#rf watarase

[mizziecornart]

Super spinny inner tube attack 🐟

[lieserli]

i love these characters so much

[broomballkrakenfic]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Title: The Catch of a Lifetime

Fandom: Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma

Pairing: Murasame/Watarase

Word count: 2653

Warnings: None

Summary: Watarase and Murasame go night fishing together, hoping to hook the catch of a lifetime. They do…but not in the way that either of them expected.

"Ahhh! The air's nice and fresh tonight, ain't it, Murasame?"

"Indeed."

Murasame chuckled when Watarase glanced over his shoulder at him, his smile big enough to be seen through his face covering. This wasn't the first time that they had gone night fishing together, but Watarase was as excited as ever, and Murasame found that excitement to be rather infectious.

On the outside looking in, the friendship between the fishing fanatic and the training-obsessed swordsman might seem a bit odd. To Murasame, however, it seemed so natural, considering that the only hobby he had besides training was fishing. There was no one else in Azuma that was as passionate about fish as Watarase, and that passion is what had driven Murasame to ask him for pointers.

Watarase had done him one better: he had invited Murasame to go night fishing with him. Feeling like he'd be imposing - an amateur like him fishing next to a master - Murasame had declined at first. Watarase had been persistent however, so Murasame eventually took him up on the offer, and that bonding experience had escalated their relationship from mere acquaintances to fishing buddies.

"C'mon, fishin' buddy! Let's get castin' while the castin's good!" Watarase had made it to the fishing spot first, and he beckoned at Murasame with a wave. This particular spot was in the wilds outside of Winter Village, with a majestic waterfall right across from the fishing dock, making for some nice scenery while they waited for the fish to bite.

Murasame moved to stand next to Watarase, and he readied his pole. "Right, let's do it."

"Woo-hoo!"

Both men cast their lines at the same time, and Murasame breathed deeply of the cold, crisp air. He always felt so calm and relaxed when he was fishing. The tension and pressure that came with his training to be the best swordsman melted away, and he was free to just enjoy the sport, the beautiful scenery, and Watarase's company.

Murasame felt his face grow warm, and he cast a sidelong glance at his fishing buddy, who was whistling a cheery tune as he kept an eye on his line. That last point grew in importance with every fishing trip...mostly due to the fact that Murasame had fallen in love with Watarase somewhere along the way.

At first, Murasame enjoyed Watarase's company mostly because he was a wonderful listener. After the Earth Dancer had helped him sever his contract with the yoma, Sunny, he had confided in Watarase about the entire ordeal, and that was a common topic of conversation during these fishing outings. Watarase always listened patiently, and only offered advice when asked for it, which Murasame greatly appreciated.

Murasame always left these fishing trips feeling like a weight had been lifted off of his chest...and more recently they left him longing for them to occur much more often. He loved laughing and/or rolling his eyes and groaning at Watarase's silly fish puns, and watching his pretty blue eyes sparkle after every successful catch. Watarase made Murasame feel like he didn't have a care in the world, and he yearned to be by his side outside of their fishing trips. Murasame just needed to tell him that, which was easier said than done...

"Somethin' on yer mind?"

Murasame was snapped from his thoughts and turned to see Watarase watching him with a kindness in his gaze that made his heart skip a beat. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to decide if tonight would be the night that his feelings would spill out. He ultimately chose to finally take the plunge, despite being scared out of his mind.

"Ah, yes..."

Watarase nodded, and he wedged the handle of his pole between a crack in the dock planks before turning his full attention to Murasame. "I'm all ears, if you'd like to talk about it."

"A-All right..." Murasame mumbled as he did the same with his pole. Clearing his throat, he turned to face Watarase, rubbing at the back of his neck as he tried to figure out how to begin.

"I was just thinking about...all of the time we've spent together during these fishing trips," Murasame started, pausing to take a calming - but shaky - breath. "I want you to know how much I really appreciate all that you've done for me, Watarase."

Watarase tilted his head slightly with an eyebrow raised, but stayed silent, so Murasame continued: "After severing my ties with the yoma, I felt...inadequate. I'm grateful to be relying on my own strength again, but my goal felt so much further out of reach. It left me in a rather depressive state."

A small smile crossed Murasame's face, and he saw Watarase's eyes widen in response. "But then I reached out to you for fishing lessons, and I honestly never expected you to see an amateur like me as a fishing buddy. I am grateful that you did though, because you helped to save me from myself."

"Aw shucks, Murasame..." Watarase said, his cheeks turning a cute pink in color. Murasame was momentarily distracted by the sight, but he managed to get back on track before his train of thought disappeared.

"You listened to my every complaint and concern, and the advice you have offered me has helped me more than you know. I can now let myself rely on others for help, instead of shouldering my burdens alone like I always have. Being in your company gives me a sense of peace that I have never felt before, a-and I cannot - ahem - thank you enough." Murasame started tripping over his words a bit, due to the roaring of his heartbeat in his ears, and he knew that it was now or never; he needed to just get to the damn point.

Murasame averted his gaze and clenched his trembling hands into fists. "That all being said, I find myself...terribly smitten with you, Watarase," he blurted out. He winced and gave his head a shake before adding, "W-Wait, that's not quite accurate. I've actually, ah, fallen...in love with you."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Murasame braced himself for a rejection, but all he was met with was silence. He slowly reopened them and forced himself to look back at Watarase, who was staring at Murasame with a dumbstruck look on his face. Judging from the way that his mouth covering melded around his lips, Murasame guessed that his mouth was hanging agape. He paled slightly, not knowing what that meant.

The silence was finally broken when Watarase barked out a laugh and slapped his knee. "Well shoot! I had a feelin' that tonight was gonna be special, but I figured it would be due to hookin' a big ol' fish!"

Sweat started to bead at the back of Murasame's neck, and he swallowed thickly. "S-So, do you...I m-mean, are you...No, wait-"

"Now just hold yer seahorses," Watarase interrupted, taking a step closer to Murasame. His eyes widened when Watarase reached out to take both of his hands. "I appreciate ya being so honest with me, Murasame." Murasame held his breath as Watarase moved one hand to his own face.

"And...I accept your feelings because, well...I feel the same way." Watarase's tone was bright as he tugged at his face covering. "Here, I'll show you just how serious I am." He pulled the fabric down, showing Murasame his bare face for the first time, and all of the air left Murasame's lungs as if he’d been sucker-punched right in the gut.

"I love you too, Murasame. With all my heart and...sole."

"A-Ah..." Murasame's mind was flushed with a complex mix of emotions; elation that his feelings were being returned, relief that he didn't get rejected, and exasperation at the obvious fish pun that Watarase had snuck into his confession. The thing that had rendered him speechless the most, however, was how impossibly handsome Watarase was. His smile was even more ethereal than he could have ever imagined, and he even had cute dimples that endeared Murasame to him even more.

"Somethin' wrong?" Watarase asked, and Murasame quickly cleared his throat and gave his head a shake.

"No, it's just...you're very...very handsome," he said, before letting out a long sigh, "....and did you really just make a pun during a love confession?"

"Aw shucks, yer makin' me blush!" Watarase gushed; his cheeks had indeed flushed bright red. "Hehe, and you betcha! I'm happy you caught it, 'cause that makes ya a keeper in my book!"

Laughter bubbled up within Murasame, and he let it burst forth. Watarase laughed along with him, and when they stopped, Murasame cast a shy glance down at the hand that Watarase still held.

"Hearing that you share my feelings makes me happier than I've ever been before," Murasame said, looking back up into Watarase's handsome face; he knew it would take a while before the sight stopped stealing the breath from his lungs. A cheeky smile crossed Watarase's face as he leaned closer to Murasame.

"Are ya maybe...happy as a clam?"

"...Please stop."

"Aw, yer no fun, hehe," Watarase teased. His smile grew soft as he lifted his hand up and cupped the right side of Murasame's face. "Anywho, don'tcha think it's a bit unfair that I've laid my face all bare to you, and you haven't?"

Murasame hadn't expected that kind of question, and he couldn't stop his chest from tightening with unease. He averted his gaze as he brushed at the fabric that covered his left eye with his fingers. "It's...not a pretty sight."

Watarase quickly shook his head. "Aw shucks, I'm sure that's de-betta-ble!"

Murasame sighed; the increase in the constant stream of puns was going to take some getting used to. "Really?"

"C'mon, that was a good one!"

"Whatever you say." Murasame pursed his lips as he slowly untied the fabric around his head. His left eye closed reflexively when he removed it. At least to him, the eerie black sclera with a red iris were ugly and blatantly unnatural; a fitting punishment for making an ill-advised deal with a yoma. With Watarase watching him with genuine kindness in his gaze, he slowly opened it.

Watarase whistled, and a beaming smile crossed his face. "Heh, well I'll be! Yer gorgeous, Murasame, just the way you are."

Murasame felt his chest flood with warmth, and he stuttered, "Y-You're just saying that..."

"Nope! You look absolutely fin-tastic!"

Murasame chuckled. "Is it too late to change my mind?" he joked. Watarase smirked and brought his other hand up so that he was cupping Murasame's face, whose breath hitched when Watarase's face moved so close to his that their noses brushed.

"I reckon it is," he whispered, and before Murasame could blink, Watarase was kissing him, tender and gentle. A warmth that Murasame had never felt before erupted within his chest, and his eyes slipped shut as he smiled against Watarase's lips. Their first kiss only ended when both men needed to breathe, and Watarase pressed his forehead against Murasame's as he gazed at him fondly.

"Y'know...I'm mighty proud of ya, Murasame. That whole business with that yoma was a bit of a mistake, but you made it out alright in the end."

Murasame let a bitter laugh slip out. "That was...a pretty big mistake, actually."

Watarase chuckled and gently brushed Murasame's hair from his face; trails of heat were left on his skin where his fingers touched. "Well, that's just where yer line was cast. But instead of givin' up when yer catch was too strong, you kept on fightin', and with yer own strength. I reckon that's somethin' to be proud of, darlin'."

Darling. Murasame's heart fluttered at the term of endearment, and he felt like his face had been set ablaze. He had never been called anything like that before, and while it felt nice...it was also a bit embarrassing. So much so that he was unable to respond with anything coherent and ended up muttering gibberish under his breath.

Watarase tilted his head, his brow furrowed. "Oh, d'ya not like darlin'? I could call ya sweetheart, or honey, or dearest...Ooh, or even my heart~"

"U-Um, d-darling is just fine," Murasame finally blurted out; he feared that his heart might give out if he let Watarase continue.

"Oooh, yer just embarrassed, aren't ya?" Watarase teased, giving Murasame's cheek a playful poke, which caused the latter to pout.

"...Possibly."

"Hehe, that's mighty cute!"

Murasame had enough of this teasing, so he decided to shut Watarase up by kissing him again. He felt smug when Watarase squeaked with surprise, and soon enough they were completely caught up in their tender embrace. Murasame made a note to use this particular silencing technique whenever Watarase's puns got too out of control...

The dock suddenly shook under them, forcing the two men apart. Watarase luckily reacted immediately, and managed to scramble over to his fishing pole and grab it before it could be yanked into the water.

"Holy mackerel!" he exclaimed, his face hardening as he clenched his teeth. Murasame noticed that his firmly planted feet were starting to slip, so he quickly wrapped his arms around Watarase from behind and held him firmly in place.

"Thanks, darlin'!" Watarase said through grit teeth, "Hoo-eey! This feels like a big 'un!"

"I'll...say," Murasame grunted while trying to keep both of them steady. This fish must have indeed been a giant, because even two grown men - one with extensive physical training - were struggling to keep it on the line. Murasame knew that Watarase was a professional, however, so he trusted him to get the job done. He just needed to keep him from flying off of the dock.

"You gotta be squiddin' me!"

"Now's not the time for puns!"

"There's always time for puns-Yikes!"

It was quite a long battle, leaving both men sweating and panting by the end of it, but eventually Watarase managed to reel the fish in close to the dock. He had forgotten his net, but he didn't need it, because Murasame was able to reach into the water and wrap his arms around the monster fish. With Watarase pulling him by the waist, Murasame managed to finally heave it onto the dock.

Both men took the time to catch their breaths, and when they recovered, Watarase let out a victory cry and pumped a fist into the air. "Alright! We did it!"

"We did." Murasame smiled, and he cringed when Watarase hugged him. "I'm covered in fish slime, you know."

"Hehe, yeah." Watarase only hugged him tighter. "You of all people should know that don't bother me!"

Murasame chuckled, and they turned to examine their catch. It really was a massive fish, the biggest that Murasame had ever seen for sure. Watarase was beaming as he looked it up and down, but the smile slowly fell from his face, which confused Murasame.

"Hmm, hang on a minute..." Watarase said, rubbing his chin. "I think this might be the Guardian."

"Guardian?"

"The biggest fish around...and that means we gotta release it."

Murasame's eyes widened with shock. "Really? After such a tough battle?"

"Yep." Watarase nodded as he gave the Guardian a gentle pat before carefully pushing it off the dock. He and Murasame watched it swim off until it disappeared, and he elaborated, "I want it to live a long, full life, until it becomes a legend worth spreading across all Azuma."

Murasame pondered that for a moment, and a smile slowly spread across his face. "A meal for the day, or an opponent for a lifetime...I see now."

"I knew you would, darlin'!" Watarase gazed fondly at Murasame, who hummed and cupped his cheek.

"Even so...are you absolutely sure it was wise to let such a catch go?" Murasame asked. Watarase chuckled and snaked his arms around Murasame's neck, pulling him close.

"It sure was. Besides..." Watarase said, his lips brushing Murasame's as he leaned in for another tender kiss, "I reckon I already hooked myself the catch of a lifetime."

[lieserli]

My initial reaction to Watarase was kinda funny in retrospect. At a quick glance, I saw the fish fins on his hat and thought they were cow ears (<- my eye sight is often blurry) until I looked up slightly and saw the giant fish eyes and had to do a double take. Now, I just keep imagining that he’s some weird cow man that’s really obsessed with fish. Truly a 10/10.

[broomballkrakenfic]

I started writing a Murasame/Watarase fic, and the best part about it are the fish puns lmao

Murasame averted his gaze and clenched his trembling hands into fists. "That all being said, I find myself…terribly smitten with you, Watarase," he blurted out. He winced and gave his head a shake before adding, "W-Wait, that's not quite accurate. I've actually, ah, fallen…in love with you."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Murasame braced himself for a rejection, but all he was met with was silence. He slowly reopened his eyes and forced himself to look back at Watarase, who was staring at Murasame with a dumbstruck look on his face. Judging from the way that his mouth covering melded around his lips, Murasame guessed that his mouth was hanging agape. He paled slightly, not knowing what that meant.

The silence was finally broken when Watarase barked out a laugh and slapped his knee. "Well shoot! I had a feelin' that tonight was gonna be special, but I figured it would be due to hookin' a big ol' fish!"

Sweat started to bead at the back of Murasame's neck, and he swallowed thickly. "S-So, do you…I m-mean, are you…No, wait-"

"Now just hold yer seahorses," Watarase said, taking a step closer to Murasame. His eyes widened when Watarase reached out to take both of his hands in his. "I appreciate ya being so honest with me, Murasame." Murasame held his breath as Watarase moved one hand to his own face.

"And…I accept your feelings because, well…I feel the same way." Watarase's tone was bright as he tugged at his face covering. "Here, I'll show you just how serious I am." He pulled the fabric down, showing Murasame his bare face for the first time, and all of the air left Murasame's lungs as if he’d been punched hard in the gut.

"I love you too, Murasame. With all my heart and…sole."

"A-Ah…" Murasame's mind was flushed with a complex mix of emotions; elation that his feelings were being returned, relief that he didn't get rejected, and exasperation at the obvious fish pun that Watarase had snuck in. The thing that had rendered him speechless the most, however, was how impossibly handsome Watarase was. His smile was even more ethereal than he could have ever imagined, and he even had cute dimples that endeared Murasame to him even more.

"Somethin' wrong?" Watarase asked, and Murasame quickly cleared his throat and gave his head a shake.

"No, it's just…you're very…very handsome," he said, before letting out a long sigh, "…and did you really just make a pun during a love confession?"

"Aw shucks, yer makin' me blush!" Watarase gushed; his cheeks had indeed flushed bright red. "Hehe, and I'm happy you caught it! That makes ya a keeper in my book!"