

* I'm a shitty tagger, but here goes my attempt
* It's me, so there will be angst
* I promise a happy ending
* Krbk (duh)
* Bottom Kiri (though he may fuck Baku at some point, idk)
* Mpreg (I can't resist krbk kids

* Kiri has a tentadick
* Experimentation
* A brief explanation of mermaid genitalia; all mers can have babies so there are no 'males' or 'females' in that sense.
* All mers have the same genitalia.
*The baby making hole will only be referred to as a 'hole'. NO afab terms.
* All mers have the same genitalia.
*The baby making hole will only be referred to as a 'hole'. NO afab terms.
āWatch your step here, Doctor.ā Says the uniformed male ā some military prick that walks around like heās got a stick up his ass ā as he leads Dr. Katsuki Bakugou through the bowels of an old Navy ship. Itās used for research, supposedly.
At least, thatās what he was told on the chopper ride here after being dragged from his slumber by two military officers pounding on his door at half passed one in the morning.
Heās worked with them before. Not often, but a few times over the years.
Heās worked with them before. Not often, but a few times over the years.
Enough to know that he hates it. Enough to know that they only ever drag him in when whatever poor helpless creature was unfortunate enough to be caught by them is on the brink of death, and not even their doctors can fix it.
Not that thatās too surprising though. Theyāre not like him. Theyāre not even in the same league as him. Heās a specialist. The best in his field.
A veterinarian whose specific area of expertise is in caring for marine life. The military has been trying to recruit him for years to come work with them at their marine research facility, but he always turns them down.
Heās not interested in just barely keeping something alive long enough for them to complete their tests on it before letting it die. Thatās not why he became a vet. And now, thankfully, theyāve stopped asking.
They just call him in when they desperately need him, and reluctantly, he comes because he canāt in good conscience leave something to suffer, when thereās a chance he couldāve done something to help it. Even if that something is just to make itās passing a little less painful.
He usually goes to one of their land bases though. Never out here. But according to the little heās been told, this particular case is special. Top secret.
All of the cases heās been brought out on for them are, but this one especially so considering the amount of paperwork he had to fill out promising that he wouldnāt speak a word about it to anyone.
Supposedly, itās something new. A new species of fish or some shit that came up out of the depths, and theyāre not quite ready to share it with the world just yet. Hence their research on it currently being conducted out here in the middle of the Pacific.
āItās just through here.ā
Katsuki nods, already mentally preparing himself. He wouldnāt necessarily call himself a very soft person, but that still doesnāt mean he likes seeing anything suffer.
Katsuki nods, already mentally preparing himself. He wouldnāt necessarily call himself a very soft person, but that still doesnāt mean he likes seeing anything suffer.
Heās a vet for fuck sake. He justā¦itās easier if he doesnāt try to set his expectations for a good outcome too high.
As it would turn out though, nothing could prepare him for what he was about to see when they open that door.
As it would turn out though, nothing could prepare him for what he was about to see when they open that door.
Itās a man. A man lying strapped to a table with heavy metal restraints. āThe fuck?ā he asks, pausing momentarily. His first thought is that this must be some kind of stupid joke, because he doesnāt work on humans, he works on animals.
But then he looks at the definitely infected gash thatās been poorly stitched across the manās hip, and what appear to be burns or a rash of some kind ā possibly from the infection ā across his torso, and legs, and crawling up his neck towards his cheek, +
and he knows thereās no way this is a joke.
One, because these people have about as much humor as a dead fish, and twoā¦well, itās awful hard to fake injuries like this. āYou need a doctor.ā He says, shaking his head.
One, because these people have about as much humor as a dead fish, and twoā¦well, itās awful hard to fake injuries like this. āYou need a doctor.ā He says, shaking his head.
āThatās why youāre here.ā Says the man closest to him. Heās the head of their research team. He introduced himself when Katsuki came on board, but he canāt quite remember what he said his name was.
āYeah, but I donāt do people.ā He tells them, watching the injured man on the table turn his head weakly to stare in his direction.
Fuck, is this even legal? He looks half out of his mind with fever. He needs a fucking hospital, and he needs one fast.
Fuck, is this even legal? He looks half out of his mind with fever. He needs a fucking hospital, and he needs one fast.
āI assure you, doctor, despite what he may appear to be in this form, this creature is not human. Get a bit closer and see for yourself.ā
Katsuki's brows scrunch, half in annoyance and half in curiosity as he steps closer to the edge of the metal table, quietly wondering what the hell they couldāve been doing to this guy to make them say heās no longer human. āI swear, if this is a fucking joke āā
āItās not a joke. Just look.ā
The restrained man gives a weak lurch in his direction, baring his teeth and letting out a threatening hiss as Katsuki gets closer, making him pause.
The restrained man gives a weak lurch in his direction, baring his teeth and letting out a threatening hiss as Katsuki gets closer, making him pause.
Those are certainly not human teeth. At least, not any like heās ever seen before. They look like something that belong in the mouth of a fucking shark.
And the burns, or the rash, or whatever the fuck it isā¦it sparkles. It glitters in the light kind of likeā¦well, kind of like fish scales, which is surprisingly exactly what the strange red patches seem to be.
Really dried out scales on his arms, and legs, and face, andā¦everywhere. Little red patches mixed in with soft human skin, going down into legs that look half fused together. Kind of like they couldnāt decide whether to be legs or one large fin.
āWhat the fuck did you people do to this guy?ā Katsuki asks, instantly pissed as he turns to face the director again. āHow the fuck is this kind of experimentation even legal?ā
There has to be someone he can call, right? They canāt just get away with this. They canāt just experiment on a fucking person like this. Can they?
āDr. Bakugou, please calm down.ā
āDr. Bakugou, please calm down.ā
Calm down?! Do they have any fucking idea who theyāre talking to?! Behind him, the restrained man is getting more and more agitated. Hissing, and growling, and thrashing in his bindings.
Katsuki shakes his head again. āYou people are fucking nuts. Iām leaving, and Iām taking him with me.ā He says, reaching into his back pocket to get his cell phone so he can call someone out here to come get them.
Someone with some human medical expertise that can hopefully at least try to help the poor guy theyāve been experimenting on.
Onlyā¦his phone isnāt there. Itās upstairs. Upstairs in that room they first brought him to. Fuck!
Onlyā¦his phone isnāt there. Itās upstairs. Upstairs in that room they first brought him to. Fuck!
The head researcher frowns. āIām really sorry about this, Doctor. But unfortunately, we canāt let you do that.ā He says as two uniformed soldiers step up on either side of Bakugouās body to grab his arms.
āWhat? Oi! What the fuck do you people think youāre doing?ā he snaps, his heart beginning to race as he tries to break their hold.
āOnce again, Iām very sorry, but we canāt let you leave.ā
āOnce again, Iām very sorry, but we canāt let you leave.ā
āCanāt let meā¦what the fuck do you mean? You canāt just fucking āā he cuts off abruptly when he notices a woman in a white lab coat approaching him with what he can already assume is a sedative. āStop!ā he shouts, fighting harder. āSTOP! You canāt just āā
And thatās all he remembers before he feels the sharp prick of a needle in his arm and his vision fades out into black.
***
When Katsuki wakes again, heās lying on the floor, and the room is empty. No more researchers. No more assholes in military uniforms. Just him and their half dead botched experiment. Fuck.
He sighs, trying to keep a level head as he climbs to his feet to take a quick personal inventory.
His limbs feel like theyāre filled with lead, and his head it still kind of fuzzy from the drugs - not to mention, also throbbing, so heās pretty sure he must have hit it at some point ā but all in all, he seems to be alright.
Heās just really pissed off and wants to go the fuck home. //See if I ever help these pricks again.// He grumbles under his breath as he tries the door.
As expected, itās locked. Because why the fuck wouldnāt they lock him in here after drugging him to keep him from leaving in the first place. Itās just common sense.
They brought him here to do a job. He didnāt do that job, and now here's his punishment.
They brought him here to do a job. He didnāt do that job, and now here's his punishment.
Clearly, these assholes just donāt understand the fact that he still canāt fucking help this guy though. Heās a fucking vet, and they can lock him in here as long as they want, but his credentials arenāt just going to miraculously change.
He pounds his fist against the door. āOi! Assholes! The longer we keep playing these games, the less chance Frankensteinās monster over there has of surviving, so let me the fuck out!ā
āYou will be released, Mr. Bakugou, once youāve done your job, and not a moment sooner.ā A voice crackles through a speaker in the room's ceiling.
Katsuki jumps, not expecting it, as the man on the table letās out another warning hiss. There must be cameras in the room. Someone watching them. āAnd if I do nothing? If I just let nature take its course?ā he asks. At this point, it may be the more humane option.
āThen I assure you that just as no one will ever find this ship unless we want them to, they will never find your body.ā Itās someone else who speaks that time. A voice Katsuki doesnāt recognize. One that sends a chill down his spine and right into his core.
And just as quickly as he opens his mouth to respond, he closes it again. He may be brash and a little bit reckless at times, but heās not an idiot. And trying to call their bluff right now in his current situation would definitely make him an idiot.
āFucking fine. Iāll do what I can, but itās not on me if he doesnāt make it.ā He tells them, fighting the keep the slight edge of fear out of his tone as he goes to snatch the fish manās chart up off the counter to get a better idea of what he might be dealing with.
Because right now, he doesnāt have the slightest clue, but heās quickly realizing that not figuring it out might have higher consequences than heās willing to pay.
~Eijirouās POV~
Eijirou was always warned against interacting with humans. When he was little his moms would tell him stories about their ancestors and their dealings with the humans. Dealings that ended in bloodshed, and sent their people into hiding.
āWhy momma?ā heād asked once. āWhy do we have to hide?ā
'Because humans are greedy, my little price.ā She told him. āAnd they will always try to take more than theyāre given.ā
'Because humans are greedy, my little price.ā She told him. āAnd they will always try to take more than theyāre given.ā
But still, Eijirou didnāt quite take her warning as seriously as he should have. And as he grew, he became more and more curious about the mysterious two leggeds on the land above.
He would explore shipwrecks, and hoard secret troves of the odd treasures he found there. And for a while that was enough. But eventually, he wanted more. Just a little peek. Just one.
But one turned into two, and two turned into three, and before he knew it, he was visiting the surface every day. Sometimes it was to watch the humans.
He never got close enough that any of them could see him, but heād watch them run through the sand, and splash in the shallow waters, and listen to them laugh.
And other times he'd just swim to the surface to feel the warmth of the sunās rays against his scales. That was always far from the human lands though. Far out into the ocean where only huge floating ships roamed.
One of which had a huge, trailing web below it; skimming through the water and picking up fish.
Heād only wanted to free them. He'd only wanted to get just a little bit closer to the strange shimmering web.
Heād only wanted to free them. He'd only wanted to get just a little bit closer to the strange shimmering web.
But then heād gotten swept up in it too, and before he even knew what was happening, he was being pulled upwards and farther out of the water than heād ever been before.
Which is when the pain started. Terrible ripping pain that felt like he was being torn in two. Like his scales were stretching and shredding apart. It was blinding. Pain unlike anything heād ever felt before.
And then he hit the deck, and so began his journey with the humans, and his sudden realization that they were every bit as horrible as his mothers had warned.
And heās certain this one is no different with his sand colored hair - that oddly reminds him of a sea urchin - and deep, angry scowl. He eyes him suspiciously; giving a threatening hiss when he comes to stand nearer to him.
A few weeks ago heād have given anything to see a human this close. But nowā¦
Now he knows his mothers were right. Humans are bad. Greedy. They take and they steal what doesnāt belong to them. Like him. He doesnāt belong to them. He belongs in the sea. But they still took him.
Now, he doesnāt know where he is. He called for help ā for his mothers ā on the first few days when they put him in their 'tank'. He even tried to swim back to them. But the water here has invisible walls and he couldnāt. He could barely even turn around.
But now, heād even take that over this. Even if the water isnāt clean enough. Even if it reeks of his own fear, and sadness, and despair. Even if it reeks of pain. He needs the water to heal. To fully be able to transform again. And he needs food.
/Real/ food so his body has the strength to do it.
Because they took his strength. The strange humans in white. They took it when they made him change forms over and over and over again until he couldnāt anymore. Until he was stuck like this. Stuck between both.
Because they took his strength. The strange humans in white. They took it when they made him change forms over and over and over again until he couldnāt anymore. Until he was stuck like this. Stuck between both.
They took it when they saw him lying in the bottom of his tank as a bad thing ā not just his body trying to conserve energy - and pulled him back out again.
They took it when they brought him in here and tried to force him to eat their rotting fish again even when heās tried to show them he canāt.
Heās tried ā starvation got the better of him and he didnāt have a choice ā but all itās done is make him sicker and weaker. And right now he canāt risk getting any weaker than he already is. Especially with the new human.
He can feel his fear. He can feel it growing. He can smell the bitterness of it, and hear the increase of his heart rate as his scowl deepens at the glowing box in his hands. The humans like that box. Especially their leader.
He spends much of his time watching and poking at it with his fingers.
āOi! Is this for real?ā the sandy haired man shouts upward, drawing another warning hiss from Eijirou.
āOi! Is this for real?ā the sandy haired man shouts upward, drawing another warning hiss from Eijirou.
In his two-legged form, he can tolerate their voices, but stuck like this their loudness makes his ears ring and hurt.
No response comes as the sandy haired man sets the glowing box aside and stares at him. Heās trying to look tough. Trying to hide his fear. But Eijirou can still feel it. Can still smell it. Even as the man hesitantly reaches towards him.
Eijirou tries to wriggle away. Tries hissing louder and baring his teeth. And at first it works. The man pulls back just the slightest, but then the look on his face hardens and he starts reaching again. Faster this time.
āIām trying to fucking help you, Shitty Fish. Or what ever the fuck you areā¦ā He says.
And then suddenly the pressure thatās been pressing down on his stomach is gone, and a little bit of him can start to move again.
And then suddenly the pressure thatās been pressing down on his stomach is gone, and a little bit of him can start to move again.
/Start./ He eyes the man suspiciously; their gaze holding each other for a moment before the man reaches out again to release one of his arms.
Eijirou doesnāt hiss that time.
Eijirou doesnāt hiss that time.
Or the time after that as the sandy haired man reaches over him to carefully release his other wrist, and then both of his legs. He doesnāt trust the man ā or quite what heās doing ā but he wants to be free, and that means not scaring him or making him move away.
But then he stops; taking another moment to just stare. Thereās only the restraint left. The one around his neck. And if the man takes that off, heāll be free. So why is he waiting?
Eijirou reaches up to clumsily pull at it; trying to communicate that he wants that one off too.
But the sandy haired man seems hesitant. Maybe even more hesitant than he was when he released the first of the restraints. āIf I let you go, you gonna attack me?ā
Eijirou just stares at him, unsure of what to do besides pull at the bar around his neck again.
Eijirou just stares at him, unsure of what to do besides pull at the bar around his neck again.
The sandy haired man sighs; pinching the bridge of his nose as he shakes his head. āYouāre a fucking fish and Iām talking to you like you can understand me.ā He says, taking a step back as he runs one of his hands back through his hair.
His stress is increasing again. Eijirou can smell the sharp bitterness of it seeping into the air around them, making his nose wrinkle in disgust. He /can/ understand him though.
Heās a fast learner. All of his kind are and heās been around these humans for weeks. He just hasnāt figured out how to get his own voice to work outside of the water yet.
āOf fucking course youāre gonna attack me.ā The sand haired man says, beginning to pace.
But heās wrong. Eijirou wouldnāt. He just wants to be free. He just wants to go back home!
But heās wrong. Eijirou wouldnāt. He just wants to be free. He just wants to go back home!
āThey wouldnāt just restrain you like that if you werenāt āā
āN-o.ā Eijirou forces out; feeling like heās trying to push the words out past his lips from the very tip of his tail fin. āN-o h-ur-t.ā
āN-o.ā Eijirou forces out; feeling like heās trying to push the words out past his lips from the very tip of his tail fin. āN-o h-ur-t.ā
~Katsukiās POV~
Heās losing his mind. He has to be. The panic settling deep inside him at being trapped in this room withā¦withā¦with whatever the fuck the half fish thing is has to be fucking with his head, right? Because he swears he just heard that thing try to talk to him.
And a few minutes ago when he thought it was human, that probably wouldnāt have bothered him too much. But nowā¦fuck. If what he just read is to be believed, then they pulled this God damned thing out of the fucking ocean.
And no matter how strangely 'human' it looks, fish arenāt supposed to fucking talk.
Hence, the only logical answer to him thinking he heard it speak is that heās losing his mind.
Hence, the only logical answer to him thinking he heard it speak is that heās losing his mind.
//But if itās a fish, how the fuck is it breathing?// He asks himself. //And why the fuck does its fin look more like a pair of partially scaled, fused legs than an actual fin?//
Thereās a name that keeps popping into his head, but he canāt bring himself to admit even to himself that thatās what heās looking at right now. Itās supposed to be the shit of fairytales. Childrenās books. Theyāre not supposed to actually exist.
And yetā¦he can think of no better name to call it as it stares up at him with red uncertain eyes, still pulling at the metal restraint around its throat.
āUh-ff. Uh-ff.ā It repeats, which Katsuki doesnāt want to acknowledge sounds pretty fucking close to 'off' for something heās stilling trying to deny is speaking to him.
Itās just his subconscious though, right? Just the part of him that doesnāt like seeing anything ā animal or human ā being caged or restrained. Heās not really hearing words; he just thinks he does.
But stillā¦taking that last restraint off might be risky, despite the confidence he had in his decision a few seconds ago. He is trapped in a room with this thing, after all.
So how smart is he to free it when he has no clue how fucking strong it is and no way to defend himself if it tries to kill him?
āUh-ff.ā it tries again, pulling harder with a look in its eyes that could almost be taken for pleading.
āUh-ff.ā it tries again, pulling harder with a look in its eyes that could almost be taken for pleading.
Katsuki sighs; rubbing a hand over his face. āFuck it.ā He says, shaking his head as he opens the last of the restraints. With the way it looks he doubts it has the strength left in it to kill him even if it wanted to. And if heās wrongā¦well, he really fucking hopes heās not.
The moment itās loose, the fish flips its poorly fused tailfin with such force it knocks the table, itself, and a whole array of tools from a nearby tray onto the floor, giving Katsuki barely enough time to dive out of the way before heās hit by any of it.
āFucking Shitty Fish! You couldāve - ā He starts, but cuts himself off the moment heās able to flip over again after everything has settled and sees the poor thing curling itself into the farthest corner of the room, trembling.
Fuck. Katsuki wouldnāt exactly call himself a person who often feels a lot of strong emotions ā anger probably being the only exception ā but something about the state of this poor creature hurts his heart in a way heās never felt before.
Or maybe thatās just because he hit his chest on the floorā¦
Either way though, he canāt just sit here and do nothing.
Either way though, he canāt just sit here and do nothing.
As far as he can tell, this thing seems to be much more scared of him than he is of it at the moment ā though heāll never admit he was ever scared to another soul for as long as he lives ā so he might as well try to capitalize on that and do his damn job.
As he gets up off the floor and starts gathering a few supplies from the drawers ā bandages, a stethoscope, a bag of saline ā heās aware of the fish creatureās eyes following him. Almost like a predator following its prey. Should he take a weapon?
Maybe. But would he even be fast enough to use it if he needed it? Judging by the way it flipped off that table, probably not.
So, he leaves the scalpel behind and just hopes that his reflexes alone will be enough to save him again if this thing isnāt as cooperative to his helping as he thinks it will be.
āAlright, Shitty Fish, youād better not fucking attack me, or I aināt doing shit for you.ā He says as he picks up the tray and starts moving towards it.
Because even if he doesnāt want to admit that it was speaking to him earlier, thereās a part of him that at least has to acknowledge that it can probably understand him even if he wants to deny that too.
The closer he gets though, heās surprised to find it isnāt quite as combative as he thought it would be based on its level of fear. Itās still trembling, and itās trying to push into the corner deeper, +
but itās not hissing or threatening to attack in any way like it was when it was strapped to the table. Itās just scared.
So, he sets his tray down and slowly crouches to its level ā itāll be faster to get up if he needs to if heās not sitting ā to examine it. It doesnāt appear to have hurt itself any ā not that he can tell ā in the fall, but he wonāt know for sure until it uncurls.
Which he doubts itā¦heā¦Katsukiās pretty certain his initial assumption was right and itās a maleā¦will do until he feels comfortable. And he wonāt feel comfortable without a good fucking reason after whatever the fuck these military pricks have done to him.
Making sure the traumatized fish-man is watching, Katsuki puts on a pair of gloves and start to soak a few bandages in saline.
The scaled parts of the fish-man's skin are obviously dried out, and while a quick fix to that would obviously be just to put him in water, right now some saline soaked bandages are all he has access to, so theyāll have to do.
Once heās finished, he picks one up and slowly moves it towards the fish-man's shoulder where the scaling looks the worst.
As expected, he tries to pull away, eying Katsuki warily as he keeps moving the bandage closer.
As expected, he tries to pull away, eying Katsuki warily as he keeps moving the bandage closer.
āKeep still, Shitty Fish, Iām gonna make you better.ā He tells him. And he means it. Heās got no clue how ā he doesnāt even really know what the hell heās dealing with yet ā +
but these military shits are not gonna kill what may be the only creature of its kind because of negligence and stupidity. Not while heās got anything to say about it, thatās for fucking sure.
āH-urt.ā The fish-man says, continuing to try to pull away. āH-urt!ā
āNo, it fucking wonāt. Just āā Katsuki finally just closes the gap between them and drops the bandage in place, not worrying about how it goes on, just that itās mostly where he wants it to be.
The fish-man reacts with a strange, strangled shriek like heās been burned ā which is admittedly startling, and momentarily makes Katsuki wonder if he was wrong ā before he settles again when he realizes it actually didnāt hurt him.
He cocks his head, looking with confusion at the bandage haphazardly placed on his shoulder as he reaches up slowly to poke at it with his finger.
āSee? It didnāt fucking hurt, did it?ā Katsuki asks.
The fish-man pauses a moment, then slowly shakes his head. āMm-ore.ā
The fish-man pauses a moment, then slowly shakes his head. āMm-ore.ā
Christ, heās actually having a fucking conversation with a damn fish, isnāt he?
Katsuki picks up the next soaked bandage and puts it over the rest of the exposed skin on the fish man's shoulder, swatting his partly scaled hand away when to reaches up to touch it again.
The fish-man flinches, jerking back, and hissing in warning.
āOh shut it, ya Shitty Fish.ā Katsuki rolls his eyes, surprisingly less wary of him now that heās up close and theyāve had a chance to interact a bit.
āOh shut it, ya Shitty Fish.ā Katsuki rolls his eyes, surprisingly less wary of him now that heās up close and theyāve had a chance to interact a bit.
As far as he can tell, while this creature ā he downright refuses to call it a fucking merman ā seems to have the capability to tear him apart faster than he can blink, it doesnāt want to. Not even when heās got him backed into a corner like this.
His instinct is still to pull away from painful stimuli rather than attacking which is why Katsuki assumes every scientist on his ship isnāt dead yet. And why he himself wasnāt killed the moment he released this thing from his restraints.
So, not only is he a shitty fish, but heās a pretty shitty predator too. No wonder he got caught.
āSh-it-ty ff-ish.ā The fish man says; testing the words on his tongue.
āSh-it-ty ff-ish.ā The fish man says; testing the words on his tongue.
Katsuki smirks. āYeah, thatās you.ā He says; starting to lay more of the gauze strips down on the fish manās arm. This one is covered ā mostly ā in scales, but the other one still seems to be mostly human looking and covered in skin.
Clearly heās stuck between a more human-like form and his natural fish state ā still not calling him a merman ā but Katsuki canāt help but be curious about what he would look like fully transformed.
Especially since his scales ā though theyāre kind of a dull-ish grey currently ā do seem to have some kind of pigment to them that theyāre currently lacking.
āN-ot sh-itty f-ish.ā The fish-man suddenly says, drawing his attention.
āWhat?ā
āNot sh-itty fish.ā He repeats, clearer this time. āAy-je-row.ā
āWhat?ā
āNot sh-itty fish.ā He repeats, clearer this time. āAy-je-row.ā
At first, Katsuki doesnāt quite get it. Heās clearly trying to say something, but itās not a work in any language heās ever heard. Then the fish man taps his chest and repeats it a second time and it suddenly Dawnās on him.
Itās not a fucking word, itās a name! āEijirou? Is that your name?ā
The fish manās face splits in a wide, toothy excited grin; nodding happily. āEijirou.ā
The fish manās face splits in a wide, toothy excited grin; nodding happily. āEijirou.ā
Interestingā¦fish man has a name. Heās not sure why he never considered it a possibility before, but it really shouldāve been obvious that something human-like and capable of speech would probably have something to call himself by.
Katsuki takes a break from the gauze to point to himself. āKatsuki.ā
āK-aught-sk-eeā¦Kaught-skeeā¦Katsuki. Katsuki!ā he exclaims excitedly; clearly pleased with himself. āKatsuki.ā He pokes Katsukiās chest, then his own. āEijirou.ā
āYeah. Katsuki and Eijirou. You got it.ā
āYeah. Katsuki and Eijirou. You got it.ā
The fish man ā Eijirou ā spends the next few minutes repeating Katsukiās name under his breath, like a child who just learned a new word, while Bakugou keeps putting gauze over his scales.
Itās a quick fix for now, and it seems to be working, but he canāt help but wonder how long theyāre gonna be in here. Because what Eijirou really needs, is a tank.
A tank ā the ocean would be better, but he doubts he can convince any of these pricks to set him free - and some -
Eijirou stops speaking; his stomach seeming to grumble right on cue with Katsukiās thoughts. āHungry.ā He frowns.
Eijirou stops speaking; his stomach seeming to grumble right on cue with Katsukiās thoughts. āHungry.ā He frowns.
Food, he thinks to himself as he stares at the outline of ribs visible under Eijirouās skin. This fish really needs some fucking food.
He looks up towards the ceiling and the camera in the corner. He could ask them ā he knows theyāre still watching ā but he doubts theyāll risk opening the door to give him anything even if he did. Theyāre pretty stupid, but theyāre not /that/ stupid.
So, for now heās just gonna have to hope some IV fluids will do the trick to liven Eijirou up enough that he can get these fuckers to open the door and give him better access to what he really needs.
āKatsuki feed Eijirou?ā
āYeah, yeah. Iām gonna get you something. Donāt worry.ā He says. He just hopes Eijirou doesnāt freak out too bad when he sees the needleā¦
āYeah, yeah. Iām gonna get you something. Donāt worry.ā He says. He just hopes Eijirou doesnāt freak out too bad when he sees the needleā¦
***
As it turns out, Eijirou freaking out over the needle isnāt even something he has to worry about, because the fucking thing wonāt even pierce his skin. Not even a little.
āThe fuck are you made of?ā Katsuki asks; frustrated when the fourth needle in a row snaps in half the second he presses down.
At first, he thought maybe they just had some wimpy ass needles, but now that heās actually had a change to inspect the fish-man's skin a little closer ā and broken three more - itās clear that this is just how heās built.
The needles arenāt too weak, his skin is just too fucking hard. Which probably explains why he wasnāt given any kind of fluids before this. Doesnāt explain why the fuck they didnāt try a feeding tube though.
It wouldnāt have been comfortable, or simple, but with the way they had Eijirou restrained earlier, it at least wouldāve been possible and preferable to letting him starve.
Eijirouās stomach grumbles again. āHungry.ā
āI know, alright? Just give me a damn minute.ā He snaps. This isnāt gonna fucking work. āOi! Assholes!ā he shouts at the camera; standing and striding up to face it.
āI know, alright? Just give me a damn minute.ā He snaps. This isnāt gonna fucking work. āOi! Assholes!ā he shouts at the camera; standing and striding up to face it.
He still really doubts theyāre gonna help, but heās at least got to try something. āCan we get some fuckinā fish in here or something? Heās fucking starving to death!ā
Thereās no answer ā he doubted there would be ā but he knows they heard him. Now all they have left to do is wait and see if they get what they want.
āKatsuki good.ā Eijirou says when he comes to sit by him again, and resumes covering his lower half in gauze. āEijirou like Katsuki.ā
āYeah, youāre not so bad yourself, for a Shitty Fish.ā
āYeah, youāre not so bad yourself, for a Shitty Fish.ā
~Eijirouās POV~
Eijirou sits quietly while he watches Katsuki tending to his poorly fused tail fin; laying long wet stripe over it to sooth the burn of the air. His scales arenāt meant to be left to dry out this badly. They can stand being exposed for brief periods, but definitely not this long.
Thatās why his body is built to change, he assumes. So his scales wonāt dry out when heās on land. He wonders why his mothers never told him? Why they kept it a secret from him that he could take on a second form?
Maybe it was because they were worried that something exactly like this would happen. Maybe they were just trying to keep him safe.
He wishes now that heād listened to all of those warnings theyād given him. They were right. Humans are terrible.
He wishes now that heād listened to all of those warnings theyād given him. They were right. Humans are terrible.
All except this one. This one with his sandy hair and piercing red eyes. He likes this human. Heās a good human. The most manly of all the humans Eijirou has ever met.
And he smells delicious.
And he smells delicious.
Not in an edible kind of way. Eijirou would never eat a human. They would taste awful. No, he smells good in a very /different/ kind of way. A way Eijirou has never smelled anyone before; mer or human.
A way that makes his insides tingle where heās definitely never felt them tingle before, and his belly pool with heat.
Suddenly the door pops open; startling him as a bucket is kicked inside the room with them before the door immediately slams shut again.
He hisses warningly; baring his teeth as he sniffs the air. Itās fish. Dead fish. He can smell their rancid aroma wafting from inside the bucket even from across the room.
He crinkles his nose, watching Katsuki retrieve the bucket and bring it closer to him.
āWhatās the face for, Shitty Scales? Itās your breakfast.ā
āWhatās the face for, Shitty Scales? Itās your breakfast.ā
Eijirou frowns. Now heās Shitty /Scales/? He doesnāt understand what this word ā this 'shitty' ā means, but it must be a good thing, right?
Katsuki keeps using it in reference to him, and this time to his scales ā which are quite beautiful when properly hydrated ā so it canāt be bad, can it? Katsuki wouldnāt do that. Heās good. Eijirouā¦trusts him.
So maybe he can give these fish a try. Maybe this time they wonāt be as bad as they were last time because Katsuki was the one to give them to him. Maybe this time theyāll be 'shitty'.
Slowly, Eijirou reaches his hand into the bucket and plucks out one of the fish from amongst the frozen chunks of water; bringing it up to his face and giving it a long, deep sniff.
He wrinkles his nose again. Dead. Definitely dead. For a few days now at least. But maybeā¦
He sticks his tongue out; giving the dead fish a tentative lickā¦. nope. Nope he definitely canāt eat this. Itāll make him sick! When he chucks it across the room to get the scent of it as far away from himself as possible though, he earns a disapproving look.
āThe fuck did you do that for?ā Katsuki asks; sounding angry.
āBad.ā
āYeah, you are bad.ā
āBad.ā
āYeah, you are bad.ā
Eijirou pouts. Thatās not what he meant. āBad /fish/.ā He clarifies; pointing to the bucket.
āTheyāre not bad. That shit looks human grade!ā
āTheyāre not bad. That shit looks human grade!ā
Eijirou doesnāt know what that means, but he doesnāt bother trying to figure it out. He just reaches into the bucket, pulls out another fish, and points. āDead.ā
āYeah, thatās how itās fucking supposed to be!ā Katsuki says, clearly not getting the point.
āDead fish bad!ā Eijirou tells him, pointing harder.
And that time, finally it seems to click. āYou need them alive to eat them?ā
āDead fish bad!ā Eijirou tells him, pointing harder.
And that time, finally it seems to click. āYou need them alive to eat them?ā
Eijirou nods, his face splitting in a brilliant smile again; ecstatic to finally be understood. āYes! Yes! Alive!ā he exclaims, gesturing with his hand to mimic their wiggling.
Food! Heās finally going to get food! Heās so excited as he watches Katsuki cross the room to shout at the ceiling again that he flips his tailfin; unintentionally dislodging most of the wet strips from their place and completely wrecking all of Katsukiās hard work.
Oopsā¦
Oopsā¦
***
āNow donāt fuckinā move.ā Katsuki tells him crossly as he reseats the final few pieces of gauze ā thatās what theyāre called, apparently ā on Eijirouās tail.
āI mean it. Iām not fixing this shit again.ā
āI mean it. Iām not fixing this shit again.ā
Eijirou nods; a look of determination on his face as he tries to will himself to not move so much as a muscle again so he wonāt ruin all of Katsukiās hard work.
This is the second time heās had to reset the gauze.
This is the second time heās had to reset the gauze.
The first was after he got excited about the prospect of food, and the second - this time - was because the ship started to move and he got scared. He hasnāt felt the ship move in a long time, and itās a weird feeling being that heās actually sitting still.
āWh-ere going?ā
āI donāt know.ā Katsuki tells him with a shake of his head.
But he can tell the sandy haired man is uneasy again, and this time itās not because of him, which is worrying. Does he think theyāre going somewhere bad?
āI donāt know.ā Katsuki tells him with a shake of his head.
But he can tell the sandy haired man is uneasy again, and this time itās not because of him, which is worrying. Does he think theyāre going somewhere bad?
Before he has a chance to contemplate it any further, the door opens up and two men come in pointing long, oddly large sticks. āCome with us.ā
Eijirou lets out a warning hiss, trying to remember not to move even though he really wants to.
Eijirou lets out a warning hiss, trying to remember not to move even though he really wants to.
Katsuki looks back at him, then to the other men. āIām not leaving him alone in here. He needs to be watched.ā
āDonāt worry, heās coming too.ā
āDonāt worry, heās coming too.ā
There's a bit of arguing that happens after that which is too hard to follow, but he understands that the gist of it is, they want to strap him back to that horrible table again, and Katsuki doesnāt want them to.
Which is greatly appreciated, because Eijirou definitely doesnāt want that to happen either.
Finally, Katsuki stops arguing and comes back over to him. āIām gonna carry you, so donāt move around too much, alright?ā
Finally, Katsuki stops arguing and comes back over to him. āIām gonna carry you, so donāt move around too much, alright?ā
Eijirou hesitates a second. Carry? Heās never heard that word before, but Katsukiās not done anything to hurt him yet, so he can trust that this probably wonāt hurt him eitherā¦right?
He nods, watching as he puts an arm under his fin and another behind his shoulders and lifts him from the flood.
Eijirou scrambles, giving a little screech when he feels the gauze start to slip. He wasnāt supposed to move!
Eijirou scrambles, giving a little screech when he feels the gauze start to slip. He wasnāt supposed to move!
āItās fuckinā fine, just stop squirming.ā Katsuki tells him, seeming to strain as he tries to hold on.
Eijirou stops, frowning as he watches a piece of the gauze slip off onto the floor. āWhere going?ā he asks again; wrapping his arms around Katsukiās neck to keep himself steady as they begin to move, following the other men from the room.
āI donāt know.ā Katsuki tells him; still obviously straining under his weight. āBut donāt worry. Iām sure itāll be fine.ā
Eijirou nods, sniffing the air as he tries to see if he can smell anything familiar now that theyāre out of the room. But he canāt. All he can smell is the strange, bitter scent of the ship mixed in with the saltiness of the ocean. Nothing new.
So he tries to do his best to keep calm and trust that everything will be fine. That his new human companion ā his Katsuki ā is right. And if heās not, then he trusts he will keep him safe. He did tell him he would, after all.
The longer they walk though, the more Eijirou starts to recognize. Thisā¦this is a path heās been taken on before. It goes back to what the humans call their 'lab'. The place they study him from. The place where they keep his tank.
Maybe thatās where theyāre taking him? He hopes so. Being back in the water would feel good on his scales, even if heās not really sure he can fully finish transforming yet. But itās fine. Itāll happen eventually, they just need to not take him out again until it does.
And he's sure Katsuki will stop them if they try. He seems to already understand the importance of the water in helping him heal, so heāll want to keep Eijirou in the water just as much as Eijirou wants to be there. Maybe if heās lucky, Katsuki will even get in too!
Then they can finally talk. Really talk. Heās still learning how to do it outside of the water, so itās kinda hard to get what he wants to say across. But inside the water is ā
āIn here.ā the man leading them says; gesturing towards one of the doors and interrupting his thoughts.
He was right! They are taking him back to their lab! He can see his tank! He almost starts squirming with excitement, but then he remembers that Katsuki told him not to move, so he doesnāt.
āThe fuck is that?ā he hears Katsuki ask, and though heās pretty sure the question isnāt for him, he answers it anyway.
āTank!ā
āItās where we keep him.ā The other man responds.
āWhere you ā are you fucking kidding me? Itās barely big enough for him to turn around!ā
āTank!ā
āItās where we keep him.ā The other man responds.
āWhere you ā are you fucking kidding me? Itās barely big enough for him to turn around!ā
Thatās trueā¦it is kinda small, but at least itās water. When he first got here, they did he didnāt even have that. He just had a strange cave they kept him in that made his skin feel raw and his newly formed leg bones ache.
So, in comparison, the tank is a much better place to be.
āItās the largest we can have on board.ā The other man says, leading them up onto the small platform above his tank.
āItās the largest we can have on board.ā The other man says, leading them up onto the small platform above his tank.
The humans like to be up here. They like to watch him. And Eijirou thinks itās funny to watch them too because of the odd way the water distorts their faces.
āIn.ā Eijirou points.
āIn.ā Eijirou points.
Katsuki sighs. Heās not happy about something. Is it the water?
āIn.ā Eijirou points again, harder this time. Maybe if he came too he would see it wasnāt that bad?
āIn.ā Eijirou points again, harder this time. Maybe if he came too he would see it wasnāt that bad?
He doesnāt bother trying to point for a third time when Katsuki ignores him to keep fighting with the people in white when they come to join them. He just gives a single hard flip of his tailfin and sends the both of them toppling into the water.
~Katsukiās POV~
At first, Katsuki canāt quite make sense of what the fuck just happened. One second heās on the platform, arguing about the sorry excuse for a tank theyāre keeping Eijirou in, and the next heās drowning.
The tankā¦fuck, Eijirou must have pulled him into the fucking tank!
He tries to push off the bottom to swim back up, but somethingās keeping him in place.
He tries to push off the bottom to swim back up, but somethingās keeping him in place.
Eijirou. The fucking fish has got his arms wrapped around his waist holding him under the water! Almost instantly, his survival instincts take over and he starts thrashing, trying to break free.
But no matter how hard he tries, he canāt. He canāt fucking get free, and if he doesnāt do so soon, heās gonna fucking drown!
āDude, stop fighting. Itās okay. Just give it a minute and your body will change.ā
āDude, stop fighting. Itās okay. Just give it a minute and your body will change.ā
Change? Oh shit, does this fucker not understand that there is no changing for him? He canāt breathe under water! But how the hell is he supposed to communicate that when trying to wrestle himself free from Eijirouās arms isnāt fucking working?!
He probably wouldnāt even understand if he tried to make the universal signal that he canāt fucking breathe by grabbing at his own throat, because Eijirou is a god-damned fish! He probably doesnāt even understand the concept of drowning!
So, he just does the only thing he can do, and keeps fighting him; hoping that eventually thatāll get the point across and heāll let him go. But what if he doesnāt? Is he just doomed to drown here?
Those fucking scientists are still up on the platform above them, but they donāt seem to be all the worried about the fact that heās dying. Theyāre just fucking watching like this is another one of their experiments!
And thatās when it hits him. They really arenāt worried. If he dies, he dies. They really donāt care. They donāt care, because they were never planning on letting him off this ship alive in the first place.
If he wasnāt drowning right now, heād probably laugh at how stupid heās been. Of course, theyāre not planning on letting him live. Yes, heās worked on secret projects for them before, and heās always been discreet about it, but thisā¦this is an entirely different situation.
Eijirou is the very first of his kind that humans have ever seen, as far as he knows. They canāt risk sending him back to land after this. They canāt trust him with a secret this big.
They were always going to kill him, right now they just have the opportunity to let Eijirou do it for them, and theyāre taking it.
But if they think Bakugou fucking Katsuki is gonna go down without a fightā¦well, theyāre about to learn a very important lesson. Heās a survivor and heās not gonna be taken out this easy.
So, he grabs ahold of Eijirouās arm closest to his mouth and bites down hard. Hard enough to taste blood. Hard enough to make the ā he just needs to finally admit this is a fucking mer ā goes rigid and finally loosens his grip enough for Katsuki to get free.
Fuck! He did it! He canāt believe that actually fucking worked!
Obviously, the last thing he wanted to do is inflict more pain on the poor mer than heās already experienced ā especially since he didnāt seem to understand that what he was doing was wrong ā +
but it did the trick, and that first breath of air again when he breaks the surface feels fucking glorious.
He chokes and sputters, doing his best to grip the edge of the tank to keep himself afloat while he catches his breath. āThanks for all the fucking help.ā He gasps sarcastically.
The head scientist just shrugs, seeming unfazed. āYou seemed to be handling him fine on your own.ā
Katsuki would like to send him for a little swim as well for that comment, but he keeps himself in check.
Katsuki would like to send him for a little swim as well for that comment, but he keeps himself in check.
They donāt need to know that he knows their plan for him. Not yet. Itās better if they just think heās still oblivious. Thatās whatāll make whatever his counter attack is all the more surprising and effective.
Getting himself up onto the deck again after heās caught his breath isnāt any easier of an ordeal, since he still doesnāt get any help until finally one of the solderās ā the one that walks like heās got a stick up his ass ā helps drag him up the final few inches.
Fuck! That was hard. Katsuki considers himself someone whoās in pretty good shape ā he has to be in his line of work ā but he also doesnāt usually god swimming fully clothed, or have to drag his entire bodyweight up without a ladder after heās finished.
āThanks.ā He tells the soldier ā Iida, according to the name embroidered on his uniform ā as he lies on the deck, catching his breath again.
Below, he can hear the sound of Eijirou finally resurfacing, but he canāt force himself to move any more to know whether or not heās okay. Heās pretty sure he is though. Itās not like a bite to the arm has ever killed anyone before.
Especially not someone with as hard of skin as Eijirou has.
Speaking of which...how the fuck did he just bite him hard enough to draw blood, when before his skin was hard enough to break needles?
Speaking of which...how the fuck did he just bite him hard enough to draw blood, when before his skin was hard enough to break needles?
Is his skin weaker in water? That doesnāt make a whole lot of sense, but then again, a lot about this whole situation doesnāt.
The only thing heās sure of, is that he will have to tend to that bite wound after heās had a chance to rest. After all heās already been through, the last thing the poor mer needs right now is a fucking infection.
***
After a while, finally Eijirou is brought his live fish and allowed to each for the first time in what must be weeks judging by how quickly the water in his tank turns red from his feeding.
Which isā¦admittedly a little terrifying to watch, considering that he eats like a fucking savage animal. But itās good. Heās glad Eijirouās getting to eat, and he looks much more lively after heās finished.
Onlyā¦heās frowning.
Onlyā¦heās frowning.
āThe fucks the matter now?ā Katsuki asks, sitting on the edge of the deck watching him. Theyāre the only ones here now. Not completely ā there are still people in the lab ā but heās the only one still by the tank.
Heād thought they were finally done with all the pouting though. Eijirou had beenā¦strange when he finally emerged after their little scuffle under the water, but he got over it quickly.
Katsuki just explained that he couldnāt change forms and then the scaly little shit had gone all sad on him, begging for forgiveness for almost killing him.
Which Katsuki forgave him for, obviously.
Which Katsuki forgave him for, obviously.
Itās not Eijirouās fault that nobody explained to him that the changing of forms wasnāt a universal thing across species. And that was the end of it. The assholes running this place came in with his food after that, and everything was fine again.
Until now, at leastā¦
Eijirou looks up at him, pouting despite the healthy shine his skin has taken on. āI didnāt save you any.ā He says, lowering his gaze to the carnage left behind in the water. āAnd youāre hungry too.ā
Eijirou looks up at him, pouting despite the healthy shine his skin has taken on. āI didnāt save you any.ā He says, lowering his gaze to the carnage left behind in the water. āAnd youāre hungry too.ā