"So lemme get this right. You met a guy in Japan who saved your life. You two dated for almost a week. Then you came back here and this guy decides to spend months getting ready to follow you. Now he's here?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Yamcha said happily. Krillin shook his head and put down his sandwich.
"You really are something else, Yamcha. Here I thought you lost your edge after college and then you have a man come halfway across the world just to be with you? You sly dog." he said with a laugh.
"There's nothing sly about it. Coming here was Tien's choice. It was a surprise to me too." Yamcha said.
"I can't deny that it's a little weird but love makes you do crazy things. Not to mention you look happier then I've seen in years." Krillin said.
"Really?" Yamcha asked.
"Yeah. You never were the same after Bulma. Hell, even when you were dating her you weren't exactly at the top of your game. But now? I didn't think you could smile this much anymore." Krillin said.
"I didn't think so either." Yamcha admitted. "Having Tien here... it's the best thing that's happened to me in months."
"I'd take a wild guess and say the other best thing was meeting him?" Krillin said. He chuckled when Yamcha nodded. "You're really in it deep with this guy, aren't you?"
"As deep as the ocean." Yamcha said. Krillin laughed and began to pack up his lunch.
"Exactly how I felt when I met Lazuli. Trust me on this one buddy. You hang onto that man" he said. "Now if you'll excuse me, my break's almost over and I have to go feed the tangs."
"I'll see you later. Have a good day." Yamcha said.
"You too." Krillin said. He paused a moment at the door. "And bring that Tenshinhan guy around here sometime. You've talked about him so much already that the entire staff is dying to meet him."
"I'll try." Yamcha said. He finished up his own lunch and got ready to head out. He knew full well that he couldn't bring Tien around anywhere. The closest he could get was a facetime call and even then he'd need a second phone that he definitely couldn't afford. Having Tien as his "official" boyfriend was going to present some obstacles. He decided to think about it later and got to work.
By the time his shift was over he was already halfway to the changing rooms to get into his wetsuit. Then it was down to the ocean and over to an outcropping of rocks Tien was using as a hiding place. As soon as he surfaced near it Tien appeared next to him. He gave the merman a quick kiss and propped himself up on the rocks. Tien leaned on the bottom half of one of them and reached out to hold Yamcha's hand.
"Anything new in the big blue world of yours?" Yamcha said. Tien shrugged.
"Not much that I can tell. It's pretty quiet." Tien said. "Though it's much better with you here."
"I could say the same." Yamcha said. "...What do you mean, "that you can tell"?"
"There's a really strong metallic scent in the water around here. Probably from all the buildings" Tien said. He scowled lightly and tighted his grip. "I can barely pick up anything else."
"What else would you need to smell? Beside food?" Yamcha said. Tien looked away. "...Tien?"
"Remember how I said there was a Mer who ran the territory I lived in back in Japan?" Tien said after a few seconds.
"What about him?" Yamcha asked.
"He wasn't happy about me leaving. I'm his best hunter. He followed me for a good two months and then I lost his scent." Tien explained.
"... do you think he's still after you?" Yamcha said.
"I can't be sure. The water here all smells like metal and Tao has metallic prosthetics. It used to be easy to pick up his scent because nothing else was metallic. Now everything is." Tien said.
"... what would happen if he finds you?" Yamcha said quietly.
"We'd probably fight. He's an older Mer so I'm sure I could take him but..." Tien started to say. He trailed off and Yamcha felt a pang of concern flare up.
"But what, Tien?" he said. He leaned in closer when Tien didn't respond. "Tenshinhan. What is it?"
"... I'm afraid. Of him. He taught me everything I know about hunting. Ever since I was a guppy. He raised me to work for him. If he shows up now... I'm scared I won't be able to fight. That I won't resist." Tien confessed. He let go of Yamcha's hand and slipped down into the water until only his head was above it. "Even if I do fight he's got a built in blade. I'm defenseless and unarmed."
"...I'll admit that doesn't sound ideal." Yamcha said.
"You think?" Tien snorted sarcastically.
"Look, even with all that power behind him I know you're stronger." Yamcha said. He dropped into the water and pulled Tien into a hug. "If anything happens I'm here for you and I will personally kick that dudes ass for you if I have to."
"I doubt you could do much." Tien said but he returned the hug all the same. "Thank you though. For the offer and the support."
"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't do anything?" Yamcha said. He kissed Tien softly and broke it off with a smile. "You'll be okay."
"Of course. I have a loyal land mutt guarding me." Tien said with a small smirk. Yamcha splashed some water at him in retaliation. Tien laughed and ducked beneath the water.
"Oh no you don't." Yamcha said. He took a deep breath and went under the waves. Even with the water blurring his vision it was easy to spot Tien. He swam after the merman for quite some time before he had to surface. He panted for a few seconds and glared at Tien as he emerged laughing from the water. "I think you have an unfair advantage here."
"If you ever get me on the land I'll give you a running start." Tien said. Yamcha tried to splash him again.
"You're lucky I have the staff party to prepare for. Otherwise I'd really let you have it." Yamcha said.
"Make sure you have enough free time next time to show me what you mean." Tien said. Yamcha gave him one last splash and started to swim back to shore.
"I'll bring you some leftovers from the party." Yamcha said. Tien flipped his tail at him in acknowledgement. Yamcha laughed and finished swimming to the beach. He waved briefly in the direction of the ocean and started to walk back to the aquarium. The sooner he got his part of the part planning done, he reasoned, the sooner he could spend more time with Tien. With that thought in mind he headed back into work with a renewed enthusiasm.
One week later...
"To our beloved aquarium, West Bay!"
"To West Bay!" everybody cheered. Yamcha took a sip of his drink and looked around with a smile. The party was in full swing. Goku had already cleared almost half of the buffet on his own and even the usually stoic Azure bore a small smile. There was a sense of comradeire in the air that Yamcha hadn't felt at the aquarium in a while. Everyone was getting along well, though the alcohol being served may have had something to do with it, and laughter could be heard often.
"Too bad your boyfriend couldn't make it." Krillin said. Yamcha shrugged.
"It's a staff only party." he said.
"I'm sure Lazuli would have made an exception." Krillin said. "We all have a lot to thank the guy for."
"You do?" Yamcha asked.
"Sure we do. He's the reason you came home from Japan at all, for starters, and since he's been here we've all been a lot less worried about you." Krillin explained. "Let's face it, Yamcha. You weren't in the best place before he came around."
"You're right about that, I'll admit." Yamcha said. He walked over to the oceanview balcony and looked out over the waves. "It's been a long time since I've been this happy."
"And everyone is glad for it." Krillin said as he joined him. "Things in general have been getting better around here. I just hope our budget will give us another few years."
"Who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky." Yamcha said. Krillin continued talking but something in the waves caught Yamcha's attention.
The sky was already dark and the lights along the beachside lit up the sands with a soft glow. Normally that would be all. Except it wasn't. Yamcha could see a flash of brighter light reflecting off something in the surf. Tien shouldn't be that close to the shore. The longer Yamcha watched the more anxious he felt. Why was Tien coming to the beach at this hour? Then with a final splash Yamcha saw Tien heave himself up onto the sand. Then he stopped moving altogether and the anxious feeling got worse. A sick sensation that started in the pit of his stomach spread as he watched the sand around Tien darken.
"Yamcha? What's wrong?" Krillin asked. Yamcha didn't say anything. Then he began to run towards the walkway to the beach.
A few people shouted, asked where he was going, but Yamcha didn't hear them. His heart was beating faster than it should have been even at his speed. As soon as he reached the bottom of the walkway and stepped foot onto the beach he knew something was very wrong. He could see now that the darkened sand was a deep red hue. He sprinted up to Tien and dropped to his knees at his side. The merman wasn't moving. His gills fluttered weakly and Yamcha could hear his breath come out as a wheeze.
"... Tien? Tien, what happened?" Yamcha said weakly. He tried to turn Tien face up but regretted doing so. Now he could see it. A gash nearly a foot long going diagonally across the right side of Tien's chest. The stuff on the sand was blood. A lot of it. Yamcha resisted gagging and tried to get Tien's attention. "Who did this? Can you hear me? Tien?!"
"... Tao... found me... tried... to fight..." Tien mumbled quietly before coughing violently.
"Stay with me Tien. It's gonna be okay. I'll get you help. Just hang on." Yamcha rambled. He glanced towards the walkway and saw several staff members approaching. He raised a hand and waved them over. "Get a doctor! Or a vet! Someone who can help!"
"What the hell is... going... on..." Krillins frustrated shout trailed off as he stared at Tien in shock. "Is... is that...?"
"A merman, yes. He needs help! Hurry!" Yamcha exclaimed. He could feel tears start to prick at the corners of his eyes. "Please!"
"Holy shit... it's actually a merman..." Krillin said. Lapis and Lazuli followed close behind him and had also stopped in their tracks. All three of them stayed stock still for a few seconds staring down at the creature they all previously believed was a myth.
"Don't just stand there! Do something!" Yamcha yelled. The noise seemed to shock his co workers into action.
"Go get Azure and Goku. They're strong enough to carry him. Lapis, get the operating room ready. A wound that big is going to need serious treatment." Lazuli snapped. Lapis and Krillin nodded and ran towards the building. Lazuli knelt down next to Tien. "Put some pressure on the wound until they get back. It'll slow the bleeding."
"Yes ma'am." Yamcha said. He took off his jacket and folded it. He pressed it against the open flesh with as much strength as he dared. The action caused Tien to cry out in pain. Lazuli reached out and put her own hands over Yamcha's.
"Your arms are shaking." she observed. "Don't worry. Azure and Lapis can help him."
"I know." Yamcha said quietly.
"You knew about him." Lazuli stated. Yamcha nodded, too worried to think of an excuse. Lazuli looked from him to Tien with cold blue eyes. "That's why you've been swimming on all your shift breaks. You were going to see him."
"Of course I was." Yamcha said. He let a few tears trail down his cheeks. "What kind of boyfriend would I be otherwise?"
"... I see. This is Tenshinhan." Lazuli said. "You're going to have a lot to explain later."
"I know." Yamcha said.
"Let's get him safe first." Lazuli said.
"... thank you." Yamcha said.
"Don't worry about it. This guy is our top priority right now." said Lazuli. The beach fell silent save the pained groans from Tien.
After a minute or so Goku and Azure made it down to the beach. Lazuli gave them their instructions as Yamcha got out of the way. Soon the two men had Tien lifted up and began carrying him up the walkway steps. Yamcha followed behind them as closely as he could. He wasn't going to let Tien out of his sight until he was absolutely sure he was going to be okay. He managed to trail along with them until they reached the medical center.
"I suggest you get out of the way. We need to work without any distractions." Lapis said. Yamcha began to protest but a firm hand on his shoulder made him pause. He looked up to see Azure staring down at him.
"We will do our best. Do not be afraid." he said. His calm demeanor was encouraging and Yamcha nodded.
"Okay." he said. "If... if you can't do anything... then please... let me see him before..."
"I understand." Azure said.
"And, if he's awake tell him that I promise to be there as soon as I can." Yamcha continued.
"We will. Try to relax and clean the blood off yourself, okay?" Lapis said. Yamcha looked down at his hands and realized they were indeed covered in blood along with his shirt.
"We will let you know when you can see him again." Azure said. Then he and Lapis went inside the room and closed the door.
Yamcha numbly made his way to the closest bathroom and cleaned himself up. A uniform shirt replaced his bloodstained one and his hands were scrubbed clean. He still didn't feel right. There was way too much worry in him right now to think about anything else. Yells of agony led him back to the entrance to the medical ward. He winced as he listened. It was a horrible feeling knowing he couldn't do anything. He leaned against the wall and slid down it until he was sitting. If he couldn't be in there then he was going to be as close as he could. Eventually someone came down the hall. He looked up to see Goku standing next to him with a concerned smile.
"Hey man. They're the best vets we have in these parts. If anyone can help that fish guy it's them." he said. He crouched down next to Yamcha and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You trust them, right?"
"I do. I just... wish I could do more." Yamcha mumbled. Goku pulled him in for a one armed side hug.
"We all do. How about you come get a warm drink with everyone else? You'll feel better with some hot chocolate in you." he said. "I can put extra marshmallows in."
"God, you're such a dad." Yamcha said with a weak laugh. "Sure. I'll go with you."
"That's the spirit. C'mon. The others are waiting." Goku said. He helped Yamcha stand up and led him down the hallway. "They have a lot of questions but you take your time, okay? I'll make sure they don't bother you."
"Thanks Goku. It means a lot." Yamcha said. Goku smiled again and put an arm around his shoulder.
"You've got a lot of people who care about you buddy." he said. "Once we know you're okay then we'll feel a lot better."
"I don't think I'm going to be okay until I know Tien's gonna live." Yamcha mumbled. Goku blinked owlishly and a look of dawning realization slowly rose on his face.
"Tien? That's your boyfriend right? So that means... that fish guy is your boyfriend?" he said.
"It's a long story." Yamcha said.
"I'll get out my special rainbow marshmallows then." Goku said eagerly.
Yamcha laughed again despite himself as Goku's natural charisma cheered him up. The wait for Tien to come out of the medical ward was still going to be hard but it might be just a little bit better with friends.