Blue Echo (Yuri On Ice / Victuuri Mermaid AU)

Yuri, wanting

The waves that crashed against the rock soothed Yuri's skin from the heat of the sun. High tide was back. Yuri moved and felt something roll off of him, it startled him until he saw a pile of large palm leaves falling to the water.

"Weird..."

Yuri raised himself up on the rock as high as he could but there was no sign of the human, Victor. For a crazy second he thought of calling out to him, but it was better not. He had saved the human, the human hadn't hurt him when he was vulnerable, they were even. It was time he went back home.

Yuri rolled his body back into the tainted water. His body felt stiff from being on the rock, but not too bad all things considered. He moved quickly between the rocks until he passed the barrier and was back in the ocean.

He took a deep breath. Being in the sea instantly made him feel better. He'd never been so long out of it, it was both a scary and an interesting revelation. That he could survive so long outside his habitat. That said, he'd like to avoid repeating the event if possible.

Yuri dove until he hugged the bottom, feeling the sand, and allowing the sea to wash away the last of the tainted water from his skin. When he felt better, he glanced back. The rocks from the barrier looked even more dangerous from below. He'd really taken a big risk saving that human and he still wasn't sure why beyond a rash impulse. Was it because he saw him dancing? Because he'd like to see it again? Or just because he wanted to ease away some of the guilt of not warning the ship when he knew they were in danger? Because he couldn't stand the thought that his actions had ended a life. He could still remember the feeling of his fingers unstrapping Victor from the jacket that kept him alive.

Yuri sighed. There was no point to these thoughts. He swam back to the surface, glancing at the island. He had no reason to be here so why was he still...

"Yuri! Yuri!"

Yuri's heart skipped a beat. Victor... He swam quickly back to the rocks, reaching the barrier, but not crossing it.

"Yuri where are you?"

Victor was looking for him.

"Vi..." Yuri gulped, his hands grasping the rocks, hiding behind them. Everything he'd been taught stopped him from calling out. The vow of the natare kept repeating and repeating inside his head. We must not save humans. We must not contact humans. If a human ever discovers us...

"Yuri! Are you ok? Yell if you need help!"

A human was searching for him. A human was worried about him. When was the last time anyone had done that?

"I'm here!" Yuri yelled. Pushing himself so he could see past the barrier. He saw Victor close to the rock he'd been sleeping on, he was walking hastily towards Yuri, precariously skipping over rocks, and almost slipping more than once.

Victor kneeled by the edge of the barrier when he reached Yuri. "You're ok. I thought you had drowned."

Yuri wasn't sure if to laugh or frown. He settled for something in between. "I'm natare, Victor. I can't drown. I sleep in the sea."

"Oh..." Victor seemed embarrassed. "You said the fresh water was bad for you, so I thought you had fallen in and maybe needed help."

Yuri noticed the human's clothes were soaked. "Did you jump in to look for me?"

"Of course! I thought you were," Victor paused, embarrassed, "drowning."

Yuri laughed this time. Victor smiled and sat on the barrier, his feet dipping into the sea next to Yuri.

Yuri paused for a second, allowing his body to move up and down along with the sea. Victor's feet. Human feet. He hadn't really taken a good look before... Yuri grabbed Victor's right foot without thinking. Victor yelped, then he started giggling as Yuri trailed a finger across the bottom of it. "Stop, stop!" Victor managed to say short of breath.

Yuri quickly let go, feeling a deep embarrassment. Just what had come over him? "I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"No, no," Victor had tears on his eyes. Yuri wanted to touch that too.

"If you touch there it just makes me laugh," Victor explained. "Humans don't really touch each other's feet, but I touched your fin, so it's only fair for you to touch." Victor wiggled his toes and Yuri almost grabbed his foot again.

"That reminds me," Yuri said. "Did you put palm leaves on top of me?"

"Yes," Victor said proudly. "I didn't want you to get sunburned."

"Sunburned?"

"If you're skin gets exposed to the sun for too long, it can get damaged. Or maybe mermaids don't have that problem."

"My skin is fine?" Yuri wasn't sure what the right answer was.

"Then it worked." Victor smiled, and Yuri forgot about everything for that moment. This was so pleasant. A conversation where nothing was expected out of him. Where there didn't seem to be any rules.

Right... he was breaking the rules. Every second he remained here was another broken rule, another broken duty.

"I have to leave," Yuri said dejectedly. He hadn't meant to say it out loud. He hadn't expected the gleeful look in Victor's eyes to vanish either. "I have to report back or they'll come looking for me." Yuri explained.

"Report back?" Victor's voice had become cautious, and Yuri knew he had given too much away. A small tinge of fright trickled down Yuri's spine. This was dangerous. Giving information away. He knew that in the most common sense level, yet the words had simply slipped out.

"My family..." Yuri wasn't sure if he should say more or simply flee. It wasn't like Victor could follow him. If he just vanished he could forget this ever happened.

"They must be worried?" Victor offered as he leaned forward, his hands dipping into the water next to Yuri. Yuri's fright dissipated a bit, it almost felt as if Victor wanted to touch him, but he didn't know why. "How long do I have to wait until you come back?"

Come back? Victor wanted him to come back? Yuri had planned to never come back, the human was alive, he'd broken enough rules as it was...

"A few days." Why had he said that?

Victor groaned. "I can't believe I'm really stranded alone in a deserted island," he muttered.

"Other humans will probably find you before I return." Yuri tried to ease Victor's worry. It was true though, that other humans were likely searching. If not for Victor specifically, they would be searching for something from the ship's wreckage. He'd seen it many times before, but still Victor looked so unhappy... Yuri dove under, grabbing the largest sea shell he could find and giving it to Victor once back in the surface. "If they come get you, leave this pinned between the rocks of the barrier. That way I'll at least know you went back to your people."

"My people..." Victor murmured darkly.

Yuri wanted to asked about it, but didn't. He really could linger no longer, even if he wanted to stay...

Victor suddenly jumped in the water next to Yuri and wrapped his arms around the natare. Yuri was shocked at first, warmth spreading across his body from the places where Victor's skin touched his. This was different, he thought. This was... Yuri relaxed into the embrace, almost yearning for the warmth. "Thank you," Victor said against his ear. "Just in case I don't see you again, but I hope I do."

Yuri's heart beat a little faster, and when Victor broke the hug, Yuri could have sworn he felt the human's lips against his cheek. Victor's hands traced down his arms before moving apart.

Yuri lingered for a second, two, three, four. The vow of the natare echoed in his thoughts as he looked at Victor for one last time before diving under and swimming away as fast as he could.

We must not save humans. We must not contact humans. If a human ever discovers us, they have to die.