Salty love

chapter 4

Trying to formulate a plan to help kacchan escape was difficult. Izuku was trying to think of a way that both of them could get out alive, a way that wouldn't reveal that he had helped the mermaid escape. But the more scenarios the Omega thought of, the more he realized there wasn't a way without causing heavy suspicion towards himself. The biggest reason was that the merman was held prisoner in the same room he was was. So any blame on him sneaking out was out of the door.

Izuku signed, he was currently mopping the deck as usual. He had exactly one week to think of a way to get the mer past the many crew members and back into the ocean unharmed, before the ship set sale to another course. The black market.

He wasn't going to make it but he needed to make sure kacchan did. Once Shigiraki deemed their haul good enough to go, whatever he had in store for the merman would be set into action immediately.

It's been 5 days since the blonde haired merman was captured and brought upon this cursed ship. Through those days, the alpha had gathered quite a bit of understanding of human language. It amazed Izuku to no ends. What would've probably taken months to learn, his kacchan had learned in a few days. He now spoke in very broken sentences, some words he couldn't pronounce. But it was mostly understandable. Izuku on the other hand still had no idea about mer language. Katsuki had tried to teach Izuku, but it was all too fast and put together to grasp in such a short amount of time.

For the last couple of days, Izuku actually found reason to do his chores. He tried his best to do it all fast without making the others curious so that he could go back down with katsuki. After the first night, the two of them heavily leaned on each other for comfort. When Izuku came down, covered in bruises and cuts, katsuki would growl, cursing out the humans in his own language while holding the crying human.

Izuku was able to free his hands from the rope, so while the mers hands were still chained to the floor, they were no longer tied behind his back. This meant he could actually hold the Omega in his arms. Izuku loved being hugged by kacchan, even though he was covered in scales, fins and some spikes, he never felt more comfortable.
He would lightly trace his fin, scales and bruises from the ropes, along with many scars that adorned the body of the merman. Katsuki was always red faced when that happened. The Omega would silently point to a scar of some sort, and katsuki would always answer in short, simple answers.

"Shark"

"Fight"

"Friend"

"N'other shark"

Izuku could listen to katsuki talk all day. His deep, raspy voice gave him shivers down his spine. His red eyes were like deep pools of blood, so full of raw emotion and careful concentration for the things around him. But he loved when they were focused on him entirely. When those predatory eyes we're fixated on his, he couldn't help but felt seen.
He knows it's stupid, developing feelings for someone you've just met while in a terrible situation. Especially when that someone isn't even from the same species. But it didn't stop him. And it's not persuading him to stop either.

Izuku was standing still, the mop handle clutched tightly in his hands while he was deep in thought.

This gave an open opportunity. One of the lower grade crew members grabbed a fish from an open barrel near him, and chucked it at the unexpecting Omega's head.

The fish missed Izukus head, but it still was enough to snap him out of his thoughts and jump back with a Yelp.
The person who threw the fish barked out a laugh, the others near him joining at the sight.

"Oi Omega, ain't ya supposed to be swapping the deck? Looks like a lot of good for nothin day dreamin to me. "

The man was an alpha, short brown hair was slicked back, showing his menecing smirk. He was sprawled out on a seat surrounded by barrels, his lackys piled around him, most enjoying a beer while watching him with interested eyes.
Izuku suppressed a growl, not wanting to get into any trouble. Not again, not when he actually has something to loose this time.