Work Text:
A very particular someone ran up from the edge of the beach, nearly tripping to reach the top as he heaved for air. Korekiyo did not need to lower his book to know Gonta was looking at him, drenched head to toe with water. He glanced over the pages of The Epic of Gilgamesh, greeting Gonta, leaning over with a dumb smile on his face.
Gonta gasped for breath as he asked, “Does… Kiyo want to… go to beach with Gonta?”
Korekiyo smiled, his cheeks surely peeking over his mask. Korekiyo was certain that Gonta already knew his answer, which was a polite decline. The anthropologist was never a beach person. He usually only rested under an umbrella with a book at the beach, enjoying the salty smells and the calming noises.
It may have seemed odd that a man like Korekiyo would even be at the ocean, but the answer was simple; the two husbands were on a vacation weekend. They both worked vigorously and passionately in their jobs, making it hard to relax fully after any given assignment. Gonta was an entomologist, working on filling his study sketchbooks with drawings and any findings, which he sent to encyclopedia publishers. He even worked part-time at a local pavilion, which gave him ample time to study his beloved bugs. Korekiyo, on the other hand, was a freelance author, focusing on his anthropological studies, publishing books focusing on human behavior and history. He had already published a book of similar nature, looking at the world’s religions. Similar to his husband, Korekiyo also worked part-time, at a museum; he focused on keeping all pieces in pristine conditions, giving tours and in-depth explanations of any exhibit. The two Gokuharas had one particular rough month of tough deadlines and late nights that pushed them to pursue a vacation.
Korekiyo, being as fluent as he was in traveling and culture, decided to plan out most of their mini getaway. Living in the city of Kizugawa, Korekiyo planned their trip to go through different cities and landmarks nearby in Japan, bringing them back home after only 5 days of train tickets and hotels. They took a day in their city, traveling around to different temples, then took a whole other day for the Kii mountains and Mount Ōmine, which was on the way to their next city. They took several hikes and bug catching (and releasing) during their vacation and exploring the towns along their way.
There were still three more days planned, even including flying out to Okinawa to see yet more temples and even visit the Okinawa Churaumi aquarium. But, it was midday on the Shirahama beach, the sun scorching the sand and the waves slowly licking away at the shore. As he noted earlier, Korekiyo was never a beach person. In youth, he visited the beach once or twice, but he never swam too much. He always sat in the sand, reading some literary classic, as his cousins enjoyed the sea. …The times he did go to the beach, he was accompanied by Her. His Sister. Despite nothing bad ever happening on the shore, thinking of Her face never gave him pleasant memories.
But, Korekiyo had new memories to replace those sour ones. Gonta had never been to the beach. Living in the forest, no beaches were available for his leisure. He did have rivers and ponds, but none of his past experiences could prepare him for the vast reaches of the ocean. An endless pond that kissed all shores, barely discovered by man and infinitely mysterious. But, for Gonta’s purposes, it was another place to dance and laugh as his hair became drenched in dirt and sand. Seeing Gonta’s giddy reaction upon seeing the sea for the first time was a moment Korekiyo was going to cherish for a long time. His eyes widening, his smile beaming as he stared giddily into the shore. Nearly losing Korekiyo as he ran to the beach, trying to see as much of the shore as he could. The small little shakes of his hands as he looked to Korekiyo. Seeing that smile on Gonta made the entire trip worth it.
Despite the journey, Korekiyo was still at a crossroads.
Gonta was still drenched, looking at Korekiyo with a smile and an invitation to the sea. But, Korekiyo disliked the shore. He mostly was not fond of getting wet. The only times he let himself be enveloped with water was when he enjoyed relaxing baths while breathing in calming incense. While at the beach, he was covered head to toe with a skin-tight swimsuit, anything past his ankles or wrists wrapped in bandages. He also had his mask, starting at the base of his collar bone up to his cheeks, wrapped tightly around his face. He had a strong belief that if he were not covering most of his skin at all times, bad spirits would seep into his body and haunt him (as it was a common practice in ancient Japan). Even if Gonta managed to convince his husband to bring him to the shore, Korekiyo would stand meters away from the highest possible point the waves could lick. He preferred to not get any of his bandages damp and possibly damaged, unraveling and leaving his body parts exposed.
Gonta tilted his head to the side, still looking at Korekiyo intently, “… Please?”
Korekiyo looked at Gonta once again, noticing how, despite the exhaustion Gonta was experiencing from frolicking in the sand, he was still giddy with the possibility of his husband frolicking with him. Korekiyo smiled warmly.
“… Gonta, you know how I am with the beach,” Korekiyo set down his book and adjusted his sunhat.
Gonta huffed. He rested his legs by sitting down on his knees, “But… Kiyo… Gonta reaaaaally wants to go to the shore with Kiyo.”
Korekiyo and Gonta shared eyes. Gonta’s eyes were warm, as always; a soft glow of trust and joy. And, Korekiyo could see the honesty in his eyes. Gonta really did want to bring Korekiyo to the shore and enjoy the waves. …Korekiyo looked down to his feet. His toes were all bound together with the same long bandage. In all other times that he waded in the water, like forests and small pools, his bandages were always so well bound that they never unraveled. Even with prolonged swims, the bandages never shifted.
“… Well, I might go to the shore… I’m still not sure yet.”
Glancing up, Korekiyo watched Gonta’s eyes widen. He swore that they nearly sparkled. Gonta’s fingers tapped together as he smiled.
Gonta looked down to the sand, supposedly in thought, as his fingers still moved. For a couple of moments, his smile softly grew, a blush rising in his cheeks. He rose his head and met with Korekiyo’s eyes again, “…If Gonta gave Kiyo a kiss, would Kiyo come to shore with Gonta?”
Korekiyo felt a smile creep on his face, a small blush dusting his face. His eyes trailed around, settling on the ground below him. Korekiyo softly started, “Mmm… I would enjoy that, Gonta.”
Korekiyo rose his hands up to his sunhat, removing it from his head, “I suppose I must take you up on your offer.”
Gonta shot up, his smile widening, “Really???”
The anthropologist giggled. He always found it cute whenever Gonta exploded with excitement. If making Gonta smile meant Korekiyo had to get up and go to the shore, he figured it wasn’t too much to ask for.
“Yes, sweetie. I’ll join you…” Korekiyo leaned forward, “Here, help me up, Gonta.”
Gonta looked down at his wrapped fingers. He jumped up, reaching to hold his hand, “Yes!! Yes, Gonta will!!”
With large, delicate hands, Korekiyo was raised to his feet. He set down his book where his chair was, brushing off any sand that possibly got on his body. He looked to Gonta and shared a warm, covered smile. Gonta giggled, squeezing his hand. With his free hand, Gonta gently put a hand to Korekiyo’s face, leaning in and giving his mask a peck. Korekiyo gave his airy giggle, traveling Korekiyo’s other hand to hold Gonta’s. He leaned his head into Gonta’s hand, rubbing his hand gently with his thumb. They only held affections for just a couple of moments longer, slowly letting go and walking to the shore hand in hand.
The beach’s sand was a weird, sinking, burning ground. With each step, sand was pushed back, making his travels harder to push through. Not only was it hard to walk forward, but the summer heat had scorched the beads, making it rather uncomfortable to walk across. But, it would not be long to cross the burning sands until he reached the shore.
Stepping over large clumps of coarse seaweed, he looked across a sea. The sea was a vast, vast landscape, hard to comprehend by the average man. A long lake, spanning as far as the horizon could stretch, and as wide as the eye could perceive. Waves licked the shore, gently crashing against the sand and sheathing its salty tongue. The smell of salt and a heavy, damp river hovered in his mouth, the taste already burrowing itself in the back of his throat. The smell of sunscreen lathered on Gonta, who was right next to him, also hung in his nose, mixing well to create the beautiful scent of the ocean.
Gonta pulled Korekiyo’s hand forward to the shore, his feet taking small steps closer to the ocean’s licks. His toes started to feel the cold sand below him, soaked with water. He took one step at a time, inching towards the shore, his only guide being Gonta’s gentle pulls. …Korekiyo hadn’t touched the shore in ages. He couldn’t clearly remember what it felt like to touch the ocean. A weird sense of scared curiosity filled his skin, making each moment delicate and precise. He stared at his toes more than the shore itself.
They came to a natural stop. Gonta leaned forward, evident by his damp, curly hair falling into the corner of his eyes, “…Is Kiyo OK?”
Korekiyo nodded, eyes still focused on the ground, “Yes, I am OK. …It has just been a while since I’ve touched the shore.”
He heard Gonta hum, rubbing Korekiyo’s hand with his large thumb. After just a second, he made a small gasp and turned back to Korekiyo, “What if Gonta carried Kiyo?”
Korekiyo instantly whipped around to see his husband, “C-Carried?”
Gonta nodded, smiling, “Carry! So that Kiyo’s feet don’t get wet!”
A little surprised by his sudden response, Korekiyo said, “…Gonta, I don’t think that’s entirely nessisa-”
Before finishing his thought, Korekiyo was swept off his feet, going weightless in Gonta’s arms. Embarrassingly, he did yelp, clutching to Gonta’s damp neck. He was pressed against Gonta’s wet chest, being bridal carried with ease.
“See? Now Kiyo don’t need to get his bandages wet!”
Korekiyo still surprised with the sudden lift, struggled to respond, “…Uh… G-Gonta, I can walk just fine.”
They both started to move, and Korekiyo instinctively held on tighter, Gonta’s wet hair pressing against his hands. Gonta giggled, “Gonta knows!! Gonta just thinks Kiyo would like it better if Gonta held him in ocean.”
…Korekiyo could not argue with him. As much as the sudden sweep of his feet startled him, Korekiyo could not turn down the walk they were now doing in the sea. Korekiyo looked forward and watched Gonta’s feet touch the water. He kept walking forward, Gonta’s feet sinking further into the water and the waves sweeping past his legs. Korekiyo found his eyes fixated on the crystal blue water, slipping underneath him and carrying small particles of sand, or possibly tiny shells. The further they went in, Gonta pressed Korekiyo closer to his chest, his wet skin now starting to soak into Korekiyo’s face. The cold sheen of water on Gonta’s skin was a stark difference from the waving heat of the summer. The waves under the anthropologist’s body were starting to tickle with sprinkles of water, the waves splashing against Gonta’s legs.
Eventually, Gonta stopped at a comfortable distance, the sea lapping at around his knees. Korekiyo stared at the water. It really had been years since he was that close to the water. At that height, his younger self would have been waddling around with his feet being swept away with each step. The water would circle around his waist, splashing his face and getting his skin wet, as if his drenched short bob of hair wasn’t enough. Waves at that height would completely overtake him, despite said waves only being around 25 centimeters tall.
…Being that far into the ocean would always scare Sister. She would call from the shore, demanding he come back and rest with Her. Sometimes, She would even walk towards him, Korekiyo trying to playfully swim away. Back then, it felt playful, trying to rebel against his family and frolic in his enjoyment… But looking back, it felt constricting. Sister never let him walk that far out. She would always pull him back, dry his small bob of hair, which was slowly growing out due to Sister’s request, and lay down next to Her.
…
Korekiyo looked over to Gonta, “Let me go, Gonta. I’d like to stand.”
Gonta gave a curious look, “…Is Kiyo sure? Gonta can keep Kiyo safe.”
Korekiyo shook his head, “I’ll be fine. I’d like to enjoy the ocean’s water for a moment.”
Gonta blinked, a little confused, but he nodded. He lowered the arms holding his legs, letting Korekiyo carefully lean into the water. He winced to the cold ocean water, seeping into his bandages and licking his legs. The seafloor was uneven, rocks and various shells making his feet awkwardly balance on whatever he could stand on. The ocean was oddly violent, water sweeping forward through his legs quickly only to splash back onto his thighs and push him. But, it was also calming. The ocean was loud and the water was not kind. The ground was uneven and the sun was harsh. Despite that, Korekiyo had never really enjoyed the outdoors that much. He was always secluded in his quiet, gentle house. Not a mouse stirred his sheets or rattled his windows. So, to feel a sweeping discomfort, coating his legs with an oddly comforting cold sheen made him feel relaxed.
…If Korekiyo pleased, he could walk as far into the ocean as he could, and no one could stop him. He had no Sister to drag him back to shore. He only had him and his husband.
Korekiyo lowered his hand into the sea to touch the ocean, water rushing past his fingers. It felt cool. He smiled.
He turned to Gonta, “Gonta, would you like to go farther in?”
Gonta furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, “…Farther in?”
Korekiyo nodded, “This water is quite shallow, is it not? How about we go until the water reaches our waists?”
A little surprised, but not against it, Gonta nodded, “Yeah… Gonta and Kiyo can do that.”
He reached out, offering his hand to Korekiyo. His husband gave his airy chuckle and gripped his hand. Gonta beamed, “Gonta will make sure Kiyo don’t get hurt!”
Korekiyo smiled, “Of course.”
Together, they took several steps towards the never-ending sea. Each step went lower and lower, their legs pulling through the thick waves. The cool water filled up his sides, trailing up his thighs to finally rest at his hips. The ground was still coarse and had more coral and shells than before. He started to fear his bandages would get caught on something, but he persisted. The feeling of walking across the ocean floor without anyone to hold him back felt so beautiful. He did not realize how badly he wanted to wade in the ocean until his feet were submerged in its body. At that depth, the waves would crash against his chest and face, Korekiyo having to start blinking water from his eyes. The weight of his damp hair was a bit heavy, but he did not mind.
When they reached waist-deep water, Korekiyo kept walking. He walked and walked, the water traveling further up his body. Eventually, he had to start skipping to properly walk forward. Gonta followed him, still holding his hand.
He called out, “K-Kiyo! Be careful!”
Korekiyo hummed, noting he was aware of what he was doing. The sea enveloped him. It soaked him in freedom unlike no other. Cool, enveloping freedom that slowly traveled through his small, frail body. The more he walked into the sea, the further he fled from a crushing need to return to the shore and rest beside a certain sister.
Once the water had reached his chest, he realized that his feet had trouble touching the seafloor. His head could still see above the water, but his hair was now starting to sink. Strangely, when he was submerged into the ocean, he felt comforted. From all sides, he was being hugged tightly. His smile pushed against his mask.
Korekiyo moved his feet to push himself backward, but his feet failed to touch the ocean floor. His heart jumped, surprise stinging him. His legs paddled for a moment, trying to touch the ground, but it failed at every attempt. The ocean current below him swept forward, dragging him further from the shore. Korekiyo froze up, his hands tensing as his legs tried their best to swim back.
“K-Kiyo!!”
With two hands, Gonta pulled Korekiyo back to the ground, facing him. Korekiyo hastily traveled his hands up Gonta’s forearms, clutching tightly.
Gonta held Korekiyo’s own forearms, “Kiyo! Is Kiyo OK??”
Korekiyo still had some adrenaline in his system, surprised by the sudden sweep of his feet. Korekiyo was going to nod his head and affirm he was alright, but Gonta suddenly called, “Kiyo, watch out!!”
Gonta pushed Korekiyo against his chest, hugging him tightly, and tucked his head in. The water underneath him rushed past his legs quickly. Even for someone who had not been at the beach many times before, he knew exactly what was happening. He scrunched his eyes closed, clutched Gonta, and held his breath. Within the next second, a powerful wave splashed right over both of their heads. The water crashed against Korekiyo’s head, their bodies shifting as the wave dragged them across the floor. His hands stiffened painfully, digging his fingers into Gonta’s sides. His mask became drenched in water and fell off his face a bit, but he didn’t dare to let go to fix it. Korekiyo grimaced as the wave pulled the two of them with it, water deafening his ears as it rushed past them. He still didn’t let go when Gonta used one arm to let go and wade away.
Finally, Korekiyo’s feet could touch the ground. His head breached the water’s surface, now only lapping around his hips, and he could take a deep breath. Korekiyo’s mask sucked in and almost instantly choked him, breathing in the absorbed water his mask held. He coughed hard, trying to move his mask off with his stiff arms. Gonta must have noticed his struggle, as he helped pull down his mask. Korekiyo leaned against Gonta, coughing up any water he swallowed and heaving for breath.
Gonta helped rub Korekiyo’s back, one hand trying to loosen his desperate grip to his sides. Korekiyo’s hair, now completely soaked, was dangling around his face, sometimes being sucked up with his heaves; Gonta gently pulled Korekiyo’s hair behind his ears. After a couple of moments of heaving, Korekiyo slowly detached his claws from Gonta’s back and rubbed his eyes.
His husband pulled any more loose strands of hair from Korekiyo’s face, “Kiyo? Is Kiyo OK??”
Korekiyo coughed one final time, nodding. Gonta kept looking to Korekiyo, a worried expression contorting his face, “Is Kiyo sure?? That was big wave.”
Korekiyo nodded again. Another small wave crashed against their backs, only splashing up to his neck. Korekiyo flinched, shamefully. Gonta held his arms, “Kiyo… Kiyo and Gonta should go further from water. This is too dangero-”
“No, Gonta…” Korekiyo shook his head, “No, let’s stay here.”
Gonta blinked a couple of times. He rubbed Korekiyo’s arms, “…Why? Sea is scary and it hurt Kiyo.”
Korekiyo shook his head again, “No… It’s not that.”
Korekiyo rubbed his exposed face, keeping his mask down, “It’s… It’s freeing when we are this far out into the sea.
“… Plus, we could do anything we pleased, this far from shore. No one could stop us.”
Gonta studied Korekiyo’s small movements. He leaned in, and spoke quieter, “…Is this… because of… her?”
Without looking away from Gonta, he nodded. Gonta hummed, “Mmm… OK…”
Korekiyo straightened out his posture and pulled back his hair, finally being able to calm himself down enough. Gonta looked down, his eyes hovering around the water, “…Gonta brought Kiyo to the shore. Gonta sorry for scaring Kiyo.”
Korekiyo looked up to Gonta quickly, stopping his movements, “Gonta. It is not your fault. It was my fault to go too far into the sea. …If anything, I should apologize to you.”
Gonta shook his head, “No, Kiyo don’t need to apologize… Gonta just… scared for Kiyo. But Gonta’s glad that Kiyo is OK now.”
Korekiyo nodded, rubbing his own hand gently. While looking to the ground, it slowly became apparent that his mask was still down. A hand traveled up to touch his mask. It was, to no surprise, soaking wet. It would take a long while for it to fully dry. Because he hadn’t intended to go into the sea, he had brought his usual mask, which was made of cotton. At that point, his mask was rendered useless; he couldn’t wear it without breathing in water.
He sighed. He rolled down the mask and let it sit on his neck. Gonta took note of that and leaned it, curiously.
Korekiyo looked up to his husband, “Gonta… let’s stay here for a little bit longer. The water feels nice, does it not?”
Gonta blinked a couple of times, taken aback. His eyebrows furrowed a bit in confusion, “…But…”
Korekiyo smiled, his smile fully visible now, “Don’t worry, Gonta. I’ll be more careful this time. …I just suppose there’s no use in going back at this point. We are already soaked, so why not stay a little bit longer?”
Gonta was still rendered speechless. Korekiyo couldn’t help but give a small giggle. Of course, Korekiyo was a strange character, but he had always done things that confused Gonta to the point of silence. Being swept away by the water, only to go right back to dancing in said water was good reason to confuse Gonta thoroughly.
But, after a moment of confusion, Gonta’s face started to smile. He looked up to Korekiyo’s eyes. He said, “Well, Kiyo… Gonta can do that. Only if Kiyo promises not to go too far again.”
Korekiyo smiled again, “Of course. I promise.”
Gonta gave a full smile, his cheeks starting to tint red, “OK! That sound good!”
They looked at each other. They both shared their warm smiles, Korekiyo’s hands slowly reached to hold Gonta’s. Gonta noticed, but only softly held them back. Korekiyo was lucky to have such a caring husband. A husband that worried about his health, and a husband that laughed and played around with him. A husband that could care for him and give him everything that would make him feel better. …Korekiyo felt so lucky. So much luckier than his other romantic endeavors.
Yet, Korekiyo could consider him unlucky, as another wave smashed on his back, large enough to have water soar over his head. Gonta jumped, covering his eyes. He mumbled, rubbing his eyes frantically, “Aah! Water!!”
Korekiyo found himself giving an airy laugh, covering his mouth with a hand. Well… Maybe it wasn’t luck. Perhaps it was a gift from a God. Some God that had seen Korekiyo’s past, felt pity and decided to send him an angel.
If a God had sent him an angel, Korekiyo would cherish him for the rest of his life. He would not let that God’s gift go in vain.
Gonta was still rubbing some water from his eyes as Korekiyo grabbed his hand and gently pulled him further into the sea. Korekiyo beamed a large smile as he frolicked with Gonta into the ocean, Gonta’s face startled and flushed.
And Korekiyo continued to dance with God’s gift to his unjust life.
[Epilogue]
Gonta groaned as he scratched his scalp, “Ugh… Gonta hate sand…”
With a hum, Korekiyo trailed his hands through his hair, fishing out tiny, itchy grains. He grimaced, “I do not remember this part well from my youth… But, this truly is unpleasant.”
Gonta stepped back, and, Korekiyo knowing what he was going to perform, faced away. Gonta shook his hair violently, scratching at his scalp like a dog drying his fur off. After a couple of moments of pause, Gonta grumbled, “Sand is still in Gonta’s hair.”
Korekiyo gently scratched his scalp, “I fear it may be there for a while longer, Gonta.”
Gonta groaned once again. He gave his scalp one more scratch and then pulled it into a ponytail, grabbing his glasses, “Well… maybe shower could get all sand out of Gonta and Kiyo’s hair.”
Korekiyo scratched his scalp as he brushed his hair out after his shower. Gonta’s guess was wrong. There would most definitely be sand in his scalp for many more days to come.