Yixing is seven years old when he first meets the mermaid.

 

 

It was a beautiful spring day and his mother had asked him to go to Mirror Lake to get her water from the lake. His mother was the village medic and she needed lake water to make her medicines. It was said that the lake had magical properties that were good for healing. It was because of this, that the lake was also considered very dangerous. The lake was deeper than it appeared and there was said to be a guardian of the lake that would only allow certain people to draw from it. However, the guardian didn't approve of many. Many people were dragged to the bottom of the lake never to be seen again. Only the truly pure or truly desperate lived to tell the tale of visiting the lake. Zhang Liyin was one of those people. Her husband, Yixing's father, had been racked with a terrible sickness and she went to the lake to get the healing water. It is not known if she met with the guardian, but she returned with the water to save her husband. Unfortunately, she returned too late. After that however, she was appointed as the village medic since the guardian of the healing lake seemed to approve of her. At the present time though, she was too busy to go to the lake herself. Liyin asked her son to go to the lake for her. He was still a child and she believed that he was still pure enough to draw from the lake. The guardian rarely drowned children.

 

Yixing followed the trail that his mother had told him to walk along. He was a little scared, but he was happy to be able to help his mother with her work. The brunet walked along with only the sound of the rustling trees and the cool breeze to keep him company. He wasn't totally sure about what the lake looked like, but his mother told him that he would know it when he saw it.

 

After walking for what seemed like a long time, Yixing finally came to a stop. He had come to a clearing in the forest. He looked around and saw something on the ground. It looked like a giant sheet of shimmering glass that lit up the whole clearing with the way the sunlight was hitting it. Yixing walked over to it and put his bucket down. He reached a hand out to touch it. To his surprise, his hand came into contact with something wet. He reached down with his other hand and it was wet too. This must be it! It was the magical lake that his mother had spoke to him about. He smiled, proud of himself for being able to find the place despite it being his first time coming to the lake. He went to reach for his bucket, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. What was that? He looked back toward the lake and saw nothing. He thought he had seen something moving in the water, probably just a fish. Yixing had forgotten that his mother told him that no fish lived in the lake. Nothing lived in the lake except for the guardian.

 

Yixing picked up his bucket and went to dip it in the lake when something in the lake moved again. The boy looked again but saw nothing. Now he was little scared. He was sure something was in there, but he didn't see anything. He took a deep breath. Maybe it was his silly imagination that his mother always said was a little wild. His hand clenched the bucket tight, deciding that he needed to be brave for his mother. He put the bucket in the water and was about to pull it back up when he saw a face in the water. He shook his head. It's just my reflection. That was why it was called Mirror Lake. One could see their own reflection as clear as looking into a mirror, if not moreso. He looked down at the water again and saw the face again. This time it wasn't his own face staring back at him; it was definitely someone else's. He screamed and dropped the bucket, scurrying back away from the water.

 

“Ow!”

 

Yixing stared wide-eyed as the face came out of the water and became a person. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a boy that looked about the same age that he was. He had pale skin and was blonde with grey-brown eyes and thin lips. He blinked his brown eyes, wondering why there was a boy swimming in the lake. Or at least that's what Yixing thought he was doing. It was the only way to explain why he didn't have a shirt on. He slowly moved back over to the edge of the water “Who are you?”

 

“Huh?” The blonde boy looked up from rubbing his head “I’m Suho. Who are you?”

 

“I’m Yixing. Why are you swimming in the lake?”

 

Suho smiled “I like it here. It's quiet and pretty. When I splash, it looks like rainbows in the air! Wanna see?”

 

“Yes,” Yixing nodded.

 

Suho moved backwards in the water and started splashing, throwing water into the air. Just as he said, the sun hit the water just right and created rainbows in the air “Wow,” Yixing stared in awe until they disappeared.

 

“It's great right?” Suho swam back closer to Yixing. “So what are you doing here?”

 

Yixing suddenly remembered why he had come to the lake in the first place “I came to get water for my mother.” He looked down dejectedly “I dropped my bucket though when you popped up.”

 

“Oh yeah,” the blonde smiled and dove down to get the bucket that had hit him in the head. About a minute later, he reappeared with Yixing's bucket, now filled with water. “Here you go,” he said as he held the bucket out to the other boy.

 

Yixing smiled as he took the bucket “Thank you. Well, I have to go home.”

 

“Aww,” Suho pouted “Can't you stay and play with me for a little while?”

 

“But I can't swim.”

 

“I’ll teach you!” Suho put his hands together and pushed out his bottom lip “Please?”

 

Yixing smiled and nodded “Okay!” He dropped the bucket and stripped down to his underwear before getting into the water. He'd forgotten all about his errand and was more focused on having fun with the boy in the water.

 

Yixing didn't return home until thaat evening, to his mother who had been extremely worried about him. She hugged him tight and he told her all about the new friend he had made. Liyin was sure her son didn't know exactly what he had seen but she knew. She knew because only one thing resided in Mirror Lake.

 

Yixing is thirteen when he realizes what Suho is.

Yixing got up early to go to the lake one morning. He had grown taller and leaner over the years. He had begun learning the ways of being a medic from his mother. She taught him about the different plants in the forest, which were safe and which were poisonous. She had taught him about different ailments and what healed them. She also left him in charge of making the poultices and potions she needed for her work. Yixing favorite job though, was going to the lake to get healing water. He liked the scenery of the area and the way everything around the lake seemed to sparkle. The best part was seeing Suho.

 

The two boys had been friends for six years now, not that Yixing had been counting. Suho was always at the lake when Yixing was around. All the brunet had to do was call him and the other boy would appear. For some odd reason, Suho was always swimming close by. If Yixing didn't know better, he would say his friend lived in the lake. But that was silly. Yixing just assumed that his friend just really liked to swim.

 

It didn't take Yixing long to reach the lake; he had gotten faster due to all the times he went there. When he reached it, he already saw his friend in the water. Suho was floating on his back, staring up at the clear blue sky. There was something different about Suho today though. Yixing noticed there was blue stuff around the other boys hips--or better yet, where his hips should have been. It looked like stuff was just clinging to him. The brunet wondered how his friend didn't notice what was clinging to him, or maybe he did notice and just didn't mind.

 

“Suho!” Yixing waved at the boy in the distance. The blonde looked over and waved back. He smiled as he flipped sides and dove underwater to swim over to his friend. Yixing saw a blue flash in the air that looked like flippers. His eyes widened and he took a step back from the water. Did he see what he think he just saw? It looked like Suho had a tail. Yixing shook his head and rubbed his eyes; he had to be seeing things.

 

“What's wrong?” Suho asked when he reached the shore of the lake.

 

“Ah nothing, I think I might be hallucinating,” the brunet laughed as he put his bucket down and sat close to the water. He took off his shoes and let his feet slip into the water. “You were moving so fast, I thought you had tail for a second there.”

 

Suho smiled brightly “I do have a tail.”

 

“Huh?!”

 

“I have a tail Yixing, I thought you already knew that though.”

 

“You have a tail?! Like for real?!” Yixing stared at his friend in shock.

 

“How did you not notice that all these years?”

 

Yixing blushed; he wasn't sure why he hadn't noticed. The villagers did always say he was oblivious when it came to obvious things staring him in the face. “So are you like a mermaid?”

 

“Yes, Yixing,” Suho chuckled “Why do you think that I spend so much time in the water?”

 

“I don't know, I just thought you really liked to swim.” Suho burst into laughter, swishing his tail and splashing Yixing.

 

“Hey! Hey!” Yixing shouted while trying to shield himself from the water “Stop splashing!”

 

“Oh sorry,” Suho said as his laughter died down. He just couldn't help it after Yixing had said something so cute. “So now that we have that settled, let's go play.”

 

“Wait!” Yixing grabbed Suho’s hand before the other boy could swim away.

 

“What?”

 

“Can I see it?”

 

“See what?” Suho raised an eyebrow “My tail?” Yixing nodded. Suho shook his head as he pulled himself onto the shore next to the brunet “You act like you’ve never seen a mermaid before.”

 

“I haven't!” Yixing wondered why his friend was being so nonchalant about the situation. Didn't Suho realize that he was a creature that only appeared in fairytales? He looked Suho up and down in awe. The mermaid’s tail was long with sky blue scales that shimmered in the sunlight and a big but, thin fin at the bottom. At the waist, it was decorated with pearls and silver chains. It had to be one of the most beautiful things Yixing had ever seen. It was unreal. It was something he had only heard about and never expected to see in his life. Yixing gently glided his fingers over the scales and watched as they shined even brighter than before. They seemed to change color as Yixing moved his fingers downward, going from sky blue to icy blue.“Suho, this is amazing,” he looked back up at the blonde “Really! Are there more mermaids?”

 

“Of course there are.”

 

“Do they all look like you?”

 

“No, that would be weird.” Suho leaned back on his hands “We come in as many variations as humans do. Besides, I’m special!”

 

“Oh?” Yixing was more curious than ever. “How?”

 

“I’m a guardian,” Suho said proudly “well a guardian in training. We protect special waters with magical properties and my dad is training me so I can become the guardian of this lake!”

 

“That's amazing! I wish I was getting trained to be a guardian.”

 

Suho patted his friend's head “Your mom’s training to be a medic, right? That's cool too. you’ll be a guardian of people's health! We can work together to help people!”

 

Yixing hadn't thought about it that way. He never considered the fact that if he became the village medic, he would be able to see Suho all the time. They would work together to make everyone happy and healthy. “We’ll be the best guardians in the world!”

 

“Yeah!”

That evening Yixing went home after spending the whole day with Suho, pretending they were fighting bad guys who were trying to do bad things to the lake. It had been a fun day and he couldn't wait to tell his mother all about it. He entered into their small home just as his mother was putting dinner on the table. “Yixing, I was wondering where you had gone. Were you with your friend Suho again at the lake?”

 

“Yeah,” the young boy nodded as he sat at the table “Guess what I found out today?”

 

“What did you find out, dear?” Liyin smiled at her son’s excitement as she sat down at the table.

 

“Suho is a mermaid! And he's the guardian of the lake!” Yixing announced cheerfully “Well he said is dad is the guardian right now but he would be the guardian soon!”

 

Liyin dropped her fork as she stared at her son. She couldn't believe that he had actually met the guardian of the lake. She had not seen the guardian until she was well into adulthood. How was it her son just so happened to come across the guardian’s son? What if people found out about their relationship? Things would not go well.

 

“Mama! I can't wait to tell all the kids at school about Suho!”

 

“No!” Liyin said a little louder than she intended, startling her son “I mean, Yixing, you can't tell anyone about Suho.”

 

“Why not?” He was confused. If everyone knew about Suho, he would finally make friends at school and they would think he was cool for knowing a mermaid.

 

Liyin sighed “Because Yixing, Suho has a very important job and a very secret job. If everyone knew about him, Suho’s job wouldn't be a secret and he would get in trouble.” She hoped she wouldn't have to go into more detail. She didn't want to have to explain to him the horrendous things people would do to Suho if they found out that his existence was real.

 

“Okay mama,” Yixing smiled. He still didn't understand, but if mama said it was a secret, then he would keep it a secret.

 

“Good. Now if you ever get the urge to tell anyone about Suho, just tell me, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

Liyin breathed out a sigh of relief. She loved her son and was glad that he had new friend, but she really wished that friend had been anyone else.

Two years later, Yixing realizes he doesn't just want to be friends with Suho.

The fifteen year old bolted upright in his bed, breathing heavily. He had been having weird dreams lately. Most of them involving watching Suho dancing underwater like the majestic mermaid he is. Yixing thought he was beautiful and graceful, things he had never thought about his friend before. This had been going on for a while now and it was getting more and more vivid in Yixing's head. One time he'd even imagined kissing Suho and couldn't even bare blinking because of the images he would get in his head. The brunet was all kinds of confused, wondering why he was thinking about his friend in such a romantic way. He felt kind of weird, especially since he hadn't seen Suho in a while. With both of them being so busy, they hardly ever had time to meet up. Not to mention that Suho was a boy. Most of the village boys told him they dreamt about pretty girls at night, but he dreamt of Suho. Of course I have to be different.

 

Yixing sighed as he got out of bed and went to wash up to clear his head. It didn't take long and soon he was making his way to the kitchen to have breakfast with his mother.

 

“Good morning,” Liyin smiled as her son took a seat at the table.

 

“‘Morning,” Yixing poked at the plate of food his mother sat in front of him. “Mom, can I ask you something?”

 

“Of course you can,” Liyin sat at the table, clearly anticipating what her son wanted to talk about.

 

“Is it weird that I dream about boys?”

 

Liyin blinked. That was not what she had been expecting. She rubbed her palms on her apron “W-what do you mean?”

 

“Well I keep having dreams about Suho. I thought it was because he's a mermaid. You know, they're pretty so I thought I was dreaming about him because of that. But now I'm not sure because I kissed him in one dream I had.”

 

“Honey, you’re not weird. You and Suho have grown up together so it's only natural that you think about him a little romantically.”

 

Yixing stared at his mother, wondering if she was just saying this to make him feel better. Maybe, but it was the only explanation he had. “So do you think he dreams about me like that too?”

 

“Uh,” Liyin couldn't really answer that. She hoped not because she didn't want Yixing to be involved with a mermaid. She was thinking about his safety really. She also had to think about his feelings if she told him the mermaid probably wasn't interested. Yixing would be crushed and probably would think he wasn't normal for having feelings towards a boy. Liyin couldn’t do that to him. She smiled “Why don't you ask Suho?”

 

“That's a good idea!” Yixing hopped up from the table. He was excited now. If anyone would understand how he felt, it was his best friend. “Thanks mom,” he kissed her cheek before running out the door. Of course the person he was dreaming about would be able to explain things to him.

Suho stared up at the sky as he floated on his back as he waited. Things were quiet as usual and the young mermaid was bored. He hadn't seen Yixing in a while, but he attributed that to both of them having no time. He had been training to be a guardian and his best friend was busy learning how to be a medic. He understood why they couldn't see each other, but it made him a bit sad nonetheless. Besides, he had big news for his friend and he wanted to celebrate together. That and he something special he wanted to show Yixing that would be happening today. He hoped the other boy would come by. He sighed as he splashed the water with his tail and watched as the droplets sparkled in the sunlight. That was Yixing's favorite.

 

“Suho!”

 

The mermaid heard someone call him. He looked over and saw Yixing running to the shore. The blonde smiled and immediately turned over to swim up to his friend. “Yixing!” Suho noticed how excited his friend was to see him. Not that he hadn't missed the other, but this was a bit much. “You’re more excited than usual.”

 

“I have something I want to talk to you about.”

 

Suho raised an eyebrow “Is it bad?”

 

“No,” Yixing sat at the edge of the lake. Suho moved closer and rested his arms on the other boy's legs, looking up at him expectantly. “If I tell you, do you promise not to think I’m weird?”

 

“Xing, I already think you're weird,” Suho chuckled “What is going on?”

 

Yixing pouted “Rude.”

 

“Tell me. I promise I won’t think any less of you if you do.”

 

“Well lately, I’ve been having dreams about you.”

 

Suho tilted his head “Is that all? Why would you think that was weird? If anything it shows how much you missed me.”

 

“Well they weren't normal dreams,” Yixing fiddled with his fingers. He didn't know how to explain to the blonde what exactly he had been dreaming about. He didn't want Suho to hate him or stop being friends with him. “W-well one time I-I dreamt t-that…” he trailed off and looked away.

 

Suho’s eyebrows furrowed. What could Yixing possibly have dreamt of that he was so nervous to tell him? They were friends. Does he not trust me? Suho leaned up and pressed a hand to his friend's cheek “Xing, tell me.”

 

“I had a dream that you kissed me.”

 

If Suho hadn't been listening carefully, he wouldn't have heard what Yixing had said. He stared at his friend for a moment in shock. He didn't know what to say.

 

“I’m sorry,” Yixing moved away from Suho and stood up to leave. He should never have said anything. He should have just kept his stupid dreams to himself. Now he was going to lose his best friend. He took one last look at the mermaid and turned to leave.

 

“Xing wait!”

 

The brunet turned around and looked at his friend “I shouldn't hav-”

 

“Stop. I'm not upset with you and I don't think you're weird or anything. I promised I wouldn't think any less of you and I don't. Come here,” Suho held out a hand.

 

Yixing looked around as if the other boy could be talking to anyone else. He shyly took the mermaid’s hand and allowed himself to be slowly pulled towards the water. “Suho, what are you doing?”

 

“I want to show you something.”

 

“Well at least let me get undressed so my clothes don't get wet.”

 

Suho rolled his eyes playfully “Don't worry about that.”

 

Yixing was worried. Was Suho going to drown him? He had heard that was what the guardian did when people weren't deemed pure. Maybe he wasn't pure to his friend anymore. He didn't want to die like this though. He couldn't stand the thought of leaving his mother. Yet, he felt this urge to follow Suho, to trust him. As much as he wanted to run back home and forget this ever happened, he also wanted to see what the mermaid had in store for him. Before he knew it, he was up to his chest in the lake “Suho are you going to drown me?”

 

“What? No!” The blonde laughed “Why would I do that?”

 

“I don't know, but you haven't exactly explained why you pulled me into the lake.”

 

“I have some news for you.”

 

“And you couldn't tell me while I was on dry land?”

 

“It wouldn't be as much fun that way.” Suho smiled as he let go of Yixing's hand. “I passed my test. I'm the new guardian of this lake.”

 

Yixing smiled and hugged his friend around the neck “That's great! I'm so proud of you!”

 

Suho smiled as he hugged his friend back “Thank you.”

 

“That still doesn't explain why you couldn't tell me on dry land,” the brunet smiled as he pulled away.

 

Suho looked down “Well I can't do the ceremony on dry land.”

 

“Ceremony? What ceremony?”

 

“I’ll be making my guardian transformation today and I want you to see it.”

 

“What about your parents?” Yixing was sure they would appreciate it more. “Don't they want to see?”

 

“Yes, but I had to come up to get you before I went. I want you to come with me.”

 

“But Suho, I can't breathe underwater or anything like that.”

 

“Yixing, I’m a mermaid. I have magic that can help with that.” Suho smiled “Close your eyes.”

 

Yixing took a breath and did as he was told. He heard Suho say something in a language he didn't understand. Well actually, he was singing. His voice was smooth and melodic like it could whisk anyone away from reality. Then Yixing felt his legs begin to move closer to each other. He screamed as he felt like his legs were being welded together. He felt like his skin was melting, but he also felt something else. He felt a pair of arms go around him and a voice whispering in his ear, telling him he would be okay. He was. Soon the pain stopped and Yixing opened his eyes.

 

“Are you okay?” Suho had one hand on the brunet’s face and the other around his waist. “I’m sorry. I didn't realize the process would be so painful for you.”

 

“Process? Process for what?!” Yixing looked at Suho. “What did you do to me?”

 

“Well you can't see my ceremony if you can't breathe underwater so I...well see for yourself.”

 

Yixing looked down at his waist and saw scales where his hips should have been. He couldn't believe it. He moved back towards the shallow end of the lake and stared. He had a tail. A long, shimmering, deep purple tail that looked a lot like Suho's. Granted, it was smaller but it was just as elegant and beautiful as the guardian’s. “You turned me into a mermaid.”

 

“Only temporarily. Just so you can see my ceremony then I'll turn you back.”

 

Yixing awkwardly swam back out to his friend “If you were anyone else, I’d beat you to a pulp.”

 

“I know,” Suho smiled and took the brunet’s hand again. “Now let's go before I’m late!”

 

The underwater kingdom was more charming than anything that Yixing could have imagined. There was an entire city right under the lake that no one knew about. This is where Suho lived. He couldn't believe that he was actually being allowed into this magical world. He wished he could go back and tell the other people in the village. He doubted they would believe him. Even if they did, it probably wouldn't be good for Suho and the other mermaids. No, he would keep this between him and his mother like he always did.

 

“We’re here.” Yixing looked around at what seemed to be an underwater cave. It didn't seem all that interesting from the outside. Although, from what he could see, it was carved with markings. He assumed that this was the language that Suho had been speaking in earlier when he used his magic. He was pulled into the inside of the cave that was much more decorative and a bit crowded.

 

The inside of the cave was brightly lit by colored stones and the walls were decorated with silver and blue scales. The blue was the same sky blue as Suho’s tail. There were tables of food and at the center of the cave was a small platform with an arch over it decorated in flowers and seashells. “This is amazing,” Yixing looked around in awe.

 

“I’m glad you like it,” Suho smiled, gently tightening his grip on Yixing's hand.

 

“Suho!” Another mermaid swam up to them. He looked younger than Suho. He had chocolate brown hair and his skin was somewhat tanned as well, compared to Suho's. His tail was also a vibrant red that didn't quite shimmer like the blonde’s. “Where have you been? The ceremony is about to start.”

 

“Hey Jongin,” Suho rolled his eyes “I had to go get my friend. Yixing, this is my brother.”

 

Yixing bowed his head “It's nice to meet you.”

 

“Please call me Jongin. You must be the human my brother talks about nonstop.”

 

“Jongin!”

 

“H-how did you know?”

 

Jongin chuckled “Because natural mermaids are much more graceful than you.”

 

Yixing blushed “I see.”

 

“Don't worry. From what I've heard about you, you’re a good human. You should have no problems down here.” Jongin turned to his brother “As for you, you’re going to have a problem with your mother if you don't get into the spell circle.”

 

“Yeah yeah I'm going,” Suho smiled and kissed Yixing's cheek “Stay with Jongin. I’ll see you after the ceremony.”

 

“Okay,” Yixing said absently as he touched his cheek. He certainly hadn't been expecting that.

 

“Come on,” Jongin pulled him into the crowd of mermaids that made up the audience.

 

The sound of a loud horn rang out and all the mermaids began to settle. The chatter stopped and everyone was quiet. Luckily, Yixing had Jongin to explain everything thing to him as the ceremony went on. Joonmyun was at the center of the platform that glowed with words that Yixing didn't know. Jongin told him the words were written in Marina, the language of the mermaids. He said it was a spell that would grant Suho strength and power to be a great guardian.

 

Yixing watched as four old mermen, the Elders, as Jongin called them, covered in tribal tattoos and shiny jewels wrapped Suho's arms in blue ribbon. They put a silver bracelet on his left wrist and silver cuffs on his ears. Embedded in the cuffs were blue gemstones that Yixing had never seen before. The men painted Suho's eyes with purple makeup and then accented it with light blue. They finished off by spreading what looked like glitter around his eyes. They moved back and two other mermaids came forward. One of them was a blonde woman with the same color tail as Suho and her face was similar, but her eyes were green. Yixing assumed she was Suho's mother. She put a silver chain around Suho's right arm, that was decorated with charms and flowers. Jongin said they were for good luck. The woman kissed the blond’s cheek before moving away and letting a man come forward. Yixing assumed the man was Suho's father. They looked exactly alike except that he had the same red tail as Jongin. He put a silver necklace over his son’s head. It had a blue gemstone that looked like a large raindrop. It was simple but elegant. Suho's parents stepped back again. With the full decoration, Yixing thought his friend was the literal definition of water. He was more handsome than the brunet had ever thought him before. He smiled, feeling thankful that Suho had brought him down here to watch.

 

The Elders came forward again and began to chant in Marina. The spell circle began to glow and the magic began. The ribbons began to melt into Suho's arms, becoming much like the tattoos on the old men. The silver chain began to merge with Suho's right arm until there were crisscross blue and silver swirls covering it. Suho's eyes began to glow as well, changing from brown to a pale blue. His tail also began to change color. It became the icy blue Yixing had seen when he first touched it. Overall, the transformation was an amazing process to watch and Yixing couldn't have been more proud to see it. Suho was officially a guardian.

“What did you think?” Suho asked when they reached the surface that evening. The moon was shining down on the lake and the clearing was glowing in the darkness. After the transformation, the rest of the ceremony had been pretty quick. Suho took his vows then they partied. Yixing got to meet Suho's family and he found out that Suho and Jongin had the same father but different mothers. Nonetheless, the whole family seemed to get along well and they were more than welcoming to Yixing.

 

“It was fun,” the brunet smiled. “I got to see my best friend reach his dream. You're going to make a great guardian.”

 

Suho smiled and placed a hand on Yixing's face “I’m glad you think so.”

 

The other boy blushed and put a hand to Suho's chest to push him away “You’re too close.”

 

“Am I?” The blond moved closer and touched their foreheads together “I’ve had dreams about you too, Xing.”

 

Yixing stared at his friend, surprised. After all that had happened, he'd forgotten about the confession he'd made to Suho earlier. Now that the other had brought it back up, he felt embarrassed. He looked away “You’re just saying that.”

 

“I’m not. I dreamt that I was human and we were walking around together. You were showing me things in the human world and I met your mother and saw your home.” Suho smiled “I got to see you helping people and you were with me. We were happy.”

 

Yixing raised his eyes to look at the mermaid “I like you Suho.”

 

“I like you too Yixing,” the blonde closed the distance between them. He wound his arms around the boy's waist and pulled him closer. What he had told Yixing hadn't exactly been the truth. Suho had really dreamt about this day. About the day he became a guardian and was kissed by Yixing, who was telling him how proud he was. That had been the reason Suho brought Yixing down to the ceremony. He wanted to make that dream come true. It hadn't happened exactly how he dreamt it, but it was just as good if not better.

 

Kissing Suho for real was definitely better than how Yixing had dreamt it. The mermaid’s lips were soft and fit perfectly to his own. It was like they were made for each other. He smiled as he slowly pulled away “So does this make us lovers?”

 

Suho chuckled “Of course, I don't just kiss anyone. That's more Jongin's territory. I can't count the number of girls he's been with, and he's younger than me!”

 

“Wow,” Yixing smiled. Then he looked at Suho with worried eyes “Are you sure?”

 

“Sure about what? Being with you?”

 

“Well yeah. I mean, you're a mermaid and I'm human and you have an important job.”

 

“Yixing, I like you. That's not going to change. If we really want to be together then we can make it work no matter what.” Suho pecked Yixing's lips again “Let's be happy, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Yixing smiled as he kissed his lover again as they floated in the lake under the moonlight.

 

At seventeen, Suho learns that not all humans are as kind as Yixing.

“Where are you going Yixing?”

 

The brunet looked over and saw three boys running up to him. It was Chanyeol, Kris and Sehun. They were the bullies of the village and they especially like to pick on Yixing. It probably had something to do with the fact that he didn't really hang out with the other village kids. He was too busy helping his mother or he was with Suho. He usually tried to avoid those three at all costs. Unfortunately, he was finishing an errand in the marketplace when they showed up. Sehun threw an arm around Yixing's shoulder “So where are you going?”

 

“I’m going to see a friend.” Yixing had seen an arm circlet that he thought would look good on Suho. He had been saving his money to buy it and he was going to surprise his lover.

 

“Whoa, is that a present for your friend?” Kris looked at the circlet that Yixing was holding.

 

The smaller boy hugged it closer to his chest “Yes, now please leave me alone.”

 

Chanyeol plucked the circlet from Yixing's hands “Let me see it.” It was kind of small and barely looked like it would fit on anyone. “We could sell this. I bet we’d make a lot of money.”

 

“No, I just bought that for Suho!”

 

“Suho?” Sehun smirked “Is that your so-called friend that you were talking about?”

 

“I bet he isn't even real!” Kris teased.

 

“I think it would look good on me,” Sehun snatched the circlet from Chanyeol and put it on his arm. “I look like a warrior!”

 

“Please give it back,” Yixing looked down, trying to fight back the tears pooling in his eyes.

 

“Nah, I like this. I think I'll keep it,” Sehun smirked. “You can give your imaginary friend this,” he reached into his pocket and gave Yixing a piece of string “There you go.”

 

All three boys laughed as the brunet ran off, letting the tears fall.

 

“What a baby,” Kris rolled his eyes.

 

“Hey I got an idea,” Chanyeol piped up “Let's follow him.”

 

“For what?” Sehun asked “We already have what he bought.”

 

“Because if his friend is real, we can totally embarrass him.”

 

“Chanyeol, my friend,” Sehun smirked “you are an evil genius.”

 

Yixing sat on the shore of the lake plucking the grass from the dirt.

 

“You know if you keep doing that, there won't be any grass left.”

 

The brunet looked up and saw Suho smiling at him. He looked away and continued plucking the grass. He wasn't really in the mood to talk after what had happened at the marketplace. Stupid Sehun and his stupid friends.

 

“What's wrong?” Suho grabbed Yixing's hand. He didn't like seeing the other boy upset. “Xing please talk to me.”

 

“It's just these guys in the village. I bought you something nice at the marketplace and these guys stole it from me.” Yixing bit his lip, feeling like he might cry again.

 

Suho put a hand on his lover's cheek “Don't worry about it. You don't have to give me gifts.” He smiled a little, trying to lighten the mood “I have too much stuff anyway.”

 

“It's not about that Suho! Those guys keep bullying me. Every time I try to do something that makes me happy, they ruin it!” Yixing was shouting “Why won’t they just leave me alone?”

 

Suho didn't know what to say, but seeing Yixing like this made his blood boil. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do and that was frustrating. If he was human, he could protect Yixing and make sure things like this didn't happen. He was a guardian and he couldn't even protect the one he loved. He pulled himself up onto the shore and sat next to Yixing “I’m sorry I couldn't be there to protect you.”

 

“Huh?” The smaller boy looked up at Suho “This isn't your fault.”

 

“I just wish I could've been there. I would have kept those guys from hurting you.”

 

Yixing smiled and kissed Suho's cheek “It's okay. You're here to make me feel better.”

 

The blond kissed his lover's forehead “Always.”

“Let's go push him in the water,” Chanyeol whispered as they watched the couple from the trees.

 

“Or dump mud on his head,” Kris laughed.

 

Sehun shook his head “I have a better idea.”

 

“What?” Chanyeol and Kris asked in sync.

 

“Don't you guys see? Yixing's friend is a mermaid. We could capture him and sell him for a ton of money.”

 

“Yeah! Let's do it!” Chanyeol shouted and the other two put their hands over his mouth.

 

“Shut up!” Kris whispered harshly. He looked at Sehun “How are we supposed to capture him?”

 

“Like you would any other fish,” Sehun looked back over to the couple on the shore “with a net and bait.”

 

It had taken a while, but Suho was eventually able to get Yixing back to his normal, cheerful self. He smiled as he floated on his back, staring up at the moon. He wondered what Yixing did at night. He figured the boy probably slept or maybe stared at the moon, taking in how beautiful it was. On clear nights, Suho liked to pretend that he and Yixing were looking at the sky together. He wished they were both the same that way they could be together all the time. He didn't want to give up being a guardian, but for a chance to be with Yixing all the time, maybe it would be okay.

 

Suho was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a rustling in the grass. He narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the sound “Who’s there?”

 

Three boys appeared came into view and walked to the edge of the lake. Suho immediately put up a magical barrier to block them from coming any further. They were all tall and wore clothes that looked like they hadn't been washed in a while.

 

“State your business and leave,” Suho glared at them.

 

“We’re friends of Yixing,” the one with blond hair spoke. He looked like he was the youngest and if Suho didn't know better, could have had mermaid genes in him.

 

“Did he send you?” the mermaid wasn't sure if he should trust these people. Yixing had never spoken of any friends he had his the village, much to Suho's dismay. He wanted to know more about Yixing when the boy wasn't with him. He had always wanted to meet Yixing's friends and family.

 

“Uh yeah,” the redhead spoke next. He looked lanky and oafish, the complete opposite of grace. “He wants us to bring you to him.”

 

“He does?” Suho smiled. “But how? I can't leave the lake. I’m the guardian; I have to watch over it.”

 

“Don't worry, we’ll drop you off at Yixing's house and then we'll watch the lake for you,” the white-haired boy spoke up.

 

Suho was thrilled and nervous. This was his chance to see Yixing away from the lake and be with him and see his home. He would get to explore the village and try all the food Yixing had told him about. But he wasn't sure he should abandon his post. What if something happened while he was gone? He would get into trouble with not only his father, but the Elders who entrusted this place to him. He really wanted to see Yixing though. Besides, he wouldn't be gone that long. “Okay,” Suho brought down the barrier and went over to the shore “Um do you have a spell to make me human?”

 

“We’re going to carry you in that,” the blond boy pointed to a glass box filled with water.

 

Suho looked at the box wearily “Is this what Yixing wants?”

 

“Yeah. Now we should get going so we can meet Yixing at his house.”

 

“Alright,” Suho took a deep breath before pulling himself out of the water. The three boys lifted him and placed him in the glass box. It was smaller than he thought, but he assumed Yixing just didn't know how big it should have been. The redhead guy went to go close the tank when Suho stopped him “What are you doing?”

 

“We gotta make sure all the water doesn't come out while we're carrying you,” the white-haired boy answered.

 

“Alright,” Suho smiled again “Thank you for taking me to Yixing. I promise you all that you’ll be greatly rewarded. Please tell me your names.”

 

“I’m Sehun,” the blond spoke then pointed to the others “and this Chanyeol and Kris.”

 

“I’m glad Yixing has such good friends.”

 

“Yeah,” Sehun smirked “About that, we’re not really Yixing's friends.”

 

Suho's eyes widened as his head was forced under the water and the glass tank was closed. Kris locked the tank as the mermaid pushed against it, trying to get out. He was screaming, but he couldn't be heard through the glass.

 

“You’re just as stupid as Yixing,” Sehun laughed. He looked at the other two “Pick him up, we’re going to take him to the marketplace and sell him to the highest bidder at the next auction.”

Yixing hadn't seen Suho in almost a week. He was starting to wonder if his love was too busy with mermaid duties to spend time with him. He was starting to miss his lover's hugs and kisses. He was really just missing his presence in general. He didn't really have anyone to talk to other than his mother, but she was busy with other things. Yixing sighed as he made his way to the lake. When he got to the clearing, a terrible smell hit his nose. He looked at the lake which wasn't its usual shimmering blue, instead it was like a glossy black color. The flowers and plants around it were dead, even the grass had turned brown. Yixing knelt down to touch the water which didn't even feel like water anymore. It felt like sludge moving between his fingers. What happened here? Where is Suho? “Suho!” Yixing called loudly “Suho!!!” No answer. Where was his lover? He was supposed to be here protecting the lake and he was nowhere to be found.

 

“Yixing?”

 

The brunet looked up and saw Jongin's head coming out of the black lake. “Jongin, what's going on? Where's Suho?”

 

“No one knows,” the mermaid looked at Yixing sadly. “He disappeared a while ago and no one has seen him since.”

 

“But what about the lake? What's happening to it?”

 

“Without the guardian, it loses all its magical properties and turns into the mess you see here. We are all hoping to find Suho as quickly as possible, but we're having no luck.”

 

“But he couldn't have just up and walked out of the lake.”

 

Jongin's expression changed dramatically from one of sadness to one of anger “We know that. We think he was kidnapped by humans.”

 

Yixing shook his head “But who would kidnap him?”

 

“There are humans who hunt mermaids to sell them as pets. That's why we try to keep our existence a secret so things like this don't happen.” Jongin looked at Yixing “Did you tell anyone about us?”

 

“No!” Yixing said, offended that Jongin would accuse him. He had told his mother, but she was the one who told him to keep the mermaid's existence a secret. “Look, I don't know what happened to Suho, but if someone wants to sell him, I know a place where he might be.”

 

Jongin nodded “Please find my brother, Yixing.”

 

“I will, I promise.”

Suho doesn't know long he’s been in this cage, but he's stopped trying to figure it out. He's was more concerned about how thin he's grown. His scales have faded to almost white and his arms look wiry. His necklace and bracelet were taken. He tried to force his way out that day but one of those jerks knocked him unconscious and stuffed him back in the tank. He felt so stupid for thinking that these guys were Yixing's friends. Yixing talked about the people he cared about and these three were never mentioned. Yixing. The thought of his lover was the only thing that kept Suho sane all this time. He wanted to hold the other boy in his arms again and kiss him and tell him he loved him. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine Yixing's face. At this rate, he doubted he'd ever get the chance to see it in real life again. Especially if he was stuck in a tank for the rest of his life.

 

“I don't want to carry him.” Suho opened his eyes when he heard Chanyeol whining. He had learned their voices at this point and he learned that Sehun was the leader, while the other two were henchmen.

 

“Yeah, he’s heavy,” Kris chimed in.

 

“Will you two shut up and just pick him up?” Suho could hear the anger in Sehun's voice. “Look, once we sell him at the auction, you won't have to carry him ever again.”

 

“Fine,” Chanyeol said reluctantly. He walked over and knocked on the tank, hurting Suho's ears “Are you still alive in there?!”

 

The mermaid glared back at the redhead and hit his hand against the glass, shocking the other boy who jumped back.

 

Kris hit the take hard “Hey stop being mean to Chanyeol or we won't feed you!”

 

Suho scoffed. It wasn't like they had really been feeding him anyway. They gave him fish food and whatever leftover vegetables they could find. Neither of which, he considered food.

 

“Stop banging on the tank before you idiots break it! Now pick it up and let's go!” Sehun shouted.

 

Chanyeol and Kris glared at the mermaid before picking up the tank, purposely jostling it and making Suho hit his head against the glass. The mermaid swore if he ever got out of this tank, he would definitely drown these three in the lake.

Yixing looked around the marketplace. It was auction day, so the whole area was crowded with people. He didn't know how he was going to find Suho in this crowd. He looked around at all the rich people who had come with their odd and rare commodities. There was so many things Yixing had never seen before in this place. He decided it would be best to search around that area for Suho. The rich people loved to get their hands on things they shouldn't have.

Suho is carried into a crowd of people and finds it hard to distinguish the voices he hears. He wonders if Yixing is here and if he would come and save him. He doesn't like it here. Too many loud noises and too many people knocking into the tank. Soon he enters a dark room and the tank is haphazardly dropped on the floor. He glares at Chanyeol and Kris again even though he can't see them. “I brought you something good, Sooman,” Sehun says. Suho can practically hear him smirking. “We found him at Mirror Lake.”

 

“He looks half-dead,” Suho hears a voice he doesn't recognize. He assumes this must be Sooman, who he also assumes is in charge of the auction.

 

“Look, he can still be sold. With a good buyer, I’m sure he’ll be back to his old self in no time.”

 

There's no such thing as good buyer if they're buying a person.

 

A man looks Suho over and takes a particularly long time looking at his tattoos. “You’re right Sehun, you did bring me something good,” the man says in a voice that makes Suho think he knows a lot about mermaids. “I’ll give you a finder’s fee of five thousand gold and half of the price he gets sold for.”

 

“I want two-thirds of what he gets sold for,” Sehun challenged.

 

“Fine,” Sooman said reluctantly “Only because he's a good specimen.”

 

“Great. Kris, Chanyeol carry him up to the stage. So everyone can get a good look at him.”

 

Suho feels the tank being lifted again and he's being moved somewhere else. His eyes are hit with the bright sunshine on this clear day. It reminds him of the day he met Yixing all those years ago. If I’m gonna be stuck in a tank forever, then I'll remember something that makes me happy.

“Next up for bid we have something special for you!” Yixing hears the announcer as he still searching for Suho. He still hadn't found the mermaid among the things that had been sold. Maybe he hasn't been sold yet, Yixing thought as he looked back up to the auctioneer. “A rare and wonderful specimen has come into our possession. He is the guardian of the healing lake and looks like the embodiment of water itself: It's a mermaid!”

 

Yixing watches in horror as the auctioneer moves out of the way and he sees Suho. He is in a small tank, filled with dirty water. He looks weak, like he hasn't eaten in days. Yixing is somewhat surprised that he isn't dead. Of course he's glad for that fact as well.

 

“We’ll start the bidding at fifty thousand gold!”

 

The crowd roars, yelling their bids for the mermaid at the auctioneer. Yixing doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know how to save Suho from being bought by one of these people. He certainly doesn't have enough money to buy him. Maybe he could convince the people to let Suho go. It was his only option. Yixing runs to the stage, weaving through the throngs of people to reach Suho. “STOP!!!” He yells and the whole crowd becomes silent. Everyone is staring at him, wondering who this boy is that dares interrupt the auction. “Please stop! This mermaid is the guardian of Mirror Lake, we have to put him back there!”

 

“Why?!” someone from the crowd shouts “With him out of the way, we can get all the healing water we want!”

 

“No you can't!” Yixing shouts back “The lake is losing all its magic because Suho isn't there to protect it! Please we have to let him go!”

 

“He’s Liyin’s son! He's only concerned because he can get the water freely unlike the rest of us!” someone else yelled “Get out of here!”

 

Yixing dropped to his knees “Please you don't understand. No one will having healing water if we don't take him back to the lake!”

 

“Get out!” Someone yelled and threw a rock, hitting Yixing in the head. More of the crowd yelled and more rocks were thrown. Yixing tried to plead with the crowd only to be hit by a particularly big rock and knocked out.

Suho knows he hears Yixing's voice. He hears the crowd yelling at his lover. He wants to see him. He wants to turn in this heaven forsaken tank, but he can't move. He looks out the corner of his eyes and spots someone kneeling on the stage as if begging to the crowd. He thinks it's Yixing and when he sees a rock fly through the air, he knows. The people are throwing rocks at Yixing for standing up for him. Suho wants more than ever to be out of this tank; he wants to protect Yixing from the people hurting him. He screams and hits his hand against the glass, knowing he's wasting his energy. He stops when he hears a thud. Yixing has fallen to the ground and is being pulled away by two big guys. Suho yells for them to take their hands off of him, but there is nothing he can do. His love isn't moving and no one seems to care and there's nothing he can do about it.

 

Suho stops hitting the glass and just stares up at the sky. He wants to cry so badly, but he can't even do that. Once again, he has failed to be the guardian he's supposed to be. Not only as he failed the mermaids, he’s failed Yixing. He's failed the one person he loves more than anything.

Yixing wakes with a massive headache. His head is pulsating and he can't really remember anything. He doesn't know how he got into bed but he's grateful nonetheless. He tries to sit up slowly and groans, his head feeling like it might explode. “Be careful,” Yixing looks over and sees his mother coming toward him with a tray of food. She sat the tray down on the side table before sitting next to her son on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

 

“My head hurts. A lot.”

 

Liyin smiled a bit “Well don't worry, you have a few shallow wounds but nothing that won't heal. And your friend is doing well to.”

 

My friend? Yixing wondered what his mother was talking about before it him. Suho! He was trying to save the mermaid from the auction when he was knocked out. What happened to him? Where was he? “Wait. Did you say he was fine? Mom, Suho was bought by one of those horrid people. How could he be fine?!”

 

“Yixing calm down,” Liyin scolded her son. “Suho is safe and sound. A kind man named Heechul said he was so moved by your speech that he made sure he won Suho in the auction. He brought you both back here to me. Suho is downstairs in the bath waiting for you.”

 

“He is?!” Yixing's expression brightened. “I have to see him, please!”

 

Liyin smiled “Alright, calm down.” She helped her son out of the bed slowly. He felt dizzy when he stood, but managed to stay on his feet. Liyin helped him down the stairs to the bathroom and stopped outside the door. “I’ll give you two a moment alone.”

 

Yixing thanked his mother before opening the door. He saw Suho in the bath tub asleep. He still looked a little thin, but there was color in his cheeks now compared to before. His scales even looked like they were going back to their normal color. Yixing kneeled down on the floor and ran a hand through his lover's hair “I was so worried about you.”

 

“And I was worried about you,” Suho spoke with his eyes still closed.

 

Yixing stared at Suho with wide eyes before smiling “You were awake? Why don't you open your eyes?”

 

“Because this all might be a terrible dream and you might not really be here.”

 

“I promise you it's not a dream,” Yixing held one of Suho's hands in both of his own. “Please open your eyes.”

 

Suho's eyes fluttered open and he smiled, seeing that Yixing was really there. He immediately pulled the other boy close and kissed him. He was a little more forceful than he intended, but he had missed Yixing so much. He was so happy to be with his love again. He gently pulled away and looked down sadly “I’m so sorry that I wasn't able to protect you. I guess I'm not much of a guardian.”

 

Yixing lifted the blond's head “Don't say that. If you weren't stuck in that tank, you would have shielded me.”

 

“I shouldn't have been in that tank at all, Yixing. I was tricked by three idiots and I left the lake.”

 

“Suho, that wasn't your fault. No one can blame you for what happened. You made a mistake, it's okay.”

 

“It's not okay!” Suho shouted “I’m not supposed to make mistakes! I have to be at my best at all times and I have failed. I failed the mermaids and I failed you!”

 

Yixing watched as his lover broke down in sobs and moved out of the brunet’s grasp. He wished he could understand Suho's pain. He wanted to reassure him that everything would be okay, but he'd just be wasting his breath. He lifted Suho's head again and wiped away the tears trickling down his face. Then he felt something like a jolt of electricity running through him. He could feel some sort of energy flowing through his body. The pain in his head was gone. He didn't feel anything. “What was that?”

 

“Mermaid tears have healing powers. One tear can heal an entire body,” Suho calmed himself enough to explain.

 

Yixing nodded in understanding. After a moment of silence he spoke again “You have to go back to the lake.”

 

“What?” Suho looked at him as if he were crazy. “How can I? I'm a failure!”

 

“You’re not a failure! Suho, you protected that lake for two years before anything went wrong. You proved that you can do your job. One mistake isn't going to ruin things for you. Not to mention, your family misses you! Jongin is worried about you and just wants you to come back home. And the lake itself needs you. The whole area is dying because your magical power isn't there to keep it intact. Please Suho, you have to go back.”

 

Suho pondered what Yixing said for a moment. He wasn't totally wrong and the Elders weren't that cruel. They might actually forgive him since he was still young in their eyes. He took Yixing's hands and squeezed tight “Come with me.”

 

“Huh?” It was Yixing's turned to be shocked.

 

“Yixing, I don't want to be without you anymore. I know I said that we would make this work, but look at what's happened. I wanted so bad to be with you that I was tricked and almost sold at an auction. Please,” Suho pleaded “I can't take this anymore. Come be a mermaid and live with me.”

 

Not that Yixing didn't want to do that, but his mother needed him here. The village needed their medic. He couldn't just up and leave, no matter how much he wanted to. There really wasn't much for him here, but he couldn't leave his mother. “I can't, Suho.”

 

“And why not?” Both boys turned to see Liyin standing at the door.

 

“Mom! How long have you been standing there?”

 

“Long enough. Now tell me why you won't go be with the person you love?”

 

“I have to stay here with you. Who's going to be the village medic if I leave?”

 

“Excuse you, I have plenty of years left in me. Which means I can train one of the village children to be the new medic. At least one of them has to be almost as smart as you,” Liyin smiled. “Yixing, I want you to be happy and your happiness is not in this village. It's with Suho and the other mermaids in the lake.”

 

“But mom--”

 

“No buts! You're going and that's final!”

 

Yixing smiled at his mother before turning to Suho “Well I guess I have no choice.”

 

Suho was thankful to Yixing's mother. Not only for saving him, but for giving him the one person he loved most.

Yixing is twenty-one now. After his mother had made sure he was fully recovered, she and Yixing had brought Suho back to the lake. It had taken some time, but soon everything returned to they way it had been before Suho had gotten captured. The lake sparkled again and the entire clearing was full of life. After a few days, Yixing left his mother to go live with Suho. It had been a long goodbye to his mother, but she promised to visit him all the time and he promised to do the same. She also demanded that he bring Suho along on his visits.

 

It was a weird and a bit painful transition going from human to mermaid, but over the almost four years, Yixing's starting to get used to it. Suho's father, Siwon, granted him and Suho the ability to change form depending on where they were so that they could visit Liyin freely. Yixing had also been tasked with helping Suho guard the lake and they had tweaked the rules a little bit: All were welcome to use the lake's water so long as their intentions were good. Yixing was also able to put his medic skills to work. He got to heal those who were truly in pain and needed his help.

Yixing was happy with his life and things were going to get even better. “Xing, are you okay?”

 

The brunet turned and smiled at his fiancé “I’m just thinking about all that has happened over the past four years.”

 

“Good memories, I hope.” Suho wrapped his arms around Yixing's waist.

 

“Most of them.”

 

“I suppose that's a good thing. Well I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I think we should have two weddings.”

 

“Two weddings?!” Yixing had thought they would only be having one. He assumed they would just go through the mermaid ceremony and celebrate with Suho's family.

 

“Well I think your mother would be angry if she couldn't see her own son get married,” Suho ran a hand through his lover's hair. “That and I don't think she has any interest in being a mermaid even if it was just temporary.”

 

Suho had a point and Yixing didn't want to put his mother through that painful process. “Are you okay with that?”

 

“I suggested it, didn't I?” Suho laughed and kissed Yixing's forehead.

“I guess we're having two weddings then.” Yixing smiled and kissed his future husband. He was happy with this life and he was happy with Suho.

---

A/N: 10,000+ words! I honestly didn't think it would be even remotely this long. So after reading all the depressing, but really well-written and thoroughly loved SuLay fanfics by halimede310 (Seriously her fics are wonderful), I felt this urge to write something a little more cheerful. I really enjoyed writing this and I hoped you enjoyed reading it. Oh an shameless self-promotion: Look out for my Christmas SuLay fic Santa Baby. Until next time, comment, subscrbe, etc.

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