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Chapter Text

"Promise me you won't get any girl pregnant please?"

"Jimin shut up Taehyung is gay."

"He might get drunk and you know how he gets when he's drunk-"

Yoongi and Jimin kept bickering on the topic, yet Taehyung couldn't find himself paying any attention to the couple. Jimin insisted that Taehyung would only face immense danger on land, like getting caught by immigration or getting a girl pregnant.

"Jeez Chim, I'm not that dumb, I know how to take care of myself. And I'm good at faking and acting too."

"Yeah Chim, if I could make it through there's no way Tae wouldn't. But just in case, you're packing some of my autographs with you. Bet those would come in handy."

Taehyung snorted loudly. As if anyone actually liked Agust D duh. Two years ago when Yoongi finally reached 21, he spent a month on land, a tradition for royal family members. Some King thought this could widen their horizon and quote-unquote just because they are ignorant of our presence doesn't mean we should be ignorant of theirs. And that's how the tradition was set years ago. According to Yoongi himself, he had mostly slept through the days and when night time falls, he's out. The nocturnal merman made himself a name by performing in underground rapping competitions, under the name Agust D. Yoongi said he was really popular and often told Taehyung if he had stayed long enough, he could have won a Grammy.

Taehyung called it bullshit.

"Anyways, please be careful Tae, you know how dangerous humans are. And on your way up please be extra cautious, okay? You know there has been frequent reports on hunters in these waters. Just pick a deeper shore with no humans nearby. Do you want me to go with you? You know I can always-"

"Chim, I know you're worried about me, but I'll be fine, okay? I'm turning 21 for Poseidon's sake!" Taehyung let out exasperatedly. Jimin was his best friend, he gets where this came from but honestly, but after being babied for his entire life, he's a little bit sick of it. He wanted to live to the fullest. He wanted to have the chance to do what he loved, instead of what he was told to.

"Tae, just one last thing to remind you before we leave. You know you can only go on shore once you've discovered your trait right? Don't do anything stupid before that. And keep the necklace safe would you? Drink the vial once you're near the shallow areas, then you swim your way to the beach. Bring this shell with you as well, in case you miss us you could call-" Jimin was fidgeting, looking at Taehyung with big wide eyes.

"Come on Chim, it's his big day tomorrow, cut him some slack, he'll be fine, don't worry. Good luck and have fun out there bub." Yoongi patted Jimin on the back reassuringly, rubbing circles in his neck. It's only natural Jimin feel uncomfortable with Taehyung out of his reach, since the duo were basically joined at the hip since they were three. Jimin first met Taehyung in the palace, where his father worked as the General. Jimin bumped into Taehyung in the corridor, and got their tails entangled. Maybe that was fates' idea, since then, the two has been inseparable.

With a reluctant smile, Jimin waved Taehyung goodbye and left with Yoongi. Taehyung was alone in his room at last. He eyed the indigo vial that sat on his desk. Yoongi had told him that after he drank the vial, he could get temporary human legs for a month. Taehyung wondered if it would hurt: would all his scales peel off one by one? Will his tail split in half? Will his legs be bluish green, like his tail? Instead of pestering Yoongi with questions, Taehyung decided to find out the answers by himself. (Although he's pretty sure Yoongi would have told him off anyways)

Taehyung pulled out a petite ivory-colored shoulder bag from his drawer and placed the seashell and the vial necklace in it. The bag was woven by his grandmother, using the finest coral silk found in the seven seas. The bag was also decorated with pearls, glimmering faintly in the room. Taehyung eyed the autographs on seashells, sighed defeatedly, and shoved one in his most treasured bag. Being a forgetful person, Taehyung did not put down his bag. The chances of him forgetting to take it were very high. So he took it with him when he went for a midnight swim.

Taehyung's mind was clouded with thoughts. He would be turning 21 tomorrow, and 21 was a sacred age for the merfolk. The birthday boy/girl would discover their traits, if they had any. Some have the gift to control the tides, some could grow crops underwater (which is very useful), some were gifted with the ability to shapeshift to any sea animal, some even have the ability to change the color of their tails at will (which makes them really good spies if you ask Taehyung) . Being a member of the royal family, both Yoongi and Taehyung could manipulate water to some extent, although it might not be quite useful underwater, Yoongi had told him that it would come in really handy on land. Taehyung has been always jealous of his father, who acquired the gift of shapeshifting when he was 21. Taehyung thought it was very cool. His mother could change her hair and tail color at will. Yoongi could create tsunamis and storms. Jimin could shoot water canons out of his hands. But there were also less fortunate ones who are traitless. It's not abnormal, as only 20% of the merfolk were gifted.

Taehyung was scared. He was scared to be traitless. He was scared to be a shame to his family. He was scared his family won't love him anymore and possibly abandon him. Legend has it there was once a princess who turned out to be traitless, was fed to the sharks. It gave Taehyung nightmare for months and swam away as quickly as possible everytime he saw his fathers' shark prison guards. Although they always tell him he'll still be loved even if he didn't bear any gifts, Taehyung could still imagine how disappointed his father would look if someone broke the news to him.

That's why Taehyung asked Jimin and Yoongi to leave, so he could be alone and clear his thoughts. He laid on the sandbed nonchalantly, starring up to the starry night. Taehyung loved stargazing. But it was a privilege that he only gets to experience once a year. King tide. That's what the humans call them. It was when the Earth, Moon and Sun are aligned. It was a sacred day for the merfolk, all merpeople would emerge from the seas to the worship the moon goddess Luna, thanking her for keeping the tides up and running. Taehyung was not a religious person, but he had always been enthusiastic about the Moon Festival, because he gets to see the starry night in person. Being a prince meant he could not wander to the surface freely. There had been times when Taehyung snuck out to the surface with Jimin and Yoongi after begging them with his puppy eyes, only to came back facing the wrath of his furious father and was grounded for a month.

There was every reason for the King to be mad. There were human hunters scattered in the oceans all over the world. Humans did not know much about the merfolk, but several mermaids were captured in the past decades. The mermaids were either experimented cruelly or brought to some circus or merchants' aquarium. All of them chose to free themselves to end their sufferings. And that is the reason why humans basically know nothing about mermaids, except the fact that they have really shiny scales that could make expensive jewellery and luminous pearls that kings too desired. Huntings became more frequent and of larger scales, threatening the merfolk. It was only normal for the King to ban any surface activity.

Taehyung gazed up upon the sky. It's past midnight already so it was technically already his birthday. The full moon shone brightly, its image slightly distorted by the rippling waves. Every now and then, Taehyung could see some flock of fish swimming above him, casting dark silhouettes above the silvery beacon of light. He wondered how it would feel if he could see the moon closer. He missed the stars: the stars are not bright enough for him to gaze upon under the sea. He remembered wishing to touch the stars when he was younger, only to realise it was an impossible wish for a merman.

As Taehyung was reminiscing his past shattered dream, suddenly a school of sardines flocked and rushed towards the deeper grounds of the ocean bed. Taehyung could hear their mumbling and panicked thoughts, something about... swim... net... caught... Taehyung was instantly alerted. He stayed low on the ocean floor and watched with cautious eyes. He could hear the faint engine noises getting louder and louder. Seeing the flock of sardines have already escaped, he was going to leave until he heard a desperate wail.

"Help! Ahhhh it hurts so much-"

That was a voice Taehyung was all too familiar with. Taehyung immediately swam towards the voice, not thinking about the risk he had put himself into.

"Hang in there Jiwoon! Hyung's coming to get you!!!" Taehyung shouted through the strong current. The turbine made Taehyung struggle to swim any nearer to the boat.

"Hyung help me! The net has sharp edges in it!" Jiwoon cried out, making grabby hands at Taehyung. Only his tail was stuck in the net, and Jiwoon was getting dragged by the moving boat. Taehyung could see the net had some internal spikes, and Jiwoon's tail was bleeding badly.

When Taehyung reached Jiwoon, he was already exhausted from swimming against the strong current for so long. He felt like his tail was going to break from too much muscle contraction. His body wanted to give up, but he could never let his favourite little friend go. Jiwoon was the son of Taehyung's teacher, and he practically watched Jiwoon grow up. Watching Jiwoon suffering like this probably hurt more than being skinned alive. The little boys' face was red from all the shouting and struggling, eyes glassy with tears, and several pearls spilling out around the corner of his eyes. His tears.

"This is gonna hurt a little bit, but hyung will save you, okay? Hang in there buddy, Taetae hyung will save you, trust me Jiwoon!" Taehyung struggled to unhook the spikes that caught Jiwoons' little tail, hands shaking, resulting in even more blood spilt out, but at last Jiwoon was free. Taehyung felt relief surging through his body, his mind immediately relaxed.

"Let's go home buddy, everything's gonna be alright-"

Taehyung couldn't even finish his sentence when he felt his tail being caught in the same spike that tortured Jiwoon. It hurt like hell. But Taehyung couldn't even summon up the strength to scream. He let out a ragged breath, feeling his vision slowly dimming as pain throbbed through his veins. He saw Jiwoon screaming, making out words like "Hyung...don't go..." until Jiwoon could no longer swim against the turbines' current, until he could no longer hear the roaring of the engines, until the only noise he heard was the thumping of his heart, until he heard nothing but silence.

♆

"Jeon Jeongguk get your ass down here right now!" Mrs Jeon shouted for the umpteenth time, urging Jeongguk to the dining room.

Jeongguk was busy stalking his nemesis' instagram, being a petty little bitch. Looks like Hank got himself a new girlfriend, again. That douchebag got no jams though. Hank was his course mate in university, two years older than him, with squinty eyes and a big ass nose, he just looked ugly. Jeongguk hated him. Both were bright students who often compete for scholarships and their professors' favour. At the end when they graduated, Jeongguk was recruited into Namjoon's marine biology corporate, while Hank got into a shadier one, known for their cruel experiments against animals and merpeople.

Hank just published a new book about mermaids, claiming that he was the most knowledgeable person in the field, and boy did it piss Jeongguk off. He knew Hank used dirty methods to hunt and capture the mermaids he experimented on, and he was pretty sure those mermaids were as good as dead now. Though Jeongguk hated the Merfolk, he hated Hank more, and he believed that no animal, fish or mermaids, deserved to be dissected and experimented by Hank. Hank the ugly ass douchebag, who mocked his coconut hair emo fashion style, and bullied him throughout their college life.

Jeongguk tried hard to find flaws in Hanks' book, but sadly he knew nothing about the merfolk other than urban legends and from his younger brothers' bedtime stories. He made a mental note that he would ask Namjoon about it after he came back from his business trip with Seokjin.

♆

Dinner was usual, with Jaegguk talking loudly while munching his food, getting scolded by Mrs Jeon. Jaegguk excitedly told them about his day at school, how he got 100 marks in dictation and a girlfriend. Jeongguk nearly choked on his saliva at the information. The idea of Jaegguk getting a girlfriend earlier than him is both hilarious and terrifying. Sadly, much to his dismay, the spotlight was soon on him when Jeongguk was faced with the wrath and mockings from his own family, feeling utterly betrayed.

"Gguk, when will you bring a girl home?" Mr Jeon asked, face frowning and concerned.

"Or boy, it's both fine gguk-ah" Added Mrs Jeon, smiling wistfully at his son.

"Hyung can't even look at Irene noona in the eye! He will never get a girlfriend!" Jaegguk laughed hysterically. Jeongguk whacked his head with his slipper. It's not his fault Irene is intimidating as fuck. He's just nervous, totally not a coward.

"Say one more word and you do all the chores," Jaegguk whined and pouted, pulling off his best puppy eyes, trying yo get Mrs Jeon's sympathy.

Lucky for Jeongguk, a piercing ringtone rang just in time, distracting Mr Jeon, and he accidentally toppled his miso soup. Mrs Jeon immediately grabbed some towel and began mumbling under her breath, something about her husband being so stupid and clumsy.

"Hello? Wonho ah I haven't heard from you in ages! What's- wait what? Are you for real? Shouldn't you call Seokjin- ah I see. I'll ask him. I'm sure he'll be fine with it, don't worry! Be careful Wonho, take care!" Mr Jeon ended the call happily, while everyone else stared at him confusedly. Wonho was Seokjin's father, Mr Jeon's close friend. But Wonho doesn't call often, he was always busy with fishing and business. Wonho was a fisherman, and his son Seokjin was a marine biologist, like Namjoon. Jeongguk was no stranger to Seokjin, since Seokjin drops by Namjoon's lab every day, doing questionable things inside his office. (Sometimes Jeongguk wishes to yeet himself out of the Milky Way after hearing certain phrases like oh yeah right there or oh my god Namjoon-ah)

Breaking his train of thoughts, Mr Jeon cleared his throat and stared at Jeongguk with so much intensity that made Jeongguk's palms sweaty. Jeongguk felt like a seven-year-old again, when he blamed Jaegguk after stealing the last cookie on the table, and was caught immediately because Jaegguk was only one year old and had no ability to steal cookies.

"Wonho called and asked if you would like a mermaid in your lab." Mr Jeon's face was void of emotions and stoic, and Jeongguk thought for a moment and waited for his dad to burst out laughing. But he didn't. The dining room was so quiet he could hear his own brain cells bursting. It wasn't until five minutes later and his father still hasn't moved an inch and kept staring at him did Jeongguk finally realise that his dad was not joking.

"If hyung doesn't want it then we can put the mermaid in our bathtub-"

"Dad. Even if Seokjin's not available at the moment, there's still a fuck ton of other labs and aquariums that would kill to have a mermaid. You know I hate-"

"Do you want it to be handed over to Hank then? And let him torture and dissect the mermaid until the only thing left is bloody slimy scales and a cracked skull?"

"Jeez, our bathtub is still available-"

"Jaegguk be quiet!" "Jae please stop mentioning our tub." "Just shut the fuck up Jae."

The sudden outburst of the family resulted in awkward silence. Jaegguk's head hung low, clearly upset while trying to munch his food as quietly as possible.

"I'm sorry Jae, but this is a really serious matter. It's lives we are talking about. The mermaid cannot get into wrong hands. It's not just about science and stuff anymore Jeongguk. I'm sure you've heard about the news, the mermaid captured last month was sent to Yang's mansion, and never seen again. You know how these things work, there's no better place than Namjoon's lab. Wonho knew you wouldn't try anything funny on the mermaid that's why he trusted you to be the one. Besides, it's only for two weeks. Namjoon and Seokjin will be back before you know it. Come on Jeongguk." Mr Jeon explained quietly, expression pained.

Jeongguk hated the menfolk, and that's a fact. He hated them because they ate fish, basically their own kin, and they rule over the oceans like they're some sort of deity. He also didn't understand all the fuss about those fishy humans, he had used a blanket to wrap his legs together when he was young and it didn't feel cute or pretty. Just a nuisance. But Jeongguk was also curious, and a little competitive, ever since he read Hank's book. He's not that heartless, he doesn't want anyone to suffer from Hank's smelly breath and ugly faces. So he considers a while and reluctantly nodded.

"Thank you, son, I'm glad you made that decision. Wonho said he would deliver the mermaid to you tomorrow dusk, so you might want to go to bed now. It's going to be a long day." Mr Jeon smiled at Jeongguk wistfully, walking over to pat him on the back, before taking the dishes to the sink.

Jeongguk groans, pulling his hair out while curses to himself. He silently hoped tomorrow Namjoon and Seokjin will suddenly change their mind and come back to the lab tomorrow. He tried to think of the positive side- maybe the mermaid would be a gorgeous blonde woman with eyes as big as Ariels', without the purple shells-

"Can you take me to the lab tomorrow hyung? I'll behave!" Jaegguk climbed on Jeongguk's lab, whisper shouted to Jeongguk's face, spitting on Jeongguk's face when he talked so excitedly.

"Jae if you don't leave I'll tell your so-called girlfriend you ate your own boogers in second grade."

Jaegguk left immediately.

♆

Cold chilly breeze howled next to his ear, dawn was breaking in the horizon. The sea was shimmering with morning tides, painted orange by the rising sun. This is scenery is one Jeongguk could never get tired of. It's not like Jeongguk hated the sunrise, he's just not a morning person. Waking up ass o'clock is harsh. Waking up at ass o'clock for something he didn't even have any interest in is just brutal. 

He led Wonho through the facility, with Wonho pushing a heavy cart with a covered glass tank. He guided Wonho through the maze of tanks and pools inside the laboratory. Seokjin and Irene took care of the injured or hurt animals in the front part of the lab, while Namjoon and Jeongguk would do their research at the back. The lab was quite dark, since Jeongguk didn't bother to open the lights, the only light source being the few light rays passed through the windows.

Jeongguk noticed something strange. All the marine animals were stirring and clearly uncomfortable, swimming around their pools. If they were humans, Jeonggk would've sworn they would look anxious, possibly biting their nails too. He heard one of the dolphins in the pool let out a series of clicks, alerting her mates. Some fish started thrashing and bumping their heads towards the glass wall, trying to escape. The sea lions and seals were whining loudly, clearly distressed. Jeongguk was perplexed. He has never seen these animals behaving like this in his whole life. He noticed all the animals were staring at the covered tank.

So he thanked Wonho once again and urged himself to push the heavy tank into the back of his lab.(thank god he worked out) He settled the tank in the middle of his lab. He branded himself for the worse scenario: maybe she has pointy teeth and claws for hands? Jeez, the animals were so scared of her, maybe she's a terrifying bitch and they could sense it? Wait-Jeongguk are you implying they have bitch sensing power-

Jeongguk heard a groan. A deep, husky groan, sounding utterly exhausted and burnt out. Maybe there's a man-woman in there. Oh my god she's a bitch and has a deep ass voice jkfdslkj

Jeongguk's shaking hands tried to unveil the tank but failed, so he only succeeded in getting a glimpse of what was inside of the tank before jumping back to his safe zone (under his desk). Jeongguk swore he saw a light inside the tank, but there's no way right? Unless the mermaid has laser eyes??????

Taking slow cautious steps, Jeongguk walked near the tank. Slowly he lifted the cloth.

....????

Hi brain please cue Take My Breathe Away

Didn't Wonho said it was a mermaid? 

Well, he's prettier than a girl won must've mistaken him as a girl.

Wow

There was a faint pearly translucent glow inside of the tank, and the scales on his tail was shining under the morning glow. His back was facing Jeongguk, tan and smooth, soft and delicate, like a porcelain doll. Jeongguk lowered his gaze and saw the most beautiful thing he's ever seen in his life.

His tail was long and thin, emerald with scales- not the ugly fishy ones, but the ones that make your jaw drop. Intricate patterns and lines, spiralling across his stomach, down to the tip of the tail. Jeongguk couldn't help but noticed the hook that was still attached to the end of the merman's tail, oozes of blood spilling now and then.

Amidst Jeongguk's admiration, the merman stirred and groaned again. And Jeongguk swore his breath hitched. The merman turned around slightly so Jeongguk could make out his side profile.

Damn . 

Chapter Text

The thing is, Jeongguk never labelled himself as gay. He thought he just never met a girl that made his heart and dick swell together just yet.

It was not love at first sight, not at all, it's just the artist inside Jeongguk admiring the merman in front of him. In Jeongguk's defence, the merfolk is supposed to be beautiful. Totally no homo.

The merman in front of him had soft turquoise blue hair, which was floating gently in the water, with wisps of indigo and baby blue hair. His nose was prominent, with a few slashes of fresh wounds. His shimmery tail had severe wounds littered on it, ugly mahogany scars screaming at Jeongguk's face, shocking him to his core. The merman had godly features, his being radiated celestial beauty and royalty. He might be unconscious at the moment, but his expression pained, clearly in agony.

Jeongguk waved at the tank, trying to gain the merman's attention. He tried to tap the tank but was scared the merman would bite off his fingers. Jeongguk is no merfolk expert, but he could easily see the merman's life slowly slipping into oblivion. Maybe I can treat him like how I treated the dolphin pods? It won't be much different right?? They have similar tails...

So Jeongguk ignored his irrational fears, put his hand in the tank. He tried to shake awake the merman. After a few gentle pushes, Jeongguk resorts to rougher measures- He pulled the merman's hair.

Oops

Jeongguk could hear a groan, and the merman's eye snapped open. Clear navy eyes were staring right back at him, unwavering, but bloodshot. Jeongguk shivered a bit.

"Um. Hi." Not a great start. "I am here to help, so please don't bite off my fingers, okay?" Jeongguk asked with hesitation, cowering a bit, and quickly retracted his hand in case the merman changes his mind. To be honest, Jeongguk didn't even know if the merman could understand him, he hoped so, in that way he won't look like a fucking fool for trying to talk to a fish.

So, Jeongguk pushed the tank to where the dolphin pods were, and let the merman out into the pool. The merman seemed pretty content, immediately splashing around, making a fuss. But as soon as he started moving, the wounds on his tail reopened and blood started pouring out, spreading out in the pool with the ripples caused by his movement. Jeongguk could tell that the merman was struggling. So he did the logical thing.

He jumped into the pool.

Jeongguk would never know why he did that, nor will he understand why he did that. But the genius marine biologist has always been fond of sea animals, and he hated seeing them hurt. The merman thrashing his tail in agony and hopelessness somehow reminded him of the first whale he ever saw and saved.

He was six, doing his homework at his room when he heard the townspeople shouting in urgency, something about gardening hose and water. So he took his fire truck and put it under his window, and stepped on it. (Something Mrs Jeon would have never approved) He saw a greyish whale, a bit small, maybe still a baby, lying on the beach. Something inside Jeongguk stirred, the scene made him extremely uncomfortable and upset. So he took out all of his buckets, the ones his father bought him last year so he could build sandcastles on the beach, and his little sand shovels and shoved all of them in his Thomas the train backpack and rushed out of his room. He ran towards the beach as fast as he could, as fast as his little legs could carry him. It was a hot sunny day, Jeongguk was already soaked with sweat as soon as he arrived. He was still panting when he started digging the sand near the whale. He tried to make water canals that would wet the whale. He could see a whale just outside the beach, somewhere near, but not close enough to be washed up. That whale kept blowing out water and flapping its fins, Jeongguk guessed it was the baby whales' mother. So Jeongguk dug and dug, did not stop even when his hands were sore and red, throbbing with pain and fatigue. While the adults were calling for help and digging trenches, Jeongguk used his little water bucket and ran back and forth continuously, trying to pour more water on the baby whale. He started with two buckets each run, but then he got too tired, he ditched one and kept running. He tried to pour some water into the whale's mouth, but the plan didn't work quite well. So he kept pouring buckets of water over the whales' head, trying help as much as he could.

After 30 minutes, Jeongguk was exhausted, he literally collapsed halfway walking back from the sea. So the adults grounded him and didn't let him carry buckets anymore. So Jeongguk ran home and took his Thomas the train umbrella, and opened it above the whale's eye, shielding it from the sun. He sat cross-legged in front of the whale and whispered soothing words to the whale. Jeongguk noticed that it was a baby Humpback, with a little star-shaped birthmark right above the eye. He encouraged the whale, told the whale to not lose faith and keep hanging on because its parent was waiting for it. Jeongguk patted the baby whale and reassured it that everything will be fine.

When the adults finally got the baby whale back in the water, the sun was already setting. Jeongguk would like to think that he and the whale bonded spiritually. When they guided the whale back in the sea, Jeongguk ran into the water and gave the whale a big hug. He swore the whale nudged his leg with his head. Jeongguk stood in the shallow waters, waving at the baby whale, tears in his eyes, and refused to leave until the mother and the baby were reunited and disappeared into the horizon. That night Jeongguk decided that he wishes to devote his life into helping sea animals.

And somehow said distressed merman reminded Jeongguk of the whale friend he made back when he was six, and it tugged his heartstrings. So he ignored everything and jumped straight into the pool. He waddled through the shallow pool, trying to get closer to the merman. When he got real close, the merman finally noticed his presence, and instead of what Jeongguk had hoped for, the merman bit him in the arm. It didn't hurt as much as Jeongguk thought it would, no sharp pointy canines, basically just like regular human teeth. But still, ouch.

But Jeongguk couldn't let the pain distract him from saving lives. So he forcefully dragged the merman from behind, hooking his arms around the merman's armpit, locking the merman's upper body. The ethereal looking boy seemed to be enraged and in pain, flopping his tails nosily, splashing water everywhere. But his poor attempt at escaping was at futile as Jeongguk literally has steel guns. duh.

"Please stop, I guess you understand what I'm saying right? I'm only going to help you I won't hurt you, I promise." Jeongguk said tiredly, completely drenched from the merman's little act. The pain on Jeongguk's hand lessened a bit, and he noticed the merman's protests had slowed a bit. Huh. So he could understand human language.

Jeongguk then laid the merman on the edge of the pool, a platform where he used to examine the wounds of dolphins. The merman laid on his back and stared at Jeongguk with confusion and a bit of anger. His eyebrows were crunched, frowning and scowling at the same time, jaw set tight, though Jeongguk didn't know it was from the pain or the drag. "Please don't bite me again. It hurts like a bitch. Now I am going to treat your wound okay? Don't bite me again. Please." Jeongguk ran his wet hand through his hair, sighing exasperatedly. The merman continued to stare at him like he was an immediate death threat. But his stare was softened a bit. He weakly flapped his tail, before looking away. Jeongguk took it as a peace offering.

Jeongguk poured some clean water over the wounds in his tail. Then he used a tweezer and took out shards of broken hooks in the tail. The merman whimpered and groaned weakly, but Jeongguk continued. It was only gonna get worse if he didn't take it out now. After he took out all the broken pieces, he took out the hook as swiftly as he could, but he could tell it hurt a fucking lot. Blood roared out of the wound, turning the water around the merman's tail a crimson halo. The merman thrashed and turned, and let out an agonising cry, like a caged animal's cry for help. Jeongguk froze. He didn't know what to do. Should he pour alcohol on it? Put a band-aid on it? The wound kept oozing out blood and all Jeongguk could do was dab cotton balls on it, and throwing them away almost immediately as they were soaked in an instant.

"Seaweed-" The merman huffed out the word, voice deep and husky, coated with pain. Jeongguk panicked, omg asdfghjkl he can speak omg where the fuck can I find seaweed and he nearly knocked over all the stuff on the table, flinging his arms in hopes of magically seaweed will fall out from the skies.

But Lady Luck was not on Jeongguk's side, so no magical seaweeds for Jeongguk today. The merman was still groaning in pain, and Jeongguk's brain went haywire. It's not his fault he never met a mermaid in his lifetime, of course, he won't know how to treat their wounds. seaweed seaweed seaweed seaweed- Jeongguk suddenly remembered the jellyfish tank has a shit ton of seaweed inside. So he bolted out, slamming into the door frame, and rushed towards the jellyfish tank.

Now would be an appropriate time to mention Jeongguk's fear of jellyfishes. Those transparent fuckers are sly as fuck, and their stings hurt like hell. Jeongguk did not forget the burning sensation he experienced when he was surfing in Australia and got stung by one of those fuckers. But as soon as Jeongguk saw the tank, he threw all his fears out of the window, as he did not even hesitate when he thrust his hand inside the tank full of jellyfishes, yanking as many seaweed as possible. He felt strings of pain radiating from his forearm. One jellyfish wrapped its tentacles around Jeongguk's wrist. That shit burned like lava and Jeongguk almost fainted from the pain. Thank god it loosened its grip when Jeongguk yanked the seaweed with great force, but when his arm resurfaced again, pinkish-red scars decorated his forearm like a dragon tattoo, which made his forearm look like some Martian terrain.

After collecting the seaweed, Jeongguk rushed back to the pool, ignoring the throbbing pain. He disentangled the fistful of seaweed and fumbled with the slippery green belts. "What should I do with these?" Jeongguk asked hurriedly. The merman was growing paler and paler, lips turning blue, eyes fluttering shut.

"Put them on all my wounds." the merman breathed out a few words before closing his eyes, panting shallowly.

Jeongguk threw on some seaweed on the merman's tail, and when he moved on to his upper body, he noticed a little pearly bag that the merman was carrying. Since it got in the way, he yanked the bag out, and threw it over his shoulder, continued applying seaweed over the merman's wounds. Jeongguk missed the clank when the bag hit the ground, nor did he noticed the indigo liquid leaking from the broken bottle inside the bag.

♆

Jeongguk thought the merman would at least be grateful to him for saving his life. He thought wrong.

When Jeongguk was busy applying the seaweed on the merman's body, the merman had finally slipped to unconsciousness. He only woke up an hour later, Jeongguk tried to inject him with morphine so he won't feel so much pain when he woke up. He struggled with the dosage since he didn't know the tolerance level of the merman and he wouldn't want to kill him so carelessly after being stung by the jellyfish for him.

Taehyung tried to remember what happened. He remembered the motor of a boat, getting entangled in webs with knives and shards of pointy things, getting dragged out of the water and...

God saving him.

Yeah, it might be God.

When Taehyung was drifting in and out of consciousness, he remembered his tail hurting like shit. Some guy with jet black hair was talking to him, and he was trying to save him. That guy's voice sounded better than any siren Taehyung had ever heard, brighter than a winter day's sunlight, cool like a seasonal current, firm like the rocks beneath the ocean bed, yet soft like his grandmothers' touches. It felt like home.

The wound still burned, and so did his saviors' touch. Taehyung blinked his eyes several times before fully opening them, taking in his surroundings. The bright light on top of him reminded him of the scorching sun on that one day when he wandered to somewhere too shallow, almost got washed up to the beach and returned home with a tail between his legs (figuratively) and sunburnt skin.

When Taehyung blinked out his grogginess, he made out the silhouette of his savior, who was blocking out some of the light. Taehyung could still feel the numb pain from his tail, like a tingly numb sensation that was eating him alive yet he couldn't shake off.

That was when Taehyung realized something was off. He couldn't pinpoint the problem though. It hurts. What am I looking for? Jiminie. Yoongi. Grandma. 21. Where am I. Vial- vial????

Taehyung finally remembered the pearly duffle he was supposed to be carrying when the realization finally hit him now that he could no longer feel the fabric of the strap against his shoulder. He instantly sat up, thought pain shot through his spine almost immediately. He patted his bare chest and shoulders, head whipping around hurriedly. Gone. His bag was gone.

"Oh, you're awake. What are you looking for?" Jeongguk stared at Taehyung from above, very confused at the merman's frantic state.

Taehyung ignored the question thrown at him, desperately trying to find his precious vial.

"Did you see my bag?" 

"Your bag? Do you mean the pearly white one? Here. Oh." Jeongguk's gaze landed on the floor beside the pool, the indigo liquid staring right back at him, along with a coral pinkish conch.

"Dude what the fuck?! Did you break my vial? Do you even know how important it is? You fucking-" Taehyung's vision went red. Without the vial it means that he could never turn into a human, meaning that he would have to go back to the sea immediately, pretty pathetic if you asked him. So Taehyung did the thing he could think of and started biting Jeongguk's arm.

"Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you? I saved your life you dumbass! Stop fucking biting me you slimy fish-"

"If you had paid more attention to it then it won't be broken!"

"Then you would be fucking dead is that what you want?"

Both parties raised their voices, air thick with tension and anger. Jeongguk could feel Taehyung stir under his gaze, but Jeongguk did not want to back down since he did nothing wrong. Who would prioritise a vial over their own life? The merman in front of him looked terrifying, navy eyes with a glint of fury behind. Taehyung clenched his fist and reached for mother ocean in his veins. He called and the seas answered. Taehyung could feel the power surging through him, as he raised his hands and a tsunami of water from the pool and tanks aimed at his savior in front of him.

Taehyung wanted to drown him, but instead, he blacked out due to fatigue and pain, making his drowning-my-hot-lifesaver plan fail miserably, leaving Jeongguk drenched in water instead and cursing all living things on Earth.

♆

When Taehyung woke up, it's an hour later. Other than the numb pain he felt on his tail, his head also hurt like hell, the aftermath of overusing his power. Taehyung knew he shouldn't be mad at his savior, but he couldn't help it. He had dreamed about going onshore to explore the human world, (even though he's a not a huge human enthusiast) his grandparents have always called him a restless curious soul, always so unique and peculiar. He wished to make the world a better place, with his love and compassion, but right now he wished to strangle his savior because Jeongguk just vaporised his only shot at living on land.

"Are you going to pretend that you can't speak?" Jeongguk strolled past the pool Taehyung was in, addressing him dismissively.

"Yes."

"Okay."

♆

Jeongguk's POV

That ungrateful little bitch.

Jeongguk was sorry, okay? He was. Keyword was. Did he feel bad about ruining the mer's bag? Yeah, he did. Did he feel bad about breaking the vial? He did. But did he do the right thing? He did. What else was he gonna do? Put the bag in the safe first? He still doesn't understand why the merman valued the bag so much, even more so than his own life, but he wasn't gonna ask. It's not like he was interested in menfolk stuff. He couldn't wait to kick his slimy ungrateful ass to where it belonged.

Since the merman gave him the silent treatment, Jeongguk thought he would just leave. He's got other matters to attend to, like checking up the other injured and frightened animals. Just when he was about to leave, he heard the merman cough. When he turned his head around, he saw a really strange picture, one that he never thought he would see in his life.

Most parts of the merman were submerged in the pool, except his head, so Jeongguk could only make up specks of silver and emerald from his tail. The merman flicked the tip of his tail above the water, waving it slightly. He tried to look Jeongguk in the eye, he could tell, but failed. The merman's face was still pale after losing all the blood, but when he opened his mouth, a bit of pink returned to his cheeks.

"Um... thanks I guess. Sorry... for the trouble. I'll go when I'm healed."

Jeongguk felt something inside of his chest but purposefully ignored it. He stared at the merman a bit longer, then left the room.

Taehyung's POV

That fucker had the audacity to leave after I apologized.

In Taehyung's life, he hadn't apologised much. Taehyung was by no means a spoiled brat, he just knew how to execute his puppy eyes power and his status as the prince. But the main reason was because of Taehyung's gentle soul, who believed in world peace, was loved by everyone. He never apologised to a lot of people, mostly towards Yoongi hyung if he overstepped some boundaries when they first met. But he hasn't apologised for years since Yoongi and Jimin got together (Jimin would always save his ass when he accidentally offended Yoongi). So when he decided to let go of his pride and apologise to his savior, he thought he would be on his knees, feeling gracious that the prince apologised to him. But he didn't.

As he was sulking underwater, he heard the sound of the door opening. Taehyung slowly emerged from the water, so only his eyes were above the water. He could see his savior's back facing him, the sound of ruffling plastic bags screeching in his ears. He hated plastic bags, so he decided that if his savior would use a plastic bag to suffocate him, he would bite him and drown him. Again.

When his savior turned around, he was surprised to see him holding a codfish, and even more surprised to find him holding a frozen one.

"I don't know what you eat, but you must be hungry. Do you eat raw fish or...?" His savior held out the fish tentatively, voice soft, eyes searching for Taehyung's. Taehyung finally took a good look at the boyish man in front of him, he won't admit it out loud, but boy was he hot. The guy had changed his clothes into some grey garments, Taehyung was not sure what they're called, but he looked good in it. The boy looked tired, black fringe falling over his eyes, looked like he was trying hard to stay awake. Taehyung was amazed by his attempt to find his breakfast, though he bet having a codfish in the morning was not the best choice, he didn't have the heart to tell no.

"Yes, it would be great, thanks... sir."

The guy's eyes seem to pop out of his socket. Taehyung couldn't fathom why the guy would be choking, so he said "Sir are you okay? Why are you choking?"

His saviour's face is now an embarrassing tomato red, and he was clutching the fish tightly. " Oh my god don't call me that, just call me Jeongguk, I'm Jeon Jeongguk."

Jeongguk. The name is melodious, and it burned inside of Taehyung's tongue. But what was wrong with sir?

"I'm Taehyung. Kim Taehyung. Um... the fish is nice, thanks I guess."

"Um, I'm sorry, you know, for breaking your stuff. I didn't mean it... I'm sorry. Whatever it was, it must've meant a lot to you, sorry Taehyung-ssi. I'll give you the fish when it's no longer frozen." The guy scratched the back of his head, looking anywhere but Taehyung's eyes. The tinge of pink of his cheeks prominent against his jet black hair and grey clothes.

"Frozen fish is fine, I don't really mind, we eat preserved fish from the arctic as well, there's not really a difference." Taehyung could tell the guy was shocked when he bit into the frozen fish, chewing its head off.

"As for the vial... well, it was supposed to give me human legs for a month. But now that it is broken, I guess I'll just have to go back to the oceans. It's... fine. I don't really blame you, not really, just... kinda wish I could blame you though."

"The potion would give you human legs? What kind of sorcery is that?!"

"Witchcraft."

"You have witches down there???"

Chapter Text

Talking with Jeongguk was nice. It was nicer than what Taehyung had anticipated, but he could tell Jeongguk was full of unasked questions, his face crunching up and frowning, frankly, he looked like he was constipated. 

They made little chats. Jeongguk asked Taehyung some trivial questions about the sea, and Taehyung answered them with honesty. Jeongguk asked about Atlantis and Titanic, in which Taehyung replied with a mere shrug, confirming the legends, as well as accounting his experience to the depths of the seas when he visited the site where the ship never sinks rested. Taehyung had mentioned that the merfolk's body structure was not made for waters too cold or high pressured deep seas, so his visit to the ship that lied 12500 feet below was not a very pleasant experience, and Taehyung couldn't understand all the fuss about the cruise ship since all he saw was some skeletons and rotten stuff. Their morning went on like this, Taehyung leaning against the pool, occasionally splashing his tail, while Jeongguk pulled a chair from his desk and sat next to Taehyung, looking at him with poorly disguised curious eyes, asking questions softly.

"When you eat the fish, how can you eat the bones all together?"

"Biological differences I guess. Do you want to try fish bones as well?"

"No thanks, I'm good."

"Okay."

Every once in a while they would fall into a comfortable silence, with Taehyung glancing around and Jeongguk thinking of other questions. 

If Jeongguk was being honest, he could ask fifty million questions. He had so many unsolved questions, like the ones Hank claimed to have found answers for. He was prompted to let Taehyung read Hank's book so he could point out all the mistakes he had made. But Jeongguk was not fond of strangers, he has never been excellent with meeting new people, especially when said person is a fucking merman. 

"Hey, Jeongguk sir?" Taehyung looked at Jeongguk with expectant eyes. This conversation happened so many times Jeongguk is now immune to Taehyung calling him sir.

"Taehyung I told you we don't call everyone sir up here, it's either someone old or... you're kinky," Jeongguk explained patiently, hoping Taehyung would get the hint. 

"First of all, what is kinky? Does it mean being polite? You humans are so weird, do you have no manners? But I thought you guys had schools as well." Taehyung frowned deeply, seemingly genuinely confused. Just as Jeongguk was going to tell how wrong he was, Taehyung continued. 

"Anyways, thanks for the fish Jeongguk, not the best I've ever had but it was fine. Do you think you could let me stay here for a few days before putting me back at the sea? I don't wanna go back immediately... wait- you're going to put me back right? Are you one of those hunters? You won't lock me up? Right?" Taehyung soon entered the panic state, as he stared at Jeongguk with wide eyes, fists clenched and teeth clattering. Jeongguk thought he looked as intimidating as a freezing baby polar bear. 

"I just bandaged all your wounds and gave you a fish, if I were a hunter would I have done any of that?"

"Well maybe you want to feed me till I'm fat and greasy then you'll eat me up?" 

Jeongguk rolled his eyes to heaven. He couldn't believe this was the supposed prince of some marine tribunal clan. How does he not know anything? Jeongguk felt the tension loosened up a bit, as he tried his best to let out a deep chuckle, mimicking those Bond villains he sees in the movies. 

“Maybe, huh? I bet you taste amazing.” Watching Taehyung’s face turn from confusion to horror was a fun process, but as soon as his brain processed what he just implied, he felt his cheeks turn warm. It must have been a surreal experience for Taehyung, one minute the guy in front of him was all enigmatic and villainous, the next minute he was blushing and stuttering out sorry and I didn’t mean it. To say Taehyung was confused was a huge understatement. 

“Um, how ‘bout I tell you everything you need to know about the merfolk in exchange for my freedom?” Taehyung tried to bargain, as he still genuinely thought Jeongguk was one of those merciless hunters.

Jeongguk snorted, his face returning to normal human colour. “You don’t need to bargain with me, I’m not a hunter, and I will never hurt you. I was joking. It’s called sarcasm. Maybe you don’t have it-”

“We have it you dimwit.” 

“Call me dimwit again and I would sell you to the hunters.” 

“Sorry sir.” 

And they fell into silence again. The gears inside of Jeongguk’s head kept turning, his tongue feeling like lead in his mouth, his whole existence aching to ask the question that has been on his mind ever since Taehyung and he started making little chats.

Don’t ask Jeongguk you’ll sound like a real fucking creep.

Don’t ask don’t ask don’t ask-

“So. How do mermaids have sex?” Shit Jeongguk now you sound like a fucking creep. Abort abort abort-

“Gguk what the actual fuck?” Taehyung had a really comical facial expression if it hadn’t been Jeongguk’s burning curiosity and embarrassment he would have laughed out loud.

“I mean, do you just dry hump, or what? Oh wait, you’re under the sea so is it wet hump?” Okay there’s no turning back now-

“Jeongguk just shut the fuck up please.” Taehyung was turning red, much like Jeongguk a few minutes ago.

“What. You don’t know what kinky is but you know what humping is?” Jeongguk asked genuinely. 

The thing is, Taehyung never thought Jeongguk would ask this question. Sure, he thought their anatomy and reproduction method might intrigue him, but he never thought Jeongguk would ask that so explicitly. And Taehyung rarely gets shy, but talking about this topic sure made him turn into a shy little ball of fluff. His mind so clouded with shock he didn’t realise the slip of Jeongguk’s nickname. 

“We-I don’t know. Well not exactly. Not really. But actually- well.” Taehyung kept stuttering and blinking, eyes looking anywhere but Jeongguk. He had never openly discussed this topic with strangers, just with Jimin and Yoongi when he was curious. He didn’t even ask his parents how sex worked. He couldn’t believe he had to give his saviour on land the talk.

“Well. From what I’ve heard, you humans have casual sex like you can change your partner over time when you grow tired of them or something like that. In merfolk, we mate for life. We choose our partner and...that’s it. So- according to Yoongi hyung, there’s no comparison between partners, whatever that meant. Also… I don’t really know how sex for us works if I’m honest. I-I have never tried it before. But I’ve heard from Jimin that it involves wrapping the tail around each other non-platonically, I think there might be some humping involved, I just guessed.” By the time he slowly finished his explanation, he was red like a tomato, which was quite contrasting considering he had turquoise hair. 

“Oh.” was all Jeongguk could say after hearing so much new information. Mate for life? For real? Are they penguins?

“Have you tried it before then?” Taehyung asked.

“Tried what?”

“Sex.” 

Now it was Jeongguk’s turn to turn into a tomato again. He realised that this merman had the ability to make him become all flustered with his simple yet outlandish way with words. Something that he didn’t encounter often. 

“Um. Yeah.” 

“How does it work? I have told you how ours work so it would only be fair if you tell me back.” Taehyung said innocently. Jeongguk wants to slap himself for asking that question, now everything is weird and he could only blame himself. 

“Uh. It depends on the gender. Well, if it was a guy and a lady, then...then-well the guy insert...put his reproductive thing inside the lady’s reproductive part, then they move… and then they make babies.” Jeongguk said it as slow as possible, trying to explain it as vague as possible, but the look on Taehyung’s face clearly indicated that he was not satisfied. 

“That’s it? It sounds really boring. When Jimin came up here he told me he used some small advice which enabled him to watch people have sex for educational purposes. Can you show me those too? I wanna see them. I think it was called- corn?” 

Jeongguk straight up choked on air.

♆

Taehyung kept pestering Jeongguk about corn. Jeongguk wished this would be the end of the story, but no, it wasn’t.

The conversation went like this.

“Can you show me some corn before I go back? I wanna brag it to Jiminie and Yoongi Hyung.” Taehyung glanced up at Jeongguk’s doe eyes with such enthusiasm it made Jeongguk howled with laughter since no one has ever asked for porn quite like this.

Jeongguk decided that if Taehyung really wanted to see what “corn” looked like, he would get him some corn later. So Jeongguk told him that he didn’t have any at the moment and that he promises to bring some to him in someday.

Taehyung started to feel at ease in the pool, swimming around while humming some old tunes. He sounded heavenly, Jeongguk thought that must be what sirens sound like. But he kept quiet because he wasn’t good with complimenting people without sounding weird. But he enjoyed every single second when Taehyung hummed to himself.

To be honest, Taehyung had forgotten about his birthday. The chain of events this morning was too overwhelming and life-threatening that he completely forgot about his birthday and his trait. It wasn’t until around noon when he was chatting with Jeongguk about human legs did he realise he was shifting.

He was asking about how humans use their legs to swim in the sea when Jeongguk just demonstrated it by leaning back in his chair and lifting his legs a bit to kick it. Taehyung thought Jeongguk was kidding, but then he suddenly had a deep desire to try using those puny little sticks to swim. That’s was the moment when he felt a burn and heat seeping upon him from below.

He had never experienced something like that, it felt like when he went to one of those deep sea volcanoes too close, the burning sensation leaving his mind hot white, his vision blurred, and mouth dry. He was in the water yet he felt so thirsty and dry- a foreign concept to Taehyung. He could hear Jeongguk’s distant voice shouting some nonsense when he had difficulty breathing above water. Soon Taehyung sank to the bottom of the pool.

Jeongguk didn’t realise what was going on at first. He was about to blame Taehyung for making him look like an idiot by demonstrating leg kicking in a chair. But he noticed that Taehyung’s expression went from confused and intrigued to a blank and painful one, his eyes eventually lost focus, when his pupils dilated and started at nothing, Jeongguk tentatively asked what was going on. Was Taehyung pulling some sick joke on him? 

But then Taehyung started grasping air, breathing quickly and let out choked coughs that sounded like he was being held by the neck. He looked like he was drowning. The thought ridiculed Jeongguk. Taehyung can’t drown, right? 

Being the responsible person he was, Jeongguk jumped into the pool for the second time today. As he dived into the bottom of the pool, he could see Taehyung floating unconsciously in front of him. What shocked Jeongguk the most was that Taehyung’s long emerald tail was gone, replaced by a pair of long tan healthy legs.

Jeongguk gasped. Not a good idea considered he was underwater. He took several gulps of water before dragging Taehyung’s arms and ascended to the surface with him.

Things got weirder and weirder as the day went on.

Taehyung woke up again, this time no longer near the pool, but on somewhere fluffy and soft. There was a pattern developed now, Taehyung fainting then waking up in alien places. Taehyung could feel Jeongguk’s stare bore into his, as he opened his eyes a bit and saw the raven-haired boy in front of him.

“Good afternoon to you Aurora,” Jeongguk said nonchalantly, but his eyes could not mask his amusement and Taehyung wondered why.

“How did you know my grandma’s name?” 

Jeongguk did not expect this. wat???

“Um. I see. I called you Aurora because she was a princess who slept a lot. Kinda like your case you know. Anyways, I guess you don’t need to leave so soon huh?” 

Taehyung was puzzled by Jeongguk’s words, but as soon as he followed Jeongguk’s gaze towards his tail, he realised the heaviness and wetness was gone, replaced by a pair of thin tan rods, that oddly looked like human legs.

“Oh my Poseidon! What has happened to my tail! Lord Oceanus! Help! What is happening! Why-“ Taehyung wiggled his newly accustomed legs a bit, flinging them in the air. 

“You transformed back when you were in the pool, and I guess since you didn’t know how to use your feet, you drowned,” Jeongguk explained, a bit calm for a marine biologist who knows nothing about the merfolk.

“What? Does it mean I can walk on land now? Oh my! Wait-This is wonderful! Jeongguk!!! I think I have found my trait! I can have human legs at will! I remember thinking it would be nice if I could flap my little legs if I had them and boom! I have them now!” Taehyung’s expression changed from concerned to a joyous look, eyes gleaming with so much happiness that Jeongguk found it endearing. Not that he would admit it out loud though.

Taehyung has told Jeongguk about his birthday and his trait-finding mission, which Jeongguk replied with a happy birthday dude, wish you luck I guess. Taehyung has never heard of any merfolk acquiring the gift of legs, not even his father could transform into a human if he wanted to. So he felt really special, and he couldn’t wait to tell his family and friends about this great news. 

“Oh so now I don’t need the vial anymore! I could walk on land! Mom, I made it ha-“ Taehyung exclaimed excitedly as he swung his leg over the couch inside what seems like Jeongguk’s office, and when both of his legs touched the ground, he stopped every movement and remained rock still, eyes comically wide, mouth agape.

Jeongguk studied his expression silently, the artist inside Jeongguk took over. He grabbed his precious baby (his camera) from his desk, and snapped a photo of Taehyung first stepping on the ground (basically Taehyung looking like this Ö) and chuckled a bit.

“Jeongguk, it feels really weird. Why is it so cold? Am I dying? What am I stepping on? Is it dead?” Taehyung’s desperate gaze landed on Jeongguk, he looked at him as if Jeongguk was his lifeline when he was drowning.

“It’s called the floor. Just like the ocean floor, but with no sand. It’s not dead- well it was never a living being so- it’s normal. Don’t worry. You’re good.” Jeongguk reassured Taehyung, inching a bit closer to the confused merman. 

“How do I stand up straight?” So Jeongguk crouched down in front of Taehyung and held on his forearms for assistance. 

“You push yourself up I guess. Use a bit of strength though. Gravity works differently here. We don’t have the buoyancy to help you. When I count to three, you push yourself up, and I’ll pull you up a bit, okay? Push your legs straight. You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Jeongguk stood up straight, then starting counting. Taehyung seemed eager and terrified at the same time. Jeongguk thought his pep talk would have been better, if he hadn’t mention buoyancy and gravity, those big words might scare Taehyung a lot. 

So when Taehyung pushed himself up, he was surprised by the brute strength that pulled him up. Not too rough, but not exactly gentle as well. Since Jeongguk wore baggy hoodies and sweatpants, Taehyung never thought he would have such strength to pull him up.

Taehyung felt weird. Really weird. Legs are weird. Humans are weird. How do these things work? He felt like he could stand now. But standing is tiring. It shouldn’t be, but Taehyung had no experience so all the muscles in his leg were contracted tightly as he was really nervous. 

Jeongguk thought Taehyung was doing quite well, so he slowly let go of his hands. He urged Taehyung to walk towards him. Just a few steps, what could go wrong? Taehyung, on the other hand, had a mental breakdown. Being a human was so much harder. 

Taehyung has seen people walk, he had seen Jeongguk walk. Should be quite easy huh? Sway the hips, move the legs forward and backwards-

Flap.

Turns out it wasn’t as easy as Taehyung had thought. As soon as he lifted his right leg, he had lost balance and started to tumble. He thought flailing his arms would help, as they would if he was underwater. It would have been nice if Jeongguk had mentioned that on land there’s a thing called losing balance. Long story short, Taehyung face planted himself on Jeongguk’s floor. 

“Ouch! Why does it hurt so much! Why is the floor so hard?” Taehyung wailed loudly, earning a tired sigh from Jeongguk. 

“It’s just a fall, you’ll live.” Jeongguk knelt to where Taehyung was lying and helped him up. But he soon saw that Taehyung had broken his nose during the fall and there was some blood running out of his nostrils. 

“Why is walking so hard- wait. I feel funny. My nose feels funny. What is this feeling- ARGH!” Curiosity had killed the cat, in this case, Taehyung, as he touched the blood on his cupid’s bow. Taehyung had never felt liquid blood before, nor has he ever saw a droplet of blood on his finger. The weird and foreign sensation was freaking him out so he looked at Jeongguk for the umpteenth time for help. 

“It’s just blood. It’s normal. You’re fine Taehyung-ssi, stop making a fuss about everything.” Jeongguk gently removed Taehyung’s hand that hung mid-air, while grabbing a few cotton balls to dab on his nose. 

“What are those?” 

“Cotton balls. They are used to clean wounds.” 

“They’re cute.” 

“Sure.”

Since Taehyung had nowhere to go, Jeongguk offered his place. The way Taehyung’s eyes lit up was everything when Jeongguk mentioned that he had a little brother. Taehyung kept pestering Jeongguk to tell him things about his baby brother when Taehyung was sitting on the couch waiting for the nosebleed to end. So of course, being the merciful brother he was, Jeongguk told him that Jae ate his boogers when he was in second grade, only to find it utterly no fun when Taehyung asked what boogers were. Apparently, they don’t have those things under the sea. Haha. 

By the time they left the lab, it was already some time in the late afternoon. Taehyung was so shit at walking Jeongguk had to bridal carry him to his car since Taehyung had said that splitting up his legs for a piggyback ride was making him uncomfortable. That caused quite a scene when he walked out of his office. He knew there wouldn’t be anyone inside the facility now that Namjoon and Seokjin were on a business trip and Irene on vacation, but he was not expected to have an audience like this. 

All the sea animals had halted their movement and turned their heads to look at them. 

“Hey guys! This is Jeongguk, he is not a hunter, he won’t hurt you guys I assure you! It’s nice to see you guys! Byeee!” Taehyung waved at the animals as Jeongguk walked past them, his face morphed into a shock expression. 

“You can talk to sea animals?!” 

“Duh. I can listen to their thoughts and communicate with them in my mind. I just said it out loud since I didn’t want you to feel left out.” Taehyung said it as if it was the most common thing to hear on an everyday basis. 

“What do they think about me then?” 

“Hmm wait a second. Well, Daphne here- she’s the injured dolphin by the way- she said you take good care of her and her pod, she also thinks that have a really beautiful voice, like the sirens. Oh really? You should sing to me sometimes! Wait- Mrs Goyle?! That’s not very nice to say! What if Mr Goyle hears it! Apparently, Mrs Goyle thinks you are really hot. Jeez, it’s so weird to get that from a seagull. Ugh.” 

Jeongguk blushed. It was so fucking dumb and so fucking weird. Taehyung could be making all these shit up and he won’t even know it. Yet he was blushing like a high schooler who just got complimented by his crush. A fucking seagull. What a fucking loser. 

“Well, I loved seagulls, actually. My nickname was seagull when I was young.” 

“Jeez! Mrs Goyle stop trying to make a move on Jeongguk you’re weird!” 

Thankfully Jeongguk walked out of the facility just in time, before he had to face Mrs Goyle’s proposal. He swore he will never check on that injured seagull again. 

♆

The road back home was definitely not a peaceful and quiet one, as Taehyung kept asking questions like “what are those” “how does it work” “what does it do” or something like that. And Jeongguk kinda stared to regret taking Taehyung under his wing. Jeongguk was never a really friendly person towards strangers, just his closest friends, like Namjoon and Seokjin, and his dance team friend Hoseok. It usually takes him weeks to months until he feels comfortable to initiate a conversation by himself. Yet he was like a different person with the merman he barely knew, and he felt like a stranger to himself. 

He couldn’t help but feel the spread of warmth in his chest whenever he saw to the strange curious merman. And he wondered why was he so nice to the merman. Was it because of his hatred for Hank? Or because he found the merman peculiar- but in a good way?

Chapter Text

Jeongguk decided that he wouldn't bridal carry Taehyung into his house, as he was sure his parents would cause a huge fuss about it and tease him forever. Instead, he put his arm on Taehyung's shoulder, while Taehyung circled his arm around Jeongguk's waist.

It took Taehyung several minutes to walk from Jeongguk's another baby (his BMW X5) to his house despite the short distance. But Jeongguk could see that he has improved quite a lot now, slowly getting a hold of how walking works.

When Jeongguk pressed the doorbell, Taehyung was very intrigued by the little electronic thingy that made such loud noises. So he pressed it repeatedly until someone opened the door.

"Who- Jeongguk? And who might you be mister? Why are you in my sons' clothes?" When Mrs Jeon opened the door, Jeongguk swore he has never seen his mother looking so irritated. But her annoyed expression soon morphed to one with confusion and slight amusement.

"Mom, let us in first, I'll explain later." Mrs Jeon's eyes never the duo as Jeongguk dragged Taehyung across the living room. Taehyung was grinning towards Jeongguk's mother, waving happily while saying "Hello Mrs Jeon, it's nice to meet you!" before he got roughly thrown over Jeongguk's shoulder when he took the stairs.

"Jeongguk put me down, you idiot! You- oh wait never mind go on I can't walk on these steep strange things."

"Jeongguk I'll call the family down for a meeting you better come down quickly with the boy you hear me?" Jeongguk heard Mrs Jeon shout from downstairs, and he could only shake his head when he thought of the stupid grin that Jaegguk would have on his face.

Jaegguk has the stupidest grin plastered on his face.

"Welcome to the third annual family emergency meeting! I am your host Jeon Jaegguk and today we are interrogating Hyung and his boyfriend-"

"Shut up Jae he's not my boyfriend."

"This creature is your brother?"

Jeongguk rolled his eyes. Creature indeed. A creature designed to annoy the fuck out of him.

"Everyone, meet Kim Taehyung. He's the merman Wonho caught last night." The whole table was so silent after Jeongguk dropped the fact bomb on them. Jaegguk's mouth was wide open, while his parents frowned so deep it would make the Marina trench look like a shallow plain.

Sensing the really awkward tension in the room, Jeongguk nudged Taehyung's arm urging him to speak.

"Um. Hi guys! I am Kim Taehyung of the Pacific Clan, High Prince of the court. I can turn my tail into human legs at will, also I can manipulate water to some extent. It's a gift that came from the blue blood. I drenched Jeongguk back in the lab, didn't I Jeonggukie?" Taehyung looked at Jeongguk with a mischievous glint in his eyes, rectangular smile on full display.

"Wow. You drenched Jeongguk? And Hyung didn't kill you? How?" Jaegguk seemed to have put the wrong focus in what Taehyung had said, finding it unfair that his Hyung has favouritism towards the new merman.

"Jaegguk shut up."

"Well, Taehyung-ssi, it's nice to meet you. I hope you've liked the land so far. But forgive me for asking, can you... perhaps turn into a merman for us? You know... to confirm that it's true?" Mr Jeon smiled a bit tightly, voice gentle, but nevertheless the suspicion in his voice very obvious.

"I wouldn't recommend it. His tail was badly hurt by the fishing hooks and knives. It might reopen his wound if he suddenly shifted." Jeongguk explained quietly.

"Well, Mr Jeon, I'm sorry I cannot show you now, but I assure you I will once I'm fully healed! You have my word, sir." Taehyung smiles warmly at Mr Jeon, who seemed to have a liking towards Taehyung's sweet and gentle words.

"What a nice and polite merman, Taehyung-ssi, I wish my sons would be half as polite as you!" Mrs Jeon sighed dramatically while taking Taehyung's hands into his own.

Jeongguk felt weird. What the heck was his mom doing? Why was she so affectionate towards Taehyung? Why was she dragging him?

"Oh thank you, Mrs Jeon, that's so nice of you! You are such a nice lady, complimenting me like this! I have been told I'm very kinky!" Taehyung exclaimed excited, anyone could tell that he was glad to be complimented.

Everyone except Jaegguk and Taehyung coughed loudly, Mrs Jeon even fanned her face as if she just heard the most absurd and scandalous tale.

"Taehyung, honey, do you know what kinky means?"

"What does it mean Mrs Jeon?"

"Yeah mom, what does it mean? And why is dad trying not to laugh?"

"Oh dear, Taehyung, please don't say that word again. It’s not a bad word, but it's not exactly...family-friendly either. Who taught you that?" Mrs Jeon's scandalous expression would have been funny to Jeongguk if he hadn't known that Taehyung would drag him into this mess a moment later.

"Jeongguk did. What? Did he lie to me?" The whole family turned to Jeongguk.

Jeongguk heaved a heavy sigh. He could put up a fight before his final blowdown, but he decided against it. What's the point of defending himself this time when his mom seems to love Taehyung so much and that little shit has the tendency to either expose him or drag him in every sentence?

"Young man we will be having a conversation about this. Don't you roll your eyes on me Jeon Jeongguk, or I'll smack your head with my slipper you rascal." The redness in Mrs Jeon's face disappeared, replaced by a solemn look that Jeongguk knew very well his mother was serious.

"Whatever." Jeongguk put down his bowl of rice and walked back to his room. He could hear Taehyung calling out his name in the background, and Jaegguk pestering Taehyung with dumb questions. But he couldn't care less. A sudden wave of tiredness and frustration washed through Jeongguk. He knew he was being bipolar but he couldn't help it. He has reached his daily limit of socialising with strangers. Taehyung would be fine without him for a while.

He felt confused. He was supposed to hate the merpeople. He hated them because they ate fish and they ruled over the seas like those snobby warlords he read in history books. It's the 21st century now, so why do they still practice feudalism down there? He tried to hate Taehyung, but he just couldn't. He guessed Taehyung wasn't so bad. Maybe. He has been nothing but nice to Taehyung, and Jeongguk hoped Taehyung won't notice since it would ruin his cold-hearted bad boy image. He wanted to get rid of Taehyung as soon as he was healed. And quit being nice to said merman.

When Jeongguk left the dining table, Taehyung was assured that Jeongguk meant nothing ill-willed, as Mr Jeon had insisted his son had flares of temper every now and then. But Taehyung felt bad. Jeongguk was his saviour, he was supposed to be all pliant and nice to Jeongguk and maybe repay his favour someday. Although Taehyung constantly bickered and annoyed Jeongguk, he never disliked him. He never had a chance to make friends with humans. Taehyung never liked humans, he hated them for pouring their rubbish to their home, hated their stupid plastic tube thingy that made the turtles sick, hated the stupid plastic bags that trapped his fish friends, hated the way their oil smelled and hated the way they killed their coral reefs. He had hated humans ever since he was five when he saw a baby clownfish entangled in a plastic bag, saving it yet learning that there wasn't much he could do to help the ocean. Clusters of plastic bags were always floating around the ocean and he couldn't save every fish.

But Jeongguk was different. Taehyung could tell that Jeongguk had a good heart. His grandma told him to never judge a person by his words, but by his actions. Although Jeongguk might seem a bit distant sometimes, his gestures are always caring and gentle. Like the way he adjusted the car seat for Taehyung so he could have more room for his feet. Or when Jeongguk dabbed cotton balls on his nose and asked if he applied too much pressure. Taehyung felt that, and he wanted to repay him. But he didn't know much about expressing gratitude in human ways, so he kept it hidden to himself. But seeing Jeongguk scolded by Mrs Jeon because of his shitty vocabulary made him feel guilty.

"Taetae hyungie, what do you like to eat? Do you want some chocolate? Or candies?"

"I would like to eat fish, do you have any? Also... what are...chocolates?" replied Taehyung, confused by the words Jaegguk thrown at him.

"We have some raw fish, would you like that Taehyung-ssi? Or would you prefer it cooked?" Mr Jeon walked back from the kitchen after checking the food inside the fridge.

"Oh, raw fish is fine! I don't understand why you humans eat cooked fish, all the nutrients and juiciness are gone! Oh and sir please just call me Taehyung, it's fine." Taehyung brightened at the mention of fish, making Mr Jeon chuckle.

"Then you'll have to stop calling me sir as well, Taehyung-ah"

I guess no one likes to be called sir on land then.

Dinner went on quite smoothly, Taehyung answering Jaegguk's questions about the merfolk. He realised that the brothers have really similar mind sets, most of the questions asked by Jae was already asked by his older brother. (of course except for the question about how mermaids have sex) Dinner without Jeongguk was not as weird and uncomfortable as Taehyung had feared, the whole family was very nice and warm towards him, and they seemed to have no problem with him being a merman.

After dinner, Taehyung padded (more like crawled) up the stairs while the others washed the dishes. He stumbled to the second room to the left. He could smell Jeongguk's scent inside the room- a smell of sea breeze and salt. He stood outside of Jeongguk's room and tentatively rose a hand. He wondered if humans had the custom to knock when entering a room. While he was debating with his thoughts, the door suddenly swung open to reveal a very wet Jeongguk.

It was a very welcoming sight if it hadn't been Jeongguk's scowl on his face. Jeongguk's hair was wet, and Taehyung could see that his clothes were splashed by water as well.

"How may I help you, my prince?"

"Um. Why are you drenched in water?" The plan to apologise vapourised as soon as Taehyung saw Jeongguk's state. He thought Jeongguk hated the idea of being drenched in water. So, he raised his hands towards the direction of Jeongguk's head and concentrated. He closed his eyes and thought about the ocean and the water when he opened his eyes, he saw Jeongguk's hair had turned from fringed and dripping with water into his usual fluffy luscious dark hair. A giant sphere of water was between his face and Jeongguk's. Jeongguk's eyes were blown wide open, and he kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

"How- nevermind. That's cool. Thanks, dude. I can throw away my blow dryer now."

"I thought you didn't like water being poured on you... so I thought this would be a good idea. Do you not like it? I could revert it you know?" Taehyung's voice was small, as he rushed out the string of words, suddenly feeling insecure about his powers.

Jeongguk's gaze immediately softened. "It's okay, Taehyung, I really appreciate it," said Jeongguk. Maybe they really didn't have sarcasm down there. "But how are you gonna do with this ball of water?"

"Oh. This? I can just make it into water vapour to moisturise the air. Poof." With that, the ball of water disappeared like into mist, and Jeongguk could feel a tingly sensation on his forearm where some droplet had landed on.

"Why are you here anyways? Did you want something?" Jeongguk voiced out his biggest question since Taehyung still hadn't told him the reason for his visit.

"I-I actually want to apologise. For mixing up the words and causing a scene. You know, when we were having dinner. I was never the clever one down there, I knew they always called me the weird and awkward one behind my back. I know I can be weird sometimes...I'm sorry if I caused any embarrassment. I-I swear I didn't mean it. But-but if you are willing to teach me stuff about the human world, I will learn! I promise! I-I will try not to be a nuisance to you J-Jeongguk-ssi. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad." Taehyung's gaze rarely met Jeongguk's, as he suddenly took an interest in their toes and kept staring at the ground. His voice was soft and full of regret, one that broke Jeongguk's heart. Jeongguk knew he overreacted but he never thought he would cause the merman to feel this uncomfortable.

"Taehyung, I'm sorry I overreacted. I-I was never mad at you. I swear. And no, you're not a nuisance, please don't ever say that. No one is ever a nuisance. And yes, you might be different from most people, but that doesn't mean it's bad or anything. You're not weird Taehyung. I think you are one-of-a-kind. Different, but interesting. Being peculiar is cool. You're cool." Jeongguk didn't know why he would voice out his inner thoughts to the merman, he never liked talking about his feelings, nor was he ever good at reassuring people. "Also, don't ever change who you are just because some other people think you are weird in their eyes. They're the weird ones, not you. Why would you adapt to be the mould that others or the ones society give you? Just to please them? You don't live for them. Live for yourself."

One might wonder how come Jeongguk is suddenly capable of giving an excellent pep talk about being yourself. It was because of the existential crisis he has when he was studying Marine Biology abroad, where not only was he bullied (by Hank and his gang) for being the emo younger kid, but also because he was Asian.

But just as Jeongguk was scared that his choice of wording might have offended Taehyung, he saw the mer's eyes lit up like the firework shows in theme parks- one that is brightly filled with a childlike gleam and genuine happiness beneath his navy orbs.

"Jeongguk I- thank you. No one has ever told me stuff like that. It- thank you. I- I can't thank you enough." Taehyung was starting to tear up, Jeongguk could see a sheen glint in his eyes reflecting his eyes. "Can I hug you? Or do you have this thing here? Basically, you open your arms and then you wrap them-"

As soon as Taehyung started rambling, Jeongguk couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle. How cute. "Yes, Prince Taehyung, we have hugs up here as well." Jeongguk did a little bow-courtesy thingy, then straightened up and opened his arms for Taehyung, smiling warmly. So much for maintaining you bad boy image Jeongguk get your shit together

"Oh my god, Ggukkie-" Taehyung tumbled into Jeongguk's open arm and sobbed quietly into his shoulder. Jeongguk took the place of his father when he had called home crying about his school life. His father had told him to live for himself, not by others expectations and likings- now incorporated in his mind as his life motion. He was glad he could help out another person (mer) who was confused as he was.

They were both getting sentimental when Jeongguk heard abnormal sounds. Mixed with Taehyung's sobs, he could hear the sound that he and Jae used to make whenever they were playing marbles. The sound of marbles dropping on the floor. Jeongguk pulled away and-

"Dude, what the fuck? You cry pearls? Is there anything you haven't told me yet?"

Chapter Text

The boys were sitting on Jeongguk’s bed. Taehyung glanced around the room curiously, trying to take everything in. There were a lot of figures on the shelves, most of them were of a faceless man with red and gold armour.

“That’s Iron Man, my favourite person in this whole wide world.” Jeongguk took one of the models to let Taehyung have a close look, a proud look on his face. Taehyung inspected the faceless man in front of him. “What does this man do?” 

“Well, he protects those who in need, and saves the world.” 

“Well, that’s very noble of him. Is he a knight?” Taehyung eyed the figure with great interest, poking the arc reactor in the chest. As Taehyung poked the button Tony Stark’s voice could be heard in the room. I am Iron Man.

Taehyung seemed to take an interest in most things in the room, including the bed. He couldn’t believe the humans slept like this, it’s not like they don’t have beds under the sea, but they’re made of hard cold rocks and the currents would make it impossible to stay completely still when they sleep. 

“Can you teach me how to sleep on this bed, Ggukkie?” Taehyung bounced on the edge of Jeongguk’s bed, the spring under the bed making squeaky sounds. 

“Sure, but not now. No sleeping on beds until you shower.”

“What’s a shower?” 

“Oh. Right. You guys don’t need it underwater. It’s basically pouring water over yourself then you clean your sweat and wash away your odour. Humans usually shower every day. To stay clean and hygienic.” Jeongguk explained to Taehyung patiently, while Taehyung nodded dutifully, trying to memorise as much as he could. 

“I thought you guys come up to shore, how come you don’t know about showers and cars?” Taehyung had told him that some merpeople could come up to the shore for a month when they were 21, and there should have been a lot of knowledge gained in the past years, but surprisingly Taehyung seems to know very little about the human race. 

“Well- if that’s your way to call me stupid and naïve, go ahead,” Taehyung roller his eyes at Jeongguk, who responded by snorting, “But we do learn about humans. The scholars and princes of my forefathers came up here to record and learn the human way of speaking, hierarchy, formal speech etc. We have adopted a lot of your customs in our culture. But... other trivial things, like technology, transportation or... corn, we don’t learn about it. Just a few lucky ones who are granted the chance to come up will have the opportunity to try them. And once we go back, we don’t talk about it. I don’t know why, it’s like an unspoken rule.”

“Well. I don’t know what to say. But if you have any trivial things you want to ask me, fire away.” 

“I’ve never seen fire before, can you show me?” 

“ Maybe not now. Shower first, okay?” 

When Jeongguk and Taehyung were crammed into his tiny bathroom, Jeongguk had to give Taehyung a lecture on why humans wore clothes and why it was important. Taehyung didn’t seem to get the note so soon, as he kept arguing that his body is beautiful and should be shown to the world proudly. It’s not like Jeongguk would voice our his agreement, he’d be too embarrassed to do that. 

“Taehyung, you need to take off the sweatpants or it’ll stick to your body when it’s wet. It’s really uncomfortable.” Jeongguk tried to make Taehyung undress on his own, but sadly, Taehyung’s balance is yet to be at the level where he could stand on one leg without stumbling on the floor.

“What if I crash to the hard floor again? I don’t wanna get hurt.” Taehyung pouted and pulled out his puppy eyes unconsciously. 

“It’s okay, I’ll catch you if you fall.” Jeongguk held out his hand as stands, so Taehyung could grab onto them guns when he lost balance.

“Why do you guys wear pants anyway? It’s so unnecessary and annoying.” Taehyung continued to pout while struggling to get rid of his pants. Jeongguk thanked his lucky stars he kept spare underwear and clothes in his office in case one day he might get drenched in seawater by the animals. Or else he was gonna have to give a piggyback ride to a naked Taehyung, something that’s way too fucking embarrassing.

“When you finish stripping down, I’ll tell you.” 

“Okay, done. Woah- what’s this?” Taehyung had finally stripped off all the clothes on his body, his head dropped and was observing the thing between his legs. Jeongguk saw it coming. 

“Wow. What’s that? I swear we don’t have it in mer. I didn’t even felt its presence between my legs! What does it do? Do you have it as well? I wonder how it feels to touch-“ poke poke “oooooh it’s so soft! Like a baby! Like a baby little leg, right? Jeongguk look!” 

Jeongguk had never been an enthusiast in sex education, as he was a firm believer and example that porn has taught him more about sex then sex education ever will. But when Taehyung asks questions like these? He wishes he had paid attention to Mrs Howell putting a condom on a swinging banana in fifth grade.

“Taehyung it’s not a leg, it won’t grow, it’s not a baby, I mean, it might, under certain circumstances-“ “Do you put it under the sunlight to grow? What nutrients does it need? It looks like a pacific geoduck!” “No. It won’t grow. Stop poking your dick Taehyung, geez!” Taehyung was tugging and pulling his dick, wanting to prove to Jeongguk that it would, in fact, grow. 

“Well, do you have it?” “Yes Taehyung, this is the male reproductive thingy. Males possess it. My dad has it, my brother has it, Namjoon has it-“ 

“Can you show me yours?” 

“No! Jesus! It’s a private part! You don’t just go around asking other people to show you their dicks Taehyung, it’s absurd!” Jeongguk unconsciously grabbed the waistband of his sweatpants, in case Taehyung would suddenly grab his dick or something. 

“Does that mean you will show me yours when we are more familiar with each other? Okay!” Taehyung gleamed brightly, still not understanding the concept of privacy. “So what do you do with it? You swing it around to attract your partners?” 

What Taehyung did was out of his world. (Though technically he is) He grabbed the base of his dick and swung it around like a windmill, or cowboy lassoes for the alternative while making little noises like “weee wooo weee wooo” 

Now Jeongguk has seen a fair share of dicks in his life. Men’s changing room, porn, even some sea animals’ male reproductive organ. But mostly porn. He has never seen anyone approach a cock in this way. Jeongguk was not gonna lie, he had eyed Taehyung’s third leg down there, and it wasn’t bad. In fact, it’s quite impressive. Definitely bigger than the average size, maybe even longer than his. But Jeongguk’s not jealous, no he is not. Even if Taehyung has a dick as big as the Eiffel, he would probably use it to fish or do stupid shit like using it as the lasso of truth. Jeongguk prided himself over his girth, and he knows how to use it way better than Taehyung did anyways. 

“Taehyung fucking stop already! You’re gonna tug it out!” Jeongguk resorted to the good old scaring method, one that his mother often used when he was a kid, it resulted in him being a timid child and being scared of touching his willy because he thought it would fall off if he often touches it.

“Well, will it regrow? You know sea slugs lose their penises when they mate but they regrow them in the next day?” Taehyung looked Jeongguk in the eye, while still repetitively swinging his dick. “Yours don’t? Primal creatures.”

“Shut up Taehyung you merpeople don’t even have a dick.” It was Taehyung’s turn to be lost at words, his face soon tinted with pink as he couldn’t think of a comeback. 

Just as Jeongguk was dragging Taehyung into the shower, Taehyung spoke the unthinkable again. 

“Jeongguk, look! My dick is growing! Look! Does that mean I have magic? Look- it’s lifting its head up! Does it have a mind of its own? Hi there, little fella!” Taehyung squealed out mirthfully, using both hands to wave at his dick. 

By this point, Jeongguk was more annoyed than intrigued by Taehyung’s curious attempt to understand human dicks. “Taehyung you don’t have a fucking magic cock get your shit together, Jesus! It doesn't have a fucking head- scrap that. It does. I guess. You only use it to pee- you know, excrete your urea and water. And when you touch it, it enlarges, okay? It doesn’t fucking grow. More blood rushes towards your dick and vasodilation occurs that’s why it swells and your dick would be purplish red when its erected. That means you are aroused, get it? All dicks are like that. Well, not all, but you get what I mean. Then if you are lucky enough to have a partner, you insert it inside them. For sexual pleasures and shit. And afterwards, it will shrink back to its normal size as most of the blood return to your main bloodstream. Are you with me soldier?” 

Taehyung looked blown away by Jeongguk’s scientific explanation. He asked for a full explanation, Jeongguk delivered it, he just didn’t understand it. Not Jeonguk’s fault for using slightly bit more scientific terms deliberately. 

“Can I see yours please, Ggukkie?” 

“That’s it. I’m kicking you out.” 

Jeongguk did not actually kick Taehyung out, he said so in hopes it would scare Taehyung into coping with him and stepped into the shower. Instead, he scared Taehyung so much big fat tears started to gush out of Taehyung’s eyes, which solidified into shimmery pearls when they reached his jaw. Jeongguk didn’t want Taehyung to cry, he wanted to comfort him, hug him and tell him he didn’t mean it, but he also hated Taehyung for being unnecessarily curious about cocks and hugging a naked man would be fucking weird. 

After five minutes Taehyung finally calmed down enough to step into the shower. Jeongguk turned on the water for him, then closed the curtains and sat on the toilet seat. He had told Taehyung that he would help with his clothes when he finished shower but he had forgotten that Taehyung knew nothing of the shower dynamics. 

“Jeongguk what do I do with the body wash?”

“You use it to wash your body. You basically read its instructions” 

*squeak squeak* 

“Jeongguk do you own that squeaky duckling? It’s so cute!” 

“It’s Jae’s” 

“Jeongguk, what is a shampoo? Oh, it makes pretty bubbles, and it smells nice! Vanilla breeze- Oi Mr Vanilla! Why are you attacking my eyes! Help Jeongguk, it stings, it hurts so much! Fuck!” 

Which resulted in Jeongguk almost giving up on life, as he opened the curtains and stepped inside the shower, muttering something like Taehyung had to dry him with his powers afterwards. He told the blind Taehyung to direct streams of water to cleanse his eye, as he shampooed Taehyung’s turquoise hair with gentle hands, massaging his scalp.

“Have you ever washed your hair before?” 

“What do you think Ggukkie, I live in water.” 

“Okay. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay, I forgive you.” 

“You know when someone tells you they are sorry you’re not supposed to say I forgive you on every occasion.” 

“Why not? You are forgiven though.” 

“Just don’t” 

Since Jeongguk and Taehyung were of similar height, Jeongguk had to reach up to wash Taehyung’s hair. Taehyung had hummed some tunes to himself, ones that he recognised. He had heard Wonho and Seokjin hum it, the sailor and fishermen folk songs. But Taehyung’s version was unlike any other tune he had ever heard. The way Taehyung sang about the sea was so beautiful, it made Jeongguk miss a place that he had never been too. Taehyung’s voice was a mixture of a lot of things; the sea breezes, the waves, splashes created by flocks of fish, the currents, and the water. It was as if the sea itself spoke to Jeongguk and told him to come home. 

When Taehyung stopped singing, Jeongguk almost whined in protest. “Jeongguk, are we done? Can I remove the water now?” Jeongguk nodded absentmindedly, while he put a towel on the ground just in case Taehyung did not completely dry them. 

Taehyung raised his hands as a mime actor would, and he muttered under his breath, Jeongguk guessed it wasn’t any human language, as it sounded like Voldemort speaking parseltongue by the sea because it sounded like the waves, but it's also slurred and unclear and very very airy. 

Soon, a ball of water appeared in front of them, Taehyung waved his hand a bit, and the sphere of the ball turned into the shape of an Iron Man figure. Mark 50 from Infinity War, the last amour of Stark, which Jeongguk loved the most. Taehyung did a great job in mimicking the body gestures of Tony Stark with water- right hand raising with a nano hand blade, while the left one was armed with a repulsor cannon. The version created was like an ice sculpture of his favourite figure, translucent and transparent, and it was fucking beautiful and majestic at the same time. 

“For you Ggukie, your favourite man.” Taehyung smiled earnestly, staring Jeongguk right at the eye. Taehyung had only seen his Iron Man figure once, and he was already able to recreate this masterpiece. This seriously put Jeongguk’s painting hobby to shame. 

“Taehyung… I-I love it. It’s so pretty. I wish I could keep it forever.” Jeongguk ached to touch the water sculpture in front of him, but he stopped just in time. Taehyung let out a deep chuckle. “You have the real one in your room, besides, I could make one for you every day when you shower!” Taehyung then dismissively waved his hand, and the sculpture disappeared into thin air. 

“Well, I guess now is the time to teach you how to sleep on the bed huh?” 

After Taehyung dressed, he trailed behind Jeongguk as he left the bathroom, as he no longer needed to clutch on Jeongguk’s arm, Jeongguk considered Taehyung a quick learner. Jeongguk guided him to lie on his queen size bed, and Taehyung commented on how soft the bed had felt. 

“Is it safe? You know we can never sleep alone since there might be predators lurking around, we have guards outside of our chambers. Some merpeople even sleep with their eyes opened. Older mer who had gone through the war refuses to lie down to sleep.” Taehyung’s crestfallen expression made Jeongguk wonder what kind of nightmares he had faced when he was scared of falling asleep alone. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll sleep right beside the bed. You can call me if you need help.” Jeongguk gathered his pillow and his bean bag at the corner of the room and made a makeshift bed right beside of his bed. 

“Okay. I'll try. Goodnight Ggukie.” 

“Goodnight Taehyung.”

Chapter Text

Dreams are so surreal yet so vivid, sometimes when you wake up, you remember every single detail of your dream, but just as you were brushing your teeth, when you so desperately tried to recall what you've dreamt of, you forget them all.

Taehyung has been having the same nightmare for years now. Ever since he was nine. When his grandpa had passed away, he was lying next to him, sleeping soundly. It had been a summer night, when he visited his grandparents, who lived somewhere in the Bermuda. Taehyung had visited them every year without fail. His grandpa had taught him many things, sometimes about the way of life, sometimes about mother ocean. Taehyung remembers going on a vacation with grandma and grandpa when he was eight, when they took him to Iceland and Europe. His grandparents had told him that they could always rely on the Gulf Stream as a means of transportation. Riding the currents had been a fun experience, one that Taehyung cherished for life.

Taehyung was a clingy kid, you'll always find him clinging onto older mer or Jimin, asking them to play with him. When he was nine, he remembered his grandpa's bone-crushing hug, and the warmth of his grandma's smile when he finally arrived at the Bermuda. On that summer night, his grandpa had taken him to the middle of the ocean, where he said no humans ventured near this region, as the sea witch had chanted the seas, making it impossible for humans to cross. That night, his grandpa swam to the sea surface with him. That was the night when Taehyung fell in love with stargazing.

"See, Taehyung, that is the Polaris. It will always direct you to the North. It's so beautiful, isn't it? Legend says that when we pass away, we become part of a constellation. What constellation do you think Grandpa would be a part of, Taehyung-ah?" Taehyung wished he could remember the soft gaze of his grandpa, but as years go by, no matter how hard he tried to hold onto it, his memory was fading, and there was nothing he could do.

Still young and innocent, Taehyung had failed to decipher the layer of meaning behind his grandpa's words. "I know! The one you taught me! Of course, you would be in Hercules, you are as brave as him! You are my hero!" Young Taehyung pointed at the constellation excitedly.

His grandpa chuckled quietly. "I am no hero, Taehyung, you are your own hero. When you get older, you will understand. Love makes you powerful. Love makes you capable of doing things you never thought of, for the ones you love. And I love you, Taehyung-ah." His grandpa pulled him into a side hug. Tiny Taehyung was engulfed by his grandpa's arms.

"Grandpa, please don't go to the stars. Taehyung wants you to be here. Always."

"I won't leave you, Taehyung-ah. I won't ever leave you."

His grandpa had passed away that night.

Taehyung had pestered his grandparents into sleeping with him. He had curled next to his grandpa, with grandpa's arm draped across his shoulder. It had been warm until dawn broke, and Taehyung felt a chill running down his spine. The arm on top of him was no longer warm. Cold and foreign, heavily weighing down on him, forcing out the innocence and happiness in the boy.

Taehyung wasn't afraid of falling asleep, he was afraid of seeing his grandpa in his dreams, then forgetting it in the morning. He thought he had been the cause of his grandfathers' death. Although when he grew older he heard from his parents that his grandpa had chronic diseases, and death was only a matter of time. Yet Taehyung couldn't shake away the feeling of dread whenever he thought of his grandpa.

Taehyung's nightmare had always been that same night when his grandfather had brought him to the surface. The ending was always the same. As years had passed, the dream hadn't changed, but his grandpa's face was getting more and more blurry, voice more and more distant. It might not seem haunting to other people, but every time Taehyung woke up feeling small and helpless, feeling his grandpa's ghost touch on his back. Tonight was no different.

He had woke up around three in the morning, drenched in sweat and hands shaking due to fear. Taehyung glanced around. The room was dark, a few beams of moonlight passed through the curtains and showered on the wooden floor. He could make out Jeongguk's profile on the floor next to his bed. He stumbled down the bed and frantically called Jeongguk. Jeongguk opened his eyes after Taehyung had started pulling his hair.

"...Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Jeongguk looked so annoyed Taehyung was very intimidated by his predator-like gaze. "It's not even dawn yet, why the fuck would you pull my hair?" Jeongguk reluctantly sat up, massaging his head while glaring at Taehyung.

"I-I had a n-nightmare."

"That's it?"

"C-can I sleep with you? I... Jiminie always held me whenever I had nightmares. P-please." Taehyung's voice was barely over a whisper, his voice trembling slightly. It was clear that whatever his nightmare was, it scarred him.

Being woken up at the middle of the night and possibly losing strands of his beloved hair made Jeongguk really cranky. He wanted to kill Taehyung. "Do I look like Jimin to you? You're 21. Just deal with it." He thumped back on his bean bag makeshift bed, back facing Taehyung.

"O-okay. S-sorry." From the noise, Jeongguk could tell that Taehyung choked up a sob as he was climbing back onto his bed.

Taehyung was lying on Jeongguk's bed, unable to control his tears. He missed his grandpa so much. He wanted to reach to the stars, so he could see his grandpa again. He wishes he had been a good boy, one that his grandpa would be proud of. He wished he had said goodbye, he wished a lot of things, but he wishes in vain. He knows he would not be able to sleep tonight after the nightmare. He would stare at the ceiling until the sun came up. If Jimin was here, he would give him warm hugs and sing him to sleep, cup his face and lightly brushing Taehyung's brow with his thumb. But Jimin was not here, and Taehyung couldn't expect Jeongguk to fulfil Jimin's best friend duty. Taehyung just wished he hadn't sounded so pathetic, now Jeongguk probably thought he was some egocentric brat.

Taehyung had also secretly hoped Jeongguk would say yes, because Jeongguk was a great hugger. The way his arms wrap around his waist felt... oddly satisfying. Taehyung ached for more. But after Jeongguk's determined refusal, there was no hope for Taehyung

Jeongguk heard Taehyung's sniffles. He heard Taehyung's hiccups. Jeongguk didn't give a flying fuck.

Was I too rude to him?

Did I make him cry? 

Should I- 

"...Jeongguk?"

"Shut up and sleep. I'm only doing this because I pulled your hair to wake you at the lab. So now we're even." Jeongguk climbed back on his bed and draped his arm around Taehyung's waist. He sent Taehyung a soft glare, huffing out an annoyed sigh. "I'm not doing this because I'm nice."

"But you are nice, Jeonggukkie." Taehyung's tears haven't dried yet, but he sent Jeongguk a small smile. Their faces, in fact, nearly a pillow apart. Yet there was a sense of intimacy between them. Jeongguk frowned and muttered a soft no I'm not.

The duo stayed in silent for a few minutes, staring at each other. Jeongguk stared at Taehyung because he had started it first, the childish side in him kept on staring at Taehyung until the other one backed down first. But his childish intentions soon resolved into admiration and adoration. Taehyung's eyes seemed to change color according to his mood. His eyes had been a deep navy blue this morning when he was in pain. Jeongguk guessed zaffre blue was his natural color, and now Taehyung had Persian blue eyes that seemed to glow in the dimly lit room. Jeongguk found Taehyung's eyes mesmerizing, as if telling a million stories.

Taehyung, on the other hand, stared at Jeongguk because he thought this would show his gratification. In mer, they lock gazes with one another to communicate in a deeper level. He tried to reach for Jeongguk's soul, his anima, but judging by Jeongguk's look and lack of response, he guessed humans didn't have these abilities. So he chose to voice out his thoughts.

"Thank you, Ggukie, you are my favorite human. My Iron Man." Taehyung smiled a bit, although he hadn't known Jeongguk for long, he felt like he could rely on this human, felt like they've known each other way longer. He was glad Jeongguk was no longer mad at him, he felt like fish out of water (literally) when Jeongguk had given him the cold shoulder.

Jeongguk didn't expect Taehyung's little confession after their staring contest. No one had ever told him he was their favorite human. No one had ever looked him in the eye with such gratefulness that almost melted his heart. It made Jeongguk turn into a puddle of goo.

"What...what do you mean by your Iron Man? You don't even know him." Jeongguk's voice was feathery and light like he was out of breath, but nevertheless a tune to Taehyung's ears.

"You've told me, remember? You said Iron Man helps those who are in need and saves the world." Jeongguk knew Taehyung was just quoting what he said earlier, but he couldn't help but feel a warm sensation spreading in his chest. He stared deep into Taehyung's eyes, and all he could see was Taehyung's sincerity.

"Nah, I didn't save any worlds."

"You saved mine from falling apart." Jeongguk was glad the room was dark enough for him to hide his blush. “You saved mine by not selling me to hunters.” Taehyung aroused something deep inside of Jeongguk that he never thought he was capable of.

"Y-you should sleep, Tae. You must be tired." The roll of Taehyung's nickname on his tongue felt pleasant and warm. Taehyung gave Jeongguk a tired smile.

"Okay. Sweet dreams, Jeonggukie."

Jeongguk had dreamt of Taehyung that night.

Chapter Text

Jeongguk’s alarm went off at 8, waking up the boys. Their legs were entangled and Taehyung had buried his head at the crevice of Jeongguk’s neck. Jeongguk couldn’t help but sneeze when Taehyung’s hair kept tickling him. It was too early for Jeongguk to get shy and flustered, so he shrugged off his sleepiness and went to the bathroom. He had helped Taehyung to brush his teeth because he didn’t want to waste time explaining the importance of dental hygiene to Taehyung when he was in a hurry. Taehyung had been very cooperative since he was very sleepy, he just let Jeongguk invade his mouth with a mighty neon pointy object. Jeongguk said it was a toothbrush.

Jaegguk was already downstairs eating his breakfast when he called out Jeongguk with his mouth full of pancakes. “Taetae Hyung good morning! How was your sleep?” 

“Where’s my good morning you little shit.” Jeongguk ruffled Jaegguk’s hair affectionately (violently) while stealing his pancakes. 

“Hyung! My hair! Ugh, I was supposed to go on a lunch date with Mina today!” Jaegguk punched Jeongguk’s stomach with his little fists with no avail. 

“I had a great sleep, thank you Jaeggukie. That’s very nice of you. What are you eating?” 

“Pancakes! The best invention in this world! Would you like some Taetae hyungie?” 

And that was the beginning of Taehyung’s obsession with pancakes. Jaegguk has introduced him to different syrups, jams, peanut butter, and Nutella. Taehyung loved them all. They talked and talked until Mr Jeon dragged Jaegguk into the car. 

“Taetae hyungie I’m late for school, see you tonight!!”

“See you Jaeggukkie, good luck with your date, you look dashing!” Jaegguk showed his brightest smile, clearly pleased with the compliment. His smile reminded Taehyung of Jeongguk’s bunny smile. He hadn’t seen it on Jeongguk, just on some photos in his bedroom. Jaegguk didn’t have the same bunny teeth, but he was still a really cute kid. 

“Taehyung you should never lie to a kid.” 

“Who said I was lying? Your brother is a handsome young man. Your family has great genes.” 

“Does this mean I am a handsome young man as well?” Jeongguk smirked.

Taehyung stared at nothing and pretended he was thinking hard. “Well, to be honest, you don’t meet my standard of beauty... you know, we merfolk have an eye for these things,” Taehyung shrugged nonchalantly. “so, you’re like a... five. Six at most.” 

“Five? What the fuck?” Jeongguk had received a lot of praise for his looks and body throughout the years, although he would not admit it boosted his ego, he's never a proud person. He wouldn’t say he’s super hot, but he knows he’s not that bad. A five???

Taehyung chuckled. “Keep talking and it’ll be a four.” He splashed Jeongguk with several drops of water from the kitchen counter.

Namjoon had called the night before, telling Jeongguk that he and Seokjin will return from their business trip as soon as possible. As Irene was still on vacation, Jeongguk had to work. Today he had to treat the birds suffering from oil spillage. 

Since Taehyung didn’t want to be left alone in the house, he asked Jeongguk to take him to the lab, promising that he would help Jeongguk heal the injured animals. And that is the reason why Taehyung is now standing next to Jeongguk, using his telepathic abilities to aid Jeongguk. More often than not the injured sea animals are transferred to the facility, but Jeongguk didn’t always know what problem they had internally. Sure, he could deal with broken fins or clustered fishing nets, but if the animal had internal bleeding or wounds, he wouldn’t know immediately and it would lower their chances of being saved.

With Taehyung’s help, Jeongguk could fix the animals quickly. A seal had eaten a plastic bag and was feeling nauseous. If it hadn’t been Taehyung’s help he would never have guessed that pained expression on his face was due to a plastic bag. 

Their day went on like this. Jeongguk would sing to the animals while helping them with their injuries. Jeongguk would clean the oil on the animals with care and gentle hands. Taehyung had never seen so much love and adoration in someone’s eyes, or the tender hands and soothing words Jeongguk uses. They made a great team, with Taehyung occasionally telling Jeongguk some tips and knowledge about the animals that no humans had never heard of. 

At lunch, Jeongguk brought him to a fish market, where Taehyung had drooled excitedly. Jeongguk bought him some sashimi sushis, and Taehyung swore he had never tasted anything better.

“Jeongguk, these are amazing! Can we have them every day?” Taehyung’s whole mouth was stuffed with rice, and he looked absolutely blissful. 

“No, Taehyung, we can’t. Sushi is expensive and I’m broke.” 

“But it tastes so good, does all human food taste this delicious?” 

“No, definitely not. But maybe one day you can try my mom and Seokjin’s food. You’ll never want to return.” Taehyung had shoved dozens of sushis at his mouth all at once, making his cheeks puff out like an angry chipmunk.

Their lunch was cut short when Jeongguk received a call from Namjoon and he was informed that he had to bring the merman back to the lab tomorrow for some inspections by Namjoon himself. 

Taehyung felt nervous meeting other humans. He silently prayed to Oceanus that Namjoon and Seokjin weren’t terrifying big bad hunters. Maybe Taehyung was exaggerating. Jeongguk had told Taehyung about Namjoon and his very intimate male friend Seokjin, and from what Jeongguk had mentioned, they sounded very nice and sweet.

Jeongguk hadn’t seen Namjoon and Seokjin for two weeks already, and he missed them dearly. He remembered meeting Namjoon during his university years when Namjoon has been a guest lecture for one semester. They started talking because they were both Korean, but Jeongguk admired the way Namjoon carried himself and the way he talks. Namjoon had established a marine lab by himself at such a young age, it had made him Jeongguk’s life inspiration. He thought Namjoon would miss him dearly after not seeing his favourite little brother for so long.

He thought wrong.

He next day he arrived at the lab bright and early while dragging a sleepy and pouty Taehyung on his foot. Taehyung hadn’t slept a wink last night since Jaegguk had snuck into Jeongguk’s room, demanding a sleepover. So Taehyung and Jaegguk have talked nonsense all night. (mostly Jaegguk complaining about school) Jeongguk had chosen to end his suffering by sleeping at Jaegguk’s room. And that is why Taehyung is whining about bad hair day and how he didn’t have to deal with bad hair down under the sea. 

The second Seokjin saw Taehyung, he squealed in joy and delight, while Namjoon had a shocked expression. They completely ignored Jeongguk, who was opening his arms waiting for their embrace. Instead, the duo rushed toward Taehyung, who was rubbing his eyes with his sweater paws. He had yet to notice the two curious humans staring at him like he was the eighth wonder on Earth.

“Ggukkie this is way too early can we get back-“ 

“Jeon Jeongguk! You never told me he was this pretty! Did you dye his hair blue or is it naturally turquoise? Oh, did he wore contact lenses? I've never seen eyes that blue!” Seokjin lifted a finger, ready to poke Taehyung in the eye.

Taehyung finally noticed the tall couple in front of him, and as if he was jump scared in Halloween, he squealed and hid behind Jeongguk’s back. “G-gukkie… what’s g-going on?” Taehyung was so terrified he spilt out a few pearls while grasping Jeongguk’s shirt hoodie tightly. 

“They’re my friends, they won’t hurt you, don’t worry. The taller one is Namjoon, and the handsome one is Seokjin. Or so he claims.” Jeongguk nudged Taehyung gently and brought him forth. Taehyung felt small under their burning stare, but he muttered a small hi nevertheless.

“Oh my, you are so cute! Hi! My name is Kim Seokjin and its so nice to finally meet you! You can call me Jin hyung, okay? I love your hair and your face, my God! You look like Adonis in real life!” Taehyung shook Seokjin’s outstretched hand timidly, too shy to meet his gaze. His face and ears were tinted red by the compliment. Seokjin, on the other hand, was so delighted he looked like he had won the lottery.

“Hello, Prince Taehyung. I am Namjoon. I run this facility. I have heard that you are the high price of merfolk. I hope my humble lab does not disappoint you too much. I can’t say I know much about your kind, but if you would tell me anything, even the most trivial things, I would be honoured to be your listener and learn about your world.” Namjoon bowed a bit. Taehyung immediately took a liking towards the platinum hair human, his manners and speech impressing Taehyung a lot. It reminded him of his fathers' advisors down there. 

“...Hi. Nice to m-meet you as well. Are you a scholar, Namjoon-ssi? You-you remind me of one.” Taehyung had a little shy smile and shook Namjoon’s hand. 

“Why thank you, my prince. I am no scholar, I’m just a scientist who’s passionate about his work. Nothing less, nothing more.” Namjoon gave Taehyung his famous dimpled smile, making Taehyung blush.

Jeongguk scoffed, a bit petty that no one hugged him. “Namjoon is the best marine biologist in Asia, top five globally. He’s too humble. Namjoon Hyung is the reason I got into this business. He’s the fucking best in this wide world.” Jeongguk himself was a bright scientist, but Namjoon was even better, possibly the best in his field. 

Seokjin hadn't acknowledged Jeongguk’s presence up till now when he put a defensive hand over Namjoon’s chest and glared at Jeongguk. “Fuck off you little snake and stop admiring my boyfriend.” In which Namjoon chuckled in response, lowering Seokjin’s hand and back hugged him. “It’s okay, I’m only ever yours anyways.” 

“WOAH. Hold the fuck up. You guys got together? Finally? Jesus! Get me a bottle of champagne! Holy shi-“ 

“Watch your language you brat.”

“Shit! Did Namjoon ask you out or what? Wow. Kudos to you, Hyung.” 

“That fucker had no guts, so I took the matter in my own hands, and asked him out myself. I am proud of myself too.” Seokjin flicked his imaginary hair over his shoulder, while a very confused Taehyung was clearly trying very hard to make sense of everything unfolding in front of him.

“They’ve liked each other for a very long time, it’s just their families weren’t particularly fond of the idea of them being together… so... took you guys long enough.” Jeongguk tried to explain it to Taehyung while Namjoon and Seokjin were still hugging the lights out of each other. 

“But…why? How come their families won’t approve of their relationship?” Taehyung voiced out his question. The room fell silent. Namjoon and Seokjin exchanged embarrassed gazes, while Jeongguk refused to meet Taehyung’s eyes.

“Taehyung-ssi… up here on land, we… a lot of people dislike the idea of same-sex relationships. Many believe it is against the creation of God’s will and it is unnatural. I-I am sorry to tell you this, but same-sex marriage isn’t legal in a lot of places. I hope this is not the case in where you came from.” Namjoon smiled weakly, while all happiness and giddiness of Seokjin were washed away. 

“B-but why? What is this nonsense? How can people be so cruel? Love is love! How- but there is nothing wrong with love! How can people restrict love? H-how cruel is that? Same-sex relationships are really common in mer. All mer could get pregnant. We just need the blessing from the sea witch. I- I am so sorry to hear this. I cannot imagine how hard it is for you when your own family doesn’t even support your relationship. I- I am so so sorry. C-can I hug you? Grandma said hugs brighten up others.” A few tears spilt out of Taehyung’s eyes, where Seokjin also teared up a bit, and Namjoon looked like he was about to cry as well. 

“Oh yes, come here Taehyungie, thank you. You are the sweetest mer I’ve ever seen.” 

“Seokjin-ssi, I am the only mer you’ve ever seen…”

“The statement still stands, my precious prince.” 

That night the four of them had takeouts at Namjoon’s office, where Taehyung had gotten the opportunity to know the couple better. Taehyung noticed that Seokjin was a very humorous and bright human, always making jokes and teasing Jeongguk. Namjoon has a weird obsession with crabs, in which Taehyung promised he would become the translator for Namjoon and his little friends. 

Upon hearing Taehyung’s story, Namjoon agreed that Taehyung should be allowed to explore the human world, and there is no better guide than Jeongguk. Jeongguk was reluctant, he even pushed out excuses like he had work, he was busy etc. But Seokjin shut him up by telling him that he would grant him a month of vacation just so he could go explore with Taehyung. 

They had a great time, and when they had to part, Seokjin gave Taehyung a forehead kiss, saying that Taehyung reminded him of the little brother he had. Taehyung didn’t question what he meant by had, but by the look on Seokjin’s face, he decided not to. 

The start of Jeongguk’s month-long vacation started with Jaegguk sneaking into Jeongguk’s room again, forcing himself on Jeongguk’s bed that is way too small for three people, and binge-watched Disney movies with Taehyung. Jaegguk had shown him The Little Mermaid first, just because. Taehyung didn’t like the movie that much, as it was not factually accurate and Ariel was dumb as hell. They had watched Mulan, Lion King and Pocahontas, because those were Jeongguk’s favourites. Jaegguk had fallen asleep halfway through the second movie. 

After they finished the last movie, Taehyung whined to the half alseep male next to him. “Jeonggukkie, why is Pocahontas so sad? You promised I would love it! Why would I love sad love stories? Are you trying to make me cry?” Taehyung started crying when John Smith”s boat sailed away, and when Pocahontas started running towards the ship, Taehyung bawled. 

“Because it’s angsty and I love angsty things.” Jeongguk shrugged nonchalantly.

“I hate sad stories. If one day I had to leave the person I loved so dearly, I-I would rather die.” 

“Whatever.” 

Jeongguk ignored the way his mind wandered to the day when Taehyung would eventually leave him for better or for worse.

Chapter Text

The next morning Jeongguk asked Taehyung to write him a bucket list. But apparently the prince didn’t have the concept of what a bucket list was, so Jeongguk decided he would take matters into his own hands. Jeongguk thought of all the things that Taehyung would like, along some that he liked, and made him a secret bucket list that he would accomplish with Taehyung in the following month. 

The first item on Jeongguk’s list was to show Taehyung corn. 

Jeongguk left Taehyung in the bedroom and went down to the fridge. He had told Taehyung that he would grab him some corn. When he returned to his bedroom, he saw a very curious Taehyung sitting on the edge of his bed, bouncing slightly and eyeing Jeongguk’s hand with great interest.

“Oh! This is the corn Jimin talked about? Can I see it please?” 

“Yeah sure.” He threw the yellow object towards Taehyung. Taehyung caressed the outline of the corn as if it was a precious artifact of great value, while looking very confused. “I never knew human technology was so advanced. It looks like a crop, not some device.” 

Jeongguk laughed out loud. It was the first time Taehyung saw Jeongguk smile. He was smiling so wide he had wrinkles and his nose crunched. Taehyung thought he looked like a really cute baby seal or literally any cute baby animals.

Jeongguk snapped a shot of Taehyung looking confused with the corn, then he lowered his camera. “That’s because it’s not. You meant porn, not corn. This is corn. We eat them. It’s delicious, you should try it one day.” 

“Well, then where is this porn thingy?” 

That was not the response Jeongguk had anticipated. “Um- we probably shouldn’t-“ He prayed Taehyung would just leave the subject and let him die in peace.

“But you promised.” 

“I- fine. It’s on my phone and I’ll just show you some I guess. Don’t make this weird.” 

So Jeongguk opened an incognito tab on chrome and typed pornhub in the search bar. He just clicked a random one at the top: there was a chick with some buff man doing the dirty. He chucked the phone on the mattress and walked to the door. “Tell me when you finished watching.” 

“Wait where are you going Gukkie? You’re not watching it with me? How am I supposed to understand?” 

“What? Watch it with you?! Well- under normal circumstances, humans don’t watch porn with... random people... um. This is really awkward. Geez. Fuck.” The whole situation is so bizarre Jeongguk didn’t know how to respond. 

He slumped on his bed next to Taehyung and hoped for the best. The thing is, Jeongguk never watched porn with other people. It’s weird as fuck. Who was he supposed to watch with anyways, Jaegguk? Not to mention that he chose straight porn. This might be the first time he couldn’t get up while watching porn. 

The video just started playing and they were already full on moaning and shit. Fake as fuck. Taehyung’s mouth was wide opened. He was blushing but he was also curious. He had asked Jeongguk if it really felt that good when something penetrates. Jeongguk had never been a bottom, so he replied he didn’t know.

After 13 long awkward minutes, the porn finally finished and Jeongguk has never been more relieved. He took the phone away and let out a long breath. “Well. That’s was it. Haha. Did you... enjoy it?” 

Taehyung didn’t enjoy it one bit. He felt nothing but confused and weirded out. “What do you use it for? Why do humans watch them? They are terrible actors and they make annoying sounds.” 

“Huh? Um. People watch them for... pleasure. They-um- touch themselves when they watch these. Yeah.” 

“So they watch these to get the feeling of what mating feels like?” 

“Um. Yeah.”

“Oh. Cool.” 

Taehyung blushed. He thought about telling Jeongguk that he didn’t find it sexy or arousing at all. He thought about asking Jeongguk if there is any corn video for gay people, but he stopped himself. Taehyung didn’t know Jeongguk’s sexual preferences. And from what he heard from Seokjin and Namjoon, humans are not very welcoming towards same-sex relationships. Maybe Jeongguk was one of them and he would hate him if he had told him he liked guys. Taehyung was not going to risk the possibility of getting judged and thrown away by his favourite human. Jeongguk, on the other hand, didn’t choose gay porn like he usually did because he was afraid Taehyung would find him weird and strange. 

“Well. That’s was...a fun and rewarding...activity. Let’s go grab lunch.” 

They had sushi, again, for lunch, because Jeongguk could not say no to Taehyung’s puppy eyes. Taehyung ate so much sushi he threw up outside of the shop and Jeongguk had to give him tissues and clean him up. Taehyung had sworn he would never eat sushi again, but Jeongguk wondered how long till the merman would crave and beg for salmons and tunas again. 

They went to a nearby neighbourhood market in the afternoon, where Taehyung was amazed by everything they sold. Jeongguk had patiently answered every one of his questions. The old grandmas at the market were so infatuated by the bubbly charming blue-haired new face, they gave him so many free samples and gifts it probably worth more than what Jeongguk had in his wallet.

“Ggukkie look! The dried fruit you talked about! Can we buy them?” 

“No Taehyung you already got so many free samples of it.”

“Jeongguk! Look at the brown thing! It’s so pretty!” 

“That's a wooden sculpture Taehyung.” 

“What does it do?” 

“It just sits there and looks pretty. It’s useless.” 

“Why would you humans buy useless things? So weird.” 

That afternoon Taehyung learnt so many new things in the town centre, but most importantly, he saw a travel agency. He had asked Jeongguk what that store was, in which Jeongguk replied it was where people would go if they wanted to have a vacation. 

“Seokjin just gave you a vacation, shouldn’t you go there Ggukkie?” 

“No. We ain’t going anywhere. Now let’s go.” 

Taehyung eyed the posters outside. They were colourful and it showed pictures of children jumping in a field of bright flowers that rivalled the ones in reefs. Taehyung wanted to see the fields of flower in real life. They only saw bouquets of roses and daffodils, but from what Jeongguk had described flowers were, Taehyung already loved all of them. But since Jeongguk said they should leave, and Taehyung really wanted to get on Jeongguk’s good side, he turned around and followed him back to the car. 

What Taehyung didn’t notice was Jeongguk’s gaze on him when he was eyeing the poster, and Jeongguk didn’t miss a thing. He added another destination for the vacation in his mind.

That night when Taehyung was playing with Jaegguk in his room, Jeongguk finally had some alone time to think. He had a month of vacation, yet he didn’t know what to do. Jeongguk had a habit of overworking himself. He would lock himself in his lab, not getting out until he figured out the answers. He hadn’t had any sorts of vacation for more than a week since he started working at Namjoon’s lab. Was Jeongguk tired? Fuck yes. All the damn time. After one sophisticated talk (drunk talk) with Namjoon, Jeongguk realised that it was because he had no dream or goal in his life. True, he dreamt of becoming a marine biologist since he was a child. But he already achieved that and so much more. Once he stepped out of his lab he didn’t know what was the purpose of his life. What did Jeongguk desire the most? Probably affection. But Jeongguk had never fallen in love, had never experience affection between lovers. And it doesn't help when he was shy as fuck and hated socializing with strangers. To the outside world, Jeongguk may seem like an intelligent prodigal scientist, but deep down there, he was just like most twenty-year-old kids- a little bit insecure and lost with life. 

He wasn’t sure why he had the idea of taking Taehyung on vacation with him. It’s not like Jeongguk couldn’t afford taking another person with him, (Jeongguk was not as broke as he claims, he did not graduate in first honour for nothing) it is the thought of going to this length to make Taehyung happy and enjoy his stay. Was it worth it? 

A week ago Jeongguk would have thought this was absurd. But now that he had seen the way Taehyung’s eyes light up when he sees new things, the way his face crunches when he tasted something weird, or the childish delight when Jeongguk let him see his baby pictures- was Taehyung his friend? 

Jeongguk opened his camera and looked through his photos. Jeongguk usually took pictures of his family, animals and the scenery. But the recent additions to his albums were full of a certain turquoise-haired man, sometimes smiling at the camera, sometimes not even noticing Jeongguk’s lens. There was one when Taehyung first took his step on land, one with Taehyung’s mouth stuffed with sushi rice, another when Taehyung first stepped on grass, and the first time he tasted strawberries. Jeongguk didn’t know why the thought of capturing Taehyung’s firsts would be a good idea. 

“Jeongguk you wouldn’t believe what Jaegguk just told me- oh. Why are you holding your camera?” Taehyung had come back from Jae’s room, looking like he won the lottery.

“Nothing. I’m just scrolling through my pics. What up?” Jeongguk hid the camera under his blankets. He had never shown anyone his pictures. Even when Taehyung pestered him a whole day.

“Jaegguk said he had his first kiss today! Isn’t it so magical? He achieved so much at such a young age I am so proud of him!” Taehyung squealed cutely, flapping his arms in an excited manner that it amused Jeongguk. 

“How is that an achievement though? It’s just a kiss. I bet he stuck his tongue out since the beginning. Ugh. Now I can’t get that image out of my head. Damn it.” Jeongguk rubbed his forehead roughly, desperately trying to get that mental image out of his head. 

“Well-“ Taehyung paused for what seems like forever. “He’s still young. He’ll learn.” The cheeriness in his voice long gone. Then he fell uncharacteristically silent. Jeongguk didn’t notice because went to shower after Taehyung had returned. It left Tae sitting on the bed by himself, overthinking everything. 

Humans and mer were so different. You may say no shit Sherlock but it’s true. Apart from physical appearance and abilities, their customs and culture also differ a lot. Taehyung had told him that merpeople are monogamous. What Taehyung didn’t tell Jeongguk was that merpeople do not mess with love and relationship at all. They met the one and that’s it. They have no concept of casual flings and affairs. Mer would kiss one person and that person only throughout their lives. When a mer kisses another mer, it meant they wish to spend their whole life with them. That’s why Taehyung thought it was really cool how Jaegguk had his first kiss at such a young age. Taehyung didn’t know why he didn’t tell Jeongguk about it, probably he was scared of being judged. 

When Jeongguk mentioned a vacation with Taehyung, he had asked if there was anything particularly interested Taehyung so they could go together. Taehyung said no back then because he didn’t have any ideas. He was glad Jeongguk was willing to sacrifice his free time to plan the vacation. Being a prince, he was no stranger to being served or having everything planned out for him. But Jeongguk was different. He was not paid nor a servant of Taehyung, he was not obligated to do any of this for him. Didn’t Jaegguk told him that Jeongguk hated the menfolk? Why was he doing this for him? Maybe he-

“Hey Taehyung, I have an idea. I’ll bring you to a farm tomorrow. I think you will like it.” Jeongguk had chosen to walk out of the bathroom that instance, scaring Taehyung a bit. Taehyung blushed when he caught sight of Jeongguk with his wet hair damped against his forehead, grey sweatpants and black sweater hanging loosely on his body, but also because of the absurd thought of Jeongguk liking him. Nonsense.

“W-what is this farm? Where can it be found?” Taehyung stammered, still flustered about his thoughts. 

“Well, it’s around an hours' drive from here, there is a lot of animals there. You can feed some of them and play with them. I know the owner.” 

“That sounds very promising, I would love to visit the farm. Thank you Ggukkie.” 

"Now could you please wield your magic powers and dry my hair for me?"

They had slept on the same bed that night, the second time since Taehyung got here. Both couldn't fall asleep, both thinking about each other. 

The next morning, Taehyung and Jeongguk got up at 8 and had the worst breakfast ever. (According to Taehyung) Jeongguk had presented him a bowl of whitish liquid that had no smell. He said it was oatmeal. Taehyung gulped down nervously. The bowl of oatmeal looked so terrifying. 

“It’s healthy and good for you, you should try it.” Jeongguk had gulped down his oatmeal like it was nothing. 

“Here goes nothing…” Taehyung tried the whitish liquid in his spoon. “… Jeez, Jeongguk this tastes… like absolute shit! It’s so bland with no flavour at all, how can you swallow this?” Taehyung’s disgusted expression was so scandalous it made Jeongguk laugh. 

“Most healthy food tastes like shit anyway, its good for your body, that’s what matters the most.” 

Taehyung refused to talk to Jeonguk for the whole car ride, claiming that Jeongguk had lied and tricked him into eating the most disgusting food in the world. Jeongguk welcomed the peaceful silence, humming happily while driving. When a certain song was on the radio, he had completely forgotten about the silent Taehyung sitting next to him and started singing his heart out. It was Hymne á l’amour by Edith Piaf. It was his grandma’s favourite song, and he had learnt the lyrics by heart so he could sing it to her every time she visited her in the elderly home. Jeongguk was pretty sure he must have gotten some part of the French wrong, but he couldn’t care less. 

He only realised it when he stopped in front of red light, and Taehyung was staring at him with his jaw on the floor. “Woah. Jeongguk, when that dolphin said you could sing, I didn’t know you could sing this well! Jeez! And you speak French?! Why didn’t you tell me? ” Taehyung then started rambling in French, waving his arms animatedly, clearing complimenting Jeongguk’s voice. Jeongguk caught several words like incroyable and ange de la musique. Taehyung speaking French might be his new favourite thing.

“Um… I don’t speak French, Tae. I just learnt that song because my grandma loves that song, she used to dance to that song with grandpa when he was still alive. I learnt it for her, I don’t even know what the lyrics mean.” Jeongguk lied. He knew the literal translation of the lyrics, but he considered himself foreign to the lyrics as he had never experienced heart-wrenching love like that and he didn't want to say he understood what Edith had tried to convey. 

“But the lyrics are so touching and meaningful! I can feel her sadness and love for her late lover through the timeless tune. Your French is a little bit off, but, it still sounded amazing Ggukkie.” 

“How come you speak French though?” 

“Jeongguk, we speak all human languages on Earth. And I can also communicate with sea animals. French is nothing to me, mon chéri.” Taehyung’s bubbly laugher made Jeongguk’s lips curled up. 

“Did you know that French is considered the language of love?” Jeongguk offered some human trivial facts, hoping to distract Taehyung from his terrible French.

“Oh, I’ve heard about it. It’s not bad… It’s just… not Mermish. Listen.” Taehyung closed his eyes and started speaking a language that sounded so foreign Jeongguk thought he was hallucinating. His voice was deep and soothing, the sounds he pronounced sounded nothing like any human language. Its flow was gentle and soft, even sounded like a tune. It felt like a soft spring breeze, or the warm sun on a chilly winter day. It felt like an embrace, as if it was whispering everything will be alright to you. Jeongguk was so mesmerised by Taehyung’s little speech he almost stopped the car. 

“Wow. It does sound amazing. What did you just say?” 

“I said I hated the tasteless breakfast this morning and that I am really hungry.”

Jeongguk blinked his eyes owlishly. “Oh. Nevermind.” 

The red bold words on the wooden board could be seen from afar. Welcome to the Holiday Farm! There were several cars in the carpark already, all of them of families with young children. There were kids hoping excitedly along the pebble road. 

Taehyung got out of the car before Jeongguk could even open the door for him, and ran towards the fences. By running it meant walking quickly but wobbling like a penguin. “Jeonggukkie! What is this creature? It looks very funny!” Taehyung crouched down so he could be on eye level with the goose. 

“It’s a goose. Yeah. That’s it. Nothing is interesting about gooses.” 

“Oh. Goodbye then Mr Goose, Ggukkie said you’re boring.” 

“Come on, let’s go, there are animals that I want to show you.” 

They walked downhill towards a wooden shaft. Some families were feeding the ducks and chickens in a nearby barn, and Taehyung freaked out over the sight of children oh my Oceanus Jeongguk those tiny humans look so cute and squishy uwuwuwuwu I wanna touch them can I touch them Jeongguk was not surprised, he could tell Taehyung was a sucker for babies and animals. And that was why he brought him to the farm. To show him something special. 

“I know the owner’s son, and the owner’s a friend of my mom. I’ll show you around before we meet her.” So Jeongguk took Taehyung to the stables, where Taehyung fed the horses and got bitten by one. Taehyung had asked why are they called horses when they looked nothing like seahorses since Jeongguk didn’t know the answer, he just asked why seahorses were called seahorse when they looked nothing like a horse. Taehyung had fallen silent.

After visiting the barn, Taehyung had whined about being hungry and tired, so Jeongguk told Taehyung to stay where he was while he went to buy snacks for them. When Jeongguk came back, Taehyung was nowhere to be found. 

Panic swept Jeongguk off his feet, “Taehyung? Taehyung where are you?” Jeongguk could feel his heartbeat sped up, a dreadful feeling washing over him when he thought of all the worst scenarios- Taehyung abducted by Hank, Taehyung getting lost and turned into a mermaid in front of everyone, Taehyung getting captured and tortured-

Jeongguk ran. He ran and ran, pushing away people who got in his way and kept on shouting Taehyung’s name. “Tae! Taehyung where the fuck are you? Don’t leave-“ Flashbacks from his childhood sucked him into a dark vortex he had forgotten about Taehyung for a second. And Jeongguk was a five-year-old kid again, who went to the Chuseok market with his older cousins, where they decided to pull a cruel prank on Jeongguk. They told him to stay where he was and wait for them, but they never returned. Little Jeongguk was scared out of his mind: the dark crowd looming above him, the suffocating air and sickening smell of sweat. He sobbed silently until one of the security guards found him and helped him contact his mom. He never saw his cousins again. 

The tables have turned, but Jeongguk was still being left behind. 

“-me.” 

There stood Taehyung, inside a wooden fence, holding a white bunny while talking to some lady, smiling as if he didn’t just give Jeongguk a heart attack. Taehyung was cooing at the little bunny, he scratched his ears and peppered little kisses all over the bunny’s head.

“Oh, I think she likes you! She rarely lets people hold her for so long!” “Really? Aw, such a cute ball of fluff! Her teeth look like Ggukkie's! Oh hey! Jeonggukie!” When Taehyung turned around, he saw Jeongguk panting heavily, eyes lost and frantic. So many emotions were held in his doe eyes, it made Taehyung’s heart beat a little bit faster. Taehyung's smile dropped.

Jeongguk tried to compose himself. Crying over Taehyung getting lost was so dumb he could not tolerate himself doing that. Jeongguk took a deep breath. “There you are. Where have you been Tae? I thought you were lost.” Jeongguk said in the most passive way as possible. 

“I was waiting for you, but then this lady asked me to help push some carrots and feed the bunnies. Look! I’ve made a new friend, her name is Peachy! You look like a bunny, Ggukkie. You have the same bunny teeth!” Taehyung’s boxy smile was on full display, but Jeongguk could not bring himself to smile. Not after embarrassing himself and nearly crying for some acquaintance he just met a few days ago. 

Before he could say anything, the lady walked forward. “Oh Jeongguk is that you? You’ve grown so much! Look at you, such a handsome young man! Kids these days grow up too soon." The lady pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. " Are you with Taehyung? Come! I’ll show you around!” Turns out the lady who asked for Taehyung’s help was Mrs Jeon’s friend, Mrs Jung. 

Jeongguk tried his best to smile and look friendly. “Hey Mrs Jung. Is Hoseok around? I haven’t seen him for quite a while.” 

“Yeah, I’ll tell him you’re here. I’m sure he will be delighted the see you, Jeongguk.” Mrs Jung had a really warm smile. Taehyung noticed it was heart-shaped. 

While Mrs Jung was calling Hoseok, Taehyung and Jeongguk were trailing behind her, walking side by side. Taehyung looked fidgety, he was biting his lips and Jeongguk could practically hear him think.

“Hey Ggukkie… I’m sorry for getting lost. A-are you mad at me?” Taehyung had had this question on his mind for so long already. Ever since he reunited with Jeongguk, the younger would not look him in the eye, not even smiling a bit when he told him he got bitten by a rabbit. 

Honestly, Jeongguk was not mad at Taehyung. He was mad at himself. He was mad that his emotions got the better of his mind, he was mad at himself for being the same kid from Busan sixteen years ago, who was still afraid of being left behind. 

“I- “ 

“Please don’t say you’re not mad at me, I can tell.“ Taehyung looked and felt so guilty. He knows he could be a little bit dumb sometimes, Yoongi has told him to stop being nice to so many people, he claimed the world did not deserve his kindness. If Taehyung hadn’t helped Mrs Jung, Jeongguk wouldn’t be mad at him and he couldn’t help but blame himself. 

“Tae, I’m not mad. Just don’t wander off next time. You scared me there." 

Taehyung finally smiled again. “Pinky promise?” 

“Pinky promise. Now come on, let’s go meet Hoseok hyung. You’ll love him.”

Chapter Text

The meeting with Hoseok was a really loud one. 

Mrs Jung took them to a cottage near the entrance of the farm. Jeongguk had filled Taehyung in during the not-so-long walk, telling him how he met Hoseok in the first place. Hoseok had been in the university dance team captain (but he was better than the coach himself), and he recruited Jeongguk the moment he saw Jeongguk dancing to Michael Jackson. They had been great friends ever since. Hoseok is bright and loud, while Jeongguk is more reserved and introverted. They complimented each other’s personality and clicked instantly. Today Jeongguk brought Taehyung here because Hoseok had texted him a week ago, asking if he was interested in a certain thing. 

The front door opened with an ear screeching squeal. 

“Oh my god, Jeonggukkie my favourite little brother you are finally here! “ A brown-haired man with the same heart-shaped smile pulled Jeongguk into a bone-crushing hug. “Mom, don’t give me that look-“ Hoseok gave his mother a pointed look, in which his mom replied with a dramatic eye roll and a huff. Hoseok then cupped Jeongguk’s cheeks and squealed “Jeonggukkie I haven’t seen you in so long! How’s work? I’ve missed you so much, Mickey missed you too! He humped the carrot cushion you gave him, you know.”

“Hyung, I do not need to know your dog is horny.” Jeongguk deadpanned. 

“Well, you’re just jealous Mickey has a more active sex life than you do, you emo whiny kid.” Jeongguk scowled darkly and shoved Hoseok out of the way.

Taehyung felt extremely out of place. This was the first time he enters a house that is not the Jeon’s residence. He eyed the walls around him and saw square little frames with Hoseok’s face in it. He remembers Jeongguk telling him those were photos. Hoseok looked so happy and bright in all the photos, it made Taehyung smile a bit. 

Jeongguk ventured off to fetch some water for Tae and himself when Hoseok approached Taehyung.

After squeezing Jeongguk’s face in his hands and got wrestled on the floor, Hoseok stood up and extended a hand towards Taehyung. “Hi there! I’m Jung Hoseok! You must be Taehyung! It’s so nice to finally meet you. You have really nice hair you know? Looks really soft and silky.” Hoseok then raised his other hand to ruffle Taehyung’s hair. 

But Taehyung was so shocked and scared; he didn’t know Hoseok wanted to shake his hand out of friendliness, he also didn’t know why his other hand was going for his head. With a terrified squeak, he crouched down and wrapped his hands around his head, making himself as small as possible. 

“Hyung where’s Mic- Taehyung! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Taehyung could hear Jeongguk’s rushed footsteps before he felt a familiar presence beside him, holding him close. Taehyung felt safe in Jeongguk’s arms, but he also felt stupid. Hoseok was Jeongguk’s friend, Taehyung wished he could will away his irrational fear so he won’t embarrass Jeongguk. 

“I’m sorry…” Jeongguk could barely hear Taehyung’s small voice as he tried to stand up. There were a few pearls on the floor and Taehyung’s nose was pink. Taehyung rubbed his eyes, his head hung low. Jeongguk kept his protective arm against his waist, curious and concerned. 

“I’m sorry… I’m not used to people touching my hair… I- the merfolk pride ourselves over our hair, s-so its very disrespectful to ruffle each other's hair without their consent. I don’t mind you touching it Hoseok-ssi, y-you can ask me first next time.” Taehyung was blushing, voice wavering. Jeongguk had told him to tell him whenever he accidentally crosses a boundary, and Taehyung had been okay with that. However this was Jeongguk’s friend, he could only hope Hoseok wouldn’t take offence in his words.

Hoseok, he had remained silent the whole time, gasped loudly and bowed to Taehyung. ”I am so sorry! I swear I didn’t know it was offensive, I would have never done that if I knew. I am terribly sorry. Please forgive me. I was just curious how you keep your hair so soft when after bleaching… I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable, I-“ It was Hoseok’s turn to ramble. He kept fumbling with the loose ends of his sweater, and all of Taehyung’s worry was gone. 

“Hoseok hyung, it’s okay. I overreacted, I’m sorry too. Actually, what is bleaching? My hair is naturally this colour. What do you mean by how to keep it?” Taehyung gave a shy smile, patting Hoseok on the shoulder. 

“What?! This is your natural hair? This is so unfair! You’re telling me you don’t need to risk balding to change hair colour? You’re kidding!” Jeongguk snorted at Hoseok’s exclaim. Although Taehyung didn’t fully understand what Hoseok had said, he laughed because Jeongguk had also laughed. 

In the short span of their meeting, Taehyung could already tell Hoseok was a bright and loud person, his smile could light up the darkest seas at night. Hoseok treated them some tea with some blueberry muffins, which became Taehyung’s favourite food. (bye sushi) Hoseok had left sometime during the tea party, winking at Jeongguk before disappearing into the backyard. 

“Where’s he going?” Taehyung asked with a mouth full of muffin. 

“You’ll see, it’s a surprise.”

Two minutes later Hoseok walked back into the room, with a brown and white creature tailing him and a greyish puddle of fur on his arms. 

Taehyung was immediately alarmed, and he squeezed himself behind Jeongguk and the sofa he was sitting on. “Ggukkie… what is that? Is it dangerous? Does it bite?” 

Jeongguk huffed out a laugh and clapped his hands. The brown creature rushed towards him and barked. 

Taehyung almost lost his shit. 

“Tae, this is Mickey, Hoseok’s dog. Dogs are friendly and harmless, don’t worry, he’s barking because he’s happy. Humans keep dogs as pets.” Jeongguk scooped up Mickey with both arms and put it between Taehyung and himself so Taehyung was facing Mickey. “Mickey, Taehyung is a friend, be nice to him, okay?” When Mickey wagged his tail, Taehyung’s heart melted a little bit. 

Taehyung gave Mickey a small wave and said “ Hi Mickey, I’m Taehyung. Do you want to play with me?” 

When Mickey only barked, Taehyung was slightly annoyed. “Why is he not responding to me?” He asked Jeongguk, who was ruffling Mickey.

“He just did. He’s barking at you.” Jeongguk said it like it was the most normal thing ever. 

“No. Why is he not answering me back? I can’t hear his thoughts. Is he not intelligent enough?” 

Hoseok and Jeongguk stared at Taehyung like he lost his mind. In Taehyung’s defence, he could talk to all sea animals, so he assumed humans could talk with dogs as well. 

“Um. We can’t communicate with animals on land, sorry to burst your bubble Taehyung-ah.” Hoseok let out an awkward laugh. It wasn’t until then did Taehyung finally realise that the puddle of grey fur in Hoseok’s arm was another dog.  

“Tae, this is Yeontan, and my family will be adopting him.” Jeongguk took Yeontan from Hoseok’s arms and cradled it against his chest. The little ball of fluff was much smaller than Mickey, and he had distinct light brown eyebrows. He looked so cute Taehyung almost cooed out loud. 

“Hyung found him on the streets, abandoned by his owner. He picked him up and nursed him back to health. But Hyung already has Mickey, and Jaegguk has always wanted a puppy. I bet he will love Yeontan. I thought you would too, Tae. You are a sucker for cute things.” 

Taehyung has never felt more love and happiness. Yeontan reminded him of the baby seals and baby turtle he played with when he was younger. So when Yeontan licked the tip of Jeongguk’s nose, he busted all his uwus and his fears toward dogs. “Who would abandon this cutie? He’s too pure for this world. Can I hold him too?” 

When Jeongguk put Yeontan in his arms, he felt like a proud dad. Yeontan shook his fur and rested comfortably on Taehyung’s arms. 

“I think he likes you a lot,” said Jeongguk, eyes crinkling up from laughter. 

“Yeah, I think he does.” 

And on the car ride back to the Jeon’s residence, Taehyung never once let go of Yeontan, even when he slowly drifts off to sleep. 

Jeongguk smiled looking at Taehyung’s side profile with Yeontan in his arms. He knew Taehyung would love the Pomeranian, that’s why he took him here today. Though Jeongguk doesn’t know Taehyung that well, he could tell he was the type that would coo over children puppies and fluffy things. Maybe next time he could surprise him with a- 

Jeongguk felt his cheeks warm up when he realised he was trying to make Taehyung happy. He had never tried to woo anyone or deliberately make other people smile. Heck, Jeongguk doesn’t think he had ever been interested in someone romantically. Maybe except his second-grade teacher who always gives him rabbit candies. But that doesn’t count. The precious smile of Tae when he was playing with Tannie was one the brightest one he had seen since he met Tae. Jeongguk could feel his heartbeat a little faster whenever Taehyung called him Ggukkie or Jeonggukie; he would puff out his chest a little bit and hold his head a little bit higher when Taehyung is hiding behind his back, and he would adopt Tannie without a second thought if the little pom can make Taehyung happy. 

Is this what a crush feels like? Must be their mermaid magic or some shit.  

Jeongguk shoved his thoughts aside as he planned where he would take Taehyung tomorrow. 

♆

Jeongguk already regrets adopting Yeontan the next day.

It’s not like Yeontan is a disobedient puppy or anything, it’s just everyone’s attention is on the tiny pom now. And Jeongguk didn’t like it.

Jeongguk was right about his little brother: Jaegguk loved Yeontan so much he woke up at five in the morning just so he could play longer with him before school, who was the same person who refuses to wake up even if you told him all his Cheerios were stolen by Jeongguk. 

And Taehyung. 

He was as crazy as Jaegguk, woke up at ass o’clock and tiptoed to the living room where Yeontan was sleeping, only to meet Jaegguk halfway in the corridor. Jae negotiated with Tae because he had school and Taehyung had all day to play with Yeontan. Taehyung gave up playing with Yeontan in the morning after Jae whined and begged. 

When Jeongguk woke up, he heard Taehyung giggling downstairs. And yappings. He could hear his mom talking to Taehyung. Jeongguk groaned and sat up reluctantly. Why do they fuss over the dog so much? It's just a dog, it's not even their first pet.

To his horror, when he walked downstairs, he saw both his mom and Taehyung cooing at the little grey fluff ball. “Mom, what’s for breakfast today?” Jeongguk walked towards the kitchen, staring at the blank table. 

“I didn’t have time to make breakfast, honey. Taehyung asked me to teach him how to play with Yeontan. Look! Tannie knows a trick now!” Jeongguk hadn’t seen his mom this excited since Jaegguk first learnt how to say mama. 

“Ugh. Taehyung, what do you want for breakfast?” 

Sadly, Jeongguk was met with “Awwww look at you!” “Such a good boy Tannie!” and “You are the cutest thing ever!!!”. Taehyung was playing with Yeontan in his pen, not giving a shit about anyone else. When Jeongguk filled up three bowls of cereals and called them over, he saw Taehyung dragging his footsteps, seemingly very reluctant to let go of Yeontan. 

“Taehyung, did you sleep with Yeontan?” Jeongguk muttered, still feeling a little bit petty.

“Morning Jeonggukkie, I miss Tannie already, I can’t believe there are no dogs under the sea.” Taehyung let out a dramatic sigh, making Mrs Jeon laugh out heartedly as he still ignored what Jeongguk had said.

Jeongguk rolled his eyes in response, huffing at Taehyung’s behaviour. He literally just left Yeontan thirty seconds ago, yet he kept peaking at the dog throughout breakfast. 

“Hyung. We are going to Ocean Park today. I’ll pack some snacks, we will leave in ten.” 

“What? We’re leaving? We can’t leave Yeontan! I want to play with him! Ggukkie, can we play with him all day? Pleeeeease? We can go another day!” Taehyung pouted and whined, giving Jeongguk the best puppy eyes. Jeongguk would have given in if he weren’t so jealous of Yeontan taking everyone’s attention from him. 

Jeongguk’s eyes darkened, face vid of any emotion. “Well. Since you love Yeontan so much, why don’t you stay here and play with him until you have to go back?” His voice was so cold it made Taehyung shiver. Why was Jeongguk suddenly so mad? 

“I- I” Taehyung stammered, unsure what he did make Jeongguk so mad. He could feel the dreadful nightmare of Jeongguk abandoning him and finding him boring come true every second. 

“Save it for Tannie,  hyung.” The way Jeongguk said hyung made Taehyung shiver. He never calls him hyung. Taehyung knew he messed up big time. Jeongguk roughly put down his mug and left without saying another thing.

“Wait- Jeonggukkie! Don’t-“ Taehyung was stopped by the large bang of the front door.

“Mrs Jeon, I-“ 

“Jeongguk is fine, he is just a big softie, always want all the attention to himself. He will be fine, just talk to him later, son, don’t worry.” Mrs Jeon smiled reassuringly, but it didn’t ease Taehyung’s nerve. 

Taehyung helped with the dishes despite Mrs Jeon’s protest. He must find something to occupy himself so he won’t overthink. Does Jeongguk hate him now? Is he not gonna comeback? Will he talk to Taehyung again? Taehyung can’t shake off the feeling of guilt and self-hatred, he didn’t even play with Yeontan after breakfast. He retired to his guest room, and the stark white walls stare right back at him. He remembers wanting to sneak into Jeongguk’s bedroom last night because he was scared of sleeping alone, but Jeongguk told him, humans, like “privacy”, so he decided he will pull up his big boy pants and sleep alone. He didn’t get much sleep last night, but at least Jeongguk did: he looked radiant this morning, unlike the day when they shared a bed and Taehyung almost kicked him off it. 

He can’t imagine not having Jeongguk along his discover-humanity journey. Taehyung was determined. He will get Jeongguk back. 

♆

Jeongguk was fuming. 

Okay, maybe not. He was throwing a tantrum and he knew it. Call him a brat. He knew it was stupid to be jealous of a fucking dog. But he couldn’t help it. Jeongguk had spent last night researching about Ocean Park, he even went on their online shop to look at their animal plushies, picking one in advance so he could buy it for Taehyung immediately when they arrive. 

All of his grand plans were ruined by that tiny hairy devil that decided to steal Taehyung away from him. He knew he had absolutely no right to forbid Taehyung playing with Yeontan, he just felt betrayed and fucking sad, because all his hard work and attempt to make Tae happy has gone down the drains. 

When he left the house, he had nowhere to go in his mind. He just took a random bus to the town centre, perhaps hit the gym or buy some shit to please himself. Then he will return home and give Taehyung the silent treatment and call it a day. 

♆

Taehyung was scared shitless. 

His fear can be divided into two parts: i) Jeongguk being mad at him ii) Getting lost in this big ass mall. After Jeongguk had left, he took some time thinking about what Jeongguk likes. The red and gold armour man. Cameras. Food. He will get them for Jeongguk so he won’t be mad at him anymore. It seemed like a perfect plan in his head. Until he got out. 

He sneaked out of the house when Mrs Jeon went grocery shopping. He wandered on the streets, not knowing where to go or how to get Jeongguk those things. He saw one of the friendly neighbourhood grandmas he met the other day- he probably looked so lost like a kicked puppy, the kind grandma offered him a ride to wherever he wanted to go. He didn’t know what the Mall was called, so he just told the grandma what he wanted to get for Jeongguk. 

And that is how Taehyung ended up getting lost in the mall.

This was the first time he set foot inside of the mall, he only heard Jaegguk talking about it with Mr Jeon the other day. Suddenly he was very overwhelmed by the burst of colours and so  so  many people, he didn’t know what to look at. He saw groups of young people chatting and walking together, couples holding hands and kids crying on the floor. Everything was so new and so foreign to him, he didn’t know where to go, what to look, or what to do in general. 

“What would Jeongguk do…” Taehyung muttered to himself, squared up his shoulders and try to mimic the way Jeongguk walk and almost trips. 

The mall was like a maze, Taehyung ventured into different shops, trying to look for the things Jeongguk would like. He decided that he would not ask for help, ask he didn’t want to embarrass himself with his lack of knowledge. Taehyung entered a shop called JJK Figures, attracted by the big red and yellow armour man poster at the door —- the man that Jeongguk likes. 

When he entered the shop, it was like a whole new world was discovered. There were little models everywhere, with different poses and costumes, they all looked very lively and appealing. There’s no doubt Jeongguk would like them. 

Taehyung was attracted by a figure that was put at the far back of the shop. When he walked closer, he noticed that it was very similar to what Jeongguk has in his bedroom, only larger and fancier. Taehyung raised a hand, wanting to touch the figure when he felt an iron grip on his wrist stopping his movements. This didn’t feel familiar: it’s not like Jeongguk’s grip on his hand when he tried to touch fire, or when Jeongguk’s hold on his arm when they were crossing the road. This hurt. 

Taehyung hissed in pain when he lifts his head to look at the dark shadow next to him, he cowered a bit. The man was a solid six feet, with tattoos on his arm and a remarkably nasty scar on his face. His eyes were dark, and there were no tenderness or concern inside. That guy towered over Taehyung, and his gaze never left Taehyung even when Tae tried to get out of his grip.

“It hurts…please…” Taehyung whimpered softly. The guy didn’t even budge, he just continued to tower over Taehyung and leaned in closer so he was on eye level with Taehyung.

“Kid. What do you think you are doing?” His hoarse raspy voice made Taehyung shiver. “I-I just want this figure…” The tattooed man eyed Taehyung from head to toe. Taehyung was wearing one of Jeongguk’s many black hoodies and his grey sweatpants. Maybe he looked kinda homeless to the salesperson. “Do you know how much it costs? You think you can pay for it? You’re just gonna steal it, aren’t you?” The man leaned even closer, basically snarling at Taehyung. Taehyung was beyond terrified, but he tried to stand his ground. “Stealing? NO! I would never steal, you have my word, sir!” 

“Well, then what are you gonna pay with?” 

Taehyung stood frozen. He had forgotten about humans and their weird paper notes which they use to buy stuff. He didn’t have any money with him.  Stupid Taehyung, how could you forget the most important thing? 

“I-I can let you have a strand of my hair? I-it’s worth way more than the figure, y-you know.” Although Taehyung was not lying, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated under the snarling man’s judging gaze. As a royalty, Taehyung’s hair was probably the most precious and cherished thing one mer could dream of having. Since it is not normal for mers to have colour-changing hair, Taehyung’s hair was extra valuable. He had had admirers from all across the globe visiting his fathers’ palace, hoping they could take a glance at Taehyung’s hair. Offering a strand of his hair to this man is way beyond his comfort zone, but Taehyung really wanted to get Jeongguk this figure. 

The man laughed hysterically, and Taehyung could smell his bad breath. “You punk, you think this is some sick joke? Your  hair ? Are you fucking serious? Get out before I throw you out myself!” The man finally let go of Taehyung’s wrist, now an angry red and the pain shooting out almost made Taehyung fell. 

“No, sir, I am serious, I really want this-“ Taehyung begged, and he could feel his tears coming up from fear and hopelessness. 

“Get the fuck out, or I will make you.” The man threatened as he kept walking towards Taehyung, and he had no choice but to back up towards the exit. 

“Please, I really want-“

Taehyung stopped when he felt his back bumped into another brick wall. His breath hitched. He’s gonna die in this JJK Figure shop today. 

He felt a pair of strong hands grip his shoulder behind him, steadying him. Before he could turn around and see why the wall has arms, he smelt it first. 

A smell like warmth and hugs. 

Taehyung let out a small whimper, leaning in those strong arms. “Jeonggukie.”

“Taehyung, care to explain why you are here?” 

♆

Three minutes after he arrived at the mall, Jeongguk had already started to feel guilty over snapping at Taehyung. Technically, it wasn’t his fault, and Taehyung wouldn’t know he spent time on planning the trip for him. It’s his first time seeing a puppy, after all, it’s normal to get a little bit carried away. Putting himself into Taehyung’s shoes, Jeongguk kind of get why Taehyung would want to play with Yeontan instead of going out with him. It’s okay, Jeongguk’s ego is not hurt, at all. 

He couldn’t get the image of Taehyung’s panicked face when he had snapped at the poor prince, so confused and so guilty over Jeongguk’s stupid tantrum. Jeongguk then decided he would buy something for Taehyung to apologise: for being a jerk and snapping at him. 

Jeongguk first went to IKEA, and he bought some fairy lights and kids decorations for Taehyung. He chose everything sea-related: dolphins, whales, bubbles, shells. He even bought a sea breeze scented candle for the merman in case he gets homesick. He then went to a souvenir shop and bought a snow globe for Taehyung because he thought he would like it. Jeongguk also bought some pancake mix and blueberry jam at the supermarket so he can make Taehyung apology pancakes later. He felt better after buying all the stuff for Taehyung even though his little shopping trip was meant for himself originally. 

When he was leaving to catch the bus, he caught sight of a shop that he often visited. JJK Figures. He decided to have a look at the new arrivals, maybe get one or two Iron Man new figures, though he is pretty sure his mom would whack his ass if he buys one more, because his room is already stuffed with all the figures he collected over the years. That doesn’t stop him from entering the shop though. 

When he entered the shop, he was surprised he was not greeted by the shop owner, Yeonbin, who was a good friend of his. Yeonbin had texted him a week ago that there had been new arrivals which Jeongguk would like. Jeongguk glanced around, finding the empty cashier a bit weird. That was the moment Jeongguk heard the voice he would recognise anywhere. 

“No, sir, I am serious, I really want this-” He caught a glimpse of Taehyung’s blue hair before it was blocked by the tall buff man again. Jeongguk was so shocked he couldn't even move. What the fuck is Taehyung doing out here? Is this his clone? What the fuck is that man doing? 

“Get the fuck out, or I will make you.” The man threatened, and Taehyung was slowing backing away towards the exit, towards him. “Please, I really want-“

That was the moment when Taehyung collided with Jeongguk. Jeongguk could hear Taehyung’s breath hitch, and he could basically see him losing his mind. Jeongguk steadied Taehyung with his hands, grip firm but reassuring. 

“Jeonggukie.” Taehyung seemed to finally notice it was Jeongguk behind him, and Jeongguk could feel Taehyung practically melting into his arms. 

“Taehyung, care to explain why you are here?” Jeongguk asked softly, trying not to make Taehyung feel bad. 

Before Taehyung could answer, the tattooed man leaned closer and looked Jeongguk right in the eye. “Your little filthy boyfriend here tried to steal the figure. Thought he was slick, but I caught him. Now get the fuck out before I kick you two out.” 

Jeongguk shoved Taehyung behind him. He stood tall and shoved his finger on that man’s chest. Jeongguk fucking hate bullies. If this man thinks he could frame Taehyung for stealing, he would cut his balls for suggesting such absurd thoughts because Taehyung would never steal. 

“You listen up, asshole. Taehyung would never steal shit. You better shut the fuck up before I tell your boss about your poor attitude. Now pack me the figure because I am buying that.” Jeongguk’s tone was one Taehyung had never heard and hoped he will never use it on him. 

“Y-you punk. You wouldn’t dare. You probably can’t afford anything here anyways.” The man’s face was an angry red, his veins popping out and his saliva was flying everywhere. He was mad, but he was also scared. He was scared of Jeongguk snitching on him and losing his job.

Jeongguk thought his anger had reached its peak, but apparently not after the man just assumed he couldn’t pay for the figures. He hated it when people underestimate him, because of his age, nationality or looks. When he was in uni, some of his professors and classmates wouldn’t take him seriously because he was younger than others, and he was Asian on top of that. Jeongguk had cried when he first got into uni because of all the unfairness and cold shoulders he received for being who he was when he didn’t even do anything wrong. Jeongguk was sick of this, he has had enough.

Jeongguk took out his black card and shoved it in the man’s face. “This is a black card. Ever seen one before? Take a good look because this will be the only time you get your hands on a black card. Now go and pack me all figures with Tony Stark’s face on it.” Jeongguk spat out, his eyes never left the shell shocked face off the salesman. 

When the man scrambled to pack the figures, Jeongguk finally turned around to look at Taehyung properly, he noticed how frightened and terrified the merman was. 

“Hey… you okay? He didn’t hit you, did he?” Jeongguk scanned Taehyung from head to toe, looking for bruises. What he did not expect was the sudden blur of blue in front of his eyes, and the warmth of Taehyung’s body pressed up against him the next second. 

He watched as Taehyung’s hair changed from a darker shade of turquoise to a lighter blue. He knew better than to touch his hair, even though the was dying to thread his fingers through Taehyung’s silky hair. 

“Ggukkie…” Taehyung’s muffle whine made Jeongguk laugh. He gently placed his hands on Taehyung’s waist. “Why are you out here anyway? Did mom give you a ride? Where is she?" 

Taehyung pulled away from the hug and looked Jeongguk in the eye. “I sneaked out.” And then he buried his head into Jeongguk’s shoulder again. 

Jeongguk had a coughing fit. “You-You what?! Did you go out alone? Taehyung? Are you out of your goddamn mind?” Jeongguk pulled away immediately, hands gripping Taehyung’s shoulder tightly. Jeongguk felt he couldn’t breathe anymore: it felt like his throat was constricted by an invisible force. “Taehyung, do you want to give me a heart attack? Y-you could have been kidnapped and God knows what will happen to you! You can’t do this!” 

Jeongguk looked so panicked it scared Taehyung. “Ggukkie I’m s-sorry! I just really wanted to get the figure. But I don’t have any m-money. I k-know I messed up again, I-I’m sorry Jeong-“

Jeongguk waved his hand, stopping Taehyung from his rambling. “It’s okay. Just promise me you will never sneak out again, okay? Promise me?” Taehyung holds out his pinkie finger and laced it with Jeongguk’s. “S-sorry, Ggukkie, I promise.” 

The man had emerged from the back of the store with thirty boxes of Iron Man figures, and Jeongguk bought them all without a second thought. Though Taehyung didn’t understand how currency works, it seemed like a lot. If Taehyung had to offer his hair he might have to shave it all off. 

When they left the shop, Jeongguk had a smug look on him, and Taehyung couldn't be happier because Jeongguk was not mad at him anymore. 

“Hey Taehyung, how were you gonna pay for the figures anyway?” Jeongguk asked out of curiosity as they were walking to the bus stop, hands full of bags and figures.

“I offered him my hair, but he didn’t seem to be interested in it.” Taehyung gave a nonchalant shrug, while Jeongguk’s jaw fell on the floor. “You offered him your hair? But you had a panic attack when Hoseok tried to touch it yesterday!” 

Taehyung blushed cutely, trying to turn away from Jeongguk’s gaze. “That’s different,” he said in a voice so soft Jeongguk almost missed it. “I wasn’t prepared for his touch. And I offered him my hair because it’s the most valuable thing I own, I am willing to trade it with the figure. I don't have anything else anyway.” 

“But why? You don’t even like Iron Man. Why would you trade your hair for something like this? It’s not worth it, you know?" Jeongguk sounded so chill about it it made Taehyung doubt himself. Did Jeongguk even like the figure? "By the way, let’s go drop these figures off at the orphanage, they can’t fit in my room.” Jeongguk halted when he realised Taehyung had stopped walking. “Taehyung, are you okay?”

Taehyung just looked at the ground, the tip of his ears tinted pink. “I did it because I thought you would like it, and it would make you happy and not mad at me anymore.” His voice was very soft and fragile, and Jeongguk just wanted to bubble wrap the merman in front of him. “But I guess you don’t like it that much, do you?” Taehyung looked so sad and broken as if all his dreams crashed down on him just because Jeongguk said he would donate all the figures.

“Oh Tae.” Jeongguk put down all the figures and cupped Taehyung’s cheeks. He had never done that before, and he was scared Taehyung would push him away. But Taehyung didn’t. His bread cheeks felt so soft and warm in his hands. “Taehyung, I am not mad at you. I am sorry for lashing out on you this morning. I was very childish and stupid. Please forgive me. You have done nothing wrong, okay? And I won’t donate the figure you chose. I will throw away my old ones if I have to just to make room for the new one. So don’t worry, okay? I am giving them to the orphanage because I already have a lot, I want to give them to the kids.” Taehyung’s eyes seem to brighten up with Jeongguk’s words, and Jeongguk could feel his heartbeat a tiny little bit faster. He lowered his hands and offered to help with Taehyung’s bags. “Come on, let’s give those children some new toys for the new year.” 

Chapter Text

Guys i am very sorry for not updating for a veryyyyy long time :( uni has a shit ton of work, and I went to Seoul last week, I got tickets to the 27th and the 29th concert. It was the best thing ever.

I am still an emotional mess. I literally drowned in my own tears. I still have not recovered from my sadness, school work has been drowning me as well. But I had a great ass time. I met so many armys from all around the world, it was wonderful. I felt like I met my other family. I lined up for 8 hours just to get inside the pop-up store, totally worth it though. I bought the sweater Tae and Hobi wore, some sticker packs etc. I am BROKE. Anyways, the concerts were amazing. I mean, the last concert was emotional as fuck, maybe even more so than Wembley young forever moment. That day Namjoon didn't cry, on the 29th, when he cried, I broke. Like literally. Brokedown. I cried as soon as I got to my seat. It was really close. Sorry I'm ranting, this is not a platform for me to rant anyways. ASDFGHJKL im still crying :'((

Chapter Text

“Taehyung stop pushing that fucking button!”

“But it’s cute, look, there, it lights up!” 

Jeongguk was fucking done with Taehyung pressing the bell on the bus every five seconds. This was Taehyung’s first time on public transport, and Jeongguk had to lecture him on the bus stop that he cannot belt off songs in the bus, or harass other passengers. Taehyung followed these instructions, but what Jeongguk had left out was the tiny little yellow buttons on the handles. Taehyung saw other passengers pushing the button, then the bulb near the driver lights up. He didn’t seem to understand the concept that he should only push the button when the bus is approaching his destination. He kept pushing it and made buzzing noises as sound effects. Jeongguk was very frustrated, to say the least. Some schoolgirls were staring at them, giggling. 

 Luckily, Taehyung’s curiosity vanished after eight stations. 

They got off several stations later, where they had to walk shortly before reaching the orphanage. The pair walked in comfortable silence, with Taehyung wobbling after Jeongguk like a baby penguin. Jeongguk would never admit his lips curled up slightly when he heard Taehyung’s small gasps and awes behind him. 

The duo soon reached the orphanage. Since it was still school time, the kids were not in the centre. The staff at the reception looks like she wanted to eat Jeongguk up alive, eyes ogling and practically drooling all over him. 

“Sir, you are too kind, would you like to stay here a bit so our staff members could thank you properly?” She purred at Jeongguk, who looked like he didn’t detect any form of flirting from the female staff. 

“No thanks, I’ll just head home. Bye.” Then Jeongguk grabbed Taehyung’s hand and left the orphanage. 

“Jeez, she was totally into you, Ggukkie, she practically eye-fucked you!” Taehyung whisper shouts. Jeongguk immediately let go of his hand and coughed unnecessarily loudly. “Who taught you that expression! You shouldn’t learn this type of things!” 

“From the TV of course. Netflix to be exact.” Taehyung said proudly as if knowing the phrase “eye-fucking” is a really great achievement. 

“That’s it, you are banned from Netflix.” 

"No! You can't ban me from my only happiness!"

"I thought Yeontan was your only happiness?"

♆

When they got home, Jeongguk finally let Taehyung see what he had bought in the mall (the older had continued to pester him throughout the whole bus ride). Taehyung first took out the fairy lights, not knowing what it was. When Jeongguk explained that it would glow in dark and make his room prettier, and Taehyung couldn’t be happier. Jeongguk had been nervous showing Taehyung all his purchases, afraid that the merman would judge him for his childishness, but he should know by now that Taehyung is a kid at heart, and he loves anything Jeongguk gives him (other than oatmeal). 

When they unpacked everything, Taehyung was over the moon to hear that Jeongguk will be re-decorating his with him. He never had the chance to decorate his own room back in the palace, as he is a prince and there were some royal protocols that he had to follow. Jeongguk told him that they could decorate it together tonight after bathing, and Taehyung finally asked the million-dollar question. 

“Ggukkie, is it okay for me to stretch out my tail? It’s been too long and I feel angsty.” 

Jeongguk let out an unintelligent oh, brain going on numb. Is his tub big enough? Will it be too cramped? “Well, you know how big my tub is. If that is okay with you, then sure.” 

And that’s why Taehyung is now waddling in Jeongguk oversized black sweater with nothing underneath, following Jeongguk into the biggest bathroom in the house. “Careful Tae-“ “Ow!” “Tae I told you to be careful of the door frame.” “Why are my reflexes so slow on land, ugh, I would’ve dodged it if I was in the water.” 

While Jeongguk is filling up the tub with warm water, Taehyung looked at the bath bomb curiously. “Ggukkie, what is this?” 

Jeongguk stole a glance at the baby blue bath bomb and said “It’s a bath bomb. Put it in the water and it will dissolve. It gives pleasant smells and pretty colours. I bought it for you, it’s my favourite, its called Seashore Breeze.” 

“Oh, that sounds very promising already. I will be the judge if it really smells like seashores.” Jeongguk let out a small chuckle. “Sure. If it turns out to be fake, I will sue them with the testimony of a merman.” 

Peaceful silence fell over them, with Jeongguk filling up the tub and Taehyung sitting on the toilet, swinging his legs and wiggling his toes. When it was time, Jeongguk told Taehyung to put the bath bomb in, and Taehyung was more than delighted to do so. Taehyung’s genuine smile whenever he tries something new still amazes Jeongguk: the way his eyes light up at the frizzling sounds of water, his melodious laughter and the boxy smile on full display, Jeongguk thinks he’s never met someone so pure and so intriguing. Jeongguk thinks he might be in [redacted].  (Hint: the l word)

Jeongguk looked away when Taehyung removed his sweater and jumped into the tub. He just stood there watching Taehyung play with the bubbles. “Aren’t you going to shift?” Jeongguk asked, not understanding why the older haven’t done that the first thing he got into the tub.

Taehyung suddenly fell uncharacteristically silent over Jeongguk’s question, eyes looking anywhere but the young marine biologist.

“I-I don’t- can you please l-look away for one second?” Taehyung’s bubbly voice was reduced down to a near whisper. Jimin and Yoongi always told him to shift in deeper waters first, then swim up to the shores so he won’t be attacked by humans. He guessed shifting is a really vulnerable process, but that’s not the main reason why he asked Jeongguk to look away. He knew Jeongguk would never hurt him. But Taehyung had never shifted in front of Jeongguk, the first time being an accident. He was scared that the process would be very gruesome and may scar Jeongguk for life. After all, bone rearranging and scales growing out can’t be that pleasant.

“Oh.” Jeongguk let out, thinking that Taehyung didn’t want him to witness his tail due to personal reasons. “I can leave if you want to, I think you can manage it on your own. Just shout when you need my help, okay?” Jeongguk was ever so patient and so gentle Taehyung could hear the aches in his heart.

“No! Don’t leave! I-I mean, it’s okay, it’s just I have never seen anyone shifted before… I don’t know if it would look very ugly or scary.” Taehyung’s guilty expression made Jeongguk want to crawl out his hair. 

“Oh. Well. I’m sure I’ve seen worse. You won’t scare me, don’t worry. I can still leave if you want me to.” The way Jeongguk’s eyes showed so much care and concern in them made Taehyung’s heart swell. He was scared of scaring Jeongguk away, but after his reassurance, he wants Jeongguk next to him in his first conscious shift. 

“It’s okay, you can stay, I don’t mind. You can watch if you want to.” Taehyung bit his lower lip, words threatening to spill out of his mouth any moment. “C-can you hold my hand while I shift? I’m very nervous. P-please?” Taehyung extended his hand slowly, bubbles slipping from his forearm. 

Jeongguk couldn’t tell if the blush on Taehyung’s face was due to the humidity and temperature of the room, or from what Jeongguk didn’t dare think of. Jeongguk was pretty sure his cheeks would be tainted pink by now. “S-sure. If that’s what you want.”

The image is quite sweet and domestic, with Taehyung in the tub holding Jeongguk’s hand, who was sitting on the floor, eye-level with Taehyung. They stared into each others’ eye for a while, before Taehyung broke it and gave Jeongguk’s hand a tight squeeze. “I’m going to shift now, wish me luck Ggukkie.”

“You’ll be fine, Tae.” 

When Taehyung closed his eyes, he tried to reach for Mother Ocean deep within him. He put his free hand in the water, and whispered the secret language of the mer, seeking out to his roots. He soon felt a deep burn starting from his abdomen, then it began spreading downwards to his thighs, his calves. Jeongguk’s reassuring whispers became white noises. He couldn’t hear anything, could only feel the hot pain soaring from his lower part, slowly consuming his mind. He vaguely remembers Jeongguk’s grip tightening on his hand, can feel his burning gaze on him. After an agonising minute, Taehyung’s mind finally came back, registering the pain. He blinked several times, before turning to Jeongguk. The younger boy’s face was as pale as a sheet of paper. 

“Hey,” Taehyung whispered softly, a bit tired from the shift.

“Hey yourself. You scared the shit out of me.” Jeongguk’s voice was even smaller than Taehyung’s, the slight tremble in his voice an indication of how scared he was.

“Aw. Did I manage to scare little Ggukkie?” Taehyung teased, watching red bloom on Jeongguk’s pale face. 

“That was quite intense I wouldn’t lie. How’s your tail feeling? Does it still hurt?” 

Taehyung had almost forgotten he had a wound in his tail up till now. The wound left a scar there, milky white against emerald, but slowly fading already. “It feels kinda weird, not in pain, definitely not, but the scales around it seems to be stretched and slightly rearranges so it feels a bit… funny.” 

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Perhaps try moving it around? Who am I kidding, I am no mermaid expert. Just- well, you can make a splash if you promise to clean it up later.” 

“Is that so?” The usual mischief lit up in Taehyung’s eyes, and Jeongguk immediately knew that he was doomed. 

“Tae, I-“ He was cut off by a stream of water shooting right at his face. Taehyung’s giggles echoed in the bathroom, and Jeongguk’s hair now sticks to his forehead gloriously. 

“Ugh. You make me want to sell you to the sushi owner, Taehyung.” Taehyung, however, didn’t seem to be threatened by that statement, casually waving his hands and created a water statue of Jeongguk in an Iron Man suit. “Nah, I’m sure you won’t Ggukkie, you love me too much to let me go.” 

Well. That hit too close to home. Jeongguk’s brain shut down for a moment because he cannot find any lie in Taehyung’s words. Jeongguk kept telling himself it was just infatuation, but deep down he always knew it was something more. Realising he had no comeback from this, he let out a quite yeah that Taehyung didn’t seem to notice. 

Taehyung played in the tub for more than half an hour, when Jeongguk offered to warm up the water for him, Taehyung simply dismissed the idea, saying that if it was nothing compared to the Arctic Seas. 

“So. Tell me about this Jimin and Yoongi fella that you always mention.” 

“Oh! Jiminie is my best friend! His father is the general and a close friend of my father, we bumped into each other one time when we were young and got our tails tangled together. I would like the consider it as fate! We’ve been best pals ever since. Yoongi is three years older than us. He is Jimin’s second soulmate, me being Jiminie’s first and foremost of course. Yoongi has been courting Jimin for like… a little more than three years I think. Disgustingly in love, makes me third wheel all the time. He came up here three years ago as well, as part of our so-called royal training. I think he rapped. His stage name was July… wait, no. August D?

“Holy shit. You mean Agust D? Dude. He’s epic. Do you know him? What the fuck. I remember listening to his mixtape on the loop while I was in the university gym. I bumped into him once in Hongdae when he was busking there. It was the best day of my fucking life. Holy shit, do you think I can meet him? Can you introduce me to him? Do-“ Jeongguk’s eyes were opened comically wide, excitement clear on his face. 

“Guk-ah, you are rambling.” Taehyung let out a breathy chuckle. “When hyung said he was famous on land, I never thought he was serious. Does he actually have fans?! Wow. I can’t believe this. He’s gonna be so smug about it. Since I lost the seashell I brought, I guess we can find another one on the beach and try to reach out to them. It really depends if he is awake or not.”

“You guys can communicate via seashells?! What the fuck? How does it even work? Do you have numbers for each seashell?” 

“No, Ggukkie, we don’t need any of that. We just think of the person really hard, think of their voice and their face. It somehow connects you magically. Of course, not every seashell works. The one I brought up is the best kind, but I guess others will do as well.”

Jeongguk seemed to be in a daze for a few moments to process all the new information, thirty seconds later he scrambled out of the bathroom and came back with a small cardboard box in his arms. 

“I used to collect seashells when I was younger. If this doesn’t work, we can just go down to the beach and pick some up. Do you think any of these work?” Taehyung opened the box and found a dozen colourful well kept seashells inside. “Wow. You must really wanna talk to hyung, don’t you Jeonggukkie?” 

So Taehyung set to work: by work he meant examining each seashell while bringing them towards his ear and try to think of Yoongi hyung and his scowling face. At last, he picked a medium-sized shell with blue dots on it. 

“I think this will work. Let’s hope hyung is awake.” Taehyung closed his eyes and listened to the solid beating of his heart along with Jeongguk’s. He tried to think of Yoongi Hyung’s voice. What popped up in his mind were sentences like kid shut up and Taehyung-ah stop bothering Jimin and give Jimin back to me you punk .

After minutes of reaching and Jeongguk anxiously chewing his lip next to Taehyung, Taehyung finally heard something from the shell.

Who the fuck is this?

“Hyung! You answered! Hey, hyung! Where’s Jiminie? Tell him I miss him!” 

To Jeongguk, it seems like Taehyung was screaming at thin air. He couldn’t hear any voice from the seashell. Taehyung was talking animatedly, one arm whacking around happily. He looked like an idiot. 

Taehyung? Why are you calling me in this ungodly hour? Where have you been, you punk? We tried calling you for days and you don’t even reply. What are you up to?

“Hyuuuuuunnggg , I lost my shell, I used another one. I missed you guys so much.” Taehyung used his best whining voice, knowing that Yoongi is not really mad at him. “Plus, I met Jeongguk! He is very nice and I am staying at his house now and-“

Taehyung are you crazy? You’re staying with a human? What if they know you’re a-

“Too late hyung! He already knows! And you know what-“

Tae Tae is that you?! AHHHHHHHH Yoongi go away I have to talk to my soulmate!

It was a mess, Jimin screaming into Taehyung’s ear, screeching about him being irresponsible and making him worry about him all week. Taehyung put the shell on the floor and finally, Jeongguk could hear all the fuss. 

-is the person you’re staying with trustworthy? Tae, you shouldn’t trust humans, you know.

And that was the first sentence Jeongguk heard. He did not feel good. He understood where this came from, yet he still felt bad.

“Guys, Jeonggukkie is very trustworthy, okay? He is very nice and friendly, and he has been taking good care of me! He’s shown me all the cool stuff. He’s good! I promise, don’t worry, okay?” Jeongguk couldn’t help but feel a warmth spread in his chest, the way Taehyung spoke so highly of him to his friends, made him believe that maybe he could be accepted. 

Kid, I still don’t think you trust any humans. They are manipulative, and you’re too naive for your own good, you should leave-

“Yoongi hyung, he’s a fan of Agust D.” 

Oh. Good. He’s good then, I trust him. 

Yoongi! You can’t trust Tae’s life on a stranger just because they are your fan!

“He said he met you once, hyung.”

Really? I don’t have a good memory though. I doubt I will remember him.

“Um. Hi, Yoongi-ssi, my name is Jeon Jeongguk, I’m a huge fan. Uh, I don’t think you’ll remember me, but, I am the kid who dressed in all black and gave you an Americano in Hongdae while you were busking. Yeah, that’s me. Ha.” Jeongguk awkwardly scratched his neck, blushing slightly and looked down on the floor.

You’re that kid? Wow. You know what, I have always been grateful for your support. I remember reading your comments and tweets about my mixtape. And I really appreciate your Americano kid, really, thanks. Means a lot to me.

“Yoongi hyung, I think you broke Jeongguk, he’s sniffling.” 

“No, I’m not.”

Kid, take good care of Taehyung, okay? He’s annoying sometimes, but he’s a good kid.

“Hyung!”

They talked for about an hour, Jimin kept asking Jeongguk question that is harder than the US immigration test, Jeongguk answering their questions with caution, shy and reserved at first, but soon Taehyung and Jimin eased him up, in no time he was laughing his heart out at Taehyung’s poor attempt at rapping. 

“I knew they’d like you Ggukkie, I can tell they trust you a lot.” Taehyung says after their ‘call’ when Taehyung was drying the bathroom with his powers. 

“I think that’s just because I happen to be a fan of your hyung’s music.” Jeongguk deadpanned. Taehyung laughed at his seriousness.

“Yeah, maybe. Who knows? I trust you a lot. Definitely not because you like Agust D though.”

♆

Jeongguk laid out all the fairy lights and decorating lamps on Taehyung’s bed. “I also ordered some bedsheets and curtain, I think they will arrive in a few days, I will put them up later.” Jeongguk first hanged the fairy lights on the wall while Taehyung was struggling with the wrapping of the seashell lamp. It took them a solid thirty minutes until they finished decorating Taehyung’s room. Taehyung opened the last wrapped gift on his bed and found a weird sphere.

“Ggukkie, what is this? It looks very very cute!!” Taehyung eyed the globe curiously. The snow globe was not a big fancy one, just a small one with a little snowman in it, with a dog that kinda  resembles Yeontan if you use your imagination. 

“That’s for you. It’s called a snow globe, try shaking it gently. It will snow.” Jeongguk explained softly. 

 When Jeongguk was met with silence, he turned to look at a distressed Taehyung. 

“Jeongguk-ah, you know you don’t need to do this, right? You don’t need to buy me all these stuff, I-I can’t repay you with anything. You already gave me a place to stay, gave me food and clothes. I cannot ask any more from you.” Taehyung eyes were full of emotions, and his hands were fiddling with the hem of his sweater. 

Jeongguk walked closer, and at that spur of the moment, Jeongguk felt brave, so he grabbed Taehyung’s hands and rubbed circles with his thumb. “Taehyung, you don’t need to repay me. I buy you all this stuff because I hope you would like them, that they will remind you of home and you can feel better whenever you are homesick. “

“But I’m not homesick.” I have already found my home in you.  

Jeongguk looked up from his lap. Taehyung’s face was so close he could count the number of eyelashes on his lower lash line. Jeongguk could see the little mole under Taehyung’s right eye, could see the intricate patterns in Taehyung’s irises, could smell Taehyung’s faint seashore bath bomb artificial fragrance, could hear his own heart thumping loudly in his chest. 

But Jeongguk was a coward, so he stood up and brushed his sweatpants, and urged Taehyung to go to sleep. Taehyung didn’t seem to have noticed Jeongguk’s inner turmoil, if he did, he didn't mention it, skipping happily while humming some tunes he heard on the radio in Jeongguk’s car.

♆

That night Taehyung couldn’t sleep. He was tossing and turning on his bed, and he can’t seem to slow his heartbeat or to will away the almost-permanent blush on his cheeks. “Get it together Taehyung, Jeongguk only takes care of you because he doesn’t want you dead,” Taehyung muttered to himself. Taehyung hugged Jeongguk’s spare pillow tight against his chest, inhaling the fresh linen smell and the faint smell of Jeongguk’s shampoo on the pillow. The clock on the side of his bed shows that it was already very late at night. Taehyung could see the small photo of him and Jeongguk on the wall. He had asked Jeongguk to take a picture of them on his camera and print it out, so Jeongguk took a selfie with Taehyung using his Polaroid camera. Taehyung was pinching his cheeks while tickling his stomach, Jeongguk looked so happy in the picture Taehyung couldn’t stop smiling to himself like the love-struck idiot he was. 

( “Ggukkie, you need to smile more, your bunny teeth are cute.” 

“Tae I’m anything but cute.”

“Nuh-uh. Now show me your bunny smile Ggukkie!” 

“Tae!”)

Taehyung remembers using one hand to pinch Jeongguk’s cheek, the other circling around Jeongguk’s waist to tickle him. Jeongguk had squirmed a bit, then taking revenge by circling around Taehyung’s waist and unleashing the tickle monster. At that moment, Taehyung felt so close to Jeongguk: their bodies morphed together, fitting each other like lost pieces of puzzles. The warmth Jeongguk emits and his airy laughter, the way his eyes crinkled up, with is adorable bunny teeth on full display, and knowing that Taehyung I the cause behind Jeongguk’s happiness, Taehyung thinks he might be a little bit in love. 

Chapter Text

Fast forward three days later, Taehyung’s board in front of his bed is already half-filled. They were filled with photos of himself, sometimes Jeongguk’s. Jeongguk had been taking pictures of Taehyung since he first stood on his feet in the lab, and Taehyung couldn’t be more grateful of the younger boy. His board had his first selfie with Jeongguk, photos of Taehyung with Yeontan, with Jaegguk and Jeongguk’s parents. There was also a photo of Taehyung playing with bubbles, and a photo of Taehyung playing in the rain two days ago, along with a picture of Taehyung in the bed with a thermometer, looking gloomy because he caught a cold the day prior. But after sleeping in for a day, Taehyung is as good as new now. Today, Taehyung woke up at eight when Jeongguk stomped into his room and yanked away from his comforter. 

That’s why now Jeongguk is now humming in the driver seat, with Taehyung barely awake next to him in the passenger seat.

“Where are we going anyway?” Sleepiness was evident in Taehyung’s morning voice. His face was puffy, blue hair sticking out all the place, swimming in Jeongguk’s normal-sized hoodie (oversized for Taehyung) but to Jeongguk, he couldn’t look more kissable and adorable. 

“We're going to skydiving, Tae, it’s gonna be fun and I think you will find it quite cool.”

“Skydiving? What is that?” 

Since gravity and free falling is not really a concept that Taehyung possesses, it took Jeongguk a long time to explain to Taehyung about planes and flying and jumping out of it. 

“If there is gravity, why can the planes fly? Won’t they get pulled down by gravity?” Taehyung said while munching his breakfast: a Big Mac, with his feet on Jeongguk’s dashboard. If it had been Jaegguk in the same position, Jeongguk would have chopped his legs off and whopped his sorry ass. 

“It- well, it’s all about physics and engines. It’s hard to explain, just know that the plane will take off then we will jump out of it at 10,000 feet.” 

“Wow. 10,000 feet. That’s not too high, is it? I mean, it’s nearly around the same average depth of the Pacific and the Atlantic. Ggukkie, have I ever told you that I’ve been to the Mariana Trench? Let me tell you, it was the most no fun experience I have ever had! It was so dark and there was no sunlight, plus all the colourful fishes are gone, only the dark ugly gloomy ones are there. So no fun. Definitely would not recommend you to go there.”

Jeongguk snorted loudly. “I don’t think we have the technology to go down there yet, at least for humans. But thanks for the heads up. I’ll make sure to decline the offer should it be presented to me.”

“Oh, you should totally visit Atlantis! It’s where I live! It’s the best place on Earth! We have so many beautiful things down there, you’ll love it. We have…” Taehyung kept blabbering throughout the journey, Jeongguk nodding and responding every now and then. Halfway through the car ride, Taehyung had demanded Jeongguk to put on his favourite songs and asked Jeongguk to sing for him. Since Jeongguk was not yet comfortable belting out love songs in the same room as Taehyung yet, he put on some Agust D and Eminem and rapped for Taehyung. (Taehyung gagged at hearing Yoongi’s voice through the speakers, but Jeongguk noticed him nodding along with the killer verses)

They arrived around two hours later, into a land of nothingness. There was a small Casa plane on the deserted runway and a small house that looks like the office of the skydiving school. Jeongguk parked his car and led Taehyung to the small house. Taehyung was bouncing all the way, blowing daffodils and talking to flowers. When Jeongguk opened the door of the house, they were greeted by a bunch of young-looking guys, all dressed in skydiving gear. 

“Hey guys.” Jeongguk waved slightly. One of the guys stood up and grinned so widely Taehyung thought his face would split. 

“Jeon Jeongguk! About time, you workaholic.” The man and Jeongguk shared one of those weird-ass bro hugs: bumping each other on the chest while grinning like two idiots. 

“Looking good hyung. Hey there Jiyong hyung. Oh you’re here too Jean! How’s home?” Jeongguk shared brief hugs with all the guys in the room when Taehyung was busy surveying the room interior. 

“Same old, same old. Who do we have here Jeongguk? Introduce us, would you?” The tall blonde man spoke with a heavy French accent Taehyung almost didn’t notice he was speaking Korean. 

“Oh. This is Taehyung. He will be joining us today, he’s never skydived before. Taehyung, this is Jean, he’s from France. I knew him from college. This is Jiyong hyung. He is a family friend. The short one over there is JT, I met him a few years ago when he first came here to skydive. The last one scary-looking man over there was my skydiving coach, Wooseok hyung.” 

“Um. Hi guys. Bonjour.” Taehyung waved his hands and put on his best friendly smile. “I still don’t understand how skydiving works, but I’m down to try it.” 

“Well, are you good with heights?” Wooseok asked, clearly concerned with Taehyung’s uncertainty. 

“Um… I-“ 

“Yeah. He’s fine. He’s okay. He’s good.” Jeongguk immediately cut Taehyung’s stammer before he could stupidly blurt out I have never experienced heights or some shit like that. 

Jeongguk later had shown Taehyung some videos of skydiving, telling him some basic things while helping Taehyung into the gear. However, it was clear Taehyung didn’t understand shit, as he kept smiling and giggling when the person’s face twisted and saliva flying out because of the wind being too strong. 

When they boarded the plane, they had chatted and laughed together, Taehyung blending in with the group easily. He had talked to Jean in French, in which Jean was so happy he couldn’t stop rambling. Wooseok seemed stern, double-checking Taehyung’s safety strap and gear. Jiyong and JT seemed pretty chill, ruffling Jeongguk’s hair and messing with his parachute. 

Jeongguk had led Taehyung to sit next to him on the plane. Taehyung was quite excited about all this. 

Until the plane took off. It wasn’t until the plane took off did Taehyung realised he was in deep shit.

When the engines started to run, Taehyung couldn’t hear anything anymore. He had sensitive hearing, and the deep roar of the engine wasn’t helping with that. Jeongguk must have noticed his inner turmoil, for he took off his own headset and put it on Taehyung. When the plane started moving, Taehyung thought it was just like cars except they are louder. When the plane started to pick up its speed, he started sweating. 

“Jeonggukkie?” Unfortunately, his voice was drowned in the engine noise, and Jeongguk was busy checking the altitude meter on his wrist and talking to his mates using hand gestures. The plane soon reached to the end of the runway and took off swiftly and Taehyung lost all his shit.

Never in his 21 years of life had he ever experienced something like this. The feeling of being pulled down towards the ground made panic surge through his veins. He immediately grabbed onto Jeongguk’s forearm. 

“Taehyung? Are you okay?” Although Jeongguk shouted loudly, his voice was buried by the loud engine and Taehyung only made out what he said by lip-syncing.

Taehyung couldn’t fathom words, only tightened his grip on Jeongguk and sent him a silent plea with his eyes. Jeongguk seemed to understand his panic, as he took Taehyung’s hand in his and rubbed circles with his thumb. Under normal circumstances, Taehyung would have blushed, but now he looked as white as a paper. 

Jeongguk brushed away a loose strand of hair, gesture weirdly intimate. “It’s gonna be alright,” Jeongguk whispered softly. He was pretty sure Taehyung wouldn’t hear him over the wind, or his erratic heart that was galloping in his chest. (Later that day he received a text from Jiyong asking if he was dating or fucking Taehyung. Jeongguk ignored him.)

Taehyung’s nerves calmed down about three minutes after takeoff. With Jeongguk’s reassuring words (although not audible) and his gentle grip on his hand, he felt better. More at ease, more relaxed. 

To be honest, throughout the plane ride, Jeongguk was pretty sure Taehyung would be scared shitless for the actual jump. If he was scared of the plane ride, he can barely imagine how he must feel when he jumps out of the plane. He asked several times whether Taehyung wanted to give up or not. But Taehyung replied with confident nods and a reassuring smile (more like a grimace). 

One after another, Jean, JT and Jiyong jumped out of the plane by themselves, giving them a thumbs-up before free-falling backwards. Taehyung’s mouth gaped like a fish out of water. Wooseok was last. He patted Taehyung on the back before jumping out of the plane like it was something he did on a daily basis. Taehyung belatedly realised that only Jeongguk and he were left on the plane other than the pilot. As Taehyung was panicking, Jeongguk attached the straps on his chest with the ones on Taehyung’s back.

“You are going to jump with me?” Taehyung shouted over the wind. 

Jeongguk’s (glorious) forehead was on display as the brutal wind kept howling next to their ears. Jeongguk gave Taehyung an affirming nod before if he was ready or not. Taehyung felt like his mind was inserted into another body, he could clearly remember what he saw and what he felt, but it felt so strange it felt like he was in another dimension. 

♆

Perhaps seventy years later when Taehyung is sitting in the garden outside of his little underwater cottage, he will tell his grandchildren the Wondrous Tales of Taehyung On Earth.

(“Kids, you know what, never ever try skydiving if you decide to go to Earth. It feels like shit.”)

Taehyung couldn’t remember much, and he kinda wants to kick himself for it. He hates it when he couldn’t feel Jeongguk’s firm chest and thighs against his back, or when Jeongguk held him by his waist from the back, simply because he was too fucking scared. Taehyung couldn’t remember the feeling of being pulled down by gravity when Jeongguk jumped out of the plane with him, or when Jeongguk spun them around mid-air waving frantically at Jiyong and the others. He does remember the wind slicing through his cheeks, cold and unforgiving, and it hurts like a bitch. The weather wasn’t particularly pleasant that day, it was gloomy and cloudy, and the land beneath them was just barren lands with no greenery in sight. Taehyung felt nauseous. Jeongguk was shouting and waving at his friends and performed tricks (360 degree turns and a shit ton of spinning) when Taehyung feel like he could puke out all human food he’s ever consumed. He had miraculously told Jeongguk to not spin around so much through wild hand gestures and flopping around as much as he could with limited movement. 

Taehyung couldn’t remember much when they were free falling, but he sure remembers some after Jeongguk puled out the parachute. They were forcefully lifted up with such a powerful force Taehyung could taste bile in his mouth. They came to a halt, slowly swinging left and right gently. However, the force of the parachute pulling them up was too great for Taehyung to handle, he was starting to sweat nervously. 

Since the winds died down a bit, he could finally talk to Jeongguk without screaming like a mad man. Taehyung patted Jeongguk’s thigh weakly. “Jeongguk?” 

Taehyung had never called Jeongguk by his name and that alerted him. Not to mention the weak and lifeless voice. “Tae? What’s wrong?” 

“I-I feel like… I feel really sick. Can we get down n-now?” 

Jeongguk felt dread washing over him as his blood ran cold. “Oh my god. Are you okay? Oh god, what have I done? I can’t bring you down immediately, but I’ll try to do it as soon as possible, okay? Deep breaths Tae, Tae a deep breathe for me, that’s right. Don’t look down. Look at the mountains over there. You see that?” 

Jeongguk began rambling against Taehyung’s ear until Tae gave him another weak squeeze on his thigh. 

“Jeongguk, I don’t feel so good… I-I…”

Jeongguk couldn’t take his hands away from the straps if he wanted to steer them to the ground faster. He can’t really do anything to He’s never flown with another person before, although he has been qualified as a coach for some years. The gesture felt weirdly intimate: their ass against your- you know what area. Jeongguk didn’t dare think of it. He decided to jump with Taehyung because he can’t bear the thought of Taehyung pushing/rubbing/putting his ass against another man’s crotch. Talk about possessiveness. 

He had forgotten that Taehyung had never skydived before, that he might not do well with heights. He even did extra turns and spins because he hadn’t skydived in such a long time and he missed the feeling. Now he feels like shit because it made Taehyung sick, and he wanted to whack himself in the head fro being so stupid and inconsiderate. 

“Tae, please, take a deep breath for me. If it makes you feel better, you can close your eyes, okay? Stay with me. Taehyuingie, you’re doing great, keep going.” Taehyung was calming himself by breathing deeply and murmuring things that Jeeongguk couldn’t understand. “Taehyungie, do you feel better now? Can you hear me?” 

“Yeah. I-I feel better now. Please keep talking to me, it distracts me.” Taehyung still sounded very weak and tired, and Jeongguk couldn’t hold it anymore. 

“Hyungie, look at the clouds. They’re so pretty, right? Look at that, it shapes just like a fish.” Jeongguk said while stretching his neck so he could nuzzle into Taehyung’s nape and peppered butterfly kisses on his hair. He could feel Taehyung leaning back towards his touch, his heart swelling at the gesture. 

“That looks nothing like a fish Jeonggukkie, are you saying that just to pique my interest?” Taehyung sighed softly, sounding a little amused. 

“Well, if you just add a little bit of imagination. That one right there looks like a dog taking a shit. Look, right there. See?” 

Taehyung let out a breathy chuckle. “Oh my gosh. You inner artist is jumping out, Van Gogh who?” 

“Oh my god. You know who Van Gogh is?”

“Your mom told me about him one day when we were looking at Jaegguk’s art. I like him.” 

“Oh. That’s good. Are you feeling better hyungie?” 

“Yeah. Keep talking to me and I’ll be good.” 

Jeongguk nuzzled Taehyung’s nape with his nose. “Hyungie. I’m sorry. I feel so bad for dragging you into this. I-“

“Oh my God Jeongguk! That cloud looks like Jimin! The tail! And it is so small! It has to be Jimin!” 

Jeongguk was left in a trance as if he was shaken awake from a good dream. He suddenly realised he had called Taehyung hyungie, something that has never left his mouth before. He could feel a blush creeping from the back of his neck. 

“Oh yeah? Maybe you should find your Yoongi hyung as well.” Jeongguk said weakly. He thanked God he was in mid-air instead of walking because his legs would have given out if he registered he had whined into Taehyung’s hair and neck and called him pet names.

“Yoongi Hyung’s cloud would be a thundercloud or a darker one at least. It matches the constant scowl on his face when I prank him.” 

“Yeah? We’re almost landing, Tae. When we land, I want you to keep your balance. And don’t forget to run a bit, okay? Let’s hope we have a smooth landing.” 

Jiyong and the others have already landed smoothly, one of them already folding the parachutes neatly. As they approached the ground, Taehyung kept his legs in running motion, and when his feet finally touched the ground after what felt like an agonising hour, he ran like hell (as hellish as it could be when you have a parachute at your back). He was very eager to get out of this thing. 

“Tae! Wait! Slow-“ Jeonggul’s warning was too late, as the next second Taehyung and his clumsy limbs got all tangled up and he fell face-first on the ground, bring Jeongguk down with him. 

Taehyung could taste dirt on his mouth, and he was pretty sure he had mud and sand on his face and hair. He couldn’t feel his limbs due to the coldness but also the heavyweight on top of him that was groaning in pain. 

“Taehyung…” With shaky fingers, Jeongguk unattached the safety straps linking him and Taehyung, and slowly lifted himself off the ground. “… when I said run, I didn’t mean that .” Before Taehyung could bring himself up and tell Jeongguk to never take him to skydive again, he pushed himself up from the ground. But when he sat on his feels, he felt so dizzy he couldn’t see straight. Then, before he knew it, he hurled over and vomited unceremoniously onto the ground.

“Oh my god! Taehyung! Are you alright? Jeongguk’s worried voice became background white noises, and he could only vaguely make out the shouting and ruffling noises from JT and Jiyong. 

“Tae, are you okay? Oh my god, I am so sorry. Please vomit okay? It makes you feel better afterwards. Puke it all out if you can. You will feel better. Oh my god, Tae, it’s okay, it’s okay, everything’s okay, you have been so brave and so good." Jeongguk kept whispering cute shit to Taehyung and patted his back again and again, rubbing his shoulders as he knelt down next to Taehyung, not minding the pungent smells. Normal Taehyung would have flipped the fuck out. "Ggukkie is sorry, sorry for forcing you into this, sorry for not being considerate, sorry for dragging you into this human mess. I will never forgive myself. Oh my god, Tae, please, you’re okay, you’re safe, I’m right here. Jeonggukkie’s right here. Tae, Taehyungie, my prince, you will be fine. You will be fine, let it all out, you will be fine, I promise.” 

It seemed like forever when Taehyung stood up, feet numb after sitting on it for so long. Jeongguk wiped his mouth for him with a tissue, ever so gently and so achingly soft. Taehyung felt tears pricking his eyes, not sure if it was from his gag reflex or from the sweet gesture. 

“Jeonggukkie-“ Taehyung croaked, voice hoarse and raspy after puking. HIs throat burn and he could taste acidic sour in his mouth. Jeongguk immediately hushed him, took out his handkerchief from his breast pocket and dabbed at Taehyung’s forehead and nape, wiping his cold sweat. 

“Hyungie, don’t talk first, rest for a while, okay? Can you walk?” Taehyung nodded. “Good. I’ll walk you back to the car, okay?” Taehyung nodded again. “Now wait here for a bit, I will take the parachute back, okay?” 

Before Taehyung could nod, Wooseok appeared next to Jeongguk. “You don’t need to mind that, kid. Take Taehyung with you. We will take care of it.” And with a curt nod, Jeongguk held Taehyung by his shoulders and led him towards his car. 

“S-sorry, Jeong-“ 

“Hyungie, I told you to not talk for a while, right? And there's nothing for you to apologise for! I should be the one apologising. Why are you like this?” 

When Jeongguk finally sat Taehyung down in the passenger seat, he climbed onto the drivers’ seat and dug out bottles of water and candies from his big ass backpack. 

“Here, Tae, the candy will make it less unpleasant. And drink some water, I know it will taste like shit, but it will make you feel better.” 

Fifteen minutes later they were back on the road, with Taehyung feeling much better and Jeongguk so guilty he has a permanent guilty expression on his face. 

“I’m telling you, I have never tasted water so shit before. And it’s coming from a guy who lives in water!” Taehyung jokes, hoping to lighten up the mood.

“Tae, I’m sorry-“ “Jeongguk. You have been apologising for the last fifteen minutes. Stop apologising for Poseidon’s sake! It’s not your fault I am not good with heights, no one knows! It’s fine, I don’t blame you. Stop moping and pouting and cheer up okay? You look like a sad and guilty bunny and I wanna squeeze your cheeks.” 

Light pink crept onto Jeongguk’s face. “I- No, I don’t look like a bunny, stop saying that, and no, I won’t stop apologising. I feel like shit. I’m such a shitty friend. I made you so uncomfortable and vomited, I suck. I am a terrible person. I am so sorry-“

“Yeah, my dad will send out the army to come to get you, Ggukkie, you’re dead.” 

“Oh my god, I am gonna die, I am so sorry-“

“Jeongguk! It was a joke! I’m fine! Well, at least now I know what throwing up feels like, would not try again though.” 

“Oh my GOD you have never vomited before? I- holy shit, I am so sorry, shit, I don’t-“

“JEON JEONGGUK! If you don’t shut up right now, I will send my army at you, you hear me?” Taehyung shouted at Jeongguk, successfully shutting him up. “Stop apologising already! Which part of its fine  do you not understand?” Next to him, Jeongguk bit his lips cutely, bunny teeth against his plump lower lip. Taehyung tried to think of things that would distract Jeongguk from apologising for the millionth time, maybe-

“If I recall correctly, I think I heard you call me hyungie And Taehyungie? Would you like to explain that, Jeon Jeonggukkie?” Taehyung said with a smirk, eyes bright with mischief and a teasing glint.

Jeongguk’s eyes never left the road, his whole face was as red as a tomato, even his neck. His grip on the steering wheel tightened his knuckles all-white due to the strength. Jeongguk stammered “I-I didn’t! You were hallucinating, I didn’t say such things!” 

“Oh really? Because I recall hearing someone said Tae , Taehyungie, hyungieee .” And my prince , but Taehyung didn’t dare say it out aloud. He is going to scream at his pillow when he is alone. 

“N-no! I- never say- well, Jaegguk used to call me hyungie when I was mad at him, or when he wanted to get things from me. I just figured it would be calming and maybe you might l-like it. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” Shy Jeongguk was probably Taehyung’s favourite Jeongguk, so soft, so cute, so pretty. 

“No Jeongguk, I really lo-like it. Can you call me Taehyungie from now on?” 

“S-shut up, h-hyungie.”

Chapter Text

The two days after skydiving Taehyung and Jeongguk stayed at home. Taehyung spent a lot of time playing with Yeontan and Jaegguk, and he also learnt how to bake cookies with Mrs Jeon. Taehyung watched football matches with the family and was amazed by how the match changed everyone in the room. He has learnt that they were supporting a team called Jeonbuk FC. Mr Jeon, the usually reserved and quiet man, was shouting so loud Taehyung could hear the echos bouncing off the walls. Jeongguk’s transformation was also quite amusing, it was as if he had turned into another person, gone was the quiet shy boy he knew: Jeongguk watching football matches might be the hottest Jeongguk Taehyung has ever seen. (Not that Jeongguk is not hot at other times, this Jeongguk just makes Taehyung feel all hot and bothered) Jeongguk was wearing a green jersey that was the same as the ones the football players on the screen were wearing. His hair grew out over the few weeks Taehyung stayed at the Jeon's residence, and he had a green headband on his forehead, showing his sharp brows and glorious forehead. What bothered Taehyung the most was how Jeongguk had tied his hair up. He tied his raven hair loosely into a ponytail at the top of his head, and some strands were left loose to frame his angular face. He was shouting and clapping whenever their team scores, and growls deeply whenever the opposite team scores. Taehyung swore he has never seen someone hotter than this Jeongguk. 

“Oh, yeah, you go-NO! Wait- OH FUCK YEAH” Jeongguk was shouting animatedly next to Taehyung while Jaegguk pumped his fist in the air and squealed in delight to his left. The whole family was so joyous it made Taehyung smile from the bottom of his heart. He also realised that football matches are the only times Mrs Jeon would not scold them for cursing. 

During the half time break, all three guys rushed to the toilet, which made Mrs Jeon and Taehyung laugh out loud. “Ah, the men, they are like this. Have you enjoyed the match, Taehyung-ah?” 

Taehyung smiled at Mrs Jeon. Though the kind lady mocked her husband and sons’ enthusiasm towards the game, Taehyung could see Mrs Jeon was a fan of the sport as well. She was also wearing a green jersey and had a green sweatband on her wrist. “Yes, I did, watching you guys being so excited for men chasing a ball is quite fun.” 

“Oh, you won’t want to let them hear that!” Mrs Jeon said cheekily, handing Taehyung a can of soda. 

The break ended soon, the three guys rushing back to their seats. Jeongguk was the last to return to his seat, he jumped from the back of the sofa and landed perfectly next to Taehyung. “Why are you later than Jae?” Taehyung asked curiously. There was no way Jeongguk would walk slower than his little brother.

“That brat used the toilet for too long, deliberately I think,” Jeongguk muttered, not even sparing Taehyung a glance as the match had already started. 

That night was probably the best night Taehyung had spent in the Jeon's residence. After the match, Jeongguk and Jaegguk complain about sore throats, having shouted too much during the match. Thus Mrs Jeon went to the kitchen to make the boys some tea. Taehyung followed her as he also wanted to learn how to do it. Mrs Jeon patiently instructed Taehyung on how to make a cup of warm tea with honey and lemon juice. 

“Jeongguk-ah likes his tea sweeter, so you may wanna add more honey.” Taehyung looked at the cup of tea in front of him proudly, before putting it in front of his nose and took a whiff of its sweet refreshing smell. Just as Taehyung was about to turn on his heels and walk back to the living room with a cup of warm tea in his hand, Mrs Jeon called him softly. 

“Taehyung-ah, do you mind talking to me for a bit?” Taehyung turned around and saw Mrs Jeon leaning against the stove, lightly stirring the tea. Taehyung walked closer and put the cup on the table, mirroring Mrs Jeon’s actions.

“Sure, of course! Any day, Mrs Jeon, it’s always a pleasure talking to you,” Taehyung smiled at the woman in front of him. Although he didn’t know Mrs Jeon well, he could tell that thoughts were troubling the kind lady in front of him. Mrs Jeon stared at the cup instead of him, leaving Taehyung confused. 

“Ah, I supposed I should just cut to the chase. I mean no disrespect, Taehyung-ah, but- I just want to know what you think of my son, Jeongguk-ah.” The woman’s gaze finally met his, and he could see her eyes were full of unspoken words, hope and despair swimming in her eyes.

Taehyung could feel his heart on his throat, words threatening to spill out but at the same time, they couldn’t because of his constricting airways. “I-I can never thank Jeongguk enough, he is my saviour, I will forever be in debt to him. And all of you guys, your whole family. I owe my life to you guys.” Taehyung said sincerely, hoping Mrs Jeon could feel the truth in his words. But they both know it is not the whole truth.

“I-is that it? Is that what you think of Jeongguk? N-nothing more?” The woman’s eyes gleamed under the soft kitchen light like there were a few unshed tears in her eyes. Taehyung’s heart constricted.

“I-I consider him as a great friend. Jeongguk means a lot to me.” Taehyung breathed out softly. 

“I know, dear, I know. I am sure you mean a lot to Jeongguk too, the boy is a soft-hearted one, he is delicate a-and he craves attention. I- as his mother, I just want what’s best for him. I’m glad he met you, and I’m glad you stayed at our house.” Mrs Jeon patted him on the shoulder lightly before walking out of the kitchen silently. As days went by, his departure is nearing, and he could see Mrs Jeon had struggled to look him in the eye without smiling wistfully, like she had a million words in her throat but she couldn't bring herself to say it. 

Taehyung picked up the cup and followed her, and when he entered the living room, he saw Mrs Jeon talking to Jaegguk while ruffling his hair, all traces of sadness from their conversation gone. He tried to smile as brightly as he could, even though he was sure it looked more like a grimace and handed Jeongguk the cup.

“Jeonggukkie, I made a cup of warm tea for you, your mom said it soothes sore throats.” Taehyung didn’t meet Jeongguk’s widened eyes, or else he would have seen the Jeongguk’s appreciation and gleam in his doe eyes. 

“Thanks, Tae, you didn’t have to do that, you know.” Jeongguk’s words were soft and gentle, and Taehyung felt like there was only the two of them in the room. He ignored the tingly feeling he felt in his chest, faked a yawn and said, “I’m tired, I’ll go to bed first, good night everyone.” 

He heard a chorus of good nights and Mr Jeon complaining that he didn’t get a cup of tea. Taehyung smiled at himself a little bit. He stayed awake that night, tossing and turning in the long night. At one point he sat up and stared at the board in front of his desk. He could see Jeongguk’s smile, in some pictures he had that adorable bunny smile of his, in some he had a shy kind of smile, eyes warm and loving. Taehyung didn’t feel his tears slipping past his eyes until he heard small thuds of the pearls falling on the mattress. He recalled what Mrs Jeon had said in the kitchen. Jeongguk and he belonged to different worlds, with their own roles and obligations and duties. No matter how hard Taehyung wanted him, his feeling might never be reciprocated and he would lose Jeongguk as soon as he tells him the truth. His thoughts drifted to Jimin and Yoongi, and he wondered if he could ever feel Jeongguk’s arms around him like them. At the end, when his thoughts get too heavy and threatened to consume him, Taehyung cried himself to sleep, just like the other nights when he was not staying in Jeongguk’s room. 

♆

When Jeongguk woke up the next day, he first opened his curtains to check the weather. The sun was bright and the sky was as blue as you can get on a winters day, everything looked perfect for his plans with Taehyung today. When he went to his bedroom last night, still holding the small cup of tea Taehyung made for him, he remembered the way Taehyung’s eyes had lit up at the image of a flower field. So he packed his camera and snacks for Yeontan in his backpack, and he prepared some sandwiches, light snacks and salad for himself and Tae. Since Jaegguk had Taekwondo practice today, he could not join the picnic, and when he asked his parents if they wanted to go with them, his mother gave him a knowing smile and said they should probably go alone. Jeongguk flushed at his mom’s words, but thankful nevertheless, it would have been awkward if they actually agreed to come, since Jeongguk only prepared two portions of food. 

When he was done with the preparation, he woke Taehyung up. He didn’t fail to notice the pearls on Taehyung’s mattress, but decided that he would not ask about it unless Tae brings it up himself. 

They set off at around eleven in the morning, Taehyung in the passenger seat and Yeontan at the back in a cage. He was biting the soft toy plushie that Jaegguk “donated”. 

“Jeonggukkie, where are we going today?” Taehyung looked pretty happy to Jeongguk, so he figured maybe the boy was fine. 

“You’ll see soon, I think you will love it.” 

The car ride continued in comfortable silence, with Jeongguk humming to the pop songs on the radio and Taehyung harmonising to it. They arrived at a carpark half an hour later. While Taehyung was fumbling with his seat belt, Jeongguk had already gotten Yeontan out of his cage and held him in one hand, while opening the trunk and taking out the picnic basket.

He called Tae when he realised he couldn’t manage all the things with Yeontan in his hand. “Taehyung-ah, can you hold Tannie for me? I gotta grab the basket and my backpack.” After setting Yeontan in Taehyung’s arms, Jeongguk wore his black backpack and picked up the straw basket which was covered with a red-checkered cloth. 

Jeongguk led the way, after a few minutes of walking they reached a grassy plain, though the grass was not in their best condition since it was winter. Not far away from the plains was a flower field. Since it wasn’t summer, the field was not filled up with vibrant colours. Instead, it was filled with little yellow and purple flowers. 

“Taehyung, you see the purple flowers over there? Those are the Algerian iris, one of my favourites. It grows in winter, so you’re lucky you came here this season. The yellow ones are called Winter Aconites. Obviously, they grow in winter. Do you like them?” 

Before he could respond, Taehyung’s legs took him forward towards the flowers, where he crouched down and got a closer look at them. They gave him coral and sea anemone vibes, which he absolutely adored, and they have a pleasant smell as well, which is a plus as there is no smell for corals or anemones. He gently touched a petal, letting Yeontan on the ground to explore while he admires the beauty in front of him. 

He didn’t notice Jeongguk taking a picture of him softly caressing flowers from afar, and when he turned back, he saw Jeongguk putting the checkered cloth on the grass, and set the basket on top of it. Jeongguk was taking out the food he prepared, laying them on the blanket. Taehyung wished he could use words to describe how sweet it felt, seeing Jeongguk preparing so much for him. He called Yeontan and picked up the tiny dog before walking back to Jeongguk. 

“Jeonggukkie, what are you doing?”

Jeongguk wiped his hands before sitting on the blankets, “Oh, this is a picnic. We bring food and snacks here and eat it while enjoying the scenery. Come on, sit down. I prepared some snacks for Yeontan as well.” As Jeongguk ruffled through his backpack to look for the snacks, Taehyung looked around. There were a lot of people here, some families with kids and they were running around. Taehyung loved it. 

“Ggukkie, this is so cute! What are those things? Why are the kids throwing them away?” Jeongguk glanced at his direction and saw some kid throwing a frisbee and his dog trying to fetch it. Next to them were a pair of twins flying a colourful bluebird kite. “The flying one is called a kite, I actually brought one, we could try it later after we finish lunch. That thing they throw is called a frisbee. We can throw it and make Tannie fetch it. I brought one as well. It’ll be fun.” Taehyung nodded silently, before looking at the camera next to Jeongguk. He let Yeontan down on the mat and took Jeongguk’s camera. 

“Tae, what are you doing? Where are you going with my camera? Tae-“ Taehyung ignored Jeongguk’s questions and chuckled to himself. He walked towards another family who was also having a picnic, squat down and asked, “Hello, I'm sorry to disturb you, but do you mind helping us take a picture? It’s our first time having a picnic.” Taehyung gave his winning smile, which won over the family quickly. 

The father waved his hand dismissively and stood up, “Oh, that’s no problem at all. The weathers nice isn’t it? Today is a great day for a picnic!” As Taehyung and the father walked back towards where Jeongguk and Yeontan were, he couldn’t help but notice Jeongguk’s confused look. And he saw Jeongguk had eyes like saucers when he handed the man the camera. Taehyung jogged to the picnic mat and put his hands on Jeongguk’s shoulder before the boy could protest. 

“Taehyung-“

“Shush, Ggukkie, we need a picture! Get Tannie!” 

And when the camera shuttle went off, Taehyung smiled so wide he thought his cheeks could split. When he was about to get up to fetch the camera, the father yelled out, “Oi! The boyfriend! Smile a bit more, would you? It’s your first time having a picnic together, at least look more enthusiastic about it!” 

Taehyung turned to look at Jeongguk, who had a blush on his face. “W-what? M-me? I-“ 

Before Jeongguk could keep stammering, Taehyung did the first thing that came to his mind. He moved closer towards Jeongguk’s cheeks and blew a raspberry kiss on Jeongguk’s blushing cheeks. 

Taehyung could hear the camera go off, and he turned towards the camera one more time, this time, he smiled: a shy smile with a faint blush on his cheeks that matched with Jeongguk’s. 

Time seemed to have frozen after Taehyung kissed Jeongguk on the cheek. Jeongguk didn’t move an inch, his mouth formed an o and his ears were red. Taehyung would have laughed if he wasn’t so terribly nervous at Jeongguk’s reaction. 

After a few minutes, Jeongguk seemed to have snapped out of is trance, when he turned around and asked Taehyung what that was, but still didn’t meet Taehyung’s eyes. Taehyung swallowed nervously before answering, “Um… Jiminie used to do it with me all the time since we were kids. It lightens the mood.” Taehyung’s gaze was cast downwards when he realised that Jeongguk probably was not comfortable with that. 

“Oh,” was all the reply Taehyung get, and Jeongguk fell silent after that. It wasn’t until Taehyung was halfway through his sandwich did Jeongguk start talking. 

“How does it feel to blow a raspberry kiss underwater?” 

Jeongguk looked so genuinely confused Taehyung chuckled softly. “Well, bubbles come out. Hmm, it certainly feels cuter here though.” Taehyung gave a light shrug, and Jeongguk was finally able to function like a normal human being again. 

Jeongguk handed Taehyung his camera after he finished his salad. “Do you want to check out the photos?” Taehyung had in fact been dying to check them out since the father took it for them, he really wanted to know if it turned out as cute as he envisioned it would be. 

When he opened the camera roll, he was not disappointed. He scrolled to the first picture Jeongguk took today, which was a long shot of Taehyung admiring the flowers and Yeontan sniffling his shoe. The next picture was the first one they took together, Jeongguk looked constipated and had a tight grimace on his cheek as his camera was handed to a stranger without any warning and it was clear as day the boy was very uncomfortable with it. The next picture was the one where Taehyung blew a raspberry kiss on Jeongguk’s cheek, the boy’s eyes were blown wide and it perfectly captured Jeongguk’s shook face. The last picture was the one where Taehyung was smiling shyly towards the camera, while Jeongguk still kept his shocked expression. 

Taehyung cooed at the photos. He was wearing a soft baby blue sweater that compliments his turquoise hair, with a pair of white wide-legged pants that Mrs Jeon bought him. The white wool beret on his head looked really cute as well. Jeongguk, on the other hand, was having the opposite palette of colour. Jeongguk did not wear hoodies and sweatpants like he usually does; instead, he opted for a pair of lace-up combat boots and a sky blue button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves that fit snugly against his biceps and pecs (which made Taehyung drool when he saw him in his fit this morning), not to mention his ripped skinny jeans that might not be the best choice in this season. He even tucked his shirt in, with a black expensive-looking belt to complete the look. Taehyung thought Jeongguk could not get more boyfriend-y than this: he has never seen men dressed like this, but he was sure none of them could rival Jeongguk. 

When Taehyung looked at the photos, he couldn’t help but feel like his heartbeat accelerate. Jeongguk and he looked so much like a couple his chest hurts. The faint blush on Jeongguk face made his head dizzy, and he wished Jeongguk would hold him tight with those godly arms. 

“They look amazing Ggukkie, look at you! You look like a little goldfish!” 

“No, I don’t.” Jeongguk pouted cutely. Taehyung couldn’t resist the urge to pinch his cheeks, resulting in Jeongguk’s light growl. 

“Come on, you have to show me how to throw the frisbee and fly the kite!” 

They spent all afternoon there, throwing frisbees, chasing Yeontan and flying kites. They talked a lot after they have finished the food Jeongguk brought. It was nice, talking to Jeongguk like he was some old friend. Jeongguk was a great listener, he would listen to Taehyung with a small smile on his lips and a curious glint in his eyes. They talked about everything and anything, like what would Jeongguk want the colour of his tail to be if he acquires one, or what superpower Taehyung would want. It was silly, but at the same time, Taehyung has never been happier in his life.

The frisbee Jeongguk brought was not very big, so Yeontan could easily pick it up despite his small size. Yeontan was delighted with the new toy, barking and running around chasing Taehyung, Jeongguk and the frisbee. Taehyung had never seen Yeontan so hyper before. After playing with Yeontan for half an hour, Taehyung’s legs gave up on him. He could hardly catch his breath after running around for so long. His legs are not made for exercises. “Are you sure we are playing with Tannie? Or is it actually Tannie playing us?” 

Jeongguk let out a belly laugh which made Taehyung smile. “Who knows?” Then he swooped Yeontan in his arms, and put the tiny dog in front of his face, “Tell us, boy, are you playing us?” Yeontan replied with a small lick on Jeongguk’s nose, which made the boy chuckle. 

“Guess we’re his new toy then. Come on boy!” With that Jeongguk took off at a speed that Taehyung could only gape at, not understanding how the younger boy could still have energy left in his body. Turns out Jeongguk has plenty of energy left, as he played with Yeontan for thirty more minutes, running in jeans and boots. Taehyung took pictures of them with Jeongguk’s camera, and he tried to make Jeongguk pose with Yeontan, but the dog was adamant on not getting its face photographed, as it kept on thrashing in Jeongguk’s hold. 

When the dog was finally tired, Jeongguk picked him up and sat down next to Taehyung. “The wind is pretty good, you should fly the kite now.” Jeongguk guided Taehyung in making the kite. Technically not making, just putting the pieces together. Jeongguk brought a pink and purple butterfly kite and showed it to Taehyung proudly, but he forgot Taehyung has no idea what a butterfly is and got pouty. 

“Now throw the kite as far away as you can, and start running. But you shouldn’t run too fast, or you’ll trip and fall. Run in the opposite direction of the wind, and look out for picnic baskets on the ground!” Jeongguk was standing near their picnic spot, Yeontan in his arms while instructing Taehyung how to fly a kite. The first few times Taehyung threw the kite, it went straight to the grass with a soft thump. Taehyung bent down and picked it up again, at one point Jeongguk noticed that the kite was littered with grass here and there. He chuckled and walked closer towards the merman, “You have to throw it upwards, not downwards. Now try to throw it towards the sky,” Jeongguk gave Taehyung a little encouraging smile before stepping back.  

Watching Taehyung struggle with the kite was probably the cutest thing Jeongguk has ever seen. The merman looked like a baby, swimming in his oversized clothes, his sweater paws clutching the kite tightly before murmuring a prayer to someone Jeongguk doesn’t recognize, praying that his kite will soar high. 

This time Taehyung finally succeeded, and after he ran a few steps, the kite finally left the ground and as swinging in midair, but not high enough for it to be stable. “Tae! Run faster!” Jeongguk shouted towards the stumbling Taehyung, “It will fly higher if you run faster!” And then Taehyung took off (at fast he could, so not very fast in Jeongguk’s standards) and the kite ascended higher and higher. But Jeongguk’s eyes were not on the kite. He was staring at the delighted boy who was running further and further away from him, yet despite the distance, Jeongguk could clearly see the bright smile and gleam on Taehyung’s face, and Jeongguk has never felt more contented in his life- going on a cute date with someone he lo-adores- he mentally corrected himself. 

He took his camera in one hand and tried to take photos of Taehyung. “Taehyung, you can slow down now, you can just stand there, the kite will still fly,” said Jeongguk while he was walking towards the overly excited merman. 

“Jeonggukkie, look! I did it! Ah! I can’t believe I did it! Look how pretty it is! I love it!” Taehyung was smiling so brightly his eyes disappeared into crescents. Jeongguk snapped a shot of Taehyung’s joyous expression. “Yeah, you did great, how long do you think you can fly this for?” 

“Hmm,” Taehyung tilted his head towards one-side and thought for a moment, “maybe five minutes? That is if I don’t trip over something and fall.”

“Okay then, I’ll time you.” Jeongguk shrugged easily before taking a few steps to stand somewhere behind Taehyung. Not close enough for him to feel his presence, but close enough for Taehyung to know that Jeongguk is looking out for him. Five minutes passed easily, with Jeongguk telling Taehyung stories of him flying a kite from his childhood. Taehyung’s eyes would often widen and sneak a glance at Jeongguk over his shoulder and laugh with the other boy. 

“Jeongguk, how long has it been? My arms are sore,” said Taehyung after seven minutes had passed, shuffling his feet a bit as they probably felt stiff from standing. Jeongguk checked his phone and replied “Four minutes. Just a bit longer, hang in there,”

“But I’m tired already, Ggukkie, I can’t feel my arms!” 

Jeongguk didn’t know what went through his brain that moment, all he knew was that when he thought about it again later that night when he was editing the photos he took, his cheeks reddened and his heartbeat picked up. Perhaps it was the cute whiny voice of Taehyung, perhaps it was the setting sun that made him emotional, or perhaps it was Jeongguk’s heart finally admitting the truth.

Jeongguk held Yeontan with his left hand and walked closer towards an oblivious Taehyung. He only stopped when he felt Taehyung’s back against his chest. Jeongguk raised his free hand and held Taehyung’s bicep higher, and squeezed once. He leaned his forehead against the back of Tae’s head, breathing in Taehyung’s (actually his) coconut shampoo. Jeongguk could feel the boy in front of him tense up and let out a breathy exhale, but his mind was elsewhere. Jeongguk whispered softly against Taehyung’s nape, “Just one more minute,"  I’m sorry for being selfish, forgive me, my prince. " then we can leave if you want to,”  Just one minute, that’s all I’m asking for.  Jeongguk felt like he just had to hold Taehyung in some way before he loses all his sanity, the whole day has been too much for him- he just wanted to feel Taehyung near him for once.  

Taehyung gave a tiny nod, and Jeongguk closed his eyes and surrounded to his heart.  Tae, can you hear my heartbeat? It’s calling to you on its own.  Jeongguk could feel warmth all over his body despite the chilly evening wind. Jeongguk’s mind went back to the day when he first saw the merman in his lab, the first time he talked with the beautiful creature in front of him, and even that time when he asked him how they have sex under the sea. Jeongguk let out a small breathy chuckle as he recalled Taehyung’s scandalous reaction, which made Taehyung turned his head around. 

Jeongguk lifted his head from Taehyung’s head as the boy in front of him turned his head, and he was met with a shy gaze and blushing cheeks. The setting sun has given a golden halo above his hair and his tan skin has turned golden. Up-close Jeongguk could see flecks of gold dancing in his navy eyes, could see every pattern in his iris, and his own reflection in those eyes that he would love to get lost in. Taehyung’s long lashes fanned over his eyes, and Jeongguk didn’t know how he never noticed this, but he just realised Taehyung had a mole under his right eye. Jeongguk’s arm fell from Taehyung’s arm to his waist out of instinct, and everything felt like it was right where they should be. 

“What’s so funny that it made you laugh?” Taehyung breathed out softly as he broke the charged silence, his question was devoid of curiosity, it sounded like he was asking just for the sake of it. “Nothing,” Jeongguk replied quietly, staring intently into Taehyung’s eyes. He could hear the sound of his heart beating solidly against his chest. He saw Taehyung gulp nervously and mistakingly thought he was causing Taehyung to feel nervous, all of his fluttery feeling in his stomach suddenly gone.

Hoping he could make Taehyung less nervous, he leaned down on Taehyung’s neck and gently put his lips there, feeling Taehyung’s soft skin under his lips. Seconds later he blew a breath of air onto the spot, giving Taehyung a raspberry kiss that probably shouldn’t be count as one. When he slowly lifted his head, he could see Taehyung’s dazed gaze, eyes searching for some explanation from him. 

And when Jeongguk gave him no explanation, Taehyung breathed out his name like it was a sacred prayer on his lips, 

“ Guk ,”  

Jeongguk ignored the crack in his heart when he stepped away from Taehyung. “Your kite dropped, Tae.” And when Taehyung look at Jeongguk again after he picked up the kite, the boy was already walking away from him. 

“It’s getting late, we should go back.” As Jeongguk walked further and further, Taehyung felt like he could choke on air. One day, he will have to be the person who walks away from Jeongguk, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to do that. He wasn’t sure he would ever be ready to do this. 

Chapter Text

Have you ever done something you know is not right, but you really wanted to do it: and when you get scolded by your parents or your professor, you don’t feel guilty about it? Like punching a bully that always bullied your friend. You are defending your friend, you also know it is not the right move, but you feel good afterwards: even if you get detention for a week. And that’s exactly what Jeongguk felt when Taehyung was screaming his lungs out next to him on a roller coaster. 

Fifteen minutes ago

“Ggukkie, this isn’t like skydiving, right?” Taehyung grimaced while staring at the roller coaster above his head.

“No! I promise this is way more fun, and less dangerous as well, see? Those kids are playing as well. You’ll be fine!” Jeongguk nudged Taehyung’s ribs and urged him forward.

Long story short, today Jeongguk finally bought Taehyung to the Ocean Park, where he planned to take Taehyung a week ago. Ocean Park was a pretty famous amusement park in the country: it has thrilling rides as well as the biggest aquarium in the nation. Jeongguk was planning to only enjoy the thrilling rides there with Taehyung, and avoid the aquariums because it may upset Taehyung. 

And it’s safe to assume that Jeongguk knew Taehyung would shit his pants if he went on a roller coaster. Taehyung clutched his hand so tight he could not feel his fingers. He was hearing echos after the ride ended because Taehyung screamed too loud. Does he feel guilty about it? No. 

It was Jeongguk’s intention to try out the new roller coaster with Taehyung. Well, roller coasters are just roller coasters, they’re not as dangerous as skydiving, and it’s very safe with all the safety straps and shit, and there’s also no roller coaster under the sea, so Jeongguk convinced himself that it would be a special experience for Taehyung. (He also knew he would get his hand held by Taehyung during the ride as well, it may or may not be one of his motives)

Present

“GGUKKKKKK AHHHHHHHH HELPHELPHELP AHHHHH SHIT IT'S GOING DOWN-“ 

“Taehyung look! Wow! Woohoo!” Jeongguk was having the time of his life. He loves roller coasters, and he also loves Taehyung. Best combination ever. Throughout the ride, Jeongguk kept laughing and shouting in joy, while Taehyung’s voice got hoarse from screaming too much. In Jeongguk’s opinion, the ride itself wasn’t even that good. He has ridden far more thrilling ones before. Just as the roller coaster was pulling to a stop, he wanted to ask what Taehyung felt. And that was the moment he realized he was fucked up. 

He felt Taehyung’s hand loosening his grip and he was furiously wiping his face with his sweater paws. He heard soft hiccups and sniffling over the loud music of the ride. Taehyung’s head was turned to the other side so Jeongguk cannot see his face clearly. 

“Hey… Tae? You alright? You-you’re not crying… are you?” Jeongguk asked cautiously, all the adrenaline from the ride suddenly evaporated and was replaced by dread and guilt. Taehyung then not so subtly pulled out a tissue from his pocket and began blowing his nose. In between blowing his nose, he whimpered a quiet no which Jeongguk almost didn’t catch it. 

“I- Tae, I’m so sorry. I thought- I thought it’d be cool to try this with you, I’m sorry, it’s so selfish of me. I didn’t think you would be this scared, I’m sorry,” Jeongguk kept apologising even after the ride has stopped and they went to fetch their belongings. He could see Taehyung’s red-rimmed eyes blinking away the unshed tears, head hung low like a kicked puppy. Jeongguk’s heart broke into a million pieces: if he had known Taehyung would cry after playing it he would never ever get on that roller coaster. 

Jeongguk then led Taehyung to a nearby bench and told him to stay there. He then ran off immediately without explaining to Taehyung that he was going to get a stick of strawberry flavoured cotton candy for him. Jeongguk saw a kiosk selling them nearby and he really wanted to get one for Tae to make him smile again since the other boy loves strawberries. So he broke into a full sprint, almost knocking a couple over. Unfortunately, there were a bunch of kids in front of him, so he had to wait until it was his turn. While waiting, he caught a glimpse of a small fluffy polar bear plushie inside a souvenir shop. Jeongguk immediately went into the shop and chose the cutest looking plushie for Taehyung. When he was done with his purchase, the cotton candy ready. He couldn’t wait to rush back to Taehyung.

♆

Taehyung would be lying if he said he didn’t know the roller coaster was not for him. In the queuing line, he could hear the people screaming in agony/delight, and he knew he was doomed. He really wanted to chicken out and leave, but the look on Jeongguk’s face made him hesitate. The other boy looked so happy and enthusiastic about it. Jeongguk has been talking about this ride for the whole drive this morning and Taehyung really doesn’t want to let him down. 

And when the ride finished, he didn’t realize he was crying. Taehyung didn’t want Jeongguk to see him cry after the roller coaster ride, because it would ruin the mood and Jeongguk would think he is stupid. But now Jeongguk left him alone, his emotions are overwhelming him and his urge to cry stronger than ever. He let out small sobs and pulled his knees up to his chest. Jeongguk taught him that shoes are dirty and he cannot step on chairs with his shoes on, but at that moment he just wants to make himself smaller and avoid other people’s judging stares. 

Taehyung lost track of time, his head hurt from sobbing and his eyes were swollen. He could hear rushed footsteps towards his direction. When he lifted his head, he saw Jeongguk’s eyes were as wide as saucers, and the boy in front of him dropped everything on the ground. 

“Tae… Taehyungie, what’s wrong? Are you still scared? Oh no, oh no, please don’t cry,” Jeongguk knelt in front of him, big warm hands cupping his face. “Taehyungie, baby, look at me, please. Are you mad at me? I-I am so so sorry, you can be mad at me for however long you want, you can leave me this instant and never see me again, but please, please don’t cry, okay? I’m begging you. I hate seeing you cry, Tae.” Jeongguk’s face was so close Taehyung could feel the warm puffs of air the other boy exhaled. Jeongguk’s eyes held so many emotions he didn’t know how to decipher them all. Taehyung just feels warm, his cheeks warm, his heart warm.

“Jeonggukkie…” Taehyung whispered softly, cupping Jeongguk’s hand with his own. “I am sorry I cried, I ruined e-everything for you. I-I know how long you’ve wanted to try that a-and I’m so s-stupid, I am ruining everything for you and-“ Taehyung was cut short by Jeongguk’s sudden peck on his forehead. “Hey Tae, you didn’t ruin anything, okay? Fuck that ride. It wasn’t that good anyway. And it made you scared. I’ll never go on that roller coaster again. And it is my fault, my fault for forcing you on that goddamn ride, I am the one who’s stupid, okay?” Jeongguk was looking at him so intensely Taehyung couldn’t breathe anymore. “Tae, just now, did you cry because of the ride? Do you want to leave now?” 

Taehyung shook his head lightly. “No, I cried because I thought I ruined everything and you left me,” Taehyung’s head dropped so low Jeongguk nearly couldn’t see his face. Jeongguk chuckled softly. “Tae, I went to buy you strawberry cotton candy! I thought I could cheer you up with it, and I bought a plushie for you as well,” Jeongguk looked behind him. The white plushie was lying helplessly on the ground, next to it a stick of pink cotton candy that was already half-melted on the ground. “As you can see, neither are in very good conditions.” 

Taehyung laughed at the ridiculous pose of the polar bear. “Why did you throw them away?” Taehyung asked, smiling a bit now that he know Jeongguk is not mad at him. 

Jeongguk took a seat next to Taehyung and leaned in closer. “Because I saw a prince over there crying all by himself, as a heroic gallant knight, it is my duty to drop everything in my hand to help the prince.” Jeongguk was smiling cutely, and Taehyung gave up on resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks. Jeongguk’s face was right in front of him, and he was looking at him like he was the only thing in the world worth looking at. Taehyung saw his cute little mole under his lips and wondered how it would feel to touch it. With his lips. 

“Well, the prince will have the knight know that he is very satisfied with his tributes. And he would like to know how can he repay this heroic gallant knight.” Taehyung replied with equal mischief, making Jeongguk throw his head back in laughter. 

“Just repay me by having fun today, Tae.” 

♆

The rest of the day was very smooth. Jeongguk won a shit ton of plushies for Taehyung, only to give them to kids who couldn’t win any. Taehyung kept the polar bear plushie, clutching it tightly to his chest when Jeongguk was running around winning different games. Jeongguk broke the record for a shooting game, the punching bag machine and nailed the flying darts. They also enjoyed the less thrilling rides, like the Ferris wheel and the kids' train. Taehyung and Jeongguk were so out of place, their bodies could hardly fit in one carriage, and the kids around them looked like dwarves in comparison. Jeongguk insisted on trying every single kiosk food with Taehyung, and by the afternoon, they were sure they didn’t need dinner that night. Under Jeongguk’s encouragement, Taehyung also had adorable face paint: a small dolphin on his left cheekbone. He was so happy how it turned out he kept pestering Jeongguk to take loads of pictures (although Jeongguk would have taken a lot of photos even if he didn't ask) But nevertheless, they had great fun. Jeongguk bought another stick of cotton candy for Taehyung since the previous one had melted miserably. Everything was going well until they walked near the marine area. 

Jeongguk had been trying to avoid that area all day. But when Taehyung suggested going there, his puppy eyes made Jeongguk’s resolve disappear. The marine area was where the aquarium was, and also the theatres of the dolphin show. Jeongguk had speculations that the merman prince will not like it. When they were approaching that area, Taehyung visibly shuddered at the all too familiar scent of saltwater. Jeongguk could tell something was wrong, but Taehyung had gone mute. He left Jeongguk in confusion when he started running towards the one place that was calling for him. 

“Tae, you probably shouldn’t go- TAE!“ The mop of turquoise hair was disappearing from his vision, and Jeongguk had no choice but to follow Taehyung. Taehyung was running quite fast for a person who only learned how to walk a few weeks ago. He stumbled forward, following the calls and his instincts. It led him to the top row of the open theatre, where half a dozen dolphins down in the pool were performing tricks and entertaining the audience. Taehyung froze. He could see it so so clear, the trainers feeding the dolphins only if they perform the tricks. Taehyung felt sick and nauseous watching it. 

“Tae! There you are, please don’t run away from me, you’ll get lost!” Jeongguk was panting heavily, having run through a crowd of middle schoolers before reaching Taehyung. “Come on, I think we should go, we-“ 

The look on Taehyung’s face was unlike anything he’s ever seen. The prince’s face was as pale as a paper, lips trembling slightly but still looking so determined. “No. Jeongguk, I have to go inside the aquarium. There’s… these whispers, callings from the ocean, I can hear them in my head. I have to.” 

Jeongguk knew there was no way he could convince Taehyung otherwise. So he slipped his hand in Taehyung’s and squeezed it lightly. “Well, lead the way then. At least let me be with you.” Taehyung looked unaffected and nodded with certainty. He led Jeongguk through the crowds, slowly stepping into the aquarium. 

As soon as they entered the aquarium, they were hit by a strong smell of saltwater and the smelly odor a goldfish tank smells like. Thank god there was no chlorine smell because Taehyung might choke if he ever smells Chlorine again. Taehyung scrunched his nose and gripped Jeongguk’s hand tighter. The aquarium was quite dark, not well-illuminated: probably to recreate the light intensity in a shallow sea area. They saw tanks of stingrays floating around elegantly, enclosed boxes of sea urchins and jellyfishes. There were also signs everywhere saying that people cannot tap the glass or use flashlights. Jeongguk was glad to see that, and he silently hoped it would make Taehyung feel a tad bit better. He saw kids in front of them, listening to their parents explain why fish are not mammals. They continued walking deeper into the aquarium and entered a transparent tunnel. Above the tunnel were a dozen sharks swimming freely, as freely as they can get in a confined tank anyway. The tourists around them looked so amazed by the view they stopped in the middle of the tunnel. Taehyung let out a bitter chuckle. 

“ Humans . So easy to satisfy.” His face was devoid of any emotion as he stared at one shark in particular. It has lost half of its fin and had teeth marks all of its head. Taehyung tried to reach out to him but was declined by the shark. Next to him, Jeongguk tensed up, sensing Taehyung’s rising anger. He had never heard the merman speak of humans so distastefully before. He knew Taehyung was not a fan of his own species, but in front of Jeongguk, he never said anything too bad. “Tae, we should get going,” Jeongguk squeezed Taehyung’s hand twice, gently tucking him away from the tunnel. Taehyung was reluctant at first, but he heard a couple behind him complain about him ‘taking up all the place’ and ‘why won’t he leave he already stood there for minutes’. 

The tunnel led them to a giant glass tank. It was at least two to three stories high, so one had to lift his head to see the whole tank. Inside there were all kinds of fish, tropical, big and small, decorated with real corals and reefs. The scene was quite peaceful and serene: fishes swimming around slowly, some in flocks, some in duos, some solo. Jeongguk might have enjoyed the scene if Taehyung weren’t frozen beside him, blinking occasionally and stared intently at the tank. “There’s more fish here than there is in a lot of areas. The corals here. It’s been so long since I’ve seen reefs looking this healthy.” Taehyung said quietly after standing there like a rock for ten minutes. Jeongguk glanced nervously at the merman next to him. The bluish hue of light from the tank made Taehyung look other-worldly. Taehyung exhaled lightly, “I asked if they want to leave or not. None of them replied to me. I can hear their thoughts. They enjoy this, can you believe that?” Taehyung turned towards Jeongguk, he looked like a part of his soul was ripped out from him. “Gguk… why… why are they not complaining?” He looked utterly confused, “they… they seem content… why are they okay with being captured and locked up? This… this doesn’t make sense Gguk… are they drugged? What have you humans done to them!” Taehyung’s voice was getting louder and louder, and it attracted several security guards’ attention. 

Jeongguk grabbed Taehyung’s arm and hoped the other would take a hint and lower his voice. “Tae, keep it down, they are-” 

“Sir, excuse me, please lower your voice-” 

“NO! You humans are all the same, you just take and take and take, your species ruin-” Taehyung shoved Jeongguk’s hand away, and snarled at the other boy. Jeongguk took a few steps back. Taehyung was baring his teeth and his canines were getting sharper. His eyes were also glowing dimly. 

“Tae, please, you are causing a scene here, they will kick us out!” Jeongguk begged in a whisper shout, “please- retract your fangs or- or whatever! Just  calm   down ! Look, they are calling security. Please, Taehyung, calm down!” Jeongguk could see the security guard behind Taehyung calling his colleague through his walkie talkie. Jeongguk shoved Taehyung behind him forcefully and held him in place, “Sir, I’m sorry we’re causing a scene here, we will leave immediately.” 

Taehyung’s eyes widened as he struggled in Jeongguk’s grasp. “No, we’re not leaving. Jeon Jeongguk what the fuck-” Jeongguk then clasped his hand on Taehyung’s mouth and dragged him towards the emergency exit. “Kim Taehyung, if you stay in there you will definitely reveal your identity, no way we are risking that.” 

In his blind rage, Taehyung bit Jeongguk’s hand. Pointy fangs punctured Jeongguk’s hand with ease, the taste of iron sharp on his tongue. He could hear Jeongguk hiss in pain. Jeongguk retracted his hand as soon as they left the aquarium. 

“What the fuck? Why would you bite me you  fucktard ? You’re not a fucking vampire!” Jeongguk looked super pissed, clutching his injured hand while blood seeped from his fingers to the ground. Taehyung spat out Jeongguk’s blood in his mouth. Jeongguk’s chest was rising and falling rapidly from holding back his anger. He then quietly slung his backpack to the front and took out his water bottle without breaking the staring contest with Taehyung, and poured the water on his wound.

Jeongguk took a few deep breaths before he started talking. “If you will excuse me, I have a wound to tend to. A wound caused by you.” It was the first time Jeongguk looked this cold and distant. The look on Jeongguk’s face snapped Taehyung back to reality. He glanced at Jeongguk’s hand, blood oozing out of the wound steadily. His fangs weren't the longest, but the wound doesn't look minor either.

Taehyung reached out to clutch Jeongguk's arm, only to be blocked by him. “Jeonggukkie…” But Jeongguk's expression was hard. “Was I not your  Jeonggukkie  when you just bit me a minute ago?” He then turned around and walked away, leaving Taehyung behind gaping like a fish. 

Taehyung immediately ran forward to catch up, fearing he would get separated from Jeongguk. “Jeongguk! I’m sorry-” Maybe it was because of fatigue, or he was just clumsy, Taehyung bumped into a scary-looking man and spilt his smoothie. Taehyung was knocked on the floor, his chin and palm grazing the rocky ground. The man was quite pissed and he cursed out loud, causing Jeongguk to look behind his back. Taehyung was still on the ground, stuttering apologies while balling his fists. The man kept demanding Taehyung to speak up and apologise ‘like a man’. Jeongguk may be mad at Taehyung at the moment, but he sure will not let Taehyung get picked on by some self-entitled shithead. 

Jeongguk rushed back to Taehyung and knelt by his side, checking his palms and his chin. Those were minor injuries, nothing too serious but cleaning it up would be better. 

“Tae, are you feeling okay? It doesn’t look too serious, does it hurt a lot? We’ll go to the first aid centre, and I’ll clean it up okay?” Taehyung looked so guilty and sad, lips all pouty and eyes shining with tears. “I’m fine, sorry Ggukkie,” But Jeongguk ignored Taehyung and stood in front of the man, “Hey, he already apologised so many times. Maybe you should get your ears checked huh?” 

The man was about to snap at him until a staff member walked in their direction and asked if Taehyung needed any medical attention. Luckily the man left without saying another word. Even with Jeongguk’s help, Taehyung stood up with difficulty, “Gukkie, my legs- my legs hurt, they hurt after I fell down. I cannot walk as fast as you, y-you should go to the medical centre first, I’ll figure out how to get there when my legs feel better.” Taehyung stammered, chewing his lip as he saw Jeongguk’s left hand splattered with dried blood. His scrapes are nothing compared to what Jeongguk was feeling, and he didn’t want to stall Jeongguk. 

Jeongguk stayed silent and stared at the boy in front of him. “Is that so?” Taehyung looked up and nodded softly. To be honest, he knows he won’t be able to ask other people or find the medical centre by himself, but that’s a problem for later. “Very well then,” Jeongguk replied before turning his back on Taehyung and squatted down slightly. 

“Come on, hop on.” 

“W-what?” 

“Are you coming or not?” Jeongguk frowned and stood up straight. “B-but you are also hurt!” Taehyung exclaimed, blushing hard because he knew Jeongguk was offering him a piggyback ride, one that he has never experienced because he felt it was weirdly intimate and he doesn’t know what to do with his legs. 

“If you don’t hop on in ten seconds, I will be very very mad at you and will never talk to you again.” Jeongguk crossed his arms and scrunched his nose, pouting a little bit, knowing fully well Taehyung would not risk Jeongguk being mad at him. What he didn’t know was that Taehyung wanted to punch himself in the face when Jeongguk pouted, because of  he'ssocutewhatthefuckIwanttokisshim . 

“Okay okay I’ll hop on,” Taehyung clumsily climbed on Jeongguk’s back, clinging on his neck tightly. But when Jeongguk slipped his hands under Taehyung’s knee, Taehyung freaked out and clutched Jeongguk’s neck too tight he nearly choked. “T-tae, e-easy there- ah- let go!’ Jeongguk choked out those words, followed by a fit of coughs after Taehyung loosened his hold and apologised. 

“Ggukkie! Are you okay? I am sorry! Where should I put my hands?"

“Right where they were, but with less force, okay? I nearly died.”

“Okie, I’m sorry Ggukkie-” 

“Stop apologizing Kim Taehyung.” 

“Okay sorry.” 

“Taehyung can you not squeeze your legs? Just relax” 

“Okay, sorry,” 

“Taehyung, can you put your feet away from my crotch area? It’s

hindering me from walking properly.” 

“Oh. Okay. Sorry.” 

Taehyung was starting to get comfortable on Jeongguk’s back. He leaned his chin on Jeongguk’s shoulder and sighed. “What’s wrong?” Jeongguk asked, turning his head slightly towards his shoulder. “This feels good, I will ask Jiminie for piggyback rides in the future.” Jeongguk chuckled softly. “And how exactly do you plan on making it happen? Wrap your tail around him?” 

Taehyung gasped loudly, his cheeks on flame. “You! Take that back right now! I am not wrapping my tail around my best friend, EW! He is in a happy relationship with Yoongi hyung!” Jeongguk laughed even louder, and Taehyung could feel the vibrations of his laugh through his chest. “Ah, I forgot wrapping tails are your mating methods, guess it won’t work under the sea huh?” 

“Ugh, stop it! I want to puke now! He has a boyfriend! EW EW EW EW EW I want to erase my memory!”

They walked in relative silence afterwards, Jeongguk figured Taehyung might want some time to erase his mental image. There’s still a five-minute walk till they reach the first aid centre since it was located in the opposite of the park. Taehyung broke the silence after swallowing down his nervousness and asked quietly, “Hey Gukkie, I- were you mad at me for biting your hand?” Jeongguk was silent for a few seconds before responding. “And why would you think I was mad?” Taehyung was confused by this reply. “I-I hurt you, and it caused you pain,” “Can we talk about it later? We’re here and we really should tend the wounds first.” Jeongguk let Taehyung down gently and asked for a first aid kit from the receptionist. Taehyung sat on a stool and waited for Jeongguk to come back. 

“You know, this reminds me of the day you first came to the lab, you bit me as well and I also had to tend your wounds. You didn't have fangs back then though,” Jeongguk put the box on the table and sat across Taehyung. “Jeongguk I’m-” 

“If you’re gonna say sorry, you can stop. Because it’s okay. This might sting a bit,” Jeongguk grabbed Taehyung’s hands and gently cleaned the grazed areas, which stung a little bit, but Taehyung held back his whine because Jeongguk was tending his wound before his own, and Taehyung knew his bite must hurt like hell. “I’m going to stick a bandaid on it, for your chin, I’ll just clean it up because the band-aid might make you uncomfortable when you talk.” As Jeongguk was about the take out another cotton pad to treat the wound on Taehyung’s chin, Tae grabbed the pad before he could and tried to repeat what Jeongguk did a few moments ago. 

“I will treat your wound first, yours hurt more. And you just gave me a piggyback ride, your hand must be hurting. Let me help you first Ggukkie, it’s the least I could do.” Taehyung poured out some alcohol on the pad and started dabbing the pads on Jeongguk’s wound gently. He then slowly but surely wrapped Jeongguk’s hand with a bandage. And when he was finished, he brought Jeongguk’s hand in front of him and planted a small peck on the bandage. 

“Grandma said that a peck would make it heal faster and the pain would go away.” Taehyung smiled softly, eyes refusing to meet Jeongguk’s gaze. Instead, he focused on staring at the bandaged hand in front of him. “Well, your grandma is right, I don’t feel any pain now.” Jeongguk returned his smile with a warm toothy grin, eyes wrinkled with his bunny teeth on full display, and Taehyung almost cooed out loud. 

Jeongguk then took out a cotton pad and began cleaning Taehyung’s graze on his chin. He asked Taehyung to lean closer and he also leaned towards the boy. Jeongguk could feel Taehyung’s eyes on him, but he refused to be distracted. He focused on Taehyung’s wound, and when he was done, he leaned in slowly but surely, and pecked Taehyung’s chin. Short but sweet. 

“There you go, you feeling better?” Taehyung’s cheeks were as red as a tomato, and the tips of his ear looked like it was dripping out blood. Jeongguk was not much better, his cheeks also tinted pink from his bald act. "We should go, how ‘bout I drive you around the city and show you around? Maybe you can clear your head? We can talk about what happened later.” 

Chapter Text

Taehyung rolled down the window and felt the chilly wind caressing his face. Winds are something he was familiar with since it affects the waves and currents, so he had learnt about it when he was younger. But experiencing the wind was something he didn’t have the chance to try often. He had gone up the surface of course, but his face was all wet and only his head was above water, and sometimes it’s a nice experience if it was a nice cool summer night with a gentle breeze; but if it was a stormy day or a winter’s night, Taehyung would rather hide in the bottom of the ocean. But winds on land are much more pleasant and soothing. It’s like his mother’s gentle touch. Taehyung enjoys it a lot. 

Next to him, Jeongguk played some soft music. He had suggested going on a mini road trip and driving to Seoul out of impulse. It was only five in the evening, so they would arrive in Seoul around 9 o’clock. Jeongguk had called and informed his parents that they were not coming home tonight, and guided Taehyung to book a hotel room online.

“Jeongguk, it says guests have to present identity documents, I don’t have one, what should I do?” 

Jeongguk hadn’t thought this far when he asked Taehyung to book a room at a hotel. He chose one of the fanciest service apartments, because he wants to treat himself (and Taehyung of course). But he totally forgot about this part. 

“Well… you can always sneak in… but… I don’t trust you running around by yourself, to be honest…” Jeongguk sighed deeply. Usually, in hook-ups, one of them books the room and the other one just sneaks into it, but Taehyung can never sneak into a room himself. He might get distracted by elevator buttons, puppies, chocolates or just random people who look interesting to him. And Taehyung is also not his hook-up. “Dial Mr Choi for me, Tae.” After a series of beeps, the man picked up and greeted Jeongguk enthusiastically. 

“Hello, Jeongguk-ssi! And to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?” 

“Ah, Choi-ssi, I am looking for a room for two-person. Is there any available in Hongdae?”

“Let me see… I’m sorry, only single rooms are available in Hongdae. Would you be okay with Myeongdong? There’s also one deluxe suite in our new tower in Gangnam.”

“That sounds great. I’ll get the Gangnam one.” 

“Of course, Jeongguk-ssi. And may I have the names and ID card number for the other guest?”

“Um… that’s the thing… I don’t think he brought his ID card… you see-” Jeongguk unconsciously tightened his grip on the steering wheel, hoping Mr Choi won't see right through his lie. 

“Ah, I see. So one deluxe suite for two persons." If Jeongguk could see Mr Choi right now, he was sure the older man would be winking at him. "About what time will you arrive?”

“Around ten. Ten to eleven.” 

“Okay. I’m only doing this since you’re our frequent customer, Jeongguk-ssi, do you need any condoms? We can arrange some for you.” 

Jeongguk was this close to crashing the car to a tree. “No, no, no,  no, no, no  I don’t. Thank you Choi-ssi. Bye.” Jeongguk ended the call by furiously pressing the button on his steering wheel. He looked to his left and saw Taehyung looking at him expectantly, although clutching his seat belt securely. 

Any second now-

“Ggukkie what are condoms? He’s giving you for free! Why are you rejecting free condoms?” 

Called it. 

Jeongguk cleared his throat loudly. His grip on the wheel tightened again as he focused on the road again. He can’t believe he needs to explain awkward shit to Taehyung  again . “It is a piece of plastic, that is shaped like the thing-between your legs, guys put them on during intercourse, or mating, in your culture. Um… it prevents unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Yeah, that's about it… any more questions?”  please say no please say no

“So he asked you because he thought you and I were gonna mate?” 

“Oh my god Jesus! No Taehyung! No! I mean  yes ! Yes! Oh fuck. Yes, that's probably what he thought.”

“He said you’re a frequent customer, do you do this often? Is that what we are going to do tonight?” Jeongguk has no idea how Taehyung can shamelessly ask these questions but blush when Jeongguk pecked his cheeks. 

“NO.  No , we are not going to do that tonight. And I am a frequent customer because sometimes I have to work in Seoul and I stay in his hotels. I don’t do hookups a lot. And now please drop the subject for god’s sake.” 

“What is a hookup? Is it like fishing or something?” 

“Taehyung! I told you to drop the subject!”

“But it’s a  new  subject! It’s not about condoms anymore!” 

Jeongguk rolled his eyes to heaven. Why is Taehyung so persistent? Why weren’t Namjoon and Jin the ones who rescued him and provided refuge for Taehyung? 

“Hookups are casual flings that happen between people who are not interested in relationships and stuff, just up for the fun part and relieve some stress." Jeongguk cleared his throat. "I guess.” 

“Wow, that sounds irresponsible.” Jeongguk tilted his head and thought of what to say. “Not really, because both parties agree that it’s a one-time thing, or a no strings attached thing. I won’t say it’s irresponsible. But in your sense, it may be.” 

“How many times have you done that?” 

“Taehyung…” 

“How many?” 

“... I don’t know…? More than ten, I guess?” 

“Wow… does your mom know?” 

“What the fuck  no ! No! You don’t tell your mom these things! They’re private! And that’s why you should stop asking me these questions!” 

Jeongguk almost wanted to tape Taehyung’s mouth shut so he won’t have to face his ridiculous questions anymore. "You humans are weird, if we want to mate, we have to inform both parents when and where will we mate." 

"Taehyung what the  fuck ... you tell your parents when and where you're going to fuck? Wow, why don't you send them a demo video of how you're going to do it as well?"

It was Taehyung's turn to blush, "No! We don't have videos! And we don't tell our parents h-how we d-do it!" Taehyung pouted and sulked because he was embarrassed but also because Jeongguk mocked his culture, which he never had before. He pouted for another ten minutes before Jeongguk realized what was causing Taehyung's sudden sulkiness. 

"Are you mad at me for laughing at your mer practices?" 

"No." 

"Yes you totally are."

"No, I'm  not ." 

"I'm sorry I laughed at it, okay? But it is really funny though, any humans would laugh at that. And I didn't laugh at you, just your species in general." 

"Wow. This is such a shitty apology. Tell me about the place we’re going and maybe I'll think about forgiving you.” 

“We’re heading to Seoul, the capital of South Korea. There will be much much more people there. You need to stay close to me, okay? If you wander lost I highly doubt you can find me again.” 

“That sounds scary.” 

Jeongguk shook his head softly. “Nah it’s not, you’ll be fine. There’s still a long drive ahead, you can sleep if you want to.” 

“No, I’m not tired. I don’t want to sleep. Can we talk about what happened? I owe you an apology and many many explanations.” Taehyung was pulling out a thread from his sweater paw, biting his lip anxiously, waiting for Jeongguk’s reply. 

Jeongguk gave Taehyung an encouraging smile. “If that’s what you want, sure. If you feel uncomfortable midway you can also stop.” 

Taehyung took a deep breath and chucked down half a bottle of water. “First off, I just want to say I am very very sorry No matter what excuse I have, violence is not the solution and I feel really shitty for taking out my anger on you. You have been nothing but nice, caring and kind to me since I came here. Yes, I hate humans, but not all of them. Your friends, your family, your neighbours, and you. Even if I have to take violent measures against humans, you’d be the last person I would do that to. I owe you so much, there are no words to describe how bad I feel right now. I can’t believe I said those things to you!  You ! Jeonggukkie!” Taehyung was getting emotional and Jeongguk could hear it from the wobble in his voice. “ You  who healed me and gave me a place to stay, who did not turn me into the scary scientists, and taught me and showed me so many wonderful things! Not only did I say harsh words, but I also bit you with my fangs! Holy Poseidon!” 

“Hey Taehyung, it’s okay. If you ask me, I would say I hate a lot of humans too. Some of us think they are superior to other kinds of people. There are racism, sexism and inequalities in every corner of the Earth, humans  are  pretty shitty. You’d agree with this, humans have been polluting the ocean for decades. Oil spillage, overfishing, some pour industrial waste to the sea and some hunt mermaids. If I were you, I would have killed every human I’ve encountered. I can’t imagine how bad the pollution is. Your hatred against humans is completely justified. I’ve saved seagulls with plastic bags inside of their digestive system, dolphins which ate too many plastic bottles, turtles that got caught in fishnets or sharks with their fin cut off. There’s too many, and I can’t save all of them. Sometimes I feel really helpless as well. I may save one from death, but there are millions more out there suffering. And there’s nothing I could do to stop it. You know what? When I was young, I rescued a whale. It got washed up to the shores outside of our house. I saw it return to its mother. That was the moment I decided I want to devote my life to helping marine animals because I hate seeing them suffer. Please don’t feel bad about anything you said or do. I totally get it.” 

“I guess… when I saw them inside the tank, it made me angry that they are kept in such small confinement. They should be out there swimming freely! The most frustrating thing is that they don’t mind it! They don’t mind living in that tank and caged up for the rest of their lives! How-”

“Taehyung, before you continue, I just want to tell you that the aquarium is not that bad. I may not know what’s going on behind closed doors, but their staff visit our labs quite often. When they see one of the animals is unwell, they send them to us. Pregnant mothers are also sent here before they give birth. I’ve seen several dolphins give birth, you know. The bigger animals, like the sharks, dolphins or the seals are the ones that our lab rescued. Most of them have lost the ability to hunt for themselves and survive in the wild after they healed. Remember the shark that you tried to talk to? Seokjin’s father caught him in one of his fishing nets. His fin got cut off by some other fisherman but they threw him back in the water because they don’t want to deal with the corpse. Seokjin’s father said many sharks were attacking it because its blood attracted the others. If he hadn’t caught it in his net, that shark would be dead in minutes. We let him stayed at our lab for a few months and monitored his condition. Without the fin and with all the wounds it has, it would be no match to the sharks in the wild. So we gave him to the Ocean Park aquarium. We know the director. He is a friend of Namjoon. I trust Namjoon, therefore I trust that aquarium. I am not saying this to justify human's behaviour, there are a lot of aquariums that treat the animals badly. I'm saying this so you will feel better about them and perhaps be less confused." 

When Jeongguk was finished with his speech, he looked at the boy next to him. Taehyung was staring at him with his mouth slightly opened. It took him five minutes till he processed all of this information. "That's better. That's very reassuring. Thank you, Jeongguk, for doing all these and working for that lab." Taehyung then fell silent but Jeongguk could hear the gear in his brain spiralling to life. 

"Jeongguk, when you said you saved a whale when you were younger, is there any chance you saved a young grey whale with a star-shaped scar beneath her eye? By the coastline of Busan?" Taehyung propped his legs on the dashboard and frowned. "I did a mental calculation, it should be 14 years ago..." 

Jeongguk was shocked. He does remember the whale having a star under her eye. "What the fuck? Yes, it did! How the fuck did you know?" 

Taehyung retracted his feet so quickly he bumped his leg somewhere and it looked painful, but the merman was so excited he forgot about the pain. "Oh my! She's my friend! She is my best whale friend! We talk all the time! She doesn't have a name, but I call her Stella. You know, Latin for star. She loves you! Whenever I rant about how terrible humans are,  no offence , she always tells me that there are nice people out there. Stella calls you her saviour!" 

Jeongguk's jaw was on the floor. “No way, you’re shitting me. What is the probability of this? Holy shit, we must be fated!” In his excitement, Jeongguk accidentally blurted it out: a thought that has been on his mind for a few days. The car suddenly got very quiet, and Jeongguk dared not to look at Taehyung. What if the merman judges him or mocks him? He’s just an ordinary young human working his ass off, is a mama’s boy, is shy and doesn’t do well with strangers, has never dated anyone before, and nowhere close to a prince. 

Taehyung seemed to notice Jeongguk’s frozen state and decided to help the younger out. “Jeonggukkie, did you know that for mer we have no concept of fate in romance? We just follow our heart.” 

Jeongguk could only nod, not knowing what else to say, He was afraid if he opened his mouth he would spill embarrassing thoughts again. The remaining car ride ended in silence, they pulled over to a gas station and bought some snacks, and continued their little road trip. When they finally entered the Seoul district, the sun had already set. Jeongguk drove them to Hongdae first, because he wanted to show Taehyung the busking and dance performances on the streets. There was also a lot of different clothing shops that Jeongguk thought Taehyung would love. 

As Taehyung looked out of the window, he could see neon lights everywhere, young couples and friends hanging out, people handing out flyers, and so, so much street food. Jeongguk pulled up in a parking lot and led them to the main streets. However, as soon as Taehyung left the car, he was hit by a surge to throw up. He did not know if it was motion sickness or other things, but it made his tummy feel funny and he felt a bit dizzy. He continued to trail behind Jeongguk even when he felt like shit because he wanted to do whatever things Jeongguk planned for them. Jeongguk walked ahead and was checking the GPS on his phone, so he did not notice the uncharacteristic quiet Taehyung. It wasn’t until they were on the streets, and Taehyung finally knew why he was feeling so nauseous. The sewage. And the multiplied car exhaust fume smell. Its smell was so pungently choking to Taehyung that he could not take it anymore. Before he could even call Jeongguk, his legs gave out and he fell on the ground with a muffled thud. Luckily he held himself up just in time with his arms or else he would be missing a few front teeth. 

Jeongguk continued to walk on, not hearing the small noise behind him because he was busy muttering to himself while the GPS kept giving him wrong directions. He didn't turn around until he heard gagging sounds behind him, and he saw Taehyung kneeling on the ground, vomiting to the bush next to the pavement. 

“Oh my god, Tae! Holy shit!” Jeongguk rushed to Taehyung’s side and held his shoulders and patted his back, just like what his mother would do when he or Jae was sick. “Puke it all out, you’ll feel better. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” And Jeongguk just kept on whispering soft encouraging words to Taehyung while trying to calm him down. He took out some tissues and wiped Taehyung’s sweat away. Taehyung has stopped vomiting but probably was because there was nothing else for him to puke out anymore. Jeongguk wiped Taehyung’s mouth carefully and asked if he could walk. 

“Gguk, get me away from the sewer, and the city… it smells, it hurts my nose... Please… get me away…” Taehyung breathed out the words with difficulty, his eyes closed and he leaned his forehead against Jeongguk’s chest. 

“Okay Tae, I’ll get you out of here right now, don’t worry. Hang in there for me.” Jeongguk may sound calm and collected, but he was actually freaking the fuck out. He’s never dealt with a vomiting merman before, and he’s never seen Tae look so pale and deathly. It scares the shit out of him. 

Jeongguk swooped Taehyung up in bridal style, he could feel the older relax at his touch. “I feel sick… and sleepy…” Taehyung muttered as a drunk man would, and Jeongguk hiked him up hoping the movement could make Taehyung stay awake. But as Taehyung’s head rolled on his shoulder, he knew the merman had lost consciousness. 

“Come on Tae, you can do this, don’t fall asleep now,” The run back to his car was longer than expected, with Taehyung in his arms Jeongguk could not run as fast as he usually would. It was really difficult for him to get the passenger door open with his hands full, but after nearly dropping Tae on the ground, he managed to put the merman in the car and turned on the air purifier in the car. He also fished out his cologne in the compartment and sprayed it everywhere. Jeongguk guessed Taehyung might be sensitive to the city smell, and maybe his cologne would be better than the sewage smells. He took a highway and drove to Gangnam as quickly as he could, while Taehyung was drifting off to sleep next to him. The boy was clutching the hoodie Jeongguk gave him earlier, clinging to it like a lifeline. 

For Taehyung, he doesn’t remember much after being carried to the car. The smell clouded his senses and he couldn’t think straight. Back in Jeongguk’s hometown, even if they went inland, they were still close to the sea and Taehyung could always smell the subtle scent of salt and sea breeze. But when they arrived in Seoul, there was no sea in it anymore, and Taehyung choked at the smell of crowds, machines and the sewage. It was almost as suffocating as swimming to an oil spillage site. He vaguely remembers Jeongguk carrying him up to the hotel room, and settling him on the giant bed. He could feel the younger one putting a wet towel on his forehead, and even if he didn’t open his eyes, he could feel Jeongguk’s worried gaze all over him. 

Taehyung gently pushed away from the towel on his forehead and opened his eyes despite his nauseousness. Jeongguk was looking at him with a deep frown, and he looked worried sick. 

“Ggukkie, I’m not having a fever, no need to give me a wet towel. I feel better now, the smell is less concentrated, I can deal with it. Are we out of the city?” 

Jeongguk shook his head and sat down next to Taehyung on the bed. “No, we are in a less populated district. Are you sure you’re okay with the scent now? We can always leave if you want to.” 

“No need, I’m fine. If you hadn’t sprayed your scent in the car, I don’t know if I could make it this far without puking in your car,” Taehyung’s lids dropped low like he was a little kid fighting to be awake past bedtime. Jeongguk tugged Taehyung in and gave him a spare pillow to clutch. “Ggukkie… do you mind spraying some of your scents on this pillow? It smells nice and I think it will help me sleep.” Taehyung asked shyly, half of his face hidden behind the large pillow but Jeongguk could still see the tips of his ears tinted red. 

Jeongguk cannot believe he got Taehyung in this big ass bed all to himself, looking soft and cuddly while telling him his scent helps him sleep. Pride bloom in his chest and his heart swooned at how cute Taehyung looked. Jeongguk wanted to tease the merman but he could see Taehyung was already ashamed to admit it, so he took out the bottle from his backpack and sprayed it on the pillow several times. “It’s called cologne. I’m glad it calms you.” Jeongguk walked towards the wardrobe and took out a bathrobe. “I’ll take a shower now, call me if you need anything.” 

Jeongguk took his time in the bathroom, scrubbing the soap all over his body and massaged his sore biceps. Having held Taehyung for some time today, plus the running and walking, he was feeling exhausted. His head throbbed with the thought of all the things that happened today. It felt like a lifetime ago even if it was just several hours ago. The wound on his hand stung under the hot water, but Jeongguk didn't find it in him to mind. When he was done, he dried his hair a bit with the dryer, tied his bathrobe and tiptoed out of the bathroom quietly. He was afraid he would wake Taehyung up by being too loud. 

But his worry was not necessary, as soon as he sat down on the couch and lied down in a relatively comfortable position, closing his eyes and almost asleep, he heard Taehyung’s voice. 

“Ggukkie, what are you doing there?” Taehyung’s head peaked out from the fortress of pillows and fluffy comforter curiously, blinking his eyes quickly as if Jeongguk would disappear any moment. 

Jeongguk sat up and stuttered, though he didn’t know why he was nervous. “Um… I thought you were asleep already, so I didn’t want to disturb you.” 

Taehyung tilted his head and asked, “Well, then now you know I’m awake, what are you doing over there?” Jeongguk visibly stiffened and halted his breath. Is this Taehyung’s way of asking him to sleep with him tonight? “I’m sure your scent is stronger on you, I don't need the pillow if I have you to cuddle with.” 

Jeongguk choked on his own saliva before he could say anything. He was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers underneath the bathrobe and he wasn’t sure if he and Taehyung were ready for such intimate physical contact. “Um… you want to cuddle with me?” 

Taehyung bit his lower lip and avoided Jeongguk’s gaze, eyes cast downwards. “I-if you’re okay with that.” 

Fuck that, of course Jeongguk was okay with that. He walked to the bed slowly and climbed on the bed even slower as if he was waiting for Taehyung to change his mind any second. And when he finally lied down, he felt Taehyung turn his whole body to face him. Not knowing what to do, Jeongguk stayed there as stiff as a log, forcing his eyes to close and wished Taehyung would make him less nervous. 

“Am I making you uncomfortable, Ggukkie?” Taehyung asked in a small voice, the pillow still clutched to his chest. At his voice, Jeongguk turned to look at him, and he swore he has never seen anyone as pretty as the prince in front of him. 

Jeongguk’s voice dropped to a whisper. “No, I’m sorry. It’s okay, you can cuddle with me, I don’t mind.” As if speaking any louder will break the atmosphere in the room, both of them spoke softly while looking into each other's eye. The only source of light was the bathroom vanity light, the dim soft glow of yellow cast a halo above Taehyung's head. In Taehyung's perspective, since he blocked most of the light with his body, he could only see Jeongguk vaguely. Their faces were close, but not close enough. 

"Tae, why aren't you asleep yet? You must be exhausted." Jeongguk asked, gently tucking away one of the loose strands of hair that fell on Taehyung's eye. 

Taehyung breathed out softly, "I can't sleep knowing you haven't slept yet." Jeongguk sneezed cutely, because of the ticklish feeling of his hair against his nose. In return of Jeongguk's gesture, Taehyung brushed away his long hair from his face. A million words were left unspoken between the two of them, and when Jeongguk moved one of his hands on the pillow in between him and Taehyung's head, Taehyung intertwined his pinkie with Jeongguk's. 

"Now that I'm here, can you sleep now?" Jeongguk's eyes were half-lidded, looking at Taehyung with such adoration and softness that made Taehyung thought, maybe he does have a shot. 

They fell asleep soon, and as the night got deeper, they gravitated towards each other, their entwined pinkie long forgotten. At some point, Taehyung buried his face in Jeongguk's neck, and Jeongguk draped his arm over Taehyung's waist. And if Taehyung woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare and stole a peck from Jeongguk, no one has to know. 

Chapter Text

Taehyung woke up to the smell of pancakes and caramel, aka heaven. When he woke up to the unfamiliar room, he panicked for a moment before sinking back into the soft duvets after he smelt Jeongguk’s cooking and heard him humming a tune. The bed was still dipped next to him, and Taehyung could feel the ghost warmth of Jeongguk lingering on the pillow next to his. 

When he padded into the kitchen groggily, Jeongguk shot him a lazy smile that sent Taehyung’s heart into overdrive. It’s too early to have a heart attack. 

“You’re awake. Did you sleep well?”Jeongguk continued flipping pancakes like a pro, the delicious golden brown making Taehyung drool on spot. 

“Yeah, I had a nightmare but I fell asleep quickly afterwards.” Taehyung peeked at the almost finished pancakes from Jeongguk’s back, their position weirdly intimate and domestic. 

“Well, we will be leaving Seoul at once after we finish breakfast, so you will get a pretty long car ride and you can rest if you are tired,” Jeongguk explained patiently while placing the pancakes on the plate carefully, before spreading some whipped cream on it. He then put some sliced bananas on top of it. “ Viola ! If I quit my job at Joon hyung’s lab one day, I’ll go and be a patissier. Or a professional pancake maker.” 

“I’m sure people will love your pancakes. You must be the God of Pancakes in your last life Ggukkie,” Taehyung placed the plates on the small island in the middle of the kitchen. “But we don’t have to leave Seoul yet, we just got here last night! I can stay here, and maybe you can go do whatever you planned on doing here.” 

Jeongguk washed his hands and joined Taehyung. “I’m not going anywhere myself, mister. I suggested we go to Seoul because I want to show you around the city. I've been to Seoul a million times. We’ll go back to Busan. I’ll drive us around along the coast of Busan. We can think of something to do then.” 

The two of them finished breakfast in comfortable silence, Taehyung looking out the window to take a last glimpse of Seoul before he leaves the city and possibly never to see it again. Taehyung dozed off several times during the car ride before Jeongguk announced they reached home. It was a weird sensation for Taehyung to hear the word home, because he knows that the Jeon’s residence is not his technical home; but deep down he could feel his heartbeat quicken when Jeongguk mentions it because God knows how much he wishes he could stay here and be with Jeongguk, his real  home , his real shelter from all the storms. 

Jeongguk’s mom was the one answering the door, and she looked quite shocked to see the two young men back so soon from the capital city. “Huh? Jeongguk-ah? Aren’t you supposed to be in Seoul with Taehyung-ah?” 

“Taehyung is not comfortable with the city smell, it made him very sick. We had to cut our trip short,” said Jeongguk, shrugging off his backpack. He hung his coat on the hanger and dropped his full weight on his mother, crushing the shorter woman. “Did you miss me, mom? Did you miss me while I was away last night? Aww, you must have missed your Jeonggukkie so much you weren’t able to sleep last night!” Jeongguk then squished his mom’s cheeks and planted a loud kiss on his mom’s cheek. 

Mrs Jeon swatted her son away and pushed Jeongguk off of her. “Why would I miss you rascal? Though I did stay up last night, thinking of Taehyung-ah. It’s going to be one month since Taehyung's arrival very soon, oh honey, I am going to miss you so much,” Mrs Jeon took Taehyung’s hand into her own, her expression a sad and devastated one. 

Taehyung’s smile faded away slowly. He looked at the woman in front of her and saw his own mother in Mrs Jeon. Although in her late forties, she is usually very youthful with her chatty personality and smiley face, but now it was as if she aged overnight: her eyes look distant and sorrowful, her brows furrowed, a hint of worry and sadness in them.

"Mrs Jeon, I-I will miss you dearly too," Taehyung pulled her into a tight hug, circling his arms around Mrs Jeon's shoulders. The hug was longer than the brief ones they use to share whenever Taehyung leaves the house with Jeongguk. He could feel Mrs Jeon shaking slightly in the embrace, and he knew she must be sobbing quietly. Taehyung ran his hand through her hair and whispered gentle words against her ear. "I will never forget you." 

It was Mrs Jeon who pulled out from the hug first. She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and put up her usual cheerful smile. "Now is not the time for mopping. I'm sure Jeonggukkie have planned some other things to do with you this afternoon. Now go! Be sure to come back for dinner though!" Mrs Jeon shooed them to Jeongguk's room and closed the door. 

"Your mom is so nice," Taehyung muttered softly when he sat on Jeongguk's mattress. Jeongguk sat next to him and opened his laptop, shoving it to Taehyung's face. 

"Let's go cycling. I'll teach you." Jeongguk was showing a clip of Tour de France to Taehyung, who looked utterly baffled. 

"Cycling? This looks really fast and dangerous. Should I be concerned?"

"Nah, your speed will be nowhere near them. Don't worry. And we won't be going uphill. I'll drive us to a nice promenade near the sea, I think you will like it a lot." 

"Well, okay. I trust you, even when the last time I trusted you you made me jump out of a plane and made me cry on a roller coaster." Taehyung flashed Jeongguk a cheeky smile, ruffled Jeongguk's hair softly. 

Jeongguk pouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "Hey! Stop ruffling my hair! And you said you have forgiven me already," Jeongguk's expression then turned serious, as he looked down on his laptop, refusing to meet Taehyung's gaze. "I didn't realise you were still mad at me, I'm sorry, we can just stay home if you want." 

"Aw Jeonggukkie, your hyungie is not mad at you anymore, hyungie is just kidding," said Taehyung as he threw himself on Jeongguk, which made the latter boy lose his balance and fall back on the mattress. Taehyung was still clinging on Jeongguk's neck like a koala while burying his head in Jeongguk's neck. "I was never mad at you to begin with, I could never be mad at you." 

Jeongguk was positively sure his ears are bleeding red now. He didn't understand why he was feeling like this, Taehyung's words were not something too special, nor his declaration of love. But it felt good to hear that Taehyung trusted him. "Well, that's glad to hear. Do you want to go cycling now?" 

"Sure, but can I go take a shower first? I still smell some faint city smell lingering on our clothes." 

♆

An hour later, they are on the promenade next to the beach, with Jeongguk standing next to Taehyung in a protective stance, Taehyung half mounting Jeongguk's bike. The weather was pretty nice, and there were quite a few joggers and runners zooming past them, some small kids were cycling with helmets and elbow pads. Some people were walking their dogs, and some was just taking a stroll, chilling and enjoying the winter sun. 

Taehyung has been in this pose for more than five minutes now. After Jeongguk parked the car, he pushed the bicycle to the promenade and showed Taehyung how to cycle. Jeongguk made it look all so easy. So when Taehyung first mounted the bike, he almost fell off of if it weren't for Jeongguk's fast reflex. And now he won't mount on the bike anymore because he was scared he would fall off for real this time. 

"Tae, it's okay, I'll be right next to you, I won't let you fall." Out of context, Jeongguk thought, but this is not how he planned to confess to Taehyung. Luckily, or unluckily, Taehyung was too nervous to notice Jeongguk's choice of words. His grip on the bike handles was so tight it made Jeongguk feel sorry for the handles. 

“Can you hold the handles for me? I don’t know how to navigate this thing and I'm afraid I’ll crash and hurt the kids and other people.” Taehyung wiped the nervous sweat off his forehead and glanced at Jeongguk nervously. 

“Um. It kinda defeats the whole purpose of cycling, but- I guess that’s what we will settle on then.” Jeongguk instructed Taehyung to get on the bike and put his hands on top of Taehyung’s on the handle. “ Now, keep your eyes on the road. Don’t sway left and right. I will keep my hands on yours, remember to keep your head up, back straight. You only need to keep the paddles going. Got it?”

“Okay, got it, I trust you.” 

When Taehyung stepped on the paddle the first try, he was too gentle so the bike did not move forward a lot. Jeongguk told him he should step on it harder. Then after a few tries, Taehyung got a hang of it. It was slow and far from elegant, but he still managed to move the bike forward. 

“That’s it, you’re doing great Tae, keep going, don’t look at me, look at the road!” Taehyung was very very excited, and he looked like a puppy when you gave him his favourite treat. Out of all the human activities, Taehyung tried, cycling was by far the easiest and the one that he did the best in. Taehyung soon increased his speed, and Jeongguk started jogging along with the bike in order to keep up. “Maybe not this quick, Tae, try to keep it slow and steady, I’ll help maintain your balance.”  

For Taehyung, everything was perfect at the moment. He got Jeongguk’s hand on his, and the familiar smell of the ocean right next to home. He felt like his roots and his home collided, and he has never felt more at ease. He relaxed more, and as time passed by, he got more and more comfortable with it. “Ggukkie, can I try to do it on my own? I feel pretty good now!” 

Jeongguk nodded at him and slowly let go of his hand, while still jogging next to him. “Eyes on the road Tae! Keep your back straight!” 

Taehyung was doing pretty well. He managed to cycle for a few minutes in peace. But then a dog kept barking when it saw Taehyung approaching its direction. It scared Taehyung so much he lost his cool and his balance. He felt himself toppling and tilting to the left, and all he thought of was how it was going to hurt like a bitch if he crashed the bike to the concrete ground, and how Jeongguk’s bike will probably break.

But before his body collided with the ground, he felt warm arms circling his shoulders. Jeongguk had wrapped his arms around Taehyung just before he hit the floor and managed to save Taehyung from crashing on the ground. But unluckily for Jeongguk, he saved Taehyung, but he was not able to save his bike and himself. 

When Taehyung’s shock finally wore out, he could hear the man behind him grunting painfully. As he looked at the ground and found out that Jeongguk stuck his foot out and took the weight of the bike, so the bike did not fall on top of Taehyung. The bike was solely leaning on Jeongguk's leg, and judging from Jeongguk’s look, the bike looks pretty heavy and it was making him hurt. Taehyung immediately wiggled himself away from Jeongguk’s embrace and helped lift the bike away from Jeongguk. 

“Ggukkie! Ggukkie! Is your leg okay?” Taehyung crouched down and lifted the leg of Jeongguk’s sweatpants, inspecting the reddened skin with grave concern. It did not bleed, but the impact was quite direct so it might bruise the next day. After persuading Taehyung that he was fine, they decided that it was probably the best if Taehyung does not ride the bike on his own. Jeongguk suggested Taehyung sitting at the backseat of the bike and giving him a ride. 

After climbing on the bike, Jeongguk carefully instructed Taehyung on how to sit tightly on the back of the bike. It was not the most ideal, because Taehyung’s leg is a little bit too long, dangly from the sides, and there was only a tiny paddle thingy at the back of the bike where Taehyung could put his legs on. But Taehyung’s arms are also securely locked on Jeongguk’s waist, head leaned on Jeongguk’s back while humming softly. Things could not get more perfect. 

“Ggukkie, thank you for taking me here. It feels really nice.” 

“I’m glad you like it,” Jeongguk said it so softly it almost got carried away by the wind. 

Most of the time they rode in silence, Taehyung enjoying the sweet scent of home and familiarity, while resting his head on Jeongguk’s sturdy back. He could make out Jeongguk’s strong heartbeat, and hear his rhythmic breathing. Even if he can’t see Jeongguk’s face right now, he was sure the younger will have a soft smile that he has grown to love over the weeks. Taehyung cannot describe the warm honey-like feeling in his chest whenever he thinks of Jeongguk’s smile. It makes him want to stay with the younger boy forever and make him laugh every day, witness the way he laughs so loud that wrinkles appear on his face, the way his bunny teeth peek out when he is smiling slightly but not full-on grinning, the way his smile soften whenever he sees Taehyung does something stupid, and maybe hold his hand when he's feeling sad. He wished this moment could last forever, him on Jeongguk’s back, with Jeongguk’s warmth so close to him. He wishes he could travel with Jeongguk like this around the world- anywhere, as long as he has Jeongguk next to him.  

But all good things have to come to an end, and time flies when you are having a good time. He doesn’t know how long Jeongguk’s been riding the bike, it felt like minutes, but he knew it was way longer than that. He saw Jeongguk’s car appear in his vision, and he knew it was over. Just like he and Jeongguk in a few days. 

“Hey Tae, I don’t think I can go any further. My legs hurt. Sorry.” Jeongguk stopped the bike near his car and helped Taehyung hop off the bike. He scratched his neck, and Taehyung knows that admitting he doesn’t feel well is something that Jeongguk considers embarrassing. 

“Aww Ggukkie, you should have said so earlier! My ass hurts so much, ugh! I cannot feel it anymore, you know what I mean? And I’m  soooo  hungry, I can’t wait to eat.” said Taehyung, adding his dramatic acting, wailing around until he got the attention of a few parents, who stared at him judgingly. Jeongguk laughed fondly, shaking his head when he closed the trunk of his car. If Jeongguk knew that Taehyung was only saying it to make him feel less embarrassed, he did not comment on it. 

♆

The first half of the dinner was uneventful. Jae made silly jokes and told them his day at school, Mr Jeon listening to him patiently, Mrs Jeon keeps on telling him to stop talking and start eating. The usual stuff. Things were pretty good until Jaegguk decided to start his own little speech. 

"So, I have been marking it on my calendar, there are only four days till Taetae hyungie has to leave us. I think all of us should have a day with Taetae hyungie, because we haven't been able to spend some alone time with Taetae without hyung." 

Everyone stopped eating and looked at Jaegguk. "Hey, what's wrong with me being here?" asked Jeongguk, annoyed at his little brother. Mr Jeon and Mrs Jeon appear to be intrigued by Jaegguk's suggestion. 

"Well, he's my friend as well, maybe you should stop being so selfish and let me hang out with him too!" Everyone was surprised by Jaegguk's little outburst, since the kid was very different from his usual happy self. 

"I'm not being selfish-"

"Yes, you are! You guys always go out when I'm at school, and you never take me with you! Why can't you just wait till the weekend? I want to play with Taetae hyungie too!" Jaegguk pouted and sniffled, and that was when the family realised how upset the little boy was. 

Taehyung was the first one to act, kneeling down by Jaegguk's chair and pulled him into a big hug. "Aw, Jaeggukkie, hyung wants to play with you too! Your plan is amazing by the way, I want to spend some alone time with all of you, especially you, Jae! Hyung is sorry you feel this way, we don't ever want you to be sad. You know how you play with kids your similar age? Hyung is like the new kid to a new school, and your Jeongguk hyung happens to be my only friend with similar age," Taehyung patted his head gently, before planting a loud kiss on the top of his forehead. "Taetae hyung loves you a lot, you know? You better plan very carefully where you are going to take me to, I have high expectations from you!" 

Jaegguk broke into a grin, wiping his eyes furiously. "Jaegguk loves hyungie too, I can't wait to grow up so Taetae will play with me instead of hyung." 

The whole family, except Jeongguk, laughed at the little boy. "Well, I think you owe your hyung a little apology, don't you think? You were a bit mean there Jaeggukkie..." Taehyung pouted and used his puppy eyes on the boy, hoping it would convince him. It worked out perfectly because Jaegguk heaved a sigh and looked down on his lap, before getting up and walked towards Jeongguk. He stood next to his older brother, head hung low and fidgeted with the loose ends on his sweater.

"Hyung... I am sorry for being mean and rude to you. I promise I will never do it again." Jeongguk looked at Taehyung, who gave him a thumbs-up and a silly smile and looked at his brother. Although Jaegguk annoys him some ( a lot of ) times, he still loves his stupid little brother. Jeongguk acted like he was still mad at him, and said, "Well, if you are so sorry, you can do my chores for a month." He managed to say it in a straight face, but he could no longer hold his laughter when he saw Jaegguk's bug eyes almost falling out of his skull from the shock. 

"A  month ? Hyung I said sorry already- why are you laughing?" 

The little incident ended with Jeongguk tickling Jaegguk, Jaegguk running around screaming. They decided that the next day it would be Jaegguk's day with Taehyung since the little boy could not wait. Mrs Jeon even granted Jaegguk a day off from school because she knows how much Jaegguk wants to hang out with Taehyung alone. Mrs Jeon would be the next one to hang out with Taehyung, the lady seemed delighted and already listed out a list of places she wanted to take Taehyung to. Mr Jeon would be the next, before Jeongguk has his turn and takes Taehyung to a little rented beach house, somewhere quite remote so it would be easier for Taehyung to return to the ocean without people noticing. It was not a unanimous decision, since Jaegguk really wanted to see Taehyung off, but since he had school the next day and also it was way past his bedtime, his parents rejected the idea. Jeongguk, of course, has no problem with spending a night in a nice little beach house with Taehyung alone, he honestly couldn't wait for it. Jaegguk pulled out a tablet and helped suggest different locations and types of houses to the rest of them. They finally settled on one that is relatively more expensive, a little two storey beach house in the outskirts of Busan, an area quite isolated but accessible since Jeongguk will be driving. It has a small private beach, so they won’t have to worry about people wandering nearby the time Taehyung has to go back into the sea. 

After the cleaning up with Jaegguk, Jeongguk retired to his room and opened his laptop. He saw his notification go off when he received some promotion mail from  uponthestars.com . Ever since Taehyung mentioned that he used to come up to the surface from time to time to stargaze, Jeongguk subscribed the website because he wanted to take Taehyung to the Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory at Busan National Science Museum, which is one of the best stargazing places in Korea. He postponed and postponed the stargazing trip and never told Taehyung about it because 1) stargazing is weirdly romantic and super date-like, 2) God knows what kind of stupid things he might do/say if he lies there on the grass field next to Taehyung in that scenario. He knows that he can no longer postpone it any more, since Taehyung will be spending the remaining days with his family, and he can’t possibly bring him to stargaze on the day he has to leave either. 

Jeongguk clicked on the email. It was one of those generic emails that they send to every subscriber, just changing the name of the recipient. There was a big picture of a starry night, though Jeongguk doubted that’s what they could see in Busan. The email went like this:

Dear Mr Jeon, 

    Guess what you can see tonight when you look upon the sky! That’s right, the Orion constellation! Orion is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous and recognizable constellations in the night sky. It is named after Orion, a hunter in Greek mythology. It is very easy to find, perfect for beginner stargazers! Good luck!

** Check your local weather before planning your stargazing trip.

Best wishes,

Upon the Stars 

Jeongguk opened another tab and searched for the weather in the Seoksan-ri region, which is where the observatory is located. Clear skies with little clouds, new moon, windy but not too cold. The perfect weather for stargazing and camping. He jumped up immediately, pulling out his camping stuff under his bed, and threw in two extra hoodies in case they get cold. Two yoga mats so lying on the ground would be more comfortable, a tent, a charger in case his phone’s battery dies out, two sleeping bags, and some snacks because he knows Taehyung (and himself) always gets hungry. When he was finished, he packed a backpack as big as half of his body. He was quite excited because the last time he went on camping, it was with Namjoon and Seokjin and he kept on hearing kissing noises next to his tent, not the best camping experience.

When he burst into Taehyung’s room, he found out that the older man had just finished showering. Jeongguk was so thrilled by this whole thing he forgot to knock, and when he burst the door open, he saw Taehyung talking loudly on his shell phone with- presumably Jimin or Yoongi, animatedly. 

“Oh, are you sure about that? That’s absurd! What kind of moron is he?” Taehyung was holding the shell next to his ear in one hand, the other was just pulling his hair out of obvious frustration. But when he saw Jeongguk, he mumbled a quick goodbye to the person on the line. 

“Oh hey Taehyung, sorry I didn’t know you were on the phone. Was it Jimin? I can come back at another time.” 

“Yes, it’s Chim, he’s just telling me some updates. He updates me thrice a week, I hope you don’t mind.” 

“Why would I mind? Of course I won’t mind! Well, you’ll be seeing him in a few days, I hope he doesn’t need to reach out to you before that, it means there’s no emergency or serious stuff, which I guess, is good news.” Jeongguk dumped his gigantic backpack on Taehyung’s unmade bed, followed by a heavy thud with the mattress dipping low. “I have a suggestion. I know you love stargazing, so, I want to-” 

“Oh my god, you are not bringing me to the stars are you?” Taehyung’s face was suddenly all Jeongguk could see in his vision. Taehyung grabbed Jeongguk face and squished his cheeks, shoved his face in front of his own. Jeongguk could tell that the merman was super excited, from the way his eyes are comically wide, and how his rectangular smile is on full display. It made Jeongguk wish he could take Taehyung to the stars, whatever it takes. 

“No, Taehyung, we have not developed a way to go to the stars yet, sorry to disappoint you, but I can take you to a place where you can have a good view of it.” Jeongguk smiled at Taehyung’s childish grin. Despite being told that he cannot go to the stars, Taehyung still looked at Jeongguk like he promised him his biggest wish. “If you want to join me for this camping trip, you will have to change into some comfortable and warm clothes. I’ll meet you at the door five minutes later.” 

Taehyung stood up immediately and ran to the wardrobe. He didn’t have a lot of clothes in it, because he insisted that Jeongguk should not waste money on him. He usually borrows some from Jeongguk, but Mrs Jeon also insisted that Taehyung should get to pick clothes that he likes. The small pile of clothes in the wardrobe are all chosen by Taehyung and Mrs Jeon together. 

“What should I wear! Where are we going! Is it a formal occasion? How cold will it be?” Taehyung bombarded Jeongguk with questions, in the end, Jeongguk just took off his own hoodie (he may have intentions of showing off his body, but we may never know) and threw it at Taehyung. He left before he saw Taehyung’s blushing mess, smiling satisfyingly to himself when he left Tae’s bedroom.

Having chosen a new hoodie pretty quick, Jeongguk was waiting at the door a few minutes later, with his enormous backpack on his shoulder, waiting for Taehyung to come down the stairs. It wasn’t quite late, ten to eleven, his parents are still awake, but it was past Jaegguk’s bedtime. His dad had gone to his study to finish up his work, while his mom was doing the laundry.

“Hey mom, I’m going to take Taehyung to the observatory and camp there. We’ll be back tomorrow morning so Jaegguk gets to go out with Tae.”

His mom was unsurprised with his son’s suggestion. “Honey, that sounds like a great idea. I’m sure Taehyung-ah will love it,” He watches as his mom put down the basket of clothes before walking towards him. She fixed Jeongguk’s hair before gently stroking his cheeks, “but baby, when are you going to tell him?” 

Taehyung’s entrance saved Jeongguk from answering his mother’s question. As he watches Taehyung come down the stairs, he can’t help but feel proud like a soccer dad. Taehyung has managed to go up and down stairs on his own after a few days of his arrival. He still remembers the day Taehyung came to this house, Jeongguk had thrown him on his shoulders and carried him up the stairs. Feels like a lifetime ago. 

“I’m ready! I am ready to see the stars! We should be able to see Orion today! Ah! One of my winter favourites!” Taehyung was bursting with energy, jumping around, squealing and flapping his arms. Drowning in one of Jeongguk’s favourite hoodies, he just wanted to pinch his baby cheeks and pull him into a big hug and never let go again. 

“Sweetie, have fun!” Mrs Jeon’s usual smile had returned as she saw the two boys off. Taehyung was skipping along excitedly next to Jeongguk.

“I will mom!” 

“Wasn’t talking to you!” 

“Thanks, Mrs Jeon, I’m sure I will!” 

"Mom!" 

Chapter Text

The drive was about half an hour, since the area they live in is a bit remote as well. The Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory at Busan National Science Museum is located on the top of a mountain, not a very tall one, but high enough for the temperature to drop by a few degrees and is away from the city noises. The observatory was, of course, closed since it was so late, but outside of the museum, there is a large grass field which was a designated camping spot. Families and couples camp here when there are major events like meteor showers or eclipses. Since it was an ordinary day, there weren’t a lot of tents in the field. Usually, people come here before the sun sets, so they can build their tents before it gets dark. But since Jeongguk had suggested this trip out of a whim, they must build the tent under flashlights. 

Luckily, Jeongguk is good at everything he does, and he was also a boy scout when he was younger. He once got awarded the “Fastest Camp-builder Award” when he was eight. Building a two-person tent for him was very easy, and he also had Taehyung holding the flashlight for him. Taehyung asked simple questions like how does the tent work, why did they need a tent, etc, nothing too serious or inappropriate. Jeongguk finished the tent within fifteen minutes, and settled down very quickly, pulling out the mats and laying the sleeping bags inside the tent. He gave Taehyung the snacks since the older one was already complaining about an empty stomach. 

Jeongguk had asked Taehyung to not look upon the sky when he was building a tent. He wanted Taehyung to experience it for the first time when all the lights are off, without any noise or distractions. After he finished settling down. He asked Taehyung to lie down on the grass, eyes closed. 

“Don’t open them just yet, let me put away the flashlight and my phone first,” Jeongguk hurriedly shoves them in his now-empty backpack, and quickly lied down next to Taehyung. They were lying just outside of their tent. When Jeongguk lied down, he thought he lied too close to Taehyung. Their arms were touching, and if Jeongguk’s hand moved a millimeter, his fingers would touch Taehyung’s. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. 

“Okay, you can open your eyes now, Tae.” Jeongguk’s eyes never left Taehyung’s face. He saw the older’s eyelashes flutter before he opened them, and the moment he saw the sky, Taehyung’s eyes grew into saucers in an instant. His mouth was wide open, and those pink lips look so inviting Jeongguk had to bite on his own to prevent himself from doing something stupid. Taehyung’s cheeks were tinted red, the results of the harsh winds and low temperature. But the merman showed no signs of being cold. His eyes were full of wonder and sparkles, the way it gleams when he looked at the starry sky, there was nothing better than the feeling of knowing that he helped Taehyung achieve one of his lifelong dreams. 

“Oh my… it’s the hunter, Orion, I see it, it’s so pretty, it feels closer when up here,” Taehyung raised one of his hands, trying to touch the stars in the sky. “Gguk, this is amazing, did you plan this for me?” 

Jeongguk could not contain the smile on his face. “Yeah, I remember you mention you’ve always loved stargazing, so…” Jeongguk tried to shrug it off nonchalantly, hiding the fact that he had blushed so hard alone in his room when he thought about kissing Taehyung under the stars for the first time. 

“Jeongguk, how do people watch the stars if they have bad eyes?” That was a very unexpected question. 

“They use the telescope I guess?” 

“Jeonggukkie, do you know the story behind the Orion constellation? My grandpa told me that Orion was a strong hunter in Greek mythology, I don’t know if you’ve been to Greece before, but the Mediterranean is a really hot area! Vacation-wise it is amazing! But too hot for my liking… where was I? Ah, yes, Orion was a strong hunter, and his nemesis was a Scorpius, that’s why you can never see Orion with Scorpio together in the sky!” Taehyung was rambling happily, spilling out astronomy facts here and there, “I wonder if we could see Taurus today, it should be present in January, but seeing Orion is enough for me!” 

“That’s cool,”

“Ggukkie, do you know Greek mythology?” 

“Um… not the expert, but I do know a few. Namjoon hyung loves them, I’ve heard him mention it.”

“Do you know which myth is my favourite?”

“How do you even know those myths? You know those myths but you don’t know what a condom is?”

“Hey! Don’t be mean! And I know them because of my grandpa, he loved the old civilizations, he taught me all about the Egyptians, the Greeks and their history. It was his passion. Now, guess which one is my favourite!” 

“How can I- um. Aphrodite’s creation myth I guess? Since she emerged from the sea?” 

“Nope! But close enough! My favourite is her son Cupid with his lover, Psyche. It’s a really beautiful love story, Psyche fought against everything to be with Cupid. I want to have love like that someday.” 

Taehyung took his eyes off the stars and turned to Jeongguk. There were unshed tears in his eyes that Jeongguk nearly missed. His eyes were full of raw emotions and undeniable gratefulness in them. “Jeonggukkie, my grandpa used to stargaze with me when I was young. Ever since he passed away, no one has brought me to stargaze again,” a few pearls dropped on the grass, almost silent. “I tried to go up to the surface when I grew up, but it just feels so suffocating and lonely to be up there without him by my side. I-I’m very happy you brought me here. It feels like I am closer to grandpa. Closer to him than I have been in a very long time,” Taehyung sniffled quietly, lacing their fingers together. The touch of Taehyung’s fingers on his frozen one felt unreal, his fingers tingling and electric shocks spiraling from the simple touch. “Jeongguk, I don’t think you realize how important you are to me, I can never possibly repay your kindness and your help-”

Jeongguk squeezed their hands lightly. “Taehyung, I hope you know I am not doing this out of charity or pity, or any other reasons. I am doing this because I want to. I want to help you. I want to help you live your dreams. I want to make you happy by doing it. Everyone deserves to be happy. Especially you.” He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, so loud and so rapid, it sounds like his body was urging him to confess. 

Taehyung heaved a big sigh and turned his head to look at the sky again. “I had so much fun with you, Ggukkie, I experienced so many different things here with you,” -love, love, love- “I don’t want to leave,” 

Jeongguk’s breath hitched. “Then don’t! I’m sure mom and dad won’t mind. I can teach you everything you need to know and you can find a job, maybe a babysitter, who knows? We will figure something out together-” Taehyung squeezed Jeongguk’s hand and let out a light chuckle. “You’re rambling Ggukkie, so cute,” Jeongguk could feel all his blood rushing to his face, as he tried to look away from embarrassment. 

“Remember when you asked me earlier in the car what Jimin was telling me? Royal duties. That’s what it is. I am set to become the next king when my father decides to step down. But I don't want to. I want to live my life freely, doing whatever I want. I don’t want to be restrained by all those orders and laws. I just- I don’t want to be the king. There are a lot of people more capable than I am.” Taehyung sighed deeply, running his free hand through his locks. “Our kingdom is under attack. By other merpeople. Pollution has shrunk a lot of mer habitats, some started going to war on each other to get more land. It’s a mess down there. Our kingdom is by no means weak, but continuous conflicts all the time have weakened us. A-and- and the other biggest mer clan have given us a proposal. In exchange for peace, they want- they want my hand in marriage, as you humans would say it. Their prince wants me as his m-mate.” 

Jeongguk could feel the blood in his veins freezing over. He could no longer hear his heart beating in his chest, a wave of dread crashing on him so hard he didn't realise he was holding his breath. Taehyung. Betrothed. Mate. Another man. Not me. 

“I have always despised him, I hate him so much. He irks me. He is sending in gifts and proposals even when I’m away. I don’t want to end up with him, I’d rather die. But what about my people? My friends? Does my opinion matter? If my happiness can be exchanged for peace for both clans, then I guess it is worth it.” 

Jeongguk feels his heart break into a million pieces. Judging from Taehyung’s tone, he doesn't think he could convince the merman otherwise. “Tae, it doesn’t make this okay! Your happiness matters too! Sometimes- sometimes it’s okay to be selfish. You’re going to be mates with him for life. You’re going to face him for the rest of your life. Is that really okay with you?” Jeongguk could hear his voice get tinier and softer as he goes, because now that he thinks about it, even if Taehyung hates that prince, he is still a prince, and Jeongguk is just Jeongguk, with no riches or crown, power or really anything to offer Taehyung. “Is there really no other way?” 

“I wish there was. I don’t know, I’ll figure it out when I’m back. I can reject him, I have that choice, but at what cost? The death of my people? More meaningless territorial fights? My parents’ disappointment? To be honest, I don’t think I am fit for a prince, much less for a king. I am lucky and grateful my people love me, but if I sacrifice the possibility of peace for my own selfish reasons, will they still love me? Things are not as smooth as they seem. There’s always the possibility of me getting mated to another prince or noble, I should have seen it coming, it just feels unreal when it really happens, you know?” 

“B-but, you said merpeople follow their heart when they choose their mate! You ripped from that choice! What if you can’t experience love in your life because of that? That’s not fair!” Jeongguk feels like a petulant child whining for attention, even when he knows that no matter what his opinion is, or how he feels won’t change a damn thing. 

“Ggukkie, the world is unfair. I’m sure you know this. And maybe, just maybe, the prince is not that bad. Maybe I’ll grow to love him one day,” but he’s not you, no one compares to you, “but hey! Today we’re stargazing! We should not talk about sad things! We should only focus on happy thoughts, and things that we are grateful for !” Taehyung’s words failed to light up the mood, and Jeongguk can’t seem to focus on what the older said. They fall into silence, but their thoughts are so loud and suffocating it becomes unbearable at one point. 

In his twenty-one years of life, Jeongguk has never experienced a heartbreak. Or maybe he has, he just never felt anything as intense as what he’s feeling now. His brain keeps repeating what the merman just said, and it was his worst nightmare. He thought maybe he could tie Taehyung up so he can’t leave him, but hearing him say that one day he might fall in love with that prince, he could not bring himself to suggest such selfish ideas. He made up his mind then and there that he will not confess to Taehyung, not now, not ever. He just wants Taehyung to remember him as the boy above the shore, who helped him when he stumbled upon land. Maybe this is his way of avoiding rejection, maybe this is his way of hiding from the truth, maybe this is him trying to make Taehyung leave without holding him back, maybe this is his way of loving him. 

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung never calls his full name, “have you ever experienced love before?” Taehyung was uncharacteristically serious, his voice soft but serious. 

“Yeah. I have my parents, I have Jae, I have Joon hyung and Jin hyung, and Hobi hyung. We all love each other.” 

“Come on, you know I’m not talking about this.” 

Jeongguk’s mind seemed to have wandered to the boy next to him. “I- yes. I have.” I do. With you. 

“What does it feel like?” 

Jeongguk’s heartbeat quickened. His hand was still in Taehyung’s, and he wished he had the courage to turn and just confess to him. “It feels good. But it also gives you a hell of a heartbreak. You want to give them everything you have, everything they want, even if you can’t do it, you still try your very best to do it for them. You want them to be happy no matter what, you only want to see their smiles. You want to protect them against the world, against all the wrongs and the evils, and cherish them because they’re the person who matters the most. I am by no means a love expert, but yeah, I guess that’s what everyone feels when they are in love.” 

“Your future lover will be so lucky to have you. You’d be the perfect boyfriend. I wish I could experience love with someone. I wish I could love someone who also loves me. That must be the most exquisite feeling in the world, to be loved.” Jeongguk felt like crying. He wants to scream to Taehyung that if he loves him with his whole heart, and that if he doesn't mind that Jeongguk is just a puny human, he would gladly take care of him for the rest of his life. His heart was bursting with emotion, how he wished he could just screw everything up and kiss Taehyung on the lips, his thoughts were driving him crazy. 

“Gguk, c-can I ask you a favor?” Taehyung’s voice snapped him out of his trance, and he immediately coughed out an embarrassed yes sure. Taehyung’s cheeks were unmistakably reddened, and he looked pretty nervous. 

“I know this is too much to ask for, and it is kind of intimate as well, b-but I thought we’ve known each other for nearly a month, a-and you humans are quite casual about it,” Taehyung was so nervous his stuttering habit appeared again, “I was just w-wondering if… if you can… if you can show me what a k-kiss feels like. J-just a peck is fine. Of course if you’re not comfortable with it it’s totally fine... you can think of it as practice… or h-help me practice.” 

While Jeongguk’s brain was sent to overdrive, Taehyung’s heart was also a complete mess. Taehyung has never told Jeongguk that mer only kisses one person throughout their lives, and if a mer kisses you, that means he or she is sure you are the one. It’s kind of like a proposal for mates, you only kiss someone if you are ready to stay with them forever. He was offering his heart and soul to Jeongguk without the latter knowing it, he knew that being rejected by Jeongguk would probably be worse than being killed by a hunter. Taehyung wondered if he told Jeongguk about it, would the younger look at him in disgust? Would he turn his back on him and tell him to fuck off? Taehyung does not dare to think of the consequences, therefore he chose not to mention it. But if he did not ask, he might have died without knowing how it feels to be kissed by someone you love. There’s only four days left, if Jeongguk really decides to hate him afterwards he can deal with it, just a few more days then he can stay at the bottom of the sea and cry pearls forever more. 

Jeongguk was silent for so long, mouth agape with unblinking eyes, for a second Taehyung thought he died of a stroke. “G-ggukkie? Are you okay? I-if you don’t want to, I understand.” 

Jeongguk was staring right back at him, but his eyes were unfocused and it looks like he was having a high fever. His cheeks were flaming red, and he sat up before Taehyung could say anything. “I-I am okay with it, I do not mind. But have you really thought it through? Are you sure this is what you want? I have to be honest, I haven’t kissed a lot of people, I can’t say I’m really good at it.”

Taehyung sat up and stretched his legs a bit. “Y-yeah, you’re the only candidate, so…”

“I- okay then,” Yeah, he’s only asking you to kiss him because you’re the only option. It’s not like he wants to. “Y-you’ve never kissed anyone before?” 

Taehyung swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded softly. “Yeah, I’ve never done it. Pretty stupid, right? I’m 21 already.” 

Jeongguk put his hand on Taehyung’s outstretched knee. “Hey, it’s perfectly fine, everyone has their own pace, there’s no need to be embarrassed of anything.” Taehyung almost died right there, because how can Jeongguk be so perfect to him when he can’t have him?

“How do you want to do it then?” Jeongguk’s question snapped Taehyung out of his daydream, and he then realised that he has absolutely no idea what to do when Jeongguk kisses him.

“I-I don’t know, c-can you lead it?” If you told Jeongguk that one day Taehyung would ask him to lead a kiss with him under the starlight, Jeongguk would have told you to fuck off and act like it is a ridiculous thing but secretly blushes. 

“Um… o-okay…” Jeongguk scooted closer towards Taehyung, their hand caught in the ground between them. The thought that he is going to be Taehyung’s first kiss might be the best fucking news in his life. They stared into each other's eyes, before Jeongguk started coughing and asked Taehyung to close his eyes. 

“Tae, can you please close your eyes?” 

“Why? I want to see it happen though,”

Jeongguk’s blush deepens, “Um… people usually close their eyes… it’s less awkward this way,”

Taehyung gasped lightly. “Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make it awkward…” 

“It’s okay,” Jeongguk moved his hand a bit so his was covering Taehyung’s on the ground. The older was looking at him expectantly. “Are you sure-”

“Yes, Ggukkie, yes. I’ve never been more sure in my life.” 

Taehyung chewed his bottom lip, and nodded determinedly. Jeongguk could kiss the daylights out of him at that moment. When Jeongguk cupped Taehyung’s cheek with his other hand, he could feel his hand shake. The older boy’s eyes shuttered close, long eyelashes fluttering shut, his mouth slightly parted. It was quite dim, since they turned down all the lights and torches in order to see the stars clearer. The bluish hue of light casted on Taehyung’s face made Jeongguk wonder if this is what he would see if he saw Taehyung under the sea. The skin was soft under his touch, and he could feel Taehyung’s slight shiver when he leaned in just a little closer, when their breaths mingled and all they could feel was each other’s presence. Jeongguk could smell the faint smell of ocean and fresh shampoo from Taehyung, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and prayed to all the gods he’s ever heard of that this kiss better be bomb as fuck.

When the distance between their lips finally closed in, he had to fight the urge to scream and cry at the same time because he finally got a taste of what it feels like to kiss Taehyung. Taehyung’s lips were just as soft and pillowy as Jeongguk dreamt it would be, so so soft and warm, it makes Jeongguk’s mind go all mushy. He could feel the older boy stiffen the moment their lips made contact, but he was too embarrassed to open his eyes to see if Taehyung was feeling uncomfortable. After a few awkward seconds, he felt a warm hand cup his cheek. Taehyung’s hand was warm in the winter air, -but why? the fish genes in him- fish are poikilothermous- stop thinking of fucking fish when you are kissing Taehyung you moron- Jeongguk thought. The feel of Taehyung’s careful palm on his cheek was another level of drunkenness that Jeongguk is glad he gets the chance to experience before he dies. He tilted his head a bit so their mouths would align at a better angle, and he could feel Taehyung’s faint smile. The kiss was as slow and as sweet as Jeongguk had fantasized it, their lips moving gently against each other, full of wonder. They started with a little curious kiss, little to none movement of their lips. After some time Jeongguk started gently sucking on Taehyung’s bottom lip, at one point his mind told him it might be too much, that it makes him look like a creep, but the moment Taehyung heaved a contented sigh, all his worries vaporized. Jeongguk’s heart skipped many beats at the feeling of Taehyung’s lips on his, so sweet and inviting. Their lips move against each other in their rhythm before both pull back and look at each other. 

All Jeongguk could see was how Taehyung’s lips were slightly swollen and coated with spit, how his lips shone under the dim light, and how pink dusted his tan cheeks. Jeongguk’s look must have been the same, because the moment Taehyung’s eyes landed on his, he felt the older pull his hand away from Jeongguk, gently cupping his cheeks with both of his hands, before leaning in again, only to bump their noses together in accident. 

“Ouch,” Taehyung let out an embarrassed laugh, while Jeongguk laughed whole-heartedly at how cute Taehyung was. Jeongguk lowered one of his hands on Taehyung’s waist, and the other hand threaded through the older’s soft locks. Their foreheads were touching, the taste of Taehyung’s lips had already driven Jeongguk mad, and it did not help that Taehyung was looking at him with hooded eyes. He instinctively licked his lips after staring at Jeongguk’s slightly swollen ones. 

“You good?” 

“Never better.”

Jeongguk leaned in once more, telling himself that this would be the last time he got to kiss the merman. He poured out all the love in this kiss, he doesn’t know how he did it, but he hoped the older could feel it. When he closed his eyes, all he could feel was Taehyung’s warmth all around him. Jeongguk was going to give Taehyung a deep peck (if that’s even a thing) only, but this time, Taehyung was the one who started moving his lips slowly first, eager to take control, though Jeongguk gained the upper hand almost immediately. When Taehyung tried to nibble Jeongguk’s lip with a little too forceful, he almost couldn’t bite back a chuckle. They continued kissing for a few more moments, before Taehyung got breathless and pulled away. 

“Was that ok?” Taehyung asked shyly, suddenly conscious that he initiated the kiss this time. 

“More than okay,” perfect, it was perfect.

Taehyung was very satisfied with this answer, but he didn’t know what else to say, plus it was getting super late. So he faked a yawn, “W-we should go to sleep now, I have to go out with Jaegguk tomorrow, I wonder where he will take me to.” Taehyung’s change in attitude gave Jeongguk a whiplash, one minute ago he was all pliant and soft under Jeongguk’s hold, the next minute he suddenly returned to his usual self. 

“Um. Okay, you sure you don’t want to watch the stars for a bit longer?” 

“Nope!” Taehyung shouted from the tent, popping the p sound. Jeongguk did not understand that feeling in his heart, for a moment there, when they kissed, he thought he had a shot. He thought that there was no way Taehyung would kiss him that passionately if it wasn’t real. But then, Taehyung is a passionate person, and he left almost immediately after the kiss, so that means nothing right? As Jeongguk lay down on the grass, he heard Taehyung call out his name.

“What’s wrong Tae?” 

“Aren’t you going to sleep as well?” Taehyung’s head was poking out from the orange tent, his turquoise hair extremely eye-catching even in the dark. 

“I want to stay here for a bit longer, you go ahead.” 

“Oh. Okay then, goodnight Ggukkie.”

“Goodnight.”

Jeongguk failed to notice the hint of disappointment in Taehyung’s voice, because he was too busy overthinking everything. Inside the tent, it was a similar story. Taehyung was overthinking and sad. The amount of courage he summoned for that kiss and the number of ancestors that he prayed to is beyond countable. He, of course, loved the kiss, it was perfect for him, but maybe it wasn’t so perfect to Jeongguk? He wished Jeongguk would come in here and just cuddle with him till he falls asleep, but turns out the sleeping bags make it impossible, and also he was not coming in the tent. By kissing Jeongguk, Taehyung is sure that no other mer would want him: one, because he kissed a human, second. After all, he is not the first person they will kiss. Mers take their first kiss very seriously, and if you go around kissing people often, no mer would want you because they see you as a player or someone who does not take relationships and commitment seriously. Taehyung has set his heart on Jeongguk, and he did not plan to give it to other mer. He wonders what would happen when he goes back home, if he told Jimin he fell in love with a human, and asked him to give him his first kiss, would Jimin judge him? Realistically, he knows his best friend would never do this, but what he did was also kinda scandalous for a prince in line. Taehyung counted the time he had left and made a mental list of what he would do for Jeongguk before he heads back. With a complete detailed plan in mind, Taehyung fell into a dreamless slumber. 

♆

There’s something about night time and being alone that makes you emotional and overthink. Jeongguk thought about anything and everything. Was he good enough? Was his kiss impressive? Does his breath stink? Will Taehyung act weird around him after the kiss? Jeongguk knows he would go bald soon if he kept overthinking, but he couldn’t help it. His lips were still tingling from the kiss they shared moments ago, and he wondered if he would have another chance to do it. Maybe a kiss goodbye? Jeongguk has been told by his hookups that he was not the best kisser, but he wanted to tell them it’s because he’s not interested in them. So the million-dollar question remains, did Taehyung say it was good out of pity, or because he simply does not have anything to compare it to, or was it actually really terrible and Taehyung was just trying to be nice? Guess he would have to stay up all night replaying the clip in his head, heart beating so fast Taehyung might wake from the noise. 

If Jeongguk had been honest with himself, he probably started harboring feelings for Taehyung since the merman made him a water statue of Iron Man and called him his Iron Man. And no, Jeongguk refuses to acknowledge that Iron Man is the way to his heart, because that is totally false. It’s just the way Taehyung’s so curious of the world, so observant, so cute and so pure, Jeongguk is so soft for him. Taehyung is never selfish, always thinking of other people first: thinking he would offend Jeongguk accidentally, thinking he would bother their family, thinking they should not spend money on him, always thinking of how Jeongguk would react before speaking or doing anything. Jeongguk might be (a bit) oblivious, but he’s not stupid. He noticed Taehyung hesitating before speaking up after he threw a tantrum that one time. He knows his temper has scared Taehyung, and no matter what he does later, he can’t bring things back to how it was, Taehyung being carefree and just saying whatever was on his mind. Jeongguk has apologized a million times, and has shown Taehyung that he is not mad at him, and will never be mad at him. But the merman seemed to have never gotten the message. It makes Jeongguk really sad because he does not want Taehyung to remember him as the human who had anger issues. Seeing Taehyung acting like he was walking on eggshells when he was around him broke his heart. 

A single tear slipped from his eye, he made no effort to wipe it away. The wet trail of the tear made the heartache even more unbearable, as if the cold had seeped through that crack and entered Jeongguk, mocking him. He thinks back to what his mother asked him before they left for this trip. When are you going to tell him?

Never, mom, I’m sorry, your son is a coward. 

Chapter Text

D-4 (also known as Jaegukkie x Taehyungie xoxo 4eva day)

Taehyung knew Jaegguk would be excited, but not this excited. After a very quiet drive from their campsite back home, Jeongguk did not say anything, he looked exhausted and drained, at one point he looked like he was gonna shut his eyes and fall asleep immediately. Taehyung did not ask what happened, because Jeongguk was not in his usual cheerful mood, so Taehyung did not bother. Their morning had not been awkward, because Jeongguk was too sleepy to be awkward. His alarm woke them up at 8, and they dragged their tired bodies and a half-folded tent back to the car. If Jeongguk had been less sleepy, he probably would have blushed like a tomato and stare at Taehyung’s lips for far too long, so, in some way, he was actually grateful he did not get much sleep last night due to overthinking. 

When they arrived at the Jeon residence, they saw a tiny kid on the doorsteps, hugging himself in a thick winter coat, with Mrs Jeon’s head poking out from the door. Jaegguk noticed his brother’s car and immediately ran towards it, ignoring Mrs Jeon’s words. 

“Hyung! Hyung! Taetae hyung! Let’s go play! Come on!” Before he knew it, Jaegguk was already pulling him out of the car, with a very annoyed Jeongguk trailing behind them. 

“Jeon Jaegguk I swear to God I will fucking kill you if you broke the door handle.” Jaegguk did not listen to him, skipping along Taehyung excitedly to the house, and urged the older boy to take a bath. 

“Come on! Mom said we can leave immediately after your shower!” Jaegguk was jumping up and down, tugging Taehyung’s sleeve persistently. 

Mrs Jeon sighed deeply, “He woke up at six and started packing his bags, told him Taehyung-ah would not come back so early, but he insists to wait at the door.” Mrs Jeon shakes her head and sighs, clearly frustrated with her son’s behavior. 

After a quick shower (Jaegguk was yelling outside the bathroom door, trying to make Taehyung shower faster), Taehyung was dragged out of the house without a chance to talk to Jeongguk. Jaegguk shoved a Thomas the Train backpack to him (it initially belonged to Jeongguk). They were wearing matching denim overalls because Jaegguk insisted that they should look like brothers, thus he took Jeongguk’s matching overalls with Jaegguk and they looked like two minions. They boarded a bus and sat at the back, Taehyung has never seen Jaegguk so happy. His smile resembles his other brother’s, minus the bunny teeth. 

“What’s got you so excited, Jae? Where are we going?” 

Jaegguk grabbed his hand and fling it really hard. “You’ll know soon! Sometimes I go there after school with my friends, hyung brought me there a year ago, but he’s no fun to play with, he wins everything! I think you will enjoy it!”

Taehyung ruffled Jaegguk’s hair. He has always wanted a younger brother. Jaegguk was cute and bright, sometimes clingy and so so so adorable. “That sounds super fun, Jae, thank you for planning this,” 

Jaegguk beamed before pulling Taehyung into a tight hug. “Of course! I would do anything for Taetae hyungie! I broke my piggy bank and took out all my pocket money, I will treat you to ice cream and dessert!” Taehyung gasped loudly. He knew how much Jaegguk treasured his pocket money. He once saw Jeongguk bribing Jaegguk into doing his chores for two bucks. He also heard Jaegguk sneaking into Jeongguk’s room one night, asking his hyung what he should buy for his crush for Valentines Day. It was super cute, Jeongguk mocking his little brother at first, but then Jaegguk whined a bit, and Jeongguk just patted the space next to him on his bed, and cuddled with Jaegguk, giving him actually useful advice. Taehyung remembers Jeongguk mentioning necklaces, flowers, and chocolates. Jaegguk had told his brother that he could not afford flowers, and he wasn’t sure if he could buy chocolates that taste good with the money he saved up since he bought a new tennis racket last month. Taehyung almost cooed out loud at Jaegguk, because that little boy is just too adorable. Not that Taehyung was spying on the brothers, he was just going to get a late-night snack. After he got his snack, he slipped into Jaegguk’s room and put in the few coins Mrs Jeon gave him into Jae’s piggy bank.

Long story short, Jaegguk should be saving up for chocolates, it was the end of January, and Taehyung doubted that in two week’s time Jaegguk could save up much. “No! You shouldn’t spend it on me! Hyung will treat you! You should save them up for the chocolates!” Jaegguk was about to protest, only to stop mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open and he was blushing like a tomato. It’s funny how the two brothers are so alike in so many ways. Jaegguk bit his lower lip, looking like a timid kitty cat.

“Did hyung tell you that? I told him not to tell anyone…” Jaegguk’s eyes turned glassy, as he looked at his hands on his lap, refusing to meet Taehyung’s gaze. 

“No! Your hyung told me nothing! I just heard you guys talking about it when I was getting a snack, I’m sorry I eavesdropped, I didn’t know you’d be upset if I knew, I’ll forget it now! Poof!” Taehyung waved his hands in the air, “Wow! Jaeggukkie is getting me ice cream and dessert! I am so excited!” said Taehyung animatedly, with a few dramatic sighs and happy claps that he learned from watching television with Mrs Jeon. 

A wide smile spread through Jaegguk’s face, as he tickles Taehyung’s tummy, “Hyungie! Just don’t make fun of me, I don’t mind you know.” And at that moment, Taehyung knows that he is going to miss Jaegguk more than he thought.

♆

Jaegguk brought him to an arcade. Jeongguk had told him about arcades and how it was his favourite place to go with his hyungs, Taehyung was told that he won’t like it there. The point was proven to be correct because it was super noisy and his ears were ringing. Jaegguk gave him his headphones and led him deep into the arcade. They first played air hockey, in which Jaegguk excelled at, and Taehyung lost terribly. But he had fun. So much fun. 

Then they played the basketball machine: Jaegguk was not tall enough to play, so Taehyung helped him. Together they achieved a new high score, in which Jaegguk snapped a picture of it and sent it to his hyung, bragging that he was better than the older boy. They also bowled a bit and played the driving stimulation. Both of them did so badly: the balls went to the ditch, all the clubs were missed, their cars crashed into a tree, yet it still made them so happy as if they won the World Cup. Taehyung could imagine Jeongguk rolling his eyes seeing how badly both of them play. 

They had ice cream afterwards, and they tasted each and every flavour before getting a cone, which would have been impossible because they would definitely have been kicked out, but luckily the cashier was a highschool girl who blushed every time Taehyung asked for a new flavour. 

After their ice cream session, Jaegguk took them to a dog cafe. Taehyung was beyond thrilled to be there, surrounded by those adorable puppies. They were a weird combination, as most customers in the cafe were either couples or close friends, while Taehyung looked like a hipster who brought his younger brother to the cafe instead of the other way around. The owner seemed to have taken a liking towards the young boy, as she saved him the best seat in the cafe. 

“I called last night to make a reservation here! I’ve been here a few times with hyung, it’s always fun to see the puppies here. But now that we have Tannie, I guess we don’t have to come here so often.” Taehyung nodded along but he was actually daydreaming of coming here with Jeongguk instead. He saw the table of a couple near them, the boyfriend feeding the girl a spoonful of cake. He felt bad about it, but he couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel if Jeongguk had been the one to take him here. He felt really bad because Jaegguk planned this for him, he put so much effort into it because he wants to spend time with Taehyung, yet all he could think about is his older brother. 

“Taetae hyung? Are you okay? You look a bit pale, are you sick?” Jaegguk’s words snapped Taehyung out of his daydream, as the young boy in front of him looked at him with those big sparkly eyes that resembled his older brother’s. 

“Y-yeah, just felt a bit hot in here. I’ll go get a drink, do you want a cup of hot chocolate?” Taehyung’s desperate attempt to change the topic made Jaegguk frown. But the younger either did not pick up on it or he chose not to comment on it, in which Taehyung was grateful for. Taehyung got a cup of hot chocolate for Jaegguk, and an iced one for himself. 

“Wow, hyung, don’t you get cold drinking iced drinks in winter?” 

Taehyung smiled and answered, “I don’t get cold easily, guess it’s part of my genes. But we do not like the heat. I’m glad I came up here in Winter because if it was Summer, I might have to stay indoors at all times!” 

“Oh… then I guess global warming is taking a toll on your people?” Taehyung was speechless for a moment, because he did not expect he would ever have this conversation with someone who is not Jeongguk. 

“Um… yeah! Do they teach you this in school?” Jaegguk nodded quickly, “Hotter seawater means more algae, so there’s more food for some animals, but the cycle is messed up, you know? Our bodies are not adapted to warmer waters, that’s why a lot of the clans had to move to the deeper part of the ocean, because the surface just gets too hot, and also, the frequency of hunters and fisherman kinda forces us to move… oh my- I’m sorry Jae, I am rambling, this must be boring for you-” 

“Hyung no!” Jaegguk put down his mug of chocolate, “This is really interesting! I always hear people talking about these, especially Seokjin hyung’s father with my dad, or Namjoon hyung with my hyung, but they never include me in their conversations because I’m not a grown-up. But I’ve always wanted to follow in my hyung’s footsteps! I’ve never told him before because I’m scared he would laugh at me, but after meeting you, I have made up my mind! I will study harder and try to get into SNU just like my hyung! Maybe I’ll get an internship in Joon hyung’s lab too!” The look of pure joy and excitement on Jaegguk’s face warms Taehyung’s heart. 

“Hey Jae! I remember your hyung once mentioned that there is a new book about mermaids. But I forgot the author’s name, but I think Guk does not like him, can you get that book for me?” 

“Oh! Hank! Yeah, hyung hates him because he bullied hyung back in university. I know what book that is, let’s go to the bookstore!” 

After they finished their drink, the two of them went to a nearby bookshop. It was not hard to find Hank’s new publish because it was the best seller and was put right in the middle of the room. Taehyung purchased the book and read the first page. Mermaid Mysteries-- by world's leading marine biologist Hank Dickson. Taehyung knew what he had to do that night.

D-3 

Taehyung went out with Mrs Jeon in the morning before Jae or Jeongguk woke up. Mrs Jeon first took Taehyung for a nice morning stroll in the park nearby, then took Taehyung to the shopping mall and told Taehyung to buy whatever he had his eyes on, as a gift or souvenir so he would remember his stay on land. Taehyung could not say no because Mrs Jeon was a very persistent and stubborn woman, and she can also be very persuasive. 

They first entered the toy shop that Taehyung went to a few weeks ago, where he almost got punched by the scary cashier for not being able to afford the Iron Man figure. The toy shop was bigger than he remembers, there were different sections other than the figurine one. A small pink rabbit plushie caught Taehyung’s eye, it was quite small, just a little bit bigger than his palm. It reminded Taehyung of Jeongguk. 

“Mrs Jeon! Do you think Jeonggukkie would like this?” Mrs Jeon peaked over Taehyung’s shoulder and saw the little rabbit. She knows Jeongguk hated being called a bunny. After he turned 12, he always smacked people if they told him he looked like a rabbit. Only Seokjin could get away with calling Jeongguk a bunny boy because he holds too much blackmail material of her son. But she also knows her son is whipped for Taehyung. “Honey, Jeongguk would like anything you get him, don’t stress about that.” 

In the end, Taehyung got the small bunny plushie for Jeongguk, and a small dolphin plushie keyring for Jaegguk. They went to a vintage accessories store after that, where Taehyung was lost in all space and time because he had never seen such unique accessories in his life. The materials mer use are indeed far more precious and beautiful, but according to Mrs Jeon, humans have machines that can help them make intricate patterns that are impossible to make with a simple carving knife. 

Taehyung has always been a big accessories fan, so he bought a few bracelets and earrings, some friendship bracelets for Jimin and Yoongi, suggested by Mrs Jeon. Taehyung saw an array of rings by the cashier counter. He asked Mrs Jeon if these have any significant meaning to them because they are quite expensive. 

“Well, when humans get married, we wear a ring on our fourth finger. It symbolizes marriage.” Mrs Jeon paused and subtly checked if Taehyung’s expression had any change, “But, you can also buy rings for your friends. But for your reference, Jeongguk is not a big fan of rings, he likes earrings more. But if you decide to get him a ring, I’m sure he’d wear it every day.” 

“Oh, I see…” Taehyung’s brain had yet to comprehend what Mrs Jeon just said, as he nodded along and picked a ring, “w-wait, what? I-I never said I was gonna- Mrs Jeon! No!” Taehyung immediately put the ring down and pulled Mrs Jeon out of the store. He was blushing extremely hard, he could feel his face and neck heat up. Mrs Jeon was laughing beside him, amused by Taehyung’s reaction. 

“Dear, it was just a wild guess, but I’m guessing I was right?” Mrs Jeon continued to tease him, and Taehyung really wanted to dig a hole and hide in there forever. “There’s nothing wrong with that, dear, don’t be embarrassed.” 

“Can we just go to another store and forget about this?” Taehyung whined, tugging Mrs Jeon’s hand. She only laughed and led Taehyung to a restaurant where they got their lunch. 

After lunch, they visited a few more shops. Mrs Jeon bought a few clothes for herself in a boutique, Taehyung bought a dream catcher for Hoseok and a pair of wine glasses for Namjoon and Seokjin. They were walking side by side when they saw a boy about his age holding his mother’s hand. Taehyung saw a few school girls beside him snicker at the mother and son, and he found it really strange. 

“Mrs Jeon, why are they laughing? What’s funny about holding your mom’s hand?” 

“Ah, Taehyung-ah, as our kids grow up, a lot of them don't like showing affection in public anymore. Especially boys. Jeongguk would never let me hold his hand in public. He might throw an arm around my shoulder, but never hand in hand. Jaegguk does not like it if I kiss him goodbye when I drop him off at school. I guess they find it embarrassing. But I’m okay with it-” 

“I don’t think that’s something to be embarrassed about,” Taehyung held Mrs Jeon’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, “I’d gladly hold your hand, Mrs Jeon.” 

Mrs Jeon’s face was masked with shock at first, but then it quickly morphed into a grateful smile. “Taehyung-ah, you truly are a lovely young man. Your parents raised you well, you are the perfect son.” Her words ring like a warning sign in Taehyung’s head. He thinks back to his talk with Jeongguk last night under the starlight, how he must put his country and his people’s safety before his heart’s desire. How Jeongguk asked him to be selfish for once, how his heart begged him to follow his direction. 

“I’m really not… I- I am not a good son either,” what kind of perfect son would he be if he thought about abandoning everything and living ashore? “I am just a spoiled brat, Jeongguk is a way better son than I ever will be.” But Taehyung did not come out here today for a pity party, so he faked a smile and changed the topic, “um… I was actually wondering if you could take me to a jewellery shop? I want to check out some designs.” 

There was no way Mrs Jeon did not catch Taehyung’s mood change, but she chose to play along. “ Are you going to buy one for Jeongguk?” She asked cheekily, playfully nudging Taehyung’s ribs. 

“N-no! It’d be weird to spend your money buying a gift for him, I’m just going to check out the designs, and teach the designers when I go back.” Taehyung shrugged nonchalantly, hoping his act will convince Mrs Jeon that he was totally not trying to memorize the pattern and try to make one for her son. 

D-2 

If Taehyung was being honest, he was a bit nervous about spending a whole day with Mr Jeon alone. He knows Mr Jeon has been nothing but super kind to him, but there’s a part of him that fears the whole thing would be awkward. Jeongguk’s father is not a man of many words. He’s kind and loving, but he doesn’t talk much. Taehyung thinks Jeongguk got this trait from his father. In some ways the father and son are really similar: they are a bit reserved and quiet, but can also be loud and open if you get along well. Mr Jeon always gives him a polite nod when they see each other in the house, he would say good morning and good night to Taehyung every night, he would ask how his sons day were, but he never asked Taehyung. Usually, Mrs Jeon is the one who asks if Taehyung had fun that day, or what did he try, if anything grabbed his attention etc. Mr Jeon always listens tentatively, giving Taehyung some life hacks here or there. Taehyung does not recall engaging in a conversation with Mr Jeon for more than five minutes, and even if he did, it would be about the weather, or the food he had, all sorts of trivial things. 

It was no surprise that Mr Jeon did not wake him up eight in the morning or sat in front of his door waiting for him (unlike Mrs Jeon and Jeon Jaegguk), he was less enthusiastic, and he told Taehyung their plan for the day after Jaegguk had left for school and Jeongguk was finally awake. 

They were sitting around the table, sleepily munching cornflakes, when Mr Jeon suddenly asked, “Taehyung-ah, would you like to go fishing with me today?” 

Jeongguk spluttered out the milk in his mouth, and he looked hilarious. “Dad?! Isn’t that a bit rude? You’re fishing his friends!” 

Mr Jeon looked genuinely surprised, “Well, he eats fish as well, does that mean he is eating his friends?” 

“No-” 

“Um. Guys, I’m actually cool with it. It’s part of the natural food chain, I won’t intervene.” Jeongguk looked sceptical, but he nodded at last. Mr Jeon and Taehyung left soon afterwards, just a nice short drive to one of the piers near their house. The weather was pretty good, a bit chilly in the morning but nothing Taehyung couldn’t handle. 

They settled down pretty quick, Taehyung promising that he won’t tell the fish to swim away in case one bites the bait. They made small talks when they were preparing the fishing rod, about the weather, the sea, even the stray dog near them. It was not as awkward as Taehyung imagined it would be, because when they settled down and started swinging the fishing rods to the sea, Mr Jeon asked him about his family. Taehyung told him things that Jaegguk and Jeongguk already know, like his best friend, his grandparents, his parents, his fish friends under the sea etc. Then Mr Jeon asked his opinion on their family. Taehyung was delighted to talk about them because the Jeons truly are a delight to stay with, all of them so welcoming and nice, it made Taehyung feel at home. Mr Jeon asked if Taehyung found Jaegguk to be a little bit too much sometimes, but Taehyung just shook his head. 

“Jaegguk is a ray of sunshine, he is so bright and smart, I love hanging out with him,” he began talking about their adventures on the Jaegukkie x Taehyungie xoxo 4eva day, and Mr Jeon was smiling like a proud parent. “That sounds like a typical Jaegguk.” He also shared some embarrassing stories about Jaegguk, which made Taehyung laugh so hard he lost his grip on the fishing rod and it slipped into the sea. Taehyung was scared shitless, he glanced around to check if there was anyone around, luckily only him and Mr Jeon was there, so he used his powers to retreive the rod from the water. 

“That was a close one. I will never let go of that again. I think my heart jumped out of my chest!” Mr Jeon laughed at Taehyung like nothing happened, as their topic moved on to Mrs Jeon. Mr Jeon told Taehyung their love story, and Taehyung envied them so much. Apparently, Mrs Jeon was the one who made the move, and Mr Jeon was the shyer one. The resemblance between Jeongguk and his father was just uncanny, they even share the same catchphrases and expressions. Mr Jeon talked about how Mrs Jeon almost lost her mind when Jeongguk tried to dig a well in their backyard when he was seven, and how Jeongguk made his mom a big ass carnation for Mother's Day only to have her using it to sweep the floor two days later. They continued sharing stories even when they were munching on their homemade sandwich lunch. 

“What about Jeongguk then? What do you think of him?” 

Taehyung could not say he did not see this coming. But what was he supposed to tell his father? That he is in love with his son? That he wants his blessing? “Um… Jeongguk is a brilliant young man. He is hard-working and diligent, I think he excels in every field. He has been very nice and kind to me ever since I arrived. I can never thank him enough.” 

He waited for a response, but none came. Mr Jeon was staring at the sea, eyes unblinking. After an agonizingly long minute, he finally opened his mouth. 

“You know, Jeongguk never told us he was gay.” Taehyung almost dropped his sandwich. He felt goosebumps all over his arms and it was as if the air temperature dropped to a negative. He can’t say he was ready for the storm that was coming, and he cannot read Mr Jeon’s passive expression. “But I’ve always assumed he was. I mean, he does not really show interest in girls. I’m sure you know that a homosexual relationship is not widely accepted in humans, someone might have told you that already.” Taehyung gulped, 1) he didn’t know Jeongguk was gay, he never told him; 2) was Mr Jeon about to throw him to the sea? He sounded pissed. 

“If I’m being completely honest, I would love to see Jeongguk have his own kids one day. I would love to be a grandfather.” Mr Jeon's voice was calm and collected, but Taehyung could still feel his heartbeat getting faster and faster, and the world around him seems to be spinning. He was almost hyperventilating when Mr Jeon continued his speech. 

“But I don’t mind if he or she is adopted. They would still be my grandchildren. My son can love whoever he wants, and as his father, I will learn to love his other half as well. I just want him to be happy. Guk has a sensitive soul, and he loves with his whole heart.” Mr Jeon was looking at Taehyung with a gentle gaze, as he cupped Taehyung’s hand with his. Taehyung could feel his callous hand over his, warm and tender. “Please love him, Taehyung-ah.”

Taehyung could feel a lump in his throat, his emotions threatening to spill out, “No- we-” 

“Son, I know young love when I see one. I don’t know what stage you and Jeongguk are in right now, if you guys are scared of the opposition from me and my wife, then you can rest assured it will never happen. I- Guk has never brought anyone home. I know your case is a bit special,” Mr Jeon chuckled lightly, “ but I guess it still counts because I can see how infatuated he is with you. I know you’re a prince, Taehyung-ah, and there is probably a line of royal suitors waiting for you. But to me and Sooyoung, Jeongguk-ah is our prince. I guess I’m just asking you to not break his heart. I hope that’s not too much to ask for.” 

Taehyung could no longer hold back his tears, as pearls started streaming down his cheeks, Mr Jeon put his fishing rod down and pulled Taehyung in a warm hug. Taehyung cried out all the tears of frustration and heartache he had over the past month, over the unrequited love, over the fact that he and Jeongguk could never be together, over the possibility that Jeongguk is not interested in him. Then and there, Taehyung laid out all his worries, and Mr Jeon listened through each and every one of them, patting his back or ruffling his hair as support. Though talking cannot change a thing, Taehyung was glad he had Mr Jeon’s support and words of wisdom. He told Mr Jeon the stuff he told Jeongguk when they went stargazing a few days ago, he told him about his crush with Jeongguk, he didn’t even understand why he felt the need to tell his crush’s father, but he did. They had a nice bonding moment by the sea, one that Taehyung never expected, but actually needed.

Mr Jeon drove them home in the late afternoon after Taehyung collected himself and stopped crying. Jeongguk was not home yet from his gym session. Taehyung opened his bedroom door, glanced at it one last time. Tonight would be the last night he sleeps here. He unpacked the bags from yesterday’s shopping spree with Mrs Jeon, and started sorting out all the gifts for everyone. He picked up a notebook and started writing. 

Dear Jeonggukkie♡♡♡, 

By the time you’re reading this, I will be gone.

Chapter Text

Everyone gathered around the sofa in the living room as they gave Taehyung gifts. Taehyung had told them that he had given Mrs. Jeon their gifts and that they should only open them when he had left. Jeongguk wasn’t happy with the decision, neither was Jaegguk, but since Taehyung had insisted, they didn’t have a choice. Mr. Jeon had given him an expensive waterproof watch that would hopefully work under the sea. Mrs. Jeon had heard about the pearl bag that Taehyung had lost, so she wove him a purple one with his initials on it. Taehyung had been delighted to receive such beautiful gifts, but he couldn't help but sneak glances at Jeongguk to see if he had prepared anything for him.  

Much to his disappointment, Jeongguk hadn’t gotten him anything. Was Taehyung disappointed? A bit, if he was being completely honest. But he also knew that Jeongguk didn’t owe him anything, and he should’ve been the one giving Jeongguk gifts. Taehyung’s thoughts were cut short as Jaegguk sobbed quietly next to him, clutching on a cushion tightly as he tried his best to stop crying. He had taken half a day off school to bid Taehyung farewell.

"Hey, don't cry, hyung may be leaving physically, but you know I'll always be in your heart, right Jaeggukkie?" Jaegguk only sobbed louder as he buried his head in Taehyung's neck. 

"Hyung, please be careful, please don't get caught again unless it's Seokjin hyung's dad," Jaegguk sniffled loudly. "And remember to eat more veggies. You’re a picky eater and you won't be healthy if you don't eat veggies."

Taehyung laughed softly, "Yes, Jaeggukkie, I'll think of you every time I eat my veggies."

It was a very sad goodbye. Taehyung had always hated goodbyes. He hated saying goodbye to his grandparents on summer holidays, he hated saying goodbyes to his visiting relatives, he hated saying goodbye to Yoongi when the older mer went ashore. But this was by far the goodbye he hated the most. When he finally sat in Jeongguk's car, he couldn't hold back his tears anymore. The lingering warmth of their hugs suffocated him, making him feel cold and alone all of a sudden, and the dread of having to deal with leaving Jeongguk was unbearable. He wiped his eyes furiously before Jeongguk entered the car and pretended everything was fine, one of his best talents. 

♆

Jeongguk was driving them to the beach house that they had rented when Taehyung spotted a beach with quite a few tourists. Since it was a weekday, there weren't a lot of locals, most of them looked like foreigners. Taehyung asked Jeongguk to stop by the beach before they headed to their destination. He grabbed Jeongguk's hand and dragged him towards the beach. The moment his feet hit the sand, he already felt at ease. The wind was a bit chilly, but he didn’t feel cold. The two of them joined a group of young kids and played volleyball with them. Taehyung’s skill was nearly the same as the six-year-olds, if not worse, as he tripped over his feet and face-planted on the sand. 

“Jeonggukkie! Why is sand this hard on land? It hurts! Shit!” Taehyung whined because the kids thought he sucked too much to be included in the game and kicked him out. Jeongguk on the other hand was still playing with the kids, but gone was the playful Ggukkie. Jeongguk narrowed his eyes at the kids and started playing seriously. He wasn’t in the college volleyball team for nothing. 

Jeongguk was older than all of those kids combined, plus he was twice their height. With his phenomenal hulking strength and determination to humiliate those kids for looking down on Taehyung, the kids were pathetically crushed like ants under a boot. Some of them ran back to their parents crying because they lost. 

“Jeongguk-ah, you’re so mean to them, what if their parents are mad at you?” said Taehyung, though his heart was a bit happy that the kids got their lesson. 

“Well, they were being mean to you. And I was just showing them what the real world is like. Can their parents blame me for teaching their kids how to survive in society?”

“That doesn’t mean you’re still not a meanie,” Taehyung playfully punched Jeongguk in the arm, but Jeongguk fell down dramatically, clutching his arm in agony. “After seeing these kids, I am convinced that Jae is a very polite boy. Don’t pick on younger brother, look after him for me, would you?” 

Jeongguk sat up straight. He rarely ever talked about his brother in a serious manner, but Taehyung brought the topic up. “Jae is a good kid, he's an awesome baby brother. Sometimes… When I was in uni, I met a lot of shitty people, and those people made me want to be a better brother for Jae. I want to be someone he looks up to, someone who he’s proud of.“ 

Taehyung patted his shoulder lightly. “He’s already proud of you. I talked to him the other day, I can assure you he looks up to you a lot. You’re an amazing brother, Gguk. Jae is lucky to have you.”

The two of them had fun on the beach for hours. They had a sand castle building competition, and even ran around chasing each other (Jeongguk ran, Taehyung attempted to run). Although being this close to the sea, Taehyung never once set foot in the ocean. Jeongguk asked him multiple times if he wanted to go near the water, but Taehyung always declined. He said that it would be weird because it was winter and cold, so no one else was in the water, and he didn't want to stand out. But both of them knew that was a white lie. His heart was screaming at him to run for the ocean, to feel the water and the current underneath it. But Taehyung felt bad. He was right next to Jeongguk, yet his heart yearned to run to the open waters. Taehyung stopped just before his feet would come in contact with the water. Next to him, Jeongguk stopped as well. 

"Everything alright?" 

Taehyung didn't know what to say. Could he fake another smile and tell Jeongguk that everything is fine? Could he lie for just a few more hours, until midnight, when he must leave? When he looked into Jeongguk's eyes, all his inner turmoil disappeared. Jeongguk, whose eyes held a galaxy of stars and trust in them. Jeongguk, who deserved nothing but the truth. 

"I miss the sea more than I thought I would. Is it weird that I want to stay, but I also want to leave?" whispered Taehyung, as he gazed longingly at the sea. 

Jeongguk paused for a moment before he sat down on the beach and patted the space next to his. Taehyung sat down cross-legged, facing the familiar ocean. A month ago, the concept of sitting cross-legged would have been impossible to him. It took him a few days of practice to understand how to use his legs effectively. 

“I wouldn’t say that’s weird. I think it’s normal. You’re in a foreign place now, the sea is your home, and it’s been your home for 21 years. The fascination you have for human lives is just your curiosity, but the sea is where you truly belong. When I worked in Australia one summer, I missed home like hell. Not that I don’t like Australia or anything, but the saying is true, home is where your heart is. So don't think it's weird for you to miss the sea, you're literally a fish out of water, there's nothing wrong with you missing the water.” Jeongguk gently put his hand on Taehyung's knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Plus, your power allows you to come up here anytime you want, right? You can come back whenever you want, you’re always welcomed in my home.”

Taehyung stayed silent for a long time. He contemplated whether he should tell the younger boy that he probably won’t ever return.  Instead, he chose another method. “Jeongguk, I want to tell you something that even some mers don’t know about.” Taehyung picked up a small shell next to him. “Aside from using shells, there’s another way for man and mer to communicate. I heard that if you write a letter, put it in a bottle, and think of that person very very hard, it will get delivered to them. I don’t know if it really works, but since you’re not mer, I don’t think shells would work for you. If you really miss me one day, maybe you can try it for me? Then we’ll both have answers.” 

Jeongguk wanted to say that he was sure that he would miss Taehyung everyday, that he would write to him everyday about his day if he could, but because he didn’t want to further dampen their mood, he asked dumb questions like what’s Taehyung’s postal code and where could he find waterproof paper to write on. 

They left the beach before sunset and headed back to the beach house because Taehyung’s stomach had been rumbling non-stop and the street vendor had left. Jeongguk cooked dinner while Taehyung explored the beach house. Taehyung helped set their bags in a room after his little exploration and proved to be extremely helpful in making dinner with Jeongguk. He was assigned to wash the vegetables and plates while Jeongguk seasoned the meat. He didn’t make a mess out of everything (which he was extremely proud of) and even helped with the budae jjigae, adding water when Jeongguk deemed it necessary, with just a flicker of his hand for dramatic effects. For dessert, Jeongguk made Taehyung’s all time favorite: strawberry pancakes with whipped cream. 

The dinner was delicious. Partly because Taehyung helped but also because Jeongguk was an amazing cook. He didn’t cook often at home since Mrs Jeon would do it, so Taehyung had only eaten Jeongguk-cooked breakfasts. Dinner was nice, but they finished it in nearly two hours because Jeongguk had mistakenly added too many kimchi, making the broth too spicy for Taehyung.

Things got awkward after dinner. They turned on the television and watched whatever was on, but Jeongguk could tell that Taehyung didn’t want to sit there and watch boring soap operas. He himself loathed soap operas, but he just couldn't think of anything to do with Taehyung now without making it weird. 

He thanked his lucky stars because before he could blurt out stupid shit, Taehyung saved him from embarrassment. “Come on Gukkie, dance with me.” Taehyung grabbed Jeongguk’s hand and pulled him to the living room. He asked Jeongguk to play his go-to playlist using his bluetooth speaker, and the two of them vibed to each and every song before it got switched from a funky pop song to an old-school French ballad. Taehyung recognised that it was similar to the one Jeongguk sang weeks ago in his car. The beat was significantly slower, and the both of them stopped abruptly.

“I saw some videos about slow dancing on Youtube.” Jeongguk's eyes flitted from Taehyung to the bluetooth speaker. The room wasn’t very well lit because of the lack of lamps, but Jeongguk could still make out the faint blush on Taehyung’s face. “Do you want to try it together?” asked Taehyung quietly.

Jeongguk hesitated for a bit before clearing his throat and extending one of his hands to Taehyung. “Sure,” He walked closer until they were eye to eye, closer than before but not yet close enough. “You put one of your hands on my shoulder, your other hand has to hold my hand like this… yep, then we keep it mid-air,” said Jeongguk as he instructed Taehyung by tilting his chin at the merman’s hand.

“Then what about you? You still have one free hand.” Taehyung could see Jeongguk’s free hand fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie and he was in a nervous mess. “Is it uncomfortable with you? We can do other stuff if you want?” Making Jeongguk uncomfortable wasn’t what he had intended, therefore he slowly retracted his hand that was on Jeongguk’s shoulder.

Jeongguk’s eyes widened and he shook his head immediately. “No! No, I’m not uncomfortable, I’m just… ehm… thinking where should I put my hand,” Jeongguk chuckled nervously, before biting his lip and staring at their aligned feet. Taehyung giggled fondly, as he guided Jeongguk’s palm towards his waist and shuffled closer towards Jeongguk. “Here you go.” 

The two of them didn’t talk anymore as they let the slow music guide them. Taehyung was a bit clumsy at first, but with Jeongguk’s guidance, he didn’t do so bad. They swayed lighty, following the rhythm of the song, as Jeongguk gazed into Taehyung’s eyes, drowning in adoration. Taehyung stared right back at him, the older boy gave him a small smile that spoke louder than words. Much to his surprise, Jeongguk’s heart wasn’t beating out of his chest. Ever since they had arrived at the beach house, he could no longer feel his heart. All he felt was numbness. He felt numb when Taehyung locked hands with him, he felt numb when Taehyung smiled at him, he felt numb when he thought of Taehyung’s imminent departure. Maybe it was his heart’s coping mechanism: numbing everything until Jeongguk didn’t feel for Taehyung anymore. Despite the numbness, he felt content. He felt content with Taehyung in his arms, swaying aimlessly as the two of them gazed at each other. The world could end right now and he wouldn’t care less, because he had Taehyung with him. Jeongguk knew he was sad, he should be, but he couldn’t feel it. Not when Taehyung was looking at him like he had been searching for him his whole life. Not when he looked like a dream come true. 

“Hey Gguk, remember when I told you that you are at most a six in mer standards?” asked Taehyung when the song neared its end.

Jeongguk snorted. “Yeah, of course I do, that was a long long time ago. I’m sure after all these weeks that rating has dropped, since you’ve seen me in the morning with drool all over my face and ridiculous bed hair, not to mention that time Jaegguk drew on my face with mom’s lipstick. Don’t tell me the results, leave a man some dignity please, Tae.” 

Taehyung knew Jeongguk was joking, and he knew he could play it off like he always did, or brush it off with another joke, but tonight, he was determined to tell Jeongguk. 

“I actually don’t think mer standards actually have  different from human standards. After spending a month in the human world, I can tell you that you’re a 10 out of 10 for sure, or boyfriend material as you guys say it. As a mer, you’re definitely more than a ten. Like… like… m-mate material. That’s like the highest compliment one can get… ha ha...” Taehyung chuckled nervously as he not so subtly checked out Jeongguk’s reaction.

As the song came to end, so did the playlist. The entire room was so silent, Taehyung could hear his own heartbeat loud and clear against his eardrums. He got nervous, maybe he shouldn’t have said this, maybe it had upset Jeongguk. “I-I mean, that’s what I t-think, w-wait, no, that’s what every m-mer would think, n-not just me, I- J-Jeongguk, can you p-please say something? Anything? Y-You’re scaring me.” Taehyung’s hands began to shake as he tried to pull away from Jeongguk, only to fail because his grip was too strong. “I-I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable, just ignore me-” 

Taehyung was cut off by an inhuman shriek, which made him cringe, but it turned out to be Jeongguk freaking out. The younger boy squeezed his eyes shut, face all scrunched up as if he had just eaten a whole lemon, while he kept chanting oh my god jesus christ . This really concerned Taehyung because 1) he didn’t know Jeongguk was capable of producing such noise, 2) he didn’t know Jeongguk was religious and 3) Jeongguk looked like he was in pain. 

“U-um.. are you alright?” Taehyung asked hesitantly, as Jeongguk kept on muttering Jesus’ name like it was a fanchant. 

“No! I’m not ! You can’t just say stuff like that out of nowhere! Give a guy some warning first!” Jeongguk whisper-shouted with his eyes still closed, and Taehyung thought he looked like a little frustrated bunny. “Sorry, I guess, but I thought you would like the compliment-” 

“Of course I like that compliment, who wouldn’t? You basically just told me you’d totally bang me-” Jeongguk’s closed eyes suddenly opened wide as he stared at Taehyung in shock, pink tinting his cheeks. “Scratch that- let’s pretend you never heard that-” 

“Bang? I didn’t mention anything about banging though? Did you misunderstand my compliment?” asked Taehyung because he genuinely thought Jeongguk had difficulty in understanding him. 

“What- no! I didn’t misunderstand anything Tae-” 

“Then why are you talking about banging?” Taehyung asked again, and Jeongguk knew he couldn’t ignore the question anymore. 

“Ugh! Bang means fuck, okay? Or mate, as you would say it. Get it now?” Jeongguk continued whisper-shouting exasperatedly, though Taehyung didn’t know why, it’s not like there were other people in the house. 

“Why are you talking like that? And I didn’t say I’d totally have sex with you-” Taehyung stopped talking as soon as he realized what he just said, part of his brain had a meltdown because those words are shameful (his mother’s words, not his), but the other part of his brain urged him to say the rest of the sentence. He’s going to leave soon, fuck that. “... though I suppose I’m not opposed to that idea…” Taehyung joined Jeongguk in whispering, as he dragged every word of that sentence, maybe if he said it slow enough it wouldn’t be embarrassing. 

Jeongguk malfunctioned again, cut that bullshit when he thought he couldn’t feel anymore, because his heart was beating out of his chest and his mind was clouded with Kim Taehyung, “Y-You want to have s-sex with me? Like, m-mating? Isn’t it sacred for you guys?” 

Taehyung shaked his head immediately, “It won’t count as mating because you’re not a mer… b-but yes, I want to try it, if you’re okay with it”. Taehyung lowered his head as he tucked a loose strand of his hair behind his ear, blushing softly. He wasn’t lying, having sex with Jeongguk would not count as mating, but the thought and act of giving your body to another person is close enough for the concept of it. Taehyung suggested it because if he really (unfortunately) had to mate that disgusting merman prince, he wouldn't be the first person to touch him. It would always be Jeongguk, his heart and body would always belong to Jeongguk because he had him first. It was a selfish thought, but since Jeongguk had told him many times that humans are not monogamous, and that they have casual sex all the time, Taehyung figured it probably didn’t mean anything to Jeongguk. It was sad, it meant giving himself to Jeongguk for the rest of his life without him knowing, while the human might just see him as a casual fling. Taehyung felt his eyes dampen involuntarily.

“I- Do you even know how it works?” Jeongguk asked quietly, he didn’t sound annoyed or mocking, which Taehyung took it as a good sign, because he hadn’t shoved him away or left him immediately, nor had Jeongguk rejected him completely. 

“I don’t, but you do, right? If you can guide me through it, m-maybe I can manage it. I won’t be as impressive as your previous partners-” 

Jeongguk’s heart stopped beating again, his rapid heartbeat slowed down until he could only feel a dull aching pain. He lifted his hand to cup Taehyung's cheek, feeling him quiver under his light touch as his eyes fluttered shut, long lashes fanning his cheeks. Jeongguk could see wetness on his lashes, and he wondered what had been the cause of the merman’s sadness. He did not ask, as he leaned in and kissed his eyelids, a silent message that he was willing to take all of his sorrows and pain from him, that he was willing to do whatever he asked of him, no matter how much he knew it would hurt him. He picked Taehyung up bridal style, planted a swift his on his cheek, and walked them to the bedroom. At first Taehyung was shocked at being picked up out of nowhere, but he relaxed when he realised Jeongguk was bringing him to the bedroom. He buried his face in Jeongguk’s neck and inhaled deeply at his sweet and pleasant scent as he circled his arms around Jeongguk. 

Everything seemed like a dream afterwards. It felt like being underwater again, where he couldn’t hear things clearly, as if everything was happening in a bubble that could burst at any moment. The dip of the mattress and the hovering figure above him felt unreal, and the light brush of Jeongguk’s finger against his forehead felt like a fever dream. Taehyung wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through the rest of night, because he already felt like choking on his feelings and pleasure when Jeongguk started nibbling his jaw shyly, murmuring soft words against his ear. Taehyung didn’t think it was possible to see this side of Jeongguk, confident in what he was doing but at the same time shy to initiate it. 

“Hyung, tell me if it’s too much,” Taehyung could no longer respond with coherent words. As his thoughts jumbled and his airway constricted at the feverish touch of Jeongguk’s lips on his neck, he could only bare his neck on reflex. Jeongguk stopped when he tried to take off Taehyung’s sweater clumsily. Both of their hands fumbled and Taehyung’s head even got stuck at the collar at one point. But it didn’t feel awkward. If it was Jeongguk in the

past with a one night stand, he would blush and apologise, not knowing if his partner would judge him or not. But with Taehyung, he knew the older boy would never do such a thing, and if Taehyung trusted him, so should he. 

After they got rid of their hoodies, Jeongguk ducked down and started to kiss the exposed skin of his chest. He planted gentle kisses on Taehyung's chest and abdomen, with occasional sucking and nipping that made Taehyung’s whole body flush. He could feel his cock grow harder in his pants as he went further down, one hand on Taehyung’s hip as another caressed his smooth tan skin that seemed to glow in the dark. Taehyung whimpered and exhaled drawn-out moans as Jeongguk worked on getting rid of his pants, his moans got caught up when Jeongguk started to undo his pants. He inhaled sharply at the friction of the zipper sliding over his hardening member, and grabbed Jeongguk’s hand before the younger boy could take off his boxers.

“Jeongguk, I-” whispered Taehyung, as he searched for signs of hesitation in Jeongguk’s eyes. “Please tell me what to do, I want to pleasure you too”. Jeongguk stopped and crawled on top of Taehyung. His eyes were dipped in honey, filled with warmth and sweetness, as he surrendered to his instincts, leaned downwards, and kissed Taehyung. Taehyung’s lips were just as soft and sweet as he remembered, with a hint of strawberry taste from the pancakes earlier. The kiss wasn’t as sweet and innocent as the first one, it was more sloppy and hurried. Their teeth crashed a bit as Jeongguk swiped his tongue across Taehyung’s lip, and god knows where Taehyung learned this, but he fucking nibbled Jeongguk’s bottom lip, and Jeongguk was a goner. 

When they pulled back and looked at each other, Taehyung saw the lust and hunger in Jeongguk’s eyes that he had never seen before. The lingering awkwardness and shyness were still there, but they were dominated by Jeongguk’s hormones and the atmosphere of the room was getting hot and heavy. They got rid of each other’s pants and boxers in a frenzy, and when they were both finally naked, Taehyung popped the million dollar question.

“Jeonggukkie, can I suck you off?” 

Taehyung said that with such an innocent look of a new born baby cub that it gave Jeongguk’s heart a whiplash, his jaw dropped as he tried his fucking best not to nod like a mad man. “Where the fuck did you learn that?” 

“The porn videos you showed me, duh. Is that important now? Can I suck you off or not?” Jeongguk could not believe that the naked love-of-his-life in front of him was getting impatient because he couldn’t suck him off, God must have a very twisted sense of humour because Jeongguk was not ready for this. 

“Oh fuck yeah.” In his twenty something years of life, Jeongguk has received a number of blowjobs. Not that many, but just enough to say that he was capable of differentiating a good blowjob from a terrible one. And if someone gave him a survey after this and asked him to rate this blowjob, he would’ve fucking cried on spot because it was so good he could come at the thought of it. Jeongguk wished he could recall what had happened exactly, but the moment Taehyung pushed him on bed and leaned down within a close proximity with his dick, he thinks his brain shifted from his head to his other head , and he was already embarrassingly hard. They fumbled a little, as expected, and got tangled with each other’s limbs until Taehyung ended up laying in between Jeongguk's strong muscular thighs. The mop of turquoise hair was very eye-catching in the dim room. Jeongguk watched as Taehyung tentatively poked his semi hard hard dick with a finger and gulped hard. Once Taehyung had deemed that his dick was not hostile and wouldn’t bite, he slowly wrapped his hands around it and pumped it several times while maintaining eye contact with Jeongguk. He was probably doing it to check Jeongguk's reaction, but Jeongguk felt like choking on his moan from how sexy he looked. When Taehyung gave a few kittenish licks on his aching Jeongguk junior, he felt himself go paralysed from the waist down. The warm sensation of getting his dick sucked (by Kim Taehyung) was so overwhelming that Jeongguk almost started crying. Taehyung was by no means experienced, or had any finesse, but the way he worked his tongue was definitely a deadly sin. He gave a few experimental sucks at the tip of Jeongguk’s dick before slowly working lower, almost swallowing his cock whole, and started bobbing his head slowly but surely, sending Jeongguk into aneurysm. 

“Jesus Christ, just how— for someone who had never seen a penis until four weeks ago how are you so good at sucking dick?” 

Taehyung pulled off when he saw Jeongguk fist the bedsheets like his life depended on it. He coughed a bit, voice hoarse and a few octaves lower from his previous actions. “Am I doing okay?” 

Jeongguk’s face contorted in pain and he answered in a strained voice, “No, you’re doing it a little bit too great, I’m gonna come if you keep doing this,” Jeongguk pulled Taehyung into his embrace and gave him butterfly kisses all over his face. Jeongguk never thought he would make his partner giggle during sex, but here was Taehyung, giggling while Jeongguk kissed him mid-sex. 

“Jeonggukkie, I want m-more,” said Taehyung when Jeongguk was kissing the mole on the tip of his nose. Heat coiled in Jeongguk’s stomach as he nodded, and Taehyung’s hand gripped harder against his biceps. Jeongguk’s other hand wandered on Taehyung’s waist, his skin felt warm and soft under his touch. He broke away from Taehyung’s warm embrace when he felt a hard thing poking his thigh. Maybe Taehyung really wanted this as much as he did. His hand fumbled around blindly in the drawer of the nightstand, trying to fish out the lube. 

“What are you doing?” Taehyung’s breathy voice made Jeongguk glance at the merman behind him. They hadn’t done that much, but Taehyung already looked like they had gone through thirty rounds of sex, with his messed up turquoise hair and hickies all over his neck, not to mention those rosy wet lips that Jeongguk had become acquainted with. The merman was laying on his stomach, swinging his legs innocently, his whole body flushed in a pretty pink, but what caught Jeongguk’s attention was his perky butt. It jiggled with the rhythm he swung his leg, and Jeongguk wondered when the hell had he gotten so lucky. 

“Um. This little bottle is lube, it makes things less painful.” Teaching sex education was the last thing Jeongguk ever wanted to do during sex, but somehow, with Taehyung, it felt uniquely ‘them’, and Jeongguk couldn’t find it in him to complain. He poured out a handful of lube, because suddenly he felt like a virgin having sex for the first time again, and he was afraid he would hurt Taehyung if he didn’t do it properly. 

“Could you lie on your back? And, um, maybe spread your legs a bit?” Jeongguk was a nervous mess, as Taehyung followed his instructions and looked at him with expecting eyes. “If it hurts, even if a little bit, tell me okay?” It probably sounded very cliche, but Jeongguk wanted to see Taehyung’s face when they did this. It was their first time, and probably last, and he wanted to remember every single moment of it. 

Jeongguk's finger teased Taehyung’s rim with a feathery light touch that had the boy under him squirm before applying more pressure, thumb circling his hole. Taehyung panted more heavily, so Jeongguk took it as a sign and pushed his finger in slowly, watching as Taehyung’s breath hitched and tensed. 

“Ggukkie, it feels- a bit weird,” Taehyung breaths out, his body still tense from the sudden feeling of a knuckle of Jeongguk’s finger in him. “Relax Tae, try to relax for me,” Jeongguk tried not to stare at Taehyung’s hole because he would fucking blush, so he leaned down and pressed tender kisses on Taehyung’s chest. When he passed by Taehyung's rosy buds, he teased him by lightly biting his nipple. It was strange for Taehyung at first, Jeongguk could tell, because Taehyung was breathing raggedly, but never complaining. Jeongguk took his sweet time, sucking Taehyung’s nipples and giving him even more hickies. He crooked his finger experimentally when he felt the tensed body below him begin to relax, Taehyung’s sharp breaths turning into drawn-out moans. He slowly inserted another finger, soon enough, two fingers turned to three, and it had Taehyung pushing down on him and moaning louder.

“M-more, please,” Taehyung whined as Jeongguk teased him, crooking and thrusting his finger at an agonizingly slow speed even though he knew Taehyung was already prepped. “C-Can’t you just come in now?” 

“Wait, I need to grab a condom” Jeongguk whispered into his ear. He leaned forward to grab the condom on the nightstand and was ready to tear the package, before Taehyung popped another question. 

“Aren’t condoms used to prevent human diseases? I don’t have it, don’t worry, we don’t have to use it. J-Just hurry up!” Taehyung was full on whining, making grabby hands at Jeongguk with one hand while he touched himself with the other. His hair was sprawled out on the pillow, creating a teal halo around his head.  

“Oh. Um.” Having sex with Taehyung was one thing, having sex with Taehyung without a condom was another story. How could he explain to Taehyung that humans usually use condoms unless they’re with their long term partners or when they want babies, as well as the fact that Jeongguk had never had sex without condoms before because duh , he didn’t want STDs nor was he that intimate with his one night stands. But he knew that if he explained all that, not only would Taehyung be turned off, his dick would also go limp if he had to mention his previous sex partners in front of his crush. 

“O-Okay,”

Jeongguk would later find himself regretting this decision very very much, because he could never have sex with a condom on again, and he could never have sex with other people because, Taehyung . 

He made his way between Taehyung’s thighs, eyeing his long tan legs and his pink puckered hole, so inviting and so sinful, he gulped heavily. Jeongguk pumped himself a few times, gaze dragging from Taehyung’s face to his baby tummy, to his flushed red cock that stood proudly against his stomach. Jeongguk prodded Taehyung's rim with the head of his cock, moving in a millimeter a second, trying his hardest to be as gentle as possible. Jeongguk leaned in, one hand guiding his cock in as he toppled over Taehyung to kiss him.

Taehyung showed no signs of discomfort or pain, moaning ever so softly as Jeongguk sank his cock deeper until he was fully inside him. Taehyung felt so hot and tight around him, his hole fit perfectly around his cock, it took every last bit of Jeongguk’s self-restraint and patience to not fuck right into the tight heat. Not wanting to hurt the older boy, Jeongguk didn’t move, allowing Taehyung to get used to the stretch of his cock inside him. Jeongguk had never had sex with a virgin, so he was extra cautious. Plus, this was Taehyung, his dick could wait. 

“G-Gukkie, I’m okay,” Jeongguk’s dick twitched, buried deep inside Taehyung’s tight heat. Taehyung let out broken moans as Jeongguk slowly but steadily thrust into him. Taehyung’s eyes were filled with unshed tears, and a few small pearls dropped onto the pillow. Jeongguk hoped those were tears of pleasure. Kissing Taehyung seemed to be the only thing Jeongguk knew as he nibbled on his collar bones before returning to Taehyung’s wet lips. Jeongguk kept his pace slower than normal, but still hard enough to make Taehyung squirm in pleasure.  

"So beautiful, Tae, so beautiful for me."

He picked up his pace when Taehyung’s soft whines turned into louder moans, when Taehyung threaded his fingers in his hair and pulled him in for a hurried kiss, begging him to speed up. Jeongguk’s arms burned from holding the weight of his upper body as he snapped his hips harder and faster. If it weren’t for his daily workouts, the way Taehyung looked under him would have turned his arms to jelly.

“Ggukkie-ah,” moaned Taehyung as his long legs wrapped around Jeongguk’s tiny waist a little bit tighter, trying to be as close to him as possible, “d-do I make you feel good as well?”  

“God,” said Jeongguk, voice strained. He didn't think he could form a coherent sentence when he was fucking Taehyung. “So fucking good. Best I’ve ever felt.” Jeongguk wasn’t lying. He felt intimacy, more intimate than he’s ever felt with anyone, physically and emotionally. Meaningless flings and drunken one night stands couldn’t even come close to this. Nothing compared to Taehyung, the curious mer that abruptly appeared in his life, and slowly entered his heart. 

Jeongguk tried to change the angle of his hips, in hopes of finding Taehyung’s prostate and giving him the greatest pleasure. He snapped his hips even faster, now at a brutal pace, fingers dug into the pillow Taehyung was lying on. “Beautiful, so beautiful, my prince,” Jeongguk didn’t realise his slip up, but he did notice the sudden rise in Taehyung’s moans, his pitch an octave higher, and he knew he had found Taehyung’s prostate. 

“Gguk-ah,” Taehyung let out a loud whine as Jeongguk relentlessly pounded into his sweet spot. Jeongguk had neither the time nor the will to explain to him what he was experiencing. In order to prevent the merman from asking questions he didn’t want to answer when he's about to come, he picked up his pace and thrust into Taehyung even harder, leaving Taehyung’s questions to be choked off into broken moans as he arched off the bed. 

Taehyung of course had never experienced anything close to this, one minute he felt all light and tingly, toes curling from waves of pleasure. Then Jeongguk started pounding into him and he was gone, so gone that he felt as if a part of him broke and he could no longer think straight, head filled with thoughts of how good Jeongguk made him feel, how big Jeongguk felt inside of him, and how his eyes may never roll back from the back of his skull. He could hear Jeongguk pant heavily against his ear, his hoarse voice telling him to come for him, though he didn’t understand what he meant. He didn’t have time to ask him what was happening or tell Jeongguk that he felt good, his body tensed up as he clenched tightly around Jeongguk’s cock, hot white cum staining both of their stomachs. 

Jeongguk couldn’t last any longer with Taehyung clenching around him, he thrust in a few more times and pulled out of Taehyung’s tight heat just before he came. It was by far the best sex he had ever had. So good it made his body go limp as he collapsed on top of Taehyung with a loud moan. He had to admit, it was the first time he had ever felt so tired from sex. He may have gone too hard, Taehyung probably wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow, but hey, it's not like he had to walk anymore. 

And Taehyung, Taehyung blacked out. It was all too much for him, all the vigorous 'aerobic exercises' left him feeling boneless and tired, as if he just swam across the Pacific ocean in one day. When Jeongguk returned from the bathroom with a wet towel to clean him up, he saw Taehyung hugging a pillow tightly, body curled into a ball. Jeongguk joined him after he cleaned the merman up, hugging Taehyung from behind, the wave of post-orgasmic drowsiness finally hitting him. He was ready to surrender to his tiredness but not before dropping a soft kiss on Taehyung's nape, and he held Taehyung a little bit closer, just because. Maybe if he held him tighter, Taehyung wouldn’t leave him. Maybe if he was more charming, Taehyung would stay for him. Jeongguk fell asleep soon, but Taehyung was awoken by the sudden coolness on his shoulder. Teardrops. 

♆

When Jeongguk woke up, the bed beside him was cold. He sat up immediately, eyes frantically searching for the mop of turquoise hair next to him. The bed was still dipped, but the warmth was long gone. It was still dark outside, so he mustn’t have dozed off for too long. Jeongguk threw on his hoodie and sweatpants before he left the bedroom, treading inside the beach house while hesitantly calling Taehyung’s name. No response. Jeongguk called out a bit louder, as the adrenaline started to pump through his veins, he switched on all the lights, but he was still greeted by dead silence. He tried to shout out Taehyung’s name, but his throat constricted, and he was getting light-headed from hyperventilating. Jeongguk’s head spun as the feeling of nauseousness made it hard to breathe, his mind occupied with one thought only: Taehyung had left without saying goodbye. The wave of dread washed over him was so powerful he felt cold sweat on his forehead, hands trembling as he reached the pocket of his sweat pants and fished out a simple necklace. He nearly fell on the floor, hugging himself as if it would make everything better. It felt like the room was shrinking on him, and the floor was falling apart, Jeongguk felt like he was trapped. In fact, his whole world fell apart the moment he woke up. 

Jeongguk could still feel the lingering touch of Taehyung on his skin, the phantom heat of Taehyung's body next to him, the ghost warmth of Taehyung's lips on his. He felt warm teardrops on his face before he realised he was crying. Jeongguk didn't have the chance to give Taehyung the gift, he didn't have the chance to tell him how much he likes him, nor did he have the chance to say goodbye. Realistically he knows he shouldn’t panic and do something useful, but at that moment he was trapped in his mind palace, where every thought was the worst-case scenario he imagined.

He did not recall how long or how he overcame his panic attack, but he was suddenly hit by the idea of going after Taehyung. Jeongguk frantically rushed to the door and stumbled out of the house, and sprinted straight to the beach. It was dark, he didn't grab his phone, hence Jeongguk just stumbled blindly towards the beach, guided only by the dim moonlight. He was rushing so he forgot his shoes, the jagged rocks and broken pieces of seashells stung his feet as he ran, but those cuts and slashes are nothing compared to the crushing pain in his heart. Jeongguk fell down a couple times, tripping over rocks and plastic bags, he was sure he scraped his knees and palms, but he pushed himself back up and hurried along, hoping he could see Taehyung one last time before he goes. 

His legs were about to give out, but just as he was about to blackout from the pain and dizziness, he vaguely saw a dark silhouette on the beach, knee-deep in the water,  staring out at the endless ocean in front of him. Jeongguk could recognise that shadow anywhere. He pushed himself to run faster, ignoring the distress signals his brain was sending him. Taehyung didn’t seem to notice Jeongguk running towards him, the sound of his footsteps was probably covered by the wind and the tide. Jeongguk did not think before rushing into the sea, hissing loudly when the wounds on his feet came in contact with the freezing salty water. But that did not stop him from walking deeper into the waters until he was next to Taehyung. 

“Jeonggukkie?! W-what are you doing here?” Taehynug finally heard Jeongguk and turned around, shock evident on his face. He was grabbing his little messenger bag tightly, Jeongguk assumes he put all the gifts inside. He took a few deep breaths to adjust to the stinging pain and coldness on his legs. He knew he won’t be able to feel his feet anymore when he walked back to the beach house. 

“You,” said Jeongguk in an accusatory voice, jabbing his finger at Taehyung’s chest, “you left. You left without saying goodbye. Why? Taehyung, you could have woken me up or something?” Jeongguk’s voice rose gradually, not realizing that he was starting to get mad. Taehyung has seen Jeongguk mad a few times, but Jeongguk has never raised his voice at him. He realized things must be serious if Jeongguk sounded like that. 

“Do you know how scared I was when I woke up and saw that you weren’t there? We just slept together for God’s sake! And now you’re just going to leave without saying goodbye? That’s like, the shittiest move ever! And I haven’t even given you your present yet! You can’t just leave like that? What if I didn’t wake up huh? Then what?” Jeongguk was yelling frustratedly, hands flinging around to strengthen his argument. “And now because of you, I am freezing- AH! It hurts- I hate you! Why would you leave like that? You didn’t leave Jaegguk without a proper goodbye. You didn’t leave my parents without a goodbye either,” Taehyung could see that Jeongguk was not really mad, he was madder at himself than at Taehyung. 

“Do I annoy you that much? Are you sick of seeing me the whole day?” Things took a turn when Jeongguk’s eyes began to moist, big fat tears rolling out of his eyes as he asked Taehyung, “A-are you that eager to leave me?” Jeongguk choked out a broken sob and furiously wiped his tears away with his hand. “I-if you even consider me as a friend, the least you could do is say goodbye,” Jeongguk looked at Taehyung with such hurt that it almost made Taehyung cry as well, the insecurity in his voice was palpable, and it broke Taehyung how Jeongguk couldn’t see his worth and how much he meant to him. 

“I was going to see you off at the beach. I- I prepared all these grand things I wanted to say to you and was going to give you the present when you leave,” Jeongguk took out the necklace from his pocket, the little ring on the necklace gleamed under the moonlight. “I thought maybe if you wore it you would think of me more often, I guess… I guess I thought wrong.” Jeongguk’s outstretched hand began to lower, so did his head as he put the necklace back in his pocket, avoiding eye contact with Taehyung. 

Jeongguk took a deep breath and calmed himself. “I’m sorry I shouted at you. I overreacted. I never meant to do that,” Jeongguk’s head was still hung low, hands balled into fists from the cold and the pain, or frustration and anger towards Taehyung, who knows. “It was your choice, I should have respected your decision.” Jeongguk let out a nervous chuckle, wiping his eyes with his sweater paw. “I’m not crying, it’s just the wind.” 

Taehyung was determined not to cry right now and be strong for Jeongguk, but the tears were prickling at the corner of his eyes. He walked closer to Jeongguk and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. He could feel Jeongguk tense up, not sure if it was because of the cold or him crying, but he squeezed his hands a bit tighter. 

“Jeonggukkie, I just thought you looked really tired so I let you sleep. And everything we did today was a farewell, wasn’t it? At least that’s what I thought, if I knew you’d get this upset I would have woken you up for sure. Ggukkie please don’t cry, I hate seeing you cry.” Taehyung pulled away slightly to wipe the tears on Jeongguk’s face. “As for the present, honestly, I didn’t think you got me anything… I didn’t want to get my hopes up, you know, you didn’t have to get me anything.” Jeongguk wondered if Taehyung was part siren because his voice was soft as satin, fine as silk, designed to lure him in like a lullaby. “The necklace looks super pretty, Ggukkie, I would love to wear it, if you would still give it to me.” 

Taehyung’s arms were still hooked on his shoulders, Jeongguk still refused to meet Taehyung’s gaze because he knew he would blurt out stupid shit if he saw the Taehyung’s puppy eyes. Jeongguk sniffled particularly hard and rubbed his eyes like a kid that had just stopped crying and was trying hard to hide it. Jeongguk fished out the necklace again, and he put it on for Taehyung with slow hands. 

“Of course I would still give it to you, who else would I give it to,” Jeongguk mumbled softly, his nose and cheeks were blotchy from crying, with pink pouty lips that just makes Taehyung want to squish his cheeks and kiss the pout away. Jeongguk’s fingers were cold, but it didn’t bother Taehyung. His hands also shook a little bit, trying to tie the necklace behind Taehyung’s neck without seeing it. His hands fumbled so much he dropped the necklace, all Jeongguk could do was gasp loudly, he was ready to bend down and find the necklace that had dropped into water, but Taehyung beat him to it, waved his fingers and a bubble of water appeared next to them. Taehyung grabbed the necklace from the bubble and returned it to Jeongguk. Jeongguk was watching him with wide eyes, gaze full of surprise and wonder. 

“Be careful, Ggukkie,” Taehyung chuckled lightly as he put the necklace on Jeongguk’s hand. Jeongguk mumbled a quiet apology and tried again. He has helped his mother to put on her necklace before, but that’s different. Taehyung’s face was so close to his, their foreheads almost touching, and he could feel Taehyung’s warm breath and his burning eyes on him, his hands couldn’t help but shake. He was determined not to drop the necklace and embarrass himself again. 

Jeongguk has always been called a hopeless romantic. When he was young, he watched rom-com with his mother, and he would always think of what he would get for his future partner, how he would shower them with gifts and love. Young Jeongguk would draw roses and pretty things and hide them in a heart-shaped box, hoping one day he would give them to his special person. Of course, now he would never give that box to Taehyung, it'd be embarrassing as hell. He had dreamt of putting this necklace on Taehyung for days. The ring had a small sapphire on top of it, which reminded Jeongguk of Taehyung. He initially bought the ring only, but he was scared that if he straight up gave Taehyung the ring it would be a burden to him or too pressuring, so at the end he chickened out and bought the necklace, hoping he won't be too obvious but still subtly hinting it. 

Jeongguk was glad he chose this- the necklace looked gorgeous on Taehyung, silver chain gleaming against Taehyung’s beautiful tan skin, the sapphire on the pendant matches his hair. Taehyung subconsciously traced the ring with his finger while looking at Jeongguk. Jeongguk's eyes seemed to be unable to leave the necklace on Taehyung's neck. But he said nothing. Complimenting his gift would sound weird. 

The silence between them was suffocating. “Do you want me to give you back your clothes after I have shifted?” asked Taehyung, fisting Jeongguk’s warm hoodie. He had kept the hoodie and the pants dry so far, giving back to Jeongguk would be convenient. He was ready to take his messenger bag off to shrug out the hoodie, but Jeongguk beat him to it and stopped him by putting a hand on his forearm. 

“Keep it. In this way, next time when you come up, you won't be butt naked.” Taehyung chuckled lightly, thought no happiness behind it. 

Good things never last, sadly, the more Taehyung prolonged his departure, the harder it is for him to breathe and ignore the pain. He could feel the water beneath him tugging him towards the ocean, his legs starting to burn. “Ggukkie, I have to go, I can feel the ocean calling me back, I can’t stay much longer,” He could see confusion and fear in Jeongguk’s eyes, as well as unshed tears, threatening to fall any moment. 
“Jeongguk I’m sorry, I really have to go.” 

The pain Taehyung was experiencing was unlike any other he had felt, he knew it was the ocean punishing him for not returning, and he must return immediately. He let go of Jeongguk after pulling him in a tight hug and walked deeper towards the sea. It wasn’t hard for him to do so, since the current didn’t give him much resistance, in fact, he could feel the waves pushing him forward. However, the pain did not lessen. Taehyung desperately wanted to turn back and take one last glance at Jeongguk, but he was afraid he would run right back into his arms. Run back to his happy spot, his safe haven, his saviour, and most importantly, his crush. 

All he heard was waves crashing against the shore, the winter wind slicing the air, tranquil, but also disturbed. The water level was rising as he moved forward, and he was reminded of the familiar feeling of submerging in water.

The water was at his chest level when he heard someone shout behind him. 

“Tae!” 

When Taehyung turned to look, he was horrified. Jeongguk was waddling through the water with difficulty, every step he took seemed to pain him, but the younger boy didn’t seem to care. His eyes never left Taehyung, as he struggled hard to move forward, the resistance of the water almost too strong for him to overcome. Cold waves continue to crash on him, the wounds on his feet torn open again, the salt and the movement making it hurt even more, but Jeongguk paid no mind. 

“J-Jeonggukkie, no! You shouldn’t follow me! No! Go back!” Taehyung was panicking, because it was dangerous for Jeongguk to walk this deep into the ocean at night without lumination, he wished Jeongguk would not come to him, he tried to stop him, he really did. His brain was screaming at Jeongguk for being so reckless and stupid, for making his heart go unbelievably fast with just a simple gesture. But despite his protests, Taehyung was soon hit by a wall of muscles, two strong arms tightened around his waist below water, the mop of familiar black hair on his shoulder, shaking in his arms, crying harder than Taehyung has ever seen him. 

Taehyung wrapped his arms around Jeongguk's neck and soothed his back. Sobs slowly turned to hiccups, but Taehyung could tell that Jeongguk wasn’t done crying yet, he just stopped so he could talk to Taehyung. Jeongguk raised his hands and cupped his cheeks softly, and gently tugged his hair behind his ear. He was smiling wistfully, one that Taehyung has never seen before.

“Tae, promise me, don’t force yourself to do anything you don’t want to, okay? I-I know I asked you many times to come back to visit us, but-” Jeongguk looked like he was choking up on his own words. “You don’t really have to do that, okay? Go follow your dreams, do whatever you want, I’ll support you wherever you are. Just remember that there’ll always be a guy on shore who’s rooting for you.”

“But if you ever decided that you want to take a vacation from the ocean, you know you are always welcomed in my house. We can even fly to different places!” Jeongguk broke into a toothy grin, like the thought of travelling with Taehyung brings happiness to him. “I don’t know how you can contact me but, you can find me at the beach near the lab. I’ll go there every day at sunset. I’ll pick up your bottle message or whatever, I’ll wait for you.” 

“You’re the bravest and the most pure-hearted person I have ever had the pleasure to meet, so please, keep it that way. Until we meet again, Tae, I can’t wait to hear all about your travels and adventures.” 

“And please, please promise me you’ll be happy no matter what. I’ll be happy knowing that you’re happy and well.” A tear slipped Jeongguk’s eye, but he was still smiling. He looked like a moonlight fairy, one that Taehyung has only heard of but has never seen one. If Jeongguk was a fairy, he must be the prettiest and kindest one, with his big sparkly eyes that are so full of emotions, to his honey-like voice and gentle touches, he must be the fairy that Taehyung has been longing to meet his whole life. Taehyung can’t see him clearly under the dim starlight, he wished he could, he wished he could see Jeongguk clearly right now, take in all his delicate features, engrave them in his mind for the rest of his life, and never let go. 

Taehyung wasn’t good at words, he didn’t know what he could say to Jeongguk on the return of that heartfelt speech, so he tipped his toes and pressed a soft but firm kiss on Jeongguk’s cheek, right on his the scar he got from fighting with Jaegguk when he was young. He could taste the salinity of his tear from the kiss. Taehyung was by no means a stranger to salty things, growing up in the sea guaranteed a lifelong exposure to saltiness, but there was something different in the lingering taste of Jeongguk’s tears on his lips. It had a bittersweet aftertaste, like coffee that Jeongguk once brewed him in the morning. In his life, he had never thought of drowning, but looking into Jeongguk’s eyes, he was tempted to jump right in it and surrender. 

Taehyung led Jeongguk’s hand to his chest, just over his heart. “And I’ll keep you here," Taehyung leaned his head on Jeongguk’s shoulder, and whispered to him, "For as long as I live.” 

It was Taehyung who pulled away first, who turned his back on Jeongguk after brushing away his tears one last time. 

What Jeongguk didn’t saw was Taehyung’s tears that flowed down as soon as he turned, what he didn’t know was that the pain Taehyung was feeling on his legs were soothing the further he walked towards the ocean, but the ache in his heart was increasing in magnitude. Taehyung fully submerged himself when the water levels rose to his neck. He didn’t turn back this time and slipped underwater without a splash. It was ironic how he entered Jeongguk’s life, all loud and lively, only to leave so quietly. Jeongguk saw a flash of light under the water where Taehyung had been. 

Suddenly Jeongguk was reminded of the pain on his feet and the unrelenting whips of wind on his body, the pain seemed to increase in ten folds after Taehyung had left. There was no groundbreaking wailing or crying, but Jeongguk felt like a part of his soul was gone, taken to wherever Taehyung will be. 

Chapter Text

To Jeonggukkie, open this when I’m gone 

Jeonggukkieeeeeeeeeeee ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

It’s me! Taehyungie!♡ Wow. This is my first time writing to you! By the time you’re reading this, I should be halfway back already. Don’t worry! I’m doing fine so don’t worry. (I can foresee myself doing fine) I can imagine when you are reading this, you are sitting on your gamer chair in front of your desk, wearing your black hoodie #67180711 and grey sweatpants hahahahahahah 

When I was hanging out with Jae, he told me about Hank. I am sorry for what happened to you, if you hate him, I hate him too!! I bought his book, as you can see, next to this letter. You might wonder why I would give you your nemesis' book, but surprise!!!! I actually read all of it in one night! Most of them are bullshit I have to say, but some… I wonder how he got hold of that information… it is very disturbing… I don’t think any mer in their right mind would give away information like this… did he capture a mermaid or something? Please tell me no… my heart would break :((( this is not why I’m writing but :( plz investigate :( and punish him if he did bad things >:( back to my point!! I corrected every misinformation he wrote! I used some sticky notes so it would be clearer for you Ggukkie, I tried to explain everything, but as you know, I’m not very good with explaining :( I really hope you can understand them! I have one request though, please don’t sell this to anyone!! I trust that you won’t, I just want you to know that I wrote them down for you because I know you are interested in the merfolk, and you work in this field, hopefully it can assist your future work :) 

Also, take care of Jaegguk and Yeontan for me okay? I will miss them :((( give him morning kisses for me :((( spend more time with your parents too, they love you so much!!! Also, take care of my tata plushie! Clean it every once in awhile plzzzzzzzz 

Ahem... Ggukkie… I’ve stalled this long enough, even when I’m writing a letter to you I still try to stall it for as long as possible, silly, right? I think meeting you is the best birthday present I have ever had. I thought you were a meanie when I first saw you :(( You don’t smile and you wear all black, you scared me! I thought you were a hunter :( But then you took me to your home, provided me with shelter, gave me food and clothes without asking anything back :(( How are you so perfect Ggukkie? I’m not good with words so I don’t think I can explain how grateful I am to you. And how come you don’t have a partner? Anyone would be lucky to have you :(((( I am sorry for always annoying you, for being naive and knowing almost nothing about the human world. I know you said I can ask you anything, but I think even my parents find me annoying sometimes :( I know I tend to ask way too many questions sometimes and I’m definitely not the fastest learner. I just really want to thank you for being so patient and forgiving with me, thank you Jeonggukkie!!! ♡♡♡

Since I don’t have the courage to say this to you in person, I will write it here! I like you Ggukkie! And not the way I like Jaegguk or Jiminie or Yoongi hyung, I think I love you. I don’t know what love really feels like, but I am quite sure I love you >< You make my heart beat very very fast whenever you look at me, or when you hold my hand, and seeing you smile already makes me super happy♡ But I know that love doesn’t always go two ways so I didn’t say anything, I don’t want to pressure you, so I choose to tell you this when I have left. I know you don’t like me this way, and you are probably weirded out, or disgusted by me, you can just forget about me and move on! :p 

I don’t even know when I started liking you… probably when you gave me a fish to eat in the lab? All I know is whenever you take me out, I feel really happy and giddy because it felt like we were *boyfriends* and we were going on dates >< I now realise how creepy it may be for you… you taking me out to try new things platonically while I harboured the biggest crush on you… sorry if this makes you feel uncomfortable :( You don’t have to return my feelings, I just really wished to get this off my chest since we won’t see each other again… I’m sorry Ggukkie, I lied, I don’t think I can ever return to you, because of the duties and marriage >:( and… it’s very likely that your messages won’t reach me, and I can’t contact you either. (but after I confessed you probably don’t want to see me even if you could haha)

I just want you to know that even if we will never meet again, I will always, always love you with all my heart, wherever I am, wherever you are. I want to be the guardian angel that will watch over you (maybe under you in this case, haha get it?) I love the way you act like you’re all tough but is actually a big softie and cuddler on the inside. I love the way your eyes soften whenever you see Yeontan even when you won’t admit it, the way you talk so fondly of your brother even though you keep teasing him, how you always take care of me, your honey voice and your gentle soul. You know I like stargazing, so you took me to watch the stars, but you were the one who shone the brightest, and your eyes hold way more stars our galaxy could ever hold. They say first love is the hardest to forget, right? You are the only person I will love in my life. I know I’m still young and you might think it’s far-fetched, but we merfolk only fall in love once in our lifetime, and I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen quite hard for you. I pray that you will find love and happiness, and I hope your future partner treats you well. They better love you lots ‘cause that’s what you deserve Ggukkie! All the love in this world! 

You see that little ring? I hope you like it! I am aware that a ring has certain implications for humans, maybe it can be our friendship ring? Maybe you will think of me when you wear this? (But remember to take it off when you find a partner!!) 

I have to go now, the sun is out and today I need to go out with you dad. Bye Jeonggukkie! Thank you for everything. ♡

(don't open the other notes, by the way, open them when you need them!!!)

Love always, 

Your Taehyungie ♡

The cold Winter soon passed as Spring arrived, bringing liveliness to every corner of the town. The weather was way nicer than winter, gentle winds and sunny days, everyone rejoiced at the start of a new beginning. But Spring seemed to have missed one house in Busan, as the Jeon residence was still as gloomy as the day Taehyung left. Mrs Jeon had tried everything, literally everything to cheer his boys up. Jaegguk was sad because he missed Taehyung’s company dearly, even Yeontan was whinier than usual. But Jeongguk, poor Jeongguk who has never shut himself out from his family, had refused to leave his room. He didn't go down to have dinner with them, just asked his mom to put the meal outside of his room. It wasn’t a secret that Jeongguk liked to keep his troubles and thoughts to himself most of the time, but he has never taken it to this extreme. She knew his son wasn’t just missing Taehyung, not like the way Jaegguk misses him. She could see the regret and hurt in his eyes, which seemed to be red-rimmed and bloodshot every time she saw him lately. Sometimes at late nights, she couldn’t sleep, thinking of her son and Taehyung’s wellbeing, Mrs Jeon would go to the kitchen and make a cup of tea. But every time she passed Jeongguk’s door, she could hear muffled cries or soft sobs, sometimes radio silence though she was sure his son was wide awake on the other side of the door. She knows that no one knows Jeongguk better than her. But for the first time in forever, she didn’t know what to do. She felt lost. She has failed her son because she didn’t even know how to help his son. 

Time flies, the scorching sun and the long-awaited summer were just around the corner. There has been some progress over the months, Jeongguk joins them for dinner now, but no one has seen him smile anymore. Mrs Jeon could see that Jaegguk had moved on from Taehyung in some ways, which is understandable considering the younger boy did not spend as much time with Taehyung as Jeongguk did, plus the dynamic of their relationship was different. Or maybe Jaegguk was just trying to be brave for his older brother. Namjoon, Seokjin and Hoseok came to visit him every once in a while, but they always leave soon because Jeongguk doesn’t want company. She tried to ask them if they knew how to help Jeongguk, but the answer is always the same. Sometimes she was glad Jeongguk didn’t go out because she has been getting questions from her neighbours about the whereabouts of a certain turquoise hair boy. Mrs Jeon was glad Jeongguk was not on the receiving end of the question. Jeongguk changed during the course of a few months, he was even quieter than he was, sometimes he won’t utter a word in days. He always seemed to be in a daze, eyes unfocused and have long lost the bright sparkle of curiosity and joy he once held in those big doe eyes. Jeongguk also picked up his old hobby, painting. He never let anyone see his work, but one time when Mrs Jeon was cleaning his room, she saw a splash of teal and celeste across the canvas, she already knew what this was about. She didn’t mean to snoop around, but curiosity made her lift the cloth on the canvas. It was a finished watercolour portrait of Taehyung holding a bouquet of purple lilacs, smiling softly. Having worked briefly in a florist after she graduated, the painting broke her heart for she knew what it meant. 

First love. 

♆

Things changed when Autumn came. The night of his birthday, they organised a party for Jeongguk. It was a small one, just the family members and his close friends. He was fine, eating more than he did, smiling here and there. But everyone could see that his smiles never reached his eyes. That night when everyone had left, Jeongguk locked himself in the room again. The next morning he came down to have breakfast with the family, the first time since Taehyung left. It shocked everyone, and since Mrs Jeon didn’t prepare his breakfast, Jaegguk gave up his sandwich and just stared at his older brother eating. Jeongguk told them that it was time for him to move on with his life. He left for work soon after he finished breakfast, leaving the family in confusion. It wasn’t until weeks later when Mrs Jeon cautiously approached Jeongguk, asking about his sudden change of mind. He just shrugged nonchalantly, saying that there are things he should have done for Taehyung long ago. 

Jeongguk fully immersed himself back to work, scaring Namjoon and his colleagues. He would go to the lab at 6 in the morning, and won’t leave until it was 10. He often skips meals, locks himself up in the lab and doesn’t really talk to a lot of people. Everyone found it weird, but no one other than Namjoon and Seokjin knew what happened, so no one dared to ask him. Two months later the arrest of Hank Johannson was on the cover of every news story. He was exposed to have tortured and killed mermaids, along with mistreating marine animals in his lab. The media wrote that a mysterious source had provided them with more than enough evidence to put Hank in jail for the rest of his life. When the Jeons saw the news during dinner, all of them (not so) subtly checked Jeongguk’s reaction. But he only stared at the television with a burning determination that already confirmed their suspicions: he was the one who put the man behind bars. 

After the arrest of Hank, Jeongguk seemed to have taken some burden off his shoulders. He was smiling more, sometimes even making jokes. (Some are not very funny, but they all laugh like it's the best joke they’ve ever heard) He resumed his old habit, going to the gym every day, sometimes hanging out with Hobi and Namjoon, he even agreed on a fishing trip with Jin. But when they returned, he got sunburnt because according to Seokjin, the boy refused to go inside, as he sat on the deck and looked at the sea the whole day. 

On the 30th of December, Jeongguk returned home earlier than usual. He had bought a cake from the bakery, a medium-sized strawberry cheesecake. After dinner, he had taken it out, cut it, and shared it with his family. No one asked who the cake was for, no one asked why it was a strawberry cake even though Jeongguk wasn’t the biggest fan of strawberries. They all ate in silence, at one point Jeongguk heard a small sniffle coming from his left, it was his mother. Mrs Jeon was wiping his eyes quietly, trying her best to hide her tears. It was then Jeongguk decided he should open up with his parents. They had a long talk that night after Jaegguk had slept, they talked about how Jeongguk was coping with everything, how he was feeling and what he was going to do. Jeongguk told them he was feeling better, that he was slowly moving on, but he could never fool his parents. Every day at sunset, Jeongguk would walk to the beach near their house and just sit there, staring at the sea. If that tells you anything, for sure it's not him moving on already.

Jeongguk read the rest of Taehyung’s notes for the first time on his birthday. He was alone in his bedroom, stomach full of the meal and the cake. It has been more than half a year since Taehyung left. Life goes on, the world doesn’t stop for him, but Jeongguk often feels like everything is passing by him in a blur, he couldn’t catch up, nor did he want to. The stack of notes from Taehyung was placed neatly in his drawer, tied with a little blue bow. He hadn’t touched any of these since the night Taehyung left. He only read the letter he gave him, saving up the rest because once he reads it, Jeongguk fears he would lose another memory with him, fears that he would lose the remaining strings that still ties him with Taehyung. He took out the batch of notes and took one out. 

To Jeonggukkie the birthday boy!!!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡

Happy birthday to Jeonggukkie!!!!!!! Yay! You are now the same age as I am!!! I feel sad that I never had the chance to celebrate your birthday with you, and I don’t have a birthday present for you too, but I hope you have the best birthday ever! Are you having fun with your friends and family? I wish you would continue to grow healthily and strongly in the coming year, be happy every day and only bright things ahead of you! Make a wish! tete fairy is going to grant it :) ♡♡♡♡♡

Lots of love, 

Taehyungie xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo (birthday boy needs a lot of birthday kisses and hugs!!!♡♡♡)

Jeongguk tried, he really tried, tried to stop himself from crying because he knew Tae would never want to see him like this, but he just can’t, not when he misses the older boy so much, misses him with every fibre in his body. Jeongguk tried to read it in Taehyung’s voice, but he realised the merman’s voice has become vaguer and vaguer in his head, distant and quiet as if Taehyung never existed. He cried harder, clutching the note against his heart, hoping he could remember every little detail of their time spent together. He wasn’t going to read the rest of the letter, but the temptation is too great to overcome. He picked up another one with shaking hands and unfolded it.

To Jeonggukkie, open this when you miss me (ahhhh I hope you will open this :( ♡

Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!!!!! You opened this note!!!!!!! YAY you miss me!!!!! 

I miss you too :(((((( so much :((((((( there’s not a waking moment where I don’t think of you. What is Jeonggukkie doing? Is he smiling? Is he taking care of Yeontannie and Jaegguk? Does he miss me? 

Well, now I have the answers to the last question!!! Yes I miss you too!!! Let me give you a big hug and a big kiss on your cheeks!! (platonically if you’re uncomfortable of course) (also if you are already uncomfortable don’t proceed to read the rest of the note ><) 

Here’s one funny story that will hopefully make you laugh! Remember when we had slushie in the ice cream parlour? No kidding, I really thought I was going to die from brain freeze… I think some of my brain cells actually died… did you know that I wanted to confess to you at that moment? Yea… because I thought I was going to die >< well luckily for me, I didn’t die but I also didn’t confess so… yea!! Just wanted to say I really miss you a lot, I love you lots Ggukkie xoxo

Jeongguk could feel tears welling up in his eyes but he still smiled nevertheless. He remembered that day so vividly. Taehyung insisted he was a creature of water thus should have no problem with drinking, even if it's at such a low temperature. He gulped down half of the slushie before turning blue, his lips, his hands, his entire face. It scared the crap out of Jeongguk because what the fuck, is he allergic to slushie? Later on, he deduced that it’s because Taehyung is poikilotherm, so his body might not do well with the sudden intake of freezing drinks. The note doesn’t really help because he misses Taehyung even more after reading it, and just like Pandora's Box, his hand itches to open another note. He promised himself he would save them up but pfft. It’s not gonna happen now. 

To Jeonggukkie, open this when you have a bad day at work :( 

Code red!!!!! Jeonggukkie opened this letter!!! Oh no :((((( did your animals get sick again? :((( Jeonggukkie cheer up!!! :(((( You are an amazing and super talented marine biologist (a big word for me!) and I’m sure you can SMASH this! Keep your chin up! Don’t forget to drink some water and rest! And remember to eat you stupid big muscle rabbit, if you dare to miss your meals I will tell Yoongi hyung you hate Agust D!!!!! I am serious!!! Taehyungie is here to cheer you up!!

I hope you at least smiled a bit or made you feel better after reading this note :/ if you’re sad I’m sad too, so please be happy, pretty please? ♡♡♡

To Jeonggukkie, open this when you’re feeling lonely

Hey Ggukkie :( 

Since you are feeling lonely, your personal cheering fairy tete is here to cheer you up!!!! ♡♡♡

When you are feeling lonely: 

• Find Taehyungie’s letter 

• Read cheering fairy tete’s instructions (not to be confused with Taehyungie, they are totally different people)

• Read tete’s story 

• Smile!!! :)

tete’s story 

once upon a time there was a fairy called tete, and he had a friend called jimbo (coincidence only). jimbo and tete were great friends, they were inseparable, until jimbo found his knight in shining armor called yoongles (again, coincidence only). jimbo began spending more time with yoongles instead of tete. although tete had many friends, they weren’t jimbo. so tete was lonely. he hated feeling lonely, but soon, he realised that being alone is not necessarily bad! you get to think of your day peaceful, rest your mind, and just enjoy some tranquility! 

Ok, the story didn’t end very well and maybe our case is not similar lol but! We all feel lonely sometimes, it’s okay to be lonely, Ggukkie, it’s part of who we are. Sometimes it gets lonely down here too. When you’re alone, you get more time to know yourself. Maybe call your mom if she’s not with you? Or you can talk to my tata plushie, think of it as me, sitting on your bed, listening to all your worries and troubles, I’m right next to you! I’m here with you, just as you are here with me :) Hang in there Ggukkie! 

One turned to two, and two soon turned to all the remaining notes. Jeongguk read them all in one go, cried like a baby, clutching tata and the letters tightly, and felt his heart break into a million pieces again. That night, Jeongguk started writing letters to Taehyung. He wrote to him every day, like a diary entry: telling him about his day, how work went, how much he misses him etc. He thinks he would have gone insane if he hadn’t started writing. At last, all the pent up sadness, heartbreak and frustration all rolled into a tragically beautiful ode of love. 

♆

Two years later

Jeongguk was running late. Again. He didn’t mean it, but the traffic in Seoul is so much worse than Busan and he still hasn't gotten used to it after three months of living in the city. He never intended to leave his hometown, but Namjoon has been invited to be the guest professor at Seoul National University for one semester, and he recommended Jeongguk as his assistant professor. They teach several courses on marine science and biology, and they’ve been pretty successful if you ask him. (if students following them around and asking for their number counts, but academic-wise, Jeongguk wasn’t sure if the students had actually remembered anything from the lectures since they’re so busy ogling him and Namjoon) 

Life in the city has never appealed to Jeongguk, all the people, the crowds, the noise and the air, it suffocates him. He prefers his peaceful life next to the sea, his favourite place, also where his heart is. When Namjoon broke the news to him, he rejected the idea completely. He didn’t want to leave Busan, not after everything. Seokjin asked why he didn’t want to leave, Jeongguk just half-assed an answer saying he would miss his family and he needed to carry on his research in Busan. After hours of persuasion and interrogation, Jeongguk choked out a broken plea, what if Taehyung returned when he was gone? All his hyungs didn’t press him any further, tackling him into a group hug and calling it a night. Several days later Jeongguk called Namjoon telling him that he would agree to go with him, only if he had a say in the course materials. Jeongguk told his hyung that he would do it for Taehyung. 

Cue Jeongguk honking aggressively at the car in front of him, frustrated at the traffic and himself for sleeping in. He was lucky he isn’t the one teaching the first half of the lecture today, because Namjoon would whoop his ass if he missed his own class. His phone rang and the caller ID shows Joon hyung, he internally cringes at the impending scolding. 

“Yah. Where are you Jeon Jeongguk?”  

He was lucky Namjoon didn’t sound too pissed, probably because Seokjin came to town to visit him last night. “I’m at the entrance of the university,” he’s five blocks away, “I’m searching for parking spots.”

“You better be quick, you brat, may I remind you one of our supervisors is here and I will murder your sorry ass if you are late.” 

Jeongguk grunted out of frustration. Of course, his stupid ass had forgotten that the faculty Dean would be joining their class today. He should have known. “Yeah, got it, bye hyung.” 

He arrived at the lecture hall just thirty seconds before he would be considered late. He might have gotten a few speed tickets, and probably looks like a drenched dog, having run from the car park in full speed (in his suit nevertheless), the normally ten-minute walk reduced to a two and a half minute full sprint. Jeongguk is glad he is in charge of the second part because he thinks he would die of cardiac arrest if he had to teach a hall of 500 students right now. 

“Morning, Mr Jeon, glad you could join us.” The Dean walked towards him, hand extended towards him, expecting a handshake. Jeongguk doesn’t want to be rude, but his palms are sweaty as fuck and he was still panting like a dying seagull. That woman couldn’t have chosen a worse timing. 

“My pleasure, it’s our honour to have you here with us, Professor Lim.” Jeongguk subtly wiped his hand on his dress pants and shook her hand with a firm grip while bowing deeply. Professor Lim was the person who invited Namjoon, also a renowned scientist in this field. However, her intentions were quite clear as soon as they arrived at SNU. She would ask them to have lunch together every day, eager to show them around the campus and the quarters. Jeongguk wouldn’t lie, Professor Lim looked quite good for her age, but he was not into older women or women in general. Poor Namjoon has to deal with her every day, Jeongguk prays for his sanity.  

The lecture begined soon after their greetings. Namjoon being the eloquent speaker he is, aced it. Jeongguk however has never delivered a lecture in front of this many people, and he would be lying if he said he was not nervous. As Namjoon’s part comes to an end, his heart rate begins to pick up again. It doesn’t help because Professor Lim must have picked up on his nervousness as well, she squeezed his biceps in a reassuring gesture, though it did the opposite effect. When Namjoon ended his speech, he walked to the front row seats where Jeongguk and the Dean were sitting. He gave Jeongguk a firm pat on his back. 

“You can do this. Taehyung would be proud of you.” 

Jeongguk could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes on him as he walked on the podium as confident as he could. Today’s topic was a close one to his heart. He had to talk about the consequences of water pollution and global warming on marine biology. It hits close because his work at the lab makes him one of the few groups of people that will see the effects of it first hand, dying animals and corpses. Also, Taehyung. He wonders what the older boy is doing right now. Over the past two years, Jeongguk strived hard to spread the awareness of environmental protection and preservation. He carried out several pieces of research and took short trips with Namjoon around the world to attend different conferences. He was considered as one of the most influential scientists in this generation. 

Luck was on his side for he did not once stutter or stammer during the lecture. Everything was going on just as planned, the lecture ended smoothly, with the Q&A session at the end. Seems like the two of them did a great job. Most students have left the hall, not wasting a second of lunchtime. The two of them headed to the car park, ready to have lunch with Seokjin in a nearby restaurant when Jeongguk heard a voice he never thought he would hear again, softly calling out for him.

“Professor Jeon?”

He whipped his head so fast he could hear his neck cracking in protest. The turquoise-haired man in front of him looked just the same as he did two years ago, ethereal and breathtaking, with a hint of youthful energy in his bright eyes. His boyish looks grew into a more mature one, his face shed some baby fat, becoming more chiselled and angular. Jeongguk didn’t think he could be more handsome than he already was, but the older boy is like a pokemon, he evolves every day. 

“Holy shit,” Namjoon whispered, “you’ve got to be kidding me.” 

Holy shit indeed. Taehyung was standing in front of him in his full glory, wearing Jeongguk’s favourite hoodie and sweatpants that he had given the merman two years prior when he left. Taehyung looked radiant, he has gotten a bit more tan, honey skin, basking in the warm golden light of the winter sun. Taehyung looked a bit nervous like he didn’t know if Jeongguk would like to talk to him. His hands were clutching the straps of the backpack, fidgeting nervously.

“Are my eyes deceiving me? Because I think it is Taehyung.” Namjoon nudged Jeongguk lightly, unblinking eyes never leaving Taehyung once.

“Wait- hyung, you see this too? I thought it was my hallucination for too much caffeine intake.” Jeongguk spluttered out, eyes going inhumanly wide at the possibility of Taehyung actually being here. Over the past two years, he has dreamt of Taehyung more times than he could count, sometimes when he walks on the street he would mistake other people’s silhouette as him, only to be disappointed. He didn’t want to get his hopes up. 

Taehyung interrupted his train of thoughts, smiling timidly when he spoke, “I have to say, I am very impressed with your research and your study. You did an amazing job.” Jeongguk could see right through Taehyung’s feigned confidence, though he didn’t know why the older would be anxious in the first place. 

“Hyung, you go poke him first. See if he’s real.” Jeongguk was still sceptical, lightly pushing Namjoon forward. Taehyung seemed to be surprised by his request, eyes flitting from Jeongguk to Namjoon. 

Perplexed by the request, Namjoon inches forward with both of his hands raised, like he’s surrendering. “I’m sorry if you are not who we think you are, please don’t be alarmed, I am going to pinch you to test it.” 

Taehyung seemed to be very amused by the idea of Namjoon pinching him, as he broke into fits of giggles, boxy smile on full display. “Sure, Joonie hyung.” It was a nickname that only Taehyung used, as Namjoon didn’t allow anyone else to call him Joonie. 

“Tae? Is it really you?” Jeongguk breathes out. He hates how his voice breaks at the end of the sentence, hates himself for being weak and pathetic, tears threatening to fall as he walks towards Taehyung slowly. All those sleepless nights where he would wake up alone, missing him, longing for him, it all came crashing down right now. 

“O-oh. You remember me,” Taehyung seemed shocked at Jeongguk recognising him, “I thought after two years you would have forgotten about me.” Taehyung’s eyes were turning glassy too. He was searching for clues in Jeongguk’s eyes, but the younger one looked so broken and hurt, he almost didn’t recognise the youthful boy he fell in love with. 

Taehyung was within arm’s reach. But Jeongguk hesitated. He brought his hand up several times, his fingers itched to touch Taehyung, thread through his silky hair, or touch his cheeks, but he didn’t. 

“If I touch you, will you disappear, l-like you always do?” Jeongguk’s heart hurts at the thought of Taehyung leaving him again, and again. Just like all those times in his dreams, whenever he ran towards the merman, he always disappeared.

Taehyung shook his head frantically. “No, no, no, I’m really here, Jeonggukkie- Ggukkie, can I still call you that? I’m here, I’m-”

Taehyung was cut by Jeongguk’s hand cupping his cheeks, thumb softly caressing his cheeks, his eyes containing a million emotions, holding him like he was the most precious thing in the world. Tears streamed down Taehyung’s cheeks when Jeongguk whispered, “my prince, my taehyung”, sobbing softly at how warm and safe he felt. How much he feels like he is finally complete again, like he has returned home at last. Jeongguk pulled him in a tight hug, sobbing quietly on his shoulder, his whole body shaking. Taehyung still smells like a gentle sea breeze and his dreams.

Jeongguk pulls away from his neck (a little reluctantly though) and lifts a hand to Taehyung’s cheek, cradling his face as he catches the boy's tears with his thumb. 

“You, you were supposed to come back, what kind of prince does that make you, you can’t even keep your word.” Jeongguk's words have no bite in them, he lightly shoves Taehyung, but the older boy still looked very apologetic.

“I am so sorry I-” Taehyung was going to apologize when a pair of soft lips interrupted him, the same pair of warm lips he once had the privilege to kiss. Jeongguk tasted like coffee, not Taehyung’s favourite drink but at the same time, he couldn’t get enough of it. If it means he gets to kiss Jeongguk, he doesn't mind the smell of coffee at all. 

Taehyung sighs into the kiss, pliant and soft, when Jeongguk’s arms find home on his waist. So gently as Jeongguk pulls at his bottom lip, breathing against each other, slowly but with fervent want and passion underneath it, sweet and just as Taehyung likes. He wishes he could do this forever, he is willing to do anything to stay with Jeongguk forever. 

Taehyung pulled away first, feeling breathless and unable to believe what was happening. Blinking gaze searching for Jeongguk’s.

“You have no idea how much I miss kissing you,” Jeongguk brushes the stray hair out of Taehyung’s forehead, gaze full of warmth and honey-like fondness. “I missed you, I missed you so much Tae,” Jeongguk dropped a kiss on the tip of Taehyung’s nose, “I miss holding you,” a peck on his forehead, “I miss your smile,” a peck on the cheek, “I didn’t have the chance to tell you, but I love you, I love you so much-” 

Jeongguk was in the middle of professing his undying love for Taehyung when he realised Taehyung could have gotten mated already, or worse, maybe he already has a child, or he has already moved on. He pulled away immediately, putting a distance between their bodies.

“Oh shit- I’m sorry, I should have asked you if you were okay with it- I’m s-sorry Taehyung, I am sorry for assuming you still like me- you probably have a mate and a family, don’t you? Haha, don’t mind me, it was nice seeing you again-” Jeongguk was rambling like crazy, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, cheeks flushed in an adorable tomato red, his gaze never meeting Taehyung’s. 

Taehyung chuckled at Jeongguk’s antics, shaking his head lightly. It was Jeongguk’s turn to look surprised when Taehyung cupped his cheeks and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. 

“Ggukkie, how can I ever move on from you,” whispered Taehyung, eyes earnest and filled with longing. “When you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted?” 

“I would love to be yours, if you’ll still have me.” Taehyung presses even closer, head resting on Jeongguk’s bicep as gazed into his eyes. For two agonizingly long years he wondered if he would ever have the privilege to hold Jeongguk again, to touch him, to call him his Ggukkie, and some nights he’d even dream of it. Dreams where Jeongguk whispers I love you in his ear, press butterfly kisses everywhere, loves him like they have all the time in the world and kisses him like he’s all that matters.

Jeongguk scoffed softly, looking at Taehyung with so much fondness and adoration. “Is that even a question?” Taehyung gave him a shy boxy smile, still a tint of nervousness in his eyes. 

Jeongguk pulled Taehyung by his waist, resting his forehead on Taehyung’s. “You’re not walking away from me, ever again.”  

Jeongguk’s lips claim Taehyung’s again as the older boy laughs wholeheartedly, moulding their mouths together, moving in a hurried pace, coaxing a sigh from Taehyung’s chest. Taehyung had his arms wrapped around his neck tightly when Jeongguk’s hands rested on his waist, as he suckles at Taehyung’s lips gently for what feels like forever, yet still not enough. Everything felt right the moment their lips reconnected, as if the stars had aligned and the universe had shifted, Jeongguk felt the crushing ache that has been present in his chest for the past two years vanish suddenly, happiness and giddiness coursing through his body. He could hear the sound of his heartbeat beating solidly in time with Taehyung’s, the warmth of his body slotted perfectly with his. 

Later when they hopped onto Jeongguk’s car, Jeongguk pulled Taehyung into a slow kiss again. It feels like he’s kissing soft clouds, pillows that were left in the warm, early morning sunlight. Jeongguk gently pulls Taehyung a little closer to him, as close as they could get in the front seats of his car. Without the public’s watchful eye and presence of his hyung, they kissed for what seems like forever, until they both ran out of breaths. 

When they pulled back, both of their faces were flushed, cherry red lips coated with spit. It was a simple moment, just the two of them breathing heavily in the car, gazing into each other's eyes with their fingers intertwined.

“You’re single, right?” Jeongguk breaths out, chest rising and falling rapidly from kissing Taehyung for a prolonged period. Taehyung on the other hand was less infected, bless his strong lungs for living underwater, though his face was very very red. 

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask the person who just kissed me?” Taehyung muses. 

Jeongguk chuckles lightly, whacking Taehyung’s shoulder lightly. “I’m serious! You’re not mated to some prince or duke are you?” 

Taehyung throws his head back and laughs wholeheartedly. “No, I told them I mated with a human, they all ditched me.” Taehyung seems to find this very funny, while Jeongguk found it very confusing. 

“We mated? I thought we just had sex?” 

“Aw, is that what you think? And here I thought we had a connection,” Taehyung teases, squeezing Jeongguk’s hand lightly. “It wasn’t the mating process of a mer, but it’s the action that counts. Trust me, when I told him, he fled so fast.” 

Jeongguk sighed contentedly. “Well, I’m glad no one else touched you when I wasn’t in the picture, I get jealous very easily.”

“Is that so?” Taehyung grinned cheekily and flicked Jeongguk’s chin. “Now I’m up here, all alone, are you gonna do anything about it?” 

Jeongguk leans in again and presses another soft kiss, right on Taehyung’s lips. “Yeah, let me love you for the rest of my life.” 

If you had asked Taehyung a few years ago what future did he envision, surely staying with a human for the rest of his life was not on his mind. Never in a million years would he have thought he would be caught by fishermen and was sent to a science lab, where he would meet the love of his life. He had dreamt of marrying his first love since he was a child, and Jeongguk is everything he could ever ask for. There was something beguiling about Jeongguk that made Taehyung fall for him. Perhaps it was the way Jeongguk always acts like he doesn’t care, but secretly worries for those who he loves. Or his kind words and praises, his silent encouragement and supportive cheers. Or maybe the way he has a heart that is too big for his body, or his gentle soul. All that he knows is he loves Jeongguk dearly, and Jeongguk loves him back.

Chapter Text

Waking up next to Taehyung is a surreal experience that Jeongguk cannot get used to. 

It’s been a few days since the merman has returned to him, yet every morning when he sees Taehyung pouting in sleep his heart squeezes impossibly tight and he always ends up waking Taehyung accidentally by planting too many kisses on his face. Taehyung always complains it disturbs his sleep, but Jeongguk could see he secretly enjoys the daily shower of affection. 

That night when Jeongguk was reunited with Taehyung for the first time in two years, there were a lot of tears and crying. The moment they entered Jeongguk’s apartment, Jeongguk’s lips never left Taehyung’s, from the couch to the bedroom. (You may have expected sexy time, but no, Jeongguk was too emotional to get hard.) Taehyung had spent the entire night telling Jeongguk what he had done in the past two years. After returning to his kingdom, Taehyung had rejected the prince right away by telling him he had already mated with a human. It caused the prince great humiliation and he left immediately. It angered Taehyung’s father as well, in order to appease his dad and to persuade him to make Yoongi the next in line instead, Taehyung picked up the mission to promote peace and coexistence between different pods, travelling around the seven seas to form alliances and teach the tribes how to deal with global warming and changing water temperature. It was challenging and it took him two solid years to finish his mission. Once he was done, he bid farewell to his parents and swam ashore. Jeongguk was not at the beach as he promised (which made Taehyung a bit worried and sad). He tried to find Jeongguk in Busan: he went to the lab, knocking on the door timidly only to be answered by a bright cheerful girl (whom he mistakenly thought might be Jeongguk’s partner). Ryu was very nice and helpful, she didn’t ask why he’s looking for Jeongguk, nor why he seems so clueless about everything. She taught him how to take the train to go to Seoul, and taught him how to go to SNU by himself. Ryu was very patient in teaching Taehyung even though he has a lot of questions, and Taehyung made a mental note that if he successfully finds Jeongguk, he needs to give the girl a raise. He thought about going to Jeon's residence but thought it might be intrusive and he didn’t know what the family would think of him now. 

This time, Taehyung wore a mask to block out the city smell. It wasn’t entirely effective but at least it makes the whole ordeal more bearable. Thanks to Ryu and her map, Taehyung did not get lost once. Throughout the journey, he was tempted multiple times to follow the puppies or the little kids, but his mind blared sirens whenever he was distracted, going jungoo jungoo jungoo jungoo. He was almost lost in SNU campus, but since Namjoon and Jeongguk being guest professors was a pretty big deal, there were some posters and arrows that Taehyung could easily follow. When he sat down in the large lecture hall, he was a bit nervous, he’s gonna see Jeongguk for the first time in two years, and there were so many loud whispers around him, the college students seem to have taken a liking towards this ethereal beauty that is himself. Taehyung tried calming himself down by pinching his thigh, the presence of Namjoon was also reassuring, but nothing could have prepared for the moment when Jeongguk entered the room.

Like Namjoon, Jeongguk was in formal attire, black suit and a black tie, paired with shiny lace-up oxfords and fitting slacks that accentuates his long legs and muscular thighs. Taehyung would be drooling on the spot if it weren’t for his speeding heart, he has heard the wonders of suits but has never witnessed it on Jeongguk, he was glad he could see it once before he died. When Jeongguk took off the blazer, a quiet collective gasp could be heard in the crowd. Some girls were trying to snap a picture of him, some guys straight up ogle. (Taehyung was a bit jealous, he told Jeongguk that night when they were cuddling and asked Jeongguk to pay him with ten kisses. Jeongguk paid him more) After the lecture, Taehyung mustered up the courage to walk up to Jeongguk and the rest is history. They ordered take out that night, Jeongguk leaving campus immediately and brought Taehyung back to his apartment. He professed his undying love for Taehyung again and again, in which Taehyung welcomed each and every attempt with a sweet peck. At the end of the night, both of them were exhausted from crying so much, but the adrenaline of seeing each other again kept them awake the whole night. When it was nearly dawn and the two of them were lying on the bed face to face, Taehyung asked why Jeongguk wouldn’t close his eyes and rest. Jeongguk said he didn’t want to close his eyes, not even for one second because he’s afraid Taehyung would disappear when he woke up. They ended up falling asleep in the early morning, limbs tangled and bodies pulled flushed against one another. 

The moment Jungkook woke up he could feel an unusual warm thing on his torso. He groggily opened his eyes and saw the tan limb on top of him, and found Taehyung sleeping peacefully next to him, all pouty and soft under the winter morning sunlight. Part of Jeongguk still thinks it is unreal, he still dreams of Taehyung, but most times those dreams end with Taehyung leaving him, and Jeongguk would wake up in cold sweat and tears streaming down his face. The difference is now Taehyung is next to him, and he would kiss away his tears and fears until Jeongguk falls asleep in his embrace again. 

Jeongguk kisses Taehyung on the cheek, then on the nose and lastly on his lips, making the merman stir in his sleep. “Morning sleepyhead,” he whispered, as he kept pressing loud kisses on Taehyung. Jeongguk rolled over Taehyung to get off the bed, trying to wake his boyfriend but to no avail, he probably went too hard last night. Jeongguk trotted to the bathroom and then the kitchen sleepily after throwing on his underwear and sweats. He’s going to make Taehyung strawberry pancakes so his boyfriend will be in a good mood, and maybe he will agree to his proposal. As he was brushing his teeth, Jeongguk had an inner debate on how to ask Taehyung. Bringing your partner home is a pretty big step in his culture, it means you’re really serious about this relationship and you see them as a possible life partner. Taehyung has told him that he is here to stay, he gave up his prince titles so he won’t need to attend royal duties, but just because he’s staying on land doesn’t mean he wants to stay with Jeongguk forever, right? If he could, Jeongguk would get down on one knee and propose already but he didn’t want to push Taehyung or move too fast (not fast enough if you ask him). 

He was deep in thought, flipping the pancakes when a pair of arms snaked around his waist and a warm solid weight was plastered on his back. Taehyung was blowing raspberry kisses against his nape. 

“Goo’ morning Googie,” Taehyung’s voice was slurred from sleep, it usually happens when he is trying to stay awake. Jeongguk found it very endearing. “I could smell the pancakes in my sleep.”

“Is that so?” The pancakes were complete and ready to plate, Jeongguk took out whipped cream from the fridge and started decorating the plate. He then put the sliced strawberries on top of the cream and squeezed some strawberry sauce to finish it. “Was I too hard on you last night? How ‘bout a massage and warm bath after breakfast, hmm?” Taehyung nodded on his neck and mumbled something like my back hurts. 

They finished the breakfast in silence, Taehyung too sleepy to make conversation and Jeongguk too busy staring at his boyfriend. Taehyung failed to notice the inner turmoil the man is facing just across from him. 

“Baby,” Jeongguk dragged out the syllables slowly, “do you want to meet my parents, but as my boyfriend this time?” 

Taehyung didn’t even bat an eyelash, just looked up from the pancakes, munching happily and said, “Yes of course! I miss them so much, and Jaegguk too! I can’t wait to see them!”

Jeongguk swallowed and shook his head lightly, “Um, no babe, I don’t think you understand what this means-” 

“Of course I do! It means meeting your family and telling them I’m your boyfriend!” Taehyung exclaims. 

“No baby it means- it means that we want to take our relationship to the next step. I just want you to know that my parents are probably gonna say suggestive things, like marriage, or mating and grandchildren.” Jeongguk chuckled nervously. “It doesn't have to be like that, but um, just thought you should know. Is that… okay with you?”

Taehyung stopped eating immediately and looked at Jeongguk, looking very awake. “Ggukkie, I- I know we’ve only been together for a few days, and trust me, it’s a short period for our standards too! But we’re different, right? I am ready to spend the rest of my life with you, I will follow you wherever you go if you’ll have me, so please, you don’t need to ask these questions anymore, I love you Gguk.” Jeongguk got choked up by Taehyung’s confession and started sobbing a bit. The pancakes were forgotten, and the breakfast ended with a steamy make out and Taehyung trying to cheer him up by giving him the suck of his life. 

“Mom, I’m coming home tonight, I have a plus one guest, please prepare more food,” said Jeongguk, using his most nonchalant voice. Taehyung on his right was covering his mouth with both of his hands, trying to suppress his laughter. They were on a KTX train returning to Busan to pay a surprise visit to his family.

“Huh? Plus one? L-like… a business partner? Is Namjoon visiting? I’m gonna get him-” 

“No mom, plus one as in a boyfriend.” 

There was silence on the other side of the phone, exactly ten seconds before Mrs Jeon talks again. “Oh great!” forced enthusiasm with doubt undertones “I’m so happy for you baby!” not exactly, she’s hella confused “You...haven’t mentioned anything about him?” she’s trying to pry-

“Oh, well, we wanted to wait till things were official, you know. Actually, I’m going to move out next month. I’ll be renting a house with him, near the beach probably.” 

“You- What?” In Jeongguk’s twenty-something years of age, he has never seen or heard his mother being perplexed or rendered speechless. That woman is always calm and collected, which is why Jeongguk really wants to giggle now. 

“Yes mom, we are very excited, he’s been dying to meet you guys. I can’t wait till you see him, you’re gonna love him.” He’s not lying to his mother, he already knows his mother loves Taehyung. 

“Um. Okaaaaaay.” Mrs Jeon dragged out the okay like she doesn’t know what else to say. “How long have you guys been together?” she asked cautiously. 

“Oh, we met five days ago, we hit it off immediately and we just felt this connection- I want to spend the rest of my life with him.” Jeongguk was positively sure his mom was gonna have a stroke at this point, but then he’s not lying, he did reunite with Taehyung five days ago, and he does want to stay with him forever. 

Mrs Jeon ended the call hurriedly, saying she has to call Mr Jeon to get some groceries (a lie because Jeongguk’s mother would never trust his father for this job). His prank so far is successful and he cannot wait for their reactions. Next to him, Taehyung had stopped giggling. He threaded their fingers together, thumb lightly brushing over his knuckles. “You really want to spend the rest of your life with me?” Jeongguk hummed softly, turning around to see if any passengers were staring before slyly kissing Taehyung’s soft shy smile away. 

(The reunion went a little like this. The moment the doorbell rang everyone and Yeontan rushed to the door. Jeongguk hasn’t shown interest in anyone since Taehyung left, so the two parents were very anxious and concerned, while Jaegguk was genuinely curious. As soon as the door opened and Taehyung peaked behind Jeongguk, everyone screamed and cried. There was a giant cuddling session with Yeontan barking happily at their feet, and Mrs Jeon was still sobbing quietly even when they were starting dinner. Jeongguk teared up a bit too. Everyone was over the moon) 

🎄

It was Jungkook and Taehyung’s first Christmas together. 

Taehyung was told that Christmas was Jungkook’s favourite holiday, so he was very excited to spoil his boyfriend with kisses and gifts. They agreed on not doing Christmas shopping together because they wanted to surprise each other, so Taehyung went shopping with Mrs Jeon. He has earned a few bucks by working hard to make some handmade pieces of jewellery and tapestry to sell at the market on weekends with Jeongguk, he saved up enough money to buy the thing that Taehyung knows his boyfriend loves. (he could just use the money Jeongguk gave him, Jeongguk told him he could use all his money in the bank account without asking, but he didn’t because he wanted it to be his own hard-earned money to make the gift more special) 

They are living together in a small house near the beach, where Taehyung can go out to the balcony every morning to bathe in the fresh sea breeze and the smell of the ocean. Jeongguk and Taehyung decorated the house together, the former putting together IKEA furniture while the latter took the painting job. Their small house is a pretty light blue on the outside, and the walls of their living room had become a big canvas for both of them, painting masterpieces after masterpieces. They ordered a king-size bed for their bedroom since Taehyung loves to roll around the bed and a bigger bed means more space for adult bedroom activities. Jeongguk would indulge him with anything so they ended up getting several sets of blue and white bedsheets and a set of Iron Man bed sheets, which Taehyung secretly ordered for him in hopes of surprising his boyfriend, and when it got delivered to their house, Jeongguk could not believe his eyes, he was this close to telling Taehyung that he is not at the age of getting Iron Man bed sheets (and who the hell makes king-sized Iron Man bed sheets anyways???), but one look at Taehyung’s delighted face when he unpacked the bedsheets had him swallow down all the complaints. (He made a mental note to never have sex when they are using the Iron Man bed sheets, he tried it once, and it wasn’t a very good experience when Tony Stark’s face is right next to Taehyung’s when he is fucking him) 

They have settled in fairly quickly, their daily routine was simple. Jeongguk drives to work in the morning, sometimes driving Taehyung to his mother first if the merman wants to hang out with his mother (learning how to cook with Mrs Jeon), or taking him to work with him if there are some tough cases that he cannot think of any idea to help the animal. Taehyung would keep it discreet, no one other than Namjoon and Seokjin knows about him in the lab and they intend to keep it that way. Jeongguk introduced Taehyung to his colleagues the first day he returned to the lab, and Taehyung became friends with them soon after. Jeongguk would return home to have lunch every day since the lab is just 15 minutes drive away from their home, he would ask Taehyung to wash the ingredients beforehand (no knife is allowed without his supervision), and he would cook the meal and return to work after eating it. His work finishes around 7, Jeongguk would get takeouts if he’s tired, but usually, he would cook dinner and listen to Taehyung talk about his day with his cheekies full of rice, and then proceed to watching a movie or cuddling for the rest of the night. He took days off on the weekends, Saturday mornings are reserved for selling handmade goodies by Taehyung in the market square, afterwards, he would take Taehyung to the beach or to the park, or visit his parents. 

Just the two of them living together was like a dream come true, but the idea of inviting his family and friends over for Christmas was tempting. After all, Taehyung has never experienced Christmas and Jeongguk believed the joyful festival would be the more the merrier. He asked Taehyung over dinner one day in December, the older was delighted by the idea and asked Jeongguk to teach him how to decorate their home and get a Christmas tree. They went to the mall and bought a fake tree, some lights and Santa plushies. Taehyung bought glitter, colourful threads and some wool to make ornaments by himself. He also made beautiful Christmas tapestries and hung them all over the house, their little humble home was soon very festive and Christmassy. 

The Christmas party was a success, the two invited Jeongguk’s family and some close friends, namely Namjoon, Seokjin and Hoseok. Jeongguk and Seokjin prepared the Christmas feast with Mrs Jeon’s aid, while Namjoon chatted with Taehyung about his recent work and Hoseok having the time of his life playing Twister with Jaegguk. Since everyone knew Taehyung’s identity, they chatted freely without any worry and had a blast. Seokjin asked about the traditional festivals they celebrate in mer, and Taehyung recounted in joy. The idea of going having a boat party next time so they could meet Jimin and Yoongi was brought up and Taehyung could not be more excited. Everyone gave Taehyung beautiful wrapped presents and colourful Christmas cards since they knew it was his first Christmas. 

They bid farewell to their guests after the movie ended and retired to their bedroom, enjoyed a warm steamy shower together before resting on their giant bed. Taehyung was now lying on the bed with his head on Jeongguk’s lap, his boyfriend’s fingers softly threading through his recently dried hair. Taehyung sighed in content, before meeting Jeongguk he never would have guessed one day we would trust another person with his hair, who knew Jeongguk’s slightly calloused fingers would feel so nice against his scalp? He was a bit tipsy, drunk of happiness and warmth that Jeongguk radiates and his eyes were droopy from the tasty Christmas feast. 

“Did you enjoy your first Christmas, my little fish?” asked Jeongguk, between humming Christmas tunes under his breath. Taehyung opens his eyes and stares at his glorious boyfriend above him. His eyes crinkled at the new nickname his boyfriend came up with. They had a nickname contest the other day, honourable mentions include honey fishy, baby bun, Ariel and sweet muffin (don’t ask why). 

“I did. It was merrier and happier than I imagined, I wish we celebrated Christmas as well. It was an absolute delight, like a celebration. I can tell Jaegguk likes Christmas a lot, he was so excited when I gave him the present! I enjoyed it a lot, receiving presents and blessings, eating yummy food, but of course, the happiest thing is being next to you and seeing you smile.” Taehyung plucked his lips childishly, asking for a kiss from Jeongguk, in which Jeongguk gladly planted many on his face. “But why do we have to wait till Boxing Day to open our presents? I’m curious about what I’ve received!” 

Jeongguk chuckled softly, “Well it’s kind of a tradition, but since it’s already past midnight, I suppose you can take a peek. Jaegguk wouldn’t be too happy with this but I guess you can get away with it being your first Christmas.” They went downstairs to the Christmas tree in the living room and brought all their presents back to their room, and sat cross-legged on the bed surrounded by presents, looking like two excited little kids. 

“Oh, Ggukkie which one should I open first? My first ever Christmas gift unboxing! How excited!” Taehyung caressed each present as if they’re a soft carpet, debating on which one to open first. “Should I open yours first? But I want to save it for the last!” Jeongguk ruffled his hair affectionately and planted a kiss on the top of his head, his eyes never leaving the older. “You can open mine first since I was the first person to give you a present, plus, it only fits if I’m your first.” Jeongguk throws Taehyung a poor wink that had the older fake gag, pinching Jeongguk’s cheek playfully. 

Taehyung unwrapped the wrappings carefully and gasped loudly when he saw the contents, before whipping his head to look at his boyfriend. 

“Do you know what it is?” Jeongguk had a feeling that Taehyung didn’t know what it was exactly, and he was laughing at his boyfriend’s enthusiasm for his gift even though he didn't know what it was. 

“Nope, not really, but it looks really beautiful and you got it for me, so I love it.” Taehyung was smiling like a fool, and it was so endearing Jeongguk’s heart did a somersault. 

It was a medium-sized cardboard box, inside was a buildable Dobsonian telescope kit, with his initials written in silver cursive on the body of the telescope. “This is a mini DIY telescope. Remember when we went stargazing before you left?” 

Taehyung’s smile dimmed a little at the last words, “Yeah, the night we had our first kiss, of course I do.” 

Jeongguk gave a quick peck to his boyfriend before continuing, “You asked me how do people watch the stars if they have bad eyes. This is what we use. You can see the stars much much closer using this. You can put it next to the window, and every night, if there are no clouds, you can look at the starry night and see every constellation you want.” 

At this, Taehyung’s eyes moistened, pearls threatening to fall from his eyes. “You got this for me? And with my name on it?” Jeongguk nodded softly, fingers lacing with Taehyung’s. “I know how much you love the stars, and I can't wait to watch it with you every night. I also expect you to tell me all about the stars, okay? I can listen to you talk about it forever.” and Taehyung just melts, melts into the loving gaze of his boyfriend and his heart that is bigger than his body. 

“You won’t find me boring?” Taehyung teases his boyfriend, flicking his chin. “Promise me you will build it with me?” and Jeongguk just pulls him into his arms and buries his head in Taehyung’s neck, biting him playfully while snickering, “Who else would you build it with, huh?” Taehyung giggles, attempting to counterattack by pinching Jeongguk’s nipples but fails unsurprisingly. Their sparring contest ended with a sweet kiss and Taehyung proceeded in unwrapping other presents. 

Namjoon got him encyclopedias and a cactus. He remembered one day he visited Namjoon and Seokjin’s apartment and he was fascinated by Namjoon’s bookshelves, asking if he could lend some books to learn. He was especially interested in the encyclopedia, a big book that consists of pockets of knowledge on various topics, it would definitely help him find his interests and learn faster. It attached a small card, with Namjoon’s handwriting saying: 

Dear Taehyungie, 

Merry Christmas to you, have a wonderful time with Jeongguk and enjoy the most magical time of the year. I hope you find this encyclopedia useful in helping you adapt to life on land, and the cactus (please don't touch it Jeongguk and Seokjin will kill me) reminds me of you, they grow and bloom even when they are facing adverse environments. Take care of it! (and Jeongguk, he’s a man-child) 

Best wishes, 
Namjoonie

Hoseok got him and Jeongguk a red and yellow themed Winnie the Pooh matching outfits with Yeontan, though Jeongguk doesn’t look too willing to wear it to the park on their next date but Taehyung can be very persuasive if he wants to. He also got Taehyung a skateboard, which made Jeongguk frown for safety concerns. Seokjin got him a cookbook and some secret recipe written by himself, and a set of eating utensils with a small dolphin carving on each of them. Mrs Jeon got Taehyung a designer sweater, while Mr Jeon gave him a ukulele. Taehyung loved every single present, he really wanted to call and wake everyone up to thank them. Jaegguk was not allowed to buy any gifts for Taehyung, since Taehyung hated the idea of making Jaegguk spend money on him, he made the older a DIY pop up card and some freshly baked cookies. For Jeongguk, everyone just gave him simple gifts. Ranging from black leather jackets to black shirts and black belts, Taehyung was chuckling quietly next to his boyfriend. “Do you love wearing black that much?” he jokingly asked. 

“I used to wear black a lot, when I was a teenager, I went through my emo phase and it stuck. Before I met you I often wore all black. But when I hung out with you I thought I would look dead next to you if I wore monochrome, so I tried more colours. But after you left I wore black again. Just didn’t feel the need to dress up for anyone.” Jeongguk shrugged nonchalantly, looking at Taehyung briefly before continuing to unwrap his presents, but Taehyung did not miss the longing look in his eyes. 

“Oh wow, looks like I only have one gift left, what have you got me, your royal highness?” Taehyung giggled and leaned closer, “Take a wild guess, my honey bun.” 

“Hmm…” Jeongguk scratches his chin for dramatic effects, “I bet you didn’t get me what I wanted the most.” Taehyung gasped immediately and sat up, suddenly very serious, “But I asked you so many times what you wanted! You said nothing! Did you really have something in mind? Oh gosh, it’s probably not what you wanted,” Taehyung was rambling at this point, pulling his hair out of frustration and whining, “why didn’t you say something, ugh, you got me this amazing star gazer and I got you- not what you wanted I-” 

Jeongguk noticed his boyfriend’s distress and gave up on his prank, he pulled Taehyung on his lap and took his hands in his, “Baby I didn’t mean it like that, I would love anything you give me, even if it's a simple kiss,” a kiss on his temple “you being here with me is the greatest gift I could ever ask for, my love, I was gonna say I wanted you the most. You, right next to me.” another kiss on his nose. 

Taehyung embarrassedly climbed off Jeongguk’s lap, face red from embarrassment and endearment at Jeongguk’s flirty response. “Next time tell me what you want, okay? I had to ask different people’s opinion on what to get you, I feel like a very bad boyfriend.” 

“It’s your first Christmas, it’s normal to be confused.” Jeongguk laughed at Taehyung’s pouty face, “ Let’s see what my baby has gotten me- oh it’s big and quite heavy, I can’t wait to see- Woah. Tae did you-” 

“Do you like it?” Taehyung asked timidly. 

It was a watercolour portrait of Jeongguk in a baby yellow sweater, surrounded by tiger lilies. In the portrait, he was smiling fully, his famous bunny smile that has been reserved for Taehyung’s eyes lately. Jeongguk traced over his face, he remembers showing Taehyung the paintings of him he did when the older was gone, and this is a response to those paintings. 

“I got inspired by your tattoo, I know it’s your birth flower, I think orange suits you very well. This is how I see you, just pure happiness and love, and I would love to see you like this every day. I know it’s not much, and it doesn’t cost anything, I just really wanted you to know- to understand that I love you equally as much, if not more. Even if I don’t know how to express love in human ways, even if I don’t understand your pick up lines sometimes, I love you. And I’m so happy to be your boyfriend, I hope you know this. I love you Ggukkie, more than anything in the world.” Taehyung is tearing up, and so is Jeongguk. He realised his boyfriend cries very easily when it comes to him soon after they got back together (one morning Jeongguk cried while making pancakes because he was just so happy he could make breakfast for Taehyung again). 

Jeongguk brought their foreheads together and bumped their noses together, exhaling a shaky breath, “Oh god, you are not real, how did I get this lucky?” Jeongguk pulled away and took a deep breath, “How can I top this? You’re not allowed to surprise me with presents anymore, it puts mine to shame,” Jeongguk pouts, “just wait till your birthday, I’m gonna give you the best gift to ever exist.” 

🧸

Taehyung’s birthday was exactly five days later. Jeongguk had a vague idea of what to get. His boyfriend would love materialistic gifts (anything Jeongguk gets Taehyung, to be honest), but he would appreciate meaningful and handcrafted gifts by Jeongguk more. So Jeongguk was set on a journey to buy paper and colouring pens, masking tapes and even decorative stickers. He even purchased a How to DIY book. Taehyung’s gonna love it. 

They didn’t hold a birthday bash for Taehyung, since everyone already met up on Christmas, and Taehyung wanted to spend his first birthday as Jeongguk’s boyfriend with his baby. Jeongguk rented out a small catamaran and set off sail early morning. It was very cold and chilly for him but seeing Taehyung’s excited grin was worth it. They popped a bottle of champagne and had a small celebration in one of their chambers, in which they were interrupted by loud banging noises against the ship hull. They were just about to undress each other when they heard a voice outside yelling bitch you’re here I can sense it, come out now Kim Taehyung.

Turns out it was Jimin and Yoongi, who had been patrolling around these waters and saw the yacht, Jimin’s soulmate senses tingled and the two best friends were reunited. Taehyung leapt into the water as soon as he saw the mop of orange hair, with Jeongguk running behind him half-naked. It was the first time Jeongguk met them, he had a nice talk with the two of them and chatted with Yoongi about his music. The whole boat trip was even more memorable for Taehyung now that he met his two best friends on his birthday, also the fact that the most important people in his life have finally met each other. 

Taehyung’s birthday celebration continued with Jeongguk taking him to a high-end Italian restaurant. He had booked the entire restaurant for themselves, the food was great, and so was Jeongguk in a suit. The dinner ended with Jeongguk leading him to the rooftop, the whole terrace filled with rose petals and there was a path outlined with Taehyung’s favourite candles. In the middle was a small white cake, lit with one candle and decorated with some white camellia that Jeongguk knows Taehyung loves. Turns out Jeongguk baked and decorated the cake himself, the sweet gesture making Taehyung tear up. They shared a kiss as the fireworks went off in the background, Taehyung felt like it was his best birthday yet. 

Jeongguk knows no limit when it comes to surprising and spoiling Taehyung, when they returned home, just when they were about to turn off the night light and cuddle to sleep, Jeongguk sat up and cleared his throat. 

“I have to show you the last surprise, don’t get too excited though. Close your eyes baby, don’t open them until I say so.” Taehyung covered his eyes with his palms, he could hear bedsheets ruffling beside him signalling Jeongguk leaving the bed. He could hear Jeongguk walk towards the direction of their walk-in closet, he was very tempted to open his eyes and peek but decided not to. Jeongguk returned moments later, returning to his previous position and placed a solid weight on Taehyung’s lap. 

“Can I open my eyes now?” Taehyung was fidgeting, anxious and excited for Jeongguk’s present. Jeongguk gently removed his hands from his eyes and Taehyung saw a beautifully wrapped book size gift on his lap. 

“Oh Jeongguk did you buy me a book?” he unwrapped carefully, not wanting to tear the beautiful blue wrapping paper. Underneath it was a handmade scrapbook, with Jeongguk’s neat handwriting on the cover: Falling in love with Kim Taehyung, a guide by Jeon Jeongguk. There was a picture of them when they had their first picnic, Taehyung was kissing Jeongguk’s cheek while Jeongguk was frozen. It felt like a lifetime ago. 

“Ggukkie! What is this-” 

“Just flip through it before you say anything.” 

Taehyung turned over the first page, his tears already threatening to fall. It was him in the lab the first day he got here, he was falling on the ground and trying to stand up. Next to it was Jeongguk’s handwriting, the day I met the love of my life, never thought he would come in the form of a fish and bite me, but hey, I’m not complaining. Next to it was a photo of Taehyung having dinner at the Jeon’s residence for the first time, having trouble using chopsticks. The next page was Taehyung scarfing down sashimis in the fish market, eyes wide and cheeks full. The first time you tried sushi, you looked so happy I wanted to feed you all the sushi in the world. 

The night we decorated your room together, the night I realised I care more about you than I thought

Skydiving. Sorry baby, that one’s on me ><

The first time we had a picnic, the day I fell in love with you

Our first amusement park date, the day I realised I can’t stay mad at you, even if you bite me

Our first kiss

Our last night together

It was like a trip down the memory lane. Vivid memories running through Taehyung’s mind as he flipped through every page, some colourful with Jeongguk’s little doodles while some were monochrome. The book stopped abruptly after their last night together, a blank page with nothing but a small line of words.

I love you, and I’ll use the rest of my life to prove it to you

“Please stop crying. If you cry I’ll cry,” Jeongguk said, voice already sounding wet but Taehyung just cries harder. Full-on sobbing uncontrollably as he clutches Jeongguk’s sweater tighter, pulling him even closer, basking in the scent and warmth he has grown to love so much. Jeongguk nuzzled against his hair before placing a kiss on Taehyung’s nape, the older responded by pressing a kiss to Jeongguk’s cheek, the younger tilting his head to catch Taehyung’s lips. He could taste the saltiness of their tears, and when they broke apart, he could see the curve of Taehyung’s collarbone, the light dusting freckles on his honey skin like a dusting of gold, the downy curve of his shoulder, the pulse at the base of his throat. He saw the shape of Taehyung’s lips, red and inviting, slightly parted and coated with their spit. His luscious dark lashes as he blinked his eyes shut. And Jeongguk was swept through with a wave of desire and love, a kind he had never experienced before with other people, like a clean fire that burned away thoughts, that made his hands - not tremble, but thrum, with excitement: eager to touch him, to feel him under his fingertips, to show him all the love in the world, and to walk the rest of his life hand in hand with him. He suddenly understood why kisses in movies were filmed the way they were, with the camera endlessly circling, circling. Jeongguk’s palms smoothed down his boyfriend’s back, while Taehyung’s long fingers were threading in his hair, on the back of his neck, tangling gently.

Falling for Jeongguk was never difficult. Taehyung felt he fell a bit more in love tonight, in love with his sweet boyfriend who kisses the way he loves: tender, sweet, loving, passionate, delicate, yet determined. Jeongguk is the epitome of wearing his heart on his sleeve, so easy to love, so much love to give. Taehyung thought of the Fall, of angels tumbling forever in fire, of Icarus, who had flown too close to the sun. He had thought of the agony of the fall, the fear of unknown, pain and terror of it, but never that it might be sweet. As Jeongguk pulled Taehyung close against him, closer than he had ever thought they could be, he wondered if it was only in the act of falling that one could truly experience freedom.

Happy Birthday, my love, may we spend all our birthdays together for the rest of our lives - jjk