Sousuke groaned and turned his head away from the bright Australian sun, just now rising over the sea. His head was pounding, and his lungs burned, and his throat was dry and sore... But he was alive.

He was alive. How?

He remembered crashing through the guardrail. He remembered shouting helplessly as his car plunged into the ocean. He remembered struggling against the wreckage and fiddling with the handle of the door, trying to get out and swim to the surface, only for his consciousness to sink into inky blackness. He'd seen his life flash before his eyes— he had been sure it was the end.

He lifted his heavy head and blinked the fog out of his grey-green eyes. He was lying on a rock jutting out of the sea. Off in the distance he could see where his car had broken through, though there was no sign of the vehicle or of the criminal who'd been willing to kill him to escape the long arm of the law. He tried to piece together the missing part of his memory, but found nothing.

"Oh, thank god, you've woken at last!" A cheerful voice cooed at him from somewhere, someplace close, interrupting his train of thought. He sat up as much as he could manage and rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on its source.

"Who... is that? Who are you?"

"You can call me Makoto."

Sousuke looked down at the speaker. There was a man in the water gazing up at him, his lower body concealed by the rock's edge. He had a youthful face— Japanese in its appearance, albeit vaguely so— with a warm smile that crinkled the corners of his lively green eyes, and sandy brown hair. His torso was entirely bare of fabric, but he wore golden jewelry on his neck, wrists, and biceps. The sort of jewelry Sousuke had never seen.

What a strange person, Sousuke started to think, before realizing who this person must be.

"I thought that I may have been too late! I got the water out of your lungs, but when you didn't wake up..." The man who called himself Makoto continued, verifying Sousuke's suspicions.

"You... You rescued me. How?" He asked, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest with gratitude.

"I was in the area and saw your driving machine go off the cliff. By the time I got to it you had lost consciousness, but I dragged you out and to this rock and did the lung compression thing and gave you some air. I thought that I hadn't done it correctly, but it seems to have worked! How wonderful," he finished.

The smile still hadn't left Makoto's face. He looked absolutely giddy. Like he knew Sousuke, though he was certain they'd never met. He'd remember such a strange man. He furrowed his brow— Driving machine? Lung compression thing? Gave you some air? Something about the man's speech was even stranger than his appearance. Though of course that was odd, too. There was some unusual quality to his features that Sousuke couldn't quite place.

"You were... in the area?"

Makoto's happiness faded— no, dropped— and his face became completely blank, as if someone had wiped the marker off of a whiteboard. He shifted his gaze about for a moment as if searching for an explanation.

"I— I was out on my... my boat!" He smiled again, but it looked forced. Sousuke surveyed the area once more.

"What boat? I don't see a boat anywhere."

Something was off here. Come to think of it, why was he in the water anyway? There was plenty of room on the rock. And who goes boating at four-thirty in the morning?

"R-Really? How strange... It was right here..."

"You don't wear a life jacket when you're out boating?"

"A what?"

Sousuke was shocked, and it showed on his face. Makoto's tight-lipped smile started to look fearful. Sousuke eyed him apprehensively, and the bizarre man's eyes darted about yet again until they came to rest on the cliffside.

"Hey! It looks like your friends have come to retrieve you," he said as he pointed at the road. Sousuke turned to see several police cars pulling to a stop near the broken guardrail. He saw a familiar redhead emerge from one of them, waving his arms and shouting his name.

"Rin! I'm okay!" Sousuke yelled, projecting his voice, as he stood to signal them. He remembered his rescuer, waiting by his feet. "Oh— right! Thanks for everything. I owe you my li—"

He stopped. He had turned to thank his savior, but he was gone. And still, not a boat in sight.

————

"Yamazaki! Yamazaki, we thought you were a goner!" Captain Mikoshiba said as he rushed towards the taller man, a relieved grin on his face. Momotarou patted him firmly on the back, laughing gleefully.

"Nah, I knew he'd be okay— this guy isn't going down that easy. Man, you're soaked!"

Sousuke smiled at them both, and at the rest of his squad, as they approached him. Most of them had bags under their eyes— it had been a long, hard night. He felt someone throw a towel over his shoulders, and then Rin appeared again. He wore what looked like a scowl, but Sousuke had known him long enough to know that the expression was one of concern.

"D-Don't ever scare me like that again, you asshole!" Rin yelled, looking away to hide the tears forming in his eyes. Sousuke smirked.

"No need to cry about it. I'm okay. You're just gonna have to put up with me for a little while longer," he teased. Rin shot him a glare and punched him in the shoulder.

"Who says I'm crying, idiot?!"

Rin hoarsely whispered this at him in Japanese— something he always did when he didn't want any others nearby to understand him. Sousuke had always wondered why he felt the need to whisper if he had already gone to the length of switching languages. He laughed and began drying the short-cropped sides of his dark hair with the towel.

"Sorry, Captain... The car went down," he added apologetically. Captain Mikoshiba looked stunned.

"You think I care about that?! You could've been killed, kid!"

Another car pulled up, and two more officers quickly exited it. Noble approached with a self-satisfied expression on his dark features and flashed a thumbs-up.

"No worries! We caught the son of a bitch," he bragged. His partner, Gomez, nodded to confirm it. Sousuke allowed himself to celebrate that even as the paramedics arrived and instructed him to lie down.

"What happened, Sir?! I never got the full story!" Nitori squeaked, saluting at both Rin and Sousuke. Rin wiped the last of his tears from the corner of his eye and turned to him.

"We were part of the manhunt that started last night— you're still new, Ai, so the captain didn't send you or Momo. Sousuke tracked the guy down and started tailing him, but the bastard kept trying to get away and called in backup. They couldn't shake him, so one of the guys rammed his car. Sent him flying over the edge there." He gestured at the broken guardrail.

"Really?!" Nitori looked over at Sousuke, his violet eyes wide. He was lying on the stretcher now and being fussed over by several nurses, who he shooed away with a dismissive hand.

"Yep. We lost his signal, but we had to go after that guy and his whole crew before we could go looking for him— a public safety thing, you know. Civilians take priority. Anyway, they've all been rounded up now. Noble and Gomez got the leader just a little while ago. Funny how much tougher everyone got when they thought Sousuke had been taken out!"

"You're one to talk— you turned into some kinda demon back there," Gomez retorted. Rin laughed sheepishly. A nurse approached in a brisk jog.

"You can ride in the ambulance if you want to! You have the Captain's permission since he's your partner," she said, gesturing toward the vehicle. Rin nodded as he followed.

"Thanks, Captain!" Rin shouted over his shoulder as he hopped into the passenger's seat. Captain Mikoshiba waved it off.

"Don't mention it. You two take tomorrow off, alright? You've earned it!"

————

"Well?" Rin asked impatiently. A man in a white lab coat sat at his desk and typed something into his laptop before turning in his rolling chair. He smiled at Sousuke, who sat up in his bed.

"Everything seems to be in working order... You got very lucky, Mr. Yamazaki, to only end up with bruises and lacerations," the doctor said, pushing his red-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose. Rin, who had been leaning against a nearby wall, breathed a sigh of relief, but Sousuke shook his head.

"No, it wasn't luck. I was rescued, and I didn't even get to thank the guy properly. Had he not been there, I'm sure I wouldn't be sitting here right now— I couldn't even get out of the car."

The doctor looked up at that, raising an eyebrow.

"Did you know about this, Mr. Matsuoka?" He asked. His expression said that he wasn't sure whether to believe Sousuke or not.

"First I've heard of it," Rin replied. "Rescued? We didn't see anyone out there with you. You were on a rock by yourself when I saw. No boats or anything."

Sousuke narrowed his eyes at Rin, who had drawn closer to his bedside, and folded his arms. He didn't like the way they were both looking at him like he was crazy. He explained what had happened just before backup had arrived, starting calmly, but eventually getting caught up in the strangeness of the whole thing. The doctor's expression became more and more perplexed, but he tried to avoid looking doubtful. Once Sousuke had finished, the spectacled man cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Mr. Yamazaki—"

"I already told you not to adress me so formally, Rei. Or do you prefer Dr. Ryugazaki?"

Rei sighed at the finger quotes around the word 'doctor'. He'd met Sousuke in college, where they'd become good friends, and had gotten to know Rin through him later. Rei was the kind of person that always tried to be professional, especially in his workplace, but Sousuke refused to let him.

"Sousuke, this all sounds a little... weird. Are you sure you weren't hallucinating? That's not uncommon after near-death experiences."

"I know what I saw," Sousuke insisted, sneering at him. "And what happened to me. I couldn't have given myself CPR, could I?"

"So he just vanished into the water? Do you think he was a mermaid?" Rin asked with a snide grin.

The word 'mermaid' was accompanied by a gesture Sousuke could only describe as sparkle fingers. Even so, Sousuke looked thoughtfully into the distance. Rin tried to supress a groan.

"I mean, I never actually saw his legs..."

"C-Come on, man! I was kidding! I was being sarcastic!" The shorter cop squawked, incredulous. Rei sprang to his feet as Sousuke loudly repeated his point about the man not having had a boat.

"Well then, Mr. Yamazaki—" Rin coughed. "Sousuke— If you're feeling well, you should really go home and get some rest. I'm sure you could use it." He ushered the two officers toward the door.

"Thanks, Rei," Rin said with an appreciative smile as he walked away. Rei nodded and waved his goodbye, retreating into his office. "As for you, big guy— I'm taking you out for lunch," Rin added. Sousuke chuckled.

"Normally I'd protest, but I'm fucking starving right now."

————

As Rin drove the two of them home from their lunch, he found himself lost in thought. He studied Sousuke whenever they stopped at a red light, relieved to find that the other man was mentally elsewhere himself and staring absently out the window. Rin frowned.

Though police work was often dangerous, this was the closest Rin had ever come to losing Sousuke. When that thought occurred to him, it also occurred to him just how large a part of his life Sousuke was. He couldn't help but feel as though he'd taken him for granted, though he didn't know how to express this sentiment. And so he just quietly looked at him every few minutes, failing to find something to say, but feeling a newfound appreciation for his presence.

They'd been officers for about four years now, but they'd known one another since elementary school. Rin had moved to Australia from Japan back then, having been adopted by an Australian couple. He'd wanted to become an Olympic swimmer, but over time, he put that dream aside. He hadn't given up on it— he had simply decided that becoming an officer was something he needed to do, and Sousuke had not only respected his decision, but decided to accompany him.

Sousuke had always been the kind of friend that Rin felt he didn't deserve.

He had gone through a dark period during his senior year of high school, and the year following, and often didn't have the will to get out of bed in the morning in those days. Despite this, Sousuke had persisted. He had taken care of him, putting his own life on hold to help him heal even when Rin had completely shut him out. They had lived and worked together since then.

He hadn't spoken to his blood relatives since he was a little boy, but because of Sousuke, he'd never been short on family. Sousuke was the shoulder he'd cried on. He was the first person he'd come out to, as well as the first to punch anyone who had something, anything negative to say about it. He was his tutor when he struggled in school, his motivator when he wanted to give up in their academy days, his caregiver when he couldn't care for himself.

Genetics aside, Sousuke was more of a brother to Rin than anyone else could ever be. Rin thought all of these things, but said none of them. Perhaps it was better that way. Sousuke didn't deal well with emotional confrontations.

After a long and quiet ride, Rin finally pulled into the parking lot of their apartment complex. The two stepped out of the vehicle and smiled at one another. Sousuke was clearly exhausted.

"Don't worry about dinner— I think I'm gonna crash early," Sousuke said through a yawn. Rin nodded.

"I'll pick something up while I'm on my run."

It didn't take long to arrive at the door to their small third-floor apartment, and Rin unlocked the door to let Sousuke in first. He seemed happy to be home, even if home wasn't exactly luxurious. Rin threw his things on the narrow table near the door and went to his room to change out of his sweaty uniform.

That night, like so many other nights, Sousuke did turn in early, going to bed at barely past 6 PM. The man overworked himself, and his body was catching up with him. As Rin watched his friend close his bedroom door, he picked his jacket up from the back of the couch.

"I'm going for my run," he half-shouted through the door. After a few long seconds, Sousuke replied with a grunt. Rin chuckled. He slipped a water bottle into his pack and threw it over his shoulder as he headed back out into the hallway.

————

Rin's favorite thing about living in this city was the short distance to the beach. The local surf was within walking distance of his and Sousuke's apartment building. It was a lesser known spot, and not one that was particularly popular with tourists, so the crowds it drew were always on the smaller side. Especially in the off-season.

He stood on the boardwalk for a moment, trying to ignore the tempting smells of greasy food from nearby vendors, and gazed at the water. No matter how old he got, or how long he lived beside it, the ocean never failed to captivate him. The seemingly endless expanse of rippling water was a thing of beauty to him that was second to none.

Rin jogged with a practiced ease along the familiar path. He paid no mind to the people around him. The salty air had a chill to it, and he rolled down the sleeves of his jacket. For the past four years he had run this route every evening without fail. Though he no longer aspired to be an Olympian, his mindset was still that of an athlete. Missing a single run would be the beginning of forming bad habits— at least, that's what he believed. Sousuke didn't seem to agree. He'd often urged Rin to take a break, especially when he was sick. The reality of it was that this run was therapeutic to him. The ocean was calming, and the regular endorphin release was essential to keeping his wits about him.

On this particular evening, there was little to do, and so he slowed to a walk. He wandered for a while, picking up shells to admire before tossing them into the ocean. Before he knew it he had made his way clear to the edge of the beach and stood beside an outcropping of rock. This area formed a small cliff, and a bench was perched on its flat top. Most who visited this beach had sat there at least once to take in the view. Rin stepped back to look at it, entertaining the thought of climbing up there to watch the sunset.

And that was when he first heard it. A voice, somewhere close by, echoing as if through a cave.

Rin tried locating it, and found that it could only be heard when he stood pressed against the edge of the cliff, and even then, it was so quiet that it could have been dismissed as his imagination. His face twisted in confusion as he searched the wall for an opening. Was there a cave here that he hadn't known about? He leaned further into the rock, began patting down every inch of the surface.

Soon, he found it— a thin crevice, partially hidden by a boulder. It so perfectly blended into the rest of the rock that one could only find it with their hands. He entered cautiously, having to bend over, inhaling to flatten his chest and hoping not to get snagged on something. He'd hate to get stuck and have to call Sousuke. He grimaced as he imagined how that conversation would go. And recalled those infamous photos of cavers struck in underground holes.

Once inside the little cavern, Rin stood up and looked around. In here, the sound was louder, but still muffled. Rin had been so startled to hear the voice that he hadn't focused on it before, but now that he listened, he wanted to hear it more clearly.

Someone was singing, and in a language he had never heard. It sounded made up, too lilting and too sweet to be real. The voice itself was calming, and yet somehow, it was mournful. Rin felt his breathing slow and his muscles loosen.

He'd never heard anything so beautiful. Where is it coming from?

He desperately searched his surroundings and found a narrow path leading straight ahead. Rin slid through without hesitation, standing sideways and shuffling to make it. As he rounded the last turn, he heard the sound get clearer. This was it.

He peeked around the corner and saw a much larger cavern than that of the entryway. It was nearly what one could call a proper cave, but had an opening on one side leading out to the ocean, partially shielded from view by rocks. A deep crystalline pool extended into the center of this space, framed by flat grey-brown rock and stalactites. Across from him he saw a small waterfall (more of a trickle, really, and he wondered about its source) that emptied onto an elevated platform and into the pool below. This was a little oasis of sorts, and he wondered why no one had found it earlier.

And there, seated before him, was the source of the song. Perched beneath the waterfall was someone— something?— Rin had thought only to exist in legend.

He appeared to be in his early twenties. His skin was glistening and somewhat bronzed in color, though in some spots it took on a bluish hue. His arms moved with an inhuman grace through his smooth, dark hair— he seemed to be washing it, and singing as he did so. His torso was bare, revealing a muscular but lean frame. His face was hauntingly beautiful, focused at the deep blue of his eyes and his long, dark lashes. And where his waist ended— where one would normally expect to find legs— there stretched out a fishlike tail, shimmering a pale blue.

Rin's breath caught in his throat, and the pounding of his heart threatened to give him away. He wondered if this was some kind of prank, but quickly dismissed the thought. No, everything about the young man was mythical in nature, from the echo of his voice to his mysteriously tangible presence.

Should I say something? Rin began to panic. More than anything, he badly wanted to speak with this creature. He felt like a Peeping Tom standing behind the cave wall, but was unsure of whether he should make his presence known.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the voice stopped. The merman looked up, raising his regal brows ever so slightly with alarm. Rin covered his mouth and withdrew into the tunnel. Something in the man's expression had changed— he looked frightened.

There was a long silence in which Rin was afraid to even blink, and then he heard a shaky intake of breath followed by a loud splash. He waited a moment more to peek out. By the time he gathered his courage and stepped into the open area, he found himself alone.

The strange being had vanished, leaving behind nothing but a thousand questions.

————

A/N: this is the first fic i've ever written. i've entertained them in my head for as long as i've been a fan of anything, but i've always been too embarrassed to actually sit down and write anything. and even when i have thought of doing it, i've found that it's actually really hard. you always have a vague idea of certain events and the general storyline, but planning out the order of events and how they'll be written and where is surprisingly difficult!
and so here we are, me nervously publishing this and wondering if it's awful and no one will read it... what i'm saying is PLEASE FAVE AND COMMENT if you want me to continue! i'll need your encouragement to finish! especially because i have an idea for an epilogue that i REALLY want to bring to life, but... see, what had happened is i'm using an app to help me write these things out. and i had the entirety of the epilogue planned out because the ideas were flowing, and i didn't plan ahead. long story short is that i had to delete and re-install said app and lost it all. having to start from scratch and try to recover those lost ideas... i'll definitely need your encouragement for that.
ANYWAY.
for those wondering, haru's voice does sound strange. his vocal chords are different— he's designed for communicating underwater, and sound travels differently there. also, rin and sousuke's backstory won't be revealed for a while, but know that rin had trouble getting rid of his accent and learning english, so sousuke's parents taught him basic japanese to compensate and he brushed up on it as he got older. in other words, rin is fluent but still resorts to "japenglish" every once in a while, whereas sousuke only speaks enough japanese to get by and wouldn't understand things like idioms and kanji. so rin will say things to him in japanese every once in a while, but they don't use it around the apartment or anything.