Akaashi stared from where he was on the floor at Bokuto, very much confused.

"Oh look at the little man! He's so cute!" Bokuto sat down carefully and bounced his brother. "Is everything okay with him?"

"Yep. Took forever to get him out and it hurt real bad but he's okay." Bokuto's mother yawned. She spotted Akaashi sitting between the couches, squished in the safety of the space. "Keiji? Hey hun, do you want to see the baby too?"

Akaashi nodded. He tried to move but found that his shoulders were caught. Surely he wasn't stuck? He'd never gotten stuck before. Not even in the underwater caves he explored did he get stuck. He tried to get up again and Bokuto stared. He handed his little brother to his father as he saw Akaashi panic. "Easy there man. You can't squeeze into such tiny places. You're like my height and I can't either."

Bokuto moved one of the couches and helped Akaashi stand. He pushed it back into place and pat his back. Akaashi shivered.

"Do you want to hold the baby?"

Akaashi nodded. "Floor."

"Sure." Bokuto got his brother and handed him to Akaashi as he sat on the floor. "Isn't he precious?"

Akaashi stared, curious. He touched his hair with the tip of his finger and smiled.

"His name is Junpei, which I think is sweet."

Akaashi nodded. He hugged him carefully, whole body warmed. He wasn't used to such wholesome creatures. Usually the babies in his colony of people were mean and would attack if messed with but this little one just slept peacefully.

"He's super cuddly haha."

Akaashi looked up and let himself let out a soft thrum from his chest, just low enough to only allow Bokuto to hear it. Bokuto tapped their heads together, just trying to be nice.

Akaashi flushed. He looked back to Junpei before looking to Bokuto's parents. He smiled.

"Have you spent much time around little ones Keiji?" Bokuto's mother questioned.

Akaashi shook his head.

"Well you're doing great."

"Hey they've got the little one for a bit. Do you want to go lay down?" Bokuto's father whispered, wrapping an arm around his wife. She smiled, leaning into it. "I will take that as a yes. Kotarou, bring Junpei upstairs when you two are done."

"Yes sir." Bokuto sat by Akaashi and they fawned over Junpei and his little hands. Nearly an hour passed before he was put upstairs. Bokuto brought Akaashi upstairs and got more salt and a scuba mask from the kitchen. "Wanna talk?"

"Mhmm!" Akaashi took off his shirts and turned on the tub, pouring the salt into it. He dunked his head and shook it a bit to get used to the feeling.

Bokuto put on the mask and eased under the water. He looked to Akaashi, who smiled. Bokuto tapped his nose, internally laughing. Akaashi giggled.

"Junpei is a very pretty baby. I remember when my sister came out of her egg, she was also very small."

Bokuto nodded.

"I am confused though. Why are you not scared of storms? Are you scared of anything?"

Bokuto raised above the water and took off the mask. He pressed his ear to the water only so that he could talk. "I'm scared of a ton of things. Like heights and throwing up."

"Throwing up? Why?"

"I'm not sure. But I don't like it."

"Okay..."

"Why are you scared of storms?"

"That's our hunting days. I get scared because it brings back memories. Many of the women in my family have died due to these hunting periods."

"By the sailors?"

"By the people of my colony."

"Why?"

"There is something in our culture rumoring that if a sailor escapes your song then you are destined to die. Instead of them waiting they kill on site and leave them to die."

"Oh my..."

"That's what they did to my sister. And they attempted to do it with me."

"Thank God we found you."

"I owe you my life for that. I can't express how thankful I am for you and Kuroo and your family."

"You don't owe me anything."

Akaashi eased out of the water and stared at Bokuto. His eyes changed back and forth for a minute before settling on the more human version. He looked at the water.

"What's wrong?"

Akaashi put his lips to the water. "It doesn't hurt to breathe air anymore."

"That's good!"

"I think I can actually talk above the water now."

Bokuto sat up and so did Akaashi. "Do you want to try?"

Akaashi touched his neck, nervous. He hadn't been able to talk for weeks and now he had the chance to vocalize. He looked up. "Hello?" He gasped. "Oh my voice sounds so odd above water, what is this?!"

Bokuto chuckled. "Your voice does sound different!"

"I sound raspy. It doesn't hurt though."

"That's great."

Akaashi took a deep breath. He hummed. "I'm hungry."

"Do you want to try pizza?"

"I'm sorry the only thing I can fully stomach is the broth you keep giving me."

"I never told you what it was?"

"Kotarou, I can read."

Bokuto's heart clenched at the sound of his name being whispered along with a bit of fear. "I wasn't sure."

Akaashi yawned. He got up carefully and looked around. "I also really still don't feel good- it must be the fact that I'm holding this form for days on end."

"Is that against the rules?"

"It's just very taxing on my body." Akaashi ran his fingers down his chest and waist. "My body aches for the water still."

Bokuto yet again felt the clench in his heart. "I can take you back any time you need."

"I can't go back. If I even touch the ocean water on this beach they will be able to feel me. They will hunt me down and kill me. I've seen it happen and I don't want to fall victim to another idiot." Akaashi looked over and his eyes flickered black. "I will kill if I have to."

Bokuto stood and laced his fingers with Akaashi's. He held him to his chest, Akaashi's back pressed against him. "You won't have to."

"I don't know how long I can stay here. What if one of them comes out of the sea to find a victim? It's possible and I don't want you to be in harm's way."

"I will be okay. I promise."

Akaashi leaned into him. "Can we watch videos?"

"Of course." Bokuto sat down on his bed and Akaashi sat between his legs, back to his chest again. Bokuto held his phone up and turned on a long video about sharks. Akaashi critiqued it but it was great to listen to.

Akaashi pressed the next video and glanced back to find Bokuto fast asleep. He turned off the phone as he had been taught to do and turned slowly, huddling into Bokuto's chest for the missed warmth. His chest emitted a sound like thrumming from earlier and he yawned.

Bokuto's head dropped and he woke up slightly. From the nights of holding Kuroo he was able to remember to sleepily move Akaashi to be comfortable. He huddled into his back and Akaashi held onto his hands.

"Don't pinch..."

"Wasn't going to."

Bokuto hummed softly. He sighed against Akaashi's ear and Akaashi chirped. He didn't mean to but as soon as he did Bokuto woke up more and sat up. He looked over Akaashi before groaning. "Shoulda covered you up. You get so cold..."

Bokuto covered Akaashi in his comforter and left the bed, going to the floor to sleep as he had been doing. Akaashi whined loudly at the loss of warmth.

"Bad dream?" Bokuto poked his head up worriedly. "Keiji you okay buddy?"

Akaashi turned over, upset now.

Bokuto got back on his bed. "What's wrong?"

"You were comfortable."

Bokuto laughed. "I guess staying here won't hurt."

Akaashi wrapped himself around Bokuto. He fell asleep and Bokuto just held him, rubbing his back.

Surely this skinny little boy hadn't killed people? He was just the average clingy guy who wanted to be held and given soup. Akaashi was sweet and loved babies and cats and tried to help out around the house when he was getting antsy. He had even healed Kuroo despite Kuroo calling him a thing.

Akaashi was nothing but quiet and helpful.