Chapter 8

Amused by this, Araiso watched the other sink and sink. He chuckled, “I wonder if I should take that meaning that I’m a good kisser?”

Just then the door opened and in walked a young blond dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. “Yo! Kasei, you in here?”

Kasei quickly swam up as a panicked Araiso swam down to the bottom of the pool. “Yeah, what’s up, Daaku?”

“You suddenly ask to borrow my pop’s pool then don’t even ask me to join you for your midnight swim?” the other said, walking toward him. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Uh… Family… Trouble.” Kasei answered, swimming to the edge nearest the blond. “You?”

“I love swimming but not alone.” Daaku shrugged, sitting down. “How’re your sisters?”

“Bratty and spoiled.”

“Dad?”

“Busy with work.”

“Mom?”

Kasei shrugged, pulling himself out of the water. “She’s spending a lot of time at the theatre.”

“She’s performing tomorrow isn’t she?” Daaku asked, handing Kasei a towel.

Kasei shrugged, wrapping the towel over his shoulders. “I guess...” He looked around for his pack of cigarettes.

Daaku watched him for a while, seeing his friend smoke away his stress. “You know your dad loves you.”

“Loves me?” Kasei snorted. “He spends all but five hours at the office. My sisters don’t even think of him as a father any more.”

Daaku shrugged. He couldn’t relate to Kasei, as his family was very well-knit. “Hey, where’s your lil mirror?”

“In my jacket.”

“Pray to it yet?”

“Always do.”

“Think your prayers will be answered someday?”

“Someday.”

There was a long silence between the two of them that lasted nearly twenty minutes.

“Let’s go to the cape.” Daaku said after a bit.

“Why?”

“The stars tomorrow are supposed to be amazing.”

“I hate stars.”

“Please?” Daaku begged, resting his head on the other’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t go to the planetarium with me when they had that special sleep under the stars niiiiight~”

Kasei made a slight glare to the blond. “Fine.” He said after a pause, “But you can’t keep leaning on me.”

“Why nooot~” he whined, wrapping his arms around Kasei’s shoulders. “You never minded before. Why now?”

“…We’ve never kissed, huh?”

Daaku broke out into fits of laughter. “Kiss? Oh hell no! But we hold hands and snuggle and spend lots of time together. That solidifies us dating right?” He smiled at Kasei.

Kasei just looked at Daaku without a change in expression, then he looked slowly to the pool, puffing out a trail of smoke from a new cigarette. “Maybe we should shack up?”

“That’s kind of jumping a step, don’t ya think?” Daaku asked, letting go of Kasei. “I mean we haven’t even gone on a hundred dates yet.”

“Thought we have by now.”

“Nope. Not proper ones.”

“…There’s actual categor- Nevermind.” Kasei shook his head. “Anyway, let’s shack up.”

“But you hate the whole P.D.A.”

“In a house it isn’t public. Sides, you have a big apartment.”

Daaku smiled, resting his head against Kasei’s shoulder again. “Okay. Let’s move in together~”

Kasei didn’t say anything as they sat there like that until dawn. All he could do was smoke half his pack gone as he stared at the water slightly rippling where he knew deep below Araiso was hiding.


Chapter 9

As the light of the dawn peeked in through the large windows, Araiso couldn’t help but wander up to see if the two were even still there.

Araiso gasped and dove back down. Just as he had looked up, Daaku had opened his eyes only to see the other.

“WHOA!!!” Daaku jumped up, startling a dazed Kasei. “You! Get out of my pool!”

Kasei groaned, rubbing his forehead. Slowly, Araiso came back up to the surface looking to them.

“What are you doing in there?”

Kasei chuckled nervously, “This is kinda why I wanted the pool, Daaku. Meet Araiso. He’s a uh… basically a merman.”

“Kinda.” Araiso corrected with a nod.

Daaku grabbed Kasei’s arm and shook it, “What’s he doing here!”

“I thought he’d like it.” Kasei answered simply.

Daaku nodded, “Okay, right… We gotta tell someone about him. Think of how rich and famous he could be!”

Araiso’s eyes thinned as he listened and watched. Kasei shook his head, “Famous? Rich? Daaku, they’d make him some kinda lab rat. That’s like torture.”

“Are there more of you?” Daaku brushed from Kasei, hurrying to the edge of the pool. “I mean how are you born? Are you all fish? How’d you get out of the ocean?”

“…I can turn human.” Araiso answered with a nod. “I’m a Child of Poseidon.”

Daaku stared at him. “Poseidon? You’re joking right. He’s a myth!”

Araiso shook his head, “Oh no. He’s real. Just like Gaia and Procne.”

“Who?” Daaku raised a brow. Kasei was looking around for his pack of cigarettes as he listened to them.

“Gaia and Procne. You know, Mother Earth and Guardian Angel?” Araiso nodded.

Daaku blinked. “They’re real?”

“Yes.”

Daaku crossed his arms, “Come over here for a sec.”

Kasei looked over to Daaku as he picked up his pack and slid out a cigarette.

Araiso swam over to Daaku after a moment. Daaku leaned down, looking over Araiso. After a moment, he reached into the water and pulled on one of Araiso’s ears.

“OUCH!!!”

“Daaku stop it!” Kasei ran over, shoving Daaku to the ground.

Araiso held his ear in pain, shrinking back into the water. Kasei looked to him then to the shocked Daaku staring at him.

“Daaku.. I didn’t mean to…”

“You pushed me.”

“You where hurting him.”

Daaku stood up, stomped to Kasei and swiftly slapped him across the cheek. “Get out. And take that freak with you.”

Araiso looked up startled at that comment. He’d never dreamed he’d be called something so simply insulting.

Kasei turned to Araiso and slowly knelt a bit, holding out his hand to him. “…Give me your hand,” he said smoothly and emotionlessly.

Slightly intimidated, Araiso took the hand only to be pulled out of the water and scooped up into Kasei’s arms. Araiso stared at Kasei’s stern face, too afraid to say anything as he was carried out of the large building and back to the car.

He didn’t say anything the whole ride back to the house. By the time he was back in Kasei’s room, wrapped in a towel, he’d almost turned human again.

Kasei yanked off his shirt and belt, throwing any other bits of his clothes save for his pants around his room. “I’m going to bed.” He groaned, and went timber right onto his bed without another word.

Araiso watched Kasei for a moment, thinking of something to say. “Kasei…”

“Hmm?” came the dull reply.

Araiso opened his mouth to say it, but no sound came.

Kasei turned after a moment to look at him, “What’d you say?”

Araiso just shook his head with a soft smile and watched as Kasei laid back down to sleep.

Sadly, Araiso looked down to the ground. It would only take a few minutes more before he sat himself next to Kasei’s bed with his head rested against the mattress.