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Beidou could feel the hairs stand up on the back of her neck as the skies darkened.
The salty wind of the sea that just moments ago blew gently onto Beidous skin was now burning her eyes and sending her hair flying in all sorts of directions. Her hands tightened onto the rungs of the ship's wheel as she continued to sail straight through the open ocean. As the ocean's waves slowly grew more turbulent, Beidou turned to her navigator who was standing nearby.
“Huixing. What're the charts reading?” Beidou asked.
“We seem to have gone a bit off course,” Huixing explained, her finger dragging across her nautical map. “But if we head east we should be-”
Huixings words were abruptly cut off but a large bolt of lightning struck the ocean just a few feet away from the Alcor. The shock from the lightning caused the Alcor to roll violently, with those on board getting knocked to their feet. Beidou quickly pushed herself up to resume control of the helm, but the wheel was already spinning out of control.
“MEN!” Beidou shouted as she desperately tried to fight back against the helm. “Batten down the hatches- NOW!” The waves were coming in at full force, water rising high above the sides of the ship before crashing down on the deck.
By now Huixing and other crew that made up the shield of the Crux ran inside the forecastle, taking refuge in the crew's quarters. This left the rest of the Crux’s sailors up on the deck, scrambling around trying to help the captain steady the ship. But as more bolts of lightning crashed down onto the water around them, the Alcor became near impossible to control.
Soaked and losing her balance, Beidou became desperate in her attempts to keep the Alcor afloat. In her countless years of sailing with the Crux, she's never faced a storm so fierce. And the few times the Alcor did find itself in the middle of a storm, Beidou and her immense strength were able to steer the ship to safety. This time, however, Beidou was powerless against these treacherous waters.
“How can I lose here? How can I let my crew be put in so much danger? Maybe… maybe ‘Beidou does control death’” Beidou almost lost herself in those words as they reverberated in her head.
For the first time since the storm began, Beidou stepped away from the helm and took in her surroundings. A few crew members had become injured and were being treated by the medical staff on board. Parts of the Alcor even began breaking due to the sheer force of the waves.
Suddenly Beidou was snapped out of her trance when the mainmast was struck by a bolt of lightning. The large wooden pole was cut clean in half and began to fall in Beidou’s direction. Although she had enough time to move out of the way, the force from the mast crashing down on the deck sent her flying.
“AGH” Beidou screamed as her body hit the floor of the deck.
After a moment she was able to stand up, using the ship's rail to steady herself. Beidou could feel her head pounding and her limbs becoming weak. But she barely had time to catch her breath as another large bolt of lightning struck down from the sky. The lightning landed mere inches away from Beidou, hitting part of the ship's railing with a loud crack.
Beidou barely had time to react before the railing she leaned on gave way and broke off, causing her to fall back and overboard. She felt paralyzed in shock as she dived headfirst into the sea, losing consciousness once her body hit the water.
Hmmm… Hm hm hmm…
Beidou slowly opened her eyes as the sound of humming filled her ears. Her vision was blurred as she struggled to gain consciousness. But what she did see when she came to caused her to gasp in shock.
With the sun burning in her eyes, Beidou found herself laying down in the sand by the shore. And leaning over her was a strange girl, the source of the humming. The girl had long light hair and a pair of purple eyes that Beidou found herself getting lost in. She almost looked angelic… like an angel that saved Beidou from the brink of death.
“A-ah… you're awake!” the girl spoke quietly.
“Huh?” Beidou squinted her eyes. “Who are you?”
“My name is Sangonomiya Kokomi. I saw you um- passed out… So I had to make sure you were okay and tend to your injuries.”
“Passed out where?” Beidou asked as she tried sitting up, a sharp pain rushing to her head. She winced as Kokomi placed a hand on her shoulder, motioning her to lay back down.
“You shouldn’t sit up so quickly, you just recovered from some serious injuries and need your rest,” Kokomi advised.
Beidou let out a sigh as she lay back down on the sand. Not only was her head hurting, but she also could barely move her right arm. Beidou definitely was in rough shape, but considering the fact she went overboard in the middle of a storm, she was surprised she survived at all.
“All I remember…” Beidou began. “Was being knocked off the Alcor, my ship. How exactly did you find me?”
Kokomi became visibly nervous, shifting her gaze to the side. Beidou could tell that something was off and taking a closer look at Kokomi as she sat beside her only raised more questions. Kokomi was only visible from her midriff and up, with her lower body being hidden behind some debris on the shoreline.
“I was in the ah- I saw you floating in the water on top of a large piece of wood. It seemed to be from the boat that you mentioned-” Kokomi stammered.
“Were you also on a boat? Or did you happen to be swimming… in the middle of the ocean?”
“I…”
“On the topic of water… Kokomi, is my vision playing tricks on me, or are you sitting in the water as we speak?”
A light red color flushed over Kokomi’s cheeks as she let out a slight gasp. She nearly looked like she was about to cry, it almost made Beidou feel bad for asking so many questions. Just as Beidou was ready to apologize for her nosiness, Kokomi let out a deep breath before speaking up, this time more confidently.
“I suppose… I can’t hide it any longer.”
Beidou tried sitting up again, this time being helped up by the girl who only moments before pushed her back to lie down. Looking Beidou in the eyes, Kokomi shifted her body to the side so that she was fully visible.
Shining through the clear ocean water was what appeared to be a long fishtail. Blue and purple scales covered the tail in a gradient pattern, the sunlight reflecting off them. This tail however didn’t belong to a fish of some kind, it seemed to belong to Kokomi.
“Is that…” Beidou spoke silently, her mouth open slightly agape.
“Yes. This is my tail, I am a mermaid.” Kokomi nervously smiled as she moved her tail around, letting the large fin at the end of it flip back and forth.
Kokomi’s anxious eyes pierced into the captain’s, waiting for any kind of response. Beidou tried her best to wipe all signs of shock off her face, not wanting Kokomi to take it as a bad sign. She wasn’t shocked in a judgemental way like Kokomi seemed to fear. Beidou was just surprised that in all her years at sea this was the first time she’s seen an actual mermaid. But she couldn’t just tell Kokomi that, Beidou struggled to find the right words.
“That’s honestly pretty cool,” Beidou remarked. “Being able to swim into the deepest parts of the ocean… sounds amazing, almost makes me jealous.” The captain ended her words with a chuckle.
“Really?” Kokomi asked, tilting her head to the side as she fiddled with a strand of her hair. Beidou responded with a simple nod. Her silent confirmation was enough to make Kokomi smile again, this time with joy instead of with nervousness.
“Usually when people see me, or my tail rather, they get frightened. Even people I’ve healed would scuttle away when they realized I was a mermaid. They’d even accuse me of being a siren and cursing them…” Kokomi’s somber eyes lit up as she looked at Beidou. “I was worried you would-”
“Be scared of you?” Beidou laughed again, this time louder and with more amusement. “I’m a tough girl, faced off against my fair share of sea monsters. You are definitely no monster, besides…”
Fighting off the pain from her sore body, Beidou moved closer, shifting herself through the sand so that she was sitting beside Kokomi.
“You saved me right?” Beidou asked softly.
Kokomi could feel her cheeks grow warm as she let her apprehension melt away. It wasn’t often that she would get thanked for healing the many injured humans that crossed her path. She never healed others for praise, praise felt like something she didn’t deserve.
But Beidou’s words, her tone, it felt so genuine. As much as Kokomi wanted to hang on to the feeling these words gave her, she also found herself craving the coming gratitude that Beidou looked ready to spill out.
“I did. You were barely clinging on to life… I brought you here to heal as quickly as I could.” Kokomi answered.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know? Could have left me out there to die, but you went out of your way to save me. You're no siren, you're a saint. I know we just met and all but I can tell you’re a great person. I owe you my life, truly.”
“T-Thank you…” Kokomi spoke as she blinked away the blissful tears that began to form in her eyes. “Ah- I don’t think I got your name?”
“Beidou. Well, I usually go by Captain but you can just call me Beidou.”
“Of course, Thank you Beidou.”
As the two girls fell silent, their eyes turned toward the open ocean. The bright blue sky that cast over the water was now showing faint streaks of yellow and orange, the earliest signs of the sun preparing to set. Beidou could feel her stomach begin to rumble as the change from day to evening instinctively reminded her of dinner.
That’s when the thought of being stranded really started to set in for Beidou. What was she supposed to eat? Especially when the sandy beach she found herself on seemed to stretch on for miles. She could go more inland to find some sort of source of food, but that seemed like a gamble considering she had no idea what lay beyond this beach. And the only person she had to ask was Kokomi, who had obviously never stepped onto land herself.
“So… uh, you think there's anything around here I could eat?” Beidou asked, feeling a bit embarrassed by her wording. “Like any fruit trees or plants? Or some sort of animal I could hunt down? I mean… I get it if you don’t know-”
“I can catch you a fish if you’d like,” Kokomi interrupted.
“Really? You're okay with me… killing and eating a fish?”
Kokomi let out a giggle at the sight of Beidou’s cheeks glowing red. Not only to try to cut through the tension that suddenly formed between them, but also in genuine amusement at Beidous sensitive approach to this topic.
“I’m a mermaid, not a fish. Although I refrain from eating fish myself, we see them as you humans see boars,” Kokomi explained softly. “Besides, you need nutrition. I just wish I could help out more with preparing and cooking the food… especially since your arm is still healing.”
“Heh, I see. No need to worry about me though, worked through my fair share of injuries.” Beidou responded as she used her working arm to push herself up to stand. “I can still go find some wood and start a fire without straining my bum arm.”
“Okay just… be careful, please. I’ll be back in a moment” Kokomi moved back deeper into the water until her tail couldn’t touch the ocean floor. She gave a quick nod before diving underwater and swimming into the sea’s depths.
“Make sure to catch me a real whopper, girls gotta eat!” Beidou called out playfully.
Scanning her surroundings, Beidou set her sights on a palm tree planted near the northernmost edge of the beach. She took the minute-long trek towards the tree and picked up part of a branch and some twigs from the ground. Once Beidou was back to her spot by the shore she arranged the wood in a pile and began the tedious process of rubbing two twigs together to start a fire.
“Aha!”
Beidou’s eyes went wide with excitement as she created a spark, gradually growing into bright flames as the heat spread through the pile of wood. She sat and poked at the fire with a stick until she saw the water splashing in the ocean out of the corner of her eye. Her sights were fully drawn to the ocean as Kokomi suddenly emerged from underwater, holding a large fish in her hands.
“Seems I’ve come back just in time,” Kokomi smiled as she glanced at the fire. She slowly moved closer to the edge of the shore, trying to prevent any water from splashing toward the flames. “I hope this fish is sufficient enough.”
“Ay, nice catch!” Beidou praised as she stood up to walk towards Kokomi, taking the fish from her hands.
The fish started to flop around in Beidous grasp as it struggled to breathe in air. Beidou was quick to act, shoving her thumb into the fish’s mouth and slamming it down onto a nearby rock. After preparing the fish to be eaten, she grabbed a large stick and skewered the fish through its mouth and out by its back fin.
Kokomi couldn’t help but glance away from where Beidou was preparing the fish. Although she was completely fine with seeing others eat fish, she always felt uncomfortable with seeing them killed. To her, respect must be given to the will of every creature, including even the smallest of fish. But that respect also must extend to humans as well, it wouldn’t be respectful of her to inhibit Beidou’s will to kill a creature for food. Besides, Kokomi felt responsible for Beidous health as the one who healed her. The protein gained from eating fish will certainly benefit Beidous sore and recovering body.
With fish skewer in hand, Beidou got up and moved to sit back down in her spot beside the fire. She held her good arm, holding one end of the stick out towards the fire, keeping the fish hovering just above the highest peaks of the flames.
Kokomi sat at the edge of the shore, mesmerized by the dancing flames as the wood burning beneath them crackled and popped. It wasn’t often she was able to see fire, and as much as she wanted to come closer to feel the heat emanating from it, she physically couldn’t.
As long as her fin remained in the water, she was able to be above the surface for as long as she pleased. But the moment her entire body was out of the water, she wouldn’t be able to breathe. Gasping and thrashing about in a similar manner to the fish she caught for Beidou before it was put out of its misery.
It was a fate Kokomi had long accepted, but having to keep her distance from humans was never easy. Especially if said humans captivated her as much as Beidou did, a realization she made the moment she saw Beidou floating lifelessly in the middle of the ocean.
“-Kokomi?”
The mermaid snapped out of her daze as she heard her name being called out to her.
“Mm? Did you say something?” Kokomi asked, a bit frazzled.
“Yeah, I was just saying how delicious this tastes,” Beidou spoke in between bites of grilled fish. “Thank you, again.”
“Of course. I’m glad you are enjoying it.”
Beidou nodded in response as she continued to eat. Due to how hungry she was, Beidou found herself scarfing down the grilled fish as fast as she could. Even so, she still tried to be careful of any bones or other parts of the fish that she shouldn’t eat. The only time she slowed down was when Kokomi spoke to her
“Say, Beidou. I know you mentioned being on a ship before I found you out at sea. I’m curious, where were you going? And for what, if you don’t mind sharing?” Kokomi asked.
“Aye, The ship I was on was my own, The Alcor.” Beidou explained. “I was sailing with my crew, The Crux, back to Liyue from a routine trade route to Inazuma. But somehow… we got caught in a vicious storm.”
“Mm, so you didn’t make it far then, as this beach here is just off the coast of Inazuma.”
“Guess I didn’t,” Beidou let out a sigh. “Did you… happen to see anyone else in or around the water when you found me? Anyone from my crew?”
“No, I’m afraid not”
Beidou took another bite of fish, staring down at the fire intensely with a distraught look on her face. She set her fish skewer to the side, which barely had any meat left on it. But Beidou couldn’t bring herself to finish it off, as her worry made her unable to stomach another bite.
“Gods- They’re probably all dead or something. All because of me-” Beidou spoke angrily.
“They could still be alive,” Kokomi interrupted. “They could have washed up on land somewhere else or were found by another boat.”
“That’s… possible. But either way, It was all my fault they ended up in this mess. All because I couldn’t control my own damn ship.”
“Beidou, don’t say that-”
“Why not? It’s true! My crew is like family to me, It’s my responsibility as captain to make sure they’re safe while out at sea. I failed them, I failed myself.”
Kokomi could almost feel a twinge of pain in her chest, seeing Beidou so upset had hurt her more than she could have ever expected. She wanted so badly to crawl out of the water and be by Beidou’s side. She knew this kind of turmoil was why she vowed to never become close to humans, but damn did Beidou grow on her more than any other human ever had. Kokomi had to do something, something to bring Beidou closer.
The fire that was starting to wind down was put out completely as Kokomi sent a big splash of water onto the flames. It was the only thing she could think of at the moment to get Beidous attention.
“Hey! Why did you-” Beidou looked up in surprise.
“Beidou. Come here, please.” Kokomi softly demanded.
Beidou sat still for a moment, unsure of what Kokomi could have wanted. Regardless, she got up and walked towards the shore where Kokomi was, sitting on the sand beside her.
“Listen,” Kokomi began, looking Beidou in the eyes. “You can’t blame yourself like this. That storm was enough to tear your ship to shreds. You did the best you could, and even if there were casualties… I’m sure they were still grateful for your efforts.”
“But… how can I live with myself, even if it was just one member of my crew that died from the wreck?” Beidou asked, her voice becoming low and showing hints of distress. “...one is still too many.”
Kokomi sat still for a moment, her gaze shifting away from Beidou for a split second as she peered out over the ocean. The waves were calm, with the water reflecting the sunset’s deep orange color. This soothing sight was enough to refresh Kokomi’s mind as she spoke up to break the silence.
“You know Beidou, there's a tale that has been passed down by us mermaids for generations.” Kokomi began, nudging Beidou so that she too was looking out over the ocean. “That whenever a human dies out at sea, they become reborn into a mermaid. Going on to spend their days swimming in the ocean they loved so much in their past lives.”
“Wait, does that mean- you?” Beidou interrupted.
A warm smile spread over Kokomi’s face as she let out a giggle.
“I mean, it’s merely a legend. The kind of belief that one can find comfort in when faced with the stark reality of death. A reality we mermaids face whenever we come across the bodies of those who lost their lives to the sea. But I think it can also bring comfort to you as well… believing your crew will come back to call the ocean their home…”
Beidou felt a content smile begin to spread across her face, finally able to find some semblance of peace within herself. She almost felt like she could cry, but even in the most sincere of moments, the captain wasn’t one to shed tears. Instead, she turned to look at Kokomi, whose light hair began to glow as the setting sun's rays reflected onto it.
“Kokomi… I-” Beidou spoke softly. “I think that’s beautiful…”
‘Almost as beautiful as you’ Beidou immediately thought to herself.
“You think so?” Kokomi asked as she tilted her head to the side.
Beidou could only respond with a nod as she felt her face redden. She hated feeling flustered like this, but luckily she wouldn’t be stuck with this feeling for long.
As the ocean's tide suddenly shifted, the water rushed further up the shore. Beidou was originally sitting just by the edge of the water, as close as she could get to Kokomi without getting wet. But now the tide had rushed past where Beidou sat, making her legs and rear wet.
For most, getting your clothes wet is an unpleasant feeling. But for Beidou, someone who loved the sea, it was almost soothing to her.
“Ah, the water feels so nice,” Beidou said as she looked down at the tide moving around her.
“It does, I love how warm it gets around sunset!” Kokomi spoke excitedly before extending her hand out toward Beidou. “Care for a swim?”
Beidou stared at Kokomi's hand for a moment, noting how fair and delicate it was. She was almost worried that the callouses on her own hands would be too rough against Kokomi’s soft skin. However, that thought quickly was cast aside as Beidou placed her hand on top of Kokomi’s and squeezed it lightly.
“I’d love to…” Beidou responded, quickly slipping out of her shoes.
Kokomi let go of Beidou’s hand for a split second as she backed up further into the water, watching as Beidou stood up and followed her deeper into the ocean. As soon as Beidou was deep enough in the water she wasted no time in grabbing onto Kokomi’s hand again.
The two went a bit further into the ocean, until Beidou was just able to float, while still being shallow enough to stand if she needed. Kokomi slipped her hand away again and started swimming around Beidou in a circle.
Beidou could only observe in awe as she watched Kokomi’s tail wave up and down as she raced around underwater. She almost felt like a wimp for wading her arms around in place, but Beidou definitely wasn’t up for swimming laps against a mermaid.
After a bit Kokomi popped up from underwater, accidentally splashing Beidou in the face as she came up a bit too close. Before Kokomi could apologize, Beidou started laughing.
“Well at least I didn’t have my mouth open, could never get used to the taste of saltwater.” Beidou joked.
“You would if you lived in it,” Kokomi giggled.
“Guess I’d have to huh?”
Beidou smiled as she moved a bit in the water, now standing with her body from the shoulders down underwater. The sand beneath her feet was soft as it pushed through the cracks of her toes. This, and the lukewarm temperature of the water felt so luxurious to her. Beidou was admittedly a bit hesitant to get back in the water after being thrown overboard, but nothing could ever make her resist the call of the sea. Especially since she now had someone to enjoy it with.
Seeing Kokomi in her element, in her home, was such a heart-warming sight for Beidou. Just earlier in the day, Kokomi was so self-conscious about revealing this part of herself, but now she was practically dragging Beidou into the water with her. It was such a stark yet pleasant evolution.
“Hm? Beidou?” Kokomi spoke out, trying to get the captain’s attention.
“Oh- sorry, I was just…” Beidou quickly snapped out of her daze and turned to look at Kokomi. “Enjoying the view.”
“It’s captivating isn’t it?” Kokomi looked up at the sky, studying the hues of reddish pink that subtly spread out across the darkening sky.
The mermaid's gaze then quickly shifted as she swam a bit closer to Beidou so that she was right in front of her.
“The beautiful shades of pink in the sky…” Kokomi spoke as she reached out towards Beidou’s face, brushing away her bangs that were covering her left eye. “they're almost the same color as your eyes.”
“Kokomi…” Beidou whispered as tilted her head to the side, leaning into Kokomi’s touch.
Kokomi kept her palm open as she slid her hand down Beidou’s face, resting it on her cheek. Beidou stood still, feeling a bit apprehensive. There were so many things she wanted to do in this moment, so many ways to make Kokomi feel as cared for as she has made Beidou feel.
“There’s, ah, a scratch on your face-” Kokomi blurted out, sensing Beidou’s creeping apprehension.
“Hey,” Beidou interrupted, reaching towards Kokomi and pulling her in by her waist. “No need to make excuses. I know you’re anxious, but you can relax around me.
Kokomi let out a soft gasp as she glanced down at the water's surface. She took a moment before bringing herself closer to Beidou and wrapping her arms around her neck. Beidou couldn’t help but smile once Kokomi looked back up and locked eyes with her.
“There we go,” Beidou praised as she leaned forward to press her forehead against Kokomis.
Despite the voice screaming in her head to look away, to give in to her anxieties, Kokomi couldn’t pull her gaze away from Beidou. She felt so… safe in her arms. Every worry, every doubt quickly washed away as Kokomi moved closer, nearly pressing her chest against Beidou. Even with all her walls broken down, Kokomi had one last barrier holding her back.
“Can I… kiss you?” Kokomi asked, a hint of confidence in her words.
“Please-” Beidou breathed out.
With her inhibitions fully melted away, Kokomi leaned in and quickly pressed her lips against Beidou’s. Kokomi slid her hands from where they rested around Beidou’s neck and placed them on each of Beidou’s cheeks. Not being able to get enough of her warmth, Beidou pulled Kokomi in as much as she could so the two girls were fully pressed together in their embrace.
Even though Kokomi never kissed anybody like this before, let alone a human, she felt like she somehow knew exactly what to do. When Beidou’s lips parted during the kiss, Kokomi tilted her head to the side, opening her mouth as the kiss deepened.
Beidou tried to hold herself back, she really did, but she almost became powerless to her whims as her tongue slid its way past Kokomi’s lips. However, Kokomi welcomed this passion, feeling a heat growing inside her as she felt Beidou’s hands slowly wander down her back.
Everything felt so natural, even as Beidous fingers moved down Kokomi’s waist, gently brushing against the scales that lay at the top of her tail. The two felt like they could stay this way forever. But with a chill going up Beidou’s spine, she knew she couldn’t stay in the ocean much longer.
The sun had also long set, the sky becoming dark in its absence. Beidou slowly pulled herself away from Kokomi, resting her forehead against the mermaids.
“I’d hate to stop here but…” Beidou spoke, her voice trailing off.
“I know, It’s getting dark and you need a good night’s rest.” Kokomi doted, sharing a warm smile. “Although I wish you had a better place to sleep than on this beach.”
“Not much I can do about that, unfortunately,” Beidou let out a chuckle. “But I’ll be alright, not my first time sleeping outdoors like this.”
“It’s not just that… It- saddens me that you have to sleep alone, that I can’t be there by your side.”
Beidou couldn’t help but feel her disappointment in this situation show on her face. She knew as well as Kokomi did that this simply wasn’t a possibility. As much as they wanted to stay together through the night, it wasn’t worth risking Kokomi's life for.
“Maybe I can sleep on the shore? As close to the water as I-” Beidou began to ramble, her words sounding strained as she tried to fight against the lump forming in her throat.
“Beidou…” Kokomi interrupted. “I can’t let the tide sweep you away in your sleep. I won’t go far, I will be back here as soon as the sun rises. You need to stay on dry land where it's most comfortable.”
“You’re right…” Beidou sighed. “Good night Kokomi, make sure you get some sleep yourself.”
Kokomi tilted her head up, placing a light kiss on Beidou’s cheek. “I will.”
The two then embraced into a deep hug, holding onto each other for a while before Kokomi slipped from Beidou’s arms and swam deeper into the ocean.
Beidou stayed in the water for a moment, looking out over the horizon as the moon and stars began to illuminate the sky. She then walked out of the water, drying herself off the best she could before finding a comfortable spot to lie and close her eyes.
As the mid-morning sun’s rays cast down on the ocean, Kokomi raced through the water toward the shore. She was theoretically kicking herself for oversleeping, breaking her promise to Beidou that she would be back by sunrise. But after being unable to sleep for most of the night, there was no way Kokomi would have been able to wake up so early.
Every time Kokomi tried to close her eyes to sleep, all she could think about was Beidou. Her soft lips, the feeling of her hands grazing against Kokomi’s back. The mermaid’s mind raced with fantasies of pulling Beidou back into the water and never letting her go. It was a scene Kokomi replayed in her mind all night, fighting off her tiredness so she could hold on to the vision of Beidous face in her mind.
Kokomi was already trying to think of some sort of excuse for her tardiness as she popped up from the ocean, the sight of Beidou still asleep on the beach making all her worries wash away.
Beidou lay still in the sand for only a moment before becoming restless, changing her position and turning over to her other side. Kokomi quietly made her way to the shore to be as close to the sleeping captain as she could.
A few more minutes went by before Beidou sat up in the sand. She let out a loud yawn as she arched her back and stretched out her arms. Her sleepy eyes turned to a squint before opening to see Kokomi sitting in the ocean before her.
“Mornin’ Kokomi” Beidou spoke tiredly, another yawn escaping her lips.
“Good morning Beidou,” Kokomi smiled. “Were you able to sleep alright?”
“Agh… barely. Feels like I got sand stuck everywhere after laying here for so long, and my arm-”
“Your arm? Does it still hurt? Come here, let me see… please.”
Beidou let out a chuckle before standing up from the ground, brushing as much of the sand on her clothes off as she could. She then walked towards the shore and sat right in front of Kokomi.
As Kokomi reached out to feel Beidou’s sore arm, the captain quickly reached her other arm out and caught Kokomi in a hug.
“Ah!” Kokomi gasped in surprise, resting her hands on Beidous sides and looking at her.
“Heh- don’t worry, my arm’s okay. I’m just…” Beidou rested her head on Kokomi's shoulder and closed her eyes. “...happy to see you.”
Kokomi let out a relieved sigh as she wrapped her arms around Beidou to hug her back.
“You could have just said that and came over regardless…” Kokomi giggled softly.
“I know, but you would have wanted to check on it anyway.” Beidou pulled away from the hug to look at Kokomi. “Plus you didn’t let me finish, I was gonna say after taking that swim last night my arm started feeling better. Doesn’t really feel sore anymore.”
“Mm, I guess I was too quick to worry. Anyways, that’s wonderful! Seems like you're fully healed now.” Kokomi smiled as she reached out to hold both of Beidou’s hands, squeezing them gently.
“Yep… and it's all thanks to you.”
Kokomi beamed as she grazed her thumbs over the calloused skin of Beidous hands. The gentle sensation only made Beidou crave the mermaid's touch even more, pulling herself closer before a voice calling out from across the beach stopped her dead in her tracks.
“Captain Beidou? Captain, is that you?”
Beidou immediately turned her head toward the sound, leaning her head forward as she squinted to see who was calling for her. “Juza?”
Juza, the chief mate of the Alcor, started to make his way to Beidou with a couple of other members of the Crux following close behind.
“We’ve been looking all over this island for you!” Juza yelled excitedly. “I’ve been able to locate some of our crew…” His voice began to trail off.
Beidou turned back to look at Kokomi, who looked frozen in place in fear. It was clear that the sudden presence of a group of humans has made Kokomi uneasy, prompting Beidou to swiftly take action.
“Men!” Beidou called out, her body blocking Kokomi from the crew's sight. “Stay back, I’ll be over in a bit… I- uh- need to change?”
Juza and the rest of the men were a bit puzzled, but they all knew better than to question their captain's orders. The crew stopped dead in their tracks and turned their backs to Beidou, giving her privacy.
Beidou let out the nervous breath she was holding back before turning her body back around. Kokomi’s look of fear was now replaced by a look of sadness that almost tore Beidous's heart in two. The mermaid glanced down at the ocean as she tried to hold back the tears forming in her eyes.
“So… I guess this is goodbye,” Kokomi’s words trailed off into a whisper.
“Kokomi…” Beidou spoke before placing a hand on Kokomi’s cheek, tilting her head upwards.
Kokomi could feel her heart skip a beat as she stared into Beidou’s eyes. The same eyes that reminded her of the sunset, the very sunset that played as a backdrop to their first kiss. The thought of that kiss… possibly being their last, was enough to cause the tears that Kokomi fought so hard to hold back to begin streaming down her face. Beidou could almost begin to feel her eyes becoming heavy with emotion as she swiped her thumb gently across Kokomi’s face to wipe away her tears.
“...This- isn’t goodbye forever.” Beidou placed her free hand on Kokomi’s other cheek. “Whether it's in this life or the next, we will see each other again.”
“You promise?” Kokomi asked as her eyes grew wide
“I promise,” Beidou responded before leaning in and gently pressing her lips against Kokomi’s
Kokomi closed her eyes as she savored the taste of Beidous lips, feeling almost frozen as the captain took the reins and deepened the kiss. So bad did Beidou want to get lost in this moment, she sensed the same in Kokomi, but they both knew they couldn’t.
The two reluctantly pulled away from each other, with Beidou’s hands slowly grazing Kokomi’s cheeks before fully pulling away from her face.
Beidou quickly glanced over her shoulder to see Juza and the other men still standing across the beach with their backs turned. Kokomi could sense hesitation in Beidou as her eyes kept shifting from her crew to Kokomi and back.
“Go on, my dear,” Kokomi spoke softly. “You can’t keep your crew waiting any longer.”
“Right,” Beidou nodded. “I… I’ll let you go first and make sure they don’t see you. But, thank you again, for everything.”
Kokomi blushed as she gave a reassuring nod to Beidou before diving underneath the water, swimming deeper into the sea.
Beidou then got herself up off the ground, standing still for a moment and staring out over the horizon. After losing sight of Kokomi in the water, she let out a deep breath.
“Until we meet again, Kokomi…” Beidou whispered out to the sea. “I- love you.”
The captain then turned towards where her crew was standing, calling out for them before quickly walking across the beach to join them. Once Juza and the remaining members of the Crux led Beidou off the beach and further inland, Kokomi peeked her head up from the water.
“I love you too, Beidou…” Kokomi spoke out to herself as a warm smile spread across her face.
Kokomi hesitated diving back underwater, thinking about how she no longer had anything to look forward to when coming back up to land. Deep in her heart, she knew that the ocean would call back out to Beidou faster than the land would call out to Kokomi. The sea was as much of Beidou’s home as it was Kokomi’s, and it was where the two would hopefully meet once again.
With reassurance sending a surge of energy throughout the mermaid’s body, she withdrew herself back below the water's surface and swam back into its depths.