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The day Yuuta “meets” Toge, he’s helping out at the docks. The sun is high in the sky and he feels like his skin is ready to start peeling at any moment. It doesn’t luckily, but he does end up getting some awkward tan lines along his arms and on his face
The ships leave port and he’s glad because now he can relax.
He sits down to have his lunch but when he grabs his bag, he finds it foodless. Instead, there are shells inside as a token of exchange.
“What?!” he cries out. He pulls out a shell to examine and then he hears some laughter from the sailors.
“The children make off with yer food?”
Yuuta smiles a bit awkwardly, “Uh, yeah…I suppose so.”
Except he doesn’t remember having seen any children anywhere.
It keeps happening the rest of the week and Yuuta suddenly has a collection of shells and an empty rumbling stomach. He’s tried leaving his bag elsewhere and even tries to keep watch a few times, but it always gets nabbed when he lets down his guard.
The same sailor pats his shoulder, “Been no-one who can keep em off their goals.”
Yuuta takes that as a challenge.
The next day he’s scheduled to help unload a ship that’s coming in at night. He takes his lunch bag with him even though he knows he won’t be needing it. It’s supposed to be a quick and simple job. The only reason he’s even asked to help is that the sailor’s son got sick at sea and they need to head into the city fast.
That leaves Yuuta alone on the dock
He leaves his bag at its usual place and starts to unload the barrels and crates. The water is calm and the boats rock calmly.
He can’t keep the grin off his face the whole time and there’s an extra jump in his step as he wonders what he’ll find tonight. If he gets a visit.
When he finishes up, he practically runs to his bag and when he opens it, he laughs. The “food” he’d left inside is floating in the water, their plastic bodies unsinking. Meanwhile, his bag is wet and full of seaweed.
The day he actually "catches" the thief, it’s accidental.
Yuuta doesn’t always help at the dock because he really has no need to. His family is well-off and the only thing, according to his parents, Yuuta should be worried about, is finding a wife. He helps at the docks to get away from that, but also because he’s come to care for the little community that comes and goes.
It’s one of those days when his family is being especially persistent that he runs off. He grabs his bag out of habit, but it’s got nothing inside but the seashells he forgot to take out.
He feels slightly guilty about leaving “Rika” to wait at whatever place his parents told her to meet him for lunch. He has no intention of going.
But he is distracted and he ends up falling into the water.
The cool water feels nice on his heated skin but he also grunts as he hits something. He turns around to see what it could be and finds himself face-to-face with…something.
Beautiful, is all Yuuta can think for a moment.
A boy his age, slim build, and, Yuuta’s eyes widen as his gaze sweeps down his naked torso, not human . Instead of legs, Yuuta sees a long tail. Next to his tail is a bag and Yuuta points at it, completely forgetting he’s underwater, and yells, or tries to yell. All that happens is that water floods his mouth and he covers it to keep any more from getting in
The boy smiles and Yuuta feels a bit lightheaded. He tries to swim away but Yuuta holds onto his arm. He can feel something poking into his skin and the boy opens his mouth
The water vibrates around them and Yuuta suddenly has the urge to swim to the surface so he does. He spits out the water in his mouth and is breathing hard. He hadn’t realized he had run out of air
There’s laughter from above and he looks up to see the same sailor from before, “The children down there?”
And OH , Yuuta finally understands what that means.
He doesn’t get his bag back.
The Children of the Sea appear often in stories by sailors and merchants. They’re often seen as nothing but tales of the sea, but here things are different. People actually do believe there are creatures down in the depth of the ocean and they’re referred to as “children”.
They are the reason why their city is prosperous. Or at least that’s what most sea faring people believe. He’s also heard a few townsfolk say something like thank the lord of the seas and bless those children , but he’d always thought they meant the ruling families. After seeing the boy, he comes to a realization
He spreads out all of the shells he’d been given and finally notices how precious these items truly are.
Instead of going to the docks again during the day, he goes out there at night. He’s not sure why he thinks it will work, but he hopes that the boy realizes he’s there. Just in case, he brings another bag, this time with food.
He lies along the edge of the dock, his hand dangling along the side. His fingers touch the surface of the water and when he breaks through, he shivers at how cold the water is.
He stays there for about half an hour and he’s ready to call it quits when he feels something touch his hand. It’s soft and silky and he doesn’t move for fear of scaring them away.
A pale head pokes out of the water and Yuuta’s heart skips a bit when he realizes it’s the same boy from before.
“Hi,” he croaks, wincing at how his voice breaks the night’s silence. The boy just stares, his dark eyes wary.
Yuuta points to his bag, “I’m sorry about before. I didn’t mean to be mean.”
The boy raises a brow and Yuuta blushes, “Well, actually, you’re right. It was on purpose. But that’s because I didn’t know!”
The boy rises to the surface, his pale shoulders showing now and Yuuta can see the strap of a bag across his left shoulder. His bag.
He’s not sure why, but it makes him happy to see the boy using it.
He points to the bag hanging off the post, “I brought you some real food this time.”
The boy makes a clicking sound that reminds Yuuta that he isn’t human, but he can’t help but be entranced anyway. He puts out his hand and Yuuta grins, a bit of mischievousness and curiosity filling his voice.
“Sorry, can you get it?”
The boy’s lips turn down into a frown for a second, right before tilting up into a grin. That’s the only warning Yuuta gets before he’s splashed by his tail . It’s enough of a splash that Yuuta coughs and has to wipe his face and eyes.
His bag is gone and so is the boy.
“Wait…” he calls out uselessly. The water is calm again and he groans into the night. He stands up to walk away for the night when he hears tapping under the dock. He lies down again and peers under, seeing the boy floating on his back. He’s taken out the sandwich Yuuta had packed and is eating it.
Yuuta is trying to process this fact.
“You like…human food?”
The boy looks at the sandwich that is already half eaten, then shakes his head at Yuuta. He sticks out his tongue and continues to eat.
“Ok, I realize that was a stupid question,” Yuuta laughs, “Do you have a name?”
His tail comes up for a moment and Yuuta flinches, thinking he’s going to be splashed again, but it just moves gently in the water. The boy nods, finishing up the sandwich. A little sigh leaves his mouth.
“Uh, what’s your name?” Yuuta tries again, trying not to stare, “I’m Okkotsu Yuuta. You can call me Yuuta, if you want.”
The boy nods, “Yuu-tahh.”
It’s not exactly his name in human speech. It’s more like a series of clicks with a bit of voice. A voice that is a bit rough and light, sort of like he only just woke up. But the clicks are confident and Yuuta smiles, “Yeah. Yuuta.”
The boy points at himself, his voice a bit firmer this time, “Toge.”
Yuuta repeats it, “Toge.”
Toge stares at him silently, his lips in a line, and Yuuta worries he may have said it wrong. He tries again, “Toge? Am I saying it right?”
Toge makes clicking sounds and Yuuta notices they’re made by the marks along his cheeks. They rise slightly and he realizes they’re scales.
Then Toge sinks into the water and Yuuta reaches forward, “Wait!”
Toge reemerges and squirts water at his face.
Yuuta isn't even upset. He just laughs and wipes his face. Toge is pouting and Yuuta smiles.
"Can we meet again?"
Toge looks over into the horizon, then back at him. He's thinking and Yuuta hopes he says yes. He'll bring him anything he wants. Toge nods. He points to their left and makes wave motions.
Yuuta looks over, slightly confused.
Toge makes a few clicking sounds, "Bea-chh."
Understanding, Yuuta grins, "At the beach? Down by the rocks?"
Toge nods and then dips low. Before he can fully disappear, Yuuta calls out, "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon!"
Only Toge's eyes are visible. Then he re-emerges with his cheeks full. He squirts at Yuuta again, but he's too far away to do any damage, and Yuuta feels his face go red, wondering if perhaps he’d made Toge flustered.
He stands to go and belatedly realizes his bag is on the ground. He looks inside and finds a seashell inside.
He's so excited, he runs back home.
His parents are upset but Yuuta stands his ground.
He also lies, saying he's going to the dock to do a job. Instead, he heads to the beach. Usually, he'll ride with a group heading to the docks but this time he has to make the trip alone. It takes him longer since he's on foot. He's brought two lunches, which made his mother curious.
"I've been really hungry lately," he lies. He doesn't think he was very convincing but his mother drops it. Still, he doesn't really like the smirk she gives him as she hums away
When he makes it to the beach, he notices that he's not the only one that decided to spend their day here. He frowns, thinking this won't work. The people may believe and even respect “the children” but Yuuta has never actually seen Toge make his presence known
He walks along a path that leads up and away from the water. He thinks he's seen a few alcoves that are secluded a little further down. He finds what he wants a few minutes in. It's a tight little space that he needs to climb down. The sea is calm so the waves don't rise too high. Still, the slope is wet so he's careful on his way down.
He wonders how Toge will find him but not a moment after he thinks this does he appear in front of him.
If Yuuta thought Toge was beautiful at night and underwater, it's nothing compared to how stunning he is now
He's gawking. He knows he is, but he can't stop.
Toge's hair is pale, almost white, and dangles close to his eyes. It curls slightly around his neck too. His skin is also light, not exactly translucent but he glows in certain places. He thinks it's the scales that are reflective. They make a grey pattern along his cheeks and to his mouth. There are also, he thinks, gills along his neck, grey and sloping down towards his collarbone.
And his eyes.
Yuuta has never seen eyes so bright and colorful. They're purple but the blue of the sea is also reflected on them. They are also not the eyes of a human. They're wide and slitted and the iris is much too large.
He can't look away.
Toge touches his face, and Yuuta is reminded of the silk that brushed his hand last night. He wonders if it was Toge's hand that had touched him.
"You're so beautiful," he says in a trance.
Toge's face colors a bit and the scales on his face rise. He's not sure how but he thinks the clicks Toge makes sound a bit annoyed.
He's…embarrassed? Maybe?
His own embarrassment is late and he feels his ears go red, "Uh, sorry, that was, I mean, you are! Beautiful. But that's weird. To say I mean, not that you're weird. If anything, I'm weird. I mean."
He stops talking.
"Hi." He feels so out of breath.
Toge makes rapid loud clicks, his mouth opening into a grin. No voice leaves his mouth but his shoulders are shaking. Yuuta thinks he's laughing. His eyes close slightly, wrinkling at the sides.
Yuuta learns that Toge doesn’t care for personal space very fast. It's the fourth time they've met that month and Yuuta finally asks what's been on his mind
"How do you know where to find me?"
They're at a different place this time. It's along the beach, close to a cluster of rocks that form a small pool. Toge has already eaten his snack for the day and now he's swimming lazily on his back.
He perks up at his question and makes a circular motion with his hand.
Toge doesn't speak often, which Yuuta doesn't mind, but it does make understanding him a bit hard. He's been trying to figure out what his clicks mean, and often relies on his body language.
"Circle…?" He wonders.
Toge does the same motion with both his hands and then makes a few clicks.
He moves close to Yuuta. Close enough that Yuuta can see the way his scales are constantly moving, almost like when a human breathes and their chest rises and falls. Yuuta smiles a bit nervously but doesn't move back. The nearly empty space between them makes him ache and it's only briefly soothed by the way Toge's fingers move across his arms. His touch is bold and Yuuta wonders if he can grasp how much this is affecting him. He also feels something tickling his legs
He makes the motions again, this time outlining Yuuta. The motions are exaggerated and then he makes a small ball in the space between them
Yuuta tries to concentrate, "Small?"
Toge nods, then does the same open motions across Yuuta's skin
Yuuta tilts his head, "Are you saying…I'm big?"
Toge nods in triumph, then gropes at Yuuta's arms and torso. Yuuta's blushing, but Toge is only doing this as a comparison. He motions at his own body with a frown and Yuuta wants to touch him so badly…
He moves his hand as if to do so and then gets splashed.
Toge is diving in and out of the water, taunting him and Yuuta laughs, swimming after him.
He's yet to catch Toge, but that's ok.
He likes the press of Toge's body against his back when Toge decides he's the one that needs to be captured.
He goes a few weeks without seeing Toge.
He's working at the docks again, nearly double time. It’s the trading season and it feels like the docks are always in need of loading and unloading. The stalls are full of people and the smell of the food makes him drool half the time.
The only relief he gets is that he knows Toge stops by to eat his share of lunch, this time exchanged with random items like old rusted coins and (he's surprised to see) keys, a ruby, and clams. He gives the clams to the single mother manning a stall and adds the rest of the items to his collection
He feels the tension in his body and he’s maybe a little curt with some people, but he smiles, hoping they won’t take it to heart.
He hears laughing and turns to see that one sailor. He’d been gone for some time and was now back with all the bustle, “Yer should take a break. Quit worrying the children.”
Yuuta takes his advice. He finishes up his current load and then leaves for the day, his bag light and his steps quick.
When he makes it to the beach, Toge has his arms crossed. He's pouting and his clicks are soft
"I'm so sorry," Yuuta puts his hands together, shedding his clothes and walking as quickly as he can into the water
The splash Toge sends Yuuta's way is half-hearted.
Yuuta swims toward him, grabbing his cheeks and lifting his face until they're looking at each other. Toge’s eyes are bright and sad and Yuuta feels terrible
"I missed you," he says softly, "Did you miss me?"
It takes Toge a second to answer, but when he does he breathes out and sags against Yuuta. Yuuta feels him nod against him. He also feels the scales along Toge's torso dig into him slightly. It's a familiarity he'd missed.
He smiles, “I’m glad you didn’t put seaweed into my bag again.”
Toge smirks at that and lifts his tail. There are seaweed blades around it and he drops them over Yuuta.
Yuuta chuckles, “Ok, I deserved that.”
He stays in the water until his skin is pruny and he's exhausted, which honestly isn’t for very long. He drops onto the sand and Toge follows him.
They lay there until the sun goes down and Yuuta can't stop touching the scales on Toge's waist. When they lift, Yuuta brushes against them, and a part of him wishes he could bury himself in the space between. He wants to never be apart from Toge.
Toge makes a few clicks and Yuuta smiles.
"I really like them. They're like little jewels. Little Toge pieces," he chuckles.
Toge rolls his eyes and pokes him in the stomach.
Yuuta just laughs, "What was that for?"
Toge sticks his tongue out. He moves off of Yuuta and goes toward the water.
Yuuta panics, his voice going a bit high, "Are you leaving now?"
They’ve spent nearly the whole day together but Yuuta doesn’t want to say goodbye yet.
Toge stops and clicks, "Come."
Yuuta nods, curious. When they make it into the water, Toge swims toward the rocks, Yuuta behind him. He starts rubbing his tail against one of the bigger ones and Yuuta winces at the sound it makes.
"Doesn't that hurt?" He asks.
Toge shakes his head and beckons him over. Yuuta moves closer but it’s apparently not close enough. Toge makes impatient clicking sounds and he laughs, closing the space between them.
“Like this?” he asks, his voice gone low. He feels Toge shiver and nod. Toge grabs one of his hands and puts it on his tail, resuming what he was up to.
Yuuta’s other hand automatically goes to Toge’s waist.
He thinks this is the closeness he craved. He feels the way Toge moves against him and he hums, pressing his face against Toge’s head, closing his eyes. Under his fingers, he feels Toge’s scales ripple
After a moment, Toge stops and clicks to get his attention.
Before Yuuta can even say anything, Toge dives into the water, his tail lightly splashing water at him. He appears back between Yuuta and the rock, this time facing Yuuta.
“Yuu-taa,” Toge clicks and Yuuta can see there’s a film of skin that is detaching from just under Toge’s ears. They look like little transparent fins.
He reaches out, his fingers only lightly brushing against the right one, and Toge makes a sound Yuuta hasn’t heard before.
Yuuta feels a lump in his throat.
“Toge,” he mimics and the clicks Toge makes are softer.
Toge lifts a hand and shows him what he dived down to grab. In his hand is a scale. Yuuta’s eyes widen when he realizes it’s one of his.
He’s speechless, “Wh- I, that’s…”
Toge clicks, then says, “Lii-ttle To-geee.”
Yuuta has never felt such desire for someone, especially in so little time. He presses their foreheads together, closes his eyes for a few moments, and then opens them to desperately whispers, “Can I kiss you?”
Toge closes his eyes, his scales clicking fast, and Yuuta kisses him.
He holds the scale in a fist behind Toge, pulling him as close as he physically can, and kisses him hard. He wants Toge to understand that he’s everything to Yuuta. He makes the same sound as before, a cross between a click and a purr.
Yuuta breaks away first and curses the fact he needs to breathe.
Toge teases, moving back just the tiniest bit whenever Yuuta tries to connect their lips again, but he throws his arms around Yuuta’s shoulders too, making Yuuta chase after him. Yuuta laughs and litters his face with tiny kisses.
He feels like he’s going to explode from how happy he is.
Yuuta commissions a local artisan to make him a necklace.
When he comes to the docks the next time, the sailor from before nods at him.
“The children blessed ya I see.”
Yuuta touches the purple scale tied around his neck. It’s warm from the sun’s rays and glows in different shades.
He grins, “I think you’re right.”