Archive of Our Own

A storm was coming.

After years of living on the water, Dongsik could smell it in the air. There’s a lingering dew that settles over everything in its path, a heaviness to the air that makes him feel like he’s slogging through molasses. People can argue that thunderstorms don’t have a smell, but he knows that’s untrue. It’s earthy, with a tinge of something else, something Dongsik can never put his finger on. The slight taste of ozone warning him that lighting would soon break the sky in two.

All the more reason for him to try to get his last catch of the week; it’s been a slow few days for the business, and he could use the extra money to set aside for Minjeong’s college fund. He would hazard a guess that the storm is at least twelve more hours out, giving him more than enough time to set the net into the water and hound Jihoon into batching the fish into the waiting coolers on the boat. The ice would keep his catch fresh for Jaeyi’s waiting knives at the market.

His family boat is waiting, slowly swaying at the end of the dock. Balsam had been passed down for generations; the Lee family always known to be fishermen. The flowers grew in the front garden of their house, the red color bright as can be in the spring and summer. He remembers Yuyeon picking some to stain her nails, always claiming it looked prettier than polish. Dongsik didn’t know much about being pretty, but he indulged his sister and would always agree. The memory of her makes his heart twinge.

Dongsik had tried to maintain the Balsam as best as he could over the years, but it could definitely use a fresh coat of paint. She was a handsome boat when properly taken care of, a sleek white hull with bright red lettering on the side. The equipment isn’t new and shiny like the younger boats on the water, but that gives the Balsam character, and proves just how proficient her captain is. Dongsik hasn’t come across another fisherman who still used traditional equipment in years, and they were always shocked when they saw that he did. He finds the new technology to take all the fun out of being on the water, making the job much too easy.

The ocean was never something that should be underestimated. Knowing it well was the only shot one had at surviving its unforgiving depths. Balsam might be older than most boats in the marina, but Dongsik has no doubts in his mind that she’ll always keep him safe.

“Hyung!” He hears shouts from down the dock, making him turn around. In the distance he sees Jihoon waving his hand high over his head with a big, kind smile on his face. The younger man quickly jogs down with a plastic bag in one hand and an extra cooler in the other. He lifts both so that Dongsik can see. “Jaeyi sent me with some sashimi that someone ordered and never came to pick up. I got us some drinks too.”

“This is why you’re my favorite deckhand,” Dongsik smiles, rubbing his hands together.

Jihoon rolls his eyes in response, “I’m your only deckhand.”

“Semantics.”

Jihoon had worked with Dongsik for years now, the younger man being one of the only people he truly trusted to watch his back on the water. He had something akin to an apprenticeship with Dongsik, something that had spurred him into a passion for the ocean and all the creatures in it. He’s in his last years of a marine biology major at the local college, so he can’t help out as much as he used to, but he still makes time.

“C’mon, let’s see if we can get anything good today before the storm,” he waves Jihoon onto the deck. “The fish crowd when they sense changes in the weather, so I’m hoping we get a good haul. We need it.”

“Jaeyi said she’ll pay double for any good yellowtail we can get,” Jihoon tells him. It’s a good incentive, for sure. He puts on his deck shoes and sets the bags down in the wheelhouse.

“Let’s go out a little further today, then,” Dongsik follows him in and starts up the engine, the familiar grumble of the Balsam coming to life under him gently shaking the two of them. “Those new boats have been overfishing our usual spots.”

“I still think we should report them,” Jihoon shrugs.

“They’ll get the message once their nets start coming up empty,” Dongsik waves him off. “Besides, they don’t know the water well enough to go out any further. It might be a little bit of extra work for us, but we’re getting catch that they could only dream of, Jihoon-ah.”

And they were, on good days. On bad days, or bad weeks, the nets came up with more seaweed than anything. Dongsik prays that today is going to be a good day.

The ride out isn’t too long, around twenty minutes from the dock. The water today is deceptively calm, giving no indication that there’s going to be a downpour in only a number of hours. The salty mist has already soaked Dongsik’s face and he licks the familiar water off of his lips. Jihoon is sitting down on deck, retying some spots on the nets where it had ripped. When Dongsik cuts the engine, they’re completely alone, not another boat in sight. The expanse of blue goes on forever, it seems, with only a few small islands cropping up on the horizon. The sun is bright in the sky and already beating down hot on their necks.

“Alright, let’s put the net down,” Dongsik pats Jihoon’s shoulder. “Once we get it in the water, let’s start with our lunch.” The rig easy drops the net down and they both watch it disappear into the bottomless blue.

It’s two hours later when their bellies are full and Jihoon and Dongsik are falling into afternoon naps on deck when something hits the side of the boat with a loud smack. It jolts both of them out of their chairs.

“What the fuck was that?” He asks, craning his head over the side of the boat.

Smack!

“Maybe there’s something caught up in the net?” Jihoon’s voice is panicked, like he’s afraid in a minute that he’ll be the one to have to cut out a great white from his hand-tied knots.

Smack!

The rig squeals with effort, making Dongsik start to panic. A replacement would cost far too much, but the struggling of whatever is entangled is pushing the already old piece of equipment past what it’s meant to handle at one time. “We have to pull it up!”

Smack!

“Like, now!” The rig starts the lift the net back up on the deck too slowly, the tell tale sound of a breakdown happening in all its moving parts. “Jihoon, we’re going to have to help this along so when I say pull, you pull as hard as you can, alright?” He’s snapped into captain mode, and Jihoon knows there’s no time to question it, so he just nods frantically and pulls his work gloves over his hands.

“Pull!”

They feel some of the strain lift off the the rig, but whatever was down there was heavy.

“Pull!”

The top of the net is finally visible in the water, and from what he can see, it’s the biggest catch they’ve had in weeks. No way is he risking losing it. Dongsik wraps the rope around his arm for extra leverage and pulls again as hard as he can, butt almost touching the deck. Once the net crests the side of the boat, the rig does the rest and the momentum of whatever was in the net helps it along. It lands in the boat with a heavy thwack, making Dongsik and Jihoon look across at each other with matching expressions of shock. He loosens the opening of the net and yellowtails instantly flood his boat. Jihoon runs to start throwing them onto ice to preserve them as best as he can before they make it back to shore. Dongsik can barely keep the smile off his face.

“We were due for a win,” he laughs gleefully, helping Jihoon. “You said she’d pay double?”

“Double,” Jihoon emphasizes, a childlike grin on his face. “She’s going to be so happy when we get back!”

Along with the fish, there’s massive clumps of seaweed, which Dongsik sifts through to make sure they didn’t miss any of the yellowtail. His bare hand meets scales and he quickly brushes the seaweed away, “This feels like a big one,” he throws the comment over his shoulder with a wide smile. When he turns back around, sharp claws scratch at him, knocking him on his ass. Five lines are left behind, slowly leaking blood onto his pants.

The stinging of saltwater in his wounds doesn’t even register, because under the seaweed wasn’t a fish, but a man.

A man who is currently spitting out kelp from between his pretty pink lips and brushing it off the rest of his body. There’s fear and confusion in his brown eyes, and Dongsik immediately forgives him for the scratches. When he lowers his gaze, he feels his jaw drop open.

Because in front of them was no ordinary man, but one that had a tail instead of legs. His eyes go wide when realization clicks into place.

We’ve caught a mermaid.

“What the fuck…” Jihoon breathes, squatting down from a distance to examine the man they had caught. “I thought mermaids weren’t real…”

The man spits out the last bit of moss from his mouth, “Merman, human,” he growls, voice deep and raspy.

“He speaks Korean,” Jihoon looks over at Dongsik, “how does he speak Korean?”

“How would I know,” Dongsik whispers fiercely, afraid to look away from the merman, just in case he decides to jump back in the water. “Why don’t you ask him?”

Jihoon turns back to meet his withering stare, “How do you–”

“We’re in Korea aren’t we?” He rolls his eyes. “I mean, really.”

“It was just a question, no need to be bitchy about it…” Jihoon mumbles under his breath, stepping back into the wheelhouse to grab some water. He’s more annoyed at the disrespect than awed by the discovery, and it can’t help but make Dongsik laugh for the strangeness of it all.

The merman brushes a strand of wet hair from his face and checks his tail to make sure he’s uninjured, breathing a sigh of relief when he sees that he is still in one piece. When he looks back up, Dongsik’s eyes are locked in on the glimmering blues and greens of his tail, made even more spectacular by the sunlight. Joowon knows he has one of the finest tails in all of the kingdom, so he can’t help but preen for a second before becoming defensive again.

“What are you looking at?” He asks, with no little amount of venom in his tone. “Thinking about how it’ll look on your trophy wall?”

Humans were killers, that’s what he has always been told since the time he was a guppy. Humans killed his beloved mother and left him with angry father in return. Humans are the reason so many of his people go missing.

The words knock Dongsik out of his haze, coming up to meet the stranger’s big brown ones. He can’t help but notice that they’re full of emotion that the man is so desperately trying to hide.

“My wall?” He reels his head back. “Do you think I mean to kill you?” Dongsik asks incredulously.

Maybe if it was someone else, they would’ve. But Dongsik grew up on this ocean, grew up having a deep respect for everything that swam in it. He’s heard tales of mermaids since he was a young boy, how they would lure soldiers to their deaths with their song. There’s no way he’s tipping his scales for a prize that no one on land would even believe.

“You’re a human,” the stranger spits the word. “It’s what you do. You contaminate our waters, hunt our fish, and kill my people.” There’s such anger in the words that Dongsik’s muscles tense up. He holds his hands up in surrender.

“Look, I don’t know who you are or what your name is, but I can promise you I’m more scared of you right now than you are of me,” he says, smiling to break the tension. The stranger’s eyes dart down to his lips quickly before coming back up to his eyes.

Interesting.

“If you’ll let me,” he approaches slowly, and feels bad when he sees the stranger push himself flush against the side of the boat in fear. “I’ll just untie the last bit of net that’s caught on your fin there and you can be on your way.” He looks down at the stubborn knot and waits for the cautious nod from the man before scooting closer. “You do have a beautiful tail,” he says kindly, mostly to break the tension between them, but also out of complete truth. “I would never make you a trophy.”

The man clears his throat and looks away, “Thank you.”

Dongsik starts to untie the knots, fingers moving as nimbly as they can under watchful eyes. “What’s your name?” He asks, curious now that he knows he’s not going to be attacked. There’s a beat of silence where Dongsik thinks his question will be ignored.

“Joowon,” the man says quietly. “My name is Joowon.”

“Nice to meet you, Joowon,” Dongsik looks up and gives him the warmest smile he can muster. “I’m Dongsik,” he reaches out his hand only for Joowon to look at him like he’s grown an extra head. He pulls his hand back, slightly embarrassed.

“Ah, sorry, reflex. It’s how humans greet each other.”

He’s just about to start back on the knots when he sees Joowon extend his hand out towards him with a cautious look. His arm is much too stiff and it looks altogether too unnatural, but Dongsik appreciates the effort anyways. He takes Joowon’s hand in his own and shakes is lightly before letting go.

“Dongsik,” Joowon repeats, rolling the name across his tongue to get used to it. “Dongsik.”

“Joowon,” he mimics, head still lowered. “Joowon.”

Another minute passes in silence before Joowon clears his throat slightly. “I’m sorry about that,” he waves his hand at Dongsik’s arm. The lines are still bright red, but they’ve started to clot already. “I really did think you might kill me.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Dongsik reassures. “I’ve had much worse. You don’t get to my age without some battle scars.” He tugs down the collar of his shirt a bit to reveal a thin white line of scar tissue, and Joowon feels himself lean in to look. “I accidentally got hooked once, would not recommend.”

When the shirt covers up the smooth tanned skin, Joowon feels a sharp disappointment in his gut. That’s when he sits back against the boat and really looks at the man in front of him.

Dongsik has dark hair that falls just by his ears, shaggy and thick and almost too long, but it suits him. There’s stubble on his face, but somehow it serves to only make him more handsome instead of unkempt. His skin is tanned and smooth, boasting days spent under a hot sun. Large eyes are lined with charming wrinkles, letting Joowon know that he must be older than him, but not too old. A part of him feels thankful at the realization. His eyes trace down to slightly chapped, pink lips and the deep set smile lines that surround them. Behind them, he has a line of perfectly straight teeth, which are now worrying at his lip in concentration.

All in all, he’s undoubtedly the most beautiful creature that Joowon has ever laid eyes on. His heart starts to beat a little bit harder in his chest at the thought of Dongsik’s hands so close to his tail. No one’s ever been this close to him before; not for the lack of trying of course, unwanted attention came with being Crown Prince. Deft fingers brush along his scales in an attempt to get a particularly stubborn knot, and he clears his throat much louder than needed. Dongsik immediately withdraws his hands, a panicked look in his eyes.

“Shit, sorry, did I hurt you?” He rushes out, worried that he’s causing pain. “I’ll try to be more careful, this knot is being an absolute bastard.”

“No, no,” Joowon squeaks, refusing to make eye contact. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“Okay, good,” he laughs, relieved. “It would be a shame if any harm came to your tail, you know. The colors really are stunning.”

It isn’t Dongsik’s fault that he doesn’t know that complimenting someone’s colors are common courting practices. He doesn’t know that it’s traditional to pluck a single scale from ones tail and exchange it with their lover, letting two partners’ colors intertwine and become one. It makes Joowon feel shy all the same. All he can do is take the compliment in and cough awkwardly, only offering a stilted “thank you” in return despite the strange wanting in his chest at the man’s words.

Now that they’re talking, Joowon finds that he doesn’t particularly want to stop, so he calls back to something Dongsik had mentioned earlier.

“What did you mean before?” He wonders out loud. “When you said you’re more scared of me than I am of you?”

“You’ve never met a human, have you?” Dongsik asks back, nodding with a small smile when Joowon shakes his head slightly. “I may not be a merman, but I was born in these waters,” he starts. “My family, as far back as I can remember, have all been fishermen and sailors. This boat has been passed down through generations of Lees. I fish because it’s my living, not with the malicious intent you seem to think I do.”

Which, fair.

“That’s besides the point,” he says, finally freeing Joowon of the last knot. “I’ve heard tales of merpeople since I was a baby. How they would lure sailors in with their beauty, only to drown them and sink their boats. I’ve never actually seen one before you, but trust me, I don’t want to mess around with sirens,” he sits back, bracing his arms behind him. “I love and respect these waters, so please, when you go back home, tell them to look the other way when they see my tiny boat, yeah?”

“So you think– you think I’m beautiful?” Joowon teases, feeling safe enough to flick drops of water from his tail onto Dongsik’s face. He almost laughs when the older man sputters.

“I have eyes,” Dongsik smirks, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe his face. The movement gives Joowon a glimpse of more tanned skin, and he can’t help but want to reach out and touch to confirm if it’s just as smooth as it looks. Dongsik catches him looking and doesn’t mention it.

He thinks you’re beautiful, his mind giggles, he’s the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen and he actually thinks you’re beautiful too.

“Sirens,” Joowon scoffs feigning a casual tone, running his fingers through the tangles strands of his hair. “There is a difference you know. All sirens are merpeople, but not all merpeople are sirens. The royal bloodline is the only producer of sirens throughout the seven seas, they’re not nearly as common as your people seem to think.” He finds that now he’s free, there isn’t any sense of urgency for him to leave.

“So, you’re not one then?” Dongsik cocks his head to the side in question, genuinely curious. Joowon finds it endearing.

“Well, I didn’t say that,” Joowon mumbles, absentmindedly putting his hair in a soft plait. He’s never been above water this long, and he’s realizing his hair tangles up too quickly once it dries.

“Wah, you’re telling me I’ve caught a prince? Surely you could have found a nicer net, your majesty,” Dongsik winks, getting up to get himself a drink from a nearby cooler. “Your face makes sense now.” He brings two red cans over, sitting back down even closer than he was before.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Joowon asks, taking the can that was offered. It’s heavy and chilled and he’s not entirely sure what to do with it so he turns it over in his hands. He decides to save addressing Dongsik’s other comments for later when he doesn’t feel so thoroughly flayed.

“You must have mirrors, prince,” Dongsik hides a smirk behind the can. Joowon uses the opportunity to duck his head, feeling embarrassingly warm at the words from the older man. He lifts the can to his own mouth to copy Dongsik and is confused when nothing happens, he lowers it with a furrow in his eyebrow.

Dongsik laughs loudly but not unkindly, reaching for the can and taking it from Joowon’s grasp. Their fingers brush and there’s an undeniable current of electricity that runs through their hands, making Dongsik sharply inhale. “Give it here,” he chuckles holding up the can for Joowon. “This is soda, ever heard of it?”

Joowon shakes his head, and Dongsik continues on, “You drink it,” he cracks open the can and hands it back. “It’s good on a hot day.” He tips his head back and chugs down the rest of his can, giving Joowon an eyeful of a long, tanned neck. There’s a drop of something there, maybe left over water from getting splashed, maybe it’s sweat, but it makes Joowon want to lick the bead of whatever it is from Dongsik’s skin.

Relax, his mind chides. You’ve just met the man!

“Go on, try it,” Dongsik encourages sweetly. Joowon opens the can like Dongsik had done and takes a tentative sip, sweetness exploding on his tongue. It’s a taste he’s never had before, and the bubbles are crisp on his tongue. He tries to chug it down and it stings his throat, making him wince.

“Why does it burn?” He asks, licking the taste from the inside of his lips.

“You just drank it too fast,” Dongsik laughs. “Try again, this time a bit slower.”

So he does, and he finds that Dongsik is right. Joowon can’t help the pleased hum he lets out from the sweetness.

“It’s… not bad,” he concedes. “Different than what we have back home.”

“I’m sure,” Dongsik nods. They lapse into a comfortable silence, sipping on their sodas while soaking in the sun. Jihoon putters around on deck, and he can’t help but keep his gaze on the two, millions of questions running through his brain. Now that he’s calm, Joowon wonders as well.

Who is this man to Dongsik? Friend? Son? Lover?

His hackles rise at the possibility of the last option. Joowon has only known Dongsik for minutes and he feels the need to lay claim on the man. Joowon isn’t blind or dumb, he knows what he looks like, and years of fake pleasantries with adoring dignitaries from other kingdoms does mean that he knows how to flirt. It’s not something he particularly likes doing, but something about Dongsik makes him want to lavish the man in flattering words. It comes as a shock to him, who’s never looked twice at someone of his own kind.

Dongsik looks between the two and gestures Jihoon over. “Hoon-ah, come meet our guest,” he says happily, obviously enjoying the cautious energy between the two. Jihoon approaches slowly but keeps a safe distance. “Aish, he doesn’t bite,” Dongsik rolls his eyes. Looking back at Joowon, he asks, “You don’t, right? Bite, do you?”

“Not unless I’m told to,” he teases, shocked at his own boldness. He puffs out his chest like he does when he’s forced to sit on the throne, and doesn’t miss the way Dongsik’s eyes track down his stomach. The moment is broken by Jihoon clearing his throat awkwardly.

Dongsik ducks his head, running his hand through his hair to hide the heat that makes it’s way to his cheeks. “Joowon, this is Jihoon,” he says quickly. “Jihoon, this is Joowon.”

Jihoon raises a shy hand and waves and it’s so obviously pure of heart that Joowon decides he can’t hate him. So he just sighs, “Ask your questions, I can see you have plenty of them.”

“I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Jihoon mutters, wringing his hands together nervously.

“You won’t,” he says, trying his best to be reassuring.

“He’s a prince back home, he’s probably used to it,” Dongsik says, looking to Joowon for confirmation. He nods back.

Joowon has to admit that they way Dongsik handles Jihoon is sweet; they’ve obviously known each other for a very long time. He hates that he feels a green monster in his chest, but shoves it down as best as he can. There’s no reasons to jump to conclusions just yet.

“If you’re sure,” Jihoon smiles tentatively, sitting down next to Dongsik on the deck. “Where do you come from?”

“My kingdom is called Tidefall,” he answers. “It stretches the entire length of this ocean, and we have colonies further south where the water is warmer. You’ve never heard of it? I would assume it would be in the myths your people tell about us.”

Jihoon shakes his head, “That name has never come up, but then again most people don’t really believe you all exist,” he shrugs sheepishly.

“Huh,” Joowon puffs out a breath. He’s been educated on humans since the day he was born, but it seems like merpeople are more fantasy than anything to most. It explains why there’s such a harsh divide between their worlds.

“Why were you swimming so close to the surface?”

And, well. That’s a little more complicated. Dongsik leans forward like he’s been wondering the same thing.

“I’m getting married,” he mumbles, hand rubbing the back of his neck. Dongsik’s head reels back like the news shocked him. “Or at least I’m supposed to be, and soon, too.”

“You don’t love her?” Dongsik asks, putting the slightest emphasis on the pronoun. There’s no way he and Joowon could possibly make this work and yet he feels deeply jealous at the thought of someone being able to see the man everyday. Dongsik doesn’t even know if he’ll see him ever again after he swims away.

“I don’t think about her,” Joowon sighs, unable to keep the small thread of annoyance out of his voice. “She’s just the daughter of another king from a nearby kingdom, I don’t know enough about her to care about her…”

“Not your type?” Jihoon wonders.

Joowon locks eyes with Dongsik and hopes that he understands. “Not even a little bit.”

He sees the older man’s lips twitch and feels like cheering. Jihoon is oblivious to it all.

“Can you talk to sharks?” He asks, completely breaking the spell of the moment with a childlike look of joy on his boyish face.

“What a stupid question,” he scoffs, enjoying the way Jihoon deflates. “Of course I can. Who do you think I learned to bite from?”

“Wow,” Jihoon breathes out. “That’s so cool! Is it like a different language?” He’s obviously getting excited, babbling endlessly. “Are sharks mean? Humans think they’re scary but personally, I love them.”

It’s obvious he has a passion for the ocean, and it makes Joowon like him just a little bit more.

“Merpeople and sea creatures are connected intrinsically by the water,” he explains. “There isn’t really a concrete answer, just that when they speak, we can understand,” he shrugs like it’s the easiest thing in the world. “And no, most of the time they’re not. I usually prefer sharks to other merpeople.” Being crown prince has many negatives, and one of them is never being able to have true, real friends.

“He sounds like you, hyung!” Jihoon pushes Dongsik’s shoulder. “Dongsik is always on the water, says it calms him like nothing else does.”

“It’s true!” Dongsik admits. He takes Balsam out more days than he doesn’t, even when he doesn’t need to work. There’s a peace and tranquility that the endless blue offers that he’ll never be able to get anywhere else. It never fails to settle his heart. “Don’t act like you’re different, you used to beg to join me out here when you were younger.”

“So you’ve known each other long then?” Joowon asks, trying to be as casual as possible.

“Since he was a baby,” Dongsik confirms. “His older sister is my best friend, so this one is like a brother to me.”

Joowon feels his chest open up with light.

Thank the Gods.

“Oh,” he breathes out, relieved beyond belief. “You don’t bring anyone else out here then?” There’s a particularly interesting knot in the net to his right and he rolls it between his fingers.

“Not really, no,” Dongsik’s eyes twinkle with mischief. “Haven’t in years.”

“Good to know,” Joowon mumbles, unable to meet Dongsik’s eyes. “So do you come to this spot often?”

Jihoon hides a laugh behind his hand before getting up and going back to double check the coolers. Dongsik almost giggles at the question, finding it adorable that Joowon so obviously wants to see him again.

“Not usually,” he says just to see the man pout. “But, we got a good catch today, so I think I’ll be back in a few days,” he fights off the smile on his face. “After the storm, of course.”

“Of course,” Joowon nods. “Smart.”

There’s a beat of silence and then.

“I should get back–”

“The fish–”

They both look away, embarrassed, before Dongsik gestures at Joowon to speak.

“I should get back,” he says again. “It’s a long swim and my father is going to be absolutely furious.”

“Right,” Dongsik replies, a tinge of disappointment in his tone. “We have to get these to the market anyways.”

Joowon hauls himself over the side of the boat and dives back into the water, refreshed after so long in the sun. It’s cold, just how he likes it. He feels his hair unfurl from the braid and shakes it out quickly, before looking up to see Dongsik looking down at him, wonder in his eyes.

“That feels better,” Joowon sighs, letting himself go buoyant. “I’ve never been out of water for that long, I could feel myself shriveling by the second.”

If asked if he tilts his bright tail towards the sunlight and flexes his muscles to show off a little for Dongsik’s benefit, he’ll never admit to it.

“Welcome to my world,” Dongsik grins down at him, smile more blinding than the sun. “I’ll be back, so try to avoid anyone else’s net, okay?”

“None are as cozy as yours. Be careful in the storm, Dongsik,” he says coyly. “It’s when sirens find humans to be most vulnerable.” He winks, letting himself float on the surface of the water.

All he sees before he dives down into it’s depths is a last blinding smile, blurry through the clear water, but beautiful all the same. They’ve just parted, and Joowon is already counting down the days until he can see Dongsik again.

Above the surface, Dongsik turns his back to the water, leaning on the side of the boat where Joowon had been sitting. Jihoon looks at him knowingly, and opens his mouth to say something smart before Dongsik cuts him off with a quick, “Don’t say it, please.”

Jihoon nods, shutting his mouth and trying his hardest not to laugh at his hyung’s misery. Dongsik feels the boat come back to life under him and they head back to shore.

Looking back on the spot as they sail away, all that comes to mind is one word.

“Fuck.”

_____________

The storm is the biggest they’ve had in a while. Lightning cracks the sky with blinding light and thunder shakes the houses from their hinges. The docks at the marina are looking worse for wear, planks broken or completely bent out of shape. It makes it difficult to get back onto the Balsam for a few days.

He looks out of his window to the open sea and can’t help but think of Joowon. Their encounter had left a mark on his heart, one that he couldn’t remember feeling ever before. The vastness of blue makes him wonder everything about the younger prince. Little does he know that Joowon had swam to the surface more times than he can count in the days after the storm in search for the small boat, disappointed every time his head broke the water and it wasn’t there.

Joowon knows that Dongsik said it would be a few days, but he’s itching to get away from the palace again. The storm had shifted the currents, causing upwelling the likes that no one had seen since before his father’s reign. If it was that bad for them under the sea, Joowon can’t begin to imagine the damage it could have caused on land. Just thinking about it makes him worried, already too attached to a man he’s only met once.

Dongsik was something of a light in the never ending depths of Joowon’s duties, a well needed break, a relief from the life he would have never chosen for himself. He had been more open and happy in the hour he was on the deck of the Balsam than he had been in years. There’s a small voice in the back of his mind that’s reminding him that this can’t possibly end well, but, he’s never been known to listen.

So, when it’s nearly a week later and he finally sees a white hull break the blue above him, he’s ecstatic. Joowon swims up so fast, breaking the surface and taking greedy gulps of air. He can’t yet see over the side of the boat and is about to yell for Dongsik when he finally sees the man lean over the railing with a big smile on his face.

“Hello, siren,” he says teasingly. “Kill any sailors lately?”

“Aish, one more word and I’ll add you to the tally,” Joowon taunts, brushing the wet hair back from his face. “You haven’t been out for almost a week, was the storm that bad?”

“Have you been counting the days?” Dongsik flirts, tilting his head to the side. The movement causes his hair to fall from where it was tucked behind his ears and it makes Joowon’s hands itch with the need to fix it. “Nothing better to do in that palace of yours?”

The mention of the palace instantly makes him prickly, but knowing it’s not Dongsik’s fault, he smooths over the comment as best as he can.

“I’ve been craving more of that drink… what did you call it?” He wonders out loud. “Soda? You’re the only one who can get it for me, I’m afraid.”

“Well lucky for you,” he reaches down just out of Joowon’s view, “I brought you some.” He tosses a small red can down towards the water and opens one for himself. “I would invite you on deck again, but all I have is the net to bring you up,” he says sympathetically. “It didn’t look too comfortable last time.”

Joowon takes a small sip, enjoying the way the bubbles explode on his tongue. It’s just as sweet last time, and he savors it, giving himself time to build up the courage for his response.

“You could…” he looks down at his hands as they float in the water, “you could always come down here.” The words are quieter than he anticipated, nervous at the thought of being rejected. Truth is, he’s been wanting to see Dongsik in water since the first time they met. Joowon wants to see the older man be the one completely out of his element. Silence stretches between them and he’s nervous he may have overstepped, but then Dongsik drops a ladder down the side of his boat and grins.

“For when I have to get out,” he says, tugging his shirt over his head.

Joowon nods dreamily, too busy at the sight of new skin being exposed to string together a sentence. Dongsik’s skin is smooth and tanned, with a light dusting of hair that disappears into his shorts. His muscles are sinewy, obviously strong from a life on the water. Everything tapers in to a ridiculously small waist, and Joowon has to bite back an embarrassing noise. It’s not like he’s not used to seeing men disrobed like this –being around clothes is the anomaly–but, this feels remarkably different, and the butterflies in his stomach prove that.

And just as Joowon thought he was safe, Dongsik strips out of his shorts, revealing a pair of tight black briefs and strong thighs. Joowon crushes the can he forgot he was holding in his grip, splashing cool sweet liquid all over his face.

“You’ve got something,” Dongsik drags a thumb across his own lips to demonstrate.

The words knock Joowon out of his daze and he quickly dives down to rinse himself and to cool his rapidly heating skin. When he surfaces again, he tosses the can onto the deck.

“Are you coming or are we going to sit here all day?” Joowon questions, crossing his arms over his chest to purposefully puff it out. “Seems like someone is stalling. Scared, Dongsik?” He goads the man and laughs when Dongsik scoffs and rolls his eyes. He dives in without another word, a perfect arch from the deck, breaking the surface of the water with hardly a splash.

When he comes back up, he’s immediately in Joowoon’s personal space, a maddening smirk on his lips.

“Who’s scared, prince?” He splashes at Joowon before pushing his dark hair back from his face. Joowon slaps his legs with his tail playfully, something his mother used to do with him as a child. It’s the most contact Joowon has initiated in a long time. Dongsik just looks at him sideways, something unreadable in his eyes. “I haven’t done this in so long,” he sighs, dipping his head back into the water. “The cold is refreshing.”

Joowon would argue that it’s not actually cold but hot. Water is sloughing down Dongsik’s neck in long rivulets before disappearing into the greater blue and Joowon can’t help but imagine what the salt would taste like on his skin.

“No Jihoon today?” He asks hopefully.

“Nope,” Dongsik pops the syllable. “Just you and me.”

“Good,” Joowon nods. “I wouldn’t want you to get embarrassed when I clearly have superior swimming skills.”

“You also have a tail, so, kind of unfair,” Dongsik pushes at his shoulder. “Let’s see it then, if you’re so confident!”

“See what?”

“Your “superior swimming skills” of course,” he puts the words in air quotes with his fingers. “Don’t be shy, Joowon, show the class.”

And so he does, swimming deep and shooting himself out of the water in a high jump, just like the dolphins in his youth taught him. His arch is perfect, he knows, and it’s hard not to be smug when Dongsik’s face looks thoroughly impressed. His mouth is opening and closing repeatedly like he doesn’t have the words to express what he wants to say.

“You look like a witch has taken your voice,” Joowon teases, swimming ever closer into Dongsik’s space.

“Your colors in the sun were incredible,” Dongsik breathes. “It’s like they catch every individual ray of light there is.” He’s looking down into the water for a glimpse of it, and it makes Joowon bashful and pleased all at once.

“They’re from my mother,” Joowon says quietly. He knows his colors are beautiful, he’s been told that his entire life from everyone he came across in the kingdom. Everyone but his own father. Han Kihwan’s side of the family have tails of stunning reds and blacks, making Joowon the odd one out. It’s why people naturally think that Hyeok, with his tail as red as blood, was Kihwan’s son as well. “I’m quite proud of them… so, thank you,” he says sincerely, so different from the first time Dongsik had complimented him almost a week ago.

“She must be beautiful,” Dongsik says. “If you look anything like her, I mean,” the words are softer, sweeter than his other ones.

“She was,” Joowon agreed. “I miss her dearly. It’s been many moons since she’s passed.” His mother was the only one who he knew truly loved him, even with all of her faults. She was slowly driven mad by Han Kihwan’s rule both in front of and behind closed doors, and while Joowon wishes she could have been strong enough to fight back, he can’t blame her for losing herself to the depths of her mind.

“How? If you don’t mind me asking,” Dongsik inquires, tone so purely curious that it’s obvious he just wants to get to know more about Joowon. The thought, while scary, makes his heart beat a little bit faster in his chest.

“You remember when I had assumed you would kill me?” He asks Dongsik. The man nods back, gesturing for him to continue. “She died at the hands of fisherman in these very waters. Towards the end of her life she was… lost. She would come up to the surface for an escape before my father would drag her back to the palace. One night, she surfaced and there must’ve been a boat of rowdy sailors, because when we found her, she had been harpooned.” The story never fails to make his throat get tight, the image of his mother and her beautiful colors floating lifeless with so many wounds. It was obvious she had tried to get away, but even then she was too weak.

“I’m sorry,” Dongsik places a hand on his back, swiping a thumb across the nape of his neck. It’s the most comforting thing Joowon can ever remember happening to him and he leans into the light pressure without realizing it.

“You didn’t do it,” Joowon mutters.

“But my kind did,” Dongsik replies. “And I want you to know that on behalf of other humans, I’m sorry for what your kind have gone through. What you’ve gone through.” There’s so much genuine emotion in his voice that it makes Joowon’s heart stutter.

“I wish more were like you,” Joowon meets Dongsik’s gaze, the words so vulnerable that he’s shocked he’s saying them. “I think you might be the kindest man I’ve ever met, Dongsik.”

Dongsik’s cheeks turn pink, making Joowon almost raise the back of his hand to them just to feel the heat there. “Technically, I’m the only man you’ve ever met, so. The bar is in hell,” he laughs self-deprecatingly, hand dropping into the water. “There are plenty of other people like me.”

“You’re wrong,” Joowon disagrees wholeheartedly.

“You don’t know me,” Dongsik says sharply. He’s always been uncomfortable with praise, it’s something that comes with the years of sadness that clings to his bones.

“I’d like to,” Joowon says simply. “You trusted me enough to get in the water with me and you freed me when you could’ve easily done different.” He aches for another touch from Dongsik, something to reassure him in this moment. “I want to know everything about you.”

Dongsik’s eyes turn soft and he gently grabs Joowon’s hand, pulling him closer before going to float on his back. There’s a comfortable silence that descends, just the sound of their breathing and the waves around them. The clouds are slow-moving and wispy and Joowon traces the lines with his free hand in the air. The heat of the sun makes him drowsy, and the comforting weight of Dongsik’s hand in his own makes his heart grow three sizes.

“Even though I think you’ll end up finding me completely underwhelming, you can ask,” Dongsik breaks the silence. When Joowon looks over, the man’s eyes are closed to the brightness of the sun. “Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you.”

“Are you married?” Joowon immediately questions, uncaring about how his eagerness might make him look. He needs to know if there’s anyone else in Dongsik’s heart before he fully submits to the ache within his own.

There’s a quiet laugh in answer and then a small “no.” He squeezes Joowon’s hand slightly and lets out a breath.

Joowon feels like he might die of happiness. It’s embarrassing.

“The closest thing to marriage is what I have with the boat,” he says. “I’m with her most days, she helps to feed me, I sleep on her sometimes during peak season, and she’s been witness to all my troubles. Other than her… there hasn’t been anyone in years.”

How this stunning human could be so lonely is beyond Joowon, anyone would be lucky to have Dongsik in their life with his blinding smiles and obvious gentle nature. The more layers he peels back about the man, the more similar they become.

“Why do you love the sea so much?”

Dongsik hums like he’s thinking of an answer. “It’s infinite. My people know more about space,” he points up at the clouds above them, “than we do about your home.”

“Surely not!” Joowon gasps, unbelieving. Maybe it’s because the water has always been his home, or maybe it’s because he’s travelled to many other kingdoms due to his royal status, but he thinks the sea is an open book. People work and people die; in his head there’s no way life on land can be that different, other than the obvious bits.

“I promise you,” Dongsik laughs at his reaction. “Earth is 70 percent water and I think we’ve only explored roughly 5 percent of it. You’ve probably seen things most humans could only dream of.” He’s quiet for a beat. “There’s a peace about it too. On land it’s always loud, too many people, too many things to do. When I come out here and it’s just me and the blue, it clears my head like nothing else can.”

“I can understand that,” Joowon says. “My father… he doesn’t understand me, doesn’t care to, really. That’s why I ended up so far out the day we met, I needed space and so swimming miles away from the palace seemed like a rational option. Open waters outside of the kingdom could be dangerous, we’re always warned against swimming out of the boundaries.”

“Why?”

“Well, fishermen for one,” Joowon laughs softly, eyes on the clouds. “Ending up in someone’s net is usually a death sentence.”

“It must’ve been terrifying,” Dongsik says quietly. He pulls Joowon closer, his thigh brushing Joowon’s scales ever so slightly as the water bobs him.

“For a few moments, yes,” he admits. “I realized pretty quickly I wasn’t going to die by your hand. Maybe under your gaze,” Joowon turns away, shy. “But never your hands.”

“You’ll bolster an old man’s confidence too much if you speak like that, Joowon-ah.”

The informality fell from his lips easily, like they’ve known each other for years, not two days. It’s a casualness that Joowon has always yearned for but has been denied, having to constantly mask to fit the role he was born into. It’s tiring, always has been. Dongsik’s voice forms around the syllables too easily, like he was meant to say them. Maybe he was. Maybe there’s a chance that somehow this could work. The thought makes Joowon much too hopeful.

The sky is painted with bright oranges and pinks, casting them both in warm light. Dongsik starts to tread the water under his feet, bringing himself back to being face-to-face with Joowon. There’s a small piece of seaweed tangled in his hair, and Dongsik gently plucks it from the strands before tucking the hair back behind Joowon’s ear.

Joowon grabs his hand and pulls the man flush against him, the skin-to-skin contact making his nerves sing like nothing he’s ever felt before. Dongsik lets out a small yelp in surprise, but doesn’t move, which bolsters Joowon’s confidence.

“Thanks,” he breathes, catching the way Dongsik’s eyes dart down to his parted lips. He grabs the sides of the man’s face and brings them so close their noses are almost touching. The breath that they’re sharing is warm, and Joowon has to stop himself from taking gulps of it. He feels arms wrap around his shoulders and legs hook around his waist and can’t stop his eyes from fluttering at the friction. “I think you’re the siren, Dongsik…” He kisses the corner of Dongsik’s mouth, letting out a small noise when the stubble scratches at his smooth skin. When he noses at the soft skin under Dongsik’s ear, he hears a punched out sigh that makes his stomach burst into butterflies. “I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I met you,” he whispers into Dongsik’s ear. “You were so gentle with your hands, Dongsik. More gentle than I would’ve been…” He laps at the sensitive spot, tasting a mix of salt and something so purely Dongsik that it makes his head spin.

“Joowon,” Dongsik gasps, threading his fingers through his strands and pulling. He feels hot breath puff onto his skin. “Thought you were perfect when I first laid eyes on you. So broad, so strong, so…. beautiful,” he babbles, hands tracing the sensitive scales around his hips. “It would’ve worked you know,” he whispers against the shell of his ear. “Luring me to a disastrous fate. I’ll go wherever you want me too, I’ll do whatever you want me too, just please, keep your hands on me,” he pleads, his voice coming out more like a whimper than anything. They’ve barely scratched the surface and he’s already embarrassingly hard in his briefs, his nerves feeling completely flayed.

He’s finally about to pull Joowon in for a kiss when explosions shake the air and cause both of them to jump out of their skin. It’s disorienting as all hell and Dongsik can feel his legs start to tread faster and faster when he looks around. Once he turns, he sees the source. Someone has set off fireworks not too far away, and when he remembers why, it makes all the sense in the world.

Ah, it’s Liberation Day, his mind sighs. Fireworks are going to be going on for the rest of the night.

When he turns back around, Joowon has lowered himself into the water so only his eyes are showing, wide as saucers like he’s terrified. With every boom he seems to flinch back a bit and Dongsik is quick to close the distance again.

“It’s okay! It’s just fireworks, they’re harmless, I promise,” he reassures Joowon, who looks more cautious than ever. When Dongsik reaches for his hand, there’s the slightest hesitation before he interlocks their fingers. “It slipped my mind that it’s a major holiday for my people,” he explains.

“I’ve never seen that before,” Joowon raises his lips just above the water to be able to speak, the rest of his body still hidden in the now dark blue water. Dongsik can see that he’s embarrassed and decides that whatever was going to happen tonight isn’t anymore. “Is it safe?”

“Completely, we use them for celebrations all year round.” He swims behind Joowon and back hugs him, resting his chin on his shoulder. “Watch, there’s going to be more.” Dongsik points to the sky and smiles and he sees another one launched, rocketing up into the air before exploding into blue and gold sparks. Joowon doesn’t flinch as hard this time, more curious now than anything.

“It’s fascinating,” he says, eyes unblinking up at the sky. “I wonder what it’s like.” There’s a wistfulness in his tone that gives Dongsik pause.

“What do you mean?”

“In the sky,” he replies, looking over at Dongsik with fireworks reflected in his eyes. “I’ve seen birds fly before and it looks so freeing. It’s like they don’t have a care in the world.”

His burden sits heavy on his shoulders, Dongsik realizes. This is a man who’s deeply lonely, who’s tied to a life he clearly despises. It makes Dongsik want to wrap him up and take him home.

“The air under their wings must feel incredible,” he says softly, still looking at at the sky where stars are slowly becoming visible.

“One day I’ll take you on a plane,” Dongsik smiles, squeezing Joowon’s hand in his own.

“What’s that?” Joowon questions, tilting his head to the side in such an adorable way that Dongsik can’t help but press a kiss to his cheek.

“It’s a machine that humans created,” he explains. “We use it fly from place to place. It’s the closest thing to sitting on a cloud that you could ever experience.”

“I think I would like that.”

He loves the ocean, he always will. And maybe if he was someone else, it wouldn’t feel like he’s trapped. But, he does. He’s trapped in a gilded cage that’s infinitely wide, but at the end of the day it’s still a cage. The more he learns of the world up above, the more he wants to experience it all. And the more it rips at his heart when he realizes he’ll never be able to.

An overwhelming wave of sadness wracks his bones, making his eyes burn with hot tears. He tugs his hand out of Dongsik’s to wipe them away and clears his throat, creating distance between them. Joowon is not yet ready for Dongsik to see this side of him, no matter how much he already trusts the man. His father had always told him that being overly emotional was his ugliest trait, making it difficult to feel any other way.

“I have to get back,” he says, lips pulling downward.

“That’s alright,” Dongsik soothes, itching to reach out to the younger man. He can see the depth of emotion behind his eyes and wants nothing more than to soothe him until he’s smiling again. “Can I see you again?” He questions hopefully. “Please say yes.”

This, at least, makes Joowon’s lips turn up slightly. It’s not a full smile, but it’s also not nothing.

“I would like nothing more,” he finally says, voice quiet and cracked.

“Let me take you somewhere,” Dongsik pleads. “There’s a cove I found a bit further west from here. No one’s ever been there but me, there’s a beautiful patch of white sand and the tidal pool gives you a perfect shot of the moon through the rock face. It’s quite stunning.”

“It’s a date,” Joowon nods. “When?”

“The next full moon is in three days,” Dongsik suggests. “Let’s go then.” He takes Joowon’s hand and presses a kiss to the back of it. “I’ll bring some of my favorite foods for you to try, yeah? We’ll make a day out of it and have a picnic.”

“I don’t know what that is, but okay,” Joowon giggles at the man’s eagerness to see him again. The thought of a full day with Dongsik is something he could never turn down, and he’s sure the next three days are going to be the longest of his life. “I’ll bring you something from home, too.”

“Till then, little prince,” Dongsik mutters, pressing a sweet kiss to Joowon’s cheek.

“Till then, Dongsik. Get home safe.”

Now that he has something to look forward to, diving into the now pitch black waters doesn’t seem as suffocating as it normally does.

______________

Dongsik cut the engine when he finally arrives to the cove and is relieved to see it as empty and untouched as the last time he was there. He couldn’t be more excited about today, having had Jaeyi prepare all of his favorite foods in exchange for dropping the price for the next few catches. He tugged along his portable burner too for ramen, and he hopes that Joowon likes it. He drops the picnic basket and the burner into the small raft, having dropped anchor a little ways out so the Balsam didn’t run on land.

The closer he gets to the cove, smaller rocks come into view, surrounding the white sand of the beach. On one of those said rocks is Joowon, eyes closed and face tilted to the sun. The sight steals the breath from Dongsik’s lungs. Joowon hasn’t noticed him yet, and it gives Dongsik just enough time to really look at all of the merman.

Joowon really does look the part of a prince. His hair grazes the tops of his shoulders, thick and inky like the sea at midnight. In the sunlight it almost reflects a deep blue, matching the shifting colors of his tail. His chest is broad and covered in soft skin, but Dongsik knows there are hidden muscles there if the other day was any indication. The scales that bleed into the alabaster skin shine bright in the sun, striking shades of blue and green. Altogether, he looks like something out of a Disney movie. Dongsik chooses to not think about the fact that he’s just wearing an old bathing suit and an oversized t–shirt.

One brown eye peeks open, “You’re staring,” Joowon says raising an eyebrow, voice carrying the small distance between them.

“Do you want me to stop?” Dongsik asks, already knowing the answer.

Joowon closes his eye and stretches his neck back even more, “No.”

There he stays until Dongsik steers his boat just close enough to where he could just touch the end of his tail if he reached out. If he was out of the boat, he’d still be able to just touch the sand below, but it’s deep enough for Joowon to feel comfortable.

“How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long,” Joowon replies, finally fully turning to Dongsik. “It is a beautiful spot, by the way. I’ve never sunned before but now I see why the seals love it.”

“I found it a long time ago. It was the anniversary of my twin’s passing and I drifted out here on my own,” he says, unpacking the picnic. “It’s where I come every year now.” He smiles as he sees Joowon slide back into the water before putting his forearms on Dongsik’s boat, resting his chin there.

“There’s two of you?” Joowon asks with big eyes.

“There was,” Dongsik smiles, taking two cans of soda from the cooler. “She was much better, though.” His heart twinges in the way it always does when he thinks of Yuyeon. But he’s long realized that talking about her is the only thing that fills the emptiness in his chest. That, and the fact that he knows she would be the first to beat him up if she knew how truly sad he was all the time.

“What was her name?”

“Yuyeon,” Dongsik says wistfully. The name rings a bell in Joowon’s head, but he’s not entirely sure why. “She loved the water, too. We’d always help our father when he would sail out during the summers. We’d go back to school three shades darker than everyone else,” he laughs. “Our hair would be nearly blonde after spending so many hours in the sun. There was this ring that I had given her for her birthday one year, she refused to take it off all summer so by the time school started she would have a bright white tan line on her finger.”

Yuyeon… a ring… Joowon’s mind says. It can’t be.

“How did she die?” Joowon questions. He needs to be sure before he jumps to conclusions. “If you don’t mind talking about it, of course.”

“I don’t mind. I love remembering her,” he says, eyes sad. “She was a pearl diver. We would sell them to other stands at the market for extra money when we were younger; I don’t know how common they are for your people, but they’re a commodity on land,” he explains. Joowon’s heart starts to race, the pieces in his mind coming together. “To be honest, no one knows the details of what happened. She went out one day and never came back,” he says quietly, ducking his head. “Most likely, she drowned.”

The final piece connects in Joowon’s brain. Yuyeon, a pearl diver, with a ring on her finger. It’s too similar to be anyone else.

“Dongsik,” Joowon asks slowly. “What’s your last name?”

“Lee,” Dongsik answers, obviously confused. “Why?”

“I think,” he breathes out. “I think I knew your sister…”

“That’s impossible–”

“Let me explain, please,” Joowon grabs Dongsik’s hands and forces him to meet his gaze. Dongsik shuts him mouth and nods. “When I was just a child, I used to swim away often. I’d swim out of the boundaries of the palace into the reefs to explore and to get away from my father,” he starts, trying to keep his words even and measured. “One day I went out to my favorite spot, the coral was so bright and teeming with fish and other creatures, and it wasn’t too deep; the rays of the sun still reached it.”

Dongsik is hanging on his every word, lips slightly parted.

“This time, though, I saw a human there. It looked like whatever she was wearing got snagged on the rocks, and she was floating peacefully in the tides, her long black hair was spread around her head like a halo…” He sees the moment realization dawns on Dongsik’s face and squeezes his hand. “Keep in mind, I had never seen a human before. Like I told you, from the time we’re born we’re told that your kind are killers, that you could never be trusted.”

“Joowon,” Dongsik whispers, eyes becoming more filled with tears by the second.

“I waited it out behind some of the reefs, watching to see if it was all a trap. But she didn’t move, just floated calmly while the creatures swam around her without a care in the world. When I swam up to her she had these things on her face,” Joowon gestures to his own, unsure if Dongsik would know what they were.

“Goggles,” Dongsik sniffles. “They help humans see clearly underwater.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” Joowon nods. “She was wearing bright goggles with her name written on the side, and she had a ring on that glinted in the rays of the sun. I remember it matching her nails…” The memory could have happened yesterday, it’s so clear to him. Dongsik’s shoulders start to shake, small cries wracking his shoulders. It makes Joowon’s heart split in two and he rushes to soothe the man, “I’m sorry, Dongsik. I can stop if it’s too hard, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“No, please, continue,” Dongsik says, eyes rimmed red. “I’m okay.”

“When I realized she had passed, I ripped her away from the reefs and tried to give her the closest thing to funeral rites that I could at that age. Merpeople wrap our dead in seaweed and we cover them in rocks so that other sea creatures can’t get to the body, so that’s what I did. I tucked her away in the most beautiful spot I could find, I promise,” Joowon explained. “Shallow enough that the sun would still reach her on warm days, but deep enough that she would be safe from the prying eyes and hands of other humans.”

He reaches up to brush a tear away from Dongsik’s cheek. “Your sister was the first human I ever saw, the first one that showed me that not all are terrifying creatures,” he whispers, hoping the words comfort Dongsik in some way. “If she was anything like you, I mourn the fact that I wasn’t able to know her properly.”

Dongsik lays his hand on Joowon’s, keeping it on the skin of his cheek. “She would’ve loved you, I know it.”

The words pierce his heart like a harpoon, and he can’t stop himself from pulling Dongsik down into a kiss. It’s heated, filled with yearning, possibility, hope. Hope is a dangerous thing for a man like Han Joowon to have, but he has it. It fills every empty space in his chest, and he can hear the bright fireworks he had witnessed the other night in his ears. Dongsik melts into it, grabbing Joowon’s face in his hands and letting his eyelids flutter closed. It’s only when Joowon feels wetness on his own face that he pulls away.

“Was it that bad?” He jokes, trying to lift the mood.

“It was perfect,” Dongsik laughs, wiping the tears away. “You just gave me the closure I’ve needed for the past twenty years, Han Joowon. You have absolutely no idea what that means to me, so, thank you. Really.” Now there’s a smile on his face, one that seems markedly lighter than the ones before. “I’m glad you’re the one who found her. She died in the place she loved most,” Dongsik sighs deeply. “I guess we can’t really ask for anything better than that, right?”

Joowon nods, “I would agree.”

“Maybe it’s a long-shot, but do you still have any of her things?” Dongsik says hopefully, eyes pleading with Joowon to say yes.

“I do,” he smiles. “I removed her goggles and her ring before laying her to rest. There was a small bag full of pearls that I almost missed, but I have that too. I can go back to the palace, if you’re willing to wait for a while.”

“That’s okay, next time,” Dongsik waves him off. “If they’re in your possession, I’m sure they’re safe. I ran out of pictures and videos of her long ago, it’ll be nice to have something new again.”

“It seems the Lee twins and I are fated,” he says, only half joking. “I always wondered about her story, and I’m glad to know it now. I visit her grave often, the reef has only grown more beautiful and lively since she’s been there.”

“I’m sure,” Dongsik looks up at the sky, a small smile on his lips. “That was the effect she had on everything she touched.”

________________

Joowon turns out to be a picky eater, so used to a palate of fish and plants from the sea that he’s overly cautious in what he chooses from Dongsik’s spread.

“Why is everything so red?” He asks, picking up something that Dongsik had called ‘tteokbokki.’ It wasn’t that it looked bad, just so completely foreign compared to anything he’s ever eaten before.

“Spices,” Dongsik says, blowing on something between his chopsticks and holding it out towards Joowon. “C’mon, ramen is good! I borderline live on the stuff.” He nudges the hot noodles into Joowon’s lips until he parts them and slowly chews. There’s a small furrow in his brow like he’s trying to figure out if he likes it or not.

“It’s different,” he says, swallowing it down. “I don’t dislike it, but I don’t know if I would choose to eat it.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” Dongsik shrugs. He remembers how much Joowon had enjoyed the soda and it clicks.

Maybe he would prefer sweets.

He digs through the cooler for the fruit he’d prepared, pulling up the small container of strawberries. “These were Yuyeon’s favorite, try one,” he hands the berry to Joowon and watches his perfect teeth sink into it’s skin, juice dribbling down his chin. Before he can think of it, he brushes it away with his thumb and sucks the liquid, trying to chase any hint of Joowon. “Look at you, making a mess,” Dongsik teases. “Do you like it?”

Joowon’s eyes are fixed on Dongsik’s thumb, unblinking. A pink tongue darts out from his lips to taste the juice left on his chin, and Dongsik feels his control hanging by a thread.

“I really do,” Joowon says, eyes meeting Dongsik’s as he goes to pick another berry. “You should have one too,” he says, gently pushing one past his lips. Dongsik nips his fingertip on the way out and watches how Joowon’s pupils expand.

“Sweet,” Dongsik smirks, biting into the berry’s flesh and loving the rush of sugar he gets.

“Gods,” Joowon mutters, hitting his head on the side of the boat lightly. “You make me crazy…”

“The feeling is mutual, Joowon-ah,” Dongsik laughs.

And he’s telling the truth because Dongsik truly feels like he’s staring at the sun when he’s in Joowon’s presence. He knows that getting too close will get him burned, but he can’t help it.

“It’ll be dark soon,” Dongsik pouts, not realizing how quickly time has gotten away from them. “Let’s lay on the sand for a bit, what do you say?” He doesn’t want their day to be done yet, not even close.

“Of course, I still have to see that stunning view of the moon,” Joowon says, swimming closer to where sand and water meet. They weren’t too far out anyways, so Dongsik follows in his raft and lets it run up onto the sand. Joowon settles down in the sand, close enough that the small waves lap on the bottom of his fin. Dongsik grabs towels and bunches them under their heads so they have pillows, and scoots closer to Joowon, until he feels his warm skin meet cool scales. Joowon turns his head, “I did bring something from home for you, you know.” He can’t help the shyness in his tone.

“I’d love to see it,” Dongsik smiles reassuringly. “Would you show it to me?”

Joowon had used the small bit of magic he had to glamour the chain all day, and when he drops his focus on it, Dongsik’s eyes look confused.

“How?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Joowon pats his cheek before sitting up and unclasping the jewelry from his neck. He holds it in front of Dongsik, a dainty silver chain with a locket on the end of it. “It was my mother’s,” Joowon says. “She said someone dropped it from a boat when she was a child and it landed right in her lap, and she wore it everyday since.” He drapes it around Dongsik’s neck and clasps it closed, marvelling at how beautiful it looks sitting against his skin.

“Joowon-ah, are you sure?” He asks, gently touching the jewelry sitting snug on his sternum. “This must be so important to you…”

“Yes, well,” Joowon lets out a nervous breath. “You are too.” He takes the locket and opens it so that Dongsik can see what’s inside.

“Oh, Joowon, it’s beautiful,” he says in awe. In the middle of the frame sits a single scale from Joowon’s tail, one that shifts from blue to green depending on the light. In the quickly dimming twilight, it’s a midnight blue glimmering against the clean silver. Joowon closes it back up with a small click. “I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s custom for my people to exchange a scale from each tail when they’re courting,” Joowon explains, playing idly with Dongsik’s fingers in his lap. “Usually I would put yours on my tail and vice versa, but, well… you can see why we can’t do that,” he laughs sadly. “I figured this was the next best thing.”

“It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten,” Dongsik says, words loaded with more meaning than Joowon knows what to do with. “I’ll take good care of it, I promise you.”

“Me or the necklace?”

Dongsik places a hand on Joowon’s chest, feeling how fast his heart is beating. He lets his hand travel up to his neck, where he pulls him in for a soft, chaste kiss. Without opening his eyes, he takes Joowon’s hand and puts it over his heart. When they part, they rest their foreheads together, and Dongsik it too overwhelmed with emotion to say anything but, “Both.”

When they lay down, the moon is high in the sky, and just like Dongsik said, the view was breathtaking. It felt like Joowon could reach out and touch it, like he could pull it down to lay between them on the soft sand. Dongsik’s head is on his chest, tracing patterns on the skin there. It’s soothing like nothing Joowon has ever experienced, and he feels his eyelids go heavy.

“My people have walked on the moon,” Dongsik speaks quietly in the space between them. “Isn’t that something? We’ve been too busy exploring the endless black up there that we’ve neglected the endless blue down here.”

“My people have lived in fear of the land for as long as I can remember,” Joowon says back. “The more I hear about humans and what they’ve done, the more sure I am that we’ve been fed lies all this time…”

Dongsik hums in response, unsure of what to say.

“How could you ever be so bad, Dongsik?” Joowon wonders. It makes Dongsik’s chest swell with affection. “I don’t think you’re capable of it.” His arm around Dongsik tightens and he lets his eyes slip closed, teetering on the edge of sleep. “I wish…”

“What?” Dongsik questions, looking up to see that Joowon has fallen asleep. His breath has evened out, his face gone slack. The moonlight is dancing over long eyelashes that cast shadows on his face.

Dongsik closes his eyes and pulls Joowon even closer, “I wish you could come home with me, prince. I want to show you the whole world.”

The words having barely left his lips before he’s falling asleep to the sounds of the waves.

_____________

It’s the most restful sleep Dongsik has had in years. He wakes slowly with the sun, letting himself enjoy how close he is to Joowon while he can. The younger man seems to still be asleep if his breathing is anything to go by. Dongsik gently extracts himself from Joowon’s grip before standing up and stretching his arms to the sky. When he looks down, he almost faints with shock.

Because now, instead of his beautiful tail, Joowon has legs. Two strong-looking legs that are definitely longer than Dongsik’s own.

Jesus Christ, his mind points out. He’s naked too!

And really, it’s just unfair that even with legs, Joowon is the perfect specimen. Dongsik doesn’t really know what to do, but he feels like Joowon should know what’s going on, so he gently shakes his shoulder until he sees him start to stir.

“Five more minutes…” he mumbles, pushing Dongsik’s hand away. “Let me sleep.”

“Joowon-ah, I think you’re going to want to see this,” Dongsik laughs nervously. “Don’t freak out, but it looks like something might have happened overnight.”

Joowon opens his bleary eyes, squinting against the sun, and pushes himself up on his elbows, “What do you mean don’t freak–” He sees Dongsik’s eyes locked on something else and follows the gaze. He promptly starts to freak out. “Where’s my tail? Dongsik, where’s my tail?!” He pinches the skin on the thigh, hoping it’s just a dream, but nothing changes. He has human legs. “How was I not supposed to freak out?” He asks, voice progressively getting more high pitched with panic.

Dongsik has started pacing in the midst of his breakdown, a hand on the back of his neck. “It’s just something people say, I don’t know! I’m freaking out!”

“It’s not like you have a tail!” Joowon laughs incredulously, both hands stuck in his hair, pulling at the strands. “Why would you be freaking out?”

“Hang on, hang on– We’re talking in circles,” Dongsik stops and drops back to the sand next to Joowon. “Can you move them?”

Joowon bends both legs at the knee and wiggles his toes, “Thank the Gods for that, at least,” he sighs. He tries to get up and immediately loses balance, falling on his ass. “How you do get around with these things?” He asks, poking at the skin of his new thigh. “I look so weird.”

Dongsik scoffs, “Weird definitely is not the word I would have used, but sure.”

Truthfully, Joowon looks like something out of a wet dream. Him in his original form was undoubtedly stunning, like something from a fantasy novel. He took Dongsik’s breath away everytime he colors caught the sun. But, this Joowon? On legs, he’s so gorgeous that it hurts. This is the Joowon he could lay in bed with, take midnight walks with, show the world to. It makes things infinitely easier for them, but he’s not yet sure that Joowon feels the same way.

“My colors are gone…” He says, shoulders dropping. “How could this have happened?”

Dongsik checks the locket around his neck and still sees the scale there, thankfully. “The full moon, maybe?” It’s the only thing he can think of that would make sense. “Before you fell asleep you were about to wish for something. Maybe it came true? What was the wish?”

Joowon’s cheeks turn red, “I don’t think that’s important.”

“I think it definitely is,” Dongsik scoffs. “I wished too. I wished I could take you home with me.” And as he says it, he realizes that whatever God was listening could have definitely twisted those words out of context.

“Dongsik!” Joowon gasps.

“It’s not like I wished for you to have legs!” Dongsik says defensively, crossing his arms over his chest. “You won’t even tell me your wish…” He mutters.

“I wished that I could stay by your side,” Joowon says, embarrassed. “Okay? That was my wish. Are you happy now?” He turns away from Dongsik, the action so juvenile that he can’t help but find it cute.

“Joowon-ah, I think whoever was listening came to their own conclusions…” He puts a hand on Joowon’s bare shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell,” Joowon apologizes. “I want to be with you, but I don’t want to give up my life in the water, either.” He loved the sea, loved the creatures in it, loved the constant of it. It was never the water he hated, just the life he was forced into. “What am I supposed to do?”

“You can still swim, it’s just a little harder,” Dongsik smiles. “Not everyone is blessed with beautiful tails, you know! Some of us have to tread water.” He tugs Joowon up and braces his weight. “How are you still bigger than me? What a joke...”

Joowon only seems to have gotten more broad and more dense, that coupled with the fact that he’s almost deadweight means it takes them much longer than it should to reach the water. He’s trying his best to put one foot in front of the other, but his legs are still shaky.

“What is this?” He huffs, gesturing to the length hanging between his legs. “You people walk around like this?!”

Dongsik really had been trying to not look, actually. But he can’t help the quick flick of his gaze down to Joowon’s length, clearing his throat when he does. It’s pretty like the rest of him, just slightly longer and thicker than Dongsik’s own. It makes Dongsik’s mouth embarrassingly flood with spit, and he swallows loudly.

“Only if we’re lucky, Jesus Christ,” he says, a little more out of breath than he would like.

“What do you mean—”

Joowon’s legs give out, making him fall right onto Dongsik, bringing them both to the sand with a dull thud. “Are you okay? I’m still not used to these things, I’m sorry.” He rushes out, bracketing his arms on either side of Dongsik’s head, a look of worry in his eyes.

The proximity makes Dongsik’s head airy, “You’re fine,” he breathes out, eyes tracking down all the new skin that’s close enough to touch, amongst other things. “I’m fine, I mean,” he stutters out, going to sit up. When he shifts, their lengths just brush, causing Dongsik to inhale sharply.

“Oh,” Joowon gasps above him, fingers curling in the cool sand. “That’s what this is.” He’s forgotten about the water already, more curious about feeling the shock through his muscles again. It felt like when Dongsik grazed his scales, but amplified. “Why is your face so red?” Joowon questions cutely, head cocked to the side.

“It’s called a blush,” Dongsik laughs nervously. His fingers twitch at his sides, wanting nothing more that to leave scratches on Joowon's skin.

“Blush,” Joowon repeats slowly, letting a finger trace down Dongsik’s heated skin curiously. “You look pretty when you blush, Dongsik.”

Dongsik quickly clears his throat and sits up, lightly pushing Joowon to sit down in front of him.

“You don’t want to?” Joowon pouts, bringing his legs to his chest. He looks crestfallen, like Dongsik has just rejected his advances. “Did I read this wrong?” His wide shoulders are slowly curling in on themselves like he’s a small child who just got embarrassed in front of the class.

“No!” Dongsik says quickly. “You didn’t read anything wrong. I just… I don’t want you to think that I didn’t want you before. It feels like taking advantage if I jump your bones now that you have legs,” he explains.

“I think you’re overthinking this,” Joowon teases, relieved that it wasn’t what he thought. Dongsik’s hesitance actually solidifies everything Joowon already thought about him. He’s too considerate for his own good. “I don’t know how long this will last, we might as well make good use of it, don’t you think?” He hooks a hand under Dongsik’s knee and pulls him forward until they’re skin to skin again, heat radiating off both of their bodies. “You’ll have to show me,” he whispers against the shell of Dongsik’s ear. “You’ll be my first.” He mouths the skin there, finally able to taste Dongsik like he’s wanted to since the beginning. It’s better than he could have ever expected. Dongsik tastes like light, there’s a slight saltiness where the sea had dried and Joowon chases it with his tongue.

Dongsik’s length throbs hard at the words and he lets his head fall back. The coolness of the silver chain on his skin offers a small reprieve from the heat coursing through his veins, and it serves to ground him when he grabs Joowon’s face and puts it in front of his own. Joowon’s lips are already more pink than they were just seconds ago, making it impossible for Dongsik to not run a thumb across them.

“These pretty lips, this pretty face,” Dongsik mumbles under his breath, biting his own lip when Joowon swirls his tongue around the finger. “And you’re telling me no one has ever taken care of you?” He presses his thumb down gently and Joowon parts his lips just enough that Dongsik slides another finger in. “It’s a damn shame, Joowon-ah.”

“I’ve never really wanted any of that,” he speaks around Dongsik’s fingers. When Dongsik removes his spit-soaked fingers and trails them down Joowon’s sternum, he feels his new found biology twitch with interest. “Not until I saw you. It’s only been you, you’re all I see,” Joowon breathes, rolling his chest into the teasing pressure. Dongsik rolls a dark nipple between wet fingers and smirks at the grown it pulls from deep in Joowon’s chest. “Gods, that feels so good.”

When he pulls away, Joowon can’t help the small whine he lets out. It makes Dongsik laugh, “I’m not done with you yet, little prince.” He shakes out the towel quickly and lays it down on the sand. “Lay here, it’ll be more comfortable.”

Joowon acquiesces and is immediately thankful at the soft texture of the towel opposed to the grainy sand. Dongsik settles himself snugly on Joowon’s hips, their heats separated by the flimsy fabric of his shorts. “Better?” He asks, wanting to make sure Joowon is comfortable before they continue. If this really was his first time, Dongsik wanted it to be as good as possible. Joowon nods, hands dropped at his side like he’s unsure of what to do with them.

“Look at me, Joowon-ah,” Dongsik purrs, humming when big hands spread across his thighs. “I’m going to take care of you, alright?” He says, ducking down to whisper into Joowon’s neck. “All I need you to do is look pretty and keep those hands on me.” When he sucks a small love bite onto Joowon’s skin, he feels the younger man buck under him. “Be good,” he chastised sweetly. His length is hard where it rests snug against Dongsik’s ass, and he can’t help the groan that leaves his lips. He sees Joowon’s breath stutter at the praise and he grins. “You like that? When I say things like that?”

Joowon nods, feeling his face heat; he distantly wonders if this is what the blush Dongsik had earlier feels like. The praise had licked flames in his belly, had made him want to obey every word from the man on top of him. Joowon was never one to show his neck to others, but something about Dongsik’s words make him want to beg for more. More touches, more praise, more pressure, more everything. “I want to be good for you,” he admits, letting his hands roam the softness of Dongsik’s torso. When his hands span the width of it easily, he feels something primal snap its teeth in the back of his mind. His fingers drop to the waistband of Dongsik’s shorts.

“Can I see you?” He asks quietly, sliding his finger under to feel the hot skin there. “Please?” Joowon looks up at him through his long eyelashes, and it takes Dongsik all of five seconds before he throws the shorts to the side and plants himself back in Joowon’s lap. “You’re… you’re perfect,” Joowon breathes, voice so genuine that Dongsik’s stomach explodes into butterflies. “I was right the other night,” he groans, when Dongsik takes a nipple into his mouth. “You’re the siren, I’m under your spell.”

If this is even a fraction of effect that his people had on humans, he can’t blame them for walking into the waves, for jumping off of their ships into a storm. Joowon understands it now, the need to be closer at any cost. Dongsik could tell him to do anything and Joowon would swim through a tsunami to please him. It’s a dangerous power, and he could only pray that Dongsik would use it for good.

Joowon feels Dongsik’s tongue swirl around his nipple at the words and let’s his eyes flutter shut, rolling his hips up into the pressure for some kind of relief. It’s hot and heavy and in the heat of the moment Joowon almost finds himself wishing to never change back again. If legs were the small tradeoff to have years worth of this, he’s pretty sure he could manage.

“You look so good I don’t know what I want to do first,” Dongsik says, pulling off of Joowon’s chest and pushing his hair back from his face. “What do you think, little prince? Should I let you fuck me?” He says lowly, a smirk dancing on his lips. He takes Joowon in hand without warning, smiling at the choked out moan it causes. Dongsik purposely keeps his grip loose, teasing him more than anything else. “Should I take you in my mouth?”

“Do I really have to choose?” Joowon moans brokenly, gripping Dongsik’s hips so tight he’s sure to leave marks.

“Greedy boy,” Dongsik teases, giving him a tight squeeze before fully letting go. “But, I live to serve,” he winks. “I’m sure you’re used to that, aren’t you, your highness?” Before Joowon can open his mouth, Dongsik swallows him down to the hilt in one fell swoop. His fingers fly to Dongsik’s hair, pulling it hard, making Dongsik hum around him. The vibration makes his toes curl against the edge of the towel. Dongsik comes off of him with an loud pop, a shameless smirk gracing his now slick lips. “Oh you like that, don’t you?” He asks, knowing the answer. Joowon sighs out a heavy breath and nods, watching Dongsik dip a finger into the liquid gathering at the head of his length and lick it away. The sight is obscene, and Joowon feels heat travel down his spine like it’s water. When he kisses Joowon and licks into his mouth, there’s traces of himself there. “Do you taste good?” Dongsik grins against his lips. “Do you want more?” When Joowon nods, Dongsik grabs his heat again, collecting at the wetness again. This time, he smears it across Joowon’s kiss-bitten lips, giving them a slick shine that looks borderline pornographic.

“Fuck,” Dongsik breathes out, the sight making beads of pre-come leak from his own length. He scrambles for the picnic basket, desperate to find the oil that he knows he packed. It’s at the bottom, and he shamelessly dumps the containers on the sand before grabbing it and letting sound a small sound of victory. “I need you inside me, Joowon-ah,” he says, drizzling the oil on his fingers and reaching behind to push at his opening. “Touch me,” he says, grabbing Joowon’s hands and place them on himself. Joowon starts to pump slowly, his grip just tight enough to make Dongsik whimper. “Just like that, shit, you’re a fast learner…”

The words turn Joowon’s spine to liquid. There’s something building slowly in his stomach, something that feels like millions of sparks licking at his insides. “Dongsik, I feel something,” he gasps, arching into the heat of Dongsik’s skin. “What’s happening?” His knees are bent, toes shoved in the sand, the harsh grain being the only thing grounding him against the pleasure seeping into his muscles.

“Already?” Dongsik smiles, removing his fingers from inside himself. It’s not the best he could’ve done, but it’ll have to do. “What does it feel like?” He asks, lining Joowon up with his entrance, reveling at the tears he can see gathering in the corners of the man’s eyes. “Tell me,” he encourages, a punched out sigh leaving his lips when he feels Joowon breach him.

“Like I’m about to fall apart,” Joowon whines, eyes shut to the overwhelming pleasure of it. He distantly feels Dongsik’s hands on his chest, his strong thighs wrapped around Joowon’s hips. There’s a vice around him, velvety and hot, and it takes everything in him to not start crying at the sensation. He had never felt something this perfect in his life. He peeks an eye open to see Dongsik fully seated, head ducked and hair falling in his face. His chest is heaving, like he’s trying to adjust to Joowon. “You feel too good, Dongsik. I don’t know how long I can stand it,” he says, wonder in his voice.

Dongsik lifts himself off of Joowon’s length, only to slam himself back down, grabbing his lover’s hand and kissing the center of his palm. His chest is flushed, skin dewy from the heat of the early morning sun. It’s a sight that will forever be burned in the back of Joowon’s eyelids, and it’s in this exact moment that he realizes he would give up the world to have this for the rest of his life. This connection, this pleasure, this love. Nothing compares to the absolute euphoria that’s quickly expanding in his chest. All of the worries he had have drifted to the back of his mind.

“Just a little bit longer,” Dongsik pants, working himself into a rhythm. There’s no stopping the rapidly mounting pleasure at the base of his spine, and he knows that this will be over far quicker than he wants it to be. Selfishly, he hopes he can keep Joowon like this, hopes that he chooses him over life in the sea. “For me, Joowon-ah, please.” He leans down to capture Joowon’s shining lips in a messy kiss, one full of teeth and tongue. There’s a small spit string connecting their lips when he pulls away, and he feels himself leak onto the younger man’s stomach at the sight. When he shifts, he feels Joowon’s heat ram into the sensitive spot inside him and he sees stars. “Just like that, right there, right there,” he babbles mindlessly, drunk with pleasure. When Joowon wraps long fingers around him once more, it takes no time before he’s collapsing on his chest, waves of heat rushing through his muscles. He spills into Joowon’s hand and all over his chest, the sight making him keen into the man’s neck.

There’s blunt nails on his back scratching lines that are sure to leave marks, there’s Joowon chasing his first ever lick of ecstasy as he pounds into Dongsik’s heat, there’s a broken cry that muffled against the skin of Dongsik’s shoulder. Joowon bites down hard, vision whiting out for a second before he goes limp, head dropping back against the softness of the towel. He feels boneless, his head hazy with sensation. Dongsik’s weight on him feels like a warm embrace that he never wants to leave. The only sounds they can hear are the gentle waves against the shore and their heaving breaths.

After what seems like a lifetime, Joowon finally lets out a small, “Maybe being human isn’t bad after all…”

Dongsik’s shoulders gently shake in weak laughter, the breath puffing against the sweaty skin of Joowon’s neck.

“Is that what it feels like every time?” Joowon asks in wonder, heart still beating fast from the high.

“It can,” Dongsik says quietly against his ear. “With someone you care about.” The words feel too exposing, like he’s letting Joowon in on his biggest secret, his biggest hope.

Joowon’s hands grab Dongsik’s face, making them lock eyes. He sees his own desire reflected back at him, and it makes him breathe out something he didn’t even realize he was holding. “You care about me?” He asks, a small smile starting to spread on his lips.

Dongsik’s face flushes again, voice shy and small, “I would’ve thought that was obvious by now…” He repositions himself under Joowon’s arm, letting the man slide out of him with a small wince. “You must’ve had the best tutors in the seven seas, and yet still felt the need to ask such a ridiculous question,” Dongsik teases, pressing a sweet kiss to Joowon’s cheek.

“Can you blame me? I’ve never had this before,” Joowon turns bashful. It makes Dongsik want to put him in his pocket and take him home. “The depth of feelings I have for you is… more than anything I’ve ever known. The thought of being parted from you, I can’t bear it,” he trails off, eyes cataloguing every small feature on Dongsik’s face like it’ll be the last time.

“So don’t,” Dongsik shrugs, like it’s that simple. “Come home with me, Joowon-ah,” he pleads. “There has to be a way you can live in both worlds.”

Some God must be listening, because when the tide finally comes in, it washes over Joowon’s feet before it gets sucked back to sea. In a blink, Joowon’s tail is back, looking even more stunning than it did before. The blues and greens shift back and forth with every small movement. Both look down at it with wide eyes before looking up at each other in shock.

“How?” Dongsik breathes, reaching out to touch the scales to make sure he isn’t seeing wrong. They’re cool, like the first time he ever grazed them on the deck of the Balsam.

“I don’t know…” Joowon says, flicking his fin to double check. “If anyone could explain this, it would be my brother.” He has to hope that Hyeok really did care for Joowon in the way he always said he did if he was going to risk going to him with this. “He’s the top scholar of Tidefall and is greatly versed in the legends of the moon.”

Hyeok had always told Joowon that he cared for him, that he would be by his side when Joowon eventually took the throne. This would be the true test.

“Can you trust him?” Dongsik asks, worried at the thought of Joowon going back to the palace.

“I’ll have to,” Joowon replies. “I don’t think we really have another option.”

“Stay with me tonight,” Dongsik says. “Give me a few more hours with you, Joowon-ah. Please.” There’s a yearning in his voice that Joowon finds impossible to refuse. “We don’t know what will happen once you get back.”

“Alright,” Joowon nods, grabbing Dongsik’s hand. “I’ll go first thing tomorrow morning.”

______________

“It’s about a two hour swim from here, I should get going if I want to catch him alone,” Joowon says, extracting himself from Dongsik’s hold. He’s nervous, his heart beating a frantic rhythm.

“You will come back, right?” Dongsik asks, voice still quiet and thick with sleep.

“I promise,” Joowon reassures him. “I’ll see you again if it’s the last thing I do.”

When Dongsik holds out a pinky, Joowon just looks at it with a questioning look on his face. Eventually, Dongsik cracks open his eyes and smiles sleepily. He grabs Joowon’s hand and locks their pinkies together. “It’s something humans do, called a pinky promise. You can’t break it.”

“Your customs are odd,” Joowon shakes his head with a grin. “But, of course. I’ll see you soon,” he presses a gentle kiss to Dongsik’s forehead before letting the tide carry him back towards his kingdom.

He’s already deep in the waves when Dongsik calls out a weak, “I love you.”

______________

Joowon makes it back to the palace in record time, hesitating around the boundaries so as to not get caught by guards. He knows their routines well; it’s how he was able to sneak away so often. Judging by the placement of the sun when he looks up, they would be having a shift change soon. He dives deeper as to avoid the guard station, using the high seaweed to conceal himself.

His brother is a late riser, usually studying in his quarters before going out for the day. When he swims up to the window and peeks in, he finds that he was right; Hyeok looks like he’s searching for a book in the vast library of his room, deep red fin swaying gently in the water. Joowon takes a deep breath to steel himself before pushing himself through the opening and clearing his throat. His brother whips around, eyes wide.

“Han Joowon!” He exclaims, the book falling from his hands and landing with a soft thud on the ground. “Where have you–”

“Hyung, please,” Joowon rushes forward, putting a hand over his brother’s mouth. “No one can know I’m here.”

Hyeok furrows his brow in confusion and nods slowly. Joowon slowly lets his hand off of his mouth and puts distance between them.

“Joowon, where have you been?” Hyeok asks again, softer now but still urgently, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ve been worried sick.”

“You have?” Joowon reels back at the obvious relief in Hyeok’s eyes.

“You’re my little brother!” Hyeok looks at him like he’s grown another tail. “I know things have been difficult lately, more difficult than either of us would have expected,” he’s obviously referring to the wedding that was still supposed to happen, “but I do care about you. I always have.”

Joowon didn’t have the time to dissect the feeling in his chest at the words, so he glazed over them for the time being. “I need your help.”

“With what?” Hyeok questions cautiously, unused to Joowon ever asking.

“If I tell you this, I’m going to trust that it won’t leave this room,” Joowon says. “Am I going to regret that, hyung?”

There’s barely a second of hesitation before Hyeok shakes his head firmly, “Of course not.”

“I’ve met someone.”

“You what?” Hyeok hisses. “You have a wedding in a few weeks, or did you forget!”

“You know as well as I that she doesn’t love me,” Joowon scoffs. “And I don’t love her either. I’m not going through with the marriage. She deserves to find someone who makes her happy and, well, I already have.”

Hyeok pinches his nose between his fingers and takes a deep breath. “Who is it? Someone from another kingdom? A civilian?”

“That’s the thing,” Joowon rubs the back of his neck. “He’s a human…”

“A what?” Hyeok says, deathly quiet. “I must not have heard you correctly.”

“You did,” Joowon says simply. “It was after father had proposed the marriage, when I swam out of the boundaries the first time. I got caught in a net, and he freed me.”

“The person you’re in love with is a fisherman.” Hyeok sounds exhausted. “Of course,” he laughs sarcastically. “Because why wouldn’t he be!”

“He’s not like the rest of them, and honestly, I don’t think humans are nearly as bad as we’ve been told,” Joowon urges. “I met his friend, and he was gentle and curious. Neither of them hurt me, hyung, just helped me.”

“And when you’ve disappeared recently, that’s where you’ve been going? To see him?”

“Yes,” Joowon nods. “I think, I think I love him. He’s the kindest man I’ve ever met.” He feels himself smile at the thought of Dongsik, his voice going soft. “I’ve learned more about land dwellers and their kind more with him than I have in my years here,” he gestures to the room around him. “I’m serious about him, hyung, and I know he’s serious about me. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”

“What’s his name?” Hyeok asks, expression still unreadable.

“Dongsik. His name is Dongsik,” Joowon replies shyly.

His brother sighs, “You must really love him, Joowon-ah.”

And Joowon hadn’t yet said those words, but here and now he realizes that they’re true. He loves Lee Dongsik with every fiber of his being. He loves his laugh, he loves his smile, he loves the way he treats him. There’s not a single thing he doesn’t love about Lee Dongsik, it seems. His heart swells in his chest and he wants nothing more than to find a solution to their problem.

“I do.”

There’s a silence that stretches between them for almost a beat too long before Hyeok sits down and gestures for him to do the same. “What do you need?”

Relief floods through Joowon, and if he wasn’t in such a hurry he would hug his brother. “Something happened yesterday. We had fallen asleep under the full moon,” he explains. “Both of us made wishes as we fell asleep. When I woke up, I had legs.”

“Wah, no way!” Hyeok leans in.

“I promise you,” Joowon urges. “My tail had disappeared and,” he remembers what had happened soon after and clears his throat, looking away from his brother, embarrassed. “Well, what happened right after is unimportant.”

“Your first time and it was with a human,” Hyeok teases, connecting the unspoken dots. Joowon should’ve known, his brother was always too good at reading him. “You were never known for doing things halfassed.” He pushes at Joowon’s shoulder playfully.

“Anyways,” Joowon says loudly, trying to get back on track. “When the water touched my feet later, my tail had returned, and now I’m here. Please tell me there’s some kind of lore that would explain this.”

Hyeok rises from his chair and goes to his bookshelf, “You both wished under a full moon…” His hands graze the bindings. “You transformed into a human for a short time…” He swims up to the top shelf, “It does sound familiar.”

“It does?” Joowon questioned, unable to quell the hope in his chest.

“Merpeople are connected intrinsically with the water, as you know. It’s our lifeforce,” Hyeok explains, finally grabbing an old black book from the shelf and flipping it open. “But, most don’t understand that the moon controls the sea. It’s an ancient belief, but one that our scientists know to be true. It’s why the tides always feel stronger during a full moon.” His fingers scan down the page. “If you both wished on the night of a full moon, with the bit of magic you already possess by being a siren, it could explain how this worked…”

Joowon lets the words sink in.

“Ah! Here it is,” Hyeok exclaims. “Wah, your brother is so smart, Joowon-ah. You came to the right place,” he says proudly.

Joowon rolls his eyes at his brother’s preening. “Tell me,” he presses.

“A siren shall have the power to live in both worlds as long as their love is true of heart,” Hyeok starts. “If one wishes on a full moon with their beloved by their side, the Gods will grant both wishes,” he says, looking up. “You did say you both wished right?”

“Yes,” Joowon breathes, excitement building in his chest. “Please, keep reading.”

“An even exchange must happen between the siren and their beloved, and these tokens are never to be removed, or else both will be turned back into their original forms until they are replaced,” Hyeok says. He cocks his head to the side, “What could that mean…?”

Joowon’s brain immediately goes back to the locket, “I gave him a locket with a scale from my tail, and he wears it around his neck.”

“What’s his most prized possession? Did he give that to you?”

The ring! His brain yells. You have his sister’s ring!

“I have a ring,” he breathes. “I found it years ago out of the boundaries of the kingdom, but it belonged to his sister. I just found out they were connected yesterday.”

“But you have the ring, yes?” Hyeok asks.

“I do.”

“Hold on,” Hyeok’s eyes go back down to the page. “If the exchange and wish aren’t completed within three days, when the moon is no longer full, the siren and their beloved will be cursed to never see eachother again,” he says, eyes wide at the words. Even the thought of that causes pain in Joowon’s heart. “To use one’s wishes, one must only envision what they asked for in their mind’s eye, and see it appear before them…”

“I’ll have to get to my quarters quickly, then. The ring should be there. I have to get back to him soon, I promised,” Joowon gets up from his chair. “Thank you, hyung,” he says sincerely, pulling him into a tight embrace. “You don’t understand how much this means to me.”

“Will I ever see you again?” Hyeok asks, suddenly realizing the gravity of what his brother meant to do. His voice was sad. “I don’t want to face father alone…”

“If the legend is true and I can live in both worlds, I’ll make sure to visit,” Joowon urges, a strong sense of brotherhood all of a sudden overtaking him. “You’ve done more for me than you could ever know by helping me with this. If you can get away, I’m sure Dongsik would love to meet you.”

“And I him,” Hyeok pulls away, patting Joowon’s cheeks. “Always the wild one, Han Joowon. Father never had a chance at holding you down.” There’s melancholy in his gaze, and it makes Joowon’s heart hurt. “I’m jealous,” Hyeok teases. “I hope that when he’s finally gone, you’ll come back to show your beloved Tidefall.”

“I will,” he promises. “I’ll see you soon.” He swims back towards the window, throwing one last mischievous look over his shoulder, “And, hyung? Don’t tell the King,” he whispers, winking before swimming up to his bedroom. He smiles to himself when he hears his brother laugh behind him.

______________

When he finally pops his head up from the water with Yuyeon’s belongings in tow, he spots Dongsik perched on a rock, looking out towards the sea. When he sees Joowon, his eyes light up and he starts to wave high above his head.

He really was waiting for you.

“Was I long?” Joowon asks, pushing himself to sit on the rock beside his lover. He puts the bag between them.

“Faster than I thought, actually,” Dongsik laughs. “I was just worried.”

Joowon pushes his wet hair back from his face before pressing a kiss to Dongsik’s cheek. “I figured it out.”

“Good news?” Dongsik asks hopefully.

“The best news,” he smiles. “My brother found a myth in his library, and it turns out that all we have to do is exchange tokens of our love with each other, and then both of our wishes will be granted.”

“Tokens of love? All I have here is food,” he points to the picnic basket on the sand. “Nothing like the necklace you gave me,” he says, toying with the chain around his neck.

“Which is why,” he unties his bag and lets Dongsik look inside. “I brought you this.”

When his love realizes what’s inside, his eyes start to tear. He takes the ring and hold it up to the light, letting the small red ruby glint on the rocks. It looks like it did the day Dongsik gave it to Yuyeon, not a spot of rust on it. “How?” he asks, amazed. “It looks brand new!”

“Mer magic, I would assume,” Joowon shrugs. “I’ve always kept it safe, so maybe the same magic I had used to glamour the chain extended to the ring over the years.”

He sets it gently on his lap before picking up the goggles, running his fingers over the stitched characters of his sister’s name. “Yuyeon-ie…” He clutches them to his chest, a watery smile on his face. “It’s been so long.”

When he looks back to Joowon, there’s pure adoration in his eyes. “Thank you. Thank you.”

“Of course,” Joowon says, heart cracked open. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Dongsik.”

“I’m starting to see that,” Dongsik smiles, wiping his eyes. “The feeling is mutual.” He rests his forehead on Joowon’s shoulder, kissing the salt from his skin there. “Now, tell me. What do we do here?”

“Your token is the ring, I think. Yuyeon was the person you loved most in this world, wasn’t she?” Joowon asks, already knowing the answer.

“She was,” Dongsik confirms. “She’ll always be in my heart. But,” he says, furrowing his brow. “It’s not my ring, it belonged to her. How could it be my token?”

“She’s your twin,” Joowon tells him. “You were one and the same. You are one and the same. Now that you have it, it’s your most prized possession, isn’t it?”

It’s then that it dawns on Dongsik’s face, “I have to give this to you,” he says.

“That’s what the legend says,” Joowon replies. “Let’s hope it’s correct.”

“Give me your hand,” Dongsik requests, carefully grabbing the ring from his lap. Joowon does so without a second thought. “You deserve to keep it anyways, I think.” He slides the ring onto Joowon’s waiting finger, beaming when it fits perfectly. “You did watch over it for all of these years, after all. You watched over her.”

Joowon brings their lips together in a kiss full of love, full of hope so bright that he’s sure if he were to ever open his eyes again they would be burned from his skull. He wants to anyways, if it meant seeing hid Dongsik again. “I’ll always keep it close to my heart.”

“I know,” Dongsik mutters, eyes twinkling. “I never doubted it.”

“Now, according to the book, all we have to do is envision our wish and see it appear before us.” He grabs Dongsik’s hands in his own and closes his eyes. A small wave hits the rock, soaking Dongsik’s legs, and Joowon has never hoped for anything more in his life. When he opens his eyes, instead of strong legs, he sees a magnificent tail, one of purple and black. It’s a color combination that’s extremely rare among merpeople with Joowon only having seen it on a handful of his people. In the sunlight it seems to shift constantly, the sun catching on what seems to be every single scale. His fin is adorned with stunning wisps, and Joowon longs to see them in the water.

“Dongsik,” he says, unable to keep the smile out of his voice. “Don’t freak out.” He parrots the same words his lover used to try to quell his own panic. “I think you’re going to want to see this.”

Dongsik does as he’s told, and is more pleased than anything to see a tail instead of his two legs. He doesn’t feel shock really, only a deep contentment at the thought of at least being able to be with Joowon, even if it’s like this. They’ll never have to be parted, and that in itself makes him breathe easier. He flicks the tail into the water and laughs when the droplets sprinkle on Joowon’s face. “It’s prettier than I thought it would be.”

“It matches you.”

__________________

Joowon, the fast learner he is, gets used to life on land quickly. He wakes next to Dongsik every morning and falls asleep next to him every night. He’s more settled than he’s ever felt in his life. Walking properly took a bit longer than he would’ve liked, but he has the hang of it now, being able to jog in the mornings with barely a wobble.

It’s an early end to their workday, having gone out to get some catch for the market. He can see Dongsik sitting at the end of the dock, legs swinging easily. The sky is dark, another oncoming storm. Joowon meets Dongsik at the end and sits down next to him, setting their lunch down between them. He unpacks the sandwiches and soda cans quietly.

“I don’t think I’m up for swimming tonight,” Dongsik says. “I can taste the storm. It’s going to be another bad one.”

“Jagi, swimming in the storm is always fun,” Joowon pouts. “Especially in such open waters.” He nudges Dongsik in the ribs. “Please. I’ll keep you safe.” He holds Dongsik’s gaze for all of five seconds before his lover sighs, and Joowon beams, knowing he’s won. “You sell yourself short, Dongsik, your swimming has gotten much better than it once was.”

And it’s true, it was. When Dongsik had first tried swimming, his movements were stiff and disjointed. Now, even though he would say otherwise, he swims like he was born a merman. It’s a beautiful sight to see; Dongsik and his gorgeous colors swimming through Joowon’s endless blue. He falls in love with him more and more every time. The personable being he is, he’s befriended all the sharks in the area, and even managed to convince an orca to let him hold their fin while they swam. He’s taken to life underwater easily, and always makes time to visit Yuyeon’s resting place at least once a week. Now that he has closure about his sister, his smiles are much brighter and come much easier.

“Only because you called me jagi,” Dongsik huffs. Joowon wasn’t one to use pet names often, usually breaking them out when he wanted to get his way. And it always worked because Dongsik was a weak, weak, man. “Your underhanded tactics are so obvious, siren.”

“But it worked,” Joowon smiles, taking a long sip of his soda.

“That it did,” Dongsik smiles gently, turning Joowon’s head to him and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. They’re sweet from the soda lingering there, a reminder that Joowon is here; living, eating, smiling. It’s the best gift Dongsik could have ever received, and he thanks whoever is listening that after such a long life full of hurt and pain, that Han Joowon was waiting at the end for him. He pulls away, tugging Joowon’s hand into his lap and looking out onto their endless blue, laying his head on his shoulder, “That it did.”

fin