The Pearled Seas - AU - Locked to seaweed_writes

[ihadabadday]

For years he had heard tales of the two fins who swan on the surface. They were... Odd. At least that was what he heard. But they still fascinated him. How did they swim? What did they eat? How did they live?

That was how he found himself on the surface, watching... He wasn't sure what it was. It was large and wooden? There were lights and white things. He curled up a bit further on the rock he had perched himself on. He was always worried the brilliant blue of his scales would make the two finners see him. But they only seemed to see what they wanted.

He gasped when the weather started to change, quickly, violently. The wooden... thing... was in shallow water, it wouldn't survive. Especially if it slammed against the rocks. He swallowed and then dove into the water, even as the waves started to grow violent, battering the wooden thing about.

He heard the wood breaking and two finners and things falling into the water.

That's when he saw him. He felt an odd pull towards the two finner. As if it was right.

There was an old tale at home, of soulmates. He had scoffed at it. Ridiculous. But, the pull he was feeling...

He swam towards the two finner, reaching out to grab the man as he was sinking deep into the water.

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[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock stared at him, his body stiff, his jaw hanging slightly down.

"You...." Sherlock looked down at John's belly, there was only the slightest bit of roundness to it, he had lost the six pack that he's had when they met 3 months ago.

"You... me..." he just couldn't rectify those words.. "How,,,?" He asked. What would it look like? Would it have fins? or legs? or some weird amalgam of both?

Would it even survive?

He had so many questions, and no answers.

"But... how?" He asked again, looking up at John, fear in his eyes.

[ihadabadday]

John looked just as frightened. "Lucky mating." He answered honestly.

"Shaman said it's rare, but it can happen."

He ran his hand over his belly, face flushed. He was worried Sherlock wouldn't want him now.

[seaweed_writes]

"Oh." It was all that Sherlock could say.

What in the world was he going to do? He was only 22, he had no job, though he had a house (albeit a small run down one) to live in. He was barely out of his own childhood, and how he had...

A fish...man... baby?

"I.... I.. don't know what to do." He said, honestly, in a defeated tone. "I dont know if this baby can even survive.. what it will look like.. if it will... kill you trying to birth it.. " He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Will it have fins? Or legs? Or both or neither? How would we even raise it? You have legs now.. but I get the feeling that you cant stay out here long. "


There were so many questions, so many worries.

[ihadabadday]

"Do you not want?" He asked weakly.

John's shoulders dropped and he looked down at his new legs.

He wasn't sure what he was going to do now. He wanted to be with this human. But if he didn't.

He brought a hand up and rubbed his eyes with the back of it. John was surprised to find moisture on his face.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock shook his head and kneeled next to John, taking him in his arms.

"No. No. It isn't that." He sighed when he saw John crying. He hadn't meant it like that... well. not really.

"I.. am just young myself. I have no experience with children. I have no idea what to do.. they need to be fed and nappy changes, and then school when they get older.. well.. assuming it is a human looking child at least." He had no idea what would happen if it was a fish-child.

"It isn't that I don't want it. I just.. I am scared.. that's all. Because I don't know what I am doing." He gently wiped John's eye. "Don't cry?"

[ihadabadday]

John lifted his head and looked at Sherlock. "What's cry?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

The blonde then smiled shyly. Sherlock did want this child together. He smiled at him and leaned up to kiss him.

"How do I walk?" John asked the words carefully.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock smiled softly. He gently wiped the tears from John's eyes, then showed him his wet finger.

"That's crying." He said. It's when you feel strong emotions, they can he happy feelings or sad feelings. We cry too." He said.

Sherlock returned the kiss gently, then rose to his feet, holding John's hand. "Okay, kneel like I was a moment ago, and then move up, rise to your feet like I just did. I'll hold you. " He held John's hand with one of these, and wrapped his other arm around his torso. "I got you. You may fall but its okay. You'll have to get use to your legs, using those muscles. "

[ihadabadday]

He'd never cried before. It was weird. But Sherlock was there for him. For them.

He rose slowly with the human, trembling. His legs were unsteady as he wasn't used to the sensation.

"I brought more gold." He told Sherlock as they walked down the dock.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock helped John up to his unsteady feet. He almost fell a couple of times, but Sherlock held him up. They started walking down the dock towards the house.

He stopped part of the way down when John said that. "I appreciate that, John. I think I have enough to last the rest of my life." He paused for a moment. "I am sure that there will be plenty to hand down to... our.. child.." He struggled over the words.

"Do.. you want to go into the house, John?" He asked while they were paused. "I... am not sure how far you can be from the water."

[ihadabadday]

John looked at the distance and then nodded. "As long as I get in the water for some time each day, I can be away from it."

The blonde held onto the post as Sherlock retrieved the bag he had stashed.

He smiled as he watched him. The man was stunning. He looked much better now that he was eating and sleeping regularly.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock wondered if their child would be the same way, if it would have to go back to the water for a time every day?

God.. he still couldn't believe he was saying that.. HIS child. He was only 22 and he was going to have a child.

With a MAN.

When he opened the bag, it was full of Spanish coins, enough to keep his child's child's child set for life.

"You don't have to go searching for any more coins, John." He said, softly. "I have plenty for all three of us." He didn't want John getting hurt or killed exploring dangerous shipwrecks, and he was set for life now.

[ihadabadday]

"But there's so much down there." He said owlishly, "These things with words and pictures. More chests."

John didn't understand why Sherlock seemed opposed to him looking for things. He yelped as he stumbled and clung to Sherlock, hoping they didn't fall.

[seaweed_writes]

"I... I worry about you, John."' he said softly. "Those shipwrecks are dangerous, there are all sorts of sharp objects and sharks and things that can hurt you. And..." His voice trailed off as he touched John's stomach.

"I don't want you to get hurt.. or killed." He whispered. "If.. you can find things that are easy to get to, where you don't have to go inside, then you can explore."

Anything else he was going to say was halted when John stumbled. "John!" He went to his knees and used his body to stop John from falling. "Are.. you okay?"

[ihadabadday]

The blonde nodded. "Yes." He said swallowing as he steadied himself. He looked down at Sherlock and then moved to kneel beside him.

He put his hands on the man's face and stroked his fingers over Sherlock's cheekbones. "I'm okay." He assured him.

John was still being careful with his words, taking time to think on what he wanted to say.

[seaweed_writes]

"Okay." He said softly, leaning into the touch on his face.

"What... do you want to do, John? I can feed you some human food if you like, or if you need to rest, I have a bed. It's quite comfortable. I special ordered some high thread count sheets, so they are very soft, and the pillows are goose down."

[ihadabadday]

"Probably food and rest. I need clothes right?" John asked tentatively.

He slowly rose onto his feet, only trembling just a bit.

His legs were new, but they had strength in them.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock chuckled. "Well, normally yes, you would need clothes, if someone else was going to see you. But there is no one for miles, and my clothes would be too tight in the chest and too long in the arms and legs." John, in his human form, was about 6 inches shorter than John, but he still had his broad, muscled chest and fairly muscular arms and legs.

And for the first time, Sherlock looked between his legs.

What was there did look human, though it was larger than average, larger and much thicker than his own, like he hadn't quite totally shaken what he had been just moment before.

"I'm not sure how human food will taste to you, or if it will upset your stomach, but we can try. Sherlock put the bag of gold in his pocket and helped John into his small, very basic home.

[ihadabadday]

John was quiet as they returned to the small home. He eased down into a chair. Everything was different here. It was all knew. It wasn't brought to ruin. Nor was it covered in other things.

He ran a hand over the top of the table. It was all fascinating.

He looked up at Sherlock. "You okay?"

[seaweed_writes]

"Yeah." Sherlock said with a little smile. "I am now." He went to the larder. He didn't really eat much, so he didn't have a lot of food, but he found a tin of canned peaches. He wondered if John would like to try something sweet.

He used a knife to open the can, then handed John the can and a fork. "Try these." He said.

[ihadabadday]

He blinked as he found himself holding a weird cylindrical object and then a pointy object.

So he bit the cylindrical object.

And that tasted off. He pulled back and made a face. No wonder two finners were weird. Their food tasted off.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock knew he shouldn't laugh, but it was hilarious, and he couldn't stop from laughing so hard that he started to cry and was gasping for breath. It took a few moments to be able to speak again.

When he did, he was still laughing while he was talking. "John." He said. "That's what the food is contained in. Like the basket that held the food, remember, on the island?

Sherlock took the fork and forked a piece of peach. He held it up." Open your mouth." When he did, he put the piece of peach in his mouth.

"It's no fish, or seaweed, but I like it." He did have a bit of a sweet tooth.

[ihadabadday]

"Oh..." he said weakly, face flushing. How unusual. All of the two finners seemed unusual.

But he liked how Sherlock sounded when he laughed. It was nice.

John watched Sherlock use the pointy thing to stab a weird slice thing.

He took it in his mouth, pulling back carefully from the pointy thing. He then took a bite and his eyes went wide.

John finished chewing and stared up at Sherlock. "What was that?"

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock was still chuckling. "It's called a peach. They are grown in a place called the United States, its a big piece of land northwest of here. They can and send us all sorts of vegetables, those are things that are grown in the ground or underground."

He went to the larder and showed some other cans, but didn't open them, as he didn't want to waste the food. They had very rudimentary labels on them.

"This one has something called potatoes. They are little and round and starchy.. Well, I;m not sure how to explain how they taste to you, honestly."

He held up a few more- peas, corn, asparagus. He also showed some things they grow in the islands, like sugar cane and rice, potatoes, okra, mangoes, plantains, and coffee beans.

He let John try some of the fresh items, he didn't want to open the canned ones, they were hard to get and a bit precious.

[ihadabadday]

John was fascinated by it. They didn't have such a variety under the waves. He ate probably half can of peaches before handing it back to Sherlock.

"I can get us fish and crab and urchin." He said with a smile. Urchin was his favorite and he wanted to share that with Sherlock.

[seaweed_writes]

"I've never tried urchin." Sherlock admitted. He'd never been a particularly adventurous eater, but since he'd been shipwrecked, he had expanded his horizons some. He hadn't eaten fish or crab or coconut since he'd left the island..

And John.

"I have an oven, its a small box that you put wood into and it cooks the food. I can cook the fish and crabs for us. It will change how they taste a lot,"