Please Read: So I just want to say that I have been posting this fic up on OA3 for the past few months and decided to also post it here. If you want to catch up fully with this fic you can find it on OA3 here ( /works/13498940/chapters/30957424). I postly weekly on AO3 and will add chapters here a little at a time.

Hello, everyone. So this is my first time doing a Haikyuu! fic despite me being mad about this show for years now. It's a little mermaid inspired thing staring Yamaguchi and Tsukishima I have been planing out for a few months now. Other characters will be featured as well.

I'd like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones ( ) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.

I don't own Haikuu! nore do I own the Little Mermaid.

Without further ado, here is chapter 1.

Midnight Tail and Freckled Cheeks

Once upon a time, atop a large cliff sat a small unassuming village. The small modest village overlooked a beautiful teal-green sea cove that was corralled by the walls of the large cliff. From the highest point of the cliff, one could look out and see the vast ocean that the cove emptied into. Many villagers spent countless hours gazing out at the crystal clear sea enjoying the soft salty breeze as they took in the breathtaking cove.

On this particular late after noon, if one were to look out over the sea just where the cove emptied into the ocean, they would see a very distressing sight indeed. For in that exact spot at that exact moment a young freckled boy no older than 9 was about to experience a life changing event.

"Ah! No, please let me go," Came the cries of the small freckled boy who's arms and legs were currently bound by rope. His brown eyes dripped with wet tears as he struggled futility. Every moment he made caused the small boat he was in to rock to and fro.

"Shhh-! Someone quiet him down before he capsizes this boat," said a plump boy with brown hair who looked to be only slightly older than his prisoner.

"Quiet, Yamaguchi!" said the second kid as he give the freckled boy a sharp kick in the ribs. This won him a pained squeak from the smaller boy.

"You had this coming, Speckles. How dare you rat us out like that," the third and final captor, a tall boy with a shaved head, grunted as he too gave a sharp kick in the same spot to the small boy.

"Wh-what you d-did to Y-Yachi wasn't n-nice," Yamaguchi defended futility through sobs and hiccups.

"What we have going with Hitoka is none of your scrawny-ass business," the plump boy snarled as he yanked Yamaguchi up by the scruff of his shirt.

Yamaguchi gave a startled gasp as he came nose to nose with the older boy. He tried his best to show no fear but his facial muscles betrayed him.

"Awww look. He is going to cry again," The darker haired boy said with a loud laugh.

"He's always crying," sneered the chubbier boy.

The three boys laughter echoed off the sides of the tall cliffs.

Yamaguchi felt his heart sink as he looked down in shame. It was true that his go to was always crying. He could not help if he was not much of a fighter. He always wished he could have been born a braver boy.

"Well, let's get this over with," said the largest of the three boys. The two agreed with sneering hums as they loomed over the smaller boy.

"W-W-What a-a-are y-y-you-?" Yamaguchi stuttered as he feared to finish the question.

"Make sure you won't bother us with your spotted sniveling face ever again," the dark haired boy answered with a sneer, not even waiting for Yamagishi to finish his question.

"Don't worry," the largest boy sighed. "I heard drowning doesn't hurt that bad."

With that Yamaguchi's watery eyes filled with more terror as they wandered from the faces of his captors to the vast sea that surrounded them. It all of a sudden became even harder for him to breath as he suddenly realized their true intentions. His small mind screamed that this must be a dream. That his bullies would not go so far as to kill him.

The three boys laughed at the horror that filled Yamaguchi's eyes.

"Next time don't mess with us," the bald boy hissed, "Oh that's right, there won't be a next time," he laughed.

With that, Yamaguchi struggled against his bindings event harder. If he was able to loosen his hands and legs than perhaps he had a chance of swimming to safety.

"Ahaha, It's no use, Speckles," the larger boy cackled as he watched Yamaguchi struggle futily. "Now, help me get him into the sea so we can get back before my dad notices his boat missing," He ordered to his two friends.

'No, no. NO!' Yamaguchi's mind screamed as he felt the three lift his small frame with ease high into the air. Yamaguchi's terrified eyes flooded with tears once more as he faced the vast ocean.

Just than the boat gave a small lurch as if something had given it a push. All four boys paused as the boat gave another lurch from the other side. Before anyone could utter another word the boat lurched a third time.

Yamaguchi's watery eyes searched all around the water that surrounded the boat. His eyes caught sight of something golden flash in the water and flashes of what looked like a midnight blue fishtail. Yamaguchi's mind had gone blank as he tried to make sense of what was going on.

The three other boys seemed slightly shaken as the boat gave one more large lurch before it settled. Whatever had been swimming around the boat had stopped.

"W-What w-was th-th-?" But the bald boy was not able to finish his question.

"How lame," came a sneering voice from within the depth of the ocean.

All four boys in the boat felt a shiver run down their spines. Panic immediately settled into the three bullies.

"It's got to be a sea monster!"

"We gotta get out of here!"

"Mommy! Mommy HELP!"

All three boys shouted over each other in a panic.

Yamaguchi's heart thumped in horror as he felt them released their hold on him. Everything moved in slow motion as his bound body fell into the swishing ocean waves. Before he could even yell for help his body was surrounded by cold, salty, ocean water.

Yamaguchi's mind screamed for help as he tried to orient himself. The ocean current tossing his scrawny frame this way and that, making it impossible for him to know what was up and what was down. His tiny arms and legs fought against the rope that help him but to no avail he could not loosen the knots even the slightest.

A new wave of panic swept through Yamaguchi's body as his lungs began to burn with the need of oxygen. He felt his sense dull as the burn became unbearable. The need to open his mouth and glup in a breath of fresh air was all his body yearned for. Just as Yamaguchi's consciousness begin to slip away, he felt something grab him around the chest and the feel of water rush past his face.

Before Yamaguchi knew what had happened his head broke the surface of the water as whoever or whatever was holding him held him firmly above the waves. Yamaguchi took in large gulping breaths as he coughed and sputtered.

"Good to see you're not dead," came the dry remark of whomever it was that saved him. Yamaguchi immediately recognised the voice as the one who had called them lame only moments ago.

Yamaguchi craned his neck to see who it was that had saved him. Fighting the need to pass out then and there, Yamaguchi's blurred vision made out a blond head of hair and two piercing amber eyes. Yamaguchi struggled to asked whom this boy was but all he got out was a sputtered cough.

The boy's piercing eyes looked down upon Yamaguchi's freckled face. Without a word he shook his gaze from the boy and set his sights on a small strip of sandy beach that sat just below the large cliffs.

Yamaguchi felt his mind fill with confusion as the boy somehow, with much easy, began to swim them both through the rough ocean waves. His small mine unable to comprehend how this boy was able to swim in such rough waters with little effort.

"H-How-?" Yamaguchi stammered as he looked to the boy who was now carrying him almost bridal style as they glided through the ocean.

"Keep your mouth shut so you don't swallow more seawater," the blond boy replied flatly.

Yamaguchi snapped his mouth shit before a small wave of water splashed up against his face.

Before long the two boys had entered the shallow waters of the small sandy beach.

"Can you stand here?" The blond boy asked as he loosened his hold on Yamaguchi.

With wobbly legs, Yamaguchi slid out of the boys hold and found that the calm water reached up to his hips making it possible for him to stand.

As Yamaguchi gained his bearings the two boys stared into each other's eyes. Underneath the late afternoon sun the boys blond hair almost shone like gold. The boys skin looked soft and white and reminded Yamaguchi of silk linen. His piercing amber eyes shone like the moon as they bore deep into Yamaguchi's soul. Something about this boy did not seem quite human.

Just then Yamaguchi notices that the boy had yet to stand up himself. Yamaguchi's eyes wandered from his saviours face, down his body, and to where legs should have been, but was instead inhabited by a rather beautiful midnight blue scaled tail.

"AH!" Yamaguchi shouted in wonder as his eyes grew ten times larger. "I-Is that a tail!?"

The blond boy seemed shocked, almost as if he himself forgot he was indeed sporting a tail instead of legs. The boy hesitated for a moment as if he was contemplating leaving. Before he could do so a small freckled hand wrapped around his pale wrist.

"Wait, don't go," Yamaguchi pleaded, his eye still large with wonder.

The two studied each other for another awkward moment, both unsure what to do next. Yamaguchi fumble over words as he tried to form a sentence.

"M-My name is Yamaguchi," He finally got out. "Yamaguchi Tadashi," Tadashi finished with a friendly smile.

The merboy seemed to be at a loss of words as he look at the brightly smiling boy.

"Wh-What's your name?" Tadashi asked as he tried not to let his excitement get the better of him and frighten the merboy way.

The blond boy studied Tadashi for a long moment.

"Tsukishima," The merboy said after a long calculating pause. "Tsukishima Kei."

"Tsukishima… Kei," Tadashi tested the name out surprised to find that it sounded quite normal for it coming from a mythical creature.

The two sat in another moment of silence as they studied each other yet again.

"Th-Thank you for saving me, Tsukki," Tadashi said with a warm smile, breaking the silence. "You were so brave," he praised.

A light blush dusted Tsukishima's cheeks from a moment as he glanced to the side.

"It wasn't like I was going to let you drown," Tsukishima mumbled. "It would have put a damper on my afternoon if a dead body was floating around."

Yamaguchi didn't really know how to reply to such a statement but was greatful nonetheless.

"Is that really a real tail!?" Tadashi asked as he pointed to the midnight blue fishtail that hung below Tsukishima's hips.

"Oh… um yeah...:" Tsukishima awkwardly replied as he gave the sparkling tail a casual flick.

"Wow! It's so beautiful! It shimmers like the night sky," Tadashi sighed as he scooted closer to the tail. "C-can I touch it?" he then asked without thinking.

Tsukishima blushed yet again at the barade of compliments coming from the small freckled boy.

"S-sure," Tsukishima replied as he lifted his tail from the sea for the boy to get a better look at it.

Tadashi sat down as his small freckled hand stroked the smooth scales of the dark blue tail.

"Wow, Tsukki, it's so smooth," Tadashi gasped in utter awe. "It shines so beautifully in the sun. It's nothing like my dull boring human legs. I bet it's super powerful, too. With the way you were able to get both of us to shore with such ease..." Tadashi began to babble.

"You sure talk a lot," Tsukishima scolded as he pulled his smooth tail back under the water.

"Ah! Sorry, Tsukki ," Tadashi sheepishly replied as he watched the tail disappear beneath the rippling water.

An awkward silence hung between the two boys as Tsukishima feigned annoyance and Tadashi blushed.

"Th-thanks again. For saving me," Tadashi awkwardly repeated. "I hope I wasn't an inconvenience or anything." As Tadashi spoke his eyes darted back and forth between Tsukishima's face and the calm water that surrounded them.

"It wasn't that big of a deal," Tsukishima replied with a shrug. Unlike Tadashi, whose gaze kept darting between Tsukishima and the sea, Tsukishima's eyes blunty studies Tadashi. His pale hand lifted slowly touching Tadashi on the cheek.

Tadashi jumped but didn't move as Tsukishima's fingertips ghosted across his cheek. He felt his heart rate speed up a bit.

"Hmmmm…" Tsukishima hummed thoughtfully as he repeated the getsure.

This time Tadashi looked to the merboy in confusion. Did he have something on his face?

"I thought they would feel different…" Tsukishima whispered more to himself then Tadashi.

"W-What…?" Tadashi squeaked.

"These spots on your face," Tsukishima explained flatly. "I've never seen anything like them. They just feel like normal skin though."

Tadashi felt his face go red as he glanced down in shame. Here Tsukki was with a beautiful tail and all Tadashi had were his hokey freckles. The merboy probably thought him to be ugly.

"They're called freckles," Tadashi explained as he tried to not let his negative thoughts ruin the moment.

"Freckles…" Tsukishima hummed, moving his hand back to his side. "I like them."

Tadashi's face went red yet again but this time for another reason. His heart went fluttery as a warm happiness overtook him. No one had ever complimented his freckles other than his mother and the old ladies in the village.

"Th-Thank you," Tadashi stuttered in embarrassment.

Tsukishima shrugged obviously not as overtaken by the exchange as Tadashi was. The two sat in another wave of silence as the ocean's waves gently lapped around them.

"So… do you live around here?" Tadashi asked in an attempt to break the silence.

"That's confidential," Tsukishima replied sharply.

"Oh! Ah… Right, sorry, Tsukki," Tadashi bashfully replied.

"But I live only a short swim from here… I guess," Tsukishima mumbled.

"Wow! So you do live around here? Under the sea?" Tadashi gasped in awe.

"Of course I live in the sea," Tsukishima replied with a bit too much snark.

"Oh right?" Tadashi giggled, ignoring the snark in the other's voice. Something about the blond merboy relaxed the normally nervous boy. "It must be nice, living below the sea. I bet it's beautiful," Tadashi gasped in awe at the idea.

"Yeah, its okay," Tsukishima shrugged. He too felt the odd tug to invest himself longer with the small freckled human.

"What's it like?" Tadashi sighed as he got lost in the fantasy.

Tsukishima hummed as he gathered his thoughts.

"It's much cooler down there and not as bright. The light shines through the waves so everything has this green glow to it," Tsukishima explained flatly. "It's alright, I guess."

"Wow, that sound so much more relaxing than the village I live in," Tadashi sighed as he shot the small village upon the cliff a dreaded glance.

"Hm?" Tsukishima questioned as his amber eyes followed Tadashi's gaze to the village.

"It's always so busy in the village and people expect more from me than I can give," Tadashi began to explain unprompted. "I'm always being harassed by those boys. No one really seems to care when they pick on me… except for Yachi that is… and probably my mother."

"Sounds bothersome," Tsukishima hummed cooly.

"Living under the sea sounds so much better," Tadashi sighed as his gaze returned to Tsukishima.

"I'm sure most of your issues come from you being a pushover," Tsukishima bluntly replied.

"P-Pushover?" Tadashi stuttered, surprised by the merboys comment.

"But things are pretty calm under the sea. And I'm sure no one would bother you if we hung around each other," Tsukishima carried on as he tried to hide any interest he may have in the idea by averting his gaze from Tadashi.

"Tsukki, can I really go with you?" Tadashi asked as he leaned further towards Tsukishima.

"Well that's...:" Tsukishima replied, not really wanting to say no. Tsukishima's cheeks went pink as Tadashi excitedly leaned closer to his face. Tsukishima didn't normally allow others this close.

The two boys stared deep into each other's eyes. Something similar to a spark passed between the two souls at that moment. Something connected the two on a deeper level. They both felt right being in the other's presence.

"Tadashi! Tadashi, Are you there?" came the voice of a woman from the shore.

With that, the two boys gaze broke. Tadashi looked behind himself trying to locate where the voice was coming from.

"I better go," Tsukishima stuttered as he tried to shake the odd feeling he felt towards Tadashi.

"Wait, don't go," Tadashi pleaded as he turned back to Tsukishima.

"I can't be seen by others," Tsukishima explained.

"Ah.. right," Tadashi reluctantly replied. "But, will I ever see you again?"

Tsukishima frowned, not making eye contact with Tadashi.

"Tadashi, is that you?" Tadashi's mother shouted from stairs that led from the cliffside to the beach.

"Tsukki, I don't want to say goodbye," Tadashi stuttered as he felt himself torn between the merboy and his mother.

"If we are lucky, fate will connect us again," Tsukishima stated as he looked deep into Tadashi's eyes.

Tadashi felt his breath leave him as he gazed back longingly at his new friend.

"We will meet again, I just know it, Tsukki," Tadashi decided on as he smiled softly.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Tsukishima replied, his tone less cold.

"Tadashi! That's him Mrs. Yamaguchi!," Yachi yelled as she and descended the stairs.

At that Tadashi looked back to his his mother and Yachi rushing to the shore's edge. When he turned back towards the sea, Tsukki was gone.

Tadashi's eyes wandered the area to see if he could catch a glimpse of the merboy. His heart sank as he came up empty.

It all almost felt like some strange dream.

The next thing he knew, his mother was scooping him out of the cold ocean and carrying him to shore. He could hear both his mother and Yachi crying over how they had thought him dead. Tadashi's mind focused only on the shimmering sea and the prospect of ever meeting Tsukki again.

I hope you all enjoyed chapter 1. As I wrote this I listened to a reading of the Hans Christian Andersen little mermaid to get me in the mood. This is inspired by the little mermaid but is more of a reverse deal/will probably deviate quite a bit. Anyways, I just love Tsukiyama and have been wanting to make this fic for a while so I hope you all enjoy it.

I have chapters 1 through 4 pretty much ready and will be posting a chapter a week. I may post chapter 2 tomorrow to get the ball rolling and all. We'll see what kind of time life gives me this weekend. I am going to try my best to keep a head with the chapters I post so I don't fall behind.

Please do leave kudos and a review if you have the time. I love to hear from my readers. It gets me excited to hear from you all.

You can also find me on tumblr under Pastaprincess. I don't do too much on there though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

See you all next chapter.