OMG GUYS GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT
IT'S TIME FOR GUY FUCKING DIAMOND AGAIN BABY LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO
PROBABLY NOT MY BEST WORK CUZ IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'E WORED ON THIS AU AND IT ALSO MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE LONGEST STORY BIT BY FAR BUT REGARDLESS I HOPE YOU GUYS ENOY AND I'M SORRY FOR LOWKEY ABANDONING THIS FOR SO LONG
Guy Diamond couldn't believe it. His son was back in his arms. He'd grown a bit and had some scars hut his heart was beating and he was breathing and he was alive and in his arms and Guy couldn't stop himself from crying from the intense relief flooding his soul
His son was okay. His son was alive, holy fuck, he was alive!! Guy held him close and so, so gently as if he'd disappear or break if he held too tight. He was so focused on having Tiny back in his arms, alive and well, that he didn't notice his colors slowly returning
After he and Tiny just hugged and enjoyed being together again a little longer, Guy sniffled and pulled away slightly so he could wipe away his tears. He looked at his son and, after realizing he'd been crying too, he gently wiped his tears away with his thumb
Guy looked up at the doorway, finally acknowledging Branch and the newcomer he'd heard earlier. He turned to the unfamiliar face and asked his name. The stranger introduced himself as John Dory. Guy asked if he was the one who brought his tiny son back to him. At his nod, Guy smiled and thanked him with all his soul
Tiny patting his cheek brought his attention back to his son, and Tiny grinned and started telling him all the things that had happened since they were separated. How Tiny had managed to free himself, how John Dory found him and wrapped his injuries, patching him up, how he gave Tiny a walking stick to help him get around and how he then fashioned it into a spear and taught him how to defend himself with it once he'd healed
Throughout Tiny’s story, Guy periodically glanced up at the troll still leaning in the doorway. The more Tiny told of how JD helped him, the more Guy's appreciation for the troll grew. He'd saved his son, patched him up, treated him like his own and taught him some tricks to defend himself, all the while helping Tiny find Guy again?
Guy turned back to Tiny once he finished his story and Guy smiled again. It felt nice to smile again. He stood from where he'd been kneeling on the floor, Tiny in his arms (safe and sound, his baby was safe and sound in his arms again), and turned to John Dory, asking if he'd like something to eat or drink. Anything at all, as a thank you for saving his son and taking care of him
JD seemed to get a bit flustered, a light blush covering his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck as he agreed to the offer of food and drink, saying it was no big deal. But to Guy, it was a big deal. It was a huge deal. He'd thought he'd never see his son again, and this troll had brought his tiny son back to him
Guy smiled and led the way to the kitchen, grabbing some fruit from the fridge and making some tea before sitting at the table so they could talk
And talk they did. For hours, in fact. Tiny had eventually gotten tired of their talking and nestled up in Guy’s hair and was presumably asleep, if the snoring was any indication. It made Guy and JD chuckled, and John made a joke about how someone so small could snore so loud, which made them both laugh harder
Guy learned that John was Branch’s brother, and that he had three more he was searching for. Guy's eyes had widened at that. He didn't know Branch had one brother, let alone four! Guy asked what John Dory did before the flood, and learned he'd spent 20 years alone in the woods as a survivalist. He learned JD had an armadillo rv named Rhonda, and learned how he'd lost her when the flood hit. Guy felt sorry for him, but JD waved it off, saying Rhonda was tough and could handle herself until he eventually found her
JD told stories of the places he'd been and the adventures he'd had, and Guy was amazed and slightly horrified. Living completely alone aside from an armadillo bus sounded so lonely, Guy was surprised he chose that lifestyle. He asked why, and JD had said he wanted freedom and wanted to only be in charge of himself for a change
Guy guessed wanting freedom was understandable, but living alone for so long just sounded miserable to him. He said as much, and JD had chuckled and said the lifestyle wasn't for everyone. Guy agreed with him there
Guy had finally started coming out of his room more often than not, and he'd noticed that while yes he'd gotten his colors and his glittery shine back, they were still muted and a bit grey-toned. It made sense, if he was being honest. Tiny was alive and well and Guy couldn't be happier about that, but he was just so worried about losing him again! The thoughts kept him up at night, as did the nightmares he still got
He'd become more protective of Tiny, always keeping an eye on him and staying within reach to help him if he needed it. He tried not to hover or be too overbearing, because he knew Tiny liked to do his own thing, but he was so worried about losing him and not being able to get him back again. Tiny didn't seem to mind all that much, thank the stars. Maybe he was worried, too
He'd also noticed that Tiny had been getting nightmares, too. Guy’s been a light sleeper since… what happened, and every once in a while he'd wake up to Tiny crying in his sleep, shaking like a leaf. It always broke Guy’s heart to see him like that, so he'd gently pull Tiny to his chest and hum softly until he settled again.
He suspected Tiny might know about his nightmares, too, because sometimes he'd wake up after a particularly bad one and Tiny would be there, hugging his face tightly. He felt guilty when that happened, he didn't want to worry his son, but he was also grateful, because seeing him there and feeling him hug his face reminded him that Tiny was alive and it helped him calm down
Luckily, when he'd woken up from his most recent nightmare, it seemed Tiny had managed to stay asleep this time. He could feel him nestled in his hair, he could hear him still snoring, sleeping soundly. Guy breathed a sigh of relief once he was assured Tiny was still okay, still with him, still safe, and he took some deep breaths as he willed his racing heart to slow
After a while, he began to calm down and he gingerly sat up with another sigh. He knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep that night, he rarely did after his nightmares. So he gingerly sat up, being careful not to wake Tiny, before making his way out of his room and to the upper decks of the ship
He stopped by the kitchen to make himself some tea before heading to the top deck, hoping the steaming drink and the cool night air would help soothe his frayed nerves
He took a deep breath of the cool night air, letting out a sigh afterwards. It was still dark out, the sun still resting below the horizon. The humid ocean air felt nice, and the scent of salt on the breeze helped relax him further. When he glanced around, he was surprised to find John Dory already awake, leaning against the rails of the ship and sipping at a mug of his own
To Guy's knowledge, John still stayed on his own ship. JD and Branch had managed to connect the two ships with many support beams and a bridge that connected one deck to the other. He had no idea how they'd managed that, but then again, Guy didn't know much about building, so he just didn't question it
Guy made his way over to John until they were standing side by side, gazing out at the open sea. Neither said anything for a while, the only sounds to breaking the silence between them being the crashing of waves against the ships sides and Tiny’s loud snores
Eventually, JD asked what he was doing up so early, keeping his voice low. Guy had simply shrugged, keeping his voice a whisper as well when he said he'd had another nightmare. Guy turned the question around on John Dory, and he'd just sipped his drink (coffee, Guy guessed) and said he couldn't sleep. Guy had nodded sympathetically. He could relate to that
John Dory didn't ask what his nightmare was about, and Guy didn't ask why JD couldn't sleep. They just…lapsed into silence again for a while, each sipping their drinks and gazing at the sea
Eventually, Guy spoke up again. He mentioned how he was still so scared of anything happening to Tiny again. He didn't know how to fight, didn't have any survival skills other than what he'd learned on the ship and from what Branch had told him after Tiny had been taken by that damn fish
He'd never wanted to learn to fight before, never needed to. But now…now he'd been faced with the very real possibility of Tiny getting hurt, and he couldn't protect him. He was completely and utterly useless
John Dory had been silent as he spoke. When Guy’s voice eventually trailed off, he heard JD hum thoughtfully. Guy scratched at the side of his neck and took a long sip of his tea, then nearly choked on it when JD offered to teach him
Guy stared wide-eyed as JD continued, saying how he'd picked up a lot of skills while wandering the Neverglades for the past 20 years. He'd said that, if Guy wanted to learn how to defend himself and Tiny, that he'd be willing to teach him
If it meant protecting his son, Guy would do anything, and he told John as much. JD had given him a soft smile and told him they could start the next morning. Strangely enough, Guy couldn't help but feel a bit excited
The next morning, before the sun rose, while Tiny was still curled up in bed and everyone else was still asleep, John Dory taught Guy Diamond how to throw a punch. A few mornings later, and Guy was beginning to get the hang of it
Once he got a good handle on how to punch, John taught Guy all the places to hit to really make it hurt
Eventually, it became a routine for them. They'd get up before the sun, JD would teach Guy something new or help him perfect something he was struggling with, Guy would turn into bed early claiming to “need his beauty sleep”, and they'd begin again the next morning
It was a lot more work than Guy expected (and hard work wasn't something he was particularly fond of), but he wanted to do this—no, needed to do this. He needed to be able to protect Tiny. He'd never let anything bad happen to his son ever again. So he continued letting JD teach him to fight
He was surprised that it seemed to get easier for him over time. Slowly, he noticed he wasn't getting as sore from all the workouts. He noticed he was even getting a bit of muscle! And with his apparent growing strength, helping out around the ship became easier too
He'd also noticed he was getting hungrier and needed to eat more in order to feel full. He'd complained about it to JD one morning, and the other troll had simply laughed and told him he needed to replenish the calories he was burning, whatever that meant
Aside from the changes from his new routine, Guy also noticed some…other physical changes
For one thing, the rash on the sides of his neck had formed into a few thin red lines, still itchy and tender. The realization had left him staring at them in the mirror for a while, his fingers tracing over the thin lines. It was still hard to believe that they would soon become gills
He'd also noticed his skin becoming a bit rougher…sort of. He'd noticed that if he brush his arm in one direction, it was still silky smooth (if a bit dry), but if brushed the other way, it would start to feel coarse, like flakes of glitter
The webbing between his fingers had also grown, now reaching his middle knuckle. He'd only noticed when he'd been washing his hands and felt the webbing, and then he'd wondered how he hadn't noticed before
Lastly, his tail seemed to be changing. He had noticed it when he was drinking some tea one morning, before he and JD started the fighting lesson of the day. It had become…wider almost? Thicker? Bigger? He didn't quite know how to explain it. The tuft of hair at the end had also begun changing, becoming thinner and flattening to become almost…fin-like… The realization had almost made him fall out of his chair at the time. JD had asked what had gotten him so startled, and when Guy explained, JD had nodded solemnly
JD had mentioned some of the changes he'd been noticing about himself, too. He told how his skin was getting thicker, rougher. He told him how his nails were beginning to sharpen into something like claws, and that he didn't know if he wanted to file them down or not. He told Guy he’d noticed his teeth were getting sharper, too, and bared his teeth in a grin to show him (the sight had made Guy's heart race, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why)
Then, he'd shown Guy his own tail, and Guy had to bite back a gasp. Along the top, small but definitely there, two lines of spikes had appeared, spanning the full length of his tail
Guy had only seen one creature with a tail like that. King Gristle’s pet alligator. But…that didn't make sense. From what he remembered about the creature, it didn't have gills, and Guy could see that the rash on John Dory’s neck had formed into fine lines much like his own. He didn't know much about critters, land or sea, but now he wondered if there were alligators with gills lurking beneath the waves. The thought made a shiver of fear travel down his spine
They talked about everything for a while longer after that. The changes, the flood, their new way of living, wondering what would happen once the changes were complete. And as they talked and sipped at their steaming drinks, they watched through the windows as dark clouds began to trail across the sky
Their conversation was cut short when the waves began to pick up, rocking the boat and nearly making them fall from their seats. They quickly discarded their mugs and donned some rain coats before rushing outside to try and steady the ship
It didn't take long for everyone else to wake up and rush outside. By the time everyone had made it to their stations, it was already pouring rain. Waves crashed harshly against the sides of th ship, and it wasn't long before the rain and sea spray soaked Guy down to his bones
The water was freezing, but Guy ignored the cold as he helped wherever he could. At some point, he saw that Tiny had made his way outside, but before Guy could even think to panic, JD was already there, scooping Tiny into his arms and urging him to hide in his hair. John Dory had pulled his goggles down over his eyes, Guy had noticed idly. It was probably useful in keeping the rain out of his eyes
He was quickly pulled from his thoughts when another large wave rocked the ship, nearly knocking Guy off-balance. He quickly steadied himself and finished tying down one of the barrels on the deck. He was about to move on and tie down anything else that had come loose when the ship rocked dangerously once again. He couldn't steady himself in time before a loose crate slammed into him, sending him crashing against the railing of the ship and tumbling over the edge…
Directly into the foaming waves below. Time seemed to slow as he fell. He could hear some of the others shouting for him, two voices ringing out louder than the others. He barely had time to gasp for breath before he was consumed by the crashing waves
Water surrounded him at all sides. It was all he could feel, all he could hear, all he could see. Guy tumbled through the water, hands clamped tightly over his mouth as he held his breath. Desperately, he swam towards where he assumed the surface to be, but everything was so disorienting. He couldn't tell left from right, up from down, and he tumbled through the water once more as another giant wave crashed overhead
He shook his head, trying to right himself. He couldn't die here. He had to get back to the ship, he had to get back to his son! His son needed him! He had to get back, he had to-
He caught a glimmer of light above him, faint and distant, and he desperately swam towards it. His arms and legs burned from the exertion, his lungs were screaming for air, but he ignored the sensations as he desperately clawed his way towards the surface
He kicked himself upwards desperately, his hands clawing at the water, but the surface was too far. Black spots began dancing at the edge of his vision, and a bone-deep panic made him redouble his efforts. He just needed to get back to the surface, get back to the ship, get back to his son-!
He was slowing…he could feel his arms and legs weakening, it became harder to move, and his lungs burned with the need for oxygen
He was going to die here, the thought came to his mind unbidden, and he could feel that fight to survive begin to leave him. Tiny…Tiny would be alright. He was with John Dory. John Dory would be able to protect him. Distantly, Guy felt his eyes burn at the thought of not being able to make it back to his son, but with his body weakening, his lungs burning and the surface still so far…he sent a silent apology to his son. An apology for not being able to make it back, for not being able to protect him, for letting the ocean claim his life. He could only hope Tiny would forgive him
Finally, he couldn't take the lack of oxygen anymore, and the last of the fight left Guy as he opened his mouth and sucked in a breath full of salt water
He felt the ocean water immediately rushing into his mouth, traveling down his neck, and he waited to feel it filling his lungs, waited for ragged coughs to wrack his frame in a desperate attempt to dispel the water from his lungs…
Instead, he felt a searing pain in the sides of his neck, the sensation of something passing through, and blessed relief as his lungs stopped burning for air
Slowly, his vision began to clear as he gasped for breath desperately. The panic inside him began to ebb, and in it's place, confusion rose. This shouldn't be possible…how was he breathing? Had he somehow made it back to the surface?
He opened the eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed and found that, no, he hadn't made it to the surface. Water still surrounded him at all sides, he could feel it rushing into his mouth as he breathed, how was this possible-
Looking up, he caught sight of the surface. Moving on instinct alone, he used his legs and tail to propel himself towards the surface of the waves
Guy’s head broke through the water and met the frigid air. He didn't even have a chance to take a breath of actual air before he felt something wrap around him and yank him out of the water. The next thing he knew, strong arms were wrapped around him, pressing him tight to a solid chest
Guy gasped, air rushing into his lungs and the strange feeling of water cascading along the sides of his neck made him cough. Finally, he glanced up, and there was John Dory, holding Guy in his arms, his goggles pushed up to his forehead again with such a strong look of fear in his eyes. JD was panting heavily as his eyes roamed over Guy, his eyes filled with fear, concern, relief, and something else…something soft and almost tender and oh, Guy felt his heart skip a beat at the sight
Distantly, he registered someone calling out, shouting something at John Dory, who'd nodded. Before he could react, John was lifting him and rushing inside, getting them out of the freezing rain and whipping wind and into the warm air of one of the common rooms
The moment they were safe inside, Tiny launched himself from John Dory’s hair and wrapped his arms around Guy, sobbing his little heart out. He was yelling at him, telling him to be more careful, to never do that again, how he couldn't lose him, couldn't be separated from him again
Guy's heart broke at the sight of his son sobbing and he hugged him tightly to his chest. He reassured him that he was alright, he'd be more careful, he'd never leave him again
His attention was brought back to John Dory when he gently set him down on one of the couches. His eyes scanned Guy for a moment as if he were searching for something, then after a moment he nodded, apparently satisfied. He murmured that he'd be right back before rushing off somewhere, leaving Guy and Tiny on the couch
Guy went back to trying to calm his son, reassuring him that he was alright while running his fingers through his hair. After a bit, Tiny seemed to calm down some, and a but after that, his eyes slipped closed and soft snores began to escape him
Guy felt so bad for worrying his son. Tiny was so young, he shouldn't have to worry about the dangers of the world. He shouldn't have to worry about his safety or Guy’s safety. Guilt weighed heavy on his heart and he sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions and staring at the ceiling, lost in thought
Not long after, Guy heard a door opening and glanced over to find that John was back, now carrying a large blanket, a towel, and two steaming mugs. John set the mugs on the coffee table and wrapped the blanket around Guy silently. He then handed him one of the mugs before using the towel to dry Guy's hair. Guy tried to insist that he could do it himself, but JD had just shaken his head
Once done, Guy watched as John Dory set the towel aside before grabbing the other mug and sitting next to him on the couch with a sigh. Neither said anything for a moment, both just sipping their respective drinks
A touch to the side of his neck startled him a bit, and he glanced over at John. JD was staring intently at the side of Guy's neck, his hand just barely hovering over where his tender rash was…or, where it should be
Guy raised a confused brow at him, and when he noticed, John Dory pulled his hand away. After a moment, John murmured that his gills had formed
Guy was shocked for all of two seconds before he realized, oh, so that’s how he'd survived. His gills had probably formed right as he was gasping in water. Softly adjusting Tiny so he was holding him in one arm, he brought his newly freed hand up to his neck to feel
They were flat, smooth against his skin (probably because he wasn't breathing water currently), but they were definitely there. Despite the shock it brought, proof that his body really was changing so he could survive in the sea, he couldn't help but also sag in relief
His thumb traced the seam, the flesh still tender and sore. Quietly, as to not wake Tiny, he told JD his he would've likely died if the gills hadn't formed when they did
He told him how he had been so far from the surface, how he'd begun to weaken, how he'd gasped and felt the salty ocean water flood his mouth and down his throat before feeling pain in the sides of his neck
They lapsed into silence, and he heard John heaving a shaky sigh. Guy almost didn't hear when John spoke next, his voice barely above a whisper when he admitted how terrified he'd been when he saw Guy fall overboard. Guy apologized for scaring him. JD apologized for not being able to grab him before he went over the edge of the ship
Neither looked at the other, each just sipping their drinks as they listened to the storm continuing to rage outside. Slowly, the ship stopped rocking as violently, and the sound of pounding rain lessened. Neither moved, neither spoke, and Guy…he couldn't help the soft smile that appeared on his face despite everything