to speak with him, the other calming several worries of his. Particularly his anxiety about his dear savior.

I'll have to pace myself, he vowed. I don't want to hurt him, or scare him away.

Roderich slid off the top of the arena with a new ease. He made his way back down to his original target for his freedom that day. The crowd beneath him consisting of the other members of the pods had grown, and he sincerely hoped he didn't get snagged away by anyone else.

The tingling sensation he got in the back of his mind and over his scales whenever he was apart from the leopard-tailed male faded the closer he got.

Bending down beneath the step the verdant merman slept on, Roderich floated upright so he could peer over the edge. The length of his tail drifted downward against the other levels of granite, underbelly brushing against the cool stone. Gripping the ledge with silver fingertips, the brunet ever-so-silently peeked over the step.

Vash was so close.

Grass green forearms were but a pebble away from him, the serene face of the dozing male nuzzled into them. It was quiet inside the cover of the arches. Hidden. One plump cheek was squished, and strands of golden hair waved back and forth as a halo around his head. The small breaths puffed from partially parted pink lips tickled Roderich's nose.

A heat fluttered in his heart.

He looks so comfortable, the violet merman thought, tail flicking. I'd hate to wake him.

He couldn't restrain himself for long, though, and soon he lifted up a finger to rub a knuckle gently across the other's arm. He retreated beneath the step as the male made a tiny noise, only his eyes left peering above the edge.

Light lashes opened lazily, revealing exquisitely dark, dazzling, gemstone irises. Roderich froze as those emeralds blinked slowly once, twice, and then under half-closed lids looked him straight in the eye.

"Hello," he whispered, not wanting to frighten his waking companion.

Vash tilted his head enough to look better down at him, his mouth hidden behind his crossed arms as he croaked out a timid, "Hi."

A chuckle escaped him at the soft sound, and the brunet couldn't help his smile. He raise himself up a bit more like before, their noses nearly brushing now as he stared up into those beautifully sleepy eyes.

Thinking back to his fervent search earlier, Roderich said quietly, "I brought you breakfast." He gestured beside the blond to where the pile of fish was. Vash barely lifted his head as he turned to look, and the brunet could swear he felt the pleasant surprise as the other spotted it.

"Oh," the blond murmured, leaning up on his elbows as he blinked some more. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," Roderich said, shrugging one shoulder. "I was, ah, hoping I could join you."

The male's round cheeks darkened as he reached for one of the fish. The eel-tailed merman let his request hang in the water between them, and he waited patiently for the other to respond.

Once Vash picked out his meal, he held it closely in front of him, head ducked low. He was still for a moment. Roderich could see him mulling over his offer and mentally crossed his fingers.

A minute nod was all he received. It was all he needed.

They had to start somewhere.

...xXx…

This was intended to be the last one for MerMay, but a bunch of life stuff happened so I'm posting it a bit later than I intended. I made it extra long however, to make up for this and to hold you all over until the next chapter~ ;) Next update will be soon.