Helloooo! It's been a while since I've uploaded a fic—and a 1k+ word one at that!—but I plan to write and upload a lot over this spring break! I hope to make this a multi-chapter fic about my true OTP, Nemonnax! This first chapter in particular was based off the first chapter of a Nemonnax fic pair I read over on AO3 (they're called Dead Man in Paris and Captain's Quarters—please do so read them! They are amazing and totally worth your time). Otherwise, please enjoy ^^

I exited out of Dakkar's quarters, yawning a bit. I ran into Rudi, one of the shiphands that I befriended early on in my stay on the Nautlius. He greeted me good morning, and I the same.

"The Nautilus has come to a stop. What has happened?" I asked, peeking out of a window and noticing that the fish swimming by were speeding past us.

"Yes, sir, we have stopped," Rudi said in German. We had spoken strictly in German, though my knowledge of it was limited; however, he was a patient teacher and taught me the words I did not know. "The Captain is at the helm, sir. I believe he wants to tell you the reason why himself."

I nodded my thanks as I walked to the command central of the Nautilus, musing on how I have returned to the Nautilus I have so yearned to come back to and find.

After miraculously surviving the maelstrom and returning to Paris, I found everything to be dissatisfactory. My old clothes were itchy and uncomfortable, and the taste of meat was bland and displeasing. My usual work became boring and dull, and I became restless, so I went out more and more, riding the rails to places outside of Paris and riding boats outside of France to different countries. I would often visit the Canadian, Ned Land, in New York.

Poor Conseil never wanted to set foot on a boat again, yet he kept accompanying me—bless the boy for his devotion; however, whenever I said that we would visit Ned, he had more of a spring in his step, and when the two are together, they get along surprisingly well—more so than I remember.

Whenever Ned visited us in Paris, he would always be extremely annoyed at the fact that all I ate was fish and seafood. Esmerelda, the cook, did her best—bless her soul—but never tasted quite the same as the food served on the Nautilus. At one point at dinner, Ned confronted me, yelling profanely, "For damnation, Professor, all you eat is fish! We're on land again, you can eat meat! Don't tell me you miss that bastard Captain Nemo and his damned Nautilus!"

Everything was silent. I did not say a word. Ned suddenly stood up from his chair. Conseil grabbed his hand in an attempt to get him to sit down, but Ned pulled away with an angry sigh and stormed out of the dining room. I looked down at the fish I was eating, not wanting to look Conseil in the eye.

"Master…"

I looked up at him with apologetic eyes, taking a slice of the venison at an attempt of an apology. It tasted bland and chewy; I swallowed it to the best of my ability. Quickly finishing my meal, I stood up and put on my coat and boots—it was raining heavily outside.

"Sir, where are you going at this time of night?" Conseil asked.

"To the beach."

"In this weather?"

"...Yes. I implore you to not follow me."

"But master—"

I was already out and closed the door on him before he could finish his sentence.

Braving the elements, I somehow found my way to the nearest beach. A storm was raging the seas—not unlike the maelstrom on the night that I had escaped from the Nautilus. I was suddenly overcome with the notion that I wanted to be on the Nautilus again, but most importantly, to be with Captain Nemo again. I stared at the ocean's angry waves and her water crashing at the shore, hoping to see the Nautilus' light shining somewhere in the dark of the ocean.

I could not possibly have missed Captain Nemo, could I? I knew that I did indeed miss the fascination and the wonderful scientific endeavors that he provided for me, but I was not sure whether or not I missed the captain himself. No, I'm sure I miss him, but what I did not miss was his cruel actions of sinking frigates and so coldly watching them sink, along with the innocent men on them.

I saw a bright light, but only for a second. Suddenly crazed with emotion and frenzy, I took off my boots and coat and jumped into the ocean. I became a strong swimmer while I was on the Nautilus, but after not having been swimming for two years, my arms quickly started to lose power. My clothes began to feel heavy on my body, and I could not keep myself afloat to get air for long. There was no Conseil to save me this time, so I began to sink into the water. My vision began to blur as it got harder to breathe. My head started pounding. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was a shadowy figure of a man coming towards me.

I awoke still on the beach, soaking wet, but no longer storming so hard—rather a slight drizzle. I noticed a peculiar jacket was placed on my shoulders. I sat up from my lying position and found a man's figure standing a little ways away from me, proudly yet ominously, with their face away from me, his hands clasped behind him. I could recognize his tall figure anywhere—it was Captain Nemo. He had saved me.

xXxXxXx

"C-Captain Nemo?" I called out slowly.

He turned around, hesitating, but finally turning to face me. I gazed upon his handsome face, still so proud but softened, somehow.

"Indeed, Professor."

To have heard that voice again, to be able to have experienced the emotion whenever I hear his voice... I stood up and ran to him, stopping until I was about a foot away from him.

We stared at each other for a while, saying not a word.

The Captain turned his back to me. "I spent two years trying to find you," he said quietly, his anger apparent in his voice.

"You didn't have to," I said with a bitter smile. To think that the proud enigma, Captain Nemo, spent so much time out of his life attempting to find me?

"You deserted me! I treat you with nothing but courtesy and respect yet you deserted me!" he yelled angrily.

"How could I bear to stay with you in good conscious when I saw you sink a frigate and stare at it so coldly like a madman?!"

The Captain turned around to face me again. "You don't understand, Professor, I had to!"

We stood in silence for quite a while, letting the rain drench us. I was afraid to say another word, afraid to disturb the delicate silence our outburst had caused.

"You… have stopped." He gave me a cold glare. I felt strangely peaceful with that expression, though that would have chilled me to the bone years before. "Sinking ships."

"I had other business to take care of," he snarled, yet I could hear no malicious intent in his voice.

I colored and heated up in spite of the cold rain dropping down on me. "I did not expect you to find me."

"I did not expect to want to," the Captain thundered again, seeming very irritated with himself.

Another long yet comfortable silence loomed over us.

"Why are you so dangerously close to civilization? This beach is the nearest one to the people of Paris, and is frequented, regardless of the season." I had to ask, despite whatever anger he held towards me right now.

Captain Nemo's voice and facial expression neutralized, portraying no emotion at all. "I had hoped to find you here." His scientific instincts came alive, curiosity taking over the control of his emotions. "Why have you returned? You could have locked yourself on land and away from the ocean, never to see me again."

I swallowed hard. "I… do not know." But I knew all too well. The second I saw him again, the minute I heard his voice and saw his silhouette, I knew why I could never live on land again. I stepped closer to him, stepping so unbearably close that I could move not even a centimeter and I would be able to feel his hand. "However..."

I reached out just slightly enough to clasp his index finger with mine. "I have returned and I never intend on leaving again."

"Good," Captain Nemo murmured, and possessively grabbed my hand in full. "I cannot stand to see you leave again." I must have made a startled expression. Frankly, I knew not at what I was startled. "Yes, I knew of your companions' plan to escape the Nautilus. I hold you in the highest esteem and I could not stop you if you wished to leave my ship." His hold on my hand tightened. "Men who will never leave each other will never hide secrets from each other. Do you understand what needs to be addressed?"

I swallowed, remembering a very particular experience regarding my thoughts with Captain Nemo. I became curious about the feeling in my core whenever I thought of him, and I decided to explore it, my "experiments" leading to… interesting results.

"You will not find any comfort in knowing my secrets, and I will respect the keeping of yours."

The Captain frowned, yet his eyes portrayed a different, undecipherable emotion. "Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"I see," he replied, this time his frown completely turning into something I have rarely seen—only once before: a smile. It was a small smile, but a smile nonetheless. I also identified the emotion in his eyes as something akin to fondness.

I audaciously gave a squeeze to the hand he was holding. "So? Shall we head to the Nautilus?"

Surprisingly enough, he squeezed my hand back. "I will let you wear the suit, due to your awful swimming, of course."

I had not noticed then, but I realize now that the rain had stopped drizzling as Nemo and I walked and swam hand in hand back to the Nautilus. Thus began my permanent stay with my beloved Captain Nemo.

"Captain, please, address me as Pierre."
"And I… Dakkar."