Author Note: Second Chapter complete! Thanks so much to those who commented, faved, watched, this story omg. It's not much but it's a start so I'm happy! OvO
Please enjoy this next chapter! Tell me what you think or anything really!

Chapter 2:

At first Haru didn't noticed the change in the water as the two bodies started to lower. He didn't want to do or be aware of anything but keep his face buried in the comforting darkness of Rin's wet shoulder. It was when Rin could no longer latch onto the edge and slump deeper in the water did Haru get a rude awakening of water in his nose. He realized Rin's concern as the male struggled to scratch at the walls while still keeping a semi-strong hold of Haru's weak body. This surprise just lead to Haru choking on himself again and he gagged out nothing as his lungs shriveled for needed air. He jerked and held onto Rin tighter and he could feel the hammering of Rin's heart through his chest.

Haru let out a groan.

There was no way for Rin to avoid the decrease in water as they went lower and lower down the tank. This horrified Rin because he knew what would come and Haru might not be strong enough go through another transformation. He didn't even care to think if he would be able to either. Why are these humans so stupid, obviously turning Haru back won't help with the heavy pain the poor fish was going through. He just needed to heal and let his gills develop normally again. Why this why now?

"Stop this please! You don't understand, he'll die" Rin suddenly yelled out in his last resort to stop the pain that was yet to come for the both of them. He needed Haru to be ok and if he needed to speak he would.

The men and woman around froze from hearing what they heard. They couldn't comprehend what they just heard, the creators could speak. Fear struck them and they all froze, just waiting for the shark to speak. Makoni was the first to break from the awed spell and he moved over to the monitors of the tanks and pushed the large button and stop the water from draining. If Rin wanted it to stop then it should be stopped.

Rin was astounded when the water suddenly stopped draining and the water calmed. He didn't expect them to listen or the fact that he accidently gave them the knowledge that his species could speak in the native tongue. It didn't matter to him, as long as Haru was safe it would be worth it anyways. With the humans still staring, Rin supported Haru up again – who was dealing with a war against himself as his body trembled from irregular coughs and wheezes—and shifted his partners arm around his neck. He then tucked his nose against Haru's shoulder and relaxed his own breathing to give Haru encouragement that he could rest now. Haru just slumped over Rin's shoulders and pressed his cheek to Rin's ear, looking out weakly. Makoni caught his eye once and he wondered why he was still there. With that Rin continued to glare fiercely from behind Haru's forearm towards the staring eyes above. He wanted them to leave, just to leave them alone for a little while.

….

Fortunately the scientist did leave the two mermen alone for a little while and filled the tank back up to the top. They were now too occupied in their studies of how such creatures had knowledge as powerful as their own. Rin and Haru stayed afloat for many hours after that, tired and hungry. Once and a while Rin would dip his head underwater to wet his hair while patting down Haru's to make it smooth again. It was so odd how their hair looked while dry. Besides that, they just rested on each other's, listening carefully at the tiny trickles of the water and the humming around them.

"Are you getting better?" Rin asked him in a soft whisper close to the others ear.

Haru turned his head to him slightly as if annoyed from Rin's stupid question, "I don't know." His breath was still hitched so clearly no but Haru tried not to show his irritation to his lover.

Rin saw his negativity anyway but wasn't affected much by it. He knew they were both frightened but at least they had each other. The shark decided to move down a little and inspect Haru's gills while the other male loosely held onto his head with carelessness. Rin observed that Haru was getting better now that the other was breathing calmly and his gills weren't completely sealed anymore. It gave relief to Rin and he moved back up.

Haru clicked his tongue as he slid his arms off Rin's head to look at him. They were both extremely tired and he could see in Rin's face that he was beaten, but yet still relevantly handsome. Rin was about to ask another question but Haru avoided it by dunking himself under. He couldn't really swim well but he didn't care.

"Were are you going?" Rin muttered and went below the water as well. He watched as Haru slid himself through the water and down to the bottom. This worried Rin and he fallowed after his tail. "Are you sure you can still breathe properly." He asked but Haru kept going.

The dolphin didn't feel like answering because he didn't know himself. He had a hard time breathing in deep breaths but besides that little inhales it would have to do. He just wanted to hide in the water again and away from the outside world. The water felt so much better and cooled his skin compared to the dry air above. He soon found the farthest corner of the tank and noticed that Rin was right beside him. Even in a miserable state, realizing Rin was finally with him brought him great comfort compared to the loneliness he had before. He let Rin move underneath him and his tail brushed against his skin almost purposely. They laid down and curled their tails around each other, a moment they shared that used to be so customary now felt so rare.

Rin tightened his tail around Haru's body and Haru mimicked him in a way so he could rest his head on Rin's hip and the other could so the same. The dolphin tucked his arms inside and exhaled carefully, resting his sore eyes to focus on the soft up and down motions of Rin's arithmetic gills on his sides. Rin left his arms folded over Haru's scaly hip where he could feel his partners' tail press against his back for comfort. His body shook with exhaustion even if he still had a bunch of energy. He knew both their bodies needed to relax but he couldn't help tense with every movement that occurred outside. So he decided to stay and keep watch while Haru slept.

The two slept this way for a while, almost three hours maybe. Rin didn't get sleep at all because he was trapped in the constant worries of what will happen next. He couldn't relax and Haru sensed it. The dolphin woke up a bit and leaned over to grab Rin's shoulder. He weakly pulled him over a little—which was easy in their flexible state although it looked irregular –to hold him closer.

"What is it? Go to sleep." Rin urged him in a whisper and kissed Haru's face.

"You need to sleep." Haru spoke so quietly Rin had to stress his ears to understand. "I know you're hungry." He added.

Rin was caught but he wouldn't defend himself. Yes he was hungry and yes he was tired. But he just couldn't relax and didn't really have an appetite. He kissed Haru's lips continuously to make him shush. This action became normal to the dolphin and soon it created a sense of comfort. He let his thoughts drift to memories of their time together in the vast ocean. Such as how Rin would poke and nip at him after the catch of the day to see if his mate would offer any precious fish for him. He wished he could do that now but sadly Haru was just as empty as he was.

Haru felt disappointed because of this and cuffed Rin's face to look at him strongly. He knew he wasn't okay and was choosing to hide it. It was easy to tell really. Rin's deep pools of crimson lacked the determination and compassion as he once had back at home. It was once encouraging for Haru to see that in Rin's eyes; but now just seeing remorseful rosy eyes was unbearable. He rubbed his thumb to Rin's brow thoughtfully before laying his head back down.

Rin obviously saw this and shifted their body's embrace more comfortably to keep Haru in his arms. The red fish exhaled deeply and bubbles floated up to the top, he lifted his eyes to watch them. There was nothing more that he wanted then the warm company of Haru so he blocked out the worries his partner saw in him.

Another couple hours passed.

Then nothing.

The two fishes stayed wrapped in each other in the interminable void of silence, trapped yet again in this isolation. It was almost soothing to them once they got used to it, or was it that they now had each other to rest one. Either option didn't help the long boring hours they shared submersed in this lifeless water. The humans behind these walls watched almost impatiently now. They searched for another response from Rin once and a while but the shark would refuse to even peep a sound. They got no voice no proof of what they heard. They also grew irritable now that both the mermen where together. They knew from the start that putting Haru with Rin would be a disaster. The red fish guarded Haru like he was his last piece of shrimp to nibble on for the rest of his life. They no longer could collect data from Haru's behaviors or bring him out of the water without the shark clawing someone's face off to get to the blue one.

For days the researchers tried to separate the two but it was almost impossible without putting harm to their suspects. Soon it didn't matter to them anyway once they developed new ways to further their research. They wanted their subjects to endure the outside and see how they adapt without living in the water. Makoto, even in his less important status in the government, opposed to the idea of keeping the mermen outside their water habitat continuously. Some agreed with him and others nearly shooed him away. It was no use and they soon agreed with their plan to drain the waters one last time.

Near the time of the plan to set in, the two fishes where completely unaware of what was going to happen. They were once again curled up soundly around each other near the bottom where they slumbered. Haru was the first to start to wake when he realized something was odd in the water while his healing gills struggled to circulate. He sucked in as little water as he could to gather the nutrient oxygen his body needed. Even after so many days of resting he had a hard time. Although, in his sleepy state he didn't seem to care. He yawned widely while rubbing his head in the slick texture of Rin's tail. It was almost a bother to him with Rin's dancing gills blowing water in his face so he shifted more to Rin's shoulders.

"Hey…" He asked for his mate in question, wondering why he was breathing so roughly. He peeked over the broad shoulders of his companion and pushed the velvet hair out of his face. He saw that Rin was sleeping which caught him as odd. He didn't know what to think of it, was it ok that he was sleeping or was their something wrong. He honestly didn't know.

His thoughts where interrupted when he suddenly felt that familiar click that eched in the water and noticed the flickering red light start to awaken. His eyes went wide with that familiar fear causing his stomach to twist.

"Rin…Rin hey, wake up." He demanded to his mate that hadn't noticed the sudden change in the water. The red fish didn't seem to budge and Haru had to wiggle his way out from underneath him. He nudged his shoulder again and again to wake him up but his eyes just didn't want to open. It just caused more panic for Haru the more he prodded at his mate while watching the surface over them come closer and closer.

Finally the red fish woke with a jolt from being wakened by the frightened echos of his mate's call. He pushed himself up with the world spinning and he shook his head to clear it. "What is it Haru? Haru?" He replied back finally and Haru swam around and under him. He wouldn't have to answer because Rin could already see that the water was only about three yards deep now and they couldn't really move anywhere. It struck Rin as a startling surprise and before he knew it they had lost all source of water. Now they both where aliens to this empty hard tank.

They both wheezed and gasped for air as if trying to escape from their one bodies. The transformation was already coming in and both mermen did not want this to occur. They cried out from the aching cramps inside while their chests heaved for air. Haru curled into a fatal position and endured the change of his body that didn't seem to care for his discomfort. He twitched and tensed from the tightness in his tail as it slowly wilted away to freshly born legs. Dull scales retreated back into their delicate skin that felt like a hundred needles sinking back deeply into the flesh; slowly.

Rin mimicked Haru and he groaned from the sickly feeling in his gut that made his stomach want to wrench. He tried to ignore it and turn to the cries of his mate beside him. He reached to him and pushed himself over so he could put himself partially on top of him in his last attempts to protect him. He saw the humans coming through his blotched vision.

Haru hardly felt his partner's presence and held onto his wet shoulders. They could barely look at each other for a second before Rin was pulled off his partner from the gloved hands of the scientists. They were basically ripped apart and Haru searched for the last bit of strength he had to reach out for him. Rin struggled with the men as best as he could but his new legs gave him no support while he suffocated slowly with the closure of his gills. Darkness started to blur his vision in his fight to stay up and defend himself. He couldn't see Harun nor anything in front of him. His ears rung and his heart thundered to the point where he couldn't comprehend what was happening.

Haru was much farther away now as he watched the pursuit to hold Rin down. He had no energy left even when he tried to pull his arms from the grasps of the men. His gills, now fully sealed, gave no comfort even if rich oxygen was more plentiful for the slowly suffocating merman.

They pulled him up to the wheeled bed while Haru started to slip in and out of consciousness. Dizziness overwhelmed him and he saw bright lights in his face. But all that was on his mind was Rin. He woke up again and tried to sit up. His attempt failed as men pushed him back down on the bed. He looked over to where Rin was. This time he saw that the shark wasn't moving, he wasn't fighting nor trying to reach him. He laid still there with his head limp to his shoulder. His lips blue with a pale lifeless face.

"Rin!" Haru's suddenly yelled out with anguish in the frightening sight of his mate almost dead inform of him. It was too cold…the air was too cold. His body felt it as soon as it hit and now he knew why Rin looked so shooken. The dolphin pulled himself off his bed in his desperate attempt to reach Rin. He was stopped of coursed and pulled pack as Rin was pushed away just as an oxygen mask was placed on his mouth.

Haru called again, his voice choked with emotion as he was forced back down on the white bed. He felt an ice cold touch on his bicep and a sharp pain caught his attention. A small silver needle left a small mark on his arm where Goosebumps invaded the skin. An overwhelming heaviness came over him and suddenly his heart stopped pounding. His body relaxed. His eyes got heavy.

…

When Haru woke, there was shock in his eyes. Quickly he jerked his body up and his breathing deepened. He never woke in such an odd place. White laminating walls surrounded him and he once again felt that familiar feeling of being in a prison. Soon he was huffing in a cold sweat from feeling breathless and claustrophobic. His breath was hitched and he felt his sides with his fingers were his gills where, sealed.

He hiked for a few more minutes to calm himself down, finding that familiar sensation of his lungs feeling shriveled up and weak. Now he was awake in the real world where he remembered being trapped in a tank for nearly half a year, and now Rin was taken from him unknowing if his precious companion was dead or not. Haru would refuse to let out a sob. It erupted his chest without warning and it was odd to him. He wasn't the one to cry, never had he been so innocent. He was innocent to these obstacles around him and it terrified him.

He wanted Rin terribly. Yes, he always wants him terribly as if these feeling could never could get used to. He shifted from his bed to pull off the thin white sheets. He saw his legs underneath, clothed in loose pants and a t-shirt. So odd he thought and he pulled and tugged on the fabric that hugged his body. It disgusted him and he tried to wiggle his toes while rubbing his legs which felt fuzzy. He missed his beautiful tail instantly and found he couldn't move the stiff limbs like he could have with his tail. He tried to lift one leg up but it felt like it was dead weight. Then he tried the other and it hardly budged. With a groan of tiredness, he just sat there for several minutes rubbing the life back into his legs while trying to keep his breathing normal. Urgh.

He watched the clock as it continued to tell the time. It read 2:33 a.m. The fish watched it click by as he massaged his legs, wondering how long it had been. Once he was able to move his legs, which took about twenty minutes of the clock's time, he shifted them over the bed and tested if he could put pressure on them. He then tried to stand. Just as he was about to the door of the far right opened and he dropped back down. It was just Makoto and the taller male politely stepped in.

"Oh! You're awake." He greeted with kindness and closed the door behind him. Haru shifted uncomfortably in his seat, sealing away any source of emotion.

Makoto rubbed the back of his head nervously and walked to the fish and placed a cup of water on the bed stand beside the other. He tried to offer it to Haru but the teen just stared at it almost questionably. He didn't know what to say actually and Haru's slit eyes bore into him. "Where's Rin?" Haru spoke first and the taller male jumped in surprise. He wasn't yet used to such a creature speaking to him. There was silence and Haru pressed on with that eager stare. Makoto wasn't sure what he meant by 'Rin' but then realized that it must be the red one's name.

"He's in the other room." Makoto replied.

"Bring me to him." Haru quickly interrupted Makoto before he could start saying something else.

"But-"

"I must see him." The fish pressed on with a voice full of eagerness although his tone was almost mute.

Makoto couldn't resist those pleading eyes much longer even when he wasn't sure if he should bring him to him or not. They were still in the building owned by the government, in fact, Makoto wasn't supposed to be here during the middle of the night. Haru didn't care if it was dangerous either way, he needed to know if Rin was ok. So Makoto decided to help Haru up on his feet to walk, which he was surprising adapted too quickly, and kept an arm around the others shoulder to keep him balanced. Haru wasn't too fond of being touched but it would have to be done if he wanted to get to Rin. He was lead out of the strange room to an even stranger area, a hallway perhaps. He didn't know and felt vulnerable, especially without his mate. There wasn't much of a walking distance to the room where Rin was held and Makoto knocked on the door once the two approached the black door. Haru was first introduced to the bright blonde whom opened the door with accelerating speed. His large pink eyes sparkled at the sight of Haru and he smiled so wide it looked like it was stuck.

"Ah! So you're the blue one right! You can walk too. My names Negisa and this is Rei." Negisa continued on, speaking in slow language just in case Haru struggled to understand. The dolphin had zero interest in this bubbly character and tried to look over Negisa and into the room. He saw another male with glasses that must have been Rei. He got in the fish's way as he introduced himself; explaining something about himself and his involvement with a secret agency or something like that. Haru didn't catch all of it because his attention was fully on the bed that lingered inside the room. He pushed himself through the two bodies in front of him and almost lost balance if Makoto hadn't caught him.

"Rin?" He called out to the figure he could see laying in the bed in front of him. He could see him, he was alive. He must be alive.

The crimson haired teen was in fact laying in the bed that Haru was trying to reach. He had survive the night although he didn't remember anything that had happened when he transferred the night before. He remembered laying in the very bed he is in now with a never ending cramp. The wanting to move was unbearable .He was in a never ending trance of numbness and he trembled now and then from the bitter air that pricked his skin. He was also provided air through a mask that was placed on his lips. He thought it was pain but couldn't get it off until Rei had come in to remove it for him.

When he heard Haru's name he shifted his stiff position to turn his head. He didn't even hear him come in and was previously sitting upright with sagged shoulders; his thoughts heavy with the knowledge of why Rei and Negisa where here. He really hated them. Soon Haru was at his bedside before Rin's blurry eyesight could focus on him.

"Haru!" Rin gasped and went to put him arms fully around him. He found weakness in his effort to hold him but he didn't care. Haru fell on him in his last steps towards the bed and embraced him too. Such joy he felt, they were together once again. The dolphin ignored the three other strangers around them as he pushed the blankets aside and huddled close to Rin's warm embrace. He tucked his legs in and shifted himself tightly next to his mate. He never wanted be separated again and put his arms tightly around Rin's thin waste, hiding his face in his neck. Rin waited patiently for Haru to get comfortable before leaving his arms around Haru's shoulders and resting his cheek on the other's hair. He noticed Haru's breaths where sometimes cut short and it concerned him still.

"They say they will help up escape Haru." Rin told him after they had settled.

Haru opened his eyes just slightly and glanced over to the three that where talking amongst each other at the door. He didn't seem to care and closed his eyes again, shifting his head more against Rins neck so he could hide himself once again in the darkness of his lover's presence.

Author's Note: How'd you like it? Getting more interesting since the first chapter? Hopefully, I'm trying not to make it seem too long and boring with fat paragraphs to read and such. Gosh I hope it's interesting! Next chapter will be up in at least a week. I'm sure the next one will be the last or second to last who knows.
Oh! If anyone gets confused on how the two fishies are cuddling together near the beginning, just let me know and I'll send ya a drawing I did to show you how they are positions. Sorry I know, it was hard to explain lol
Also! I give a bunch of credit to my lovely sister who helped edit and advise my silly mistakes here. Thanks so muuuch!