A/N: Hey! *smile* I keep forgetting how fun this is to write, but I'm not in the mood as often as I'd like.
Thank you to newby6320, Lena-luvs-cats, Shadow Spears, and jy24 for reviewing!
Title: Sunlit Scales
Author: liketolaugh
Rating: T
Pairings: Link/Allen
Genre: Romance/Drama
Warnings: None
Summary: Link didn't expect his net to catch a merman. He definitely didn't expect the merman to come back. And he never would have imagined that this would lead to an attack that threatened to put the merpeople under Leverrier's control for the rest of their lives.
Disclaimer: Like hell I own D. Gray-man.
"You look sick," Link informed Allen, frowning.
Allen stifled a laugh, casting Link a wry smile. "Thanks," he said dryly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.
Link half-scowled at him. "I'm serious," he complained, shifting a little to better face Allen, who was on the ground by the chair, sitting up. "Are you feeling all right?"
Allen frowned and reach down to rub his tail roughly with his palm, reluctant to consider that.
Actually, he'd been feeling a little sick – hot and tired, like he'd been out of the water too long, but it didn't matter how much time he surrendered to being bored in the bathtub, it didn't really get any better. He felt a little nauseous right now, actually.
Finally, he shrugged. "I'm fine. It's probably just from being still too long." He smiled. "Two weeks is a long time not to swim around." He squeezed his own arm playfully, giving Link a grin. "My arms are getting a workout, though."
Link eyed him consideringly, and then glanced down at Allen's tail, now mostly free of bandages. At last, Link said, "You'll probably be able to go home in a few days, if you'd like."
Allen caught the hint of regret in Link's voice and wondered at it for a moment, giving him a brief, curious look, but it was gone before Link even looked back up.
"That's good," Allen replied, smiling again. "My friends must be worried half to death. Kanda's going to menace me with a trident and everything."
Link's expression cleared, and he nodded shortly. "You must miss them yourself."
Allen's smile turned wistful. "Yeah, I guess I do."
They might've continued, but the sound of footsteps, distant but distinct, startled both of them. Allen half-yelped and twisted to look at the bathroom door, slightly ajar, and a moment later, Link had scooped him up and was taking him briskly toward it. Allen reached up to grasp absently at the back of Link's shirt and twisted to look at the front door apprehensively.
He had a few moment's preparation before Link lowered him back into the tub, still full of water that felt, though Allen would never admit it to Link, harsh and uncomfortably warm.
"It's likely some of my friends," Link explained to him, taking a moment to linger by the tub, crouching. "I've been spending more time at home as of late; they're bound to have noticed."
Allen winced, an apology on the tip of his tongue, but Link was already up and going, closing the door behind him. Allen half-sighed, half-smiled, and propped himself against the side of the tub to listen, one hand curled lightly around the rim.
A minute or two passed in silence, but then there was a knock at the door, and Allen heard it open.
"Tewaku, Madarao," Link greeted, unsurprised, of course. "What brings you here?"
Someone made a disgusted noise, and a girl answered, "Looking for you, of course. You've been even more of a hermit than usual. Something wrong?"
"Nothing, I assure you," Link said dryly, and the door closed; they must have come in. "But I'm flattered by your concern."
"Well, someone's got to look out for you," the girl replied. Allen could hear her smirk in her voice and stifled a smile of his own.
The other person cleared their throat. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" the man asked. Allen's smile faded at the edge to his voice.
"Yes, of course," Link assured, concern creeping in. "Madarao…?"
"Nothing," the man – Madarao, Allen guessed – interrupted. "But the chief has been wondering, too."
There was a short silence, strangely ominous, and Allen clamped his hands down on the edge, brow wrinkling in concern. He'd heard many things about Leverrier, most of them from Lenalee, none of them good.
"Chief Leverrier knows he has nothing to worry about from me," Link said at last, quiet.
"Of course," Tewaku agreed quietly. "But you know how he's been lately."
"Hm." Link was silent for a moment, and then he spoke again. "It's the lack of business. He's worrying, that's all. People aren't passing through as much anymore."
"Humph," Tewaku snorted.
"No matter why," Madarao interrupted, stern, "it would probably for the best if you didn't give him cause to worry about you, Link."
"I understand," Link acknowledged quietly.
There was a tense moment, and then someone sighed.
"He trusts you more than anyone anyway," Tewaku said, a little more upbeat. "It just doesn't hurt to be careful." A brief pause, and then she continued, "The local sirens really have been raising hell, though, you notice?"
Allen frowned, leaning forward a little more in curiosity. As far as he was aware, the sirens, living almost outside of the bay, had actually been less active recently. Then again, that was for merpeople; maybe they'd turned their unaccountable ire onto the humans in the area.
Link snorted quietly. "How could I not? One of them tipped a boat last week."
"The big angry one," Tewaku agreed. "Scary thing."
"Chief Leverrier thinks that some of the merpeople are using the sirens as cover and joining in," Madarao pitched in, serious. "I think he's losing his patience with them."
That was ridiculous. Merpeople weren't strong enough to tip boats. God knows Kanda had tried.
"Is he?" Link sounded concerned. "How so?"
Brief pause. Subconsciously, Allen flexed his tail beneath him, and in a response he still hadn't gotten used to, the water swished and swayed around him. Some of it slopped over the side of the tub and to the ground with a clearly audible splash. He froze.
The silence that followed that sound was much more oppressive than the one before it, and Allen held his breath, eying the door warily.
"What was that?" Madarao asked at last, voice low.
Link hesitated, and then said, very firmly, "It was nothing."
"Nothing?" Madarao was clearly skeptical, and for good reason. Allen sank back guiltily.
"Nothing," Link repeated.
Pause, much longer and more strained.
"Well," Tewaku said after a moment, voice a little cooler and almost dry, "I hope that 'nothing' is gone before Chief Leverrier is any more worried. You hear me?"
Link blew out a long breath. "Of course," he murmured.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Madarao said offhandedly, with an edge of warning.
"What am I doing?" Link countered without missing a beat, and Madarao snorted.
"Exactly," he said dryly, and then, "I think Tewaku and I should be going, then. We'll make sure the others know you're fine, just a little sick."
"Thank you," Link said sincerely.
"You owe us," Tewaku threw out, but it didn't sound like she meant it, Allen thought.
A few moments later, the door opened and closed again, and then Link opened the door into the bathroom, coming in.
"Sorry," Allen said, giving Link a guilty smile. "I didn't-" Link wasn't smiling. Allen's faded. "You want me to go?"
He watched any number of emotions flit across Link's face, irritation and anxiety and worry, but what Link said was, "Do you think you can make it home?"
"Of course," Allen said instantly, completely certain of this now. He was almost completely healed; a few days' difference probably wouldn't change much.
Link considered him for a moment. "Would you have gone home that first day, if you hadn't passed out first?"
"…Yes?" Allen answered, a little confused now.
Link nodded to himself, and then said firmly, "You're staying here until I say otherwise."
Allen yelped and nearly tumbled out of the tub, but caught himself against the side, giving Link a surprised look. "Really? After that?"
Link shrugged, looking away uncomfortably. "Tewaku and Madarao are good friends," he said at last. "If they were going to say anything, they would have told me so."
Allen gazed at him for a moment, and then smiled. "Alright," he acknowledged, gratitude infusing the word with warmth.
"But let me know if you feel any more sick," Link added. Allen nodded. "Now, come out. I need to make dinner."
Three days later, Link finally gave in and carried Allen out to the dock by his house. He took all sorts of precautions first, of course; it was getting dark, and he circled the house several times first, looking around for incoming visitors.
But finally, finally, he brought Allen out, and knelt down, and hesitated.
Allen laughed, and rolled out of his arms to land in the water with a splash that didn't quite cover Link's surprised yelp.
And despite the sickness, despite the pull of muscles he hadn't really gotten a chance to use, it felt wonderful. The water was cool and familiar, and the flex of his tail, the swish of the water around his body, was even better. He laughed again, just a stream of bubbles in the ocean, and chirped instead, high and delighted as he twisted and stretched for the first time in weeks.
The misty, darkening turquoise of the water looked like home, and it beckoned him, calling him further in, but he stayed under for only a few minutes before he surfaced again, shaking his wet hair out of his face.
When he looked up, Link was still there, and he was smiling. His brown eyes looked bright, and he was even still kneeling on the edge of the dock, a few speckles of darker fabric marking where he'd been caught in Allen's entry splash.
Allen smiled at him brightly, his own silver eyes sparkling, the scales of his tail catching the light as it swished and flexed to keep him aloft.
"You look healthier already," Link commented quietly, his smile sincere in a way Allen hadn't seen from him yet.
Allen hummed a confirmation, still buzzing with happiness. "I hadn't realized how much I missed this," he admitted cheerfully, his webbed fingers batting absently at the water to keep him steady as he grinned at Link. But then his smile faded a little. "I should… really be getting home, though."
Link's smile faded, too, and a regretful look entered his expression. "Yes, you should," he agreed. He hesitated, and then added, "It's been… enlightening, though."
That was all it took to bring Allen's laugh back, eyes bright with amusement. "I'll miss you too," he said warmly. "Good luck with everything." He winked. "And say hi to your friends for me."
Link looked briefly surprised, and then amused, shaking his head slightly. "And you yours," he countered.
Allen grinned. "Of course. I have to tell them where I've been, after all." And then, "Thank you again."
Link flushed a little, glancing away. "It was nothing more than expected," he said loftily, and Allen chuckled.
"I'm sure," he replied, and reached up. Link looked briefly startled, and then leaned down, reaching to meet him halfway. Allen squeezed the fisherman's hand and let his smile warm. "Goodbye, Link."
Link's smile faded, but didn't quite disappear. Instead, it looked wry, almost sad. "Goodbye… Allen."
Allen smiled at him again, and then let go, turned, and, in a flash of silver scales, disappeared into the water.
Link watched him go, and then watched for a few minutes after that. Just to be sure.
There! *bounce* I finished this part a little ahead of schedule, surprisingly (usually I'm behind) so it's time to move on to. Stuff. Sort of. *smile* Thanks for reading, and please review!