“Malta!” Seokjin shouts once he’s out of the airport, dropping his luggage on the floor and throwing his arms out above him. “The beautiful buildings, the blue ocean, the clean air!” he takes an overdramatic sniff around him, sighs. ”Do you smell that Yoongi-chi?!”

Walking up next to him, his best friend Min Yoongi grabs his hat and pulls it down over his face. The people around them at the airport are all staring at them, and the last thing Yoongi liked was drawing attention to himself. “Hyung,” he mutters, loud enough for Seokjin to hear but soft enough so that no one can guess that they know each other, “you’re embarrassing yourself.”

“Nonsense!” Seokjin shouts.

Behind them, someone chuckles. Seokjin turns around and sees their friend Lee Hyun approaching with their remaining luggage. 

“I’m glad you seem so excited, Jin-ah,” Hyun laughs, setting the luggage down and pushing up his glasses with his finger.

“Of course I am!” Seokjin hollers. “It’s not every day I get to fly to another country to stay at a beach house!” He’s suddenly bowing, moving forward and grabbing Hyun’s hands into his own. “Hyung-nim, thank you for this wonderful experience. You are the best. You are the greatest.”

Hyun laughs at the younger’s antics. Meanwhile, Yoongi rolls his eyes, taking a few steps away from the two of them so that others don’t think they’re friends of his. 

“I mean, it’s not really a beach house,” Hyun states shyly.

Hyun’s family owns a house here in Malta. A waterfront Valletta house. Seokjin has seen it millions of times through pictures and has always dreamed of visiting. Has always begged Hyun to take him. Of course, Hyun’s family hasn’t really been back to Malta in years but due to some sudden business opportunity, Hyun got a free trip plus two tickets for his parents.

His parents, however, were too old to travel. So his father had told him to take two friends with him instead. Thus, Seokjin and Yoongi tagged along.

It was perfect timing too. Seokjin had needed to get away from Korea due to some personal issues involving his ass of an ex-boyfriend. Most of his friends —if he could actually call them that— told him he had been overreacting.

Now for the next month, he will be here in Malta. The furthest away from his problems as he could muster.

“It’s a house, it’s close to the ocean. So it’s a beach house,” Seokjin concludes. And he was so going to have fun here at this beach house.

Hyun called a taxi over and gave the driver the address. Tomorrow, Hyun would go and rent a car somewhere for them to use. Today, they were going to take it easy and head off in a cab.

Bouncing in his seat, Seokjin lists off all the things he wants to do. He wants to go bar hopping, he wants to go scuba diving. He even plans to go on one of those water hoverboard thingys he’s seen so much on the internet.

First thing on his list, however, because it would relax him after a long plane ride, was fish. He had brought the gear and had practiced several times in Korea with Yoongi and Hyun for this trip. He was ready to go and catch a fish and tell all his friends at home and take a picture and just have them all see how much of a good time he was having.

Hyun was up in the front seat chatting away with the driver. 

The taxi pulls up in front of the waterfront house, and Seokjin's mouth drops when leaves the car. The view was breathtaking, just as he had seen in pictures. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over the old city of Valletta. The waves gently lapped against the rocks, and the air carried a salty breeze.

“I’m in love with this place already,” he whispers. The sea breeze tousles his hair and he sighs contently. "I think I might just stay here forever." 

From behind him, Hyun chuckled, breaking the spell momentarily. "How about we take out our luggage first? You've got a whole month to soak it all in."

As they retrieved their luggage from the taxi, Seokjin couldn't shake off the hope that this month in Malta was going to be something truly extraordinary. He needs this. He needed to get away and he got it. Only good things can happen from here on out.

“Make yourselves at home,” Hyun says as they step inside the foyer and set their luggage aside.

The beach house was everything Seokjin had ever wanted from a regular house. It was large and airy, with windows that opened up to breathtaking views of the sea. The interior was decorated in a way that makes it feel both cozy and luxurious and—

“Holy shit there's a pool!”

Hyun laughs. “Yeah, when I was younger, Namjoon and I would spend hours in it.”

“Think we’ll run into him?” Seokjin asks. He’s heard lots of stories about Hyun's friend. It was all he ever talked about since they started planning the trip. He sounded nice. 

“Ehhh, I don’t think so,” Hyun says, drawing out the words slowly.. There’s something weird about the way he says it. As if there’s some secret that he knows. “He doesn’t really do well with strangers.” 

Seokjin tries not to look too disappointed, but he doesn’t pry. They go to their rooms, Seokjin sighs as sees the two beds inside his and sighs.

Originally, his ex was supposed to have been a part of the trip but plans had changed when they had broken up. Now, staying positive, Seokjin has another bed where he can dump all of his things on without putting them away.

“Just leave your stuff in the room and get change!” Hyun calls out from his own bedroom. “The place we’re going to is right next door!”

Planning their first night at Malta to be wild, Seokjin pulls out his I ♥ Malta shirt and pulls it over a black, long sleeved shirt, he slips on some shorts and sandals and heads out.

Glancing at himself in the mirror, he admires himself. He was a very attractive man who arrived to a very beautiful country and was ready to forget his unattractive, ugly-ass ex.

“Hyung!”

“Coming!” he calls back as he runs out of the room and meets them outside.

The night was alive with the vibrant energy of Malta's nightlife as Seokjin, Yoongi, and Hyun stepped into Cockney's, the bar where they planned to kick off their month-long adventure. The atmosphere was lively, the music pulsating through the air, and the smell of delicious food wafted from the kitchen.

Seokjin couldn't contain his excitement, and he immediately spotted an open spot at the bar. 

As they settle in, a friendly man with a charismatic smile approaches them. "Welcome to Cockney's! First-timers?" he asks in English with a twinkle in his eye. He’s an elderly looking man, with white hair and a white mustache and beard.

“Yes,” Seokjin replies back in English. “What is your name?”

“My name is Charles.”

“Charles, oh, my name is Jin.”

Charles shakes his hand, asks them what they’d like, first drinks on the house and it’s exactly the way Seokjin wants to get things started.

The night unfolded in a blur of laughter, drinks, and delicious food. Charles kept the drinks flowing, and Seokjin found himself thoroughly enjoying the vibrant Maltese nightlife. He had his fill of oysters, calamari, octopus and anything other type of sea food he could get his hands on. Charles compliments him on his appetite.

“I am so glad we came,” Seokjin muses, a few drinks in. Next to him, Yoongi nods slowly, feeling the alcohol starting to kick in.

“And to think you were planning on canceling your ticket.”

Seokjin frowns as he remembers why. Right. The breakup. His douchebag of an ex. He had almost canceled the trip because this was supposed to be their trip. It was going to be an important night, a new step in Seokjin’s life.

Guess it still was. He would be celebrating how he was now single.

Eventually, the trio stumbled out of Cockney's, the night air hitting them with a refreshing coolness. They laughed and stumbled their way back to the beach house, the sound of waves providing a soothing white noise to their lively adventures. 

As Hyun enters the passcode—for the third time because he can’t seem to remember it— Seokjin looks out at the cool waters. 

“I wanna fish,” he mumbles. It was one of the first items on his bucket list and the sudden urge to do it now hits him. “I wanna catch all the fish. Fishes? Fishi?”

“Fish, Hyung,” Yoongi clarifies for him, though he himself isn’t really that sure.

Seokjin turns to Hyun and pulls on his shirt. “Hyun-hyungie, I wanna fish the fishies.”

“Can’t fish here, Seokjinnie,” Hyun tells him. At the moment he’s the least drunk of the three. Which isn’t much help considering he’s now on his sixth attempt with the passcode. “The dock is a no fishing zone at night. We can go find a place to fish in the morning.”

Frowning, Seokjin leans against the fence, spreading his arms wide, and shouting out into the night, “I'm going to catch all the fish in Malta! Just you wait!"  Then he bursts into an impromptu rendition of the "Gotta Catch 'Em All" Pokémon theme song. Several passersby glance at him, giggle. 

The door finally plays the correct jingle and the door opens. Yoongi all but drags Seokjin inside before he can embarrass himself further.

It was all fine till Seokjin found the karaoke machine inside.

“Hyun-hyung said we shouldn’t fish here,” Yoongi comments. With a wave of his hand, Seokjin dismisses the younger’s comment.

“There is a whole ocean right in front of us and we’re expected to walk somewhere else to fish?” he complains, dragging the chair over to the rails before he takes a seat. “Nope. I’m staying here.” Unzipping his bag, he pulls out his fishing gear and starts setting up.

After karaoke, they had pulled out the beer cans and resumed their drinking, but that wasn’t a problem for them because none of them are lightweights, or at least this is what they tell each other. Hyun was passed out inside on the couch, Yoongi was singing karaoke on the TV and Seokjin suddenly had the urge to fish at 11pm. And since Yoongi always stops Seokjin from doing stupid things when he’s drunk, here they are both on the dock.

Seokjin leans back in his chair, the rhythmic sound of the waves providing a soothing soundtrack to his thoughts. He casually rests his head on his hand, as he takes in the expansive view of the ocean under the moonlight. The salty breeze tousles his hair, and for a moment, he closes his eyes, allowing the wind to caress his face.

He could live here, he notes. It was far from his friends and family, but he wouldn’t mind. He could make new friends, he was a sociable guy. As for his family, he could go back and visit during holidays and birthdays if needed.

 Yeah, all he really needs is this place. He could die happily here.

As he basks in the serenity of the evening, a single water droplet landed on his face, disrupting his tranquil thoughts. He opens his eyes, looking up at the sky. Another droplet falls, and then another, gradually turning into a light drizzle. Yoongi glances up, a frown forming on his face.

"Maybe fishing wasn't the best idea," Yoongi mutters, the realization hitting him as the rain starts to intensify.

Seokjin, undeterred, laughs, attempting to pack up his fishing gear. "Come on, Yoongi-chi! A little rain won't hurt."

But as the drizzle turns into a full-fledged rain shower, they suddenly find themselves caught in a sudden downpour. 

"Alright, maybe we should head back inside," Seokjin admits, reluctantly abandoning his fishing ambitions for the moment. He shoots to his feet and hurriedly gathers his things.

As they rushed towards the house, the wooden deck became slippery. Yoongi, trying to maintain his balance, reached out to grab Seokjin's arm. However, in their haste, Seokjin steps on a particularly slippery spot, and his foot slides out from under him. With a yelp, he tumbles, arms flailing, and splashes into the water below.

Yoongi calling out to him is the last thing Seokjin hears before his ears are plugged with water. 

As Seokjin finds himself submerged in the water, panic sets in. The world around him transforms into a watery blur, and the muffled sounds of the rain and waves fill his ears. Disoriented and struggling to find his bearings, he kicks his legs in a futile attempt to resurface.

In those frantic moments, his mind races with fear. He’s not a good swimmer. He should’ve worn a lifejacket even if he had been on a deck. He shouldn’t have been out fishing after having a couple of beers anyway.

Thoughts of the end, of not being able to breathe, clouds his senses. The weight of his wet clothes and the chill of the water adds to the disorientation, and a sense of helplessness takes hold.

Oh man, he’s going to die like this, isn’t he? He shouldn’t have said he could die happily here when he wasn’t even ready to die yet!

Just when the edges of his vision start to blur, Seokjin feels a sudden surge of movement around him. A blur of something darts through the water, and then, as if out of nowhere, he feels a strong grip under his arms. Something had grabbed him from behind, pulling him towards the surface.

Seokjin's head breaks through the water, and he gasps for air, coughing and sputtering as he clings to the edge of the deck.  Water streams down his face as he tries to catch his breath, his heart still pounding with the remnants of fear.

The blurry surroundings gradually sharpen. In the distance he can hear footsteps of someone running towards him, yelling his name. Coughing, Seokjin feels the two hands that were on him let go. Before his savior can leave, Seokjin turns. His eyes widened in astonishment

It’s the most beautiful man Seokjin has ever seen. With striking purple hair that seems to shimmer in the fading daylight, the mysterious figure gazes at Seokjin with eyes that sparkle like the ocean itself. 

“Hyung!” he hears Yoongi call out to him before Seokjin feels himself being pulled back up to the dock, his bum hitting the wood but his eyes are glued to the waters.

In that instance, in a swift and graceful motion, the handsome man dives back into the water. As the water splashes, Seokjin's eyes widen in disbelief as he sees it.

A tail.

In the next second, the sea seemed to reclaim its secret, and it was gone, leaving Seokjin breathless and awestruck.

As he finally gathers his senses, he turns to Yoongi, clinging to his friend’s shirt. “D-did you see it?” Seokjin stutters.

“I saw it,” Yoongi replies, eyes glued to the waters where they both saw it leave.

“I’m not crazy then?”

“You’ve always been crazy,” the younger replies, “but that…” He doesn’t finish. Seokjin doesn’t blame him. They both have to be out of their absolute minds to be thinking they saw what they saw.

Surely there’s an explanation, Seokjin reasons when he and Yoongi run back to the house. Surely they’re both just really drunk and both imagined Seokjin falling into the water and getting pulled back up by what appeared to be a—

Nope. There’s no way they both imagined that.

The rain has stopped and Seokjin and Yoongi return inside. None of them say a word to each other. Yoongi doesn’t even scold Seokjin for being stupid enough to go out there and fish when Hyun had specifically told them not to. He guesses they’re just both too stunned to talk about it.

Seokjin doesn’t sleep well that night. He’s tossing and turning and well, reminiscing. The image of the merman is etched in his mind, the memory playing over and over like a beautiful and haunting dream. 

That…creature was very good looking, he recalls. Was purple his natural hair color or was that just the after effects of pollution? Could pollution cause your hair to change color? Seokjin doesn’t know.

His dip in the ocean had surprisingly sobered him, so the next morning he was just peachy keen, no hangover in sight.

Of course, he was pretty sleep deprived and maybe that’s why he was so bent on going back out to the dock and finding out what had really happened last night. 

Without even so much as a knock, he enters Yoongi’s room. 

“Hey,” he whispers, shaking his friend. “Do you remember anything from yesterday?”

Yoongi replies with a grumble. He turns to the other side of the bed, away from Seokjin. “I can’t think at this hour in the morning. I don’t have a brain yet.”

Seokjin glances at the clock. “It’s almost noon.”

“I don’t care?” he hears Yoongi muttering into the pillow. “I’m still asleep.”

Sighing, Seokjin stands. His head is throbbing and his legs are a little bit wobbly but he wanders over to the kitchen for a glass of water.

As he sips the water, Seokjin leans against the counter, contemplating the events of the previous night. The memory of the merman seems both too vivid and too fantastical to be real. PHowever, there was no other explanation. Yoongi definitely didn't jump in the water to save him, and Seokjin definitely hadn't swum his way out…

He can’t take it anymore. Setting the glass aside, he heads straight for the foyer and slips on his flip flops before opening the door and leaving the house.

Surprisingly, none of the neighbors are outside. Good. Seokjin was worried that they’d see him. Didn’t need the neighbors thinking he’s some sort of lunatic going out and hunting mythical creatures.

With the sun out and shining, Seokjin walks towards the deck. The sky was a clear blue, which was definitely helpful for his mission. Wouldn’t want any more near-death accidents.

He reaches the end of the deck. Kneeling down, he looks into the water, squinting. Sees nothing. Puzzled, he does the first thing that comes to mind.

“Excuse me,” he calls out softly, now realizing that he had no idea where the merman could even be. “Mr. Merman?”

Nothing happens. Seokjin tries again, this time leaning in closer to the water.

“Woohoo? Mr. hot-basically-man-of-my-dreams merman?”

Again, nothing.

Sighing, Seokjin leans back. Well, what did he expect honestly? For the merman to just pop his head out of the water because Seokjin had called him? Nah, surely these creatures were a lot smarter than that. 

He pouts in frustration, closes his eyes and pinches his temples as his hangover is starting to kick in. Maybe both he and Yoongi were just ridiculously drunk and imagined it last night. But then that wouldn’t have explained to Seokjin how he got out of that water. It hadn’t been on his own.

Hm. Maybe if he pretends to drown again…

The sound of moving water catches his attention. Seokjin opens his eyes and is met with a pair of purple eyes staring into his own.

The absolute howl he let out in that moment was probably the most unattractive and undignified sound that had ever left Seokjin’s mouth. He could’ve said every swear word known to man and still it would not be at the same level. He falls back on his bum, the back of his head almost hits the deck but he catches himself just in time.

The merman, however, seems unfazed by Seokjin's outburst. The vibrant colors of his tail dance in the water as he swims around. He smiles warmly at him, showing a deep set of  adorable dimples.

“Oh,” Seokjin gasps once he calms down and pushes himself up on his elbows. “Oh, um. Hi.”

Wow, the melanin on this guy. Seokjin was having a hard time looking away, taking in his features. His eyes were hooded, heavy and had a tiny crease at the end. They also had a thin waterline and tiny lashes covering them. His dark and full eyebrows contrasted his purple hair, which strangely enough appeared to be dry and fluffy.

Seokjin would've actually thought him to be human but he sees it. Sees the tail floating behind him. A purple tail that looks like marble with different shades of its base color at the tips. Looking closer at the merman's —um— human skin, it's shiny, as if someone had spilt glitter over it or coated it with nail polish. At the side of his neck, Seokjin spots the gills.

The merman starts moving. Reaches out with his arms and pulls at the wood to haul himself up on the dock. Before Seokjin can process what he’s doing, the merman is right there, one hand on each side of Seokjin and face really close.

Seokjin’s brain goes into a panic.

“Um, about last night…” he pauses, stumbling on his words a bit. What was he supposed to say? A part of him was still a bit freaked out over this. He was talking to a fucking merman for crying out loud! None of this made sense to him. “T-thank you,” he manages out, the words coming out a bit awkwardly, “for, um, saving me. It was stupid of me to just drunkenly walk around like that. I could’ve died.”

Deep, hooded eyes focused on Seokjin’s face, they flicker from his eyes, to his chest, to his nose and then stop at his lips, to which the merman just plain out stares, his own lips parting slightly.

Seokjin decides to distract himself from the feeling of little butterflies in his stomach and the heat at his cheek. “D-do you understand what I am saying?” he asks. The merman doesn’t respond, his eyes shoot back up to Seokjin’s and just stare at him, owlishly blinking a few times.

Biting down on his lip, Seokjin is unsure as to what to do in this situation. He thought it would be enough to thank the merman for saving him. But then again a part of him had come out under sheer curiosity to see if he really had seen what he thought he had seen. Now he was here thanking a merman. A merman that couldn’t even understand that he was thanking him.

Embarrassed, Seokjin starts backing up, pushing himself away from the merman. The merman follows, pulling himself with his arms and dragging his tail across the small dock. Seokjin’s heart starts panicking, beating rapidly against his chest.

The merman pauses for a moment as he takes in Seokjin’s frightened stance, tilting his head to the side. His eyes narrow slightly, and suddenly, there's a shift in the air. A blinding, glittery light surrounds the merman, causing Seokjin to shield his eyes. The light intensifies, and Seokjin dares to peek through his fingers, but is unable to see what the hell is going on.

Not wanting to find out, fear grips Seokjin, and he scrambles to his feet. Without a second thought, he runs towards the house, his heart pounding with both awe and terror. 

Seokjin bursts into the house, slamming the door shut behind him. The sudden noise catches Yoongi's attention, who's groggily awake in the kitchen.

"Hyung, what the hell?" Yoongi grumbles, rubbing his eyes.

Immediately, Seokjin rushes to Yoongi, his breath erratic and eyes wide with panic. "Yoongi, Yoongi, it's real!" he gasps out, gripping onto Yoongi's shoulders.

"What's real? What are you talking about?" Yoongi replies, now fully awake and concerned.

"The merman, Yoongi! The one we saw at the dock, it's real! It wasn’t a drunk dream, it's real!" Seokjin exclaims, his words tumbling out in a rush.

“What?”

Now filled with urgency, Seokjin grabs Yoongi by the arm and starts pulling him towards the door. "Come on, Yoongi! You have to see this! It's real, I swear!"

Yoongi stumbles along, still trying to process Seokjin's words. “Hyung, what the he—”

The door beeps, the passcode having been entered successfully. The merman pokes his head in. The merman's gaze shifts between the two, Seokjin freezes, and Yoongi's eyes widen as they lock onto the unexpected visitor. 

His mouth drops. “Is that…?”

Having no words, Seokjin just nods.

“You’re shitting me.”

Seokjin shakes his head.

And then the merman enters the house, and well…well he’s standing there in all of his naked glory and—wow—long, long legs that replaced his tail. He had to have been a mythical creature because there was no way a human could ever look that good.

“Holy crap,” Seokjin gasps, mouth dropping open. “Holy crap.”

Next to him Yoongi is also frozen in place and staring. The merman looks between the two of them again then takes a step towards them, the action makes Seokjin jump and snap out of his trance.

“Clothes!” he squeaks out. “We need to get you some clothes!”

Running past the guy, Seokjin darts to his room. Curious, the merman follows behind him. He peeks his head into the room and sees Seokjin rummaging through his clothes, throwing them around on the bed. He settles on a pair of black gym shorts and a t-shirt.

“Oh my god,” he shrieks when he turns around and sees the mer at the door. “Holy shit, do you not make any noise when you walk?” 

He doesn’t answer. The merman is staring at him, eyes flickering to the clothes he’s holding in his hands. Eyes struggling to focus on his face and not look down, Seokjin walks over to him and hands him the clothes. “Put these on,” he tells him.

Clothes now in hand, the merman frowns, staring at the garments. Why does he want him to put these on? Usually people had no problem with him being naked.

Seokjin can't wait another minute. Taking the shirt from the merman's hands, he positions the shirt and guides the merman's arms through the sleeves, trying his best to avoid any awkward movements or touches.

The merman looks at Seokjin with a mixture of curiosity and confusion as the shirt goes over his head. Seokjin then points to a pair of pants, saying, "Now, these. One leg in each opening and pull them up." He does a quick demonstration.

Looking somewhat amused (at what? Seokjin wonders), the merman complies. While he’s doing that Seokjin hurries out of the bedroom, finding Yoongi frantically searching through the house.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for my phone. I’ve thought about it and I’m calling the police.”

“What?”

“Think about it,” Yoongi says as he tosses the couch pillows aside. “How do we know that guy is the same one we saw last night, huh? It was dark!” Failing to find his phone in the couch, he scurries to the kitchen. “Mermaids aren’t real. And if they were, this one is missing a tail.”

Exasperated, Seokjin grabs his friend by the arm, stopping him in his tracks. “Yoongi-yah, be reasonable!” he hisses. “We can’t just call the police! What are we going to tell them?”

“That a hot nudist broke into our house?” His eyes flicker to the door. “Like for real, how do we know one of us didn’t hook up with this guy last night? We were drunk enough.” His eyes flicker to Seokjin’s room. “And if we didn’t I might still be willing to before the cops take him away.”

Seokjin is about to smack him but stops when, in the midst of his argument with Yoongi, is momentarily distracted as Mr. Merman steps out of the room. The sight catches Seokjin off guard.

"Holy...shit…" Seokjin mumbles under his breath, unable to tear his gaze away because somehow sweatpants Seokjin had given him manage to accentuate the merman's features in a very good way also the shirt he gave the guy was a little too tight at the guy’s waist (Seokjin can’t help that his waist is small). It takes everything he has not to drool.

Still in Seokjin’s grasp, Yoongi rolls his eyes then gives Seokjin a small pinch on the arm. Seokjin yelps, blushes, tearing his eyes away and clearing his throat. "Right, right. Sorry. You were saying?”

The door to Hyun's room creaks open. Hyun steps out, rubbing his eyes and looking bewildered. He frowns, clearly annoyed at being awakened. "What the hell is going on here?"

“Hyung!” they both shout simultaneously, rushing towards Hyun and getting behind him, rambling. They’re both talking at the same time trying to describe the events of both yesterday and this morning. 

Hyun looks between the two of them, clearly confused and caught off guard. "What the hell is wrong with you two? What do you mean you saw a mer—" He sees the man in front of Seokjin’s room, blinks. “Namjoonie?”

The mer stares at Hyun for a good solid minute before his brows shoot up in recognition.

Hyun grins at him, smiles so wide and steps forward, grabbing Namjoon by the sides of his arms and admiring him. “Wow, you’ve grown so much!”

Yoongi and Seokjin stare at them, confused. Especially when ‘Namjoon’ suddenly smiles widely and pulls Hyun into a hug. Hyun starts rambling to the guy.

Both Yoongi and Seokjin look at each other in bewilderment, still trying to process the bizarre turn of events.

"Hold up," Yoongi interrupts, addressing the apparent madness unfolding in front of him. "What do you mean, ‘Namjoonie’? Hyung, that is a mermaid.”

“Merman, actually,” Hyun corrects. “I told you I had a childhood friend that I played with a lot when I lived here.” 

“You never said anything about him being a merman though,” Yoongi counters, looking at Seokjin for confirmation. “Right? We would’ve remembered.”

Hyun waves a dismissive hand. “Well, it’s not like it’s something I can just bring up casually. ‘Oh by the way guys, be on the lookout for merpeople, there’s a few of them where I’m from!’” He gives them a dull look. “I can already hear the judgment I would’ve gotten from you two if I had said that.”

Well, he did have a point with that.

Pressing his brows together, Hyun suddenly looks at Namjoon. “Now that I think about it,” he mumbles, crossing his arms. “Why are you out?” he asks him. “I used to have to catch a crab so you’d come out and play with me.”

 Seokjin swears he sees the merman’s gaze flicker to him for a few seconds before turning back to Hyun, blushing .

“Aish, you brat.” Hyun nudges him, a teasing grin on his face. “I should’ve known that was it.”

“What?” Yoongi asks. “What is it?”

Chuckling, Hyun motions to Seokjin with his head. “Namjoonie here likes pretty things,” he says matter-of-factly. “Of course one look at Seokjin was enough to make him come up.”

Mouth dropping open, Seokjin blushes when all the attention in the room turns to him. “Me?” he squeaks. A nervous laugh escapes him when the elder nods at him. “Oh no, no,” he states, waving his hands in front of him. “That can’t be, I’m not—eh?”

He flinches when the merman suddenly steps forward, leaving Hyun’s side and appearing before Seokjin. He’s close, too close for comfort. Namjoon is hovering over him, eyes locked on his.

“Pretty,” he whispers with a sweet smile on his face. Seokjin can feel his ears burn. It’s the first time he hears the merman speak, voice deep, low and husky. It wasn’t good for his heart. Especially when Namjoon brings his hand up to cup Seokjin’s cheek, thumb lightly grazing it. Seokjin is suddenly lightheaded and there’s a tightening in his pants that wasn’t there before.

Behind the merman, Hyun grabs him by the shirt and pulls him back. “Come on Joon-ah, you’re scaring him,” he tells him. Seokjin lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding just as soon as the merman was a good few feet away again. Hand clutching his chest, he looks at him. The merman is pouting and looking back at him like a scolded puppy. It makes Jin’s heart take a quick leap. He almost feels bad.

Almost.

Yoongi snorts. “Take it as a compliment, Hyung,” he tells him, a teasing tone to him. “It’s not every day a mythical creature comes out of its natural habitat because of your face.”

“Literally, never happens,” Hyun agrees.

“Exactly,” Yoongi adds. “Also, he’s hot.”

That much Seokjin knew. The guy was absolutely attractive. Absolutely beautiful. Too beautiful. Hot didn’t even come close to describing him.

“So what, is he just going to stay here now?” Yoongi asks, looking at Seokjin briefly before turning back to Hyun.

“Kind of has to,” Hyun tells him. “Since he shifted, he can’t really change back for a good 30 days. So he’s kind of stuck with us for now.”

Seokjin doesn’t really understand why Namjoon can’t shift back to his ‘merform’ until 30 days pass, but he doesn’t pry. It would seem too rude to ask. 

However, when Hyun had said that Namjoon was stuck with them, he hadn’t really specified that Namjoon would be sticking to Seokjin . 

Because that’s what happens. Namjoon follows him around everywhere, watching him every second of the day. And honestly, Seokjin should feel a bit annoyed but he feels…flattered?

They went out to buy groceries and Namjoon carried the bags for him. They went out to eat and Namjoon kept giving Seokjin the things he noticed he liked. There was a moment when Seokjin saw a sun hat that he had liked (tried it on and everything) and Namjoon had whipped out a wallet and paid for the sun hat and gave it to Seokjin.

It must be noted that Seokjin is intrigued by this tall, handsome mythical creature of a man. Where is a merman even getting money from anyway?

Everything was all fine and dandy until Seokjin asked where Namjoon was going to sleep.

Honestly, it was just his friends being absolutely stubborn because there were definitely enough rooms here for everyone! But Hyun started spouting some bullshit about forgetting where those keys to the other room were and it just so happened that Seokjin was the one who had the only room with two beds in it. 

“Okay, so um, that will be your bed,” Seokjin says awkwardly, pointing to the large mattress over in the corner. “I’ll be sleeping in this one.” He points to the one in front of the door.

Namjoon looks at the bed Seokjin pointed to, then back at him with a tilt of his head. There's a moment of silence, and Seokjin starts to wonder if maybe Namjoon just didn’t like the bed arrangement.

"Okay then," Seokjin sighs, realizing there's no way around it. "You take that bed. I'll take this one, alright?"

Namjoon looks genuinely puzzled but nods in agreement. Seokjin wonders if he even understands the concept of beds. 

Seokjin gets ready. He brushes his teeth, puts his pjs on and then tucks himself in. He’s almost dead asleep when he feels a dip in the bed and movement from his covers. His eyes snap open.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Seokjin jumps, rolling himself to the other side of the bed, eyes narrowing at the merman. “What are you doing?”

Namjoon has a knee digging into the mattress, both hands on the covers as if he was getting ready to get in. He tilts his head, giving the human a baffled look.

Seokjin crosses his arms, huffs out a breath. “Your bed is that one,” he points out, finger in the direction of the other bed. The merman doesn’t listen to him, slips into the covers and lays there on Seokjin’s bed then looks up at him expectantly. Seokjin considers all the ways he can try to get him out, but comes up with nothing.

Giving up, he heads to the other bed, grumbling to himself. Pushing the covers aside he scoots in. He’s not even fully in the middle of the bed when he feels the bed creak and feels a sudden shift in the bed. Surprised, Seokjin flips his body over, sees Namjoon right there next to him, snuggling up in the covers.

Seokjin quickly sits up. Namjoon remains in the covers, eyes watching him before he smiles at him. Seokjin sighs. “You really have to make up your mind,” he tells him, then moves down the bed to get out. Before he can even do so, he feels a tug at his shirt, then lets out a little yelp as he finds himself falling back to the bed on his back.

Frustrated, he jerks his head to face the merman. Namjoon is looking up at him with a grin, one that shows off his dimples.

 Oh. He wants to sleep in the same bed as you.

The realization dawns on him, and he lets out an exasperated sigh. The blush heats up Seokjin’s cheeks quicker than he thought it would. 

"Namjoon-ssi, we can't share a bed," Seokjin says, trying to convey a sense of boundaries. He points to the other bed, emphasizing his point. "You have your own bed right there. I'll be on this one."

Namjoon continues to gaze at him with those curious eyes, seemingly unfazed by Seokjin's attempt to establish personal space. The merman reaches out, lightly tugging at Seokjin's shirt, a silent plea in his eyes.

Seokjin hesitates, conflicted by the adorable look on Namjoon's face. He considers the unusual circumstances and the fact that Namjoon might not fully grasp human customs.

With a resigned sigh, Seokjin relents. "Fine, but just for tonight, okay?" he concedes, slipping back under the covers. Namjoon's eyes light up with delight, and he moves closer, snuggling beside Seokjin.

He runs warm , is all Seokjin notes before he drips off to sleep. In bed with a hot guy? Seokjin could get used to this.

“I have a problem with Namjoon,” Seokjin complains a few days later.

Hyun is the first one in the kitchen. He’s getting breakfast ready, unbagging a delivery from the restaurant next door. He hums under his breath. “What sort of problem?”

“He’s too touchy,” Seokjin whines. “He won’t sleep in his bed. Only in mine. With me in it .  And this morning he tried to follow me into the shower. The shower, hyung!”

Hyun chuckles. “Really? Namjoon?” Seokjin nods. “Interesting.”

“Interesting? Why is that interesting?” How was a guy (would one consider Namjoon a guy?) trying to see him naked interesting? “He’s always watching me too,” he continues. “Last night he didn’t even watch the movie, he was too busy staring at me.”

“Funny, you usually like attention.”

Which was true. Seokjin thrives on attention. Loves bathing in it. But there was something about Namjoon’s form of giving attention that seemed different than the one Seokjin was used to. It was so innocent . Pure. Like a puppy trying to please.

“Not the point. Please get him to stop,” he begs.

Hyun grins, clearly amused by Seokjin's predicament. "I'll talk to him, but you know, Namjoonie doesn’t really initiate physical contact,” Hyun informs him. “Not even with me. I find it interesting that he’s doing it with a stranger.”

What does that mean? “What does that mean?” he dares to ask.

A smile pulls at Hyun’s lips. “Maybe he wants to get close to you.” The words barely leave his lips when footsteps echo in the hall and then Namjoon is coming their way. 

Blushing, Seokjin turns away from him, concentrating on helping make breakfast. Namjoon crosses the kitchen to head out to the balcony, where he leans against the fence and just stares out to the ocean. Seokjin wonders what he’s looking at, what he could be thinking about. 

“You know,” Hyun says a few moments later. Seokjin glances up from the pan to look at him, following his gaze when he notices Hyun is looking out towards the balcony at Namjoon.

“He must get lonely,” Hyun says. “A lot of mers have migrated, so there aren’t many left in the area. Our neighbors are too old to leave their houses and my family and I don’t really come here as often. He’s probably really happy to have people around.” He sighs. “But if you’re really bothered by him being around I can just tell him to—”

Seokjin doesn’t get to listen to the rest of Hyun’s sentence because he’s immediately making his way towards Namjoon on the balcony and taking the latter’s hand into his own. If Namjoon is uncomfortable by the contact he doesn’t show it, just squeezes Seokjin’s hand a little tighter and gives him one of those heart-warming smiles.

After that, things are…okay between them. Seokjin is alright with the touching —finds himself encouraging it at times— and Namjoon, well, he’s definitely happy that Seokjin lets him touch him now.

Seokjin notices a change in their dynamics – Namjoon's presence becomes more comfortable for him. 

It’s nothing weird. Sometimes they’ll be watching a movie and Namjoon will slide his hand right into Seokjin’s squeezing. Other times, Seokjin would be scrolling through his phone on the bed and Namjoon would come up behind him and rest his head on Seokjin’s shoulder and wrap his arms around his waist.

One day they were in their room (his room?), they were both lying on their bed (his bed) and Seokjin had his computer out.

“This is MapleStory,” he explained. “It's what I play to get my mind off things.”

Namjoon, being the ever silent being, tilted his head and watched, curious. 

Seokjin continued to explain the intricacies of the game, showing Namjoon different characters and quests. Namjoon's eyes remain fixed on the screen, absorbing the information with keen interest. 

As Seokjin navigated through the virtual landscape of MapleStory, he noticed Namjoon inching closer, their shoulders touching. It's a subtle closeness, but it’s one that rendered Seokjin dumb for a few seconds causing his character to die.

He tried again, and Namjoon had scooted closer, this time his chin resting on Seokjin’s shoulder. Seokjin’s hands paused on his keyboard and mouse, feeling the warmth of Namjoon's presence. The smell of Seokjin’s shampoo and soap on him.

Noticing he stopped and was about to die, Namjoon placed his hand over Seokjin’s on the mouse and moved the character around. Seokjin’s heart pounded against his chest. He cleared his throat and shook his head.

While Seokjin navigated, now getting his head in the game, Namjoon didn’t let go but gently traced a pattern on the back of Seokjin's hand. It was so nice .

It’s comfortable. It’s endearing. And it’s making Seokjin feel things that he probably shouldn’t be feeling for a half-fish species.

And sometimes what completely breaks Seokjin are Namjoon’s eyes . 

Sometimes he’s looking at Seokjin and it looks like his eyes are dripping with honey. There was a gentle sincerity in the gaze he directed at him. 

The night before, they had pulled out the karaoke machine once more and of course Seokjin had to beat his high score. So he put his everything into every song and Namjoon…

Namjoon may not talk, but his eyes do all the talking. His eyes tell Seokjin he’s funny, his eyes tell Seokjin he’s beautiful, he’s precious, and Seokjin likes this. He is living in the attention. Never had a guy ever looked at him like that and it was enough to make him think the unthinkable, to even consider Namjoon.

“Would it be weird?” he asks Yoongi one day when they’re chilling on the rooftop with some beers. 

“What? Falling in love with Namjoon?” Seokjin nods, Yoongi snorts. “Honestly hyung, out of all the possible other creatures that may also be real, you falling in love with a merman is the least of my worries.”

Seokjin silently agrees with him.

When they run out of beer cans they go back down to the kitchen to get some more. At the kitchen table, Hyun is chatting away with Namjoon, explaining to the mer their company’s latest projects. Seokjin wonders if maybe Hyun is just practicing his pitching skills.

“You sure do like to talk with him a lot,” Seokjin notes as Yoongi walks past him to open the fridge. “Does he understand most of what you’re saying? I think you’re talking too fast for him to follow.”

It’s at this, that Hyun gives him a look. Seokjin can’t really decipher what sort of look it is. Hyun looks almost as if he’s judging him.

“What?” Seokjin finally asks.

“Namjoon knows Korean,” Hyun replies.

Seokjin’s brows shoot up then furrow in the next second. “What?”

Hyun is staring at him like he’s grown a third head. “Namjoon knows Korean,” he repeats. “Can speak it and understand it.  ‘My dad taught him. Over the years he’s also learned English, Maltese, Spanish, Mandarin, Portugues, Hebrew, Arabic…’

Seokjin, of course, is dumbfounded. All this time he had assumed that Hyun could somehow tell what Namjoon was saying by his body language when in reality, this whole time, “He can talk?”

“Oh yeah,” Hyun states. “Quite the chatterbox too. And super smart. Can talk about anything for hours, it’s cute.”

Naturally, this new piece of information is absolutely mind blowing because the whole time that Namjoon has been here—it's been like two weeks — the guy (merguy?) hasn’t said a word to Seokjin and suddenly, he feels offended because why not? Why come to land for a guy you thought was cute and then not talk to him when you’re clearly able to?

“You can talk?” he asks the merman, furious. “You can talk and you never told me?”

However, when confronted Namjoon blushes, looking away like a scolded child. “You get scared when I talk,” he mutters.

Like everything in life, Seokjin has no idea what he’s talking about. “Scared?”

The merman nods, eyes shyly flickering up to him. “When I called you pretty,” he explains, “you didn’t like it. You flinched. Hyun-hyung said I was scaring you.”

Seokjin recalls the moment and suddenly he’s very embarrassed about the predicament he suddenly finds himself in. 

“It’s not that I get scared when you talk,” he says, suddenly turning very shy.  “It’s um…it’s just that…”

Namjoon cocks his head, waiting for an explanation that Seokjin really doesn’t want to provide right now.

“Come here,” he says, grabbing Namjoon by his shirt and hauling him to his room, closing the door. He makes sure they're far enough in the room that the others won’t hear them.

Okay, he tells himself. You can do this. It’s easy, just let him understand that you’re not scared of him. You don’t even have to tell him the other thing. No one will know.

Mustering up all his courage, Seokjin turns to Namjoon, face serious.

"Namjoon-ah, I want you to understand that it's not that I'm scared," Seokjin begins, his words hesitant. He takes a deep breath, trying to find the right way to express himself. "It's just..."

Namjoon looks at Seokjin with those expressive eyes, still waiting for more.

“Your voice…” A soft blush spreads across Seokjin’s cheeks, and he looks down for a moment, looking away from the mer’s enchanting stare. 

“Is there something wrong with my voice?” Namjoon asks. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Ugh, there it is again. Seokjin tries his best not to react to the sheer sound of it, but boy was it hard. There’s a heat radiating below his stomach.

Realizing that Namjoon might have misunderstood the situation, he quickly adds, "No, no. I can assure you that there is nothing wrong with your voice. Quite the contrary actually. Now that I think about it, it makes sense, you know? Mermaids luring sailors off boats? Yeah, I get why they’d be lured."

He’s rambling and he sounds like an idiot, but he’s hoping he’s gotten his point across.

Unfortunately for him, it seems he got his point across all too well.

It takes a few seconds, but then Namjoon’s face is turning into this smirk and, oh, Seokjin doesn’t know how he feels about this smirk, because Namjoon is looking smug . 

“You’re attracted to my voice,” he says. And it’s not even a question. It’s a statement full of absolute confidence that can only come from someone as hot as Namjoon.

And that’s when Seokjin short circuits. “No,” he lies, though it comes out so strained that he doesn’t even believe himself.

Namjoon stares at him for a moment, then his eyes move to an area on Seokjin’s body that just outright makes him blush because he has most definitely been caught in his lie. 

 Or maybe not. What were the chances that Namjoon actually knew what Seokjin’s…current condition even meant? “Um, how much do you know about human biology?”

“Quite a bit,” Namjoon answers nonchalantly. His eyes linger there for a few seconds before they’re back up to Seokjin’s face. “Do you need help with that?”

And suddenly Seokjin is blushing and rendered stupid all over again.

“Out!” he orders because it's the only thing that comes to mind. “Out! Out! Out!”

Practically pushing Namjoon out of the bedroom, Seokjin slams the door shut. He leans against it and just stands against it in pure shame.

He does not let Namjoon into the bedroom that night.

Seokjin screams out at the top of his lungs. He feels his death coming and instinctively tries to run away when he’s stopped by Namjoon’s gentle hands.

“Come on, hyung. I got you.”

"Get it away, get it away!" Seokjin whisper-screams in panic, his fingers shaking as they hold onto Namjoon’s for dear life. Namjoon just laughs at him. 

“Hyung, it’s okay, it’s harmless,” the mer assures him. There’s a week left in their trip and they had decided to check out popular tourist attractions around Malta. One of them was at a waterpark and his friends had somehow managed to convince Seokjin to enter into a pool to hold a stingray. Seokjin, despite his initial enthusiasm, now finds himself panicking at the sight of the stingray in the pool. His fingers tighten around Namjoon's hand, while Namjoon laughs at him. From the other side of the pool Hyun and Yoongi are also laughing at him, recording every second of Seokjin’s distress.

“It’s flapping its wings at me!” Seokjin yells. “It’s clearly angry at me!”

“It’s not angry, Hyung,” Namjoon assures him. “It’s just friendly.”

Seokjin backs up again when the stingray approaches them even more. He shoots Namjoon a look. “Oh yeah?” he spats. “How would you know?”

Namjoon glances down at him, gives him a look. Oh. Right. Merman.

Seokjin takes a deep breath, attempting to compose himself. Namjoon guides Seokjin closer to the stingray, its smooth and slippery surface visible beneath the water. Seokjin hesitates but finally manages to lower his hand into the water to hold it.

Namjoon grins at him. “You’re doing so well, Hyung.” 

Seokjin looks away with a blush. He’s doing better at getting used to Namjoon’s voice, but there’s only so much he can take at times. Namjoon whispering in his ear doesn’t help. 

"It's like holding a piece of the ocean, isn't it?" Namjoon remarks, his voice a soothing presence in Seokjin's ear.

Seokjin's laugh comes out shaky. "More like holding my deepest fears, but yeah, something like that."

Namjoon chuckles, and moves to take the stingray from Seokjin. Taking it into his arms, he coos at it and blows kisses at it before he actually kisses the top of its head. Seokjin never thought he’d be jealous of a sea creature, but there he was jealous of a stingray.

They exit the pool area and go about the rest of the park. They go on a water jet pack, go on a boat, and even fish (surprisingly Namjoon has nothing against fishing considering he technically does it when he hunts).

At the end of it all they go back home, it’s getting dark out and Seokjin is tired of a full day under the sun. Namjoon is sleeping soundly next to him while Seokjin decides to check his email before going to bed.

His body turns cold.

“That fucking bastard!” he snarls as he reads the email again.

Immediately, Seokjin is getting out of bed, going to the kitchen where his two friends are drinking without him. “Have you two seen this?!” he yells, practically shoving his phone in their face. Seokjin pushes his hair back as his friends take his phone and read.

“Shit,” Yoongi hisses when he finishes reading while Hyun immediately gets up to make a call. “That filthy snake.”

Seokjin fights the urge to scream while Hyun is already screaming at someone on the phone. Damn him! Seokjin wanted nothing more than to go to Korea right now and pound that bastard of an ex of his into itty-bitty bloody pieces.

Clenching his fists, he tries to control the rage coursing through him. "After everything... this is how he wants to play it?" 

“He’s an idiot, hyung.”

“He’s fucking scum that’s what he is!” Seokjin shouts. 

His previous relationship had taken a toll on him. His ex cheated on him with a client, leading to a painful breakup. However, from the ashes of that betrayal, Seokjin and his ex independently started their own competing companies.

And just now, they had learned that his ex had used their trip to Malta —the trip that was supposed to be Seokjin’s healing trip— to snatch away one of their biggest clients, a significant blow to their business. If they actually lost this client then others would follow.

Tears start forming in his eyes when Namjoon steps out of one of the rooms. Seokjin’s anger shifts to shame. “Sorry, Joon-ah,” he says, the tears stopping in time for him to apologize, “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

In his sleepy state, Namjoon’s eyes had been locked on Hyun, whose face was about as red as a sea crab. At Seokjin’s apology, the merman turns to him. He’s immediately crossing over to the kitchen and cupping Seokjin’s cheeks in his hands.

“What’s wrong?” he says, voice barely above a whisper. “Are you hurt?”

Seokjin is hurt. He is hurt and angry and he wants nothing more than to fly back to Korea and to whack his ex upside the head with an ax. But he wasn’t going to tell that to Namjoon.

He forces a smile, brushing off Namjoon's concern. "It's nothing, Joon-ah. Just some work stuff. Should be handled soon."

“We’re leaving,” Hyun says, ending his call. “I just got off the phone with Sejin. He can get us tickets to a flight that leaves in four hours.”

The abrupt decision to leave catches Seokjin off guard, but he knows that in their line of work, swift actions are often necessary. Quickly regaining his composure, Seokjin nods in agreement. “Okay,” he says, grabbing Namjoon’s hands and slowly pulling them from his face. “I’ll grab my things.”

“Not you, Jin-ah. You’re staying here.”

“What?” He looks at Hyun, confusion etched on his face. “No, I’m going. I—”

“Hyung,” Yoongi interrupts, his tone serious. “You need to stay. You’ve been planning this vacation for months, and he fucking knew it. He’s doing this right now to fuck you over.”

Hadn’t he already done that, Seokjin asks himself, when the bastard had fucked a client?

A mix of frustration and disappointment lingering, Seokjin knows that Yoongi is right. The bastard knew how much Seokjin was looking forward to this trip, especially since the breakup. Still it hurt. Still he ached. How could he do such a thing? Sighing, Seokjin glances at Namjoon, who is still looking concerned, hands hovering as if unsure whether to reach out or not.

Hyun steps closer, placing a hand on Seokjin’s shoulder. “We’ll handle this. You stay here and enjoy yourself.”

Conflicted, Seokjin sighs. He could argue with them, yes. He could go back to Seoul and yell at the guy, cause a scene, kick his ass…

But wasn’t that exactly what he wanted? 

Seokjin takes a deep breath, trying to quell the storm of emotions raging within him. He looks at his friends, nods reluctantly, deciding to trust them to handle the situation.

"Alright," he concedes, his voice steadier than he feels. 

As they hurriedly prepare for their departure, Seokjin just stands there watching them. It kills him to be so helpless, it pains him to see his friends in frenzy because of his relationship issues.

Unable to stand there doing nothing, he takes his phone and heads to his room, all but throws himself on the bed.

He knows he has the bastard’s number blocked, but he can just unblock it. He can unblock it and send a few very wordy texts where he’ll curse the guy into eternal damnation and—

“Do I have to confiscate that?”

Seokjin jumps, dropping his phone on the bed. “I wasn’t doing anything,” he says after a moment.

Yoongi gives him a dry stare. “Uh-huh…” He sits on the bed with Seokjin, takes his phone and sets it aside.

“Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone,” Yoongi tells him. “I don’t want you thinking about that dipshit at all during your last week here.”

When he doesn’t get an answer from Seokjin, Yoongi's gaze softens, and he pulls his head to where their foreheads touched. "The best revenge is to be strong. Let the universe deal with that jerk. Right now, you need to focus on yourself and enjoy the time we have left here."

Seokjin smiles, void of any good feeling. 

“You deserve this, Hyung,” Yoongi whispers to him.

The house feels quieter now with Hyun and Yoongi gone. Lying on his bed, Seokjin’s been staring at the ceiling for about an hour now, lost in his thoughts. His stomach grumbles, reminding him he hasn’t eaten anything since they came back from the water park.

Sighing, he gets up, opens the door to his room. The aroma of something delicious fills the air and Seokjin pokes his head out. 

In the kitchen, Namjoon is moving about, salting, frying and cutting. Curious, Seokjin approaches him.

“Didn’t know you could cook.”

Namjoon glances up from where he’s chopping green onion, offering a warm smile. “I learned,” he says, shrugging. “It was another thing that Hyun-hyung and his family taught me.”

Taking a seat, Seokjin purses his lips. “I’m sorry you’re stuck with me,” he says. “I’m sure you wanted to spend more time with him.”

“I’m not sorry,” Namjoon replies with a grin. He’s serving now, scooping up food and placing it on a place. “You’re great company.” He hands Seokjin the plate of food. Namjoon takes a seat in front of him, digs right in. Seokjin follows, savoring the flavors of the well-prepared dish. 

“So you can eat human food just fine?”

“In this form, yeah, makes it easier. I learned to cook many dishes from around the world so that helps.”

“I bet. Seafood is expensive. Can’t imagine buying it everyday.”

Namjoon laughs, deep in his chest even though Seokjin wasn't trying to be funny.

The food is good. Delicious even. Seokjin is impressed, though he really shouldn’t be considering all the other things Namjoon does. Seokjin has seen him hold his breath underwater for 20 minutes, though in his merman form he supposes that’s not even a feat.

“Why can’t you shift back to your other form before 30 days?”

Chewing on his food, Namjoon leans back, swallows. “I made a deal with the ocean,” he says, as if it was the most common occurrence.

“A deal…with the ocean…?”

He nods. “She’s very jealous.”

“...the ocean?”

Namjoon grins, probably knowing how ridiculous it sounded to humans. “We trade something in, she gives us our human form for an established amount of time. Can’t shift back, so that our secret isn’t exposed during the time we’re on land.”

Seokjin hums, intrigued. “So what do you trade? Clearly you didn’t trade your voice in.”

“It could be anything, really. Each one of us negotiates their own terms. It could be a prized possession, a memory, a skill, or even a promise. The more precious something is, the more time she gives us.” Namjoon takes a sip from his drink, sets it aside. “I always trade my hair in for a month of legs.”

Seokjin quirks an eyebrow at that. “Your hair?”

The mer shrugs. “It’s easy to grow back,” he says nonchalantly. “But it is priceless. Our hair has many uses. We can use it to hunt, for protection, for healing—”

When he says healing Seokjin imagines that scene from Tangled where Rapunzel wraps her hair around Flynn’s paw and sings for his wound to be healed. 

“—It’s a bit tedious to go back to being a mer without it honestly, that’s why it’s something good to trade in.”

Nodding, Seokjin absorbs the peculiar details of merfolk agreements. It was both fascinating and confusing. He takes a good look at Namjoon in front of him. The dim light of the room casts a soft glow on Namjoon's features. He’s handsome, but Seokjin already knew that. There’s just something about Namjoon, his overall presence that seems so tranquil, so warm, ethereal. As if he’s not tied down by any problems, the complete opposite of Seokjin. And it's contagious in a way.

Sensing his stare, Namjoon glances up from his food. “Something wrong?”

“I keep expecting you to not be real.”

Namjoon's expression softens. It brings a certain warmth to Seokjin’s stomach. Seokjin sighs and stares at his food. Yoongi told Seokjin he deserved this. This time of tranquility, but it was so hard to enjoy this— the food, the quiet, Namjoon—when he’s still thinking of the original reason he booked this trip in the first place.

“I was going to propose on this trip,” Seokjin confessed, his voice above a whisper. "I had it all planned out. The proposal, the ring, the perfect setting. But life has a funny way of throwing curveballs. Just days before the trip, everything fell apart."

His grip tightens on his chopsticks. “I had always wanted to come here. Hyun always spoke about the wonders of living here, so I thought it was perfect. Now I’m here and…it sort of hurts? Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy myself and be happy and have fun but I can’t. I can’t because I keep thinking of what I was supposed to do here.” 

He takes a deep breath, he’s talking too much but the floodgates have opened and he can’t stop. Namjoon's hand finds its way to Seokjin's, a silent gesture of support. The touch was grounding. “I was fine for a while, really, I was enjoying myself and now this… ”

A heavy sigh escaped Seokjin, as if the weight of unspoken emotions found release in that breath. “Sorry, I feel too much sometimes,” he admits, now a bit sheepish. “Guess it’s why I’m struggling a bit with this.”

In front of him, Namjoon is watching him. Really watching him. His eyes are doing that thing again where they’re dripping in honey.

“I don’t know much about love,” Namjoon tells him honestly. “But I think it’s okay to miss people. Even those who’ve hurt you.” He gently traces a pattern on the back of Seokjin’s palm, a habit perhaps. “They were a part of your life after all. And most of the memories you had were happy memories. ” He pauses, thinks. “Sometimes I think certain events affect our other memories. For example, when I miss someone, I think about the time I spent with them and it hurts, the memories were happy at the time but now they hurt because that person left. I’m assuming it’s something similar, no? The memories were happy, but they hurt now because he hurt you.” 

He’s right, but Seokjin doesn’t say so. Namjoon nods, more to himself than to Seokjin’s lack of an answer.

“You didn’t really have memories with him here,” he continues, “but you dreamed of creating memories here. The original trip was a dream, a beautiful vision you had crafted for yourself. And maybe what hurts is that it didn’t come true. But that’s okay, dreams can be forgotten when you wake up, they can be overridden by new dreams.” Eyes meeting Seokjin’s, he gives him a sympathetic smile. “I think that’s what your friends want. For you to create actual memories that override that pain. Ones that will make you happy when you look back on them.” 

A thumb comes up and brushes a tear off Seokjin’s cheek. Seokjin hadn’t realized he was crying. “Yes, you're hurting now, but you’re healing, and you still have the right to be happy during the process of healing.”

And that was enough for Seokjin to burst into tears. The dam that held back his tears breaks, and the weight of his heartache spills out in silent sobs. 

With Seokjin crying, Namjoon takes a step back, feeling completely at a loss. “I’m sorry,” he stammers, completely confused by what he’d done wrong. “I’m sorry, did I say something wrong? I’m sorry if I did, I didn’t want to hurt y—”

Seokjin starts crying even harder, his emotions pouring out in now not-so-silent sobs. The overwhelming wave of tears is a mix of pain, relief, and a release of built-up emotions.

Now Namjoon really has no idea what he’s supposed to do, so he just gets up from his chair, guides Seokjin towards the sofa and holds him till he calms down, muttering soothing words and rubbing his back. It was an embarrassing sight on his part really, a grown man in his 30s crying in the arms of a mythical creature but Seokjin didn’t care. He cries till his heart's is numb.

“Sorry, Joon-ah,”  Seokjin sniffles, wiping away tears with the back of his hand. Namjoon hands him a napkin which he gladly takes. “Sorry, I bet you didn’t expect for your time on land to be dedicated to caring for a human. If I were you I would’ve run away to the ocean, but here you are. You’re too nice.”

Namjoon shakes his head, gives him a soft smile. “If my existence can lessen your pain from 100 to 99, 98 or even 97, then it was worth coming up here.”

The next afternoon, Yoongi gives him a call. 

“So we’ve managed to talk it out a bit with the client. They’re willing to see us today during dinner to talk things out. Everyone was working overtime last night to get the new proposal done in time.”

“I see,” Seokjin says. “Did you have to change a lot of things from the original proposal?”

“Not much that’ll greatly impact us or the company.” There’s a pause. “How have you been holding up? Sorry to leave you there alone.”

“That’s okay,” he says honestly. “I’ve got Namjoon so it’s not that bad. We’ve mostly been visiting places he recommends. He surprisingly knows a lot of them.”

“Namjoon? The childhood friend Hyun-hyung always talks about?”

Seokjin rolls his eyes. “Ha ha, very funny, Yoongi.” He checks his phone. His battery is about to die out. “Anyway, let me know if anything else comes up.”

“...okay, hyung.”

"What do you want to do when you're back home?" Namjoon asks. 

They’re sitting at a restaurant that Namjoon recommended. Apparently it opened up two months ago and he liked it so much that he wanted to bring Seokjin along. The food was expensive, but worth it.

"My home?" Seokjin asks, as if he had another home. "I'd probably go visit my parents. But before that I'm going to find a store that sells raw fish bibimbap."

"Raw fish bibimbap?"

“It's made with raw fish, rice, and a spicy seasoning sauce,” Seokjin explains. “It's cool and soft and melts in your mouth, and fresh and spicy.”

"Wow, I'm craving that now. I'm going crazy, I'm craving raw fish bibimbap."

“And you?”

“I’ll just…stay here,” Namjoon shrugs. “Like I always have.”

“Haven’t you ever thought of traveling?” Seokjin asks curiously. “Explore other waters.”

“I made a promise to—”

“To the ocean,” Seokjin finishes off. “Yeah, I guessed that was it.” He sits in thought for a moment, frowns. Weird. If he’s stayed in the same place all these years, how hasn’t there been any news about it? No pictures on social media? Surely Namjoon doesn’t just stay in the water the whole time? Not when he knows so much. Hadn’t Hyun said something about him knowing a ton of languages?

'My dad taught him. Over the years he’s also learned English, Maltese, Spanish, Mandarin, Portugues, Hebrew, Arabic…’

Pensive, Seokjin puts down his fork, stares at his food, there's this weird feeling at the pit of his stomach. “Joon-ah.”

“Hm?” Namjoon hums, without looking up from his food.

“Can I ask you a question?”

He smiles brightly. “Sure, Hyung.”

“Why did you decide to come up?” He glances up at him, something itching at the back of his brain. “Hyun-hyung said that it was because you like pretty things, but I want to hear it from you.” He grins. “We weren’t really on speaking terms back then.”

Namjoon scratches the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish. “It’s a little embarrassing.”

“Tell me.”

“Under the sea, my routine consists of: eat, sleep, swim, and trash duty. It’s nothing really special.” He leans back on his chair, plays around with his fork. “I... I like observing humans. Your lives are so different from ours. The way you live, the things you create, the emotions you experience. It's fascinating. On your first day here, I saw you. You were loud, you were carefree, you were singing from the top of your lungs without a care in the world. I…was drawn to it all. And since you were Hyun-hyung’s friend I thought it would be okay to expose myself.”

Humming, Seokjin taps a finger slowly against the table. He takes in Namjoon’s words. Normally, those words would be rendering him a blushing mess, but at this moment…“What about the others?”

Namjoon tilts his head. “Others?”

“Others who’ve you gone up to shore for.”

Namjoon swallows, his face turns unreadable, stoic. “What makes you think I’ve gone up to shore for others?” 

Sighing, Seokjin holds up a finger, starts off with, “For one, it’s only been three and a half weeks since you came up to shore with me yet you told me you came here two months ago to eat. You told me you just told me you’re lonely. It didn’t take much for you to just come up from the waters for me. You’re an extrovert, which is weird because as an endangered species you should be worried and on alert, but you’re clingy and know nothing about personal space, which probably means you interact a lot with people.”

A second finger is raised. “Second, the area where you live is literally a tourist attraction. Considering how ready you were to save me, I'm sure it’s not the first time a drunk person falls into the water in the middle of the night. And knowing how nice and selfless you are, you would never let a person drown.”

He lifts up a third finger. “Finally, according to Hyun-hyung you speak about 15 languages but from what I know Hyun and his parents only know Korean, English and Maltese. So most likely you learned from other people. Just like you’ve learned traditional recipes from those same people.”

Stunned, Namjoon just stares at him, eyes wide, mouth open. It is the first time Seokjin sees his usually composed demeanor shaken. “Shit, hyung. What are you? A detective?”

Crossing his arms, Seokjin maintains a serious expression. “Talk to me, Joon-ah.”

Shoulders sagging slightly, Namjoon takes a deep breath as he resigns to the truth. "You're right," he admits, running a hand through his damp hair. "You're not the first person other than Hyun-hyung and his family whom I’ve interacted with. There have been others…lots of others.”

Seokjin raises an eyebrow, prompting him to continue.

Namjoon sighs, choosing his words carefully. "It gets lonely. I’ve told you my daily routine, it really doesn’t get more interesting than that other than the days where I’m saving people who fall off a boat or get swept away by sea."

“But I’ve just been interested in their stories and what they had to teach me,” he adds, stuttering. “With you it’s different.” He blushes, looks down at his hands. “The way I like you is way different from the way I like them. I promise.”

Seokjin's expression softens, he uncrosses his arms. He believes him. Namjoon had told him himself that he doesn’t know much about love. “Don’t they ever come back?”

Namjoon keeps his gaze on his hands. “Not…really.”

Seokjin frowns. “Why not?”

“They kind of forget about me.”

At that, Seokjin snorts. “Who would ever forget meeting a real life merman?” 

His shoulders slumping slightly, Namjoon doesn’t answer him. That gives Seokjin the answer he’s looking for.

Everyone. Everyone forgets. But that couldn’t be the case because…

“Why does Hyun remember?” Seokjin asks. “He talked about you all the time back in korea.”

“Hyun-hyung is an exception,” he explains. “He and his family lived here their whole lives. If the ocean erased his memory of me, then it’ll be like erasing his whole childhood, and most of his adulthood.” He sighs. “The ocean forgives him because he comes to visit me every year.”

“His parents…”

“His parents are already forgetting things,” he says quietly. “They’ve been away too long.”

“You can’t be sure of that,” Seokjin whispers reassuringly. “Hyun’s parents are old. Also that’s no indicator that everyone else has forgotten about you.”

“It is, no one ever comes back.”

“But how can you be sure it’s because of y—”

“Because that’s part of the trade—!” Eyes widening, Namjoon stops himself. Abruptly, he pushes his chair back and starts walking away. Following after him, Seokjin quickly pays the bill and calls out to him.

"Namjoon-ah, wait!” Seokjin catches up to him, grabs him by the arm and turns him so he can face him, his eyes searching Namjoon's face for answers. “What did you mean by that. 'Part of the trade? I thought your trade with the ocean was with your hair." 

Namjoon hesitates, looking torn between wanting to share and keeping the truth hidden. 

“Joon-ah,” Seokjin whispers softly, voice filled with concern. “Joon-ah please.”

Swallowing, Namjoon takes a deep breath, realizing that there's no avoiding the conversation any longer. He looks into Seokjin's eyes, seeing the genuine concern there, and then looks away. “Hyun-hyung comes to visit me on the same month every year. That gives me a year to grow my hair out and trade it. But staying in the water for a whole year when there are so many things I want to see, to learn…it’s suffocating. So she offered me a deal. I can get a pair of legs anytime I want, to meet anyone I want, to learn from anyone I want but in exchange she’ll receive…” he sighs and meets Seokjin's gaze, “their memories of me. When they leave Malta, they forget all about me.”

Seokjin’s stomach drops.

“It’s for protection,” he explains. “I don’t usually show my merform to anyone but let’s say someone were to try to get me to leave with them or to contact me or to…fall in love with me…”

Doing his best to keep his voice leveled, Seokjin dares to ask, “So am I going to forget about you too?”

He gets his answer when Namjoon opens his mouth to answer but closes it instead.

Seokjin’s voice gets somehow caught in his throat, he pushes and it comes out hoarse, barely above a whisper. “Namjoon-ah.”

“Hyung,” Namjoon responds, voice low and shaky. “When I made the trade to see you I traded with my hair, but that only worked because I was also going to see Hyun-hyung. I’ve never had a case where Hyun-hyun brings friends before so I don't know what's going to happen. I don’t know if you’ll forget too.”

Immediately, Seokjin’s conversation with Yoongi two days ago comes to mind. His eyes fall to his hands, grip tightening on Namjoon’s arms.

“I was talking to Yoongi the other day,” he says softly, slowly, “and he referred to you as ‘Hyun-hyung’s childhood friend’ , almost as if he didn’t actually know who you were.” Seokjin’s eyes flicker forward, staring at Namjoon who’s gone pale and suddenly all of Seokjin’s worst fears come to light.

“He doesn’t,” Namjoon replies. “At least not anymore.”

It came to him in the morning, after staying up all night thinking up plans. In his lack of sleep he compiled several possible options that could prevent him from forgetting about Namjoon. He waits still Namjoon stirs in his sleep to tell him.

“What if…I stay?”

They’re laying in their bed, pressed up against one another. Namjoon has his head on Seokjin’s chest. He jerks a little, pulling out of sleep but doesn’t lift his head when he answers.

“You can’t stay, Hyung,” Namjoon replies. “Your whole life is over there. Your family, your friends, your job.” He pauses, adds. “Your English isn’t good enough to get a job here.”

“Ouch? Rude,” he spats in mock hurt, but he knows that Namjoon is right. That plan failing, he mentions the next.

“Maybe Hyun-hyung can remind me,” Seokjin suggests. “I can call him and tell me to remind me of you as soon as I land.”

“He won’t. If he does, his memories will be erased. It’s a deal he made—”

“Yeah, yeah, with the ocean.” He sighs, running his fingers through Namjoon's hair. Seokjin was really starting to feel away about the goddamned fucking ocean.

“How about I book a flight right now back to Malta in a few months?” he suggests again, going with option number three. “I’ll come back and we’ll meet again and—”

“She’ll do everything to stop you,” Namjoon interrupts. “Your flight will get canceled, you’ll be overloaded with work, you’ll get sick and miss your flight. Even if you write yourself a note, or an email to remember later, something will happen,” He huffs. “The possibilities are endless. The ocean is like mother nature herself.”

Pouting, Seokjin lets out a huff of breath. “So what? I’m just supposed to just let her erase my memories of you?”

For a moment he thinks Namjoon was just going to say yes. To give up and be done with it. Instead, he squirms in Seokjin’s arms, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing tightly.

“I’m sorry, hyung,” Namjoon muffles against his chest. “I didn’t want you to know, because you were already hurting. I wanted you to leave here with happy memories.”

Heart swelling, Seokjin softly smiles to himself.  “Joon-ah,” he says softly, fingers threading through Namjoon’s purple locks, “I’m happy. And that’s what I want you to remember. May all my memories with you, here, override the hurtful ones you’ll have when I’m gone.”

Sniffling, Namjoon holds him tighter. 

“So this is it, huh?” Seokjin says, softly, “This is where we say goodbye.”

On the dock, he and Namjoon both stare at one another. On the other side of the dock, Seokjin’s luggage is piled up high. Namjoon had called for a taxi to take him to the airport. 

His haze a swirl of emotions, Namjoon nods. “Yeah," he replies, his voice heavy. “It is.”

Seokjin takes a step closer, his eyes never leaving Namjoon's. Seokjin can see all the memories reflected in the latter’s eyes. A bittersweet smile plays on Seokjin's lips as he reaches out, placing a hand on Namjoon's cheek. The latter takes a step back, making space between them. Seokjin watches carefully as Namjoon steps to the edge of the dock and stops, his back towards Seokjin.

"I..." Namjoon pauses, doesn’t look him in the eyes. "I enjoyed having you here."

Seokjin feels a lump form in his throat. "I've enjoyed being here," he says, earnestly. 

As Namjoon submerges himself in the water, Seokjin takes a step closer to him, watching as the ocean takes him back.

A vibrant light emanates from the depths below. The ocean seems to hum to Namjoon’s presence, embracing him in a radiant display of blue and indigo hues. Seokjin winces as the light blinds him, and when it dims down he glances and sees him there staring up at him.

The hair stays short but Namjoon’s skin glistens, now covered in beautiful scales and his eyes are swirling with shades of purple. Looking up at him, Namjoon musters up a smile, it’s so forced it hurts Seokjin to look at. “Guess this is goodbye?”

He’s gorgeous, Seokjin can understand why many men have fallen prey to these creatures, Seokjin himself wants to just hurl himself at the ocean just to follow him.

On that note, Seokjin does do it. Hurls himself into the water without a second thought. Namjoon blinks in surprise but still effortlessly catches Seokjin in his arms, water splashing around them. “Hyung, wha—?”

Seokjin pulls him in for a kiss. Shocked, Namjoon seems hesitant at first, but Seokjin is relentless and tightens his grip on the mer. Tasting the salt on his lips he is pulling him closer, urging him to kiss back. Namjoon pushes forward, pressing their lips against each other until there's not an ounce of space between them left. The kiss is hungry and eager and—wow, just wow.

It’s the last memory Seokjin wants to give him. A fond one. Everytime Namjoon thinks of him, Seokjin wants him to remember this kiss rather than their sad goodbye.

When they pull apart, Namjoon’s face is flaming and Seokjin chuckles at him, amused. He really never wants to forget this image of Namjoon.

‘Please,’ he silently begs to the ocean, ‘Don’t let him hurt too much.’

As the plane takes off, Seokjin rests his chin on his knuckles and stares out the window. Above him a bell dings and the captain’s voice rings in through the speakers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.  We hope you've had a wonderful time during your stay in Malta and as we bid farewell to Malta’s territories, we have a special treat—”

Plane flying higher, Seokjin’s heart beats louder. 

“—please direct your attention to the windows as we ascend into the sky, providing you with a final, breathtaking view of the Maltese coastline. As you know the geography of Malta is dominated by water—”

Never once does Seokjin’s gaze turn away from the window. He glares at the ocean as if facing her head on, waiting for her attack. 

“Before it’s too late take a moment to appreciate the shades of blue that stretch as far as the eye can see—”

Seconds pass by and slowly, Seokjin’s glare softens. His heart slows against his chest and he feels calm, his head feeling lighter, a fog in his mind clearing. A voice in the back of his head disappears. He frowns when he notices the scenery out the window, puffs of clouds dominating the space. 

“—we thank you for choosing to fly with us, and we hope you carry with you fond memories of your time in Malta.”

When he arrives at his destination, Seokjin hums a little tune to himself. He wanders through the grand streets of the city with his luggage.

After typing in his passcode, he drops his stuff at his place, all but throwing it all inside minus a bag of raw fish bibimbap that he’s saving for later, which he puts neatly on the countertop before he leaves.

As he walks to his next destination, he texts his friends telling them he’s back. Hyun is the first to answer back, telling him he’ll meet up with him later to get something to eat. 

Putting his phone away, Seokjin notices he’s arrived at his destination. He breathes in that air that he missed so much from being gone for a while and takes a seat on the floor. 

Then, cupping his hands around his lips he calls out into the waters, “Woohoo? Mr. hot-basically-man-of-my-dreams merman?”

He waits. He turns around when he hears the splashing of water seconds later.

“Hyung?”

Seokjin gives Namjoon the largest grin he can muster. “Hey, Joon-ah.”

There, hanging from the edge docks, Namjoon stares back at him wide eyed and a look of total puzzlement. “Hyung? Wha—”

“So I talked to the Lees,” Seokjin starts off, referring to Lee Hyun’s parents. “I told them that they were losing money keeping a house so large without anyone using it and that they should rent it out to tourists that come buy. I also convinced them to let me be the new landlord of the place, so I’ll be handling the place’s maintenance plus selecting those who’ll be renting.”

“So…you’ll be…staying?”

“Yeah,” he kneels down, gives the mer an apologetic look. “Sorry it took so long for me to come back. There was this pandemic and it was hard to leave the country, but thanks to that my company found out that I can meet with clients from home. I’ll only have to go back to Korea every few months to check in.”

He glances at Namjoon. The Mer is stunned in place, unmoving. Seokjin smiles at him again, grinning wide. 

Namjoon remains completely frozen where he is. Seokjin’s smile slowly drops, worried. “Sorry, is this too much? Did you find someone else already? I know I made you wait a long time. What’s it been, like two years?”

It takes a few seconds, but Namjoon shakes himself out of it. Literally. He shakes his head and blinks multiple times as if trying to wake himself up. “Please wait here,” he says before diving back down into the water. Seokjin blinks, but complies, taking a seat at the dock, waiting.

When he hears the water splashing he turns around. “Wow, took you long enough, I almost thought I had to—ah!” he yelps when Namjoon picks him up and effortlessly carries him to the other side of the dock. He doesn’t put him down till they’re inside the house and then Namjoon embraces him in the warmest of hugs. 

“I love you,” he whispers oh so tenderly and Seokjin all but melts in arms. It’s been a while since he’s heard that voice and even now it still does things to him. “I love you so much,” the mer whispers. “You left your life in Korea to be with me?” his voice soft in disbelief.

Giving the mer a peck, Seokjin grins like an idiot and says, “I guess you could say…I traded my life in Korea to come and make happy memories with you.”