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Sou was grateful that his companion for the night couldn’t have been any lonelier. From a realistic view it was actually a little sad but in the young man’s mind this was a blossoming, addicting, romance. Arrangements like these weren’t uncommon between the two of them and Sou often let the choice of what they did in Shin’s ballpark only to do as he pleased in the moment without much fuss.

                A movie was where Shin currently had him occupied with—well, barely.

The theatre wasn’t exactly populated but there were enough spectators to keep this movie from looking like a complete wash. In truth, he hadn’t really been paying too much attention to the plot as his own thoughts swam with a vigorous urge to set his true intentions in motion. Teal eyes fall on the sheepish individual beside him and there’s a natural grin that can’t help but appear every time Shin comes to mind. Dubiously, he leaned in the other’s direction, voice never creeping above a whisper.

                  “This would be more entertaining if we had a little fun.”

A hand fell on Shin’s thigh to emphasis his desires. “Don’t you think so?”

The other’s eyes on Shin always felt so heavy. He could feel that unwavering gaze even as he kept his own eyes on the screen--not pointedly, exactly, but... Well, it never seemed to get any easier, locking eyes with Sou. He thought maybe that sort of thing would change if he learned to loosen up, relax into the inevitable direction of...whatever was progressing between them. It was still a struggle so far.

A lean and a whisper soon accompanied the look, perhaps because Shin hadn’t turned his attention to him at first. The intentions of those words with the weight of a hand on his lap sent butterflies flitting intensely through his insides, and...yeah. He was such a long way from easy-going. And then there was Sou, who never had any worry or hesitation whatsoever, always seemingly at ease with whatever situation and environment he was in. Or whatever situation or environment he caused. Which...at least Shin never had a lack of excitement in his life, right?

...But they were in a theater. Public. Admittedly, it wasn’t an unheard-of, novel idea, kissing and touching to some extent in the back row. This kind of thing just...happened between two people at the movies--in the middle of a rom-com especially, didn’t it?  It would kind of be his fault if Sou came out this experience bored and disappointed, wouldn’t it? Since he was the one that picked the movie the other didn’t seem interested enough to pay attention to, as well as the one being so uptight about things. Still, despite that, despite how hard he could feel his heart beating, blood rushing in his ears at the thought of this proposition...it just felt off somehow. Shin’s inhibitions reared their ugly head again.

Seemingly unbothered by his lack of covering, Kai sat back on his heels, only just realizing he had already rid himself of his tail. Caught up in all of the commotion he hadn’t really paid much attention to himself. Long hair clung to pale skin and water dripped from its edges to dot his thighs. His attention is momentarily held by what appears to be smoke in the distance, allowing him to assume there were others on the island along with this man. His gaze only returns the moment a question brushes against his ears and rather than speaking immediately, he shook his head in response. “No, this island has been left alone for as long as I can remember. I wouldn’t say I live here but I do visit it on occasion.” It’s vague, he knew but he didn’t feel the need to elaborate. “How many of you are on this island?” One human was inconspicuous enough but a group of them may actually be a bit more concerning. 

Although, Kai was starting to … question a few of his family’s warnings regarding what humans were like. Sure, he knew that they weren’t all the same but this one at the very least didn’t seem the least bit threatening. Other than the strange and restricting threads he wore he didn’t appear too be all that different from Kai himself—albeit smaller. Did he really have to keep his guard up around this one?

The moment the smaller male began to use the damp cloth he wore beneath his neck, Kai couldn’t help but stare, a bit puzzled.

Is he … shielding himself? Does he think he’s in harm’s way? Kai didn’t think he was presenting himself as threatening but then again he wasn’t sure what human norms he may or may not have been breaking just by sitting beside him like this. Should he be sitting differently? Should he have approached this man differently? Many questions swim around in the merman’s mind before he settles on a solution. Carefully, he laid himself down on his back, attempting to mirror the other’s position almost perfectly in order to convey he meant no harm. Unknowingly misunderstanding the other man’s intentions. The sand clung to his skin as he wiggled within it trying to get comfortable. “Have you been here long?”

Sou could feel the other man’s eyes on him, even as he kept his own politely averted. Was he being made fun of for being flustered? Sou wasn’t the weird one here. They had more important things to address anyway, so he tried to focus on that--the fact that the man wasn’t from this island. And if he traveled here, he could surely travel away again. Couldn’t he help them then?

The question of numbers gave Sou pause. Something in him automatically warned him that this was a stranger, someone who could potentially be a danger to their group if he had a clan of his own. Something told him maybe he should lie, exaggerate their size to look more formidable, just in case... But then again, this was the person who had just saved him from drowning. Was Sou being a little too paranoid...?

In his indecisive silence, he heard the rustle of movement, and he lowered his scarf to catch sight of what the other was doing. And glimpsed a long, lithe body stretched out across the sand, shifting languidly, seeming almost to intentionally accentuate the smooth planes of bare skin. Sou almost choked again. It had to be intentional, right? But, drawing his eyes to the man’s face, he saw no trace of mischief or mockery.

Sou just...kept his eyes on his face. Where they belonged, especially when the other was asking him a second question. Right. Extremely important matters--this was his only outreach for evacuation.

It was common practice for merfolk to avoid humans by all means. Countless tales and missing people were proof of that warning and what weight it held but curiosity was everyone’s weakness. Kai hadn’t had many encounters with humans and the few he did have were brief, rarely ever coming into contact with them. His gaze beyond the sea was merely curious, nothing more.

The feud between merpeople and humans had been going on for what felt like centuries at this point. A relentless dance of push and pull between land and sea, resulting in needless casualties often ending in a lasting meal. Kai had no interest in harming anyone without a reason and for the most part thought nothing of it past that. Swimming aimlessly through the sea as he often did to clear his head, debating on what he favored in a meal when something strange caught his eye.                 Is that … human? It took a moment for the onslaught of sand and erratic movement to sea in order for him to get a better look at what lay in the distance. Swimming out of urgency now he can only stare in a mix of shock and confusion. Was this one dead? Honestly Kai didn’t have a basis for how long a human could survive underwater but he kept his questions to himself whilst swimming to the surface with the unfortunate man within his arms. The second his eyes peered above the surface he got a decent view of an island he previously believed to be abandoned now showing signs of life. 

The next couple of minutes were spent in trial and error, trying just about everything he could think of to bring this poor soul back to the world of the living. Granted, he had no obligation to try but he didn’t have the heart to simply abandon him in the water. It’s when the human began to sputter did Kai stop to look over at him, somewhat amazed that his efforts weren’t futile. “ … So you’re alive.” It rolled off of his tongue rather easily. “I wasn’t sure you would make it—is this where you were?” He realizes he hadn’t really answered his question but he didn’t find it necessary to introduce himself to someone he likely wouldn’t see again. “I’m not sure you should be speaking so soon.”

Sou placed a hand on his chest as he sat in the sand, trying to still the continued ache, the burning in his lungs. He could probably still easily get sick from this. Outside just really wasn’t his forte, was it? This being the only existence he could live now until they all surely got rescued, he’d tried to improve himself, work on his weaknesses. ...But of course, that had just led to him almost dying.

He shook his head, trying to snap out of the disorienting haze. He really would have drowned. If this person hadn’t been there to pull him out of the water...

Sou snapped his head up again with the realization and subsequent questions that elicited. --Only to be momentarily distracted by the view in front of him. Just a quick moment, really, before he pulled his gaze away, lifting the sopping wet scarf on his chest to block his sight reflexively. The person was...clearly...another man, so maybe it shouldn’t be such a big deal to see him like this. But... Well...

He coughed again, only halfway because of the irritation in his airway this time, heat still managing to find his face despite just recovering from near-death. “...You saved my life. I...didn’t even know anybody else was here besides us. Do you live on this island...?”

Pain. Adrenaline. Panic.

Sou jolted into awareness with the desperate need to breathe. Lungs heaved, full of salty liquid, to cough up their contents violently, and he was choking wetly for air. Even as his airway cleared, he panted for breath, dazed and entirely out of sorts. Where was he? What happened? Foggily, the memories came back to him.

He’d been in the shallows on the beach, trying to spear fish and having terrible luck. He had to at least try, because their group had no reliable source of food, were quickly running out of options as they remained stranded on this island.

The next thing he remembered, he was knocked over by a wave, being pulled relentlessly by the tide under the water and into the deep. As much as he struggled, he couldn’t seem to break the surface, ended up unsure if he was even swimming in the right direction. The last thought he remembered blaring through his fading consciousness was that he was going to die.

But now his vision blurred, tried to focus. His back was to the sand; he was in the sun--but a shadow created shade over his eyes. Skin...wet hair... A face. Someone he didn’t recognize was hovering over him. ......Someone without a stitch of clothing on.

“Oh Shin, there you are!” A wicked grin is sported with such confidence, presented with a merry tone. “You’ve been so busy lately that it was a little hard to get a hold of you— it almost felt like you were avoiding me, but I know you wouldn’t do that.” A chuckle tumbled from thin lips although his demeanor suggested that it was more of a warning than a silly comment.

“You didn’t think I forgot, did you?” The day was permanently ingrained within his mind, forever dancing around the various methods of smothering to show his affection for his dear friend. A hand dove into the pocket of his jacket, clutching something as he held up a fist, soon letting a necklace dangle from his grasp. A key charm swung back and forth like a pendulum, gold shimmering in the light.

“Nice, isn’t it? I think it really suits you!” Rather than simply handed it over, Midori took a step forward, then another to circle around the other male until he stood behind him. Arms draped over Shin’s shoulders momentarily as he fastened the accessory from close behind. Breath ghosting along the other’s neck, Midori remained relentless as he spoke last.

“I wonder if it’ll be enough to set you free.”

Eyebrows shot up reflexively at the sound of the chipper greeting, Shin’s body trying its best to appear as innocent as possible. Which...he was. It was just that it was almost the beginning of the new school year, so he had been busier than usual in preparation. And without school in common between the two of them during these couple weeks of break, maybe there was less opportunity for them to meet up. ...But it seemed Sou was able to find him just fine whenever he wanted anyway. So he wasn’t sure why he felt that bit of guilty dread when the other brought up the suspicion of avoiding him.

“S-sorry... It wasn’t on purpose,” he stammered out in placation.

It was Shin’s birthday. It wouldn’t have been a big deal if nobody outside his family brought it up to him. He didn’t usually do anything big to celebrate anyway--one of the consequences of having a birthday during the school break, maybe. But he probably shouldn’t be surprised Sou remembered. It’s like he never forgets a single thing about Shin once he learns it. That was...kinda flattering, right? Being that important to somebody?

The golden key necklace dropped and hung between them, and Shin was left wondering what it meant. It suited him? In what way? The color? The symbolism somehow? Or did it represent something specific between the two of them? Before he could wonder too hard, though, Sou was stepping toward him, then sidling closely around, Shin stiffening a little, watching the movement until he couldn’t anymore. The weight of his friend’s arms brushed his shoulders, and he found his gift’s chain strung around his neck.

The tickle of breath grazed his neck, and he couldn’t help but shudder, hunching forward just a little. Heat rose to the surface of his face unbidden, giving him even more reason to be embarrassed. He knew he had to be overreacting. He was probably just a little touch-starved. Sou was just a touching kind of person, so Shin had to stop being so sensitive.

Then with the cryptic comment. The stirring feeling in his gut just got worse, and he wondered how it was that Sou always managed to do this to him. Confuse him and complicate his feelings until he wasn’t really even sure if he knew himself. He had no idea what the other boy meant, and with that tone...

"Tell me, if we released your people and theirs, what would have happened to mine?"

"If you need forgiveness, I'll give that to you. You're forgiven."

"I tried. I tried to be the good guy"

"Their blood is on your hands."

"But I made this choice with my head and not my heart."

"Either you get up and fight this or you crawl away and die alone like a coward."

"You think you're a god at everything."

"Maybe there are no good guys."

"Empirical evidence doesn't lie."

"You say having feelings makes me weak, but you're weak for hiding from them."

"Touch me again and I'll end you. In a non-criminal way."

"Maybe life should be about more than just surviving."

"Stay alive and be ready to fight. War is coming."

"After everything we've done, do we even deserve to survive?"

"I won't let you die."

"You're a natural born revolutionary."

"I won't let you surrender."

Back to the Wall sentence starters

Sou supposed there was one benefit to Kai’s survival of the first trial. For the attractions Kanna managed to complete with others, Sou needed a partner, and despite his feigned amnesia, the rest of the group was proving to be very reluctant to cooperate with him. Fortunately, with a known history of secrets and betrayal, Kai was probably in even more of a bind and desperate to find someone who would pair with him. Not that Sou could trust him either, but he could say that for a lot of his ‘comrades’. At least Kai wasn’t the worst choice ability-wise. For now, they had agreed to band together and pick one attraction each to take the lead with. Sou was currently demolishing his second opponent in the Card Charge Battle, slowly but surely.

“Don’t worry about it. As long as the rules don’t change, this strategy is unbeatable. Just might take a while.” Block when the opponent’s card could cause damage otherwise, charge only when it was safe, and beam when there was no risk of a special attack. All he had to do was find the occasional openings.

Back to the Wall sentence starters

Sou was dead. He was going to die. Kai was a traitor, and he'd caught Sou, alone in a dark room, with the incriminating evidence. Sou had snapped the laptop shut the moment he sensed the other's presence, but judging by the way Kai had him pinned to the wall at this very moment, the hope that he hadn't seen what was up on the screen had diminished like the space between them. Plus, any lie that Sou hadn't read anything would imply he knew he needed to lie to the man in the first place. He was trapped.

“Just take it,” he breathed. There was no way he would be able to keep it from him, wrapped in his arms between them. He didn't know what Kai was capable of. The feeling of helplessness, the fear of what such a dangerous person might do, looming so close in his space, was familiar—chillingly, not comfortingly. But Shin—Sou couldn't just shrink back anymore, couldn't simply cower and pray he would be spared. He wasn't going to live if he didn't do something else, be someone else.

Seven Minutes in Heaven meme

17. Suddenly cry

Of all the schemes Keiji could choose to focus his energy on, he’d opted to spend it smuggling some of the booze from the bar before they were ushered to the next level. Somehow Sou should have seen that coming. On the other hand, he couldn’t be blamed for failing to foresee this turn of events... The suggested night of drinking after the younger members of their party went to bed had devolved into a bout of stupid high school games, ‘to take the edge off.’

Of course, Sou had planned to keep it light. He couldn’t trust any of his present company, wouldn’t be so stupid to let his guard down entirely. But there was some merit in pretending he didn’t know better, keeping up the act that he’d been struck in the head again and forgot a good portion of their first day. So he’d only drink a little.

The problem was...he found he wasn’t all that good with alcohol. And now, even nursing his drink, he could feel things weren’t right. Taking the edge off, loosening up... It only meant losing his grip on things, thoughts and feelings teetering on the edges of territory he didn’t have the wherewithal to keep a handle of. After all he’d been through, being told he had zero chance of survival, knowing the others would always turn on him, and facing that truth in person... Finding himself locked in a closet with the man who’d ordered he be attacked simply for knowing too much, who tried to sway the rest into voting him dead...

Seven Minutes in Heaven meme

23. Undress the other completely

Just the inevitable brush of ghosting hands over his clothes was almost too much to handle. If this was Sou’s idea of a test of courage, Shin was already failing miserably. He didn’t know why the other even seemed so keen on such a humiliating activity--let alone how he was so good at getting his way with such things. But at least it was harmless, right...?

The hat and scarf were easy enough. He regretted he’d already discarded his coat earlier in the night, as it proved to be one less layer before things started getting...unbearable. He could feel his face go red when fingers gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled upward, over his chest, then his head. His own hands flew immediately to cover his flushed face, reflexively, as if his expression could even be seen in the dark. Sou probably knew anyway, could probably feel Shin shaking.

Especially with the other’s hands unbuttoning his fly. What if... Out of nervousness... What if his body reacted...? Oh no, he should have thought this through better--and shouldn’t be thinking about it now... He couldn’t be more grateful he’d managed not to budge in insisting they turn the lights out. Meanwhile, he could only picture how awkwardly close Sou had to be to drag his pants down his legs, opting to take his underwear separately. Fingers on his skin as they hitched under the band and mercilessly removed his final layer of clothing, and Shin was sure his head would explode if his face got any redder, heat radiating into his hands. Mutely, he stepped out of the pile of clothing at his ankles, unable to do anything but allow it all to happen in mortification.