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"Is that a fucking shark?" asked Kageyama. Hinata jumped to his feet at the tone of panic in his first mate's voice. He peered over the sea to see that there was indeed a shark fin cutting through the water, moving in ominous circles closer and closer to their small boat.
"A shark?" shrieked Yachi. "Where?"
Yamaguchi bristled. "Captain, I think we should head back to the ship."
Hinata shook his head. He watched as the owner of the tail came into view, upper half breaking the surface of the water. A feeling of relief settled in his chest. "Nothing to worry about, guys. That's just Aone." Hinata leaned over the edge of the boat and yelled out "Hey!"
"Are you crazy, Hinata? Get back," said Kageyama, grabbing his arm.
Hinata shook him off, waving at the merman in the distance. "It's okay."
"It is not okay," said Tsukishima. "That's no ordinary merperson, that's a sharktail. They're brutes."
"He's not."
"They're dangerous," said Yamaguchi.
"I'm not scared."
"You should be!" hissed Kageyama. "Idiot..."
"Shut up." The crew fell silent as the merman came swimming up to the boat. Up close, he looked even more frightening with a wide, muscular torso and hard scowl on his squarish face. "Everyone, this is Aone," said Hinata, signing with his hands as he spoke. He turned to Aone. "This is my crew."
The merman nodded, face impassive. He wasn't used to seeing so many humans, usually it was just Hinata. "So what brings you out here today?" said Hinata, grinning. Aone immediately went pink. Heart pounding in his chest, he reached down to the little pouch tied around his waist and brought out what looked like a partly transparent, golden piece of glass. He held it out to Hinata who frowned, confused.
Aone cleared his throat. "For you."
Hinata nearly fell off the boat. "You can talk?" Aone nodded. "But you prefer to sign?" Aone nodded again. "Oh." He looked at the item in Aone's outstretched hand, and found himself blushing under the intensity of Aone's dark gaze. As he took it, Hinata stared at the shard in his hand. A remnant of a glass bottle thrown to the sea, rounded and smoothed by the waves.
It reminded me of you, Aone signed, too embarrassed to utter it aloud in front of Hinata's crew.
Really? Hinata signed back.
Your eyes, Aone explained, making Hinata blush harder as the merman looked straight into said eyes. Shiny. The color of golden amber-- one of the rarer, more valuable colors of sea glass. When Aone found it he knew he couldn't sell it though. He had to give it to him.
Hinata heard his crew talking behind him.
"What is that, a rock?"
"Looks like sea glass."
"Why would he give him an old piece of glass?"
"In their culture it's a token of affection," Yachi whispered, and she would know, as her lover Kiyoko happened to be a mermaid. "Usually for your mate..."
They all looked at Aone. Aone felt the disbelieving eyes of Hinata's crew on him. He drew back."I'll...see you...another day?"
"Umm. Yes." Hinata said, his face as pink as the sunrise. "I mean, y-yes I'll be...um...I'll, I mean, yes," he stammered, struggling to keep his composure. Some captain he was. They looked at each other, exchanging small smiles that made something in Hinata's stomach flutter. The merman nodded and then he dipped back down into the sea, leaving all of them staring in wonder.