Chapter Text
There’s a boy, who’s watching the water.
Keigo’s running past on the road, when he spots the other. The sight is enough to make him pause, and retrace a few steps, because-
The boy is quite precariously balanced. Sitting atop the rocks bordering the road, and the crashing ocean below; rocks that are soaked with water, covered in slime and dirt and leading to a steep drop into the waves. It’s not a safe place to be, at all.
Additionally, it's just plain odd to see someone, staring at the water as though the water is staring back.
“Hey!” He stops completely, before jogging over. “Are you-”
A pair of bright eyes, just as blue as the ocean below, come to rest on him sharply, and Keigo can’t help but suck in a breath, because-
He’s never seen eyes that shade of blue, in his life- almost impossible to describe.
But then a particularly large wave hits the rocks, and he’s shaken out of his sudden stupor. “Uh- right! Excuse me, but you shouldn’t sit so close to the ocean like this. We’ve had a few people from the town fall in and drown in this area, before. The rocks can be kind of treacherous.”
The boy says nothing, just keeps staring with those arresting eyes, and Keigo stands frozen- isn’t sure what to do.
He’s also realizing, that he doesn’t know who this is. Their seaside town is moderately-sized, but most everybody knows somebody who knows somebody. But, Keigo has never seen this person before in his life.
(And- his foster mother is the mayor; so, he really does know everybody.
Even if, he's never properly felt like he belonged, never got close to anyone-)
The other looks to be about Keigo’s own age- he himself is fourteen- so, probably fourteen-to-fifteen-ish . Keigo also finds himself admiring vibrant red hair, the same color as the starfish that sometimes wash ashore during high tides. Pale skin, a graceful frame, and of course those eyes.
They make Keigo feel a bit as though he’s staring into the fathomless depths; endlessly blue-on-blue.
Whoever this boy is, he’s beautiful.
But, the silence has dragged on for too long, and the boy still hasn’t made any motion to move away from the rocks; Keigo clears his throat, and refocuses. “My name is Takami. Takami Keigo. What’s yours? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before- are you visiting our village?”
Still no response. What’s this guy’s deal?
Keigo glances around, but- the road that he’s on is a fair way outside the town center, where most of the shops and services and homes are located. In fact, this road leads deep into the country; there’s no one around who might be able to help him. The closest residence belongs to-
Well.
He tries, one last time. “Look, man. I know the ocean looks cool- but it’s dangerous, here. If you want, there are better places to watch- if you just follow this road, to the other side of town, then-”
Finally, he gets a response- but it’s not the one that he’s hoping for. Rather, the boy lets out a long, loud snort, and turns away from him, refocusing on the water.
Keigo stares.
What.
Seriously? He’s just trying to help.
He huffs, half-tempted to shove the stranger off the rocks, but that would be counter-productive. Instead, he rolls his eyes, and takes a step back. “Fine. Just be careful then”.
(No one ever said that he couldn't be petty, after all.)
He shakes his head, and turns to continue his run. A part of him wants to stay- curiously needs to know more about whatever the hell is going on here, but he can’t. He’s only got a certain allotted amount of time to complete his morning run, before he needs to make his way back to the village, back to his lessons.
His handlers won’t be happy if he’s late, after all- as they remind him every day, they have high hopes for him. And he doesn’t want to let them, his foster mother, or himself down.
As he leaves, though, he can’t help but glance back at the red-haired, ocean-eyed boy.
Against the rocks, the water continues to roar.
______________________________
The boy is sitting on the rocks again.
Keigo stops and stares, rubbing his eyes to ensure that he’s not hallucinating- but nope.
Their first encounter was only yesterday. Is this just going to be a thing from now on?
He wonders if it would be alright for him to just continue his morning run, and pretend that he hasn’t seen anything. But- he was raised to be politer than that, so he suppress a groan, inhales a fortifying breath of salty sea air, and walks closer. “Hey!”
The boy turns around, and those lovely, lovely eyes fixate on him.
For a moment, Keigo is spellbound- until the boy’s eyes roll, and the kid turns away again.
The sheer gall of it snaps him out of his admiration, and he continues moving until he’s right at the kid’s side, on the edge of the rocks. “Seriously? Weren’t you ever taught that it’s bad to be rude to someone who’s just trying to help you? I wasn’t kidding yesterday, you know- it’s really not safe for people, here”.
The other kid flinches at this; but still, no response.
Keigo can’t help his sigh. “You can’t be much older than me. I’m guessing you're also fourteen, maybe? Where are your parents, man? Or guardians? They’ll probably tell you the same thing-”
He doesn’t get to finish his sentence, though.
The redhead whips back around to face him properly, glaring fiercely now. Underneath them, at the same time, a particularly large wave crashes against the rocks, soaking the bottom of the kid’s feet. A few droplets find their way into Keigo’s mouth, and he sputters, coughing and choking on the sickly-saltiness.
What the hell was that reaction?
The other boy isn’t affected in the least by the ocean’s sudden inexplicable rage, though; instead, those eyes are now like the arctic depths, frozen over and harsh.
Keigo swallows, but doesn’t back down. He’s not going to be intimidated by some weird ocean-obsessed boy, no matter how beautiful that boy happens to be.
(And the other really is quite bewitching.)
He tosses his hair back, and sighs. “Didn’t you just see how high that one wave was? Come on, seriously.”
The redhead’s eyes roll again, but they do seem to soften a bit, going from glacial ice to a (relatively) calm open ocean. But, the kid turns away again, and- well.
Keigo snorts, already seeing where the conversation is going. “Don’t suppose you’ll give me your name this time, then? So that I know whose funeral will be coming up soon?”
This actually manages to get a vaguely-humored sound out of the kid; but, as expected, no actual response. Keigo huffs, feeling almost amused despite himself, and shakes his head, turning away. “Well, don’t say I didn’t try. Be careful, alright?”
He doesn’t get a response; not that he’s expecting one. The boy continues to stare at the waves; and the water, gentler now, laps at the bottom of the rocks; it really does feel as though it’s watching the boy back.
How odd.
Keigo shakes his head, and turns away to continue his run, already beginning to put this encounter out of his mind. He can’t focus on it, after all; his handlers will be testing him later today, to see how well his biology lessons have come along- and they will report his progress to his foster mother.
And he won’t fail.
Still, a part of him wonders if he’ll see the boy again.
______________________________
He does, in fact, come across the boy again, and soon. Every day on his morning run, each time in the same spot.
And each meeting goes almost exactly like their first. Keigo doesn’t learn anything about the water-watcher, and he can’t deny that as time wears on, he can’t help but grow more and more curious.
He’s kept an eye out, around town, but he hasn’t seen the redhead in any of the usual haunts for the other towns-children. And it confuses him, because- where is this kid coming from?
It’s not until a few weeks after their first meeting later that Keigo finally gets some answers.
In the morning, his foster mother orders his handlers to give him some time off training, because it’s a very important day. It is their town’s bi-annual meeting; and as the adopted son of the mayor, he’s obligated to attend.
(Because it will look good for her image, after all- and he knows that that's the only reason she adopted him.
Still, he's grateful, for everything she's done for him; adopting him from a big-city orphanage as a baby, and giving him an education. He doesn't want to disappoint her.
Even if he knows she doesn't- really love him, not the way that family should. But that's alright- he's lived his entire life without a real family, after all.)
So, he dresses up as she dictates him to; putting on his best suit, and following his foster mother to the Town Hall, where one by one, the townsfolk trickle in, for the discussion on their economy, schooling, current events, and other topics that he finds dreadfully boring, but still must understand.
It’s as he’s sitting next to her while the room is filling up, that the door opens once more, and in walks- oh.
Todoroki Enji. One of the greatest scientific minds that the world has ever seen, and the pride and joy of their town. A global leader in the fields of alchemy, biology, chemistry, and physics; constantly striving to be the best.
Keigo’s personal hero. One day, he’s going to be just like Todoroki; his foster mother, who saw merit with this, hired his handlers to train him in the sciences from a young age. He’s going to be among the best of the best.
Following right behind Todoroki, is a familiar, redheaded, blue-eyed, boy.
With an exceedingly sullen look, on that too-pretty face.
Keigo can’t help the way that his mouth drops open, a bit; staring with utter confusion. Do they know each other? Is- is the boy somehow related to the Todoroki Enji? But- how? As far as Keigo’s aware, as far as anyone’s aware, Todoroki is a bachelor, and has no-
He gets his answer halfway through the meeting, when Todoroki Enji takes a turn on the stand, and announces solemnly to the gathered assembly that the boy is his fifteen-year-old son, who will be living with him from now on.
And the boy’s name, is Todoroki Touya.
This causes a stir in the townsfolk, and Keigo can’t even blame them, because- as far as any of them know, Todoroki Enji is certainly not married. Has never shown any inclination towards a husband, wife, or any sort of partner, and has no other known relatives.
Where- where did Touya come from?
But the elder Todoroki doesn’t seem inclined to answer their questions, retaking his seat and gesturing that his son should do the same.
Keigo sucks in a deep breath, as those ocean eyes glare around the gathered crowd and settle on him, before Touya, too, takes a seat.
In a weird way, despite his questions, it almost makes sense. Because the closest house in the town to where he’s always found Touya watching the ocean is- Todoroki’s.
But still.
Despite his now learning the other boy’s name, Keigo only now has even more questions.
______________________________
The day after the Town Hall meeting, Keigo spots a familiar face in the town square.
He’s on his way to the library to pick up some books for his studies, when he passes by the large fountain in the square, and spots Touya, sitting on the edge of the fountain, watching the falling water.
At this point, he thinks that he’s beginning to sense some sort of theme.
He’s already seen Touya once today, on his run, during what has become their strange daily routine. But, aside from yesterday’s meeting, this is the first time that he’s seen the other boy properly in town. Deciding that it won’t hurt him, to be a few minutes late to the library, he changes course.
And, sidles closer to Touya, raising his voice loud enough to be heard. “I told you, didn’t I? If you followed the road into town, there are much safer places to watch the water. Though, you know this isn’t the ocean, right?”
Touya, as expected, says nothing; though those blue eyes do glance sideways at him.
Keigo huffs, in exasperation. “Though, I guess you’re still following a seaside theme.” He eyes the rather ugly statue of a mermaid, that tops the fountain; surrounded by goggle-eyed stone fish.
This earns him a low hum.
He raises his eyebrow. “Can I ask what it’ll take for you to talk to me, honestly?”
The other boy’s eyes merely roll, and a scowl comes over that lovely face.
Keigo purses his mouth, and stares into the bubbling fountain He has… no idea what this kid’s deal is; all their conversations have been decidedly one-sided, and he honestly doesn’t know what to say, to get the other boy to respond properly.
A part of him, right now, wants to ask about Todoroki Enji, because he can’t deny that he’s mildly fanboying inside, right now, being around someone so closely related to his idol. But at the same time, he can’t help but… remember the weird reaction that Touya had, the last time that Keigo brought up the other’s parentage.
There is no strangely furious ocean here, but Keigo doesn’t want to risk evoking that anger, not in such a public place.
He bites his lip, and chances a glance back at Touya. The other still looks annoyed, and Keigo-
Suddenly, he feels very tired. Why is he even so interested in this kid? Sure, Touya is beautiful, and the son of his idol, and has a weird obsession with water, but-
Doesn’t actually seem to have any reciprocated interest in Keigo, whatsoever. And he has- better things to be doing than forcing his way into the life of someone who doesn’t give a crap about him.
So Keigo sighs, and takes a step back. “Alright. See you around, then.”
He turns and walks away, continuing on to the library. As he goes, he thinks that he maybe feels a pair of eyes on his back, but-
But, it’s probably just wishful thinking.
______________________________
The next morning during his run, he sees an ocean-eyed boy, watching the water.
Keigo takes a deep breath of the salty air, and keeps on running.