Akashi was always alone. Since the day he was born, he never made any friends. The redhead was smart and very quick to notice things. The first thing he noticed was that he was different. He was very different compared to everyone else. Akashi thought differently, he talked differently and most importantly, he looked different. Everyone had two legs to walk with while the redhead had a red scaly tail. Everyone else was able to walk on land while Akashi was only able to swim in the ocean. Everyone was scared of him and nobody believed he even existed in the first place.
Akashi's mother always taught the redhead to be afraid of humans as well, after all; to the two legged creatures, mermaids and mermen didn't exist. The redhead however, had an undying curiosity for the humans; Akashi would always poke his head above the water and watch as the humans sat on the beach. He made sure he was never noticed, but sometimes he wanted someone to see him. The redhead was scolded and punished by his mother often for going up to see the humans and she would always say,
"The more curious you get, the more chances there are of them finding you. They'll tear you apart, you know that don't you?"
Akashi sighed and did his best to listen to his mother by staying away from the surface, but the redhead was drawn towards it after a while.
Years passed and the redhead learned how to speak the language of the humans. It was hard at first, but he made a human friend named Midorima Shintaro. The green haired boy would come to the beach and teach Akashi how to speak. When the redhead became fluent in the language, he felt really proud of himself.
When Akashi turned eighteen, his mother got caught in a fishing net and was taken away. The redhead disappeared for a few months, but came back to find comfort in Midorima and his other human friends whom he met along the way.
Kise was the most curious; he always tried to touch one of Akashi's bright red scales, but the redhead never allowed it and would slap the blonde's hands away. Aomine didn't really talk with the redhead since the tanned boy talked with a small blue haired boy named Kuroko.
Kuroko didn't seem to talk a lot and he seemed scared of the redhead. Akashi tried to show the blue haired boy that he was friendly, but Kuroko always moved away from the redhead. They all kept Akashi's existence a secret and would swim with the redhead to make him feel less lonely. Kuroko sat on the rocks and watched as his friends swam and then he would leave by himself.
One day, Akashi sat with his friends and cried about how he couldn't save anyone even if he wanted to.
"Shintaro, why didn't I save him?" The redhead asked.
"Save who?" Midorima said.
"A fisherman. He was on the boat and fell off when the boat tipped to the side. I wanted to save him… I wanted to save him so badly, but I didn't move because I was afraid he would find out that I'm a merman. I killed someone… I killed that fisherman." Akashi said while crying harder.
Aomine, Kise, Midorima and Murasakibara all tried to cheer him up, but it was Kuroko who helped Akashi. The blue haired boy leaned over the rocks and wiped away Akashi's tears. Kuroko gave a small smile and said,
"You didn't kill him, Akashi-kun. Fate was just telling him that it was time to go."
The redhead stared into the bright blue eyes that looked like the sea and his tears stopped. Akashi felt Kuroko lightly kiss his cheek and then the blue haired boy quickly got up, his face turning pink.
"I have to go home…" Kuroko mumbled and then ran off.
After that day, the blue haired boy was the only one on Akashi's mind. The redhead felt happy to have Kuroko by his side and he wanted to get closer to him. The only problem was that the blue haired boy was very secretive. He did things independently and had many inner thoughts that he didn't voice aloud, so it was hard for Akashi to understand him.
When Akashi's friends turned sixteen (Akashi turned 19), they decided to go to a party at the beach. The surface was crowded with people and it made Akashi scared to go up and greet his friends, so he stayed by his rock and tried to sleep. When night fell, the redhead noticed that everyone was going for a swim.
Who knew humans were able to swim at night? Akashi thought to himself.
After a few hours, the redhead heard screaming. The voices were too familiar to ignore so he snapped awake and swam up to see what was happening. Aomine was in the water with Kise, Midorima and Mursakibara. The blond said,
"It's Kurokocchi! He's gone. He was sitting on the rock a few seconds before and I think he fell in. We can't see him in the dark water. Akashicchi, please…help him. He can't swim."
The redhead's eyes widened in shock. Akashi immediately swam to find the blue haired boy. The water was murky and pitch black, but the redhead was able to see fine. Akashi spotted the blue haired boy sinking towards the bottom and quickly darted after him. When the redhead pulled him above the surface, Kuroko was unconscious.
Akashi pushed him on the other side of the beach which was deserted and performed CPR, which he had learned from Midorima. The redhead continued until Kuroko turned onto his side and started coughing up water.
"Tetsuya, are you alright? Tetsuya?" Akashi asked while stroking the blue haired boy's cheeks.
The redhead brushed the wet hair away from Kuroko's face and searched for some sort of response. The blue haired boy nodded and mumbled, "Yeah, I'm okay."
"What happened?" The redhead asked while wrapping his arms around Kuroko to keep him warm.
"I was pushed by someone. He was a bit…intoxicated and decided to push me into the water. Wild party, huh?" The blue haired boy said while shivering. He held onto Akashi and tried to get warm.
They stuck together for a few minutes and then Akashi said, "I have to get you back to the others."
Kuroko shook his head and his grip tightened around the redhead's shoulders.
"Tetsuya… I can't let you walk on these slippery rocks. You'll fall and hurt yourself. You're going to have to get back in the water."
The blue haired boy shook his head again and mumbled, "I'll stay here."
"You'll die here. You don't have to swim; just hold onto me. I'll make sure your head is above the water at all times." Akashi said while carrying the blue haired boy towards the water.
Kuroko eventually decided to follow the redhead into the water and he said, "Don't let go."
"I won't. I'll be here the whole time, I'll be holding you tightly like this until we get you to safety. Okay?" Akashi asked while pulling the blue haired boy closer.
Kuroko clung to the redhead as if his life depended on it and he said, "You're really warm."
The redhead smiled and asked, "Did you think I was cold blooded? I'm pretty much a human if I lose the tail."
The blue haired boy seemed less tense as they talked more and Akashi got Kuroko back to the others with no problems. The redhead lifted the blue haired boy onto the dry rocks where his friends were waiting.
Kuroko refused to let go of the merman and he whispered in the redhead's ear, "Thank you…"
The blue haired boy lightly kissed Akashi's cheek and then left with his friends.
The next day, the merman swam to a far away beach and dragged himself onto the warm sand. Leaving the water didn't kill the redhead, but it did make him uncomfortable. When his tail started drying, he noticed that it seemed like his tail was disappearing.
Akashi leaned on his elbows and watched as two human legs replaced his red scaled tail.
"Are you kidding me?" The redhead muttered and moved his legs experimentally, "All these years wishing to have legs and all I had to do was dry off?! Of course my mother wouldn't tell me this…She probably thought I would run off to be with humans."
When the waves touched his feet, Akashi's tail returned. The redhead swam to where Kuroko and the others were waiting and got up on the beach.
"I have a surprise for you guys. Bring a towel tomorrow and some clothes that might fit me." The redhead said with a smile on his face.
"Akashi-kun, what is this about?" Kuroko asked curiously.
Akashi's smile grew wider and he hugged the blue haired boy, "I just found out something wonderful."
The redhead stared into those blue eyes and kissed Kuroko on the cheek, "Just come back tomorrow."
Akashi sat on a rock and waited for his friends to arrive the next day. He was already almost dry and would be able to learn how to walk eventually.
When Akashi's friends arrived, they threw small pebbles into the water, thinking that the merman was in the water. The redhead called out from behind the rock, "Daiki, can you pass me the towel and clothes?"
The tanned boy seemed confused but he threw them over the rock and the group of friends waited patiently. After a while, Akashi asked for their help. Midorima and Aomine went behind the rock and yelped in surprise; they helped the redhead get up and dragged him over to the warm sand. When Kuroko saw the redhead's legs, he gasped in surprise and rushed to Akashi's side.
"How did this…You have legs?!" The blue haired boy exclaimed.
"I figured out yesterday when I got completely dry on the beach. Turns out as long as I don't touch water, I can live as a human. So maybe…I can be with you." Akahsi said with hopeful eyes.
Kuroko shook his head and frowned, "It's too dangerous. What if water gets spilled on you and someone sees you with a tail? They'll take you away."
The redhead sighed, "I know…But maybe I can spend a night with you?"
"Alright. We can try. First, you have to learn how to walk." The blue haired boy said.
Even though they never confessed their love for each other, Akashi and Kuroko were both aware of their feelings and accepted it. No words needed to be spoken about it since they knew that they loved each other and they knew that they wanted to be together. The blue haired boy waited for Akashi to walk to him on his own and then they went to Kuroko's house. They knew it would dangerous since the slightest bit of rain or maybe stepping into a puddle would turn Akashi back and his tail would be visible to everyone, but they did their best to keep him dry.
Once they got to Kuroko's house, the blue haired boy said, "You don't have to worry about hiding from anyone, I live alone."
Akashi smiled and held the blue haired boy's hand, "Tetsuya….thank you."
Kuroko felt his cheeks flush and he quickly mumbled, "It's no problem. I wanted you to come to my house."
The blue haired boy prepared food for the redhead and they ate together at the table silently. Kuroko taught the merman how to use a spoon, fork, knife and chopsticks; then he taught Akashi how to brush his teeth. When the blue haired boy got under the covers of his bed, he noticed that the redhead stood still, unsure of whether he should join Kuroko on the bed. The blue haired boy smiled,
"It's okay. You can sleep beside me."
Akashi's face lit up with happiness and he cuddled Kuroko in his embrace. The redhead nuzzled his face into Kuroko's hair and tried to show him as much affection as possible. The blue haired boy smiled to himself and thought that Akashi was kind of like a dog. The blue haired boy wrapped his arms around the merman and fell asleep.
In the morning, Kuroko noticed that the redhead wasn't by his side. The blue haired boy jolted awake and ran around the house to look for the merman. Akashi was sitting in the bathtub, his tail was too big to fit in the tub so it hung over the side and the his head was covered in foamy soap bubbles.
"Good morning, Tetsuya. This is fascinating. What are these called?"
Kuroko sighed, "Those are soap bubbles."
Akashi smiled and played with the bubbles, "I see."
The blue haired boy smiled as well and watched as Akashi struggled to get out of the tub. When the redhead was completely dry, his human legs formed. Kuroko blushed and quickly turned around when he noticed the redhead's bare body.
Akashi pulled on some clothes and then asked, "Are you going somewhere?"
"Ah…no. I'll stay here with you, or we can go to the beach if you want." Kuroko said.
The blue haired boy felt too nervous to actually let Akashi go outside and the redhead understood that Kuroko was just trying to protect him, but he wanted to go everywhere with the blue haired boy.
"Let's go to the beach then. I should probably get back home…" Akashi said with a sad smile.
"Oh…right, your home…" Kuroko mumbled and then walked with the redhead to the beach.
When they got to the beach, Akashi dove in and waved goodbye to the blue haired boy. Kuroko seemed slightly upset, but he forced a smile and waved back. Before Akashi left, he gestured for the blue haired boy to come closer by the rocks. When Kuroko and the merman were face to face, Akashi pulled himself up and kissed the blue haired boy lightly on the lips. Kuroko was left stunned and the redhead said,
"See you later, Tetsuya!"
When Akashi was gone, the blue haired boy's face was bright red and he went back home in a daze. After a week, Kuroko had a nightmare. He was standing with Akashi in a store and they were happy together. Then a bottle of water was spilled on the merman and Akashi's tail formed. People screamed around then and Kuroko tried to get the redhead away, but Akashi was taken and the blue haired boy was left all alone. Kuroko flinched awake covered in sweat and then ran out of his house and towards the sea.
The blue haired boy threw small pebbles into the sea and hoped that Akashi would see them. The redhead was curled up in the sand when he saw multiple pebbles drifting down to the sea floor. Akashi got up and immediately swam to the surface. When Kuroko saw the merman, the blue haired boy jumped into the water.
The redhead helped him float since the blue haired boy still couldn't swim and yelled, "What are you doing here?! It's the middle of the night! You jumped into the water and it's freezing; you can't even swim."
Kuroko closed his eyes and buried his face into Akashi's chest, "I had a nightmare that you were caught and I just had to make sure you were still here."
The redhead held Kuroko close, "I'm still here. I'll always be here."
Akashi brought the blue haired boy to the shore and said, "You have to go home. It's cold outside."
"What about you?"
"I'm going home too." The redhead said.
Kuroko frowned, "Why do we have to live separately? I wish you can give me a tail and I can live with you."
"It's just the way it is, Tetsuya. I'll be right here, I'm not going anywhere. Trust me."
The blue haired boy nodded and then went back home completely soaked but he couldn't help but feel like Akashi would be taken away.
The next day, the redhead dried off and went shopping with Kuroko.
When the blue haired boy was talking with Akashi, he suddenly felt uneasy,
This is familiar…This happened before…
Kuroko quickly tugged on the redhead's hand and said, "Let's go. This wasn't a good idea."
"Tetsuya, we just got here."
"Please, Akashi-kun. Please…" The blue haired boy begged while gripped the redhead's sleeve tightly.
Akashi noticed the worry in Kuroko's voice and they both left the store. The blue haired boy held Akashi's hand and looked around for any traces of water.
"Tetsuya, it's alright. You don't have to be so careful." The redhead reassured and they went back to Kuroko's house.
The blue haired boy relaxed when they entered the house and then felt Akashi tug him into his embrace.
Kuroko sighed into the warmth of his beloved friend and turned to face the redhead, their noses brushing against each other.
"Tetsuya?" The redhead asked while brushing Kuroko's hair.
"Yes, Akashi-kun?" The blue haired boy didn't mean to stutter but having the redhead so close was embarrassing.
"Can you call me by my name?" Akashi mumbled, his cheeks flushed.
Kuroko let out a small laugh, "Seijuro..."
Akashi felt something buzzing in his head and he buried his face into Kuroko's blue hair. The redhead wrapped his arms around Kuroko gently and then said, "Again."
The blue haired boy was blushing hard and he mumbled, "Seijuro."
Though it was quiet, it was enough to spark Akashi's memory.
"I love you, Tetsuya. I was afraid to say it before but I love you." The redhead whispered in the blue haired boy's ear.
Kuroko gasped and gripped Akashi tightly as the memories rushed back to him. The redhead held him close to try and ease the pain, but the blue haired boy had passed out.
Kuroko didn't wake up for a few days. He lay still on his bed with Akashi by his side. The redhead refused to move from his spot and sat there to stroke the blue haired boy's hair.
"Please, wake up… Please, Tetsuya…" Akashi begged and then he rested his head against Kuroko's chest.
His heart was pounding hard and it definitely relieved the redhead to hear to heart beating. The blue haired boy just wouldn't wake up.
Akashi felt tears stream down his face as he observed Kuroko and the redhead suddenly feared that the blue haired boy would never open his eyes. The redhead knew that it was just an effect from having too many memories rush back, but Akashi couldn't help but feel as if he had lost Kuroko. He quickly wiped away the tears but they were replaced with new ones.
"Tetsuya, you can't leave me yet. We haven't gotten our tattoos or talked about our lives. I didn't get to call you 'ducky' yet. I didn't get to know what happened to you after I passed away in the previous life. Tetsuya, you can't die yet… Not yet. You'll listen to me right? My orders…are absolute."
Akashi intertwined his fingers with the blue haired boy and cried harder when he noticed they were ice cold. The redhead fell asleep eventually with his arms wrapped around Kuroko as if to keep him safe.
When Kuroko finally woke up, he felt really sore from lying down and immediately made an attempt to get up. Akashi's weight pressed the blue haired boy down and Kuroko couldn't help but laugh at the redhead's messy appearance.
"Sei-chan…Wake up." The blue haired boy whispered while shaking his lover awake. When those red eyes opened, Kuroko realized they were swollen from crying. The blue haired boy gave a small smile,
"Ducky, were you crying?"
Akashi ignored the question and leaned in to kiss the blue haired boy. When they pulled away from the kiss, Kuroko saw streams of tears falling over the redhead's cheeks.
"I'm sorry…I made you cry." The blue haired boy said while brushing away the tears.
"It's okay. Mermaid tears make miracles happen." Akashi said and then kissed Kuroko over and over again.
Even as they kissed, Akashi couldn't stop crying. After a while, they went to go get their tattoos and then they went for a swim. The water was cold for Kuroko, but the redhead held him close. Akashi swam ahead, not really minding his tail and then said, "Tetsuya, you're a slow swimmer."
"Well, excuse me for not having a tail." The blue haired boy said. When his memories returned, Kuroko immediately knew how to swim, but it was a little uncomfortable since he didn't swim before in this life.
Akashi made sure to be very careful when he was on land. The redhead wouldn't even drink water for he feared he would spill it by accident.
They managed to keep Akashi's tail hidden for many years and perhaps fate was being kind for when they passed away, they passed into the next life together.