Archive of Our Own

“Sakii!!” Tsukasa calls out the minute he passes the threshold of their home. “I'm home!”

He swims to their dinner table and dumps out his bag of ingredients, then quickly reaches over them to block them from floating away. 

“I'm making dinner!” Tsukasa finishes his sentence. 

“Okaay!” Saki responds, drawing out her answer. Tsukasa can hear her moving in her room, then can see her swim over and up to him. “What do you have today?” She asks, also reaching out to help keep everything on the table after her momentum disturbed it. 

“Well, it has yet to be named!” Tsukasa grins. “However, I can assure you it'll be of the highest quality!”

“You used the bag I made you!” Saki's eyes flit down to the woven basket-bag still in Tsukasa's hands, forgetting to respond to him properly in her excitement. “How was it? Better than trash, right?” She giggles. 

While Tsukasa does not agree with her slander of his foraged plastic bags (it takes a lot of work to find one that isn't ripped up!), he nods his head. “It was! Thank you very much. I take it everywhere!” He blinks, then lifts it over his head and observes the bottom, realizing that this may make it tear or rip through use. 

“Don’t worry about that, I make em really good!” Saki giggles and claps her hands lightly. “It shouldn't break any time soon, but if it does, I'll fix it up again!”

“Thank you!” Tsukasa grins. “Now,” he swims to their counter to place down the bag in a safe place, sort of like a water bed. “I've got lots of stuff today! Lots of different types and colors of coral, and–”

Saki gasps loudly. Tsukasa turns his head, confused momentarily at what she's looking at, but figures she must be excited about the ingredients!

“Yes, I know! Really, there's nothing better than that crunch-”

“Tsukasa!!” Saki stays still where she is, and after Tsukasa says nothing, she waves her arms, then extends them outwards, gesturing downward. “Your tail!!”

Tsukasa twists his body, raises his arm so he can look underneath it. “Hm?” Did he get nicked on the way home and not notice? Though, she definitely seems like she's squealing more of excitement than how she would if he'd hurt himself. “What about it?” He twists again to get an easier look, realizing he can just pull it up in front of him rather than trying to look at his backside. 

Saki is swimming up to him before he can figure out what it is. “You met someone!!” She exclaims. “It changed color!”

Tsukasa blinks slowly. He looks down again. Now that he's looking for it… Yes, yes she's right, he can see a distinct purple iridescence lining the bottom of each of his scales. It's a bit hard to see from above, but from Saki’s angle, it must be quite obvious. 

Right… 

Well, to be totally honest, he sort of forgot about the whole color changing thing. He supposes he didn't think it'd ever happen to him, considering how little he cared about it compared to how much everybody else his age did.

“That’s right!” He's clearly not as excited as she is, but he's sure that she didn't expect him to be. “I hadn't even noticed!” He leans back and puts his cheek in his hand. “Hmm… I have really no idea who it was though… I saw lots of people today.”

“Uwaa, that's sad!” Saki makes a little groaning noise and pouts off to the side, then thinks about it for a second, and lights up again. “Wait! Where were you? You saw lots of people, maybe, but were they all new?”

Tsukasa tilts his head. It takes him a minute. “Oh, you're right! I see.. Hm, I didn't venture out very far today, so if I would have to guess, I'd say that the amount of new people I met today was actually rather slim..” He thinks hard about it. 

“Anybody catch your eye that you remember specifically?” Saki adds on, trying to help him narrow it down. “You might remember for a reason!!”

Tsukasa shuts his eyes as he thinks. He doesn't really commit peoples' faces to memory until he’s met them a few times..! 

“There was someone with purple hair who said sorry and good morning to me, after they almost bumped into me on my way out to the forest this morning…”

Saki grins. “Maybe it was a very fateful ‘sorry and good morning’!!!” Her eyes sparkle.

“You’re right! It could've been!” Tsukasa smiles back. While it definitely bugs him not to know, he won't drop dead or anything if he doesn't figure it out this minute. “I'm sure I'll see them again soon.” He nods. “But for now!” He grabs two plates and a slightly rusted knife and swims back to the table. “I'm hungry, and I've got a great idea for a meal!”

“Ooh! Yes, yes! I got distracted!”

— —

It's odd, because when Tsukasa had first gotten home, he was so excited to snuggle up in his water bed and get a good night's sleep. But now he doesn't even want to lay down. 

Tsukasa ends up venturing out again. Maybe the skies and the seas will be clear enough for him to see the stars. He smiles. 

He swims out into the night, and it's pretty nice out! It seems like he'll be able to see the stars perfectly well. He's just gotta get to his favorite spot… 

It's up on a shallow hill, a little incline that brings him that much closer to the surface. He doesn't like surfacing, it takes too much effort, and he also doesn't like to swim up too steep inclines or down too steep declines so late at night. So, when he found this spot quite in the middle of nowhere, he was very happy about it! 

A big, serene open area… and a pretty flat, large rock in the middle for him to sit and laze around on… It's very nice! It's not quite a water bed, so he never sleeps out here—he doesn't want to float away, after all—but it is still extremely relaxing to stargaze out here. 

Really, though, Tsukasa needs to think. That's why he came out here. He was pretending he didn't know, but he knew. 

…

A soulmate, huh? 

Tsukasa lays down, folding his arms behind his head. He stares up at the clear night sky before him. It's beautiful. 

Tsukasa sighs. 

He doesn't really want his life to change. 

He likes where he is right now, who he knows right now, what he's like right now. He loves his life, and that sort of change is making him nervous. 

Of course he'd be apprehensive. He'd sort of accepted for years now that he was probably going to stay how he was. He was totally fine with it! He never thought about any of this soulmate stuff until it was prompted. He's fine with his family and his friends, he doesn't need a partner, or anything like that… Maybe he's not giving his future spouse enough credit, but he sort of doesn't know if he wants that. 

Sure, the idealized life he sees in novels and manga would be pretty cool, but he knows it's not like that. It's not like that in real life. Of course it's not. 

He sighs. 

Gah. Maybe he's being too negative. He just… doesn't like change, is all.

It's not even that he doesn't like the system. Saki came home with this beautiful seafoam green shimmer to her tail one night, and Tsukasa would burst into tears whenever he saw it for the next week, he was so happy for her. His mother and fathers' are so stunning as well, they look like they were practically made for each other. 

Tsukasa just supposes it's hard to think about himself in that same way. 

Since a little while after Saki's tail got its extra color, he's been sort of figuring he was one of those people that just didn't have a soulmate. Not a romantic one, at least. And that's so totally fine! Tsukasa doesn't imagine himself with a partner in the future. He never thought he was built for that. When he thinks about himself with a partner, he doesn't quite know if he likes it.

But, who knows, he supposes.

“Ah, excuse me…”

Tsukasa is a bit too in his own head to notice he's being spoken to, but he feels the water move. He blinks his eyes into focus and looks around, sitting up. “Yes?” He smiles. 

“Sorry to disturb you.” A sea person swims over in his general area. Tsukasa is sort of super surprised at his lower half, because they never see octopi in this area. He blinks and tries not to be rude about it. “I was in the area and I also enjoy this spot. Would you mind if I joined you?”

“Not at all!” Tsukasa scoots over. “There's plenty of room for both of us!” 

He smiles, and does so. He sits a comfortable distance away, but still shares the rock. 

Now that Tsukasa actually can get a good look at him, he feels like he recognizes him somehow. Purple hair, cute and sort of cropped around the bottoms of his ears, but long near his neck, like a jellyfish. With little light blue streaks in it too.  

While Tsukasa is looking at him, he accidentally catches his eye, and his heart skips a beat. Tsukasa holds his hand out for the other to shake it, smiling. “I'm Tsukasa Tenma!”

The other smiles a little bit, but seems to have gotten a little startled with his fast he brought his hand out. He smiles. “Rui Kamishiro.” And shakes Tsukasa’s hand. “Sorry for intruding.” He continues, “I like this spot. I haven't been around lately, but this is the best place to look at the stars that I've found.”

Tsukasa sort of lights up. “I do as well! That's why I'm here now.” 

With his purple hair, and deeper purple tentacles (mixed with a rather beautiful bold orange-red from the bottom up—and, thinking about it, Tsukasa has actually never seen how the color change affects people who don't have traditional scales), Tsukasa can't help but notice that his own scales have taken on a purple color. 

“On clear nights like this, it's perfect, because you can see the sky so well, from a safe distance.” Rui smiles softly and looks up to the sky. He glances down at Tsukasa with a little cheeky smile. “Smaller sea people have it good.” He giggles. “You just look like swimmers.”

“Ha!” Tsukasa laughs. “Swimmers with no armor all the way down on the ocean floor, maybe!”

“Fufu.” Rui taps his lips with his fingertips. “You have a point there.”

“But you are right.” Tsukasa shrugs. “A kayaker almost came up to me once when I was sorta close to the shore!” He giggles. “I think he thought I had fallen off of a boat or something… I was just bonking cups!”

Rui laughs. “I suppose it would be possible for that to happen to me, if I were low enough in the water.”

Tsukasa makes a face and shakes his head. “I wouldn't risk it. I didn't mean to make it seem like I was as close as I was, that thing was really far out! Kayakers are so weird!”

“Those are the very thin boats, yes? You're right, I've seen them surprisingly far out.”

“I wonder if they're trying to cross the ocean. I hope not. I don't think that's very safe.”

“Hmm, from what I've seen, I don't think so. They might be crossing small areas, but many are just fishing quite far out.”

“Ohh.” Tsukasa nods his head and rests his chin on his hand. “Yes, that makes sense! I'm used to larger fishing boats, but I suppose you could do it in something itty bitty like that.”

“Yes, it may be for budget reasons, or that it's just their preferred method of travel.”

Tsukasa nods. “Still, I don't get why they don't do what we do. Maybe it's because they're so slow, but catching fish in your mouth is super easy and it's much more reliable than throwing a hook attached to a line you can't see in a place where you don't know if there are fish!”

“Ha!” Rui laughs, then covers his mouth. “I wonder if it's more difficult to catch fish with flat teeth.”

“It must be, but not much more difficult, right? Sharp teeth help but it's about bite strength more than anything else.”

Rui puts his arms back down, supporting him as he leans back a bit. He looks at Tsukasa with a smile. “I see your point… It must depend on the type of fish and the facial anatomy of the person involved…” As he thinks on it a little bit more, he blinks. His brows furrow, and he sort of resets his gaze on Tsukasa. “S-sorry. Did you say- what did you say earlier?” Tsukasa tilts his head, before he continues. “That you were ‘bonking cups'?”

Tsukasa takes a moment, then understands. “Ohh! Yes! It's a fun game, you should try it! You know those cups that float at the water's surface?” Tsukasa nods eagerly, leaning forward a bit. If it wasn't so late, he'd go looking for one right now as an example, but he’s much too tired from the day. “Most of the time they're broken, but when they're not, they're fun to hit with your head!” he makes the motion of bonking something by bending, then extending, his neck. “Y'know, swim up from a ways underneath them and hit them with your head as you surface. They go flying! It's so fun to chase them around!”

Rui blinks slowly, a corner of his lip twitched upward in an awkward smile. “Plastic..?”

“Yeah!” Tsukasa nods. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, chomping down on water as an example. “With the ones that are already broken, though, they're more fun to chew on.”

“... Please do not chew on plastic.”

— — —

Day after day, time and time again, Tsukasa finds himself swimming back to that same spot. Each time, hoping that Rui will be there. He feels giddy as he swims over, wringing his hands as he waits for Rui. Some nights, he'd be forced to go home before he could see him, but the first time that he met Rui again, it was nearly every single night that he saw him!

Almost like Rui realized he was going there just to see and talk to him, and then adjusted his schedule to go to specifically see him!!

Tsukasa flaps his fin, giggling as he does a little twirl in the water. It makes his heart so happy, feeling so wanted! 

As he makes his way to their special area, he's grinning. Tsukasa reaches the rock he always sits on and takes his usual place, pulling his tail up as if he had knees, and wrapping his arms around them. He almost leans his head down on it to rest, but then notices something.

Well, maybe it's that he thinks differently about something that he's noticed many times before.

The particular way he's sitting makes it very easy to see the new gradiation on his scales. Because of his perspective, and that the new color lines the bottom of his scales, he can't really see it most of the time. But now that he looks so close at such an angle… they really do look rather pretty. 

He shifts his position. He moves his tail to one side of him in kind of an upside down u shape, looking at it carefully from the side, probably more like someone swimming by him would see. 

Such a beautiful purple… and, Tsukasa can't help but notice that, well… 

They match. 

Tsukasa wonders if it really is Rui. On one hand, it makes him nervous, brings an anxious pain to his stomach. On the other hand, it makes him so giddy he wants to swim to the surface and launch himself out of the water, playing and stimming and laughing, overwhelmed with excitement and good feelings. 

He did not previously know that those two things could coexist.  

Tsukasa thinks it's another change in dynamic that worries him. He doesn't want to be wrong, doesn't want things to change… Not that he thinks that extending their current dynamic will actually altar that much about how they speak and act around each other, but… Gah, it's just difficult. Because, again, on the other hand, he doesn't think he could've been matched with anyone better in the whole world! 

Rui is so kind to him when they speak, laughing along with him, sharing his opinions on nearly everything and delighting to compare and contrast when they disagree. 

Being excited to see him, coming to see him specifically..! He's never mentioned where he lives, but considering the fact that Tsukasa has never seen him before around here, he must be quite far. Going so out of his way for him… Tsukasa feels so special, and he can't help but grin. 

He's so considerate too, always looking out for his health and safety, being conscious of boats and other dangers on clear nights… There was one time where they'd had to huddle together for safety, to look bigger than they were, and Tsukasa has to admit, he got quite flustered being pressed up against Rui like that, face plastered against his chest. And- and he didn't say Tsukasa's general fear of bugs and crustaceans was silly! He even protected him! Tsukasa has been receiving all types of ‘you'll grow out of it' because of his fear for ages, but he never has, and Rui was so considerate about it..!

Well, his method of dispatching the foul crab was… a bit unorthodox, to say the least. Tsukasa had expected Rui to just…pick it up and move it, or maybe throw it, or just kick sand over it and make it walk away, but no, he ate that thing. Tsukasa was floored but simultaneously starstruck. He supposes octopi are generalist hunters.

Tsukasa hums, pleased, and decides to lay down. He looks up at the sky. It's not the clearest night in the world in terms of clouds, but he can still see a few peaking through.

Ah, he really hopes Rui will pay him a visit today. He misses him! 

Tsukasa is excited to see him. He rolls over onto his other side and curls up. 

Maybe it really is true. 

Even though it makes him nervous, it's a dream. 

He's sure he's only nervous because he doesn't want to lose what he already has, not because he wants to extend it. 

Tsukasa finds his eyes drooping. Ah, he should, by all means, go home… but it's so early in the night, and it's yet to be so late that Tsukasa knows Rui won't be coming. He can last a little bit longer. Besides, it's nice and serene out here.

…

He yawns. Shutting his eyes for just a moment wouldn't hurt… right?

He can't help but yawn a second time. It'll be fine. He just wants to say hello and goodbye, just see Rui for a little bit. Maybe Rui will carry him home… hehe. 

…

..

..

Tsukasa doesn't get to sleep for long. He's woken up by a hand around his wrist.

“Tsukasa kun?”

Tsukasa opens his eyes slowly, looking up. His face lights up as much as it can, having just woken up, upon seeing that it's Rui. 

“Good morning.” Rui smiles. It's not morning. He probably wasn't asleep for more than five to ten minutes. “You should be careful with falling asleep with nothing to hold you down. I don't want you floating off on me, now!”

Rui swims and leads him back to their proper area, the rock that they'd sort of claimed as their own. Tsukasa blinks slowly. He supposes he had drifted quite a ways away, huh! Could have been dangerous, he's glad that Rui noticed him.

“Thank you.” Tsukasa smiles, still a bit groggy. While practically weightless underwater, especially to someone like Rui, Tsukasa wakes himself up and carries his weight, swimming alongside Rui.

When they arrive back at their regular spot, Rui's smile is extra wide. He giggles lightly. “If you're too tired, you can go home early. But, I wanted to say, I got you something.”

Tsukasa tilts his head. He smiles, eyes sparkling. Something!! It must be a special something, for Rui to go out of his way to bring it to him. He knows that Tsukasa likes collecting things, and has brought him a few different things to add to his collection, but..?

Rui moves his hand out from behind his back. From it, he produces a small, ovular shell. Tsukasa's eyes light up. 

“Ah..!” Tsukasa grins. He flaps his hands and swims closer, grinning. He holds his hands out tentatively, like he's making sure he's allowed to take it, so Rui readjusts his grip on the shell to pick it up and place it in Tsukasa's palms. Tsukasa squints at it. 

A beautiful marble of cream and burnt orange. Tsukasa tilts it in his hand and watches how it glints in the moonlight. He looks up at Rui again, smiling like he'd gifted him the moonlight itself.

“Thank you very much!!” He grins, then backs away from Rui in order to twirl in a little circle, holding it up more to the surface to see how it shimmers. “It's so pretty!” He turns back to face Rui with a little swish. “Where do you get such beautiful shells? They're always so colorful and amazing… I need to start upping my game! I need to be able to find some of this calibre to give to you..!”

Rui smiles warmly. “Hahaha, yes of course! They're very fun to collect, though I'm sure you know better than I! Just make sure there isn't anybody home! I've almost gotten bit by cone snails on a few occasions.” 

Tsukasa blinks. “ Cone snails???” He's astonished, first at his words, then at his catlike smile that didn't change at all upon mentioning nearly being bitten by something so dangerous. “Don't you know that–!”

“That cone snails can kill me?” Rui giggles again and swims around Tsukasa, getting a better view of the shell. “I know that. But I'd like to think I'm much smarter than that!”

Tsukasa puffs out his cheeks. “You shouldn't put yourself in danger just because I like shells.” Even after saying that, Tsukasa carefully holds the shell in his fist. So that he can put his hands on his hips in a weak protest.  “Don't put your life on the line for a pretty shell!”

Rui smiles and nods his head. “Ah, but tsukasa-kun's smile when I give him such a pretty shell makes my day!” Rui swims a little circle around Tsukasa, playing about. “You could say it's to die for. Fufu!” He giggles, and seems super giddy today… Maybe this incident happened today, and that's why he's so giggly! Still hyped up that he's still alive!

Tsukasa harrumphs, but can't help but start smiling. He just can't stay mad at Rui. Or, really, get angry with him in the first place. Still, he has to say something . “Well… thank you! But please, be careful…”

Rui finally seems to settle down, taking his usual seat. “I will!” The way he looks up at Tsukasa—chin in his hands, slender fingers framing his cute little smile—makes Tsukasa's heart skip a beat. He swiftly swims to sit next to him. 

Tsukasa wonders if Rui knows. 

…

Of course he does. Just looking at him, Tsukasa knows he can tell. 

He probably figured it out much earlier than Tsukasa did, anyhow…

He finds it so easy to talk to Rui. About everything, really. About his home, his family and his friends. Their favorite fish, favorite food, their favorite things to collect. Tsukasa would gush about his newest meal he'd concocted from the day's gatherings, and Rui would compliment him and express his desire to taste his cooking. Rui would gush about his love for collecting and Tsukasa would get so excited that someone shared his affinity for collections! 

They'd talk about boats, about humans! Other mammals, other underwater towns and cities of sea people, and the abovewater towns and cities of land people! Rumors they'd heard about either type of person, about fish, about places, about certain types of boats. 

Everything came incredibly naturally.

Which, perhaps, as someone who enjoys talking quite a bit, is why it comes as such a surprise to Tsukasa that he is entirely okay with silence.

He's even comforted by it. 

Tsukasa had always heard the term comfortable silence, but never understood it. Even with Rui, or his other close friends and family, there was always something to talk about. But now..?

A silence stretches across them.

It might just bring them closer together, honestly.

Speaking of, Tsukasa thinks he's sat closer than he normally does. Usually, he's the first one to sit down, so he'd never had the chance to control how close they sit together. 

… He must know. 

Tsukasa knows it too. He looks up at Rui, watches him affectionately as he admires the surface of the water, and the semi cloudy sky above it. It's got almost a marble effect to it. 

That slight twinge of nervousness has never gone away. Tsukasa doesn't think it will ‘til he does something about it. 

But maybe that's okay. 

He'll have Rui there for him to guide him through it, after all. 

…

Tsukasa smiles to himself.

After another moment of silence, Rui looks down at him. He tilts his head to be able to meet his eye.

Tsukasa returns it. 

Even though it's just a look, it… means something. It's not just a turn of the head… or, maybe, it is, but with the turn of the head, comes an offering.

An extension of an idea, an offering of understanding. 

Perhaps it wouldn't make sense to anybody else. But Tsukasa understands. He feels it deep within him. That one little glance… It produces an image in his mind, an image of Rui, an image of Rui extending a careful hand to him, and by returning his gesture, by meeting his eyes, Tsukasa had reached his and joined their hands together.

It wasn't his imagination. He has interpreted this exactly as Rui hoped he would. He can tell. He can see it. He knows.

They both knew.

They both have known. One of them just needed to turn their head first. 

No words need to be exchanged between them. Tsukasa supposes, not unlike his sudden understanding of the phrase ‘comfortable silence,’ that he hadn't known he could possibly understand someone so well. To the point where they need no words. 

Rui shifts his body, angling his shoulders slightly more in Tsukasa's direction. After a gentle pause, he inches closer.

Tsukasa's eyes flit down to his lips, then right back up into his eyes. 

He still feels just a little bit nervous, the feeling almost akin to unsurity. Still, his heart beats, and he can't turn down this display of affection. In the way he hesitates, Tsukasa feels he's communicated the encouragement he needs, and Rui's eyes soften in response. 

He allows Tsukasa to move at his own pace, however, like he can't help himself, lifts one arm and moves it towards him. His finger brushes against Tsukasa's waist, and Rui keeps it there, not so forward as to wrap his arm around him, but just close enough to him to ground him in the moment. 

Tsukasa understands. He doesn't need to see any more.

He reaches up, cards his fingers through Rui's hair, first pushing his side bangs out of his face and brushing them back, then trailing his fingertips down his head to the nape of his neck. His thumb comes down to Rui's jaw, and Rui closes his eyes gently as he strokes his thumb over his skin tenderly.

Tsukasa smiles. 

He tilts his head upwards and carefully tugs Rui down, swimming a bit closer to close the already rather small distance between them. His lips brush against Rui's, and his eyes shut. Rui leans forward, placing another soft, chaste kiss on Tsukasa's lips, quick, fleeting, gone just as fast as he'd arrived.

Tsukasa allows himself to sit and bask in the moment for a bit longer. He brings them together again, this time, just boops their noses. He peeks his eyes open little slivers, not sure if his heart would be able to handle looking at him fully. Noses still nudged together, Tsukasa laughs softly. 

“I should be going home.” he mumbles, voice barely above a whisper. 

Rui chuckles. His hand comes up to meet Tsukasa's face, brushing his knuckles across his cheek. “That would be best. I don't want you falling asleep on the way and drifting off.” His voice is also soft, so as not to disturb the quiet serenity of the ocean around them. 

It's like the two of them are the only two that exist in the whole world right now. 

Tsukasa doesn't want to leave. 

But, he thinks he might explode if he has to look at or exist around Rui for another second. He has to be able to swim away and freak the fuck out in the comfort of his own home.

He starts to pull back, then decides he needs to boop their noses one more time. 

Tsukasa is silent for another moment, trying to figure something to say. 

“Thank you.” 

Rui's eyes thin in a smile. “Whatever for?”

“Hmm.” Tsukasa thinks for a second. He knows his answer but he doesn't think he wants to fully vocalize it now.  “I dunno.” He simply answers, shrugging, smiling. Rui giggles.

“Want me to bring you home?” 

“Don't you have to be home as well?” Tsukasa folds his arms. He kind of doesn't want Saki to see him,,, but… but, he wants to..! “But, y'know, I don't see why not.”

“Ufufu, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm typically out much later than this!” Rui swims up to Tsukasa, saddling up next to him and smiling. “Lead the way.”

Tsukasa does.

— —

“Here we are!” Tsukasa swims a bit forward, then turns to Rui. “Thank you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Rui waves goodbye. “Same time tomorrow?”

Tsukasa can't help the goofy smile on his face. He nods happily. “You know it!” 

Rui is about to turn, but Tsukasa scrambles to swim in front of him again. He gives him a little goodbye boop, earning a cute little laugh, then properly sends him on his way.

Rui swims away after that, with speed but not with haste, simply getting back to where he should be quickly. Tsukasa smiles as he watches him go, wringing his hands. He should go inside.

He wants to make sure Rui is safe, though. He watches him for just about as long as he can see him. Then nods to himself, smiles, and turns to swim inside. He tries to be slow and sneaky, so as not to disturb the water inside the home too much, but it doesn't matter. Saki is already in the kitchen. 

She blinks, looking up and over to him slowly, sleepily. 

Tsukasa decides he should act casual. “Midnight snack time? I can make you something if you want.” 

“Why were you out?” She rubs her eye, then stretches. Once she gets the sleepiness out of her, her look turns much more mischievous than before. “Where were you? Out? With who? ” And giggles.

Tsukasa touches the back of his neck. There's no getting out, he's caught. “No one.” He replies, cheekily, grinning as he makes a show of looking away from Saki. 

“Hey!!!” Saki tries to swim into his line of sight, but he keeps turning and twisting and looking away dramatically, really pumping up the theatrics, because he knows she knows exactly what's been going on. She can probably smell it on him, if he's being honest. 

After one particular chase, Tsukasa turns and looks right at her, and she laughs and floats away a bit. “Woah!”

He smiles. He puts his hands up to his mouth. “I can't tell you.”

“Why not!!”

“I can't tell!! No telling! No peeking!!” he shakes his head in giddy delight. “You wouldn't even know who he is if I said his name!”

“Just say it! Give me something!! Anything, and I'll go back to bed!”

“Hmmmmm…” he really drags it out, stretching out his body slightly so that he might start comically slowly floating through the water. “Welllll…”

Saki leans forward. “Yes?”

“This might be too big of a hint… because you don't see that many of this species… but…”

“Yesss??”

“He is an octopus!” Tsukasa blurts. He looks down at his own tail and does a little twirl. “A very purple and orange one.” And he giggles. 

Saki squeals and jumps at Tsukasa like a little torpedo, throwing her arms around him. “See!! I knew it!!!! I told you, you just had to be patient!” She places her hands on his shoulders and backs up, observing her brother and grinning in admiration. “You just had to let yourself be comfortable.”

“Well..” Tsukasa smiles warmly at her, but then swims upwards, not wanting to go so long being looked down at thoughtfully when he could be doing something more productive, like teasing her. “You were half right. Like usual!”

“Hey!” As she exclaims, Tsukasa takes off across the kitchen, and Saki follows him. “What's that supposed to mean! That means I'm half wrong, too!”

“I was the one that worded it favorably!” 

“You knew what you were saying!”

Unable to overcome his need to play, that he's been holding back quite well till now, might he add, Tsukasa keeps darting away, having fun with their game of chase. 

“Stop it!!” Saki giggles, reaching out her arms to try and pincer him. 

Tsukasa feels like he realizes it before Saki does, and he stops to turn towards the ‘stairwell’, just in time to see their father poke his head out of it. 

“What are you two doing?” He asks, sort of comically bewildered, like he's trying to be grumpy with them but can't help but laugh. 

Saki whips her head around to him, but doesn't think to stop her momentum in time, and ends up crashing full force into Tsukasa, who screams in actual shock as he stumbles and falls back. 

‘Crash’ is a harsh word for underwater movement, but Tsukasa still ends up bumping the ground. Their father sighs into a little chuckle.

“Get back to bed, you both. It's too late to be roughhousing.”

“Okaay..” Saki nods, and gets off of Tsukasa, mouthing a sorry to him with a little laugh. 

“S-sorry about that.” Tsukasa fights continuing to be annoying and saying it was Saki who started it, but he thinks he might have gotten enough playing in for today. Maybe. He sort of feels exhausted at the same time as needing to twirl in circles for a few more hours. Either way, he doesn't need to continue it, even if he feels like it'd be funny if he did. 

Their dad starts to go back upstairs, pauses and darts back down to make sure they don't try to get back to their antics the minute he turns his back, then actually leaves. 

Saki moves her hands up to play with her hair. “Sorry.” She laughs, really not looking all that guilty! “I didn't mean to hit you. I'm just so excited!”

Tsukasa supposes that with his rather emotional reaction to Saki's tail changing color, he can't blame her. He can't not be mischievous about it, with how giddy he still feels. “I don't think he'd be opposed to meeting you,”

Saki's eyes get all big and wide.

“- in a few weeks.” Tsukasa fidgets with his hands, unable to continue his joke without laughing. “J-just a little while longer, I promise. Seriously.” He completes, after seeing Saki's oh-so pitiful expression. 

Saki hums for a second. “Hmmmm.” She taps her chin and furrows her brow. “Well… that sounds good! Ehe, but you have to promise!” 

Tsukasa laughs. “Easiest promise I've ever made!” He swims up to her, pinky extended, and she returns the gesture and locks their fingers. When they pull away, Tsukasa nods firmly. “I should get to bed. And you need to as well!”

“Right…” Saki giggles. “I dunno if I'm tired enough to go back to sleep…”

“Oh, come on, yes you are!” Tsukasa shakes his head. “You always say that, then you get tucked in, and then we can't wake you for ages!” He starts to swim away, seeing it as a suitable enough closing remark.

“Hey, wait!” She sounds like she really means it, like she's concerned with something, so Tsukasa turns around. 

“Yes?”

“You said you'd make me something to eat!”

“Uwa… I did, didn't I…” Tsukasa thinks for a moment. “Hey! No I didn't!”

— — —

“... He's not here again.” Tsukasa mumbles to himself and fidgets with his hands, wringing them around each other and the object within. 

Wel,  that's okay, isn't it? It's only been a few days. It's not as if Tsukasa is the only person in Rui's entire life. Still, seeing as Rui had presumably gone out of his way in the past to see Tsukasa, it's a bit weird that he just… hasn't shown up. And for the past four days, too. He misses days sometimes, just like Tsukasa does, but at some point, he has to get worried. 

… 

Maybe he just missed him! 

Yes, maybe he was gone for two days and came back on the third, but Tsukasa had ended up going back home early. He hadn't expected him to show up, after all, but that means Rui just could have been late, and they missed each other. 

He'll wait this one out. Not quite enough to fall asleep again, but he'll wait a good while for Rui. It's the least he can do. 

Tsukasa flips the object in his hands. A little silver coin, belonging once to the landpeople. He finds them fascinating, and sort of wanted to show Rui one of his most prized coins, after the interest had been brought up. Not only is it rather old, it's not terribly eroded by the waves! The engravings on it can be made out, like the text, the year, and the face planted on it! 

Tsukasa closes his fist around it, then puts one hand in the other. 

He isn't sure if he wants to go or not. He wants to stay, wants to relax with Rui and talk to him into the night, but he can't just stay out here for no reason. He doesn't mind staying up to talk to Rui, not at all! But when it comes to staying up for no particular reason? No actual purpose, other than the chance for one? 

Tsukasa doesn't know if that's something he can stay awake for. Especially now, he's already a bit sleepy, and would really like to cozy up right now. The ocean is so clear, and while it makes stargazing easy, he's forced to be weary, being very aware of how alone he is.  

Not just because he doesn't have someone to ‘protect' him, but because he's forced to imagine the possibilities that come with a sudden and prolonged absence. There's no place his mind won't wander, and it's freaking him out, making him feel like he needs to run—maybe he will go home. It wouldn't be as scary to think about, when he's at least in his own bed rather than the wilderness. 

Tsukasa closes his eyes. He relaxes, trying to think of something else. He'll wait a little bit longer. He doesn't want Rui to think that it's Tsukasa hanging him out to dry. 

…

Tsukasa feels the water move and push against his back. "Hm?" He tilts his head, then turns. 

“Rui!” He smiles, then stops. It happens in just a second, but he notices a very distinct smell between them. 

“Good evening.” Rui smiles back, so sweetly it almost makes Tsukasa forget what he was worried about. But not quite! What is that? Tsukasa sniffs a little more intentionally, and Rui tilts his head. “Hm? What do you smell?”

“Oh,” Tsukasa considers telling him, and he considers lying. He thinks about both possibilities. Is Rui acting weird? Tsukasa gets up to make a circle around him, wanting to get a good look at him and see if he's the source of that metallic smell, but Rui follows him when he gets up. He decides to ask. “What's wrong? Did something happen?”

“What do you mean?” Rui does a good job at acting like nothing is wrong, tilting his head and giving Tsukasa a weird little lopsided smile, but one of his tentacles betrays him. Actually, they're called arms, aren't they? Rui told him that. One of his arms betrays him, shifting to hide behind his back more effectively. Tsukasa's eyes flit down, then back up. 

Tsukasa tries to swim around him again, but Rui swivels, adopting a little mischievous smile now that he knows he's been half-caught. “Tsukasakun? Whatever could you need?”

“What do you have behind your back!!!!” Tsukasa shouts, playfully, just in case it's some sort of a joke he isn't getting. Rui giggles at him, but as he swims away a bit to play along, his face takes on a noticeably pained look. 

Tsukasa furrows his brows. It's not a joke, and he's having trouble figuring out what to say and how to emote. “What happened?”

Rui pauses, eyes darting between different parts of Tsukasa's face, like he's searching for something. Tsukasa purses his lips. He swims a bit closer, silently this time. Maybe that's a better way to approach. 

“...” Rui inhales to start speaking, then stops mid-breath. He tries once, then gives up again. He backs away slightly, to have more room to twist his body. Tsukasa looks down, tearing his eyes away from Rui's expression. 

He sees some kind of a metal rod sticking up from between his arms, broken at the tip, but then looks closer. Tsukasa's eyes widen, mouth opening. “Did you-!?”

“... I was thinking about not coming. But.. I wanted to see you.” Rui fidgets with his hands. Tsukasa swims up to the injury, to observe it, and he doesn't miss how Rui flinches and almost twists away, but forces himself to stay put. Now able to see the object isn't between his arms at all, rather, sticking out of one of them at an odd angle—Tsukasa swallows thickly. While it looks to have healed a good amount, there's still a bit of an open wound, and it shows clearly the sort of weapon it was. A teeny part of one of the spurs is visible and poking out from another part of his skin. 

Tsukasa reaches out to him absentmindedly, unable to help it. His fingerpads brush against Rui's injured arm, and he twitches away. “S-sorry.!” He mutters. He doesn't think he's seen an injury like this so close before, and it takes effort to force his eyeline back up to Rui's face. “What happened?” Even though he's sort of freaking out, he speaks with an odd stillness. Maybe it's because he can sense that Rui needs him to be calm right now, so it just... comes naturally. 

He doesn't answer immediately, so Tsukasa swims up to his face. He gives him a little boop, bumping their noses together, to signal to him that it's alright. He's safe now. Rui raises his hands to Tsukasa's shoulders and returns the gesture. 

“I was looking for coins closer to the surface. They're always so eroded when you find them down here.” Rui's fingers brush down his arm to his hand. “As I'm sure you're aware.” He laughs gently. Tsukasa looks down at himself, opening his hand to show that Rui had guessed correctly. Well, it wasn't really a guess, he told Rui that he was bringing it, but, still. “I just got too close to the surface. It was my fault, really, but, landpeople saw me. They almost caught me, actually, but… Of course, they still hit me.”

Tsukasa's bottom lip tightens. 

He can't help it, he boops Rui again, then pulls himself closer. He wraps his arms around Rui's waist and squeezes. “I'm sorry.” He mumbles into Rui's chest. 

“What for?” Rui puts a hand on his hair, lightly petting him. 

“That anything like this happened.” Tsukasa shakes his head, giving Rui a little cuddle before he swallows and locks in. “.... Please lay down and try to relax!” He swims up above Rui. “It– it's a beautiful night! Please, I'll be right back, I um– I have stuff to help, but it's all the way back home,” He frets over Rui, touching his upper arms and his chest and his hair as he does anything but pet where he knows it hurts. “Will that be okay? I don't want you to swim all the way there and back…”

Rui purses his lips. He looks to either side of him quickly, “I– I'm not sure if that’s necessary–”

“What!!!” Tsukasa bristles. “What do you mean??”

“It's just!” Rui huffs. “It's been a while. I got hurt days ago. It might not be worth wasting supplies on.”

“But… If it still hurts…” Tsukasa's brows pull together, lips hanging slightly parted. 

“I know… But, there's not much to do, is there?” Rui looks down at himself. “There's only one way to get it out now. And that won't be very pleasant for me. I don't want to make you do that.”

Tsukasa stays silent for a moment, contemplating. Is that really okay? No, no it can't be… There has to be something he can do, there has to be another way, he just needs to think. “... I'll be right back.” He boops Rui again. “I'll find a way. Stay here, and stay safe, okay?” He starts floating away. “I'll be right back, I'll bring some algae for you and we'll figure something out!” 

Rui fiddles with his hands, but he knows that Tsukasa won't take no at this point, so he nods his head. “... Okay. Be safe.” he returns the comment, now a bit more than a pleasantry. 

Rui tries to do what Tsukasa says, tries to sit or lie down, but the only position that isn't outright painful is to lie on his belly. It doesn't make him feel very safe. He can't see the sky, can't easily watch both of his sides. 

He takes a deep breath. He can wait here. He can wait for him here, it’s alright, he can do it! Everything is alright, Tsukasa said it was all okay. 

They've spent hours and hours here together. Nothing has ever happened. 

Rui looks around. 

Their area is big, and wide, and very very open. The water is clear today. He can see for ages. 

Just imagine how far away something with better eyesight than him could see him from.

He feels somewhat of an odd separation anxiety feeling when he turns and can no longer see Tsukasa. 

It was so easy for the humans to see him through the water, so easy for them to hunt him through the water, less clear than this. He tries to calm down, but can't. He places a shaking hand over his heart, trying to remind himself to breathe, but it doesn't make it any easier. 

He can't stay here. 

He has to leave. 

He gasps in a breath, then shakes his head. Tsukasa told him to stay, he's probably rushing to be able to get back to him so quickly, but Rui can barely breathe. He can't stay here. He can't stay here . 

Where can he run? Should he stay still? Running would only make him look like prey. Maybe he should stay where he is for that purpose, instead. 

He looks up at the sky again. Little dots in his vision make it seem like he's seeing boats. He knows they're not there, he knows, but it could take such a small amount of time for something to spot him and go after him here. He's spent the past few days either always moving or completely hidden, never staying in one spot for so long, what if–? Rui grits his teeth, what if they're still after him? People who would go to such lengths and be so ready to throw weapons at him—when they've seen something, they put their mind to it. He could very well be the only seaperson they've ever seen, the only one that they know for sure exists, the one they'll especially be looking for. 

Rui twists his body, checking the other directions again. He's honestly never felt so hunted, and it's making him panic. He's felt like there have been people watching him ever since his injury, but he supposes he's never been so alone. 

He scans the surrounding terrain for a hiding spot. Why hadn't he done this sooner? Had something ready? As a larger species, he's by default higher on the food chain than Tsukasa is, would Tsukasa know places to hide? Especially if he came here so often even without him, he must. Rui is falling behind. 

He spots a weird shadow, then zeroes in his focus on it. He forces himself to breathe steadily as he observes a possible hiding place. A very slanted rock a good ways away, with some disturbed sand underneath it, and a little pocket of water between them. It looks perfect for him to dash under and dig himself a hiding place in. 

Rui feels a particular pang of fear in his heart and takes off for it. At his full speed, it takes him only a few seconds to get there, but it is rather far from where Tsukasa told him to stay. He doesn't think about that, diving into the already dug out sand—it must have been someone else's hiding place before his—and hiding himself the best he can. He can smell it before he can feel it, recognizing the copper tones of his own blood, but he still tries to yank his lower arm into the hiding place—it's just the hurt one that he can't fit. 

Rui decides to stop trying, stop moving, stop everything. He hides under the rock and only pokes his head above the sand to watch for danger. 

He supposes the hurt arm is the best one to get stuck outside. If something takes a bite out of it, he'll just be able to grow it back, and his harpoon problems will be gone just like that! 

He shuts his eyes tightly and tries to breathe. Being in such a tight space, having protection for every delicate angle, makes him feel calmer. He breathes slowly, getting his heart rate back on track. As he calms down, he starts to become much more aware of the searing pain in his arm. It's whatever. It's alright. It's safe now. 

—

Tsukasa holds his ‘medical’ items in the woven basket in both of his arms, close to his chest. He holds the top of it shut as he darts back to their meeting area, swimming genuinely as fast as he can. He can't move any faster, but he just isn't getting there fast enough! 

He groans as he becomes frustrated at his slowness—and he's not a slow fish!! Maybe he's just feeling like he's moving slowly because his heart is beating so fast. 

“Rui!” He calls out, when he finally gets it in eyeshot. He shuts his eyes as he swims closer, as if it'll make him faster, but when he gets there, Rui is no longer waiting for him. 

“... Rui?” He looks around, swivelling his body quickly and searching the terrain. He gasps, then grits his teeth in an attempt not to start freaking out. “Rui!!” he calls out, turning his body again. 

It's okay. He must have just gotten scared. It's okay! 

“Where are you??” He calls out, “I'm back! It's alright now!” Tsukasa is weary making his presence known so loudly, but he doesn't care. He can't manage to. 

He slows down, reminding himself to breathe as he takes a much closer scan of the place. Rui is a rather notable person, he'd be able to find him if he was here…. 

Tsukasa swims in one direction, then notices something. He smells it before he sees it, but once he smells it, he can see it. 

He smells copper. And he can see blood in the water. 

Undoubtedly Rui's. That distinct blue isn't terribly common with other fish. Not only that, but he can't have been gone for as long as it felt. Not much could have happened that didn't have something to do with Rui, with his proximity, and copper based blood. 

Good thing, too, because upon closer observation, Tsukasa can see that it leaves quite a plain trail in the water. Tsukasa swims up above it and follows the blood trail, but starts to get stressed out as it dissipates. 

“... Rui?”

As he asks, a little glint of metal catches his eye. He'd typically pay it no mind, as there are lots of shiny things in this ocean of theirs, but it's what it's sticking out of that catches his eye. “Rui!” It’s Rui's arm, and Tsukasa darts towards it. “Rui! Are you okay?? What happened!” As he gets closer, and perhaps upon his yelling, he sees a teeny bit of Rui's head peek up. His eyes peek up at him from between sand and the shadow of the rock above him, and Tsukasa rushes to him. 

“Rui!”

“Tsukasakun..” Rui mutters. 

“Are you okay? What happened?” Tsukasa reaches for him, fixing up his hair a bit and generally tending to him. “Are you hurt? Did something happen?”

Rui shrinks back into his little hidey hole a bit. “... No.” He bites the inside of his lip. “I was just…”

Tsukasa sighs gently. He won't make him say it. “... It's alright. You don't have to share.” He swims up to the opening and gives Rui a boop on the face. “It's safe now,” he says, instead, “I'm back, and it's all okay.” he gives him another boop for good measure, then swims to another angle to see if he might be able to squeeze in there with Rui. 

Rui turns towards him, swallows, then slowly starts to move. Tsukasa boops him again, and Rui cracks a smile. “If you keep doing that, I won't be able to get out…” He giggles a little bit as Tsukasa realizes he's right. A silly little smile also makes its way onto Tsukasa's face. 

“S- sorry.” 

Rui slowly makes it out of the little hidey hole, wincing as he has to move his hurt arm. He swims gently and boops Tsukasa back. “I would argue you need it more than me.”

“......” Tsukasa looks at him for a minute, then sighs. “That doesn't even make sense.” He shakes his head. “Do you want to stay here?” Quickly recovering, he goes back to fretting. “It's alright either way.”

“Here is good.” Rui makes a small glance at his injury, one that tells Tsukasa he doesn't want to swim with it. 

Tsukasa nods. He opens his bag, and he really doesn't have much in it. A collection of only slightly old brown seaweed and white fabrics he'd collected off of the sea floor. “Did you hurt yourself again on the way here?” Tsukasa asks, as he starts to settle and dig in his bag. 

“Yes.” Rui answers slowly. “I'm afraid I moved the wrong way when I… switched spots. I tugged on it, and I think I just reopened old wounds. Nothing new, from what I can feel.”

Tsukasa's eyes snap down to the injury. “If that's true, then it might be possible to…” he trails off. He was sort of hoping it had naturally wedged out of the spot it found itself in, but alas. Still, it seems much looser than before. Perhaps with a bit of poking and prodding, it'll be possible to get it out… “... Why didn't you take it out when it first happened?” He phrases it like an actual question, because he is just curious, he's not blaming Rui. But, also, it would have been significantly easier to get it out day-of! Octopuses in general, especially Rui's species, heal over so quickly! He could've regrown this arm in a day, for reference! Now, there's much healed skin and tissue over it, locking it in place. 

At least, (and it makes him feel bad to say it), when Rui swam away, it seemed to cut through some of that healed tissue already. That would make it easier to try and wiggle and weasel it out of there. 

“Have you never heard that you're not supposed to take out objects from penetrating wounds?” Rui tilts his head. 

“Well, yes, but that's with the assumption that you'll have someone more experienced take it out at a later time…” Tsukasa gestures to it. “How well has that done you?”

Rui laughs. “Not well, I suppose. I do see how, in retrospect, it probably would've been easier to take out at the time I got hurt.”

“Well,” Tsukasa shakes his head. “You are right. I just think you're an exception, since you'll heal over it so quickly. You have to wait such a small amount of time, you'd probably have had to wait a few hours before you were able to get it out just fine.” Tsukasa observes it more closely. It's almost completely out, just barely hanging on, and if it wasn't terrible to think about, just yanking it out at this point would probably do them the most good. It would cut such a small amount of his skin, but still, too much for Tsukasa to not get a horrible pit in his stomach. And certainly more than Rui would want him to do.

“... What should I do…” Tsukasa mumbles, pulling up his tail in a curled position so that he can rest his chin on it. He looks up at Rui after a while of no response.

Rui is looking down at him tentatively. He blinks, then looks a bit surprised. “Oh! That wasn't rhetorical.”

“No.” Tsukasa confirms.

“Um… well, I do feel compelled to mention that it was your idea…” Rui rubs the back of his neck as a smile returns to his face. “I just came by because I wanted to see you.”

“As if, you can't have expected me to see this and not want to help you!” Tsukasa shakes his head. “That's what you wanted me to do, that was your ulterior motive.” As Rui goes back to giggling at his remarks, Tsukasa goes back to looking at the wounded area. 

If he pushes the harpoon down a bit at an angle and pulls on his skin… it might be able to come out just like that. Harpoons are made to stab, not slash, right? So a little gentle push shouldn't hurt much more than it probably already is hurting. Tsukasa sighs heavily.

“I have a plan.” He starts to reach for it, but before Rui can flinch, he pauses and looks up at him. “... If you want me to help.”

Rui's smile softens as his brows pull together. He tilts his head. “I trust the idea isn't to cut the whole thing off?”

“No!!!!!” Tsukasa exclaims. He shakes his head widely to either side. “If that was my idea I would've said it way before now!! You'd have grown half of it back by then!”

Rui bursts out laughing, and it's so happy that Tsukasa can't stay mad. Rui runs his hand through his hair, “Hahaha! S– sorry, I couldn't resist- haha!” He breaks into more fits of giggles. Tsukasa can't help but smile as well. His laugh is so infectious. He decides it needs to be protected, so he starts playing. 

“Don't get all in your maniacal giggles!!! This is serious!” He really plays it up, and it works, as Rui just laughs harder. Tsukasa realizes he can work with this actually, and looks back down to the injury. He glances up again. Rui is laughing and giggling so hard he's looking away, but even if he wasn't, his eyes are shut tight. “That's enough! It was serious! Ha-ha-ha yourself!!!” He puts a gentle hand on the hurt arm and pushes down carefully at one end. 

With a goal to be unnoticed, he feels like he can focus without any of his own grievances in the way. Tsukasa grips the end of the harpoon and also pushes that down slowly, but slides it into the opening revealed with a little bit of poking and prodding at flesh. He knew that this worked with fishhooks, but he wasn't sure about harpoons and barbs. Still, breaking the seal as though he were dealing with a tick or a leach, then sliding the attacker off…

Slowly, and with very little injury, it seems, Tsukasa is able to free Rui from the weapon entirely. He grins as he looks at it and is able to hold it in his hand freely, even though the evidence of Rui's injury is still upon its spearhead. 

When Rui finally opens his eyes and looks in his direction, Tsukasa rushes to hide the harpoon behind his back. They can keep these good vibes going! They don't have to acknowledge that he did anything at all. It'll probably start hurting if he does realize, to be honest. “What? What!” Tsukasa starts laughing at himself, he's not even sure what character he's playing or where it's supposed to be going. “What are you still laughing about!” 

Rui looks at him, still laughing, raising a hand to cover his mouth like he could hide his laugh behind it. He points at Tsukasa with his other hand. “It was funny!” He shakes his head, grinning, getting his composure. “But also, that you thought I wouldn't notice that.” he redirects his point to where Tsukasa’s arm hides behind his back. 

Actually, upon looking, Tsukasa realizes he's pointing at the end of the harpoon sticking out from behind him. Yeah, real sneaky! 

Tsukasa blinks, and tries to figure out something to say. “I thought it would be a good time! Like distracting and playing with a baby before they get a shot so they don't even notice!” Tsukasa looks down at his open palm, like the explanation he's looking for will simply fall into it for him to use. “Like.. like..! Getting bitten by something real small! You don't even notice unless it has some kind of irritating venom!”

Rui keeps giggling, and he swims closer to Tsukasa. He reaches up and holds his face in both of his hands, then smooshes their noses together. “Don't worry, don't worry. I understand.” He places his lips in the corner of Tsukasa's eye and nose. “Thank you.” 

Tsukasa smiles. “No need.” He looks down and around for wherever his bag went. “Ah! But I still have things for you!”

Rui tilts his head. “Hm?”

There! Tsukasa reaches and snatches up the bag he accidentally abandoned. He reaches in and takes out the seaweed he brought. “I know it's not as good as the proper dressing it makes…” Tsukasa makes a face, but again moves to Rui's lower body. “But it's better than nothing.”

Rui tenses, but doesn't flinch, allowing Tsukasa to work it out himself. He exhales slowly as he places the algae over the wound. He reaches back with one hand towards the bag and pats around for a minute before he finds it, then takes out some thick pieces of cloth from it. 

“Water should have made ‘em sticky.” Tsukasa comments, and smiles as he has to put effort into pulling the fabrics apart. He wraps them around Rui's injured arm, and then firmly pats them where they overlap. Tsukasa stares at it for a moment, like he's daring the dressing to undo itself. 

“Can you move?” Tsukasa looks up at him, tilting his head. Rui blinks, realizes he's being asked to do something, then tests it. He moves his arm, but doesn't really want to flick it, as he doesn't want it to hurt. The dressing stays put, which is good, and doesn't impede his movement too much, which is also good. It is uncomfortable, though, and rubs up against his wound in an unfavorable way. Still, he'll only need to deal with it for a few days at most. And with the way Tsukasa's eyes light up upon having solved the puzzle, he doesn't want to ruin his fun. 

“All good, it seems.” Rui smiles. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome!” Tsukasa grins. “Come back soon! You know where I'll be. I'll change it for you. I'll see if my parents have any proper ointment or plasters.” He nods to himself slowly. Now that he's calming down from the panic of finding rui gone, then from the high energy of solving puzzles, he's feeling quite low. He huffs, and shuts his mouth, pressing his lips together. 

He kind of feels like he should've known something was wrong.

… Well, he did, but not soon enough! It makes him uncomfortable that Rui was out there in pain and physical injury for four days and all Tsukasa had to worry about him was ‘why isn't he going out of his way to see me.’

After stewing in it for a little bit, Tsukasa thinks his guilt might just be displaced worry. He can't do anything about his worry now, or anymore, so he has to replace it with something else– and man, all of his decisions have been kind of bad, haven't they!

After a moment, he decides it's ok to just be worried. Tsukasa reaches up for Rui and throws his hands around him, holding him tight and king of yanking him down with the force. 

“And don't get hurt like that! You have to promise!” He shouts, then makes a little whine into Rui's neck. Rui binks. 

For a minute, Rui isn't really sure what to do. Then, the obvious answer comes to mind, and he wraps his arms around Tsukasa and holds him tight. “I won't.” He reassures. 

“Good…” Tsukasa sniffles a little. “And if you do, don't just wait days before seeing anyone for help!!”

“Aha… That really wasn't my intention…” Upon Tsukasa pulling back from him just to glare at him, Rui smiles sheepishly and relents. “Alright. I won't do that either. If it ever again comes to pass.”

Tsukasa seems to fight with himself on whether or not he's satisfied with his answers, but sighs and nods his head, realizing that it's not dissatisfaction that is still making him jumpy and nervous. Rui sighs. 

“I'm sorry for running away.” He purses his lips. “I was frightened. I didn't know how long you would be gone, and the sea was so clear. I felt like anything on earth could see me.” He noticeably relaxes. “But I shouldn't have scared you. And running just made it worse.”

Tsukasa looks up at him with big eyes. His eyes dart around Rui's face, like he's trying to see something he's not saying. He also relaxes his shoulders. “No, it's alright. I shouldn't have left you after you'd just gotten hurt. Or- after you came to me. I could've just brought you with me… Then, I wouldn't have had to pack anything, I could've just…” He makes a frustrated noise and balls his hands into fists. 

Rui exhales pointedly. He puts his hands on Tsukasa's shoulders. “There's nothing we can do now.”

Tsukasa nods, looking into his eyes. “Right.” After a minute, he swims up, and gives him another little final boop. “And,” he lets out a little giggle, cracking a smile. “You swimming away did help. It dislodged the harpoon.”

“Oh!” Rui looks around. “Speaking of, where did that go?”

“Huh?” Tsukasa also looks around, doing a little spin as he does so. “Uhh… I just let it go, maybe it floated away?” He starts sniffing for metal and turns his head in the direction the scent comes to him the strongest. 

“There!” Rui sees it way before Tsukasa does. Rui swims, rather gently, over to it. He takes it in his hands, then looks back over his shoulder at Tsukasa. “I wanted to keep it!”

Tsukasa visibly bristles. “Why!??” He puts out his hands in confusion. 

Rui starts laughing again, just in a giggly mood tonight, Tsukasa supposes. “You're a collector just like me! You should understand.” 

Tsukasa thinks for a minute. If this happened to him…… Yeah, actually… “Yeah, I suppose it would be cool to have… As a trophy! Of your victory!”

“Fufu.” Rui smiles, and is about to move his hand to cover his mouth, but keeps it far away as he realizes he doesn't want to be swinging around sharp objects just relieved from inside his person. “... Thank you very much. Again, Tsukasa-kun.”

Tsukasa swims up to him, though is cautious of the weapon. “Well, if you keep thanking me, I'm going to keep saying you're welcome, but what for this time?”

Rui just gazes at him for a moment. “Staying with me, maybe?”

Tsukasa tilts his head, then furrows his brows. “Why was that a question!”

Rui bursts into laughter again. “I guess I'm just not quite sure yet..! It's kind of ‘everything,’ y'know?”

“Hmm…” Tsukasa makes a little grumbling sound. “I guess you're right. Hey, would you want me to-”

“Should I bring you home?” Rui tilts his head, saying it almost at the same time as Tsukasa brought up his own question. 

“I should be the one saying that to you!! Tsukasa shakes his head. “I need to make sure you get home safe and sound!”

Rui laughs a bit. “I can fend for myself a bit better than you.”

“Hey! I'm very fast.” Tsukasa shakes his head and crosses his arms, then suddenly whips his fist out and punches water. “Bow! Bet you didn't even see me move.”

Rui snorts. “I didn't. What was that?”

Tsukasa laughs triumphantly. “I guess we'll never know! Just showing off my defensive capabilities, is all! And, that I can definitely bring you home!”

“Alright, alright.” Rui boops Tsukasa's cheek. “If you insist.”

“I do insist!”