(no subject)
Title: Maritime [2/2]
Author: reversemirror
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,898
Disclaimer: Owning humans are illegal in most parts of the world (and I can't afford their fabulousness)
Pairings: Ohmiya, Aiba/Jun, and one-sided Sho/Ohno
Summary: Sho's looking for a witch to give him legs. Yum
Notes: Inspired by
still_ciircee 's Into the Parlour (which is amazing),
rikke_leonhart 's Pianissimo Butterfly (which is also amazing) and Lee Jeong-A's Chronicles of a Grim Peddler. I obviously have too much time. CRITIQUE IS WELCOME AND MUCH APPRECIATED!
[Part 1]
Ohno felt dazed as he tried to open his eyes. The last thing he remembered was Sho gently carrying his fully human body to the beach where the prince's guards might find him. The former merman tried to stand on his new-found legs, but it felt like he was standing on glass shards. Jun said it would be painful, but Ohno hoped it would also be worth it.
Just then, a stout middle-aged woman and a young teen stopped in front of Ohno. He tried to reach for them, but his arms wouldn't move. The transformation was really tiring.
"Auntie Rie! He has no clothes!" said the young boy. Ohno felt he was groped a bit by a feminine hand and than dragged up over the older woman's shoulder.
"Let's get him inside. C'mon Yuri-chan!"
Ohno awoke again, this time in a soft human bed (he saw one before in an abandoned grotto) with human pajamas on his body. The room wasn't lavished as he would expect inside a human castle, but the merman wasn't one to complain. He looked underneath his shirt and saw a small scar from where Jun sewed the legs closed. He traced the scar and remembered he had one week. One week to make Nino fall in love with him. One week or else he would never see Nino again. That itself was much worse than the thought of turning into sea foam.
The door opened and that same middle-aged woman from before entered the room with a tray of human food. Ohno guessed it was soup. Sho told him about it once before while he was still-
"Oh you're awake! Good," she bustled next to him, putting the tray down on the bedside table, and immediately felt his forehead. She grinned (it was a little creepy and pervy but still sweet in a motherly way) and pulled her hand away. "Your fever is gone and Yuri-chan got you into clothes. Luckily you and some of the boys are the same size. You're a bit stockier than the rest, which is good. The rest are too skinny and basically never eat. Especially that guard, Koyama. I shudder whenever I see his bare chest."
Ohno chuckled. He knew Nino was skinny, but not as frail as people would think.
"So, you have a name?" Ohno opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Oh that's right, the merman thought weakly. It's gone.
He mouthed it off as best as he could. It really didn't help that Oh and No looked very similar when mouthed. Satoshi worked a lot better.
"Satoshi, huh? I'm Shibata Rie, but you can call me Auntie Rie. I told King Ogura about you and he told me you can stay here in the servants’ quarters as long as you do work. I told him I'd 'play games' with him unless he gives you time to recover, he quickly agreed. Since you're awake, you can either stay in bed here and eat or you can take a bath and than eat. Either way you're gonna eat."
Ohno placed the tray on his lap and began eating, never one to refuse food. He beamed at her after taking the first bite. She left the room after placing a small bucket with bath items at the foot of the bed.
After eating, the merman walked to the window. He saw his former ocean home and wondered how his friends, especially Sho, were doing. His eyes combed the beach until it landed on a figure playing the guitar.
Nino, he thought. He fled from the room to the prince.
"Aren't you going to head back to the cottage?" asked Sho, watching the witch set up a campsite by his river's edge.
"What? You hate my company already?" Sho blushed.
"No! It's just, the deal is done. Satoshi has his legs and you have his voice...in a jar." Jun continued to unpack his luggage.
"I also have talent in a bag." The river god wasn't too sure that was a joke. "I'm here in case something happens. And besides I have time and need to be away from that cottage. I just wish nature wasn't so dirty." Sho pouted, Jun ignored it, Aiba let out a series of chirps that seemed like laughter.
"So what are you going to do in the mean time?" Jun took out two large needles.
"I am going to knit."
"...you're kidding."
"I am not." From the suitcase Jun brought he pulled out a green, unfinished tunic that the river god could have sworn he'd seen before. Jun gave Sho "the Look," which by now the river god recognized as "don't bother me with your trivial matters"-look. He melted back into the river to see the baby salmon in the right direction.
Ohno knew he was getting closer as the music got louder. He climbed over a sand dune and there the prince was. Nino still looked as spectacular as Ohno remembered. The merman approached him apprehensively, not knowing if Nino wanted an audience. The prince turned to him and stopped playing, his hands still on the guitar.
"You look familiar," said the prince, squinting to look at him. Ohno's heart skipped a beat when Nino smiled at him.
"You're that naked guy Chinen found on the beach!" Ohno's heart sunk a little. "What happened? Girlfriend leave you after being satisfied...or unsatisfied?"
The merman shook his head violently. Nino smirked at him and strummed his guitar. "What you here for? Auntie Rie send you to tell me to eat again?"
Ohno shook his head again. The prince shrugged and began to play again. Entranced, Ohno sat down to listen. He wanted to sing along with the human, but he knew he didn't have his voice. Nino glanced at the man on occasion, deemed him unthreatening (and somewhat comforting), and continued to play while speaking to the former merman.
"If you're going to be sitting here, you might as well tell me your name so I don't refer to you as Chinen’s naked man." Ohno stood and drew in the sand in the best of his ability to mimic human characters (Sho liked to teach him things).
"Ohno Satoshi?" A nod. "Well that's too old sounding. How about Oh-chan?" A smile. " Okay. You can call me Nino, oh but you don't talk though right? When you decide to talk you can call me Nino."
Ohno smiled and Nino beamed. The prince continued with his guitar playing while the merman drew patterns in the sand or pile them up into sand sculptures. The two stayed there until it became too dark to see, not talking, but contented with each others presence.
Thanks to Aiba, Jun was safely nestled in his makeshift bed, warm and snuggly. The tall man walked to where Jun was sitting earlier knitting, picking up the still unfinished tunic. He held it in his hands and kissed it briefly before setting it back down. The witch walked to where the forest ended and beach began, where the rivers’ freshwater mixed it with the ocean's saltwater and where Sho dwelled. He cupped his hands in the water to wash his face lightly and Sho appeared next to his reflection.
"You okay Aiba?" the river god asked.
"Jun's really ticklish, especially under his feet," Aiba said randomly.
"...what?"
"Yeah, give him five seconds and he starts crying and begging you to stop. He also dislikes spicy food. He says it makes him sweat a lot. For me it expands my gullet," Aiba demonstrated the motion on his chest. "MatsuJun also hates waking up before ten, but does it to make sure other people aren't late. The reason why we still live in a cottage instead of a castle isn’t because we can't afford it, but because he keeps spending money on new rings and haircuts."
"Why are you telling me this?" Aiba pretended not to hear Sho.
"When he doesn't have to work on something he knits a sweater out of nettles. It's to break my curse. He can't talk or look at me when he does it. He puts his whole heart into making it perfect (like everything else he does), knitting until he gets blisters, until he falls asleep, so that one day I can be fully human again. He can only use fallen nettles that he gathers during the full moon, so it takes a while. Though, he's never complained in the six years since he started."
Aiba looked at the river god and smiled brightly. "Your turn!"
"My turn?"
"To tell me why you love Ohno."
Sho melted back into the river and the water sparkled brightly. The witch took that as Sho's answer and walked back to the campsite to hold Jun at least for the night.
"By the way Sho?" Aiba whispered loudly. "Can I sail some paper boats on your river? I have a few things I want to try out!"
It's been two days since Ohno last saw the prince. The castle has been bustling in preparation for the summer festival, both a celebration for the first day of summer and the day when the royal family will announce who the prince is marrying. While Nino's not the heir to the throne, (that's Crown Prince Higashiyama) Nino's marriage was still important. Mainly it served as another way to make an alliance without too much paperwork.
The King ordered that Ohno work since he was well enough to run to the beach to play with the prince. Rie put Ohno to work in the kitchen since Nino insisted "he's good with his hands. >;D" Ohno blushed when the prince mentioned this to Rie, but didn't object. The kitchen workers often talked to each other and left Ohno to go at his own pace, so the merman like it there. Besides, all he's been doing for the past few days was make bread, something he grew to enjoy.
"Hey did you hear?" Tegoshi asked to no one and everyone. "I heard that Nagasawa-san is coming!"
"Uwa, so they are getting married!" said Shige excitedly. Granted, the merman was not one for gossip, but this could be Nino they were talking about and he could be in big trouble.
"Supposedly they've been sending letters to each other ever since she left to live with her cousin. They're in love!"
"It's a good alliance too. The Toho kingdom is a good friend to have!"
Ohno's stomach lurched and he fainted.
"You okay Oh-chan?" A gentle hand wiped the hair from the merman's brow. He slowly opened his eyes and found Nino's alluring ones. They were filled with all sorts of wonderful things like joy, mischief, music, and starlight. Matsumoto might control magic, but Nino was bewitching.
Ohno nodded softly, wishing Nino's cute hand was still on his forehead. The prince stood from the bed and helped the merman sit-up.
"Look at this, the prince caring for some kitchen help. You're lucky I needed to wash my hands to practice my card tricks." Nino folded his legs underneath him at the end of the bed, avoiding Ohno's legs with ease. He retrieved out a deck of cards from his pocket and started shuffling them rapidly. "Hey, wanna see a magic trick?" Ohno nodded enthusiastically.
"Now remember this card." The prince showed him a card, the Ace of Spades. He covered it completely, gave it a little rub and uncovered it. Two of Hearts. Ohno clapped. Nino was magic.
"Wanna see another one?" Ohno nodded again. The two spent the night with Nino showing him magic tricks and Ohno being impressed. The prince fumbled on occasion and Ohno spaced out and forgot his cards. They both forgot about Nagasawa Masami. They had fun and their hands brushed occasionally, sending sparks up Ohno's spine and hopefully Nino's. Even if Nino didn't love him and he turned into foam, moments like this were well worth it.
During his free time, the merman made a break for Sho's estuary and Jun's campsite. He found Sho dressed in Jun's spare robes while the two sat at the river bank discussing Sho's curse. How the previous river god fell in love with his mother and instead of pulling her into the depths of the river, he accidentally took her first born child. The Sakurai family guards killed the river god, but spilled its ichor ran through the water, poisoning fish. In order to save future many lives, the Sakurai family had to sacrifice their kidnapped child to become the new river god, someone they trusted to keep the river safe for, and from, humans. It's been hundreds, if not thousands of years since than and Sho forgot about being bitter. Besides, baby fish are so adorable.
Aiba alerted the two of Ohno's presence, in which Sho nearly toppled him over with a fierce embrace.
"Are you okay? Are you eating well? Are you drinking safe water? Do you legs hurt? Do you need to sit? Jun, can you get a seat for Satoshi to sit?" Satoshi couldn't possibly keep up with the Sho's pace and simply sat in front of the witch. Sho fidgeted until Jun snapped at him to sit down before I get a migraine and flood your river with leeches.
"How is it going with the prince? I heard he's a real brat." The merman pouted and shook his head. "Good. Once he loves you, you can have your voice back. I’ll take some musical properties from it however so you will not be able to sing as well as you used to."
Satoshi waved his hand in dismissal. The former merman stood and moved his feet in a graceful, powerful short dance. Sho was awed, but Jun had some concern.
"Doesn't that hurt? It should feel like hot needles pressing against you," Ohno lowered his head. "But Nino likes it, does he?" Ohno lips twitched. "Well, now that Sho knows you're fed and not sushi, I suggest you head back to your prince. You only have one day left you know." The merman waved good bye and ran back.
Sho sighed as Ohno went out of sight and started to melt there on the bank. Before he melted completely, Jun grabbed his shoulder. He looked back at the witch who looked a little concerned. Sho drew back into his form and sat in the chair Satoshi was previously. The witch took a deep breath in and sat down across from Sho.
"Look," he began. "If the prince doesn't confess to Ohno by midnight tomorrow, the merman will turn into foam. But...there is a way to save him, just in case. I didn't want to tell you this, but I'm worried. Ohno's made progress, but the marriage of the prince to the Duchess of Toho is rumored to be announced. There's a heavy price for this spell for both you and the prince, but it will save him."
Sho didn't hesitate for one moment to agree.
The night of the festival, the prince escorted Nagasawa to the dance floor. The two danced beautifully, as any royal family member would. King Ogura looked on with pride at his son and Higashiyama was pleased with the choice his (much) younger brother has made. Once the song ended, the two bowed and Nino returned Masami to her seat. The King was about to tap his glass to make the announcement when he saw his son disappear into the crowd of people.
"Ugh, finally I'm away from all these people," the Prince said to Ohno, slinging his arm around the other man's shoulder. He pulled Ohno into a secluded area by the beach and sat down by the shoreline. "I just danced with her to make them shut up about it. The old man's probably going to make me marry her, but I don't plan to. I want to run way from here and play music or do magic. I'm not cut out for this appearances business. I'm not taking over anyway, Nori-nii is going to."
Ohno sat next to me with his knees curled to his chest. The prince laid down and looked up at the man. "You'd come with me won't you? If I ran away? Right Oh-chan?”
Nino's request was soft and delicate and Ohno nearly missed it under the crashing of the waves, but the merman heard it. He cautiously grabbed Nino's hand, who unconsciously laced their fingers together.
All of a sudden, the scar on Ohno's leg started to burn. He hissed in pain and dropped to the sand. It was almost midnight. Nino cried out his name and held his face in his hands.
"Satoshi!" yelled a voice from the other end of the beach. Ohno grunted, but looked to see who it was. Sho.
Sho came up to the two. He took the man from Nino and cradled Satoshi in his arms. The merman's body becoming lighter. Sho in his panic, held Satoshi tighter, crying against the other's skin. All those years gone for this one human.
Nino stood up and started yelling for help, but couldn't be heard over the music. He too started crying for the man who listened to his music, who watched his dorky magic tricks, who played pranks on Yamapi with him, who danced for him, whose touch sent electricity through his body and made his heart race.
Ohno no longer responded and his body stilled. Sho closed his eyes and took out a jeweled dagger. He placed Satoshi's body carefully on the sand and turned to Nino. He raised the dagger and muttered a quick apology. Jun told him if worse came to worse, to strike Nino and let his blood drip on Satoshi's legs to save him. In return, he gave Jun his immortality. All for the life of this one person. This merman was much loved.
Sho didn't want to strike the prince. He knew the prince as a child. Little Nino sailed lantern boats on his river. He learned to swim in his river. He sat on the bank and talked to no one for hours when he was troubled. But Sho wanted to save Satoshi. The first merperson to enter Sho's waters. The first, non-fish being that Sho became friends with. The merman thought him not to feel sad about being sacrificed, that his parents saved him from the clutches of a selfish river god and gave him a chance to live. The one that rescued Nino from his depths and from that day forward fell in love with the human. Who sang merpeople songs in the dead of night to help the prince sleep. Who gave up his sweet voice for agonizing legs, just to be close to him for one fulfilling week.
The man raised the dagger and Nino's eyes widened in shock. Sho drove the dagger down, but instead of stabbing the prince, held on to him. He clutched the prince tightly and pleaded in his ears, "Tell him you love him. Please. I know you do. Please. Save him. I can't. I can't. I need him, please."
Sho began to sob and fell to the sand in remorse, dropping the dagger. He couldn't do it. Not even for Satoshi. How much was Satoshi worth to him? He sobbed even harder.
The prince ran to Ohno's side and climbed on top of him. The man's form was deteriorating. The clock was striking. He held Ohno tight and kissed his cheeks, eyes, nose, lips. "I don't know if I love you. I've never been in love. I just know I need you with me, no matter where I go. Didn't you promise to come with me? There are people that need you. Please. If I have to stab myself I will."
"He will be fine," a voice said from behind Nino. Nino turned to see a man in a long robe with a bird in his lifted hand.
"J-jun?" whispered Sho between sobs. Jun walked over to Ohno and crouched down, motioning for the other two to follow. Sho stood up shaking to see while Nino pivoted his head. It was true. Ohno's form became more distinct and the man started to breathe again.
Sho dropped to the sand once more and started crying. Jun drew him into a reassuring embrace and Aiba leapt to nestle into the man's neck. Nino buried his head into Ohno's neck and started crying himself. He sobbed even harder when he felt Ohno's arms encircle him.
After some time, the men stood up and rearranged themselves. Nino still held on to Ohno's hand.
"What's going on here?" the prince wearily questioned.
"It's a long story Nino," Ohno replied. His voice was back as Jun said. Nino smiled and softly kissed his lips. Sho started laughing in pure joy and the others joined in, even Aiba (though it sounded quite strange.)
"So they left the castle already?" Jun inquired. The witch was busy repacking his suitcase with Sho's help. Aiba busied himself with picking up light things that he could, flying over and dropping them into the suitcase.
"Yeah. Satoshi didn't want to say good-bye. He said they would travel for a while and come find us at your cottage when they finish." Jun gave Sho a sad smile.
"You should have joined them. They need you."
"No. They don't," Sho remarked bitterly. "Besides, who would carry this huge jar of Satoshi's musical talent and my immortality back to your cottage?"
The two men slowly made their way through the forest, but Sho felt no pull to return like he used to. He was no longer a god. He no longer had a home. Jun swatted at him to pay attention.
"You will stay at my cottage," Jun stated, as if he could read minds (but witches can't...right?). "I need someone to help around until this guy turns back to normal." He pointed at the chirping Aiba, who flitted from side to side in excitement. "And I will need some help after he turns back too. Don't worry. A river god will be assigned soon, and if not, I think the royal family will take good care of the estuary."
"But the baby salmon! They always go in the wrong direction! They get lost really easily. Or what if a fish eats them?"
"They'll be fine. Stop worrying. And lift the jar higher. You're going to break it!"
"I'm not! I'm strong! At least I’m not too ticklish and I don’t mind spicy food!”
“What are you talking- AIBA!” The bird flew faster than Sho had ever seen him. It was going to be okay.
Years later, the runaway prince would return home with his partner, a mysterious man that suddenly appeared on the beach one faithful day. They would hear about the success of a "medicine" man, who lived in a cottage in a town not too far from the castle. He lived with an energetic young man, who did many experiments that nearly killed them and another about the same age who refused to eat fish, especially salmon. They would eventually visit this quirky place where the mysterious man was forced into a hold by his old friend and the prince was offered a cup of tea and a chance to test this new invention that recorded sound.
Author: reversemirror
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,898
Disclaimer: Owning humans are illegal in most parts of the world (and I can't afford their fabulousness)
Pairings: Ohmiya, Aiba/Jun, and one-sided Sho/Ohno
Summary: Sho's looking for a witch to give him legs. Yum
Notes: Inspired by
still_ciircee 's Into the Parlour (which is amazing),
rikke_leonhart 's Pianissimo Butterfly (which is also amazing) and Lee Jeong-A's Chronicles of a Grim Peddler. I obviously have too much time. CRITIQUE IS WELCOME AND MUCH APPRECIATED!
[Part 1]
Ohno felt dazed as he tried to open his eyes. The last thing he remembered was Sho gently carrying his fully human body to the beach where the prince's guards might find him. The former merman tried to stand on his new-found legs, but it felt like he was standing on glass shards. Jun said it would be painful, but Ohno hoped it would also be worth it.
Just then, a stout middle-aged woman and a young teen stopped in front of Ohno. He tried to reach for them, but his arms wouldn't move. The transformation was really tiring.
"Auntie Rie! He has no clothes!" said the young boy. Ohno felt he was groped a bit by a feminine hand and than dragged up over the older woman's shoulder.
"Let's get him inside. C'mon Yuri-chan!"
Ohno awoke again, this time in a soft human bed (he saw one before in an abandoned grotto) with human pajamas on his body. The room wasn't lavished as he would expect inside a human castle, but the merman wasn't one to complain. He looked underneath his shirt and saw a small scar from where Jun sewed the legs closed. He traced the scar and remembered he had one week. One week to make Nino fall in love with him. One week or else he would never see Nino again. That itself was much worse than the thought of turning into sea foam.
The door opened and that same middle-aged woman from before entered the room with a tray of human food. Ohno guessed it was soup. Sho told him about it once before while he was still-
"Oh you're awake! Good," she bustled next to him, putting the tray down on the bedside table, and immediately felt his forehead. She grinned (it was a little creepy and pervy but still sweet in a motherly way) and pulled her hand away. "Your fever is gone and Yuri-chan got you into clothes. Luckily you and some of the boys are the same size. You're a bit stockier than the rest, which is good. The rest are too skinny and basically never eat. Especially that guard, Koyama. I shudder whenever I see his bare chest."
Ohno chuckled. He knew Nino was skinny, but not as frail as people would think.
"So, you have a name?" Ohno opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Oh that's right, the merman thought weakly. It's gone.
He mouthed it off as best as he could. It really didn't help that Oh and No looked very similar when mouthed. Satoshi worked a lot better.
"Satoshi, huh? I'm Shibata Rie, but you can call me Auntie Rie. I told King Ogura about you and he told me you can stay here in the servants’ quarters as long as you do work. I told him I'd 'play games' with him unless he gives you time to recover, he quickly agreed. Since you're awake, you can either stay in bed here and eat or you can take a bath and than eat. Either way you're gonna eat."
Ohno placed the tray on his lap and began eating, never one to refuse food. He beamed at her after taking the first bite. She left the room after placing a small bucket with bath items at the foot of the bed.
After eating, the merman walked to the window. He saw his former ocean home and wondered how his friends, especially Sho, were doing. His eyes combed the beach until it landed on a figure playing the guitar.
Nino, he thought. He fled from the room to the prince.
"Aren't you going to head back to the cottage?" asked Sho, watching the witch set up a campsite by his river's edge.
"What? You hate my company already?" Sho blushed.
"No! It's just, the deal is done. Satoshi has his legs and you have his voice...in a jar." Jun continued to unpack his luggage.
"I also have talent in a bag." The river god wasn't too sure that was a joke. "I'm here in case something happens. And besides I have time and need to be away from that cottage. I just wish nature wasn't so dirty." Sho pouted, Jun ignored it, Aiba let out a series of chirps that seemed like laughter.
"So what are you going to do in the mean time?" Jun took out two large needles.
"I am going to knit."
"...you're kidding."
"I am not." From the suitcase Jun brought he pulled out a green, unfinished tunic that the river god could have sworn he'd seen before. Jun gave Sho "the Look," which by now the river god recognized as "don't bother me with your trivial matters"-look. He melted back into the river to see the baby salmon in the right direction.
Ohno knew he was getting closer as the music got louder. He climbed over a sand dune and there the prince was. Nino still looked as spectacular as Ohno remembered. The merman approached him apprehensively, not knowing if Nino wanted an audience. The prince turned to him and stopped playing, his hands still on the guitar.
"You look familiar," said the prince, squinting to look at him. Ohno's heart skipped a beat when Nino smiled at him.
"You're that naked guy Chinen found on the beach!" Ohno's heart sunk a little. "What happened? Girlfriend leave you after being satisfied...or unsatisfied?"
The merman shook his head violently. Nino smirked at him and strummed his guitar. "What you here for? Auntie Rie send you to tell me to eat again?"
Ohno shook his head again. The prince shrugged and began to play again. Entranced, Ohno sat down to listen. He wanted to sing along with the human, but he knew he didn't have his voice. Nino glanced at the man on occasion, deemed him unthreatening (and somewhat comforting), and continued to play while speaking to the former merman.
"If you're going to be sitting here, you might as well tell me your name so I don't refer to you as Chinen’s naked man." Ohno stood and drew in the sand in the best of his ability to mimic human characters (Sho liked to teach him things).
"Ohno Satoshi?" A nod. "Well that's too old sounding. How about Oh-chan?" A smile. " Okay. You can call me Nino, oh but you don't talk though right? When you decide to talk you can call me Nino."
Ohno smiled and Nino beamed. The prince continued with his guitar playing while the merman drew patterns in the sand or pile them up into sand sculptures. The two stayed there until it became too dark to see, not talking, but contented with each others presence.
Thanks to Aiba, Jun was safely nestled in his makeshift bed, warm and snuggly. The tall man walked to where Jun was sitting earlier knitting, picking up the still unfinished tunic. He held it in his hands and kissed it briefly before setting it back down. The witch walked to where the forest ended and beach began, where the rivers’ freshwater mixed it with the ocean's saltwater and where Sho dwelled. He cupped his hands in the water to wash his face lightly and Sho appeared next to his reflection.
"You okay Aiba?" the river god asked.
"Jun's really ticklish, especially under his feet," Aiba said randomly.
"...what?"
"Yeah, give him five seconds and he starts crying and begging you to stop. He also dislikes spicy food. He says it makes him sweat a lot. For me it expands my gullet," Aiba demonstrated the motion on his chest. "MatsuJun also hates waking up before ten, but does it to make sure other people aren't late. The reason why we still live in a cottage instead of a castle isn’t because we can't afford it, but because he keeps spending money on new rings and haircuts."
"Why are you telling me this?" Aiba pretended not to hear Sho.
"When he doesn't have to work on something he knits a sweater out of nettles. It's to break my curse. He can't talk or look at me when he does it. He puts his whole heart into making it perfect (like everything else he does), knitting until he gets blisters, until he falls asleep, so that one day I can be fully human again. He can only use fallen nettles that he gathers during the full moon, so it takes a while. Though, he's never complained in the six years since he started."
Aiba looked at the river god and smiled brightly. "Your turn!"
"My turn?"
"To tell me why you love Ohno."
Sho melted back into the river and the water sparkled brightly. The witch took that as Sho's answer and walked back to the campsite to hold Jun at least for the night.
"By the way Sho?" Aiba whispered loudly. "Can I sail some paper boats on your river? I have a few things I want to try out!"
It's been two days since Ohno last saw the prince. The castle has been bustling in preparation for the summer festival, both a celebration for the first day of summer and the day when the royal family will announce who the prince is marrying. While Nino's not the heir to the throne, (that's Crown Prince Higashiyama) Nino's marriage was still important. Mainly it served as another way to make an alliance without too much paperwork.
The King ordered that Ohno work since he was well enough to run to the beach to play with the prince. Rie put Ohno to work in the kitchen since Nino insisted "he's good with his hands. >;D" Ohno blushed when the prince mentioned this to Rie, but didn't object. The kitchen workers often talked to each other and left Ohno to go at his own pace, so the merman like it there. Besides, all he's been doing for the past few days was make bread, something he grew to enjoy.
"Hey did you hear?" Tegoshi asked to no one and everyone. "I heard that Nagasawa-san is coming!"
"Uwa, so they are getting married!" said Shige excitedly. Granted, the merman was not one for gossip, but this could be Nino they were talking about and he could be in big trouble.
"Supposedly they've been sending letters to each other ever since she left to live with her cousin. They're in love!"
"It's a good alliance too. The Toho kingdom is a good friend to have!"
Ohno's stomach lurched and he fainted.
"You okay Oh-chan?" A gentle hand wiped the hair from the merman's brow. He slowly opened his eyes and found Nino's alluring ones. They were filled with all sorts of wonderful things like joy, mischief, music, and starlight. Matsumoto might control magic, but Nino was bewitching.
Ohno nodded softly, wishing Nino's cute hand was still on his forehead. The prince stood from the bed and helped the merman sit-up.
"Look at this, the prince caring for some kitchen help. You're lucky I needed to wash my hands to practice my card tricks." Nino folded his legs underneath him at the end of the bed, avoiding Ohno's legs with ease. He retrieved out a deck of cards from his pocket and started shuffling them rapidly. "Hey, wanna see a magic trick?" Ohno nodded enthusiastically.
"Now remember this card." The prince showed him a card, the Ace of Spades. He covered it completely, gave it a little rub and uncovered it. Two of Hearts. Ohno clapped. Nino was magic.
"Wanna see another one?" Ohno nodded again. The two spent the night with Nino showing him magic tricks and Ohno being impressed. The prince fumbled on occasion and Ohno spaced out and forgot his cards. They both forgot about Nagasawa Masami. They had fun and their hands brushed occasionally, sending sparks up Ohno's spine and hopefully Nino's. Even if Nino didn't love him and he turned into foam, moments like this were well worth it.
During his free time, the merman made a break for Sho's estuary and Jun's campsite. He found Sho dressed in Jun's spare robes while the two sat at the river bank discussing Sho's curse. How the previous river god fell in love with his mother and instead of pulling her into the depths of the river, he accidentally took her first born child. The Sakurai family guards killed the river god, but spilled its ichor ran through the water, poisoning fish. In order to save future many lives, the Sakurai family had to sacrifice their kidnapped child to become the new river god, someone they trusted to keep the river safe for, and from, humans. It's been hundreds, if not thousands of years since than and Sho forgot about being bitter. Besides, baby fish are so adorable.
Aiba alerted the two of Ohno's presence, in which Sho nearly toppled him over with a fierce embrace.
"Are you okay? Are you eating well? Are you drinking safe water? Do you legs hurt? Do you need to sit? Jun, can you get a seat for Satoshi to sit?" Satoshi couldn't possibly keep up with the Sho's pace and simply sat in front of the witch. Sho fidgeted until Jun snapped at him to sit down before I get a migraine and flood your river with leeches.
"How is it going with the prince? I heard he's a real brat." The merman pouted and shook his head. "Good. Once he loves you, you can have your voice back. I’ll take some musical properties from it however so you will not be able to sing as well as you used to."
Satoshi waved his hand in dismissal. The former merman stood and moved his feet in a graceful, powerful short dance. Sho was awed, but Jun had some concern.
"Doesn't that hurt? It should feel like hot needles pressing against you," Ohno lowered his head. "But Nino likes it, does he?" Ohno lips twitched. "Well, now that Sho knows you're fed and not sushi, I suggest you head back to your prince. You only have one day left you know." The merman waved good bye and ran back.
Sho sighed as Ohno went out of sight and started to melt there on the bank. Before he melted completely, Jun grabbed his shoulder. He looked back at the witch who looked a little concerned. Sho drew back into his form and sat in the chair Satoshi was previously. The witch took a deep breath in and sat down across from Sho.
"Look," he began. "If the prince doesn't confess to Ohno by midnight tomorrow, the merman will turn into foam. But...there is a way to save him, just in case. I didn't want to tell you this, but I'm worried. Ohno's made progress, but the marriage of the prince to the Duchess of Toho is rumored to be announced. There's a heavy price for this spell for both you and the prince, but it will save him."
Sho didn't hesitate for one moment to agree.
The night of the festival, the prince escorted Nagasawa to the dance floor. The two danced beautifully, as any royal family member would. King Ogura looked on with pride at his son and Higashiyama was pleased with the choice his (much) younger brother has made. Once the song ended, the two bowed and Nino returned Masami to her seat. The King was about to tap his glass to make the announcement when he saw his son disappear into the crowd of people.
"Ugh, finally I'm away from all these people," the Prince said to Ohno, slinging his arm around the other man's shoulder. He pulled Ohno into a secluded area by the beach and sat down by the shoreline. "I just danced with her to make them shut up about it. The old man's probably going to make me marry her, but I don't plan to. I want to run way from here and play music or do magic. I'm not cut out for this appearances business. I'm not taking over anyway, Nori-nii is going to."
Ohno sat next to me with his knees curled to his chest. The prince laid down and looked up at the man. "You'd come with me won't you? If I ran away? Right Oh-chan?”
Nino's request was soft and delicate and Ohno nearly missed it under the crashing of the waves, but the merman heard it. He cautiously grabbed Nino's hand, who unconsciously laced their fingers together.
All of a sudden, the scar on Ohno's leg started to burn. He hissed in pain and dropped to the sand. It was almost midnight. Nino cried out his name and held his face in his hands.
"Satoshi!" yelled a voice from the other end of the beach. Ohno grunted, but looked to see who it was. Sho.
Sho came up to the two. He took the man from Nino and cradled Satoshi in his arms. The merman's body becoming lighter. Sho in his panic, held Satoshi tighter, crying against the other's skin. All those years gone for this one human.
Nino stood up and started yelling for help, but couldn't be heard over the music. He too started crying for the man who listened to his music, who watched his dorky magic tricks, who played pranks on Yamapi with him, who danced for him, whose touch sent electricity through his body and made his heart race.
Ohno no longer responded and his body stilled. Sho closed his eyes and took out a jeweled dagger. He placed Satoshi's body carefully on the sand and turned to Nino. He raised the dagger and muttered a quick apology. Jun told him if worse came to worse, to strike Nino and let his blood drip on Satoshi's legs to save him. In return, he gave Jun his immortality. All for the life of this one person. This merman was much loved.
Sho didn't want to strike the prince. He knew the prince as a child. Little Nino sailed lantern boats on his river. He learned to swim in his river. He sat on the bank and talked to no one for hours when he was troubled. But Sho wanted to save Satoshi. The first merperson to enter Sho's waters. The first, non-fish being that Sho became friends with. The merman thought him not to feel sad about being sacrificed, that his parents saved him from the clutches of a selfish river god and gave him a chance to live. The one that rescued Nino from his depths and from that day forward fell in love with the human. Who sang merpeople songs in the dead of night to help the prince sleep. Who gave up his sweet voice for agonizing legs, just to be close to him for one fulfilling week.
The man raised the dagger and Nino's eyes widened in shock. Sho drove the dagger down, but instead of stabbing the prince, held on to him. He clutched the prince tightly and pleaded in his ears, "Tell him you love him. Please. I know you do. Please. Save him. I can't. I can't. I need him, please."
Sho began to sob and fell to the sand in remorse, dropping the dagger. He couldn't do it. Not even for Satoshi. How much was Satoshi worth to him? He sobbed even harder.
The prince ran to Ohno's side and climbed on top of him. The man's form was deteriorating. The clock was striking. He held Ohno tight and kissed his cheeks, eyes, nose, lips. "I don't know if I love you. I've never been in love. I just know I need you with me, no matter where I go. Didn't you promise to come with me? There are people that need you. Please. If I have to stab myself I will."
"He will be fine," a voice said from behind Nino. Nino turned to see a man in a long robe with a bird in his lifted hand.
"J-jun?" whispered Sho between sobs. Jun walked over to Ohno and crouched down, motioning for the other two to follow. Sho stood up shaking to see while Nino pivoted his head. It was true. Ohno's form became more distinct and the man started to breathe again.
Sho dropped to the sand once more and started crying. Jun drew him into a reassuring embrace and Aiba leapt to nestle into the man's neck. Nino buried his head into Ohno's neck and started crying himself. He sobbed even harder when he felt Ohno's arms encircle him.
After some time, the men stood up and rearranged themselves. Nino still held on to Ohno's hand.
"What's going on here?" the prince wearily questioned.
"It's a long story Nino," Ohno replied. His voice was back as Jun said. Nino smiled and softly kissed his lips. Sho started laughing in pure joy and the others joined in, even Aiba (though it sounded quite strange.)
"So they left the castle already?" Jun inquired. The witch was busy repacking his suitcase with Sho's help. Aiba busied himself with picking up light things that he could, flying over and dropping them into the suitcase.
"Yeah. Satoshi didn't want to say good-bye. He said they would travel for a while and come find us at your cottage when they finish." Jun gave Sho a sad smile.
"You should have joined them. They need you."
"No. They don't," Sho remarked bitterly. "Besides, who would carry this huge jar of Satoshi's musical talent and my immortality back to your cottage?"
The two men slowly made their way through the forest, but Sho felt no pull to return like he used to. He was no longer a god. He no longer had a home. Jun swatted at him to pay attention.
"You will stay at my cottage," Jun stated, as if he could read minds (but witches can't...right?). "I need someone to help around until this guy turns back to normal." He pointed at the chirping Aiba, who flitted from side to side in excitement. "And I will need some help after he turns back too. Don't worry. A river god will be assigned soon, and if not, I think the royal family will take good care of the estuary."
"But the baby salmon! They always go in the wrong direction! They get lost really easily. Or what if a fish eats them?"
"They'll be fine. Stop worrying. And lift the jar higher. You're going to break it!"
"I'm not! I'm strong! At least I’m not too ticklish and I don’t mind spicy food!”
“What are you talking- AIBA!” The bird flew faster than Sho had ever seen him. It was going to be okay.
Years later, the runaway prince would return home with his partner, a mysterious man that suddenly appeared on the beach one faithful day. They would hear about the success of a "medicine" man, who lived in a cottage in a town not too far from the castle. He lived with an energetic young man, who did many experiments that nearly killed them and another about the same age who refused to eat fish, especially salmon. They would eventually visit this quirky place where the mysterious man was forced into a hold by his old friend and the prince was offered a cup of tea and a chance to test this new invention that recorded sound.