(( Holy cow this took forever, I'm so sorry! My writing muse was having nothing of anything productive x< And I knew I had two things I needed to work on before I worked on this because one was long over due and the other was a birthday thing that I had way more fun with than I expected to and for some reason after them my muse just wanted to come up with new ideas for things, not work on this or Three Halves. But finally yesterday I was able to work on it and I just finished it like, ten minutes ago and sent it to my beta who was awake~

I promise the next chapter won't take a month, and I was telling Trinity/Angel that at least the last update wasn't some huge cliffhanger xD

And the chapter image is the symbol that is the chapter image is the neckace symbol, I forgot to put it up with the last update))

 

 “You didn’t have to walk me home.”

“I was taught to be polite,” Junmyeon replied before Jongdae turned to unlock the door that separated the antique shop from their house similar to a garage would be. Junmyeon looked around the shop, wondering if that’s what the shop had been before Jongdae’s father had gotten a hold of it, brushing off the idea a moment later due to the size of the shop, following Jongdae through the doorway.

“Jongdae, welcome home,” His father greeted, though his smile was quick to fall when his eyes locked onto the pendant that hung from Junmyeon’s necklace. The brunet felt a shiver of panic trail down his spine at the snarl the older’s face contorted into, taking a small step back when he was approached. “That’s not yours, where did you get it?” He hissed through a clenched jaw, Junmyeon taking another step back as his hand came up to take a gently hold of the pendant that dangled from it, rubbing his thumb over the shape like he rubbed his gem when he was nervous.

“I-I-”

“I gave it to him,” Jongdae cut in, his father’s focus snapping to him as his raged expression faltered.

“You… why would you do that? You know those are for the store.”

“Dad, you’ve had the box I got it from for as long as I can remember and you never put the things inside out for sale!” Jongdae argued, his father’s mouth forming a thin line before he shook his head.

“They’re for the store,” he repeated as if he hadn’t heard the other’s counter. “That’s how I pay the bills we have, you can’t just give such valuable items away!” His hands had stopped signing halfway through, Junmyeon catching the slight retreat of Jongdae’s frame, sure that it was from how fast his father was speaking. It wasn’t until his father stepped forward again, reaching for Junmyeon’s necklace that a dark look flashed through jongdae’s eyes and he stepped between the two; the same look that he had given Kyuhyun when the other had tried to throw Junmyeon into the pool. Jongdae’s father staggered, standing still with his hand still stretched toward the pair for what felt like a solid minute before gritting his teeth and taking a grip of Jongdae’s wrist.

“It’s time for you to go home, I need a word with my son,” he said shortly, pulling Jongdae from the entryway and out of Junmyeon’s sight.

Jongdae didn’t reply to many of Junmyeon’s texts throughout the rest of the day, doing nothing to ease the worried feeling in Junmyeon’s stomach. The next morning he kept looking to the door of the choir room, wishing to see the younger’s face pressed against the window, to hear him loudly enter, Solji greet him, anything. Anything that wasn’t:

“Trouble in paradise?” Junmyeon closed his eyes so that Kyuhyun wouldn’t see the daggers he wanted to shoot at him.

“What do you mean by that?” He asked in a blank tone, opening his eyes and trying to focus on his sheet music more than the annoyance beside him. Had Kyuhyun always been such an , or had he gotten worse over the last year?

“Hongdae’s not sitting in here staring at you like he always is.”

“His name is Jongdae, and I’m well aware that he’s not here,” Junmyeon replied.

“You sound mad, did you two have some kind of lover’s spat?” Junmyeon lowered his sheet music, having a hard time fighting the urge to hit the other. “Ooh, you did, didn’t you?”

“No, we didn’t have a lover’s spat,” Junmyeon hissed, the other grinning in response.

“Then why isn’t he here?” he cooed, and Junmyeon’s irritation deflated, causing him to look down and miss the hint of remorse in Kyuhyun’s eyes, his hand coming up to grip the pendant tightly. A sick feeling pooled in his stomach, causing the image of Jongdae’s father to flash through his mind; his snarl, the bite to his tone. Was the necklace really that valuable that it would cause someone to lose control like that?

“I… Wish I knew.”

“Jongdae!” Junmyeon ran to the main gate the instant he saw the light brown haired male, stopping a few feet from his when the dread that had left his stomach for a moment rushed back; there was a cut on the other’s cheek, faint purple and yellow circling it and he flinched when Junmyeon’s fingers brushed against it. “What… what happened?” Junmyeon asked, Jongdae looking out of the corner of his eye so that he wasn’t meeting the older’s gaze. Junmyeon took a gentle hold of both of his cheeks, forcing the other to look at him. “Did your dad hit you?”

“Not really. He got… he just got real mad. When he moved toward me I stepped back, and I ended up tripping. I hit my cheek on the table on my way down… But he wasn’t mad after I fell, and he hurried to help me onto the couch, running around to get ice and the first-aid kit,” Jongdae explained softly. “I didn’t think the necklace was that important… a lot of what he brings back from his trips is just junk… he’s had that box hidden for years, so I didn’t think he was going to try and sell anything from it… And it made me think of you when I saw it, so I…” Jongdae cut off when Junmyeon pulled him into a tight hug at the tears that started to lace the other’s eyes, feeling the way his frame quivered. Jongdae and his father seemed like a content family, even with all the times that Jongdae admitted to sneaking out. But the more that Junmyeon heard of what happened when no one was around was starting to truly scare him, and he pulled back, cupping the other’s face again.

“Has he done this before?” Junmyeon asked, Jongdae offering a small shrug.

“He’s gotten mad before… Once when I was little I managed to get into a room that he told me never to go into… when he found me he got real angry but… when he realized I was hurt he wasn’t angry anymore. He doesn’t… hit me or anything. I just… he gets mad, but lots of parents get mad at their children, right? And when I get hurt he makes sure that I’m okay…” Jongdae explained, curling in on himself a little and trying to look down; Junmyeon tightened his hold on the younger’s face a little. “He’s not a bad guy, and I can tell you think he is. But he’s not, and I know he loves me and wants what’s best for me. If I had listened to him I…” his voice cut out, and he swallowed hard, Junmyeon moving one hand to his hair.

“If… If he ever makes you feel unsafe, text me. Or just show up at my house. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night, you’re always going to be welcome. And not just if he makes you feel scared.”
 
 

“You want to what?” Junmyeon sighed, hanging his head a little. “Junmyeon we’ve talked about this. No one can know about…” he trailed off and Junmyeon heard a soft clink as his dad set his silverware on the table. “Why do you want to tell him?”
 
“Because!” Junmyeon exclaimed, looking up at the other. “He's open about everything, without any kind of hesitation. He doesn't hide anything from me, no matter how bad it sounds… And it makes me feel sick hiding something this big from him…” he said, his attention falling back onto his lap.
 
“Junmyeon… You can't tell him. If he lets it slip-”
 
“Who is he going to let it slip to?” Junmyeon demanded.
 
“Junmyeon, we’ve talked about this. I can’t risk losing-”
 
“Forget it,” he grumbled, standing and making his way from the kitchen. “Just send him up to my room, I'm going to wash up.” He ignored his father trying to call him back to the table, taking the stairs two at a time and grabbing a change of clothes and his towel, making his way into the bathroom.
 
After turning on the faucet he waited for the water to warm up before he plugged the drain, turning the faucet back off when the bath was half full. He grabbed a washcloth, dipping it into the bath and starting the long process, still grumbling to himself. He heard a door close downstairs, and then footsteps a few moments later pass the bathroom door and fade back out.
 
Guess it’s time to stop sulking in the bathroom, Junmyeon thought with a sigh, dipping the rag into the bathtub to rinse the suds off before he started wiping them off his body. He was almost finished when he heard footsteps stop in front of the bathroom door, expecting his dad to call to him that Jongdae was here. Not for the door to open without a warning knock, or for Jongdae to enter. His heart jumped into his throat and he went to cover his bare crotch, tipping back and falling into the tub with a startled cry. He didn’t have time to recover, the familiar numbness that started in his toes causing his eyes to widen.
 
The cracks from his legs had grown softer the more he shifted, and it wasn’t painful anymore, though it still wasn’t the most comfortable feeling in the world, pin pricks following and causing his eyes to shut tightly as scales covered his legs. Once the feelings eased his eyes slowly opened and he looked to Jongdae waiting for his to turn and run or scream. Or both. So when Jongdae closed the distance between them Junmyeon froze, his heart beating so loud that it muffled everything but the other’s voice when he spoke.
 
“So this is why you never wanted to go swimming,” Jongdae mused, fingers trailing over the fin of the older’s tail before he took a gentle hold of it, bending it slowly up and down, and Mr. Kim was quick to appear in the doorway. He stared at the scene, Junmyeon forcing his gaze away from Jongdae and to him, watching Mr. Kim’s shoulders sink as he sighed.
 
“I guess now we’re going to have to explain things,” he said, Junmyeon frowning.
 
“We? I’m the one with the tail,” he stated, Mr. Kim’s expression softening a little. Junmyeon jumped when he felt pressure near what was usually his upper thigh, breaking his stare down with his dad to see Jongdae’s hands continuing to run over every inch of his tail, and he reached out, nudging Jongdae to look up at him. “You’re being really handsy,” he pointed out, Jongdae pausing before his hands jerked back, settling in his lap instead, Junmyeon’s irritation towards his dad fading at the blush that covered the younger’s cheeks, quick to trail down his neck.

“I’m… gonna leave you two alone,” Mr. Kim stammered, turning and hurrying from the bathroom, closing the door behind himself just as he had the first time Junmyeon had shifted. Junmyeon sighed, shaking his head and looking to Jongdae, whom was peeking at him from under his bangs.

“Sorry if I crossed a line,” Jongdae said, confusing Junmyeon a little. “With… touching it,” Jongdae added, Junmyeon’s shoulders finally relaxing.

“I wouldn’t say you really crossed a line. I was just… more so expecting anyone who found out to run or scream or something. This… isn’t something that’s normal,” he explained, Jongdae shrugging.

“So neither of us are normal, not a big deal.”

“Jongdae, I think me being some kind of creature they write myths about is a little different than you being deaf,” Junmyeon said, pulling the plug out of the bathtub’s drain, trying to push himself up enough to grab one of the towels on the rack, Jongdae taking it down and offering it to him when his reach fell short. Junmyeon wrapped the towel around himself, biting back a grimace as fire down his thighs a few moments before pinpricks set in and his legs returned.

“That’s really cool.” Junmyeon laughed, looking up at the other as he secured the towel around his waist, sitting on the wall of the bathtub.

“That’s one word for it.”

“Does it happen anytime you’re near water?”

“Not any time. Only when my lower back gets wet, for some weird reason.”

“Is that why you didn’t want to be out in the rain the other day?”

“Yeah. I was worried it would soak my shirt and I would change. And I’m not supposed to let anyone know, so that would have, you know, been a bad thing.”

“No wonder you looked so scared when that one guy tried to throw you into the pool,” Jongdae said, and Junmyeon nodded, watching the younger’s hand start for his knee before he pulled his hand back and Junmyeon stood.

“Come on, let’s go to my room. I don’t particularly like just sitting in a towel,” he said, Jongdae trailing close behind, closing the door once they were both in his room.

“Does it hurt?” Jongdae asked, a small smile crossing the older’s lips as he dug around in his dresser for a pair of boxers. He looked over his shoulder, gesturing for Jongdae to turn around. The other paused before seeming to catch on, turning so his back was to Junmyeon from where he was sitting on the brunet’s bed. Junmyeon pulled on his boxers and a pair of jeans, pulling out a shirt and making his way over to sit beside the younger on the bed.

“It hurt the first few times, but the more it happens the less it hurts,” Junmyeon answered when Jongdae had turned back around.

“Have you always been like this?” He shook his head.

“Shortly after I turned sixteen I started getting love letters and my… Fan base, if you wanna call it that. Then one day I was washing up the way my dad told me to and I was in a hurry so I just dumped the bucket of water over myself and the next thing I knew my legs went numb. I toppled over and hit my head not the wall, and when I opened my eyes my legs had turned into something out of a mythology.”

“Your dad didn't tell you?”

“Nope. Not until I changed.”

“Why didn't he tell you? If he told you how to wash, did you get it from him?”

“No, my dad's… Normal. My mom was like me, but my dad was the one who told me to wash a certain way because he didn't know what to do if I did change since my mom didn't talk much about it. I didn't chance when I was little and had baths, and I didn't have the sign of being a merfolk siren thing, whatever they're called. Until recently,” he added, looking down at the gem embedded in his chest. “That's why I was randomly in pain the other day. It decided it was time for me to be able to control the call that pulled people to me, and after that I stopped getting followed around school and receiving love letters,” Junmyeon said, looking up at Jongdae who’s attention was focused on the gem.

“Your dad doesn't know much, and your mom's gone… So it's been sorta a learn and go thing, right?” Jongdae asked, Junmyeon nodding.

“Exactly.”

“I think I can help.” Junmyeon stared at the other for a long moment, blinking slowly.

“What?” he asked, half expecting the younger to shuck off his shirt and show he had a gem as well, but he stood instead, Junmyeon’s eyes locked onto him.

“I know someone who has one of those,” Jongdae said, pointing at the gem in the older's chest.

“How?” Jongdae shrugged.

“I've talked about her before. She’s been around since I was little, she's sorta a mother figure to me. Her’s looks a little different because it's all cracked, but she has one and has a tail like you do. I'm sure she would be up for answering questions about this,” Jongdae said, Junmyeon standing so quickly he almost fell over.

“W-where is she?” Junmyeon asked, yanking his shirt on over his head.

“My house.” A cold feeling filtered into Junmyeon’s stomach.

“I don’t know if…”

“Don't worry, my dad left on one of his trips yesterday, so he won't be there to demand for the necklace back,” Jongdae soothed, Junmyeon’s shoulders relaxing. Jongdae offered his hand to the other, Junmyeon hesitating a moment before taking it and letting himself be lead from his room.

“How long is it?”

“Oh my god Jongdae.”

Even though Jongdae said that his father was gone Junmyeon couldn't help the uneasy feeling he had as he stepped into the antique shop for the first time since the argument. He kept close to Jongdae who held his hand even as he unlocked the door, closing and locking it behind them before pulling Junmyeon through the house. Eventually they came to a door in the far back of the house that opened to a winding staircase and Junmyeon found it odd to have a winding staircase to the basement, but a lot of things about Jongdae’s house shape was strange.

Round and round, Junmyeon’s grip on the others hand tightened as it got darker, though his eyes eventually adjusted and when they got near the bottom he noticed a faint light scattering across the floor like sunlight shining through water. He looked up from his feet, which he couldn't see anyway, eyes widening at the floor to ceiling glass that he saw, and he would have fallen when he missed the last step if he hadn't been holding onto Jongdae. 

“It… Looks like an aquarium,” he said, Jongdae missing the statement as he lead the brunet up to the glass.

“Dad built this thing for her, I don’t know how big it is because you can only see part of it from here, but it seems big enough,” the younger explained, placing a hand on the glass. He was silent for a moment before delivering a series of light taps on the glass, Junmyeon opening his mouth to ask what he was doing when there was movement in the tank and his voice caught in his throat. There was a blur of motion past the glass that caused him to take a small step though when it disappeared he took a careful step closer to the glass, his entire body feeling heavy when the figure returned, coming up to where Jongdae was standing, placing her hand against the glass on the other side of Jongdae’s as she smiled.

“I brought the friend I told you about. Turns out he’s like you,” Jongdae said, looking to Junmyeon, and the woman’s gaze shifted to him as well, Junmyeon feeling his knees weaken as one word fell from his mouth.

“Mom.”

(( Also! Important note: Jongdae's dad isn't abusive, even if it may seem like it. I was worried about the scene making him out to be abusive, but no Jongdae did actually fall. ))