DuperOrdi

of mer and men [Sheith Merman!AU]

As the raven-haired man snapped his eyes up after drawing his tiny replica of the moon, he grinned up at the merman. The way he ate his pizza resembled a shark trying to eat with a fork and knife, careful not to drop the slice and still ever so curious about it. Once he reeled back at the bland part of the pizza, Keith shook his head and readjusted the slice in his hand, turning it back to the juicy parts. The rough part felt more like crushing bones and certainly Shiro wouldn't like that feeling. Not a single creature on this planet would, Keith was willing to bet on it.

He pushed the box of pizza in his direction more and exposed the slices to him, glad that he already realized the similarity of the triangle on the box and the triangle on the sand. The man felt as giddy as a parent would at their child understanding a new word or shape, but the grin that was almost permanently plastered on his face was gone and replaced by a small frown as he looked down at the replaced sun. He was the exact opposite. Yes, he loved the sun for warming him up, for keeping his plants healthy, but he found that the night suited him more. Reminded him a lot of himself.

He shrugged, but raised a brow in confusion at why he specifically chose the sun and didn't like the moon so much. He wanted to understand as he moved a bit to another spacious area on the sand to draw a new sun with rays and the sea as waves. Then he drew the wooden structure they were close to and then drew himself on top of it, his stick figure dangling his legs in the water. He had a line as a mouth, but when he drew the moon again he drew himself not fully smiling but comfortable as he sat underneath it, holding a shell. He was describing his relaxation at night, and wanted to know why Shiro hated it by another silly drawing.

The way he wiped the moon off surely looked like he feared it.

of mer and men [Sheith Merman!AU]

Keith could see the confusion in Shiro's expression and it made him grin at his innocence, and how much he'd love it if he actually were to taste it. Which reminded him. He had some leftover pizza in his fridge the other night. Whenever he felt hungry he'd bring some of it over for the merman while he ate for himself. But now he wasn't hungry, instead he was curious to know what this creature liked and disliked. He gave a small grin at how he was obviously liked by the merman, and with a raised brow, Keith decided to do the same to his own character. He drew a line from his likes over to the merman, finding the opportunity too good to pass up.

But when the comparison to dorsal fins began, Keith couldn't help the breathy chuckle that came out afterwards and shook his head, comforting the other that he wouldn't eat him. Instead he pointed towards the squid that he drew for his own little merman and brought his two index fingers together, trying to say that they're almost the same in terms of deliciousness but he was sure it wasn't understood. So, once more, he gestured at him to stay where he is before he skipped back to the shack with an unmatched excitement.

Again he took little time in returning, the pizza box in his arms as he sat down beside him again, whatever warmth left in the sand warming him up as the cold of the night began to settle in. He crossed his legs and opened it, grabbing a slice and handing it to the merman before he rested it next to him before he remembered something else he liked. Leaning forward, he drew another line and drew a circle with a few smaller circles on it, then pointed up to the moon.

of mer and men [Sheith Merman!AU]

Upon seeing the frown on the merman's face as he gave him back the necklace, he wondered for a second what could have gone through his mind. He knew they still lacked a way to communicate, so he sighed and wrapped the necklace around his neck again, looking down at the shells as they decorated his chest. Though when he thought about it, it was certainly a weird coincidence. Same kinds of shells, some material to keep them together as necklace. Surely his mother didn't steal it from merfolk, did she? Definitely not. It was probably abandoned on the beach or something.

He hoped.

Silently, he turned around, crossing his legs as he watched the other attempt to strike up a conversation between them again. He awaited his ideas, and it was right under his nose. Shiro drew on the sand, and Keith wasted no time to lean forward and lay on his stomach, raising his legs up in the air. He rested his chin in his palm, grinning as he saw the tiny merman smile at what looked like a squid. Soon the human's lips parted and he chuckled. Cute. And smart. Almost human smart, if not even smarter.

Mirroring him, Keith drew a stick figure of himself, complete with a shirt and shorts. His hair was the hardest to draw, but eventually he got there, and drew the closest he could to it. Then, with stars as eyes and a happy grin as his mouth, he drew a triangle covered in circles. Unsure whether the merman understood the written word, he wrote it anyway. 'Pizza'. Then he drew shells, fish, showing his favorite things in the world. Before he continued over to his dislikes, he looked up at the merman. See what he understood or didn't understand.

What Are You Listening To?

of mer and men [Sheith Merman!AU]

With an eyebrow raise, Keith sat up a bit as he watched the merman pointing at the shells in his necklace and the bag he wore with him. It was true, there was great similarity in the thread, the materials used, and the man leaned forward to touch at the ropes. It felt the same, as if his mother was mer herself. But that couldn't be true, he thought in amusement. She must have found the same materials, that was easy enough on the beach. After all, this shack wasn't Keith's. It was his parents'.

His eyes snapped up when he saw the creature's continued gestures and couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him when he watched the other cradle the invisible baby in his arms. But the part of him that wasn't amused by the sight was trying to understand what he said. He didn't exactly get the idea immediately, but he supposed this had something to do with parenthood? Something to do with certain shells being offered from parent to child? Oh.

"Aw, your parents gave those shells to you?" He asked, a soft smile on his face and in a slightly endearing tone of voice. For a split second he started imagining the merman so much smaller, younger, and he was certainly dazzled by how much -- and how well -- he matured. His mom seemed to have the same taste as Shiro's parents, probably passing on the tradition. But she was human, all of them were. "Sadly I'm not like you, Shiro." He gave a deep frown and gestured to the pale legs that laid on the sand.

What Are You Listening To?

_{THERMAL BITCH}

of mer and men [Sheith Merman!AU]

Upon feeling the hand on his shoulder, Keith smiled a touch wider, squeezing his arm as a nod, a silent 'you don't need to thank me'. Once tension calmed down once more like things initially were after he finished fixing the boat for the day, Keith laid back on the sand. His raven hair was like a halo surrounding his head, and he took a deep breath. Usually, he spent nights like this alone. On the sand, scared off by his own thoughts, but now he felt the familiar heat of another person. Radiating off him, a presence wanting to make itself known. He missed that. Company. Especially from someone as gentle and curious as Shiro, who was anything less than a human yet still humane more than most humans he knew.

Shiro knew what humanity was more than men he'd watch taunt animals and steal shark teeth. He knew kindness more than violent women thrashing their children around like objects, shaping them like mold. Shiro knew curiosity that was harmless, not like a scientist so devoid of humanity that he's willing to destroy people just to test a theory. Shiro was more human than humans, and if Keith wasn't careful, he could lose himself. Latch onto him and never let go. Maybe he could go as far as to say he had a new reason to live, to stick around. And it was all because of a deadly sea creature that wasn't as deadly as he looked.

He was beautiful. Strong. Careful, curious, intelligent, and Keith knew he needed to know more still. He wasn't going anywhere.

The man turned his head a little to look at the merman beside him, for a moment confused at what he gestured to, before it sunk in. Oh. He was asking about his necklace. Keith knew he couldn't hide that for long. While he usually never entertained the thought of letting anyone touch his precious possession, when it came to the merman, he found himself trusting him with it completely. It was like a wave washing over him, a decision made. So, with a small smile, he unwrapped it off his neck and carefully handed it to Shiro, a metaphor of sorts.

"Gift from mother," he simply said. He wondered if he understood those words, but it didn't matter. He looked curious enough about it to inspect for himself.

of mer and men [Sheith Merman!AU]

Yes. Keith didn't expect his words to even be understood, but that in itself was major improvement. Not only that, but he was overjoyed to find that intimate touching wasn't such a big deal anymore. He smiled widely, nodding his head to showcase how glad he was that he was understood, before gesturing at the merman to stay where he was. In a flash, the man got to his feet, ran straight back to his shack to gather his first aid tools. Once he was inside, he was glad to see the same rainbow reflecting off the abalone shell, even if the sun was setting.

For a moment he stopped, watching the view, before he went back to searching in cupboards and his bathroom. When he'd gathered everything he needed, he quickly descended the stairs the way he came, and was back on the beach where he spotted the merman still sitting. He huffed, walking through the sand and eventually plopping down next to him again, a small grin on his face. "Hi," he hummed, as a short greeting, before the real work began.

With the small bowl of water between his legs, Keith began to clean the cut on Shiro's shoulder, that particularly blaring red one. He applied some soap, get rid of the salt. The skin was rough and while the area that was wet wasn't as rough as the rest of the merman's body, it still felt foreign. I could get used to it, Keith thought to himself. On a small piece of cloth, he dropped some antibiotic ointment, watching until it formed a drop in the center of the piece. "Okay, this is where it hurts, Shiro," he murmured, before he slowly took the merman's hand.

"You're gonna be okay," he said, looking at him with a nod and giving him a small reassuring squeeze in case he didn't understand his words, and ever so slowly, he placed the cloth on the wound, dabbing at it slowly for a few seconds before he quickly placed a bandage on the cut. Letting it air out was not a good idea, and honestly? Neither was placing a bandage. The water could wear it off, but at least it was better than leaving it exposed. "There. All done," he smiled, giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder where the bandage was and setting his stuff away for now to put them back later.

of mer and men [Sheith Merman!AU]

Keith wished Shiro could understand. What made him so terrified. He wouldn't get it just by gestures and mere expressions. So, he sighed in disappointment, frowning as he watched the creature's tail act as a protective barrier between him and the water. It was a sweet gesture, but still, out of miscommunication. Water wasn't supposed to feel that way. When he just dangled his feet in them the night before, when he washes his hands. He never feels what he just felt, and it scared him.

It was like someone was sewing his legs together, not surrounded by a gleam of light like fantasy stories. It was like someone literally grabbed a sewing kit, sunk down right beneath Keith's legs and began to pierce his skin. He looked down at his feet again, testing if he still had feeling in his toes. Shiro's touch came after, and the boy couldn't resist looking up at the merman once more.

So careful, gentle, like he was treating flawless glass. Keith wasn't. He had all the flaws in the world, but he was still being handled carefully. It felt so good coming out of Shiro. If it were someone else, Keith absolutely would have fought back, but now he was just speechless. Frozen. Letting his skin touch his own soft one. It felt like an animal caring for their little ones, and the concept left Keith docile.

"I'm sorry.." he murmured, moving his legs a bit and hugging them closer to his chest, like he was afraid to lose them, then looked back at the merman. Immediately he was taken aback by how close he was in comparison to the night before. He could see the wounds more clearly, the cuts and his heart tugged. He wanted to return the kindness.

"Can I?" He asked, a gentle expression on his face as he gave a brief touch at some of his wounds, then gently stroked his own hand like he was saying 'can I try healing your cuts?' but he doubted Shiro would understand with words. Maybe his gestures would be clear enough?

of mer and men [Sheith Merman!AU]

Once he stopped, he felt a hand slide onto his own shaking one. He squeezed it right back, a silent thanks. Just a day ago, he thought Shiro would harm him. Eat him, even, if he could. But soon he found that he was a protector of sorts to him. Even if some of the dormant alarms in his mind still blared in warning, he was still in the water, not planning on leaving it.

So, he ventured deeper in, his breath catching in his throat as the water began to creep up farther and almost close to his chest. It was either so cold or Keith was frightened for his life at this point, but soon he was chest deep. His heart thumped and dropped down to his stomach in fear, only to rise up again as he moved around, careful not to drift away too far. Away from Shiro.

"Heh.. fuck, I'm actually-" he almost said before he stopped. His legs felt strange, wobbly, like they were numb of feeling but still moving in unison underneath him. Keith couldn't see anything underneath him, or maybe he was too anxious to look. It was like his legs were being brought together by some force, melding into each other, and while it felt ticklish at the beginning now it just hurt. He retracted quickly, swimming back to the beach, breathing all over the place as he returned to the yellow shade of the shore, collapsing on the ground away from the water.

"What the fuck was that?!" He yelled out in fear at his legs, pulling them up to him and looking. They were normal. Wet, understandably, and normal still. His mind was playing tricks on him, and he was shaking, staring in confusion at the merman.