Archive of Our Own

As the sun climbed high into the sky, the impressive ship cut through the ocean's waves seamlessly. The water lathed at the dark, barnacled sides of the ship and splashed over onto the busy deck above. The crew was bustling across the deck as they rushed to and from their respective stations. Shouts of "move" and "hurry up" were barked out to one another near constantly. It was just another regular day on the ship.

Clinging with one hand to the rigging, Skeppy wiped the sweat from his brow and stared out over the water.

It was beautiful. Endless and eternal. The ocean called to him in ways nothing else had, and he never felt more right than when he was out on the sea.

There was a flash of something bright and red in the water, glimmering in the sunlight beaming down at the waves. It made Skeppy blink rapidly, torn from his musings. He squinted at the water intently.

"You see anything useful?" The Captain called from down below.

Startling, Skeppy managed to grip the ropes, calloused hands smarting slightly, and righted himself before he fell. He looked down at his Captain.

Skeppy shook his head. "No, sir! Just the light playing tricks!" he shouted back.

Nodding, the Captain said, "right, then. Be sure to report anything of use." And with that he strode to helm of the ship.

"Aye, Captain!" Skeppy replied with a salute at the man's back.

He looked back at the ocean. He briefly wondered what it was he had seen but pushed the thought away. It had likely been the light catching on a school of fish through the water or something similarly benign. Breathing in the sea-salt scent, he closed his eyes and tilted his head back to take a moment to bask in the warmth of the sun. Then he blinked his eyes back open and returned to work.

With the sun starting to dip, the crew settled down slightly. There had been nothing unusual or out of the ordinary happen, and most of the crew had settled in for the night. Some of them had opted to drink and gamble below deck. Skeppy had not been in the mood and had instead climbed into his hammock to sleep. The usual look-out were at their posts while everyone else was retired to their beds.

Skeppy laid in his hammock and stared at the ceiling. It was unusual for sleep to evade him so strongly. The rocking of the ship usually sent him straight to dream land but tonight was different. No matter how he tossed and turned he could not find sleep. It had gotten to the point that one of the crew had tossed a boot at him with the grumbled order to "stop making noise".

With a disgruntled sigh, he struggled out of his hammock and walked up the creaking stairs to the upper deck. It was quiet; the only noise the creak of the wooden planks below his feet, the light slap of the waves against the ship, and the murmured words from the two crew members settled in the crow's nest. The ship felt different at night. There was less pressure and expectation. Less fast-paced motions and barked orders. It simply... was.

He liked it.

Skeppy wandered to the edge of the boat and leaned on the railing. With the full moon staring down at him and the stars twinkling above him, Skeppy felt calm and at peace.

It wasn't the first time he had done this. When his mind was too crowded with thoughts or he struggled to sleep like tonight, Skeppy leaned against the ship's railing and watched the waves. Some nights he was quiet and just listened to the water as it ebbed and flowed. Sometimes he whispered his thoughts to the night sky. On rare nights, when the lookouts in the crow's nest fell asleep, Skeppy would sing quietly. He would let the words come from deep within and be carried off on the wind. Those were his favourite nights.

Quietly, Skeppy hummed a familiar tune beneath his breathe and looked down at the dark expanse of the water with a small smile.

Then, slowly, his smile morphed into a confused frown and his humming trailed off. His brows furrowed. Leaning further over the railing, his dark brown eyes stared into the darkness below.

There were twin pools of light staring back at him.

"What the...?" he murmured. The lights blinked twice and, breathlessly, Skeppy realised they were eyes. "Woah."

He squinted as he tried to make out what they could belong to, and leaned further over the ledge to get a closer look. A wave rocked the ship suddenly and Skeppy lost his grip. He toppled over board with a gasp and then a mighty splash.

He fell deep beneath the waves. The impact of the icy cold water made him gasp again, salty water flooding his mouth and making him choke. He flailed his limbs desperately to try and right himself, except he wasn't sure which way was up and which way was down in the dark depths. His chest was starting to tighten and his eyes were burning. Then he noticed the light of the moon above him. It was like a lifeline, and he kicked urgently towards it. The fact there was any number of things in the water with him had his head going light with anxiety - or maybe that was just his inability to breathe. The tightness of his chest was crushing, and the water felt like icy knives as it snuck beneath his skin to chill his insides.

He was so close to the surface. He was so close. But his vision was turning dark and spotty, and he felt the strength in his limbs leaving. He wondered if this was it.

At least he died surrounded by what he loved.

Something grabbed his hand and pulled, and he blinked through the darkness of his vision to see two glowing pools of light. Eyes, he reminded himself vaguely. They were eyes. He was able to make out the face to which they belonged, and his only thought was that the person was pretty. Then his vision went black.

Skeppy awoke on the deck with a hacking cough surrounded by some of his crew mates.

"He's finally awake!" one shouted to the rest, and a chorus of cheers sounded back.

Skeppy groaned. Everything hurt and the noise was not helping. He turned his head to spit out the salt water that he had swallowed, and grimaced at the way it burned his throat.

"You need to be more careful, lad," one of the crew warned. "There's all manner of nasties down under that water."

Skeppy looked up at them while clutching his head. It felt fuzzy still, and as a result he struggled to process what they were saying.

"Aye," another chimed in, "you never know what will want to make a tasty meal of you or want to drag you to the depths to never be seen again."

"No," Skeppy protested, voice scratched and more than a little wheezy, "he helped me. He helped me get back on deck." He rubbed his temples to try and soothe some of the ache. "They were so pretty. So pretty." Staring off into the sky, Skeppy thought on his last minute saviour, and unconsciously smiled.

The two crew members looked at each other and then burst into laughter. They gripped under his arms and pulled him up to his feet, clapping him on the back lightly.

"There isn't anything under those waves that will try and help a sailor, boy," the first crew member said.

"The sirens lure men like us to a watery grave. The krakens take our entire ships down. Those are just the main ones to be wary of," the second crew member added. "Nothing in that water is your friend."

The first crew member clapped him on the shoulder, squeezing tight. "You're just a little hazy from the tumble and getting yourself back on deck. It's no wonder you're so out of it."

Shaking his head, Skeppy said, "I'm serious!"

None of the crew believed him. It was frustrating but he did not blame them. He wasn't sure if he would believe it if one of the other crew members had fallen overboard and then claimed to have been saved by something under the water.

Later, stood at the helm of the ship, Skeppy stared out over the water and let his thoughts wander.

All pirates knew the stories. Knew of the mighty kraken that curled around ships and dragged them down below with its strong tentacles. Knew of various other dangerous sea dwellers that made men sailing the seven seas their prey. But Skeppy was sure that the person (creature? He was sure now it had not been human but calling it a creature felt somehow rude) had helped him.

There was no way he had gotten back on deck by himself. No way. He had passed out from lack of air.

"I know you helped me," he called to the water. "Thank you; you saved my life." He stared at the waves for a long, long time, and hoped that the being heard his words.

"Skeppy!" The Captain yelled from across the ship. "You best not be slacking on your duties just because you took a little fall!"

Skeppy spun around immediately. "No, sir, 'course not, sir!"

He scurried away from his place to get back to work. He missed the red flash splashing through the water behind him.

Days went by and Skeppy had only managed to catch a few glimpses of his saviour. At first, he had worried he would never see them again but then he had found a pretty, shimmery red scale sitting on the edge of the ship's railing like a gift. That had been the first of many gifts. He found pretty sea shells and polished sea glass all waiting for him similarly, and he eagerly pocketed them with a smile.

He spent most nights now on the deck leaning against the ship's side. He would talk in the hopes that his sea saviour listened.

It was strange how connected he felt to someone he had never properly met.

With the sun dipping beginning to dip below the horizon, Skeppy looked to the waves to try and spot his pretty sea friend. It always made him smile to catch even the smallest glimpse of the other.

"Rival ship spotted!"

Skeppy's eyes widened and he looked out at sea to find a large, rival pirate ship heading straight for them.

"Prepare for battle!"

Everything was a mess.

The booming canons fired and smashed into the ship, splintering the wood with painfully loud cracks. The metallic hiss of swords clashing against one another accompanied the frenzied shouts of both crews as they battled it out. While the ship rocked dangerously, each crew member fought as hard as they could. Even still it was clear they were being overwhelmed.

Swiftly parrying a deadly attack, Skeppy backed away from his attacker until his back pressed against the edge of the ship. Gritting his teeth, he realised he had nowhere to go as his enemy advanced towards him. He glanced around and noted with rising dread how the crew was struggling to combat the rival pirates. Their chances of winning were becoming increasingly slim. Turning his attention back to the enemy before him, Skeppy raised his sword and charged, catching them off guard at his sudden change. The two danced around each other as they traded blows. He was not going to go down without a fight.

But then a canon tore through the side of the ship and it started to sink rapidly. The deck cracked and groaned as the wood started to pull apart. Skeppy, unbalanced by the ship's destruction, wavered on his feet. The enemy pirate sneered and took it as an opportunity to stab him through the shoulder.

With a pained gasp, Skeppy staggered back and fell. He hit the water with a resounding splash. The impact bruised his back and the cold made his limbs lock up, and as he started to sink beneath the surface he noted the billowing red surrounding him.

And then, with a brief thought to this feeling frustratingly familiar, Skeppy's world faded to black.

Gasping and spluttering, Skeppy groaned and forced his crusty eyes open. They were sore from the sea salt and the bright sun was not helping. He rolled onto his side and coughed out salt water. Panting heavily, he tried to ignore the throbbing of his head and the aching of his muscles. He just wanted to go back to sleep. Adjusting slightly on the sandy ground, he curled himself up to drift off again.

His eyes snapped open. He stared at the sandy beach he was laid out on, and frowned heavily at the sight. "What the fuck?" He murmured.

He forced himself to sit up and turned his head to look around. His shoulder protested his movement and he winced; looking down at his wound only raised more questions. The shirt was torn open so he could easily see where the wound was wrapped with dry kelp like some strange makeshift bandage. Slowly, he prodded at the bound wound and winced again.

"Stop touching," a melodic voice said sternly.

Skeppy froze.

He looked to the water where the voice had come from and lost his breath at what he saw. He had no doubt about who it was in the waves in front of him - it was his saviour. He would recognise their pure white, glowing eyes anywhere.

They studied one another quietly for a moment. Skeppy catalogued everything he could about the other; those beautiful, round eyes were set into a face with fine features with skin as dark as night, and as his eyes trailed across the rest of their body he noted black scales that descended into a black tail streaked with red. His eyes widened a little at the sight. The light caught the scales in the shallow water and made them shine beautifully. It seemed he finally knew what his sea saviour was - a merperson of some kind.

Then his saviour tilted his head, regarding him carefully, and said a simple, "hello."

"H-hello," Skeppy greeted. "It's nice to finally meet you."

A smile blossomed across his face and it was the most beautiful thing Skeppy had ever seen.

More beautiful than all the treasure he had looted with his crew. More beautiful than the most majestic of ships. More beautiful, even, than the ocean itself.

He felt his face flushing and looked away, bashful. Clearing his throat, he introduced himself, "uhm, my name is Skeppy. What's yours?"

"Names hold power," they replied quietly. "Don't be so free with yours."

Skeppy laughed. "You've saved my life more than once," he pointed out, motioning to his bandaged shoulder. "You even went so far as to patch me up." He met those pretty eyes and smiled warmly, and said genuinely, "I think my name is safe with you."

The bright blush that painted their face at his words made something in Skeppy's stomach flutter. With a high pitched chirp, their tail quickly pushed him back into the waves so he could dip below the surf and hide the redness of his face. Their eyes were the only thing above water, staring at him incredulously, and Skeppy laughed.

"Thank you," Skeppy said once he had calmed himself. He looked down and ran the soft, warm sand of the beach through his fingers. His voice was soft and unsure but no less sincere as he spoke. "I'm not sure why you saved me but... thank you."

There was silence for so long Skeppy wondered if they had swam away. Then he replied.

"Your voice."

Skeppy paused. He looked to the water again and made eye contact with the other. "What?"

They slowly pulled themself out of the water again and settled by Skeppy's feet. Skeppy blinked in surprise to find them bare, his boots likely lost to the sea, and sucked in a sharp breathe at realising he could touch the mer's tail if he inched his foot ever so slightly forward they were that close.

"Your voice," they said again and Skeppy snapped his eyes back up to his face. "I was lost one night and feeling alone, and then I heard your voice." It was their turn to look away bashfully. "It was beautiful, and it felt like... like coming home." With a little shrug, he trailed his webbed, and clawed fingers through the sand in idle patterns. "I started to follow your ship to hear more of your voice and see more of your smile."

"How long were you following us before I noticed you that night?" Skeppy asked curiously. He had no idea that the ship had been tailed by the other at all until he had fallen overboard.

Shrugging again, they said, "a few moon cycles."

"And you saved me that night because... because you liked my voice?" He asked.

"Because I like you," they corrected easily.

Skeppy swallowed heavily. "Because you like me?" he asked, staring intently at the side of the merperson's head.

"Your voice drew me in," they admitted, "but I kept coming back because there was just something so... intriguing about you."

"I thought merpeople ate, well, people," Skeppy pointed out. "Not, you know, follow after them and save them from their stupidity of drowning."

That drew an amused snort out of the other. He looked up at him again and smiled, his sharp teeth on full display.

"We can eat people if we've got nothing else," he told him honestly, "but I like you far too much to do that."

"Oh, well, thank you..." Skeppy trailed off.

He felt a little breathless with the realisation that the being before him was a predator. It was obvious. The sharp teeth, sharp claws, and strong physique was a clear indicator that they were a predator. But they had seen something in him that was worth more than a quick meal, and that made Skeppy breathless. Made his heart skip and his stomach swoop.

It probably said something about him that he liked the danger of this pretty being before him. Then again - he was a pirate. Danger was his every day life. It was in his blood the same way the ocean was.

"I'm sorry if I scared you with that," the mer apologised awkwardly, rubbing at the back of their neck. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Oh, no!" Skeppy rushed to reassure. "No, it's fine. It's not like I didn't, you know, know that that was something your kind did. I was just surprised you chose to go to the trouble of saving me."

"I like you," he repeated simply. "I'll save you as many times as you need me to."

"And yet I still don't even know your name," Skeppy replied with a laugh, red-faced from how casual the other had been about such a declaration.

There was a long silence. So long, in fact, Skeppy worried he had really upset them by bringing up the name thing again.

"I was just joking," Skeppy said quietly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Bad."

"Huh? I'm sorry, I didn't realise asking for names was so bad. I won't ask again-"

"No," the merperson laughed, the sound melodic and beautiful, and Skeppy felt entranced as he watched their expression light up with amusement. "That's my name, silly!"

"Oh." Skeppy blinked. He blinked again. "Oh!"

The merperson - Bad, their name was Bad - snorted again. "Yeah, oh."

"Thank you for trusting me with that, Bad," Skeppy murmured softly. His heart fluttered.

Bad chirped and then made a high pitched trill that had Skeppy tilting his head in confusion. He wanted to ask what the noises meant but the embarassed flush on Bad's cheeks stopped him.

Cautiously, Skeppy pushed his luck by poking Bad's tail with his foot, and he blinked at how surprisingly smooth it felt. He had expected the scales to be rough and coarse but they were almost silky with how smooth they were. One of Bad's clawed hands dropped to his ankle and Skeppy looked up to his face to make sure he had not overstepped. But Bad was looking at his feet with a furrow between his brow.

"You humans have such strange appendages," Bad said as he trailed his claws over Skeppy's ankle bone lightly. It was a little ticklish, and he barely withheld from kicking out instinctively at the feeling.

Chuckling awkwardly, Skeppy reached down to remove Bad's hand from his foot, ignoring the mer's disgruntled pout, and then paused with it in his hold. He swallowed thickly as he threaded their fingers together.

Bad made another pleased chirp, and he squeezed their joined hands gently. Skeppy squeezed back.

"Where exactly are we?" Skeppy asked quietly.

Bad hummed in thought. "Away from most of your kind. You'd have to travel a day or so that way -" a vague gesture West "- to reach the human settlement on this island."

"And..." Skeppy swallowed again, staring intensely at their joined hands, "do you know what became of the rest of my crew?"

"Your ship went down and many of your people with it," Bad informed him solemnly. "Either each other, the water, or some ocean predator would have seen to it they met their fate." He rubbed his thumb over the back of Skeppy's hand softly. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Nodding, Skeppy said, "I expected as much. Thank you for telling me."

He looked up and met Bad's eyes.

"You're really pretty," he said before his eyes widened and he slapped his free hand over his mouth. Bad, face a glowing red, trilled again, looking away bashfully. He dropped his hand and opened his mouth to explain. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Or, well, I did. I definitely meant it - you're very beautiful, as I'm sure you know! I just didn't mean to say it because it's a very weird thing to just say to someone and... and I'm going to shut up now." He snapped his mouth shut and stared at Bad in embarrassment.

"I knew from nights spent listening to you that you weren't one to hold back your thoughts," Bad said softly, still looking away bashfully. "Thank you." He looked back at Skeppy and smiled, sharp teeth catching the light. "You're very beautiful too. Honestly, if I hadn't seen your legs with my own eyes, I might have mistaken you for a siren with how pretty you look and how enchanting your voice is."

Skeppy sputtered. "W-what?" he wheezed.

Bad's smile turned a little more predatory as he leaned in close, and whispered, "you're rather cute when you're flustered."

"Bad!" Skeppy whined. He hid his face behind his hands; one of which still gripping Bad's own.

Another short series of chirps followed by a long, high pitched trill. It was a pretty sound. Skeppy peeked out from behind his hands at the other, and looked at the flush on Bad's face.

"You can't call me cute when I'm flustered when you're cuter, like, all the time" grumbled Skeppy.

Bad giggled and after a moment Skeppy started giggling too.

The two of them sat there on the beach beneath the warm sun giggling together. As the water lapped at the sand and the breeze tousled their hair, they held hands and laughed together like they were old friends.

After a while, Bad shifted, expression pinching with discomfort.

"What's wrong?" Skeppy asked. He squeezed the hand in his own gently.

Bad sighed heavily. He looked to the waves that were lapping at the shore a short distance away. "I need to return to the water soon," he said. He lifted his tail up and gestured to it. "My tail is starting to feel itchy because it's drying out."

"Oh, you can go into the water if you need to. We can still talk."

"I know but... I like being close to you," admitted Bad.

Skeppy's heart, for what felt like the hundredth time since he had met the merman, stuttered in his chest. He flushed a deep red.

Then a thought occurred to him. "I can go in the water with you," he pointed out.

Perking up, Bad's face lit up with excitement. He reached out his free hand to cup Skeppy's cheek, the human subconsciously leaning into the hold, and said, "that would be wonderful." His thumb brushed over Skeppy's cheek gently. "But," Bad said, melodic voice tinged with concern, "that will have to wait for another time. For the rest of today, I suggest you rest up and conserve your energy so you can start making your way to the human settlement in the morning. They can take a better look at your injuries."

Skeppy sighed heavily. "You're right."

"I'll go back in the water to catch us some dinner, and when I get back we can talk more. If you want, I mean."

"I'd like that," Skeppy said softly.

With a nod, Bad squeezed Skeppy's hand before he let go, and then dragged himself back into the ocean. He made a pleased little chirrup as he finally submerged into the water.

And then, with a flash of his red streaked tail, he was gone.

Skeppy stared after him for a long moment. Then he got to work. Even though he only planned to stay the night there was still a lot to do.

As he collected wood for a fire and leaves for makeshift bedding, he let his mind wander to distract him from the twinges of pain his body was in. His shoulder was the worst but the rest of him wasn't much better. Thinking about other things was nicer.

He thought about Bad. It was kind of funny how much of a connection he felt to the other given they had only started talking a few hours ago, and while he trusted Bad because he had saved his life - more than once even - it was still strange how quickly they had bonded. He had never met someone he just clicked so perfectly with. There was something almost magical about the immediate sense of right he had felt when holding Bad's hand.

By the time Bad returned the sun had just started to dip below the horizon. He handed his catch over to Skeppy who put them on the fire to cook.

There was a comfortable silence between them for a long while. Nothing but the sounds of the waves lathing at the sandy shore and the crackle of the fire. Even after the fish was done and Skeppy had eaten his fill - Bad had simply shook his head when offered the cooked fish - neither of them spoke.

Shivering lightly in the cool, evening air, Skeppy wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees. He looked over at Bad who was settled in the shallow water a short distance away.

"What will happen to us when I go to the settlement?" Skeppy asked curiously.

Bad tilted his head in thought. "What do you mean?" He asked slowly.

"I mean..." Skeppy sighed, tugging anxiously at his hair. "I mean, will I ever see you again?"

Brows furrowing, Bad replied, "of course you will. I want to find my family and friends but that doesn't change the fact I consider you a friend too. We're friends, and you have my name."

"What does that mean?"

"You have my name so you have the power to call on me wherever I am," Bad told him. He thought a moment before he sighed, and added, "the stronger our bond gets you may even have the power to make me come to you if you call my name regardless of whether I planned to follow the call or not."

"I'd never do that!" Skeppy hastened to reassure. "I wouldn't want to force you to do anything you didn't want to."

Bad's lips quirked into a small smile. "That's nice to know. Don't worry, I trust you which is why I gave you my name."

"Is that the only power names hold?" Skeppy asker curiously.

Shaking his head, Bad replied, "no, there is more power to a name than just that."

Their conversation shifted from the magic of names to the lives they had each lived. There was a lot of difference in their experiences given they came from two different worlds - even so they were both pleased to note the similarities between themselves such as their love for the ocean. Slowly, Skeppy's eyes fluttered shut, and his words trailed off.

Bad watched over him as night descended and ensured he was safe as he slept.

Skeppy awoke to a Bad-less camp and a pretty shimmery red scale in his place. It was a clear goodbye - and while Skeppy was sad he hadn't gotten to see the other go he knew it was because they would meet again soon. He prayed that Bad would be able to find his family and friends, and that his journey would be safe. Then Skeppy picked up the scale gift Bad had left him. He stroked his fingers over it reverently before pocketing it. And then he started the task of getting to the human settlement.

After a few months, Skeppy's shoulder had entirely recovered and he had finally managed to find a new crew ready to take someone on. He was eager to get back out to sea; it was in part due to his desire to be back on a ship but in larger part due to his desire to see Bad again.

He had not seen the mer since their last encounter on the beach, and Skeppy worried for him. He had no way of knowing if the other had managed to find his family or if he was still looking, or even if Bad was heading for him. For the entirety of their separation his thoughts had been focused between finding a crew to return to the sea and his missing mer.

He had fashioned the gleaming, red scale Bad had left him into a necklace. Whenever he was feeling anxious or missed Bad he would reach up and stroke over it gently.

A few nights before he was due to set off with his new crew Skeppy walked to the end on the dock, red scale clutched tight in his hands, and murmured to the still water, "Bad, if you can hear me, I wanted to let you know that I'm not going to be on the island you left me anymore. I'm returning back to travelling the seas, and I... I just wanted to say I miss you, Bad."

"Who are you talking to?" a scrawny, blonde kid sat on the edge of the dock swinging his legs asked. "It's kind of crazy to talk to yourself, you know."

Skeppy wrinkled his nose. "I wasn't talking to myself. I was talking to-" he cut himself off with an annoyed grumble. He glared at the kid when he raised his brows as though goading him to continue. "Whatever, it doesn't matter." He turned and stalked away; his face was flushed with embarrassment from the encounter.

Skeppy returned to the docks every night with hope that he would get to see Bad before he departed. It was the last night before the ship was due to set off, and he sat on the end of the dock with his feet dangling in the water.

Something brushed against his ankles, and he shrieked. Before he could lift them out of the water something wrapped around them tightly.

Heart stuttering painfully in his chest, Skeppy braced himself to be dragged down beneath the water, except nothing happened. He peered over the edge of the dock to find two pure pools of light staring back.

Immediately his face broke into a wide, delighted smile.

"Bad!" He cheered.

Breaching the surface, Bad trilled happily, his own face beaming. "Hello, Skeppy," he giggled.

Lightly, Skeppy flicked the other's forehead. "You scared me," he complained.

"I could not pass up the opportunity you presented me with," Bad said. "It was too good." He released Skeppy's ankles to instead rest his hands on Skeppy's thighs. "I'm sorry for the scare," he added as he dropped down to rest his head on Skeppy's thigh.

"I guess I could forgive you," Skeppy said primly, looking down at where Bad was laying with his cheek on his leg.

"Oh, you could?" Bad chuckled.

"If you promise to run away with me for the night," Skeppy replied.

"Not sure if you noticed," Bad said, a cheeky smile on his face, "but I can't exactly run."

Rolling his eyes while Bad giggled, Skeppy said sarcastically, "very funny." He poked Bad's cheek playfully. "I'm being serious though," he continued, "I'd like to get away with you for a little bit."

Bad's eyes shined with excitement. "I'd like that too."

The merman pulled himself away from Skeppy but remained between his legs. He reached for Skeppy's hands and tugged gently.

"You promise you won't let me go?" Skeppy whispered.

"I promise."

Skeppy pushed himself off of the end of the dock and right into Bad's waiting arms. He gasped at the chill of the water but being pressed so close to Bad meant he barely felt it.

"Where are we going?" Skeppy asked as he wrapped his arms around Bad's neck and his legs around his waist.

Bad looked at him with a smile, sharp teeth gleaming in the faint light of the moon, and simply said, "wherever you want."

It was magical.

Holding tight, Skeppy felt like he was flying as Bad raced through the water, his muscular tail propelling them through the water at high speed. He laughed and whooped. His delighted noises were accompanied by various happy vocalisations from Bad. Something about his happy noises and being so close to the other had Skeppy's stomach fluttering.

Eventually, Bad pulled them ashore at the very same spot he had brought Skeppy that fateful night a few months back. It looked much the same as when they had left it.

Bad pulled himself out of the water and settled himself calmly by the edge of the long dead fire pit. Skeppy shivered as he walked across the sand, and grimaced at the way his clothes were sticking to him.

He was quick to grab wood to get the fire going. Then he settled himself by the fire a short distance from Bad.

Wrapping his arms around himself, he shivered lightly in the breeze, curling in on himself in an effort to preserve heat. A midnight swim in the ocean had not been his best idea but he didn't regret it one bit - being that close to Bad in his natural habitat had been well worth the cold he was likely to get now.

"Are you cold?" Bad asked.

Skeppy nodded. "A little. The fire can only do so much."

"Do you- would it help if- I mean..." Bad trailed off awkwardly after tripping over his words. He sighed heavily. Then, averting his eyes in embarrassment, he opened his arms, cheeks a little flushed.

"Oh." Skeppy stared at him in surprise.

It was sweet how bashful the mer seemed over a simple hug despite the fact they had been wrapped around each other in the water only moments earlier.

"You don't have to but I do run really warm," Bad said awkwardly.

Skeppy scrambled across the short distance to eagerly settle himself in Bad's arms. He snuggled in close and sighed in contentment.

"You're right," he breathed out, "you do run really warm."

Snorting, Bad gently squeezed the human in his hold closer.

They lapsed into another long, comfortable silence.

Skeppy leaned his head back against Bad's shoulder and traced mindless patterns over the pretty scales of his tail. They were smooth and silky, and pleasant to the touch. His lashes fluttered as he felt the call of sleep but he fought it; he wanted to stay up with Bad for as long as he could.

"Bad," he called softly, and the mer trilled quietly in response. "I want to ask some questions. If that's okay."

"Ask away."

"What do the noises you make mean?" He asked sleepily.

Bad hummed in thought. He took a few moments to consider how best to answer before he spoke. "They mean all sorts of things." He made the high pitched trilling noise. "That one usually denotes happiness, joy and excitement. It's usually followed by these noises," here he made the little chirps, "which mean similar things."

Skeppy nodded to show he understood. "They sound really pretty," he said.

Bad chirrupped. "Thank you, Skeppy." He pressed his face into Skeppy's fluffy hair. "Do you have anymore questions?" he asked.

Skeppy nodded. "Did you find the others?"

"Yes, I found my pod," Bad replied. "It took a bit of searching but we managed to reunite."

"Did no one have your name to find each other?" Skeppy asked with furrowed brows. He turned his head to look at Bad.

Shaking his head slowly, Bad replied, "the gift of a name is only given to a select few. Our parents know it, our children may know it, and our mates are likely to know it."

"So... I'm special, then?"

Squeezing his arms tighter around him, Bad nuzzled into the side of Skeppy's head, making him giggle. "You're very special," Bad agreed easily.

They held each other close and listened to the crackle of the fire accompanied by the sound of the waves. It was soothing. Lashes fluttering, Skeppy started to fall into the abyss of sleep, and he curled in close to Bad for warmth and comfort. The mer cradled him close in response.

A little while later, Bad gently shook Skeppy awake. He blinked his eyes open and yawned widely.

The fire had since died down to little more than embers.

Skeppy sat up and stretched, back popping pleasantly, and he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Thank you for sticking with me, Bad," he murmured, "and for waking me."

"Of course. We should head back soon if you don't want to miss your ship," Bad informed.

Nodding, Skeppy put out the rest of the fire by suffocating it with sand. He stood up and then gasped when he looked at Bad. Pointing at his tail, he shrieked, "you're all dried up!"

Bad shifted uncomfortably. "It's not as bad as it looks. It's just a little sore and scratchy."

"You should have woken me sooner," Skeppy complained, "I don't want you being in pain."

Bad averted his eyes in embarrassment. "I didn't realise I would dry up as quick as I did. Besides you seemed like you were comfortable."

Flushing a deep red, Skeppy crossed his arms across his chest and huffed. He looked at Bad sternly. "Your safety is more important than my comfort," he said firmly.

Bad slowly pulled himself towards the water, wincing slightly at the way the sand rubbed against his dried tail, and he made a sad warble in the back of his throat. Skeppy's stern expression immediately dropped into a look of concern.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He offered.

Shaking his head, Bad focused on getting into the water, and the moment he was submerged his pained vocalisations turned to a long sigh of relief. He rubbed his tail carefully, and then flexed it with careful movements.

"Are you okay?" Skeppy asked fretfully.

Bad nodded. "I'll be fine," he assured. He gestured for Skeppy to follow him into the water. "It's going to be a little sore for a day or so but no permanent damage." He waited patiently as Skeppy padded into the water with a gasp at the chill. He noted the concern still etched deep into Skeppy's face, and rolled his eyes fondly. "I promise that I'm fine," he said. Then he started to swim simple circles around him beneath the water to demonstrate. Skeppy twisted around to follow his movements, eyes wide with awe at how seamlessly he moved.

"You're so pretty," Skeppy breathed.

Bad twisted onto his back and swam around him with a bright smile. "You're prettier," he shot back instantly.

Laughing incredulously, Skeppy lifted his hands to hide his red face and nervous smile. He felt Bad's tail brush against his legs and peeked between his fingers to look down at the merperson.

"Come on," Bad said, holding one clawed hand out to Skeppy, "we should get you back in time for your next adventure."

"I'll still see you, right?" Skeppy checked as he dropped one hand to his side and the other into Bad's.

"Of course," Bad replied. He laced their fingers together, and then he used the hold to reel the human in close. As he carefully pulled Skeppy out into deeper water, he said, "It'll take a lot to get rid of me now."

"I don't ever want to get rid of you," Skeppy confessed, wrapping his arms around Bad's neck and submitting to being dragged into the waves. "I think I want to spend forever with you."

Bad trilled, high and happy, and his face split into a wide grin. "That's good," he chuckled, "because I know I want to spend forever with you."

And as Bad swam them through the ocean like they were flying again Skeppy's heart thundered with thoughts of Bad's words. Those easy promises had him eager for the future with Bad.

At the docks, with the sun just starting to raise above the horizon, Skeppy and Bad stared at one another longingly.

One stood on the land and the other submerged in the sea.

"I'm going to be with you as much as I can," Bad promised. He nodded to the scale hanging on the chain around Skeppy's neck. "And you've got a piece of me to remember me whenever we have to be apart."

Skeppy clasped the scale between his hands. His chest felt heavy and fluttery at the same time.

"You've not got anything of me though," he realised.

Bad tilted his head consideirngly. "There is something you could give me..." he said slowly.

"What?" Skeppy asked immediately.

"A kiss."

Skeppy stared into Bad's glowing eyes and felt his cheeks heat up. Clearing his throat, he said, "you... want a kiss."

"From you, yes," Bad replied. He had dropped below the water so only his eyes could be seen in an attempt to hide the redness overtaking his features.

Slowly, Skeppy kneeled down at the edge of the dock and leaned over. "Okay," he whispered, "I'll give you a kiss, Bad. I'll give you as many kisses as you want."

The pleased trilling that Bad made as he pushed himself out of the water to reach Skeppy echoed around them in the early morning hours.

The two of them stared at each other with wide eyes and thundering pulses, and then slowly Bad reached out to cup Skeppy's face in his palms. They were a little chilled from the water and still wet which had Skeppy shivering. His eyes darted down to Bad's plush lips before darting back up to meet his eyes. And, as one, they leaned in for a simple yet perfect kiss. Both of them sighed in content at the contact.

It was as magical as everything else about Bad. Heart skipping, Skeppy pulled back, lashes fluttering, and simply breathed, "Bad."

"Skeppy," Bad breathed back. His name in Bad's melodic voice had Skeppy shivering pleasantly, and he turned his head to press a soft kiss to the palm of one of Bad's hands.

"I await our next meeting eagerly." Bad said. He started to pull away only to lean forward and capture Skeppy's lips in another equally perfect kiss. "Goodbye for now, Skeppy," Bad said when they pulled apart.

Nodding dazedly, Skeppy bit his lip and watched as Bad withdrew from him and disappeared into the water. He stared at the water and said softly, "until next time, Bad."

"Welcome aboard the Idots," Spifey, his new captain, declared, throwing his arms wide to showcase the ship. He gestured to the rest of the crew who introduced themselves with their own personal flair - all except for the mute Mega who merely flipped him off when Skeppy looked to him expectantly for an introduction.

Stepping aboard the ship, Skeppy felt like something clicked into place. Something was right. He knew that joining this crew was the right choice to make.

And, as the ship took off, he took a moment to lean over the edge and stare out at the horizon. He lifted the scale around his neck to his lips with a smile. A flash of shimmery red caught his eye in the distance and his smile widened.

As a pirate there were a few things in life he really loved. Skeppy had always thought his biggest love would be the ocean.

But Bad had stolen his heart without even trying and Skeppy...

Skeppy was more than happy to let the merman keep it.