Darkness surrounded him as he slept, the smallest flutter of bubbles alighting from the swish of his tail and the filtering of his gills before floating upwards and disappearing into the ceiling of the dark cavern. He rarely dreamed, though tonight visions danced in his head, jumping from one blurred figure or scene to the next.
A flurry of tails, outstretched hands and anguished faces passed by him, though none were recognizable in the confusion. With eyes wide and jaw clenched, he watched as a dark ominous shadow descended, a shape with dead eyes and white teeth stained with the taste of crimson. He knew he couldn't win, not against this. He wasn't ready, hadn't trained enough, wasn't experienced enough to protect everyone...hell, he couldn't even protect himself. A feeling of intense powerlessness consumed him in that moment.
Then, a hero arrived, a blur of red and blue and yellow that fought off the darkness.
The hands that, moments before, had passed him with little regard now closed in on him like a devouring vortex of mistrust and anger. Fingers clawed at his skin and tail viciously, forcing him to back away and flee towards unknown waters. Away from pain, away from anger, away from guilt.
Everything turned black as he swam, unable to perceive up from down, weightless and ensnared by his own grief and helplessness.
Why me, why was it me?
Why wasn't I stronger? What could I have done?
What do I...do now?
Floating while enveloped in ink - viscous and rancid and opaque - he felt it drip down his throat, seep into his gills, grip his airway like a vice preventing him from escaping. When he thought he could fight no more, when his strength was gone and all he could do was give in limply to the burden of shame that threatened to stifle the very blood that pumped in his veins, a pair of hands encircled him. They were warm and inviting; if acceptance felt like anything, it would feel like this.
He let the arms support him as the ink fled his body, scared of the sincerity that now held him gently and kept him safe. For once, just this once, he accepted the help and closed his eyes to the embrace of another.
He slept with arms splayed out to his sides on the rockbed of the ocean floor, the gentle brush of seaweed and moss and ocean plant life acting as blanket and pillow. His tail of orange, black, and gold curled around him protectively and unconsciously during sleep. A hole - only a few feet wide - opened at the top of the cavern. It was the only way for him to know the sun was up as the deep black water of night was replaced with teal and dark blue with the coming of the dawn.
Red eyes snapped open as the dream ended and transformed with a blur into the familiar cavern walls. It was only a nightmare, only an illusion...though the events were real enough in a sense. Bakugou unconsciously gripped a handful of sand and let the grains slip through his fingers.
With his tail uncurled and fingers outstretched, Bakugou woke slowly from his sleep, the swish of fins creating more bubbles that floated easily up and out of the ceiling opening towards the far-off sunlight. Every movement, every twitch of muscle danced effortlessly in the water, a twirl of scales disrupting the stillness of the cave as he swam through a short tunnel system and poked his head out of a side entrance mostly hidden from view behind tall seaweed. He pushed himself free of the cave and out into the open expanse of blue and green, his body floating like an astronaut untethered in the vast expanse of space, bubbles as stars and schools of fish as hundreds of circling moons and flying stardust.
Bakugou groaned at remembering what he was supposed to do today. "Dammit, the stupid meeting...he better not be late like last time; idiot always gets distracted on the way…" he muttered before darting off to find breakfast, movements quick and agile.
He'd acquired an irreversible taste for cooked fish and spicy wasabi, though he didn't turn his nose up at something raw and bloody, easily catching something for breakfast with swift maneuvers as he made his way towards their usual meeting spot. It was a fairly long swim, but Bakugou was fast with little effort wasted as he shot forward like a rocket, darting between rock formations and faded coral.
Something caught his eye as he swam, making Bakugou pause in his journey and move forward towards the sight. A large turtle swam slowly along, though wrapped around one of its fins was a piece of plastic cutting into the skin. Every time he saw trash Bakugou snarled, disgusted with the refuse left by humans and the aftermath it caused. Slowly approaching the turtle, he grabbed hold of the shell and - though it protested at first - he unwound the plastic, letting it float between his fingers before the turtle swam off, hopefully happier than it was moments before. Bakugou wrapped the plastic around his hand and tied it so it wouldn't come loose.
"(y/n) can throw this shit away later," he said to himself, not realizing he was smiling as he said your name, the sincere familiarity of your eyes making his face feel warm before he caught himself and focused again on the task ahead, swimming with determination towards the meeting place. The sooner it was over, the sooner he could get back to you.
"Where is that moron?" he bit out through gritted teeth. "Should have been here by now…he's the one who set up these things…"
Bakugou hovered against a rock, strong arms crossed as he scoffed, red eyes watching the emptiness in front of him for movement. It wasn't long before something started closing in the distance; a dot of black slowly grew to a blur of red as it moved closer. Bakugou didn't move, knowing he wasn't in any danger from the familiar figure swimming towards him.
It slowed as it swam closer, extending a webbed hand in greeting, a bright and familiar smile full of sharp teeth making Bakugou roll his eyes. "Hey! Sorry I'm late, I saw some cool rocks and-"
"Of course you did," Bakugou said, looking the merman in front of him up and down. He was built similarly to Bakugou, arms strong and chiseled from constant swimming, though his shoulders were a bit wider and his chest slightly larger. Fading cars littered his hands and arms, though these were caused by intense training rather than foolish carelessness. Striking red hair floated easily around his strong jawline, longer than Bakugou's, though no less prickly. His tail was shaded in various tones of crimson - although his was absent of scars - which matched his eyes, wider and more inviting than Bakugou's slanted ones.
"What's that on your hand? And...dude, your tail! It's got more-" Bakugou growled cutting the other merman off.
"Human trash is what it is, I'm keeping it to get rid of later so it'll be gone forever. And stop staring at it!" he said, shoving the red-head's face away as he swept in for a closer look at the missing scales and small rip in Bakugou's tail fin.
He held up his clawed hands defensively with an apologetic expression. "Sorry! Didn't mean to light a fuse. How've you been, though? I guess it's been a while…" he trailed off, thinking back to their last meeting several weeks ago.
After Bakugou left their home, he was one of the few that knew it wasn't his fault for what happened, wasn't Bakugou's fault that others got hurt (though not gravely) and certainly wasn't his fault that their hero - their protector - ended up too injured to continue his primary job as surveyor of their home, leaving it up to others to keep threats at bay. He'd managed to find Bakugou after long days of searching and convinced him to meet up at least every once in a while for an update, to catch up, to see how he was doing away from the only place Bakugou knew as home. After a while, though, he'd noticed a distinct but gradual change in behavior and demeanor; the anger and guilt that weighed him down like a heavy anchor didn't appear as burdensome, and he even swore seeing Bakugou smile unironically! It had only taken one slip of the tongue for Bakugou to reveal the reason behind the attitude change.
He'd met a human, one that apparently he'd grown surprisingly attached to.
"Yeah, yeah,...so what's the update? Everyone still pissed at me or what?" Bakugou demanded, tail swishing impatiently behind him.
The other scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well...not everyone. Some of them realized how dumb it was to blame you...but I'm not gonna lie, others would drive you out if you came back." He held a look of apology, not for himself, but he genuinely felt bad on Bakugou's behalf knowing that some - especially the families of those injured in the attack - might never forgive him. "Your parents miss you, though. I tell them you're fine but I know they'd like to see you again…"
Bakugou scoffed. "Figures, it was best I left on my own terms rather than being driven out by those assholes." Though running away from the whole situation made him grimace, Bakugou would rather do things on his own than feel like he was ever pushed into anything. "Tell the old hag not to worry, I can take care of myself."
"At least the Hero understands-"
"Former Hero," Bakugou corrected with biting tongue.
"Yeah...well, he doesn't blame you at all. Knows it's not your fault."
Bakugou's eyes were steady as he looked into red pupils that matched his own. "I know." At that the other smiled, hands on his hips - well, as hip-like as a tail could be anyway - before his expression changed to one of mischief.
"Soo, how's you-know-who hmm?" he said playfully, earning an eye-twitch from Bakugou.
"Shut up, Kirishima, that's none of your damn business." The slight flush of his cheeks gave him away, though, only egging on his friend and confidant.
"Oh, c'mon! This is basically the only person besides me you've interacted with since you left and I'm not stupid, I can tell you've changed at least a little!" He went to pinch Bakugou's cheek but his hand was swatted away with a growl. "Plus I wanna know more about humans! You probably know more than the researchers at this point. What do they eat? How do they breathe without gills? Do they have-"
"Shut your mouth, moron! You don't know what you're talking about." Arms still crossed tightly over his chest he looked away from Kirishima, though his expression was surprisingly soft in contrast to his biting tone.
"But I wanna know, that's the point of me asking! Look," Kirishima said, gesturing to himself dramatically. "You're my friend and I care about you-"
"Stop."
"And I just want to make sure they're not trying to trick you or anything!"
Bakugou's eyes narrowed. "Trick...the fuck's that supposed to mean?" Bakugou unwound his arms defensively at the accusation. "You think I'm dumb enough to fall for some stupid ruse? They aren't like that, anyway."
The shift in stance didn't make Kirishima back down, squaring up right alongside his friend. "I just want you to be safe, man. Of course you're not dumb, you're way smarter than me, honestly, I just...that's why you should tell me more about 'em! We all know humans can be dangerous when they wanna be, that's why we're cautious."
"Shut up, you're smart when you actually try," Bakugou retorted. He really disliked whenever Kirishima put himself down, a nasty habit he'd never grown out of. He also knew Kirishima would keep bugging him endlessly, and the sooner he answered his questions, the sooner he could leave. "Fine...what do you wanna know?"
Kirishima face contorted back into a wide grin, making Bakugou frown thinking he'd made a grave mistake in opening himself up to revealing information. He did feel like he owed Kirishima something, though; he was the only one who regularly checked on him, brought information from his old home, and seemed to actually give a shit about whether or not he was doing alright. If he wanted a couple of answers to what he was up to, Bakugou would oblige. He hated feeling indebted to someone, after all.
"Oh shit, really? Awesome! OK uh...well now you put me on the spot," Kirishima said with a laugh, scratching his cheek as he thought of a question. "How often do you see them?"
Bakugou hesitated before answering. "Everyday...almost." His voice was low and he attempted to avoid eye contact. "What? Don't give me that look!"
Kirishima wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "They're that engaging, huh? Must be stubborn to put up with you that much - ow!" He got swift punch in the arm for that. "Kidding! I put up with you so it's not a big deal. Alright, next question! What are feet like? Are they like...hands attached to bottom arms or…?"
Bakugou sneered showing his teeth. "The hell kind of question is that?"
"They look weird! They're like, short fingers that humans stand on, right?" Kirishima acted out some bizarre gesture supposed to resemble walking that just had Bakugou sighing.
"They stand on em, yeah, on LEGS not 'bottom arms' you idiot. Apparently they're sensitive to touch, at least (y/n)'s are-"
Kirishima's gaping mouth made Bakugou stop mid-sentence realizing he'd given out secret information; he clicked his tongue in a silent curse. "Is that a name? Kinda weird for a name but...wait. How do you know they're sensitive? You've touched them, then?" Kirishima scratched his chin as he considered this development before pointing in Bakugou's face and retreating it quickly so it wouldn't get bitten off. "Bakugou! Of all the things I never thought I'd see it's you falling for -"
"Shut the hell up!" Bakugou screamed defensively, making Kirishima's jaw clamp shut. When he was alone with you and no one else was around, that was one thing; he felt safe and comfortable enough to let some of his walls down, he trusted you enough to be vulnerable and, dare he say, emotionally available. You'd proven through kind actions and expressions of good faith that you weren't someone to be wary of; it had taken a long time, sure, but you were patient and he was appreciative. That was none of Kirishima's business, though. "You don't know anything."
"The fact that you're denying it so bad means I'm probably right, sorry man. But now I have so many other questions!" As Kirishima started to ramble, floating mindlessly with eyes unfocused and tail swishing back and forth, Bakugou wordlessly backed away and made like he was about to escape the onslaught before Kirishima caught him trying to retreat. "Hey, wait!"
"No more questions!" Despite being quick, Kirishima was strong and grabbed his forearm preventing him from retreating. "Let go!"
"Just a few more and I promise I'll let you go!"
"The hell should I answer stuff that isn't your business?!" Bakugou said while trying to pry Kirishima's strong grip from his arm, but the plastic wrapped around his hand prevented him from getting a proper hold.
"It's like I said before! This is the only person you've spent your time with right? You've changed, Bakugou...not much, you're still obviously YOU, but I think it's in a good way. I've known you a long time so I just wanna know what makes this human special I guess."
Bakugou stopped struggling to look at his friend who he'd never openly admitted to actually being friends with, like there was some unspoken agreement between them that they got along well enough to just know what they were to each other. He'd always been one to hide behind a scowling visage, turning away affection and the idea of intimacy with the conclusion that they weren't really something he needed; and he was right, he didn't need them...but now they were something he just, sort of, wanted.
It was never something planned, he didn't go into meeting the human with the intent of getting anything out of it other than answers to his own curiosity and the occasional meal. He was alone, they were alone through his own observations from afar, and despite telling himself he didn't need anyone around, having nothing but the waves and sounds of the ocean while far away from the home he knew day in and day out started to wear thin. Taking the chance to explore the unknown, aware that he was the only one who might get hurt this time if things went badly, Bakugou approached you.
However, as the days turned to weeks and he grew accustomed to your meetings, a shift happened without him even realizing it: his curiosity grew into attachment, and that attachment was budding into something he wasn't entirely sure how to describe other than knowing enjoyed your company (a lot), and you enjoyed his, and that was enough. No, it was more than enough, but Bakugou still wasn't fully open to admitting the truth of his feelings if they went deeper than that. Exploring something as complex as emotional attachment to someone - a human, at that - felt mysterious with unknown possibilities.
"Bakugou…?" Kirishima questioned as his friend stared blankly past him at something unseen. His name shook him of his thoughts as Bakugou finally yanked his arm free of the grip. "Look, I don't mean to pry, you don't have to tell me if you don't wanna."
"I don't know," was all he managed to say in response. He knew Kirishima wouldn't press the issue, but the smallest sliver - barely visible and hardly felt - tugged at him to just tell someone else about everything, to unload the weeks turned to months of meetings and help him figure things out...but asking for help wasn't easy for Bakugou. Maybe that's why you stood out so much: you helped him without ever being asked.
"Don't know what?"
"I don't…" He scowled more at himself than at his friend. "I don't know what makes them special, OK?! They just...fuck, this is stupid-"
"It's not stupid! Just start from the beginning maybe? Rather than trying to dig into whatever's happening right now. Also, just so you know," Kirishima said placing emphasis on the word in case Bakugou didn't get the hint, "None of this leaves this spot, and I'm not gonna judge you for anything you say. You're my friend and if you wanna talk, my time is yours."
Bakugou groaned at the heartfelt response, but ultimately decided to use the presented opportunity as an excuse to get a second opinion on things. "The beginning, huh? Like when we first met?" Kirishima nodded with that overbearing smile of his, prompting Bakugou to continue. "They were alone, never with anyone else. Maybe it was me being bored out of my mind after being away for a while, hell if I know, but I let them see me and (y/n) didn't run away."
Half of that was a blatant lie; there were a multitude of reasons why he was curious about you and wanted to know more - many of which were openly vocalized and confessed to during several gut-wrenching meetings - but he chose the simplest and easiest to digest for the sake of openly recounting it. Kirishima didn't speak, choosing to keep silent and let Bakugou talk, afraid that an interruption might make him too self-conscious to continue.
"They gave me food...fuck, that's not true, I stole their food because it smelled good."
"What kind of food?" Kirishima broke his silence almost immediately at the mention of food.
"Humans eat fish like us, but they put different stuff on it. You're missing out, it tastes fucking delicious," Bakugou answered with a smirk as he crossed his arms at Kirishima's expression, knowing the other would be jealous of good food.
"Oh man that's no fair...OK, so you stole their food, then what?"
It took a moment to think back to several months ago. "They weren't mad, mostly curious I guess? Humans don't think we're real in case you didn't know."
Kirishima's jaw slowly unhinged and his brow furrowed so tediously that Bakugou couldn't help but roll his eyes dramatically. "What do you mean we're not real?"
"I mean they think we're some fairy tale, something made up, imaginary. I guess that proves we're good at hiding from them. I assume that's why (y/n) stuck around at first, I was a fucking story come to life-"
"And stealer of their food," Kirishima interrupted, gaining back his composure.
"You want me to keep talking?"
"OK, OK, keep going."
Bakugou scoffed before continuing. "Anyway, they started bringing me food after that. As long as I showed up, I got a free meal. Then (y/n) started teaching me how to talk in human words." At this Kirishima perked up again with an excited smile and sparkling eyes.
Bakugou was surprised at how much he was actually enjoying talking about all of this; it was fun recounting his meetings with you as they slowly built up in closeness. This helped keep his memory fresh, and he secretly wanted to recapture every detail, afraid one might slip away if too much time passed. "You can talk to them, then? Say something in human."
He shook his head. "Their language doesn't work underwater, it comes out all wrong," Bakugou replied. He'd tried practicing words while you were away, but found they made nothing but garbled bubbles when he tried.
"C'mon, just one word," Kirishima pressed. Bakugou grumbled but attempted to say "you're stupid" in your human tongue, but it came out just as he expected: ugly. Whenever they came from you, on the other hand, it didn't sound so bad...not bad at all.
Kirishima cringed at the bizarre sounds. "Ugh, yeah that doesn't sound right…"
The storytelling continued as Kirishima listened intently and only interrupted when he wanted to ask a curious question. Bakugou recounted other meetings, though left out the more...affectionate ones. He skipped over finding you crying on the pier as he remembered the pained look on your face after realizing someone you were supposed to meet - someone for a date - had completely abandoned you. It was on that day that Bakugou concluded he was starting to view you as someone who meant something to him, something outside of a human who just gave him food, kept him company, or provided casual entertainment in times of boredom. You seemed genuinely interested in knowing more about who he was. He disliked the idea of someone being close to you, but at the time wasn't sure why. Seeing you upset was also painful, and if he could take away that sadness, even for a moment, he would.
Bakugou still struggled to find the right words to describe you at times, words he'd never used to describe anyone else. You showed him empathy, though never felt sorry for him or stood above him like many might knowing his story of voluntary exile. You didn't care about his scars - emotional or physical - and had even said his tail was pretty, a descriptor he would never have used to describe himself before you came along. He was strong and smart, that much he knew - but anything past that felt frivolous. You openly gave him your time and food, bought things for him and spent countless hours at this point teaching him your language and answering his endless questions. When you praised him for learning something new, it made him smile; at first it was a strict matter of pride to prove that he could learn anything you threw at him, and while the accolades were always appreciated, Bakugou eventually realized he just enjoyed seeing you happy and knowing he was the cause. You made him laugh, something very few could take credit for. You...missed him, when he wasn't around.
The night he'd come back from hunting for your gift of pearls made his heart stop and his blood run cold at the realization that he'd made you upset by just not being there: his existence in your life felt like the final piece of a complicated puzzle, each shape scribbled with the mundane occurrences that helped people feel a sense of contentment as they moved from day to day searching for a deeper sense of purpose or meaning. The pain on your face and the emotional weight of your words made him swear - to both you and himself - that he never wanted to see that expression again if he could help it. He'd gone on a journey to find you something that he deemed worthy of everything you'd given him, and he hadn't realized how long he was away as the days slipped by and he slept sporadically in unknown waters searching for something to help even out the exchanges.
In reality the gift meant more than that, but he was hard-pressed to admit it; sitting neatly in shell that many might find ugly or average were shimmering jewels. You saw yourself as undesirable or mundane when really everything wonderful about you - everything that he struggled to see within himself - was kept hidden until the right moments dripped into the timeline of meetings. Bakugou wanted to pull those things out so you could see yourself as he saw you.
He also hated feeling indebted to someone; though he knew you didn't want or need anything in return outside of his company, he felt compelled to give you something - anything to keep and something to hold onto. There were items he treasured back home, but of course he hadn't dared go back and retrieve anything. Kirishima had found him by that point, but asking him to bring back specific things would just stir up questions that Bakugou did not want to answer.
Bakugou continued to talk and Kirishima continued to listen, both completely forgetting about how much time was passing.
"Wait, hold on." Kirishima held up a hand suddenly causing Bakugou to pause in his story. "They can't swim?!"
Bakugou growled at the dramatic expression. "What? I'm teaching them so it's fine!"
Kirishima looked skeptical which just made Bakugou angrier. "At least you're a good swimmer obviously, dunno if you'd be a good teacher though...man, they sound kinda cool and you know so much about humans now!"
"Don't be stupid, of course they're badass. (y/n)'s smart as shit and answers pretty much anything I ask about. They can sing real fucking good and they bring me gifts and shit and they're nice and -"
"Dude," Kirishima interrupted, breaking Bakugou from his train of thought as he started rambling about your good qualities without realizing it. His expression was soft as he crossed his arms over his broad chest and looked at his friend. "I was wrong."
His eye twitched as Bakugou tried to keep from looking embarrassed at his mishap of oversharing. "Hah? Wrong about what?"
"Wrong, about the human. I thought, maybe...they might have bad intentions."
"Tch, most humans do because they're selfish assholes. But-"
"But this one's different. I know that now, I can tell just by the way you talk about 'em." Kirishima swam closer and Bakugou made to move away but a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder keeping him in place. "Does (y/n) make you happy?"
The question was so simple, so direct, so full of meaning that it took Bakugu by surprise. Defining happiness was different for everyone: for some, money or wealth made them happy. For others, maybe it was being surrounded by friends and family that gave them feelings of contentment or elation.
Bakugou wondered about the question many times as he got older, wondering what it was that might secure his own slice of happiness. He became strong and powerful, one of the fastest and most agile swimmers in the colony. Working hard to be someone important - someone that everyone looked up to, someone who always came out on top - he trained and studied and surpassed those around him.
However, the lack of a proper challenge grew tiresome, and Bakugou fell listless into the daily routines of adulthood as he went out with the hunters to gather food, or swept through obstacles in his path with little to no difficulty. The tedium forced him to explore, to wander farther than most, to discover a new challenge.
That's where all of this started, and how he ended up in his current situation.
After all of that work he found no contentment in it, feeling like something else was missing but he didn't know what. He'd overcome every hurdle he came across...until he came up against something he couldn't defeat. It felt as though all his effort was useless if he couldn't even help people in a moment of terror that he caused, erasing every accomplishment, scattering them like disappearing bubbles under a swift and unforgiving current.
Then he met you, and everything started to deviate. You saw past his flaws, past his rough exterior and found something beautiful that he couldn't even see in himself. That's what made the trips worth it. You'd even told him directly that he made you happy, that you enjoyed his company, and missed him when he was gone. He'd considered your happiness, but now he was confronted with the question of his own. It all made him feel so...so…!
"Yeah," Bakugou finally answered, voice gravelly and eyes unwavering. You were his happiness, and he would finally admit it openly; doing otherwise would be a disservice to his respect for you.
Kirishima just smiled, though Bakugou groaned at the sappiness of the whole situation knowing Kirishima would hang this over his head for quite a while. "Then that's it, then. That's your answer. If they make you happy, then that's all that matters, right?"
Bakugou replied with silence, but Kirishima knew him well enough to understand the meaning.
"But since they're human, how do you...have you…?" Kirishima hoped Bakugou could pick up on what he was asking without having to actually say it aloud, but his confused expression told him otherwise. "OK so, uh...they have legs..? Yeah, legs! So how do you…" He hesitantly made some lewd hand gesture which immediately made Bakugou slap his hands away, his own face a dark shade of flustered crimson.
"The hell?! Don't do that!"
"I'm just asking!" Kirishima exclaimed with equal embarrassment at his own curiosity at the differences in anatomy.
"None of your damn business!" To be completely honest, Bakugou hadn't even thought of anything past the very basics of touching. A gentle interlock of fingers, a whisper of skin against skin as light as a feather, a voice like a soft breeze against an ear; he didn't exactly feel like a romantic in any traditional sense, but he'd learned what seemed to make you flustered, small gestures that left your cheeks dusted pink or your throat dry. He wasn't privy to human mating rituals or customs, but whatever he was doing seemed to be working in some capacity, so he just continued to act in a way that seemed natural. Plus, it was honestly amusing to see how the smallest touch or look could get you so worked up...as if his ego needed an extra boost.
He was in no rush. Bakugou was one to show what he wanted and how he felt through his actions rather than his words, which seemed best considering the language barrier; while under any other circumstance he would barrel into situations with little fear for the aftermath, when it came to you he was content to be patient as he learned and became more comfortable with saying he trusted you. Being close emotionally was still new for Bakugou, but if nothing went past being able to just share his time - and the occasional embrace - with you he wouldn't complain.
"Also, I wanna meet 'em!" Kirishima said excitedly, breaking Bakugou from his wandering thoughts. "They sound pretty cool and maybe I can try some of that human food!"
At this Bakugou snapped back to reality to focus on the red merman in front of him. "The hell? No you can't...meet...shit! How long have we been here?" he asked quickly. Before Kirishima could answer, though, Bakugou took off in the direction he'd originally come leaving a spray of bubbles trailing behind him.
"Huh? Wait up!" Kirishima called after him while trying to keep up.
"Fucking hell I'm so stupid...dumbass kept me talking too long," he muttered to himself. If he was a little late that was fine, but he hoped you hadn't gone and left if it got too dark thinking he'd forgotten or gotten sidetracked. Bakugou promised he'd always return and he'd be damned if he broke that already.
"Slow down!" Kirishima was just as strong a swimmer as Bakugou, but his slightly bulkier frame limited his speed in favor of more raw physical strength.
"Stop following me you nosey bastard!" He darted in and out of various underwater formations, tall stalks of seaweed spiraling in the wake of his swift momentum.
"So what if I'm curious?! Just let me meet 'em once and I won't bug you about it again!" Bakugou was agile, gradually pulling ahead of Kirishima as he rocketed towards a destination only one of them knew the location of.
A smirk appeared on Bakugou's face as he considered his options before answering. "Then try and keep up!" With a final flurry of flashing fins he sped ahead, daring his companion to match his speed and maneuverability. He'd lose him in the race, having the route knowledge on his side leaving Kirishima swimming blind.
He was exhausted by the time he reached the familiar area of the beach, the underwater pillars of the pier barely visible in the distance as the water turned dark. The sun had already set. Bakugou knew it was late, but assumed the night was still early enough for you to linger around for a while longer.
He looked back over his shoulder and saw only emptiness beyond the current and gliding fish and floating plant life. Scoffing, he smirked to himself as his chest heaved up and down and gills soaked in the oxygen from the surrounding water eagerly as he came down from the adrenaline rush. "I knew I was faster...just couldn't keep up." Bakugou wasted no more time and swam quickly towards the pier.
Your fingers and toes were recognizable at this point - not just by sight but by touch and smell, he could pick yours out against the limbs of strangers who visited the pier. To avoid being seen Bakugou would breach the surface of the water under the pier and look for you before announcing himself - and sure enough there you were, hands outstretched towards the water lazily; maybe you'd fallen asleep waiting for him. He never saw you sleep, though he sometimes wondered what you looked like when the stress of days left you and your eyes closed as you breathed easily.
Smiling to himself a single webbed hand reached up to caress the skin of your palm, light and hardly noticeable to anyone not paying attention.
"Mhm? Bakugou?" you muttered from the edge of the pier, your voice echoing underneath the water-stained wood. Bakugou interlocked his fingers with yours in response before - with one final visual pass to make sure no one was around on the coast - he popped his head out of the water.
You looked at him sleepily, the leftover rays of sun finally sinking down behind the endless line of deep dark sea behind him. He couldn't help but think how nice you looked with heavy eyelids and lopsided smirk as your cheek pressed against the edge of the pier from laying on your stomach.
"You're late, but I'll forgive you. I was about to fall asleep, really tired today…" you yawned while fiddling with Bakugou's fingers. "Mhm, what's that on your hand?"
He'd nearly forgotten about the plastic wrapped around his palm. Unraveling it he held it out for you to take. "Found trash on a turtle, you throw it away," he said as you examined the garbage with a sneer. After picking up the first set of children's books, he'd requested - more like demanded, really - one on living sea creatures so he could learn the names of things he encountered everyday: dolphins, whales, sharks, crabs, turtles, octopi, etc. He mentally named things as he explored and hunted while you remained at work.
"People are trash," you muttered, reaching back to slide the plastic into your bag to throw away later. "You were supposed to teach me to swim today, did you forget? Chicken out?"
Bakugou's eye twitched thinking you were calling him a coward; he knew you were joking, of course, but still didn't enjoy the implication. "No," he said with a grunt. "Got...distracted."
"Well you're here now, right? But it's too late for a swimming lesson." You let go of his hands before standing up on the pier to stretch in an attempt to wake yourself up a bit. His eyes followed the movements of your body as your hands reached up towards the night sky. Though he knew you wouldn't call yourself graceful, Bakugou might disagree.
Kneeling down you patted the open spot next to you on the pier while glancing behind you briefly to make sure the coast was clear. "I can't stay long, but we can catch up for a minute if you want."
Bakugou dove underwater to build up the proper momentum needed to propel himself up onto the pier, the action rehearsed and familiar at this point. He shook his hair free of water similar to a wet dog, splashing you enough to make you laugh; it was a sound he'd grown attached to, even more so when he was the cause.
"You're such a shit, but I don't have to tell you something you already know." Your words held no bite as you smiled while wiping the water droplets from your face. Bakugou wasted no time in taking his customary spot on your lap, his head resting on your thigh while one of his hands found its way under your knee, fingers ghosting across your skin in rhythm with the sea breeze. If he could Bakugou would lay for hours like this, comfortable in your presence as you looked at him with glistening eyes full of something unspoken but still present.
"Why are you tired?" Bakugou asked while looking up at you. Everyday he got a little better about not skipping over words and closer to speaking in proper sentences. To be honest he was tired as well after swimming such a long distance in a short amount of time, but he could sleep later.
"Eh, just a long day. People at work being…" Your hand rolled idly against his damp blonde hair searching for the right word.
"Stupid?" he finished for you with a knowing smirk.
"Yeah, actually. Pretty stupid," you laughed in response.
"Tell 'em to shut up." It was a perfectly Bakugou thing to say, a phrase taught to him in a moment of vulnerability that he now tossed around whenever the opportunity popped up.
You scoffed, leaning back on your free hand while the other twirled on his scalp, the gentle purring reverberating through his chest and into your own muscles. "I wish I could sometimes…maybe I'll get a new job soon and things'll be better, we'll see."
When it was just the two of you he wasn't embarrassed to let his guard down a little. Your mouth opened as if to continue talking while looking out across the dark water that reflected the white moonlight shining down from the blackened sky, but stopped short as Bakugou watched your eyes focus somewhere out in the middle of the ocean. "What's that?"
He turned his head to follow your eyeline and, sure enough, something disrupted the water sitting still aside from the push and pull of gentle waves created by the cool evening breeze. Narrowing his eyes and sitting up from your lap his jaw clenched on instinct as a second pair of ruby eyes stared back at him just above the water's surface.