Behind the Glass (Komahina AU)

Chapter Eight: This Thing We Call Love

As Nagito woke up with the warm sun on his face, he tried to remember where he was. He could feel the burning sand on his back, so he had to be on land.

'Land?' Nagito's thoughts became panicked as he quickly sat up but immediately calmed down as he saw Hajime in the water.

"Hey there, sleepyhead! You were asleep for almost a whole day." Hajime greeted with a big smile on his face as his ears perked up. His eyes looked tired but that didn't stop him.

Nagito waved as he gave a sigh of relief. Wobbling as he stood up, he walked over to the edge of the water. "What happened last night?"

"Umm...you went unconscious after a few minutes of getting those temporary gills." Hajime explained, which lead to Nagito touching his neck. "I had to give you air the whole time I was swimming away."

"Okay...but how did I end up on the shore?" He asked, still confused.

"Maybe you were sleepwalking?" Hajime joked. "I'm kidding. The tide pushed you in. Still, I had no idea that humans were so weak when it came to evolution."

Nagito nodded, finally getting a sense of what happened. However, they were still on the run and it could only be a matter of time before Junko found them again.

"How come you didn't stay with me last night?" Nagito asked, before realizing how stupid it sounded. "Oh, right...no legs."

"Well...I can get legs." Hajime said, blushing while looking down.

"Do you know any sea witches around here?" He joked, making Hajime laugh. That laughter quickly turned into a nervous one, making Nagito concerned. "You see, my race has a tradition when it comes to love. We have two types of mates: the normal type and the mate of love."

"Oh...Kay." Nagito tilted his head. "What does this have to do with legs?"

"When someone finds their mate of love, we...cut our tails in half in order to mimic the style of human legs. We then...'mate' like a human would and I will have legs on land." Hajime sighed, scratching his head.

Nagito's face was drained of blood. Having knowing Hajime for a few months, his affections grew immensely.

"I know it doesn't sound easy right now...but I'll be fine when I go through it the first time. It's like how humans lose their virginity."

"Yeah...I get it." Nagito coughed. Deep down, he loved him. There was no question about it. He would do anything to help him, but hurting him was too much to bear. Hajime was scarred enough as it is from Junko. Nagito didn't want him to see him in that light.

Hajime gave him a pleading look. It was at the moment he knew he felt the same thing: fear. Nagito silently walked to him, to which Hajime reached out his arms up to him. Picking him up bridal style, the two boys pressed their foreheads together. It was like they were in sync: feeling each other's skin while kissing passionately. Hajime's grip tightened as Nagito began to kiss him on the neck.

"Are you sure about this?" Nagito asked as he carried him to the shade of a palm tree. "I'll only do it if-"

He was interrupted when Hajime captured his lips, pulling him into sweet bliss. "Please...I want-no, I love you. I need to be with you through thick and thin. Make me feel whole again...even if it is just for a little bit."

Nagito laid him down gently into the soft, but damp grass. Reaching for his knife that surprisingly remained in his pant pocket, he began shaking. Placing the tip of the blade on the fin, the two of them looked deep into each other's eyes. Nagito gave him a look of worry, but Hajime took his free hand. He held on tightly as the blade cut through his tail. Hajime tried not to scream as he tightened his grip. His eyes began to lose their light as he began to feel the emptiness. It was unbearable, but it didn't take long as Nagito did the deed quick and effective.

Panting, Hajime grabbed Nagito's shirt and pulled himself up on top on him. They kissed again as they began to feel the synchronization and the tension heat up. Nagito made sure to be gentle as his feelings were out in the open. Slowly, he could feel the dismembered tail form into separate bones in each side. As they began to pick up the pace, Hajime felt alive as his newly formed limbs began to take over and felt himself become whole.

A few minutes later, the two of them were laying in the grass, catching their breath. Taking his oversized shirt off, Nagito covered his love up as he was shivering. Hajime's ears were glistening with sweat as he laughed. He could see some imprinting of his scales going down from his hips to his baby toes.

"You're beautiful." Nagito whispered. "I promise to never let you go." He kissed him on his cheek. Hajime laid his head on his chest giving a relieved sigh.

"You know..." Hajime said. "Hearing the stories about the mate of love made me anxious when I was younger. I had no idea that it would actually happen to me." He looked into Nagito's eyes with new life. "Now, I am a true believer. Thank you...my love."

The two boys looked up and watched the stars until they fell asleep. Nagito held him tightly as he watched Hajime's sleeping face. For so long, he never felt true happiness. He didn't have any family, and the only thing that got him up in the morning was the Future Foundation. Hajime...the mysterious merman captured for the sake of despair...was now the one and only reason to live and the one thing that he will fight for.
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To Be Continued...