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“Look, I’m here because Cho Oyu asked me to. So you can save your breath and just... let me help,” Sarah stated, as firmly as she could. Normally his glare would intimidate her, but today was different. She had orders to fulfil, and she would see it through.
Semeru’s frown deepened, but otherwise he had no comebacks. Sarah knew that being Captain of the Merfolk Guards meant that he did not have the luxury of resting for too long. Even if he was bed-ridden and far off from full recovery. Therefore he needed Cho Oyu’s help.
She passed the vials of (what seemed like) medicine to him. Their hands brushed; and she felt that weird current passed through her whole body. Seemed to happen lately whenever they accidentally touched.
She cursed under her breath. Definitely NOT the time and place.
Semeru was looking at her, face devoid of any emotions. His hands holding one vial each, different colours glinting under the luminescent corals he had on the ceiling of his room.
“Cho Oyu said you have to take the green one first before the blue one,” Sarah said before she paused, unsure how to relay the next bit of information to him. “And... I’m supposed to wait here until sundown to see how you react to them.”
Semeru's eyebrow raised. “I’m quite sure that won’t be necessary. I’m capable enough to inform her later of whatever-...”
“Her words, not mine.”
“I-... very well,” he relented. Being injured surely made him way more amenable than usual. He examined the vials again with a grimace. “Sundown is in half an hour; I suppose you can make yourself comfortable. Though I’d appreciate it if you don’t, er, hover.”
She felt her whole face heat up as he looked up at her again. Since when did she start leaning towards him that close? She immediately pulled back, “Sorry! I was just-... curious about those potions.”
If he noticed her blunder, he didn’t show it. “Our Oracle is many things, but making delectable potions is not one of them.”
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I think medicines in general are not meant to taste good.”
“Hmph.”
She took that as her cue and moved away to give him some space while he drank the potions. She was glad he let her stay. Regardless of Cho Oyu’s instructions, he could have just insisted on asking her to leave.
Once done, Semeru reached over to put down the empty vials on his nightstand. But instead he stopped halfway, wincing from the pain on his abdomen. Sarah was immediately at his side to take the vials away, “Here, let me.”
He nodded, eyes full of gratitude despite his stern face.
From this distance, she could see he had another scar crossing the towards the left side of his face. Much less obvious than the one mirrorring it, but similar in shape. She, then, couldn't help but wonder... what had caused them, when did it happen, how bad was-...
“What?”
She blinked. “What?”
“You were staring, land-dweller,” he said gruffly. He was now sitting up against his sponge-like pillows, looking at her sideways with a surprisingly amused expression.
Sarah wanted to bury herself.
“I wasn’t-... ugh,” she stopped. Might as well tell him right out. “I just noticed you have another scar towards your left jaw."
He stiffened.
Ok, bad idea. “Sorry, that’s none of my business,” she quickly apologized, eyes now looking at anywhere except him.
“It’s not.”
“Right.”
Uncomfortable silence passed between them. She contemplated going around his room to kill time, but was afraid that it might make things worse. She didn't want to make any more stupid blunders, or cross any boundaries he obviously had around his personal life.
She sighed in defeat; why in the world did she agree when Cho Oyu asked for her help. This task could have been easily done by another merfolk, or better yet, someone closer to Semeru personally. Which was most certainly not her.
It made her recall their first encounter; and how insufferable he was towards her during the first few months after. Granted he was just doing his job, but she’s never met someone so stubborn, so... infuriatingly dedicated to his duties as he was.
It was as if being the Captain was first and foremost to him. Like it had already been engrained within him as a person – or a Merfolk, for that matter.
Eventually their relationship had gotten slightly better after she healed the Coral Tree. They exchanged friendly greetings whenever they crossed paths. She even once saw him hide a smile when she came back from her usual clean up sessions, all covered in seaweed after an unfortunate incident with a shrimp.
She remembered how she felt butterflies in her guts and how her foul mood suddenly disappeared. “Tough time with the currents today, land-dweller?” He had remarked. His stoic expression barely hiding the amused glint in his eyes.
His eyes. She definitely was not fond of his eyes. She also did not find him the least endearing whenever she saw him buy treats for his pet lobster. Nor did she find herself excessively worrying about him when she found out he was injured from Deno.
Between her extremely busy schedule tending to her crops, underwater clean-ups, errands around town, and settling amongst the townsfolk; she simply didn’t have the time to figure out... whatever this thing she felt towards him.
“Got it the same time with this one.”
Sarah’s eyed widened; she had to look at him again to be sure he actually said them. He was wearing a grim expression with a faraway look. His thumb making a slicing motion along the deeper scar on his face.
“It was during my younger days as a patrol guard. Some bandits from beyond the reefs came attacking the eastern border of the Kingdom." He chuckled softly, "Rather reckless of them, as we managed to drive them away quite easily... But not without some injuries.”
Propelled by some unexplainable force, Sarah reached out to trace the scar near his jaw. Semeru started to flinch away, but whatever he saw on Sarah’s eyes made him pause. Her touch was gentle, careful.
He scoffed, “You know scars like these don’t hurt anymore. Or does it work differently above waters?”
Sarah pulled her hand back, pouting at him instead, “Yes, of course it works the same.” The nerve of this man, teasing her during a serious conversation.
She saw a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips before he looked away. She fought so hard not to melt there and then. “I am aware it’s rather unsightly,” he mentioned, voice filled with melancholy.
“You should be proud of them. They’re testament of your dedication to your duties...” she told him sincerely. “And I find them quite dashing anyway.”
He coughed; and immediately groaned from the pain that had caused. Sarah started to move towards him to-... Wait, was that a blush she saw on his face?
He quickly turned to look at his window out to the horizon. “Sun is down. Seems like there’s no adverse reaction to any of the potions.”
Sarah followed his line of sight and tried her best to tuck away the pang of sadness she felt upon finding how dark it was outside. Clearly her presence was no longer necessary now that she fulfilled Cho Oyu's instructions. It was also not the right time to dwell on her (obviously very volatile) feelings. “Right, I better get going then. Any other messages for Cho Oyu?"
Not wasting any time, she swam towards the door while she awaited his answer. When she didn’t hear his reply, she twisted around to see him.
He was looking at her, with an expression she never saw him wear before. The kind that made her heart started leaping to her throat and caused shivers to the ends of her tailfin.
He finally answered, “None.” A pause. “Thank you for... your help.”
She smiled at him, “No problem.”
“Will you be going to the deep seas again tomorrow?”
Sarah had to do some harvesting, deliver an egg to Erika, and completing that request for BOS... among many other things. But Sarah also needed to gather some osmium kelp for the lab. Perhaps she could do that first. “Yes, I will.”
His frown was back. “I’m off duty tomorrow.”
Wasn’t that a given, with his injury? “You’d better be,” Sarah grinned at him, giving him an incredulous stare.
He sighed, while closing his eyes out of exasperation. “I would much prefer it if you waited until I’m back on duty again. Should be just a couple of days, at most.”
She narrowed her eyes; now that she thought about it, he was always on duty whenever she went out to venture into the deep seas. And the thing was, she never stuck to any specific days for diving. There’s no routine to her comings and goings apart from the timing of the day.
Had he been-... no, that would be too presumptuous for her to assume. Perhaps he’s simply required to be always on duty, every day.
“Surely, it’s safe enough for me to go? It’s not that you don’t have anybody else on standby?”
He was quiet for a while, his head cocked to one side as if he’s pondering about it. When he finally spoke, his stern face was back in place. “I will ask Deno to be on the lookout.”
“Your second in command? Careful there, Semeru. Such special treatment might make me think as if you’re actually worried about me,” she teased him.
He stared at her. “I do worry, about you.”
Her mouth snapped shut. There was no hint of teasing, no sarcasm. She felt her face heat up once again and her heart started to palpitate.
“Can’t risk other land-dwellers to find out our location, should anything happened to you and they decided to investigate,” he continued.
Ah, of course. She pouted at him; there went all her hopeful feelings. “That would never happen. If you’re, oh so worried, I’ll even make it a point to come report to you at the end of the day before I go back up,” she said, just to spite him.
“I’d appreciate that.”
She deadpanned, though couldn’t help but smile on the prospect of meeting him again. “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Rest well, Semeru.”
“Hm,” was his only reply. Sarah closed the door and was about to swim straight to the Oracle’s Chamber when she bumped into Deno right in front of the room. They said some brief pleasantries and then Sarah was off to give Cho Oyu updates on their Captain.
***
“Captain?” a knock from the door snapped Semeru from his reverie.
“Yes?”
“Permission to enter?” the person said. Semeru recognized the voice immediately.
“Permission granted.”
Deno went into the room; she was already in her casual attire, with her shift ended a few hours ago. “How are you feeling, Semeru?”
“Could be better, but I can feel improvements.”
“You don’t have to go back to duty so soon, you know. Just use this time to rest up as much as you can. Chill out, as land-dwellers call it,” Deno grinned at him.
Sometimes Semeru wonder how she ended up becoming his second in command. He shook his head, “I doubt I can afford such luxury.”
Deno snorted, “Of course, you can. What am I here for?” She winked at him.
Semeru rolled his eyes, chuckling softly. “Don’t be so eager to replace me.”
“I would never!” Deno made an exaggerated gasp before she laughed. “Oh and I saw Sarah just now-...”
Semeru schooled his face as impassive as he could. “Cho Oyu asked her to pass me some medicines.”
Deno waved it off, “...-and I heard what you said to her. Captain, would it kill you to be just a bit more honest with her?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Deno slapped her own forehead with the back of her hand. “Semeru... we both know why you’re always suddenly on the lookout point every single time our dearest Sarah graces us with her presence. And it has nothing to do with your work shift.”
Semeru frowned, choosing his next words carefully. Was he really that obvious? “Unfortunate coincidence, on my part. As if I don’t have enough problems to worry about.”
Deno tsk-ed him, “You’re not fooling me, Semeru. I haven’t known you since yesterday.”
He didn’t want to say anything more. Deno could be too astute sometimes, for her own good.
She sighed. “Well, I guess in the end you did ask her to come visit you again, albeit in a roundabout way.”
He glared at her in response.
“Ouch, if looks could kill.”
“Anything else, Deno? I would like to take up on your offer to ‘chill out’, if that’s possible?”
She put her hands up in defeat while trying her best to contain her laughter. “Right-o, Captain. I shall leave you to rest. But honestly, I’m real glad you’re doing OK. I will check up on you again in a few days.”
Semeru nodded. “Thanks.”
Deno swam back to his door, pausing for a moment as she hovered in the doorway. “There’s no shame in it, you know. She might come from the land above us, but she-... the way she cares about the ocean, the compassion she has towards other living beings, regardless of whatever... it’s already much more than some of us could ever be.”
Semeru knew that. Extremely well. “I know,” he admitted softly.
Deno didn’t miss it. She smiled at him before exiting the room, getting ready to have her usual fill at the tavern. She did wonder if it’s wise to encourage them on, with both of them rooted in different realms. But she’d seen Sarah bring about many things they’d never thought possible before, and that in itself gave her hope.
Maybe, just maybe. There could be a beautiful future for the both of them, indeed.