For a week that started with discovering the existence of merpeople the rest of Yamcha's trip was of a caliber someone else may have called "underwhelming". He knew better. Sure, the rest of his trip wasn't filled with more world shaking discoveries but just being with the one be had was enough.
Over the past few days he'd learned more than he ever could have hoped for from Tien. Specifically about fish and the area they inhabited. He had gathered bits and pieces of facts about merpeople over his many conversations with Tien but he was still filled with curiosity. So, on his last day in Japan he figured he should go big before he went home.
"I think you've told me enough about the Izu catshark to fill a textbook." Yamcha said as Tien brought up the animal yet again. They were sitting at their now usual spot on the rocky shore off the island.
"Really?" Tien said. "How deep do they swim?"
"A hundred meters and they're forty to forty five centimeters long. I'm well aware." Yamcha said. "I thought by now you'd run out of species to talk about."
"You won't get far in the marine biology world thinking that way." Tien teased. "Here I thought you were a fast learner."
"I could probably list at least twenty species native to Japan with more accuracy then half the people in my field thanks to you. I'd call that fast learning." Yamcha pointed out. "Then again... there is one big species you haven't told me anything about."
"And what would that be?" Tien asked. Yamcha flipped his notepad to a rather scarce page and showed it to Tien.
"Your species. I barely know anything about merpeople despite everything that's gone down since I met you." Yamcha said. "Namely, almost a week of contact."
"..."
"Aw, c'mon Tien." Yamcha whined as the merman stayed silent. He put his notepad down and pouted. "Why are you so tight lipped about this?"
"Listen. The Mer are... secretive. We don't like to interact with humans. Even though you know we exist... that doesn't mean I can speak on behalf of my entire species." Tien said quietly. "It's like... if I asked you to tell me everything about how the human world works. I'm sure there's some humans who wouldn't want me hearing your answer."
"... I suppose you have a point." Yamcha said. "Still... I can't be the first human who's asked."
"You're not." Tien admitted. He stared down at the water and absentmindedly waved his tail back and forth. "There's one other human who's seen me. Who knows me."
"Then you can tell me what you told them, right?" Yamcha asked hopefully. Tien laughed softly.
"You mean tell you about what merpeople toys are like? Our families? What games we like to play?" he said.
"... who exactly met you?" Yamcha asked after a moments pause.
"Remember how I said I saved a kid once?" Tien said. Yamcha nodded.
"That makes sense then. Those are all things a child would ask about." he said. "... but why family? Games and toys make sense, but..."
"... the kid I saved... might have been better off if I hadn't done it." Tien said quietly. "He didn't have a family. Then he got adopted by this man... monster is the right word for him. The way he treats him..."
"... I see." Yamcha said. They island was silent for a few moments. Then he spoke up again. "What's his name?"
"... Chiaotzu." Tien said. He smiled sadly. "He's eight years old. Always talks to me when I'm by the docks. Gives me things he makes."
"He sounds like a good kid." Yamcha said. He recalled seeing the children's toys and drawings on the walls of Tien's cavern home. "I take it no adults believe him when he says there's a merman that he talks to?"
"I doubt he's told anyone at all. If he did he wouldn't be allowed near the water anymore." Tien said. He clenched his fists and glared at nothing in particular. "Do you know what he was told when he got adopted?"
"... what?"
"That he was lucky. Lucky to live with that... vermin. He told me once "Master Shen says the ugly kids don't get families so I should be happy he picked me." Can you believe that shit? He was only five when that happened. That asshole told a five year old boy he was ugly and lucky to have anyone in his life." Tien ranted. He splashed the water angrily with his tail. All the fish near them scattered.
"... I really wish I could tell you that's rare among humans, but..." Yamcha started to say.
"I know. It's the same with the Mer. Hell, there's one exactly like that beast of a human who runs this territory." Tien said.
"... I can't imagine what that's like." Yamcha said quietly. Tien sighed and leaned back on the rock.
"I'm used to it. It's the guppies I'm worried about." he said.
"... Guppies?" Yamcha said, confused. Tien shook his head.
"Babies. Toddlers. Young ones. The hatchlings." he explained. "No matter what you call them it's the same. They can't defend themselves."
"Does... does no one protect them?" Yamcha said hesitantly.
"Mer don't care for their eggs after they've been laid. It's like how fish treat their young. The infants fend for themselves and the strongest survive." Tien said. "It's how we do things."
"... I think I prefer how humans do things." Yamcha said. Tien barked out a laugh.
"That's why you're not a Mer." he said. "Too soft."
"I'm not soft." Yamcha protested.
"Please. If you were any softer you'd be a sea cucumber." Tien scoffed.
"Do soft people do this?" Yamcha countered. He leaned in and quickly kissed Tien's cheek. He resisted the urge to cringe at the salt water taste and tried to look smug. Tien recovered from his surprise and grinned in a way that contrasted his blush.
"That's the softest way you could have put it." he said. Before Yamcha could retort Tien pulled him into a fairly passionate embrace. After a second or two Yamcha returned it. Tien was being much more confident with his kisses than before.
"I'm glad to see you took my lessons seriously." Yamcha said after a particularly strong kiss.
"I had a good teacher." Tien mumbled. He trailed his fingers along the back of Yamcha's neck with a slowness that made the human shiver.
"I wish I could have taught you sooner." Yamcha said.
"Right. You're leaving today, aren't you?" Tien said.
"Yeah. Speaking of, I need to get back to shore soon or I'll miss my flight." Yamcha said. He pulled back with a sad sigh.
"You're sure you can't stay a little longer?" Tien asked. Yamcha gave him a bittersweet smile and a quick kiss on his forehead.
"Wish I could." he said. "But hey, if you ever feel like taking a really long swim then you can find yourself a nap and make your way over to West Bay."
"I'll keep that in mind." Tien said. He smiled and slipped into the water. "See you later, land mutt."
"Catch you some other time, koi boy." Yamcha replied as he stood up. With one last wave he climbed into his boat and started on his way back to shore. A quick flip of Tien's tail above the waves substituted for a wave of his own. Yamcha let a small smile rise on his face and kept in all the way through to his flight home.
Maybe he'd see Tien again someday. It wasn't very likely but as he drifted off to sleep above the clouds he let his mind drift to memories of swimming effortlessly alongside the merman.