Light penetrated through the thin skin of Katsuki's eyelids, slowly stirring him from his slumber, a feeling of cotton drowning his muscles and brain in fogginess. As he came back into consciousness, and awareness was once again granted to him, the damp material of the shirt lining his torso became known, the sea water causing it to cling and stick to every muscle and crevice on his body, and the blonde boy suppressed a shiver at the chilling air pressing against his body.
The more he gained feeling over his body, the more aware of his senses and surroundings he became. He ran his hands over the ground beneath him, feeling a rough, weather-worn stone underneath his calloused and torn fingers, slightly damp as a result of the creeping tide, water settling into the deeper grooves that scattered over the rocky surface. The saltiness of the puddles caused his hands to sting, the pain reverberating through his entire hand as his brain questioned everything about where he currently resided.
Katsuki blinked open his bright red eyes, the light burning them slightly and stunning him momentarily, but he blinked away the confusion, opening his eyes fully to observe his surroundings. Directly above him was a roof of grey and black stones, moss lining the gentle curves of the round rocks, stalactites hanging from the ceilings, a variety of shapes and sizes seemingly dripping from the roof-like structure. Natural windows seemed to have been weathered into the rock, gaping holes breaking the definite nature of the cave and lighting the walls with natural, orange light.
As his red eyes trailed down the rocky walls of his resting place, he forced himself to sit up. The muscles in his arms protested and flexed as he worked his way into a sitting position, his abs screaming in protest as pain ran across his entire body as he moved for the first time in what must be days. He suppressed a groan as he felt his back popping and his legs burning with effort, nausea filling him as the light burned his eyes. As he finally sat upright, he got a good look at the place he woke up in. The rocks seemed to surround him entirely, with no entrance or exit that he could see. It seemed to be some form of a... grotto, almost? He wasn't certain.
As he continued to scan the space around him, he took note of the water beneath him, possibly some of the most beautiful seawater he ever laid his eyes on. The water was a stunning shade of blue, rivalling the summer sky on a sunny afternoon, and perfectly clear, without a single imperfection visible. He could see life within the water swimming around, mostly green and blue corals that lined the rocky bottom of the pool and the occasional brightly coloured fish here and there, starfish lining the sandy floors and mossy rocks. It reminded him of the rock pools his father used to take him to, when he was younger. The two used to lift up the rocks and count the sea snails, or tally all the red or yellow sea anemone they had seen. The two had spent hours of their day like that, and Bakugou’s heart clenched at the memory, forcing the memory away from him as he stared back out into the water below.
He sat there admiring the beauty of the view beneath him, shifting so he was positioned on his knees, lined up with the edge of the rocky ledge he was placed on. He leaned over, reaching his hand gently into the pool beneath him, the water parting around the tips of his fingers and echoing in the forms of small ripples that faded into the middle of the small body of water. The liquid was cool against his skin, though not unpleasantly cold, and though the saltwater stung his burns and crept into his open cuts, the blonde thought nothing of it, relishing in the comfort and peace brought by the previously untouched water beneath him.
He moved his fingers around slowly, staring in awe at how clear this water was and the sheer beauty of the environment around him. The water had always been a source of comfort for the blonde, and even now, in what was arguably one of the most stressful scenarios he had ever experienced, the sea was still providing comfort. He was drawn to it, every instinct screaming at him to get closer and closer, to submerge himself into it and find peace.
He slowly migrated onto his stomach, the remaining water that had pooled on the ledge he had awoken from seeped into the front of his already wet shirt, but he had better access to the water now. He reached the majority of his arm in, the water reaching just above his elbow, and he smiled at the cool feeling of the water swallowing his arm.
The pressure and temperature were a happy sensation, one he found himself relaxing into, the tension leaking from his muscles as he pressed himself further against the rock in an attempt to become as close as physically possible to the water. He remained there for a long time, just breathing in the salty, fresh air, the smell of the sea and nothing but the sea, without the smell of people around him. The air was quiet, peaceful, a sound he hadn't heard since long before he left with Aizawa on his journey, and Katsuki relished in it.
He laid his arm out in front of him, placing his head on it like it was a pillow. The serenity of the environment around him slowly started to lull him to sleep, the comfort of the water providing him with a feeling of safety, consequently slowing his heart rate, calming his breathing and causing a drowsiness to settle over his bones. The occasional cool breeze contrasted with his hot skin, and the sound of nothing but the water sloshing against the slick rocks further encouraged his sleepy state. His eyelids grew heavy, and the young sailor boy closed his eyes, basking in the comfort and succumbing to the sleep that had been creeping on him for several minutes. As he slipped into darkness, sleep finally encompassing his body, one thought rattled around his brain.
How the actual fuck did I get here?
***
Katsuki once again awoke to the sun caressing his face, warm sun rays hitting the highest points of his skin, his arm still submerged in the blue water of the grotto he had fallen asleep in. He grumbled as he slowly came to, pulling his arm out of the pool and towards his body, sitting up slowly as consciousness returned to him and he blinked away the remaining grogginess of his slumber. The arm he had used as a pillow had become numb, pins and needles running up and down the entirety of the limb as blood flow returned to the area. The blonde winced at the feeling, slowly forcing himself up and into a sitting position and sighing deeply at the bone deep exhaustion that wracked his body.
The first thing the blonde became aware of was his damp shirt, clinging uncomfortably to every corner of his body. Even as he twisted his body slightly to stretch out the muscles in his back, the wet material trailed him, clinging to his skin and causing him to shiver at the cold sensation across his skin.
He grabbed the hem of his shirt, aggressively pulling it over his head and discarding it in front of him, deciding he would find a place for it to dry in a few minutes. His skin was still slightly damp, water clinging to the tense muscles, and for a second he regretted shedding the only piece of material shielding him from the cold air around him, but seconds passed and he adjusted, deciding the cold air against his skin was significantly more tolerable than the inevitable sickness that would come with wearing wet clothes.
The second thing Katsuki became aware of was that he wasn't alone. After pulling his shirt off, there was a soft sound, a small gasp echoing around the curved wall of the cave. And he definitely was not the one who made the sound. And the second he heard it, his back snapped straight up, ramrod straight as his muscles grew taught in fear.
Throughout the entire day, he hadn't heard a single sound that wasn't waves crashing or water dripping, so hearing a man-made noise spooked the living shit out of him, his heart racing, practically thumping out of his chest and causing a pounding in his brain. He slowly lifted his head until his eyes made contact with the creator of the noise, and Bakugou had to physically restrain himself from jumping back in shock.
There sat a human, with offensively bright red hair that matched his equally bright red eyes, haloing around his head and settling against his chin, framing his strong and prominent jaw. A small scar about an inch long ran up his right eye, severing through his eyebrow and drawing attention to the small but dense scattering of freckles that rested along his temple. The man flashed a smile at the shocked, blonde man, and Katsuki saw that the other's mouth was filled with sharp, white teeth that fit together practically perfectly, the jagged lines slotting together like a puzzle.
His skin was tanned as if he spent all his days in the sun, and some light freckles were scattered across the bridge of his nose, over his cheeks and even a few on his eyelids here and there, distracting from the otherwise rugged appearance and softening his face slightly. He had strong bone structure, his jaw impossibly chiselled, and soft, shallow dimples sitting besides the corner of his lips, also adding to the softness of his face that the freckles provided.
"Hey, dude!"
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As Deep As The Ocean || •Mermaid AU• || KiriBaku
Fanfiction"What the actual fuck are you?" "What do you mean, what am I? Im a shark! Isn't it obvious?" the red-head said, grinning and holding his hand out for the other to shake. "Eijirou Kirishima, nice to meet ya!" Bakugou didn't take his hand, instead sco...
