Chapter Text
Akk took a deep breath as he opened his eyes that morning, his eyes snapping open as he couldn’t really remember what he had been dreaming about that night, but he woke up with a knot in his stomach. Then again, that was happening a lot recently and he slowly tipped his head to the side, rubbing his eyes as he yawned again and was quickly reminded just where he was.
His old bedroom.
His childhood room.
Akk was still half asleep, but the fog was slowly lifting off his mind and he pressed his lips together, slowly getting out of the bed and he walked over to the window, opening it and he was welcomed by the warm morning air. As he opened the window, he could smell the salt of the sea in the air, he heard the seagulls from the shore and most importantly – he could hear the sea.
The waves gently engulfed the warm sand.
Nothing changed. It’s been years since Akk was able to enjoy mornings like this one, but being back here reminded him that nothing changed. Things were still the same. He could see his parents outside, getting ready for the day and a little smile spread across his lips as he saw his mom waved over to him, probably trying to tell him that he needed to get up, so that they could eat breakfast together.
Akk’s parents were happy to see their son coming home after so many years.
Akk was happy as well.
Honestly, Akk wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to do now.
All of his friends seemed to have it all figured out – Wat had gotten an internship job working for a filming studio, Khan and Thua have moved in together, both of them already having jobs, while Akk just felt… stuck.
Akk spent years chasing after what was supposed to be his future one day. But, now the university was over, the exams, endless nights of studying hunched over books, the visits to the library that lasted for many, too many hours – now all of that was done.
Finished.
Akk was supposed to have it all figured out, but that couldn't be further away from the truth. Akk was supposed to be finding a job, but he just felt trapped.
It wasn’t really his plan to come back home like this, it really wasn’t.
But, the city was just… Not what he planned it out to be.
Akk used to love it there, but things were just too loud recently. Seeing his friends progressing in life, while he just didn’t know what to do with himself anymore, he decided to pack up last month and he moved back in with his parents. It was supposed to be only temporary, that was what he told himself and his friends, but it’s been a month and Akk hadn’t figured anything out.
There were still too many questions that he needed to answer, but he didn’t know how.
However, coming back home was the only thing that helped with the feeling of restlessness that he had felt for far too long. Coming back home felt good and Akk’s parents were happy to have him home as well. They were beyond overjoyed when Akk asked them if it was okay if he could move back in, only for a little while, but his mom and dad had both told him that he could stay for as long as he could.
It’s been a month and Akk has slowly fallen into a rhythm of life that he wasn’t used to anymore. When he was living in the city, he was used to the fast pace of life, but life moved much slower and it took a little bit of getting used to. It felt like slipping back into an old shirt that didn’t quite fit anymore, but… Akk still liked it.
It made him think of the good, old days.
Akk had always been a morning person, that hasn’t changed, not even when he moved to the city. So, he woke up early in the mornings. Not really because he had to, but he liked to do that. Also, the sun was always shining brighter here than the city, but perhaps that was just his imagination.
Akk could feel the ocean calling out to him, telling him to wake up.
Ever since he was a kid, he felt that sort of a connection. It was magical and sacred. So, the ocean was something that he loved, it didn’t matter how much the world around him changed, but the ocean was always there .
Never changing.
Always his… home.
Just like when Akk was younger, now he also spent days helping his parents. These days he appreciated it a lot more than when he was a kid. It felt satisfying. His mom and dad still ran a small fishing business – not much, just something to get by. However, it was an honest work and Akk was there as well, helping them with the family business.
Akk also went to the sea with them – helping them with bringing in the fish.
Then there were other days that were quieter; Akk would help his old man repair the old nets that needed a little bit of patch work. The two of them worked in silence, while Akk’s mother would prepare them either lunch or a little afternoon snack.
Evenings were also quiet.
Akk liked it. Unlike the city, which was never quiet, he could actually hear himself think for a change. In the evenings, he liked taking little walks around the shore, enjoying the feel of the warm sand under his feet. He wasn’t in a hurry to return back home, he was outside until it went completely dark.
Akk would spend hours just sitting on a shore, watching the waves.
There were moments that he wanted to be alone, with his thoughts.
That was when he decided to sail out on his own little boat, which was his father’s birthday present to him. Akk loved his little boat – he took great pride in owning a boat. Sailing around aimlessly was one of his favourite ways to pass the time, but his absolute favourite place had to be his secret island.
It always has been.
His secret little place.
Not many people knew about the island – it was tiny, it felt secluded. The locals found it too boring to visit. It truly felt like a piece of land that only belonged to Akk.
When he was younger, he loved pretending that this was just his place to own. Now thinking back at it, Akk knew that he was just being a child – it was childish, but then again, he loved that spot. When he was a kid, the island was his kingdom – he would build sand castles and pretend like he lived there.
As a teenager, the island was his safe haven.
It brought him so much peace.
It saved him when he needed it the most.
When he was trying to figure out who he was in highschool.
When things got too difficult at school.
When the teachers were putting too much pressure on him.
And then that awful breakup…
Akk would always visit the island and his problems would just disappear. Somehow, by the time that he would return back from the island, everything seemed lighter. He managed to think clearly there.
And now, it was a place that felt completely untouched by time, full of so many memories.
But, things weren’t as easy these days.
The knot in his chest still remained and he didn’t know how to fix it.
Akk was also old enough now to know that talking also helped , but his mom and dad told him that there was still so much time for him to figure this out, that he needed to be patient and kind to himself.
But, Akk was really good at bringing himself down…
Even so, visiting his island made him feel happy.
Akk was grateful that he was home, even if he felt that he was drifting somewhere. Everything was moving forward, while he was trapped. But, for now, that shouldn’t really matter. What mattered was that he was home and he didn’t take it for granted.
Not for a second.
Being here made him feel happy. He was miserable in the city, so he didn’t mind staying at all. He stayed, day by day. The only thing that he wished was that he could get rid of this terrible guilt that he was feeling. It was both guilt and fear.
There was just so much that Akk was expecting from himself.
But, other than that…
Things weren’t so bad.
Akk was leaning against the window sill, his eyes dancing around the morning scenery in front of him and he sighed along, pressing his lips together when he heard his mom calling out to him yet again. The woman was desperate to get his attention as Akk was completely engrossed in whatever was going in his mind, slowly snapping out of it and he smiled towards her.
“Morning, ‘ma,” said Akk happily.
She exhaled and shook her head, while Akk’s father snorted.
Then, she tried again, calling out to him loud enough for not only Akk to hear her, but one of the neighbours as well.
“Akk, hurry up,” she said. “The food’s getting cold!”
Akk smiled and then he pressed his lips together, feeling the tension melting away a little bit. His friends were always teasing him about his shoulders when he was too tense – something about him looking like a robot. That was why he quickly loosened his shoulders and massaged the tension away.
“On my way, ‘ma,” announced Akk and closed the window.
After a quick change of his clothes, Akk was ready to start the day.
It was a beautiful day that day.
The sun was brightly shining, not a single cloud on the sky and Akk decided to make the best out of the day. He spent the first half of the day helping out his parents. He helped his mom with the chores and he made sure to help his dad out with the fish at the market as well.
And now – finally, some time for Akk as well.
It wasn’t really that difficult to guess how Akk wanted to spend the rest of the day. He was already at the dock, looking out to the sea and he rubbed his palms together as he decided to finally sail out towards his favourite island. He wanted to see what was new there that day.
Nothing changed.
Akk didn’t care.
Akk paid attention to the small details. Every little small change, he would notice it and admire it. It was purely because of the nature that changes happened on his island. Akk always admired nature, it always left him completely mesmerised by it.
Akk untied the rope and slowly stepped onto the boat, carefully minding that he had everything ready before he turned the motor on and he smiled when he heard the low hum, the water sputtering around him and he sighed along as he slowly sailed out from the dock.
Towards the island.
As Akk sailed, he hummed himself a melody of a song that he remembered hearing at the market earlier that day. He didn’t know what song it was, but then again, it didn’t really matter and he pressed his lips together as he steered the boat, a smile getting wider.
Akk decided to take a few photos later of the island and send it to his friends. Wat and Khan were quite jealous of Akk that he got to enjoy a little bit of quiet days, while they were slaving away at their workplace. But, Akk didn’t really hold it against them as he could understand him.
Khan and Wat were also very understanding and supportive of Akk’s situation.
Akk was grateful for having such wonderful friends.
Akk sighed along and he felt his mood getting better the closer that he was to the island. Truly, the island was magical.
The outline of the island was getting closer, becoming more and more clear and Akk pressed his lips together. The island looked the same as always – the pale sand looked amazing in the contrast of the blue sea, jagged rocks framing around the island and Akk smiled as he saw the trees becoming more pronounced as he sailed closer to the island.
There was barely any breeze that day, but he could still see the trees moving slightly, approaching the shallow water, slowly slowing down the engine and he was gliding closer to the shore a little bit before he felt the boat gently nudging against the sand.
That was Akk’s sign to finally get out of the boat.
Akk smiled and took off his sandals, holding them in one hand as he slowly jumped down barefoot, the water up to his chest and he dragged the boat just enough, so that he was able to anchor it. After he made sure that the boat wasn’t going anywhere, he smiled and turned around, stepping a little bit closer to the shore, the water now up to his waist and he hummed along.
Perfect.
Akk didn’t really have anything planned to do this day on the island.
There were times when he would read.
Or, he would do a little bit of fishing by the shore.
But, today, he just wanted to chill on the beach, spend the rest of the day there. Maybe fall asleep in the shade, like he always did when he was younger. There were many possibilities. Perhaps he would do a little bit of exploring. Even if he knew this island for over a decade, he still managed to find something new every single time.
It was truly an amazing place, wasn’t it?
Even if the island always looked the same, there were still things on it that was yet to be discovered and Akk slowly walked out of the water, throwing his sandals to the side as he buried his feet into the warm sand and he closed his eyes for a moment or two and just enjoyed this.
Silence.
Something that he couldn’t find in the city.
Peace and quiet.
That was all that he needed, it was what put his restless mind to rest and he pressed his lips together, opening his eyes and he placed his hands on top of his sides, taking a deep breath in and he glanced around the island, his eyes going back to the sea.
“Ah,” sighed Akk. “It’s the perfect day, really.”
Akk turned around yet again and watched how the trees lazily swayed as the breeze gently ruffled them. It was kind of funny, even the nature moved differently than it did in the city. Everything was slow and calm. Akk enjoyed watching the way that the shadow danced around the rocks.
The shadow from the trees as they continued moving with the light and gentle wind.
Akk slowly walked closer to his usual spot – it was a flat rock at the edge of the cove, a place where one could see both the sky and the sea. It was his favourite spot for that exact reason and he slowly sat there, leaning back as he supported his body against his palms, turning his face up to the sun, the warmth of it engulfing his face and he smiled softly.
Akk always came to this island alone.
Well, almost always.
There was a person that he once took to this island.
An… ex.
Tawin.
A person that Akk used to be in love with, but that was years ago.
Just after he finished school, there was someone that he thought he was in love with. Well, Akk was in love, but the person – not so much, or so it turned out. It was wonderful when it first started. Things were amazing for about a year, but then Akk noticed how something changed.
The distance.
The ignoring of calls and texts.
Coldness.
As it turned out, Akk got cheated on.
Which, at the time, hurt a lot and it almost ruined Akk’s perspective on love. There was a time when he used to be a hopeless romantic, but he realised that was just him being a child.
Akk had all grown up now.
Love was… Akk didn’t know.
That was why he was avoiding it – falling in love. He didn’t want to fall in love again and get his heart broken again. He was a mess back then and he didn’t need to go through this again. That was why Akk decided that he loved solitude more than companionship.
It was better that way.
Akk kept sitting there on the rock, just thinking about the past as he felt himself getting even more tense – he was there at the island to escape from the problems, not to find them. That was why he tapped his cheeks and quickly shook his head because there was absolutely no point in that.
Bringing up the past.
Stupid.
“Snap out of it, Akk,” whined Akk, now talking to himself and he gently tapped his own cheeks.
Akk was about to lay down when he heard something.
A sound.
Splash.
Akk frowned and he turned around, rubbing the back of his neck because the splash sounded very loud. It could be a fish, but this loud? Maybe it was a bird diving in to get its lunch?
Akk raised his head, extending his neck out as he decided to listen for a little while and then he hummed along because he listened for a very long time and he couldn’t hear anything, so he decided that he was probably right. A fish or a bird getting its meal.
Nothing more than that.
But, then he heard it again.
“What the hell?” asked Akk as his head snapped to the side, from the direction that the splashing was coming from and he slowly stood up, wondering if he should check it out or not. The island was very small, so the possibilities weren’t that…
Akk decided to check it out.
Akk didn’t only hear splashing of the water, but he also heard a groan. A groan that belonged to a person. That was… unlikely, wasn’t it? Akk’s heart was hammering against his ribcage because he hated the idea that there was someone else on his island, which was ridiculous.
Akk didn’t really own this piece of land.
But, sharing it with another person pissed him off because he didn’t want to share such an important place with anyone anymore. Only his parents were allowed to visit, but that was it. Akk felt some sort of a possessive, puppy way for this island and he didn’t even care if he was rude to the person that he was going to find behind the rocks.
That was where the splashing sounds were coming from.
Behind the rocks, just around the corner.
Akk couldn’t see what was behind it because the rocks were piled on top of each other, but he knew that there was a small pool of water stuck behind the rocks there. The small pool led into the ocean from there on. He used to play there when he was younger, so he knew what was behind those rocks all too well.
Akk heard shifting and a pained groan.
What the actual hell was going behind there?
Akk could see the water moving.
Something or someone definitely was there, Akk gritting his teeth as he slowly walked out and decided to confront them. He didn’t care if he was going to come across as rude, but there were other islands that this person could visit, couldn’t they?
Taking a deep breath in, Akk approached the thing – the person – he wasn’t sure what he was dealing with, but the second that he bursted from around the rocks, he saw a shape of what truly looked like a person, slumped in the water and they were struggling. It was the shape of a young man – perhaps – Akk couldn’t really tell at first because the light was strange, the sun was setting, the shadows making him see things that he wasn’t really supposed to be seeing.
It was a young man.
Right?
And he was… tangled in something?
Was that a net?
Akk narrowed his eyes, squinting them together as he tried to make sure that what he was seeing was truly right. But, the more that he looked, the more he realised that he was seeing things that he wasn’t really supposed to be seeing.
It was…
Huh?
The person sitting in the water in front of him was a young man. His hair was dark and slicked back, some of the dark and wet strands falling over his face and the second that he saw Akk stepping closer he stopped moving, keeping his eyes on him, not moving at all.
Petrified.
The young man looked scared.
Akk’s breath shook because the young man was… unsettlingly beautiful. It was a crazy thought, but at that moment, he was the most stunning thing that Akk’s eyes have ever seen. His facial features were sharp and striking, making Akk completely entranced as he couldn’t tear his eyes away from him.
Maybe finding such a beautiful and hot stranger stranded on his island wasn’t such a bad thing…
Akk’s eyes went big at his own thoughts, face getting hot and he swallowed thickly. Akk didn’t know if it was the salt clinging onto his body, but he could have sworn that there was a pearly sheen to the person’s skin. As if it was made out of pearls, tiny little demons and his breath shook, but the thing that struck Akk the most were his eyes.
Oh, god, those eyes.
Dark.
Glowing.
There was anger in those eyes.
Akk blinked a couple of times.
Those eyes were lined, shining pearly white and blue and his eyelashes were still damp from the water. Besides the anger, Akk could see fear in those eyes as well. They were carefully watching him, not letting him out of sight at all and Akk swallowed thickly, feeling his throat getting dry, pressing his lips together.
Those eyes saw right through Akk.
“Are you hurt?” asked Akk, still not wrapping his head around the rest of the things that he was seeing because it didn’t make any sense. “Do you need any help?” tried Akk again.
As Akk spoke, the man flinched and got tense.
“I’m only trying to help…”
Akk finally registered the rest of the things that he was seeing.
It was almost as if he was afraid to look lower. Face burned with embarrassment, but he was pretty sure that he was supposed to be seeing a pair of naked legs in the little pool of water as well and not…
… Was that a fucking tail?
Akk immediately felt annoyed, because what was this?
Was this someone pranking him?
Was the person a tourist, trying to film a prank video?
And if that was the case, were there more people on that island? Akk laughed and rolled his eyes because what else could it be? Akk decided to slowly step closer and he narrowed his eyes, but the young man was only glaring at him. As Akk stepped closer to him, he flinched and tried to press himself against the rocks.
What the…?
Akk scoffed and slowly clapped.
In a slow, lazy and unamused way. Each loud clap made the young man flinch.
“Okay, very funny, you can stop this, it’s not funny at all,” commented Akk. “I know it’s a prank, so your little friends can come out of hiding and stop it. I get it – you want to get a viral video. But, it’s not happening, I’m not falling for it.”
Nothing.
Akk felt how the young man’s chest was heaving, he seemed like he was in genuine distress and Akk pressed his lips together. That annoyed Akk even more, so he leaned over and grabbed onto the net that the person appeared to be tangled in. Akk pulled lightly on it and got a reaction that he wasn’t expecting.
A whine.
Pained whine.
Akk quickly released the net and stepped back.
Seriously, what in the world was happening?
Akk studied the supposed tail for a little bit longer, admiring the way the light was bouncing off of the scales – from deep purples to sapphire blues. It began at the person’s hips, the skin melting into those stunning ocean colours, shifting in the way that the sun was shimmering down onto them. The scares were large, pearly around the corners and they changed colours with every single move.
Like a mosaic
The tail was moving.
Akk was caught staring at the person yet again, but for a different reason. Akk was mesmerised, the tail looked stunning, shimmery and that wasn’t the only thing that Akk caught shimmering against his skin. It wasn’t just the skin or the scales, but there was also something around his neck.
Silver.
Beautiful.
Akk took a closer look and he saw that there was a thin silver chain. From it, there was a beautiful pendant hanging. A pearl. It looked stunning and Akk blinked a few more times because as the person moved his neck, Akk saw something else as well. He could see it clearer when the person moved his head, tilting it to the side.
Akk saw them nice and clear.
Narrow slits.
Three of them.
Delicate, also shiny and pearly, curling the line of his jaw on either side of his neck. They moved ever so slightly, but Akk saw it with his own two eyes.
Gills?!
They looked real and Akk felt chills going down his spine as he was in complete disbelief.
The tail was moving, the gills looked freaking real. Was this not a part of a costume?
Akk’s brain was trying to make sense of what he was seeing, but he couldn’t make any sense of it. No matter how much he wanted to believe it, it was just impossible.
Akk couldn’t look away, though.
Beautiful.
The person was absolutely stunning.
Akk was terrified and at the same time he felt almost addicted, he wanted to see more.
Akk snapped out of it when he heard the water splashing again. The young man (merman?) was trying to free himself, but the more that he tried, the tighter the net was getting. The panic was rising in his eyes, he looked completely terrified and that was when Akk’s body finally moved.
Perhaps Akk couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing, but…
… he needed to do something.
Akk moved and he could tell that the young man definitely thought of him as a threat. Akk couldn’t blame him at this point because he did hurt his… tail before.
All of it was still so freaking surreal.
“Hey,” said Akk softer now.
Akk reached closer with his hand and he was about to take a hold of the net, but the tail moved to the side and the person picked up a rock, holding it in his palm, gripping on it.
“Stay back,” came out a hiss . “Don’t touch me.”
Akk could… understand him?
It wasn’t because Akk was expecting him to lack intelligence, no. He just expected a merman to speak in his own language? But, this was… surprising?!
There was a hint of an accent there, though.
“I just want to help you, okay?” asked Akk.
There was absolutely no trust in those dark eyes.
“I’m sorry for… before,” said Akk quickly. “But I will not hurt you.”
The merman didn’t answer, he just kept glaring at him, but he stopped moving his tail, his eyes watching Akk carefully. Oh, he didn’t trust him at all.
“I’ll just help you get this off,” said Akk and pointed to the net. It looked old. Maybe from some old fisherman’s trap? Akk had seen this type of net before, his old man used it in the past.
“If you keep on moving, it will only get tighter,” commented Akk and the merman glanced down at his tail, slowly moving it around and he winced out in pain again. “See, what did I tell you?” asked Akk, trying to keep his distance, but at the same time he wanted to help him out.
Seeing someone like that in pain was…
Akk didn’t like it.
Akk had always felt deeply connected to the sea and its creatures, so… If… If that meant that mermaids were also real, then…
Akk still couldn’t comprehend it. But, at least for now, he wanted to help him out.
“You can trust me,” said Akk, but he knew how that sounded. “I’ll just remove the net and then you can leave. It will only take a few minutes.”
Akk held his breath and he was surprised when the other one slowly offered him his tail. There was still no trust there, the rock still in his hand, so Akk got his message across – no funny business. Akk sighed along and leaned closer, moving slowly and carefully as he didn’t want to scare him even more than he already had.
Akk’s long and slender fingers moved quickly and carefully, trying to pull the net loose around where it had twisted around the tail. He pulled on the cords slowly, loosening everything up and he swallowed thickly when he saw the scales up close.
Delicate, yet sharp.
The colour – stunning.
Shimmery.
Like a pearl
A true beauty from the depth of the sea.
Akk wanted to run his fingers over the scales, but he knew that rock would probably end up crashing into his skull. But, he still dared to take a closer look at the person and he realised that he had to be around the same age as Akk.
Was he?
Akk didn’t know how… merpeople aged.
Merpeople.
Maybe this was still a dream.
Akk dreaming about meeting a person that just happened to be totally his type and them being a merman? Yeah, that seemed like a possible dream.
Akk managed to take out the very last knot, gently pulling the net up onto the rock and the merman yanked his tail away, letting go off the rock that he was gripping in his palm and Akk smiled.
“There you go, it’s all-”
Akk didn’t finish the sentence because the merman quickly slipped away and just like that, he was soon gone. He vanished into the sea with a simple flick of his tail and disappeared under water, quickly.
Akk blinked into the distance.
Did that just happen?
Was he…?!
“Oh, he didn’t even thank me for my help,” grumbled Akk and stood up.
This merman had terrible manners, that was for sure.