The Twisted Tale of The Little Merman

_-*Chapter 8*-_

Tendou POV

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I woke to the sound of rapping on my door. I sat up groggily, my brothers slowly stirring awake beside me. Glancing at the clock I found a few years back, I discovered it was only three. Meaning I had only been asleep for less than two hours.

I groaned as I lifted myself from the bed and carefully made my way over to the door.

"What?" I growled, irritated that my sleep was interrupted, "What could possibly drive you to wake me at this unholy hour?!"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," my blurry eyes focused on the young guard in front of me, "But this is urgent. It- It involves your brother, Sir Oikawa."

Hearing this, Hinata and Atsumu swam to my side immediately.

"What happened?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"He was attacked," the guard paused, "They aren't sure if he's going to make it."

"By whom?" I asked with a tone lacking all emotion.

". . ." The guard glanced at Atsumu and I felt my heart thud in my chest. No. No. No. No, it can't be...

"By an Octalio by the name of Sakusa Kiyoomi," He looked away from Atsumu's face, which lacked all the warm and rosy colors it usually had.

"Take us," Hinata spoke up, speaking for his two older brothers who lacked the words to say anything else.

The guard nodded and swam away, us following close behind his fins. A few minutes later, we arrived outside of the infirmary.

Hinata burst through the doors and rushed inside, Atsumu and I following.

There was only one bed currently occupied. From the doorway, I could see Oikawa's poofy brown hair swaying in the water. Next to my still brother sat his husband, Iwaizumi. He clutched Oikawa's hand with a pained expression on his face. There are times in every merfolk's life when they wish they could cry, and now, I knew everyone in this room felt that way.

Iwaizumi was speaking softly to Oikawa as I approached. I was slightly shocked to hear Iwaizumi use Oikawa's Name. Something I knew he did not do often.

"Toru, please," He begged silently as I stood by his side and stared at my brother's motionless face with a feeling of such despair it physically pained me, "Toru, please wake up. Please, I can't live without you." He dropped his hand and held the back of Oikawa's hand to his mouth. He kissed it softly, "Tooru, I love you, please don't leave me."

Hearing the strong and emotionless captain of the Castle Guard beg so pitifully for the life of his lover broke me. I let out a dry sob, as I had no tears to cry. Hinata caressed Oikawa's cheek, his bottom lip quivering. Atsumu just floated at the footboard of the bed, his face still pale and his eyes wide in shock and incredulity.

Suddenly, he turned and left the room, speaking briefly with the guard before swimming off. Towards the dungeons.

I took one last glimpse at my brother and his beloved grieving at his side before swimming after Atsumu.

♡♛♕♛♡

"WHY?!" I heard Atsumu scream with such raw pain in his voice that I was taken aback, the scream was followed by the rattling of bars. I decided it was best to let Atsumu have a little privacy at the moment, but I stayed at the corner of the hall, in case I would need to intervene.

"I TRUSTED YOU OMI!" He sobbed, "I THOUGHT YOU COULD'VE BEEN DIFFERENT!"

I heard a low voice reply, saying something incomprehensible. I heard Atsumu sob again and my heart clenched. I'm going to kill this Octalio. I snuck a little closer to hear what was going on.

"Please, Atsumu," Sakusa begged, using Atsumu's Name, "You have to believe me, I was framed!"

"D-DON'T call me that," Atsumu choked out, "I can't believe you. You tried to kill my brother."

"No, please," I heard Sakusa beg, with a hint of urgency in his voice, "You have to believe me, otherwise you'll be in danger too. I don't want you to get hurt."

"But my brother is fine getting murdered," Atsumu shot back with venom in his voice.

"No," I heard the bars rattle and peeked around the corner. Sakusa was gripping Atsumu's hands and had a pained look in his eyes, his eight tentacles shackled to the ground, making him strain to even reach the bars of the cell, "Atsumu please, you have to listen to me-"

"I can't Sakusa, not now," Atsumu said, removing his hands from Sakusa's grasp and rising from his seated position, "But I-I'll think about it." He turned away, "If I come back tomorrow, I might listen."

I ducked back around the corner as Atsumu approached, he paused when he saw me but didn't yell at me. He simply just collapsed into my chest. I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed circles on his bare back.

I directed him to my room, his soft sniffles continuing the whole time, but as soon as I closed the door, he broke down.

"I'm such a fool," he cried, "of course Father was right. No one will ever love me."

"NO!" I took his face in my hands, forcing him to look me in my eyes, "That is NOT true! I love you! Hinata loves you! Oikawa loves you! All of your brothers love you! Don't EVER say that again!" I commanded ferociously.

"Thanks, Tendou," He smiled sadly and leaned his on my shoulder, wrapping his arms around himself tightly, "I just thought Omi-Kun was going to be the one for me."

"Atsumu,"I started cautiously, "maybe you should hear him out." Atsumu looked at me in shock, but I held up a hand before he could speak again, "I'm just saying, don't you find it odd that the second you speak of telling Sakusa your Name, he ends up getting imprisoned for harming a prince?"

Atsumu was quiet for a moment, ". . . You think Father set this up?" He questioned and I glanced around suspiciously.

"Let's not talk here," I whispered, leading Atsumu out of the window and towards my cave. 

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