"Tedium in Blue" Bakugou x Reader Merman! AU

Chapter 5

Gentle sunlight streamed in through the thin curtains of the living room as your phone buzzed loudly against the wooden side table. You woke with a snort, a dried sliver of drool crusty on your chin. Falling asleep on the couch was not a good idea, but the tea from last night calmed you down enough to drift back to sleep against the old stained cushions. You didn't dream again.

Thoughts of the previous day flitted across your vision as you readied yourself for work; however, until you could make it back out to the ocean this afternoon, the familiarity and responsibility of routine called out to you. Bills needed to be paid, after all.

As you rode the train to work, flecks of red, gold, and blue captured your attention like a moth to the flame: A red shirt. Gold earrings. Deep blue backpack. The colors were jarring as you recalled images of your bizarre dream, trapped in an endless expanse of ocean, helpless against the current of gravity as it pulled you down.

The darkness surrounding you splintered against an invasion of red.

Work was dull and typical. It wasn't your dream job by any means, but the paycheck was decent enough for you to scrimp and save to put down a deposit on a nicer place at some point in the future. A voice behind you interrupted your train of thought, mind wandering to the salty familiarity of the ocean coupled with possible hidden treasures in the form of merpeople.

"Hey! You doin' alright? Seem kinda out of it today." It was one of your coworkers. The two of you weren't exactly friends, but the closeness of your desks had you communicating just because of proximity. Not that they were rude or anything, but sometimes they were...nosy, the boredom and monotony of work giving them an excuse for a minute of chatter.

You looked up from your paperwork, plastering on an inviting smile.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just sort of out of it today, ya know? We all have those days." Indeed, some were tougher to get through than others, but wasn't that true of most jobs? Was anyone truly happy day-in and day-out for eternity doing the same thing? If so, you'd never met them.

Laughing in a way that seemed suspiciously fake, your coworker nodded in response. "Aint that right!" They continued to pepper you with distracting conversation until your boss passed by, eyes glancing quickly over them; coughing, they returned to their desk with a huff. The rest of day was far more silent.

Before heading back to the beach, you grabbed the bus back home, wanting to change into more comfortable clothes. After changing, you passed by the mirror near the front door, giving yourself a once over. You spent an extra minute fixing your hair up a bit before catching yourself, cheeks heating up at the idea of trying to make yourself slightly more presentable for what was probably an average routine, an unextraordinary evening out on the pier. Just another day...right?

The beach was closer to your apartment in comparison to work, so you normally walked straight there from your home. Passing by the food vendor you grabbed two snacks this time, taking one in each hand before heading over to the pier.

It was a bit earlier in the day, the sun resting just above the cross-section of ocean and sky, a reflection of glitter sprinkled on the shifting water. Taking off your shoes, your feet dangled once more over the edge of the pier, eyes scanning and ears listening for any sign of movement against the water; an unexpected splash, something to signal the presence of something – or someone – close by.

One of the hashimaki sat in a cardboard bowl as you held the other one to your mouth, the smell of grilled octopus and cabbage mixing with the salty scent of fresh sea water and damp wood. Turning around, your eyes scanned behind you and along the beach for anyone close by; someone who might disturb any...visitors who might not want to be seen otherwise. Luckily it was the middle of the week; the weekends often drew in loud families and adventurous swimmers leaving the remaining days fairly desserted.