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The sea holds many wonders. Many secrets that escapes the known knowledge of man. Beneath the thick over layer of blue there lies a city, further out than man has travelled in many an age and deeper than he intends to go. Told in legends, Atlantis was once a prospering land metropolis that sank into the sea, and yet, legends are forgotten. Left to themselves for generations, the story fades, loses interest. Man, no longer sets out on his quest to map the world or discover its inner wonders. Man has a habit of forgetting. But no merperson ever has.
Yuri breathed a sigh of relief as he sank into his throne. The comfortable sea moss and coral cushioning his limbs as he closed his eyes in exhaustion.
“My lord?” A voice spoke, timid and scared. Yuri cracked one eye to half glare at the fish that had swarm over to him. He closed it again, letting a wan smile creep across his face.
“I do hope you have a good reason for bothering me, Squama.” He lilted, enjoying the flustered silence that followed. Squama, his valet, enjoyed a few more moments of pleasurable spluttering before finally starting to answer Yuri’s question.
“It’s just… we’ve heard…”
“For the love of Poseidon!” Yuri had both eyes open now, flipping himself to swim over to the cowering fish. Trident in hand and violet-scaled tail flicking in anger. “Spit it out already! I haven’t got all day to listen to your babbling!”
The fish backed away from Yuri’s eyes, mumbling nervous apologies. He knew all too well what would happen to him if he crossed the Mermaid Prince. Yuri waited, silently loving the fear etched into his butler’s small glassy eyes. Finally, he coughed, composing himself.
“We’ve located a human in the deserted area on the mainland. He may find us.”
Yuri narrowed his eyes, reducing the fish to a blabbering mess once again, “He?” Yuri asked, intrigued by this information.
“Y—Yes my lord. It is a boy of around the age of yourself.”
Yuri felt a new playful smile dawn across his face. A strange human, around his age, this could be fun. Yuri was going to have to investigate personally.
“Ready my chariot Squama. I would like to pay our guest a visit.”
“B—but your majesty! That could risk exposure! If you let yourself be seen, then who knows how many humans this one could bring back with him!”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about such trivial matters Squama. I would like to meet him. Now, for the last time, my chariot if you would.”
Yuri swam back to his throne as Squama hurriedly exited the room. This would most certainly be interesting.
***
Yugo flicked a strand of navy hair out of his face in exasperation. Rin had been chasing him for the better part of an hour. There was no way she would find him here. This part of the beach was secret.
Yugo grinned to himself as he walked along the sandy shore, its surface uninterrupted by the footsteps of other humans. This was his place. Yugo’s beach, where no one else could come and tell him that he needed to do the household chores or homework. Along this beach his nagging older sister couldn’t scold him for his language.
It was a place for him to escape.
Yugo let a smile grow across his face as he sat down on the boulder overlooking the sparkling ocean, turning golden in the fading light of sunset. He sighed, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back against a rock.
He’d found this place a few years back, secluded and out of the way it was an entirely different world from the buzzing metropolis of the city. From the boring, repetitive, humdrum drone of life.
Yugo smiled up at the colours of the sunset, at the pinks, blues and golds that painted themselves along the sky. Bringing the dull, placid greys and whites of the city in the distance to life with colour. Like a blank canvas suddenly being splashed with paint.
Yugo closed his eyes, content with the peaceful silence of his beach. Of the steady wash of waves against the sand lulling him to sleep.
***
“Hmm? That’s a strange place to pick for a nap.”
The voice jolted Yugo awake, causing him to bang his head against the hard rock. “Ow!” He yelled, rubbing his head and whiling around wildly to see who had spoken. “Who are you!?” He shouted at the empty beach, a daze of confusion etching itself across his face.
“Over here.” The voice called again, and Yugo swung round to the water. His aquamarine eyes widening as they met deep magenta gazing at him curiously from beneath the waves.
The boy in the water had his arms crossed, rolling his eyes at Yugo’s reaction. He was bare-chested, save for the golden band that encircled his upper forearm, embedded with a deep purple gem. The boy’s violet and magenta hair seemed unaffected by the damp that wove through it. The golden circlet around his head shining in the fading light. Yugo found himself inadvertently staring.
“I mean, really.” The boy shook his head, a smile growing across his lips. “For such a cute face you’d hope you’d be a little more intelligent.”
“H—Hey!” Yugo found his voice, but he could already feel the blush seeping into his cheeks.
The boy in the water laughed, Yugo’s heart leaping at the sound. “You are fun. I’m glad I took the time to come up and say hello.”
Yugo mentally slapped himself, ‘this isn’t a way you should act when you meet new people Yugo.’ Rin’s voice echoed in his head, geez, even when she wasn’t here she was nagging.
He cleared his throat, the boy in the water waiting patiently for him to speak, a sly smile etched into his features. “The name’s Yugo, I come from the city. What about you?” He asked, watching the boy’s features light up.
“Nice to meet you Fusion—”
“It’s YUGO!”
“Right, nice to meet you Fusion, I’m Yuri.” Yuri smiled at Yugo’s fuming reaction, clearly, he had hit a nerve. But at the same time the boy’s face fell quizzical.
“But where do you come from?”
Yuri’s smile grew wider, “Are you curious?” He asked, his voice lilting.
“Um, yeah.” Yugo replied, trying the question again, “Um so, Yuri, where do you come from?”
“Can you keep a secret?” Yuri asked, his voice turning playful, Yugo nodded.
“I won’t tell anyone, I swear!”
“You promise?” Yuri’s voice was low, barely audible, almost threatening and Yugo suddenly felt like he was being tested. He gulped.
“Yes.”
Yuri instantly brightened, swimming closer in to the shore. “I come from the sea.” He said, watching the confusion blossom across Yugo’s face. “I live in Atlantis.”
“Huh?!” Yugo cried jumping to his feet, “you can’t be from there! That’s a fairy t—”
Yugo stopped, staring wide eyed. Now that he was vertical he could see through the water at Yuri’s feet from where he was lying in the shallows. Or more specifically, to where Yuri’s feet should be. Instead, Yugo almost fell back in shock at the long, violet scaled, fish tail that began from Yuri’s hips. Ending in twin fins designed for swimming through the ocean’s currents.
Yuri smiled even wider, resting his chin in his hand and looking up at Yugo’s flustered face. “Well, I’d say your reaction is quite plausible. However, I must ask, how do you get around with two feet? Seems rather inconvenient for swimming.”
Yugo stumbled over his words, “You’re a—You’re a…”
“Yes?” Yuri asked, waiting.
“A mermaid?!” Yuri’s face darkened slightly,
“Well excuse me, I am a merman, next in line to the throne of Atlantis too may I add.”
“You’re a king?”
“Well not yet, but when dear old daddy finally keels over and dies then yes.”
Yugo blinked, despite his statement Yugo felt his heart beating a little faster. At this angle the light hit Yuri in just the right way, angling his features in dull golden. Yugo felt another blush blossom across his face and looked away.
“You know.” He said slowly, scratching the back of his head, “I really like talking to you Yuri.”
Yuri startled, staring at this human boy with his blue and navy hair. His jeans, green t-shirt, grey jacket and sneakers damp and wet with salt water, sand plastering to the fabric in odd places. Yet when he swung back to Yuri, a light pink tinge to his cheeks and a wide, goofy smile across his lips, Yuri’s heart leapt.
Yuri stared at the patch of sand in front of him in astonishment, what was this feeling? He felt warm, happy for once. He lifted his gaze, meeting Yugo’s eyes, sparkling the same blue as the sea on a sunny day and his breath caught. Feeling his cheeks heating up and heartbeat elevate. It was impossible, ridiculous and implausible. But this stranger made him curious. What was this feeling Yuri was unused to? Would he be able to talk with Yugo more? Would the boy come back for him?
“Yugo!” A faint female’s voice floated from across the nearest sand dune and Yugo stiffened.
“Damnit Rin!” Yugo hissed, swinging back to Yuri. “You need to leave before she sees you, my sister will freak out if she knows you’re here.” Yuri blinked but nodded slowly, pushing himself up into a sitting position with some difficulty due to the shallow water.
Yugo instantly ran into the water to help, saturating himself in the crashing waves. Gently he hooked his arms under Yuri’s, swinging him up into his strong arms as if Yuri was a doll.
Yuri felt Yugo’s heartbeat against his chest, it was beating fast, the warmth of his skin was comforting and Yuri felt himself flush.
“H—Hey! What are you doing?” He hissed, trying to be angry at Yugo for his actions. Yugo just gritted his teeth, wading out his waist.
“Shh, she’ll hear you!” He whispered, “I’ll come back for you Yuri okay? I want to talk more, I want to get to know you better. Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone but I’ll be back okay? Every day at 5:00 I will wait right here for you. On this beach. For you. I promise.”
He set a startled and blushing Yuri in the water, Yuri swinging round to face him now that he could look him in the eyes. Keeping himself upright on his tail in the deeper water.
Yugo didn’t know what happened, but without warning Yuri grabbed Yugo’s collar, pulling him in close and locking lips. Yugo’s eyes widened but soon he found himself enjoying the kiss, hooking one arm against the bare skin of Yuri’s back and pulling him closer.
Yuri pulled out first, looking playfully up at Yugo. “I’ll hold you to that promise Yugo. See you tomorrow.”
Yugo smiled, holding Yuri’s hand as he lowered himself into the water, “Yeah, see you tomorrow Yuri.”
Yuri felt a sad longing as he let go, diving beneath the waves, wishing for the warmth of Yugo’s touch again as he swam down into the cold embrace of the sea. Stealing a glance behind him to the boy standing, waist deep in water, at the edge of the beach.
Yugo watched Yuri go, swimming with a fascinating speed out into the ocean. A smile growing across his lips, he curled his fingers around the shell necklace Yuri had pressed into his palm during their kiss.
Stringing it around his neck and feeling lighter than ever. Yugo walked back to the shore as Rin rounded the sand dune and Yuri out in the water dove down to his kingdom.
Two hearts waiting, hoping, for the next day to come as quickly as possible.