Chapter Text
Taiga didn’t think that adjusting to a new school would involve having to not only accept the fact that mermaids were real, but that his dad had gotten busy with one; and, most importantly, that Taiga himself was the halfbreed offspring of said ‘business’.
He missed the days when he just had to worry about an algebra test or his performance in a streetball tournament. Hell, he missed when he thought his parents’ biggest issues were that his dad was a workaholic and his mom a lonely housewife driven into the arms of another. But, then again, it turns out that Taiga’s ‘mom’ isn’t even his actual mom.
Since the day he was born, both his dad - and mom, for whatever reason - had lied to Taiga about who his real mother was. Which was understandable, seeing as his real mother was actually a fish-lady from the sea that his dad had met while in high school, back when he had been a part of the Sailing Club of Seirin. Taiga wasn’t really sure why his mom - the woman he had grown up calling ‘mom’ anyway - had lied on behalf of his dad, but the fact that she did in the first place was more than enough for Taiga to want to keep his distance. She had been trying to contact him more and more recently, but Taiga still couldn’t get himself to answer any of her worried calls or texts. Dad must have told her that the cat was out of the bag.
Taiga also wasn’t sure whatever became of his birth mother. Though based on the things Kuroko had said about ningyo-human contact being high treason for ningyo, Taiga wasn’t sure if he really even wanted to know what happened to her. All he knew was that Japan was a pretty backwards place.
So backwards in fact, that they let a bunch of high schoolers commandeer a ship and set sail to the open seas - unsupervised - so they could play pirate and potentially win some treasure or glory or whatever it was they were after.
Though Taiga supposed he couldn't judge people like that too harshly, considering he had voluntarily agreed to join the crew of the Seirin Siren himself. But he had his reasons. Not only did Taiga wish to use the club’s lenient school absence policy to get away from his no-good, lying father, but Taiga also joined the club so he could learn more about his heritage; and keep close to the strange companion he had made while living on Seirin Sound.
Taiga will give his father one thing, it was apparently relatively easier to encounter a ningyo in this town, so he could see why they moved here in the first place. Though, as he would later learn from Seirin, it’s not all that common to run into ningyo in general. They were naturally reclusive, which made them one of the world’s best-kept secrets. Taiga just happened to befriend the one living in his backyard. Maybe the Kagami family just had a knack for befriending ningyo?
Taiga wasn’t sure if the fact that his only real friend since moving to Seirin Sound was a weird fish person said more about Taiga than it did the town.
Kuroko, who happened to be a full-blooded ningyo - or merman, as Taiga once called him - also happened to be on the run from Hunters who were interested in kidnapping ningyo for trade or profit or glory or whatever else they wanted. Thanks to Taiga and some much needed assistance from the crew of the Seirin Siren, Kuroko was recently able to reacquire the ability to grow legs and walk amongst humans; also in thanks to his magical, mystical, mythical pearl that had unknown, untapped properties, according to Seirin (other than the whole leg-growing power thing).
As weird as it all was, Kuroko really was Taiga’s friend. He had helped Taiga to uncover the truth about his past. He had even saved Taiga’s life after Taiga had stupidly dove into the depths of the ocean to rescue someone who could breathe underwater. Kuroko just so happened to have to kiss him to make that happen, which opened a whole ‘nother can of worms. Taiga still wasn’t sure how to feel about all that other than embarrassed and queasy - queasy because he unwillingly associated the memory of the rather pleasant kiss with the sensation of the skin on his neck ripping open to reveal gills of his own.
Yeah, talk about a mixed bag.
Taiga wasn’t quite sure why his life had barreled into shojo territory, but it was undeniable that it had.
“Kagami-kun, are you even listening?” Aida barked, breaking Taiga out of his musings with the quick, successive snaps of her fingers.
It successfully brought Taiga back to the present, where currently he sat in the Seirin Sailing Club’s boathouse. The school apparently had a decently sized budget for everything. They had money enough for a large vessel to sustain a dozen teenagers at sea for multiple weeks at a time, smaller carriers such as the skipper for easier travel between the Siren and the shores of other towns, and even money for elaborate uniforms that made everyone look like a wannabe naval crew, apparently, based on the funny little outfits Aida and Hyuuga were currently wearing.
“A-Ah, yeah. Sorry.” Taiga stiffly apologized, properly chastised.
Aida sighed. “I hope you aren’t this spacey when we’re out to sea. I’ve no time for space-cadets on my crew!”
“R-Right, right, sorry, Captain.” Taiga furthered, which was the wrong thing to say.
“She’s not the Captain, I am.” Hyuuga corrected in the irritated tone of someone who had explained this a hundred times. Which, in all fairness, he probably had. He jabbed a thumb at Aida. “She’s the Commissioner.”
“R-Right! Commissioner. Got it, I got it.” Taiga was quick to amend.
Aida, to her credit, seemed slightly amused if not embarrassed on Taiga’s behalf, based on her grimace. The actual Captain, on the other hand, was another story entirely.
“Honestly, what are we doing taking such novices out with us…” Hyuuga groused, as if to himself, but he was loud enough for his companions to hear.
Aida gave another weary sigh, before her face seemed to soften with some sort of understanding. “Because, we could use all the help we can get if we want to face up to the experience and numbers of the other schools. Plus, someone with his family connections really gives us a leg up too.” she reasoned, with a tone that suggested she had given this spiel many times before. “He may be a novice, but he’s got heart.”
From Taiga’s understanding, Seirin’s Sailing Club had been disbanded ever since Kagami’s dad graduated - something about budget cuts and poor performance. But just last year, thanks to a generous donation from the Aida Family, as well as an anonymous benefactor, the club started up again. Taiga was pretty certain his father might be that not-so anonymous benefactor, considering how much of his personal belongings he had donated to Seirin so far. So, that could be one of the real reasons Aida had granted Taiga a position on the crew; good old fashioned nepotism. Though, it was her other possible motivations that really worried him.
Taiga swallowed, looking between Aida and Hyuuga. He was unsure how much the rest of Seirin knew about Taiga’s circumstances. Aida had confronted Taiga the day after everything with the Hunters went down, after he had learned about his true origins; after he learned that he was only half human. Aida knew too, thanks to her being around to hear Taiga and his dad’s screaming match; and Aida’s incredible intuition.
Back to the present, Aida thankfully didn’t elaborate past that. She instead held up her clipboard and started flipping through the packet of information she held there. “Still, everything seems to be in order. All the proper permissions are signed and your medical evals came out a-okay. Good hussle getting all this done, Kagami-kun. Especially on such short notice.”
How no doctor in his life has never noticed Taiga’s status as a half-human was beyond him, but he passed his physical with flying colors. Though the speed with which Taiga was able to get his dad to sign the permission slip with was no mystery. Ever since his dad’s lies had been exposed, Taiga’s been avoiding speaking to the man, so when the time came to collect his signature, Taiga merely slapped it down on the kitchen table in front of him. Taiga was itching for an argument, ready to defend his decision to hastily join these random teenagers and head out to sea with next to no experience - a decision especially dangerous to make considering there were crazy people after ningyo and half-breeds like Taiga. Hell, Taiga was probably even in danger from other ningyo. Even still, Taiga’s father simply looked at the form, then back to Taiga, then merely sighed as he wordlessly signed the form and slid it back to his son. Part of Taiga wished that the man would have even pretended to protest.
“We’re prepared to take on people at any level, regardless of their backgrounds.” Aida continued, drawing Taiga from his dark train of thought. “That being said, it would probably be in everyone’s best interest if we placed you directly under somebody else’s watch until we get a better understanding of your skills. While we are a small ship and everyone does a little bit of everything, there are assigned posts. So, Kagami-kun, do you have any certifications or skills we should know about? Have you ever worked on a boat before?”
“Um. No.” Taiga honestly answered. His dad owned a small fishing boat back in LA - though he probably wasn’t using it for fishing, he now realized - but Taiga had rarely, if ever, accompanied him out on his little trips.
Hyuuga let out a sort of scrutinous scoff.
Aida hummed. “Ohhh-kay…” she sounded out, pronunciation very purposeful. “Well, do you have any other sort of certifications? Lifeguarding, first aid, something like that?”
“Um, I can surf?” Taiga offered, unsure.
Hyuuga finally barked out a laugh, unable to contain his slightly hysterical criticism any longer. “I can’t believe this! Even the other guy is more useful than you!”
Taiga would’ve said something in self-defense - as well as ask who this ‘other guy’ was - had Aida not continued, “Okay, well, being able to swim well is always good. And you’re strong too, so you won’t have any trouble doing any of the physical labor. I’m sure we’ll be able to cook up something for you to do.” she graciously offered, scribbling something down on Taiga’s form in the same, nerve-inducing way a doctor would after you tell them something you thought was no big deal.
Taiga couldn’t blame Hyuuga. Taiga’s a streetballer from LA. He has no qualifications to be on this crew. From his understanding, being in a sailing club is pretty exclusive. Taiga’s new teachers were baffled when he came to them with his permission slip. Which was really only a formality, considering his form already had the principal’s signature on it; Taiga’s pretty sure his dad had pulled some strings to get him that.
He was sure that his dad would do whatever he thought Taiga wanted to please him. So if he thought signing this permission slip and pulling some strings with his coast guard buddies and old school friends would earn him his son’s forgiveness, he’d do it, all without saying a word to his son. Of course, the reality was that it wouldn’t make up for what his dad had done, but putting an ocean between them was what Taiga wanted from him, at the end of the day. It was for the best.
Aida’s eagerness, on the other hand, was more curious. Aida knew about Taiga’s real heritage. She knew he survived nearly drowning that night not largely because of Kuroko - as the rest of Seirin believed - but because of his own supernatural abilities. Taiga wondered if she had pulled some strings of her own? Probably. The girl appeared to have some serious sway. Taiga briefly recalled something Kuroko had said that night, when he had met Aida; that she was quite young to hold her position of Commissioner and that being one meant you had a lot of money and basically decided where the expedition went and what you did. The fact that she was willing to go through all this effort to help not only Taiga but Kuroko was super cool as well, so whatever job she ‘cooked up’ for him, he’d do it. It was the least he could do.
Oh. Wait a second, Taiga suddenly realized. “I can cook…?” he offered aloud. “Both my parents worked a lot, so I can find my way around a kitchen pretty well.”
Aida looked pleasantly surprised. Hyuuga, shockingly, suddenly looked about ready to fall to his knees in gratitude, much to Taiga’s bafflement. His bad mood had suddenly vanished at Taiga’s revelation.
“Oh, well, that’s great!” Aida said cheerily. “Mitobe-kun is our head cook, but obviously it’s a lot of work to feed a whole crew. I’ve been helping out where I can—”
Curiously, Hyuuga’s expression twisted at this bit.
“—but I’m already taking on a lot of roles, what with us being a smaller crew. Usually, the Commissioner is more like a sponsor, but I also act as the ship’s engineer and the medical purser.”
Damn, was Taiga’s eloquent thought. Did she just say engineer? What the hell. Who was this girl?
“That’s right! Our Commish here does it all!” suddenly cheered a new voice as Koganei stepped into the boathouse from the docks outside. Somehow, his uniform was even dumber than Hyuuga’s; the guy looked like a straight up sailor scout, with his white shorts and striped ribbon around his neck and everything. Though the poor lug seemed comfortable enough. “Here’s that uniform you requested, by the way.” Koganei offered up, holding out a stack of neatly piled clothes, even offering a quick salute, the sincerity of which Taiga couldn’t gauge.
“Ah, perfect timing, Koganei-kun. We’re about ready to wrap up here.” Aida announced, much to Taiga’s relief. Until Aida then placed the stack of clothing on the table in front of him and cheerily said, “Here you go, Kagami-kun. Everything should be in your size, according to your submission sheet.”
Taiga couldn’t help but pale, looking between the militaristic style of Hyuuga’s uniform to the downright cosplay-like look of Koganei’s. Taiga wasn’t sure which one was the lesser of the two evils. “I don’t have to wear something like…that…do I?” he couldn’t help but ask, not even specifying on the ‘that’, just merely looking between the two indistinctly.
“Please. You don’t rank high enough for either of these uniforms.” Hyuuga simply scoffed, even placing a hand on his firearm in its side holster - which shot blanks, as Taiga has become aware. But that saber resting on his other hip looked real enough. He wished he understood this club more. How Japan allowed any of this was beyond anyone’s guess.
“Your uniform designates your rank on the crew.” Aida went on to explain. “Basically, the fancier you’re dressed, the higher your rank. Hyuuga-kun here is our Captain.”
“That’s why he’s the most decked out.” Koganei helpfully chimed in.
“And Koganei-kun here is our Chief Safety Officer; also known as the Third Mate.” Aida elaborated. “He’s in charge of monitoring all the crew as well as keeping tabs on our general well-being.”
“If you ever need to chat or anything, don’t hesitate to see me!” Koganei kindly offered with a cat-like grin.
“I myself don’t really have a rank. Like I said, it’s not common for people in my position to be on the ship at all times.” Aida explained. “So I sorta just get to wear whatever I’d like, similar to you.”
She still dressed very properly, if you asked Taiga. What with her white sailor shorts and spiffy black leather boots, all with red and gold detailing too. She even wore a corset-looking thing over a loose white blouse - like this was Pirates of the Caribbean or something.
Aida then turned to Koganei and informed, “Kagami-kun here will be the new assistant to our dear Cook.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Koganei readily approved. “Mitobe would appreciate the extra helping hands! Especially if they’re actually skilled for once.”
Hyuuga pointedly let out a hacking cough, a movement which caused him to jab Koganei in the side.
“L-L-Like yours, of course, Commish!” Koganei hastily added, struggling to catch his breath, and not at all because of the pain caused by the hit.
Aida raised a brow at the odd behavior, even slapping Hyuuga on the back a few times heartily, but seemed to decide to just move on, turning back to Taiga. “Anyway, your rank means you can just dress in what makes you comfortable when you’re in the kitchen. Though there is a certain style to keep. The more pirate-y the better; gotta stay on-brand of course. Plus you have to wear the school colors; red, black, and white. We went through the liberty of choosing something we thought might suit you, but don’t hesitate to ask Koganei-kun here if you’d like to change it up. I’m sure we’ll be able to find something you’d like.”
Taiga finally inspected the pile of clothes, flipping between the folded articles with a dubious eye. Thankfully, nothing appeared to be too flashy. It was a black shirt with billowy sleeves and some white, baggy capris with red and black detailing down the side. The sleeves were a bit much for Taiga, but the outfit as a whole did look comfortable. A weird blend of modern and old time-y style, but comfortable.
“Sorry about the lack of boat shoes, but you have an insane shoe size, Bakagami.” Aida chided with a teasing look. “We ordered you some and they should be waiting for you when we come back from this expedition. Until then, you can just wear your sneakers. Though I’d hesitate to run across the deck if I were you, unless you fancy a trip to the dentist.”
Wearing his sneakers seemed like a perk, if you asked Taiga. “Got it, thanks.” he agreed anyway.
“Excellent!” Aida cheered with a clap of her hands and everything, resting the clipboard under her arm. “With that, I think we’re all set to lift anchor soon.” she reached into her shorts pocket and pulled out an honest-to-god gold pocket watch. “We’re already running a bit behind schedule, but Izuki-kun and the others have been over-seeing everything in our stead. Kagami-kun, why don’t you get changed here. Tsuchida-kun and the other bosuns should have already brought your bags to your bunk by now. Koganei-kun here will lead you back to the ship once you're done changing.” she rapidly fired off, though Taiga followed along just fine.
Then, Aida stuck out her hand. Taiga, honestly feeling a bit of nervous excitement, took it, answering Aida’s surprisingly strong shake with one of his own. Aida beamed at him. “Welcome to the crew of the Seirin Siren, Kagami-kun.”
Once changed into his new, weird clothes, Taiga followed Koganei back to the ship. The Siren was even more impressive in the daytime, Taiga couldn’t help but note. It was a strangely cohesive blend of modern design with historical flair - a bit like the uniforms, in a way. The ship seemed to lack the massive, billowing sails you’d think of when you’d imagine a pirate ship, but there were lots of other unidentifiable bits and bobs that seemed to fit the bill - at least to Taiga. It even had a covered steering station, or whatever they called the place where they kept the wheel. And lots of below deck storage too - presumably where the rooms were located. Though all in all, it was more like a high speed yacht than a pirate ship.
Once aboard, Taiga was once again greeted by Aida, who had been in the middle of the hustle and bustle as the crew went through the final checks before they’d set sail for the next week or two. From Taiga’s understanding, the amount of time they were away from Seirin Sound depended on the specifics of the expedition they were embarking on. Ships would return to their home ports sooner or later, but the Sailing Club was basically gone the entire school year. That’s why being in a sailing club was so exclusive - students had to have a good academic standing since they were basically being homeschooled; or shipschooled, he supposes.
Usually, there was an adult representative sent by the school to teach the kids as well as supervise, but in Seirin’s case, Taiga thinks Aida herself is the one who is handling all the schoolwork and grading and supervising. There was this frail looking old guy who acted as the liaison between Aida and school - whom Taiga had met in passing when he had met with the principal to get his paperwork all squared away - but Takeda-sensei simply wrote up assignments and passed them off to Aida to teach, as far as Taiga knew. He didn’t even accompany them on the ship. Seirin was basically left to their own devices, completely without adult supervision.
Good, Taiga thought. He had had enough of adults and their weird secrecy and murder attempts to last him a good long while.
Aida and Koganei had given him a quick tour, with a promise to debrief once Taiga was all settled in. Koganei was off again, his position requiring him to flutter about from post to post, apparently, so Aida wrapped things up.
“And here are your quarters, Kagami-kun.” Aida announced, not having to bend down at all as they traversed the narrow halls below deck, unlike Taiga, who was getting a real crick in his neck from all this cramming and weaving. His abnormally large frame, which was such an advantage in basketball, was now a real hindrance in Japan, especially on a boat.
Aida slid the door to Taiga’s apparent room open and Taiga peered inside. To call it a room was generous. It was more like a closet with a dresser, desk, and two bunks nestled into the wall. And, as promised, Taiga’s measly backpack and duffel bag had been placed on the desk, as promised, and was already taking up a considerable amount of room. Especially since there was already a stack of books occupying the desk too. Taiga could already tell that he was going to spend most of his time in the common areas as opposed to here, simply due to the lack of space. He supposed this room was really only meant for sleeping and dressing anyway.
But damn. And Taiga thought the cottage was small.
“I know it’s not much, we normally don’t even offer this as a room.” Aida furthered. “We used to use this room for storage, but well, with such late additions to our crew, we really had to scramble. I’m sure one of the other more - erm - smaller boys wouldn’t mind switching with you if you asked, their quarters are far more roomier. But I thought you and your roomie would be more comfortable here together, and the other first years are a group of three so…” Aida rambled, seeing a need to defend her decision for whatever reason. Taiga appreciated the effort and wouldn’t complain but…
“Roomie?” Taiga parroted, basically filtering out everything else she had said.
“Hello, Kagami-kun.” answered a voice that was distinctly not Aida’s, considering she herself had even screeched at the sudden intruder’s appearance (though at least she didn’t bang her head on the door frame like Taiga did).
Suffice to say, both newcomers were shocked to see that they had not been the first to enter the room, as from the top bunk peered wide, blue, blue eyes as Kuroko looked down at the humans who had failed to notice him.
Taiga couldn’t believe that, for a hot second there, he had forgotten all about the ningyo. Kuroko had been staying on Seirin’s ship for the past few days, much to Taiga’s frustration. While the Hunters who had originally attacked Kuroko had been apprehended by the Coast Guard, there was still a chance that whoever had hired them had been relayed information about the ningyo, so it wasn’t safe for him to stay with Taiga at the lighthouse. So Taiga hadn’t seen him in a while. He had almost forgotten how…otherworldly Kuroko looked, even when decked out in Seirin’s uniform - his top an inverted, all-white version of Taiga’s black one; and his track pants went down to his ankles, unlike Taiga’s which fell to about mid-calf. Paired with his alabaster skin and sky blue hair, he looked…well, he looked kind of radiant. Especially under the fluorescents of the cabin.
“Oh! There you are, Kuroko-kun!” Aida gasped, holding a hand to her chest and everything, as if to calm her racing heart (and thankfully cutting off Taiga’s weird train of thought). “I was worried you ran off despite my explicit warnings to stay out of sight till we left port. Tsuchida-kun said he didn’t see you when he dropped Kagami-kun’s stuff off before.”
Kuroko scooted himself over to the foot of the bunk, where the ladder down to the ground was and threw his legs - his actual human legs - over the side. He sat up as straight as he could - difficult to do, considering the low ceilings - and rested his hands in his lap. “I haven’t left. I’ve been here the whole time.” he simply said.
“K-Kuroko!” Taiga couldn’t help but stutter out in a shout, surprised to see his friend, as well as relieved. Taiga had frankly been rather anxious during the few days they’d been separated. It’s good to see that his friend was okay, and that Seirin had been treating him well, apparently, if the new threads were anything to go by. Taiga had lended Kuroko a few things, since his magical pearl didn’t manifest any clothes for the ningyo-turned-human. But Kuroko swam - no pun intended - in all of Taiga’s clothes. Seirin thankfully had stuff in his size, apparently. Though he lacked boating shoes, just like Taiga. Except instead of sneakers, Kuroko just seemed to opt to wear nothing.
Taiga still wasn’t used to seeing feet on the ningyo. The skin on his feet - considering the rest of his legs were covered by the red and black detailed white fabric of his pants - was as pale as the rest of him. Though like the nails on his fingers, his toenails seemed to be a naturally dark obsidian too. Though Taiga was happy to see that the bruises wrapped around his ankles from the Hunters’ chains had already faded from their angry purple into a dull yellow.
Aida cleared her throat once she realized Taiga didn’t intend to finish that thought. “Kagami-kun, meet your new roomie. I figured you two would be most comfortable together since you don’t know the others very well yet. They won’t bite, I promise, but, well, Kuroko-kun made a special request, too.”
“You did?” Taiga asked, looking to the ningyo in surprise.
A book rested upon Kuroko’s lap, which he seemed to hold tighter as he offered Taiga a soft, barely-there smile. The title of the book was one Taiga didn’t recognize. Taiga briefly wondered where he got it. “Yes, well, it felt only natural.” Kuroko simply said.
And Taiga knows that Kuroko’s answer was a purely logical, factual one. The humans on the boat, while not an active threat to him, were still strangers whereas Taiga and he were new, but proven friends. But that didn’t stop Taiga's face from practically bursting into flames. “R-Right.” Taiga stuttered out once more, only serving to embarrass himself further.
Aida audibly snickered, looking as amused as she sounded. “Perfect! Now, moving onto more sensitive matters…” she trailed off, before lowering her voice. “Obviously, everyone on the crew already knows Kuroko’s a ningyo, but frankly, Kagami-kun, I haven’t told anyone about what I learned about you. About how you’re, well—”
“Half a fish?” Taiga deadpanned.
“You say that as if it’s a bad thing.” Kuroko answered, tone equally as flat.
Taiga blushed once more, feeling a little guilty. “O-Oh, right. No offense, man.” he quickly consoled.
Kuroko looked as nonplussed as always, even crossing a leg on top of another. Taiga wondered if he had to learn how to do that or if it was just a natural movement. “None taken.”
Aida cleared her throat once more. “In any case, as I said, Kuroko-kun’s real status here is not a hidden fact to anyone on the crew. No one will bother you, Kuroko-kun or talk about you to any of the other schools; if they do, they’ll have me to answer to.” she threatened, and Taiga knew from experience how intimidating she could be, so he trusted her word; Kuroko would be safe with Seirin. “I plan to make a formal announcement once we leave port and Kuroko-kun can safely join us on deck. But it’s in everyone’s best interest to hide the fact that he’s a ningyo from the other schools, obviously. If anyone asks, he’s just a normal crewman. With a liking for box dye and painting his nails.”
Kuroko held up his permanently-black nails to his face and observed them, tilting his head. They were no longer elongated and sharp like they were in his ningyo form, but they were the same coal-black, as always. Taiga looked at his own fingernails, noting they were the same tan-pinkish color as the rest of his skin. Colored nails; yet another ningyo trait Taiga didn’t inherit from his birth mother.
Aida checked her fancy little pocket watch again. “Mm, well, that’s that I think. Hyuuga-kun should be pulling us out of port any second now.” she nodded as clicked the watchface closed and tucked it back safely into her pocket. “I’ll send someone down to fetch you both once the coast is clear.” she offered in a friendly goodbye, until she suddenly stopped short, peering through the doorway and facing the boys with a grave stare and point; “and that was no pun intended. Seriously, do not tell Izuki-kun I said that.” she ordered, much to the two’s confusion, before she finally exited, leaving the boys in a sudden silence.
Pushing aside his confusion at Aida’s oddity, Taiga felt his stomach give a slightly uncomfortable somersault. He was actually doing it. They were going to leave Seirin Sound behind. Taiga was forgoing the real world as he joined a bunch of near-strangers on vaguely described ‘quests’ that Taiga really should’ve asked for more details on. Taiga wished he could call it an impulsive decision, but well, there were plenty of opportunities for him to back out of all this; like getting all the paperwork done and going through aptitude testing and meeting with teachers… Yet he went through with it all and here he was. He couldn’t believe how quickly his life has changed. If he hadn’t met Kuroko, he probably would’ve been stuck in a classroom, friendless, still living in the dark shadow of all his family’s secrets.
“How have you been?” Kuroko suddenly asked, drawing Taiga from his depressing line of thought.
Taiga let out a sigh he hadn’t known he’d been holding. “Honestly? Pretty fucking miserable.” he answered, seeing no reason to lie. Kuroko was one of the few people - well, sorta ‘people’ - on this crew that he could be completely honest with, after all.
Kuroko hummed, uncrossing his legs and giving Taiga his full attention. “I take it you haven’t spoken much to your father since I’ve been gone.” he observed, not really asking.
“No.” Taiga answered anyway. “It’s not like our relationship has like, ever been the best. But it’s practically non-existent now. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t wanna talk to him, but. Like, I wish he would just…not give up on trying to explain himself?” he struggled to articulate.
Kuroko didn’t seem to have any trouble understanding, as patient as ever. “Parents can be difficult.” was his diplomatic answer as he scooted forward on the bunk some more, before awkwardly sliding himself down the ladder. His feet fumbled to find purchase on one of the rungs, Taiga’s fingers twitching to help, but not wanting to overstep. “Especially when you’re doing something they disprove—”
Suddenly, Kuroko’s foot slipped out from under him and he would’ve gone crashing to the ground had Taiga not shoved his own body into Kuroko’s path, holding the ningyo up by grabbing under his arms to keep Kuroko’s deadweight legs under him. All pretenses of trying not to coddle him were long forgotten as they pressed close. “Idiot! Be careful!” Taiga found himself scolding. Seriously, what would’ve happened had he not been right here?
“Sorry. They sort of went numb.” Kuroko mumbled into Taiga’s chest before he righted himself, holding onto Taiga’s arms as he regained his balance, even shaking out one of his legs. “I haven’t really left this room since I got here.”
Taiga raised a brow, something hot, like anger, curling in his chest. “What, are they keeping you under house arrest or something?” He knows Aida said she didn’t want him wandering on deck until they left port, but surely there were other below deck areas he could explore?
“They’re just trying to keep me safe.” Kuroko reasoned, finally able to stand on his own, quickly diffusing Taiga’s rage with an efficiency surprising to the redhead himself. “They’ve been treating me very well, feeding me regularly. One of them even got me some books.” he revealed with a pointed nod over to the stack of books on the desk. “Furihata-kun, I believe his name was.”
He was one of the other freshmen, the Library Club kid, Taiga recalled. That checked out. But…
“Still.” Taiga started, looking pointedly at Kuroko. “That doesn’t mean you have to stay locked up in here. You just can’t go wandering off.”
Kuroko huffed. “I know that. But…” he trailed, the fight suddenly deflating out of him. “Truthfully, as much as ningen intrigue me, they unnerve me a bit too. Especially strangers, however kind they may be.” he reasoned, and Taiga supposed that was explanation enough; only Kuroko kept going, staring Taiga dead in the eye as he revealed, “That’s why I’ve been eagerly waiting for you to get here. If you’re here, I know I can face these new challenges more easily.”
Taiga’s eyes were probably the size of dinner plates, and his face as red as a cherry, as he gaped at the other. How Kuroko didn’t even stutter while saying something so, so embarrassing was beyond Taiga. Sure, Taiga had had the same sentiment; that Kuroko was probably the only person on this crew that he could totally trust and vice versa, but still. Taiga didn’t say that out loud…
Thankfully, Taiga was saved from whatever no-doubt stupid response he was about to choke out by the sound of a bellowing horn resounding in their ears, both boys ducking their shoulders to try to block their shared-sensitive hearing while struggling to maintain their balance as the ground suddenly shifted out from under their feet.
They were on the move.
The ship was leaving port.
Taiga was actually doing this.
The nervous, twisting sensation stirring within his gut was back again, even after the ship’s movement became more smooth.
But looking at Kuroko, who offered another one of his soft smiles, as if he could sense Taiga’s unease, Taiga felt a new kind of feeling enter his chest as Kuroko said, in as deadpan of a voice as always, “This is quite exciting, isn’t it?”
Taiga smiled, quickly categorizing the new feeling as excitement. Whatever was waiting for them both out there, on the sea, was going to be interesting, to say the least.