"I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back
When the wind blows the water white and black.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown."

— T.S. Eliot

“Hey Jiyong.” Seunghyun whispered.

“Mhhhh…” The napping boy mumbled.

The two of them lay side by side, a sight to behold, on Seunghyuns favorite rock.

“What is it like to roam the seas?” Seunghyun watched the darkening sky, in fascination, as the first stars started to appear.

“It is lonely.” Jiyong glanced at the man beside him, his eyes even sadder than usual.

“So incredibly lonely…” He sighed, in melancholy.

“Seunghyun?” Jiyong paused.

“Yeah?”

“Would you follow me into the water, if I asked you to?” The young merman sat up, watching the other mans every move.

Seunghyun turned around, slowly meeting Jiyong’s gaze.

Denying such a ridiculous question would be normal, Seunghyun thought. Being scared by such a request, would be common sense. Being at least a tiny bit upset, would show your will to keep on living.

Seunghyun nodded slowly.

“Yes.” He the boy’s hair, smiling at him lovingly. “Yes. I would.” The soft whisper barely audible.

Jiyong smiled at the man, slowly intertwining their hands.

His blue, cold lips gracing Seunghyuns cheek, as he moved in closer.

“I love you, Seunghyun.” A soft murmur.

“I love you so much.” Cold hands slipped under his shirt, tracing his sides, chapped, icy lips, kissing along his neck in earnest love.

Seunghyun moaned, lost in pleasure.

“I love you too.” Seunghyuns deep baritone voice would’ve send chills down Jiyong’s spine, if he was human.

He kept on caressing the man’s warm skin, smiling sadly to himself.

Human.

And that,

He wasn’t.

He traced the tanned man’s cheekbones with his index fingers, before leaning down and kissing him softly.

Seunghyun couldn’t think straight anymore.

He kissed back, with passion, his hands entangling themselves into silky, blond hair.

“You are so beautiful, Jiyong…” Seunghyun sighed into the kiss, catching the others lips again.

“And I am yours, Seunghyun…” The blond breathed into the kiss. “Yours alone, to keep and treasure for eternity.” He pulled the taller male closer.

“Yes. Yes, you are mine.” Shared kisses, sweet and raw.

“And I am yours. All yours, for as long as you want me to be…” Seunghyun deepened the kiss.

Eternity was such a big word. Such an imposing, intimidating one.

But Seunghyun wasn’t scared anymore.

He embraced it, longed for it, even.

Jiyongs cold hands pulled him back to reality, once again, kissing Seunghyun hard, yet soft. How that was possible, Seunghyun didn’t know.

Jiyong leaned their foreheads onto each other, gazing lovingly into the others eyes.

Seunghyun felt drowsy, like the life had been right out of him.

And it might had been.

He was drunk on those kisses.

Jiyong lowered Seunghyuns upper half down again, gently and started to lull him to sleep, softly singing into his ears.

The twenty year old's eyes closed on their own accord, entranced, he listened, blinded by the merman’s voice and paralyzed by the cold, gentle caresses, fleeting over his body.

His feet and legs were engulfed with water, his skin, harshly, breaking through the surface. His comatose body was pulled, down under, the waves crashing over his head.

Was it water filling his lungs?

Was is Jiyong’s Love?

Did he breathe?

Or did he drown?

There was only one thing making sense anymore.

That beautiful, beautiful voice, inviting him to succumb to sleep, to dream.

“I’ll keep you safe,

Just let me be,

Just relax

And trust in me,

Your beating heart

Is all I need,

To keep me warm,

I’ll make it bleed.

I love you oh,

From deep within

Your love is pure

And mine, is sin.”

Jiyong sighed the last verse.

Seunghyun opened his eyes, the moment the soothing voice halted.

They were underwater, the pale moonlight from above, barely illuminating the gruesome love scene, beneath the ocean’s surface.

Jiyongs pale, illuminated skin shimmered green, the breaking reflections of the water reflecting on his body. His hair was floating around his beautiful face, framing his flawless features in soft waves, they looked almost silvery.

Seunghyun watched in fascination, as the merman circled him slowly, his glistening fin barely missing the semiconscious man.

It looked like he was dancing, his tail keeping Seunghyun close, he was swirling around, moving his body and glittering tail with elegance, in perfect harmony.

“I am sorry

To have caused you pain,

For you suffering

In vain

I am sorry to keep

A hold on you

For having  you captive

For not letting go

It’s in my nature,

doesn’t mean I enjoy,

I really do love you,

You wonderful boy.”

The last thing Seunghyun saw, before blacking out, was Jiyong’s saddened face, the ghostly moonlight, tracing his skin. Underwater, Jiyong looked even more beautiful than onshore. If Seunghyun didn’t know it was impossible, he would’ve thought, he saw Jiyong shedding tears, glistening, diamond like pearls leaving the merman’s eyes.

Seunghyun hadn’t ever seen a sadness as beautiful as his.

“Eunghyun! …Hyun!”

“Seunghyun! Seunghyun!”

The words got clearer, after a while, the sounds pushing their way through his aching skull with maddening force.

Slap.

Slap.

“Seunghyun!”

Slap.

Seunghyun rose with a startle and heaved a few lungs full of water out, coughing wildly.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he looked up.

At least eight or nine men were surrounding him, looking worriedly down at him.

One, whom Seunghyun recognized as Albert Shaw, a Gentleman from England, reached out his hands and pulled Seunghyun up.

Hyunghwan eyed him warily, seeing that the man’s body still swayed and his legs seemed rather shaky as well.

“What the hell happened to you?” Siwan, the lanky mariner next to Hyunhwan, asked.

“I’m not sure… I was sitting on my rock, like every night and then… then… what then?” Seunghyun tried to remember.

“You are out on the shore? At night?! Are you crazy?!” The experienced mariner shouted.

Seunghyun met his gaze, still a bit confused about what happened.

“I sit there every night…” He mumbled. “I can’t sleep on nights I wasn’t there.”

The mariners looked at him as if he had gone crazy.

And he might have.

Seunghyun wasn’t so sure about his sanity anymore, himself.

Seunghyun went to his favorite pub, after work. He didn’t want to dwell much longer on the turmoil going on in his head, in his heart.

Beer and a smoke always did the deal for him, whenever he didn’t feel that good.

Sighing, he stepped into the crowded, noisy bar, his hands busy with sorting his fringe out, whereas his mouth was busy with greeting familiar and unfamiliar faces alike.

“Well… if that isn’t Seunghyun. Long time no see, stranger!” Dongwook, the bartender and a good friend of Seunghyuns, greeted him loudly.

A few heads were turning as well, gifting the tired male with curious and cautious stares. Rumors, like in any small village, were making their rounds rather fast.

Especially if the news were as sensational as these.

Seunghyun had managed to escape questioning gazes and inquiring words.

Until now.

It didn’t take one of the, younger, bar patroons, more than 5 minutes to chat him up.

“Is it true?” The young boy asked.

“Is what true?” Seunghyun stared, his gaze sending a chill down the gathering males backs, even Dongwook, whom had known Seunghyun all his life.

“That a Siren attacked you?” The bar turned silent, all attention on him.

“No.” Seunghyun raised his eyebrows, looking around the room in question.

One man picked up on his gaze and coughed noisily in the back.

“You are the only one, though, who could’ve seen them. You are always parading around town, after dark, aren’t you?” He looked at Seunghyun, awe and fear coexisting in his warm, brown eyes.

“Yes. I like to sit and watch the sun go down and the sound of the breaking waves calms me down.” He replied slowly.

The room erupted into excited whispers.

“And you have never gotten attacked by one? Rumors has it you are always sitting on a large bolder, where the shore greets the sea. How could they not have gotten to you yet? I wouldn’t ever dare to! You are so brave!” The same boy as before, piped up again, admiration showing on his young face.

The whispers picked up again.

“There is nothing to fear, thus there is nothing to have to be brave for, either.” Seunghyun calmly replied.

“And of what use could a poor man, like me, be, to those of immortality.” He said.

“Are you saying that you have, indeed, seen one?” A grim looking man cut in, interest leaking out of his every word.

“That’s enough!” Dongwook cut in, sensing the unease of his friend.

“I thought you are grown mariners and not pathetic gossips.” He huffed, whacking the head of the boy who wanted to keep asking.

Seunghyun smiled at him, in thanks.

Seunghyun went home after that.

He remembered a voice, calling out for him, Jiyong’s voice.

Blond hair swaying in illuminated water.

Soft lips begging for him to trust him with his heart.

Seunghyun wanted to feel something.

Anger. Pain. Betrayal.

Anything of that kind.

He didn’t.

All he felt was love.

Love. Affection. Trust.

Jiyong had almost drowned him with his love. Had almost killed him with his caresses, those gentle tugs. Yet Seunghyun couldn’t find it in him to care. Jiyong meant good, after all, didn’t he?

It was all out of love,

It was okay.

Jiyong didn’t wish him ill.

Jiyong didn’t mean evil.

Jiyong wanted him to feel, what he felt all the time.

And Seunghyun was thankful that the other trusted him enough to share his life with him, to allow Seunghyun a little glimpse into the sirens life.

Jiyong had chosen him.

Out of all people,

Jiyong had chosen him.

Seunghyun smiled.

That night, he dreamed of hushed whispers, shared kisses, skin on skin, hot and cold, obsidian eyes observing his struggling body, with all the love, care and patience, the world had to offer. He felt water engulfing him and that voice, that voice…

He could practically feel it, caressing his skin.

Otherworldly.

Ethereal.

Heavenly yet devilish.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

And in his dreams, there were no human voices, to wake to.

...

Question: Should I add some insight into Jiyongs mind? I'm not sure about it yet :/