Keith could feel the hand coming up to stroke his cheek and he shut his eyes tightly, tighter than he expected he would, and touched it right back. He was scared he'd never feel that rough sandpaper-like skin under his fingertips again. And so, when the merman looked into his eyes he could sense the determination, and he hoped he would be able to withstand the pain. If not for Keith, then for his own sake. Soon the creature moved away to enter the water, and the man took a deep breath and silently watched him as he swam further and further away, stopping to look back at him. 

He knew he would always remember this moment. Seeing Shiro from the shore, moonlight falling over him and lighting up his figure in the otherwise dark, black waters. He could only imagine how dark it must be down there, and he realized perhaps he too would have feared the night if he had to venture in endless loneliness, only soothed on the way by memories and a practiced ability to not think about the impending doom that awaited him. It must have been such a horrible life. 

The bag soon floated over to him, guided by an almost magical current, and he immediately grabbed it. He was lost in it for a moment as the water slowly dripped off of it, cold and smelling like salt. He wondered how many adventures this bag has seen, and he knew Shiro left it with him for safekeeping. He trusted him, and Keith trusted him right back, hugging it a little to his chest as he gave a wave. It wasn't as happy as the wave from the night before; it was sad, fearful, anticipating. He believed in the merman, but worry could never leave his mind. 

It was final. He was sleeping on the dock tonight. Shiro might have stopped him last night, but he won't now. He didn't care if he ended up sick. With a sense of finality, Keith waited until the merman disappeared before he ran up to the shack, gathering a pillow and his blanket, stubbornly deciding that sleeping on wood would be much better than sleeping up on his own in the shack, away from whatever happened in the sea. Besides, Shiro could come back, and - once he returned to the dock - he plopped his head down on the pillow and covered himself with the blanket, holding the bag to his chest as he watched the sea. 

He was barely going to get sleep, but at least he had a reason to be so close to the sea now.