Chapter Text
The pills worked all too well, he didn't wake up for breakfast nor for lunch, but now he was startled by his dad Paul frantically shaking his shoulders and muttering curses under his breath. “Chuuya shit wake up wake up we're going down” he stopped shaking him when he saw the boy had opened his eyes. “Eh?” he mumbled, still half asleep, quickly realizing what his father said.
He shot up to a sitting position “Fuck you mean we're going down?! You said nothing would happen!” he yelled and quickly got up, frowning when the floor was all flooded up to his mid calves. His eyes widened as tears formed in the corners of them. “I don't wanna die. I'm sorry for everything I've done, just don't let me die here” he muttered prayers over and over as he looked out the window. The cruise was indeed sinking and he could do nothing but watch and feel it on his own skin.
He hugged his dads tight and shut his eyes tightly. “What do we do..?” he whispered in a shaky voice. Paul sighed and held him close “I'm sorry darling but there's nothing we can do. Just wait and hope we'll meet each other in the afterlife” he whispered in his son's ginger hair, kissing his forehead as the teenager cried.
“No! I don't wanna lose you two! And I don't wanna die!” he yelled and squeezed him tighter. It was obvious he knew there was nothing to be done, but he was still struggling against the cruel fate that's awaited him since the day he was put into this world. “I know but it's something we have no control over. The destiny is doing what's best for us.” Arthur stepped in and reassuringly rubbed Chuuya's back.
“No dad, destiny is just so cruel! Why would it kill a happy 15 year old and his two dads? Is it really best for us? There were surely another hundred ways this could've gone!” he cried and desperately clung to them as the water level in the ship kept rising and was now to his knees. He shook his head and kept muttering “I'm sorry's” and “please no's” to gods he hasn't believed in until now.
“I know, you're right, it's cruel.” Arthur sighed as they slowly accepted their fate of just drowning. Yes, they could swim except for Chuuya, but the water was cold and the rain was too strong to even let them see where the land was. Plus they were in the middle of the ocean and they didn't have enough energy to swim for miles and miles.
Chuuya sobbed as the water reached his hips, getting ready for his and his dad's upcoming and unavoidable death. The richer got on safety boats, which were just enough for 20 people out of 156 on the cruise. The life jackets were all given out, as they only had 75 in total, and they were definitely already signed gone. Soon, the water reached neck level and they were struggling to breathe, trying desperately to get at least out of the cruise and catch a breath. They eventually managed to, but the storm made it hard and soon their mind fogged and bodies went limp.
“Another boat sinking? it's the second this month” Dazai thought to himself as he observed all the people drowning and fighting for their life. He dived underwater, immediately noticing a bright orange color. He swam over, staying unnoticed by the other human beings. He curiously grabbed the one with bright hair and noticed he still had a faint pulse. He quickly swam back to his island, dragging the weak limp body of the boy with him.
As they finally resurfaced, he pressed slightly on the boy's torso in a way that looked like a cardiac massage, but when he saw the boy's breathing wasn't working, he sighed and decided to just perform artificial ventilation, or more commonly known, mouth to mouth resuscitation. After a few breaths, he noticed the boy's chest rising and falling become deeper and more regular, and decided to just wait by the boy's side until he woke up, which took longer than expected.
It's morning, the storm is gone and the sand is still slightly wet, when he wakes up and immediately panics. “Where the hell am I..? Hello? Am I dead-?” He looked around and touched his face to make sure he was real, then he grabbed a handful of sand to make sure his surroundings were also real. He looked up from his side and jumped when he saw an actual, living mermaid- or better merman- next to him, sitting with his tail extended ahead and apparently trying to clean a fish and cook it. As he heard his voice, he turned his face to him.
Fuck so they actually existed? He remembers just making fun of those one or two days ago, and now he's face to face with that same creature?
“Oh hi. You're awake I see.” He calmly said as he got the spine out of the fish “You were passed out for like five hours. Didn't think you'd open your eyes again.” He commented, acting as if this situation was completely normal and he had no problems interacting with a human.
Chuuya was dumbfounded, pointing at his tail and then at him “Are you a real merman or am I dreaming in the last few minutes before I die?” he asked, his voice confused since he didn't know who the hell this was and where the hell they were.
“Nah you're alive and well and I'm real.” he said with a shrug. “We're on an island. Well my island. And my name's Dazai, I'm a 16 year old merman” he smiled a bit and offered his hand to the boy, who was hesitant at first but shook his hand. “Uhm I'm chuuya and I'm 15.” He said bit embarrassed and smiled back a bit.
“Mhm I'm making you something to eat. It's trout I think. I can't get spices on the island as I have this shitty tail, but while I cook you can have a look around and find edible herbs” he pointed at the small forest behind them. “I'll call you when it's ready.” Dazai said as Chuuya slowly got up and explored the island, finding a bit of wild mint and some mushrooms that didn't look poisonous. He also found a weird plum tree and a few more strange stuff, but he decided to get some and ask if they were edible.
He headed back to the beach when he heard the other boy call his name. “I got these. I think they're edible.” Chuuya set the stuff he found down and looked at the meal Dazai had made for him. It was the trout, cut in half with its spine removed, well cooked and slightly crispy on the outside, all laid out pretty on a big leaf. There were some cooked clams and mussels on the side as well. “Hell I hate seafood but it looks so tasty.” he smiled and sat down while Dazai divided the edible and toxic things Chuuya brought.
The merman extended his arm to put some mind leaves on the fish and smiled at the redhead. “Don’t have a fork so hands will do” he laughed as he ate his own food. “Mm it's good!” Chuuya said, which made the merman smile more. “Thanks! I love cooking” He laughed and leaned back when he finished his meal. He noticed Chuuya scooting closer to him and gave him a questioning look. Without a word though, Chuuya burst out crying.
Dazai was hella confused, but decided to at least try and provide the boy some comfort by hugging him tight “Hey what happened..?” he asked. He didn't expect the redhead to look up at him with teary blue eyes and sniffle. “I- my dads. Are- are they dead?” he sobbed and started crying more. “I mean.. probably?” Dazai replied, not really knowing what he was supposed to say. The boy was clearly just starting to remember what happened before he woke up there.
It only made things worse as chuuya buried his face in his chest and let out a yell “Why didn't you just let me fucking die!” he sobbed, expressing his little wish for life when his dads were gone and he was probably never going back home. He didn't even have his phone for fuck's sake.
The mermaid shrugged, “You had pretty hair and little dots on your face.” He tapped his cheek where his freckles were, “I've never seen a human quite like you. I thought you'd be interesting.” he sighed and rubbed his back “Listen I'm sorry but like I couldn't have let you die there” he whispered as he figured he should just let him cry it out and mindlessly rant about how much he was gonna miss them.
There was surely a long way to go before Chuuya got over his fathers’ deaths, but Dazai was willing to patiently wait and stay by his side. This was his human now.