Chapter Text
The sea is dark, as it always is this late at night. The shimmer of fish overhead mimics the stars Dean so occasionally sees when he heads to the surface. He eyes the silver school as they swim together in a single harmonious body, unaware of his presence, his dark grey tail blending into the bottom of the depths.
With one strong sweep of his caudal fin, he speeds forward, ahead of the unsuspecting fish. He grips the carved whalebone blade in his hand and makes sure his kelp satchel is secured on his waist. Then, with a deep breath through his gills, he shoots upward.
The fish panic, as he knew they would, but with a practiced stroke of his blade, he slices the slowest of the group, downing three and swerving sharply. He lashes out with his tail, swinging as hard as he can as he turns. He feels several more fish against his fin, stunned by the blow and races after the rest of the group, teeth bared and claws outstretched. He snags one on his foreclaw and quickly bites its spine to end its wriggling.
Dean withdraws his fangs and watches what’s left of the school swim away. With a sigh he opens his satchel and tucks the fish into it. He swims around, collecting the rest of his prey, counting as he goes.
Four, five, six… aaand seven.
He finishes counting, snapping the satchel shut. This should last him and Sam three days, maybe four if they stretch it out. He’d been trying to catch as much as he could for the both of them as they wander the ocean, to let Sam rest and heal. His stupid dork of a brother had injured his shoulder in a run-in with a group of extremely territorial tiger sharks. It’d been a scary situation at the time, causing Dean to jump in and fight off two while Sam took on the one. They’d both earned some more scars that day, but now, they could laugh about it.
How do you get snuck up on by a tiger shark, you big whale? Dean had chuckled.
I was busy looking for clams, Dean!
Aw yes, to add to your shell collection, right?
Sam smacked him with the tip of his tail, Shut up!
A laugh hums in Dean’s chest at the memory. Oh poor Sammy, having to deal with his teasing for almost twenty-two cycles now. Dean is only two cycles older, but he still feels like both a parent and brother to Sam. It’s been a long time since their parents left, leaving them to fend for themselves as most all selachii do around their eighteenth cycle. But in this instance, Sam had done something Dean had never heard any other selachii siblings do. Dean had been to make his way in the world alone while Sam was to stay with their parents until his eighteenth cycle, but he made a choice, one that Dean will always be grateful for—he came with Dean. And so here they both are, exploring the oceans, together.
Being on their own isn’t easy. Sam knew the risks when he decided to leave with Dean, but Dean still feels guilt pool in his stomach whenever the food runs low and he watches the pained look on his brother’s face as the hunger sets in.
But Dean tries his best to never see that look on his face again. Of course, with Sam temporarily out of commission, things are more difficult. Which is why he’s spent every day for the past couple days doing nothing but hunting. They should be adequately stocked for the week, Dean thinks as he calculates their current storage. But it wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra.
Dean tucks the knife back in his belt, sweeping his faintly glowing eyes across the open sea. There are no other creatures in sight, he’ll have to look deeper. He lazily makes the dive down towards the darker waters. He doesn’t usually venture this far, but there is no risk without reward. He blows the air out of his gills as he reaches farther and farther into the dark, letting himself adjust to the pressure change. When he finally recognizes the walls of the trench, there is virtually no light left. But that’s no problem, Dean doesn’t need the light.
He scans the rock shelf, slowly sweeping his tail back and forth as he searches for the barnacles and anemone Sam is so fond of ( You can’t just eat fish Dean! You need variety! ). He rolls his now fully glowing eyes. Sam and his picky eating, Dean never understood why he can’t just eat fish and crab like a normal selachii, but he still gets it for Sam when he can anyway.
He swims a bit longer, keeping in mind how far out he is now. He shouldn’t wander too far from Sam—the closer they are, the easier it is to rush back in case one of them is in danger. It’s that reminder that makes Dean sigh and slow his descent. As he’s about to turn around and head back up, a glowing patch of anemone catches his eye. He perks up, flapping his pectoral fins as he floats forward. He discovers the plantlife is farther than he’d expected.
The rock shelf delves deeper into the trench wall, opening up into a large cave system. Dean stares in awe as the rock hollows out into a long stretch of shimmering green crystal. The crystals are smooth, with cracks and vertical refractions of light embedded deep in their emerald depths, forming the walls and reflecting off his rough grey skin. Below him, Dean spots the misty surface of a brine pool and the smoke of vents billowing up to heat the cavern. It warms him from head to tail and sends a pleasant shiver through his body.
Dean can’t help but smile. It’s only every once in a while he or Sam come across beauty such as this. This was the one thing Dean likes about living out in the open ocean, never settling down—he gets to see the world. He swims further, nearly forgetting to grab the anemone, quickly ripping some off the walls. There is an abundance of it all throughout the system, growing in clusters around colonies of tube worms. Oh, Dean had hit the jackpot.
Dean grabs a couple more pieces of coral and anemone. They definitely have enough now, so Dean stops gathering, instead just wandering the cave. Dean’s never seen a cavern so large. It’s surprisingly light and Dean soon sees why when he spots the spread of bioluminescent wildlife bathing in the heat of the vents. It’s not often Dean dives deep enough to see such a sight, and this type of ecosystem seems to be closer to the surface than is typical. Too bad Sam isn’t here with him to see it.
Dean ventures deeper, skimming the pools below but making sure not to touch it. It still fascinates him how there can be lakes underwater.
I wonder what kelp Poseidon was on when he made these. Dean laughs at his own joke. He brushes his hand against the smooth crystal, admiring how the light reflects off his claws. It almost matches his eyes, Dean thinks. He reluctantly turns away from it.
He takes a long breath through his nose, letting the scents wash over him. There’s the salt of the brine, the tang of the creatures floating along and then—he jolts as a strong wave of fear hits him.
The scent is prominent in the water, Dean is surprised he didn’t notice it sooner. It wafts towards him from a dark corner of the cavern, where a pocket is carved out of the wall. Dean approaches it slowly, scanning the dark for any movement. At first, he sees nothing, but then he notices the difference in texture. The wall of the little cave smooths out where there looks to be a small bundle. Dean approaches cautiously, nearing the strange object. Dean flinches back when the ball visibly tightens, trying to make itself as small as possible. Dean feels a horrible guilt weigh in his gut—it’s afraid of him.
Hey… hey, Dean hums soothingly into the water, It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.
The ball shifts slightly, loosening enough that Dean catches a blue eye staring at him. That’s when Dean notices the tentacles. Previously the same green as the wall, now they shift to a darker blue. Dean gasps as the long arms lower to reveal the rest of the dark hair, pale torso and both of the stunning blue eyes.
Dean has heard of these creatures before, but only in myth. They are said to be very dangerous and extremely aggressive, with few who encountered them or their colonies coming back alive. But Dean can’t imagine the sight before him being anything less than beautiful.
You’re a cecaelia, right? Dean asks. The cecaelia goes wide-eyed and nods slowly, still inching away from him.
Well I’m Dean, a selachii—if you couldn’t tell. Dean tries for a pleasant smile, but it doesn’t seem to help. Dean keeps trying. I’ve only ever heard of you guys, but I didn’t think you lived this deep—or alone.
The cecaelia doesn’t respond, just stares, unblinking. Dean’s eyes skim the cecaelia’s body. He’s surprised when he notices the awkward way the cecaelia clutches his lower abdomen.
Dean frowns. You’re hurt. He swims forward, hand raised. Dean stops immediately when the cecaelia’s tentacles flare a deep red and he rises up, teeth bared, frills and arms spreading. Dean goes wide-eyed and slowly backs away.
Okay, okay—I won’t touch. Dean takes it back, he totally sees how they can be scary as shit. Once Dean's gotten over the obvious threat display, he sees that most of the cecaelia’s large appearance is due to the splay of tentacles, but the rest of his upper half looks dangerously thin. Dean knows this look—he mustn’t have eaten in a long while.
Um… here, Dean keeps eye contact as he slowly undoes his satchel and reaches into it. The cecaelia keeps track of his hand as it moves past his knife and into the bag. Dean takes out three fish and places them on the outcrop of the smaller cave. You look hungry.
The cecaelia squints at the fish suspiciously. Dean just sighs, How would I have poisoned the fish when I didn’t even know you were here? The cecaelia still squints at him, but slowly reaches out an arm to grab all three fish and bring them into his lap. He gives Dean a nervous glance, but Dean just reassures him, Go ahead. Without any further hesitation, the cecaelia picks up a fish and hastily sinks his teeth into it.
Dean watches him curiously as he devours the fish like he hasn’t eaten in days (which he might as well have). Hey, slow down… it’ll feel better that way. The cecaelia glances up briefly before eating again, this time at a much slower pace. His tentacles slowly return to their blue hue as he deflates back onto the cave floor.
There, better?
The cecaelia nods and continues to eat in silence. The other two fish quickly disappear, leaving only the scraps. Once it’s all gone, the cecaelia sinks even lower, eyes heavy, but still doesn’t remove the hand on his torso.
Is that why you haven’t eaten? Dean gestures to his side. You can’t hunt?
The cecalia looks down at his hand then up at Dean. He nods solemnly.
And I’m guessing you can’t eat anemone.
He nods again. Dean feels his heart sink. He and Sam have been through some rough patches but they always had each other to rely on should they get hurt. But out here, injured all on your own—you’re screwed.
Let me help you, Dean asks softly, tentatively raising his hand again. The cecalia’s arms ripple a deep purple but he doesn’t flare up again. Dean, unperturbed, swims forward and reaches for the cecaelia’s hand. Let me see. As soon as he brushes the cecaelia’s skin, arms fly out to enwrap him. Dean gasps as he’s suddenly pinned to the cave floor with a giant weight atop his chest. His hands are tied by the wrists and his tail immovable due to the unnaturally strong arms securing him in place. The cecaelia is above him now, bearing down on him, hissing with a full row of pointed teeth.
Dean shrivels back, trying to fight the feeling that he is very, very small. Dean curses as he smells his own fear in the water. He considers yelling for Sam, but there is no way Sam could reach him down here in time, even if Dean did put up a fight.
I’m sorry. Dean hates the way his vocals tremble slightly. I’ll leave you alone, I promise. And I-I’ve got a brother… he’s hurt and needs me to look out for him. I’ll give you some more fish, is that good?
Dean is pleading and he knows and hates it. He prays that he hasn’t just made the biggest mistake of his life. Helping a cecaelia—he’s been warned of them, and yet he still didn’t take the hint.
The cecaelia stares at him, surprise filling his gaze. His grip starts to loosen but doesn’t let go altogether. Dean tries pushing against him but he stays put. All he can do is stare back and hope the cecaelia isn’t smart enough to know that Dean would last a lot longer than a couple fish.
Something must show on Dean’s face because the cecilia's expression changes. His curiosity melts into sadness. He meets Dean’s eyes for only a second more before dropping down. He lets go of Dean, drawing his arms back around himself in a hug. Dean darts out of the small cave as soon as he’s released, kicking up a small trail of sand. He only stops once he’s a safe distance away from the cecaelia. Dean stares at the cecaelia as he lays, once again, in a bundle on the floor, all aggression gone.
Dean can hear his heart pounding in his chest and he’s sure the cecaelia can too. But he’s not going to stick around to ask. Keeping to his word, Dean cautiously takes out another fish and places it on the edge of the cave. He glances one last time at the cecaelia, catching his big sparkling eyes before whirling around and racing out of the cavern.
He doesn’t stop swimming until he’s out of the trench and far past his usual hunting grounds. His heart is still racing like a rambunctious mako. He places a hand over his chest to try and calm it down and takes several deep breaths through his gills.
He could’ve died. He could’ve died and left Sammy alone and wondering what had happened. But he wasn’t dead, Dean reminds himself. It’s not like he’s never been in a life or death situation before, it’s just that it’s never been against another sentient creature. Of course, he’s wrestled with Sam plenty of times, but this is different. He shivers.
It’s okay, Dean hums to himself, You’ll go back to Sam, recount the food and act like none of this ever happened. It’ll all go back to normal.
He drifts his way back to the Gleaming Rock where he and Sam have decided to take refuge. It’s nothing more than a tall shiny stone sticking out of the sand, fallen from the world above, but it’s full of strange and somewhat beautiful objects. Their favorite, though, is the reflection stone. The smooth, clear crystal surface shows a perfect replica of both Sam and Dean whenever they swim in front of it. It was the first time either of them had seen what they really looked like. It made Sam curious about the magic of the people above, but Dean just took what he was given and wondered nothing more.
Dean keeps going through old memories, calming himself until he finally spots their makeshift home. It slowly comes into focus as he nears and soon enough, he sees Sam’s head pop out from one of the circles in the rock.
You’re back! His little brother pushes the rest of his ridiculously long body through the circle and swims towards him. You took way longer this time. What was it?
Dean swallows down his nervousness and smiles, reaching into his satchel. Sam gasps as Dean pulls out an anemone.
You found some?! Sam’s face is enough to make Dean crack a genuine smile.
Yup, and there was a ton of it too! I had to dive pretty deep for these.
You’re the best! His brother draws him in for a bone-crushing hug. Dean feels the air squeezed out of his body as he reluctantly hugs back and groans.
Okay, you’re welcome… now could you—dude, you’re gonna hurt your shoulder again.
Oh yeah. Sam releases him and glances down at his arm, covered in a kelp wrap where the bite wound lay underneath. But I think it’s getting better. Sam smiles.
Good. Dean smiles back. Sam glances him over and his face falls as he scans the length of Dean’s tail.
Wow, Dean… are you okay? Dean frowns and looks down at his tail. He sucks in a sharp breath when he sees what Sam is staring at. Dark circles adorn a large area of his scales, protruding from where the cecaelia’s tentacles had latched onto him and stuck on hard enough to bruise.
Oh… Dean’s mind whirls until he finally comes up with an excuse, There was a giant octopus where the anemones were. Needless to say, he wasn’t too happy about me barging in there. He cracks a smile which seems to fool Sam because he smiles back.
Just be more careful next time… don’t risk your life for some lousy plants.
Oh, excuse me—who was the one going on about how healthy they are and judging me for my personal preference for the classic carnivorous diet?
Just because I don’t agree with your eating habits doesn’t mean I want you to go wrestle a squid every time you go plant hunting.
Octopus.
Whatever. Sam playfully ruffles his brother’s hair and swirls around before heading back inside.
Hey! I told you to stop doing that—I’m older than you!
Well I’m bigger than you! Sam calls over his shoulder. Dean huffs grumpily but just shakes his head as he follows Sam inside. Before he passes the threshold, he pauses. Dean looks back down at the bruises littering his tail then out towards the direction of the trench.
Now that Dean thinks about it, Dean can’t really blame the cecaelia for what he did. If Dean had been in the same situation, he would have probably done the same. A total stranger approaches you and gives you food, sure, but that can’t always be trusted. And then Dean had gone and touched him. That’s the line he shouldn’t have crossed. More guilt sinks onto his shoulders as he remembers the fear and hunger in his eyes. He was all alone, hurt and starving. Dean’s sure if he hadn’t fed him, he would only have a few more days before his body started to shut down—and it would be impossible to recover after that.
Dean will probably never know what will happen to the cecaelia. He’ll probably be gone by morning, having to relocate now that someone has found his hideout. Dean sighs. He wishes he had done more. But all he can do now is wish for the best and pray that wherever the cecaelia is, that he’ll be safe and comfortable and happy.
Whispering a quick prayer to the tides, Dean turns away and disappears into the cave.