Not me forgetting its Mermay until the last day of May. Anyway, idk if it really counts but now I don't have time for plot planning so have an Azul X Reader.
I really love the idea of present day chubby Azul. Maybe he gained weight over stress, I'm not sure. But you still think he's more than adorable when you see him again a year later.
Leave Me Be
Chubby!Azul Ashengrotto x Reader
Warnings: Angst, Self-shaming, Depression, reader is probably also chubby but maybe I'm just projecting
Traveling to the deepest depths of the Coral Sea was less than easy. Honestly, the amount of potions and formulas you had to drink from weaker mages made you feel like shit. Azul could've done far better for you, but upon your accidental return to Night Raven College through some portal you'd found in a puddle, you'd found that he'd left the school and decided to take a year for himself at home.
You were shocked, but there wasn't much you could do; he wasn't returning your messages. You waited a couple of weeks for school to let out, and had Jade and Floyd take you to his home.
You quickly found out that Azul had moved out of his family's home, into the outskirts of town, apparently, according to the rumors, depressed and ashamed of himself.
Alone, with Jade and Floyd already gone to their own destination, you swam unguided to where you hoped was at least the general direction of his new home.
The other Mers had said his home wasn't easy to miss, but for someone as unsuited to water as you, particularly in these dark depths, a serious worry that you would get lost ruminated in the back of your mind.
Around 30 minutes of aimless swimming later, you saw a dim light in the gloom.
It seemed to glow a dim purple, somewhere off in a hole in the side of a massive rock formation.
Bracing yourself to swim upwards quite the distance, you realized just how massive this wall of rock and sediment was.
No one had mentioned Azul's home as being on the human equivalent of a mountainside. But then again, it didn't seem like many people had visited him. They spoke strongly of his gloomy, irritated demeanor, and unwillingness to use his magic anymore. It seemed that shortly after he moved, he began rejecting visitors all together.
You pulled yourself along the rough rock wall with your hands, following the light, which became clearer and brighter the closer you swam.
It was just a guess, but you were certain if there was any place the Azul you knew would hide, it would be far away from others, holed up in a spot where he'd be safe and unbothered.
The relatively small opening to the cavern you were less than a few feet from fit the definition to a tee.
Maybe 12 feet across both directions, the mouth of the cavern felt tucked away.
You took in a deep breath when you reached the edge, seeing the gauzy purple light brighten from within, relishing the strange feeling of water filling your lungs instead of air.
"Azul?" You called out, unsteady and feeling small in the vast ocean around you, hands still tightly gripped on the rough rocky surface.
A small flurry of bubbles, and the light turned off with a tick.
"I'm not accepting visitors at the moment." A voice called from within, annoyance pricking every syllable.
You sighed and valted yourself into the entrance of the cave with relief, not going any farther.
"Did you not hear me? Step out of my home, I have not invited you here!" His tone was sharp and outright angry.
You couldn't see a thing in the dark now, but you could feel the soft swish in the water of Azul's swift movements nearby.
"Zullie, it's me." You called into the dark, feeling unsettled.
A silence seemed to fall over the small space.
His voice shook, a little weaker than he had clearly intended it to come out.
"I've missed you." You said tentively, hoping he would turn the light on already.
His voice was composed and sharp again.
"W-well," it was your turn to stutter. He seemed almost angry that you were here. "I found a portal back to school and.. I found out that you had left, and I just..." Though you tried to keep yourself together, tears began to flow freely into the ocean. "I couldn't leave you alone. The first person I went looking for when I came back, was you."
You could hear the heavy breathing from what you could now identify as across the room.
That swish of movement again, and--
"You heard me." He sounded solemn. "Go, Yuu. Go back to school, or go back home." His voice was softened and shaky; you could hear small sniffles.
"Azul, please, I've missed you so much!" He must have heard the panic, the hurt in your voice, but he only sank deeper into the depths of his cave.
"I don't want you here." He mumbled. "I don't want you here, and I'm not coming back to school either. Don't wait for me."
"Zullie, please! What happened? What's made you like this?"
"You have," He grumbled into the waves.
Your voice dropped to a whisper. "Me? What did I do?" You sat at the edge of the cave.
"I'll sit here until you tell me," you warned, in a voice softer than you thought you could manage.
The silence answered you.
"Azul.. I'll go. Just, listen for a moment. I'm sorry if I hurt you... I.. I really missed you. I'm so, so sorry, I'm--" You were crying into your hands at this point.
A single tentacle wrapped around your arm and gently tugged it away from your face.
"It's not your fault.. I shouldn't have hidden it from you. Yuu.. there was something I neglected to tell you before you left. I.. love you. And I didn't tell you. And I've regretted that every day since. I didn't think I would ever get the chance to tell you again."
The tentacle tightened around your arm.
You wiped your tears away, a wry laugh escaping from your mouth amongst the remnants of sobs.
"That's.. what I regretted too. I didn't tell you either.. I love you too, Azul."
You crawled closer to embrace him.
The tentacle rapidly whished away, and you heard him scoot back. You stopped in your tracks.
"Yuu.." You could hear the pain in his voice. "It would still be better if you left."
"Absolutely not! You can't j-just confess and expect to escape it now!" You protested. "I've missed you for far too long. Please, I don't want to leave you right now."
You grasped in the dark, coming into contact with a tentacle you gently pulled toward you, sensing Azul moving closer with it.
"You.. you won't like me anymore." His voice is breathy and he sounds pitiful.
"You don't understand... I'm not.. what you remember."
"Your mer form, you mean? I've seen it before."
"No.. I looked different in.. other ways."
The air that hung between you was dampened by the cold, lonely feeling of sadness.
"I used to be fit, and beautiful, for a time... but I couldn't keep that up after you left. Now I'm just a disgusting remnant of who I was when you knew me. I've done nothing but indulge myself in treats, forgotten all about ideal caloric intake, I've not exercised or--" His voice was tangibly anxious, fast and unstable. You could guarantee his eyes were glazed over with tears.
You squeezed the tentacle you were holding tighter, watching him quiet as he wrapped it around your hand, shaking and softly crying.
"Azul, are you trying to tell me that you've gained weight?"
You cast your eyes downward with solemn understanding. "I doubt that, Zullie. I can't imagine you could ever look anything other than perfect in my eyes." Your voice was whisper quiet, but his breath still caught at the sentiment, whimpers lessening as you gently ran a finger back and forth over his suckers to calm him.
"Don't hate me." He muttered, suddenly pulling away from you and shuffling to the other side of the cavern again.
The light revealed your beautiful octo-mer, still as wonderfully entrancing and gorgeous as you'd remembered.
He took your breath away. You could hardly even see any imperfections, even now. His stomach was rounder, his arms were less toned, his jawline was softer and his tentacles looked more full than before. But he was still the most beautiful man you'd ever lain eyes on.
His icy blue eyes were filled with tears you couldn't overlook, and before he could say another word, you launched yourself upon him in a tearful embrace, soothing him with soft whispers while your tears intermingled with his into the open ocean.
His tentacles wrapped against you, words of love and passion falling from both your lips.
You put your hands on each side of his face, guiding him to look into your eyes.
"Azul, I don't see any difference. You're still you. And I love you because of the Azul up here--" you pushed a finger at his forehead. "Not because your body has changed. I love you, Azul. And I won't leave you again."
He buried his head against your neck.
"I love you, I love you so much, Yuu..."
"Zullie.. I'm here to stay. Do you hear me? I'm never leaving you again."
He pulled you tighter to him, sobbing once again.
"Thank you... thank you for coming back, Angelfish."
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Yeah, this was healing, I know I'm not fat but damn I feel horrible about my body :(
